Disclaimer: I don't, nor have I ever, owned Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does, and she makes money off Harry Potter when she writes. I don't. Got it?
A/N: Hey guys! This is a story that just kind of popped into my head while in art class one day, and I felt it needed to get out. It fits with the Elder Wand rules, so I thought I'd give the contest a shot. Thanks for reading!
xo
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Sixteen Years Before Nineteen Years Later…
"But Harry, you can't! It's Ron and Hermione's engagement party! You're their best friend, you have to be there! You have to stop working so much!"
Harry sighed. He was starting to get a headache.
"Look Ginny, I can't help that there are dark wizards at large. Ron and Hermione will understand if I'm not there."
"Merlin, what is with you? You've been such a grump lately."
"Gin, I've got to go. I'll try to make it, but I'm not making any promises."
"Well try hard. I lo-"
"I love you," she said to the now-empty fireplace.
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Back at his desk, Harry hung his head in his hands. His and Ginny's relationship was no longer full of sunlit days. She was constantly nagging him about anything and everything. She pouted any week they weren't splashed across Witch Weekly's society pages, and Ron and Hermione's engagement had her dropping not-so-subtle hints toward one of their own. Harry tried to focus on the case file he was supposed to be studying, but his mind wandered to last Christmas.
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(At the Burrow)
Harry glanced at the clock. 3:00 A.M. Ron's snoring certainly wasn't helping things. He decided to venture to the kitchen for a drink. He was surprised to see Hermione at the table, nursing a mug of eggnog. She looked up as he came in, and she smiled warmly at him.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
"Not at all," she answered, conjuring another mug.
Harry sat down and took a sip, surprised by the strong taste of firewhiskey.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked, voice filled with concern.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Are you trying to get completely pissed? How many of these have you had?"
"Just this one…or three," she said quietly.
"You've had THREE of these? What's wrong?"
"I'm just re-evaluating some things."
"Like what?"
She was silent for a moment before asking, "Did you mean what you told Ron when he rejoined the Horcrux hunt? About your feelings for me?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you bringing this up now? It was three years ago Hermione!"
"Because you were wrong when you thought I loved you like a brother. I just wondered if you were wrong on both counts."
"You mean you-"
"Have been in love with you since I was fourteen? Yes, I have," she said, the firewhiskey taking its toll.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Why would I? You're Harry Potter, chick magnet, into pretty, athletic girls like Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley. I'm Hermione Granger, bookworm, best friend. I didn't want to make our friendship awkward. I knew I had no chance."
"You're wrong," he said, looking her straight in the eye.
"What?" she asked, startled.
"It took me awhile to realize it, but I did want to be with you. By then though, Ron had realized his feelings for you too. You seemed to like him too, so I didn't interfere."
"And now?"
"I wish I had."
Hermione kissed him then, a passionate, aggressive kiss the likes of which he had never had with Ginny.
"I'm sorry," she said breathlessly. "I shouldn't have, especially not here."
"Hermione, it's okay. It will always serve as a reminder of how stupid I was."
"It's too late for us, isn't it? This is the way it's supposed to be. One Big Happy Weasley Family."
"We should both get to bed. You're drunk and upset."
"I'm so sorry Harry!" she sobbed. "I shouldn't have said anything. Things are going to be incredibly awkward now, aren't they?"
"Hush now, everything will be okay," he said, hugging her close to him. "It will only be awkward if we let it be." He helped her up the stairs, and in front of the room she shared with Ginny, he asked, "Are you going to be okay?"
She nodded, sniffing.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't less of an idiot when it mattered most." Lowering his voice, he added, "I never did stop loving you."
As he headed back up the stairs, his heart sank when he heard Hermione's muffled sobs.
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And now she's going to marry Ron. There is no way I can go to that party without my heart breaking.
"Potter!"
Harry jumped at Kingsley's voice. "Sorry minister, I was a little out of it."
"I noticed. Andromeda called. She wanted to know if you wanted to come over for dinner. She said it's 'Official Business'. I told her you'd be glad to," Kingsley said sympathetically. He didn't know the reason Harry didn't want to attend the party, but he knew it must be a good one.
"Thanks Bless that woman I never expected Teddy would bring us so close together."
"You can go now if you like. Everyone else is gone for the day."
"Thanks Kingsley. See you tomorrow." Without any hesitation, he flooed to Andromeda's house.
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"Harry! It's so good to see you!" Andromeda said when he arrived.
"Hi Andromeda! Thank you for inviting me over. Where's Teddy?"
"In the garden on the broomstick you gave him. He's on it all the time. I'm afraid he might forget how to walk!"
Laughing, Harry went into the garden. "Where's my favorite godson?"
"Uncle Harry!" Teddy exclaimed, riding quickly over to him and braking. "Is it dinner time?"
"Yes it is, you little scamp. Now get in here and wash your hands," Andromeda called from the doorway.
When hands were sufficiently clean, the three of them sat down to a quiet meal of salad, prime rib and treacle tart. When they finished, Teddy begged Harry for a bedtime story about his parents, so Harry told him about how Lupin taught him how to cast a Patronus. Poor tyke. At least he had a loving grandmother. And me, he'll always have me.
After Teddy was tucked in, Harry joined Andromeda in the sitting room.
"I realize how hard this night must be for you. That's why I invited you over. I know it would do you no good to be at the celebration of your best friend's engagement to the woman you love. You deserve to be happy, Harry, especially after all you've been through. What if I told you there was a way you could fix this, without hurting any of the Weasleys?"
"I'd say lead me to it!"
"It comes with great responsibility though, and the decisions you make can permanently affect your life."
"She pulled out a pendant, on which hung a small white polished stone which cast a blue glow.
"What is it?" Harry asked, slightly awed.
"It's called a Timeling. They're extremely rare. The Timeling will transport you back in time to a
specific month, allowing you to change whatever you see fit. You will then revisit the same month every year until you
return to the present. Your actions in the past can directly change this present. That is why you must be careful, and
prepared to face the consequences."
"You can't give this to me Andromeda, it's too valuable," Harry said, shaking his head.
"Sirius gave this to me when I married Ted. In all these years, I've never found a moment to change, and I probably never will. I want you to have it, Harry. You could actually use it."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am."
"How does it work?"
"Just put it on and concentrate on the day and year you want to return to."
"Are you really sure you want me to have this?" he asked, still unsure.
"Yes Harry, I'm sure. Use it well."
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Later that night, as Harry sat on his bed fingering the Timeling, he weighed the pros and cons of the situation. On one hand, he could nip this Ron/Hermione thing before it started. On the other hand, he could do something to inadvertently screw up the present. Hermione's worth it.
Harry thought long and hard about when to return to. He figured it should be somewhere in the middle of their Hogwarts years. That way it would be early enough to not make Ron mad, but late enough that it would be normal for him to want to date Hermione. I've got it.
He put the Timeling around his neck and said, "December, my fourth year at Hogwarts."