James was on his feet in a moment, clutching his wand. “That’s probably Dumbledore, but it’s best to be ready,” he said as he moved towards the door.
“Who is it?” he shouted.
“Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,” was the reply, and everyone at the table relaxed slightly.
“What’s your favorite flavor of jam?” James asked, and when he heard, “Raspberry,” he opened the door. There was the headmaster, smiling slightly as he entered the room.
“Speaking of raspberry jam, do you happen to have any, Lily?” he asked.
“Of course, Dumbledore; it’s my favorite too,” she admitted as she rose from the table. “Would you like some tea as well? I just put the kettle on.”
“That would be wonderful, my dear,” Dumbledore said as he sank into one of the kitchen chairs, his bones creaking in protest.
As Lily went to make him a cup of tea, Harry made introductions.
“These are my friends, Ron, Hermione, and Nymphadora Tonks, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. They’ve come to make sure that Ginny and I get home safely,” he explained.
“And to make sure that the future isn’t changed, of course,” Hermione added pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest as Tonks nodded in agreement. Dumbledore raised his bushy eyebrows at her comment.
“Of course,” he replied smoothly. “Now, I understand you will be returning by way of the stone circle?”
“Yes, and any information you could give us on it would be much appreciated,” Hermione said earnestly, momentarily forgetting to be defensive and leaning forward. “Do you know how it works? I’ve done a bit of research, of course, but I haven’t gotten a chance to examine it closely…”
She peppered him with questions about the circle and took up most of his attention, though the others chimed in occasionally. After about an hour, during which Hermione, Tonks, and Dumbledore worked out exactly how they would get back to the future, the headmaster rose to take his leave.
“I must be going. It’s getting late, and I’m an old man who needs his rest,” Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling cheerfully. “I will see you again in a few days, unless you need me for anything. Happy Christmas!”
And with that, he left, stepping out of the door and Disapparating off of the front step.
“Whew!” Hermione said, slumping back in her chair as soon as he left. “I’m glad that’s all sorted. Not that I was worried, of course,” she added.
“Of course you weren’t worried,” Ron soothed, glancing over at Harry and rolling his eyes. Harry hid a smile as Ron continued, “You’ve got everything planned out, so we won’t have anything to worry about when we leave on New Year’s Eve.”
Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples, wincing as she did so. “Yes, I suppose so. But now I’ve got a raging headache.”
“It might be from Dumbledore’s attempt at Legilimancy,” Tonks added, and the others looked at her in surprise. She shrugged. “I thought I felt something while we were talking to him, and I’ve got a pounding head now, too. Wouldn’t surprise me if he tried. I’d do it myself, if I were him.”
A worried frown appeared on Ron’s face as he stood and helped Hermione to her feet. He led her into the sitting room, and the others followed. “Here, why don’t you lie down? I’ll make some more tea…or something. Are you cold? Do you need a blanket or anything?” The stream of words finally stopped as he helped her onto the couch with surprising gentleness.
“Ron! Stop fussing!” she exclaimed irritably, “You don’t have to worry; it’s just a headache. And what about Tonks? You’re not fussing over her!”
He scowled and stuffed a pillow behind her head. “You’re too stubborn for you own good,” he snapped, ignoring her comment about Tonks. “You’re not invincible, so just admit that you need rest. Now, shut up and relax!”
“But I don’t need “ ” she began, but he clapped a hand over her mouth, abruptly shutting off the stream of words.
“Shh! Just…stop worrying, for a minute, all right? Relax. If we make you comfortable now, you’ll feel better that much sooner,” Ron said as he pulled a blanket over her with her other hand. “Let me take care of you, for once,” he said quietly as he took his hand away from her mouth, and Hermione’s expression softened. She nodded and settled back into the pillow.
“You can lie down in the guest room if you like, where it’s quieter,” Lily volunteered, but Hermione shook her head.
“No, please, I’ll be fine in a few minutes. Thank you, though,” Hermione replied as Ron brought her a cup of tea, making sure to hand one to Tonks as well, who accepted it gratefully. “And thank you, Ron,” Hermione said to him as he sat in a chair next to the couch.
“Yeah, thanks,” Tonks mumbled as she sipped her tea, well aware that Ron’s full attention was on Hermione.
“It’s just a cup of tea,” he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink. Hermione gave him an odd look.
“I know,” she said. “But thank you anyway.”
He smiled and laid a hand over hers briefly. “You’re welcome,” he said, meeting her eyes. They stared at each other like that for a minute, oblivious to everyone around them, until Lily cleared her throat.
“Ginny, could you come here for a minute?” Lily asked, beckoning her. “I, er, need some help in the kitchen. I’ve got some cookies I want to put on for everyone.”
“All right!” James exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing her around the waist. “Did I mention you’re the best wife ever? Treacle and cookies!”
She laughed and kissed him on the cheek before squirming out of his arms. “Only a few times a day, but I never get tired of hearing it. Besides, it’s Christmas Eve. Having freshly baked cookies on Christmas Eve is a tradition that should always be carried out. We’ll be back in a few minutes; they won’t take long. Come on, Ginny.”
Ginny rose and followed Lily into the kitchen, a curious look on her face.
“Yes?” she asked, leaning on the counter as Lily took a jar of cookie dough out of the icebox and flicked her wand at the oven to turn it on. “What is it, Lily?”
“Sorry, I’m a little confused. What’s going on between your friends?” Lily asked as she started shaping the dough into cookies. “They’re just…acting a little strange and I wanted to make sure everything was all right. Could you hand me the cookie sheet under the stove?”
Ginny blinked, a little taken aback. “What? You mean Ron and Hermione?” She asked as she reached for the cookie sheet.
Lily nodded as she started laying out the cookies on the sheet. “Yes, I don’t want to say anything wrong, so I just wanted to be sure before I did. Are they going out or something? They aren’t having a row, are they?”
“Oh, right,” Ginny chuckled. “Well, my idiot brother’s had the hots for Hermione since they were, oh, eleven or twelve. They’ll probably start going out once they stop fighting long enough. Merlin only knows when that will happen, though it might be soon, with the way they’ve been acting lately.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is,” Lily said, smiling slightly as she slid the pan into the oven and set the timer. “I was wondering. Thanks for clearing that up.”
She and Ginny continued to chat as they waited for the cookies to bake for the next few minutes. Lily asked Ginny all kinds of questions, about her family, school, and of course, her relationship with Harry.
“You’re the only girlfriend of his I’ll ever meet, you see,” Lily explained, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice. But then she smiled. “And from what I can see, you’re very important to him, and it makes me glad that he has you, no matter how long you two are together.”
“Thank you,” Ginny said quietly. “That really means a lot to me, especially coming from you.” She hesitated a moment before blurting, “I’d always wanted to meet you, even though I didn’t think it was possible. I really hoped you’d like me.”
Lily smiled again as the timer dinged. “And I really do,” she replied gently as she took the cookies out of the oven. “I like you for yourself, and because you’re good for him. You remind me a little of myself. With any luck, now that he’s realized that it won’t protect you to distance himself, the two of you can be happy together. Now, let’s get these to everyone in the sitting room before they get cold. Then your brother can fuss over Hermione some more.”
Ginny laughed and followed her into the sitting room.
“You wouldn’t have liked his first girlfriend anyway. She cried too much,” Ginny commented, and Lily made a face.
“I never liked criers. Too much drama for everyone involved,” she replied.
As they entered, they heard James ask Ron the very question Lily had been afraid of.
“So, how long have you two been going out?”
Ron turned bright red and sat bolt upright, opening his mouth like a startled fish. “Erm…well, er, we’re not…that is…we’re just…erm, well, best friends.” He looked beseechingly at Hermione, who was just as red as he was.
“Oh, erm, yes, just friends, that’s right,” she started babbling. “Well, we pretended to be going out while we were in the village, anyway, just because we thought it’d look a little funny to people if Ron was just a friend, you know, since friends don’t usually spend the holidays with girls that aren’t their girlfriends. Well, not usually. We always spend the holidays together though, Ron and Harry and I. Because we’re really good friends, best friends, actually. Like Ron said.”
James looked confused.
“Oh,” he finally said, glancing from one to the other.
“Anyone want a cookie? They’re chocolate, and I just took them out of the oven, so they’re still nice and hot!” Lily exclaimed brightly, bustling over with the tray. Ginny trailed behind her, an amused expression on her face as Lily passed out cookies and napkins to everyone, chattering like a magpie as she tried to breakup the awkwardness that had appeared in the room.
Just then, the ball of light near Lily’s head started making cooing noises, and she whirled about, setting the tray on the coffee table. “Sounds like the baby’s awake,” she said, smiling as she hurried upstairs. She reappeared momentarily, carrying little Harry. He smiled happily and wriggled in her arms as she made her way downstairs.
“Would you like to hold him, Hermione?” Lily asked, holding him out to her.
“Oh! Oh, no, I don’t know…that is, I’m not used to babies, I “ I might drop him,” Hermione stammered, but Lily thrust the baby in her arms despite her protests.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Lily soothed. “See? He likes you already!”
Hermione cradled him carefully, but he squirmed and tried to sit up in her arms. He stared solemnly at her, and reached a pudgy hand to grab at her hair. He managed to get a handful, and pulled.
“Ow! Ow, ow! No!” Hermione exclaimed, prying his hand open and releasing her hair. “He’s got a really strong grip,” she told Lily, who nodded ruefully.
“Yes, sorry, I should’ve warned you about that,” said Lily. “It’s one reason I try to wear my hair up when I’m holding him, otherwise he ends up pulling it out.”
“Ah, okay,” Hermione replied, trying to hold the infant away from her hair while still supporting him. “Erm, here, why don’t you take him back? Unless Ginny wants to hold him?” She looked hopefully towards Ginny, who laughed and took him from her. He started cooing and babbling to Ginny as soon as he was in her arms, patting her cheeks and trying to grab her nose.
She laughed and played with him as the others talked and munched on cookies and milk.
“Mmmm, Lily, these are amazing! Better than last time!” James said enthusiastically through a mouthful of cookies.
“That’s what you said last time, too. And every other time I’ve made cookies,” she teased him, but he shrugged.
“What can I say? You just get better and better!” he said, winking at her.
The rest of the evening passed quickly as they shared stories and laughter, though the ones from the future were very careful not to reveal too much. Every now and again, Harry would start to say something, only to stop abruptly and press his lips together as if he were afraid of saying too much. But he had help with the others, especially from Ron and Ginny, who regaled the Potters with tales of their childhood at the Weasley’s.
Eventually, however, it came to an end.
“We’d better be going soon, it’s getting late,” Tonks said, sighing as she put down her cup reluctantly. Hermione nodded in agreement and began untangling her legs from the blanket Ron had thrown over her earlier. He offered a hand to help her up, but she ignored it.
“I’m fine now, Ron, really,” she said, but just as she did, her foot slipped on the rug, and she fell backwards onto the sofa. Ron lunged to catch her, but only succeeded in falling on top of her. Eventually they managed to scramble back up, faces red as everyone else pretended not to smile.
Ginny handed the baby to Lily, and she and Harry walked into the kitchen with Ron, Hermione and Tonks to tell them good-bye. Hermione hugged both of them tightly before she headed towards the door with Ron, but then suddenly stopped and whirled around, hand in her pocket.
“Oh, Harry, before I forget, Tonks gave me an enchanted mirror for you. She gave Ginny one as well, but you and Ron were gone, so we forgot to tell you at the hotel,” she explained, handing the mirror to Harry. He took it and examined it, frowning a little.
Ginny stepped closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder as she told him, “I can show you how to work it; it’s not hard at all.” She and Hermione shared a smile as she continued, “Tonks showed me and Hermione earlier.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty simple, really,” Tonks said, grinning. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it, ‘specially with Ginny teaching you. And thank your parents for asking me to come, it was a great evening. You two walking back?” She directed her last question to Ron, who nodded and moved a little closer to Hermione. Tonks smiled again.
“Well, I’ll see you back at the hotel. Good night, Harry, Ginny,” she said as she stepped through the doorway and Disapparated on the other side. The others were silent for a moment after they left, and then Hermione shook her head briskly.
“Right, well, you two have a good night.” Her eyes softened as she glanced at Harry. “Your parents are lovely, Harry.”
He nodded. “Yeah, they’re great,” he said, his voice suddenly thick. “I’m really glad I’ve got this time with them.”
Ginny put her arm around him, and he drew her close, kissing the top of her head.
“I won’t waste it,” he murmured.
They were all silent for a moment, but Ron grabbed Hermione’s hand before it turned awkward.
“Come on, Hermione, we need to get back, and it’s getting dark. See you later, Harry, Ginny.” He pulled her away, practically dragging her out as the door shut behind them.
She shook his hand off once they were a few feet away.
“Listen, Ronald Weasley, you have no right to manhandle me just because you think it’s time to go!” she snapped.
“Hermione, please, I was just trying to get us out of there before something else happened. Besides, Harry needs to spend time with his parents “ you said so yourself!” he replied, irritation evident in his voice. “And we really do need to get back “ it’s getting dark, and there are still Death Eaters looking for Harry’s parents. I’ll protect you and all, but I’d rather be careful and not have to.”
She snorted softly, but didn’t comment, stuffing her hands in her pockets and stalking away from him. Ron sighed and hurried after her until he had caught up, and they walked in silence back to the hotel, reaching it just as the light had almost totally faded from the sky. By that time, Hermione’s bad mood had worn off, and she even smiled at Ron when he held their room door open for her.
After they had brushed all the snow off and gotten warm and dry again, the three of them sat down and began planning out the next day. Or rather, Hermione began planning it.
“Right, we need to get our stories straight before tomorrow,” Hermione said briskly. The Eother two gave her confused looks, and she sighed.
“Tonks,” she said, as if it were obvious, and when their expressions didn’t change, she sighed again, this time blowing out the air forcefully enough to move the piece of paper in front of her.
“Remus can’t know that she’s Nymphadora Tonks, because they fall in love in the future,” she explained patiently. “He can know about the rest of us because it doesn’t really matter; people will think he’s crazy if he says anything anyway. But if he knows that he falls in love with Tonks, it could mess up their relationship in the future.”
“But how?” Ron asked. “Why would it matter? Wouldn’t it make it better, I mean, if he knows he’s supposed to fall in love with her, won’t it make it that much easier for him to?”
Tonks snorted quietly under her breath.
“Not necessarily, Ron,” Hermione answered, glancing at Tonks and taking on a lecturing tone. “If someone thinks that they have to do something, a lot of times, they try to stop it from happening. It’s the whole idea of free will and fate and so on. We don’t want Remus to feel forced into falling in love with Tonks because, knowing him, he’ll question whether or not his feelings are real or are they just fate, and try to stop them from happening.”
“It was hard enough for the bloody idiot to let himself fall for me in the first place,” Tonks stated dryly. “I can’t imagine how much more he’ll fight it if he thinks he’s being forced into it. And since I don’t want to jeopardize my future happiness, what do you suggest we do, Hermione?”
“Well,” Hermione said, relieved, “I was thinking you could pose as my older sister instead of my mother. That way, you can still look younger, so it won’t be too weird if you end up under the mistletoe with Remus.” Tonks grinned as Hermione continued, “But you definitely won’t be Nymphadora Tonks. Well, not to him, anyway, so everything should be fine.”
Tonks nodded and pulled out a hand mirror. She began morphing her features until she looked like a slightly older version of Hermione, with blonde streaks in her curly brown hair and green eyes rather than brown.
“I think you can still be called Elizabeth Granger. That way you won’t have to remember another name,” Hermione said as Tonks continued to make subtle changes to her features, frowning and looking back and forth between Hermione and the mirror in her hand. “And we can use the mirrors to let Harry and Ginny know about it before we arrive tomorrow so they can tell his parents.”
“All right, that’s fine,” she replied a second later. “But I’d rather be called Lizzy, if you don’t mind. Elizabeth’s a pretty name and all, but it’s a bit, well, old. It was fine for your mother, but I think your sister would like something younger. And so would I, as a matter of fact.” She looked up and wrinkled her nose, which was now a bit more pert than Hermione’s, though it retained the same shape.
“What’d’you think?” Tonks asked, standing and twirling in place so that the others could see her clearly.
“Blimey, Tonks, if I didn’t know better, I’d really think you were her sister,” Ron said in admiration. Hermione was torn between glaring at him and smiling at him, so she looked at Tonks instead, nodding her approval.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you very much,” Tonks said, bowing and curtseying as if she were an actress onstage. “Now, I suppose we’d better talk a bit so that we get our family history right.”
Hermione nodded, and launched into a fairly detailed history of her family, dredging up memories of past holidays and crazy relatives. Tonks interrupted her periodically for more details as Ron listened intently, filing away the information in case he needed to remember it later.
* * *
“Well, it’s getting late,” Lily said, smiling, a few hours after their guests had left. “And all the good boys and girls are in bed right now, waiting for Father Christmas.”
James winked at Harry as Lily helped him to his feet. “Yeah, who knows? Maybe he’ll find you and leave your presents, even though you’re not supposed to be here.”
Ginny laughed. “Should we leave out milk and cookies, then? We wouldn’t want to offend him.”
James nodded soberly. “Of course! It’s very important that we leave cookies out for, erm, Father Christmas, because he especially loves Lily’s chocolate cookies.”
Lily snorted with laughter under her breath as she got a plate and glass from the kitchen. When everything had been arranged to James’ satisfaction, everyone headed up to their respective beds.
Of Christmas Past by Chaser921
Chapter Notes: Again, sorry this is taking so long. Anyway, I hope you guys like it! And much thanks to my beta, Yemeron.