A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 29 ~ The Return to Hogwarts

When Filch hobbled across the grounds to the gate and saw Ronald Weasley waiting for him, the squib’s face split into a perfectly horrendous smile as he let him in.

“Oh, you are in for it! In for it, Mr. Weasley…yes. Yes. Running off with that Granger girl. Tried eloping did you?” the caretaker said to him as Ron strode toward Hogwarts. Filch hurried to keep up with him.

“The Headmistress was furious…and your mum and dad were here as well. Ministry’s been notified too. You are in for it boy. There’s going to be hell to pay for sure,” Filch said joyously.

He loved when students got in trouble. He followed Ron into the castle.

“Up to the Headmistress’ office with you boy,” the squib said, following as Ron mounted the stairwell. Together they rode up to the floor Minerva’s office was on, walking quickly. They stopped in front of the gargoyle.

Filch muttered something in a low voice so Ron wouldn’t hear him, and the gargoyle leapt aside, revealing the spiral staircase.

“Up you go,” Filch said, pushing Ron, who stalled angrily for a moment then walked up the stairs. It took Filch a little while to climb the steps, but he finally made it, cursing his arthritic knees and knocking on the door to Minerva’s office loudly.

After a minute or two, Minerva’s voice sounded through the door.

“Who is it at this hour?” she snapped, clutching her nightgown around her.

“It’s Argus Filch, Headmistress. Ronald Weasley has returned,” Filch replied.

“Ronald Weasley! Give me a moment,” Minerva said, hurrying back to her bedroom and dressing quickly, twisting her hair into a severe bun and putting on her glasses. She hurried back into the office and pulled the door open, staring at Ron with her lips tight.

“Get in here, Mr. Weasley,” she said, widening the door as Ron walked through. Filch attempted to follow. Minerva stopped him.

“I need to speak to Mr. Weasley alone, Argus. Thank you for bringing him to me,” she said.

Filch’s face contorted. He wanted to hear the boy get dressed down and what was going to happen to him. But Minerva had dismissed him.

“Very well, Headmistress,” he groused, turning and beginning the long climb down the stairs.

Ron sat down in the armchair in front of Minerva’s desk and watched as the Headmistress stalked behind it, staring at him imperiously.

“Mr. Weasley, where is Miss Granger?” she demanded.

”She’s with Harry,” he said sullenly.

“And where is that, exactly?” she asked the wizard.

Ron felt the tightening of the oath around him.

“I can’t tell you that,” he replied.

Minerva’s expression was so dark she looked like a terrible storm that was about to burst.

”I demand you tell me right now, Mr. Weasley. The Ministry is involved in this now, and they will have questions that I need to be able to answer,” she snapped at the wizard, “And your parents will want to know what you’ve been up to as well. Now out with it.”

Ron looked at her.

“I can’t. I took an oath,” Ron said, “It won’t let me tell you anything that will interfere with what Harry has to do.”

Minerva frowned at him, then sighed and sat down.

“No doubt the Ministry will try to get the knowledge out of you. I had to contact them when you and Miss Granger didn’t return and your notes were delivered to me. We couldn’t be sure if you really left on your own or if you were abducted,” the witch said, her eyes narrowed, ”Can you at least tell me what the danger was that you both felt you had to leave the school?”

“Harry told us that we were targeted by Voldemort and he intended to kidnap and kill us,” Ron said.

Minerva gasped at this.

“How did Harry find this out, Mr. Weasley?” she asked him.

Again Ron felt the tightening of the oath. He couldn’t reveal Snape told Harry, or even hint at it.

”I can’t tell you that either, Headmistress,” he said.

“Damn it, Mr. Weasley, you are not cooperating!” Minerva seethed.

”I can’t help it if I can’t tell you what you want to know, Headmistress. The oath starts choking me anytime you ask me something I can’t answer,” Ron replied.

Minerva studied him for several moments, then sighed again. She wasn’t going to be able to get anything out of the boy. Then she peered at him closely.

“Turn your head, Mr. Weasley…no the other way,” the witch said.

There was a handprint on the side of his face.

”What happened to your cheek, Mr. Weasley?” Minerva asked him, “Who struck you?”

”Hermione did. We had an argument,” he muttered, bringing his hand up to the bruise self-consciously.

“She must have struck you quite hard. I can see every finger clearly,” the witch said, frowning slightly, wondering what happened for Hermione to hit him.

“Yeah,” Ron breathed, lowering his hand and not looking directly at Minerva.

“I imagine that’s the reason you came back,” she said softly.

Minerva knew Ron had a thing for Hermione. They had been an item in their sixth year. Obviously he had just been following the witch’s lead, and when things didn’t work out, he came back. Maybe whatever danger they thought they were in wasn’t as bad as they thought.

Ron nodded miserably as he thought about Hermione with Snape. How could she?

”Well Mr. Weasley, you might as well return to Gryffindor tower. You are not to attend classes tomorrow. More than likely you will be taken to the Ministry and questioned. They aren’t going to be happy with your lack of answers I’m sure. More than likely they will give you veritaserum, but even that won’t override an oath,” the witch said, giving him a measuring look, “And your parents will also want to see you…particularly your mother. She was livid.”

Ron groaned. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Molly. He hoped his father would take her wand before she spoke to him. Ron stood up.

“Good night, Headmistress,” Ron said.

“Good night, Mr. Weasley,” Minerva replied tightly. She watched as he exited.

Ron descended the stairs and walked into the corridor, heading for Gryffindor tower. He was back now and by himself.

Ron scowled. If Voldemort wanted him, he’d probably use Draco to try and take him. Draco and his two goons Boyle and Crabbe. Well, he didn’t intend on making it easy for them if they did go for him. He was no slouch at hexes by a long shot and he had a strong right hook.

Ron entered the common room and headed for bed.

Dean Thomas was sound asleep when Ron entered the room they shared. He didn’t wake as the wizard resized his luggage, undressed and slid under the covers, staring up at the canopy over his bed. Sleep wasn’t going to be easy. The image of Snape on top of Hermione staring down at her returned to his mind, and how Hermione looked. Now that he knew she had wanted to have sex with the Potions Master, Ron realized Hermione was arching and groaning the way she was because she liked what the snarky bastard had done to her.

Snape. Why Snape? He was old, ugly and the meanest thing on two legs in the wizarding world outside of Voldemort. He had never treated Hermione with anything but disdain. Why would she want someone like that? Something had to be wrong with the witch.

Ron sighed as he relived how he reacted when he realized Hermione had let Snape fuck her. It was like she had punched him in the heart. He really did want to hit her, no more than hit her…beat her up. It was a terrible thing to want to do, but that was how he felt at the time.

“You know he’s a hero!” Hermione had shouted at him.

Maybe Snape was a hero. But that was no reason to let him climb all over her, the snarky bastard. And Snape didn’t have to fuck her, even if Hermione did want him. She was just eighteen. He was a mature wizard. He should have left Hermione to a wizard closer to her own age. But that’s what a decent wizard would have done. Snape wasn’t a decent wizard. He took advantage of Hermione, that’s what he did.

Ron rolled over, wishing he could turn Snape in. Not for the galleons…but to punish him. But his oath wouldn’t let him do it. Snape was important to Harry’s mission to destroy the Horcruxes. Plus he held Dumbledore’s soul fragment. If Snape were turned in, no doubt the Ministry would find this out and restore the Headmaster, but then, Voldemort would know and that would ruin everything. As much as he hated Snape right now, even if he hadn’t taken the oath Ron really wouldn’t have turned the wizard in. It was an errant thought, one formed from anger.

Hermione said she cared about him before she left…but not ‘that’ way. What other way was there? They had gone out for almost a year and it hadn’t been an easy relationship, with Lavender and Slughorn and a lot of things that caused problems between them. But Ron felt they could have worked it out, and would have if Snape had just left her alone. Now, it was over. Ron could never touch Hermione again knowing that she had given herself to Snape. And what was worse, he saw them together, Snape nestled between her legs, his scars and pale ass showing. He would never be able to get that image out of his mind. Every time he saw Hermione he’d think of it. It was better not to see her anymore.

And Harry…Ron couldn’t believe how he took her side. Hermione was wrong, and it happened in his house! He should have been upset about that. And what was Snape doing there anyway? He was supposed to be holed up with the Dark Lord.

Ron scowled.

Harry only defended Snape because he was helping him find the Horcruxes. He took the Potions Master’s side over that of his best friend. Ron was twisting things around now. Harry simply said Hermione had a right to be with who she wanted. He hadn’t given an opinion of what he thought about her choice of Severus Snape as her lover, if he could even be considered that.

Ron’s eyelids finally drooped and he fell into a tormented sleep.

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”Ronald Weasley, what were you thinking, just running off from Hogwarts like this? In these times? Your father was beside himself with worry!” Molly Weasley yelled at Ron in Minerva’s office as Arthur looked on frowning.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger were there as well, Hermione’s mother, Jane Granger looking at Ron with red teary eyes while her father glowered at him as if he’d like to beat him up one end of Hogwarts and back down the other.

”Mum, I’m sorry. It just seemed like the best thing to do at the time. Besides, I came back,” Ron said weakly as his mother’s wand hand flexed. Arthur had taken her wand just as Ron hoped. He knew his wife. She might have produced a self-whipping cane or something equally unpleasant to hit Ron with.

“And you can’t tell anyone anything because of that damned oath! Harry and Hermione could be facing death right now and no one can help them!” Molly seethed. This just made Jane feel worse. She stepped forward.

“Ronald, can’t you tell us anything about where they are? I’m so worried about Hermione,” Mrs. Granger said imploringly.

Ron felt awful as he looked into her eyes. She reminded him of Hermione because of her facial features, but Hermione’s eyes and hair came from her father, whose amber eyes were narrowed at him. Mr. Granger was a big, burly man despite being a dentist. Ron could see he would like nothing better than five minutes alone with him, particularly since Hermione’s fading handprint was still on his face.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Granger…I really am, but I can’t say anything that would interfere with Harry’s mission,” he said to the muggle woman.

Jane let out a sob. Her husband’s face went black.

“I don’t care about any ‘mission’ Harry has, Ron! I want to know where my daughter is!” Mr. Granger bellowed, striding forward. Arthur moved quickly and stood in front of his son, blocking the angry muggle.

”My son has taken a magical oath, Mr. Granger…nothing you do can make it lift,” the wizard said evenly, “I know you’re upset and I’m sorry…but I can’t let you hurt my boy. The truth of the matter is your daughter left of her own free will. You can’t hold Ronald responsible for her decision. Besides, Hermione is eighteen. Legally she’s old enough to make that choice.”

John Granger stared at the tall, balding wizard, then slowly stepped back, putting a protective arm around his sobbing wife.

”But she’s safe, Mrs. Granger…I promise you she is,” Ron said in an attempt to comfort Hermione’s mother. “She’s with Harry and no one can get to them where they are. She’s much safer there than here.”

Molly stared at her son.

“And what about you Ron? Are you safer at Hogwarts?” she asked, worried now that some of her anger had been released, “Maybe you should come home.”

Ron shook his head.

”No mum. If Voldemort is really after me, someone else might get hurt at the Burrow. I think it’s better I stay at Hogwarts,” he replied, looking at his father.

Arthur knew he was right. The Death Eaters would kill everyone in an attempt to get to Ron, and probably destroy the entire house as well. They still had to put up extra safeguards, but it was unlikely Voldemort would want to tip his hand. If he knew Ron was at Hogwarts, he would leave his family alone.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Minerva, who had been sitting at her desk quietly, listening to the parents interact with Ron, called out, “Come in.”

Two Ministry Aurors entered the office.

“Headmistress, we are here to pick up Ronald Weasley for questioning by Order of the Ministry,” one blonde Auror said, handing Minerva a parchment.

She adjusted her glasses, read it…then handed it to Arthur, who also read it, Molly standing by his side with a worried look on her face as her eyes also moved left to right. Arthur lowered the parchment, sighed and said, “Go with them Ron. I’ll be down there as soon as I return your mother to the Burrow.”

Ron stood up and looked at the Grangers.

“I’m really sorry about this, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I really wish I could tell you more…but she’s safe. Really,” Ron said as he walked toward the Aurors, who studied him before turning and walking out of the office, the young wizard between them.

Jane looked up at her husband.

“We’re just going to have to take his word for that John,” Jane said softly, wiping at her eyes.

“Wait until I get my hands on her,” John seethed.

But he was just angry. John Granger had never laid a hand on Hermione in his life. He would take all her books away for punishment. But somehow, taking books didn’t seem as if it would be enough in this case. How could she be so thoughtless and just leave Hogwarts without at least telling them she was going into hiding?

“Before you all leave, I must stress the importance of not telling anyone that Voldemort has targeted either Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger. If the information Harry received is correct, it means he has an ally in the ranks of the Dark Lord. Another spy. We don’t want him or her discovered,” Minerva said.

Both sets of parents nodded. Molly looked a bit put out. She knew her family would want to know what happened. They could be trusted. Well, maybe not Percy…he worked for the Ministry. But still, those at the Ministry would know.

“Minerva, Ron is going to tell the Ministry he was targeted. What’s to keep that from leaking out?” Molly said. Arthur answered her.

“They won’t reveal the details of an ongoing investigation to the public,” Arthur said.

“But Arthur, the Ministry leaks news to the Prophet all the time,” Molly pressed, “How do we know they won’t leak this?”

“Because Harry’s involved, Molly, that’s why. The Minister still wants to secure his help if he comes forward. Divulging this would definitely keep Harry away. Besides, I don’t think the oath would have allowed Ron to go with the Aurors if it were going to hinder Harry’s mission in any way, whatever the mission is,” Arthur said to his wife, “So don’t worry dear. Let’s get you back to the Burrow. Goodbye Minerva, Mr. and Mrs. Granger.”

Arthur escorted his wife out of the office after she said her goodbyes.

Minerva’s eyes fell on the Grangers and she stood up.

”I will walk you across the grounds and return you to your home,” she said kindly, her eyes sympathetic as she looked at Jane, “If I receive any information about your daughter’s whereabouts, I will let you know immediately. But I’m sure that despite leaving us the way she did, Hermione is safe. She’s a very resourceful young witch.”

”Thank you,” Jane said softly as her husband squeezed her small shoulders reassuringly.

”Let’s go, Jane,” he said to her gently, then waited for Minerva to walk around her desk and exit the office. He and his wife followed.

For now, all they could do was wait and hope that Hermione would get some word to them. It would have been so much easier if Hermione didn't return to Hogwarts this year. But she was determined to do it, and this was what happened. Sometimes Jane wondered if her daughter was really as smart as others believed she was. Oh, there was no doubt Hermione was book smart, but there was more to living life than knowing facts and figures.

Yes, Jane knew Hermione was brilliant in some ways, but felt her daughter might be in over her head with this development. She should have come to them. They weren't magical, but maybe they could have done something. They were her parents. They'd do their best to protect her. Hermione hadn't even given them the opportunity to try.

Jane sighed as they took the shifting stairwells down, too distracted to even be frightened of the height as she normally was every time she took the magical stairs. She was thinking about Hermione's book smarts and what use they could be.

Yes, Hermione was very gifted intellectually...but the world, the real world never went by the book.
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A/N: Thanks for reading.