As Delilah sat herself down on the arm of Tom's chair, she was met with the tired and expectant gazes of her friend group. Aurora had finally joined them, a night robe wrapped around her as she sat huddled in a ball next to Abraxas.

  She sighed, feeling terrible for dragging them all into her mess as well. Delilah felt like the kick starter for everything that was going wrong in their lives. "You're probably wondering why I asked you all to come in here," she started slowly, wiping her sweating palms against her legs.

  "If it's more bad news I need a drink," Pyrrhus muttered. Sadly, there wasn't any alcohol at the safe house and he felt like he was going to go bad. 

  Delilah bit her lip, "I don't think it's bad news per say, however that completely depends on you and if I word it correctly." Tom raised a brow at her and she shook her head at herself. Already this wasn't going as smoothly as she hoped. Clearing her throat, she looked at them all and made herself smile. "I have a lot to tell you... like a lot. And I'm not sure how to go about it so I'll just cut right to the case. I'm from the future." 

  Hung open mouths, wide eyes, and swears greeted her and she felt her chest constrict. Yet, at the same time it was as if a weight had finally fallen off her shoulders. The truth was out, she could breathe again.

  "Are you joking?" Lolita said in disbelief, her eyes raking over her blonde friend to see if she was lying, or if this was some strange ploy Delilah was using to cope. That wouldn't make sense but grief works in strange ways. Delilah wrung her hands together and looked at Tom, for either guidance or reassurance she didn't know, but when he gave her hand a squeeze she kept going.

  "I was born on the seventh of November, 1980, and my actual name is Delilah Meddows," her hands wouldn't stop shaking and she wanted to slap herself. "I somehow got thrown back in time, from 1998, I don't know how, Dumbledore's been helping me-"

  "Dumbledore knew this whole time?" Cain said, he wasn't surprised, the man kept many secrets. It was just a lot to wrap his head around. Delilah nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral. "I understand if you're all angry or frustrated at me. I know I could have, and I do, trust all of you it was just a matter of greater importance. For the time line sake, now however that is in shambles so... thus why I'm telling you all." 

  "I really need a drink." 

  She managed a light laugh at Pyrrhus before it fell into a more somber line, "I hope you all can forgive me, a know that's a lot to ask."

  "We're not mad at you, Delilah. We recognize you didn't exactly have much choice. It's a lot to process," Olive chimed in and the other's nodded in agreement. Despite everything she's always told herself, the past few days she couldn't stop crying and tears welled in Delilah blue eyes, making them look like glossy, weathered down crystals. 

  "So, what do we call you now?" Lolita said, messing with her engagement ring. "What do you mean?" Delilah furrowed her brows before she realized they meant her last name. She never thought about that. She'd gotten so used to Pontmercy. It's what Tom had called her for so many months, it felt like a part of her now. She didn't want to give it up. Before she could answer, Tom spoke.

  "Regardless, I'm not calling you Meddows. It doesn't sound right." Delilah rolled her eyes at him, "well i hoped you'd broken your habit of calling me by my last name anyway." He shrugged, pinching her thigh, "we'll see."

  Tom wrapped an arm around her waist as she slung her own over his shoulders, the group falling into silence for a moment, everyone collecting their thoughts. Eventually Abraxas cleared his throat, "what about us? In the future I mean, do you know us? Or can you still not say much." Her mind warned her to be cautious and she chose her wording carefully. Looking at Abraxas' soft eyes, she would never have the heart to tell him the cruel man he'd become. Perhaps though, now, he never would.

 Delilah shook her head, "I didn't know any of you, considering you'd all be old enough to be my grandparents." She laughed, and their uncomfortable body language at the notion didn't help. Even Tom shifted a bit in his seat at the realization he was technically about fifty years older than her. "I knew some of your descendants though, I know your grandson Abraxas. He's an ass, but I like him. And he's a seeker." 

  Abraxas felt his heart beating in every part of his body, from his stomach, to his feet, and right back into his head. He gave out a heavy sigh of disbelief. He knew he wanted kids one day, it was strange for him to actually know he would. And have a grandson nonetheless. He turned his shining eyes to Aurora, who looked equally as stunned and he felt a flush rise to his cheeks. She caught his eye and offered him a smile that slowly warped into a grin. If  he was to have a family with anyone, it'd be her. He couldn't imagine anyone else. 

  "Did Elio know?" Cain asked after a moment, also thinking about the fact that he probably has children somewhere out in the world down the line. How Elio never would. Delilah twirled his necklace, the coolness of the silver washing over her in a wave of comfort, familiarity, and longing. 

  "He's the first I told."

  "Are you sure you don't want us to come? We'd be more helpful as a group." Pyrrhus said into her golden hair as she hugged him and everyone else goodbye. Tightening her grip on the raven haired boy, she nodded once and pulled away, looking into his slate gray eyes that held so much light it didn't seem possible. "I'm not roping you all into another mess, not again. That wasn't fair."

  "To be fair, Riddle is the one who made us go to the Ministry," he joked, his smile slowly fading as he caught sight of Delilah's necklace. She patted him on the cheek one last time before Lolita crushed her into a hug, her black hair getting into her mouth but she didn't want to pull away. "We've only just gotten safe and now you're running off into danger again," she scolded, though it was halfhearted. Pulling away, Lolita brushed the blonde mess of girls from Delilah face and mustered up her best smile. "What about the rest of the letters?" she whispered. 

  She sighed, Delilah nearly forgot. Looking around at all her friends, her heart made the decision before her mind could keep up. "Don't share them yet, not unless I don't come back." 

  "You will, I know you will. You're too stubborn to let anyone win." 

  Tom had explained their plan, or at least their very loose base of what could be a plan to the group after Delilah admitted she was from the future. Thankfully, they didn't think it was terrible, but all were aware of what was at stake. Both for the present and future. 

  Despite himself, the part that wanted to be noble, Cain was relieved when Tom told them it would just be him and Delilah going.

  After losing Rosie and then Elio short after, he didn't think he could handle it. The mere thought of Lolita dying made him want to crumble to the floor and wilt until he was nothing but ash. His heart calmed itself when his fiancee rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him in a brief moment of exhaustion and a need for comfort.

  Cain was never putting their lives at risk again, he wouldn't be able to bare it. 

  The group stood as Tom and Delilah stepped into a large fireplace that resided in the foyer. Dumbledore had answered Tom's patronus quickly and set up a connection that would be open within minutes. Taking a deep breath, she looped her arm with Tom's as he grabbed a handful of floo powder. Her tongue felt heavy and all she could manage was a wave before the powder was thrown down, "Dumbledore's office," Tom said clearly and green flames engulfed them in a blinding inferno. 

  Delilah swayed on her feet for a moment as clouds of ash arose around them in Dumbledore's fireplace. Waving away the gray fog, the two stepped out and into the office. Tom looked around, he's only been in there once or twice, it was nothing remarkable. For a quick moment, Tom wondered if he actually did want to be a professor. Even if it was for a short time, if an office was it, he wasn't sure if he wanted it. He always told himself he'd never settle down, and even if he had a section agenda.. it seemed painfully dull.

  "Ah, Tom and Delilah, sit down," he was pulled from his thoughts as Delilah tugged on his arm, leading them to two chairs Dumbledore had conjured. The energy was different between them, Tom could feel it, and with the look in the old man's eyes, one could only guess Dumbledore felt it too. 

  The old wizard always had his doubts about the boy, the boy he met in that orphanage all those years ago. But in the last few months, Dumbledore saw the crack of hope. Tom was like one of those vases that had lightening of gold running through the cracks. No longer broken, but beautiful, the scars turned into something to be admired. His twinkling eyes went to Delilah and he smiled. Hogwarts offered help to those who deserve it, and perhaps she was just the same.

  Whether or not he realized it, Tom found a home in Delilah. One he didn't have to say goodbye to.

  Gesturing to the bowl of lemon drops, Dumbledore poured three cups of tea and rested into his chair. "So, dare I ask what this plan is?" Delilah gave a long glance at Tom, his eyes strangely enough looked like a much lighter brown in that moment. Like the darkest honey. Taking a breath she spoke, "the time turner you offered me, are you sure you can get it?"

  He looked at Tom to gauge his reaction, but the boys face was painfully blank, save for the ever present fire that lay behind his eyes. "Yes, I can get it."

  "Okay, so I was thinking, this may seem reckless but it's an idea. We use the time turner and go back to my time-"

  "We?" He raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes flickering between the couple. "Miss Meddows, taking Tom to the future, his own future would be detrimental." She bit at her cheek, she knew he wouldn't be as easily convinced. "In all honesty, sir," Tom spoke, his tone was polite as always but he didn't bother to hide the undercurrents of annoyance. "I already know everything, what have we to lose? The plan is sound, though albeit out there. We go to the nineties, either collect the Deathly Hallows there, or collect information of their whereabouts and return. Getting to the rest of them before Grindelwald."

  She smiled rather smugly at Dumbledore, glad Tom didn't dance around the subject like she was bound to. "The future has changed, that fact is now painfully obvious. And if we get the last remaining objects. We can save the wizarding world and muggle world alike." 

  Dumbledore rubbed at his chin as his eyes drifted to his phoenix, his beloved Fawkes. He couldn't deny it, something in the course of history had shifted, knocking everything off its axis. Grindelwald was after the Deathly Hallows, and if he got the cloak and the stone, the world would be lost. "I understand the weight of the situation," he began, watching the two draw in an awaiting breath. "However, you are both young and have already been put in the line of fire more than once-"

  "With all due respect sir," Delilah cut in, determination setting her brow. "Out of everyone we're the only two who can accomplish this, especially under the radar. Timeline be damned, everything will become a lot worse if Grindelwald gets the Hallows. And everything we've been through would've been for nothing. Regardless, I'll find a way to get a time turner with or without your approval."

  Tom's lips tugged into a smirk, proud that she wasn't afraid to defy the Great Albus Dumbledore. 

  The latter of which sighed as he looked at her, half moon spectacles perched on his crooked nose. He was silent for a moment, the air heavy and the sun light coming in through the window made the steam billowing from the tea look haunting. "I need your word, that you have absolute confidence you can achieve this. What you're planning to do is monumental for the course of time. Everything will change."

  Without thinking, Delilah held out her hand and after a moment she felt the warmness of Tom's fingers twine with hers. She looked at him then, his crown of dark hair and the sharp angles that made up his features. This time around, they'd be in it together. Right from the start. No lies, no tricks. They'd have each other.

  "You have my word, I swear it." Her voice carried around the room in a steady rhythm and Dumbledore looked at Tom. He never would've thought he'd trust such a task to him, but times change. That was good, it proved nothing was set in stone. People could change for the better, if only they are offered the right kind of support. 

  Tom bit his cheek, he didn't want to promise anything to Dumbledore, but he could promise Delilah this. Of everything else he couldn't guarantee her, he could give her this. He nodded once, "you have my word." 

  Dumbledore took a long sip of his tea, his eyes taking in the miracle that was in front of him. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake. He thought of Ariana when he looked at Delilah, of his little sister he failed to protect. Yet, he had to remember himself. Delilah was not Ariana, she was not a little girl anymore. She was capable of the impossible and she had the power to move people.. she had the power to influence Tom Riddle. The boy who made all the wrong choices. Delilah didn't change him, no one could, but she did help Tom uncover something within himself he buried long ago.

  As they got up to leave the office, hand in hand, Dumbledore called out to her. "You would've made a fine lion, Delilah. You're very brave."

  The girl smiled but shook her head, "I'm an eagle at heart sir, I 'm not brave. I'm just smart." He chuckled at that, waving them off and the door shut behind them. "That you are," Dumbledore muttered. 

  "That you are."