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 1
A 26 year old Lex Weasley rolled over and buried her head under her pillow as the sunlight crept in through the window of the small New York apartment she shared with her fiancé, Finn McLaggen. She was too hungover to risk any sun hitting her pounding head.
"Was it worth it?" Her fiancés deep voice playfully asked.
Lex lifted her head and opened one eye as Finn came into focus. He was tall with short blond curls cut tightly to his head and a beautiful smile and broad shoulders. By all accounts he was handsome and Lex knew there were hoards of girls dying to be her, dying to be with him, but lately she had felt less than happy in the relationship which is why she had stayed out later than normal the night before with some of her fellow American based aurors.
"Every drop of fire whiskey was worth it," Lex said. Her English accent had retreated greatly over the years and she nearly could pass for American now. She didn't mind it, in fact she liked losing the pieces of her thay tied her to her infamous upbringing, it was less reminders of a horrible time.
"Well you should probably get up. I'd imagine the ministry needs you in at a decent time today," Finn said.
That's when Lex noticed Finn was already dressed for the day. He too worked for the Ministry but it was as the Minsiter assistant, handling anything that needed handing which was why he was currently visiting Lex, he was working on a Quidditch tournament that was as expecting to be held in mid-America sometime the following year.
Lex was ready for his visit to be over. She had specifically extended her assignment in America to have some distance between them while Lex contemplated the thought of even marrying him. They had been engaged now for two years but Lex had never set a date for the wedding and Finn seemed to be getting tired of it. The truth was, Lex wasn't sure she wanted to be with anyone or if she had just accepted Finn's proposal because they had been together for six years and it felt like the next logical step in their relationship. In her own mind, marriage was irrational and only brought pain. Her parents had been a prime example of that. Still, there was something about Finn that always drew Lex back which was why she hadn't ended things for good.
"Probably right. I know the case load isn't getting any lighter," Lex spoke of her work as an Auror. She has been one now for 3 years and had already established herself among the Ministry as a fearless and ruthless Auror, something the Ministry needed lately with the uptick of a seemingly growing population of Death Eaters. It seemed, even with Voldemort long dead there were those who believed in his mission still.
Lex climbed out of bed and made her way past Finn and into the bathroom where she leaned against the counter and closer her eyes for a long moment, trying to stop the room from spinning.
When she finally did opened her eyes back up enticed the tattoo on her right inner arm had added another 2 tally marks which meant two of the death eater she had gathered up last night had been disposed of. So far, she had 72 tallies on her arm, signaling all the death eater she has captured or killed as an Auror, with a new tally magically appearing each time another was added to her list.
The extra tally's made her feel good, like she was avenging her family.
Family, her eyes drifted to her other arm, where she had a small tattoo on the inside of her forearm that read "Mudblood" in the same writing as the scar that ran down her mother's arm. She had gotten the tattoo years ago to remind her of her roots.
Lex touched the scar and sighed, thinking of her mother. She had not seen Hermione in nearly six months but she knew it was time to pay her a visit, after all, today was her mother's birthday.
Lex disaperated to the sixth floor of St Mungos and moved toward the nurses station. When the nurse saw her she smiled up.
"Miss Weasley, it's so good to see you! It's been quite some time," the nurse named Jackie said.
"Well I've been working over in America lately," Lex felt she needed to justify her lack of visiting.
"So I've heard," Jackie said.
"How…how's she been?" Lex looked down the hallway to the room that houses ber mother, shifting uncomfortable from foot to foot.
"She has some good days still. She knows today is her birthday," Jackie gave a small smile.
Lex nodded, knowing she needed to move down the hall but it was if her feet were stuck. She dreaded visiting her mother because in her heart she didn't feel like the version of Hermione that had been at St Mungos for the last 12 years was her mother any longer.
"I'm sure she would love to see you," Jackie promoted causing Lex to nod and move slowly down the hall.
When Lex got to Hermione's door she stopped, closing her eyes for a moment as she allowed her memories to drift back to how her mother had even ended up there, feeling that it had desperately been all her fault and no one could tell her different.
It was her fault because Lex had insisted on her mother taking her out to get a new dress instead of wearing Rose's old one. While they had been shopping the Weasley house had been attacked by what everyone assumed had been former death eaters and Ron, Hugo, and Rose all lost their lives that day.
Lex remembered returning home, seeing the house in flames. She remembered her mother's screams as she threw her body over Ron and Hugo's, both sprawled out on the front lawn, their wands still in hand. She remembered that they didn't recovered Rose's body until the flames had been put out, and by then it wasn't really Rose anymore.
Lex remembered her mother screaming that had she been there she could have saved them. Lex wasn't sure if that was true but she couldn't say it wasn't.
After that Hermione shut down forcing she and Lex to move in with Lex's Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. Hermione barely spoke, and when she did it was like talking to a ghost. That went on for months until one summer night, Lex had come home late to find her mother sitting at Harry and Ginny's kitchen table, looking out the window, her wand in hand. Lex thought Hermione had heard her enter the room but found out the hard way that had not been the case, because when she opened the refrigerator to grab a snack she scared Hermione who whipped around and cursed Lex before she realized who she was.
Lex almost died that night, the long scar on her stomach being proof that her mother was now just a danger.
The next day, while Lex recovered from her attack, Harry and Ginny, along with Mr and Mrs Granger decided the best thing to do was get Hermione professional help, and they sent her to St Mungo. The fact that Hermione didn't even put up a fight to the suggestion showed it was the right move.
Lex opened her eyes and sighed, still staring at Hermione's closed door. The hope had always been Hermione would rest and recovery and eventually come home, but that never happened. With every visit it was more apparent that Hermione was giving up, not wanting to go on without most of her children or Ron and so it became clear after a year or two Hermione was never coming home.
The thoughts made Lex's heart race and she wondered if she really needed to go into her mother's room. Even if Hermione was lucid today, Lex knew she was not her favorite person. She couldn't help but feel that Hermione blamed her as much as she blamed herself for the loss of her siblings and father, though Hermione, even in all her grief had never said that.
"Please go see her, you came all this way," Nurse Jackie's voice came from down the hall.
Lex whipped her head up to see the nurse and then nodded at her instructions and slowly opened the door to Hermione's room.
Lex slowly stepped in the room to see her mother sitting in a chair by the window, two books on the small table in front of her, though her eyes were looking out at the street below.
"Mum?" Lex half American accent still held some strong afflictions.
Hermione turned quickly in her chair and smiled warmly at Lex and for a moment Lex saw a flash of her mother before all the tragedy, the mother who had loved and protected her fiercely.
"Rose!" Hermione stood up hugged Lex sweetly.
Lex immediately went stiff in her mothers arms. She knew it had been too good to be true; her mother was only happy because she was confused, she thought Lex was her older sister who had passed away. This had been happening more and more on her visits, Lex assuming because she was older now and looked like Rose had before she died.
"No, mum, it's me. It's Lex," Lex said, causing Hermione to take a step back and came her.
"Oh of course, Alexis. I just meant Rose will be back shortly. She just stepped out of the room," Hermione waved off the concern and went to sit back in her chair.
Again Lex sighed, wondering if she should correct her mother or just allow her to live in this nice fantasy she had concocted on her birthday.
"Happy birthday, mum," Lex decided on the latter.
"Thank you," Hermione smiled warmly again.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything. I flowed from New York and just didn't have time," Lex explained.
"New York? What were you doing there?" Hermione asked.
Lex sighed again, knowing her mothers memory was really going. "I work there, remember? As an Auror."
"No, you're too young to be an Auror. Your father is one but…" Hermione started.
"No, mum…" Lex reached out gently to touch Hermione's shoulder, wondering what time period Hermione thought it was. Ron had been a retired Auror for years before his death. In fact, he had stopped when Lex was only seven.
"What? Yes he is," Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"Mum, dad is gone…" Lex said gently.
Immediately Hermione's features changed and Lex knew the memories were flooding back. This happened to Hermione ever so often and she would remember everything and it usually led to a fit or a fight between her and Lex.
"I…I know that," Hermione said coldly, pulling her shoulder away from her daughter.
"Mum-" Lex started.
"Why are you here? You haven't come to see me in months," Hermione said and now Lex knew she remembered everything.
"Well it's your birthday," Lex said.
Hermione snorted and folded her arms. "What does that matter anymore. Nothing to celebrate."
"Mum, that's not true…" Lex said softly.
"Isn't it though? Look around here, Alexis, just looney me sitting here, waiting to die," Hermione threw her arms out and looked out the window again.
Lex bit the inside of her lip for a moment and let the silence fill between them. Finally she spoke again. "I'm trying to fix it, mum…"
And Lex meant it. Ever since she had lost her family she had been trying to figure out a way to get them back and she felt like she was getting closer every day, it just took time.
Hermione did not respond for a moment and then when she finally turned, Lex could see her expression had changed again.
"Did you just get here, dear?" Hermione asked Lex as if the conversation they had just had had never happened at all.
Lex sighed again. "Happy birthday, Mum."