A Timeless Evil

Chapter 8

Intention. How intricate and complex the word can be, and how much conflict it can cause. For some, it can be meaningless. For even if the intention was good, you still caused the pain and damage that now remains. For others, however, it could be all the difference in the world.

This was what Amelia Stryker had to decide when she awoke from the couch.

Her head felt as if it were splitting in two. A string of conversations and jumbled thoughts she herself did not remember having. In a world built of magic and lore, Amelia found herself in a situation that was strange even in her standards. Looking into the eyes of her companions, she realized that they seemed to have the answers she was looking for.

"Thank Merlin" Sirius sighed and kneeled by the couch. He looked to Remus before looking back to her "Is she alright? Are you alright?" Remus gave a light growl to his friend " Maybe give her a minute before bombarding her with questions."

"Well excuse the piss out of me for checking to see how she's doing"

"Boys" she snapped "Now is not the time to be arguing. My head already feels like its splitting in two and this is not helping." The pair nodded in agreement. Remus cupped her face in his right hand and she sighed gratefully, leaning into it as if it were the only thing keeping her afloat. "Amelia" he said tentatively "What happened?"

"Something tells me you two know better then I do." They look at each other in a guilt that proved her right. Remus sighed "I'll be right back, there's some things I need to grab to better explain everything." He stood and walked upstairs leaving the two purebloods to themselves.

An awkward silence hung heavy in the air. Less then an hour ago they were fighting over the well being of Harry, and now they were here. Amelia didn't know what to make of their relationship. He was Remus' best friend and someone who made him happy. That in turn already put him in her good graces, though what was he to her? He was a marauder, a trickster, someone who thought entirely too high about himself. She figured he would just be one of the inconveniences that came with being with Remus. There were times though, when he had thought no one to be looking, that she'd catch his demeanor slip. It was quick, almost too quick for her to notice what she had saw. But the more she was around him the less she could deny its existence. His eyes would go hollow in pain, a pain of losing one's friends and suffering twelve years with everyone thinking you had betrayed him. It was a pain she could not yet understand how it didn't consume him whole.

"Go easy on him will you?" his voice cut through the silence, almost making her jump. Amelia looked at him, really looked at him as he spoke "Keeping this from you was really difficult for him and he would've told you if we weren't strictly given orders to wait."

"By who?" she asked, wondering who would be so important for him to willingly keep this secret. Sirius hesitated "That requires some explaining. Trust me though, he loves you so much and would do anything for you. It killed him to have to do this." For someone who had been alone for over a decade, his ability to show compassion and love for the people in his life surprised Amelia. Maybe she should've taken more time before she judged him.

The creak in the stairs alerted the pair to Remus arrival. Amelia turned to see him holding a small wooden box. It was old, but well taken care of. It was something Remus must've treasured with how carefully he held it. As he offered it to Amelia, she hesitated "What is this?"

"It'll help explain everything." He offered a warm but nervous smile as she carefully grabbed the box. "You see" Remus started, "Meeting you was one of best moments of my life. However." Amelia opened the box and stared at the contents. "When I first met you, it wasn't actually the first time you met me." On top of the contents was a photograph. It looked old and worn, like it had been held multiple times over the years. In the photo was Amelia, but there was another. It was a young boy who looked to be around the same age. She had not seen him before, and yet she had. Amelia had seen those eyes many times. They were the eyes of the man she loved. It was odd to see him at this age, he had fewer scars and his hair was longer. What was most different was his eyes. They weren't as sad.

It looked like the pair were in the common room, sitting on the couch by the fire. Whatever Remus had said before the photo had made her roll her eyes in an adoring manner before the young man grabbed her and pulled her close. She let out an excited giggle as he did so. It was so strange to look at a memory you yourself have not experienced. All rationale told her that this had not happened, and yet here it was.

"When I met you, it was my final year in Hogwarts. There was apparently a transfer from one of the other schools, and there you were." Amelia looked up briefly from the photo. "Sirius had said that you were a distant cousin who was staying with them cause the war had begun to get bad where you lived and 'wasn't as bad as the rest of the lot'." Sirius smiled sadly.

Looking to the next photo threw her off axis. It was her and Remus smiling at the camera, though before the photo ended three figures ran in, making them laugh. A boy with dark shoulder length hair rushed next to Amelia and put his around her. The pictured Amelia smiled and jokingly messed up his hair in response. She was able to guess who that had been, though the two who ran next to Remus had stunned her "Is that..."

She didn't need them to answer who it was that appeared in the photo. After all, she had spent the entire summer taking care of their son. Amelia had yet to meet them though her feelings for their son had imprinted itself onto them and she smiled at how youthful they looked. Harry truly was the spitting image of James, and she could see why he pursued his mother. Lily was stunning in a way that was without effort. Even in the photo she could sense the kindness the radiated off of her. And her eyes. Those eyes held so much warmth. She was glad that was what Harry had gotten from his mother.

As Amelia looked at more of the photos, the more the wall she built of what she knew to be real was torn down. At the time these photos would've be taken she would've been a little girl, not the 18 year old woman she now was. Time travel was real, though no one had successfully traveled back more then a year from what she knew. From what Amelia could tell from the photos, this would be traveling back almost two decades into the past. "How is this possible?"

"Dumbledore has a few theories, but nothing certain. Though he believes this is something that always has and will happen." Remus paused, gauging her reaction. "Dumbledore knows about this?" they nodded. "Who else knows about this?"

Sirius spoke up, "In the present us and Dumbledore and a few other professors at Hogwarts including McGonagall and Snivelous. I believe the Malfoys know about it as well. Though in the past it was only myself and Dumbledore who knew?" Amelia shook her head "Professor Snape knows?"

"The two of you actually got along fairly well. I believe you had almost gotten him a Lily to make amends before you left." Remus said thoughtfully. 

Overwhelmed, anxious, curious, so many thoughts and feelings racked through her body. Each more forceful then the other. To be told of memories and experiences you have not yet experienced yourself was such a dissociative experience, she no longer felt real.

"So" Amelia struggled to begin, "When is all... this supposed to happen?" The foreboding exchange her companions gave her answered the question before they could. Remus held her hands in a comforting manner, "Between Dumbledore's theories, and what little explanation that was given to Sirius...." he took a deep breath "We're thinking the sooner the better."

Breath caught in her throat, unrelenting as she spoke her next words '"like now?"

Sirius forced a laugh, "Well we were thinking tonight, but I understand your desire to see my handsome young self as soon as possible."

smack