Disclaimer: All Characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is purely for entertainment only.
Summary: A tragedy unravels the Weasley Family and the Wizarding World forever, but with the use of a time turner can one Weasley save them all?
Chapter 12
Lex and Scorpius arrived back at the Ministry surprised to see Kingsley still in his office at such a late hour but grateful they didn't need to send an owl for him.
"I thought we discussed staying with your parents," Kingsley narrowed his eyes at Lex, able to talk more freely since no one else was around.
"We'll be going back as soon as we can but we had to come talk to you," Lex said.
"What's wrong?" Kingsley asked.
"Well, we think we figured out the break in to St. Mungo's. Whoever did that took the sample of my Mum's blood to confirm her pregnancy, and, well wouldn't whoever took the prophecy need that to actually see the prophecy?" Lex explained.
Kingsley took in her words all too quickly seeming almost shocked Lex had figured all that out, looking between the pair from the future and then nodded slowly. "Unfortunately that makes all the sense in the world..."
"Well then we need to figure out who took the prophecy and fast," Lex said.
"Also unfortunate, we don't have much to go on from that attack," Kingsley said very matter-of-factly.
Scorpius sighed. He knew Lex was right which meant he knew he had to tell the entire truth from the attack on the Department of Mysteries. "Well, we might have something to go on..."
Lex looked over at Scorpius, her brow furrowed. Kingsley also looked at the younger, blonde man.
"What?" Lex asked, confused.
"Well, when Potter and I got attacked...I did notice something. The wand of the Death Eater that took the Prophecy...I don't know where but I know I've seen it before," Scorpius admitted.
"What? Why didn't you tell us that?!" Lex was furious, feeling her temper rising quickly from within. This was very important information to have.
"Indeed..." Kingsley said slowly and deliberately, watching Scorpius carefully.
Scorpius could only merely shrug. He couldn't really explain why he didn't say anything.
"If you recognized the wand then it has to be someone you know in the future," Lex deducted, still angry but trying to calm herself to think clearly. She wasn't sure where the rage had come from but she knew she needed to suppress it to think clearly.
"I know...I just don't know whose wand I would recognize like that..." Scorpius admitted.
"Could it have been your father's?" Kingsley asked after a long moment.
"What? No, I know my father's wand," Scorpius said, the idea being crazy.
"Well, maybe not the one he has now but could be have two?" Lex asked quickly. It was rare but not unheard of for a Wizard to have more than one wand, especially after the Second Wizarding War when many wands were lost or had changed allegiance.
Scorpius didn't think so but he also knew he couldn't say with complete certainty that his father didn't have two wands. "I guess...but I still don't get why he would have been down there. I mean, my father is lots of things but I don't see him being involved in this. He really tries to distance himself from the war and the death eaters."
"Well now he did that but...you don't know what he was like back...well now," Lex spoke of the time period they were in now.
"I suppose but...what do we do about it?" Scorpius asked.
"Track him," Lex said simply, looking at Kingsley for him to agree.
Kingsley cleared his throat. "I mean that could be something we did, I suppose."
"How would I even do that?" Scorpius asked.
"We could say...since he technically has renounced the Death Eaters, that with the break in and uptick we just wanted to watch for his security. Regardless of anyone's thoughts about him, he is rather good at his job. We can start that detail first thing tomorrow, Kingsley said.
"And if he was involved...well we have so where to start," Lex said, a flick of wildness in her eyes that made Scorpius a little uncomfortable but was also the reason he knew she was such a good Auror. You had to be a little crazy to do that job.
"You will have to spend more time with your mother then, if we put Scorpius on this detail," Kingsley told Lex.
"That's fine," Lex said. Yes it was very weird to be around the younger version of her parents, knowing they didn't have a clue who she was, but it was also oddly comforting. She had missed them both so much for so long that any time spent with them meant something to her, even if it didn't mean anything to them.
"Well, you should head back there then. And be diligent...the letter you all came with said the attack your father stopped should happen sometime soon," Kingsley told her.
Lex simply nodded. She would do everything she could to make sure they figured out who was behind that impending attack. She would make sure they didn't get away.
Ron quietly climbed the stairs back to his and Hermione's bedroom, assuming Hermione was asleep. He slowly entered their bedroom to find he was correct, Hermione was asleep in their bed, the light on her side dimly on and a small book sprawled across her midsection.
Ron got closer and glanced down at the book, seeing it was a Muggle book on pregnancy and childbirth. He laughed to himself. Hermione would be very prepared by the time the baby got there.
His laugh stirred Hermione awake and instantly Ron felt bad.
"I'm sorry," Ron said softly, tucking a piece of her wild curls behind her ear. "Go back to sleep."
Hermione shook her head though her eyes were still closed. "Did Lex tell you anything else?"
Ron hesitated, unsure if he should tell Hermione about the break-in at St. Mungo's and her blood being stolen. He didn't think it made sense to add more stress to an already very stressful evening. "No, she went back to the Ministry to clear some things up with Kingsley and then she will be back."
Hermione opened her eyes now, still unsure of what to make of Lex. "She's coming back tonight?"
Ron nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed near her. "I reckon that she will be her a lot now. We need to make sure that this house is protected and you were safe until we can either disprove this prophecy or it from happening."
She sighed, sitting up a bit in bed. "Which means we need to figure out what it is..."
Ron nodded again, letting the room lapse into silence.
"Do you think someone would really be stupid enough to attack us? I understand why they would want to, but we're certainly not the easiest targets." Hermione said after a moment.
"People are bloody mental, and I am not taking any chances, especially now," Ron said, his eyes falling on his wife's Platt stomach. He couldn't believe there was a baby in there. It seemed like such a foreign concept.
Hermione followed Ron's eyes and gently put a hand on her stomach. "You're right, I suppose. We should be a little more careful."
A loud nose downstairs broke the couples train of thought up and both perked up before hearing Lex let out a string of cuss words about things being on the floor.
"She must have tripped over that rug by the fireplace. We really need to move it," Ron smirked, knowing he had tripped over at plenty of times after flooing back from a night out in Hogsmeade, something he suddenly realized he wouldn't be doing much longer with a baby on the way.
Ron went to get out of the bed to check on Lex when he felt Hermione's hand grab him once more. He looked back at his wife to see she was looking up at him, her eyes somewhat calculating.
"Ron, I need to know...are you sure you are okay with this baby?" Hermione asked. She knew his reaction had gone in so many different directions that night, and given everything going on she could understand it but she needed to hear him reassure her one more time. She was excited but nervous about the pregnancy but she knew she would only get worse if she thought for a moment he really was not happy about it.
Ron took a deep breath. He was tired and honestly still hadn't felt like he had time to process everything. He knew he wanted to be a father someday and, although he didn't exactly feel ready he also knew there was nothing he could do about that now. "I told you...I'm surprised but happy, Hermione. I mean, this would have happened eventually anyway."
He leaned down to give her a kiss on the forehead before taking the pregnancy book she had next to her and putting it on her nightstand. "Get some sleep. I'm going to go help Lex put some extra protective enchantments. I'll be up after."
Hermione merely nodded as she watched Ron leave. She wanted to believe him, that he was truly okay with the pregnancy but there was something just flat about his words. She wanted to chalk it up to him being worried about so many other things right now, but she couldn't shake the feeling he was not really on board with the pregnancy and part of her couldn't blame him. To his point, they had not really discussed this but it wasn't like she had been expecting it either, yet she was excited now and she could only hope he would show some more excitement if he could calm down a bit.
Ron slowly made his way down the stairs to find Rose in the kitchen, working on enchantment charms on all the windows and doors.
"Did you hurt yourself?" Ron asked.
Ron's voice startled Lex and she whipped around, wand out, ready to attack until she realized it was merely the younger version of her father.
She lowered her wand. "Sorry, I was concentrating, and yes...tripped over the rug in front of the fireplace and nearly took myself out on your table in there."
"Sorry about that. We really need to move that rug." Ron said.
Lex waved her hand dismissively. "I should have known, it's always been there."
And that much was true. Hermione had always insisted on having a rug in front of the fireplace for some reason and Lex and her siblings had tripped over it numerous times in the future.
"What?" Ron asked, confused.
Lex panicked for a moment, realizing she may have said too much. "Just mean...well I saw it earlier, should have remembered it."
Ron nodded, not thinking anymore of it and then glancing around. "Where is Scorpius?"
"Oh...he went home. He will be splitting his time between here and running a detail on Draco Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" The name was like poison on Ron's tongue. He couldn't stand Malfoy and he would never forgive him for identifying Hermione at Malfoy Manor during the war. "What does a prat like they need a detail for?"
Lex shrugged, deciding not tell Ron about the wand. "Kingsley thought he may be a target since he did turn on the Death Eaters..."
"Or blood part of this," Ron mumbled.
"We thought that too so figured either way he should have an eye kept on him." Lex said.
Ron nodded and moved to double check all of Lex protective charms. He wouldn't risk anything happening.
"You know, I'm quite good at my charms," Lex smirked a bit because it was true and also because in the future Ron would always compare Lex to Hermione when it came to charms and spells - that she was the best.
"I just want to make sure. I won't rest if I think Hermione isn't safe," Ron said truthfully.
Lex just nodded and the pair worked in silence, though Lex watched her father out do the corner of her eye. It had been so long since she had heard his voice, or seen the blue eyes she had inherited. She knew she didn't know this younger version of her father and yet she felt so comfortable around him. She had missed him more than she had realized.
"I'll keep her safe, you know. As long as she lets me." Lex finally spoke up, wanting her father to know she was there to protect her mother at all costs.
Ron nodded. He didn't know why, because he had only just met Lex, but he felt like he could really trust her, and after the war the group of folks he trusted was not very large.
"I know Hermione wasn't the most friendly to you tonight. I'm sorry about that," Ron felt the need to say.
"To be fair, she has a lot going on, and I sorta feel like I ruined her surprise for you by being here." Lex said.
Ron looked back at her, slightly confused and Lex felt the need to elaborate.
"You know...her telling you that you guys are having a baby," Lex reminded him.
"Oh...right...the baby," Ron nodded, concentrating extra hard on his spells. He knew he had told Hermione he was good with the baby and deep down he was but the concept was still so foreign to him, and he couldn't lie, he was scared.
"Are you okay?" Lex asked, hearing the unsteadiness in her father's voice.
Ron sighed, not sure why he felt even remotely comfortable talking to Lex, yet he felt the words come out easily. "Honestly? I'm bloody scared out of my mind..."
"About the prophecy...or curse or whatever?" Lex asked.
"I mean, yeah but...mostly about this baby. I mean, Hermione and I didn't exactly plan this. I always thought kids were in our future but I thought they were years off..." Ron explained with a sigh.
"You're going to be a great dad," Lex assured him.
Ron gave a half smile, not looking at Lex. "Appreciate that but you don't even know me that well."
Ron's word stung Lex. She wanted to scream that she did know him, that she knew him as a great father and husband and that he had always out his family first and had absolutely nothing to worry about but she couldn't because he would never understand. He had no idea who she was. So instead Lex just shrugged. "I can read people well and I can tell."
"Really?" Ron stopped on the enchantments for a moment and looked at her. "How can you tell?"
Lex gave a matching smirk back to the young version of her father. "Because you remind me of my dad, and he was absolutely brilliant."
Lex moved back to the enchantments as Ron looked harder at her. "He was?"
"He...he passed when I was a teenager," Lex found herself saying, though she was choking on her own words knowing she was explaining Ron's own demise to him.
"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry," Ron said, unable to think of anything else but weirdly appreciative of Lex being so candid with him. For some reason it made him feel like he had known her for years.
She merely nodded at his words and the pair put the remainder of the charms and enchantments up in silence.
It was early the next morning when Scorpius found him standing outside of Malfoy Manor. He glanced around, noticing the outside of the Manor hardly looked any different then it had when he grew up there. The only difference was the small patch of flowers on the porch. Scorpius knew that was his mothers doing because as he grew older the flowers grew larger, taking over the porch and adding some color to the dark home. Right now, the flowers were small and sporadic.
Scorpius knocked on the door and a moment later was greeted by a much younger version of his own mother who was visably pregnant, which made sense as Scorpius was nearly 6 months older then Rose. Still in was weird to know he was currently growing inside his mother in this time period.
"Can I help you?" Astoria asked with a small smile.
"Uh...yes I have been sent by the Ministry to see Draco," Scorpius said, pulling out his Ministry credentials to assure his mother he was telling the truth.
"Come in then, Mister..." Astoria was looking for a name.
"I'm Scorpius. I was just transferred to the Auror office here," Scorpius said as he stepped into the Mansion, now understanding what Lex had been talking about, how weird it was to see the younger version of his parents and have to lie about who he was exactly to them.
"Draco is right down the hall in the drawing room," Astoria said.
It took every fiber of his being to not go immediately in the direction his mother had sent him since he already knew where the drawing room was. Instead, he let her lead them and he eventually found a younger version of his father at a table, reading some papers in front of him. Draco looked up, confused, when Scorpius entered.
"Draco, someone from the Ministry to see you," Astoria motioned to Scorpius.
Draco stood, eyeing Scorpius suspiciously. "I know everyone at the Ministry."
"New transfer to the Auror Department," Scorpius said, holding up his Ministry ID as he stuck his hand out to Draco. "Name is Scorpius."
Draco looked down at Scorpius outstretched hand with a level of distain before slowly shaking it. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, actually, it may be the other way around. I'm sure you heard about the attack on the Department of Mysteries?" Scorpius started.
"Of course, it's why I'm working from home today," Draco motioned the papers on the table he had been reading and that was when Scorpius saw it.
Draco's wand sat neatly next to the papers on the desk and Scorpius instantly recognized it as his father's wand, the same one from the future, and not the wand he had seen in the Department of Mysteries.
"Well..." Scorpius continued to the wand. "The Minister asked me to come by and keep an eye on you and for family for now...just in case something happens."
"What could happen?" Astoria asked, concerned.
"Because you renounced the Death Eaters, if they are involved, you may be a target," Scorpius spoke more to Draco then Astoria.
A flash of concern moved across Draco's face and then to his pregnant wife before he turned back to Scorpius. "Kingsley said this was a concern for him?"
Scorpius nodded, not really sure what else to say. He could tell it seemed surprising to Draco.
"Well let's take the olive branch then, shall we?" Astoria spoke up and then turned to Scorpius. "We are happy to have you here."
Draco nodded but said nothing more.
