A Secret Worth Keeping

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, only those that I created myself. Please do not harm me in any way. I only do this for fun.

Red


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A Secret worth Keeping


Chapter Nineteen: False memories and a letter


Harry and Hermione stood staring at each other. The newly formed memories flashing in their heads of a wedding so elaborate that it made their heads spin. In their memories had been placed an image of Hermione wearing a white wedding gown trimmed in gold and silver brocade up the front of the bodice. It would have been something Hermione would have chosen for herself if it were actually she in the wedding memory instead of her head of house. It was odd to know that McGonagall chose to wear a traditional muggle-styled wedding gown than the more appropriate wizard-wedding robe. Perhaps that was the reason Minerva offered this particular wedding memory. It would go more with Hermione’s muggle upbringing and girlish fantasies than a more traditional wizarding hand fasting.

The image of a tall man in black dress robes with gold and silver designs up and down the front flashed before her. She smiled ae fae face turned towards her. She knew that the image that appeared to her eyes was her friend Harry, but in actuality, it was a tall blond man with a loopy, lopsided grin, namely, Minerva McGonagall’s first husband, an Auror by the name of Corwin Lovegood.

Hermione’s vision changed and she saw Harry/Lovegood place a gold ring on her finger and she/McGonagall placed a similar ring on his. She unconsciously ran a finger over the ring she now wore as she watched her memories. She saw or remembered Harry/Lovegood standing next to her and she remembered the way he felt when he took her hand and kissed her, gently…

She shook her head to pull out of the memory and glanced around her at the men surrounding her.

\"Did it work?\" Ron asked his eyes darting between the two friends.

Hermione turned to smile at Harry. \"You look fantastic in black. You should wear it more often.\"

\"Yeah, sure…then I could be called the black bat. No thank you, I leave that title with Snape.\" Harry grinned at the older man.

\"A title that I will keep with delight, Mr. Potter…\" Severus’s silky voice responded from behind them accepting the words in jest as the boy intended them to be.

Hermione grinned just as Albus rose a hand. \"I need to see if the correct memories are retained, Hermione…if you will?\" He motioned her to stand before him again.

A swish and flick of his wand and she felt him delve into her mind. There was a faint tickling sensation as she felt him move through her thoughts. Then, after she thought that he might have gotten lost, she felt him leave.
\"Well?\" She asked as he turned to Harry.

\"You next, Harry…\" He hadn’t responded to Hermione and she frowned before feeling Severus’s hand on her shoulder.

\"In a moment, Love…let him complete the inquiry.\" His words drifted down into her ears. She nodded.

Hermione allowed herself to lean back against Severus’s chest, feeling the comfort that she knew he would always provide for her. This couldn’t be easy for him. She should be the one to comfort him instead of him comforting her. Even if this wasn’t their idea, it must feel like a blow to him. To not be able to care and provide for his family out in the open, instead taking a backseat approach once again. Living his life on the sidelines as she and Harry went about living a semi-normal life in the public eye.

She reached a hand up to cover his that was draped possessively around her waist. The hand tightened on her and she felt a kiss being planted on the top of her head, making her smile. As long asstilstill kissed her, then things would be fine. As long as he continued to show her his affections then she could get through this year. Once she had graduated and Voldemort had been dealt with, then the truth could come out. Everyone would know who was Sebastian’s true father.

The comfort in his touch seemed to keep her grounded as she watched the emotions flashing over Harry’s face while Albus dug into his thoughts. She wondered if she made the same faces when Albus was in her brain. After a few minutes, she watched Harry’s face relax and Albus retreat from his mind.

Everyone turned their attention to Albus as he cleared his throat.

\"Well done. The images have retained properly. As long as the interloper doesn’t delve in too deeply, the memories will work. Very well done.\"

Hermione sighed deeply. She felt Severus’s arm come squeeze her waist and she glanced up at him. His eyes were dark and wary as he listened to the Headmaster. Her heart sank with sadness, knowing that he didn’t like this one bit but did it only for her and their son. She ran a hand along his forearm.

\"Things will be fine, Severus.\" She murmured, \"You will see.\"

\"It had better be.\" He responded.

\"Now, one last thing before I leave.\" Albus quipped and turned to the nursery. \"I will be back in a moment.\"

Hermione stepped in the direction the Headmaster had gone, but the arm around her waist held her back.

\"It’s fine, Love…don’t worry.\"

\"Sebastian…\"

\"Will be fine.\"

She watched the closed door in anticipation for what seemed like forever before Albus re-emerged. He motioned them to come through and they did, following the elder man into the baby’s room. Hermione stopped, taking in the familiar surroundings. Nothing seemed immediately out of place.

\"Over there.\" Severus pointed and Hermione’s gaze wondered to a pair of doors.

‘Where did those come from? They weren’t there earlier.\"

\"Harry. If you will?\" Albus motioned the boy forward and Hermione watched as her best friend cautiously opened the door.

\"Wow…\"

\"What is it?\" Hermione and Ron quickly scampered over and gazed into the new room. A new bedroom had formed. Obviously, this was to be Harry’s room. He strode in and ran a hand over the cherry wood furnishing. A sleigh styled bed sat across from them, surrounded by rich ebony and bright red drapes. On the walls were photos, muggle and wizarding alike, all of friends and a few of family. A large portrait of his parents hung directly across from his bed, his mother and father waving happily at him.

\"This is so cool.\" Harry grinned, looking back at his friends.

\"Hermione…\" Albus motioned to the other door and she tentatively moved to the unopened door. She had assumed that she would still be sleeping in the nursery, but then she\'d realized that that wouldn’t be prudent since Harry would have to walk through the nursery whenever he left or entered his room. She turned the knob and the door fell open revealing a bright room filled with whitewashed oak furnishings. The decorations reeked of warmth and cheer. She felt her eyes tear up and once more hands wove around her waist, pulling her back into a strong chest. Against the far wall rested a white leathered head boarded bed with a yellow and red duvet covering. A deep burgundy carpet ran wall to wall with white and red throws tossed haphazardly along the floor.

\"Its…I love it.\" She whispered as her gaze flickered across the pristine room. \"However, I don’t know how I will keep all that white clean with a baby.\"

\"Don’t worry about that. Its wizardguarded.\" Dumbledore gave her a grin and she chuckled at that.

\"It suits you. \" Severus whispered into her ear. \"It will work for now.\"

She turned to look up at him but chose to ignore the meaning of his words. She knew he meant that the room would work until she was prepared to share his own quarters.

\"What now?\" She asked the others surrounding her.

\"Harry’s things will be moved down within the day. I suggest that you all get to know each other more as you will be spending more time together. \"

Albus gathered up the remains of the parcel he had brought then indicated the covered objects still standing by a wall. \" And I would find someplace to put those for now.\"

\"Oh…Yeah!\" Ron exclaimed rushing over and pulling the cloaks off of the offending coffins and Hermione’s eyes widened in alarm as she watched her friend’s actions.

\"RON!\"

\"Look!\" Ron grinned as he reached in and pulled out her wand. \"Its here…its all here, ‘Mione. Everything you were forced to leave behind.

Hermione felt her heartbeat falter as Ron held out her own wand. This was impossible. There was no way that her things could be in…in those…despicable…things. Unless…

She swallowed back a sob, sinking to her knees. She now understood the meaning of the caskets. It was a message from her parents, a message that screamed that she and Sebastian were indeed dead to them. How could her own parents do that? How could someone just dismiss a being of their own flesh in such a callous way?

\"Hermione?\" She jerked her head up to meet the concerned gaze of Severus. He knelt next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder gently. Lovingly. \"Perhaps too much has happened today. Perhaps you need to rest more.\"

Slowly and deliberately, she wiped the tears from her eyes. \"No, I do not want to do this anymore. I am tired of being afraid and hurt.\" She returned softly, wiping her reddened nose across the back of her sleeve. Her eyes roamed back over to the coffins where Ron simply stood, looking abashed and ashamed at his thoughtless antics. She cast him a forgiving smile and with Severus’s help, stood slowly to her feet.

He led her over to the casket and, reaching for what was left of her courage, looked inside. The familiar items inside caused her throat to tighten as she reached in a tentative hand to rummage around. Knowing her parents, she knew that they would have left her something. After a moment, she found what she knew would be inside. A sealed envelop.

With trembling hands she ripped open the letter and retracted a single paged letter. Unfolding it, she was surprised to see several pieces of paper fall to the ground. She ignored the fallen paper as her tear filled eyes scanned the letter.


Hermione,

With sadden hearts we write this letter to you. No parent likes to pen this type of letter, yet you leave us no choice. You have disappointed us one to many times and we can not condone an unmarried mother. Another sad entry to the monumental list of disappointments you have garnered.

We had such high hopes for you when you were born. You were such a clever child and deeply loved by all. Now, however, things have changed to our sorrow and disappointment. We have discovered, from your ‘wizard’\' friend, Mr. Weasley that you have returned to that school that we have tried and tried to talk you out of attending. It was hoped that you would learn your lessons being cast out of our home, but alas, it seems that you are bound and determined to live a life that we find appalling. No matter the harshness of it.

We do hope that you have done the right thing and turned over the care of your child to a family that can raise it properly. Being an unwed mother must mean the same thing there as it does here. Give the child a chance and give it up if you have not already.

That is another reason for us writing this letter to you. Since you have again chosen that place over your home life, we can not forgive again... It is obviously not the safe haven that you have claimed over the years, otherwise, you would never have been impregnated with a bastard child. I thought we taught you better than that. We shudder to think of what else they are teaching you there in that house of ill will.

Since you are determined to continue to break your mother’s heart, and mine, we have sent your things to you via the ministry. The method of the delivery, I’m sure you will understand. I know it seems harsh, but it was necessary to make you see how you hurt us. Please do not try to contact us again. We no longer have need of you as a daughter as a replacement one is on the way. Perhaps this child will be a more loving and caring child to parents that expect much more than you gave us.

Inside of these ‘crates’ are all of your possessions. You need not come looking for anything else. You have nothing here anymore.

I hope that you do, in time, work out your miscreantions and reclaim our God for he is trying to seek you back into his fold. Look for him, Child, before it is too late for your soul.

Sadly

Richard and Simone Granger


She struggled to hold onto her tears as she felt the letter being taken from her shaking fingers. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Severus as he read the letter. His eyes darkening in anger at the hateful words. Dropping her gaze to the floor she saw the pieces of paper and bent down to retrieve the fallen scraps. Her throat tightened as she realized what they were. Rd imd images stared back at her as she looked at the scraps of muggle photos. Those of her as a baby and as a toddler, torn into little pieces. If the letter wasn’t clear enough, that one hurtful action was.

She was dead to her parents.

She felt arms around her again and she turned into the waiting, comforting arms of the one man that she knew loved her.

\"It’s all right. Love…you don’t need them. You have a family…us.\"

\"Promise me that we will always be?\" She turned pleading eyes up to his concerned ones. \"Promise me you will never turn us away like that.\"

\"I promise, Hermione. I will never push you or our child away.\" He whispered, pulling her tightly into his embrace. \"I love you. I will always love you.\"

\"Hermione?\"

She turned her face to see her best friends looking at her; their faces set in disbelief and sadness. Harry’s voice wavered as he spoke.

\"You will always have us…as family.\" Ron’s head bobbed in agreement.

\"Thank you…\" She sniffed and pulled away from Severus’s arms. \"I…I need a moment…excuse me.\" A need to be alone to let the emotions overcome her. She needed to cry. Not over what had happened to her in the past, but to cry over the loss of two people that had meant the world to her growing up. She had to mourn over that loss. And she would rather do that in solitude than in a crowd.

\"Of course…Take all the time you need.\" Albus returned, indicating her new room. \"We will all be here when you are ready.\"

She gave all the men around her a look of gratefulness before leaving the room. She paused by the crib to look down at her sleeping son. A smile touched her lips as she gently smoothed back his black tufts of hair

She may have lost her muggle family, but she still had her wizarding family. It would take more than her having a child out of wedlock for them to abandon her.

Perhaps things would work out in the long run. At least now, she knew who really cared for her. She turned and stalked into her room, the urge to cry now turned into anger.

Well fuck you then, Mum and Dad. I don’t need you either. I hope your blessed new ‘daughter’ gives you more hell than you thought I ever did.

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Acknowledgements:

Tanya: I hope this chapter sort of explained the arrival of the caskets. It’s a bit harsh of her parents, but in this story, I wanted them to appear completely evil. I hot ist isn’t too far off the mark in the story. Please let me know if it doesn’t work for you.

Alisha: Its all right. As long as you found the right button now. Reviews are very important to some of us. They keep us wanting to write and honest reviews helps us to improve. Thank you very much for your input.

Raven: I hope this answered the coffin questions and as for Harry and Hermione forgetting that they aren’t married, trust me…Severus wont let them forget that.

Nesscafe: Good point. I haven’t complete described their rooms. I don’t see why there cant be a floo connection…do you?

PotionsMistressM: Thank you so much. I know I haven’t updated that often. I’ve been battling a few personal demons lately. But hopefully I can now start to write more often. Thanks for staying there with me.

Tottallylost027955: It’s my pleasure to write as long as it is being enjoyed. Thank you for taking your time out to let me know that you are enjoying it.

Spaz: Thank you. I hope the coming chapters will keep you on your seat.

Deb: I hope I answered your question about the coffin. I think I may have flaked out on why I made them coffins, but I did want to stress how bad her parents were. Did I go too far?


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Blessed Be


RWH