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Father Time by mrsmcclnt

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"Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes, Lily." His smile widened as hope boomed within his heart. Lily Potter stood before him, looking as though she had never died. She wore a white-laced Victorian dress matched perfectly with a beautiful floral hat that covered her vibrant red hair.

"What are you doing here, Lucius?" Lily asked.

Lucius looked at his strange surroundings. Time seemed to standstill in this new setting. The sun and moon hung in the same sky, along with all the stars and other planets. All the seasons were rolled into one; looking as though it were snowing in the middle of a hot summer's day. The universe swirled around them, though they were rooted on solid ground. It was an awesome sight to behold. But the one thing that stood out to him, even more than this, was the copper sand that lay below their feet.

"Where is here, Lily?" he asked her.

"Here is time, Lucius." She could tell from his expression that her statement confused him. She laughed but quickly recovered. "I'm sorry, you must be new here."

She straightened her composure and started over again. "Think of time as a river. You're either in it, being caught up in its currents, or you're standing on the river's banks, watching the rapids go by."

"So," he paused as he mulled over her words, "I'm standing at the banks of time?"

"In essence, yes. The past and present, all of the four seasons, all time starts from here, waiting to unfold itself into the future." Lily smiled as she saw him gain some clarity.

"So why are you here?" Lucius asked her, thinking she should be in a more ethereal place.

"All souls travel here every once in a while to learn about their past lives. It helps to prepare them for the future in case they want to be reborn. I frequent this place often and have learned so much about myself."

"Who's this?" the boy asked, eager to join the conversation. The child looked very familiar to Lucius, but the boy’s hazel eyes threw him off. Lucius gave Lily his own questioning stare.

"This is Lucius Malfoy, Harold. Lucius, this is one of James' cousins. He was lost to your world years before Harry was born."

"It's nice to meet you." Lucius and the boy shook hands and the boy sat down to play in the sand. "I'm surprised to be greeted this way. With all that has happened, I thought for sure you would've cursed me by now."

"Death is a strange thing, Lucius. It seems as though all of your past angst and grudges die when you leave the mortal world. From where I stand, you look like an ordinary man who needs help. How did you get here, anyway?"

Lucius took a deep breath as he regaled them of his trip. Lily and the boy held onto every word as he told them of his various adventures. Both seemed fascinated at his daring quest to reach this place. As he finished his tale, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It was as if his soul had released his worries since he was near his journey's end.

"I heard this place was legend. I didn't think it existed until now. They say the wizard who created Time-Turners created this place."

"And you're saying that Time-Turners are running amuck in your world?" Lily asked. He nodded in agreement, showing the two he had to her. "So why come here?"

"Voldemort's numbers are strong and many. The more I jump back, the more they keep up. I don't think I can travel far enough to do what I need to do before they eventually find me."

"So you came here?" asked the boy.

"I heard there is a special Turner that can turn back all reality, not just a few moments in time. They say it’s called 'Father Time'."

Both Lily and the boy exchanged glances as Lucius continued.

"They say that this 'Father Time' was the original Time-Turner from which all other Turners were forged. This one was so powerful that it was considered very dangerous, so it was hidden in the statue of the one who made them." He paused for a moment, again, to take in his surroundings. "The statue could only be found in a specific place and time. After working with some numerologist, I'd been able to pinpoint the existence of this place." He continued to stand, in awe of the view. "I've waited a long time to get here." Lucius looked to her and to the child, hoping his efforts weren't in vain.

Lily grabbed a handful of the copper sand and placed it in his hands. She then tipped his hand slightly to allow the grains to fall. As the sand poured from his palms, multiple images of death and destruction flowed out into the wind. Each scene was different and more gruesome than the next, but with each passing scene, a constant and familiar face stood out from all the misery that played: the face of an innocent boy who wasn't quite human.

"Oh, Lucius," she sighed.

"No, no." He could barely watch the faces of death that emanated from the passing grains. He felt the weight of all of the mass devastation, for it was his decision that placed the world in danger. Lucius kept a hold of his troubling emotions and stiff upper lip as the last of the disturbing images disappeared into the stars. "It was my fault. It was all my fault."

Lily held his hand firmly and said, "I know it's a knee jerk reaction for a parent to apologize for his child's behavior. But, Lucius-"

"This was my fault!" he said angrily to himself. His eyes shut tightly to fight back the tears. He wanted desperately to make amends for his actions. He had never realized how costly his judgment had been until he had looked into her eyes. The goodness that came from Lily was so foreign to him; in Lucius' world, there was nothing good left.

Evil had overrun his home and suffocated what was left of his life.

"I need to make it right somehow, Lily."

"Well, it sounds as though you're in the right place," she reassured him.

"So you have it, then?" Lucius asked.

"No -- not me, at least. Best you go over there." Lily pointed him to a door that stood alone with no walls to support either side. "You'll meet a barkeep inside. Ask him how his family is to get him to open up. When he asks you how yours is, make sure you open up to him the same way." Lucius soaked up all he could. He knew it would be the last time he would ever see a smiling face like hers again. Before he could walk away, Lily gave him a quick hug.

"Lucius, how's Narcissa? How is Harry, too? For some reason, I haven't been able to see him."

Lucius was afraid of her reaction...afraid to see the goodness wash away from her face. But felt that he had no choice but to respond to her question. "They're dead, Lily. Harry, Cissy, Draco... all dead. Voldemort killed them all."

The little boy clutched onto Lily, stifling his cries into her skirt. Lily kept a brave front as she returned to him with a smile. "Well, maybe your presence here is what's causing my blind spot. If you're going to alter the past, it most definitely will change the future. It's a good thing that you came."

As he walked through the door, he entered a dodgy, filthy pub, yet the patrons of this place seemed otherworldly. Everyone's attire was different, with ancient tribal wear mingling with western modern clothing. People were speaking and comprehending in different languages as they circulated the establishment.

"What can I get you?" grumbled the old man as Lucius stepped up to the bar to sit.

He was confused as to what he should order. It didn't look like a place where one could get a good stiff drink. "Nothing. I'm fine." The man began to leave when Lucius remembered to ask, "How is your family, sir?"

The old man shrugged his shoulders and then replied, "Honestly, they're fine. Never been better." Lucius expected him to say more, but the man went back to cleaning some glasses. "And you? How's your family?"

Lucius pondered a moment, trying to think of the right response. His mind went over what Lily had told him.

When he asks you how yours is, make sure you open up to him the same way.

But the same as what? The barkeep's response left Lucius confused as to how he should answer. Was he to give the same short reply? Was he to repeat the same words as the barkeep? The man had said his family was fine...and Lucius knew, quite honestly, that his wasn't. Was that the same that Lily was referring too?

"Well, truthfully," Lucius hesitantly stated, "mine isn't. But I hope to find something that will make it all better for them."

The old man looked deep into Lucius' eyes. After a few intense moment of silence, he grumbled and nodded as he turned away from him. Lucius was nervous and began to curse himself for speaking. Judging by the man's reaction, he wondered if he had given the correct answer. Then, he saw the man go under the counter and pull out a wooden box. He returned to Lucius, open the box, and laid out the necklace in front of him.

"I suppose you're seeking this, then?"

Lucius looked confused, wondering what was right about the statement he had given. "So I answered correctly?" he asked.

"It's not so much what you've said. Sometimes when a man speaks honestly, he reveals his intentions also. Your intentions are honest and just. A person holding this object needs to be doing the right thing when using it." Lucius took a hold of the small device to look at it more closely. It looked like any other Time-Turner, except it contained the same copper sand that was on the ground outside. "Two turns should do it."

"Two turns?"

"Of course! Your ordinary Time-Turners deal with incremental amounts of time. This one deals with reality, which folds over larger amounts of time within its turns." The man took the piece from Lucius as he instructed him. "When you turn it, you must concentrate on the point of time that you are trying to change and then make your turns."

Lucius tried to touch it but the man slapped his hand as he continued. "Make sure you focus on that point. And only two turns! Turning it too much could undo time itself." After he finished speaking, he placed the item back in Lucius' hands.

"Well, we can't let that happen." Lucius carefully placed it in his pocket. "I'll be sure to keep it safe." As he secured the item on his person, he noticed that the room had become very quiet. He looked to the barkeep and saw that he had a frightful, wide-eyed expression on his face. Lucius turned to the direction that the barkeep was starring in.

A blond haired boy with a demented smile greeted Lucius at the bar.

"Hello, Father."

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