I'm baaaak...  Can you believe it??? almost a year from updating but i'm still here... with another chapter!!! So for those chosen few who hadn't seemed to drift away from this beautiful (no pun) fic, enjoy!!

Time After Time

Fic by MuseQ

Disclaimers are all over this fic.  Go find one.

Chapter 8- The New Task

*****

The three stood in a half circle around the shelf for several minutes.

Remus put his hands in his hair, eyes wide.  Harry looked at him, then back to the wall and found his voice.  "Well...do you have anything else in mind?"

Remus didn't move his eyes from the hole.  "I'm going to kill him..."

After snapping out of the spell of shock, Hermione rolled her eyes.  "That's not what he was talking about.  He meant do you have any other ideas about getting home?"

"I know what he meant!"  Snapped Remus, much too harsher than he expected to.  Hermione blushed and looked at the floor.  'Damn my snootiness'...'

Remus groaned in frustration.  "I'm sorry, Hermione, it's just that this is all so frusturating!  If the damn spell was hidden like this twenty years ago, I can't imagine where it could be these days."

'I'm sure they didn't remove them on purpose, or would they?"

"Harry, when the Marauders are at their peak, there is no telling what would be done."

"But even so... we should talk to Dumbledore."

"Harry, I was thinking the same thing."  Hermione said with a smile.

*

"...so the Mr. Black in 1978 found the spell in the bookcase behind the plague in the restricted section, and used it to enchant the time-turner... but when you three went to retrieve it, you found it empty?"  Three heads nodded vigorously at Dumbledore from their seats drawn to his desk.  Their stress increased when they noticed a highly amused grin playing on his lips.

"Do you think Sirius was also the one to remove the books?"  Remus pressed immediately.

Dumbledore chuckled.  "It was in fact not Sirius; I had that particular hiding space emptied out about fifteen years ago." 

"Then... where are they now?"  Hermione piped up expectantly.

"Ms. Granger, please understand that informational material such as this is highly dangerous when used improperly, so... naturally they were all destroyed."

Gaping silence.

"Not to worry, Remus,"  Dumbledore said calmly to him, whose face had gone deathly white," It is an obvious fact you do return to your time, ah, *eventually*."

"But... how long is eventually?"  Remus muttered.

"That I do not know.  But I expect you all know now what you must do?"  Blank stares.  "Certainly you mustn't think that the only forbidden time-travel enchantments were kept at Hogwarts..."

As usual,  Hermione's eyes grew wide with understanding.  "Of course!  We just have to find the enchantment from some other resource.  But that would take forever, unless you have an idea of where one is kept?"

Dumbledore smiled broadly.  "Precisely, Ms. Granger, and I do happen to know where the other copies of this material are located.  This type of confinement is only kept by the Ministries of Magic."

"And the UK's ministry has a copy?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter.  I wouldn't of destroyed our copies if there wasn't one located at least within a 3,000 km radius."

Remus raised his head, which had been resting on the desk in front of him, and stared hopelessly at Dumbledore.  "So the only way I'll get home is after finding the book that Sirius used, which is a one out of a thousand chance without using magic, in their main library of a million books?"

Dumbledore smiled warmly.  "You were always one to catch on, Mr. Lupin."  Remus lowered his head again with a small *thump*.  "This is what I propose.  Only if all three of you are willing to participate-" two heads nodded, one sort of rolled back and forth from on Dumbledore's desk, "-then this will be possible.  I have written the Ministry about this matter and they agreed to set up a portkey near the Hogwarts entrance.  It will only be activated Saturday mornings at ten o' clock sharp.  It will transport you to the Ministry's restricted library, a setup much like ours, and you are to pick out the books you suspect to be the one you are looking for, and return to Hogwarts at noon with the portkey."

"Two hours, professor?"  said Hermione with a frown.  "Are you sure that will be enough time to find what we want?"

"You aren't going to do any research there, Ms. Granger, just find books to bring back to Hogwarts, and look into them on your own time.  And keep in mind also that the minister wasn't in the best of moods when burdened with this new problem."

"Since this whole procedure will take much longer than expected," grumbled Remus, who had permanently removed his head from the table, "what will I be doing in the time being?"

"Attending classes, if you've forgotten already," snapped the crisp voice of McGonagall, who had just entered the office, "with Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger.  They have the same course schedules as you did, so it will be easy for them to *keep an eye on you*."

Remus gulped at her strict tone.  She wouldn't think of him to cause any mischief, with being away from his fellow mischief makers, not to mention being twenty years away from his time... 'Obviously yes...'

"You also have the option of taking Ms. Granger's full schedule, since she also has been using a time-turner to take advanced classes."  Hermione bit her lip, desperate to hide the glow of pride in her cheeks.  Remus watched her for a second, pondering this.  'So, she got to use a time-turner too?  She must be really smart, among other things...ouch—oh f-!' His brain began to hurt from mental slaps.

After a pause, Remus allowed a half-smile.  "I think I will," And as Hermione blushed deeply, he quickly added, "It can't be much different from mine, can it?  And I have to keep up with my studies."

McGonagall glowed.  "Wise decision, Mr. Lupin.  I am glad there was *some* logic of yours that followed you to this time."

*

"Thank you for stopping by for some tea, you two."  Professor Lupin poured the hot liquid into Harry and Hermione's cups, his almost half-gone. 

He was looking a bit more relaxed at that moment, Hermione noted.  She realized she had been watching him much more than usual, the few times she had seen him since his younger self *dropped* in from 1978. 'I bet all this amuses him...' she recalled his pleasant stature during the previous days' events.  Truthfully, the professor prepared for this meeting with a double-dose of his various relaxing charms, but not too much to make him giddy.

"Actually, Remus, I think we'd probably be coming anyway, despite your invitation."  Harry confessed, sipping his tea cautiously, and after a small chuckle added, "I think there's a lot we need to talk about."

"Like, perhaps, why we weren't informed about your little *visit* sooner."  Hermione said.  "We've only known you for, what, about four years?  And you knew Harry even before that."

"Your right, Hermione, But I also formally met all of you when I was eighteen, so I had lots of time to ponder exactly how to tackle this situation when it came to me.  In the end- well, there is no end, really- I decided when I met up with you two in your third year, that it would be best not to tell."

"Why not?"

"You were eighteen?"

Harry glanced at Hermione, who turned slightly pink, and Remus chuckled.  "Well, Harry," a pause, "not to degrade you, but I knew what information like that could do to a bunch of thirteen-year-olds, and I didn't want that spread around, despite how much I trusted the two of you, since even Minerva hadn't a clue."  Remus picked up his cup.  'I can't very well tell them the truth anyway…'

"We weren't that young.."  Hermione defended casually.

Remus gave her a look of amusement, and sipped his tea.  "All I need to say is to make him comfortable in this time period, and until the enchantment is found, try to be as discreet about the future as possible." He chuckled again. "And yes, Hermione, I was eighteen. I got accepted to Hogwarts when I was twelve, due to minor complications."  Hermione blushed again, and Harry seemed to be lost in thought.

"What would it do, though, if we told him?"  Harry wondered aloud.

Remus instinctly put a hand on his shoulder.  "Harry, remember this: time is something we believe can be amended.  We try our hardest to explore it, to change it.  But no matter how much we try, time will still run its course.  I don't want to sound mean at all Harry…" he paused, and regained his words," but in a way, your parents were… meant to die that night.  No one can change its destiny.  I could have gone out into oblivion as far away from this damn castle as I can, and I would have still been here to teach for your third year, and right back for your seventh."

Harry didn't answer.  Remus was worried that he said might have infuriated him, but instead Harry smiled after a pause and said, "Thank you Remus.  You and Sirius have really helped me.  Closest thing to father I could have."

"I don't know…" Remus said sarcastically, "that uncle Dursley of yours seems to really care about you…"

The three burst with laughter.  When they began to recover Remus sighed and began to drink the rest of his tea.

"You know, professor, I never knew you had a six-pack."

Remus spit out his cooled tea, and Harry stared at Hermione, eyebrows raised. 

"At eighteen also."  Hermione said, impressed.  "The marauders must have really given you a workout…"

"It comes with the territory."  Remus rebutted, turning pink.

"How…?"  Harry began, but Remus waved an impatient hand.

"Nothing, never mind."  He grabbed a small bread basket from one of the chairs next to him.  "Biscuit, anyone?"

*

the end haha just kidding review if it will please you…

~MuseQ

I also want to say that the way I'm writing right now, this story won't be over in the next few chapters, so bear with me and I'll post as fast as I can from now on!  J