Title: What Lies Ahead?
Author: Keiko
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I just wanted to state again that I do not own the world of Harry Potter. That honor belongs to JK Rowling. No profit is being made from this or any of my stories.
Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione cameo
Spoilers: Books 1-4
Warnings: Slash
Summary: Harry and Draco get an unexpected glimpse into the future. If I say anything else, it will give away the plot.
Chapter 6"Merlin Harry! Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for hours, bored stiff, while you've been traipsing about the castle. I've been suffering in this dusty room," Draco ranted immediately as he opened the door for Harry.
"Quiet! I heard some footsteps down the hall. We don't want to attract attention to ourselves." Harry whispered.
"Did you get the information? I want to get the hell out of here!" Draco exclaimed impatiently.
"SHH! Yeah, I got a copy of the evening Daily Prophet, but I had to go all the way down to the Great Hall and wait for dinner to get over with to grab it." Harry explained as he pulled the paper out from under his cloak.
"Bugger that!" Harry exclaimed as he glanced at the Prophet for the first time.
"Shh! And you yelled at me to be quiet." Draco huffed indignantly. "So what got you so excited about the paper?"
"It's just so ironic that the Time Tuner would bring us exactly three years into the future, almost down to the very minute." Harry stated in a muted tone.
"So you're telling me that we landed on September 2, but only three years later. That's amazing! Of course, I'm not surprised, after all I am bloody brilliant being a Malfoy and all."
"You're too much Malfoy. I would hardly call this a work of brilliance. Rather, I just think it is an extraordinary coincidence."
"That would mean that we have already graduated from Hogwarts. Give the paper here, Potter. I want to see if I have become Minister of Magic yet." Draco said as he snatched the Daily Prophet from Harry's fingers.
"Draco, I don't think it's such a good idea to read that. No one should know too much about the future. It could alter reality somehow and something that should have happened, might not. I surely do not want to be the one to bring about the destruction of the world just because of something I read in the Prophet while illicitly traveling through time instead of completing an errand for my Potions professor." Harry ranted, hoping it would prevent Draco from reading too much.
Draco seemed to ignore Harry totally, as he was engrossed in an obviously interesting article. "Bloody hell! It can't be!" Draco wailed and thrust the paper back at Harry.
"What was that all about?" Harry asked concernedly as he gazed at a visibly shaken Draco.
"I-I… Just read the article on the front page about the- the new professors at Hogwarts." Draco sputtered.
"Ok." Harry agreed as he read the following article written by Rita Skeeter:
'Yesterday, Hogwarts' Headmaster Albus Dumbledore announced to the Daily Prophet in an exclusive interview with Rita Skeeter that there will be two new additions to the school's faculty this year. Mr. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, has accepted the position of Flying instructor after the retirement of Madam Hooch and Mr. Draco Malfoy will be the school's latest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. As you know, the Daily Prophet covered the world famous wedding of Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy in June immediately after their graduation and it appears that the newly-weds found the ideal working situation to allow them to be together as often as possible. Professor Dumbledore commented that the two wizards will be an excellent asset to the staff, as they have proven themselves a very powerful force, when they united in battle to successfully defeat Lord Voldemort in March. The staff of the Prophet would like to extend congratulations to the lovely couple on their new positions.'
"Wedding?…lovely couple?…When the hell did all of this happen?" Harry said and quickly sat down on the nearest trunk, absolutely stunned as if he had been hit with a Stupefy spell.
"Well I surely have no idea what this article is all about. How the hell could we-former enemies-fall in love and get married in a period of three years? It's just not possible. I'm not supposed to get married at fucking nineteen years old. I'm rich. It's my duty to sow my wild oats before I settle down. And how am I supposed to have a Malfoy heir with you, Potter? This must be all your fault!" Draco complained and then also found he had to sit down or else risk fainting from the shock of the situation.
"Calm down Malfoy. I told you not to read the paper. I have no idea what this means either, but right now, we need to stop worrying about it and get back to our own time before someone really gets suspicious about our whereabouts. Besides, Hermione told me once that some male wizards can get pregnant. Maybe that is why we got married." Harry tried to lighten the very stressful situation.
Draco looked as though he had been hit below the belt and then screamed at Harry, "If you knocked me up Potter, I would have hexed you so badly, they would have never found the pieces; I definitely would not have married you."
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps crept closer, followed by the sound of a key unlocking the door.
"Shit" both wizards uttered in unison. "Quick, into that broom closet!"
Draco and Harry just crammed themselves into the tiny broom closet when the door opened and the faint sound of voices echoed throughout the storage room.
"I hope they didn't come here looking for brooms." Harry barely whispered to Draco.
"I'd be happy to let them have the one that is stabbing me in my back. I hope they leave soon, it is extremely cramped in here." Draco replied.
"Shh. The voices are getting closer." Harry muttered inaudibly as he placed his index finger to Draco's lips.
The two wizards tensed, as the voices grew louder. They hoped against hope that their luck would hold out just a little bit longer and no one would discover them.
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