The trunk fell to the floor with a loud slam. Ginny and Hermione flinched very hard, staring at (Y/n) with frightened eyes.
"Don't do that!" Hermione breathed out, her hand over her heart. She came over and helped (Y/n) drag the trunk into the room.
"What was that?" Ron cried from down the hall.
"Nothing! Go away!" Ginny shouted before shutting and locking the door. "What is it?" she asked, staring expectantly as (Y/n) and Hermione, out of breath, collapsed on the floor.
"My mum's... time capsule," (Y/n) panted, sitting on her knees and pulling her mum's key and chain from around her neck. "I locked it when I left it with Regulus without realizing, so now I've gotta find Pettigrew and Sirius' wands," she explained, pushing the lid open. The three girls stared into the over-filled trunk.
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Hermione said.
"It's got an expansion charm... and it's filled to the brim," (Y/n) said miserably.
"Oh..." Hermione trailed off.
"Hey, (Y/n), can you still hear the meeting going on downstairs? Even with the Imperturbed Charm?" Ginny ventured to ask.
"Um..." (Y/n) paused. She had been tuning out any voice talking around her other than Hermione and Ginny's. "Yeah, but it's far quieter than it'd normally be," she said at length. Both Hermione and Ginny's eyes lit up. "Why?" (Y/n) asked nervously, not at all liking the look on the girls' faces.
"Glad we have at least someone to tell us what's going on," Ginny said vaguely.
"I am not telling you what's going on downstairs," (Y/n) stated. "I'll get in trouble! You guys aren't the only one's that know I've got hearing skills, you know? Dumbledore, your dad, Bill, Charlie... That's the end of it, I think... Maybe Regulus. I don't know about that though."
"Reg— Regulus?" Hermione choked.
"Remember Dumbledore wanted me to get Regulus on our side and I told you it'd be an easy task?" (Y/n) said.
"You didn't speak a word for weeks!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Oh, right..." (Y/n) murmured.
"I was surprised to get a whole sentence out of her," Ginny commented. "Never stop talking. I like your voice." (Y/n), very flustered, turned her attention back onto the trunk. She pulled out a pile of binders.
"Will you organize these by year, Hermione?" (Y/n) requested, spotting the years on the side.
"Sure..." Hermione agreed, accepting the binders. "What are they?"
"Dunno."
"...may I have a look?" Hermione asked in a small voice.
"Go for it," (Y/n) agreed. Hermione looked at the dates before selecting the oldest— Summer of 1977.
"Oh, (Y/n)!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's pictures! Of your mum and her friends, I reckon... That looks awfully a lot like Harry... Probably James... Yeah, that's Lily, I think..." (Y/n) and Ginny peered into the binder. The page has six polaroids glued into place with decorative tape, torn pages, quotes, writing, and pressed flowers loitering the pages. (Y/n) assumed the binder used to be a photo album that had been preserved in sheet protectors. There were little captions for each photo.
James writing a horrible poem for Lily— Taken by (Y/m/n) Whistler, including a picture of a young James Potter writing something; Remus Lupin contemplating life— Taken by Lily Evans, including a picture of Remus staring off into the distance; Disgusting idiots (affectionately)— Taken by Marlene McKinnon, including a picture of all four Marauders merely walking; Sirius and an unwilling Lily— Taken by (Y/m/n) Whistler, including a picture of a screaming Lily on Sirius' shoulders in a lake; James and Lily ;)— Taken by Alice Fortesque, the picture had James and Lily sitting beside each other, smiling at one another; PADFOOT AND MOONS— TAKEN BY JAMES POTTER, including a very shaky photo of Remus and Sirius exchanging a kiss.
All the pictures were moving, making (Y/n) beam and watching them over and over again. When (Y/n) looked up, Hermione and Ginny were staring at her with heart eyes that she most definitely didn't miss.
"Mum's the same age I am in these pictures," (Y/n) said brightly. "She was a year younger than Lily's year."
"So, sixteen?" Hermione said. (Y/n) hummed in approval.
"What're you girls doing?" a voice asked, once again making Hermione and Ginny jump.
"Hi, Remus," (Y/n) greeted. Remus Lupin smiled tiredly. "We're going through Mum's old time capsule." Remus perked up.
"Are you?" he asked. "It's a shame I've gotta go..." he murmured. "Just wanted to greet you before we went and got Harry."
"Is that now?" Hermione asked. Remus nodded and Hermione beamed.
"See you when you're back, Remus," (Y/n) smiled. "Stay safe!"
"We will," Remus assured. And, with a wave, he was gone.
(Y/n) returned to going through the trunk and Hermione returned to sorting the binders out, very disgruntled as Ginny would pick up one and flick through it.
"I'm sure you get this a lot, but you look a lot like her," Ginny said. (Y/n) side-eyed her. "Same frizzy, curly hair, same smile, nose, face... You guys carry the same chaotic energy..." She showed Hermione a picture of (Y/n)'s mum posing with the camera above her at a very weird angle. "I'm very certain (Y/n)'s taken the same picture." Hermione grinned.
"Me too," she agreed. "Have you seen that atrocious wall she has back at Hogwarts?" Ginny gasped.
"This art wall?"
"Yeah, that one!"
"With the pictures, doodles, paintings, and writing?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"You don't understand how much I love that wall!" Ginny groaned. "And I've only been in her room... three times."
"Three?" (Y/n) repeated. "I've had you in my room twice!"
"Yeah, you had me in your room twice," Ginny said. "Cho brought me there when I was looking for you... And then kicked me out of the Tower when you weren't there."
"When?" (Y/n) cried, pulling out a glossed paper box and setting it aside. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she picked it back up and peeked inside. "Oh my stars, it's a wedding dress!"
"Huh?" Hermione and Ginny looked up, surprised.
"I don't want to touch it and accidentally rip it..." (Y/n) said nervously. "Anyways..." She moved the box aside.
"You should look at it later," Ginny insisted.
"Maybe," (Y/n) mused.
"(Y/n)! How'd you do on your O.W.L.s?" Lily called as she came upstairs.
"Haven't looked at them yet!" (Y/n) said dismissively, still digging through the trunk.
"And why is that?"
"Why would I care about O.W.L.s when there's the very likely chance I'll get expelled? That courtroom will be packed with biased people," (Y/n) said matter-of-factly. Lily, Hermione, and Ginny grimaced.
"Don't say that. There's no way you'll be expelled," Hermione insisted.
"Shunned, perhaps?" (Y/n) suggested. "Wand broken? Forbidden from doing magic? "
"Sh," Hermione shushed. "Don't speak."
"Hey, Lily, Mum's got all kinds of dresses in here," (Y/n) said. "You recognize any of them?" Lily, ecstatic about getting to go through old memories, strode into the room. "Might as well get the other gal pals, you know?" Lily grinned at her.
"Marlene, Dorcas! Go grab Mary and Alice, won't you?" Lily requested. The women, who were just returning to their room, nodded. Marlene went away and Dorcas stepped into the room.
"What's up?" Dorcas asked, peering around. "Your room's nicer than ours... it's got a bathroom."
"Huh. I didn't even notice that," (Y/n) mumbled.
"Plumbing doesn't work," Hermione said. "I tried to shower in there— after cleaning it, of course— and sewage came out of the facet." There were several sounds of disgust. "Tell me about it." Hermione groaned. "You know, the 70s looked like such a fun time to grow up in," she commented, tapping the binder.
"What're those?" Dorcas asked.
"Pictures," the girls chorused.
"Favourite Ravenclaw!" Mary Macdonald sang as she entered the room, holding a bottle and several wine glasses. "Your favourite aunt ever is here!" Alice Longbottom held the remaining four glasses, an amused smile playing at her lips.
"You are not giving them champagne, Mary!" Lily exclaimed.
"Sparkling cider!" Mary corrected. "I'm not that irresponsible." (Y/n) looked very disappointed at the lack of champagne, much to Lily's dismay and the others' amusement. "I'll sneak you a glass sometime—"
"You will not!"
"Two years, eh?" Mary teased, cheering (Y/n) and Hermione with an empty wine glass.
"About," Hermione said. She wasn't sixteen until September. Mary hummed happily as she poured eight glasses "Ooh. This one says Wedding, (Y/n). Wonder who's it is..." They all leaned forward in anticipation. "Hm. I think this is the Longbottoms'... Unless you didn't wear white at your wedding, Lily."
"No, that's mine," Alice said, a very fond smile on her face.
"Who's the baby?" Ginny asked, peering at the crying baby in the picture with all of the wedding party. In the picture, the smiling faces turned into grins as they turned to glance in the direction of the baby. This repeated time and time again as they looked at the picture.
"(Y/n)," the women chorused.
"Gosh! All I do is cry, huh? Was I always a crybaby?" (Y/n) huffed.
"For sure," Dorcas mused. "Only stopped crying for—"
"Remus," the woman laughed.
"Remus?" the girls asked.
"Oh, yeah," Lily grinned. "Didn't he tell you that he took care of you when your mum had to go back to Hogwarts for an extra Apparation course?"
"He told me he and Sirius watched me."
"Hm. Makes sense," Mary mused. "Your mum failed her Apparation test... was it three times? Each time she had to back out because she was scared of hurting you if she Apparated wrongly." (Y/n) wore a very bright smile at this. Her mum, when she was alive, wasn't all that affectionate with (Y/n) the older she got.
"Dresses?" Marlene mused.
"Oh, right," (Y/n) mumbled, holding up a lilac dress that Alice then claimed to be the bridesmaid dress from her wedding. "Did you guys know that she used to date Regulus?"
"Oh, yeah," Marlene laughed. "Sirius was the one who found out and he wouldn't shut up for weeks about it! I'm not sure who I'm more angry with! He was so very betrayed by both of them."
"Your mum had quite the number of flings, come to think of it," Mary commented.
"Oh my— How many of you dated my mum?" Alice and Mary awkwardly exchanged a look, making (Y/n)'s mouth fall open.
"Really?" Lily asked, equally as surprised.
"She helped me realize I don't like anyone more than platonically... In the best way possible, of course," Mary informed.
"She was my first kiss," Alice hummed. (Y/n) scratched her head, absolutely baffled by this news. Her eyes fell onto the door. The sound of footsteps diverted their attention.
"Recess is over," James Potter whispered.
"Ah, I see..." Lily murmured. "The periwinkle dress was from my wedding," she informed as she stood up. "If you come across it, I mean."
"And I think the sage one is from whoever this blonde is," Hermione said. "I doubt it's Marlene..."
"Nope. I got married in '91," Marlene said, exiting the room.
"Hm... Who is this, I wonder..." Hermione thought aloud.
"Pandora Lovegood," (Y/n) said.
"Oh," Ginny hummed. (Y/n) smiled and returned to looking through the trunk.
"I'm going to go find Ron," Hermione said. "Harry'll be here any moment now."
"You do that," Ginny said dismissively.
"Look at your O.W.L.s whilst I'm gone, (Y/n). I want to know your classes," Hermione requested. (Y/n) shot her a smirk.
"Maybe," (Y/n) said with a shrug. Once Hermione was gone, (Y/n) returned to the task at hand, looking through the pictures and the dresses and organizing them into neat piles.
"You're not going to look at them, are you?" Ginny mused.
"No," (Y/n) answered, humming to herself. "Oh— He's here," she said, tuning her ears in on the conversation going on outside.
"About time," Ginny mused. (Y/n) nodded. "I'm going to go and test something real quick. Tonks taught me this trick about being able to tell whether or not an Imperturbable Charm was placed on something and I'm sure Fred and George are trying to listen in on the meeting as we speak."
"Of course they are," (Y/n) mused, shaking her head fondly.
"You'll tell me what's going on in the meeting later, won't you?"
"Maybe," (Y/n) said. "I'll be in deep trouble if anyone remembers that I can hear it," she murmured.
"I'll be your knight in shining armour," Ginny teased.
"I'll leave you to it," (Y/n) said, briefly glancing at Ginny before Effie came strolling in, looking very content indeed. (Y/n) huffed as she warded off a cat, tried zoning out of Harry's yelling, and continued searching for the wands.