Chapter 3: A Welcome Home

"Hello darling and welcome to our humble abode," James Potter stepped forward, and took her hand in his. He kissed it and laughed seeing Sirius glare at him. "Forget I did that, Sirius doesn't seem to like it." He snickered as he took a step back. "Well Sirius, are you going to finish the introductions or leave us hanging?"

Sirius shook off the jealously at the easy gesture his best friend had made towards April. He frowned; after all, he barely knew the girl. He would have known her better except she and her sister had been missing for the past five years. "This is April Merriwether." He nodded at his friend's shocked expressions.

"But that's not possible Padfoot and you know it. She's probably lying…" Remus stated looking at April quizzically. "Just not possible."

Sirius shook his head. "I don't think so, she said her twin sister-"

"-Jul?"

"-Yes July, is here also and they got separated somehow… We never got into it exactly. So-"

"Lying!"

"-No I don't think she's lying. She also says she's a half-breed; part-Veela to be exact. Not hard to miss actually." He dodged the glare from April with a sheepish smile. "Can't deny the truth vixen."

Peter, who still hadn't spoken, stepped forward so his friends wouldn't ignore him. "I'm not too sure about this P-Padfoot. She looks like a liar, she's probably making it all up. Aw-Awful thing to do but could just the same."

Sirius turned and glared at the mousy boy. "I think we've just established that she's not lying Wormtail, so you'd do best not to comment on it okay? Thank you."

"Ok I think you all need to stop talking about me like I'm not here and let me bloody know what's going on!" She got up and walked to the classroom door. "You know what, I really don't think I want to know. So, I'm just going to go now. Bye-bye now."

James jumped up and followed her to the door. "Err April I think you should stay right here actually. We'd like to explain if you'd let us. Oh come on don't leave!" He shut the door on her before she could leave. "We'll just make you stay if you try to leave anyways."

April smiled slyly. "Really now?"

Sirius laughed and Remus tried to hide a grin. "I think you'd better back away slowly James."

James waved them off. "Yes really, we'll just keep you right- ugh!" He doubled over when April's fist hit him in the gut. It knocked the breath out of him and she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. She heard Remus ask James how a girl could learn to punch like that between laughs.

"Serves you right, you bloody idiot," she sniffed. She spotted July and beamed, running over. "Jules wait up! Gosh I was trying to find you but those morons held me captive."

July laughed but stopped, suddenly serious. "April I've been looking all over the castle for you. We have a huge problem here you know. Everything's different portraits-"

"People!"

"Everything! I couldn't even get into the common room, the Fat Lady had no idea who I was!"

April gawked. "You noticed that too?" She looked back and noticed that Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter were standing by the classroom's door. Sirius was motioning for the twins to walk over but April shook her head no, and looked back to July. "They're all bloody insane. Every one of them! And the most insulting lot you've ever met. And…" She grabbed July's hand and pulled her around the corner, whispering. "James Potter is there Jules. He's dead isn't he! Please tell me I'm dreaming none of this makes any sense."

July looked shocked at the mention of James Potter being alive. But she shook her head and frowned. "That's the problem April… This isn't a dream. I got the nerve to ask some first or second year what the year is and we're in the 1970s April! So yes James would be alive right now, and he'd also be a sixth year Gryffindor at this time too."

April was gaping now. "This is so weird July, I don't get it! And you should have seen the kid's expression when I told him my name! It was like I slapped him right across the face!"

"That's weird. I never told anyone my name." July frowned. "Maybe they'll be able to help us out though Apes, gosh knows we need it right now."

April let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. But I'm going back with some dignity and I refuse to apologize."

July shrugged. "Doesn't make any difference to me what you do, but can I ask what for? Never mind I think I figured it out." The girls had walked back to the classroom where James was sitting at the teacher's desk clutching his stomach. July grinned. "You punched him didn't you Apes? You know the last time you did that it got a week's detention with Filch."

April gave her sister an indifferent look. "I really don't care what happens to me. He deserved it. Trying to trap me in here like that."

James held his arms up in defeat. "Hey don't look at me, I'm never trying that again."

"And I won't have to do it again and if you four wouldn't mind telling us what's going on around here. Oh yeah, this is my twin sister July. But I'm sure you already knew her name right?" She said with sour sweetness in her tone.

Sirius frowned. "Do you, or do you not want to know what's going on. You can't seem to keep your mouth shut for more than a minute at a time." He knew it was a mistake the minute the words leaked out but he couldn't help getting the girl angry! Besides, he kind of liked it when her face got all flushed and flustered.

All April did this time was cross her arms over her chest and sit down on top of a desk, crossing her legs. And waited.

July tried the nicer approach. "We really don't know why we're here to tell you the truth. We should be in the 1990s right now not the 1970s."

Remus frowned. "Oh no, you both belong right here in the 1970s. Our question is… What were you doing for five years in the 90s?"

April looked blankly at the guys. "We were born in that time… We're at Hogwarts right now in our sixth year. Why would you think we belong here?"

"No, trust us, you belong here with us. You two disappeared five years ago towards the end of our first year. No trace of you anywhere at Hogwarts, or in the entire world it seemed. You're parents had searched until fourth year when they gave up and assumed you were both dead. It caused a lot of trouble for the school seeing as you disappeared right here and all. You don't remember any of this do you?" James had recollected all of the facts from first year that he remembered to the girls but their expressions showed no understanding of what he had just told them. "This is weird."

"You're telling us! We don't have any idea what you're talking about. We never knew our parents; we were adopted. We started Hogwarts when we were eleven like everyone else, and have been there since then. We go back home to our parents every summer and that's it. Now we're being told that's not even our real life and that we simply disappeared? It makes no sense." July sighed and sat down at the desk, sitting back. April nodded in agreement, biting her lip with her expression looking strained and torn.

Sirius nodded. "Unless of course someone erased your memories, sent you into the future to live your life. They gave you new memories, which would take some powerful magic I'll tell you right now. The only question I have is why someone would do that to two eleven-year-old girls.

"We know the Merriwether's are big in the Ministry. Someone may have wanted some information and they used the twins as ransom. They got their information but never turned over the girls," Remus theorized. The other guys nodded their acceptance to the theory but no one else commented on it.

"This is ridiculous! We are dragged back into the past to where we're supposed to be living but do we remember this part of our lives at all? Nope!" April exclaimed throwing her hands up in exasperation. All of this was starting to overwhelm her.

July frowned. "You could try owling people. Marissa, Keeley, Shane…" She realized her mistake but it was too late, April's head had snapped up and the hurt she saw in April's eyes made her bite her own lip, a trait of the twins when they were upset or stressed. "April I'm so sorry."

"Don't be Jules, you forgot, it's okay." But she stood up and walked out of the classroom, closing the door quietly behind her. The other three guys stared at her waiting for an explanation. They pressed when she didn't give one.

"What was that all about?" James asked bewildered. Whatever had just gone on between the two girls had gone right over his head. As it had for the others.

"Y-Yeah, she looked very u-upset." Peter piped up, making July wonder if the kid had a permanent stutter or if he was just nervous about meeting new people.

July winced and looked to the four Marauders. "Shane is… sorry was April's boyfriend."

"Was?" Sirius pressed.

"Yes I'm afraid they broke up rather recently… In fact earlier today." She frowned at the closed door. She knew April wouldn't go far and she could catch up to her and apologize again for being so stupid as to mention that idiot's name. Suddenly she was angry, something she didn't get easily.

Remus noted the anger in her expression and noted that the two girls were very loyal to one another. He decided it would be all right to ask a bit more. "What happened?"

July looked at Remus, and then looked back down again. She didn't notice that the guys were hanging on her every word. "Shane broke up with April this morning. They'd been together for two years. Shane's a seventh year and decided they weren't getting along that great anymore."

"So it was serious between them before then." Remus supplied. July nodded.

Sirius wanted more and knew the only way would be to get her a little annoyed. "Doesn't sound all that bad to me, he let her down easy right?"

July looked up and glared at him. "He told her he didn't want to be tied down in his last year. April didn't know what to do! She just nodded and he patted her head. Patted her head like she was some kind of pet he was leaving at the shelter then walked off with some seventh year Ravenclaw girl right in front of her!"

Sirius didn't like hearing that. It surprised him that he should feel protective over someone he barely knew. "Slimy bastard, she's probably too good for him anyways." Remus and James nodded their agreement. Peter did also but in quick jerky nods.

"Did you see her face when I mentioned his name! He broke her heart, she thinks that she's not good enough for him, and that's why he went after someone his own age."

Sirius stood up. "I'll go talk to her, and talk some sense into her. Not good enough for him, that's almost laughable." He walked out of the room after April.

July frowned at the closed door. "Why would he go? I should really be the one going, she is my sister…"

Remus smiled. "It's okay July, we take care of our own. April will be fine talking with Sirius."

"What do you mean?"

"It means," James started. "Before you guys disappeared, which before you ask, was right before end of the year finals of our first year, you two and us had started to get close. We got along fine, except April still didn't like us all that much. That's okay though we liked her fine. I did anyways because she made the Quidditch team as a chaser. She a chaser in the future life you've guys have been living?"

July nodded and beamed. "Best one on the Gryffindor team."

"Good to hear that, our chaser's out for the rest of the year from lack of interest in playing. With the rest of the team." James grinned mischievously at Remus' comment. His mind was already working on ways to get her to play for him.

"Anyways, yeah. Everyone at school knew about your disappearance. I'm assuming you haven't been to Dumbledore yet." He nodded slowly when July said no. "I figured as much. Well we'll have to talk to him first. Remus will go with you though, he's the prefect."

July looked at Remus and smiled. "All right that's probably a good idea. Let's get going shall we?"

The two stood up and left the classroom, leaving only James and Peter alone.

"I-I don't know about this Prongs. It seems too weird that the M-Merriwether twins would j-just show up out of n-nowhere."

"Shut up Wormtail, let's go." James left through the broom closet, and back down the secret passageway to the common room, Peter on his heels.

April was sitting on the floor around the corner. Sirius knew this because he almost tripped over her when he was looking for her.

"Hey April," he sat down next to her on the floor. April was sitting there, hugging her knees drawn to her chest and her chin resting upon them. She wasn't crying like he'd been expecting, just staring across the hall. For some reason it seemed worse.

"I don't feel like talking right now. And I really don't feel like talking to you in particular." She didn't take her eyes off the wall ahead of her and said the words in monotone.

Sirius's eyes narrowed and he stood up. "Fine I won't talk then. I don't what happened to you over in the future but when you were here we actually got along, believe it or not." He jammed his hands in his pockets and started to walk down the hall.

"Sirius wait, I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap." She stood up and caught up with him. He didn't stop so she just kept right on walking next to him. "But it's not fair that you'd expect me to act the same way I did before. I don't even know that life I just know the one I'm living in."

He rolled his eyes. Didn't she know this was the life she was meant to be in, and probably would be staying in now? "I wanted to tell you that you shouldn't let jerks like that Shane kid upset you. He wasn't worth your time in the first place." He pretended to know what he was talking about. He had let down his share of girl's in the past so he thought he should know how to be talking pretty much about himself. But when she looked up at him and saw how sad she was he had a feeling it wouldn't be easy at all.

"No, you don't need to tell me that. Now I know he wasn't worth my time but I still realized I'm not any good at the whole girlfriend thing or he wouldn't have broken up with me in the first place." She shrugged as if it was common knowledge.

Sirius shook his head in total disagreement though. "How can you even think that? April the guy went out with another girl, right after he said he didn't want to be tied down. He's a liar and a jerk so don't blame yourself at all, understand?" His harsh tone had April raising an eyebrow.

"Excuse me, but I don't think you should be taking that tone with me. First of all this is none of your business and second, you don't even know me so just leave me alone okay?"

Sirius was about to tell her that he did know her, even if it was only for a year five years ago, but July and Remus walked up to them.

Remus stopped next to them with a raised eyebrow. Sirius and April were facing each other, with April's hand on her hips and staring at him with an angry expression on her face. Sirius was looking right back at her with a stubborn one he got when he was stuck on some decision and wasn't about to give up on it. He thought it was rather funny.

All July saw was April getting angrier by the second and thought it would be best to grab her before she landed another fist in Sirius' gut. "April we need to go talk to Dumbledore now! Come on, let's go." She snatched April's arm and started dragging her along with them.

Remus shook his head and silently told Sirius not to follow as the three left. Sirius, his hands still jammed in his pocket, turned and walked in the opposite direction towards the dungeons.

April, July, and Remus reached the headmaster's office in the same spot the twins knew it as; at the large statue in the Entrance hall. Remus gave the password and the statue twisted and turned until a spiral staircase was visible and the three ascended it.

Remus knocked on the office door while April and July looked around. The twins noticed that it was pretty much the same. April walked over to Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix and smiled, petting the large red bird.

"Not too much is different here," July commented. "April you probably shouldn't pet him, he doesn't know you remember?"

April frowned. "I remember, but at least the bird has good taste and likes me now too." She laughed lightly and jumped when the door suddenly opened and their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood at the entrance.

Dumbledore wasn't one for letting his emotions show so he simply beckoned the three Gryffindors into his office. "Please, sit down and make yourselves comfortable. I'll just be a moment." He waved his wand and three comfortable armchairs appeared in front of his desk. The three took their seats while Dumbledore walked into a back room off the office. When he came back, he sat down across from them and folded his hands on the desk while he studied the twins.

April had never felt more nervous than she did right now. July too. April had been to see Dumbledore before, but for disciplinary reasons. July had only met him to get her prefect's badge in fifth year after April had lost in the post.

"On a first note, welcome home." Dumbledore didn't exactly know how to handle their sudden appearance at school. He, like everyone else, had assumed that they had been killed. "This is quite a surprise for all of us I'm sure. You two were presumed dead a couple years after your disappearance. But I'm sure you already know that," he looked at Remus when he mentioned the last part. "Of course I'll be making an announcement at the lunch hour today. You'll have to be prepared for a lot of publicity in the next few days, and I'm afraid longer after that. You're parents and older brother will of course be notified immediately, along with the Minister of Magic. But you'll need to tell me exactly how you got back and where you have been these past years."

July nodded and decided she would tell him since April seemed to be thinking hard about something when she looked over. "Well you see sir, April and I have been living in the future. I know that sounds weird but we've been living in the 1990s it seems our entire lives. Though I'm told we attended Hogwarts in this time for our first year of school."

"Yes that's correct. Your disappearance was rather sudden. We believe it was the middle of the day and only three days before end of the year finals started. If I recall correctly, you both had been seen that morning walking rather quickly towards the grounds but not ever again after that."

July shrugged. "We don't remember anything Professor. We only remember our lives in the 90s. We're adopted you see, and we remember our full childhood. Never anything that took place in this time."

Dumbledore nodded. "Well, we'll of course be looking further into this matter closely. In the meantime, you'll be attending classes with the rest of your fellow Gryffindors and let them know who you are. The news will travel quickly I assure you, so that when I make the announcement at lunch it will come as less of a shock to the students."

April finally came out of her little trance. She had drifted off after Dumbledore had mentioned she and July having parents and an older brother. She had been searching her memory for any recognition of having parents or a brother and it troubled her when she didn't.

After speaking with the headmaster a few more minutes, the twins and Remus left the office.