To Have A Twin--- A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

Nothing's "Normal"

Chapter 25: Nothing's "Normal"

Harley hasn't picked up a book from her little box in a while, all her school work were piling up since she spent most of her free time with Sirius and Harry, asking more about their parents and what they were like.

She knew about her father being a seeker but Sirius would tell them about all the times he'd catch the snitch in odd ways. When Harley told him about how Harry caught the snitch while standing on his broom in second year, something Harry was too shy to say himself, Sirius gave out a hearty laugh, clapping, "Bloody brilliant!"

Sirius and Remus would also tell them about their parents' relationship, and how having twins was quite a feat in the Potter household. "Had to drive Prongs around in the motorbike cart so you two would stop crying," Sirius said.

"Also had to buy 10 different blankets because the ones you always had with you were burned after a poor execution of a drying spell," Remus's eyes pointed like darts over to his friend.

"Well, I'm sorry, Moony, but in case you forgot, my mother wasn't much of a homemaker who taught me domestic charms," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You lived with the Potters! Surely Mrs. Potter taught you a few practical things," the professor rebutted.

"It's been 12 years!"

The twins couldn't help but laugh as the two men banter.

Harley was quite happy she got to finish her assignments and had a few hours to herself. Hermione was in the library helping Ron and Harry finish their essays but they were going to the lake later that afternoon so she decided to go back to her dormitory to read while waiting.

She sat on her bed, rolling through the selections in her box. She wasn't able to finish that story about the watch, so she thought she'd go and read that book but when she's realised it's not in its space. "Did I forget to put it back in?" She thought to herself out loud. Hopping off her bed to search her bed side table and her trunk. No book. She sighed in frustration, remembering the amulet she also couldn't find. Her eyebrows furrowed even deeper but decided to go and sick back down in her bed to look for another book. Maybe she should just make sure to keep her valuables locked in her trunk to be safe.

The castle bell chimed to signal it was 5 in the afternoon, no one's entered her dorm since she got in, not even Ginny but then again she did say she was going to ask Madame Hooch if she could go flying in the Quidditch pitch today. She must be having tons of fun, she thought to herself as she hopped out of bed and stretched. She let out a sigh, happy that her legs didn't get pins and needles when she felt something was off. She couldn't really say what it was. Was it just the blood flowing through her body properly again, the blood in her ears muffling the noise of the outside or does she really not hear any of the usual commotion? She shrugged as she made her way to the common room when she realised the portraits were waving to her in a rather oddly slow manner. She raised her eyebrow and tried not to let her racing heart get the better of her. What's going on? Must be a prank all the portraits decided to do.

She almost trips as she lands on the common room's floor when the flame in the fireplace moved as if it was swaying languidly. She looked around to see if anyone else was witnessing all of this when she sees "Seth!"

Suddenly, and dramatically with a quick woosh! all the sounds from outside, the chattering portraits, the crackling fireplace—with its flame now moving how it normally should—could be heard again.

The blonde boy turned around, seeing the very puzzled look on the Potter's face. "Harley, are you okay?"

The lines between her eyebrows formed deeper, trying to figure out what had just happened. Is this a normal magical world thing? She shook her head, "Oh, uh, yes. Yeah, I'm okay. Why are you here alone?" She tried to calm herself down. That probably happens all the time, nothing to be worried about. There are people who can change into animals in this world, nothing's "normal."

"I was reading a book," he said, raising his opened current read. The purple cover looking familiar to Harley but then again a lot of books are bound in similar colours.

She nodded and started to make her way to the exit, "All right. Well I'll be heading to the Lake. Bye." Her stomach still feels heavy and her limbs feeling like lead, but she still carried on walking. Time can slow down, time's not even real, didn't a scientist or some other smart person say that? She convinces herself a she almost sprinted her way to the lake.

"Hermione," Harley said slowly, trying to find the best way to phrase her question. She sees Hermione raise her head from her textbook to face her, and her gaze goes back to the grass in front of her, "time... time, in Muggle science, right, time can't necessarily be... manipulated, intentionally, I mean... does that hold true in the Magical world as well?" Harley looks at her friend whose eyebrows furrowed and her hand quickly falls to her lap from her chest.

"I... I don't know," Hermione answers, "I haven't read any books on the matter," she says quickly.

"Oh," Harley nods her head, "Thanks anyway, I was just wondering." she says as she picks on the stray thread on the cuff of her trousers. The two girls sat quietly on the splayed out blanket underneath the tree, as the other Gryffindor boys were by the lake bed playing what looked like catch but with something that spat out bubbles.