Is there a problem if I answer to your reviews here? Ask me to stop any time, alright? haha

So, Guest! lol thanks. No problem, I can relate to that, I'm glad you liked it! Thankfully I'm experiencing a good moment to write this fic, ideas are flowing, and I'll be able post at least once a week.

AlsethGosia... Wow, I'm really, really happy that you think so. I was actually second guessing this fic for a while there, thank you for taking your time to review!

shiyimuya, thank you! It will sound repetitive since I've said it before, but I'm glad that you liked it. Honestly, if you think that more people should read it, then it certainly encourages me to push fowards with the story. Maybe I'll take the oportunity to post the more revised version there at a later date.

I'll take the chance to also thank everyone who added this fic to their favorite, and/or followed it. Thanks for giving this a shot. I hope you'll enjoy what I have planed for the rest of it.

Once more, I apologize for the amount of mistakes this chapter may contain (and for the past ones too, especially those). I try to correct most of it, but do you know when your brain sometimes just ignore completely the error, and even corrects it automatically without you realizing? I swear, I read, and re-read... But I keep missing stuff.

Some grammar mistakes may be because english isn't my native language, but some simple typos... man, those are just EVIL. I'm still glaring at the opprtunity, and suceed from last chapter. (I'm pointing it out, but I was actually hoping people missed it too.) Sorry about that lol

Anyway, here's another chapter! I hope you like it.

Chapter VII - Bad News

"What are you thinking about, love?"

One of the many perks of marrying a wizard was the possibility of spending their honeymoon wherever they wanted. She enjoyed the whole hopping around with 'portkeys'. Why choose just one country when it was possible to instantaneously travel every day? Ron had planned it ever since he asked her in marriage, he said. Now she understood why Bill and Fleur did that almost every year. It isn't half as tiresome as it was through common transportation. She couldn't wait for the next vacation.

She would have enjoyed more... If her husband didn't spend part of the time inside his own mind, absent.

Even now, after they returned home, he spent half the time lost in thoughts. Like he currently was, leaning over the kitchen counter, staring at his tea with a blank expression. He didn't even hear her speak. She wished she could hate Hermione for that... But the witch helped Elizabeth adjust to the wizarding world better than all the Weasley's combined effort.

Hermione invented a spell to make it possible for her to see things other 'muggles' - as they called - wouldn't. The witch made it possible for her to move into the wizarding world, so she could live with Ron. Helped her set up a house with as much 'muggle technology' as one could without getting interference because of magic, since Elizabeth would not be able to comand magical objects.

Elizabeth felt as though that woman respected her, she never thought she would ever be capable of tolerating a boyfriend's ex... but it happened. The respect was mutual. She couldn't hate her for missing the wedding of the person she clearly still loved.

However, Ronald was worried. She wished she could outright say she didn't come because she is still into you, Ron! But if Hermione didn't say anything, she wasn't the one who was going to make things awkward between them. "Didn't Harry say that we should just wait for her to show up?" She went over, wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He sighed and placed one arm on top of hers. "I just don't understand, Liz. This isn't like her. She would have said something if she intended to miss it. Even Ginny is worried. She said that Hermione didn't look like she planned to leave for long."

Ginny is as oblivious as you are. She kissed his neck and fit her chin on top of his shoulder. He had the perfect height for that. She didn't have to bend down, nor stay on her tip toes. She just... pressed fowards, and rested against him, turning her head in time to see the corner of his lips tilt up.

"Maybe she didn't plan it. But if something serious happened, don't you think that Harry would have mentioned?" He nodded, stil looking unsure. "Do you remember what he said?"

A few seconds passed before he answered "He said that simple time turners like the one she had doesn't have the power to send her too far into the past."

"See? Relax, she will be back in no time."

Then he frowned "Do you think she wanted to avoid me?"

Yes. "No, Ron. I'm sure something else came up. Nothing serious, though. Don't worry." He smiled gratefully at her.

He knew. She knew that he knew. But he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that his ex was still not over him. Because, above all else, she was his friend. And he didn't like the idea of hurting her. They were not only friends, they were each other's firsts in almost everything. There was something between them that she would never be able to break. And she did not care to.

Once again, she wished she could hate Hermione for that... But I really, really can't.

"Want to play some chess?" He asked her, begging with his eyes, clearly needing the distraction.

She'd offer something else as a distraction... But his head wasn't in the right place. She could see him worrying still, and she didn't want to go to bed with her husband while he thought about his ex. Nope. Chess it is.

"Ready to lose, Weasley?"

"I've been training, Weasley." He answered cheekly. His bright smile still managed to make her feel warm all over. Maybe after a few matches...

"Then prove it. Try to last more than eighteen moves."

"I'll win with less."

She laughed, throwing her head back "Oh, it's on"

Green light coming from their fireplace stoped them on their tracks.

Harry's grim face made Elizabeth freeze alongside her husband. "Minerva owled... Hermione didn't show for the sorting ceremony." Ron's hand squeezed her own. His face lost its color, and she just knew that she must be looking as bad as he does.

Dammit Hermione, what happened to you?

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"Show me what you know"

The ink started showing on the pages of her Journal. She went over some bits and pieces of what she wrote about her summer at Hogwarts.

June 30th, 1969

- We started going through my memories on the pensieve. From an outsider's perspective, things seemed even more daunting than it felt back then. Since our very first year at Hogwarts, we went through terrors and bounced back, ready for more. No wonder we were gryffindors.

Seeing everything again, I can't help but feel that we were just extremely lucky to have made through it all, and end up alive. Harry, especially. That basilisk... I don't think that I described it for you. Just go to the library, take a look into this creature, and imagine a twelve year old boy defeating it. Tell me we weren't stupidly lucky then.

July 10th, 1969

- Going over the memories makes me miss everyone even more. If I don't distract myself... I'll probably spend all my free time crying over the fact that I'm stranded, and that I'll never see the people I love, ever again. Dammit, Hermione. Can you imagine it? Can you comprehend how incredibly alone I feel? ...Well, I actually hope you don't. My heart aches all the time.

At least now I can talk to Dumbledore about it, he knows what I'm missing.

July 11th, 1969

- The room of requirements is PERFECT, I'll never get over its usefulness. It arranged a real piano and every book imaginable on music theory for me. I managed to learn a bit of what I needed for my transfiguration project because of it. I'm far from knowing everything I need to make my piano fully functional... But now my creation has one natural scale, instead of being mute. That's something.

July 17th, 1969

Today was supposed to be Ron's wedding. I never thought that I'd say this... But I'm sorry won't ever be able to attend.

July 18th, 1969

- We went over our fourth year.

The tri-wizarding championship was an awful experience. Voldemort's ressurrection was just the cherry on top of that fucked up year. Everything Harry had to go through - from incessant bullying, to facing challenges bigger than what he had learned as a fourteen-year-old kid - was a harrowing experience. And he would have overcome them. If it wasn't for that noseless half-snake showing up for round two of destruction.

I will not let this bastard destroy your childhood, Hermione. You, Harry, Ron, Ginny... You will enjoy a normal life. Dumbledore is hatching a plan. I trust he will come up with a good one.

July 21th, 1969

- The elves confirmed something I've suspected ever since I heard that African wizards do not use wands: Words and wands are useful, but they are a crutch. The magic that flows inside of us do not need a catalist, nor an incantation. If our will is strong, then any magic we know should be possible to be performed with nothing but our willpower.

Liny - she is freaking hilarious - basicaly threw in my face that what we learn at Hogwarts is useless, and us wizards/witches - Dumbledore included - are very weak.

It was a joke, in case I wasn't clear, but it made me reflect upon it.

If it is possible to use wandeless and wordless magic without the knowledge of theory, why Dumbledore (who knows a lot of theory, and is indeed powerful) prefer to use his wand? Is it because the elder wand makes his spells stronger? I have to ask, when he comes to the castle again.

July 22th, 1969

- The room of requirements is now giving me practice targets to train wandless and wordless spells. I started with wingardium... But I wasn't sure how to make it happen. Should I move my hands? Should I focus just on the intent? (I'm still getting the hang of it) In the end, the chair just levitated a few inches. Far from floating to me, as I wanted it to.

Now I have even more respect for the house-elves. They make it look so easy. I have to ask them for help.

July 24th, 1969

- My memories of the fifth year left Dumbledore horrified. By that point we weren't even students anymore, we were young soldiers training to survive. He started to go over every little detail, so he can avoid missing things. Both in the past and in our present. He wants to end this war as soon as possible, to avoid our awful future. I see another marathon of memories coming soon. He wants to go over everything again, before proceeding.

I asked him about the wandless and wordless casting...

He said that it takes A LOT of willpower to make magic happen without wands and words, which is why he decided not to go through the trouble, focusing instead on the theory to learn and create the most spells he could. He does basic spells, the more familiar ones, wandlessly and wordlessly. But the more powerful ones, those that indeed require a lot of willpower even with a wand, he simply learned to do wordlessly. And that's already a lot, since words help making our intent real. That was his tip to me, first I must be familiar with casting every spell I know wordlessly, before proceeding to the wandless incantation.

July 28th, 1969

Wandless magic is difficult. I expected some trouble, but not this much. I still struggle with the ones I did under the felix felicis potion, and I'm just now getting the hang of wingardium, but it still scapes my control more often than not.

I won't give up, though. I want to be able to explore magic to its fullest potential. This is my new project... I'll follow Dumbledore's advice. No more words for magic. I'm halfway used to it. Conjuration spells, transfigurations, wingardium - and its variations -, basic home spells... All of that I can do it wordlessly. Its just the offensive spells that I can't cast effectively without the incantation. I have a starting place.

Train wandlessly these familiar spells, while the offensive battle spells I simply start training wordlessly.

I must be ready. War is coming, and this time I won't be helpless.

July 30th, 1969

- Dumbledore is going over our horcrux chasing days. He recorded on a map all the places we found the horcruxes, then we can pretend to be unaware of Voldemort's plans. If we hide the things he used to store his soul, other objects and locations will be unknown to us. In this case, it's best to not act at all.

The only Horcrux we agreed to not ever let it happen, was the one inside of Harry. Voldemort must be defeated before then.

Who knows, maybe I'll manage to kill him before he finishes with his Horcruxes. That would make the horcrux hunting a more pleasurable experience.

Dumbledore cannot ever dream that I have this much murderous thoughts. The old man would surely start worrying about nothing.

August 2nd, 1969

- I never questioned Dumbledore's sanity, but now I wonder... Is he trully right in the head? He insists that Ishould be Bellatrix's tutor, in his mirabolant plan of taking her away from Voldemort. I already mentioned her, remember? The crazy, fanatical woman who carved my arm open?

Ok, he has a point, we should deprieve Voldemort of his most loyal followers... I agree. But does it have to be me? Did he forget the crucial point in pureblood ideology that doesn't recognize a muggleborn as another human being? Much less a capable witch. It's not that I fear her, I'm long over that particular trauma... It's just... even if it isn't too late for her, there must be someone more agreeable to the girl?

He wants me to try. In fact, he insists. He promissed to teach me everything he knows, if I work on teaching Bellatrix in return. I rekon it is a good trade.

HA! I doubt she will let a mudblood tutor her in anything. Maybe this is just a win-win for me. How Slytherin.

August 10th, 1969

The elves instructed me on something that sounds like meditation, but not quite. It involves paying attention to how magic flows when I cast a spell, and remember the sensation, to call forth whenever I need to use my magic.

During practice, I focus on casting the wandless wingardium with my eyes closed. Even if I can only make the chair float, not move, I can feel how the magic flows inside of me. And it's really helping!

The wand gives the false sensation that magic bursts from its core. That our magic only has life once in touch with a conduit. But that can't be further from the truth.

The more I exercise my willpower, the more connected to my magical core I feel. There's a tug in the base of my skull, it spreads through my spine, then goes to my limbs. I feelit when it leaves my body to do what I comand. It is only a matter of controling it now.

I must tell you that I spent a good minute laughing about the fact that my magic core is in my head. Isn't it suiting, Hermione?

August 25th, 1969

- He allowed me to use the unforgivables in class, even if reluctantly. I've decided to pull a Barty Crouch Jr. on my students. I've prepared my lessons to match what I imagine both the death eaters and the future aurors would appreciate.

Dumbledore is wary. He tried to convince me that, surely, other methods were better than 'encouraging' the dark arts...

But I don't believe that leaving kids in the dark about the magic he believes to be 'evil' is the way to keep them 'pure'. If anything, they should be confronted soon with the temptation of power, so they learn how to control their dark side. Everyone has one of those, denying it won't make it go away.

He doesn't believe in the gray area.

Dumbledore is so afraid that people would repeat his mistakes, he keeps projecting. I'm working on convincing him that not everyone who uses dark magic will necessarily fall into evil intent. He thinks that it's too easy to be corrupted, while I believe that corruption happens despite the dark arts... It's a long debate I keep having with him, but at least he's not forbiding me from doing what I think its best. He trusts me, and that thought is reasuring.

I have a feeling that if I talk about the dark arts just to make it sound like something to be avoided, then I will lose the small oportunity to bring those already on Voldemort's side to us.

It's not that I want to encourage them, but I can't shake this feeeling that I'll just cut them off if I don't at least validate some of their points.

Besides, it's not like I haven't learned dark magic as well. I'd be a hypocrite to try to guide people away from it, when I dwelve on the arts whenever I deem it necessary. (The ritual to un-jinx the D.A.D.A. position being the prime example)

Well, Hermione, I hope you agree with me on this. I'd hate to disapoint myself.

She sighed and prepared to add to the journal.

September 2nd, 1969

- Today is the day that I'll face (probable) future terrorists. I really hope that the luck of our ritual works. I will need it.I just know I won't be able to impress them otherwise, there's no swaying a death eater.

It seems to me that they're just missing the tattoo, because the ideals are already there. Dumbledore must have seen their faces after the Slytherins realized that I'm most likely a muggleborn, he must have seen the contempt. Only the utmost conviction that muggleborns are pests of this world makes it possible to pull off that much disgust.

...I have to try it, though. This is the most important part of the plan. Even if I don't convince them that they're wrong, I'll show them that muggleborns aren't sheep to be slayed. I'll kick their fucking ass!

That's right, Bellatrix! This time I'm the one with a decade worth of magic knowledge ahead of you! How about that?!

...

Sorry for the outburst, Hermione. I'm letting out some nervous energy here before classes.

She took another deep breath, held in for a few seconds, then let out in a long, drawn out exhale. "I know enough" She watched the letters disapear completely, before storing her journal in her safe drawer.

I can't believe I'm nervous! This is not my first time in a classroom! But it wasn't muggle studies... And now that she had a mission to impress... It made things feel even more daunting than her usual first lectures in the begining of her carreer.

Dammit, Dumbledore. What if I can't do this?

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"I told you not to come after me."

Ted Tonks looked up from his position in the infirmary's bed, then imediately winced. His neck was clearly injured still.

Andromeda could not defend him without exposing herself, and he still didn't know that she kept him a secret. Bellatrix caught him leaving after lunch and decided to assault him just for the fun of it. He really made a target of himself going after her...

It should be obvious, but somehow Ted didn't seem to know anything about her family. He disregarded what his friends said about her as mere rumours, and Andromeda just didn't have the heart to tell him that everything he heard about the Black family was true. They could not be together.

"I'm sorry... I just couldn't wait to see you. You said that she knew about our dates, why was she so angry?"

Half truths... She grimaced "She knows that I go out, not necessarily with someone."

His eyes widened in realization, then he let his head fall back into the soft pillows. "I'm an idiot."

"No..." She approached him and took his hand. "Well, actually..." She joked, knowing that he wouldn't take offence to that.

His laugh warmed her. The feeling increased tenfold when he interlocked their fingers, looking at her hand as if it was a precious thing. Then his eyes found hers, and her heart threatened burst out of her chest.

She never intended to fall this hard for him. They met by chance, because he was staying at a friend's house this summer. It was supposed to be just a fun distraction.

Someone who didn't know anything about the pureblood traditions, who took interest to her, not her family... Someone who liked to hear her talk about her favorite things, who didn't measure compliments, nor expected anything in return. It was refreshing. And his kisses... She had a few flings before, none of them made her feel the way this muggleborn did.

Ted Tonks caught her attention, now she can't find it withing herself to break things up. Even though I should. Nothing good can come from this.

"Did she give you a hard time?" He asked her.

Andromeda smiled He is the one in the infirmary bed, but I'm the one he is worrying about. "She thinks that you're trying to break her little sister's heart. I'm in the clear."

He pouted "Do I look like a heartbreaker?"

Andromeda laughed, and quickly stole a kiss. She couldn't resist it. His dazed smile had the incredible effect of making her feel special. It was as if she was the only one who could make him feel that way. "Not at all. I believe she would do the same for any boy who dared approach me, don't feel too bad about that."

"Actually, I think I like her protectiveness. She will scare the other boys away, so I won't have to." He joked, making her laugh at the idea of Bellatrix inadvertently helping a muggleborn keep his competition away.

I can't believe he still wants to be with me...

"Ms. Black. What do you think you are doing here? You have classes, young lady! Go! Go!"

"I'll wait for him, Ma'am. We share the next class."

The med-witch eyed her with suspicion, then nodded, walking over the injured man "I'm sorry for the delay, Mr. Tonks." She handed him the potion she was supposed to fetch minutes ago, then watched over him as it took effect.

"No problem, that kid was in a real bad shape. What happed to him?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed as she did the check up on Ted "Idiotic dare. Someone told him that he could use wingardium leviosa on himself, to float to the other side of the moving stairways. Luckly a passing student used arresto momentum, so he didn't fall too hard."

Both of them winced, imagining the worst of what could have happened to him.

"There you go." She cleared him with a pat on the injured neck, confirming that he was completely healed.

"Thanks, Madam Pomfrey"

"You're welcome. Try staying out of trouble." She smiled kindly at him, then left the couple to it.

They made their way out, but after a few steps out of the infirmary, Andromeda took her hand away from his grasp and turned to face him. I should end things now... "Look... Ted..." She looked away, unable do this staring at his expectant face. Do it, Andromeda... You know it will only be harder later...

"Andie, I really like you" He took her chin gently, and guided her to look him in the eyes. He looked determined. "Your sister can beat me every day, for the rest of the year, I will not stop caring for you. I want to be with you, for as long as you'll have me. Which... I hope it can be a while longer. Would you please give me a chance?"

"...Two years." You weak, stupid, idiotic, selfish... why did I say that?! Who even said it can last that long?

He smiled brightly "Two years. If you don't tire of me by then..." He grabbed her by the waist with a beautiful, confident smile, pressing their bodies flush against one another "Then maybe we'll have a future, after all." His mouth captured hers with a skill that made her knees weak.

Oh, I don't think it's me who will be getting tired. She melted into the kiss. I hope Bellatrix actually manages to scare him off... I don't have what it takes to end this. I don't want it to end.

He pulled away with that dazed expression. "You're so precious, Andie."

And there he goes again... How can I ever resist this? "Let's go, silly. We're already late." She smiled at him, and interlockled their fingers, taking advantage of the fact that they seemed to be alone at the castle.

Everyone was already in the classrooms, it created the perfect ilusion. It was almost like she was free to love him with no repercussions. She allowed herself to enjoy as much as she could, until they reached their destiny.

Letting go of someone's hand was never so hard.