Two
The group crept toward the source of the noise, their nerves stretched taut as bowstrings. Draco led the way, his wand hand twitching instinctively even though he carried no wand. They exchanged wary glances, every step deliberate, and the creaking floorboards adding to the tension.
When they reached the grand sitting room, they froze.
There, sprawled in an unceremonious heap on the floor, was a pile of three children.
A boy with chestnut wavy hair, sat atop the mess. His piercing blue eyes burned with irritation as he bickered with the other two. Beneath him, a boy with platinum blonde hair, eerily reminiscent of Draco’s struggled to push him off. The third—a girl with copper-reddish hair and hazel green eyes—was pinned at the bottom, her muffled voice shouting complaints that fell on deaf ears.
“Leo! Get your pointy arse off me!” the girl yelled, kicking futilely.
“Not until Matteo moves! It’s his fault we fell like this in the first place!” Leo shot back.
“Excuse me?!” Matteo—clearly the one with chestnut hair—snapped. “You’re the one who yanked the—”
“Move, you Idiot!” growled the boy on top, platinum blonde- Leo- hair falling over honey-brown eyes. “You’re crushing me!”
“Oh, shut up, both of you!” the girl retorted.
“It’s not my fault, Lily!” the boy at the bottom yelled, his light chestnut hair sticking out in all directions as he struggled.
The Slytherins froze, staring at the scene with growing disbelief. Draco’s sharp features twisted in confusion as he looked at the boy on top. That face, the pointed jaw, the haughty expression… it was uncannily similar to his own. But those eyes — a warm honey brown — were foreign. Where had he seen them before?
“What… the bloody hell?” Blaise finally muttered, lowering his wand, slightly. “So, what are we thinking? Polyjuice prank? Or has Malfoy’s manor finally gone mad?”
Draco ignored him, clearing his throat loudly.
The children seemed to notice the group of teenagers standing in the doorway. They froze, their bickering ceasing immediately. As their eyes roamed over Draco, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy, the color drained from their faces.
The blonde boy looked at the other two, his panic evident. “Oh, no. We’ve really… really messed up this time.”
The girl sat up, rubbing her head. “Leo,” she hissed, her voice low and accusatory. “What did you do this time?”
“What I did?” Leo snapped. “You’re the one who—”
“Both of you, shut it,” Matteo interrupted, his tone filled with exasperation. His blue eyes swept over the room, lingering on each of the adults before he groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Oh, Merlin, we’ve really messed up this time.”
“You don’t say?” the girl shot back sarcastically.
“Would someone like to explain what’s going on here?” Pansy’s sharp voice cut through the rising chaos. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was a mix of irritation and suspicion.
Leo winced at her tone, then turned to Matteo. “This is your fault, genius. You’re the one who wanted to—”
“Enough!” Blaise barked, his voice carrying the authority of someone used to silencing chaos. The three children immediately clammed up, their faces pale. “One of you had better start explaining. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
Matteo shot a nervous glance at his companions before speaking. “What year is it?” he asked hesitantly.
Daphne’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of question is that?”
“The year,” Matteo repeated. “Please.”
“It’s 1998,” Adrian answered curtly.
The three children exchanged horrified looks
“Oh no,” the girl whispered. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.”
“This is bad,” Matteo muttered.
“Really bad,” Leo agreed, his tone uncharacteristically subdued.
The children whispered furiously among themselves, but the Slytherins, already on edge after the war, were not in the mood for games.
Draco stepped forward, his voice commanding. “Enough whispering. Start talking. Now.”
The children flinched but obeyed.
“You all wouldn’t believe us anyway,” Matteo added under his breath.
“Try us,” Astoria said, her tone deceptively light. “You’d be surprised what we’d believe after the last year we’ve had.”
The blonde boy, who seemed to have appointed himself their spokesperson, sighed heavily and looked back at the group. “Okay, um, don’t freak out, but… we’re from the future.”
Pansy let out a sharp laugh, more of disbelief than humor. “What kind of ridiculous prank is this?”
The boy’s face flushed. “It’s not a prank!” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, battered object. A gasp echoed through the room as the slytherins recognized the item: a broken time-turner.
Theo snatched it from the boy’s hand and examined it closely. “It’s damaged,” he said grimly, turning it over.
“Obviously,” Matteo muttered. “That’s how we ended up here.”
“How exactly did you end up here?” Greg asked, his tone skeptical.
Lily shrugged sheepishly. “We were messing around. Someone”—she shot a pointed look at Matteo—“found this thing, and we were… curious.”
“I said not to touch it!” Leo snapped. “But no, you had to start fiddling with it…”
“You pushed me into it, you prat!” Matteo shot back.
The Slytherins watched the escalating argument with a mix of irritation and amusement. Finally, Daphne pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. “Merlin, they’re like first-years on a sugar high. Can you all shut up for a moment?”
“Do you know where exactly you are at?” Astoria asked sharply.
Leo gestured around the room. “Malfoy Manor,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Obviously.”
The casual way he said it made Draco’s jaw tighten. “And you just happened to stumble into my house from the future?”
“Look, we didn’t mean to,” Matteo said defensively. “It was an accident. We didn’t think it would actually work!”
“Clearly, you thought wrong,” Adrian said dryly.
Draco folded his arms. “If you’re really from the future, prove it.”
The children exchanged uneasy glances before Matteo let out a resigned sigh. “Alright, fine," he said, pointing directly at Theo. "Your first kiss was with Blondie over here,” he gestured toward Draco, “all because you both needed practice for the Yule Ball in your fourth year.”
The reactions were instantaneous and ranged from incredulous to downright hysterical.
Theo’s face turned a shade of red that could rival the Gryffindor crest, his typically calm demeanor shattered. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he sputtered, leaning forward as though to physically shake the answer out of Matteo.
Draco, on the other hand, looked as though someone had slapped him with a flobberworm. “Excuse me?!” His voice cracked, and his pale complexion turned ghostly white.
Daphne let out a shriek of laughter, collapsing into the nearest chair and clutching her sides. “Oh, this is golden!” she howled. “Please, tell me there’s more to this story!”
Blaise smirked, his dark eyes alight with amusement. “Well, this just keeps getting better and better. Nott and Malfoy—who knew?”
Theo turned on Matteo, who seemed to be regretting his life choices more with each passing second.
Matteo shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Theo’s furious gaze. “I mean… it wasn’t like a real kiss or anything,” he mumbled. “You both said it was just for practice! You didn’t want to embarrass yourselves in front of your dates at the Yule Ball.”
Draco looked like he might combust on the spot.
Theo was the first to recover. “Right. Library. Now. If we’re going to figure this out, we need information. "Reluctantly, the group made their way to the library. The children trailed behind, whispering among themselves, while the Slytherins exchanged wary glances. The war might have been over, but this… this was something else entirely.
As the group began to relax, the conversation turned to the broken time-turner. Matteo, Lily, and Leo all tried to explain at once, their voices overlapping in a chaotic jumble.
“Okay, okay, one at a time!” Astoria snapped, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Lily said quickly, pointing at Leo. “He’s the one who found the time-turner.”
“And you’re the one who insisted we test it!” Leo shot back.
Matteo groaned. “You both dragged me into it, so don’t even—”
“Enough!” Draco barked, silencing them. He turned to Matteo. “Start from the beginning.”
Matteo sighed. “Fine. We found the time-turner in one of Mum’s old trunks. It was broken, but Lily wanted to see if it still worked.”
Lily crossed her arms. “You didn’t exactly say no.”
“Because you wouldn’t stop nagging!” Matteo retorted.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Blaise said, raising a hand. “We get it. You’re all reckless idiots. Now, how do we fix it?”
The trio exchanged guilty glances.
“We don’t know,” Leo admitted.
Theo groaned. “Of course you don’t.”
“Brilliant,” Adrian drawled sarcastically. “You’ve managed to throw yourselves twenty years into the past, and you didn’t think to have a plan.”
Before anyone could pile on more, Greg leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. “Well, while we figure out what to do, maybe you lot can tell us a little about yourselves. Names, parents, Hogwarts House—that sort of thing.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Goyle,” Draco interjected quickly, his tone cautious.
“Yeah, agreed,” said all three kids in unison, glancing nervously at each other.
“Oh, don’t be such a spoil-sport,” Pansy chimed in, smirking as she leaned back in her chair. “Alright, kids, let’s start with the basics. You,” she said, pointing at Matteo. “Go first.”
Matteo hesitated, shifting uncomfortably under the adults’ curious stares. “Uh… okay. My name’s Matteo. Matteo Nott,” he began, glancing awkwardly at Theo and Daphne.
Theo choked on his drink. “What?!”
“Yeah,” Matteo said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re… my dad.”
Silence fell over the room as Theo stared at him, his expression unreadable. Daphne, however, arched a brow, her tone calm but probing. “And your mother?”
Matteo hesitated again before muttering, “You.”
Theo blinked, and for a moment, he looked utterly lost. “Daphne?” he asked, turning to her with wide eyes.
“Well, that’s not awkward at all,” Blaise quipped, earning him a glare from both Theo and Daphne.
Pansy snorted. “Well, congratulations, Theo. Didn’t see that coming.”
Theo glared at her but said nothing, still processing.
“What’s your House?” Astoria asked, clearly enjoying the chaos.
Matteo shifted on his feet, the awkwardness practically radiating off him. “Hufflepuff,” he said, his voice barely above a mumble.
The silence that followed was deafening.
“Hufflepuff?” Theo finally echoed, his voice a mix of disbelief and horror.
“Yeah,” Matteo said defensively, crossing his arms. “Is that a problem?”
Greg let out a bark of laughter, slapping his knee. “Oh, this just gets better and better! Theo Nott, father to a Hufflepuff. Merlin, I might not recover from this.”
“Shut it, Goyle,” Theo snapped, though his face was a mixture of incredulity and something bordering on affronted. He turned back to Matteo, narrowing his eyes. “How does that even happen? There’s no way—”
Daphne interrupted, her tone surprisingly cool. “Theo, stop.” She turned her gaze to Matteo, her expression softening. “There’s nothing wrong with being a Hufflepuff. Loyalty and hard work are admirable traits.”
Matteo blinked in surprise. “Uh… thanks?”
Adrian smirked. “Daphne, always the voice of reason. Meanwhile, Theo’s grappling with his entire worldview collapsing.”
Theo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “It’s not collapsing. It’s… adjusting.” He shot Matteo a long look. “I’m still not over it, though.”
Matteo shrugged, a small grin tugging at his lips. “You’ll survive.”
Pansy laughed again, wiping a fake tear from her eye. “Oh, I’m living for this.”
“Alright, Pansy, that’s enough,” Draco interjected, though there was a trace of amusement in his tone. “Let’s move on before Theo combusts.”
“Fine,” Pansy said with a dramatic wave of her hand. She turned to Lily, still grinning. “Your turn, Little Miss Red Head.”
The red-haired girl straightened her shoulders, clearly trying to muster some confidence. “I’m Lilian Potter,” she said.
That name hit the room like a lightning bolt.
“Potter?” Astoria repeated, her expression shifting to one of disbelief.
“Harry Potter’s daughter?” Adrian asked incredulously, exchanging a look with Draco.
“And Ginny Weasley’s,” Lily added, as if it was obvious.
Blaise blinked, clearly trying to wrap his head around it. “Harry Potter and the Weaslette had a kid. Of course they did. And here she is.”
“Wait.” Theo turned sharply toward Matteo. “My son is friends with a Potter?” His tone was incredulous, almost offended, as if the mere idea challenged the natural order of the universe.
“More like infatuated,” Leo muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Draco to hear.
Draco’s head whipped toward his son, his pale eyebrows shooting up. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” Leo said quickly, his cheeks flushing.
“What?” Theo demanded, now focused on Draco. “What did he say?”
Draco smirked faintly but shook his head. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Theo.”
Theo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “That didn’t sound like nothing.”
Lily, meanwhile, was glaring at Leo, her hazel-green eyes narrowing dangerously. “Leo,” she hissed, her voice a low warning.
“What?” Leo shrugged, feigning innocence. “Just an observation.”
“Observation my—” Lily started, but Matteo stepped in, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Not the time,” Matteo muttered, shooting her a look.
“Right,” Adrian drawled, leaning back in his chair. “This just gets more fascinating by the second. So, Little Potter, what’s your Hogwarts House?”
Lily’s expression shifted into something smug. “Gryffindor, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Pansy mimicked, rolling her eyes. “A Potter in Gryffindor. Shocking.”
“Surprising no one,” Theo muttered under his breath, still glancing between Draco and Leo with suspicion.
Finally, all eyes turned to Leo, who had been conspicuously quiet during the exchange.
“Your turn, Blondie,” Pansy prompted, grinning.
Leo straightened, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “Leonas Malfoy,” he said with practiced ease.
There was a collective pause in the room as the words hung in the air.
Draco froze. “Malfoy?” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
Leo nodded. “You’re… my dad.”
“Yes, we gathered that,” Blaise said dryly, motioning for him to continue. “Elaborate, kid.”
Leo’s smirk widened. “Hogwarts House? What do you think?"
“Slytherin?” Gregory guessed, leaning forward slightly.
Lily scoffed before Leo could reply, her tone laced with teasing. “Well, his namesake, of course.”
“What?” Theo blurted out, his confusion apparent as he glanced between Lily and Leo. “Namesake? What’s she on about?”
Leo shot Lily a pointed look, clearly annoyed at her slip. She, in turn, shrugged unapologetically.
"Well, I'm a Gryffindor." said Leo.
Greg choked. “Gryffindor?”
The room erupted into chaos.
“What in Merlin’s name—” Theo began, his voice full of disbelief.
“Impossible,” Pansy declared, crossing her arms and looking Leo up and down like he’d just sprouted another head. “You’re lying.”
Leo shrugged nonchalantly, his grin only widening. “I’m not. The Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor.”
Draco stared at him, his jaw tightening. “A Malfoy… in Gryffindor?” He sounded as if the very notion was physically painful.
“Times change, Dad,” Leo said, his tone light but tinged with mischief. “Besides, I thought you’d be proud of my bravery. Isn’t that what Gryffindor values?”
“Proud?” Draco repeated, his voice rising slightly. “Malfoys don’t do Gryffindor.”
“Well, this one does,” Leo replied cheekily, clearly enjoying his father’s discomfort.
Lily, unable to resist, leaned in. “Oh, he’s very popular in our House. Everyone loves him. You know, the charming Malfoy in red and gold.”
Pansy snorted. “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. A Gryffindor Malfoy. What’s next, a Weasley in Slytherin?”
“That actually happened once,” Matteo said with a sly grin, earning an incredulous look from Pansy.
Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering to himself. “I must have done something truly terrible in a past life to deserve this.”
“Dad, relax,” Leo said, his tone only slightly more serious. “It’s not the end of the world. Gryffindor’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad?” Draco repeated, glaring at him. “It’s the exact opposite of everything Malfoys stand for!”
“Oh, come on,” Lily said, jumping to Leo’s defense. “It’s not like being a Gryffindor erases his Malfoy-ness. He’s still dramatic, arrogant, and has a flair for theatrics.”
“Thanks for that, Lily,” Leo said dryly.
“You’re welcome.”
Blaise, who had been quietly observing the exchange, smirked. “I think I like this kid.”
Draco shot him a glare. “You would.”
Amidst the chaos, Leo leaned back, completely at ease, his honey-brown eyes sparkling with amusement. “So,” he said casually, “are we going to keep talking about my House, or do you want to know who my mum is?”
The room stilled again, all eyes snapping back to him.
Daphne’s brows shot up. “Don’t tell me it’s someone equally shocking.”
Leo’s grin turned sly. “Oh, it’s shocking, all right.”
Draco’s patience finally snapped. “Enough with the theatrics! Who’s your mother?”
Leo looked directly at him, his grin widening as he dropped the bombshell. “Hermione Granger.”
The reaction was instantaneous. Pansy nearly fell out of her chair, Theo swore loudly, and Blaise’s glass of wine froze halfway to his lips.
“Granger?” Greg asked, his voice rising in disbelief.
Granger?” Pansy screeched, her voice echoing in the room. “Are you kidding me?”
“You have got to be joking,” Theo added, staring at Draco like he’d just grown another head.
Draco, however, had gone completely still, his expression unreadable. His gaze fixed on Leo, and for a moment, the room was eerily silent.
Finally, Adrian broke the tension with a low whistle. “Well, Malfoy, I didn’t see that one coming.”
“You and me both,” Theo muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Leo shrugged, completely unbothered. “What can I say? You two make a great team.”
Draco, meanwhile, looked as though someone had just hit him with a Bludger. “This is… this is madness.”
Leo grinned unapologetically. “Surprise.”
Draco glared at him, but there was no real anger in his expression—just exasperation mixed with resignation. “I’m starting to see where you get your sense of humor.”
“Gee, thanks, Dad,” Leo said cheerfully.
“Don’t call me that,” Draco snapped, though his tone lacked bite.
“Oh, this is priceless,” Daphne said, clutching her stomach as she laughed. “Malfoy and Granger. Who would’ve thought?”
“Certainly not me,” Draco muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Well,” Astoria said, breaking the silence, “this is officially the strangest reunion I’ve ever been to.”