The time-turner
Disclaimer: For the sake of argument, nothing is mine. Don't sue me.
***
Something was catching Ron's attention. Something thin, something gold was sparkling around Hermione's neck. Not that he'd been staring at her of course. He quickly turned his head away. Was it a necklace? Had some guy given it to her? He savagely pierced his sausage with his fork in one brutal action. Harry raised his eyebrow at him.
"What is the matter?"
"Huh? Matter? Nothing's the matter with me."
"Uh huh…" Harry nodded like he didn't believe him.
Ron continued to eat his breakfast.
"Timetables! Coming down now." Dean Thomas passed the 7th year Gryffindor timetables down the long table. Ron grudgingly accepted in between two fingers and deigned to look at it.
"Ugh. Potions with Snivellus."
Harry grinned – Ron was starting to sound like his own dad when he said that. Hermione gave him a reprimanding glance from opposite the table and shook her head, causing her hair to be more disarray than before. There it was again - the glimmer of gold from around Hermione's neck. It was no doubt a very fine chain of gold. Ron unknowingly clenched his fists around his fork and knife. What kind of a bastard had given his Hermione a chain of fine gold? And what was attached at the end of it? A heart? His face reddened.
Hermione was deeply immersed in her own timetable – was it Ron's imagination or was hers a tad bit larger than everyone else's? She twirled a strand of hair between her index and began muttering to herself and skimming over the piece of parchment. This behaviourism of Hermione's always enthralled Ron – he loved to see her in deep thought and he resigned himself to another session of Hermione-staring. She took a swig of juice from her goblet. Then her hand rested on her neck where she gently fingered the chain, pulling it this way and that – the pendant however, never revealed itself, tantalisingly hidden below Hermione's shirt. Ron growled in frustration. What was at the end of the dammed chain that was bothering him so much? Finally he couldn't restrain himself.
"What's that?"
Hermione withdrew her hand from her collar at lightening speed and looked up – she blushed. "Wh-what?"
"That." Ron stood from the bench and leaned over to the other side of the table and tried to grab the fine chain. Harry opened his mouth to protest, his arm shot out to grab Ron but it was too late. Hermione leaned back instinctively, clutching at her collar.
"Ron, what in world - "
Ron lost balance and fell right on top of the toast and butter. There was a huge clashing of plates and Ron's landed and heads turned from al around the hall. The teachers seemed to ignore the whole situation. Several Slytherins were laughing and the Ravenclaws were tut tuting away. Ron thankfully missed the pots of jam and cream – but he did manage to spill Hermione's goblet of pumpkin juice all over her front. Hermione squealed and jumped up from her seat, seething.
"Ron!" she screeched. Ron raised himself off the table and brushed the crumbs off his jumper. Harry covered his head in his hands.
Not again.
The yelling came, then the hurling of toast, than Hermione's swift exit from the great hall.
Ron sat down in a huff – the head boy; Hewlett Aldershot was watching him reprehensively through his gold framed glasses. He shook his head at Ron and rose from his seat. Ron scowled back and grabbed Harry and followed Hermione up to the common room.
"What the - " Harry was jerked from his seat. "What is wrong with you?"
"Preppy boy is coming my way and I am not standing around to find out –"
"Ron." Hewlett came strutting over form the Ravenclaw table and placed himself in front of Ron.
"Out of my way Aldershot." Ron pushed past him rudely, Harry grumbling all the way about some people not respecting other's right to a peaceful breakfast.
***
When Harry and Ron arrived at the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was no where to be seen – the common room was empty. With potions starting in literal minutes, Ron frantically climbed the girl's stairs leading up to their dormitories and was rudely shoved back down by the reliable stairs that guarded the girls from the prying eyes of hormone driven boys.
"Ugh." Ron grunted as his crumbled at the bottom of the stair case.
Harry laughed and helped him up, meanwhile checking his watch. "We have exactly five minutes for you to apologise to Hermione, get our potions stuff and get down to the dungeons."
"Who said anything about apologising?" Ron said indignantly.
Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs clad in a fresh uniform giving not a glance to Ron.
"Harry, let's go – we're late." She said imperiously.
Ron opened his mouth to protest at being ignored.
"Hermione."
"I think I left my bag on the armchair. Let's go HARRY." She emphasized and grabbed Harry's arm pulling him away.
Ron stamped his feet in annoyance. This seemed to delight Hermione; she let out a small giggle.
Harry was paying attention on other things however.
"Hermione, what is THIS?" Harry stopped Hermione and pointed at the front of her robes. Both boys stared and Hermione blushed furiously, trying to shove the tiny hour glass back into the folds of her robes. Harry plucked it form her grasp and the delicate chain broke and slithered down to the floor.
"Ah ha! So it's not a heart shaped pendant!" Ron cried joyously. He then blushed.
Harry shook his head – "You are using the time turner again?"
"Well…yes. I wanted to really try my best this year and get nine NEWTS."
"Nine?"
"Maybe seven. I don't know. But Professor McGonagall said the ministry trusts me to use it wisely and so…"
"Don't you remember how it was like it third year?" Ron said in a reprimanding voice.
Hermione turned her head this way and that, "Harry? Did someone just speak?"
"Come on you two."
"He spilled pumpkin juice all over me – furthermore, he was sticking his oar in someone else's business, he could've just asked me about the chain."
"You didn't tell us last time! Remember?"
"It's not like last time!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Ron, Hermione!" Harry threw up his hands in frustration. The tiny hourglass flew into the air. It was all in slow motion, the hourglass, its sand twinkling as it turned on its silent assent through the air.
The three all jumped up at tried to grab it but effectively knocked each other out and they fell heavily, one on top of the other.
"Ow!"
"Ugh!"
"Ron get off me!"
"Ow! Stop kicking you mad woman!"
In a tangle, the trio detangled themselves from one another and managed to stand on both feet.
Something was wrong.
"Oh! Where is it?"
Crack.
The noise of splintering glass made everyone freeze.
"Please let that not be what I just thought it was." Hermione choked out. She gently lifted the heel of her mary janes. The shattered hourglass lay there.
"OK. So what's the worst that can happen? Hermione asks for a new hourglass. Come on, let's go to potions. We don't have much time left." Ron said, running his fingers through his hair. He ran up to the boys' dormitories calling, "I'll get your bag Harry!"
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing seemed to be changed. They were still in the common room and nothing seemed amiss. Hermione however, was in agitation, wringing her hands. "Oh it's not so bad. It's like Ron said,"
"Harry we could have travelled back. In time." Her eyes seemed a little bloodshot and her voice had an edge of panic in them.
"Even if we did, it can only be a few hours. Right? Hermione?"
"I…I don't know. I…I smashed it! We could be a thousand years back. Or we could just be an hour early…or…or I don't know!"
Their answer came in the form of a very pale Ron, who was slowly descending the stairs, his long legs wobbling as he took each step.
"What's the matter? What is it?"
Ron took in a deep shuddering breath. "I think we travelled back in time."
"How…how far it time?" Harry asked, fearing the answer.
"Very, very far."
***
A/N: Review! Probably the most typed phrase in the whole world of fanfiction…