Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
A/N: Wow, why does everyone think that Harry will either die or will move on to some other girl if he returns to the 'present'? I was slightly disturbed by the review that suggested he would move on to Susan Bones. Can no one besides me see any other options?
Harry could not help but watch Amelia as she tucked a lock of burgundy red hair behind her ear. He should be studying for his Charms OWL, which was only a week away, but he kept getting distracted by all the little things that Amelia did that he could not help but find adorable. Things that he had either not noticed or had not thought much of before the Christmas holidays were now detractingly cute. Much as he hated to admit, he was falling head over heels in love with Amelia Bones.
Amelia had seemed to enjoy chasing him through the hallways after his antics on her return from Christmas Break. In the months since then she had also started to open up to him as well, outside of the formal setting of her tutoring him for Ancient Runes. Harry had even managed to entice Amelia into participating in a snowball fight on a weekend a few weeks after school resumed. This was a thing unheard of, and she only did participate for two reasons. Harry had begged her for half an hour solid and her brother Edgar was on the other team.
With a shake of his head, Harry got back to work.
"Have you got any plans over the summer break?" Amelia asked in a break in the studying a while later.
"Not really." Harry replied.
"I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time at my place during the break." Amelia said, shyly.
Harry sat silently for a few moments, stunned.
"You don't have to." Amelia said, hurt clear in her voice.
"Sorry, Lia." Harry said, pulling himself together. "I would love to spend some time over at your place, so long as it is alright with your parents. I just wasn't expecting the question."
A slight smile began to creep across Amelia's face.
Harry sat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall reading the Daily Prophet. Well, more precisely reading the Real Estate section, looking for a place to rent over the two month Summer Holiday. Sure, he could go back to the Leaky Cauldron, but there was no privacy there and two month's rent at their rates would be more that the rent of several of the places in the paper.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked as she sat down next to him.
"House Hunting." Harry replied absently.
"House Hunting? Are they hard to catch?" she replied mischievously.
"Funny, Lia." He deadpanned. "I used to live at School, remember. Family's gone and I don't fancy staying at the Leaky Cauldron."
"You could, maybe, stay with us." Amelia said.
"Lia, a few hours, even a day or two, is one thing. Two months is a completely different kettle of fish."
He did not even look up as he spoke, but he did circle one of the adverts. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Amelia pout.
"Come on. Time to head down to the Train." Harry said, raising from his seat.
"I got to admit, you impressed me." Amelia said as they walked out. "I figured I could drive you out of Ancient Runes and my Apartment before Christmas."
"Smart Ass." Harry shot back.
They both grinned for a second before bursting out laughing. Amelia put her hand around Harry shoulders, as they walked.
Harry looked around the small apartment. It was small, but it was fully furnished with a small kitchen and a comfortable bedroom/living room combination. It was not far from Diagon Alley on the Magical side, but it was not in what the Magical considered a prime location, so it was relatively inexpensive.
"I'll take it, till September First." Harry said to the estate agent.
"You sure… I mean…" The agent said. "Can you even sign for this?"
Harry simply handed over the Emancipation papers that had been in the package Director Bones had given him.
"Right. Ok." The agent stammered.
The paperwork was soon completed and the estate agent left to file the documents with the Ministry. Harry went about unpacking his gear into the bedroom. It was the first place besides Hogwarts that ever seemed like Home to him, even if it was just for a little while.
Harry was wandering down Diagon Alley, slightly bored. It was the middle of the Summer Break and he had spent the Summer reading, both Sci-Fi books and various texts, but there was something missing. When he saw Amelia, her two brothers and her parents sitting at an outside table at a Café, he realised what had been missing. Amelia looked up from her snack and saw Harry walking past.
"Harry!" she said, trying to hide her delight.
"Oh look, it's Lia's boyfriend." Edgar said with a grin, earning him a sharp cuff over the back of the head from Amelia.
"You don't get to call me that." She snapped.
"Everything ok, Lia?" Harry asked.
"Amelia, would you care to introduce us to your… boyfriend?" Mrs Bones said.
"I'm going to kill you Edgar." Amelia hissed to her brother before turning to her mother but Harry spoke before she could.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Misses Bones but, unless Lia has been keeping it secret even from me, I am not her boyfriend." Harry said. "My name is Harry and, thanks to Lia, I did manage to get an O on my Runes OWL."
Amelia jumped up and gave Harry an embracing hug, almost but not quite a Hermione level hug. Edgar rolled his eyes, Edwin looked confused while Mr and Mrs Bones shared a glance.
"Perhaps an explanation is in order." Harry said. "I only started studying Ancient Runes this Year and Professor Pentergast assigned Lia to be my tutor to get me up to speed. Technically I missed out on an O by two points, but considering I missed on two years of the Class, they gave me the O."
"An O after a single year is impressive." Mr Bones said.
"I could not have done it without Lia." Harry replied.
"Modest, or suck up, William?" Edgar asked.
"William, I thought it was Harry?" Mrs Bones asked.
"He is William Harold Tenor." Amelia informed.
"I prefer my middle name." Harry added with a shrug.
"Not a bad idea." Mr Bones mused. "I much prefer Timothy to Edward, but it's probably too late for me now."
"Dad!" Edgar and Amelia moaned together.
"Do you want to join us?" Mrs Bones asked.
"No, this looks like a Family thing." Harry replied.
Harry turned to leave when he was stopped by Mr Bones' voice.
"Harry. You are welcome to come over for a visit with… Lia. We'll send you an Owl." Edward said.
"DAD!" Amelia shouted.
TBC…