E Pluribus Unum

A/N - A little more action coming up as we wander through the month of January. I love it when story time syncs with writing time! Kate again is responsible for the niely placed commas and anyone else who wants to beta will have to wrestle her for the job. :)

Helen - Fenchurch is different from the other two, but that will become apparent later.

deblovesdragon - Demon is a convienient term for the ancient dark, but it isn\'t wholly accurate. Go back and read Lady Freddy\'s exposition about the wars. Remember how she said that humans were neither wholly of the light or of the dark? Miss Mangle and Madam Gideon were human once.

Droxy - heh, heh, thank you.


Chapter 39 – Dumbledore’s Army Attacks

Minuet and Draco, heads down over the ancient texts that Hermione had unearthed from somewhere, continued in their research even as the sharp words were being exchanged. Pretending to ignore the unpleasant while noting every detail of it was a Slytherin specialty.

“You aren’t my mother, Hermione, I don’t need to tell you everywhere I go.” Ron was arguing with her again, Minuet thought with a sigh. It was obvious that the couple were having some serious problems.

“I know I’m not your mother, Ron, but you’ve been disappearing a lot lately and I am worried. With everything that’s going on lately, I just think …” Ron cut her off savagely.

“That’s the problem with you Hermione, always thinking, but never feeling anything! You’re cold, Hermione, a brain with legs, but no heart.” Ron shouted the last part and stormed out of the Room of Requirement. Hermione stood stock still where he left her, her eyes wide with hurt and tears welling in her eyes.

Draco rose and walked over to the devastated girl. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her abruptly to face him. He then reached out, wiped her tears away with his thumb, and cupping her chin in his hand, forced her to meet his eyes.

“You are worth a thousand of him, Granger, don’t waste your tears.” His voice was fierce and angry and around the room the rest of the DA made rumbling noises of agreement and approval.

Hermione straightened her spine and the tears dried up. When she had herself back under control, Draco released his hold on her and stepped back.

“You’re right Malfoy. He’s not worth it.” She replied in cool, controlled tones. Minuet knew that as soon as Hermione was alone the tears would come, but she wouldn’t break now.

Harry came in just then and looked around in confusion. Minuet gave him a little shake of her head and he quickly pretended that he had seen nothing unusual.

“How’s the research coming, Hermione?” He asked with tolerable composure. He would have made a good Slytherin, she mused.

“Great, Harry. We’re making progress.” Hermione replied in an almost steady voice.

“Um, Hermione?” Minuet raised a hand and gave her best young girl wide-eyed look to the older student. “I’m hungry. Is there any way we could get something from the kitchens?” She put just a tiny hint of pleading into the last bit and she was rewarded by Draco’s subtle nod of approval.

“I’ll get something for us all.” Hermione replied promptly. She gave Minuet a look of gratitude as she escaped the room.

“Nicely done, Mouse.” Draco used the childhood nickname only when he was upset, thinking that it lacked dignity. Minuet gave him a sharp glance.

“What’s wrong?” She cocked her head at him and crossed her arms. Harry looked between the two of them with a little impatience.

“What do you think is wrong? Weasley might have always been a prat, but he at least had the good sense to date Granger.”

Harry frowned at Draco’s words, looking irritated.

“They fighting again?” He asked, worrying his lip with his teeth.

“More than that, he blew up at her and it was awful.” Minuet confessed. The rest of the DA began to gather around to discuss the event. “It looked like a break-up to me.” She dropped her voice a little, almost afraid to voice that thought, but the rest of the DA all nodded.

“I’ve never seen Ron so nasty before.” Susan Bones admitted. The Hufflepuff girl looked rather shell-shocked by Ron’s behavior.

“He said she was cold and heartless.” Parvati spoke with a hushed tone, as if she was at a funeral.

“Where is the Weasel sneaking off to?” Draco demanded suddenly.

“I think we need to find out.” Harry’s grim expression as he met Draco’s eyes across the table silenced the murmuring that had started up. “We’ll take shifts watching him.” He added looking around at everyone.

“Wherever he goes, it has to be something bad.” Katie Bell commented with a touch of trepidation in her voice. There was nodding and general assent.

“Maybe it’s just another girl.” Ernie MacMillan broke into the building atmosphere of fear.

“He was talking to a girl in Hogsmeade last time the school had a Hogsmeade weekend” Ginny pointed out. “Some of us saw him.” There were some guilty looks and sheepish nods at that.

“If you saw that, why didn’t any of you tell Hermione?” Harry looked around at the suddenly averted eyes and shifting bodies.

“Brave Gryffindors.” Draco drawled with a sneer. “They appear to have been terrified of Granger.” Minuet sighed and looked around at them all.

“But didn’t any of you think it was weird? I mean he’s dating Hermione and suddenly he’s off with some other girl. What if she’s one of Them?” Minuet pointed out with some asperity. They all looked at each other as the horror of Minuet’s words struck them.

“Where is he now?” Harry broke into the rising tide of guilt with a brisk tone.

“He stormed out.” Terry Boot answered with a considering look. “If she is one of Them, then that means that They’re in Hogsmeade, because that’s where we saw him with her.”

“We need to get Professor Leblanc.” Neville stood and looked around at them.

“We need to be sure first. If he’s just dating on the sly, that’s not something we want to drag a Professor out for.” Harry replied with a negative swipe of his hand.

“We need to find Ron.” There was no disagreement to that. “Search the Castle. If we don’t find him in the Castle or on the grounds, then we’ll make plans to get to Hogsmeade and find out what’s going on.”


Minuet and Draco met back up with the others an hour later. It was getting close to curfew and Minuet was concerned. There had been no sign of Ron in any of the areas they had been assigned to search, and from the looks on the others’ faces, they had had no luck either. Harry waved the rest of the Army back until it was just Hermione, Harry, Draco and Minuet talking in a huddle.

“Anything?” Harry asked Draco with an expression of resignation.

“No, you?” Draco didn’t look like he expected and affirmative any more than Harry had. Harry shook his head with a sigh.

“There’s a secret passage into Hogsmeade. Min and I used it last year. I think that some of us need to go and see what’s happened to Ron.”

Minuet was instantly upset, she rounded on Harry, hands on her hips and glared.

“No way, Harry. It’s too dangerous. You go to Professor Leblanc right now and tell her.”

“I can’t.” Harry took a deep breath. “It would endanger both her and Snape and you know why. Last year I almost got her exposed as well as killed. Snape needs her alive.” Minuet shook her head violently ready to protest, but Draco cut her off.

“Getting yourself killed or captured won’t help either, Potter.” Draco raised a hand to forestall Harry’s next words. “She got hurt because she had to go in cold. Tell her what’s up and she can sneak in and do a lot of damage. She was an Agent, Potter.” He pointed out to the other boy. “She knows what she’s doing.”

“We’ll compromise.” Hermione intervened before Harry could try any more noble heroics. Minuet loved him, but sometimes he could be an idiot of a Gryffindor. “The DA will go in and scout. If we find Ron and he’s just been…cheating on me, we come right back. If there is real trouble, I’ll charm the coins to alert you and you fetch the Professor. Is that okay?”

Minuet could see a million reasons why this was a very bad plan but she was over-ruled by the others. She watched Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Ginny and Dean crawl through the statue of the humpbacked witch and then waited for the others to disperse before she headed straight for the dungeons.