Disclaimer: I'm not lucky enough to own Harry Potter & the gang—they all belong to the incomparable JK Rowling!
What happens when your boyfriend's 'spare bit of parchment' takes you and your arch-nemesis twenty years back in time? With the Marauders involved, things can get pretty interesting. ..
Mischief Managed Ch. 5
"Do shut up, Draco," Ginny said in an exasperated voice.
"But this is ridiculous Weasley," the blonde sneered, "I'm lost somewhere, probably bloody Albania or something all because of your stupidity."
Ginny smiled evilly, "oh Draco, I'm sure that you'd know if you were in Albania—doesn't your lot get sent there? You know, for Death Eater Training Camp? "
The smirk on his handsome face disappeared, "I don't know where you get your information Weasley—"
She looked around, completely ignoring him; wherever they had landed looked strangely familiar—in fact, the lake was roughly the same size as that on the Hogwarts grounds. Perhaps they had been taken there?
Draco didn't cease complaining as they looked around, first he was hungry, then cold, and then tired. As Ginny was making ready to slap him, he stopped speaking suddenly, "what was that?"
"What is it now, Malfoy? Hearing voices are you?"
He clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Quiet Weasley!" he looked around frantically, "there's something out there—"
"Oi Prongs, it's coming from over here, mate," the sound of a male voice penetrated the sensitive ears of the young Malfoy heir.
"We're done for now," Draco whimpered as he ran and hid behind a large rock at the lake's edge.
"Honestly Malfoy—I thought you were supposed to be the big bad Slytherin and look at you n—"
"You there!" a black-haired boy appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, "who are you and what are you doing at my school?"
The boy was very cute, Ginny had to admit. He had a gorgeous smile and big brown eyes which, she was sure, had broken a fair share of hearts.
"Err—your school?" Ginny said in a small voice, "and where would that be?"
He raised his eyebrow at her, "you're telling me you don't know where you are?"
Ginny shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what to say—Draco was no help; he was still hiding behind the rock.
Another boy quickly appeared at the dark-haired boy's side. This one was smaller, with light brown hair—he would have been handsome if not for his nose, which was quite pinched, giving him a ratty appearance.
"Where did you get off to, Wormtail?" the handsome boy shook his hair nonchalantly out of his face—Ginny had the distinct impression that he was showing off.
"Nowhere Sirius," the smaller boy replied taken aback, as if he were almost scared of the other. Ginny's conclusion that the other boy was rat-like was quite correct. The boy's voice most certainly resembled that of a small rodent.
"So your name's Sirius?" she attempted to make conversation, "I used to know a Sirius—err—back home." She didn't mention the fact that the Sirius she knew was her boyfriend's dead godfather.
"Odd," Sirius said, "I'm the only one I've ever met—but while we're on the subject of names—do you have one, or shall I make one up for you?"
As tempting as it was to flirt right back, Ginny decided to be practical.
"My name is Ginny," she smiled in what she hoped was a charming way.
"Like it," Sirius nodded in approval, "I say, I've never seen a girl with hair your color—and mind you, I know my share of redheads."
"Thanks," she grinned, "my whole family has some shade of red hair."
"As long as you aren't mental like some redheads," Sirius said earnestly, "there's one girl here who is the height of evil."
"Hope you aren't referring to my future wife, Padfoot."
Another boy had appeared—a boy she knew, very well indeed…
"POTTER!" Draco had finally emerged from his hiding place.
"Harry! You found us!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she grabbed him in a bear hug.
"Err—yea you're pretty cute, but I don't generally snog girls I don't know," Harry said in a strange voice.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking, Potter?" Draco spat out, "keeping a Portkey in your jacket pocket?"
"I'm confused," Harry said, "who the hell are you?"
"Have you lost it completely, Potter?" Draco threw his hands in the air, "the world's gone mental."
"Hey," Harry nudged Sirius' arm, "who is little pansy boy over there and how does he know my name?"
"Harry, what's happened to you?" Ginny said with worry—Harry, or at least this Harry, didn't seem to know who she was.
"Wait a minute. I can't retain all this information: you know pansy boy, he knows you, and you both know me?"
As Ginny examined 'Harry' closely, she quickly realized that he wasn't like Harry at all. He didn't even walk like Harry, and his messy hair was spiked and coated with a load of gel.
"Let's get out of here," Draco grabbed Ginny's arm, "famous Harry Potter's gone mental at last."
"What did you call me?" the boy glared at Draco, who smirked evilly.
"I said FAMOUS HARRY POTTER," Draco emphasized each word slowly.
"I think you have me confused with someone else," Harry said with a shake of his head, "all I know is that my name's James Potter, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and soon to be famous Quidditch player, but not famous yet. And you are really pissing me off."
Ginny stood in shock as she comprehended what had happened. They weren't only not at the hotel. Oh no—that old piece of parchment couldn't have…
"What are you trying to pull, Potter?" Draco said with bewilderment in his eyes as the Harry look-alike withdrew his wand, "you touch me, I'll see you expelled for sure. Professor Snape will believe me even if you are Dumbledore's favorite boy."
"Snape's friend, are you?" Sirius glared at him, withdrawing his own wand, "that doesn't surprise me—"
"Professor Snape?" Harry said incredulously, "as if anyone would make that greasy git a professor."
"Professor Snape. You know, head of Slytherin, your Potionsmaster!" Draco looked frantically at Ginny, "come on Weasley, back me up."
"Leave the girl out of it," Harry said roughly, "or are you so much of a pansy you want her to fight us for you?"
Wormtail just stood there, clasping his hands excitedly.
"I don't have a wand!" Draco moaned, "It's hardly a fair fight Potter—I thought you were all about being the noble hero."
"Prongs? Noble?" Sirius laughed, "That's quite funny—Prongs whatcha think? Bat Bogey Hex?"
"What's going on here?" and authoritative voice sounded over him.
"Oh Mooney must you always get here just in time to spoil the fun?" Sirius said with exasperation.
Mooney! Ginny's heart surged with hope—she knew who this was.
Remus Lupin was a beautiful boy—his heart-shaped face was young and smooth and his hair was golden, without the grey streaks she knew so well.
"Prongs! Do you have any idea what you're doing?" he glared at 'Prongs', the Harry look-alike.
"Giving that little twit exactly what he deserves."
"But why?" Remus groaned, sounding more than a little exasperated.
"He bares an unhealthy resemblance to my cousin Narcissa," Sirius said.
"Don't you dare talk about her!" Draco lunged at Sirius, but was stopped immediately by Wormtail's well placed Jelly Legs Jinx.
"Well done, Wormtail!" Sirius clapped the smaller boy on the back.
"Thanks Sirius," Wormtail blushed with pleasure, "I've been practicing."
"Oh for the love of Merlin," Remus shook his head as he moved towards Ginny, careful not to step on Malfoy, who had fallen in a dead faint.
"My name is Remus Lupin, and I am a school prefect. Now, kindly tell me who are you, before these two curse happy idiots injure the blonde one permanently?"
Ginny's hand shook slightly as her Professor's sixteen-year-old self grasped it.
"I—I'm Ginny, and that's Draco on the ground there."
"Friend of yours?" he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "boyfriend?"
"No!" she said with horror, "but—it's my fault we're here…"
"Do you know where you are, Ginny?" Remus asked kindly.
She shook her head, "I don't even know what day it is."
Sirius grinned, "I can help you there, it's Saturday morning, September 3rd, 1976."
Ginny's eyes widened, "1976?"
Something wasn't right here, Remus thought to himself. His werewolf senses were trying to tell him something. Dumbledore would have the answers. He always had the answers!
"I think that you should meet the Headmaster, he's both wise and powerful."
"Good idea Mooney," Sirius said, "—and you can count on me to safely squire you there, m'lady."
"What about him?" Peter said, pointing at the disoriented Draco.
"Leave his sorry ass," the bespeckled boy who looked like Harry said cruelly.
"No!" Ginny said firmly, "you can't just leave him here."
"Fine!" the boy said, "you redheads and your tempers! Padfoot, grab one of his arms. And by the way," he said as he moved closer to Ginny, "why did he keep calling me Harry?"
"Err—" Ginny said, "my boyfriend's name is Harry. Draco doesn't get along with him very well though."
"Boyfriend huh?" the boy said with slight disappointment, "Is he as handsome as I am?"
Ginny burst into laughter, "He looks quite a bit like you actually."
"He's a lucky man then," the boy said with an arrogant smile, "by the way, the name's Potter, James Potter."
Ginny gave James a slight smile. So, she thought to herself, Professor Snape did have an accurate measure of him. Harry was always complaining about how often Snape had called his father arrogant, and always strutting about the castle. Perhaps that greasy git had gotten something right…