Temporal Paradox: The Second Chance of Harry Potter

November 4th, 1976

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that her usually soft and squishy pillow felt harder, warmer, and heaved and lowered itself with a steady rhythm. In addition, she felt very naked, seeing as the bedsheets brushed against her exposed skin whenever she wiggled slightly.

'Strange.'

'I don't usually sleep naked.'

Over the course of the next minute, she also detected that her legs were wrapped around another's and, assuming by the rhythmic beat of a heart, that the body part she was currently resting her head on was a chest. A familiar, broad, and strong chest.

'Harry.'

She took a deep breath, inhaling the faint scent of her boyfriend's cologne, coupled with lingering traces of sweat. Marlene forced her eyelids open and blew a few strands of her golden hair aside only to reveal a chiselled jaw, clean-shaven neck, and strong shoulders.

'She had spent the night with Harry.'

'And woke up in his arms for the first time ever...'

The memories of last night, coupled with various very graphic images came rushing down on her. There was Harry, hovering above her and lowering himself in between her legs with long, deep thrusts while he kissed her gently.

Marlene could still feel the lingering touch of his strong hands on her skin, leaving hot trails of fire. The way Harry had stretched her so pleasurably, deeper than ever before, filling her out completely, was difficult to put in words.

'Now she was completely his.'

'And he was completely hers.'

Another memory danced through her thoughts: This time she was on top of him, straddling his crotch and moving her hips up and down, back and forward, while large hands cupped her bouncing breasts, squeezing them gently. Her fingernails left faint scratches as she scraped over his chest and shoulders.

A third and final memory swirled past her inner eye, she was bending over on her hands and knees with her back arched. Looking towards the head of the large canopy bed, strong hips smacked against her from behind, and the sound of skin slapping against skin filled her ears. One hand squeezed her butt, its fingers digging into her flesh almost possessively. The other hand was holding her hair, pulling it with a tight grip.

She felt a small blush creep up on her cheeks, remembering how curiously they experimented with different positions last night. Many of them were considered anything but proper for the young pureblood heiress of one of Britain's oldest Houses.

And still, she enjoyed all of them.'

"I can almost hear you thinking, you know..."

His deep voice startled her slightly. She felt his eyes on her but refused to look up just yet: "I didn't notice you woke up, as well."

"Your hair tickled my nose." He chuckled: "What are you thinking about?"

"The last position we tried last night." The blush only grew stronger as she raised her head and looked up to find him grinning down at her.

"I liked it," Harry murmured. His hands trailed down to her butt and he squeezed it under the covers: "I liked it a lot..."

"I could tell you liked the view." She giggled: "And I enjoyed it when you took control..."

They remained quiet for some time, remaining snuggled against each other, covered by nothing but a blanket and taking deep, steady breaths: "Was it - you know - was it good for you?"

"It was more than just good, Marlene." His lips curled into a faint smirk. "I thought that after the third time you'd be able to tell that I enjoyed myself just as much as you."

"Good." She searched for his fingers underneath the covers and absently played with them.

"It was your first time..." He pressed a kiss on her forehead before he spoke up again: "How did you like it?"

"A lot." She bobbed her head and sighed contently: "I almost wish we'd have done that a lot earlier."

"We have all the time in the world now, love." Harry gently hoisted her on top of him, however, he quickly stopped when a sharp hiss escaped her lips.

"It's okay." Marlene winced as she moved her hips while spreading her legs, testing the limit of what was still comfortable: "I'm just a little sore down here." She gestured to her nether regions: "Not really a surprise seeing as what we got up to."

"And how often..." She added in a whisper, hiding a small blush.

"I'm sorry." Harry nestled her head in the crook of his neck with the utmost care and stroked her long hair: "Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, there is one thing..." Marlene giggled. "You could perform a shrinking charm on yourself."

Upon seeing his confused expression, she rolled her eyes: "I'm not trying to feed your ego here, but you certainly are quite very well equipped down there, Mister."

'He is never going to let me hear the end of it now.'

His eyes sparkled and he opened his mouth.

Marlene quickly shut him off from whatever cocky comeback would undoubtedly roll from his lips by kissing him deeply: "Still, I wouldn't change a thing about it. Being stretched like that feels quite nice during the act. I like it a lot..." 

She traced her tongue over his bottom lip: "However, I should really take a shower and get cleaned up."

"Yeah." He grinned: "That sounds like a good idea."

"You can join me, but you'll have to be patient today." Marlene batted her eyelashes up at him: "I probably shouldn't overdo it..."

"Who says I'm not the one that needs a break?" Harry threw his head back in laughter.

Marlene let one of her hands trail down his body until she reached her destination. Her assumption was proven correct when her fingers curled around his hard, hot length. 

She smirked triumphantly and removed the sheets that covered him, exposing his arousal: "What's this then, Harry?"

"You tell me." He grinned at her with a hint of mischief in his sparkling green eyes: "What does it feel like?"

"Well, it didn't feel this one when you woke up a few minutes ago, so don't even try to pretend it's some 'natural reaction all boys have in the morning.'" She smirked: "I know better than that!"

"I can't exactly help it." Harry shrugged, not the least embarrassed about being aroused: "Cuddling with you will probably always provoke that kind of reaction and you know it. This is hardly the first time. You should actually feel flattered..."

A peal of laughter escaped her lips. Marlene slowly climbed out of the bed, smirking at the way her boyfriend's eyes roamed over her naked form and clung to her curves: "As I said, you can always join me in the shower. I'm sure I'll be able to find a way to take care of your problem."

November 5th, 1976

"You look simply breathtaking." Harry managed to gulp while he stared at Marlene, completely enthralled by her physical appearance for today.

Her long blonde curls were interwoven in an elegant braid that hung over one shoulder. A floral headdress perfectly matched the light blue coat she was wearing. She even went as far as applying some muggle make-up to accentuate her already incredible facial features.

He was one lucky bloke...

Not wasting any time, he swooped her in his arms and breathed in her familiar, incredibly calming scent: "I can't wait to take you out on this date, love!"

"Way to go, Harry!" Someone chuckled next to his girlfriend: "Keep it up and this might be your lucky day as well."

"Go away, you little harpy!" Marlene huffed at who Harry now recognized as Florence: "I have a birthday date with my boyfriend and you were certainly not invited to be third wheel."

"I'm already on my way, no worries, Mar. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Florence giggled and winked at them before turning around and heading down to the waiting carriages.

"I take it she knows then?" Harry grinned down at her.

Marlene nodded, a small blush creeping up on her cheeks: "She covered for me when the other girls asked questions about my whereabouts. It's only thanks to her that rumors about me spending the night with you don't make their rounds through the entire castle right now."

"Yeah, I could do without those." He grimaced: "Listening to her teasing us is the preferable alternative."

'Especially when I'm not the least ashamed of it.'

"She can be very annoying at times, but I wouldn't change a thing about her." Marlene shook her head in amusement. Then her eyes roamed over him from head to toe: "You cleaned up very nicely yourself today, Harry."

"Thanks." Harry grinned and offered his arm: "Shall we?"

"Yes, of course, good sir." Marlene linked their arms and allowed him to escort her over the courtyard in front of the castle: "So, may I know what you have planned for me today?"

"Now, that would be telling." Harry laughed: "You will just have to wait and see."

They soon arrived at the carriages, joining the groups of students waiting for the vehicles to take them to the nearby village. It was Sunday, November the fifth, which marked the second Hogsmeade weekend of the term.

Harry had the majority of the day planned out for them, wishing to further celebrate his girlfriend's birthday with her and hopefully have a lovely time on a date.

Luckily for the couple, the moody Scottish weather did not intend on ruining their date so far. They held hands and cuddled up against each other in one of the carriages while enjoying the incredible scenery of the Highland hills.

"So..." Harry helped her out of the carriage and pulled her closer by the waist: "The table at Madam Puddifoot's is reserved for lunch, until then we could do some shopping if you'd like?"

It was extremely difficult to stop the grin from spreading over his face when her eyes snapped up at him and she pouted in his arms: "This better be one of your silly jokes because, Morgana help me, I will leave you standing at Madam Puddifoot's and you will enjoy your confetti sparkling tee by yourself, Harry Peverell!"

He chuckled: "You seem to know quite a few details about the goings in that particular cafe... Have you ever been taken there?"

"No, of course not!" A small blush crept up on her cheeks: "However I'm not deaf and I do hear the other girls talking about it. It's certainly not a place I wish to visit with you!"

'Good answer!'

"The Three Broomsticks it is then." Harry led her towards the center of the village: "After some shopping of course..."

"Why? Still need to find a Christmas present for me?" She teased him.

"No, I've got that one covered. Your brother was rather explicit about what might happen to me should I forget it."

"Will you tell me what it is?" She bid her bottom lip, looking up at him with sultry large blue eyes while batting incredibly long eyelashes.

Harry tore his gaze away from her and grinned: "Sorry, it will take more than that to seduce a powerful occlumens like me." He playfully puffed out his chest.

Marlene snorted. Getting up on her tiptoes she whispered into his ear: "Any time I take my clothes off you practically eat out of my hand, Harry. I think we both know which one of us has better control over their hormones and urges. We can test that theory tonight if you want to?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Harry denied firmly and led her into the first shop: "But I agree, we should definitely test that theory later."

Roughly two hours later, the couple entered the crowded Three Broomsticks. Harry and Marlene walked towards the back of the pub, where a reserved table with a single red rose waited for them.

'Luckily Rosmerta didn't forget it.'

Marlene rewarded him with a soft smile when he pushed her chair back in. She carefully snatched the rose out of its vase and brought it to her nose: 

"I will keep this one." She decided after taking a whiff. With a quick tap of her wand, she reduced the flower to the length of a matchstick and stored it within her coat.

"I almost forgot; you're finally allowed to do magic now." Harry chuckled, his eyes glancing at her over the menu.

"Very funny, Harry. Not all of us have untraceable wands, you know..." Marlene rolled her eyes and shot the Elder Wand tucked away in Harry's sleeve a cold glare.

"How does it feel to be dating an adult woman by the way?" Her eyes sparkled playfully: "I'm surprised I didn't get to hear any cradle snatcher jokes yet."

'That's pretty hilarious since it's actually the other way around...'

"If only you knew.' Harry snorted audibly: "You're not going to hear me complaining about having an older girlfriend. In fact, I quite like it this way." He let his eyes dip momentarily down to the slightly more generous amount of cleavage she was showing today.

"See something you like?" Marlene quirked an eyebrow while her lip curled into a smirk.

"I do," Harry replied unfazed and brought his eyes back up: "I always do."

She was about to respond when something caught her eyes over Harry's shoulder. Her surprised expression made him turn around in his chair, allowing him to catch a glimpse of unruly ebony hair next to a chocolate brown head.

"He did it!" Harry cheered: "He finally did it!"

"Is that Potter taking out Antonia Goldberg on a date or do my eyes deceive me?" Marlene snorted: "Isn't he still head of heels for Evans?"

Harry nodded absently while tracking the couple over to a table in the other corner: "I was the one to suggest to him to take out a different witch and actually gather some experience on how to show a girl a good time on a date. It doesn't hurt in the long run, no matter whether his pursuit of Lily works out or not."

"You sneaky little bugger. You're trying to make Evans jealous:" Marlene raised an eyebrow: "It will be interesting to see if your plan works. Potter is still just as popular as he was during the height of his prank time, but everyone noticed how he matured a bit this year. I almost hear as many girls talking about him as they do about Black and you nowadays."

"Sirius will be heartbroken to hear that." Harry shot her an amused look and grinned: "Do I finally have some competition then? Should I be jealous?"

"Never!" Her expression turned more serious and she leaned forward to press her lips against his: "I told you that I'm yours, Harry! Only yours..."

"Good..." He resisted the powerful urge to turn her innocent kiss into a full snogging session and instead squeezed her hand affectionately: "I like that."

'And I won't let anyone take you away from me.'

The couple ordered some drinks and also some light snacks when Madam Rosmerta came by. Time flew by as they chatted about everything and nothing, simply happy to spend some time in solitude.

"Will I actually get a share this time if I order us some vanilla ice cream?"

"I can't make any promises on that, Harry." Marlene giggled: "You'll have to wait and see how much I like it."

"Fair enough." Harry sighed playfully and looked up, hoping to spot the waitress among the crowd of students. He wasn't successful, however, instead, his eye caught the flaming red mane and bright green eyes of Lily Evans.

The young Gryffindor spotted them and hesitantly walked over to their table.

"Hey, Harry, McKinnon." She inclined her head ever so slightly in what she must have hoped was a polite greeting, yet her smile seemed somewhat forced.

"Good to see you, Lily. Are you here with Mary?"

"Yes..." Lily looked over her shoulder: "She wanted to get us something to drink while I looked for a table, but it's so crowded in here that I doubt there is something left."

Her eyes darted to the single rose that stood in the vase between Harry and Marlene: "Oh, I didn't know it was your birthday. Congratulations, McKinnon."

"Thank you, Evans," Marlene murmured with a slight grimace. 

'That's strange...' Harry frowned: "Okay, what's going on between you two?"

At first, neither of them seemed comfortable speaking up, then Marlene gave herself a nudge: "I went to apologize to Evans a few days ago."

"Apologize?" Harry stared at her: "What did you feel the need to apologize f- Oh..." The realization hit him and he cringed.

Lily crossed her arms in front of her chest. She seemed very uncomfortable: "And I did not think it was a sincere apology, so I did not accept it."

"You didn't even let me finish!" Marlene replied a bit more heatedly: "You simply dismissed me and stomped away instead of hearing me out!"

"Guys, can we please-" Harry tried to interfere.

"Because I know you only did it for Harry!" Lily's green eyes narrowed: "The sudden change of heart makes no sense, so it must have been to appease him."

"I did it for myself, not for anyone else." Marlene's fingers tightened their grip around his own: "Harry's reaction should make it more than obvious that I didn't even tell him about this."

'This was getting out of hand.' Harry noticed a few people starting to look in their general direction. With a flick of his wand, he cast a Muffliato and some more privacy spells.

"Yeah, because luckily I didn't even hear you out." Lily retorted: "Must have felt horrible for Hogwarts' pureblood princess not to get her way for once!"

'Seems like his mother was just as feisty as he had been told by Slughorn': "Lily, that's-"

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Evans!" Marlene interrupted him, hissing angrily: "You think being a pureblood witch is the equivalent to living in some fantasy world?"

She snorted: "I was lucky that I wasn't married off to Lestrange and abused for the rest of my days. You should count yourself fortunate to be able to date whoever you want without your family forcing you into marriages against your own will and planning out your entire life without letting you have any say in it because that's how most pureblood girls are treated!"

"I- " Lily swallowed heavily, seemingly looking for a smart comeback but failing to find appropriate words and arguments. 

Harry used the opportunity to finally interfere: "That's enough, both of you need to calm down."

He addressed his mother: "Lily, I genuinely think that Marlene's changed and that her apology had been sincere. I won't try to defend how she may have treated half-bloods and muggle-borns before we started dating, but I know she caught the error in her ways."

"Sorry, Harry, but you're not exactly unbiased in this situation. We can all tell she's got you wrapped around her finger" Lily huffed: "Do you honestly think she'd treat you the same or even date you if you were anything but a pureblood?"

'She deserved to know. It might do her some good.' 

Harry chuckled: "Well, Marlene knows I'm actually a half-blood, and I'm still being treated the very same, so yeah."

Lily stuttered: "You- You're a half-blood... But I- I thought- with how old your family is and everything..."

"My father was a pureblood, but my mother was a muggle-born, Lily." Harry smiled at her: "Marlene doesn't care about it and still puts up with me. Shouldn't that be proof enough?"

"Especially since I'm happier than ever before." Marlene snuggled against his side and kissed his cheek. She looked up to meet Lily's perplexed expression: "I love Harry from the bottom of my heart and couldn't care less about his blood status or that of his friends."

"I- I don't..." 

"It's okay, Lily." Harry held up a hand: "I just really wish the two of you could get along."

"I- I was just worried, Harry." Green eyes turned slightly teary: "I already lost one of my best friends because he was radicalized with bigoted beliefs. I didn't want that to happen to you too. Not after everything I went through with Sev..."

She bid her bottom lip and turned towards Marlene: "For what it's worth, I accept your apology, McKinnon. I can see how happy you make Harry and he certainly deserves all the happiness he can get."

"Thank you." Marlene nodded: "You should call me Marlene then. It feels stupid that we're both so close to Harry and still address each other by our surnames."

"I'd like that." The redhead swallowed. She glimpsed around: "Well, I should head off, I probably already ruined your date, and Mary likely needs rescuing from the Marauders."

'Let's see how she reacts to James.' 

Harry grinned: "I don't think they will be an issue today. Sirius, Remus, and Peter only came to restock their sweets and prank items from Zonko's while James is on a date."

"Good one, Harry." Lily grinned and rolled her eyes: "As if..."

"He's not joking." Marlene chirped in, shooting Harry a small wink: "Potter is over there with Antonia Goldberg from my House." She gestured into the corner, where one could spot the unruly head of the Potter heir.

Lily swirled around on the spot and stood on her tiptoes, peeking over the heads of their peers. She froze when she finally spotted them: "Oh."

Her face dropped ever so slightly: "That's... certainly unexpected." She forced a small smile back upon her lips and let out weak laughter: "Well, I guess it was about time…"

Harry studied her curiously, barely able to hide his grin: "Well, it's just one date. But it will be interesting to see if they're compatible now that the git matured ever so slightly. I heard a few girls had taken an interest in him this term. Perhaps the first Marauder will soon be tamed by one of them."

"Mhmm..." Lily merely hummed, her eyes glimpsing back over to them and lingering on James' form for a few seconds: "But it's only one date, you're right..."

'She doesn't like it very much, does she?'

"I just didn't expec- " She cleared her throat and spun back around: "Never mind, I'll head back to Mary then. Enjoy your date, you two!"

Her red hair vanished through the crowd of students. Harry and Marlene turned toward one another, each holding a burst of laughter before they both exploded.

"Who would have thought that bookworm Lily Evans is actually interested in the biggest rule breaker Hogwarts has ever seen." Marlene wiped her eyes and grinned: "This will be so much fun to watch."

"You were just as much of a bookworm and look at you now..." Harry pressed a teasing kiss to her lips: "Sneaking off at night with your underage boyfriend to do the- "

Marlene silenced him with a searing kiss. Her fingers tugged on his hair almost painfully: "This underage boyfriend will learn to stop teasing me if he ever wishes for a repeat performance!"

"That I should manage, my love."

November 15th, 1976

A coppery taste filled every corner of his mouth. Hard, rough stones lay underneath him. He felt the coldness creeping into every single limb. A headache of a magnitude he never experienced before pondered through his skull, making him wince in pain.

'Pain... there was so much pain.'

With a groan, he forced his eyelids open and blinked repeatedly. His vision was distorted, making everything around him a dark gray blur.

Harry attempted to push himself off the cold tiles, but his arms had been robbed of any strength and he immediately crumbled back down.

'He was completely exhausted.'

"Harry? Is that you?"

He knew that voice, yet he struggled to put any sort of context to it. Harry couldn't think clearly, everything hurt terribly and he felt so weak.

"Harry, can you hear me?"

"Help!" He groaned and tried to twist himself on the floor so he could crawl toward where the voice was coming from.

"Your wand, Harry!" The voice shouted: "Summon the Elder Wand, it will help you!"

Panting heavily, Harry slowly managed to flip himself on his back and raise his arms above him, stretching his fingers.

"Accio- " He coughed and felt something spill over his lips, the coppery taste grew even stronger: "Accio Elder Wand!"

A sharp pain surged through him. His magic felt volatile, turbulent, and completely out of control.

'What happened to me?'

Nevertheless, his intent must have been strong enough, for a thin piece of wood connected with the fingers of his right hand, allowing Harry to seize it before it dropped. 

He brought the wood down and pressed it against his chest, small ripples of warmth spread from where the wand connected with his skin, numbing some of the pain and allowing him to clear his thoughts. 

'He was so tired and exhausted... Perhaps the pain will stop if he closes his eyes just briefly...'

"Harry, you need to stay awake!" The voice shouted once more: "Don't give in to the desire to fall asleep. You need to find help now!"

'Aurelius!' His thought finally cleared enough to recognize the owner of the voice: "What happened to me?"

"You performed the ritual to strengthen your magical core, but I can't say how much time has passed since then. It might have been an hour; it could have also been multiple days!"

"What went wrong?" Harry croaked, trying to crawl closer to the voice.

"You sacrificed too much, Harry! You refused to let go and continued to push more magic into the runes despite my warnings. I was forced to listen to your screams for what felt like an eternity while being unable to help you!"

'The ritual.'

Faint memories of deep purple runes, a sharp silver knife, and dripping crimson blood swirled through his mind.

 "I- I remember now." Harry coughed even more blood: "I remember the pain. It just didn't stop hurting..."

"I have taught you that sacrificial magic only works if you hold whatever you sacrifice to equal value as the advantage you get from it." The tome hissed angrily: "Your desire to become more powerful almost killed you if your sacrifice was so painful!"

"It still hurts so much." He winced, slowly pushing himself to his knees.

"You need to get help, Harry! I don't even want to guess how much blood you have lost and chances are the ritual dealt significant damage to your internal organs when blood and pain weren't enough as a sacrifice."

"I can't go to the matron." He coughed another mouthful of blood and gasped for air: "Dumbledore will know..."

"And you will be dead in the next three hours if you don't get any help!" The tome roared: "My descendant won't die because of his pride. Go! Now!"

Harry's fingernails dug into the wood of the table and he pulled himself upright until he was standing on shaky legs. He took a step forward and instantly fell back down, his knees smashing into the rough stone tiles.

It took three more attempts before he could somewhat comfortably set one foot before the other. Clutching the Elder Wand to his chest, Harry stumbled through the chamber and up the stairs to Myrtle's bathroom.

He had no idea what time it was, but it was almost dark in the corridors, so it must have been either the early morning or the evening.

Climbing the stairs up to the hospital wing had never been so painful. He was drenched in sweat and covered by further spurts of his own blood when he finally hammered against the door to the infirmary.

"Mr. Peverell, what in Morgana's name happened to you?" The Matron gasped when she spotted him crumbling on the doorstep.

"Inside with you!" She flicked her wand and levitated Harry to the closest bed.

"What did you do, Mr. Peverell?" She frowned as she repeatedly trailed her wand over his entire body, whispering under her breath. Harry could feel her pause and take a double peek at the long cuts on his wrists: "None of these injuries are natural. Have you been dabbing with ritualistic sorcery?

Even if he had the strength to speak, Harry would not do so. 'The less she knew the better.'

"You're practically leaking magic and have lost almost one-third of your blood!" The Matron gasped: "What kind of magic did you attempt to cast?"

She flicked her wand at her small office and summoned an entire basket full of potions: "You will drink each of these, Mr. Peverell! They will repair the damage to your organs and internal bleeding. There is no known method to restore your magical core, it might take a full week until it's safe for you to cast spells again."

Harry grimaced and gulped down one potion after another, wincing at the taste. Regardless, the effect of Madam Pomfrey's treatment was already showing signs. He felt stronger and the immense headache slowly subsided.

"Perhaps I shall call an expert from Saint Mungos..." The matron frowned while she continuously cast one diagnostic spell after another on him.

"No!" Harry coughed: "Our entire interaction falls under your healer-patient oath! Thank you for what you did for me, but you can't tell a single soul, ma'am!"

"Your Head of House and the headmaster- "

" -Don't have to be informed either, because I'm an emancipated minor." Harry croaked and pushed himself off the bed.

"Mr. Peverell, I need you to stay here for the night!" The Matron shrieked and hurried over to him: "You are in no condition to leave yet!"

"I will be leaving anyways!" Harry stumbled past her towards the exit: "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey, but I am forced to remind you of your oath once more! No-one shall be told about this!"

He ignored the matron's complaints and had almost reached the door when he looked at the wall to his left in shock.

The portrait of a witch with long silver ringlets peeked at him with utmost curiosity.

"NO!" The Elder Wand slashed through the air but failed to freeze the portrait in time for the woman to step out of her frame and vanish.

Harry's wide eyes darted to the bottom, where he spotted a name tag.

Dilys Derwent

Healer at St Mungo's Hospital (1722 - 1741)

Headmistress of Hogwarts (1741 - 1768)

A distant memory swirled through his mind despite the faint painful throbbing of his skull:

"Everard and Dilys were two of Hogwarts's most celebrated Heads... Their renown is such that both have portraits hanging in other important Wizarding institutions. As they are free to move between their own portraits they can tell us what may be happening elsewhere. . ." 

'Dumbledore knows...'