Chapter Text
Fred couldn’t help staring at the little boy wearing cuffed blue jeans, chuck taylors and a green sweatshirt. The young boy looked just like Fred and George had when they were children. Except there was someone else’s features merged into the unaware child. His eyes flitted up to the girl who was also watching the young boy from her seat beside Hermione in the spare room by Dumbledore’s office. Her grey eyes were wide with wonder and her lips were pressed into a firm line as she watched the unreal creature that she would later create play with her silver Slytherin necklace. A dark piece of her straight tresses fell in front of her sculpted cheek and Fred felt himself staring.
The mother of his future child, the woman who would give him children. His Katrina, his woman. Katrina Malfoy-Weasley would be his woman. That gave him a surprising urge to protect her. If he didn’t protect her then his children wouldn’t be born, he reasoned with himself. There was something else though, despite her being from the family that were practically the epitome of his enemies, he could see why he had chosen to make her his. She was uniquely beautiful, with a perfect complexion made of pale skin and pink cheeks, straight teeth, high cheekbones, and stunning eyes framed with long lashes pulled her face together. There were many talks about her curvaceous body in the Quidditch locker room and Fred himself had been one to join in the crude joking because if he was honest he didn’t mind the sight of her one bit. To top it all off the witty jokes, un-Slytherin-like kindness to those who deserved it and the motherly persona, made her the talk of the school.
Fred found himself feeling strangely blessed to think that he’d been the one to nab the untouchable Malfoy and not George. Don’t get him wrong, he loved George more than he loved anyone, but he always shared his victories with him even though he was always the mastermind behind their pranks and ideas. It felt good to know he had a trophy of his own, something or someone who was extremely hard to come by and that no one else would have.
He suspected that it would be a hard road ahead as she didn’t exactly come from the most Weasley accepting family in Britain and particularly as he highly doubted her father and brother would be happy about her bringing him home for Sunday dinner. They’d cross that bridge when they come to it, he supposed.
Fred had always assumed he and George would go off and do something to do with jokes in the future. Jokes till they died, he’d always imagined, and nothing much else.
But now he was seeing solid evidence, a real-life peek, into the future. It was different then he’d imagined. A son named Leo, named after the constellation. Like his Uncle Draco’s name. He’d also mentioned that his middle name was after his Uncle George.
His other little brother would be named George once he finished baking in mummies tummy after Daddy put his ingredients inside it, his son’s words, not his. However, he suspected that he may have had a part in that analogy as Katrina had glanced at him, her cheeks flaring, hands clutched together on her lap while he smirked.
Fred, Ron and Ginny’s mother and father were the first Guardians to arrive at Hogwarts. Molly enveloped each of her children into a hug before gasping loudly, bursting into tears as she locked eyes with the time turner children who were playing with each other on Dumbledore’s rug. Her husband calmly discussed something with their headmaster while she tentatively knelt beside the children.
“Grandma!” The children except for Lorcan, Neville and Luna’s son, exclaimed. Lorcan sat on his father’s knee and talked happily with a seemingly unbothered Luna.
The children grappled to hug Molly and she cried harder.
“Whys you cry, Gwandma? Is you still mad at Daddy for bweaking your favwite window wiv his firecwacker?” Fred laughed at the same time as Katrina let out a snort. They glanced at each other awkwardly and shared a shy smile at Leo’s words. At least Fred knew he wouldn’t miss out on the fun too much in his later years.
Molly looked at Fred and he nodded at her, “Mum, this is Leo and that’s his future mum, Katrina Malfoy.” With a slight burrow of her eyebrow at the Malfoy mention Molly threw her arms around a sheepish Katrina and hugged her tightly.
Katrina let her and hugged her back briefly, “Uh, hi Mrs. Weasley, nice to meet you?” Molly laughed and pulled Leo into her arms for a warm cuddle and a pepper of kisses.
“It’s lovely to meet the mother of my grandchild, dear. Do call me Molly, we are family after all!” Katrina liked Mrs. Weasley immediately but couldn’t help the fear of being suffocated grow in her chest.
“Not yet, Mum, they barely know each other, no point putting strain on them.” Katrina grinned at Ginny in thanks as Mrs. Weasley began to address her other grandchildren.
Katrina felt incredibly nervous as she greeted Mr. Weasley who insisted on being called Arthur. Fred placed a hand on her shoulder and at first, she tensed. He went to pull away from her until he heard her sigh and her shoulders slumped. Slowly like the tipping of an old tower she leant against his side. He let her and rubbed gentle circles into her back. His chest tightened, and his heart sped up as he realised his head would rest perfectly onto the top of her head if he let it.
Luna’s father was the second to enter the room, heading straight to Luna and talking quietly with her. About three minutes later, the Malfoy’s entered Hogwarts. The children continued playing, blissfully unaware from their place on the ground.
Katrina heard the click of her father’s cane and the soft steps of her mother as they stepped out of the floo network. She quickly separated from Fred who looked at her questioningly. She took several steps backward, feeling panic and fear swelling in her chest. Her son noticed and lifted his arms, opening and closing his fists to her. Katrina snapped up the child from the ground and held him hurriedly to her chest.
The panic grew as she heard her father’s sharp voice from the doorway behind her, “Katrina, I will speak to you alone.”
Her panic must have been very evident on her face as Hermione reached to touch her arm. She didn’t let her as she knew this would anger her father further.
Slowly Katrina turned around to see Severus Snape standing behind her scowling father and her bewildered mother. Narcissa eyed the boy squirming in her arms.
Katrina swallowed thickly and handed Leo to Fred slowly with a meaningful look. Fred read it as a ‘look after our kid’ kind of look. But then he could only guess as he didn’t really know her.
“Father, I-“
“NOW, child.” Lucius hissed, and most of the room flinched. Katrina fled across the room to him, head bowed, and robes flying.
Lucius glared around the room, standing tall before turning to place a hand on his daughters back, closing the door after them.
Behind the closed-door Katrina rang her hands, eyes pleading at her father.
“Father, you must understand-“
“UNDERSTAND?” He roared, his black robe flurried around him, as he stared down at his nervous child.
On the other side of the door its occupants flinched again at the sound of his snarl. Narcissa however barely shuddered, moving her way gracefully closer to her grandson.
He was balanced awkwardly in Fred’s unsure hands and looked to be rather upset as Molly Weasley angled herself as if she was ready to jump and protect the child.
Narcissa stopped in front of them and stared hard at Fred.
“So, you are the Weasley boy? And this is my grandchild, Leo was it?” She was much calmer than her husband. Fred didn’t know how to reply but his mother took the reins for her children as always.
“Your future son in law is named Fred if that’s what you’re asking.” The Weasley children looked up hurriedly at their protective mother, almost ready to stop her from starting a brawl.
Narcissa didn’t flinch, “Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Fred, although I must say my husband and son will attempt to skin you alive at any moment. Hello, Leo, darling.”
Narcissa tentatively touched the red hair on his head and Leo grinned at her.
“’ello Gwan.” A smile blossomed on her cold face and the poised woman became someone the occupants of the room were much more comfortable with.
Meanwhile Katrina was crying as her father scolded her for having babies with a Weasley. Never a situation she expected to be in, let alone without her knowledge.
“I’m sorry, father, but I haven’t even done anything yet!” She sobbed as Lucius paced.
“I forbid it! You’ve been betrothed to Theodore Nott since you were a child! How could you have betrayed our family like this!?”
Ugly tears fell down her face as she tried to breathe, “B-but I haven’t even betrayed you yet! I can’t help it, Father, I’ve barely even talked to him before! All this happened in the future!”
Lucius clutched his always defiant daughter by the shoulders and shook her slightly, “Do you hear me, child?! I forbid you to ever see that Weasley again and once we send those cursed children back to wherever they came from you will be attending Beauxbaton! You will marry a well-bred pureblood if it’s the last thing you do! Do you hear me?!”
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed harder.
“I’m sorry, father, I-“ The door opened and Dumbledore stood in the doorway. His presence was menacing for once, and Katrina was glad.
“That is quite enough, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Malfoy, if you please?” He gestured for them to return to the room. Lucius straightened and composed himself.
Katrina wiped around her eyes and sniffed. She trailed after her father’s tall frame and let her mother hug her.
She caught sight of an uncomfortable and tired looking Leo and nearly started crying again. She wanted a sleeping draught and her bed, quick. Her mother let her go and the occupants of the room got a good look at her. She was very sick of having eyes on her.
“Aunt Kitty is sad?” Rose asked, her freckled face studied Katrina’s. She faked a smile at the child and shook her head.
Lucius was staring down Arthur, who stared back at him. Fred looked half frightened and half mischievous.
“Mama, why you cwy? Daddy do his special cuddle to make you happy ‘gain?” She cringed at her future son’s words and Lucius’s eyes flared with anger.
“He will not!” Lucius roared and quickly all of the children in the room burst into tears.
Bravery plucked at Katrina’s heart as her son blubbered. She swooped him up and onto her hip. He was rather heavy but warm and upset and her son. No one else had the responsibility of comforting him but she and Fred. So that’s what she will do. Look after him before she could send him back to a more responsible version of herself. With that she stood firmly beside Fred and rubbed Leo’s back soothingly.
Ron picked up his daughter while Luna’s father continued to bounce around his grandchild. Molly held James and Ginny’s hand and Dumbledore stood aside with Professor Snape, letting the families sort their own matters.
“I want to go home, Dad.” James muttered to Harry and Harry looked around for help.
“Er, and where is our home?” James groaned and pressed his face into Ginny’s pant leg as he was seated on the ground between Ginny’s legs while she was sitting on a floral couch.
Neville’s son muttered something unintelligible which Luna seemed to understand as she mumbled back.
“Katrina, you will come home with us. Narcissa, let’s go.” Lucius turned on his heel but stopped when Katrina muttered, “No.”
“No? You do not say ‘No’ to me! I am your father!”
Katrina’s head tilted up as she gained a defiant expression, “And I am his mother! I may be too young, and I may not have even conceived him yet but there is nothing you can do to get me to leave my own blood, our blood, as the responsibility of others! Run away home all you like, father, but I will be here, and I will be caring for my own, better than you ever did.” She snapped and seethed, her teeth bared at her father.
He visibly stepped back but snarled back at her, “You will do as I say, child! I have given you everything!”
Fred subconsciously angled his shoulder in front of his son and his future woman.
“I won’t let you take her or my kid away. We gotta find a way to send them back. Quite frankly, father in law, I don’t think you understand how the whole past and future thing works.” Lucius seethed at an unblinking Fred.
“YOU, boy, do not decide for my family! You are nothing to us but a blot to our name and you will never have the chance to manipulate my daughter- “
“Lucius.” Narcissa put a hand on his arm and stilled him. Katrina took this opportunity to plead with her parents.
“Please just go home now and I will be sure to owl you tomorrow. You’re upsetting the children and there is a time and a place for these arguments. If I need you I will contact you. Please just help find a way to send them back and then we can work from there.”
Lucius was still snarling but turned on his heel, offering his arm to his wife, who accepted it gracefully. As they made it to the doorway, Katrina’s father stopped, looking over his shoulder.
His eyes burned into hers coldly and Katrina shuddered, leaning into Fred subconsciously.
“Don’t mistake me for a fool, Katrina, I know what is happening. I do hope you put an end to it before we have to scratch away your name from the family tree.” With the sweep of his robe they left the room.
Katrina listened to the click of his walking stick until the sound was gone.
With a sigh, she lowered herself onto the ugly floral couch. The room was silent except for the quiet knocking of Rose’s toys against each other.
She felt a hand lay upon her shoulder. Molly Weasley’s hand.
Katrina looked up at her kind face, “Don’t worry, sweet, we’ll help you with Leo until we can find a way to get him back to the right time, won’t we, Fred? And I’m sure you’ll fit right into the family once that has been sorted and we’ll be seeing him again in no time.”
Mrs. Weasley ruffled Leo’s fiery mane and smiled at them both. Fred nodded enthusiastically at her and Katrina’s shoulders slumped. She nodded and smiled at each of the Weasley’s who all gave her genuine looks that made her feel okay.
Yes, she’d be okay, she thought, because the Weasley’s would look after her.