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　　 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐖 by the windows of the tube as it gained speed. The underground felt a lot more stable than the steam locomotive did as it barely moved into any other direction than forward. Though unfortunately, more people had to stand instead of sit on a proper seat since there were less chairs available. To most it didn't matter. Going with the tube meant to many only a five minute trip.

The tube came to several stops before resuming again. Lucy had memorised the names of the underground stations by heart and knew which station came next. Twenty minutes with seven stops before she could walk out and breathe in the familiar Finchley air. The air of her first and foremost home.

Peter stood next to Lucy just in case. He knew she'd be able to defend herself if absolutely necessary, but there was something about her that made him overprotective. Perhaps it was the fact that she'd always be his younger sister and that her guileless eyes misled many to think she was younger than she actually was.

Or perhaps it was the fact that she had such a kind heart, though naive character. She'd always try to be friends with everyone, even if they didn't deserve her sweet nature. It worried Peter at times that she wasn't all too well in reading people and seeing their true intentions before it was too late.

Edmund on the other hand had more faith in his younger sister. She'd grown up a lot from the eight year-old into the woman she was today. She was still so young when she was suddenly thrown into their very first adventure—but she never backed down from anything—and she'd learnt to find her voice and use it for good.

His mind was more worried about Florence's well-being. Whilst she could be very confident and fierce, he knew that she was struggling deep down. He was there the moment her brothers got the news they'd help the war at the frontier.

He'd wanted to enlist into the army for quite some time, but after seeing how much Florence struggled with the news, he'd decided to not go after all. He'd fought his own fair share of wars at the very front of the army, however, he later on realised that the very reason he fought in those wars was to protect that world. He hadn't felt that same desire in this world.

Lucy was following the motions of the tube, using the pole as her support with hanging backwards and forwards. 'Our last break before our final exams. After this, we'll never have to go back to that school again.' Her voice cut through the dullness that many passengers had brought along with them. It was sharp though soothing at the same time. There was always an element of optimism in every word that she said and especially in the words she'd just spoken.

'Then I'll be free to do whatever I want,' Florence said and eyed Peter. 'Maybe I'll come to annoy you at the countryside. I have to meet this mysterious professor you're always talking about.'

Peter was both happy and doubtful about that prospect. He'd often considered Florence and Lucy to practically be twin sisters and along that consideration, Florence knew exactly how to tick him off or embarrass him like she truly was his younger sister and that was the last thing he wanted in front of professor Diggory.

He instead shrugged and looked over his shoulder into the endless tube. 'I don't think you'd like it. It's a lot of studying and you hate to study,' he replied.

Florence frowned, bumping into his side to gain his attention again. 'He has horses. I'll just take care of those all day,' she said with a little grin. 'Or are you afraid I'll emba—'

She suddenly cut off her own sentence when something out of the ordinary caught her eye. She gently pushed Peter towards the pole as she tried to get a better view. Walking through the tube where four young adolescents such as herself. What made them stand out was their unusual clothing; the bold choice making quite the impression on Florence.

One boy with hair as dark as Edmund's and perfectly round glasses was wearing a darkly-red tinted gown of some sorts. A girl with frizzy, untamable dark hair wore exactly the same, whereas another girl—who was holding onto the boy's hand—wore a similar gown though coloured in a dark-green. Then there was one other guy clothed in the dark-green version as well, his shoulders broad and slightly intimidating at first sight.

Edmund followed Florence's gaze to the four strangers on the tube. 'What are they wearing?' he asked in complete surprise. Seeing two men wear something that remotely resembled a dress was something he'd never seen before in England.

'They must be rich,' Eustace chimed in. 'Silk is extremely difficult to get by since the war started and they have made dresses from it.' He huffed out while also rolling his eyes. 'Showoffs.'

Florence was completely entranced by the foursome, unconsciously leaning forwards to observe every inch of them. The girl in the red gown twisted and turned on her spot, curiously looking around her and revealed that she was wearing denim jeans. 'Why would a rich girl be wearing worker's slacks?' There was something off about the group to her. They were more than just unconventional.

Everyone was so stuck in their own world, trying their best to make sense of the oddness that those strangers carried with them, that they hadn't noticed Lucy letting go of the pole and walking towards them.

'Why don't we just ask them?'

Before her sentence was processed by the others, she'd already reached the group of four. 'Hello,' she greeted them. 'My name is Lucy.'

Edmund let out a deep sigh as he followed behind his sister. 'Great. Now we have to talk to them,' he grumbled, the low rumbling sound vibrating through the air. Florence, Peter and Eustace fell in step behind him, carrying along the suitcases.

The boy dressed in green took a step forward and stretched out his arm in front of his friends. His hand was itching to retrieve his wand, but he managed to keep it at its place. He glanced backwards to observe the others' reaction before inspecting the people that had come to talk to him.

'What's your name?' Lucy asked.

The boy cocked his head to the side, frowning as he did so. He stared deeply into her eyes, but couldn't sense any deception or ill-will. 'My name's Aiden,' he stated eventually. The sight of Peter, Edmund and Eustace made him continuously and unconsciously tug onto his wand. Whereas Lucy's eyes were filled with innocence, theirs were not.

The girl in the other green gown pushed by Aiden to stand before Lucy. The two girls were of similar height, Lucy only beating her with a few mere inches. 'I'm Charlotte and this is Harry Potter,' she said.

It was Hermione who immediately noticed the difference in response. There was no telling whether or not this group that had approached them were perhaps secret Aurors who'd detected their magic, but it was more than unusual for someone to not show the slightest response to learning they were in the same room as the Harry Potter. This could either mean that they were Muggles or that Harry simply hadn't been born yet at this time; or maybe both.

She bit on her nails while Lucy went on to introduce the three boys and the girl. They seemed to be so ordinary, yet they'd taken a part out of their day to greet them. Her eyes shot to someone reading a newspaper. CASUALTIES KEEP ADDING UP AFTER PINCER IN MUNICH. In very faint letters, she could see the date printed on the beige paper; FRIDAY APRIL 6 1945.

'We're in 1945?!' she shrieked out in utter disbelief and put a few steps backwards to be closer to Aiden, her gaze tearing off the newspaper and over to him. She could feel eyes burning into her head from all sides when people started looking towards her due to her sudden outburst. Her hands disappeared into her frizzy hair to hold onto her head to try and keep herself as calm as possible.

Edmund and Florence exchanged a look in which they'd said a million unspoken words to each other. 'You've been stuck in your bomb shelter or something?' Edmund said, not showing much compassion for Hermione.

'They don't teach you what year you're in where you're from?' Florence added.

Charlotte gave them a look before turning back to Hermione. Perhaps it would've been better to have asked whether Ron wouldn't have wanted another adventure. Whilst Hermione was trying to compute the 54-year gap between their present and this old present, Charlotte's eyes glittered with the possibilities of reasons why the Time-Turner had brought them here. She was convinced that Time-Turners were semi-sentient objects which still had a slight will of its own.

Her head bopped back up towards the other group, but she flinched when she saw Peter right in front of her. The kind face of Lucy had taken a step back for Charlotte to crane her head skyward to look into the ocean-blue eyes that Peter had. She could make out a resemblance to the raven-haired boy named Edmund. They were both looking at her with a similar frown, though Edmund's frown resided in his knitted eyebrows, whereas Peter's remained mainly in his clenched jaw which caused a slight pout.

'So where are you from?' Peter asked them curiously. He looked all of them up and down once more, though his eyes stayed on a piece of jewellery that Hermione was wearing. It was barely noticeable since it was buried underneath her hair, but he somehow managed to spot it. It seemed to call to him. It was a call that he'd heard before. 'What's that?' he asked, changing the subject and pointing to Hermione.

Hermione's hand hastily covered up the Time-Turner. 'Just a necklace,' she answered and turned away from him.

Florence saw the necklace before Hermione hid it and she too felt a familiar roar deep within her heart.

The tube stopped and opened its door where the tiles on the walls read EAST FINCHLEY. Hermione bolted out of the tube as soon as could, not even giving the others much time to react, though they followed suit as though they knew.

'Hermione, wait!' Aiden shouted after her, his strong voice carrying through the corridor behind her.

The passages echoed with the footsteps chasing after footsteps and despite the fact that Peter and Florence were still carrying their suitcases, they could keep up with the group in odd gowns. They hauled the suitcases up the long stairs, not even daring to lose sight of the ones they were following. They couldn't lose them. The all too familiar call was singing in their ears and they were desperate to follow it.

Eustace was the last in line as he was outrun by everyone. His long, lanky legs were no match for the athletic ones that the Pevensies and Florence possessed. He'd slowed down his run to a jog until he was no longer moving at all. A side stitch cramped up his abdomen, leaving a sharp sensation to linger. He pinched into his side to stop it from aching and repeatedly swallowed in an attempt to solve his dry mouth. His throat felt painful from the lack of saliva and even his legs burned with exhaustion.

'Go—go on without m—me,' he breathed heavily, though he was already almost out of earshot. He collapsed forwards onto the stairs as he slowly continued his climb up the forever lasting staircase. 'I—I'll catch up.'

'Don't fall too far behind, Eustace!' Florence shouted behind her.

Hermione had reached the end of the staircase and frantically looked around for a good place to hide. If those strangers got hold of the Time-Turner, they would be in big trouble. 'We have to find a good place to hide so we can go back,' she yelled, in the hopes of the others hearing her. She took a right into a wooded area as it would give them a higher chance of shaking off their pursuers.

Harry took Charlotte's hand to help her keep up with the running. Her chest was heaving up and down to allow a good airflow, but she hadn't run like this in the last year. The memories of them being followed by the Dark Lord's snatchers flashed in front of her eyes and she profusely shook her head to get rid of the recollection.

She looked into Harry's green eyes every time he turned around to check on her. She'd always loved the colour of his eyes. It was the same colour that marked Slytherin House. She reminded herself of what her House stood for and why they'd come here in the first place. 'But why?' she puffed out. 'We came here for an adventure and I think those people are our key to it.'

Her face suddenly collided with frizzy hair which fortunately softened her blow. She couldn't help but blurt out the air that was knocked out of her lungs in an odd grunt. 'Merlin's beard, Hermione—'

However, her sentence died when she looked up into the swirling sensation of colours fighting in front of her. . .

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Hellooo!

Another week, another update heuj heuj.

Two groups have met whiee! Writing meetings is not my strong suit and so this chapter took more time than usual. You gotta make everything make sense and not overwhelm people with too much dialogue and there are so many things to think about when you make two groups meet.

Anyway, who else could relate to Eustace when everyone was running? Because if there would ever be a chase and I'd be involved in it and I'd have to run up a flight of stairs, I'd just pass out.

I hope you enjoyed it, we've arrived in Finchley now! With this slow approach, I might write over twenty chapters since up and to chapter ten will be similar chapters like these to really buildup relationships, establish connections and create a foundation to base the story upon. Do not be worried, plenty of things will happen which I hope you'll all love to read about ;)

Thank you for reading!

xx Theresa

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