Playing with Time

Chapter 1

September 2013

Tanis Granger, or Longbottom as everyone else knows her, sits across from the only man she can unconditionally trust with her life; Neville Longbottom. This short, stout but incredibility intelligent man has been and always will be her lifeline for whenever things got too tough. He was the one who raised her from a child into the strong, independent woman she is now. He's also the only man who knows her heritage, her true heritage. To the rest of the world she is an orphan child with no past, found in an abandoned warehouse, and taken under his care.

"I still can't believe I'm 16 today." They had been discussing her birthday all evening. Even with the world as it is there are some traditions that just cannot be broken. One of them is to spend some time, even if it's only an hour, dedicated to this special day. Not once do they talk about her life after her mother, nor do they talk about the world outside the dark, damp walls of their hideout. This time is for her, and Neville has never, in the ten years he's had her, missed one.

Each year he's even gotten her a gift. Something small, something that most people wouldn't blink an eye at; like a doll charmed to look like whatever she can think up or a box of chocolates he was able to get his hands on in a food raid. No matter what it was though, Tanis was always equally excited.

She jumps a little in anticipation, wondering what she's getting this year. This year she finally becomes an adult in the eyes of the Order, and hopefully, they will let her begin to join them on missions, or at the very least, raids.

"It's still seems like just yesterday you were getting into the potions reservoir because of the 'pretty colors', as you put it; or saving you from that Erkling." She laughs at the memory of him singing that ridiculous song about the Diricawl to drown out that creature's intoxicating laugh. Neville smiles but it is quickly lost with a sigh as he grabs her hand from across the table.

He looks around, confirming they're alone before continuing. "Tanis, you've been the daughter I never had and if your mother were still alive, I know she would be proud." She nods, knowingly. She knew her mother until age six, and from the plentiful amount of stories he told about her, she knew her to be a wonderful, caring woman.

"What about father? What do you think he would say?" He sighs again, looking up into her hopeful eyes. Her father was someone he rarely spoke of, but as she got older, her thirst for knowledge and understanding grew; which of course, was to be expected.

"He, well," there was a short pause. What do you say to a girl with no comprehension of her father being a death eater? "I didn't speak to him much."

"But I thought you all three went to school together? You must know something. Tell me anything about him. I know all about mum." She looks back up to him, but this time, there is something of suspicion in her eyes. "Unless you're hiding something from me. If you are, I'm old enough to know." He shakes his head slowly and withdraws his hand from hers.

"You're mother never brought him around much," is all he could bring himself to say. She has had a lot of weight put on her since birth, and it would be more if the world knew who she really was. He knows she wouldn't fully understand if he were to explain everything, since for Merlin's sake he didn't know everything. All he knew was that an extremely close friend of his was in trouble, entrusted him with a dark secret, and needed his help. Even still, he knew that Tanis wasn't the deepest part of Hermione's double life. Call it friend's intuition.

"Dad? Are you alright?" Tanis took to calling him this soon after he rescued her from her home in Greece. After she awoke from her six day coma, one that everyone was sure she would never wake up from; it seemed that her memory of that night, the one when she and her mother were attacked, had tucked itself away in her mind. It became a memory that wouldn't come back to her and frankly, Neville was thankful. No one her age needed to see the bloodshed. Even he couldn't stay long in there.

"You went silent. I'm sorry if I said something out of line, I'm just curious, that's all. You know me: Miss Curiosity."

Tanis smirks and Neville laughs. Everyone sees her hair and pale skin. Everyone knows she has that knack of getting into trouble and under people's skin; but with that single gesture, it makes him wonder how no one could possibly notice the resemblance of her parents.

"Your father was known for that you know," he pauses, "among other things." He watches as her eyes light up and he can just see the brain cells pumping. He knows he just crossed some line because from now until the end of this conversation, she is going to memorize and analyze every word that comes from his mouth. Even though she loves this man like her father, and always will, there is something to be said about a biological father, especially if she is just like him.

"Known for what?"

"That damn smirk. You look identical to him when you do it." She tries to do it again, but just ends up smiling. This is the first real thing she has learned about him.

"Really? What else?"

"You're hair. Somehow, you got his striking platinum hair color but your mother's curls…well some of them. Of course, how it didn't turn out brown still puzzles me." He shakes his head before continuing and turns around to relight the dying fire. Might as well keep it going; they could be here for a while. "Let's see, you have your mother's, knowledge and curiosity; and from him? You're eyes have that haughtiness he carried with him, and I know that's where your mischievous side comes from."

"Haughty? Was that what he was like? Is that why mum fell for him? How did they meet? Did he die with her? Is that why he's not here?"

"Woah, woah, calm down. You have a lot of questions I don't have answers to." And that was the truth. Neville hasn't seen her father for at least 20 years; not that they ever had a decent conversation. He knows Draco was forced into the ranks of Voldemort soon after the death of Harry, but has heard nothing since.

"But listen," He takes in a deep breath and continues. He'd been pumping himself up for this day for almost two months now. He knows she's old enough to handle whatever could be in it, but he doesn't want to lose his innocent little Tanis with whatever it is. "Do you really want to know?" She nods. With her getting older, it's becoming increasingly harder to keep things from her. Doing this will not only take a huge weight off his shoulders but he would also no longer need to lie about her parents.

"Here, I have something for you…from your mom." Instantly her eyes light up. A smile pulls at her lips and she jumps to the edge of her seat.

"Mum gave you something to give to me? What is it?" She starts to bounce again with the anticipation. He smiles back at her as he reaches into his coat pocket, but his excitement doesn't reach his eyes. Tanis notices the reluctance and lack of enthusiasm, and normally she would comment on it, but she is not about to ruin her changes receiving her gift.

He pulls out a small rectangle and places it on the table between them. With his wand and a simple spell, the shape starts to grow and soon a full sized leather journal is being admired afar by the witch.

"This was given to me by your mother about a week before the war started. I was one of the handful of people that knew about you and she had asked me to, that if anything should happen to her, give this to you when I thought you were ready. I don't know what's inside, as only you can read it, but she said that you had any questions, this should answer it." She carefully reaches for the book, pulling back a few times acting as if it's going to bite. After finally wrapping her delicate fingers around it, she snatches it away and runs her hand down the spine.

"Now remember. I trust you will be adult about this as possible. Like I've said, I have no idea what's in it."

"Come on dad, you know me. I'm more mature than anyone I know my age." She looks up in thought. "Granted I haven't met many people my age but I'm even better than some of the people your age. Like Ernie. He's real childish." He cracks a grin and they both end up laughing at the thought of dinner no more than two hours ago. When they brought out a small cake Hannah had cooked for her birthday, Ernie wanted to be the one of light the candles. Somehow though, he missed and ended up setting her nearby napkin a blaze. Luckily everyone else was quick with their wrists, so it was put out before the table caught.

"I suppose your right, but I feel I have earned the privilege to worry." He smiles softly. "Your mother, though kind, has also been a very blunt person. When it came to facts and numbers she was never wrong, but sometimes, when communicating, she couldn't, quite get her thoughts across, especially when angry. She always talked about how much she hated to beat around the bush." Tanis tilts her head slightly.

"Beat around the bush?"

"It's a muggle saying your mum used to say a lot. Apparently it means to talk around the problem, without ever stating it. She also sometimes talked about an elephant being in a room, or something like that." She laughs again at her mother's strange quotes.

"For not wanting to 'beat around the bush' as she puts it, mum sure did use a lot of weird sayings." Now its Neville's turns to laugh as he realizes her observation.

"Sounds like something you're mother would notice. She was always reading between the lines and trying to figure people out." She really wants to ask about her father again, but she doesn't want to push him too much, and besides if this book is really suppose to tell me everything she wants to know. Her eyes glance down, and she finds herself staring at it before speaking.

"What were you like? Back in school?" Tanis looks up and notices her mentor and father figure stiffen ever so slightly, before responding.

"Me? Oh, I was nothing like I am now. I was teased a lot, mostly by the Slytherins; because of my weight and for not being the brightest wizard." He turns slightly red after admitting one of his major flaws that he has tried so hard to forget. All those times he blew up cauldrons, was the reason his house lost a lot of their points. Even still, those flaws were the cause of his infatuation with Tanis' mother. Despite all of that, Hermione never looked down on him, and always saw things others didn't. She even believed things he thought would never be possible.

"Really? But you're so smart." He laughs and shakes his head.

"Trust me, I wasn't always like this. The war changes people and I was definitely no exception. I always made poor marks in school, especially in potions, but your mother was always there to give me all the extra help I needed. Turns out I just needed a reason to learn, and protecting you and the members of the order gave me the incentive I needed to go beyond my abilities and excel." His hands rub his eyes as he begins to reminisce about his school years. Tanis, on the other hand, fidgets with the book between in her hands again. Repeatedly her finger continues to run up and down the spine as the magic continues to spark through her limbs.

Instinctively her hand goes towards the latch and she's about to apply the pressure needed to open it when her thoughts and actions are broken by Neville's voice.

"Did I tell you about the time your mother and I met?" And, before she could even answer, he continues to tell her of his first year at Hogwarts. Granted, she hasn't heard the story before, but her mind is obviously elsewhere.

He knows she wants to read it, and she of course wants nothing more, but he continues to talk about anything and everything, well into the night. It seems as though, at least to Tanis, that he's afraid that after she opens that book, she would no longer be the same sweet girl. That she would no long care for his stories and advice. That once she knows the truth about her parents, she would change completely. What could be in this book?

As he carries on with one his tales, Tanis can see the pedestal this man put her mother on. She begins to understand more of why he went through the burden to raise a child, a child that wasn't even his own. Love, no matter the form, will make people do strange and sometimes wonderful things.

"…and her conviction for those poor house elves was amazing to say the least. She was so passionate about the less fortunate and down-trotted. It's only proper for her to be a war legend. She may not have been in the fight for long-" A tear rolls down his cheek but he doesn't miss a beat. "But the time and energy she spent researching and learning, I know will help us with our upcoming victory."

The blonde witch will never fully understand why no one will ever speak the truth. Their chances of victory were diminishing quickly each day and there really seemed to be no hope for a turn around. Sometimes people need to have that devil's advocate to push them into seeing that hard truth and she knew, with the bottom of her heart, that her mother would have been that person.

Neverthelessshe smiles at his comments, always happy to hear how brilliant her mother was. There isn't a lot she can remember about her, but there is one memory has always stuck with her.

Slowly her hand moves from the journal and touches the green gem that dangles from her neck. The jewel itself is only about half an inch wide and the square silver frame that surrounds it glistens by the light. The chain is unbreakable and is be-spelled to only be removed by the owner. It was a present from her mother on the eve of her fifth birthday. The inscription placed on the back of the diamond encrusted plate, the one she has only seen three times but has never left her, runs through her mind.

'To my Love, my Heart and Soul is Forever Yours—DLM'

It took her a few years before finding out something was even there, and it took her several months after that to figure out it's only visible during the twilight hours, reflected from the waning sun. As she placed it around her neck, Hermione told her that it was a gift from her father before she was born. It was a token of his admiration towards her, but as she clasped the two ends together and let it fall on the young girls chest, her mother said one last thing before the crying took over.

"I know he gave it to me, so I would always know where his heart belonged. But after seeing you two together, I know that jewel truly belongs to you." Tanis, seeing her mother's weakness wrapped her tiny arms around her.

"I know he still loves you too. He can love us both!" She smiles as the elder witch laughs.

"Oh, I know he does. I just wish he could show it." At the time, she didn't understand her mother's words. He could obviously show it, seeing as he got her the necklace; but as the years came and went, and she has still yet to know anything about the man who supposedly loved her and her mother so much, maybe there was more to that line than Tanis originally though.

"Oh listen to me ramble on like an old man." Neville's laugh brings Tanis out of her memory and she realizes she hasn't heard a single word he's been saying. "I suppose I should let you get to bed, or at least a chance to look at the book." He mumbles the last part as he stands and gives her a hug and kiss on the forehead before showing one last smile and disappearing through the doorway.

To be continued...

Authors Note: A little longer than expected...but this is actually half of what it was suppose to be. the rest will come in the next chapter. And sorry about the wait...meant to put this up a few days ago but college is getting crazy and I just came down with Bronchitis. -_-

Anywho! Hope you all enjoyed! Review! :D

~AtraLuna

Disclaimer: Everything is owned by J.K. Rowling. I'm not looking to gain any monetary substance from this.