Turn Back the Clock

Chapter 14: Happy Endings

Albus was used to experiencing rather unusual things. Growing up as Harry Potter's son, you kind of got used to the crazy and unexpected. Hell he had just gone back in time, so strange was not unusual to him, yet Albus wasn't expecting the strange sight he and his cousins walked into when they exited out of the library and into the kitchen. From what he could gather from looking out the windows, it was mid afternoon. Usually both his parents would be at work and the house empty, yet they walked into the kitchen to find it plum full of his family members. Each one of them were surrounding the small kitchen table going over what looked like a complicated map, pictures, and stacks of files that took up a majority of the floor surrounding the table. 

The group of time-travelers pause in the doorway unsure of what to make of the large gathering. Being part of the Weasley family they were accustomed to big family gatherings, but this was still rather surprising. They usually only got together on Holidays and the first Sunday of every month. It was hard trying to get everyone together all the time, but they sure did try. As far as Al could tell it wasn't the first Sunday of the month and it definitely wasn't a holiday. When the group left it had been mid July on a Thursday, so what in Merlin's beard, was everyone doing here?

Harry pushed back his graying hair, letting out a loud sigh. They had been searching for the kids for a solid week and so far they had no idea where they were. No clues, no ransom note, no leads, no anything. It was as if they vanished into thin air. Harry was trying to keep it together for Ginny's sake, but with each passing second it was getting harder and harder. Harry Potter was beyond worried. He had many enemies that he knew wanted to hurt his family. What if one of them had taken the children?

Harry shakes his head and pushes aside his doubts, focusing back on the map of the house. He was looking for weak points in the defense system, where someone may have been able to get in. So far he had found none, but he was never going to give up until he saw his children, nieces, and nephews standing safely in front of him.

"What in the world is going on here?" Lily whispers, somewhere off to Al's side. 

Nobody seems to have an answer for them. 

Al's eyes scan the room and are pleasantly surprised to Liz, his girlfriend, looking intently at a photograph. Her soft hazel eyes are puffy, as if she had spent the majority of the morning crying. Her long brown hair, which is usually slung back in a neat ponytail, was hanging wildly around her shoulders. She looks like a down right mess, which is not like Liz at all. She is always so put together, even more so than Rose. 

"Mum said she may be off by a few days." Rose says suddenly, as all the missing piece of the puzzle fall into place. "When she told me how many turns to do, she said she might be off by a few days."

"So how long have we been gone?" Hugo asks. 

Al chooses to ignore his cousins question, as the concern rises in his chest. If they had been missing for days, Liz must have been worried sick about him. "Liz." He says gently, but still loud enough so that he can be heard. 

All heads pop up at his voice, their eyes grow in shock, but Al pays them no attention. His focus on Liz. 

Liz's head snaps into the direction of the voice she most longed to hear. Tears instantly fill her eyes as she drinks in her boyfriend. "Al?" She whispers carefully, like she is unsure if he is actually standing a few feet from her. He smiles his adorable smile and Liz finds her feet moving on their own accord, straight into Al's awaiting arms. She holds onto him tightly, afraid that if she lets go, he will disappear again. Al runs comforting circles on her back, glancing over his shoulders at his cousins, raising his eyebrow.

Nobody moves. The teenagers stare at their right aged parents, who all seemed unable to form coherent thoughts or even move. Then as if the strings were cut, everyone surges forward at once. It is mad chaos as parents found their kids and hugged them closely. Squeals of delight, mix with questions, and yells fill the room. Tears slip down cheeks, smiles light up faces, and the huge sense of relief fills the worried family members. Above it all the sobs of Molly Weasley can be heard as she hugs each one of her grandchildren.