Disclaimer: I don't own Harry and Company
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Drop me a line sometime. Or an e-line, rather. (laughs hysterically. Sees no one else is laughing and gets up to walk away.) Enjoy the story everybody.
Two yelling fits, a game of Frisbee golf and a pound of lima beans later, Ginny had her breasts back. Oliver said he would walk back to the Three Broomsticks and get a room, but Ginny just wanted to sleep on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. So Oliver set off alone and Ginny walked back up with Sirius to the common room. They were talking about the aforementioned husband. "I just can't understand why you would stay with someone who yelled and you and pushed you around and-"
"Now, see, that's not fair. Tonight was the first time anything like that happened and I've never seen him so drunk or sorry. Anyway, I'm starting to think it's part of men's genetic make-up to have a jealous streak. I had this boyfriend, Harry and he was like that. Only he didn't really yell. But he would get all sulky and wouldn't talk to me and stuff. "
"Where do you find these guys? And that's what you get for dating a guy named Harry. Harry is the single worst name I think I've ever heard. If you don't agree with me, Harry is short for Harold, enough said." Sirius nodded, satisfied he had completely won her over.
"Not always. Anyway, I'm sure you have a jealous streak and I know for a fact that you sulk. I've seen you. You even start shedding." She slapped a hand to her mouth. Sirius peered at her curiously.
"What do you mean? I don't think you've ever seen me angry or-."
"Nothing, nothing." She brushed it off.
"And what do you mean, I start shedding? What do you know, anyway, Wesley?" She bit her lip, he looked angry. She didn't want him to be mad at her. When she didn't answer, he pressed on. "You've always known something. I know that. It's just, I just never precisely knew what." He was squinting at her, something he always did when he was angry with her in the future. She wondered if he knew who she was and that he had met her, however briefly, when he was in school. He probably didn't. He had never shown any recognition towards her, save one or two unexplainable moments. Azkaban had probably caused him to forget anyone not firmly rooted into his heart. Seeing the handsome young face in front of her and knowing his future, made her heart cry out.
"Oh, Sirius!" She jumped into his arms and hugged him fiercely. He, confused and somewhat awkward, returned it. He didn't look angry any longer, so she rushed into an explanation. "I know some things about the Marauders that you probably don't want people to know, but I swear I won't use them against you guys. I want you to remember me fondly."
"I'm fond of you." He insisted, a casual sideways grin pulling across his face. "What sort of things do you know?"
"Remus is a werewolf and you other three have just become Animagi, this summer. You're a big dog, Peter's a rat, and James is a stag." His face dropped. This clearly isn't what he was expecting.
"How did you…?"
"Please don't hate me. I don't know why I even told you. I am so stupid!" Sirius pulled her into a classroom and grabbed onto her shoulders.
"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll talk this out with the other guys and we'll see if we can work all this out." He still looked a little worried. Ginny winced.
"Please don't modify my memory. I don't think I can handle alcohol right now." She finally, after all the strain of the night, broke into tears. Sirius groaned.
"I wish Moony were here. He's so much better than me at comforting crying people. So, you aren't… you aren't going to tell?" Ginny shook her head. "You don't hate Remus?" Ginny shook her head. "Oh." Was the quiet reply. Ginny wiped her eyes and shook her head once more, this time to clear it.
"The secret is safe with me." She whispered, determined. She would not further emotionally humiliate herself in front of one of the only friends she had in the past. She set square her shoulders and practically marched out of the classroom. Sirius shook his head.
* * *
"Time is a delicate matter. You say you don't need to be choosy, that anyway to the future is fine. But what you truly need is a death spinner. An instrument able to conduct time and place." Dumbledore leaned forward on his elbows and sighed. "An instrument that is almost impossible to get a hold of. Because, it is called what it is, for the many murders that they have helped to commit. I trust your intentions, for reasons of my own. However, the Ministry will not. You yourselves will not have any correspondence with anyone official involved in this matter, But I will have a time convincing them, respected though I am. It could take months." He leaned back in his chair and watched their reactions, as if studying them for a science project.
"Months! But sir…" Oliver put his head in his hands.
"Honey. It wouldn't matter anyway. We'll get there the same time no matter how much time we spend here. It is more time for us." She turned to Dumbledore. "You can take all the time you like. Our priority is getting to the future, not getting away from the past." Dumbledore smiled.
"Very well. That leaves the matter of living and schooling arrangements."
"I'm already out of Hogwarts." Oliver seemed to be bragging. Neither Ginny or Albus were impressed.
"Please sir, I'd like to continue my Hogwarts education this year, if at all possible. I'm in 7th year." Ginny said.
"Very well, present me with your O.W.L.s and we can sort you." He held out his hand expectantly, looking gravely serious, albeit a twinkle in his eye.
"Sir, I don't have any of those scores. I don't carry things like that around with me." She cried. "I can take them over again, though and then you can decide where to place me."
"The committee can only come once a year and that is at the end of the year. You could work here until then, but you really wouldn't continue your education and you might even be gone by that time." Dumbledore weighed her options as easily as if he were fussing over milk brands in the supermarket. "We could put you in fifth year, you would pass with flying colors, I'm sure." Ginny bit her lip.
"I could do that." She said slowly. "How… how would we live?" Dumbledore looked between the two of them. It seemed this was the question that had been weighing on their minds the most.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." He leant forward again, Ginny also. Oliver remained impassive in his chair. Ginny swallowed. She knew he knew, just as well as he did, but he seemed to be testing her. The only problem was, she wasn't sure what she was being tested for.
"Professor Dumbledore. Oliver and I have been married for just about a month."
"What of it?"
"A married couple should remain together to… remain together. I may have to reconsider my admission to Hogwarts if we're not allowed together." She gulped, praying that she hadn't just deprived herself a month or so of school that she desperately wanted. "I realize I have not proved myself an asset to the wizarding world, however if I am given a chance I guarantee I will not disappoint." Dumbledore nodded and looked genuinely pleased.
"A flat in Hogsmeade should do just fine. Here's today's issue of The Daily Prophet. I give you a week to get settled in and then I'll expect that you begin classes and be sorted." Ginny took the paper and understood that the meeting was over when he smiled expectantly. She let Oliver go out first, "Oh Ms. Wesley?" She turned around and let Oliver go down before her. "Shut the door." She did.
"You are wise." She blushed. "Not only because of your knowledge of the future but your manner of handling it. You are not eager to go to return to the future."
"There are things that the past hold that the future could not contain." Ginny said simply.
"I wonder why then, you wear that ring upon your finger. You seem to find your future with your young man doomed." Ginny had the impression, as she often did around Dumbledore, that she was being x-rayed. She would not look away from his eyes. She could be bolder in the past.
"When before I entered this place, I was a girl. I am a woman. A married woman. I have labored next to a good hardworking man who loves me back. I've never suffered with a man before. Oliver and I are indeed doomed in the future, but this past is eternal." She fought back tears, knowing every word she spoke was true. "The boy… back in the future. I'll come out of the kitchen with lines on my face that he doesn't know, memories he'll never share. He won't be able to trace them with his fingers and remember why I got them and how I've lived. I don't want him to know. Oliver and I have both agreed and it's best we don't discuss the experiences in the past. It would dredge up a lot of feelings that are unnecessary. We both have lives and loves in the future. Two separate worlds. You ask me why I wear this ring?" She smiled proudly. "This is my first love and marriage. And only two people will know. This is my work and suffering, my love and my sharing. My coming- of- age. I am a woman and this ring is me. This whole thing, is my rite of passage. But I'm not ready to grow up completely. A part of me was hoping that you wouldn't believe me or that we would be stuck here or something. That was silly. I can't stop growing up anymore than the next person. But I am glad that there's a delay. Who was it that said you can't go home?" She finished her speech and looked to Dumbledore for whatever emotion he might convey.
"You are indeed wise." She left the door open when she left.
* * *
"Turn the game up!" Oliver yelled from the living room.
"If you want to hear it, come help me cook!" She ordered, turning up the wireless even so. Oliver appeared behind her and kissed her neck lightly. She handed him the knife she had been chopping vegetables with.
"Why don't you just do it with magic?" He whined. She didn't answer him, just pointed to the chopping board and several whole vegetables. "Alright." He resigned himself to following his wife's orders. She grabbed a chunk of carrot and set to chewing it thoroughly.
"I'm going to go finish up my potions essay for Grunt. It's the last thing I have to do this weekend." She said in his ear. He turned around to kiss her.
"I'm so proud of you. I never had everything finished when I was taking my O.W.L. exams." Suddenly, he shoved the knife down to the hilt down into her stomach. She pulled away and gasped in surprise and pain. She pulled at the handle and whimpered. A score had just been made by the Appleby Arrows, everyone was screaming, mocking her own agony…
Ginny sat up with a shock from the couch. There was indeed a screaming crowd coming from the kitchen, she could see Oliver cooking. The knife lay practically unused and he waved his wand around. Something smelled wonderful. She stretched stiffly. "Hey, Sleepyhead!" Oliver yelled from the kitchen. "You barely finished that essay before you conked out. Come have some lunch! Puddlemere United just won. You know, we could make a fortune betting on the Quidditch games."
"I know it. What's for lunch? Whatever it is smells great." She accepted a plate of steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes, and a lima bean and corn burger. She laughed. "You're just hoping my boobs will grow again." She accused him.
"Then why do I eat it?" He said, not unkindly. She shrugged.
"You tell me."
"Excellent!" Remus came in and threw his cloak at a hook, it crumpled to the floor. Peter, James and Sirius recreated the act three times more. Ginny laughed, Oliver frowned. Some things never change. "Food!" Remus sat on the couch next to Ginny.
"I'm bloody hungry." Peter batted his eyelashes at Oliver who got up to make them up plates. "So G n T, you forgot it was a Hogsmeade weekend?"
"Yeah, how come you didn't come down?" Remus sounded offended.
"I wanted to finish up my homework. And plus, you guys always show up at my place anyway. Regardless of whether it's a Hogsmeade weekend or not. Which I don't think it is." She said sternly, though she was smiling.
"Not a Hogsmeade weekend? But… I must've gotten my calendar all a trot!" James cried.
"Oh no. What if we… GET IN TROUBLE?" Sirius wailed. Four identical enormous handkerchiefs covered four identical evil grins as four identical bawling sounds filled the air.
"If you're caught down here at my place when you aren't supposed to be, you could get me in trouble." Ginny admonished. The handkerchiefs made a reappearance. She laughed.
"Alright, you four. Leave my wife alone." Oliver walked back out with four plates floating in front of him. The four grabbed them and eagerly started at the contents.
"Yes, sir." James said through a mouth of food. "G n T, you want to go down to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer? We need to talk to you about the latest endeavor."
"Alright, how about I go to the pub and you guys raid the fridge? I don't want any part in what pranks you guys do." Oliver grabbed his cloak and kissed Ginny, disappearing out the door. Remus got up and locked it, cracking his knuckles.
"A session of the Marauders has come into order." He said loudly. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." He waited for the others to repeat it and cleared his throat loudly. "My companion and ally Padfoot will address the group about the upcoming prank and it's progress." He sat down and Sirius got up.
"We've recently decided on a spanking good prank to conclude the first month of school. We've had three such during this month. The 1st being the invention of my dear friend, Wormtail. We put cockroach cluster in the Slytherin food down in the kitchens. Number two is of the invention of Moony, in which we gave everyone in the school a tail."
"Those were fun." Ginny commented. The Marauders laughed. Those had been fun. Ginny's had been wagging all day. She had been one of the first to get the antidote, after the teachers, but some of the students had had theirs for four days.
"Last, but not least was Prongs, in which we gave Snape bright pink sausage curls for… a week."
"Thank you, we know what we did… could you get going?" James said impatiently.
"I am following the rules that you helped make up, Mr. Stinkypants." Sirius admonished. "Now, the next prank is thought up by… me." He struck a pose. "Okay. We're going to change the genders of the Slytherins for a day or two. I like to call this Gender Bender Brew. Now, as the potions master, I will make this glorious brew and I will make it potent. Wormtail, he who sticks his neck out, stole all the ingredients we couldn't get on our own. Moony, master of saving asses, will do the actual administering to the food because we've already learned that the house elves don't mind if he messes with the food. And Prongs… Prongs will sit there and play with his hair." James booed. "Prongs, the master of innocence, will do the explaining. Like, as our newly appointed research master has found out, there is no antidote to this potion." Sirius cleared his throat. "That's the news. This will go down, tomorrow. So everyone sleep tight tonight, because tomorrow is a big day. Back to Moony." Remus and Sirius switched places again.
"Thank you, Padfoot. I hate being the master of saving asses. We'll have fun tomorrow. Okay, so, since G n T has recently been voted into this order, she has been exempted from this month's invention. However, next month, research master extraordinaire, you will have to come up with a prank of your own."
"And this whole time I thought you were using me for my research skills and flat." Ginny exclaimed, laughing at the offended looks she received.
"You thought wrong." Remus said dryly. She smiled up at her friend.
After the meeting, Remus stuck around to help with the dishes. She walked him back up to the school and had dinner in the Great Hall.
* * *
Ginny barely made it in time for the beginning of breakfast. "Where were you?" Remus asked.
"I slept through my alarm." She groaned, slipping next to him in the seat. "Oliver and I had a row last night and that kept me up late."
"What about?" He scowled. Ginny punched him on the arm, she loved when he got overprotective.
"He doesn't want me to get in trouble for all these pranks. He thinks that it's the only thing that the group does and he thinks it's stupid. I, of course, wouldn't tell him that there is a whole other thing that the group is for. I don't participate in that, mind you."
"For obvious reasons." Remus clacked his teeth. "Wouldn't want you to get bitten."
"It'd be quicker than figuring out how to be an animagi." Ginny sighed. "I keep telling Oliver about these Potions assignments. Lucky he doesn't go here or he'd know Grunt doesn't believe in homework." Ginny went for the food.
"Thank god for that. I'm swamped as it is from the teachers who believe in homework like a religion." Peter sighed. "I'd still be trying to become a rat if it was like this every year."
"So, what's happening over there?" She nodded to the Slytherin table.
"Well, it should last around three or four days with the potency I made it. It'll take about half an hour to work once it's ingested." Sirius cracked his knuckles, coming into his element.
"How long will it take until it's traced back to us?" James asked, pulling out a pad of paper. This was betting time. "I'm going for ten minutes."
"Five." Peter moaned.
"Seven." Sirius usually won.
"Never." Everyone groaned at Moony. Ginny blushed when they looked expectantly at her, she had never been included in this ritual before, even though she had been sworn in for the previous two pranks. She loved being in the Marauders.
"14 minutes." Sirius shook his head.
"You'll learn with time, woman." She swatted his arm. "Why did you make a guess like fourteen anyway?" He kept glancing at the Slytherin table.
"If it takes twelve minutes then Prongs and I can argue over the time. If it takes higher than that, I've got awhile before Moony wins the bet." She laughed at their looks.
"That makes sense." Wormtail said in disbelief. Ginny laughed again.
"How much longer?" Remus asked Sirius who glanced over at the Slytherin table again.
"Supposing they got here on time, from five to 15 minutes. If they were ten minutes late, which is usually the norm, 15 to 25 minutes. We wait for the first scream and act interested but detached." Sirius leaned back and looked casual. A few girls looked around and bit their lips hopefully. Sirius noticed but pretended he didn't. Ginny knew for a fact one of those 6th years had been in with the Gryffindor 5th year boys and had gotten angry when she had figured out that Sirius felt he didn't own any allegiance to a girl he slept with. Ginny had been surprised at the fact that all the Marauders, including Peter and Remus, had been with at least one girl by this time. She had even been Harry's first, when he was 17, and Hermione thought that was scandalous, albeit she had been sleeping with Ron for two years. The first in secret.
Peter had dated a girl named Gabriella, pretty, plump, and exceptionally short, for a month. It only lasted that long but not before she had given him a few experiences he could go on for years about. Remus had been with a girl named Natalie for all of fourth year. They had had a rendezvous during the summer. She had dumped him when he told her his secret. He performed a memory charm on her. Anne, Roberta, and Roxanne were on Sirius' roster. James had had Kelly, Gigi, and Beth though he continued to pine after Lily. She refused to remember that, at 17, she had been with four men and cursed them as a bunch of himbos. There was a shout from the Slytherin table. Ginny looked up quickly.
Victim #1: Yule Timbers, who was turning into a not bad looking female before their eyes. His hair lengthened, his robe stretched out in front and by the horrified look on… her? his? face things were going on below deck. Now completely a she, Yule grabbed onto long chunks of black curls and let out a shrill shriek, running from the hall. "Shiver me timbers!" Peter yelled out, Ginny groaned.
"That was awful." She whispered to him. The second victim was also male and gave Ginny great satisfaction, though not for long. Lucius Malfoy did not yell or give a frightened response. Though it was ultimately entertaining. He smoothed his long straight hair back and then gave patted himself in shock, ultimately finding his breasts. There was only a tiny change in expression and then a very attractive curvaceous Lucius left the Great Hall.
"He's gone off to tinker with himself… or herself." Sirius said in disbelief. "He'll dig into the… female psyche. He's going to be better in bed than we are."
"Figures he'd make a better looking female than I do." Ginny sighed.
"Figures the best looking guy and or girl in the whole school is a total asshole." Sirius sighed. "If he was a year younger, I'd kick his ass." He said fiercely. The comment drew laughter from the others.
"What, Padfoot, won't fight your elders? You wouldn't fight him if he was a fifth year, maybe if he was a first year." James joked. Sirius blushed. Remus had started the timer.
"Three minutes." He announced. Everyone got their galleon out. Ginny was glad she had brought one. Teachers were starting to gather around the table and people whose gender had been bent were leaving, a few buff guys crying and women flexing their muscles and glaring around at the table. "Five." Severus Snape left the table looking surprisingly attractive, blushing. Professor McGonagall broke off from the group of teachers and rushed to the spot where they were sitting.
"Do you know anything about this?" She whispered. All the other students looked around.
"Seven minutes and 15 seconds. How do you do that?" Remus said, they ignored McGonagall. Ginny handed over her galleon with the rest.
"I know people." Sirius said proudly. "Come on, hand 'em over." Everyone groaned.
"Hello!" McGonagall yelled. "You're all to report to the Headmasters office. Quick." They all got up from the table and started towards the office, where they had all been and knew the password and location very well. They saw Lucius Malfoy, looking flustered, emerge from the laundry room.
"Couldn't even wait until you got to your own common room?" Sirius shouted.
"Ooh, Lucy." Ginny teased. "Finally, you can realize what a lead handed blockhead you are."
"You're just jealous because you've never seen a finer female specimen." He blew a kiss to the Marauders and they continued on to the headmasters office. They met Severus standing by the door.
"Need help in?" Remus said, not unkindly. Severus looked surprised, scowling at them.
"Yeah, in your new state we wouldn't mind having a little party with you. There's just one thing missing." Sirius pretended to think hard. "What is it, Prongs?"
"I don't know, Padfoot…" He scratched his head. "What do you think, Moony?" Moony crossed his arms and didn't say anything. "Wormtail?" Peter, enraptured, didn't answer.
"I've got it!" Sirius slapped his forehead. "Shampoo!" They laughed and slapped hands, and the Marauders went in to Dumbledore's office. Snape hadn't gone for his wand, he watched almost impassively as they went up the stairs. The gargoyle jumped in front of doorway. Ginny stayed behind with Severus. She had never precisely hated him, as other Gryffindors had. He had never given her any reason to, unless you counted Harry, but where would sympathy hate get her? Severus brushed a strand of oily hair behind her/his ear and looked at Ginny untrustingly.
"You really do look good as a girl."
"Thanks…" It was the first time he/she had spoken. Her voice had become high-pitched and soft. She was still looking over Ginny as though Ginny were going to attack.
"I'll see you around." She said and let herself upstairs wondering why in the world she was being nice to her friends worst enemy. She ignored her question and sank into one of the armchairs, ignoring the stream of questions from her friends inquiring whether she was doing the thing she had just accused herself of. Dumbledore came in five minutes later. He sat in an armchair companionably.
"Who made it?" He asked.
"I did, sir." Sirius answered proudly. "Quite good, isn't it?"
"Yes, yes it is. I presume you didn't add a little water even to affect the flavor."
"They've got a good three days to wait, sir." James said happily. "As you probably know, there's no antidote."
"No lima beans?" Dumbledore said in a stately manner.
"You heard about that?" Ginny blushed. Somehow, she didn't want Dumbledore to know about her adventures with Sirius' potions.
"Indeed. Well, boys."
"And Ginny." She added.
"And Ginny," He agreed, "You've done a fine job. And, as the punishment should fit the crime, you have to take dosage of the potion. I assume you still have some?" Remus produced a bottle and gulped.
"You're not going to take any points, Professor?" He asked uncertainly.
"Certainly not. It wouldn't do any good. And I know the taste of this particular potion." He looked around, daring them to ask. "And so I'll let you take it with your next meal. However, you are not allowed to water it down. Enjoy your trip to the other side. Enjoy your last classes beforehand. Off you scoot." Ginny sighed and resigned to her fate, left with the other Marauders.
"Well, that wasn't bad." Peter said cheerily.
"Not bad? We've been hit with our prank!" James cried.
"Cursed a mirror!" Sirius whined.
"I'll be sleeping in the common room." Ginny mused.
* * *
Ginny pulled a face, this potion wasn't very good. Remus must have only sprinkled a little for the Slytherins not to notice. Then again, they weren't exactly the smartest of folk. She had put some on all her food and she was regretting it as she began her lunch. Evans took the only seat left, next to her. She looked around and heaved a sigh. "There's no crisps left."
"You can have some of mine, Evans." Ginny offered, smiling peaceably. The Marauders watched, horrified.
"What are you trying to pull?" Evans looked at her suspiciously.
"Nothing, I just don't want all of them. Watching my figure."
"Hmmm…" She frowned a moment longer. "Well, thanks!" She grabbed most of them and went at them ferociously. "What's that taste?"
"…Vinegar."
"Oh… jeez." Evans considered and smiled. "I'd have dropped dead before I thought you'd have done something nice to me." She finished up the crisps quick.
"Well, that's reason enough for me." Ginny quickly finished her shepherd's pie and left before Evans figured it out.
* * *
"Oliver, I'm going to spend tonight at Hogwarts again."
"You aren't going to become a male again, are you?" He looked up suspiciously. She rolled her eyes at him and cleared up the dishes.
"No, I'm just going out for a drink with the guys and I thought I would spend the night up at the school afterwards."
"Why do they call you G n T?" He was still surveying her distrustfully.
"Ginny and Tonic. I've told you that."
"Do any of them besides Remus know the effect of you know what on you know who?"
"Nope. Don't worry about it." She kissed him on the forehead and then on the lips. He pushed her slowly away from the table and onto the couch. "I really need to go." She mumbled and pushed past him, panting. "I love you, honey. We'll make love tomorrow morning. Saturday."
"I'll put it on my calendar," He said dryly. She kissed him again and left. She was actually going straight up to the castle, but Oliver generally needed a reason. Or she could stop by the Three Broomsticks… wouldn't hurt.
Half an hour later she stumbled up to the castle and tip toed to the common room. Moony was up and studying. He didn't look up as she came through the portrait hole. "Hey, Gin."
"How did you know it was me?"
"Had a little run-in with a suit of armor, did we?" He said softly, "I recognized the screams of terror."
"I didn't scream in terror." She said indignantly.
"The armor is starting to recognize you when you're drunk."
"Not funny." She flopped into his lap, knocking his quill away from the paper. He made an impatient noise. "Come on, Moony, don't you want to talk to your best friend?"
"Sure, I do." He smiled warmly up at her. "You realize there are three other chairs at this table."
"I like sitting with you." She slurred.
"How many did you have?"
"I had five, but I haven't eaten all day."
"Made a stop in the bushes on the way here?" He asked bemusedly.
"Shut up. You know me too well." He rubbed her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his shoulder. "I'm hungry."
"I can imagine." He replied calmly, continuing to write around her. She leaned back and restricted his writing again, looking into his eyes. He remained calm, watching her back.
"Do you still think about Natalie?" He tensed beneath her and around her.
"No, I don't." She was surprised to see he was being honest. "It wasn't meant to be. I'm starting to think nothing was meant to be in that particular regard." He brushed his hair back from his forehead and leaned back, relaxing again.
"If Peter sleeps with another girl, I'll give you some." She said earnestly.
"You're sweet. I think I may have to decline, though." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
"I'm hungry." She whispered.
"Okay, okay." He rubbed a few strands of hair away from her face. "We'll go ask James for his cloak." She got off of him and he followed her upstairs.
"Did they bring anyone in the dorm?" She asked before she went in to the dorm, Remus shook his head and pushed the door open. Ginny opened James' hangings and shook him gently. "Prongs… Prongs." He shot up and knocked into her, she fell to the ground and hit her head on Padfoot's bedpost.
"Sorry, sorry." He jumped out of bed in only his boxers and pulled her up. She flopped onto the bed and he sat down. "What do you need, Ginny?"
"I want your…" She ran a hand up his thigh, wiggling her eyebrows. "Invisibility cloak." He brushed her hand away and blushed.
"Alright. You're awfully bold tonight."
"She's drunk." Remus said from across the room, he was apparently getting ready for bed. Ginny kicked her heels onto the ground and climbed under James' covers. They smelled deliciously of him.
"What were you drinking?" He asked, digging around in his trunk. She stuck her head under the covers. "What was she drinking, Moony?" Remus looked up, also in his boxers.
"Can I tell him, fair Virginia?"
"The jig is up." She disappeared back under the covers.
"Little G n T is appropriately named. It takes about a gin and tonic to get her completely pissed. How many did you have tonight again, Gin?"
"Five butterbeers." Was the muffled response.
"Five?" James grinned crookedly, looking at the lump in his bed. "It only took five?"
"I don't think I could get drunk off of butterbeer, myself." Moony said. "But it's very possible for her. She can get tipsy after two if she hasn't eaten, which she hasn't all day." Ginny groaned. James lifted up the covers and handed the cloak to her.
"You want to come Moony?" She tried to put it on, backwards and then sideways.
"This is one sleepy werewolf, no can do." He watched her, extremely amused, as she tangled with the cloak. "Oh for Merlin's sake, help her James." He walked over to her and pulled the cloak away.
"How do you get a cloak tangled up like this?" He fumbled with it.
"WHASSAT?" Sirius stumbled out wearing… a frown.
"Damn it, Sirius!" James yelled. "We told you to wear clothes to bed."
"Don't like it James, don't like it at all." He noticed a wide-eyed Ginny and bowed. "Kisses."
"Go back to bed, Sirius." She said, remembering herself and turning around.
"I like that idea just fine." He pulled on pajama pants and allowed her to turn back. "So, what's going on, folks?" He yawned, disappearing back into the bed hangings.
"Ginny's drunk and hungry after five butterbeers." Remus said from across the room. Sirius sat back up and grinned evilly.
"I can oblige you." He said suggestively.
"I said hungry."
"Oh." Ginny had, at this point, climbed in with Remus and was telling him something that none of them were listening to.
"… and, and I must've disappeared under that cloak a hundred times. When Harry and I would sneak off together." She finished yawning. "The end. How're you managing, James?"
"Huh, oh fine. You can come climb under it now."
"You want to come?" She asked, stumbling to him and waiting to have it put on.
"You asked Moony first?" He set about putting it on her.
"Yep."
"Okay, I'll go." She took it off again and jumped onto his back for a piggy back. James pulled it on over them. "See you guys later." Ginny started to drift off as they went down the stairs and all the way down to the kitchens. Things were brought sharply back in focus as she was plopped onto solid matter and expected to stand without assistance.
"Prongs."
"Hmmm." He had disappeared into a large storeroom.
"I'm drunk."
"I've realized."
"You could take advantage of me." She whispered. He reappeared.
"Are you accusing me or offering?"
"Dunno."
"Is it really taking advantage if you suggest it?"
"I'm drunk."
"Déjà vu." Ginny flopped ungracefully to the floor. "What do you want?"
"I want… baked beans." She said, rolling underneath the island in the middle. "And I want… to make you hot chocolate." She rolled back out, getting heavily to her feet and disappearing inside the storeroom for the necessary supplies. James grabbed canned baked beans and went to heat them up. "Can you cook actual meals?" She asked, pulling out a pan of her own.
"No. You know that." He gave them a quick stir and then jumped onto the counter beside her. "You know how I know that?" He didn't wait for an answer. "For all the times you've made fun of me because of it." She blushed. "And I wouldn't take advantage of you. Remember, you're married."
"Sometimes I like to forget."
* * *
Ginny blew her nose and let out a cry of anguish. "I hate being sick." She moaned.
"I know, I know. Don't you think its funny, though?"
"Doe!" She cried.
"I mean how we can do practically anything in the wizarding world, but they can't find a cure for the common cold." Oliver shook his head and served her up a bowl of soup.
"Thanks. You're supposedly going to get about one hundred colds in your lifetibe. Then you build a resistantance to… the commbon cold."
"How many have you got to go?" Oliver asked, finally giving up and feeding her.
"sebenty eight." She said after chewing her noodles. "I get one or two a year." She moaned again. "And so close to Christmas holiday."
"You'll be feeling better. And you're friends are even going to be staying with us."
"You're excited. I can tell." She said sarcastically.
"You read me so well." He matched her sarcasm and helped her finish off the bowl. "I love you, bug."
"Love you." She leaned back and prepared to further sleep off this cold.
"I talked to Dumbledore." Oliver fumbled with the bowl and didn't look at her.
"And?" She whispered, dreading and hoping for the same answer.
"He thinks that it might take the rest of the year, to get the death spinner."
"The rest of the school year?" Oliver nodded. "That's good at least."
"Ginny." He sat quickly back down on the bed, looking at her fiercely. "I don't want to go back. I want to stay here with you and work in the Pea Coat and then maybe try out for the Quidditch league. Why do we have to go back to the future? Why? Tell me, please. Because I've been searching for a reason and I can't find one."
"We can't stay here." Oliver's face worked. "The future is our home, our time."
"This is my home. Our home. And this is our time, because in the future, there is no us. Can you honestly say that you can leave the kitchen and act like none of this happened? That we're not married?" He kissed her on the forehead. "I've made friends that I wouldn't ever want to leave and I have friends in the future I feel the same way about. I didn't know how to figure out where and when I really wanted to be. And then I thought of you and I knew that I wanted to stay here. You know that I've been seeing Odessa Sprout in the future?" Ginny nodded. "Well, that day I came to your house, I had been shopping for an engagement ring, for Odessa. I was going to propose that night at dinner." Ginny nodded. "But I don't know how I'm going to go back to her when you're always in the back of my mind. I won't be able to stand seeing you with Potter."
"I don't know how to either, Oliver. But we've got to. We already agreed…"
"I know, I know…" He shook his head and ran a hand through his adorable curly little afro.
"You'll invite me to your wedding, won't you?" She pulled him to her and held him like a child.
"You know I will."
"If you don't want to be tormented by this… we could have Dumbledore erase our memories…" Ginny said, bracing herself for his reaction.
"No way! I want to remember every moment of this. Every moment." He looked up at her with his beautiful, severe, fierce eyes. She loved him more than anything at that moment.
"We'll go on, Oliver. I promise you. Even though we're apart, people will remember us together."
"Yeah. I can't wait to go visit Tom in the future. We're spending New Years with him, right?" Ginny nodded, bumping her chin against the top of his head. "I'll bet you're dying to see your best friend. Remus Lupin will be excited to see you as well. For you to finally understand."
"It will be nice to talk to him about the past. Do you think he's made the connection? I mean, in the future, do you suppose he ever got right down to it and said, 'Ginny Wesley is a Weasley and a damn brilliant one at that?'"
"I suppose he has. Or will, rather." Oliver gulped.
"See honey, we can take part of the past with us to the future. Everything will be okay." They kissed again and he finally left her to sleep. But Ginny couldn't find slumber with Oliver's words beating around in her mind.
She too, wanted nothing more then to stay in the past. But she knew that they didn't belong here. They couldn't belong here. She sighed as she realized she had never felt as though she belonged more in her life. She wasn't born here, didn't technically exist here. She did however, have friends that had become a part of her very being. She was a member of the Marauders, researching desperately for pranks and becoming an animagi like her friends. And she was working fast, they were pleased to say. She would probably be able to become an animal by 7th year, they predicted. And Sirius had said so, and Sirius was brilliant at that sort of thing. They were still working on what sort of animal she would become. Peter said an elephant, James wanted a tiger, Sirius a duck and Remus wanted her to decide. She wanted to be an animagi, simple as that. Not helpful, they warned her.
Could she pass up that chance, simply to return to the future? She felt guilty knowing she hadn't been missing her family for the past few months. They seemed a distant memory. She couldn't recall faces and memories as she once could. The longing in her heart had been replaced by needing the Marauders, knowing that she would inevitably have to part from them. She missed them already.
They would probably fade, like her family had, and she would be reunited with her parents and brothers and her memory would be refreshed. And slowly, but surely, she would forget about the Marauders. About how they were constantly begging Peter to quit smoking, her included, and how he was impressed and awed by everything someone did. Performing for Peter was like a guaranteed, two thumbs up, and he was a flattering personality. She had tried to hate him, but found that she couldn't. About Remus, her best friend, and how he would hold her when she was upset and give her advice and let her know that she was out of line. How he wouldn't let her go out with them, even though she promised to stay in a tree and she wouldn't get bitten. James suave and conceited, having to stop him when he was ruffling his hair too often or seeking out Snape when he was angry. Calming him down after she had done something particularly nasty to Evans. Sirius, good looking and knowing it. Making her laugh so hard that she couldn't breath and taking her breath away when he was switching on the old charm. But always, they were her friends, like none she had ever had. They made her laugh, cry and yell. They forgave her and listened to her ideas. They forgot she was female and remembered at the uncanniest of times. They tried on her high heels and made sure she stuck to the Fizzy Pumpkin drinks. They were there for her when she needed them and understood when she didn't. She couldn't ask for more.
She had known her family all her life and she had known them only a matter of months. She had only thought up two pranks, but they had been received enthusiastically. She had never been completely accepted by her family. She was accepted by the Marauders, they loved every flaw and extra pound. Every annoying habit. After all, it was more teasing material.
Ginny rolled over and slept. There were still five months left in the school year. She could worry more when the time came.
* * *
Remus kissed her soundly on the cheek and shoved a few packages in her hands. "Cheers." Sirius followed and tried to hand her more presents, but she handed them and Remus' back.
"Just put them under the tree." She let Peter inside, and James who whirled her around in an enthused hug. Oliver looked as though he wasn't sure whether to be pleased or to haul off and punch somebody. She closed the door and moved back to clutch his arm, reassuring him.
"So where do we sleep?" The tree looked a lot fuller. Sirius looked around, expectantly.
"The floor. You can trade off on the couch though." She smiled as they groaned.
"Ginny, we come to liven up your Christmas, and this is our thanks? I'm going home." James started towards the door. Ginny put a hand on his chest, he continued trying to walk, acting confused. She laughed happily, she was glad her friends were here for the holiday.
"You'll be pleased. I asked Dumbledore to set up some of his purple sleeping bags…" There was a collective, 'ooh', around the room.
"The squashy ones," Peter drooled, Ginny nodded.
"The ones with the temperature adjusters?" Sirius wanted to know. Nod.
"And built in pillows and mattress." Nod.
"Okay, you talked me into it." James flopped onto the couch. Even Oliver laughed.
They the next week, leading up to Christmas, quickly. They thoroughly explored Hogsmeade and thoroughly wreaked havoc. They went up to Hogwarts for some meals, Oliver got his free from the Pea Coat, and since they didn't want to prepare food…
Late at night was the most fun. Everyone had a ride on James on the border of the forbidden forest. Ginny held onto his antlers and shrieked with delight. They had a midnight dip with the squid and, after stealing a large quantity of gillyweed from Grunt, went and made friends with the merman. They found they didn't need to steal (a first) that after the first two days the merman gave it to them for their next visit. Ginny went picking with a few of the mermaids and got all sorts of neat stuff in the depths of the lake, including a knife, which they discovered opened all locked doors and could untie any knot. Ginny let Sirius have it, knowing that he would give it to Harry later on and it would prove useful to him. Christmas came and went happily, with the boys sitting around in their sleeping bags, tossing presents around. Ginny received a sweater hand knitted from Oliver with a legend that read '1974.' The guys didn't get the significance of the date or of the fluffy pink jumper.
"It clashes something awful with your hair." Sirius complained. Ginny shut him up by tossing him his present from her. She also got a matching hat from Peter. She posed for a few pictures of her posing with Diabla with them both wearing their hats. Remus got her a tiny pendant, just the size of her thumbnail, it was a hawk framed against a moon.
"Put it on later. When we go out for dinner tomorrow night." She tucked it in her pocket. Her and Remus were leaving the others for a quiet evening together. James and Sirius had split the cost of her gift, but she didn't mind, she had been wanting one for a long time. It was a desire cloak, rare and expensive. When you put it on, you could do things like fly without a broom, apparate without apparating. They weren't made in the future, because of the danger of Voldemort, but wasn't looking to apparate anywhere she wasn't supposed to, at least not to murder anyone. It also had heating charms and an attractive embroidery. She put it on along with her sweater and hat.
"I'm offended. No books?" As if on cue, Oliver found Tom's present under the tree and handed it to her. She ripped it open and then broke down in giggles.
"What, what is it?" Sirius managed to get it in his hands and then also laughed. He handed it to Oliver who read the title aloud.
"The Art of Bartending."
"I don't get it." Peter confessed.
"You know what happens when Ginny drinks, Wormtail." James explained impatiently.
"Oh." He nodded. "OOOOHHH!" It seemed to have dawned on him. Ginny laughed and ruffled his hair.
"Good ol' Wormtail."
* * *
They went to the feast at Hogwarts for dinner. The next night Ginny and Remus indeed got to go out on their own. Ginny pulled on her new cloak over her dress robes. As she and Remus started out the door the other three appeared. "Can we walk you there?" Sirius asked. Ginny dropped her keys in an inner cloak pocket and shrugged, exchanging a look with Remus, who also shrugged.
"Sure." Remus finally answered. They started through the cold night air, crunching through the snow. "You ready to put that thing on?" He asked Ginny. She nodded and let him fasten the clasp. All of a sudden she was much closer to the ground and feeling different.
She tried to ask what was happening but instead hooted. She looked into Moony's eyes and tried again. What's going on?
You don't mind being an owl animagus, do you? He smiled at her and she looked at her arms. They were wings. She let out a joyful hoot and tried to fly. She did a spectacular face plant and enticed laughter from them all. She concentrated on her face and memories and found herself at regular height and species. They all chased after her on the road. She touched the pendant.
"Moony…" He looked at her and shrugged.
"That magic's a golden oldie." He said and then looked straight ahead. "And we needed something to speed the plot along." He winked. Sirius and Ginny exchanged looks and shrugged.
"Cool. Well, that was quite enough excitement for the evening. See you all later, have a nice dinner." Sirius kissed Ginny on the cheek.
"Don't hit on me, Sirius." She warned. He gave her a 'who me?' expression and laughed.
"Hey look, Snivellus!" James cried and the other three started off in the direction of a crouched figure. "Hey Slimeball, watch out or you'll grease up the snow. We can fix that… Scourgify." There was a choking noise and laughter. Ginny made to walk towards them, but Remus grabbed her arm.
"Come on, Gin." Remus dragged her in the other direction, towards the Pea Coat. It was one of the only really posh restaurants in Hogsmeade. She was just glad Oliver wasn't working tonight, that would make things awkward. She and Remus checked their cloaks and got a table near one of the windows facing the main Hogsmeade road.
"Why did you stop me? I love them all, but they can be such gits!" She cried ferociously.
"Guess I've always been too grateful to them for being my friends that I can't just go in there and ruin their fun." Remus sighed. Ginny took his hand.
"I can't imagine not being your friend." She said. "But all the same, I don't think Severus Snape is that bad. And he seems like the kind of kid that's going to run off and be like Harris and Klebold! And the Marauders will be the first to go!"
"What are you talking about Ginny?"
"Nothing, never mind."
"Anyway, Snape is up to his ears with Dark Magic."
"Exactly what I mean." Ginny muttered. She ordered vichyssoise to begin, Remus got a salad.
"So, you were so excited to come out to eat. What did you want to tell me?"
"Well, actually I'm telling you this before I tell anyone else. It wasn't intentional, but not unwelcome. I suppose it is kind of unwelcome, but I'm not complaining at any rate."
"Ginny. Just spit it out."
"I'm pregnant. I know you guys have been teasing me about gaining weight, but actually the truth is, I'm two months along." He spit out his water onto the tablecloth.
"Two months? How could I not notice? I'm your best friend for cripes sake."
"Disillusionment charms. Anyway, I didn't notice for the first month."
"How could you not-? Are you pulling one over on me, Gin?" He stared at her seriously.
"Not at all. I didn't even notice I had missed my monthly at all. Or if I did, I thought it was stress or something, crazy huh?" She smiled at him and he leaned under the table to rub a hand across her stomach. "I just don't know what to do about it. I can't keep it."
"Why?"
"Once I get back…"
"To your parents who were dead once but are now miraculously alive again, and you're going to them just an hour or two away but we can't send owls and you probably won't ever see us again." Remus shook his head sadly. "Come on, Gin. Even Wormtail isn't that thick. I don't know your secret, but I know you have one. And I know you're thrilled about having this baby, but somehow you can't keep it."
"You can't keep this secret. It's too big." She accepted her soup and set about eating it.
"I am the master. Don't argue with me…" She sighed and opened her mouth, and intended to tell him she couldn't but instead let everything fly.
"So that's why the baby is a bad thing." She whispered. Remus sat in shock.
"I'll see you in the future." He offered taking her hand. "You can see all of us." She didn't answer. "Can you tell me anything?"
"No."
"Nothing?"
"No, Remus. And you can't tell anyone. I'm taking such a huge risk here."
"Oh man, I wonder what Oliver's going to say."
* * *
Oliver fainted. Sirius laughed. James sighed. Peter didn't get it.
* * *
"So, how do you know this isn't my baby?" Peter wanted to know, rubbing Ginny's quickly growing stomach.
"I've got a couple reasons." Ginny laughed.
"Five months… you're already huge." It was a new favorite past time of the Marauders to rub her stomach and talk about the baby and names.
"Ouch, Prongs. Are you calling me fat?"
"Nah." A group of girls walked by and he ruffled his hair. Everyone laughed.
"And you better watch out. I'll get ten times bigger than this. I hope nobody actually thinks I'm 15." She laughed. "That would make for some interesting letters home."
"17 isn't much better," Sirius said grumpily. He patted her tummy a final time and went off to talk to the girls by the water's edge.
"Am I sensing disapproval?" Ginny said sarcastically.
"He thinks it's funny as hell." James left as well. "See you later. Going to work the old charm on the ladies." They yelled after him as he went, Peter followed soon after. Remus lay out in the sun.
"I know he can't wait to be an uncle." He said happily, of Sirius. Ginny sighed.
"None of you will probably meet the baby." She said sadly, playing with her stomach. By the time school got out she would only be seven months along. They would wait into the summer and then go back then. Dumbledore had gotten hold of the Death Spinner, but was waiting until everything settled down. Including Ginny's stomach. She would have to do intense exercise aerobics crap to get back into shape.
"You should name it after me. Or at least in honor of…" Remus leaned back in the sun, delving into his Transfiguration book.
"You all say that. I should think that would be the last thing I want to do…" Ginny joked.
"Oh, go deliver some mail." Remus said in mock grumping. They both appreciated the joke with hearty laughter. "Really, though. I'm having romantic fantasies about having a child named after me."
"Maybe I will. What would you suggest?"
"Well, Remus, obviously if it's a boy. And if it's a girl…" He remained silent for a few minutes. Ginny returned to her autumn sun bathing. "Luna." He said finally. "Luna."
"Luna? I like it. I'll speak to Oliver."
"I always knew I was your favorite." Ginny laughed and replaced her sunglasses, watching James succeed in being chewed out by Evans yet again. Life was normal in Hogwarts.
* * *
"Albus… Albus." Ginny shook the old man's shoulders, hard. He sat up and grabbed onto her hands.
"What is it, child?" His voice sounded hoarse. She doubled over as much as she could.
"Something's wrong. My water broke and my contractions are within five minutes of each other. And my water… it. It didn't look right." She whispered. He got up and helped her up, setting up a stretcher for her to sprawl across. She moaned and grimaced.
"You didn't have to walk up here, I hope." He said as they started towards the hospital wing.
"No. Oliver was working graveyard at Three Broomsticks, but I used my desire cloak." She groaned through gritted teeth.
"I see. Here we are. Just take deep breaths. Poppy!" The young nurse in a nightgown, rushed forward. "She's early." Poppy tsked and helped her onto a bed, where she used her long practiced breathing. Poppy did a quick look over and yelped.
"I can't do anything for this, Albus. She needs to go to St. Mungos."
"You're a trained healer." Dumbledore said, urgency finally entering his voice.
"This needs more than one healer."
"Very well, shall I go wake some of your friends to go with you?" Ginny shook her head.
"O.W.L.s tomorrow. Don't tell them until after the exam." She said this all in time with her breathing. "Please." She added when she could. Albus hesitated for a moment and then grabbed her tightly. She was dropping in and out of consciousness. She felt them moving quickly.
"How're you doing? We're at St. Mungos." He whispered. "Oh Merlin, please."
"When can I take the O.W.L.s?" Ginny muttered.
"Anytime. Anytime."
"I thought you said…"
"We'll get them to come in." He whispered comfortingly. Ginny cried out sharply and she felt his arms tighten on her. She was on a stretcher now. There was the lift and then a bed. Now only black.
* * *
Peter, Remus, James and Sirius finally got back up to the common room. James still fuming from the break before Transfiguration. "And the whole exam was a bitch!" James exclaimed.
"Not to mention the witch giving it." Sirius muttered.
"I thought you knew all that rubbish." Remus said snappishly.
"Shut up, Moony." Sirius said grumpily. "And I want to know why Stormy got to stiff the exams and we had to sit around in them. Probably just because she's older."
"Wrong." McGonagall got up from a couch and frowned at them. "She didn't want you to know until after the exams, but last night Mrs. Wesley gave went into labor. An few hours ago, she gave birth to a little girl. 4 pounds 13 ounces." There was silence. Remus flopped down into a chair.
"But… but." He tried helplessly.
"She's only in her seventh month." James finished.
"She will most likely live through the affair, but the child will probably not. She'll want to see you when she comes to. She was talking and thinking about you through the entire time she 'stiffed' the exams. Prepare to travel by Floo powder in half an hour. I don't think I need to tell you the password to Dumbledore's office." McGonagall swept out of the room.
Ginny awoke to familiar voices. She sat up eagerly in bed. "Hi guys!" She practically screamed. Dumbledore, who was sleeping in the chair next to the bed, gave a jump. The Marauders looked, surprised at their headmaster's presence. "I've been so bored. I try and talk to the people who come in every hour to give me cheering charms, but they don't talk much. Dumbledore went to sleep an hour or two ago, and Oliver wanted to stay, but had to get back to work. You want to see her?" She jumped off the bed.
"You feel alright?" All four of the boys reached out their arms as if to steady her.
"They fixed me up in about a minute. It just took a long time to get such a tiny baby out of me. Funny, that." She for a moment looked remorseful. "I've been preparing to give her up the minute I knew I would be having her. But I always figured we'd stop in some suburb in the 80's and drop her off, not have her die before she had even lived. But I can't be too sad because I just get this feeling she lives. Oliver thinks we should name her Luna, Remus." Remus took her hand and she led him to a nursery, barefoot in a hospital gown. "They fixed me up, but they couldn't put me back together as a pregnant lady." She pointed to a covered crib. Healers were gathered around, warm glows of light were radiating from within.
"What do you mean stop in the 80's?" James asked suddenly.
"I have something to tell you guys when we get back." Ginny said softly. "I love you. I kept thinking about how you would make brilliant uncles."
"Oh, stop." Sirius blushed. "You flatter me. I'd be awful if I was actually going to get to know this baby, which you're implying I won't." He poked her in the stomach and then instantly regretted it, looking horrified.
"Sirius." She wrapped her arms around his neck and started to cry. "Every time I deliver one of my own letters, I'll think of you."
"Why?" He asked, pulling away to look at her.
"Because you think it's funny." She wiped her eyes and turned away, rapping hard on the glass. The healers turned around and motioned for her to come in. She led them through the previously solid glass. "How's she doing?" Ginny walked to the edge of the crib and looked inside, brushing the side of the baby's face with her finger.
"She's fiery. She may yet make it. Only time will tell." A friendly looking healer said.
"Well, come look at her guys." Ginny let them crowd around.
"She's beautiful." Remus finally whispered.
"Nah…" Ginny laughed. "She's ugly. Newborns are proof that we were once related to apes. At least she wasn't born with back hair like some babies are." She pulled a face. "She'll favor Oliver in looks, I can tell already. Not saying that Oliver is ugly. She just won't have my hair." She kissed the baby and left, watching the healers crowd back around before she went back to the room.
"You weren't supposed to leave." Dumbledore chided. Ginny blushed as the others turned on her. "Of course you all will want to go to the party after exams. You can take turns with Ginny. I daresay she's very tired." Sirius won the brief scuffle and was designated for the first two hour shift. Remus kissed her on the forehead, James rubbed her cheek lightly with his hand, and Peter squeezed her hand quickly before they left. Ginny and Sirius played a game of exploding snap. She finally let exhaustion catch up with her and went to bed for the first time in almost 24 hours. Sirius watched her for a long time before wandering back to the nursery and watched little Luna, her tiny ribcage rising and falling, and wishing that he could hold her, heal her and sing to her that everything would be alright.
* * *
Ginny came back from jogging and kissed Oliver soundly. She brushed at the peach fuzz on Luna's head and kissed her also. "How was your meeting with Albus?" She started to change. Oliver watched her, interested.
"We'll go back in the next hour, as planned." Ginny looked longingly at Luna.
"Where should we drop her off?" She whispered.
"Suburbia, early 80's." Oliver tipped the one-month-old into his arms and started to give her her bottle. She grunted. Ginny and Oliver laughed. "As planned."
"I know. We've talked this out a hundred times. Do I look the same as when I was just a carefree 17-year-old, instead of a mature and fabulous 18-year-old who just finished her now totally useless O.W.L. exams?" She struck a pose and Oliver chuckled.
"You look different to me." He admitted sadly. "I don't think you'll ever look the same."
"Are my wrinkles starting to show?" She joked, trying to keep the situation light. Finally she broke down and threw herself against his chest. "Should we sleep together or spend time with the baby?"
"I've been confused about that, too." Oliver leaned back onto the bed, continuing to hold Luna and let Ginny climb beside him, cuddling up to them both. "How's this?"
"Good. Very good." Presently, a knock was heard at the door. Ginny opened the door and beamed at Professor McGonagall who had tears in her eyes.
"Everything's ready." She whispered. Ginny picked up the note they had written for Luna and stuck it in her blanket.
"Okay." Ginny let out a shuddered sigh and let Oliver softly massage her shoulders and she held on with all her life to her child, to Luna. They proceeded to Dumbledore's office. He showed them how to use the odd looking watch and bade them return it with Fawkes when they got to the future, where the phoenix would be waiting in Ginny's bedroom. They gave everyone good-byes and Dumbledore made them promise to visit him in their enlightened state.
"I'd only be too glad to see you." He kissed her on the forehead. Oliver pressed down the stop of the watch and Ginny found herself in a row of houses at night. They all had neatly trimmed lawns and attractive set-ups. Except for one. The lawn was teeming with all sorts of magical plants that shouldn't be out. Lights pulsated from their trees and funny creatures chattered.
"That's it." She nodded to the house. Oliver didn't say anything. Ginny checked to make sure that the note was still in place. She laid Luna on the front step and hit the doorbell, scurrying away. She went quickly back and kissed her, whispering, "I love you." She and Oliver hid in a side yard, very surprised when they saw someone they recognized come out and scoop the child up, going back inside the house without even looking around. It suddenly made sense. As they prepared to go back to their time, Ginny watched the swinging nameplate under the mailbox flutter in the breeze. Her daughter was Luna Lovegood.
* * *
There they were, back in the kitchen. Ginny grabbed onto Oliver. "I can't do it. I changed my mind, go back, go back."
"We agreed, love." He kissed her again and again. "We have to go on."
"You're my soul." She whispered. "I can't go without my soul." She cried softly into his shoulder. He held her for a moment and then sighed.
"You say that now. Someday you'll hate me for being a prat and yelling at you. We should make some lunch." He whispered into her ear. She nodded. "You get our stuff into your room without their noticing and then come back to help me." She levitated their trunk and various boxes and bags into the room. She tucked her wand into the back of her pants and sat to watch him cook as she had done many times before. All of a sudden she cried out.
"Oliver!" He looked up urgently. "We're not wearing the clothes we were before."
"I don't know what to tell you, Ginny and Tonic." He flipped the vegetables he was frying above the flame. Ginny loved that trick.
"And my hair isn't the same. We forgot to do all those things."
"You can tell them I'm an idiot with my wand."
"I'll do that." She held onto his hand and dreaded seeing Harry again. "Did you see the nameplate at…"
"Our child's Luna Lovegood." He finished, rubbing his eyes dramatically. "Do you think we could have done better than that? There was a reason she was called Loony."
"Don't call our daughter that, you bad man." She teased. She was just pretending that they were back in their flat, or in their rooms in Hogwarts, cooking a little dinner and joking about going to the future. It was short lived. The door swung open and there stood Hermione.
"What are you guys doing in here? It's been like 15 minutes." She stopped and sniffed the air. "Whatever it is smells really good."
"It's one of my favorites." Oliver winked at Ginny and watched as she chopped up chicken and dumped it into a separate pan with chili pepper.
"Look, I just wanted to talk about the sort of precarious position I found you and Harry in. That we all found you in." God, that had been so long ago. "I love Harry and all, but I don't think he's the kind of guy to-"
"I totally agree." Ginny said earnestly.
"But…" Hermione looked ready for a fight. "You do?"
"Sure I do. I'll slow it down with Harry." Ginny sighed with relief. Explanation for libido letdown number one. Hermione misinterpreted the sigh.
"Don't tease me, Ginny. I'm quite serious."
"As am I." Ginny winked. "Don't worry about it, Hermione."
"What's that ring?" Hermione suddenly asked. She didn't notice the hair, the clothes, or the fact that Ginny was in better shape than before the baby. Yet, she noticed the ring.
"Oh, nothing." She and Oliver exchanged a glance. They hadn't remembered to do much of anything to avoid questions in the future. At least they hadn't showed up with a baby.
"Hmmm." Hermione frowned and looked between them. "Well, anyway. I came in here to argue with you, but the Weasley temper didn't rear its ugly head. Lunch, soon, Gin. Thanks Oliver." Ginny and Oliver broke out in shaky laughter as soon as the door closed.
"What are we going to do about these things?" Ginny wiggled hers off of her finger. Oliver did the same with his. Then, wordlessly, they handed their own to the other. Ginny cried and Oliver brushed tears out of his own eyes , finishing up the lunch that was a favorite of Ginny's. They shared a last, kiss and piled the food on five plates. Ginny made to pick two up and make for the living room but Oliver grabbed her arm. They stood for a moment, the only sounds their breathing, with tears streaming down their faces.
"Ginny… everything that happened. All the pain and the yelling and everything. I'm sorry. I know that we were in love and love means you never have to say you're sorry."
"That's not true."
"No, it's not. I'm not sorry that we fell in love and I'm not sorry about Luna and I'm not sorry about the past. But I am sorry about the way I sometimes treated you and if you and I were to ever get together again in future…"
"Oliver. Put this ring away somewhere special or wear it around your neck like I intend to do. But forget about us in the future. Please, just forget about it. It won't happen, it would be too weird." She closed her eyes and winced as she said the next words. "Get married to Odessa. Please, pick up where you left behind." She looked into his own, swimming eyes.
"I- I'll try." He clutched the ring suddenly determined. "I really am sorry for it all though." He added, almost as an afterthought. "I wish I could go back and…"
"Ssshh." Ginny clutched his face and kissed him. She rubbed the five o clock shadow that she would never run her fingers over again and breathed heavily. "Everything's okay Oliver. It's all in the past."
