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 13

Lex rubbed her eyes, trying her best to stay awake as she leaned against the brick wall of the back of Ron and Hermione's home. She had been assigned to the younger version of her mother's security detail for close to two weeks and so far nothing event remotely resembling an attack had happened. Lex was started to wonder if Kingsley had gotten his information wrong.

Instead of fighting off Death Eaters, Lex's last two weeks had consisted of following Hermione to the grocery store, escorting her to her office in the Ministry to gather paperwork she needed since everyone was still beefing forced to worked from home until the attack on the Department of Mysteries had been sorted out, and most recently, Lex had gone with her parents to her mother's 8 week check up at St. Mungos.

The check up had gone well which was why Lex was standing outside. Hermione and Ron had invited Harry and Ginny and little James over to have a picnic in their small backyard and tell them the good news.

And so Lex watched as a younger version of her parents sat under the shade of a large tree, sharing the exciting news that they were going to be parents with their best friends. Harry and Ginny were beyond thrilled and Lex couldn't help but feel like she was violating some sacred moment she was never meant to see, which was partially true. She wasn't even supposed to be alive yet.

While the four friends were talking, James made is way over to Lex. It was weird for her to see her much older cousin in his two year old form, but there was something so familiar about his eyes that she oddly felt comfort.

"Hi..." James waved simply when he got to Lex.

Lex smiled a bit at him. A smirk she had been told her had inherited from Ron. She knelt down to be eye level with James. "Hello there..."

James smiled brightly at Lex and immediately threw his arms around her, startling both her and him as the impact of his small form threw her off center from her kneeling position.

"Sorry! He's stronger than he looks," Harry was immediately there to help Lex up.

"It's fine. I just wasn't ready for him," Lex admitted as she could back up to her feet. Truthfully, being one of the youngest cousins in the Weasley Family, Lex was not super comfortable about children. She just hadn't had the exposure.

"Well, it's a good sign that he likes you , I suppose, especially if you are going to be hanging around here. James doesn't go to many people," Ginny shouted from her spot near Hermione.

"Good to know," Lex nodded, not sure what else to say as now Ron had gotten up to walk toward Lex and Harry, leaving Ginny and Hermione in the grass to watch the three Aurors and James talk near the house.

The second Ginny saw that Harry, Ron, and Lex were distracted by her son she turned to Hermione.

"So, do you like her?" Ginny asked.

"What? Who?" Hermione countered.

Ginny nodded toward Lex, trying to be discrete. "Ron's new partner...the one practically living here now."

"That was Kingsley's request, not mine," Hermione said simply, also looking over at Lex, Ron, and Harry to see the three of them laughing about something. It did strike something deep inside of her that she couldn't explain.

"So you don't like her," Ginny deduced.

Hermione turned sharply back to Ginny. "I never said that!"

"Well, maybe not with your words but your face is saying something different," Ginny said.

Hermione looked sharply at her sister-in-law and then sighed. "I mean...would you want her hanging around your house?"

"Because she's pretty?" Ginny asked.

Hermione pursed her lips at Ginny's words. She agreed, Lex was pretty but that wasn't what bothered Hermione. It was the way Lex looked at Ron, as if she had some deep understanding of him even after only having worked with him a few weeks. It was also the way Ron seemed so at ease with her. He never gravitated toward people like that anymore, not since the war.

Truthfully, it did make Hermione a bit jealous, especially because he has not been that way with Hermione lately. Although he seemed to really be coming around to the idea of being a dad and getting slightly more comfortable with her being pregnant, he had acted like she was so breakable, all of his energy being put into making sure she was safe, comfortable, or talking about the pregnancy from a mechanical standpoint. It was not how she had expected Ron to act honestly. He has always been one to have his emotions on display, good or bad, and she had been certain that once the shock wore off the idea of being a dad would have had him elated but so far he had been cool and calculating about it. He kept saying he was excited but it was so hard for her to read and it didn't help that they barely had a moment together without Lex or Scorpius or another Auror hanging around.

The only good thing had been that, at their St Mungo's appointment, when they had allowed Hermione and Ron to see their tiny bean of a baby through a spell to confirm growth and a heartbeat, Ron had seemed to smile when the room filled up with the tiny flutter of a newly found heart. He had even given Hermione's hand a loving squeeze. She hoped that was a sign he would allow himself to start to enjoy this moment rather then only worry about everything and everyone.

"I just...this is a special time for Ron and I and I feel like we can't even enjoy any of it alone." Hermione said as her fingers brushed across her stomach. She felt like she was already starting to look pregnant, if she really examined herself, but Ron swore he had seen no difference.

"Well, that I do understand, but maybe just talk to Ron a bit. Demand you both have space alone with one another. It's important he knows you want that, because the pregnancy will only get harder as it goes on." Ginny said

"I suppose that's true." Hermione nodded with a sigh as she continued to watch Ron, Lex, and Harry chat. Her glance caught Ron's eye, causing him to smile and her to let out the bit of breath she hadn't realized she was holding in.

She smiled back at her husband, feeling all of the things Ron's smile made her feel, all the reasons why she had inevitably ended up pregnant. She felt slightly at ease as she watched a new Auror come and relieve Lex from her post causing her husband and Harry to head back over to the blanket Hermione and Ginny were sitting on.

Lex flooed back into the flat she had been sharing with Scorpius ready to take a quick nap before she had to head back to her parents. She felt like she had hardly been there the last week or two and even when she had been it seemed her and Scorpius were on opposite schedules so she was shocked to find him sitting at the small kitchen table eating some toast.

"Woah, it's like seeing a ghost. Almost forgot what you looked like," Lex teased.

"Likewise," Scorpius smirked back. He had hated being home without Lex and only seeing her on the occasional pass through to relieve her for some sleep from Hermione duty. So much had happened in the last two weeks and now that he was spending time with his current parents he knew how weird it must have felt for Lex to be with her own parents.

"How's it going with your parents?" Lex asked, sitting down across from him and stealing a bite of toast off his plate.

Scorpius shrugged. "It's been weird, seeing them...I know you understand that."

Lex nodded. It was so strange interacting with a younger version of her parents and a version who had no idea who she was. "I certainly do."

"And my dad seems...more reserved than he is in the future which is sort of hard to believe..." Scorpius said.

"Really hard to believe," Lex commented. She had known Draco Malloy most of her life, whether it was because Rose had dated Scorpius or because she would occasionally run into him working at the Ministry and he rarely if ever so much as crack a smile at anyone. He was quiet and stuck to his work. Lex had always suspected it was because people had judged him harshly for the role he had played in the Second Wizarding War. Anyone who wasn't a fanatical Pure Blood loyalist anyway.

"But...I really don't think he's had anything to do with the attack on the Ministry." Scorpius said.

Lex cocked an eyebrow. "Why are you so sure of that?"

"Well for starters, he actually seems slightly nervous whenever we bring up the attack, and then the obvious point is...the wand I saw isn't the one he uses." Scorpius said.

"But he could have two wands..." Lex countered.

Scorpius shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "It just seems so unlikely. I'm in that house daily, and he doesn't watch me the entire time. Surely, I would have seen it by now."

"Well, mention it to Kingsley then. If it's not his wand it's got to be someone else's we know." Lex said and stood, yawning a bit.

"What time do you have to be back at your parents?" Scorpius asked her.

Lex looked at her watch and sighed. "Two hours...so I am going to go get a bit of sleep."

Scorpius nodded and watched Lex closely as she made her way to the bedroom she was using and slightly shut the door behind her, though not enough to not allow Scorpius to see her pull her shirt off and strip down to her underwear before climbing into bed. His cheeks flushed. He wanted to look away, but he just wasn't fast enough.

Ron followed Hermione into the kitchen as she brought in the empty plates from the picnic they had shared with Harry, Ginny, and little James. The Potter's had just left and the Aurors on duty were out in front of the house, giving Ron and Hermione a truly rare moment alone together. They usually only got that late at night when they were going to bed.

"It was nice having Harry and Ginny over. They seemed excited for us," Ron said as he hopped up on the counter, grabbing an apple and taking a bite.

"How are you still eating?" Hermione smirked up at her husband. "We just ate."

Ron shrugged with a mouth full of food. "I'm hungry."

Hermione rolled her eyes but laughed a little as she cleaned the dishes the muggle way. "Hopefully this baby doesn't get your appetite..."

Ron felt his ears go red as he looked down at the apple in his hand. Seeing the little bean of a baby earlier that day, but more importantly, hearing the baby's heartbeat had really made everything feel real and Ron had thought it would have made him more anxious but it oddly did the opposite. He felt such a connection to that heartbeat, and for the first time in weeks, since he had first learned about Hermione's pregnancy, he actually felt a little excited.

Ron's lack of a response caused Hermione to stop scrubbing and look up. "Ron...are you okay? You didn't say much after the doctor's appointment."

Ron looked up at Hermione and shook his head, locking eyes with her. "I'm fine. We just didn't have a minute alone to talk, really."

Hermione sighed and leaned back on the counter. "Well, I didn't ask for the Auror patrol."

"I know," Ron said, looking down at his hands. He knew having Lex or Scorpius or any Auror around constantly was taking a toll on their interaction and time alone.

Ron reached out and took Hermione's hand. "But if you want the truth, Hermione, hearing that baby's heartbeat...it was bloody amazing."

Hermione felt a smile move across her face. That was not what she had expected him to say, not when he had seemed so reserved in the hospital. "Really?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah...made it all bloody real, which is terrifying, but also made me a bit proud. I mean...we made that, Hermione."

Hermione felt her hormones overwhelm her as Ron gently reached out to softly touch her stomach. It was still flat but Ron managed to graze the one part she felt was forming a bit of a bump. Hermione felt her eyes swell with tears of joy. She felt so overwhelmed. She gently put her own hand on top of Ron's and smiled at her husband.

"You're beautiful," Ron smiled up at her, laying it on thick. At any other moment she would have rolled her eyes at him, but in that moment she felt so close to him.

Hermione dove in and kissed him with more passion than they had shared in weeks. Ron kissed her back fiercely, moving his hands to cup her face. He had missed being this close to Hermione, the events of the last few weeks driving a bit of distance between them.

The young married couple was so wrapped up in each other, they hardly heard the screams from the Aurors outside and only broke apart when one of the Aurors came flying through the door, the victim of a Stuplify attack.

Ron immediately wiped around, placing himself and his wand between Hermione and a large figure in a dark clock and an old Death Eater mask who had stepped in now through their front door.

Lex apparated to a wooden lot near her parent's home. It was easier than flooing because it allowed her to do a quick check on the exterior before resuming her duties of watching her parents inside their home.

Lex began walking down the street when she heard the attack. She heard the curses being blasted before she could see the front door. She sprinted toward her parent's home just to see the back of a hooded figure step in through the front door.

This was it. This was the attack they had been waiting for.

Lex drew her wand, rushing toward the door and figure and about to tackle them when she heard her father blast a stream of spells, knocking the hooded figure clear into Lex, pinning her to the ground for a moment.

Lex struggled under the weight of the hooded figure that she now noticed was wearing a Death Eater Mask. She pushed against them, jabbing them in the side with her wand and causing them to quickly roll off her

When Lex caught her breath, she saw the younger version of her father standing in the door, his wand drawn as her mother cautiously walked up behind him. Both seem unharmed from the attack, which gave Lex the ability to focus on the attacker.

Lex was on her feet quickly as the attacker glanced between her and Ron and then took off.

Lex looked at her father for a split second. It was as if they were communicating without words. She assumed it was because they were in the same profession and at the end of the day Aurors did all think similarly.

"Stay here," Lex told her father who merely nodded, never putting his wand down.

Lex then took off, sprinting after the attacker and blasting a silent curse that quickly wrapped the Death Eaters feet into a tight rope, causing the Death Eater to fall to the ground and groan again.

Lex wasted no time, grabbing the death eater and dragging him back up the driveway and into Ron and Hermione's house.

"Lock the door," Lex told Ron as she stepped around the Auror who was still stunned on the floor and pulled the death eater into the kitchen, skidding them across the floor and using another silent charm to tie their arms to the knobs of the kitchen cabinets.

"Curtains," Lex barked.

Hermione seemed to respond now, understanding what was being asked of her and quickly using her wand to close all of the curtains in the house.

"Who is it?" Ron asked, now entering the kitchen.

"Let's find out," Lex said as she lifted the mask quickly off the attacker, surprising them all when they saw his face.

"Goyle?" Ron's voice came out somewhere between anger and confusion as he stared down at Gregory Goyle. While he knew Goyle had always been a follower of Voldemort he had always viewed him as a lackey at best, never someone to orchestrate an attack like this.

Lex felt her fist clench at the sight of Goyle. She had arrested him numerous times in the future for petty attacks that never landed him in serious trouble more than a few weeks, mostly because her own mother had created multiple laws to help give people like Goyle second and third chances. She absolutely despised him but also was confused to see him. He was far too dumb to be in charge of everything she assumed was happening.

Without a second thought, Lex punched Goyle straight across the face, busting his lip.

Hermione flinched. Despite what Goyle had just attempted to do, she still felt for anyone being hurt. She thought her tortured at Malfoy Manor had something to do with it. The farther removed from the war she was the more she didn't like to see others hurt.

Lex punched him again, without a word, feeling anger rising in her from a place even she didn't understand. She struck him again, over and over until his face was battered and bruised.

Ron, seeing Hermione flinch or tense with each strike eventually put his hand on Lex's shoulder. "Alright, that's enough. We'd like him to be able to talk a little bit..."

Lex took a deep breath at her father's words and tried to calm herself enough to speak. Eventually, she was able to direct a comment to Goyle. "Why are you here?"

Goyle spit some blood from his mouth at Lex's feet in response to her question and it took far more strength than Ron would have thought to hold Lex back from beating Goyle again.

"I'd answer her," Ron warned Goyle as Lex relaxed a bit in his arms and he let her go.

"I'm not saying a bloody thing," Goyle said.

Lex went to step toward him again, but everyone was shocked when Hermione stepped forward, her wand drawn at Goyle.

Upon seeing Hermione, Goyle seemed to swallow hard which made Ron smirk. Clearly, Goyle feared Hermione more than he did anyone else in the room, and Ron didn't disagree with that. Everyone knew how smart and capable Hermione was as a witch. Ron wouldn't want to be on the other end of her wand.

"You broke into my home and threatened my family...why?" Hermione said carefully, her eyes never leaving Goyle as she pressed her wand against his cheek. She knew she wouldn't do anything, but she also knew Goyle had always been just a little afraid of her, even back at Hogwarts. She thought she would be able to get an answer much quicker and she absolutely wanted one. Someone had tried to attack her home and she would not stand for it. She would not live in terror.

"I'd definitely answer her," Ron said about his wife.

Goyle swallowed hard as Hermione pressed her wand a little harder onto his cheek.

"I...I was paid," Goyle eventually said.

Hermione lowered her wand and moved back toward Ron who protectively put an arm around her but this caused Goyle to regain his composure, puffing his chest out a bit.

"Paid? Who paid you?" Lex questioned.

"He's lying...his family were Death Eaters...probably still are," Ron said.

"Well rather that then a blood traitor," Goyle shot at Ron.

Ron stepped forward, his own fists balled up, but he was cut off by Lex who ignored her father for a moment and pressed Goyle again, taking her own wand out now.

"Who paid you? And if you lie...I won't be as forgiving as her." Lex said, motioning back to her mother with her head before pushing her own wand deep into Goyle's chest and then moving it slowly to rest on his throat.

"Honestly, I don't know. I didn't see their face when I met them...he was wearing a mask...and he was paying enough that I didn't ask too many questions." Goyle explained.

"How did you get in contact with him?" Lex asked.

Goyle sort of shrugged. "It was weird, I just had a note in my jacket one day to meet someone out for a quick pay day."

Lex narrowed her eyes in confusion and looked back at the younger version of her parents in confusion. She had always known the Goyle family to be dim but this sounded crazy.

"He was bewitched...if he's telling the truth anyway," Hermione concluded, knowing plenty of spells could have blurred any details someone didn't want Goyle to remember.

"Where did you meet him?" Ron asked, not dwelling on how Goyle got there at the moment. He expected that they would only have a few more minutes before Aurors showed up and they would no longer be able to question him so openly.

"Outside the Ministry...assuming he worked somewhere in there given how he was dressed aside from the mask," Goyle said.

"Did he say why he wanted you to come here?" Lex asked, her mind was racing. Between the attack on the Department of Mysteries and now this attack she could see someone at the Ministry being behind the attack, but who?

"Just that they wanted Hermione alive...needed her blood but not to kill her...not yet anyway," Goyle said.

Hermione felt her breath catch at Goyle's words. She knew Ron had mentioned a blood curse prophecy but she didn't take it this seriously. Prophecies were never sure magic to her, but obviously someone wanted to prove this one right. Someone wanted her blood.

Goyle broke Hermione's train of thought with a small laugh, mostly to himself.

"What's so funny?" Lex stepped forward again, one hand pushing her wand into Goyle's throat and the other balling up into a fist. She felt a wave of anger return.

"Go ahead...you want to kill me, do it. They are going to just keep coming whether it's me or someone else," Goyle said.

"Why are you so sure of that?" Lex said.

"You think I was the only one who they reached out to? I just got here first," Goyle said.

Lex didn't like Goyle's response and before she could even register what she was doing she swung hard at Goyle, knocking him clear over and clearly unconscious.

Hermione flinched when Goyle's face connected with her floor.

"Really don't like him," Lex commented, her mind racing as to all of the information they had just been given.

"Should we take him to the Ministry?" Ron asked.

Lex thought for a moment and shook her head. "If he was telling the truth...if it's someone from the Ministry, we need to be careful about this."

"So what do we do?" Ron asked.

"I'll get him out of here for now...we will have to tell Scorpius and Harry but...we need to be extra careful about who we let in this house now. Send for them both now, I'll double check the charms," Lex said.

Ron nodded, moving to send a owl to Harry and Scorpius. He knew that Lex was right. Anyone could've compromised them and now he knew more than ever there was a connection between the prophecy and Hermione's blood. He needed to do anything and everything he could to keep them safe.

Ron was so wrapped up in the mechanics of everything that he hardly noticed Hermione move away from him and into the living room where she eased herself into the couch, looking paler and smaller then she had in years. The impact of everything hitting her at once. Her life was in danger yet again, but this time she had to worry about her baby's life as well. Her hand slowly snaked around her stomach.

Lex, however, did notice her mother and, after an internal debate followed her mother into the living room. She knew the younger version of her mother didn't know her well, and truthfully, didn't seem particularly fond of her, though she had not outright said that. Still, Lex knew her mother well enough to know she was worried and Lex felt the need to comfort the woman who did not know her, and yet would some day be one of the most influential women in Lex life.

Lex cleared her throat upon entering the room, causing Hermione to look up.

Hermione got a chill down her back when her eyes locked with Lex's eyes. She felt like she was staring straight at Ron. Hermione knew it made no sense but the way Lex stared at her reminded her so much of her husband it was unnerving and yet oddly comforting all at once.

"Are you...well...I guess asking if you're alright is silly..." Lex gave a small laugh at her own words.

Hermione straightened up as the young Auror seemed to try to make a joke. She didn't find any of this funny. She was sick of being threatened, sick of having to watch her back, and she did not want to start her pregnancy in such a way.

Lex could tell from her mother's glare that she didn't find her words funny at all. She dropped her smirk and straightened up herself. "Look. I know you don't know me and probably have very little reason to trust me but...I promise you, we are going to keep you safe...all of you."

Lex motioned to Hermione's stomach causing her to glance down before sighing and giving Lex a small nod. She knew she had not been particularly warm toward Lex and it hade been a mix of jealously of Lex spending time with Ron and also anger that she had hardly had a moment alone with Ron since telling him she was pregnant but she knew Lex was there to do a job and so far, Lex had done a good job. Hermione wasn't sure what would have happened had Lex not shown up when Goyle attacked.

"I appreciate that," Hermione said.

Lex just gave her mother a small nod, knowing from her mother's body language that was probably the most they would speak that evening.