Temporal Flux

Chapter Seventeen: The Morning After

The following morning Ron was the first one up and got ready early. He had finished the work that Hermione had given him and tacked on his prefect badge with pride before going down. It was still the weekend, but that didn't mean he was going to take a break by any means. First, he had to make sure that Ginny was all right. She was more upset than he was the previous night.

However, Ron knew he could never make it up the stairs. Also, as much as he didn't want to, he had to tell Ginny not to write home and tell them about Percy. Ron paced back and forth, waiting. Hermione came down first. Ron stared at her as she came down from the girls' staircase. She seemed surprised to see him. He felt his breath caught in his throat when she looked at him. Before, there was someone else in the room, but now they were alone in the common room in the early morning hours.

"Ron? Good morning. Aren't you up a little early?" asked Hermione as she continued down the stairs. The hazy, morning glow from the window framed her form as she seemed to glide down the stairs. She gave him a quizzical look as she asked, "Ron, are you even wake? You're not answering me."

Ron blinked to get his brain working again. "I'm awake," he managed to look away from her for a moment before adding; "I've never been more awake in my whole life."

"Did you sleep well?" she asked as she walked up to him. "You look a little tired."

Ron felt exposed in front of her. He was wondering if she could read his thoughts or not. There were times that Hermione could do that. Were her lips always so dewy? Or was that his head? He cleared his throat, "Ahem. I finished the work that we had for the prefect. I even took care of next week's. Here."

Hermione accepted the bundle of parchments. She blinked in surprise. "You did?" she asked. She smiled as she shook her head. "I'm starting to think I'm losing my touch, Ron."

"Why?"

"You're doing all of your work without me telling you all of a sudden, and Jared's giving me a challenge in class. It's like he threw down a gauntlet or something. I have to keep pushing myself to beat him. Yesterday, he stocked up on supplies of parchments and quills. He went to Honeydukes and bought a supply of sugar quills even."

"Hermione, you don't have to beat him," said Ron calmly. He couldn't really explain to her that Jared was just that way because of her. He was starting to think that they had created a monster that consumed lots of sugar and studied too hard. "So, he has a stock of sugar quills?"

"Yes. He's a bad as you when it comes to sweets," she confirmed with a nod. "Maybe that's why I like him so much. He reminds me of you, except he's a little easier to get along with." She added with a laugh, "As along as academics aren't involved."

"You do everything so well, Hermione," said Ron as he looked at her again. "Nothing really looks that hard for you. It all comes so naturally, which is amazing considering that you don't come from a wizarding family." He paused as he looked away from her, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he added, "You're perfect."

Hermione laughed. "No one is perfect, Ron. Please. I'm not perfect. If I was, things would be a lot easier. I'm a control freak. I admit to that when it comes to things. I'm also driven to prove that I have a right to be witch because I'm not from a wizarding family. I drive people mad because of it sometimes. All right, most of the time for you and Harry anyway."

"The three of us make interesting friends, don't we?" commented Ron. "Harry has this grand destiny, and you're already a great witch. Me, I'm just in my potential stage." He thought of what his future held. His future was sitting next to him, while the extension of her was sleeping up in the boys' dorm.

"You'll turn out all right," Hermione assured him. She wasn't so sure why she was so positive of it, but she went on, "You shouldn't compare yourself to anyone else. Be who you are, not what you think you should be."

Ron nodded. As they both sat down. She was so close to him that she could smell her shampoo. Part of him wondered how she would react if he put his arm around her shoulders. That would have been too forward, so he stopped himself. He cast a sidelong glance at her and saw that Jared indeed inherited her eyes, including the long, thick eyelashes that went along with them. He recalled the picture in his mind of her and their son. Jared definitely took more after her in his earlier years it wasn't until he started to grow and develop did he begin to look more like Ron.

"Are you really going to spend Christmas with your family this year?" he asked. It was too early to be asking that question. It was more than a month away.

"Yes, I don't have much of a choice. My grandmother is throwing this big dance," said Hermione. "I'm sixteen, so it's kind of a big tradition in her family that they throw one of these, even though one is only an adult at the age of eighteen. It's been ongoing in my family for generations."

This was the first time that Ron had ever heard of Hermione's family. Let alone hearing about Muggles that way. Her grandmother sounded like one of those pureblood wizards like Malfoy. "My grandmother almost had a heart attack when she found out that my mum wanted to marry my dad. They met while they were in school. My dad comes from a working class family, so she didn't think he'd amount to anything, even though they were already in graduate school to become dentists."

Ron shook his head and sighed. She glanced at him as he began his explanation. "It's funny how things run so much the same between the wizarding world and the Muggle one. As you know, being a pureblood is a big deal. Coming from a long line gives you a distinction. Having money can elevate your status even more. You may have money, Hermione, but you're below me and Harry. If Harry wasn't famous, he would be below me in status as well. His mum was a Muggle born witch as well. His father's considered a blood traitor in certain circles. I'm a pureblood, and my family's known throughout England. When Bill and Charlie were abroad, they found out that they were known by their names." Ron's eyes widened as his own works sank in. "Oh Merlin."

"What?" asked Hermione startled by the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Ron leaned over as he realized that was why Jared was so upset about being asked about his lineage. Of course, Ron's name and blood gave him the status as coming from a distinguished line, but Hermione's lineage would make things more difficult for Jared. It wasn't her fault of course. It was the wizarding world's bigotry. Jared, and even Harry as well as others like them, represented to the purebloods a threat. People who could walk around coming from distinguish lines and not being purebloods at all.

Ron's parents, especially his father, always taught him to be tolerant of Muggles. His father had spent a whole career devoting himself to ensuring that Muggles were treated properly. Ron was always extremely defensive whenever Malfoy called Hermione a "Mudblood." Ron remembered the time that Jared almost broke Malfoy's arm, and now the anger raged in him. If it had been up Ron, Malfoy wouldn't have been walk at all.

"It's just not fair," he said finally as he faced Hermione. "You, Jared, and Harry shouldn't be persecuted just for being something they can't help. It's so stupid."

"Now, there's no reason for you to get angry right now," said Hermione gently. "There's nothing you can do about it."

Ron took one look at her face and allowed himself to calm down. He could feel her warmth and for a moment he was able to not think of anything else, but her. Until they were interrupted by someone coming down, "Good morning."

They turned to see and Jared greeted them again, "Good morning. You guys are up early." He grinned at them. He was dressed in clothes that Ron knew he paid for and that Hermione had picked out for him. Jared's clothes fitted him perfectly and were newer than anything Ron ever had growing up. His shoes made him a little bit taller than Ron, but he glided over.

Hermione stared at his feet. "Do you have skates in your shoes?"

"Yep," he responded. Jared went on, "It was a bribe from my mum. It was the only way she was going to get me into Harrod's this year. They weren't cheap." He grinned a smile worthy of the Cheshire Cat. Ron gave him a look that made Jared wipe the grin right off of his face. "It makes it easier to go to class without magic and the other kids use them in America." Jared sounded sheepishly.

"Why don't we go and get breakfast as soon as Harry's up?" asked Hermione. Ginny normally went to go for breakfast with Luna during most weekends.

Ron couldn't help but continue the conversation that Jared had started, "So, your mother dresses you?"

"No, she doesn't," said Jared. "She just picks out the clothes at the store and tells me to wear them. It's either that or go naked."

"She dresses you," insisted Ron.

Jared opened his mouth than closed it and sighed as his shoulders slacked. "Yes, my mother dresses me."

"Ron, stop picking on him," scolded Hermione. "Your mother buys your clothes."

"Nope. Not really," corrected Ron. "I wear hand-me-downs, so technically she dressed my brothers, not me."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Like that's any better, Ron. I happen to like how Jared dresses." Jared shrugged. "The nice earth tones bring your eyes." They were her eyes.

"Figures, you'd like his clothes," muttered Ron under his breath. Hermione whirled on him and before she could demand that he repeated himself, he said, "I was just muttering to myself. I didn't say anything you want to hear." Hermione would have said something, but Jared's laughter stopped her all together.

Hermione started at him and looked perplexed for a moment as she turned to look at Ron who was having a hard time keeping a straight face. She couldn't help, but think that the two were up to something, but that was impossible. They didn't like each other. Or did they? When did that happen?

Finally, Jared had calmed himself down. "You two sure like to argue, don't you?" he asked. "I don't even know why I'm asking. I should be used to it by now." Ron's head wrinkled in wonder. Part of him was glad that Jared didn't seem all that traumatize, but another part of him was thinking that there was something warped about him being so calm when his parents were arguing. However, the way he reacted before to that other argument, helped Ron to understand that Jared knew the difference between playful arguments and hurtful ones. Jared offered Ron, "You want to try the shoes? I'm sure they'll fit you."

Ron looked at them dubiously and shook his head. "You're going to hurt yourself on those. Are you sure they're safe?" Jared rolled his eyes at him. "I mean you could really hurt yourself on those."

"Ron, I didn't know you cared," said Hermione playfully. "You sound like your mother." That made Ron's ears turn red. Jared shrugged and sat down in an armchair next to them.

"I don't sound like my mum," muttered Ron.

"Yes, you do," insisted Hermione. She turned to explain to Jared, "You haven't met Ron's mum. She's a very nice woman, but a bit of a worrier."

Ron exclaimed, "He knows that!"

Hermione turned to him and asked, "How would he know that? He hasn't met her."

Jared quickly said, "Ginny and Harry were telling me things. I gathered that." No, they didn't. He already knew that. His grandmum had a tendency to hover over her grandkids when they were little. She wouldn't let him do anything fun like jump off the furniture at the Burrow for fear that he might break something on his body. "I also heard about Mr. Weasley. Very interesting man. I met the twins."

"Still, I'd say Ron is the strangest one out of all of them," said Hermione, her eyes glowing with good humor. Jared nodded in agreement to which, Ron exclaimed, "I am not! And if you haven't noticed, I'm still here!"

Harry had come down during that time, stretching his arms and yawning. He saw the three of them together and blinked. "Good morning," he greeted. "Why are all of you here?"

"Just talking," said Jared as he got to his feet. He turned to Ron and Hermione. "Does this mean we can go to breakfast now?"

Ron nodded as Hermione got to her feet. He didn't get up just yet. "Actually, you two go on ahead. I need to talk to Ginny, but she's not up yet. I'll join you after I talk to her."

Hermione could tell that something was wrong, so she reluctantly agreed, "Fine. We'll see you later, Ron. Try not to take too long, okay?" Ron nodded. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

Ron continued to wait for Ginny to get up. He ended up waiting for a good half hour before Ginny came down the stairs quietly. She was dressed as if she was going to go outside. Ron could see an envelope in her pocket, sticking out. She didn't seem to notice him as she made her way towards the door. It wasn't until Ron stood up and called her did she bother to turn and notice. "Ginny."

Ginny pivoted around somewhat startled by him. "Ron, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be down for breakfast already?" She barely looked into his eyes as he folded his arms over his chest. "Look, I'm fine, Ron. You didn't have to wait up for me. I'll handle it my own way."

"Ginny," whispered Ron as he placed his hands over her shoulders. "Listen to me. What I'm about to tell you, you're not going to like. It's going to be hard, but you can't say anything to anyone about what's going to happen to Percy because that's the way things are going to be, Ginny. I thought about it, too. I thought long and hard about it. I woke up early to think about it some more. It's going to happen. There isn't anything we can do to stop it. Not even writing a letter to Mum, Dad, or any of our brothers is going to change the outcome. Jared's already explained why he's here, and we give any warning we might end up doing some damage that we can't allow for. Jared's meant to be here to save himself along with me and Hermione. He's not here to change what's going to happen to Percy."

Ginny looked up at him trembling. Her eyes were filled with tears as she whispered, "It's not a letter to any of them. It's a letter to him. It's not to warn him because I know that he won't believe me. I just want to make sure that I square things with him or at least try. Even if he meets up with Jared and gets told everything, he won't believe it. Because I know him. It's not fair, Ron. I'm supposed to have six older brothers, not five. It's not fair. IT'S NOT FAIR!" She sobbed and started to pound her hands against Ron's chest. He did the only thing he could. He placed his arms around her and pulled her close, letting her cry as much as she wanted to.

Ron murmured things that he didn't believe himself. Most of it, Ginny couldn't hear. All he could really do to comfort himself and her was hold her. Maybe that was good enough.

Jared, Harry, and Hermione were having breakfast together and were almost done, waiting for Ron. It wasn't that Jared was insensitive about Percy being dead, but in his time Percy had been dead for years. He cursed himself for making such a careless slip. He was getting far too comfortable for his own tastes. Hermione was sitting next to Harry, while Jared sat across from Harry.

They didn't realize how long they were waiting until Luna came up to the table. After greeting them, she asked, "Where is Ginny? She hasn't come down for breakfast yet, has she?"

"Not as far as we know," replied Hermione, looking up at her.

Luna gave a glance towards Jared who looked her square in the eye. "What about Ronald? Didn't he come down with you?"

"No, he wanted to talk to Ginny about something," answered Harry. Then he offered, "Why don't you join us? I don't know how long they're going to take." He didn't really look Hermione in the eye for most of the morning.

"Sure," agreed Luna as she took the seat next to Jared. "What do you suppose is keeping them?" Her question was more directed to Harry than anyone else. Jared shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't that he didn't like Luna. In fact, he adored her from the time he was little. She was one of the people who babysat him and she told him the best stories. However, she had the uncanny ability to read people very well. She could spot liars easily.

Harry answered, "I'm not sure." He took a sip of pumpkin juice from his goblet. "I'm sure it's not anything important. They're family. Sometimes, it's stuff between family members. You know."

Luna nodded as she started to put some food on her plate. She was about to eat, but she said, "You know Jared, I was just thinking that you reminded me of someone." Jared gave her a puzzled look. "You remind me of someone. I'm not sure who." She stared at him with her large blue eyes that seemed to bore into him. She broke the stare to turn and look at Hermione briefly. "You have Hermione's eyes," she concluded.

That almost made Harry choke on a piece of toast. He immediately reached for his goblet and jugged some pumpkin juice quickly. Jared just stared at her with wide eyes. Hermione shook her head, "Luna, what are you talking about? We're not related. We just have brown eyes that's it."

"Yeah," agreed Jared with a nervous laugh. He knew that his mother was far too logically to listen to Luna, even if Luna was right. "Besides, I'm American."

"Are you of English descent?" asked Luna, obviously unfazed by Hermione's previous reaction.

Jared nodded. "Both sides."

"Hmm."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry broke in, "Good morning, Ginny! And you finally made it, Ron. Where did you go?" He was more than relieved that they had arrived. "What took you so long?"

"Good morning, Ginny. Ronald," greeted Luna.

Ron gave her a wry look before, taking the seat next to Hermione. Ginny took her place next to Luna. "We were at the owlery. We had to send a letter to our brother," answered Ron as he started pile some of the toast onto his plate. At the same time, Jared picked up a piece of toast. It was the last one on the plate. Hermione looked at Ron and Jared, half expecting them to fight over a single piece of toast. It was a bit of a surprised when Ron withdrew his hand and said, "It's yours."

"Ron," said Hermione. "Jared had some already."

"It's okay," said Ron. "He can have it." He stopped himself from saying that Jared was a growing boy. Jared shrugged and took a bit out of the toast.

"Jared!" exclaimed Hermione. Jared gave her a look as he sighed and offered the already bitten toast back to Ron. "You already took a bite out of it. What's wrong with you?"

"Oh," said Jared as he took back his toast and ate the rest of it. Ron was shaking his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"What are you smiling about?" demanded Hermione as she glared at him. Harry started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"I like toast," said Jared randomly.

"Have the rest," said Ron as he gave back what he had on his plate to Jared, which he accepted readily. "I'll have something else. Ginny, eat something." Ron gave her a worried look. "Please."

"I'm not hungry," Ginny said as she looked at her brother. "I'm going to take a walk," she announced as she got to her feet. He gave a nod, but didn't say anything to stop her. She walked out of the Great Hall. Luna got to her feet soon afterwards and grabbed some of the food on the table, placing it in a napkin. "I'll talk you all later. See you." Luna left.

Hermione broke the silence. "Is everything all right, Ron? I mean not just with Ginny, but with you. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," replied Ron. "After this, why don't we go out for a walk, too? I mean all of four of us." Hermione agreed with a smile as the rest of breakfast went on as usual.


AN: The slip that Jared made when he was explaining the shoes was on purpose. He's getting a little to comfortable. What happens to Percy runs in the following story runs at the same time as this part in Temporal Flux, linking the stories together. I wouldn't say they were part of a series. The next chapter will take place some time after this.

Back to the question of Jared's love life. He won't be getting any further assistance from the future other than the tools he has brought with him and the knowledge that he has. As the story progresses, Jared will realize that he knows more about Magus than he

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This story belongs to me and cannot be posted anywhere else without my permission.