Temporal Flux

Chapter Twenty: Breakfast at the Grangers

Ginny had watched her brothers as they continued to watch Jared closely. She and Ron had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone else about Percy's fate. She had received no reply from him ,and actually went as far as to ask some of the other members of the Order who worked at the Ministry if they had seen him. It was most peculiar that someone would ask after all things had had happened while she and Ron were in school. The older Weasley brothers knew as well as their parents. Percy had indeed gone missing for a few months, but was currently away. No one spoke of it, but it cause a great amount of anxiety for their mother. Ron was too concerned with Jared to even notice.

If anything Jared served as a welcome distraction to his grandparents, even if they didn't know his true identity. Molly continually gushed about his good manners as Arthur talked to him about all things Muggle. Jared's knowledge of the Muggle world was vast and included things that had yet to be invented. Both of them felt terrible about Jared being unable to go home to be with his parents during the holidays, but Jared tried to assure them that he was fine. Little did they know that Jared was a veteran of several Weasley Christmases. It wasn't until the following day did Molly brought up Hermione again.

"It's such a shame that she can't be with us," said Molly over breakfast. Ron shifted uncomfortably. Jared was sitting directly across from him. "I hope that she's safe with her parents."

"I was thinking of dropping by Muggle London actually," announced Jared without looking at Ron who nearly choked on his eggs. "I've never been there and I would like to take some pictures to show my Muggle grandparents when I get back home. I'd also like to pick up some thing for my mum."

"What about your dad?" asked Arthur.

Jared shook his head as he finally glanced at Ron. "Ron's right about that. You know he doesn't really need anything. I still would like to go into Muggle London. I really don't need a chaperone. I can get a hold of a map and just go around."

Molly shook her head. "You aren't with your parents here and I doubt that your father and mother would let you wander around a foreign country unsupervised." One of the twins snickered at this statement, but it was hard to say which one did it.

"What do your parents do for a living, Jared?" asked Arthur with some curiosity.

"My father is an Auror and my mother is a healer," replied Jared promptly. "If there's one thing that I know how to do is go through places without much help. My father is a pureblood actually." He didn't say that earlier. "He comes from a pretty big family, so I have a huge extended one. I kind of like the fact that I don't have to share my mother's parents with anyone else. I'm their only grandchild."

"That explains why you're spoiled rotten," muttered Ron under his breath. Jared glared at him for a second as Arthur started laughing.

"Why don't you come along, Ron?" challenged Jared. "You haven't really seen Muggle London, have you? What are you afraid of?"

"Oh, he's good," murmured either Fred or George. Ron glared at both of them because he couldn't tell who said that last statement. They both wore identical grins. Jared went on, "Besides, Hermione's in Muggle London with her parents. Have you ever been to a Muggle house?"

"Harry's aunt's house," said Ron.

"That doesn't count," said Jared. "I mean a wizard friendly Muggle house. In fact, I have the address." He pulled out the address book out of his pocket. He didn't say that Hermione had given him the address, and she hadn't. "Harry, you want to come along, too? You haven't really gotten a chance to take a look around before either. That is if it's safe enough for you."

"I'd like to come along," agreed Harry. "I don't think that there would be Death Eaters hiding themselves among the Muggles. It'll be like hiding in plain sight."

Molly gave a look to Arthur that expressed her immediate anxiety about Harry going off into the Muggle world. She already had that look when Jared was trying to get Ron to go. Now, she was trying to get Arthur to help her. "I'm sure that Jared will be fine traveling in London," said Arthur evenly. "But if you are going to take others with you, I think that you should have someone along."

Jared was about ready to roll his eyes at them, but he wouldn't dare do that to them. He glanced at Ron to help him out, but he had forgotten that neither Arthur nor Molly were aware of who Jared really was. "If you really want to go to Muggle London, I could go with them," volunteered Bill quietly. All eyes were on him as he continued to cut his sausage into bite sized pieces. He took a swig of pumpkin juice before he said, "I've got some time on my hands and I have to go to Diagon Alley to go to the bank anyway, so I don't mind taking them out."

"You want to come along, Ginny?" asked Jared. He hadn't forgotten about her. She seemed distracted though. "Ginny?" Snapping out of her haze, Ginny replied with a nod. "Then, we'd better get moving."

After breakfast, the twins had gone off to their shop at the same time as Arthur. Charlie had left before the family had had breakfast; he and Molly typically had breakfast together before he went off to the dragon reserve. Bill, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Jared set off for the Muggle world after Molly gave them all stern warnings.

As soon as they were out the door, Jared breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced at Bill. "Thanks for telling her you'd go with us," he said.

"Not a problem. You know how she's like," pointed Bill. "Too bad your father couldn't have been more effective."

Ron glared at him and Jared. "I'm still a kid. It's not like Mum would have let me go out anyway. And if she knew who Jared was, she'd definitely not let him go out and Dad would have agreed with her."

"He's right," agreed Ginny.

Harry had selected not to say anything at the moment. He was surrounded by two generations of Weasleys. Jared didn't say anything either, but he sped up to walk with Harry, leaving the arguing between the others. "Harry, you know that you'll be all right. You'll be the best godfather in the world," said Jared softly with a smile.

This made Harry pause and think for a moment. He thought about it and almost let out a sigh of relief. That was true. Harry was going to live long enough to see Jared grow up. Come to think of it, ever since Harry had found out who Jared really was he didn't spend a lot of time worrying if he was going to die in the next minute or so. For the first time in a long time, he was thinking of the future in more general terms. But his thoughts fell on someone else briefly. "Did I ever tell you about Sirius Black?" asked Harry in a quiet voice.

The other Weasleys had stopped their mild bickering when they heard the words out of Harry's mouth. He hadn't really talked about Sirius at all since the previous summer. Jared sighed and gave a short nod. "I hear about him more from Uncle Moony than from you. Sometimes you get more extreme than Mum or Dad. Sometimes you don't let me do things. You always tell me to think before leaping." He gave a sheepish grin as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Uncle Moony said it's because of what happened to Sirius Black. He was your godfather, and after I was born you swore that you'd do whatever it took to keep my safe and to make sure that you'd be around to do it."

Harry didn't say anything as Jared glanced at him. He went on, "You used to be an Auror, but you quit after a while. It wasn't easy being one for you. You were too famous and they had a tendency to you more as a spokesperson than anything. It was very frustrating. That's why you quit. The Headmistress offered you a position at Hogwarts and you took it immediately. You only started the year that I started."

Bill hadn't heard much about the future of Hogwarts, so glance at his siblings who weren't saying anything. "Gryffindor was without a head of house. You were given the position upon taking your place as the DADA professor. I was glad. I wasn't really looking forward to school. I had been home schooled by my mum most of the time before I started in Hogwarts. I was scared."

"Why would you be afraid of going to school?" asked Ginny. "I mean you're a Granger, too. I thought Grangers loved school."

Jared's jaw clutched a bit. "I had a bad first experience in preschool. It was one of those exclusive schools where all the wizarding children came from pureblood families. I wasn't well received. I did get an education for the one day that I was there." There was something flat in his tone as if he didn't want to continue. He turned his head slightly to look at Ron. "It was a long time ago."

"Maybe it wasn't," said Harry, picking up on Jared's tone. "You were pretty defensive when you asked about your heritage."

Jared's nostrils flared a bit. "I was just four. They said I was a Mudblood." Ginny remembered him saying something about that. "That wasn't the worst of it. They called my mother that, too."

Ron's jaw had clutched at that moment as his hand rolled into fists. "Brats," he muttered.

"They said that you were a blood traitor," added Jared without glancing back at Ron. "I didn't know what that was at the time. I just knew that it was something bad. No one wanted to play with me because my father was a blood traitor. Not because my mother was a Muggle born witch. But like I said it was a long time ago. I know that you're not a blood traitor. You're my dad. And I wouldn't be here if you didn't go with your heart. Just don't get mad. Like Mum always says, it's a waste of energy. You should prove that you're better than them."

Ron didn't soften up much. He glanced at Bill and Ginny. They wore identical looks of anger. Ron unclenched his fists and raised up his arm and placed it around Jared's shoulders. "You're right about me being afraid of going into the Muggle world. And I sort of envy how you, Harry, and Hermione can go back and forth between this world and other. As far as I'm concerned, you represent the best of both worlds. After all, you're made from the best stuff."

Jared gave his father a smile. "Thanks."

Hermione woke up the following morning not feeling refreshed at all. She had kept the curtain drawn from the previous night. She got up and slowly opened them to let in some sunlight. It was cloudy instead. Sighing, she decided to get ready for the day. After that, she came down for breakfast to find that her mother had left to go early, while her father remained behind.

Michael Granger was never a great cook, but he did have one specialty: pancakes. He could make all kinds and he already had his daughter's favorites waiting for her on the table. "Good morning, love, did you have a good sleep?" he greeted cheerfully.

"Not really," confessed Hermione. Her father gave her a concerned look as he poured her a glass of orange juice. "Dad, do ravens come out during winter?"

"Well, most birds migrate South," answered Michael. "Why?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's okay."

"No, you can tell me. Even if it's about magic. I know that you're worried that your mother and I won't understand, but you know that we're trying."

"About that," Hermione paused as she looked at her father, "sometimes I think that Mum wants me to be something I'm not. I think she's disappointed or something. I didn't go to the same school that she went to. The one that you were planning on sending me before. And I'm not going to be a dentist. Dad, I don't even want a debut or anything when I'm eighteen. I don't even know what I want to do as a career."

Michael gently tipped her chin up to look at him as he smiled at her tenderly. "You aren't a disappointment, Hermione. You're everything you have to be. You're you. I know that your mother seems like she's getting really pushy about these things, but that's really your grandmother getting to her. You remember that when you have a child someday."

"Have you been talking to Mum about that? I'm only sixteen, Dad. I'm not going to have a child of my own anytime soon. In fact, I don't think I'll even get married. Unless, you want me to have a child without getting married."

"Let's not talk about that option."

Hermione laughed at the expression on her father's face. He didn't look at all happy at the prospect of anyone marrying his daughter, but he did look forward to the one good thing that might come out of it, which was having grandchildren. There came a knock at the door at the same time a smell from the stove. "Dad!"

"Um…yeah, I sort of forgot," said Michael sheepishly as he rushed to the stove. "Go see who's at the door."

Hermione got up and put her napkin down next to her plate. "Probably the fire department. The neighbors must have noticed the smoke." She went to go answer the door. She was utterly surprised and Jared greeted her with a smile. "Jared? What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by," he answered. "Are you going to let me in or what?"

"Hermione, who is it?" asked her father as he walked into the living room. "Hello. And you are?"

"Hello, Dr. Granger. My name is Jared Blake. I'm the American foreign exchange student attending Hermoine's school," answered Jared. He held out his hand and shook hands with Michael.

"I thought you were staying with Ron and Harry," said Hermione numbly.

Michael was having a different reaction to Jared. The first thing he noticed were Jared's eyes. They were identical to Hermione's, but more importantly they were the same as Viola's. He also thought of Blake. The name of his in laws. "I was but I decided that I just had to go to London," said Jared.

"How did you find out where I live?" asked Hermione.

"Ginny gave me the address," answered Jared.

Michael smiled and said, "Why don't you come in? Hermione, where are your manners? You're just going to leave him out here? Look at him."

"Dad, he's not a homeless waif."

Michael ignored Hermione, "Come on in, Jared. Did you have breakfast yet?"

"I did," answered Jared as the door was closed behind him. "But I do smell pancakes. Are you having pancakes?"

Michael laughed, "Yes, we most certainly are. You look like a growing lad. Would you like to have some?" Jared would never turn down a stack of his Papa's pancakes. He almost called Michael that at the door. He nodded. "Well, then have a seat."

Hermione took her seat at her side of the table. Jared automatically took the seat right next to hers. Not because there was a chair that was simply there, but out of habit. They had to sit down and wait for Hermione's father to come back. "So where are Ron and Harry?"

"They went to the bank with Bill and Ginny," answered Jared. Now he really wasn't telling the truth. They were outside because Ron didn't really want to go inside, so the others agreed to stay with him. Jared wasn't supposed to stay for too long, but he couldn't turn down his grandfather's pancakes. "So, what are you up to? What kind of Muggle thing are you going to do be doing?"

"I'm going to go to that ball that I told you about," answered Hermione.

Jared nodded. "I know that you really don't want to go. Formal affairs don't seem like your thing. Maybe you should just tell your mother that you really don't want to go."

"It doesn't work that way. My mother gets her way on this because my grandmother will never let her hear the end of it. I might as well go and get it over with. I hope that you're having fun with the Weasleys."

"I was welcomed with open arms," reported Jared with a smile that was as irresistible as his father's.

"Here you go," said Michael as he set down a stack of pancakes in front of Jared and took his place at the table with a stack of his own. "So, you're a classmate of Hermione's? I didn't know that your school had an exchange program."

"Neither did I," admitted Hermione as she glanced at Jared who wasn't talking as he was eating the pancakes, looking extremely happy with himself. He seemed to be enjoying them immensely. "So, are you sending presents home to your parents?"

"Not quite," answered Jared after swallowing a bite. "This is great, Dr. Granger."

"Thanks," said Michael. There was something about this young man that he liked, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. Maybe it was his warm brown eyes. Michael had steely blue ones in contrasts to his dark hair. The boy sitting across from him had the same coloring as Michael's wife and daughter. "So, I take it that your parents are Muggles, too?"

"No, Dr. Granger," answered Jared politely. It was odd to refer to his grandfather by such a formal title, but his mother always told him to show manners to people. "But my mother is a Muggle born witch, so I spend a lot of time with my Muggle grandparents."

Michael kind of breathed a sigh of relief. "So, it can be done."

"What do you mean, Dad?" asked Hermione.

Michael smiled softly at her. It was the smile that he reserved for her and would later use on his grandson. "Well, you're different from everyone else that your mother and I know. I guess that's why we were kind of worried about you being a witch. It wasn't the magic, but the fact that it's a different culture and society. Your mother and I talked about it a lot. As you get older you're supposed to spend time with your friends, but you're in a place where your mother and I can't really be in."

"And you're worried if I had any kids, you won't be able to see them as much?" asked Hermione.

Jared busied himself with the pancakes while they were talking. He didn't have the heart to correct her on that the word "kids." She wasn't going to have more than one just like her own mother. He finished the stack while they were talking. "Thank you for the excellent breakfast," he told Michael who seemed to beam at him.

"Would you like more?"

"No, thanks. I had breakfast with the Weasleys."

Michael looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "So, you also know Ron and Harry?"

Jared nodded. "I'm staying with them, but I like I said I wanted to go to London." He was licking his lips to get the last of the syrup. "I was wondering if Hermione wanted to go show me around. That is if she has the time." He glanced at her.

"I do have some time before the ball. It doesn't start until seven," said Hermione as she looked at her father. "I guess we could go out to London."

"I have to be at the office though. I have an appointment to do some work on a patient," said Michael. "I'm sure that Hermione won't get lost. Just don't get into any trouble while you're in London."

"Okay, Dad," said Hermione as she got up. "I need to grab my bag and I'll come back down."

Jared nodded as he picked up his dishes and grabbed hers. He walked to the sink with them out of habit. Michael stared at him as he walked away. Shaking his head, Michael picked up his plate and followed suit.

"Why didn't you just go inside with him?" asked Ginny impatiently. "It's not like you're a stranger. You're going to marry her and you're his father."

"Stop talking," moaned Ron as he shook his head. "Her parents are in there. Or at least her dad. You weren't there last summer when he was glaring at me."

Bill laughed as he looked at Harry who gave a slight nod. "So, the man's already suspicious of you? He must have an inkling that you're the one who's going to take his daughter away from him."

Ron's cheeks were bright red at the moment. He almost said something but they saw the door swing open as Michael Granger came outside. If Ron could use one word to describe Hermione's father, it would be imposing.

By the time, Ron was done growing, he was only a few inches taller than Michael. They both had blue eyes, but somehow Jared ended up with Hermione's. Michael, as Viola put it, was resembled a real life James Bond. Ron spent the first few years of his marriage to Hermione in fear of his father-in-law. It wasn't until they decided to bond together against a common enemy did they start getting along.

"Have a good day," said Michael as he kissed Hermione on her forehead. "And come back by four. Your mother will expect you to be here and to get ready to the ball. Look, don't try to get out of it. You know that I'll be blamed for it."

"Yes, Dad. Besides, I wouldn't abandon you to the vultures," Hermione assured him. "Have a good day at work. I'll see you at four."

"It was nice meeting you, Dr. Granger," said Jared with a nod and a wave.

Michael held out his hand and shook hands with Jared. "It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Jared."

As soon as Michael drove off, Hermione and Jared started walking down the street. "So, what are you really doing here in London?" she asked with the others trailing behind them.

"What do you mean? I'm supposed to pick up a present for my mother," replied Jared innocently.

Hermione gave him a look that made him slightly uncomfortable. She started giving him that look when he started to exhibit some of his more Weasley mischief causing tendencies at the tender age of two. He did what he always did when she gave him that look, he gave her a smile. "You know come to think of it, I need your help picking out something for Harry and Ron."

"Um…okay," said Jared reluctantly. "Look, I don't know what they really want. And I'm supposed to go to Diagon Alley to meet up with them."

"That's perfect. I wanted to get something for Harry there."

"What about Ron?"

"That's why I need your help." Hermione smiled at him as she grabbed his arm. Jared knew he wasn't going to like this.


AN: The beginning is tied to the next story. The story after this one takes place at the same time as this one does. However by Christmas time, next story has been concluded. There is something to be said about taking the time to write these stories and having them posted one after the other. It allows me to construct things more fluidly.

I have been out for a little bit due to some personal and family issues. Thank you for your understanding.

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