Warning: See previous chapter
AN: Thanks a bunch to my reviewers, mairead and Kerichi…thank you so much kerichi, you gave me so much help! Huggles to you! Everyone who hasn't read A Tale of Two Matchmakers needs to go read it, immediately! …..ahem: that is all. :D
Disclaimer: Not mine.
As Ginny walked down the hall with Draco beside her, a million thoughts were going through her head. What could Dumbledore possibly want with both of them? She could see the puzzled look on Draco's face out of the corner of her eye. So, she mused, he has no idea what this is about either. This did nothing to settle the knots now forming in her stomach.
After a long walk, the little Hufflepuff motioned toward a door, then turned and almost ran away. He shot Draco a fearful glance as he went, earning himself a sneer from Draco that quickly evaporated into disinterest at Ginny's glance.
Why should I care what she thinks of me? Draco thought. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of me anymore.
"Shall we?" he asked, walking to the door and grasping the knob. Strange, there were no magical passwords in place, he thought as he opened the door and entered, not waiting to see if the witch had followed-
And stopped dead in his tracks at the sight that was before him.
Ginny nearly ran into Draco again at his sudden stop, then, with a sigh, pushed past him with characteristic impatience. Her nerves really couldn't handle too much more of being in awkward situations, and she wanted to get this little social call over as quickly as possible. She also stopped dead as she saw two hauntingly familiar girls before her, both looking at her with odd expressions. Dumbledore was in the background, and he was seemingly in the middle of a sentence when they had made their entrance. The odd group stood silent for a minute, then one of the girls leaned over to the other and remarked in a stage whisper, "These people here aren't too quick on the uptake, are they?"
This broke Draco from his trance, and he gave the girl a glare reminiscent of his previous self. Turning to Dumbledore, he flatly asked, "Did you call us here simply to be insulted?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth to answer, but the redhead spoke first.
"I'm sorry. My sister Predak tends more toward saying the first thing on her mind than the most appropriate." Ignoring Predak's pointed glare, she continued. "I am Lantur, and as we have told Dumbledore, we have a specific reason for bringing you here."
"Bringing us here?" Ginny echoed. "I don't remember ever seeing either of you here before."
Lantur granted her a small, placating smile. "Yes, that too we shall explain. This involves the two of you, as well as the person of authority in this building, and now that we have you all in one place, we can tell you our reasons."
Draco was still locked in a staring contest with Predak. Noticing this, Lantur sighed, then took Predak's arm and moved her aside, whispering words to her in a voice low enough that none other than her could even hear. Turning to face the group, Predak looked properly chastened.
"My apologies." Lantur said. "Now, I believe you will all wish to get comfortable, and I shall tell you everything I am able."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair after motioning toward a long bench where Draco and Ginny could sit. Ginny sat stiffly, watching the two girls with a confused, wary expression on her face. Draco, on the other hand, flopped down on the bench and made himself comfortable as suggested, watching the two girls with an air of practiced disinterest.
Taking a deep breath, Lantur began her explanation.
"My sister Predak and I are, to put it simply, not from around here. We found a Time Turner, and due to my sister's curiosity, decided to…. well, make use of it. In our travels, as you were, we found out something, ah, most troubling to say the least. Your old foe, Voldemort I believe, is not dead. He waits now as he has done before, and if no action is taken against him, he will rise once more and succeed in enslaving the wizarding world for his own purposes."
"How do you know this?" Draco demanded.
"This we cannot tell you." Lantur said, shaking her head as she spoke.
"When will this happen?" Dumbledore asked.
Lantur looked at him remorsefully, and again shook her head.
Narrowing his eyes, Draco spoke coldly.
"You tell us of death in our future, but you won't tell us when, or how you know this. How can you expect us to believe you?"
Lantur looked back at him just as coldly. "I expect you to believe us, Draco, because you have no other option. Unless you haven't noticed, there is a slight resemblance between Ginny and yourself, and Predak and I, is there not?"
Draco laughed without humor. "I suppose you expect us to believe that you're our children from the future now, is that it?"
At this, Predak spat, "Don't insult me."
Furrowing his brow, Dumbledore said, "I must admit, I had reached the same conclusion as Mr. Malfoy. Who are you then?"
Ginny had remained silent throughout this entire exchange, but now looked at Lantur with wonder. "I think I know who you are." She pronounced slowly.
Lantur smiled at her again. "Do tell."
"My mother always spoke of one called the Firelight, who was the head of the Weasley family at the time our feud with the Malfoys began." Here, Ginny paused and frowned, "But I never heard of this Firelight having a sister, let alone a twin. Also, any twin she did have wouldn't have looked so much like, well, her." she finished, jerking her head toward Predak, who looked a bit affronted at this.
"You see, as time goes on, people begin to care less and less about their heritage," Lantur mused. "Why has no one ever asked how your feud began?"
At this Ginny looked surprised, and a look of thoughtfulness flashed across Draco's face before resuming it's usual blank stare.
"You have no answer, I see. Well, this I am free to tell you, as it has already happened."
"Yay", Predak muttered. "History lesson."