A/N: OMG!!! School is two weeks away! TWO WEEKS! I'm going to be a freshman!! I'm so paranoid about that I highlight all my classes on the map and placed numbers right next to them! Oh well, two more weeks to be lazy! And just a reminder, probably until mid-October there wont be a lot of updates, because I'm going to be busy, and getting use to the high school life and all. But don't worry! I will still updated as much as possible!! I WILL finish this story no matter what!!
PS: wow... it's the TENTH chapter!! ... Please review!
Full Summery: After being accused a murder right after the Tournament, Ron 'runs away' to America, hoping to start over anew. But three years later, his wife is struck by a curse that will end her life in one year. There is no cure for the curse, except a powerful potion. But no one knows how to brew it, well, except one. So leaving his wife at a famous wizard hospital in California, Ron and his two year-old Daughter go to England, where the only man who knows how to brew it lives. And that man is Severus Snapes, Potion Professor at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So here are the big questions: will his family and friends accept Ron again? And will his wife's life be saved?
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any song/ quote that I will use. They belong to their respectable owners/ creators. But anything that I have made up belongs to me!
X o X o X
Come with me in the twilight of a summer night for awhile
Tell me of a story never ever told in the past
Take me back to the land
Where my yearnings were born
The key to open the door is in your hand
Now fly me there
Fanatics find their heaven in never ending storming wind
Auguries of destruction be a lullaby for rebirth
Consolations, be there
In my dreamland to come
The key to open the door is in your hand
Now take me there
I believe in fantasies invisible to me
In the land of misery I'm searchin' for the sing
To the door of mystery and dignity
I'm wandering down, and searchin' down the secret sun
Come with me in the twilight of a summer night for awhile
Tell me of a story never ever told in the past
Take me back to the land
Where my yearnings were born
The key to open the door is in your hand
To the land of the twilight
-Key of the Twilight; .hackSIGN
X o X o X
Wind
Chapter Ten: Key of the Twilight
The month of April (and Easter break) was just around the corner; in fact it was it was the next Sunday, which was in two days. So on this Friday, everyone was busy, on both sides of the Atlantic. Ron and Layla had just came back from another doctor appointment, Teddy had another operation, Elaine and her soon-to-be husband, Rick, were making sure that everything for the wedding was going to be perfect and on schedule, and Mr. And Mrs. Glory were getting ready for a charity event (they were also bring Amory with them).
But on the other side of the ocean, the whole school of Hogwarts was getting ready for their long awaited Easter Break. Everyone not staying at school was getting pack, especially the Heads and Prefects since they were all heading to another country for the next week. As of the moment, Hermione was scolding Harry, who was procrastinating.
"Harry! You should be packing! The train leaves tonight!" Hermione scolded the raven-haired boy.
"I get to pack when ever I want today." Harry stated simply as he flopped down on one of the couches.
"Is that so?" Hermione questioned as her eyebrow arched.
"Yep, I get to leave tomorrow morning, I'm heading back with Remus." Harry replied. Harry was going to spend his second Easter break with Sirius and Remus at Sirius's old childhood home.
(A/N: the fifth book didn't happen, because this story starts off after the fourth book, so the lovable mutt is still alive... YAY! And no, Remus and Sirius are NOT a couple... sadly.... LOL)
Hermione just rolled her eyes and left in a huff to go to the head dorm to make sure she had everything. Just as Hermione left Dean appeared. "Harry, Luna is outside." He informed the other Gryffindor. Harry got up and existed the common room and into the hall to be greeted by his girlfriend.
"Hello, love." Harry greeted the RavenClaw sixth year.
"Hey, are you leaving for the break?" she asked as the two leaned on the wall.
"Yup, going to spend the whole week with my godfather and Professor Lupin. Are you leaving too?" he asked.
"Yeah, going to hunt down Big Foot with some of my cousins in Alaska." She replied in her usual dreamy voice. Harry chuckled. Everyone knew the Big Foot didn't exist but he wouldn't tell her that.
"Well, good luck." Harry replied giving her a kiss and the cheek.
"Thanks, I'll see you in a week or so, Harry." She kissed his cheek before leaving. As soon as Harry saw her turn the corner he went back into the common room.
X o X o X
"It's not fair!" Elaine whined again for the fourth time that night. Ron, Layla, Teddy, and his latest girlfriend Jackie, Elaine and Rick were eating out that night. The six all were seated in a round table at a local Japanese restaurant.
"I know, babe. But you get a nice big bonus check and that will cover for the honeymoon." Rick pointed out. Elaine pouted.
Teddy chuckled. "Poor Elaine and Ron, having to work during your break. Well, I get to be lazy!" Jackie coughed and gave a look at Teddy. "And spend time with my lovely Jackie." He quickly added.
"Whipped." Both Layla and Elaine coughed out. Everyone laughed at this, excepted for Teddy who turned a bit red.
"Shut it." Teddy muttered and ate some sushi.
"Aw.... We're sorry Teddy-Pooh." Layla said in a baby-voice.
"Okay, okay, now, how many days to you have to show them around?" Ron asked, before Teddy uttered another word.
"Just one day, but still! I should've had that whole week off!" Elaine exclaimed.
"But, as Rick pointed out, you will get a lot extra." Jackie pointed out. Layla nodded. "That also means Ron gets extra."
"I don't need extra money." Ron commented a bit softly as he remembered his family's old position.
(A/N: Remember? Arthur is the new Minister of Magic in England?)
"Well, it is only one day, you two can live right?" Layla asked.
"I guess..." both muttered.
"Okay since that is settled, what are we going to do until the wedding?" Layla asked changing the subject. (Amory was going to spend the whole week with her grandparents up at their beach home until the wedding.)
"Hmm..." and everyone ate and brain stormed for the rest of the dinner.
X o X o X
Wednesday...
"We have arrived!" Ginny joked as they appeared in the Portkey room of the Government Building in L.A. Hermione rolled her eyes but gave a small laugh. Just then the door opened to reveal a seventeen year-old Asian looking girl wearing muggle clothing under her Government robes.
"Can Head Boy and Head Girl, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger please step forward." The girl ordered with an American accent. Hermione looked at Ginny who gave her a nudge, soon she stood right next to Draco a few steps away from the girl.
"Hello, Heads, my name is Elaine. I would give you my last name but then you all will be calling me by that and it will make me seem all old even though I am you age, but I am adult in this country, unlike you guys, well at least in the Wizardry world but still..." Elaine ranted but soon stopped herself. "Sorry, about that, some times I tend to go on and on."
"Well, I am your guide, please follow me!" She added a bit to cheerful. Ginny ran up to catch up with Hermione.
"She's a bit odd." Ginny commented. Hermione laughed.
X o X o X
"And this place is Penguin Avenue, one of the top fashion centers in the Wizardry world." Elaine said as they entered the shopping center. "As you all know the first Ex-Death Eater attack in California took place here." She soon stopped walking and turned around to the group. "I hope you are all hungry, we will be stopping by at restaurant for lunch before continuing our tour."
"Thank God." Hermione heard Draco commented to a Slytherin Prefect. Hermione turned to see Draco winked at her and she smiled back but then returned her attention to Elaine because the group began to move and entered a big restaurant, which turned out to be one of those buffet kind of places. Elaine led the group into a private dinning room.
"Yes! All you can eat!" Ginny exclaimed causing some of then to laugh. Soon everyone found them selves a table and got their food. Hermione sat at a table with Ginny, Hannah Abbot, and Colin Creevey.
Hermione was eating her salad when Hannah said something. "What did you say?" Hermione asked,
"I said, that guy has been following our group." Hannah repeated. She pointed out the doorway of the room to the back head of a dark-red haired that was near by the entrance.
"So?" Colin asked, not really getting it.
"Maybe he is a Ex-Death Eater!" Hannah exclaimed.
"Why would Ex-Death Eaters be here? They normally don't strike the same place twice." Ginny said, a bit curious.
"That is true, Hannah, don't get all paranoid." Hermione said returning to her salad. The four continued to have their small talk, and Ginny kept noticing the Hermione kept sneaking looks at Malfoy, as he did that same, but she said nothing about it. Then their conversation was interrupted when they heard Elaine's loud voice.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SOMEONE STOLE THE CAKE?" She bellowed into her muggle cell phone. She stopped and noticed that all the students were staring at her. "Excuse me." she muttered and stepped out of the private dinning room.
"What was at about?" Ginny questioned as their tour guide walked out. The three shrugged and continued their meal until a few moments alter it was interrupted by Elaine's yells again.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Everyone in the room turned to see Elaine yelling at another seventeen year-old.
'He looks familiar.' Hermione thought.
"Hey, chill." The man said. "What is it this time? PMS?"
"ARRRG!" She groaned and pulled him into the dinning room. "What are you doing here?" she asked a bit more quietly, but she was nearby Hermione's table and the four caught it.
"Just checking on my favorite soon-to-be hitched friend." He said cheerfully.
"I'm at work, Teddy." She said through clenched teeth.
"Hey." Hermione exclaimed finally releasing where he has seen him. "He was that guy who pretended to be our substitute for DADA back in October."
"That's him?" Hannah asked. "Wow... he is nice looking."
"I just had to sit with girls..." Colin muttered to himself.
Elaine sighed. "Why are you really here?" she asked, rubbing her forehead.
"Oh, just stopping by to say that your wedding cake is in good hands..." and before Elaine could ask what he meant by that and strangle him to death, he disappareted (sp?).
"DAMN HIM!" Elaine yelled before leaving to get herself some sugary sweets.
"Well, that was just odd." Hermione commented before returning to her food again.
"He seems funny." Hannah said.
"But seems he is a lot to handle." Colin replied.
"Reminds me of the Twins." Ginny said out of the blue before taking a sip out of her drink.
X o X o X
Ron sat alone in a booth, slowly drinking a cup of coffee as he kept his eye on the entrance. Soon he felt a tap on his shoulder to see Richard, the other Auror that was assigned to this.
"Hey, your watch is up." Richard said as he took a seat across from Ron. "You need some rest, Casper."
"Yeah." Ron replied. He got up a placed some money next to his cup. "See you later, Richard." The other man tipped his hat and Ron apparated (sp?) back to his Manor.
X o X o X
"Okay, is everyone done eating?" Elaine asked, in her oddly cheerful voice. Everyone nodded as they got up from their table. "Good, good. Now if you will follow me-"
"AHHH!" Elaine whipped around when she heard the scream of the other people on the restaurant. Her eyes widen when she saw the black cloaks and white mask of the four Death Eaters that popped into the restaurant.
"Oh my God." Hannah whispered as she saw one of them send an Unforgivable to a young wizard.
Elaine acted quickly by closing the doors shut and placing two locking charms on them.
"Uh huh, they don't attack the same place twice." Hannah said and looked at Ginny.
"Maybe they changed the rules?" Ginny asked, her voice quivering out of fear.
"Everyone!" Elaine called. "Hold hands together, make sure you are all connected to me!" she pulled out a Portkey and everyone felt the familiar or unfamiliar tug on the stomach just as the door's burst open and the Death Eater entered to see everyone disappear.
X o X o X
"Everyone here?" Elaine asked as they reappeared in a whole different place. Elaine did a quick head count.
"Where are we?" Colin was the first to ask. Hermione looked around, they appear to be in a living room, of, well, one really rich witch or wizard/.
"Is this your place?" asked a fifth year Prefect from HufflePuff.
"Well, you see..." Elaine began.
Just then a male voice from upstairs called out, "Hello? Is someone down there?"
"You don't live here." A sixth year prefect from RavenClaw stated, as if it was a fact and not a question.
"Well, you see... uh... yeah.... a friend's house. First place that came to my mind." She walked into the hall and called back to the man. "Uh... Casper! It's me Elaine! I... uh..." she looked at the group of Hogwarts students. "I have to tell you something in your uh... drawing room upstairs!"
"Oh, okay. Come on up." The man called back.
Elaine turned back to the group. "I'll be right back," she said and she head up the spiral staircase.
"What do we do until then?" Ginny asked as they were left alone in the living room.
"Chill and wait until she come back." Draco said casually as he sat on the couch.
X o X o X
"So let me get this straight, there was another attack at Penguin Avenue right after I left, and so your first action was to send them to my place?" Ron asked as he paced.
"Yup, that is all to it." Elaine replied.
"So, my ex-classmates, my old school rival, my used to be best friend, and my little sister are all downstairs in my living room."
"I guess." Elaine looked at Ron. "Look I owe you for this okay?"
"Yes, you really owe me big time... fine they can stay, but I am not to see them, and they are not to see me. Got that?"
"What about Layla?" Elaine asked before she left the room.
"She left this morning to go to the beach house, she'll be back this evening."
"Is she allowed to meet them?" Elaine asked as she opened the door.
"Whatever she wishes." Ron replied. Elaine just gave him a small smile and closed the door and went back downstairs.
"Okay." Elaine got their attention as she entered the room. "My friend said you could stay here until the government says it is safe for you to go back to the school you all are staying at."
"So we eat dinner here?" a Slytherin Prefect asked.
"I suppose so..." Elaine replied. "I have to go call my Fiancée, excuse Me." and she left to room and went into the hall.
"She's getting married?" Hannah asked no one. "She's so young."
Just then someone flooed into the living room. She was covered with dirt and soot but did a quick cleaning spell. She was their age and was wearing really nice, but casual, clothing. She stood up, still not noticing the people around. But when she did the first thing out of her mouth was, "What are you all doing in my living room?"
"Layla!" Elaine greeted as she came back into the living room. "There was a attack at Penguin Avenue again so I brought the students that I was touring around here." She explained to the girl named 'Layla'.
"Oh I see." She said a bit quietly. Hermione noticed that her right hand was playing around with a bracelet on her left wrist, it was one of those hospital ones.
"Well, everyone this is Layla, my friend, and wife of the owner of this house." Elaine introduced her. "Layla, this is Hogwarts's Heads, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, and the Prefects." She looked at Layla. "Casper said that you were at the beach house." Elaine had an unusual emphasizes on 'Casper'.
"I was, but the area was attack too by Ex-Death Eaters, so my parents apparated back to the Estate but I flooed back here with Amory." She told her, not really caring if everyone heard their conversation.
"Estate? Beach house?" Ginny whispered to Hannah. "Someone rolling in gold."
'Amory? That names sound very familiar.' Hermione thought.
"Amory?" Elaine asked.
"Yeah, speaking of her, where is my daughter?" Layla asked.
"You were the only on the came." Some fifth year Gryffindor said.
"WHAT?" Layla turned to Elaine. "Do you think she got sent somewhere else?" she asked franticly.
"That is possible..." Elaine replied with thought. "He is upstairs, look in the second floor library."
"Okay thanks..." Layla then rushed out.
"She doesn't look to well." Hermione said to Elaine.
"Well, her daughter is missing." A Slyhterin pointed out sarcastically.
"My friend, Layla is sick at the moment, got hit with a slow death hex during the last Penguin Avenue attack." Elaine explained. "But she got the cure, so she will survive but..."
"It doesn't work all the time." Hermione stated.
"Yeah..." Elaine replied softly. "I'm going to head to the kitchen and have a house elf prepare some snacks." And with that she left.
"House elves?" Hermione asked, getting into her S.PE.W mode.
"Please, Hermione, too much as happen, don't start..." Ginny moaned as she rested her head on a couch pillow.
X o X o X
A/N: now, isn't that a twist! Is this a cliffhanger? Oh well, if it is, then I'll try to updated sooner... Thanks to those whom reviewed! Please review this story! I want at least three reviews this time! THREE! Well, and please check out my other fanfic Cynical World, I will included a small excerpt from it just to give a little taste of it!
Until the next chapter,
-LalathePanda
Excerpt for Cynical World:
"Shit." Harry woke up to hear someone cursing.
"Malfoy?" Harry questioned as he saw the blond Slytherin standing a few feet away from where he laid.
"Great!" Draco threw his hands up into the air as if he was giving up. "Not only am I stuck in this forest where my wand doesn't work, but I'm stuck here in this bloody forest where my wand doesn't work AND the golden trio is here! Just my bloody luck!" He growled as Hermione shot him a dirty look.
"Wait." Harry said causing Ron and Hermione to stop what ever they were doing and Malfoy's pacing. "We can't use our magic?"
"I tried, noting works." Hermione said disappointed.
"If my father ever heard of this!" Draco began.
Ron cut him off, "That is if we ever get out of here," he mumbled. Draco looked like he was ready to kill, so did Ron.
Hermione stepped between the two before they attacked each other. "Cool it. If you two fight it will get us nowhere-"She paused. "Did you here that?" the boys stopped and listen.
"Someone, or thing, is here..." Harry said. Both Malfoy and Ron looked as if they were going to piss in their pants. There was a rustle coming from Harry's left.
"You stepped on my foot, retard!" someone yelled. Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
"Who's there?" Ron called out.
A/N no.2: no if you want to know what happens next.... Go read Cynical World! And review it! Please! :: begs::