Bubblegum Pink and Chocolate Tweed (Prequel to DCMN)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4- The Assignment

FRED

Of course Fred and George would be the ones stuck with the Headmaster and his Deputy for the afternoon while the others got to have all the fun with Pomfrey. How McGonagall knew they were troublemakers in this time was beyond his knowledge, but he definitely didn't put it past her.This was McGonagall and Dumbledore after all.

Fred was pretty sure that Pomfrey somehow knew that this was going to be bloody torture for them because she gave the pair a sickly sweet smile as they departed. Other than that, none seemed to notice their discomfort at the fact that they were going to be doomed.

"Hello, Mr. Weasleys. If you'd please come with me?" McGonagall's cool voice was all the persuading they needed.

Chairs scuffing in their haste, they padded behind her, heading towards what they knew to be the direction of Dumbledore's office.

"So, Professor-"

"-what exactly are we going to do today?" they asked in the usual format.

"I think it'd be best if Professor Dumbledore told you that himself." They took this to translate to: I know and I'm going to leave you two in suspense because I'm Mcgonagall and that's what I do.

Fred cleared his throat. "Right. Where is-"

He was cut off by the arrival of none other than Dumbledore. Nodding in the direction of the two carrot-tops, he smiled at Minerva. "Ah, I see we're all ready. Early as always Minerva."

She rolled her eyes. "I have to be or you'd be late to everything."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'd like to deny that but I'm fairly certain we all know that's true."

The twins shook their heads at their professors' easy banter. Here was the strict McGonagall and the all-knowing Dumbledore in a pleasant conversation about being tardy.

"Well Professor Dumbledore, someone," Fred paused to glare pointedly at McGonagall, "wouldn't tell us what it is we're doing."

Dumbledore just chuckled and dismissed him with an airy wave. Gesturing for them to follow, he made his way onto the staircase that led to his office. "Well, I suppose you'll find out soon enough. Really, though, you couldn't tell them?"

Shaking her head with her chin held up almost regally, McGonagall answered. "Nope."

Dumbledore just chuckled and held the door open to his office. He gestured to them to follow him and the twins took the seats at his desk. Dumbledore conjured another chair for McGonagall and then say down himself.

"So, in your time I heard you have a bit of a reputation as troublemakers?" It was clear Dumbledore was trying not to sound too amused, most likely because of McGonagall.

Without so much as a glance at the other they simply said, "no idea what you're talking about."

The matching poker faces stared at the two Professors. 

McGonagall glared at the them. "Right. because let's just say that a little birdy warned us about you and now this is our warning to you. We have enough troublemakers in this time already, so we expect you to behave like proper students. Clear?"

They grinned their signature chesire grins. "Crystal."

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"I wonder who those other pranksters are," George mused.

"Yeah. We've gotta befriend them."

There was a pause and the two looked at each other, stopping their trophy cleaning as they realized who it might be.

"We're going to meet the Marauders."

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REMUS

Poppy Pomfrey was exactly how he had remembered her. She was still as impatient, demanding, and yet somehow kindhearted as ever. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised that Tonks knew her well. After all, he'd had many an opportunity to see her clumsiness firsthand.

Currently they were gathered in her office right near the staff room he remembered from his time as a teacher. Ron and Hermione were sorting through books as they were searching for a way to get them back to their own time without bringing Sirius, Tonks, and Remus with them. 

They had resisted but in the end they knew they best do as Remus asked. The lycanthrope wasn't often angry, but when he was, he wasn't a person you wanted to be on the bad side of. He seemed calm and serene, peaceful even, but if pushed, he was a rather intimidating enemy to have.

"Any luck?" he called over to the pair, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

They looked up and simultaneously shook their heads. Tonks nodded next to him. "As expected then. Keep looking though."

She turned back to the project they were working on as Sirius leaned back in his chair and stretched with a yawn.

"Moony," he complained, "can't we please take a quick break?"

Remus shook his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. Sirius really hadn't grown up much. "No Sirius. You just took one ten minutes ago."

Tonks giggled from beside him while the Animagus mock-glared at his second cousin. 

"Besides," Tonks said, "dinner is in a half hour."

Remus wondered where the time had gone. He and Sirius had been recounting important dates they remembered that needed to be changed. Tonks was recording everything they said and transferring it to a planner that they would need to follow if they hoped to change the past but still preserve at least a semblance of the future.

Pomfrey called from across the room. "Remus dear, can you come here for a moment please?" 

Said werewolf in question nodded and rose to his feet. padding over he asked, "what can I help you with?"

Poppy gestured for him to follow her into the Wing. She didn't speak, just looked at him. Remus suddenly felt sick. There was something...off. He couldn't quite place it, but when he met her eyes, he saw that there was a glint of something there, something dark. 

Before he could say a word, before he could even blink, her wand was out and he was under the Cruciatus. 

He bit his tongue in an effort not to scream, as the last thing he wanted was the others to come and be hurt. He wasn't thinking about the betrayal, about the familiar eyes in Poppy that weren't hers. He couldn't, not with the pain pulsating through him.

It took everything in him not to scream, and he knew he was only able to hold it in because his hogh tolerance to pain from being a wolf. Not-Poppy looked at him with a smile that could only be described as evil, and she cackled. 

"You know you deserve this, filthy werewolf." She spat the word with venom. 

As his eyes rolled back in his head, he had only one thought in his mind, one name.

Tonks.

And just as his world faded to black, he saw the unmistakable unkempt curls and sadistic smile of one Bellatrix Lestrange.

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A/N: I know, cliffhanger much? Sorry not sorry.....Thoughts?