I hadn't really noticed how fast we moved through January until Polly was helping me into my nursing uniform. Ada was cuddling with Thomas and I was struggling with the fact that he was now thirteen weeks old. How had it gone so fast? It felt like yesterday when he was born.

"Are you nervous?" Ada asked, seeing my forlorn look.

"No, I'm just thinking how fast it's been since Merry died." It was always on my mind. The guilt was always eating away at me, especially when my mind slipped away from Merry and I forget that Thomas-J was here because of her.

"She wouldn't want you worrying, love. You know she wanted this," Polly said and I nodded slightly because she was right. Merry wouldn't want me dwelling on the things she was missing out on. I think she was just thankful her son was in an orphanage and had someone to love him.

"Has Tommy written to you recently?" I'd sent him a letter at the beginning of the month telling him my exciting news but he had yet to reply.

Polly shared a look with Ada and the younger woman shrugged.

"I got one from Arthur," Ada admitted, turning her eyes down to the baby. "They're together and they're safe."

"But Tommy didn't reply?"

"It could have gotten lost on the way, love."

For some reason, I didn't believe Polly's words.

"I'll be home late, I'm meeting up with Newt and Phineas at the Ministry, there's someone they want me to meet. Don't look at me like that, Polly, it's someone to help me finish my schooling."

I was over-ambitious.

It was definitely a Slytherin trait and I was never going to be ashamed of that.

"You're sure you have the time for all this?" Albus Dumbledore - the Albus Dumbledore - asked as he helped me plan a schedule where I could meet up with him and finish my magic schooling.

To be honest, I only had about six months left of my last year when I was sent back in time, and luckily for me, the content I was learning in the future was more advanced than what they were teaching here.

"Well, as you said, I should only have to see you for a couple of months before applying to do my NEWTS, I think I can handle it."

"You'd be a Ravenclaw if the sorting hat saw your commitment," he said, sharing a look with Phineas and Newt.

"Or a Slytherin because of my ambition," I replied, sharing a sly look with Phineas. He had seen how I could wrap anyone around my finger to get what I wanted. He had first-hand experience when I made him pay for everything when he took me and Ellanora out for lunch.

"Are you sure she's not your sister, Phineas?"

"Have you told everyone about that?" I accused, slapping him on the shoulder as he smirked at me.

"Well you have the same eye shape and the mouth is very similar too," Newt pointed out from where he was researching something in a book. He was no doubt wondering if he should start his hunt for creatures now or wait until after the war.

"That could be said about anyone, Newt if you look at a certain angle. I could be your sister seeing as our hair colour is very similar," I pointed out looking between his reddish-hair that was a few shades darker than mine.

"She has a point."

"I've got to head home. I'll see you on Saturday, Albus. Newt, remember you promised to come round for Sunday dinner, don't break your promise to me because you got lost in that book of yours."

"Yes, yeas, Romy, I'll be there," he muttered, waving me off as he flicked through his journal and jotted down a few notes.

"Lovely speaking to you all!"

February 4th 1917

Dear Tommy,

I hope you're okay. Ada mentioned you and Arthur are safe and that pleases me deeply.

I'm writing to let you know that Thomas-J gave me his first smile yesterday - I've enclosed a photograph when Ada managed to capture another one. Can you believe he's almost fourteen-weeks old already? His hair is getting darker and his eyes are becoming a beautiful light blue. He's going to be a looker, Tommy.

Nursing school isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. At the moment I'm tending to a few soldiers sent home from France. Their injuries are nothing to be desired. I'm afraid there's one young lad that won't be able to see again. How can I continue on treating them when I picture you lying in that bed with a lost limb or no eyesight?

Please write back to me, I worry about you.

Love,

Romy x

Tommy clenched his jaw as he looked over her words. If she really worried about him then why was she with that man?

Fumbling for a cigarette, Tommy looked down at the photograph of Thomas-J and understood what Romy meant. He was a good-looking baby with a head full of dark hair, he hadn't realised how much hair he'd had before it turned dark.

He didn't like the fact that she was seeing the horrors that this war had caused but he hoped that she would be put off and give it up. He'd heard that more and more nurses were being called onto the front lines as more men got injured and needed their assistance.

"You gonna write back?" Arthur asked to which Tommy ignored him. He should write back but he was also tormenting himself every night by looking at that photograph of Romy with the man.

If she cared about him as much as she said then why was she with another man?

February 20th 1917

Dear Tommy,

Thomas-J is four months old now. He's started babbling now so it sounds like he's talking to you. Finn loves talking to him when he thinks no one's listening. I hope that when you return he won't be talking in full sentences. It won't be long until he's rolling over and then he'll be crawling and getting into trouble.

Polly said you could make a Peaky Blinder out of him, but I'm not so sure I want him going around with razors sewn into his cap, yeah, she told me about that.

I'll be waiting for your letter.

With love,

Romy x

Tommy glanced up at the letter before shoving it in his pocket and ignoring the look Arthur gave him.

He was just going to ignore her until she admitted that she was seeing someone. Why was she playing with him? Telling him all about Thomas-J, giving him her love if she was in a relationship?

"Fuck," he grumbled, rubbing his hand over his face in frustration. Had it always been this hard? He couldn't remember it being like this with Greta.

"Miss Lupin?" I turned to see Doctor Hayes making his way towards me, a smile on his ageing face. "We're really pleased with how you're handling your classes. I was wondering if you could do an extra day?"

"Well, umm, it depends, sir. I do have Thomas-J at home and I don't want to be parted from him for too long."

"Only on a Saturday morning, we've noticed you have a way with the soldiers that have been through a more ... brutal ordeal. We were wondering if you could tend to them, a few of the other nurses don't feel comfortable in the room with them."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm about to speak out of term. It's their job to care for those soldiers if they can't handle it because they have facial scars or open wounds then perhaps they are not suitable to be nurses and you should think about letting them go."

I guess it was a sore spot for me considering Pops had been attacked by a werewolf and had to wear the marks across his face.

"I'm impressed, we feel the same and have given them a warning but you've actually been requested from the men. They like your presence. Something about you visiting them in your spare time with a bunch of rowdy children." Oh shit. Was I about to be busted for bringing the Shelby's in to visit the men? I knew I shouldn't have done it, but they just needed a little love and liveliness in their lives.

"I'm so sorry about that, Doctor Hayes. I promise it won't happen again." I wouldn't mention this to Polly, especially since they'd been trying to teach Finn how to conn a man out of his money.

"It was doing no harm and I haven't seen the men that happy ever."

"I guess I don't see there being a problem working on a Saturday morning."

Doctor Hayes gave me a soft smile as if he knew I was going to say yes. In a way, he'd sort of trapped me in a corner. Waving to him I rushed down the hall, waving to the receptionist as I left the hospital and made my way down the side alley ready to apparate home.

I stopped at a noise shrieking from behind a bin and slowly stepped closer to it, my wand out.

Peering behind the bin, I was shocked to find a greenish-black vulture-like creature staring up at me pitifully.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked crouching down and offering the bird my hand. I knew what this creature was, it was known as the weather warden in my time period, but in this time period, people still feared the Augurey's cries as an omen of oncoming death. "I'm going to take you someplace safe." I shook off my coat and wrapped it around the bird, it was still relatively small so it must have been a baby.

Once the Augurey was settled in my arms I apparated, stumbling slightly as I bumped into an equally shocked looking man.

"Romy! What are you doing here?" Newt asked before his eyes settled on the bird in my arms. "Is that an Augurey? Where did you find it?" I loved the way his eyes lit up with excitement as he ushered me to his desk and urged me to settle the creature on top of his desk.

"I found it outside the hospital, I think he's lost." I set the fellow down, chuckling in surprise as he brushed up against me as he burrowed his face into my nurse's apron.

"I think he likes you?" Newt said the amazement making his jittery voice almost unrecognisable.

"You were the first one I thought about to be honest. What are we going to do with him?"

"Well, I guess it's my job to assign him to someone and for them to find him a home."

"I think he lost his way while he was flying. He seems so young," I said, brushing my hand over his head before unwrapping my coat from his body. Upon being released, the Augurey flapped his wings open and flew to the top of the room, settling on top of the filing cabinet. "I think he's found his home, Newt. You've going to have a hard time getting him down."

"Yes, well, I like a challenge," he muttered, flipping his journal open and writing down a few notes about our new friend.

"You could always take him home," I replied just as quietly. "No one besides me and you know he's here and it would give you a chance to study their behaviour."

"You're asking me to steal a magical creature?"

"Well, is it really stealing if it's not reported?"

"She has a point, Newt," Phineas said as he joined us, looking up at the Augurey. "If you take it home now, no one else will know."

"You two are a bad influence," he muttered, closing his journal as he turned giving us a disapproving look.

"But it's not going to stop you taking Gray home, is it?"

"You named him Gray?" Phineas asked, sounding disgusted at the thought. "How original."

"Oh shut up, Phineas, you would have named him after yourself if you were left in charge of a name." He didn't bother arguing because he knew it was true. The poor bird would have been dubbed Phin Jr if left in Phineas' hands.

"Right, well if you want me to take him home, I best be off." As if sensing what we had spoken about, Gray flew down and landed on Newt's shoulder surprising the young man. "I'll be off then."

"You think we've corrupted him yet?" Phineas asked, nodding to where Newt has once been.

"I don't think Newton needs corrupting." Not with what I've heard about him and New York in 1926.

March 20th 1917

Dear Tommy,

It's been weeks since I last heard from you. Ada says she hasn't received any news from you either and I'm hoping with everything I have that you are alive.

After seeing the things I have being a nurse, I know I cannot wish for no harm upon you. I fear the worst.

There was a tear stain marking the paper and Tommy felt guilty that he's been putting her through this. When was the last time he wrote to her? November? He hadn't written to her after he received her letters at Christmas and then he saw that photograph at the beginning of the year and he refused to write back out of jealousy.

"Fuck," he hissed feeling foolish for the first time in months. He'd put her through so much pain because he'd been angry. He'd made her cry because he'd been an idiot.

Thomas-J has started to roll over. He scared the shit out of me the first time he did it. Almost rolled himself off the bed. I've got to surround him in pillows now if I want to place him on the bed. It won't be long before he's sitting up with some support. He's already trying to lift his head.

Finn got him to laugh last week and it was like that little bubble of laughter brightened the whole room. Finn was so proud of himself, Thomas-J won't laugh for anyone but him, not even me.

He does always smile whenever Phineas comes to see him, but I think that's because he pulls his hair.

Oh, I never told you. I found another long-lost family member. My cousin Phineas from my father's side of the family. You might have seen him in the photographs Ada sent of our New Year's party. The woman in the photograph is his fiance, Ellanora. She's caused quite a stir in the family because she's a commoner. Phineas was actually disowned, but luckily for him, he's been quite helpful with the war effort.

He's been helping manufacturer tanks to outfit the army, one of the reasons why they refused him when he tries to sign up. The other reason I am unable to tell you in case this letter is intercepted.

Phineas is jealous of you. I told him he should never say that to your face. I doubt he would like to witness the things you have, Tommy. Is it also selfish of me to wish he never had too? Would it be selfish of me to want to keep my family safe? Especially after Merry?

I do hope to hear from you if you receive this.

My heart aches not knowing how you are.

Love,

Romy x

He was a fool.

"Ya alrigh', Tommy?" A young lad of nineteen asked, tapping his foot agasint Tommy's as they huddled together in the trenches.

Tommy looked up at Luke and gave a slight nod before asking for a slip of paper. Luke handed him a slightly damp piece of paper and a ruffled envelope, smiling slightly as Tommy scribbled down a few words.

Romy,

I'm safe. Sorry for the lack of communication. I regret that. Will talk more when in a safe place. Arthur's still with me. Thomas-J's growing so fast. I wish I could be there to see it. How's your nursing going and I'm happy you've found another family member.

I'll write to you when I can,

Love,

Tommy

Tommy glanced up as he felt Luke's eyes on him and sent a kick at the younger man, huffing in annoyance.

"Shut up," he grumbled, feeling his neck burn in embarrassment.

"I didn't say anything," Luke said, his eyes twinkling in mirth as he sent a smirk at the older man. "Love, Tommy." Luke laughed as Tommy sent him a glare earning a few looks from their comrades, wondering what the young lad had to laugh about.

Arthur glanced over and smiled as he saw the small smile on Tommy's face as he swatted at Luke. There was obviously something the nineteen-year-old was teasing his brother over.