January 2043
"Dad, how did she know that we'd be here?" The younger Alex asked in a whisper. It wasn't quite soft enough as the older version of herself gave an unladylike snort up ahead.
"It's obvious that your proclivity to rash decisions characteristic of our late Uncle Harry –so much so that one would think you to be his daughter were it not for our Malfoy features –that you didn't do any research on time travel or the possible consequences –both good and bad."
"…Smart arse…"
"I heard that."
The elder Alex continued leading the pair throughout Malfoy Manor as the younger version grumbled angrily and Draco marveled at the woman in front. It was amazing. She was the living embodiment of his mother from the way she stood with a perfect posture, walked with an excellent stride, and spoke with firm, crisp, intonations. Draco struggled to find any part of her that belonged to Hermione and he frowned. It was almost as though she had shed anything of her mother's and opted to embrace the Malfoy ways to the fullest extent.
"My apologies to state of the room you were in." Alex said as they neared a large door. "I prohibited the house elves from touching anything the day Uncle Harry and mother fought it out in there. As a reminder…"
"Where am I?" Draco asked as they ventured into a modest study. Alex sat at a large, well-polished desk and folded her hands over it.
"I'm not sure. Though it's safe to say that you're most likely with Uncle Ron."
Draco huffed. "You're kidding."
Alex tilted her head to the side slightly and smiled. "Why should I be? You lost your love, and Uncle Ron lost both of his best friends. It's only logical for you two to grow close over the years. And you have."
"What did you want to tell us?" Young Alex asked suddenly. Her older self narrowed her eyes at her as a mother would when scolding her child.
"Such impatience," Alex chided. "Time is irrelevant when you're in possession of a time-turner." She then sighed and pursed her lips. "But seeing as my husband will be returning shortly I really should move this along."
Draco felt his face drain of color. "H-husband?"
Alex stared at her father fondly. "Now isn't the time, father. But yes, husband." Alex let slip a full grin, teeth and all and that's when Draco saw it. Hermione. He felt his chest flutter with delight but it quickly faded when his daughter gave him a piece of a parchment to look over.
"What are these?"
"Mother's books," both Alex-es answered. The younger Alex took the parchment from him and read over each of the four books listed.
"They were the ones that she loved the most." Young Alex said. "The moment she had read one of them the book never left her side. It was like…they were a part of her."
"And in a sense you're right." The older Alex added. "You won't know this, but what about you, father? What do you know of Magical Transference?"
Draco stiffened. It took those last two words to make his mind run ragged. It couldn't have been… After all the times someone had gone through time. All the changes that had been made. No one, not a single soul, had thought briefly of Magical Transference? It was old magic. It was rare magic. And quite frankly it was something Draco had never bothered to think of because it was just too far-fetched for it to actually happen.
"…It can happen with anything." Draco said softly. "A simple object like a button or an old toy, but most commonly a book or a mirror. With a mirror, it's a little strange at first to be talking to yourself, but after a while it's okay. You start getting used to it. You start liking it. But it's commonly caught and easily fixed by breaking the mirror. But with a book it's…more insidious. The reader never realizes what's happening and others would never guess as to why their loved ones are changing."
"Dad, what are you talking about?" Young Alex asked him, but it was her older self that answered.
"He's talking about what I asked. Magical Transference, the process by which the thoughts and characteristics of others are transferred into another human being."
"Like what a horcrux can do?"
Older Alex raised a brow in surprise, but then smiled, clearly happy and proud of the assumption that had been made. "Yes, quite. It's old magic much like that of a horcrux. The only differences are that it has nothing to do with souls and none of it is done on purpose. It's truly accidental magic. As our father mentioned, whether it's a book, mirror, or whatever, a person's being, whatever traits make them up become trapped in items that he or she cares for the most. In our mother's case, the books that she had been reading, they held those same properties."
"How do you know?" Draco asked. Alex refused to look at her father as she spoke her next words. It was the first time her Narcissa-like persona faltered completely as she twiddled her thumbs in anxiety. Another Hermione trait.
"…I might have had a test subject or two."
Draco's eyes tightened. "A test subject or two?"
"Don't look at me that way. I had to figure out if my assumptions were true or not." Alex fretted. She stopped with her twiddling and crossed her arms over chest like a child. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "And I was right. You don't have to read the entire book for the effect to happen, although doing so enhances the transference tremendously. Those who…helped me in my study of these books changed. Burning the book afterwards restored them. Can you see it now?" Alex asked, her Malfoy tendencies quickly returning. "One book had the utmost terrifying effect. Mother read four; each personality of the creator molding with each other to create the ultimate monster."
"Are you sure that these are it?" Draco questioned, his eyes hungrily and eagerly looking over the books on the parchment. "These are the only ones?"
"I'm sure." Alex nodded. "As I alluded to previously, mother kept these four particularly close and heavily guarded. I assume she knew what would happen if any of them were destroyed. You'll use a time-turner to go back to your time. Make sure you destroy each book."
Draco read each book name. He smiled at the fact that Alex had written the dates around the times that Hermione had read the books and where they might be likely to be found. Obviously she had spent a lot of time thinking this through.
"I understand the need to be thorough," young Alex said. "But must you destroy all of them? As much as I hate cursed objects, they're still Malfoy property. What if it was just the first one? If she doesn't read that then she won't be inclined to read the others-"
"She'll still find the others. And she'll read them just as feverishly." Alex confirmed and then she sighed solemnly, letting her eyes roam over herself and her father. "This isn't the first time we're talking, you know. This has happened so many times in so many ways. I know because the first time that it did I put a memory of it in a pensieve. Somehow memories are…quite outside of time, and I have them all. One where you, Alex, and Uncle Harry came five years ago. One where it was just you five years into the future. And one where it was me and my boyfriend." She chuckled and then frowned.
'For a reason that none of us know, mum is meant to read those books. She's meant to turn everyone's lives upside down. But she's also meant to have me, and she's meant to love you, father. And for a reason that I find most astonishing, I'm meant to live in this Manor. And I'm meant to always have a pensieve right in this study holding memories that never go away, but are merely added to. I think these books are the answer, and maybe this time around we'll get it right."
Draco couldn't have been more proud of his daughter. The pride that was swelling up in him was insurmountable and he nodded. He would do it. He'd get rid of the damned things that took his Hermione away from him and yes, maybe this time they'd get it right. Alex smiled and then pulled out a time-turner from her desk drawer to give to her father.
"You should get going. And you," She said to her younger self. "You'd better get home."
The younger Alex pouted and crossed her arms angrily. "Why? I want to go with dad and help him. You should know that."
"That I do, but unfortunately this is a grownup trip."
"I'm twenty." Young Alex grumbled mercilessly. Her older self laughed.
"Yes, you are, but you also have the mental age of a child. Now listen to yourself and get lost."
"Damn I hate talking to myself."
Draco chuckled. "You and me both, kid." She smiled and played with the time-turner in her hands. He watched her disappear and then he brought his attention to the parchment in his hands before stuffing it into his back pocket and pulled out the time-turner. With one last look at his stunning, adult daughter, Draco turned the rings, and watched as everything disappeared.
January 2018
Draco found himself in the study he had just left. He was surprised a bit to find it pretty much exactly the same minus a few things shifted around and one or two additions. Although Alex hated keeping her room clean now, she certainly grew up to admire a clean home just as he did.
Draco made a quick pit-stop by Alex's room and found that Hermione was still sleeping there. Good. He made his way to the library and pulled on the book that would move the bookcase and reveal the immense Dark Arts library that was hidden behind it. As he walked through the doorway his insides turned numb. He instantly began thinking that there could be more. Out of the tons of books that littered the top floor, the middle, and the bottom, there couldn't have been just four cursed books. And who was to say that Hermione didn't end up down here one day and found ones not written on the list? With a deep and heavy sigh, he had come to a decision. He'd get rid of the four Alex had highlighted for him and then after torch the place. Centuries upon centuries of books and consequently Malfoy academia, but it was worth it.
With another deep breath he went straight to the top floor. One of the books had been one on the theory of Dark Arts. Harmless in nature so it seemed, as Draco himself had read the synopsis on the back of it. Though, Hermione's future actions proved otherwise. He hadn't needed to go to the directory and find out where the book was, but after searching where it should have been he checked the catalog. He read through the catalog three times and then went back in search of the book. It was gone. He began thinking that maybe Hermione had already taken it, already read it, but that was impossible. Hermione didn't have access to the library and Welford wouldn't be moving in until the following week. Where the hell could it have gone?
Draco calmed himself by rushing down to the bottom floor in order to find the other three books that were to be there. Once his feet hit the ground he had to hold onto the railing to prevent himself from falling. Standing there by the large mahogany table with four books mounted next to her was Hermione. At first he was confused because he had seen her still upstairs and asleep with Alex. But realization came to him quickly. It wasn't the fact that this Hermione looked older nor was it the menacing yet playful look that she was giving. It was the time-turner that was dangling over her chest.
Author's note: Man, I forgot how much I loved this chapter. It was the older Alex that did it for me; that and the fact that Draco now has to contend with the future version of Hermione (uh oh!). At least now you know how our sweet Hermione managed to turn into a monster!
The next chapter is the last and this chaotic time-journey will finally settle itself. Whether for good or bad, only time will tell :)
-WP