Ginny Weasley was annoyed. Her best friend ignores her owls for at least two weeks then sends her one in the middle of the night saying it's an emergency then isn't even there to answer the door. Thankfully she came prepared. Ginny reached into her purse and pulled out what all good best friends should have – the spare key. She was not prepared however for what awaited her inside. There was a still smoldering star pattern on the floor and the scent of incense in the air. The scrolls were lying on the couch.
"Hermione…what the hell have you done?"
'Draco – Get your bleached blonde butt home. Hermione is in trouble. Ginny Weasley, Mistress of Magic.'
Silvery blue eyes widened and his heart stopped. Hermione was in trouble? But he was here and Blaise was somewhere else doing gods knows what. He grabbed his cloak.
"Potter! I am leaving – Hermione is hurt!" he in a pop he was gone.
Harry poked his head around the corner, "Malfoy! What the hell are you talking about?" He saw a piece of parchment and picked it up. His emerald green eyes widened and he called out to Neville, "Family emergency Neville, hold down the fort…"
'Zambini - Your girlfriend is in trouble and I haven't heard from Draco get home. Ginny Weasley, Mistress of Magic.'
Okay he could be reasonable about this. He could be calm, cool, and collected. It wasn't as if there wouldn't be some easy explanation when he got there.
Screw it.
"I will send word when I am on my way back gentlemen, there is a family emergency." With a pop he was gone.
Ginny was poking at the star with her wand when Draco appeared.
"What the hell are you doing in my house? How the hell did you get in?" he demanded as he stormed by her calling for Hermione. She rolled her eyes.
"Like I didn't do that BEFORE I sent the message Malfoy? I searched this place, called her cell, called her office, called her folks and anyone else on your phone list by the fridge. Any other brilliant plans of action?" Ginny asked in a sickeningly sweet voice; her annoyance dripping off of every word. He came to a glaring halt in front of her.
"Where is she?"
"If I knew that I wouldn't have called you here now would I?"
"What have you done with her?"
"Maybe she LEFT your BONY ass? Ever think of that?" They were both too busy fighting to see a stressed Blaise apparate into the living room 'till he was standing in between the two of them.
"Where is Hermione?" He soon learned that was the question of the hour.
"If you would have just worked a bit faster…"
"…it's your fault she left us both! Always so demanding!"
Ginny cleared her throat, "Gentlemen?"
"You are such a prat, I should have just taken her away without you…"
"If I am a prat Zambini you are in insufferable git!"
Ginny decided to try again, "Blaise? Draco?"
"Hush Ginny we are having a conversation here!"
She turned to Crookshanks, "Will you listen while I explain my theory of a ritual gone wrong kitty?" at the meow Ginny nodded, "I will take that as a yes." She was just about to start explaining it to the cat when there were two soft pops and her brother and Harry were standing in the living room.
"Fabulous! My girlfriend leaves me and now I am having a ruddy Gryffindor reunion in my blasted living room." Draco groaned falling back into the easy chair behind him with a dramatic flourish. Blaise rolled his eyes.
"Have any of you heard from her? Where is she staying? Can I call her there?" He asked in rapid-fire succession making the three friends' heads spin slightly.
"First of all if I knew where she was I would be there not here. Secondly, why would she leave you two? Thirdly if there is a reason I am going to kill you…"
"Ron, if you take the list any father I am going to kill YOU. Now boys if I can direct your attention to the CARPET, I am going to assume you don't always have a ritualistic star on your carpet?" Ginny said still snuggling the cat, who was purring like a rusty motor in her arms, quite content. Draco, Blaise, Harry and Ron all looked down and frowned almost as one cohesive unit.
"Well, I can honestly say that wasn't there when I left, Blaise?" Draco said looking to the other man in confusion.
"Nope, and Hermione said nothing to me about going even more pagan than we already are. Besides, she is all about following the rules…" Blaise replied squatting down on his haunches to get a closer look. His dark gaze getting darker by the minute. Then it flew to Ginny.
"What did she say to you – word for word." He said, his dark eyes not giving anything away. Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out a note.
" 'Ginny - Get over here right away you are not going to believe what these thrice damned scrolls are. I need you here as soon as possible. HURRY! Mione' " She looked at him with a quirked brow, "Direct enough quote for you or would you like me to charm my voice to sound like hers?"
"Mistress of Magic Weasley, I am just worried out of my mind that my slightly fool hardy lover has gotten herself in over her head. Now, what scrolls were they?" Blaise said looking around.
Ron held them up, "Here they are, at least I think they are…whole lot of gobbley gook." Draco snagged them with a derisive snort.
"Like I trust you. Give that to me. Damned people popping into people's homes like there was some sort of a revolving flipping door…"
"Listen to me Malfoy, she was ours long before she was yours. We have just as much right to be here as you do. Now stop being a bloody prat." Harry said wearily rubbing his forehead. This was going to a long night….
"It has been three bloody days and still no progress. I know Hermione is the cleverest witch known to man – she can outsmart me for one thing – but what the bloody hell did she do to the thing to translate them." Draco said running his fingers through his already mussed hair. Blaise put an arm around his shoulder and squeezed gently.
"We will find her Draco, I swear we will and we will get her back."
Ginny sighed as she took in the sight of Ron running his fingers through Harry's hair as the dark haired wizard slept on the couch and then at Draco and Blaise sharing the recliner.
"I have two announcements boys, first – I REALLY need to find some straight men, secondly we are taking this to Dumbledore. I honestly have no flipping idea of what to do other than that."
Ron smiled at his sister and rolled his eyes, "Like any man would dare to date you? Please! I am all for Dumbledore. At least there is food there."
"There was food here too. You just ate everything." Snapped Draco, but for once there was no heat in his words. There was just misery. He couldn't get it. Why would Hermione do a ritual on her own? There was no logic to it and his baby was always logical. ALWAYS.
"The scrolls. I was wondering when you all would arrive." Albus Dumbledore looked regal as ever behind his desk looking at them through his glasses. For a moment they felt like they had fallen back in time and that they should all be in uniform and asking for help from a professor. They felt safe.
"You knew what she was doing and you didn't stop her?" Harry said in an agitated voice. His eyes were growing stormier.
"Mr. Potter, I must ask you to calm yourself. I had to let things happen as they were meant to happen or the whole bloody thing would have fallen apart at the seams." Dumbledore said with a shake of his head, they all knew that shake. It was the body movement that signaled that everything made sense to him and he didn't get why you didn't understand. Problem was, in the land of Dumbledore's mind, there was no logic – at least none that anyone else understood.
"What do you mean sir?" Ginny asked trying to keep the men in her group calmer. She prayed there would be a simple thing they had to do.
"You must go back in time and get her. She did the ritual of the Tempus Infractus scrolls. She has been taken in time to a place where she is needed. Whether or not she will return is up to her." He tapped the scrolls three times and muttered something under his breath.
"What do you mean if. Doesn't she have to?" Ron asked, looking confused, "I always thought they had to come back or the timeline would get all wonky."
"Brilliant wording Weasley." Muttered Draco, "But valid point."
"She doesn't have to do anything. But be warned, I have no idea how long it's been in whatever time she has gone to the threads of time are fickle." Dumbledore said sagely before rising, "Then I think you all know what you need to do. If you all will excuse me."
Blaise watched him go with a smirk on his lips, "I have never heard a man tell you exactly what to do and yet say nothing at all like he can."
Ginny laughed softly, "Very diplomatic Mr. Zambini. Well since your lover was kind enough to get all of our supplies ready for us. I say we go back to your place and do this thing. Besides it will help I think if we are in the same spot as Hermione was so we can all go back to the same time period."
"Who the bleeding hell said all you were going?"
"Draco…"
"No."
"Draaaco…"
"No."
"Draco!"
"Hell no."
"Draco Lucien Malfoy, they are going."
"They are not! We don't' even know if we will be able to go back; just us two, let alone all of them. Can you imagine what will happen if we get there and they don't? Do you want to be the one to tell Hermione we lost her best friends in the threads of time?" Draco said, shooting his lover a glare.
"It's a chance we all have to take." Harry said as they all moved into place at a point of the star that Ron had poured. They were all wearing their Auror robes and were a little nervous.
Ginny took the top most point and the men assembled around her with Ron on her right and Harry on her left. Draco and Blaise stood across from her. A black pillar candle she set at each point, and three smaller white ones in between points. She lit them each with the same clockwise motion as she'd drawn the circle, careful not to disturb the sand lines.
"Seven are the planets known to the Ancients
Seven are the colors of the rainbow
Seven are the stars in the Great Bear
Seven are the nights in each quarter of the moon
Seven are the directions of the circle"
She recited. She turned to a smaller jar this time, and grabbed from within a handful of salt. Starting where she began she walked the same path along each candle throwing salt into each wavering flame.
"Seven are the power centers of the body
Seven are the planes of the Universe
Seven are the notes of the musical scale
Seven are those that dwell in the light."
Holding the Tempus Infractus Scrolls in one hand, she grabbed one last handful of red sand in her hand and stepped into the center of the star. Flinging her hand out towards the hole in the circle, the remaining sand rained down and closed the boundaries. The candle flames shot upwards in heightened intensity and an unearthly wind swept the hem of her cloak.
"The Circle is closed."
She set the book down at her feet and threw her arms out to the sides. Her cloak parted, revealing a thin-strapped, simple, white dress. Back straight, she threw her head back and recited the words of the ancient text. With each word the flames brightened and the wind picked up, sending her cloak billowing out around her.
When she was finished with the incantation. She added her own prayer to the Gods, to strengthen her work.
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace."
She poured everything she had into each word – willing the spell to work. Passion filled her voice and her power built inside.
"Time in its cyclic continuance cannot stop the power of light.
Health and prosperity become war and famine,
Beauty fades and minds cloud,
But goodness and purity never outgrow time.
They become stronger with each cycle;
Building upon the old, and creating new.
Flesh to bones, and bones to dust
Light feels not these affects of time
Past to Present, Present to Future –
I break these boundaries,
Cast out my soul, and pray to the Gods.
Help me shatter the cycle, and bring the seven together;
Warriors of good, missionaries of peace.
Help me to save the people I love.
Time! Begone from this place!"
Ginny's arms were out at her sides again, palms facing up. The wind was near painful now, biting against her skin and forcing the cowl of her cloak back off her head. Her fiery hair spilled free and twisted into disjointed patterns above her in a flaming halo. Her bare feet left the ground; the power of her and her friends levitating her straight off the carpet.
"SEVEN ARE THOSE THAT DWELL IN THE LIGHT!" As she shouted the words she shoved all the gathered magic into her words and into the spell.
Ginny closed her eyes and let every bit of magic seep out of her – she would take nothing to chance. When she opened her eyes again four pillars of red light had filled the remaining empty spaces between the star's points.
"Time – let go your grip!"
Then they all saw the reddish golden glow and felt the world seeming to move a little slower and then there was nothing.
It had been two months since she had fallen and landed on one Sirius Black. Hermione was happy doing her work. She enjoyed teaching and loved most of the students dearly. Her eyes kept landing on the Head Boy and his boyfriend. There was something about them that drew her gaze. Maybe it was that she was missing her own lovers. Maybe it was that there was an air of power and mischief around them. She didn't know.
"Miss Granger?"
Her eyes shot up and there was Sirius Black himself, with a charming smile and a wink, "Yes, Mr. Black? Is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually, yes there is. I need some help with my paper and I was wondering if you would be free to help me – maybe tonight?" he said in what he was praying was his most winning tone of voice. He was truly lost on this paper ands James was too busy to help and Remus was already helping four Hufflepuffs. Neither of them had time to help him.
She smiled and winked back, "Meet me after dinner in the library at the farthest table to the left and back. I will help you then."
Sirius shot her a look out of the corner of his eye. He loved James. His boyfriend was more than that; he was his best friend. So why was this student teacher such a draw? Why did his eyes seem to find her wherever she was? He noticed James was noticing her too. This could be very bad….
"You almost done Mr. Black?" Hermione asked leaned over to look over his shoulder, he turned his head and their lips touched. For the briefest moment there was an electric shock going through him and he could have sworn they were the last two people on earth. He pulled back and saw her cheeks were warm and her eyes were bright.
'Oh shit…' was all that was running through his mind.
James was lying on his bed thinking about life in general. He had gotten over his brief relationship with Lily Evan back in second year and been happily seeing his best friend ever since. He was happy and content and in a fulfilling relationship. That did nothing to explain why his heart picked up a little every time he saw his student teacher. Why when she smiled at him he blushed. He was so happy with Sirius…he was! He just thought maybe there could be more…
Then there was a flash of light and then there were five people standing in his room. One of them was literally standing on him. She looked down and smiled warmly. Then her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped, "James P-P-Potter?"
"Is my room a thrice damned revolving door for crying out loud?" was all he could say as his head fell back into his pillow again, "And WHY do you all seem to know who the hell I am?"
"Because I am smart like that?" Ginny offered tentatively.