A/N: Time to see some more ripples in the broken timeline. As always, enjoy. :)

Ripples

Several hours later, Aurora was safe and sound again, as was the rest of the family. There wasn't a point in Severus fussing over her he knew, especially not when Demetri was watching her like a hawk. So, instead, he found himself tucking in his adorable, messy-haired son. More than a few times already, he was near tears from laughing at some ridiculous story the little brat was telling.

"Pixies, Dada! This big!" Harrison squealed as his arms were spread as far apart as he could get them. "And I was floating around the room cause of them. Cause they had got me. And then there was a guy, like you, Dada, but more happy and stupid, and he said to put the Pixies back. And then he left. Then there was this light, kind of bright, but not too bright, and they just fell. The Pixies fell. And there was a pretty girl and a red-hair boy with me. I didn't see them then at first. There was another boy too, kind of fat and dorky. The pixies got him too and put him on the light. It fell, and, well, I don't know. But it was Pixies! I saw Pixies." The little brat smiled. "Am I gonna see them again, Dada?"

"Possibly," Severus replied with a careless shrug as he pulled the covers up underneath Harrison's chin. "But it was just a dream, brat. It wasn't real, so no reason to be scared."

"I not scared, Dada!" Harrison proclaimed. "It was wicked!"

Snorting, Severus just barely kept his eyes from rolling. Of course Harrison would think Pixies were cool. Frankly, Severus found them to be nuisances like the majority of the Wizarding World, but if his son liked them, so be it.

"Close your eyes, brat. Time for bed."

"But what about story?"

"You just gave me one, brat. A forty-five minute story in fact. Now, eyes, closed." He felt the corner of his lips twitch when he heard Harrison's huff and pouty look. The brat was getting more and more adorable by the day. Not that he'd ever tell the brat that. It'd go straight to his head, and no one needed the brat to be any brattier. "Or else you won't get to spend the day with Grandpa and Grandmum." It was an empty threat, but one he knew would work.

"But—"

"Eyes closed," Severus repeated firmly, thankful when Harrison settled in a second later. He'd ignore the brat's brief glare directed at him for now. Getting mad at the boy wasn't going to help.

Ten minutes later, the sweet boy was fast asleep, drool slowly rolling down his face.

Severus waited for a few more minutes just in case the boy woke back up, but when Harrison didn't, he left. He considered checking on Aurora, but decided against it. Demetri would likely hex him if he went in there again. Not that she was blaming him for Aurora getting hurt again, but she wasn't exactly thrilled with him at the moment either.

"Harrison finally asleep?" Tobias asked as Severus entered the kitchen a few moments later.

"Yes. He had to tell me all about his latest Pixie dream." The young father shook his head and grabbed a cup from the cupboard.

"The one where the teacher let loose a bunch of Pixies, and he had to wrangle them back into their cages?"

"That's the one." Severus poured himself a cup of tea. "I haven't the faintest idea where the boy got the idea for that dream, but he will never find himself anywhere near Pixies if I have to say anything about it."

His dad chuckled and slid the bowl of sugar towards Severus when he sat down at the table across from him. "And the lass? How's she doin'?"

"Bumps and bruises from what I can tell, but Demetri is with her now so . . ." Severus shrugged and added a spoonful of sugar to his tea.

"And?"

Glancing at his father, he frowned. "What?"

Tobias scoffed and shook his head. "Son, you've barely said anything since ya two got back from yer disastrous walk. Now that the dust has settled down, think ya can elaborate a bit?"

"What's to say, Dad? We went out for a walk, and she was attacked."

"Christ, son. Some days I swear yer intentionally frustrating. Ya went out on yer walk. Did ya happen to discuss the whole 'Jumpin' yer bones' thing ya two got goin' on? Or is that unresolved yet?"

"What does my love life have to do with you, Dad, that it matters so much?"

"It matters because I don't want ya to be alone."

"I'm not alone. I have Harrison, Mother, and you."

"You know what I mean, Severus."

"In case it slipped your mind, I currently have people who want to turn me dark, Dad, in order to bring back their dead loved ones. So, you know, I think my not making my love life a priority now is a pretty responsible thing to do. Don't you?"

"I suppose yer right, but—"

Severus just barely suppressed his groan in time. Of course there was a but.

"Ya deserve happiness too, Severus. And, well, with her being around, we're all seein' it," his dad stated quietly. "Though, you two need to just get it over with and shag already if only to spare us the whole tension yer puttin' off."

"There's no tension, Dad!" He scoffed, muttering a second later under his breath, "Merlin's bloody balls." He then turned towards his father. "Just admit it, Dad. You and Mother are both trying to force us into this relationship just so you can get more grandchildren."

"Well, yeah, but that ain't the only reason."

"Of course it's not," Severus grumbled, rolling his eyes before he finished his cup of tea.

"You can't blame us for wantin' ya to be happy, son. I mean, Christ, Severus, when yer around that girl, ya seem years younger. And don't get me started on when she's around ya and Harrison. She's good. Good for you and that little boy of yers. So, yeah, we do want ya to just go for it. Cause a lass like that, shit, son, she ain't gonna wait forever."

With his hand clenched tightly in a fist at his side, Severus stood up, glaring at his father. He wanted to yell how her future self had waited for him, had stood by his side for so long in the shadows when no one else had. However, he didn't want to fight about a pointless argument as ridiculous as this was. So, instead, he forced his smile to his lips, clenching his jaw, and spat out, "Good night, Dad." He didn't even wait for his father's reply before he whirled around and left the kitchen.

They didn't understand. None of them did. He cared for her. He did. Just life was getting in the way, and he knew that she'd be there, that she loved him and was patient. It may have been knowledge he shouldn't have had, but he did. So, why rush things when it could wait?

He headed up the stairs, forcing himself to breathe evenly and remove all of his anger with each exhale. There were people out there who wanted to hurt him, to force him to turn to the darkness again. Would it be easy to say screw that and remain in bed with Aurora until end of time? Hell yes. But it wasn't the right thing to do. For so long he had been in the Dark Lord's ranks, a Death Eater, always in the shadows, always caressed by death and pain. A leopard never changed it spots that quickly. So why were they all expecting him to change so quickly?

"Severus?" a soft voice spoke from the landing above him.

He glanced up and saw Demetri. His eyes narrowed on her briefly, noting that she was dressed in her outer robes. Was she going somewhere?

"Aurora would like to speak with you," she said quietly, her eyes falling to the floor soon after.

He thought about asking her if everything as all right, but decided against it. Clearly that would have been a stupid question. Instead, he inclined his head politely to her before he headed towards Aurora's rooms, a few feet from where he had been previously.

Pausing briefly, he sighed silently and then knocked.

"It's open," Aurora called out from behind the door.

He slowly turned the knob and entered, finding her just finishing to button the last one on her outer robes. He stopped for half a second before he continued. Where were they going?

"Normally, I don't like being summoned," he started to say, hoping his tone was light, "but I suppose I can make an exception for you." When he heard her snort, he felt himself relax slightly.

"Glad to hear it." She then glanced up at him with a soft, sad smile. "I finished reading that journal you left earlier."

"Already?" It had taken him several days to finish reading all of it. Though, he supposed she understood more of the time travel jargon than he had and hadn't needed to research what certain things were. He then noticed her head shake.

"I didn't read all of it. Just enough to understand some things."

"Well, that's good then."

She frowned. "No. It's not." She then sighed and ran a hand through her curls before she grabbed the journal from her night stand. "I realize you thought you were doing the right thing by giving this to me, but it's not mine, Severus. I'm not her. This version of Aurora Sinistra."

"Not currently, no, but there are aspects that—"

"This journal, this version, I mean, Severus, you read it. She came back to Hogwarts for him. I didn't. I stayed away."

"Which could be a result of the timeline being disrupted."

"Not 'could be.' It was." She shook her head again. "No one should have this knowledge. Especially not after meeting Diana and hearing what sort of plans she has for it." She stepped towards him before she paused and turned away after thinking on it. "Which is why I'm going to destroy it."

"What?" He had felt a punch to his gut from her words. She was going to get rid of the evidence that had woken him to her? That had proved he had someone out there who loved him? When she turned back around and met his eyes, he sighed heavily. "I mean, it's your right obviously, but why?"

"Think about it, Severus. All Diana would have to do is find this and read it. And then, bam, she has the missing part of the puzzle. Of how your future self did it the first time."

"But she doesn't have me, though."

Aurora laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Severus, do you know why this worked? Why he was able to come back when so many others have failed?"

"Because I'm a powerful and brilliant wizard obviously," he deadpanned, thankful when she burst out laughing. He loved hearing her laughter. It was so calming to him, relaxing and energizing.

"Other than that," she replied, still laughing softly. She gently rested a hand against his arm, her smile slowly faltering with another sigh. "It worked because he had nothing left to lose, Severus. Because he was so heartbroken and distraught that he decided to destroy every rule, every check and balance that would otherwise prevent it. He did this all for her."

"And for him and the boy."

She nodded in agreement but continued. "He had seen so much pain, so much loss. It breaks one's soul to experience so much agony as he did. To go so long without any respite, relief."

Severus didn't understand why she was telling him this. He knew all of that. He had read the journal fully unlike her.

"He chose Death, welcomed it like an old friend. That's why all of this worked for him. Because he wasn't doing it for himself. Maybe to lessen the pain he felt, sure, but it was clear that he just didn't give a damn about himself after her death. All that mattered to him was to right the wrongs of the past, and by doing so, he undid our present."

"But we've undone that damage already, Aurora, or most of it at least."

"You don't understand."

"Of course I don't freaking understand. Astronomy and time travel crap are your thing," he spat, his temper flaring unexpectedly.

"Diana wants her niece back. You said that to me earlier when we spoke. She thinks that you can do that because that's what your future self did. Came back and fixed all the wrongs. That's her, though, Severus. However, those goons I fought in Diagon Alley, they didn't want you to turn dark. They wanted to kill you."

"What's your point, Aurora?" He was growing tired of this conversation.

"You're trapped in another power struggle, except this time it's not Dumbledore and Voldemort. Diana is one of the players, but the other one . . . that one wants you dead."

"So, what do you suggest?" There had to be a point to her speech.

"Diana will continue to attack because she has nothing left to lose either anymore, Severus. That makes her very dangerous, so she will come after your family and me. She thinks that all that needs to happen is you turn dark, and everything returns the way she wants it to. She's like a rabid dog in that instance. The other player, though—they don't have any regard for human life. They don't care about his fixing things. They care about something else entirely. If I were a betting person, I'd say it's a former follower of Voldemort because this person is making it very personal in their attacks."

She was right he realized. There had been two different types of attacks lately. He hadn't connected that yet. Though, he had been distracted unfortunately.

"All right. Then, what?"

"We pit them against one another, Severus. Diana wants you alive. Hell, she needs you alive. The other person, they want you dead. What do you think she'll do when she realizes someone is trying to kill you?"

"In case it's escaped your mind, I basically told her to get lost, though. What makes you think she'll even care about someone trying to kill me?"

"Because of her words about me, Severus. She was warning you to stay away from me. That I'm not worthy enough to be with you. That shows she cares about your wellbeing."

"So, then, you suggest I write to her and let her know that someone's trying to kill me?"

"Yes. Divide and conquer. It was a strategy Voldemort used a lot of."

It was more like just conquer, but he saw her point. If Diana managed to get rid of the people trying to kill him, then they could deal with the heartbroken witch.

"And while I'm writing to her, what exactly are you and Demetri going to be doing?" he asked, deciding to take the bull by the horns and confront her.

"What I've been doing, Severus. Finding a way to stop the bleeding of our present timeline."

He couldn't help it. The words just flew from his mouth. "And what in the Nine Hells makes you the sole person who has to fix that?" He noticed her body go rigid and her eyes flash instantly in response to his words.

"It's my responsibility, Severus, because someone decided to just say 'Fuck it' and meddle with time because of me. Now, if the Unspeakables weren't busy trying to kill you or whatnot, I'd leave it in their more than capable hands. But I can't because they are."

"So, then, you're planning on running off to who-knows-where with Demetri where you could be killed? Perfect, Aurora. Brilliant plan." His anger and hurt was coming off him like waves. He had just gotten her back, and she was going to leave again? No. He wouldn't let her.

"Are you honestly suggesting I can't take care of myself?" she snapped, glaring at him.

"Well, forgive me, Princess Aurora," he all but snarled at her, "but you did just get your arse handed to you by an eighty-year-old witch after all. Of course, I can forgive you for forgetting that seeing as how I had to carry your unconscious self back up to the manor afterwards."

He half-expected her to slap him for that comment, but she didn't. Instead, she laughed angrily and glared daggers at him.

"Just promise me, Severus, that if I do happen to die since you think I'm a damsel in distress all the time, that you won't just say screw it again and come back to fix everything. Because trust me. If I have to undo your mess one more time, I'm going to kill you myself."

"No one asked you to fix it this time!"

"Oh, well, forgive me!" she yelled, throwing her arms up in the air. "I mean, it's not like I don't want to be with you at some point, you arse! But, of course, you have all the answers, so, of course, you know that if I don't happen to fix it, that the possibility of you and me happening is about as much as the Triwizard tournament happening ever again in this century! I mean, come on. How could I forget that I'm talking to the smartest man alive who knows all?"

"I can do without your sarcasm, witch!" he growled, taking a step closer to her.

"And I can do without your reckless disregard for yourself and overall laissez faire attitude about the ramifications of stupid time travel, you ridiculous wizard!" she growled, taking a step closer to him so their chests were touching.

Neither one of them noticed that the door had opened.

"I'd rather be ridiculous than be a starry-eyed twit like you!"

"Oh, go bury your nose in a cauldron why don't you!"

"Okay then, so we've still got the sexual tension I see," a voice stated from the doorway. "I'll just go and wait downstairs."

Both Severus's and Aurora's heads snapped towards the doorway, and they watched Demetri leave in silence as Demetri closed the door behind her again.

"Why do you have to upset me like this all the damn time, Severus? Circe!" she yelled, tugging on a few of her curls hard. "I love you, you big idiot, for reasons that I don't fucking know why right now. But I love you." She was shaking her head and trying to control her breathing again. "You think I want to leave you all the time? I don't! But someone has to fix this before the timeline decides to unravel fully, and one of us vanishes for good."

He grabbed her wrists. "That doesn't have to be you, Aurora."

"I don't see anyone else doing a damn thing about it. Do you?"

Instinctively, he tightened his grip on her wrists briefly. He didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay there with him. He didn't want to lose her. Didn't she understand that? With a sigh a moment later, he let go and stepped back from her.

"It shouldn't take long," she said quietly. "Just need to somehow find a way back in to the Ministry and to the Department of Mysteries."

"They were destroyed, though."

"I'm sure parts were, but the Ministry has strong protections around key parts according to Kingsley. I'm guessing the Time room would be one of those along with the Death room."

He nodded, unable to speak. When he felt her hand against his cheek a moment later, he glanced at her. Why did she have to leave him again?

"Before I go," she started to say softly. She smiled sadly when his eyes narrowed on her. She brushed back his long hair tenderly before she leaned in and kissed him.

His eyes closed, and he leaned in more, deepening their kiss. He wanted her to know how badly he didn't want her to go, how much he needed her to stay. Inhaling deeply, he smelled her familiar scent of raspberries. A tingle started to take over his lips then. At first, he thought nothing of it. But then when the tingle started to trail down his body, he found himself pulling back. It was then he noticed how weird he was feeling, lightheaded on second thought.

"It's okay, Severus. Relax." He heard her say.

He gasped, realizing what she had done. His eyes darted to her in shock first then outrage.

"Shh. It's okay."

How on earth was it okay? She had drugged him! He could feel himself slowly be lowered onto the bed and tried struggling against whatever she had given him. It didn't work, though.

"It's a mild paralytic. It'll wear off in an hour," Aurora explained softly, leaning over him now. "Demetri is going to come in here in a little bit, wondering why it's so quiet. She can remove it."

He glared at her. What the hell was she doing?

"I had to do this, Severus. I know you don't understand, and that you'll hate me. And I understand that. But I can't have anyone knowing where I went."

What? He inhaled sharply, thankful that the paralytic had allowed him to. She wasn't going to the Ministry then like she had said? What on earth was going on?

"I'm not the Aurora in that journal, Severus. I'm not her. She couldn't live without being by your side, knowing you were safe. I can, because I know you and trust you." She closed her eyes. A few tears slipped down her cheeks onto the bed silently. "Which is why I have to leave. It's not our time yet. If ever now after this stunt of mine." She laughed sadly. "Demetri would try to stop me. You would try too. But it needs to be done to fix this properly." She placed a hand over his heart and stifled a sob. "I'm so sorry." A second later, she pulled back and moved from his line of sight.

He closed his eyes to concentrate on the sounds. He could hear her still moving about the room, so she hadn't Disapparated yet. At the sound of the fire crackling more then, he wondered what she tossed in the fire, the journal? She then reentered his line of sight, placing a deep cerulean liquid-filled vial on the nightstand beside him. The paralytic potion she had used on him no doubt, he realized.

Her hand returned to his chest above where his heart would be. Her eyes were closed again with a few more tears splashing down her cheeks. Inhaling slowly, she murmured a soft spell that he didn't immediately recognize. However, when he felt the warmth flood through him a moment later, he realized in horror what her spell was. Her eyes met his, and then she was gone in a blinding bright light.

Twenty-five minutes later, he flew up from the bed, panting loudly. He had nearly collided with Demetri when she had undid the effects of Aurora's paralytic potion. He grabbed Demetri's upper arms, his eyes searching hers.

"Aurora!"

"Severus, calm down!" Demetri replied, understandably confused by his reaction.

"No. No, Aurora, Demetri, Aurora . . ."

"Is gone. I know," the young witch replied with a deep frown. "Because she's an idiot who thinks she has to do this alone for some reason."

"No." He shook his head angrily. Why wasn't Demetri shutting up so he could speak? "She cast Fate's Judgment." When he saw Demetri's eyes widen, he knew she understood.

"But that's—Severus, why would she cast that? The Ministry banned that spell long ago."

Oh, he was very much aware of that. He had read the stories just as she had about lost souls who had cast that spell and were returned a lifeless shell. He saw Demetri's shoulders slump.

"Morgana created that spell, Severus. It was after she messed with time in Camelot. Not a lot of people know that origin. They only know that the Ministry banned it so no one would ever be allowed to use it and die again. Do you . . . why would she cast it? What did she say to you before she did?"

"That she was sorry, but it had to be done in order to fix time properly."

Demetri shook her head and scoffed. "Wait here." She then stood up and headed for the door.

He waited patiently for her to return, turning his head to the lit fireplace and noticing the flames licking the badly-burned journal Aurora had undoubtedly tossed in earlier. He turned away a moment later, feeling ill at the sight of it burning.

When Demetri returned a moment later, she was accompanied with Morgana's portrait, which Demetri temporarily hung near them.

"We need to know about Fate's Judgement."

"You and the rest of the world," Morgana drawled with a bored sigh.

"Morgana, I'm not messing around here. Aurora used it. Now, talk before I carve up your portrait," Demetri snapped, her nostrils flaring.

"If your friend used it, then there's no reason for us to talk."

"Morgana," Demetri said, pulling a knife out from underneath her robes, "I am not joking. You will help, or I will use this knife and carve pretty little symbols into your portrait."

"Your threats, child, will do no good. There's no reason for us to talk because she's already with the Fates, and no one can come back from them unless they want you to."

"How did you come back from them?" Severus asked.

"I proved to them I had learned my lesson," Morgana replied with a shrug. "That my time in power in Camelot wasn't really all that I had imagined, which it wasn't. I showed them that I had seen the error of my ways. Was repentant in other words." She pursed her lips briefly and sighed. "Though, I do have to give her credit. She's at least using the fastest option in fixing the timeline than I had. I spent almost a year trying to undo the damage I created before finally asking the Fates to intervene on my behalf. It cost me greatly in the end. It's how I learned magic always has a price."

"If I cast that spell—" Severus started to say.

"They'll reject you," Morgana interrupted. "They have her. They don't need you."

"But she wasn't the one—"

The witch scoffed in her portrait. "As if that matters." Her eyes then met his. "Even if you did cast it, they wouldn't think about you for a second. You are apart from them and their influence now."

"What do you mean by that?"

Morgana, however, turned away from him, clearly finished with their conversation.

Demetri opened her mouth to say something, but Morgana had the last word as she left the portrait soon after.

"What did she mean by that?" Severus asked, glancing at Demetri. "How am I apart from the Fates' influences?"

Demetri shrugged, shaking her head. "I haven't the slightest idea."