Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Les Mis. I don't make money from this fic.
January 11, 2001 Glen Affric, Scotland
Theo held a picnic basket in one hand, and Luna's hand in his other as they made their way through the forest. It was a big of a foggy night, and there was a cold breeze coming off the loch to the north of them. Each of them had a warming charm placed on them, so they didn't notice anything but their beautiful surroundings.
The moon was still mostly full, causing the snow on the ground and in the trees to glitter like thousands of pieces of shattered glass. Luna tugged on Theo's hand, guiding him through the forest as though taking him in a tour of her home. Theo smiled at the woman's eagerness; she'd been giddy when he'd asked her what she'd like to do on their date. She had insisted that she'd be happy with anything, that they should do what Theo wanted. Theo had smiled and told her he wanted to make her happy, and had been rewarded with a bright blush.
They'd decided to go for a midnight picnic in the Scottish forest. Luna had been excited to show Theo a spot she and her father had discovered on one of their many camping ventures when she was a child. He loved seeing her so eager and enthusiastic and knew immediately he'd made the right choice to let her pick.
Theo had been raised by his aristocratic father in the most pureblood-centric upbringing he could imagine. He'd never been camping or even had much contact with magical creatures outside of school, though he did fairly well in Care of Magical Creatures, so the experience was a new one for him. He found that the views were worth the hike, and that Luna was a completely different person when she was this immersed in nature. She stood a little straighter, walked with confidence, and even her airy voice seemed to carry further. Theo watched her pull him through the forest, eyes focused on her nearly glowing-blonde hair and the curves they hid. She stopped suddenly, causing Theo to stumble into her a bit.
"We're here." She murmured. Theo looked around the little glade in wonder. There were thousands of little lights in the trees, flitting idly around the the edges of the forest.
"Fairies?" he asked. Luna nodded.
"There're a few hinkypunks closer to the loch, but they usually don't come too close to this glade after Dad blasted five of them in '89." She said. "Most of the fairies steer clear of the glade, sticking to the edges, when they sense a wizarding presence. They became accustomed Dad, as he was up here for nearly three months before I started Hogwarts."
"It's beautiful." Theo said. Luna took the basket from Theo and removed the blanket from the top. It had been spelled to retain heat and repel water, so they could just lay it over the snow without getting wet. Luna spread the blanket out and sat herself down, and Theo followed, pulling out the food.
They'd packed light, just a couple turkey wraps, carrot sticks with hummus, a couple sliced apples, and some sliced cheddar cheese. They'd brought a few bottles of water for the hike as well. Luna sat in front of Theo, happily munching on some carrots and chattering about the fairies and their relationship with her father. Theo listened attentively and found himself asking her questions about fairies that he already knew the answers to just to hear the excitement in her voice and see the light in her eyes as she talked. Halfway through their meal, Theo was startled when a large blue-grey bird swooped over their heads, landing beside Luna, nudging her with it's head, like a cat demanding to be pet.
"Hey there, Skye. You've grown, haven't you?" Luna said, stroking the bird's feathers lovingly. The bird nipped her fingers gently, a guttural noise of contentment escaping its beak. Luna turned back to Theo.
"This is Skye, he's an Augurey, or Irish Phoenix. I found him after he fell out of his nest as a baby. Father and I nursed him back to health and released him back into the forest here. He's got a nest near the loch, but he's rather fond of the glade for hunting." She said.
"I've always heard an Augurey's song foretold death." Theo said, shifting uncomfortably and eyeing the large bird suspiciously. Luna laughed, a bell-like sound that sounded like music to him.
"That old myth? No, Augurey sing when it's about to rain. That's when they do most of their hunting, as well." Theo relaxed a bit at that knowledge. He trusted Luna, knowing she wouldn't put him in danger without warning him first. His eyes roved over Luna, her pale features accentuated by the moonlight, brightening her hair and skin, and causing her blue eyes to look nearly grey, the same color of the augurey's feathers.
"This was a brilliant idea, Luna." Theo said suddenly. "Seeing you in the moonlight is beautiful enough, but seeing you interacting with creatures in the moonlight- that's something special." he grinned at her when he saw her cheeks darken a little.
"Are you sure I'm not boring you?" She asked, looking down. Theo moved closer to her, lifting her chin and brushing a few loose strands of hair off her face, his hand lingering against her cheek.
"I'm positive, love. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you talk about the things you're passionate about. You look so beautiful when you're talking about your work." he crooned, his heart speeding up as she blushed harder.
"You know, I've never met anyone quite like you, Theo." She murmured, looking at him with a little frown on her face.
"Well, good. I pride myself in my originality, after all." He chuckled.
"No, I mean- well, no one has really shown an interest in the things I like. Sure, Dad does, but no one my age really seems to listen to me the way you do." Luna said, her frown persisting.
"Luna, you put your heart into your work. Watching you talk about it is like catching a glimpse of your heart on display. It's mesmerizing." he murmured, leaning even closer until their noses were nearly touching. Luna's frown slowly dissipated as she read his face, seemingly looking him over to ensure he was telling the truth. She smiled widely when she decided he was being honest, before closing the distance them and kissing him. It was soft, yet enthusiastic. Theo smiled through the kiss; it was so very Luna. His hand found her waist as he kissed her back, deepening the kiss just a bit.
They were startled, jarring apart rather suddenly when Skye moaned mournfully. Theo, having never heard an Augurey's cry, nearly jumped out of his skin. Luna merely reached over and ruffled his feather.
"Thank you, Skye. Go hunt, we'll be off soon." She muttered to the bird, waiting for him to take off before standing. "There's a snowstorm on the way. We should head out. Would you mind terribly if I stayed with you tonight, Theo?" Luna asked, bashfully. Theo stood with her, his hand finding her waist and pulling him closer to her for a moment, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Of course I don't mind, love. I have a spare room, but if you'd like, you'd be more than welcome to share my bed." Theo blushed furiously at the suggestion. Luna surely noticed as she giggled and blushed as well.
"Would it help you sleep?" She asked, looking into his eyes. His heart melted at the question. He nodded, not trusting his voice. She smiled, pulling out her wand and flicking it at the blanket and food spread across it, causing it to pack itself back into the basket neatly. She picked up the basket and tucked her wand behind her left ear, taking Theo's hand in her own.
"After you, handsome." She smiled. Theo squeezed her hand, returning the smile, before Disapparating back to his flat.
January 16, 2001 London, England - Time Office
"Okay, just remember: don't panic, stay logical, and most importantly- come back to us." Theo rattled off. Hermione chuckled, grabbing her friend in a hug.
"I'll be okay, Theo. Draco tested the particle accelerator all last week. I'll be fine. This test is essentially a formality. I'll be just fine." she told him. She'd been reassuring Draco with the same sentiments all week, partially trying to convince herself of it, as well.
Theo hugged her to him tightly, as though not wanting to let her go. Hermione knew both men were more nervous about her going than she was because they'd be able to do nothing to help her should either device malfunction. She was surprised that Draco was able to convince Theo so easily, but regardless of his acceptance, both of the men's anxiety was etched on their faces. She could read it like a book.
Hermione extracted herself from Theo, turning to Draco for one last hug before her mission. He held her tightly, pressing his lips to the top of her head.
"Be careful." he hissed into her ear. She nodded once, releasing him, but looking into his grey eyes one last time. She read all the anxiety and tension that he hid there and her heart broke a little at the amount of genuine distress she was causing in the two of them. She knew, should she not return, they'd be the only ones to know what had happened to her, and they likely wouldn't even be able to tell their friends what had transpired.
Hermione took a deep breath, shaking herself from her thoughts and moving to the Patera Temporis, where it stood on Theo's desk. She drew her wand, tapping the almost-bludger-sized silver ball on the desk. The ball shattered before reforming into the familiar bowl shape, but where the old prototype only had a singular orb hovering above the bowl, Theo's version had two orbs floating in an hourglass shape, circling the silver particle accelerator in the center.
Hermione reached into her pocket, pulling out the memory Draco had pulled for her. It was five hours long, which meant she had five hours to figure out how to get the note on the vanishing cabinet. She had asked Harry to borrow his invisibility cloak for added security, which he was more than happy to supply; it was folded on the corner of the desk next to the device.
Hermione uncorked the vial containing the memory, pouring it into the bowl in one fluid motion and placing the vial back in her pocket. The memory swirled around the bowl, lighting up the lines along the edges. Hermione watched the lights travel along the basin until the whole surface was lit and the particle accelerator clicked out of its place. Hermione took the little silver ball, tucking it safely in her pocket. The moment she removed the particle accelerator, text appeared where it had been.
"November 28, 1996. Yep, that's the right date." Theo verified. Hermione took a deep breath, securing her wand in its holster on her arm. She reached for the invisibility cloak, wrapping it around herself.
"Wish me luck, boys." She said, spinning the glowing hourglass. The blue light immediately enveloped her, spiraling around her. She felt dizzy, disoriented. She looked to Draco, his face seemingly dematerializing as the world went white, streaked with blue.
Hermione felt weightless; her feet were no longer on solid ground and she couldn't make out basic directions. After what felt like a few minutes, the world slowly rematerialized. It was as though she was watching a television turn on one pixel at a time. She blinked a couple times, the world coming into focus quite suddenly. Her feet suddenly hit solid ground and she stumbled, falling to her knees. She retched, her stomach suddenly very uneasy. It took her several minutes and a pretty hefty Scourgify charm before she was able to draw herself up to her full height and assess her surroundings.
She was just outside the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Great. Merlin, I hope I can pull this off. She thought to herself, looking around the foyer. She was debating just going to the Room of Requirement when she spotted a familiar blonde head and, with a quick silencing charm to muffle her footsteps, she made to follow Draco Malfoy.