A Secret Worth Keeping

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.


A Secret Worth Keeping

Chapter Forty-Four: DaRats Meeting

“Order…Order.”


The bang of a makeshift gavel echoed off of the wooden table as Severus Snape brought the DaRats into order. A silence fell over the group of youngsters as they turned to face the people in charge of the gathering. Professor Snape, along with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger-Potter, Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy sat on the long side staring at one person who stood before them.


Ginny took out the packet in her robe and placed them onto the table, uncovering the traitorous items one by one. “I found these last time I was at home. I didn’t want to think about what it could mean. But, after a while of contemplating, I realized that they could only mean one thing. We have a traitor and that traitor is my brother.” Ginny wiped a tear from her eyes as she glanced over at Ron. “I know you don’t want to believe it, Ron, but it’s true. See for yourself.” She passed the remaining earring over to Ron who glanced at it then turned away in disgust at the memory of seeing its duplicate in the ear of one of his elder brothers.


Severus Snape reached out and picked up the pendant with the Dark Mark and waved it over his own Dark Mark. Not to his surprise, the pendant glowed, indicating that it did indeed work as a Summoning Charm. He frowned as he returned it. “It is just as you suspected, Miss Weasley. It is a summoning device.” His brows formed together in thought at the last few revels he had attended. There were very few new recruits but none were Weasleys. He would have known if there was another red-headed nuisance about, that particular color of hair was like a beacon. Its color grabbed attention in even the darkest of nights.


“I am not aware of any new recruits that fit your brother’s description. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t. I’m not the most favored within our ranks. Perhaps the Senior Malfoy has heard or seen him?” He turned his question to the younger Malfoy sitting beside him.


“I haven’t heard from my father these last few days. I’ll try to get in touch with him this afternoon.
Perhaps, if I can get permission from a professor,” he smirked at Severus, “I can get a few hours to go home and see what I can find out there. Father’s most likely to give more information in person than over the Floo network.”


“I’ll have a permission form for you shortly, Mr. Malfoy.” Severus agreed before turning his attention back to the youngest Weasley. “Thank you, Miss Weasley, for your information. I’m sure that it wasn’t easy for you to come forward with this information, information that could change the outcome in this war. You are to be admired for your courage and intelligence in this matter.”


Ginny beamed at Snape’s words. “Thank you, Professor.”


“Ginny.” Hermione spoke and waved a hand indicating for the younger girl to sit beside her and Harry. Ginny made her way over and after a brief hug and words of sincere condolences regarding the traitorous brother, sat down with her friends. “How are you doing?”


“I don’t know yet,” Ginny replied softly as tears filled her eyes. “I still can’t believe that he would do such a thing. I know that…that.”


“It’s all right, Gin,” Harry whispered softly as he took her other hand and held it to his chest. “I know this is very difficult for you.”


“It’s just that…with everything that happened in the past. I thought he had changed.”


Ron then leaned around Harry and sniffed angrily. “I could kill the git myself. After all the pain he’d put Mum and Dad through, he has the gall to pull this? The most offensive thing a man can pull on his family. On the world? No. He’s not my brother any more. As far as I’m concerned, Percy is not my brother.”


“Ron,” Ginny spoke softly and reached out to take her brother’s hand, “I know how you feel but think of this. Percy has always wanted more. More money, more freedom, more power, more respect…”


“And just what kind of respect do you think he’d get with that group? Death Eaters?”


“None, and he will figure that out eventually. Percy isn’t stupid, but he is gullible. He has always be easily led astray because of his wants out of life.”


“I can’t believe you’re defending him,” Ron growled.


“I’m not defending him. I’m just stating a fact. Percy has always been easily influenced, easily led astray but, like his time at the Ministry. He did learn from that and walked away.”


“Learned? He didn’t learn anything from that, Ginny. If he did, then he wouldn’t have been led this far astray. And another thing. You don’t think that the Dark Lord will let him go as easily as the Ministry did, do you? No, in order for him to leave would mean only one thing and that thing is death.”


“Unfortunately, your brother is right, Miss Weasley. Once he took the Mark he took it for life. The only way out for him is death. Either his or the Dark Lord‘s.”


Ginny picked up a handkerchief laid there by Harry and wiped her nose and eyes. “I know. I just don’t like it.”


“None of us do, Ginny,” Harry replied and draped his arm over the distraught girl’s shoulder, “but he chose his path and now has to walk it alone. Hopefully the path will be short and the battle will commence sooner than we expect. Then…hopefully…everyone will be free of a mad man.”


Murmurs of agreements trickled from the room as Ginny looked out among the growing number of DaRats. There were more and more joining up as the idea of fighting the Dark Lord became common knowledge in the school.


“Has everyone been checked out? I see a number of new recruits some even more Slytherins.” Hermione’s voice broke through the musings of the table.


“I have,” Draco answered. “Everyone here is with us. Thanks to the Professor here, I had the tools to get to the truth of them. Those that didn’t want to join, I was able to Obliviate. No one knows of us, at least none of my house does.”


“That’s good,” Hermione returned. “It’s not that we don’t trust your house, Draco…it’s just…”


Draco grinned over at her. “It’s just that you don’t trust my house.”


Hermione’s grin echoed his. “Well, let’s just say that your house is harder to trust.”


“Okay, Let’s just say that and go on from there.” Draco chuckled.


~0~

“This is getting harder and harder to do,” Pansy complained as she bent down to pick up a fallen quill she was using to take some notes on the meeting. The parchment before her was similar to the type of parchment that the Marauder’s Map was made of. The magical ink disappeared until called on by a confirmed DaRat‘s member. “I’m barely showing and I already can’t bend over without losing my breath.”


“Here, let me.” Ron chuckled as he retrieved the escaped quill and handed it up to her. “How are you feeling lately?”


“All right, I guess,” Pansy replied, dipping the quill into the bottled ink. “I still have morning sickness but it’s not as bad now. I’m still able to hide it from everyone so far. It’s the tiredness mostly that has me down. I don’t seem to have the energy to do anything.”


“I think that’s normal. I know Mum was tired a lot with Ginny. And from what I understand, she barely got out of bed when she carried me.”


Pansy’s lip curled upwards in a small smile as she reached out under the table to take his hand. “I bet you were a cute baby.”


“The cutest,” Ron quipped and clenched her hand in his. Although they had grown close over the last few weeks, they had managed to keep their growing relationship semi-secret. Only close friends and a few professors knew about it, and encouraged it.


A sound to her left caused Pansy to let go of Ron’s hand and turn towards the boy who approached. Ron sighed inward and sat back as Pansy spoke to Marcus Bradbury, the Slytherin transferred to Ravenclaw with Michel Churchill. Behind him stood Michel who looked eager to share his information to add to the records as well. As they talked, Pansy’s quill darted over the parchment, taking notations of everything that seemed important. Ron watched in admiration as the young woman, seemingly effortlessly, strove to get everything onto paper. Once Marcus and Michel took their leave, Pansy turned back to Ron.


“Sorry about that.”


“Hey, no problem. Work comes first,” Ron answered with a raised hand. “I understand that.”


“I have an idea.” Pansy leaned closer to whisper low. “How about you and I go back to the cliff and have a picnic. You can transfigure the umbrella and bench and I can go and get a nice lunch.”


Ron grinned widely before remembering where he was and toned it down to a more appreciative smile. “That would be nice except for one thing. You don’t have the strength to climb that hill.”


He frowned at the expression on Pansy’s face. He hated to see her down in any fashion. “But,” he amended, “can you make it back here later on? I think I can get it to transform into a nice landscape for us. “


Pansy beamed at him and squeezed his hand under the table again. “That sounds brilliant. I’ll even play you a game of chess. As long as you promise not to beat me too badly.”


“Deal. You get the food, and I’ll get the place set up. How about we meet about an hour after the meeting breaks up?”


“Sounds great to me. I can’t wait to spend some time with just us.” Her face brightened in a sweet blush that appealed to the Gryffindor.


“Me too,” Ron agreed and looked up at the touch on his shoulder. He found himself looking into Draco’s knowing eyes.


“Hey. I have a favor to ask, Weasley.”


Pansy picked up her records and stood. “I’ll just take these over to the Professor. They will want to know what Churchill and Bradbury told me.” She turned her eyes to Ron. “See you later.”


Ron smiled with a nod. “Later then.” Then he turned back to Draco. “What is it, Malfoy?” Ron inquired with a raised eyebrow.


“I was wondering if you could pass something on to Susan for me? I can’t see her until tonight, seeing as I have to run home to dear old dad and gather some information. Will you tell her that I will see her in the morning?”


Ron’s brows furrowed at the request but nodded. Odd that Draco would ask him and not Hermione. Then he looked over to the women in question and shook his head. She was involved in a deep conversation with Harry and Snape. It looked like it could go on for some time yet. He looked back at Draco and sighed. “Sure thing, Malfoy. I think I can get the message to her.”


“Thanks, Weasley, I appreciate it.” Draco started to pat Ron on the shoulder but instead held out his hand to shake which Ron took after a moment. Although there were more friendly lately, they still weren’t ‘friends’.


“When you leaving?” Ron asked removing his hand trying not to rub it on his robes. He really had to work on keeping a friendly attitude with the Slytherin. It was hard, but it was worth it, for Pansy.


“Soon as Snape gives me the permission,” Draco replied as he approached the threesome with their heads gathered with Pansy.


“Just be careful out there, Malfoy,” Ron called out.


Malfoy turned his head back and nodded. “I didn’t know you cared,” he joked with a toss of his blond mane.


“Not for me you git…for her.” He tossed a thumb over his shoulder at the red haired Susan Bones sitting at the back of the meeting room with some of her friends.


“Will do, Weasley. Catch you later.”


~0~


“Do you think he’s gonna have my hair?” Hermione whispered over a sleeping Sebastian. Next to her Severus smiled down at their son.


“I don’t see any bushiness, a few waves maybe.”


“I hope he doesn’t have my hair. It’s bad enough for a girl to have it, but on a boy, it would be devastating.”


“He’s only a few months old, love. His hair won’t be a problem for some time to come. Besides, I happen to love your hair.” Severus draped his arm around his love and pulled her into his side.


Hermione leaned her head against his black clad shoulder and sighed. “He is beautiful, isn’t he?”


“As beautiful as you are,” Severus agreed.


Hermione laughed lightly with a shake of her head. “I’m already going to bed with you, love, you don’t have to keep trying to convince me that I’m beautiful.”


“You are beautiful, Hermione. You always will be to me.” He turned her towards him and kissed her pink lips. “You are the mother of my son and that makes you even more beautiful.”