A Life in the Past

"Annabelle!" Harry called, spotting Annabelle walking around with three unfamiliar men near the dungeons some time in the early afternoon.

Annabelle smiled at him. "No, I have not spoken to Professor Clockerton," she said. "Something, ah, came up, and I was just about to check on a problem. I shall speak to him soon, although."

"Okay," said Harry. "Why don't you just go tomorrow then, Ron and Hermione have decided they aren't leaving without Ginny."

***

When Draco heard the voice of Harry Potter talking to Annabelle Weasley, his ears perked up. They were talking about some Professor Clockerton, and then Harry had mentioned Ginny. Draco thought for a moment he should wake Ginny, but she seemed so peaceful. Nevertheless, she had a right to hear.

"Ginny," Draco whispered, nudging her sleeping form a little. "Ginny, wake up."

Ginny's eyes fluttered open. "I'm trying to sleep, Malfoy," she said. "This better be important."

"Oh, it is," said Draco. "It's Potter, and he's with Annabelle."

Ginny glared at Draco. "Stop trying to make me angry," she said.

"I'm not," said Draco. "Listen."

They sat in silence, listening to silence, until Annabelle faintly said, "Oh."

"Yeah," came Harry's voice. "But after a few days, we'll just have to tell Ron we've got to go without her."

"Ron!" Ginny hissed. "He's here!"

Draco nodded.

"Yes," came Annabelle's voice. "It will be a great loss if your Ginny is not found by that time."

"That cow!" said Ginny.

"But I'm hoping we find her," Harry was saying. "Ron's really upset."

"Well," said Annabelle. "There are other more important matters to discuss. Hans, Wilson, Paul, you are dismissed."

"Such as what?" Harry asked.

Ginny and Draco looked at each other, both wondering what Annabelle might be talking about.

"You and I," said Annabelle.

"That slut!" Ginny said so loud that Draco had to cover her mouth with his hand.

"Er, what's there to talk about?" asked Harry.

"The events of this morning," Annabelle said. "We cannot pretend it did not happen."

"Oh, yeah," said Harry. "I'm sorry about that."

"Do not apologize," said Annabelle. "I feel the same for you, but we cannot be, you are from the future, and I am from here."

"Yeah," said Harry. "It was a misunderstanding, I remind you of a friend, and you remind me of a friend. We were confused."

Ginny looked at Draco with wide eyes. Draco looked back at her, much the same expression on his face.

"Well," Annabelle's voice sounded louder, as though it were coming closer. "I must leave, I have something to take care of."

"Bye," said Harry.

"Wonder what they got up," Draco wondered aloud.

Ginny closed her eyes tight, prying Draco's hand away from her mouth. "If I try to kill her, don't try and stop me," she said.

"I won't," said Draco. "Just don't try to kill me."

"How are my prisoners?" Annabelle's voice called down.

Ginny and Draco looked up at her, both glaring.

"I see you have got up to naught good," she said. "I shall have to separate you. I cannot have a wench behaving this way around my Elias."

"Are you letting me out?" asked Draco hopefully.

Ginny shot him a menacing look.

"I've got a plan," he whispered in her ear.

"I might have to," said Annabelle. "I shall come back with Hans in a moment."

"Not Hans," said Draco when she had left. "He's the one who gave me a black eye."

"It's not bruised," said Ginny. "Just very slightly red, but not bad."

"Are you sure?" asked Draco.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Why do you care how you look here?" she asked.

"How do I look, anyway?" said Draco.

"You look fine," she replied. "A bit dirty, but fine. What about me? I wouldn't want Harry to see me if I'm a complete mess."

"You look fine too," said Draco. "You might want to fix your hair though, tangly just isn't doing anything for you. But you can fix that while I'm gone. I'll be back for you."

"Is that a promise?" asked Ginny.

"Let's make a deal," said Draco. "If I get out of here, I'll come back for you, but if your brother, or Potter saves you, you come looking for me. Is that a deal?"

"It's a deal," said Ginny.

***

Ron and Hermione walked hand in hand down a deserted corridor in the Burrow, searching for some sort of library, or well of information that would lead them to the future. In their minds, they doubted of course the existence of such a place, and did not expect to find the way to the future written conveniently in a book, but any reason to spend a little time with each other was good enough. Harry had gone off somewhere, and neither cared very much at the present moment, they were too busy trying to savour their moment together.

But it was all over too soon, because Nicholas and Nigel, the Weasley twins of 1143 just happened to show up and ruin everything.

"Wilfred, you be forgetting your chores once again," said Nigel.

"The yard shall not degnome itself," Nicholas said.

"Er, I'm busy," said Ron. "Can't you come back later?"

"We shall entertain your lady friend," Nicholas and Nigel said in unison, taking Hermione by either arm, ushering her away.

Ron rolled his eyes disbelievingly when Harry tapped him on the shoulder.

"Help me degnome the garden," Ron said to Harry.

"Yeah, all right," said Harry. "That sounds like fun."

"You don't honestly think it's fun, do you?" asked Ron, starting to walk along the corridor with Harry.

"I do," said Harry. "I think the gnomes are funny."

Ron rolled his eyes, pulling a door open. A door which was of no use at all, as it lead to a chamber in which Tobias and Jonathon were drawing on Ebenezer's face as he slept. Ron chuckled, remembering the time when Bill and Charlie had drawn on Percy's face while he was asleep; it had taken about forty spells to remove the ink, and Percy was beyond furious.

A few empty chambers later, Ron and Harry finally found the door leading outside into the garden, where Alfred Weasley was poking the bellies of a dozen ugly little gnomes. Alfred waved happily when he saw Ron and Harry, who walked toward him to save him from being bitten by an excited gnome.

Alfred said he was going to go help Martha with supper, and Harry and Ron immediately began degnoming, spinning the little potato-like creatures by their feet and letting them fly hundreds of feet in the air. Harry was better at degnoming than he had been five years ago when he had first tried it.

"Those twins," said Ron, wiping sweat from his brow. "They took Hermione, who knows what kind of poison they'll infect her mind with."

"Don't worry," said Harry. "You're acting like they're some horrible dark lords. They haven't kidnapped her or anything."

"But still," said Ron. "We can't really trust anyone here."

"We can trust Annabelle," said Harry

"No we can't," said Ron. "I trust Paquerette more than I trust her. You remember what happened when we mentioned Malfoy don't you?"

Harry nodded. "But we don't know what that was really about," he said. "She might just really hate Malfoy."

"Oh, and that reminds me," said Ron. "Speaking of Malfoy, Paquerette told me the real reason why she wanted the money."

"For Malfoy?" Harry asked.

Ron shook his head. "So that her sister can marry Malfoy," he said. "They have to put in some sort of bid for him or something."

"You're not giving her the money, are you?" asked Harry.

"No," said Ron. "I don't think I will."

***

Ginny was almost on the verge of tears; she had been sitting alone for at least an hour, Draco had been taken away, and she had been left alone. She should've known he wouldn't come back, he was so selfish, he didn't care about her. She'd given up all hope of ever leaving this Hell, given up on Draco, given up on Harry, and even given up on Ron, and Annabelle was to blame for it all.

She stood up and stretched. If she was on her own, then she'd have to get herself out of this mess, alone. Although, when she stood up, she heard a little clatter. She looked down and saw a silver spoon; the spoon Draco had brought.

She picked up the spoon and hurled it at the wall on the other side of the cell. "Stupid Draco," she said.

"You ought to be more grateful," said a voice overhead.

Ginny looked up and suddenly all the hope she had lost was regained. There was Draco, looking down through the bars, he no longer had bruises on his face, Annabelle had fixed him up no doubt. Perhaps the Hogwarts in this time did not hold the rule of no magic performed by under-age wizards...

"Malfoy!" she said excitedly. "I thought you were gone!"

"We had a deal," said Draco. "Making a deal with a Malfoy is like making a deal with the devil himself."

"I should've known," said Ginny. "I shouldn't have given up hope so easily."

"No you shouldn't have," said Draco, lifting the barred trap door with a little difficulty. "Now how do we do this?" he asked when the bars were finally up. "Do I come down there?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know if I can get up there," she said.

"That's obvious," said Draco. "You must be at least ten feet down."

"But if you come down here, then we're both stuck down here again," said Ginny.

"A house elf," said Draco. "A house elf could do it. Maybe they have a house elf?"

"I don't know," said Ginny. "They might."

"I'll be right back," said Draco, hurrying off without closing the barred door.

"I'll be waiting," said Ginny, disappointment evident in her voice.

***

When Harry and Ron were finally finished degnoming the garden, they walked back into the castle together, both exhausted and hungry, both in need of a bath. They ran into Hermione halfway down the third floor corridor, she was hurrying away from Nicholas and Nigel, who were looking for the house elf, Mickey.

"Ron, Harry," Hermione called upon spotting them. "Where have you been?"

"Er, degnoming," said Ron.

"Those twins are truly horrible," said Hermione. "Fred and George are innocent angels in comparison."

"Wow, that's bad," said Ron. "What now? Are they torturing house elves?"

"Exactly," said Hermione. "Did you know there's a house elf here?"

"Mickey," said Ron. "He wanted to wash my clothes before you lot got here. I didn't let him though... I was thinking of you."

"Yeah," said Harry. "I'm sure... You probably didn't trust the elf. You don't trust anyone."

"True," said Ron. "But I have good reason."

"Well, it's been fun, but I think you two need to get cleaned up, you smell horrible," said Hermione, a gagging look on her face.

"We don't smell that bad," said Harry. "Do we, Ron?"

Ron chuckled. "You smell worse than me," he said. "You're the one who fell in manure."

"You told me that was dirt..." said Harry.

"Does dirt smell that bad?" asked Ron.

"I suppose not," said Harry. "But where can I find a bath?"

"Annabelle can tell you," said Ron, seeing Annabelle's approaching form. "Annabelle, will you show Harry to a bath?"

"Certainly," said Annabelle politely. "Right this way, Harry." She lead him off down the corridor to the stair case at the end.

"Right," said Ron. "I'd better have a bath too."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "I would kiss you right now, seeing as we're alone, but you've got dirt on your face."

"Where have I heard that, or something like it before?" asked Ron.

They both laughed and then Ron left to take a bath, leaving Hermione all alone in the corridor, fearing her surroundings.