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: There are some major time skips in this chapter. This just shows the important scenes in an otherwise slow period of time.
When the knock at the door occurred, both Harry and Amelia woke with a start.
"Harry!" A young voice called through the door. "You awake?"
"Shit" Amelia whispered, bounding out of the bed.
It was Christmas morning at Bones Manor and, as they had been since that first night, Harry and Amelia had slept, just slept, together.
"Just a minute, Edwin." Harry called out.
Amelia padded on bare feet to the bookcase against the wall and triggered the secret latch that opened the hidden door that led to her room. Throwing some clothes on, and waiting a second for the hidden door to close, Harry went over to the door and opened it.
"Good morning Edwin." Harry said as he opened the door.
"Harry!" the barely nine year old boy said enthusiastically. "It's Christmas. Come on, presents!"
"I'm coming." Harry said with a grin. "Are you going to wake your sister?"
"Nope." Edwin said, vigorously shaking his head. "Melia gets up when she wants. Only Edgar is crazy enough to do it, but even he won't do it all the time."
The door to Amelia's room opened and she stepped out, fully dressed.
"Good Morning, Lia." Harry said.
"Melia!" Edwin said, moving to hug his sister.
Amelia simply stepped around her brother and offered the crook of her elbow to Harry, who linked his arm into hers and they made their way down to the family room, with Edwin following behind. Edgar and Edward were waiting in the living room when they arrived, the elder Bones sitting on one of the two seater couches while Edgar sat of the floor near the decorated Christmas Tree.
"Have a seat. Ellen will be with us shortly and then we can open the presents." Edward said.
Harry and Amelia settled down on the other two seater couch while Edwin joined his brother on the floor by the Tree. A moment later Ellen Bones joined them with a tray full of hot chocolate drinks, which she handed out to everyone before joining Edward on the couch.
Harry had gotten some generic gifts for Edwin, Edgar and Mr and Mrs Bones. For Amelia he had gotten a mint Condition, First Edition of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea he had found in an Estate Sale over the Summer Break that he had been saving till now to give it to her. All of them were wrapped up in nice paper under the tree.
Edgar decided that he was going to 'Play Santa' and began handing out presents. Like his presents to them, the ones he got from the rest of the Bones Family were quite generic.
"I didn't know what to get you." Edgar said when he handed Harry his present. "All I know that you like is Amelia and you already got one of those."
That earnt him a whack over the head from Amelia and a stern glare from his parents. From Amelia, Harry got two presents. One was one of the later stories in the John Carter of Mars series that Harry did not have yet, and the other was a simple white-gold locket on a chain with a picture of Amelia inside. Harry smiled at that and put the locket on.
For Amelia, apart from some generic presents from Edgar and Edwin, Amelia got the vintage book from Harry, which she absolutely loved, and an Enchanter Level Rune Carving Kit as she had expressed a number of times to them that she wanted her Rune Mastery.
The rest of the day passed in pleasant conversation and the occasional rambunctious action by Edwin, with some satisfying meals prepared by Mrs Bones with Harry volunteering to help out.
Evening fell and a satisfied Harry was lying in bed when the secret door opened and Amelia padded into the room, and joining him in the bed.
"This was the best Christmas I ever had." Harry said as Amelia settled into his side, throwing her leg over his and settling her head into the crook of his shoulder.
"My family is crazy." Amelia countered.
"No, my relatives were crazy." Harry countered. "Yours are caring."
"Well, if you like it, I expect you to be here for many more Christmases to come." Amelia said, before pausing and biting her lip for a moment. "If you want, we can…"
"Do you feel you need to, or do you want to?" Harry asked.
Amelia did not say anything for a few seconds.
"That's what I thought." Harry concluded. "You don't have to do anything to make me stay, Lia. I'm not planning on going anywhere."
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Amelia asked.
"That's my question." Harry countered. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Lia."
"For me too." Amelia said. "For me too, Harry."
Amelia screamed as she cast a blasting hex against another piece of furniture in their Hufflepuff Apartment, before dropping to her knees and tears bursting out on her face. The second she dropped, Harry moved up behind her, embracing her in a hug as she cried.
It was just before Christmas of their Seventh Year, and they had just learnt both of her parents had been killed by 'dark Witches or Wizards unknown' when they had gone out for a day 'on the town'. Apparently, there were no leads on the murder.
Over the remainder of their Sixth Year, Harry and Amelia had become even closer, eventually becoming intimate just before the end of the Year, after their exams were over. Neither had instigated it, instead it had happened naturally. Harry had spent almost as much time over the Summer Break at Bones Manor as he had at the Apartment he rented for the summer, the same one he had rented the prior summer.
"Why?" Amelia asked desperately as she rocked slowly in Harry's arms as he gently stroked her hair.
Harry had no answers and simply held her.
Christmas that year at Bones Manor was a sombre affair. The place seemed empty without Edward and Ellen there. Edgar and Amelia were a mess, and Edwin was simply lost as to why his parents were not there anymore.
Making sure that the Bones siblings ate and generally functioned fell to Harry and Edgar's girlfriend, Kate Edgecombe. Kate had been covering for Edgar at his job in the Ministry between the news breaking and Christmas Holidays, having met as they were in the same department. With the help of Professors Hunter and Pentergast, Harry had been taking notes for Amelia in classes for the same period.
Harry moved away from Edwin as Kate took over to ensure the ten year old ate, and he moved over to Amelia who had been quiet for the last four hours.
"Lia?" He asked carefully. "You ok?"
"Why couldn't they find them?" she asked.
"I don't know." Harry admitted.
"Then I'll find them." She announced, her voice firming up.
"Lia." Harry said, making sure that she was looking at him. "Do it right, ok?"
"Right?" She asked, her mind trying to process his comment. "Law Enforcement?"
She thought about that for a second.
"Yes." Amelia decided, her voice driven now. "I won't just find them, I'll make sure this never happens to anyone else."
TBC…
A/N: so now we see what happened to make Amelia choose the DMLE over her passion for Runes.