Tempus | Harry Potter |

TWENTY

You want the truth?

Raya thought that by the next morning, Ron would come to his senses and realize he was overreacting and apologize. But given that she found herself sitting alone during breakfast that next morning while Ron sat at the end of the table with Fred a r George, told her everything.

She was ready to hear the comments from Lavender and Parvati when she saw them sit down across from her, expecting even more from Hermione, but to her surprise they ignored her.

Something led her to believe that Hermione maybe had told them not to say anything to her, but the thought was pushed away as given that same day in their last lesson they had pushed harshly past her.

Harry surprisingly ignored the girl as well, though his mind still lingered with many questions to ask her.

As the days passed, she found herself more and more alone. Though sometimes she did find herself with the company, she didn't feel right to enjoy it. The twins would sit with her from time to time, but she knew they were only doing it out of pity.

Luna would try and talk to her, but some of her old Ravenclaw friends discouraged her from doing so, claiming Raya was a 'bad influence.'

It seemed the only person who wasn't afraid of publicly hanging out with her, was non-other than Draco himself. He followed her everywhere like a lost puppy, it all honestly irritated her, but at the same time comforted her knowing she had at least had someone to talk to.

"You're doing it again," Draco's voice spoke out, breaking Raya out of the trance she was currently in. She looked down to see the parchment she was currently writing on, was now covered in black ink as she kept scribbling on it without taking notice.

"Oh, sorry," she softly said as she placed her quill down and stared down at the table. They were in the library, finishing Charm's homework, seeing how easily Raya had been doing in all her lessons, Draco decided to ask for help.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he too put his quill down, Raya glanced up at him and gave him a warm smile. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

He sighed, he knew she wasn't telling the truth, but knowing her there was no way she would easily open up to him. "You know," he began, "You never did tell me what happened between you and Ron, why you two aren't speaking to each other."

Hearing this, she immediately stood up from her seat, "I need a book," she said in an almost demanding tone.

"What? What book?" He asked as he stood up as well, "I just, I need a book," she turned around and began to walk, only to turn back. "And don't follow me, uhm, please."

Making her way back to the farthest bookshelves, very frustrated, she ran her hands across her face. She didn't know how much of this she could take, being here, living a completely different life with different versions of her friends and loved ones, how was she supposed to pretend everything is okay?

And as many times she tried to sit down and talk to Dumbledore, it seemed he was always busy. Not to mention she didn't know when the next meeting with the adults would be, given that Lupin was away because of the upcoming full moon.

"Excuse me you're blocking the section I'm trying to reach." Her head turned around to the voice, Ron was standing in front of her, with a blank expression. "Oh," he said, "Didn't realize it was you."

"Right because if you did know, you wouldn't have talked to me?" Raya asked coldly, she didn't know why this tone was coming out of her. The last thing she wanted was to make things worse with him.

"Uhm, how are you?" He said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, so now you're talking to me?" He opened his mouth, but no words were coming out of his mouth. "Yeah, that's what I thought." She said as she pushed past him, why am I acting like this? She thought.

Walking back to her original table, she began to shove all her belongings back into her bag. "What happened?" Draco asked concerned, but soon understood as he saw Ron leaving the library.

"So, you're really not going to tell me what happened between the two of you?" "It's nothing, okay?" She glanced up at him as she started walking away.

"And you're doing that again," he said as he catches up to her, standing in front of her so she would stop walking.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said avoiding eye contact. "I mean, that you're closing off from me again, not talking, avoiding my questions, pretending that you're okay when you're not, knowing damn well that I'm the only one who is still trying with you."

She rolled her eyes as she let out a chuckle, "Well if it's such a damn difficult task for you, then stop trying!"

"That's." He sighed, "That's not what I meant." He said as he took a deep breath, "I'm just saying, that you're acting different, okay? You're quieter, unlike yourself, you're kind? And overall, it's creeping me out!"

Raya let out a small laugh, which sooner or later turned into an 'I'm going crazy,' type of laugh. "Okay," she said once she calmed herself down. "You want to know why I'm acting so damn different then? Why I'm suddenly acting brand new, why I don't remember certain things that we talked about in the past?"

She said as she stepped closer and closer to his face, Draco gulped and nodded. "If you want to obviously, you don't have to tell me."

⚡️⚡️

"So let me get this straight," Draco said as he continued to walk in circles around himself. They were now in the Room of Requirement, given it was the only private room where Raya was for sure no one would be able to overhear them.

Draco looked over at Raya who was sitting down in one of the open seats that was inside the room, he looked at her as if she was crazy that she wasn't freaking out like he was currently.

"You're, you're from another timeline?"

"Yeah, that's right," she said sounding almost bored. "You, as in you, are from a different timeline?"

Raya sighed, "You know, however many times you decide to repeat yourself, my answer won't change."

"How are you acting so normal right now!" He shouted as he continued walking in circles, by this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he created a dent on the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm not acting like you right now!" He laughed at her response, "Acting like me is the only reasonable way to act actually! I mean, you're saying that you come from a different timeline, only in your timeline you are four years into the future. Where you just happen to defeat, the dark lord? And now what you're here, just like that?"

"Mm. Yeah pretty spot on, see you catch on quick!"

"Stop doing that!" He shouted as he sat across from her, rolling her eyes as she leaned back into her seat. "Doing what, exactly?"

"You're enjoying this, you're enjoying seeing me freak out, this, this can't be true, I mean it can't, there's no way."

"Look," Raya said sounding more serious, "You can ask me anything before the day of this year's feast, and I promise I won't know a single thing. I don't know what conversations we had last year, I don't remember what events we had, and." She sighed as she glanced down at the floor.

"So, you don't remember us dating?"

Raya glared at him, "Really? After everything I just told you, that's what you're going to ask? And for the record, we never dated."

"Well, we dated in this timeline," he said with a small grin.

"Yeah, with a different Raya, which I am not! So, can you focus!"

He nodded. "All right, all right I'm sorry."

"So, does this mean you believe? me" She asked with a hopeful look, Draco thought for a while and nodded. "Yes, I believe you."

Wow, that was easier than I thought.

"Okay so you're here, in a new timeline, and the only way to go back is when your conscious feels like they retrieved something they lost. And how exactly do you plan on doing that."

"I don't know, but now that you know, I need you to help me."