Chapter Text
It’s Nice To Have A Friend.
Prologue:
Christmas 1995:
The festivities were very low that year. Mr Weasley’s attack had put everyone in a weird mood, though he had survived. Everyone was just grateful he had managed to pull through.
Sirius did not know where to place himself. His godson had been acting very distant from the whole family. Sirius did not blame Harry though, he was just hoping that it was something other than Voldemort returning that had him down. He knew something about Harry’s future that only Remus knew but he did not know when it would be happening. He could not mention it, in case it changed the course of events and he did not want that to happen. Everything had to happen the way it had already been planned. All this being said, his curiosity got the better of him on Boxing Day. He knew he needed to be careful but he also just wanted to know some facts.
Ginny and Hermione were in the living room at Grimmauld Place. Hermione was doing some holiday revision whilst Ginny was playing with Crookshanks. Harry and Ron were in the kitchen playing chess. Sirius noted that Harry was not really playing and seemed to be out of it. He closed the kitchen door, muttered some privacy charms over the kitchen door but not the other then turned to the girls.
‘You okay, Sirius?’ Ginny asked, looking up at him. She noted how suspicious he was.
‘I need to talk to you… about Harry’ Sirius replied with a sad smile. Hermione looked up from her revision and Ginny put Crookshanks down.
‘We are listening’ Hermione said and placed her book down.
‘Is he dating anyone?’ Sirius asked. Ginny shrugged but Hermione said ‘Well…’
'What? Did something happen?’ Ginny asked, quickly. Her voice was a mix of being mildly impressed and a little frantic.
‘I can’t… It is his business. I mean it was…’
‘What, Hermione? Spill!’ Ginny cut across her. She tried to not sound so desperate for information. She coughed and relaxed herself
‘They kissed. After the last DA meeting, under the mistletoe. Before you know…’ Ginny nodded as Hermione told her. She shrugged and pulled an impressed face.
‘Who are… we talking about here?’ Sirius asked and tried to not look frantic for answers and looked from Ginny to Hermione.
‘Cho Chang. Sixth year. Ravenclaw. She’s actually really pretty. Most boys fancy her. It is just a little complicated because of the fact she was Cedric Diggory’s girlfriend when he died,’ Ginny replied with a sad smile.
'Older woman… I’m half impressed with the kid’
‘Yeah, maybe Potter men like older women?’ said Hermione with a grin.
‘Oh, no, no. Potter men like redheads’ Sirius said without thinking but he was looking at Ginny who looked at him, a little confused.
The hallway door opened and in walked Remus.
He looked mildly concerned ‘Sirius, a word please’
Sirius sighed and nodded. He walked out of the room with a salute and closed the door.
‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ Remus hissed at him. Sirius held his hand up and put his ear to the door.
‘... that was weird, so, so weird’ they heard Hermione say.
‘Did you see he was looking at me when he made that redhead comment? Does he know something I don’t?’ Ginny’s reply came.
‘Oh you know Sirius, he likes a joke. Besides, are you jealous of Harry kissing Cho?’ Hermione said moments after.
‘What? No, why would you say that? Because I had a crush on him when I was like twelve? I’ve been kissing Michael for months, I’m fine!’ Ginny’s hushed whisper came.
Remus slapped Sirius who playfully held his arm as if he was hurt.
‘What are you doing?’ Remus asked and raised an eyebrow.
‘First, I take offence at Hermione’s comment that I like a joke. It is a well known fact that Potter men like redheads and second, I just wanted to put some feelers out. I don’t know when…’
Remus held a finger to his lips and pointed to the drawing room. Sirius rolled his eyes and sulked off to the drawing room. Once they were inside, Remus placed his own privacy charms around the room and closed the doors.
‘Privacy charms in a quiet room all alone? Why Remus, are you feeling nostalgic?’ Sirius said with a wicked grin and raised an eyebrow.
‘Shut up and listen! You cannot be ‘putting feelers’ out. You can’t change the course of what is about to happen. Besides, Ginny is in another relationship and Harry is very taken with Cho Chang. Anyways, how do you know Cho is not a redhead herself?’ Remus crossed her arms.
‘Well, you taught her. Is she?’ Sirius said, still wearing a massive grin.
'That is besides the point…’
‘Moony, it is a simple question. Is she a redhead or not?’
‘No, she isn’t but…’
‘HA! I know my godson and I know the future. He can act like he is not like James but in this instance, they are one in the same!’ Sirius exclaimed and clapped his hands together excitedly.
‘You can’t do anything or say anything. Funnily enough, I came across this today, ' Remus said and pulled a piece of parchment out of a notebook.
‘What is that?’
‘You would think Neville Longbottom would have learnt not to write things down after the situation with you and passwords two years ago but luckily for us, it gives us an idea’
Remus opened the book to the first page which read 29th January 1998 everything was fine. Normal, rubbish day with the Carrows. I truly hate them. Then Ginny and I found that time turner and before we could even think properly, we were transported somewhere else. It took us a while to find out when we were. Ginny knew more than me. We then realised it was 29th January 1976.
‘That is two years away! I cannot wait that long. I need…’
‘Think of it like this. Remember what Ginny told us after Neville slipped up? He said they had broken up but she said they hadn’t, they were just on break’
‘ I don’t like saying we are broken up. Because it makes it sound like we are over. For good. We are far from over. It is just a break whilst he does what he needs to do. Oh yes, so they could get together sooner?’ Sirius said, full of glee.
Remus placed his hands on Sirius’ shoulders ‘Sirius, Sirius, it's just a case of waiting. I’m sorry. I know the thought of Harry and Ginny together makes you happy especially after the past summer. Everyone will be ecstatic. Molly already considers him as a son but I don’t think Harry has seen Ginny for who she truly is yet. She had a crush on him for years that almost got her killed. Give her time. Give him time. You can’t force this or make it happen any quicker. It will happen when it is meant to happen.
‘You know that I love it when you get bossy’ Sirius replied with a smirk.
Remus rolled his eyes and opened the door again.
29th January 1998
Ginny and Neville were currently running away from the Carrows. They had helped some first years out of detention and this time they had been seen. They had been running for the longest time and Neville had to stop a few times to catch his breath.
‘Neville, come on, we can’t stop, we have to keep going’ she sighed and stopped. She walked over to him to help him carry on.
‘We can’t go to the Common Room. Lets go to the room of requirement’ Neville replied and held his side.
She nodded and they went to the seventh floor.
We need a place to hide. We need a place to hide. We need a place to hide. They both thought at the same time. Soon enough a door appeared and they scrambled through it.
They let out a sigh of relief once they were inside and looked around. It was truly magical how the room of requirement changed for the person's needs. They stood in silence for a moment when their thoughts were interrupted -
‘Ginny, can you hear that?’ Neville asked with a squeak. It was the sound of ticking and it was getting louder.
She nodded and turned to the direction of the noise. They walked closer to where it was coming from. It was coming from a box on the second shelf. They opened the box and saw a time turner. But it did not look like ones they had seen in textbooks. Neville picked it up to look closer.
‘Why did you have to pick it up?’ she exclaimed and sighed.
‘It is broken, look’ he tried to pass her the turner but she pushed back.
‘I’m not! Put it back. It could be dangerous’
‘It is broken. It won’t work’
‘You don’t know that! Put it back, Neville!’
‘Just look at it, it is making a loud noise for something that was broken’ he was right. The ticking noise had gotten louder and almost deafening. They had been passing the turner between them both.
'I swear to Merlin, put it back’
‘Is it me or has it got warmer?’
‘Oh great. Look what you did!’ there was a loud bang and both of them went flying. Ginny stood up first and looked furious. She tried to make a grab for her wand but before she could, the room was spinning. There were distorted noises. She felt herself going backwards.
She came crashing back straight into Neville after a moment. The room was quiet now. Too quiet. They stood up and shared a look of concern. They headed towards the door and walked out.
The school was buzzing. So loud compared to what they had just ran away from. They walked out and headed down. She pulled Neville to the side once they were on the third floor.
‘Mcgonagall. At least we know we are still in her time’ Ginny sighed. Once the teacher was out of the way, they started to move again. They walked past her speaking to someone and heard her say
‘I don’t know how they have made it this far. Sometimes it is funny but this time it has crossed the line’
She wondered who the Professor could be talking about. Sounded like Fred and George type characters.
On the first floor, Ginny excused herself to go to the toilet and asked Neville to wait outside. When she returned, he was not there. She groaned and walked downstairs. She could tell now it was nighttime. She heard Neville’s screams from outside. She opened the entrance hall doors and could not see him anywhere. She heard him scream again and realised it was coming from the lake. She followed the screams when she felt something fall on her. She gasped when she saw a huge rat on her shoulder. She flung it off but stared at it for a moment as it looked familiar.
She gasped when something went past her and nearly fell over. She looked at what had nearly knocked her over. It was a huge black dog which was luminated in the moonlight. It looked alot like -
‘Padfoot?’ she gasped. It could not be. She looked up at the moon and saw it was full. She gasped again. She looked back at where the rat was and then muttered ‘Wormtail’.
Ginny was feeling dizzy. Like she could not believe what she was seeing. Then she saw Neville and he was running around the lake. She could not see what was causing him to run at first but then she saw it. As clear as day in the moonlight. A huge stag.
‘No freaking way’ she said under her breath. She could not quite believe she was seeing.