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—Chapter 15: Back to the Future
"What happened?" Sirius said with a dazed look in his eye.
"They—they're gone," Lily looked around the grounds frantically, as if waiting for Ginny and Draco to reappear suddenly.
Then they all turned to the Marauder's Map which emitted a few more sparks, now working, and clearly displaying the off limits graveyard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"I don't believe it," James shook his head looking at two dots marked Bellatrix Black and Peter Pettigrew, "Death Eaters, and Wormtail one of them."
"We must stop them," Remus said firmly, "Dumbledore must be told straightaway."
"Don't fear Mr. Lupin," the old man appeared seemingly out of thin air, his long silver hair trailing behind him, "I have known all along from where our two visitors came."
"But, how can it be?" Lily said with wide eyes, "how can they have traveled to our time, Headmaster?"
"I believe, Miss Evans, that these mischief-makers have poured quite a powerful bit of magic into that wonderful map of theirs."
James and Remus looked at each other sheepishly, ready to deny any involvement, but Sirius was quick to incriminate them all.
"Not like the bloody thing works, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled, "you might be surprised, Mr. Black."
"The important thing is—we know what to do now, Professor," said Lupin seriously, "we know we must stay united and face the enemy's attempts to divide us."
"Oh Remus, my boy," Dumbledore placed a veined hand on the young werewolf's shoulder and stared into his penetrating eyes, "I cannot allow you to do that."
"Why not, Sir?" Remus said in a soft voice.
"You must make your own way in life, Remus," Dumbledore sighed, "and it is not fair to you to know what your future holds; awful things happen to wizards who attempt to change destiny" he paused as he glanced at James, who had placed a protective arm on Lily's shoulder. "I believe," he said gently, "that anything which is meant to happen—will—in its own time."
"But what about me?" Sirius moaned, "Ginny was being all cryptic about one of us going to Azkaban for twelve years, escaping, and then dying—I was betting twenty Galleons on Remus, then voila—it's fucking me!"
"Your concern for my well-being is astonishing, Sirius," Remus said wryly.
"Yea well look at me," James said sadly, "I finally land the girl of my dreams and have a Quidditch star for a kid and then what—we're all blown to bits."
"Excuse me," Lily interrupted, "from what I gathered, our son seems to have quite a bit more on the ball than just being a talented Quidditch player."
"Don't worry, Lily," Dumbledore gave her an all-knowing smile, "he will be—truly great—but now, I must erase all traces of Ginny and Draco from your memories."
Lily smiled back. She turned toward James. "You do realize Potter, that I won't remember you as anything more than an arrogant toerag."
"That's depressing," James sighed, "it'll probably take another three years to get you to speak to me again."
"Maybe not that long," she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Mr. Black," said Dumbledore, "you first."
Sirius trembled slightly, "will it hurt, Professor?"
"Not at all," Dumbledore said gently, "OBLIVIATE!"
Sirius blinked several times, "w-w-where am I?"
Remus braced himself. I have to remember them, he told himself. James and Lily were going to die. Peter was the traitor. He was going to teach at Hogwarts. Sirius was going to go to Azkaban.
Peter Pettigrew was a traitor. Goodbye Ginny, he thought as Dumbledore said the charm, I'll see you later…
Remus Lupin awoke in a cold sweat.
"Remus, honey, are you okay?" Nymphadora touched his arm gently.
"I'm fine," he said in a hoarse voice, "it was just—a dream."
"Want to talk about it?" she snuggled close to him.
"It was odd," he said, "I think it was about Ginny and Draco…I just hope that they are all right—wherever they are."
He felt her whole body tense up at the mention of Ginny, who he knew she thought of as a sister.
"They're fine, Remus," she said fervently, "they are going to come back."
"I wish that I could believe that as much as you do," he said gently, "but we're supposed to be getting married tomorrow, and pushing our wedding back isn't going to do them any good."
"I promised her," she sniffed, "I promised that she would be a bridesmaid at our wedding—I won't walk down the aisle without my Ginny there to watch me—and that stupid little Malfoy kid too—I've never seen old Snape so miserable."
"He loves Draco," Remus said wisely.
"I love you, Remus," she smiled through her tears.
"I love you too, Tonks," he seized her in a passionate kiss.
The pair continued to kiss—and kiss—CRACK!
"OH MY GOD!" Draco Malfoy said with complete revulsion, "go get a room why don't you?"
"I think they did get a room, Draco," Ginny said with a grin, "we interrupted."
"Ginny?" Remus said with a dazed look on his face.
"GINNY!" Tonks leapt up from the bed and seized the redhead by the neck, "where in the bloody hell have you been?"
"Long story," Ginny grinned, "But right now, I'd say you should get your lover there some clothes."
The two girls burst out laughing at the sight of Remus's face, which had taken on a previously undiscovered shade of red as he realized that two students had just walked in on him—err—getting jiggy with it.
"So while we're on the subject of rooms," said a traumatized Draco Malfoy, "Where are we?"
"Well you kids came to right place," Tonks said brightly, "you've landed at Hogwarts—at eight o'clock in the morning—you two hurry and you might catch morning lessons—I actually think you're in my class, Ginny."
"Wait a second!" Ginny said enthusiastically, "your—class?"
"Yup," Tonks grinned, "McGonagall isn't as young as she used to be, being Deputy Headmistress is enough of a workload, so I took some of her classes—its been great fun."
"So what is he doing here?" Ginny glanced at her poor former professor who had retrieved a t-shirt and a pair of boxers.
"Oh yes," Tonks said with a smile, "that lucky bloke over there would be the future Mr. Nymphadora Tonks."
"So if you lot aren't as moronic today as you generally are, this assignment shouldn't be too challenging for you." Snape's black eyes surveyed the room, checking the progress of his students' potions. Potter was paired up with Finnigan, and together they were producing what looked to be a blob of flobberworm pus. Granger had performed to her usual standards he was sorry to say—the girl was too smart for her own good. Weasley and Thomas hadn't even managed to produce anything at all yet.
His eyes lingered at an empty seat near the front of the room where his godson would have sat.
Crabbe and Goyle were lost without Draco. Zabini had (like a typical Slytherin) stolen Parkinson in Draco's absence.
He missed the boy. Yes, Severus missed him. Maybe chewing Potter out would make him feel better. Indeed, he would do just that.
"And exactly what would you call this concoction, Potter?" Snape glared down at the annoyingly handsome boy, who had filled out remarkably over the semester.
"I don't know Sir," Harry said with a smirk that reminded Severus of the elder Potter, "but I'm sure Hermione could tell you."
"Zero marks for today Potter." Snape sneered.
"Whatever," Harry rolled his eyes, causing Granger to shoot him a glare.
Speak happiness and peace to everyone you meet, Dr. Fitch had told him at his last therapy session.
"I know, Mr. Potter, that you hold yourself in very high regard, but..."
Harry stared at him defiantly.
"Let me enlighten you Mr. Potter, that you are neither special nor important, and that—"
Before Severus could finish his sentence, the dungeon doors slammed open.
"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice drawled.
"Malfoy?" Granger said with bewilderment.
"MALFOY?" Potter and Weasley yelled simultaneously.
"DRAKEY!" Parkinson squealed.
"QUIET!" Snape bellowed, "back to work you bunch of dunderheads—and you," he turned to Draco, who held a late slip in his hand, "thought you'd have a bit of a laugh didn't you, running off for half the semester?"
"Sorry Professor," Draco said sheepishly.
Severus softened at the sight of the boy, whose hair looked as untidy as Potter's at the moment.
"Go sit down," he said quietly, "we'll discuss it later."
Draco strode the front of the room, to his seat directly in front of Harry's.
"Where have you been?" Potter jabbed him on the shoulder.
"Around," Draco sighed, "look Potter, I'm not in the mood to discuss it right now."
"Where is my sister?" Ron cracked his joints threateningly.
"She's fine," Draco rolled his eyes at Weasley's pathetic attempt at intimidation.
"Oh and Potter," Draco said silkily, "if people ever tell you that you look like your old man they're full of codswallop."
"How's that, Malfoy?" Harry said warily.
"He was a much handsomer bloke than you are, Potter."
"So let me get this straight," Harry said for about the hundredth time since dinner, "you actually traveled through time."
"Yes Harry," Ginny said exasperatedly, "Draco and me traveled through time."
"Through the map?" Harry touched the Marauders Map gently, as if afraid that he too would be sucked through it.
"Yes Harry, through the map—now anything else or can I go to bed now?"
"So you saw them—my parents—you were there?"
"I did."
"And Malfoy saw them too?"
"What do you not believe me or something? Yes Harry I saw your Mum, Dad, Sirius, Remus, Wormtail, Snape, the lot of them."
"How is that possible?" Harry wondered out loud, "how is it that they wanted to talk to you?"
"It wasn't like that," Ginny said, confused, "I was upset and Malfoy followed me. I had no idea what the map was or how to use it, all I know is that it started shooting sparks and we were surrounded by light."
"Oh that's just great," Harry said in a strange tone of voice, "so it just happened to whisk you off to my parent's childhood. That's just great—bet you had a nice little time too—you didn't even think to take me with you."
"You are unbelievable!" Ginny said angrily, "you think that everybody is out to get you—I'm on your side, Harry! Do you think it was easy for me? For Draco?"
"Draco huh?" Harry said accusingly, "You've gotten pretty friendly with Malfoy without me around, haven't you?"
"Stop being the martyr Harry James Potter—of course Draco and I became closer—but I will never feel for him in an instant the same way I feel about you."
"You have to say that," Harry said bitterly.
"What is your problem, Harry?" Ginny snapped, "I spent three months telling your Mum and Dad how great you turned out and I come back to this—"
"Well you try being me!" he yelled, "I'm sorry if I have a few more responsibilities than most teenagers."
"Yea well stop being an angsty hero for five seconds and tell me what's really bothering you."
Harry stared at Ginny intently.
"I never got to know my parents, and I just lost Sirius and here you and goddamned Malfoy got to spend three months with them in the prime of their lives—it isn't fair and you know it."
"Harry life isn't fair! Look at my family—seven children, no gold...and I know your childhood wasn't great, but you'd be surprised how bad Draco's was too—"
"Oh please, he has both his parents."
"Harry you don't even know him."
"I don't want to either."
She slapped him hard.
"I'm glad your parents are dead. I'm glad they aren't here to see you. You know what Harry? Your mum would be ashamed of you."
He sat stonily on the cold steps of Gryffindor tower, huddled in his black school robes. She shook her head with disgust as she walked toward the dormitory.
"I just hope you can get over yourself long enough to think about Remus and Tonks tomorrow—they don't need to be feeling sorry for you on their special day—oh and by the way Harry—these are for you."
Harry ran his hands over a large envelope with the words:
To Harry, With Love from:
Sirius Black
Lily Evans
Remus Lupin
James Potter