DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the afore mentioned characters, places, spells or anything else associated with Harry Potter. That would be the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

A/N: You guys, I'm so sorry about the extremely long delay in updating this fic. You can ask Jenz but I've not written on any of my fics in ages. SO, here's the next chapter. I make no promises on when the next'll be up. that all depends on you and how soon y'all review. ~alive

Thankz To: KAOS: It's all about the horses mate! *grins* And of course Camels 'n Goats! So, will you do my tea leaves when I come over? LoL. WaNdA: Glad you liked the bit about Uranus! Sorry I'm not exactly continuing soon but hey better late than never right? Hestia: Yes Centaurs can be funny! Thanks! Eternity: Oh dear! I'm glad you think I've done well! And I'm proud that this is the first Ron fic you've really liked! *grins broadly* Sparkle-Eyed-Dreamer: Thanks! And I know I haven't updated for a longlonglong time! Sorry!

No Second Thoughts

Snape bypassed the small group and swept forward, his black cloak fluttering about behind him like wings. Ron took a moment to look around, slightly bewildered. "Err, Fred, not to ignore your question, which you won't believe the answer to, but where exactly is "inside" that Malfoy's on about?"

"The safe house Ron! Where else would we take you?" Fred answered grinning at his now much younger brother. "And try to be civil and call him Draco. We are all on the same side now."

Ron looked at Draco with a look of severe disgust that filled his freckled features. "Hmph." Was all he gave by way of comment.

"And inside is right there." Fred said, nodding almost directly in front of them.

"Where?" Ron asked looking round for a house.

"There." Fred said again, pointing this time instead of nodding.

"Where? I still don't see anything! You're yanking my chain aren't you?!" Ron asked Fred, anger at being the brunt of another joke, turning his ears a flaming shade of red.

"No! Just THERE!" Fred exclaimed loudly, amazed that Ron couldn't see the house. "Have you gone blind?!"

"No, but..." Ron stopped as he turned his gaze a bit to the left, and saw, just there, seemingly hiding in the shadows, a small quaint cottage. "Oh."

Fred rolled his eyes and pulled Ron forward by his cloak. "Come in you nutter."

Draco held open the door as Fred and Ron made their way made their way closer. Ron surveyed the cottage. "We're all going to stay in this one little place?"

Fred nodded simply and held the door open for Ron as Draco turned and walked inside.

"Fred! It can only be one room!"

"Just go in! You might be surprised."

Ron ducked his head to avoid hitting it, as he walked through the door. Fred was right, it was quite large. "But it looks so small from the outside."

"Well, we couldn't exactly have a Manor out here in the woods could we? It's charmed so that the inside is larger than the outside." Draco drawled tossing his rich, dark purple cloak on the back of a chair.

"Like the tents we had at the World Cup last year!"

"Last year?!"

"Err, I mean back when we went. When Hermione, Harry and I were in fourth year." Ron quickly corrected forgetting once again that he was in the future.

Ron sat down and told his tale for the third time. Fred and Harry listened without comment as Draco wandered into another room and Snape went into the kitchen to make some tea.

"So what you're saying is that, you've not even been gone a whole day?!" Harry asked, his voice easily portraying his confusion.

Before Ron could comment, Snape walked back in carrying a steaming cup of tea. "Yes Harry," he sneered looking at Harry as if he were a spot of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe.

"But how is it he's not been gone a day and yet it's 2024? I don't understand."

Snape closed his eyes in annoyance before replying. "Time doesn't just exist on the one level that's broken down into past, present, and future."

"It's not?" Ron squeaked, extremely surprised as Draco walked back into the room looking quite bored.

"No. It's not. There are many different levels of time. Right now for example, somewhere in time the pyramids of ancient Egypt are both being built and being destroyed into bits of sand by millions of years of wind." Snape concluded, sound very much like the unpleasant professor he formerly was.

Draco spoke then from the chair he'd taken by the smokeless fire. "Then in theory, right now as we sit here talking, we're being born, living our lives, and dying? Isn't that a bit redundant?"

"Actually yes, but it's the way thing's have been since the first time-turner was created almost 4,000 years ago. There is no way to reverse it." Snape replied falling again, back into the role of teacher.

After that the conversation went on to more everyday occurrences. Such as what Hermione was up to, how all the Weasley's were doing, and what they were doing.

"Well, mum and dad are spending a lot of time worrying about all of us. What with you being gone and Ginny being...well. Charlie's still got his dragon thing, though now he breeds them instead of just caring for them. Bill doesn't travel for Gringotts' as much as he used to." Fred paused, taking a bite of a Fada Jarwifz.*

"Why?"

Fred finished chewing before saying, "Ron he is married and has 3 kids of his own!"

"Wow! So that means I'm an Uncle?!" Ron exclaimed, grinning broadly.

"No. That means you're an Aunt.." Draco said from across the room, smoothing back his blond hair.

Ron narrowed his eyes in hatred at Draco. "I know that means I'm an Au- I mean Uncle. It just surprised me is all." He fired back as he stood and took a step towards Draco.

"Sit down Ron." Fred said, intervening what surely would have become an all out fight in no time at all. "We've got no time for this. There are far to many things we must get done for the relocation tomorrow."

"Relocation?"

Snape stood and stretched before looking at a clock on the wall. "Yes relocation. We feel that we've been using this house far too much of late. If we continue using this as a safe house, our presence shall surely be noted. And that wouldn't be good." He continued talking as he took his cup and saucer into the kitchen raising his voice to be heard. "If we're to be up and about before dark today we'd better turn in."

Harry nodded in agreement from where he was sitting, quietly listening to the conversation. As everyone got up and began preparing for bed, he clapped Ron on the back and said, "It's good to have you back Ron."

Ron smiled before following Fred towards the small bedroom they would be sharing for that morning. As Ron changed into a clean pair of pajama's he asked Fred, "Where are we going tonight?"

"You don't know it."

"Oh. Fred?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do I need protecting? What does Voldemort think I know?" Ron had decided after coming so close to being killed by him, he'd call him by his proper name.

"He doesn't think you know anything. It's what he thinks you have that he's concerned with." Fred replied lying down in bed and turning off the light.

"And what's that?" Ron asked slipping under the covers, not feeling the least bit sleepy.

"A certain Time-Turner. There's something odd about the one you had. Something he needs, we're not sure what it is, but he'll never believe you truly lost it. No matter what you were to tell him, he'd think you'd hid it somewhere and just weren't telling him what you did with it."

"Well, what's he going to do if I don't have it?"

"You need'ent worry about that Ron. Go to sleep."

"Tell me Fred!"

Fred rolled over and looked at his brother a moment in the dark before replying. "He'd torture you. And if you still didn't tell? He'd kill you without a second thought."

* Fada Jarwifz are the "Wizard" version of Jaffa Cakes. I added those for Jenni. She came up with the name too.

A/N: Like my stopping place? LOL REVIEW and you'll find out what happens next quicker!!! REVIEW REVIEW or I'll borrow Ron-fish from Jenni and sic him on you! He's already killed Sevie-fish and Draco-fish! Just ask Jenni! *nods* ~alive