I am not JK Rowling. These characters and settings all belong to her.

6. The Past

Ron was very happy. Hannah was clearly anxious, but she wasn't about to let Frank out of her sight. They found themselves in the Gryffindor Common Room after supper, close to the fire with the group they had befriended, who turned out to be currently Sixth Years. Ron sat squashed into an armchair with James Potter. James couldn't keep his hands off Ron and it was intoxicating.

Every so often Ron would remember that this was Harry's dad and that should have felt weird, but somehow it didn't. James looked like Harry, of course he did, and Ron found himself wondering why he'd never felt attracted to Harry. He hadn't, he didn't. It couldn't be because Harry was his best friend that he didn't think of him that way, because Hermione was his other best friend and he did fancy her. He had fancied her for ages. Even the thought of Hermione couldn't stop him from enjoying James' attention, though. After all, he reasoned, it couldn't be cheating if Hermione hadn't been born yet, could it? James found him sexy and Hermione had never told him whether she did.

James' arm was round Ron's waist and his other hand was between his thighs – the fingers

wriggling and poking and caressing. He divided his time between nuzzling Ron's neck and joking with his friends. Oh and those boys were funny! Even Peter Pettigrew, though he struggled to keep up with the quick wit of the other boys. He reminded Ron of Neville a little bit. But Neville hadn't given up on him and Harry and Hermione. Instead he'd taken over from them when they'd gone away. He had risen to all challenges, Peter had sunk when he had been tested. Ron was pulled from his thoughts by James' tongue on his earlobe.

"Have you seen anyone else new?" Hannah was asking Frank Longbottom. "I'm looking for a boy."

"I thought you were looking for me?" he answered. "Nobody ever asks for me. Unless it's got something to do with Quidditch or Defence homework."

"I was looking for you. And I've found you."

"Yes you have. Sirius was interested in you and you ignored him, because you wanted me. Pretty girls just don't do that. I like it."

James' hair was soft and the firelight made it shine blue in places. Ron ran a finger through it, unable to remember why he shouldn't. Lupin's humour was dry which was something he'd hidden from his students as a teacher. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron could see Frank edging towards Hannah on the small sofa they were sharing. She edged back from him.

"Do you know where Alice is, she might have seen someone?" Hannah asked, clearly flustered.

"Who's Alice?" Frank asked.

It didn't look like they were going to be getting back to their own time very soon, then, and Ron couldn't think of any way he could help Hannah, so he might as well enjoy himself. He dropped his hand onto James' shoulder and let it slink to the back of the other boy's neck.

l8l

Ron clearly wasn't going to be any help, Hannah realised. She had thought that he was besotted with Hermione. Things could change, then. It was a comfort, really. If Ron could snuggle up with James and forget about Hermione, then maybe she would one day make Neville forget about that Luna Lovegood. Maybe. If she ever found him again.

She wasn't getting anywhere with Neville's father and she wasn't about to let him get anywhere with her, either. He didn't even know Neville's mother yet. She had to be here somewhere, though. She had been a Gryffindor, hasn't she? Hannah tried out some mental arithmetic as she inched away from Frank's approaching shoulder. How young could Alice conceivably be now if she was going to give birth to Neville in – um – how many years time? Frank was gazing into her eyes. She couldn't possibly concentrate, not with the nose of the man she loved so close to her own (even if it was on the wrong face).

She stood up suddenly. "I'm going for a look around the school!" she announced.

"I'll show you," Frank volunteered swiftly.

Hannah looked beseechingly at Ron.

"You'll be fine, won't you?" he asked lazily.

"No." She thought quickly. "We need to, um, leave a note, don't we?"

"I thought I'd given it to you."

"Yes, but I don't know where it goes – you know – where it was!"

The students of the past looked at her quizzically, apart from Harry's dad who was just looking resentful.

Ron sighed. "Fine," he said.

James made a big show of wrestling him down and refusing to let him get up.

"I'll be back as quickly as I can," Ron promised.

"It'll be bed-time, soon," Peter pointed out.

James' eyes lit up. "Have you got anywhere to sleep?"

"We'll work something out," Hannah said cheerfully, hoping that they would be long gone by then.

"We can work it out when I get back," Ron said meaningfully, looking right into James' eyes.

James smirked and let him go. Frank frowned at James for that. Then Ron and Frank followed Hannah across the Common Room and through the portrait hole.

The short red-head girl – Harry's mother – was standing on the stairs, having an animated discussion with another girl. Hannah stopped to look for Neville's features in the other girl's face. That was a mistake.

Harry's mum moved quickly and before Hannah had had time to react Ron was pinned against the wall with a wand in his face.

"What in Circe's foundation garments do you think you're up to?"

"What?" Ron squeaked.

"With Potter? What are you playing at?" The young woman James had called Evans earlier hissed into Ron's face.

"I thought you weren't interested," he replied.

Hannah didn't think she would have been able to form a sentence with that much fury in her face.

"He's got a point, Lily," said her friend (who didn't look anything like Neville after all).

Lily stepped back. "I'm not interested. Why would I care?" She took a deep breath. "It's just a bit – well – a bit much – to watch him crawling all over you only a few minutes after he declared his undying whatever to me. Again. In front of everyone."

"I'll take him off your hands for you, if you like. You won't have to put up with his undying whatever again," Ron said boldly.

"Ron!" Hannah hissed in disapproval. Did he want his best friend never to be born? Was he really that lust-addled?

Ron winked at her.

Lily was looking furious and confused at the same time. Hannah feared that Ron might be about to receive the rotten-eggs-on-the-head hex and she didn't know how to counter that one.

"I'll manage without your help," Lily spat eventually. Her friend chuckled and Lily's ire was redirected at her long enough for Hannah to grab the two lads and drag them down the stairs.

Hannah glared at Ron. "What was that about?"

"I think she might finally be getting interested in James, don't you?" Ron asked.

"You're making her jealous? You think that'll work?" Hannah asked.

"Why would you –?" Frank looked with confusion from one to the other of them.

Hannah decided to drop it as she couldn't very well explain. "Very risky," she muttered at Ron. "Now, where are we going?"

"For the note? Great Hall."

Well, it was as good a place as any to begin the hunt for Alice, Hannah supposed. She wondered whether she ought to write a new note, or if she could get away with just shoving the old one into the hiding place. She wasn't sure how they were going to explain what they were doing to Frank, either.

He was following her around with puppy-dog eyes in much the same way that she supposed she must have been following Neville around for a few months.

"We need to find Alice," she said firmly. "Do you know what she looks like?" she asked Ron.

"I did meet her once," he said. "At St Mungo's," he whispered.

Frank bristled and pushed Ron away from Hannah's ear. "I thought I was meant to be showing you round. You seem to know where you're going."

"Yes, we'll be fine," Hannah said.

"No, stay with us," Ron said at the same time.

Hannah glared at him.

"I think Frank ought to be introduced to Alice," Ron said pointedly.

Good point, actually. Hannah certainly didn't want Neville's parents to continue not to know each other; that would result in a world without Neville and that didn't bear contemplating. She nodded sharply. She was still cross with Ron, though, so she added, "I see you've forgotten about Hermione."

"Who's Hermione?" Frank asked.

"My girlfriend," Ron said proudly.

"Then why –?" Frank asked.

Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but it's not the same," Ron said hurriedly. "Oh look, here's the Hall and there's the spot." He pointed.

"Where?" Hannah asked.

"I'll do it." Ron held out his hand.

"Do what?" Frank asked.

"Should I write it out?" Hannah asked, ignoring Frank.

Ron thought for a moment. "Why bother?"

Well, Hermione was the one who understood Time Travel and she must have gone over everything with Ron before he came here (or now or whatever) so Hannah accepted that and handed him back his note.

"Who's going to find that?" Frank asked as Ron poked the rolled-up parchment deep into a tiny crack. "You'd have to blow the wall apart to find that."

Hannah didn't bother to answer him. Instead she looked over the other stragglers and loitering couples in the Hall. They didn't have much time in which to find Alice and hopefully therefore Neville, and to introduce his parents to each other. It must be nearly curfew time. A teacher or a Prefect would be along soon to send them all off to their beds. And where would she and Ron sleep? Well, she knew that Ron at least had an offer but she didn't intend to let him take that up.

"Is Alice here?" she asked him.

"Don't think so."

They tried looking down a few corridors and into the empty classrooms. She tried to interrogate Frank but he said that he knew all the Gryffindor girls in his year and the one below and none of them were called Alice and what did he care anyway when he had Hannah and he could think of much more interesting things they could be doing in empty classrooms especially if they sent Ron back to James or to his 'girlfriend' (he wasn't bothered which).

It was tricky to sneak into the hospital wing, but Ron managed it. Hannah got the feeling that it was the sort of thing he'd done a lot of when he'd been at school. It was a wasted effort, though, because the beds were all empty.

"The library, then," Hannah said, setting off towards it.

"How do you know where the library is?" Frank asked.

Hannah exchanged a look with Ron.

"Lucky guess," Ron said. "Lead the way, Frank."

There was only one person in the library and somehow Hannah knew who the girl behind the pile of books was even before Ron said, "That's Alice." She had Neville's hair, but it wasn't particularly distinctive hair. It was the uncertain furrow between her eyebrows which Hannah recognised.

"Oh, yeah," Frank said without interest. "That's Alice Shepherd. Year above me."

"Is she a swot, then?" Ron asked. He sounded incredulous and it did seem unlikely that Neville's mother had been some kind of genius.

"From what I heard she's rubbish. She's a bit of a joke. Probably in here 'cos she's scared to death of failing all her N.E.W.T.s." Frank was still watching Hannah.

Hannah sighed. First things first. She strode up to Alice who was startled to find herself being approached.

"I don't understand these bloody Charts!" Alice said in a wavering, panicked voice.

"It's only February," Hannah soothed. "There's months until the exams. I'm sure you'll get there. Look, have you seen a boy? Has someone tried to talk to you?"

"Only you. In days. How am I going to be an Auror if I can't pass anything?"

Frank laughed cruelly from the doorway. They all turned to look at him. "An Auror?" he asked incredulously. "I mean, really? Her?"

"She's very brave," Ron said.

"Am I?" she asked.

"You will be. I mean, I think you will. I believe in you." Ron blushed. "Both of you," he added in a rush, like it didn't matter what he said anymore so he might as well say everything. "Try to keep away from Bellatrix Lestrange," he said after a pause.

Hannah though he probably shouldn't have said that. It was sad, though, to know what was going to happen to these two. And the people upstairs – James, Lily, Peter, Sirius and Lupin were all dead in their time. She looked at Ron and she could see that he was thinking similar things.

"Give up?" Ron asked her.

She sighed. "I suppose so. We've been all over the school and he doesn't seem to be here."

"Who doesn't?" Frank asked.

"Neville," Ron replied.

"That's an interesting name," said Alice. "I had an Uncle Neville. I always liked him."

"You don't get a lot of Nevilles these days," Frank agreed. "In fact I don't think I've ever met one. That name's probably due a revival."

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Ron said. "Alice here has a lot of books to take up to Gryffindor Tower and I'm sure she could do with a hand."

"I'm rather good at iLevitating/i, actually," Alice said.

"I'd rather help Hannah with her books," Frank said.

A younger-looking Madam Pince bustled towards them and all four of them flinched. She'd always been the same then.

"What are you four doing in the library at this time?" she snapped. "It's past curfew. Get out of here. Are you entitled to take out that many books?" This last was directed at Alice.

"I... um... they're mostly my own," Alice stammered.

Ron, Hannah and Frank started to help Alice load the books into her bag.

Frank was distracted by a scroll of parchment on the table. "Cornish Pixies?" he asked. "Really? I thought you were a Seventh Year. We did them in Second Year."

"So did we," Alice huffed. "But they're tricky. It's all bloody tricky." She waved her wand over her bag and it floated upwards.

With Madam Pince glaring at them, they all scurried out of the library after the bag.

Once they were safely in the corridor, Hannah asked Frank, "Didn't you say you were good at Defence?"

"Top of the class. Does that turn you on?"

She didn't answer. Instead she said, "Maybe you could help Alice here."

"Why?" he asked sullenly.

"It's a long story," Ron said. "Trust us." He looked at Hannah. "Are we off then?"

"Are you sure you don't want to go up to the Common Room and see anyone first?"

Ron looked thoughtful, but he didn't have time to reply.

"What are you doing in the corridors after curfew?" Lily Evans was approaching looking small and deadly and rather beautiful with her Prefect badge shining.

"We're going to the Common Room now," Frank replied, grabbing Alice's bag and thrusting her in front of him.

"We have to see McGonagall," Ron said quickly. "Hannah and I do. About beds."

Lily looked sceptical. Frank and Alice kept going.

"Otherwise," Ron added meaningfully, "I might be looking to share with someone."

The two red-heads locked eyes. They stared at each other for a moment.

Then Ron said, slowly "I really don't think you want that, do you?"

"Why would I care?" Harry's mum asked him. She had that angry but confused expression on again.

"I don't know, but you clearly do," Hannah said. "Come on, Ron."

"You're going the wrong way!" Lily yelled behind them. "There's only Advanced Charms that way, I thought you wanted McGonagall's office."

"Do we need to leave from the place where we arrived?" Hannah asked Ron.

"Dunno," he replied. Hermione had probably told him, but he hadn't listened properly. "Might as well. We can put the Turners back as soon as we get there that way. We'll be back two minutes after we've left."

That sounded like maybe he had listened to at least some of what Hermione had told him.

"You're not going back up to James then?" Hannah asked him.

"I can't, can I? He's besotted with me and he has to end up with her. Poor bastard. Otherwise there'll be no Harry and quite apart from him being the only one who can defeat You Know Who, and the issue of Time Paradoxes and all that – he's me best mate and I need him."

"Then why mess about with his father in the first place?"

Ron made a non-committal squeaky noise and shrugged one shoulder. They ducked behind a tapestry and waited in silence for a few minutes while Filch passed by with a cat.

When they were on their way again Ron said, "That can't be Mrs Norris, can it? How long do cats live for?"

"Probably not," Hannah panted. "Nearly there."

"I'll need you to change my robes," Ron said. "Need to get these things right."

"When we get in the cupboard."

"It's just nice to be fancied, isn't it?" Ron said eventually, just as they started up the narrow staircase behind Advanced Charms. "Nice to feel sexy. Hermione doesn't think I'm sexy."

"Yes she does!" Hannah replied, astonished. "A blind man can see that. She's been chasing you since Third Year."

Ron looked blankly at her. His mouth started to form a "... but..."

Hannah spoke over him. "Have you forgotten what she was like over Lavender? And the way she looks at you – like she's trying to burn your clothes off with her eyes?"

"She's never said! How was I supposed to know?"

"She's shy. She's never had a boyfriend. Go easy on her for Merlin's sake! Have you even been alone with her? You know, since she became your girlfriend?"

"No, not for months. But James didn't mind, did he? He was perfectly comfortable making out in public. Why's Hermione so bothered about other people seeing?"

"Because you matter to her. He was just trying to cop off with you. She cares about you."

Ron thought for a moment. "Yeah, ok. I get it. Ok." He thought again.

They had stopped in front of the closed cupboard door behind which the Time Turners waited. Hannah wondered whether they needed to actually go in there or whether they should just travel back to the present from here.

"It's sad, isn't it?" Ron said. "All these people here. Knowing what's going to happen to them."

Hannah nodded.

"It took ages for Harry to get over Sirius' death."

"Did it? You were going to tell me how you knew him."

"He was a bit of alright when he was this age, wasn't he?"

"You're not answering my question."

"Another time. He did get over it, though. I mean he's still sad when he remembers, but he's not thinking about it all the time. It's unimaginable now, but one day we'll feel like that about the people who died today. I mean on the day we're going back to."

"Yeah. Remus Lupin, when we knew him, he was sort of sad and faded, but he'd got through. Seeing him up in the Common Room with all his friends, you wouldn't think he could survive losing all of them, but he did." Hannah looked at Ron. "You're thinking about Fred?"

Ron nodded sharply and swallowed. "Let's go," he said. He opened the cupboard door.