A Life in the Past

Ron looked at his two best friends. They looked so happy, so serene. Why were they not losing their minds with worry?

"We are stuck in another time," he said, very slowly. "Why are you not worried or afraid?"

Hermione smiled at him.

"What is going on?" said Ron. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Oh Ron," said Hermione. "Don't you get it? There's no way out, we just have to wait here until time does it's thing and we're back where we're supposed to be."

"But hold on," said Ron. "We'll never live that long."

"No, that's not what I mean at all," said Hermione. "What I mean is that this was meant to happen. Everything happens for a reason, and there must be a reason for this."

"I don't believe in that," said Ron. "What I think is that me and Ginny made the stupid mistake of exploring the cellar and we ended up lost. Ginny's still lost, and now you're here, and it's my fault you two are here, throwing your lives out the window."

"We aren't throwing our lives out the window," said Harry. "And it's not your fault, we chose to come here. Don't ever blame yourself for something like this."

"You always do," said Ron angrily. "And don't tell me what I can and can't do, you aren't my mother!"

Hermione patted Ron's arm. "It's okay, Ron," she said soothingly. "We'll make it through this."

"And you aren't Ginny," said Ron, glaring at Hermione. "Why are you trying to act like her?"

"I'm not," said Hermione. "I'm acting like Hermione."

"Calm down, Ron," said Harry. "We know you're upset, but there's nothing to worry about. We'll find Ginny, and we'll find a way back home."

"You be home already," said a voice at the door.

Harry and Hermione turned to look at Annabelle. Ron stared down at the table in front of him. He didn't care to see somebody who looked like his sister at a time like this.

"No, what Harry meant was that he and I will find a way home," said Hermione. "We know that Ron's home already."

"Who be Ron?" asked Annabelle.

Hermione kicked herself mentally. "Erm, Ron?" she asked. "Did I say Ron? I don't know what I was thinking of."

"You were thinking of me," said Ron. "I am Ron Weasley, son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, I can't lie about who I am anymore. I'm Ron, not Wilfred, Ron."

"I know," said Annabelle. "You are not my brother. And for this, I could send you to the dungeons, but I shall not. I shall aid you in your charade, but for one reason only."

"What be that reason?" asked Harry. "Er, I mean, what is that reason?"

"I have a secret, and you have found me out," said Annabelle. "About Malfoy."

"I'll kill him," Ron growled. "I swear, I'll kill him."

"No, please, do not," Annabelle pleaded. "But I shall help you get home. Just tell me the way."

"That's the problem," said Harry. "We don't know the way, we come from the future."

If Hermione, Harry, and Ron had expected Annabelle to be shocked and surprised, they were more than mildly disappointed; Annabelle seemed to think their coming from the future was perfectly understandable.

"You don't look shocked," said Hermione. "Why is that?"

"Because you talk oddly," said Annabelle. "It was my guess that you come from afar, though I never expected something quite so far. How far in the future be you from?"

"Er, about... nine hundred years in the future," said Ron. "Can you help us back?"

"I can only try," said Annabelle. "But going into the past is far more simple than going to the future, believe me."

***

"Here you be, the Burrow," said Bradford Shunpike, ushering Draco and Ginny off the Knight Bus.

Ginny stepped down onto the grass surrounding the iron gates after Draco, and the Knight Bus zoomed off.

"We didn't pay yet," said Draco.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "That was easier than I'd expected. Didn't think he'd forget quite so easily."

Draco shrugged. "Well, here we are," said Draco looking up at the castle. "We go through these gates and you're royalty. Savour the moment, this'll be your only chance at ever being important."

Ginny slapped Draco on the back of the head. "Now that I'm royalty, I'll do what I like," she said, walking through the gates.

Draco followed, throwing a tuft of grass at her, and together they made their way to the entrance of the great castle. Ginny was about to knock when the door swung open and she came face to face with herself.

The other Ginny screamed, and the real Ginny looked frantically over her shoulder at Draco, who looked quite panicky himself.

"Shh," said real Ginny. "Don't scream, someone'll hear you!"

"That was my intention," said the other Ginny.

"Only known each other two seconds and already you've got more in common than your looks," said Draco amusedly. "So who are you?" he said to the Ginny who was not really Ginny.

"I be Annabelle Weasley," said Annabelle.

"I'm Ginny Weasley," said Ginny, holding out her hand to Annabelle.

Annabelle ignored her hand, instead, her attention went to Draco. Her eyes widened. "Elias!" she hissed. "Do not come here!"

"Oh, not this again," said Draco. "I am not Elias."

"My brother, he will rip you to shreds!" Annabelle continued. "He cannot know of our time together!"

"What time?" asked Draco, purely enjoying himself.

"You know very well!" said Annabelle. "I must throw you in the dungeon for this. Please forgive, but I must. Along with this wench." She gestured to Ginny."

"Don't you dare call me a wench, you slut!" Ginny yelled. "Yeah, I know what you did with Elias! And you know what else? He doesn't even remember you!"

Annabelle looked utterly scandalised. "You will die!" she shouted.

"Bite me, bitch," said Ginny, her face red with the old Weasley temper.

"Language, Weasley," said Draco. "There are virgin ears present."

"Where?" said Ginny. "She's a slut, and we all know it."

Annabelle lurched at Ginny, knocking her over.

"Oy, Malfoy," Ginny yelled. "A little help, please!"

"Oh, right," said Draco. "Er, I'll go in and have some tea?"

"Get this cow off of me!" Ginny hollered.

"Er, I'm....er... I'm kind of afraid," said Draco. "She'll hurt me."

"I'll hurt you if you don't help me!" shouted Ginny.

"How dare you call me a cow!" screamed Annabelle.

Ginny kicked Annabelle in the shin and steadied herself to her feet. "Malfoy," she said menacingly.

Draco grinned at her. "Er, need any help?" he said.

"I'll kill you," said Ginny. "I really will."

***

"It was really nice of Annabelle to go to Professor Clockerton," said Hermione. "I really think he'll help, she's been gone an awful long time."

"Yeah," said Harry. "We should have told her before."

"I don't trust her," said Ron, glumly.

"Oh, Ron, can't you give her a chance?" asked Hermione.

Ron shook his head. "She didn't trust me," he said.

"She's just confused," said Hermione. "You can't blame her."

"Yeah, but what if Ginny happened to come here?" said Ron. "Annabelle would probably want her dead. And I'm not leaving here without Ginny."

"We don't even know if Ginny's here," said Hermione.

"Oh, so now you don't care about my sister?" said Ron. "What have you got to say for your friend here?" He pointed a finger at Hermione.

"Leave me out of this," said Harry.

"So now you're taking his side?" said Hermione. "Isn't that just great."

"Oh, you shut up," Ron growled. "At least Harry knows who he can trust."

"Who said we can trust you?" said Hermione.

"Oh, so now you trust some strange girl from the past over me?" said Ron. "What kind of a friend are you?"

"A better friend than you," said Hermione.

"Give it up," said Harry. "You aren't getting anywhere by arguing." He stood up and walked to the door. "I'm leaving," he said before exiting through the door.

"See what you've done," said Ron, glaring at Hermione.

"Me?" said Hermione. "You started it."

"It was your fault," said Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" cried Hermione, throwing her arms around Ron. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you! I think you should give Annabelle a chance. It's only, do we know where Ginny is? How can we be certain if she'll come?"

"I suppose your right," said Ron. "But I'm not leaving here without Ginny."

"And I won't leave without you," said Hermione, standing up. "Don't worry, Ron." She kissed him on the forehead. "Don't worry," she said again.

***

Somehow, somewhere along the line, Ginny and Draco had been thrown into the dungeon, just like Annabelle had threatened, and Annabelle had of course, had the help of three strong men, who so conveniently happened to be great haters of the Malfoy family so Draco had received more than a few minor bruises.

Ginny and Draco were now sitting side by side against a smelly, dirt wall in a dark cell with a barred sort of trap door over head, yet there was no ladder leading to the trap door, so it was quite unreachable, making escape impossible. This cell was the dungeon at the Burrow, and it was somewhat familiar to Ginny, but she wasn't aware of why.

"I hate this," she moaned, rested her head on Draco's shoulder, causing him to flinch in slight pain. "And I hate you. I hate being in this horrid place with a repulsive Malfoy like you. I'm tired and hungry. I hate being tired and hungry at the same time. I hate this. I really do."

"I hate this," Draco mocked. "I hate you. I hate having a Weasley touch me, and there's a filthy little red-head touching me. So repulsive. And I hate Annabelle and Elias. I really hate them. I really do. And I'm hungry, I haven't eaten in so long. And please, someone, please stab Ginny Weasley to death and put me out of my misery!"

"Shut up," said Ginny, slapping his arm.

Draco flinched in pain. "Mind the bruises," he snapped.

"You deserved it," said Ginny, yawning.

"Well, Potter won't save you this time," said Draco. "All you have is me, so you should be nice."

Ginny looked up at him sideways, her head still on his shoulder.

Draco smirked down at her. "We are officially done for," he said. "There's no way out, no turning back, this is the end. And all we have is each other. But it's only a matter of time before Annabelle takes me away from you, and then some dirty great pervert will come along."

"Shut up," Ginny said through a yawn.

"Go to sleep," said Draco. "There's nothing else for you to do, and you'd be doing us both a favour."

Ginny buried her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes. "You smell funny," she said, before drifting away into a cloudy whirl of sleep.

"Peace at last," Draco sighed to himself.