AN: See, I told you I wasn't planning on making this that simple…if I've overlooked anything or you have any questions, please let me know. I do realize that this chapter is excruciatingly short, and for this I apologize. However, I felt the longer version of this chapter didn't make very much sense, so I opted for shorter but easier to understand.
Disclaimer: Have we not been through this before? Nothing has changed.
"At a time when magic was first being used widely, there were two families who bore the names Weasley and Malfoy. The two families were close friends, and it eventually led to a Weasley man's marriage to a Malfoy woman. They had only two children before they died, a set of twins whom they named Lantur and Predak. The meaning of these names were known only to them, but there is speculation that Lantur was a term used for the illumination given from a fire, and Predak was a term coined by the sun's rays. Anyway, family raised these twins after their parents' mysterious young death.
"The two girls were inseparable for years, until their twentieth birthday. There was an unknown argument that ended in a fight, and in the girls' rage, they separated and went to the family who had raised them: Predak to her mother's family and Lantur to her father's. Each family heard biased versions of what had truly occurred and began to regret their long friendship. Soon after, the Malfoys broke all ties with the Weasleys, annulled their deceased child's marriage, and denounced the Weasleys as subordinate. From that point on, no associations between the families were allowed. The families never overcame their differences, and it evolved into the one of the longest standing feuds in wizarding history. Apparently, it remains strong today."
Lantur hung her head in shame when she had finished her speech, managing to sound like she was reading out of a textbook despite her obvious discomfort. Predak shifted from foot to foot nervously, silent through Lantur's recital.
"Is this true?" Ginny asked hoarsely. Next to her, Draco was troubled by this new information that his father had apparently deigned to inform him of, but kept his blank expression through long years of practice.
"It is. If you require further proof, you may check the history books." Lantur said sadly.
"I don't understand." Dumbledore frowned. "You are both before us now, and you do not seem to be embroiled in argument currently. How can there be a feud? And how do you two know about it?"
"As I said, we discovered a Time Turner. This was in our seventeenth year. We went to the future and discovered not only our feud, but the rising of Voldemort for the third and final time." Here, Lantur shook her head. "Some things are meant to be, and some are not. It is inconceivable that it is the destiny of our world to fall into a form of chaos from which there is no return."
"But when you go back to your own time," Ginny said, "won't you know not to fight and begin the feud?"
At this, Predak spoke. "When we began our time travel, we knew there would be serious consequences to deal with if we acted differently then we would have had we remained I our own time. So, Lantur here developed a curse before we left that will cause us to immediately forget everything upon our return. It is set to hex us the instant we appear. As soon as it does, we won't remember traveling to begin with, and all will happen as it does in the history books."
"So basically, you go back to a time where it is certain you have only a few years before you never speak again?" Ginny asked sorrowfully. Draco almost snorted at her sensitivity. Why on earth would she be upset that people that she just met were having problems in the past?
"There are times when you have no choice in things." Lantur said heavily. "We could never have changed it, only never known about it, and the minute we return, we never will. We also must go back before you start your new war."
Draco was more worried about himself than the twins' plight. Voldemort was coming back? Shit. He was in some serious trouble now. It was never good for the guy you betrayed and killed to make a comeback. The safest place for him was not back in the middle of this thing; it was as far from He-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Give-Up as possible.
"Yes, well, I hope that this works out well for you," Draco said, rising smoothly. "Do write to let me know if the cost living is higher than before. And I mean that literally."
"Draco!" Lantur said, affronted. "I don't think you realize the gravity of this situation!"
"But I do. That is exactly why I'm not getting myself involved in it," Draco said, stretching and beginning to move toward the door.
"You selfish bastard!" Predak exploded. "All you care about is your own worthless skin!"
Draco stopped, turning and giving Predak a condescending look. "Of course. Who else will but me?"
"Malfoy, wait." Ginny rose and walked over to him. She rested her hand on his arm in a gesture that was supposed to be pacifying, but instead caused him to tense further. "Why don't we just hear them out?"
Draco narrowed his eyes. "No, why don't you hear them out? I, on the other hand, plan on staying alive for the next several years, and no demented witches claiming to be my ancestors are going to change that."
Predak was seething now, and she turned to Lantur in anger. "And you expect him," she jerked her head at Draco, "to help us? He'd probably have a knife in our backs the minute we turned around!"
Draco said nothing, just glanced pointedly at Ginny's arm. Seeing this, she hurriedly removed it, and he turned again to leave the room.
"Perhaps we should continue this conversation later," Dumbledore said, watching Draco and Ginny's interaction with confusion. "This is…ah, quite a bit to take in at once."
"Suit yourself." Draco said, walking out of the room. Ginny looked at the twins.
'Talk to him, if you can," Lantur said gently. "I can understand how he'd be a bit difficult accepting this."
Ginny nodded, but still glanced at the twins warily before following Draco out of the room.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione were currently waiting next to Dumbledore's office after hearing a group of Slytherins speculating as to the reason "Dumbledore would need Malfoy and Weasel-queen for something."
"Ron, I'm sure there's nothing wrong at home-," Hermione started, before getting cut off as someone emerged from Dumbledore's office.
"Ginny! Is everythin- Malfoy! Where's my sister?" Ron yelled, going red in the face. Draco ignored him, brushing past him in an attempt to avoid all conversation, but Harry stepped right in front of him, blocking his path.
"What do you want, Potter?" Draco sounded more tired than actually angry, and it stopped Harry in his tracks.
"What did Dumbledore say to you and Ginny?" Harry said after a pause.
"Why don't you ask her?" Draco said softly, just as another person came out of the office behind them.
"Ginny! What's going on? Is everyone alright at home? There's nothing wrong, right?" Ron peppered his sister with questions, and Harry walked over, seeming to check Ginny for bodily harm.
"No, I'm fine, he just wanted to talk about-,"
"And why on earth was that bloody ferret with you? There is nothing that could possibly involve you with that…" Ron didn't seem to find the word to accurately portray his description of Draco.
"Oh, Ron…" Ginny started, surprised not to hear Draco's direct denial and probable insult to Ron. But when she spun to look for him, she saw that in all the confusion, he'd already left.
Draco walked aimlessly once again. He really was doing a lot of that these days, and it was just because he was thinking. This time, he was actually angry. How dare someone try to involve him in something that could cost his life? No one would care a bit if he died in this "new war", just so long as he helped them on the way out. If there was a war to begin with. He shook his head as he remembered the girls' words. Related to him, indeed! A terror on legs and a know-it-all redhead? It reminded him of the Mudblood! He winced inwardly at this; he'd been doing so well not to use the term his father had loved so much. But to know that the Malfoys and Weasleys had once been close… It did make sense, they were two of the oldest families in wizarding history, and it was probable that at some time they had intermarried…
Draco shuddered to think that in some different circumstances, he could be related to Ron Weasley. To be close family friends with that animal! But then he would be related to Ginny as well… the littlest Weasley wasn't as bad as her brother, nor as judgmental. Resolving to worry about things like that later, he set about finding a way to disappear before he lost his chance. It was a shame he couldn't help out, but Draco needed to put Draco first now.
Ah, thank you so much to my reviewers! I heart all of you!
Kerichi: I know I kept in that one dramatic line in this chapter, but I did try to lighten it up later on! And I'm sorry about McGonagall! And with Hermione, who knows? ; )
Mairead: That I will!
Jenny/Rogue: Well, thank you very much! I was really worried about keeping everyone in character, and I feel better knowing I didn't do too terrible a job of it.
Pia: I should go for longer chapters, shouldn't I? I'll try my hardest next chapter, I promise!
If anyone has any suggestions for things they'd like to see in the story, do let me know, and I'll try to add them in! I'm a bit out of ideas right now, so the more people who let me know what they want to see, the quicker I can get the next chapter finished : D