The Lonely River of Time ~Tomarry

Stomach in a Twist

"Harry!" He turned his head around to catch a sight of red hair. He greeted Grandere Weasley. Still pleased to have come across an unfamiliar Weasley who would probably never run into him again in the future, Harry went to the entrance where the girl resided.

"Hey, Grandere. What brings you here?" He saw her wrapped around in the red of her Gryffindor scarf, hands stuffed in her robes.

"Desmond's birthday is today. I'm looking for any presents I can get my hands on."

Harry gave her a wide smile. "Mind if I join?" She said yes and the two got to looking around the store for anything catching their eyes.

Harry wasn't familiar with Grandere in the family tree of the Weasleys, figuring she was just a first or second cousin on Arthur's side. But finding her was a miracle in the eyes of the Boy Who Lived. Introduced to by Hagrid, she always invites Harry to sit with her and her boyfriend Desmond, despite the age difference and the difference in house.

She was a sixth year, and obviously in the Gryffindor house as is every Weasley he's ever met. It's like they were all destined to end up there one way or another. Like the Potters, there's a certain legacy they all hold. Hopefully Harry being in Slytherin in this timeline didn't get in the way of their 'legacy'.

"Desmond was talking to me about our future." Grandere said shyly, the two standing in line in order to purchase their candy.

Harry eyed the girl for her reaction. She looked nervous in a way, but also sort of excited. "Are you okay with that?"

She sighed. "I don't really know for sure. I feel like he's settling. Like I'm settling."

"Don't you love him?"

Grandere nodded. "Of course. But do I really wanna marry the first man I've ever went out with? We've been dating for 3 years, and that's all I've ever known. All he's ever known." Her wild green eyes met Harry's. "I think we're both just scared to try different people."

Harry thought about his parents. James in particular. He's only ever went after Lily and they ended up having a love so deep that they made Harry, himself and sacrificed them self for the boy.

"Your relationship is strong. I don't think you're scared to find other people. You don't want to risk the best relationship you're going to have. I've seen you guys. You both are adorable. I can see it. You guys have a future together."

"You can't know that."

She's not wrong there. If Harry were familiar with Grandere maybe then he'd be able to give her a better answer of what she should do.

"It's up to you. Your heart is the best thing to ask for decisions like this."

The redhead looked down to the candy and cakes she was buying for her love. She tightened her lips and nodded. Looking abck up at Harry, she asked, "Wanna come with me to give these to him? He's in the library somewhere."

He nodded. "Of course I will."

They both purchased their food, heading out the door and back towards the castle. "Do your parents know about him being a muggleborn?" Harry asked, wanting to hear for himself that the Weasley's weren't purity activists in this time.

She chuckled. "Oh god, it was a shock at first but my mother loves him."

He was surely glad to hear it. "So I take it they don't care about that whole pureblood mess?"

"No, no, no. My parents love everyone. My whole family is open to everyone in their home." She shook her head. "I don't see why it matters anyway?"

Harry sighed in relief. "Yeah, same here. I'm half. My mother was a muggleborn." He shared.

Grandere replied, "And it doesn't make you any less than me." She sent Harry a look. "I'm sorry you're in Slytherin, by the way. No offense, but they don't seem like the nicest type."

"You can say that again." He said, rolling his eyes at the thought of his dorm mates. They're obnoxious about their talk of the Hufflepuff scum in their Herbology. It drives Harry completely insane. "I wanted Gryffindor, to be honest." He confessed. "The sorting hat knew it too, but Slytherin was his final decision."

Grandere gaped a little, obviously surprised by that information. "You don't act like one. You're not mean."

"Well, Slytherin technically aren't known for their attitude towards others. They are known for their cunning and straight ambition." Harry said, feeling a little weird for defending the house. But not all of them were terrible. They weren't great either.

"I guess you're right."

They reached the library, searching around the space for any signs of Desmond. They only saw crowds of teachers near the back. Dumbledore was among the group.

"What's going on over there?" Harry asked, squinting to see over the heads. He caught sight of the familiar head of blonde. "Desmond is over there."

Grandere smiled, hand gripping the bag in her hand. "Alright, let's go." They headed towards the teachers, all muttering among them self.

When Dumbledore met Harry's eyes as they two were walking towards the boy, sitting with his head away from them in a chair, books surrounding him, Harry knew something was wrong when seeing the sadness written on the Professor's face.

"Wait, Grandere." Harry held his arm out, stopping the red head from moving any further. "Let's wait for the teachers to leave. They might be talking to him."

"He isn't even looking at them." Grandere said, continuing the way to her boyfriend.

Harry should've tried harder. When the girl reached her boyfriend, the teachers were quick to stop her, but not quick enough. She caught sight of Desmond, his eyes shut tight, hand gripping around a mirror, other one holding tightly onto his thigh.

"Desmond?" Grandere shook her boy, the teachers all trying to calm her, explaining gently the words Harry was fearing most.

Dumbledore was the one who said it, placing a hand on the girl's shoulders. "I'm afraid, the boy's been petrified."

Harry's stomach twisted, knowing exactly what this meant. No, Tom.

Tom Riddle has opened the Chamber of Secrets.