TIME TRIAL
They had already left the Ministry when Neville stopped to send Roxanne a patronus.
"See you at home, then I'll explain."
Neville had spent years struggling to conjure a patronus, and though he had managed to summon it, his had never taken a corporeal form. Despite this, Neville had persevered and, after months of study and practice, he could now send a message with his noncorporeal patronus.
After sending the message to his fiancée, he felt a sense of accomplishment and, with his newly acquired confidence, he went on his way with his friends.
To everyone's surprise, when they got to Neville's house, Roxanne was already waiting for them. Neville, Ron and Draco introduced James and Lilly to her and explained the plan.
"In short, our mission is to bring Harry and Hermione together," Neville finished, finally making Roxanne break out and scream.
"I'm in!" Roxanne exclaimed excitedly "don't worry guys, those two are going to fall. I know it, those looks they give each other don't fool me!"
James and Lilly were now more excited, they already knew that their aunt Roxanne would help them.
"Good! So, brainstorm, how do we do it?!" James exclaimed.
They all began to share their plans; some were mad and desperate such as to lock them in a room and let them go crazy to the point that they both confessed their feelings. That idea had been given by Draco after they were all stuck on step two. Step one was to "Have couples' events where Harry and Hermione are the only single people there."
"We've been here for an hour and this is complicated, it's not like they're barely going to meet... Damn it! They've been best friends forever; they know everything about each other..." Ron yelled in exasperation.
"That's the problem! They're so self-conscious about being friends that they're both afraid to take it a step further and lose their friendship …" added Ron.
"Hell yes! They're too careful in that regard, if only we could make them not hold back," Roxanne suggested, brushing her index finger against her chin.
"Exactly! That is the key... you have to make them not hold back...!" Neville exclaimed.
"I have it! You have to get them drunk… In that state it will be difficult for them not to act on their feelings," Draco announced.
Most of the adults were excited, except for Lilly and James who looked worried.
"Ehhh... that would be a good plan... but um... dad is quite resistant to alcohol," James said in dismay.
"And mom doesn't drink unless it's very necessary, they practically have to force her... and I don't know if in this time she has already created her famous resistance spell. If so, it's going to be difficult to get her to that state."
"I might be able to convince Harry to drink...which in turn may make Hermione toast with him. Here it's just refilling their drinks without them noticing," said Ron.
"I think that among all the girls we can be filling in without realizing it," Roxanne supported with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"We're going to need a lot of alcohol to push them over the edge. So, well... there are also the costs of this..." Neville commented uneasily.
"Nah! Leave the costs to me… Nothing will please me more than finally spending a bit of my fortune on those two idiots in love," Malfoy boasted arrogantly.
"Yes ferret, we know you're a billionaire, so this time, you're going to be useful," Ron attacked mockingly.
"Hey! I'm useful" the blonde yelled with feigned offense.
Quickly everyone burst out laughing, which lasted several minutes. Once they calmed down, they fine-tuned some details with a renewed energy happy to see that a more solid plan was taking place.
Later, after Luna had finally arrived at Neville's house, she joined in with the plans to get Harry and Hermione together.
"I'll take care of telling Ginny, but Luna, you and Hermione will be bridesmaids and you guys will be groomsmen, including Harry," Roxanne explained with a wink at the end.
"Which makes, Ron and Luna, Draco and Ginny, and finally, Harry with Hermione," Neville added to the explanation, as Ron winced at the mention of his sister next to Malfoy.
"What will happen with Sarah?" Lilly asked rolling her eyes.
"Ugh. If it was up to me, I wouldn't invite her to my wedding, but so far, she's Harry's girlfriend and he's our friend, so at the moment she's his plus one." Roxanne explained with a sigh of frustration.
"Okay…" James and Lilly grumbled in unison, crossing their arms over their chests.
Harry and Hermione arrived the next day for a meeting about everyone's about roles in Neville and Roxanne's wedding. They were both shocked to see Louis and Jane flying across the courtyard, playing an intense match of quidditch with Ron, Ginny, and the Twins. They had set up hoops at both ends of the yard, and the six of them were flying around trying to score goals against each other. James and Lilly soared through the air with grace and agility, making it seem effortless.
Harry was immediately drawn to the match and moved closer to get a better look while his girlfriend Sarah made her way over to where Malfoy was offering drinks which included (according to their information) Sarah's favourite flavor and she would undoubtedly go for one, leaving Harry to watch the game.
For her part, Hermione, who wasn't a big fan of quidditch, since she had attended the matches just for Harry, and then for Harry and Ron, for some unknown reason felt the desire to go over to see the game.
They both got closer and watched as Louis and Jane displayed their impressive skills and athleticism. They moved with such speed and agility that it was difficult to keep up with them.
James and Lilly exchanged knowing glances as they flew, a secret smile between them. They had both come to an agreement that, when the opportunity arose, Lilly would perform Harry's wronski feint to catch the snitch. It would be a grand display, which they knew would impress their father and scare their mother.
Lilly got ready to make "The Wronski Feint" and, when she was about to complete it, Hermione jumped in surprise, holding on tightly to Harry and burying her head in his chest. Harry didn't hesitate and pulled her into a protective hug, even though there was a hint of amusement in his voice as he teased her for being so scared.
"Mione...she was up on time," Harry clarified, and Hermione finally let go, raising her head and blushing as she met Harry's green gaze.
James and Lilly were overjoyed to find that one of their plans had succeeded, and they both flew up with excitement, high fives in celebration, their faces lighting up with joy.
"That was brilliant! Jane, right?" Harry asked, approaching the redhead, who blushed at his father's compliment.
"Thank you…" Lilly whispered with a shy smile as she took off her quidditch uniform.
"You weren't far behind either! You are amazing on a broom!" Hermione exclaimed addressing James, who widened his eyes as did his sister, both surprised to hear the compliment from their mother, who was scared whenever James or Lilly touched a broom.
"Ehh... Thanks..." James replied with a smile and his face flushed.
After the incredible display of quidditch and small talk, they all walked inside where they would gather to receive their respective roles at Neville and Roxanne's wedding.
Drinks were served and the room was soon filled with joyous laughter and easy conversation, until Roxanne mentioned who would be the couples walking her and Neville down the aisle.
Sarah, Harry's girlfriend, jumped visibly in surprise when she heard that Harry was going with Hermione as a couple. Her face was contorted in anger and disbelief, as if she was unable to process the words Roxanne had just spoken.
There was silence in the room, and it seemed that everyone was waiting for their answer. Harry, sensing the tension in the air, quickly intervened and tried to defuse the situation by asking Sarah not to overreact. It was evident that he was feeling uncomfortable and slightly annoyed, but he was doing everything possible to make sure the situation didn't escalate.
Hermione for her part, had been surprised by Sarah's attitude, not knowing how to respond. She lowered her head silently, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and confusion.
Sarah, don't exaggerate. We'll only accompany Neville and Roxanne and Hermione is my best friend. There is nothing wrong with it."
Sarah turned to Neville and Roxanne with noticeable annoyance on her face.
"Why does Hermione have to go with Harry? I'm his girlfriend!" The woman's voice was raised before everyone present, causing all their attention to be focused on her.
Neville was puzzled, his cheeks pink as he tried to figure out how to answer her. The answer was logical, but he couldn't tell Sarah that they wanted to get their friends together because it was obvious that they loved each other.
Harry was mortified at the big scene Sarah was making.
"Hermione has been friends with Neville since long before we met you and they are both our best friends." Roxanne was the one who responded firmly to the anger of the woman in front of her.
"Besides aesthetically, Harry and Hermione would look more handsome walking down the aisle," Draco added in a whisper and Ginny nudged him in the ribs to shut him up.
"And I remind you that the bridesmaid dresses were chosen according to the figure of each one and the color that you wear does not go with Harry's suit, Hermione's does" Roxanne explained with some authority so that Sarah would stop complaining, but that only made her angry and she began to give opinions on how to fix it.
Harry and Hermione gaped, unable to express their disbelief at the conversation taking place in front of them. Sarah had gotten extremely angry and had made a scene for not being paired with Harry.
Harry, for his part, had been speechless, and his face alternated between astonishment, embarrassment and confusion at the dramatic behavior of his girlfriend. He didn't know where to put his head.
"I could even dye my hair brown to match the color of Hermione's dress!" Sarah exclaimed, still arguing with Roxanne.
Fred and George exchanged glances, raising an eyebrow in unison, while Luna next to Ron shook her head dreamily.
"No... It wouldn't suit you," Fred and George said in unison with a hint of mockery. They had heard enough of Sarah's outlandish ideas, and this was without a doubt the most outrageous.
"By God, you just have to accept that whatever you do, you can never be better than Hermione Granger..."
"I really don't know what Harry sees in you, having such a woman around…" James said with a proud smile.
"Boom! Very good boy!" the twins exclaimed.
"By Merlin! What does she have that I don't?" Sarah asked self-centeredly.
Sarah's question hung in the air like a thick mist, her face twisted into a knot of envy and curiosity. Lilly, who had watched the woman's reaction in front of her, let out a sigh and began to respond with the same defiant gleam as her father in her eyes.
"Ha! Okay. Where do I start?... Oh yes..." Lilly began with a twinkle in her eyes, her challenging and proud look, exactly the same face that Hermione made in class when she answered a question from the teachers.
"One: Hermione has a sharp mind, a kind heart, and a fierce determination. She graduated from Hogwarts with the highest grade on record in years and was soon recognized by her peers for her intelligence and dedication.
"Two: she was honored and praised by the minister of magic himself for her participation in the fighting of the second wizarding war and her role in protecting the wizarding world.
"Three: After her first job, she donated her first salary to the house elves who worked in the ministry causing the law for the protection of magical creatures to be put under review and which was approved by the Wizengamot in less than two months.
"Four: She has been named 'Witch of the Year' at least three times and has won every…
"That's enough Li... uh...sister..." James said patting Lilly's back and looking at her warningly, while everyone's gazes were on, they both.
"She is not perfect!" Sarah yelled, her face flushed red.
"She doesn't need to be to have more in common with Harry than you..." Lilly said firmly, crossing her arms.
"Of course not!" The woman exploded.
"Please... just admit it," Lilly said, shining with cunning in her.
Harry and Hermione felt their cheeks burn, embarrassed by the awkwardness of the situation. Roxanne was smiling at Lilly, while Neville, Draco and Ron fidgeted, glancing at each other and trying to clear their throats for a way to divert the conversation that had already gotten out of hand.
Luna and Ginny were absolutely stunned, their eyes wide with surprise and bewilderment. Meanwhile, Fred and George were trying to blend in, quietly making bets and predictions against each other.
"No! Even you and your brother bear more resemblance to Harry than she does. I saw you two fly and it seems strange to me that you do the "Wronski feint" exactly like Harry's," Sarah said trying to make a valid point.
James froze at the comparison and looked at his sister, trying to stop her from responding, but it was useless, she was engaged in crushing Sarah.
Lilly widened her smile and wrinkling her nose, exactly as Hermione did, she said in exasperation...
"For the love of Merlin! How are you a quidditch player and have never read 'Quidditch Through the Ages'? It's a must-read for any serious gamer, and the latest update from 1995 is full of useful information. Not only does it give an overview of the game, but it also includes details on the techniques used by Harry Potter, who, by the way, is considered the greatest seeker of all time!
Lilly's face lit up as she spoke, her eyes wide with excitement as she couldn't resist sharing her knowledge of the game and her most famous player, Harry Potter, her father. Lilly went on to explain that the book talked about the many different maneuvers her father used to achieve her incredible success as the greatest seeker of all time.
The atmosphere was so tense that it could almost cut with scissors. They were all in disbelief as they stared in astonishment between Lilly and Hermione, sharing a common feeling of astonishment when the words of "Jane" came out of her mouth. The similarities between her and Hermione were unbelievable, and it was as if time had frozen as they all absorbed the information "Jane" had gleaned from reading the book.
Lilly spoke enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up with understanding and her face beaming with pride.
James could feel how the atmosphere at the table had gradually tightened, with the others present looking at them in disbelief and others in amazement. He knew that if Lilly said the wrong thing, they would be exposed and face dire consequences. James wasted no time quickly kicking her under the table as a silent warning to her to be careful what she said. Lilly was startled at first, but she quickly understood the subtle message and sobered up.
"What about Viktor Krum?" Sarah asked sounding smug.
Everyone at the time, except Sarah, Lilly and the subjects in question, noted how Sarah's words seemed to have the greatest effect on Hermione, whose cheeks were now an unmistakable pink hue and Harry was clenching his fists tightly as he held back his emotions that had woken up inside.
"Jane…Wait!" James put his hand on his sister's arm with an expression of disbelief when he saw that she was going to answer. Lilly turned to look at James without knowing what his reaction was due to.
"Harry Potter is the greatest seeker of all time...he's your boyfriend and did you just ask about Viktor Krum?" James asked with a raised eyebrow that made him look like his father "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"You fraternize with the enemy," Lilly said, quoting her uncle Ron, who at that moment turned a shade similar to his hair, while the others looked at him and laughed.
"Me?" Sarah asked annoyed, drawing attention back to her. "It was Hermione who dated Viktor Krum when she was Harry Potter's best friend, right? And just for the year of the Triwizard tournament in which Harry was participating.
Hermione opened her mouth to respond, incredulous at Sarah's words, when Harry, annoyed by where the argument had gone, got up and ended the scene.
He was annoyed by the show Sarah had put on and by her reminding him that Hermione had dated Krum, which Harry had always been jealous of.
He had nothing against Neville's two students, on the contrary, he felt a great appreciation for them that he still didn't understand why, since he had only known them for two days, but the fact that they had been arguing and winding up Sarah, made his patience come to an end.
He didn't understand why, but Jane seemed pretty determined to beat Sarah at whatever she was. Her determination reminded him of Hermione.
"It's enough!" Harry exclaimed, getting up from his position next to Sarah.
Everyone focused their attention on him as he ran his hands over his face in frustration.
"Sarah, it's Neville and Roxanne's wedding, so they decide the roles of their friends. Hermione has been friends with Neville and Roxanne much longer than you have and I'm not going to argue my place next to my best friend," Harry said in a soft, husky but determined voice, trying to make his point.
He saw Sarah open her mouth to protest, but he didn't let her and continued speaking.
"Regarding the rest" he turned to Louis and Jane "Thanks for your support. I've never liked the attention and bragging about my skills, but I'm flattered by your admiration.
He gave the students a slight smile and looked back at his girlfriend.
"Hermione is my best friend, I have repeated it many times and yes, it is true, she dated Viktor Krum, but at no time did she abandon me and she was the only one who never turned her back on me and the only one who believed in me when my name came out in the goblet of fire. She has the right to date whoever she wants, as long as they don't hurt her.
Harry said this and his heart clenched. He wished so badly that he could tell Hermione about his feelings for her, he wanted to be able to go out with her without problems, but he couldn't scare her away and lose her friendship, so he kept the pain inside once more.
For her part, Hermione went through a sea of emotions. She was flattered by how he stood up for her, but then her heart sank when she heard him say that she could date whoever she wanted. Yet another sign that she would never be more than his best friend.
Her friends noticed when her eyes lost their shine, her chest deflated and her gaze fell to her lap, unable to hide her sadness at Harry's unrequited love.
Ron, Neville, Draco, Roxanne, the twins, Luna and Ginny, went from noticing Hermione's pain at Harry's words, to noticing how a feeling of disappointment was sown on the face of "Louis and Jane" when they realized all the work it would take to get their parents together.
The silence that had settled around them was deafening, the tension still floating in the air.
They needed to come up with a plan to get their friends together or this would all be a complete disaster.
"Now if you'll excuse us... Sarah and I have to go..." Harry said with a frustrated sigh breaking the silence. "Thanks for the meal and the meeting guys, I'm sorry about the scene," Harry said apologetically and his face turned towards the yard, as he began to walk being followed by an annoyed Sarah.
When Sarah reached his side, they were both walking in awkward silence. Harry didn't make eye contact with her all the way to their apparition point, where they had to hold hands in order to apparate.
The apparition seemed like an eternity, with a palpable tension between them, but eventually they both reached their destination outside of Harry's apartment. Quickly, he released her hand and walked faster, deliberately avoiding eye contact and refusing to say a word to her.
When they walked through the door, Harry's expression was one of annoyance and disgust.
He had been in love with Hermione for a long time, but he had managed to keep it a secret, except from Ron. That was what he believed.
"You want to tell me what the hell that was about?" Harry exclaimed, turning to his girlfriend and gesturing wildly with his arms. His green eyes blazed, and Sarah could tell he was angry. She knew that Harry was in love with Hermione, even though he had tried to hide it, but that hadn't worked with anyone.
"It always has to be a coincidence that you stay by her side for anything! And I take it your friends have nothing to do with the fact that she has to walk in on your arm for the wedding!? And you don't say anything about it, you just smile at her!" Sarah protested, feeling her anger come out of her.
"What fault do I have that they want to make her a bridesmaid instead of you? She's been friends with Neville and Roxanne for longer than you have," Harry replied, raising his voice in anger. "Besides, it's their wedding and I can't decide for them! You know perfectly well that Hermione is my best friend and I have no problem with the task that I have been entrusted with.
"Oh, sure, if it's because of her, you never have any problems!" Sarah spats indignantly "And to make the case worse, those two siblings were provoking me, especially that Jane" said Sarah trying to validate her argument.
"Louis and Jane may have had their share of the blame, but that's no excuse for you trying to shirk your own responsibility here, Sarah! You were the one who started it all!" Harry exclaimed, raising the volume of his voice.
"So, it's okay to be treated like I'm expendable and compared to Hermione, right?" Sarah replied, her face growing redder with each word. It was clear that the whole situation had gotten out of hand.
Harry realized that he had hurt her, and he felt a little guilty as he realized that his words had gone too far. He ran his hands over his face, trying to regain his composure before speaking. Although Hermione was unmatched, he knew that Sarah had every right to defend herself.
"There's no use arguing it, you always jump to the wrong conclusions." Harry sighed heavily as he watched Sarah move away from him and walk towards the apartment door. Despite his efforts to explain his point of view, she didn't seem willing to listen to him anymore. His words had only served to make the situation worse, and he felt frustrated and helpless at his disbelief.
He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the bridge of his nose under his glasses, a weary gesture he'd adopted over the years.
He sighed deeply and his thoughts drifted to the moment when Hermione had hugged him in fright as Jane was about to crash. He could still feel her embrace, her warmth and how her hair smelled like strawberries.
He remembered her beautiful honey-colored eyes and how they seemed to be filled with golden droplets. He remembered how she had blushed and how pretty she looked at that moment.
In that moment, he felt an immense urge to bring one of his hands to her face and caress her cheek, to lean down and place his lips on hers in a passionate kiss that would take her breath away. His desire to kiss her had been overwhelming, but the fear of scaring her had kept him from taking the plunge. He longed to tell her what he felt about her and express his love for her, but his fear of losing her as his friend was stronger.
……………………………
Hermione finally said her goodbyes and left, leaving the remaining group alone to reflect on everything that had happened. Lilly was still sitting in the same place, her body motionless. Tears ran down her cheeks, with an expression of deep sadness. She didn't say a word until James came up to her.
James took a deep breath and sat down across from his sister, placing his hands on her shoulders. He felt her tense and felt a lump in his throat as he spoke.
"Lilly..."
The redhead slowly turned to him, her eyes bright with tears, her face filled with disappointment. Their uncles watched the exchange with a mixture of concern and sadness, silently witnessing the sad moment between siblings.
"...James, we have to tell them, what if it's the only way they can come to their senses and realize they're in love?" Lilly's voice trembled, she had entered a small anxiety attack, so it was her brother who took the reins of her at that moment.
"Lilly, if we tell them the truth about ourselves, it could have consequences we may not be prepared to face. It could alter the course of our lives in ways we may not even be aware of, and it could lead to results we may not like at all. There are no guarantees that these changes will be for the better, and we may end up regretting our decision to take such a risk.
Ron, Neville, Draco, the twins and Ginny, looked in amazement as James explained to Lilly what could happen, while Luna smiled dreamily at the older Potter explanation.
It was like Hermione was trapped in James's body when he explained the consequences to Lilly.
Sure, Lilly was quite aware of her brother's words, but she had had a panic attack after the scene that had occurred at lunch. She wasn't thinking straight.
"Guys, I don't know if either of you noticed, but I think it's clear that Harry got jealous when Sarah asked out about Viktor," Ginny interrupted the moment with a mischievous smile on her face.
"But then dad said that mom had the right to date whoever she wanted..." Lilly replied discouraged.
"And your mother's spirits fell apart."
"Don't be discouraged" Luna said dreamily "they are in love; you just have to make them admit it" she raised her shoulders and tilted her head with a kind smile.
Fred and George looked at each other and wiggled their eyebrows in complicity.
"Get ready guys... This is war!" Ron rested his hands on the table looking at his nephews and smiled mischievously.
James and Lilly shared a look and smiled. Lilly placed her hand in the center of the table and one by one the hands of her brother and their uncles and aunts added to the mass.
"We are together in this!" Roxanne was the one who yelled excitedly and everyone raised their hands willing to achieve their goal.
Hermione returned to her apartment, shocked by what had happened at Neville and Roxanne's meeting. She couldn't believe what had happened, and the unexpected turn of events had left her quite dispirited.
She got into the shower, hoping the hot water would help her relax and clear her head.
Under the shower she closed her eyes as the water ran down her body. She gasped in pleasure as she felt a pair of hands slowly move up and down her arms and then she felt his lips press against her neck and down to her shoulders.
She tipped her head back letting the water splash over her face and letting his lips drift over her neck. She felt his teeth brush against her skin and gasped in pleasure as he turned her around in one swift motion and devoured her lips, backing her against the wall.
"Harry..." she sighed and raised her face, coming back to reality and finding herself alone under the shower.
She turned off the water and reached for the towel that hung on the wall opposite the shower, wrapping it comfortably under her arms. She stepped out of the shower and shivered slightly as the cool air from the room touched her damp skin. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the mirror and rested her hands on the edge of it, steadying herself as she prepared to apply the hair cream.
She lifted her face up and looking into the glass she gasped as an unusual reflection flashed across the mirror. It was the reflection of someone else, someone who seemed to be in danger.
She frowned, thinking it was her imagination, but it happened again. A fearful Hermione carefully approached the mirror, trying to understand what she saw.
As she went to the mirror to investigate, she noticed that the reflections were beginning to move differently from her. At first, they were just small movements, but eventually they became more and more erratic, until they seemed to be active on her own.
She felt a chill run down her spine and her heart sped up when she saw that it was herself looking older, but her look conveyed terror and despair.
She didn't understand how it was possible that her reflection could show her in the future, let alone why she seemed to be in danger. She began to feel a deep fear of what might be happening.
The older Hermione's reflection began to flicker, as if she was trying to communicate with her. She wondered if she was trying to send her a message through the looking glass, or if there was something darker and more mysterious at play.
The younger Hermione's concern was growing as her reflection seemed to be getting more and more desperate.
She stood in front of the mirror, paralyzed by the strange phenomenon taking place in front of her. The mirror began to glow and tremble more rapidly, causing her to take a few steps back in surprise. Suddenly, there was a loud crack that echoed throughout the bathroom and the mirror shattered.
Despite the broken glass, she could clearly see her other self in the mirror shards. Hermione gasped in fright as a line of letters crystallized on the broken mirror, forming a mysterious message:
"Hermione, time is running out. Your future and that of the people you love the most is in danger."
Puzzled, she heard the constant ticking of a clock through the mirror. It seemed to come from the other side, at an impossible distance. When she reached out and tried to touch the message formed in the crystal, the sound changed. It was no longer the sound of a clock, but the sound of thousands of broken glasses cascading down and forming another message:
"You are running against time. Time does not wait; time is running out."
To be continued…
Notes:
Thanks to Laura Armstrong of the HMS Harmony group in English for helping me correct this version.
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