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-Seven: Unexpected Magic

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“No, Hermione! Use your brain, for God’s sake! You have to stay here. It’s too dangerous for you to come along. I won’t allow it.”

Hermione bristled at the choice of words thrown at her. “Allow?” She spat through bared teeth, fuming.

“Think of Sebastian,” Harry returned, grabbing her shoulders and turning her bodily toward her sleeping son. “He doesn’t have a nanny at the moment. He needs his mum.”

“That’s not fair, using my child against me,” Hermione whined, turning damp eyes to her best friend. “Severus is out there. He may need me.”

“He knows what he’s doing, Hermione.” Ron addressed the distressed woman. “It’s not like he’s new to being summoned.”

“But that’s just it. He was summoned. He hasn’t been summoned in months.”

“Hermione! Think! Of course he was summoned! This is the nitty-gritty. Crunch time. The war will, more than likely, end tonight. Of course Voldemort will want his best men around him. Besides, Nanny will be ready. Nothing will happen to Snape.”

Inside of the Room of Requirement, the threesome were surrounded by the rest of the DaRats. A multitude of sounds and conversations in varied volumes drifted over them as they argued. An air of anticipation enriched the atmosphere of the windowless room and the heightened sense of over-eagerness that filled it. The battle was near and the students sensed it.

Pansy Parkinson silently left the small group she was talking to and approached the Gryffindor group. Patches of their conversation floated to her as she walked closer. She cast her eyes around the trio with curiosity. There was something very odd about their conversation. Something that she just couldn’t put her finger on. Something about Hermione, Harry and Professor Snape.

Before she could say anything, however, the main door flew open and Draco entered, tugging a struggling Susan Bones behind him. “I’m being summoned. Keep Susan here. I have to go.”

“No! You can’t go!” Susan kicked out, trying to stop his progress. “I won’t let you go!”

“Susan, stop it. I’ve to go.” Draco stopped tugging the woman forward and swung her around, pulling her into his arms. He proceeded to kiss her soundly before releasing her and stepping back. “I have to go. Be careful, love. I’ll try to be back.”

“Promise me!” Susan cried out with tears streaming down her face. “Promise me!”

Draco sighed sadly and shook his head. “I can’t make that promise, Susan. But I will be back if I can.”

“No!” Susan screamed and leapt after the man she loved, only to be held back by Harry and Ron. “Let me go! Draco!”

Draco stopped at the door and cast a sad look back towards the disheveled, redheaded woman. “I love you, Susan.” Then he stepped through the door and vanished, leaving a sobbing girl clinging onto Harry.

Pansy watched, slack jawed. She knew that Draco had been seeing Susan, but she'd had no idea just how deep their feelings were. Sure, she'd been pissed when she'd first found out, but now, looking at Ron and knowing that he was about to leave to join in the battle, she knew exactly how Susan was feeling. She could feel the lump in her throat forming along with the tightness of her chest. She clenched her hands into fists to keep the tears from falling. The man she loved was going off to war.

Ron turned and saw how rigidly still Pansy was standing. He raised his brows in question as he strode over to her. “Are you all right?”

“You’re going to leave me,” she whispered softly.

Ron reached out and cupped her face in his right hand. “Not if I can help it. We have a future, you and I. I will be back. We have a family to raise.” He took a step forward and lowered his left hand to cover her slightly rounded belly.

Her eyes filled with tears and she leaned her head onto his chest. “Please come back. Don’t get killed. I…we need you.”

“I’ll do my best.” Ron pressed a soft kiss onto her head.

“Let’s go,” Harry called out and Ron reluctantly turned away, walking towards the growing army of DaRats. He looked back one more time at Pansy and smiled. He was heartened when she returned it, if it was a bit sadly.

Hermione, Pansy, Ginny and Susan stood silently as the others turned one by one and swept out of the Room of Requirement.

“I can’t believe I can’t go,” Ginny griped as she watched Harry walk out without a backward glance. “I can fight with the best of them.”

“I suspect Harry wants you safe, too,” Hermione spoke softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. “He will worry less with you here. He adores you, you know.”

“Could have fooled me.” Ginny sniffed and took a step away from the arm on her shoulder. “It’s you he married and had a baby with.”

Hermione looked around at the other girls and sighed. Now was a good opportunity to tell the truth about Sebastian. After tonight, it wouldn’t matter anyway. She took a deep breath and spilled her closely guarded secret. “Sebastian isn’t Harry’s”

“What?” Ginny turned her green, accusing eyes on her friend. “What are you saying?”

“Harry and I aren’t really…married.” Hermione took a deep breath and continued. “We are just pretending to be married for Sebastian’s sake. If the Dark Lord knew whom Sebastian’s father really was.… Then both he and the father would have been in even more danger.”

“Who is the father?” Susan asked curiously.

“I know. It’s Professor Snape, isn’t it?” Pansy replied with a nod. “I kind of got that feeling earlier, listening to you talk with Harry and Ron.”

Hermione nodded. “It is.”

“How is that possible? When?” Ginny piped up, eager to know the truth.

“Remember when I left school unexpectedly last year? I had a run in with Mr. Malfoy and, well… Things happened and I got pregnant.”

“Wait. You said that Snape is the father. How’s Malfoy involved?”

“Severus is the father. Malfoy was the…instigator.”

The light of understanding dawned on the faces of the other women and they cast sympathetic eyes on the young mother.

“That must have been horrifying,” Pansy finally said, her own memories going over that day when her own child had been conceived in a dark and musty ‘play’ room. Hearing her own cries of devastation as she'd been defiled repeatedly. “I can understand.”

Hermione looked to the other woman and nodded, walking over and placing an arm around her to give her a hug. “I know you, of all people, know what it’s like.”

“Least you know who the father is. I have no idea.”

“You can, after the baby is born. You can cast an identifying spell if you and Ron wish to.”

Pansy shook her head at that idea. “No. As far as I’m concerned, Ron is my baby’s father.”

Ginny grinned and hugged the blond girl as well. “Well, welcome to the Weasleys, Pansy. I hope you can handle a large family.”

“I welcome it. I want a large family. I've always hated being an only child. What about you, Hermione? What are you going to do about Sebastian and Snape? Are you going to continue to allow Snape to see Sebastian after this is all over?”

“Severus and I have talked a great deal about it.” Hermione revealed with a wary smile. “We’re going to be married as soon as we can.”

“Married? To Snape? Holy shit.” Susan gaped in surprise.

“It took a while for me to get over what happened between us, but…I love Severus. And he loves me. We want be a real family. A loving one.”

“That will be weird.” Ginny giggled. “Snape as a married man and a daddy. I just can’t seem to visualize it.”

“You could if you could see him, when he’s able to be himself around Sebastian. He adores his son. And Sebastian adores him. They’re a lot alike.” Hermione turned away and walked over to where Sebastian was fussing in his crib. She bent over and picked him up, keeping her back to the door through which her best friends had passed. She couldn’t look that way, just yet. She didn’t want to think that they wouldn’t be coming back through that door ever again.

“Can I hold him?” Susan asked.

“Sure. Here.” The young mother handed her son to the other woman. “I’m surprised that you aren’t allowed at the battle. I can understand with Pansy, since she’s with child. Ginny’s underage and I have my son to take care of…but.”

“Why not me?” Susan said sadly as she stared down into the deep black eyes of the baby. “Honestly, it was Draco’s idea. He wanted a guarantee that, if there was some reason he didn’t survive this, the Malfoy line would continue.”

“Line?” Pansy stepped closer. “As in…”

“Yeah. Three weeks.”

“Oh, I see. Uh, I assume that this is a good thing?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I guess. I don’t know. I love the idea of having his baby, but…not alone. I need Draco to do this.” She turned her sad eyes towards the exit door. “I need him to come back.”

Pansy looked over at Susan and the baby she carried in her arms. “Our men are strong and capable. I’m sure they will be well and come back soon. They wouldn’t leave two pregnant women alone to do this all by ourselves.

“He has to,” Hermione replied, thinking about the man she loved more than all else. “He just has to.”

“We’re going to have to open a nursery once this is over,” Ginny quipped. “I’m sure you two aren’t the only ones left holding the bag while the men folk go to war.” Her eyes drifted to one or two young women left, staring longingly at the door. Those unable to fight due to age, disability or…illness.

~0~

“Bring it here,” A gravely voice echoed around the filled chamber.

“Yes, my Lord.” A cloaked figure holding a wriggling blue blanket approached and knelt before him. “I have the Potter baby.”

“Well done, Weasley. Place the child onto the base of the throne.”

Percy looked into the green eyes of the child and swallowed through a tightened throat. He was sweating as he placed the baby onto the cold stone and stepped backwards, keeping his eyes averted to the man sitting on the throne. “This is wrong,” he murmured low, to no one in particular.

Voldemort paid no attention to the mutterings of the boy and instead nudged the bundle with his booted feet. Not wanting to touch it with his bare hands. He wasn‘t about to risk any pain if he was to touch the child. “Severus, approach and identify the child.”

Snape, cloaked in traditional robes, approached and knelt down. His long fingers reached out and pulled the blanket away from the child’s face. He nearly choked when the green eyes of the baby winked and shook its rattle at him. Hiding his amusement, he stood back to his feet.

“It is indeed the child,” he replied and stepped back.

“Ah, good. Prepare the sacrifice.”

“As you wish.” Snape nodded and turned to Percy. “Get the child and come along. The time is nigh.”

Percy mumbled to himself as he picked up the child and hurried after the striding Professor. He glanced down at the baby’s face and frowned. Blue? Weren't his eyes green before? What was going on?

~0~

Silently, a cloud of wisp-like smoke filled the night sky and drifted up, leaving numerous men standing in its place. Large boulders surrounded them as they all turned to look out over the cliffs facing the ocean far below.

“Spread out. There must be an entrance concealed around here somewhere. The signal is coming from within these rocks.” Albus indicated around him with one hand as he circled the area with his wand grasped in the other.

“Over here!” Remus called out. Albus and several of the elder members of the Order rushed to his side and looked to where Remus was pointing. A small indention of smooth rock, hidden from normal view by an overhang of rough stone had been formed unnaturally rather than natural. An entrance to the serpent’s chambers.

Albus indicated that the others move back. “Once I activate the spells to bring down the wards, Voldemort will know we are here. Remus, you will enter first. Use your tracking skills to lead us. They will be hiding in ambush. So everyone be on the lookout. Harry, you and Ron head up the rear. Keep your heads down but your attention focused.”

“Yes, sir.” Harry and Ron replied together and fell back.

“On the count of three…One! Two! Three!”

Albus pointed his wand at the smooth door and, within moments, the door dissolved and a clanging alarm rang out over their heads.

“Move!” Albus shouted above the din and one by one, the Order of the Phoenix filed in, followed by the DaRats.

Inside the chambers, the screeching alarm rang out, causing every Death Eater to look upward in surprise.

“We’ve been breached! Everyone prepare for battle!” Voldemort screamed out in rage. He looked around for the child. “It has to be Potter. He must have tracked the brat somehow. Severus, bring me the child!”

Severus turned towards Percy and noticed that Percy’s eyes were wide with incredulous surprise. His eyes darted from the child to Snape to Voldemort then back to Snape.

“What’s wrong with you man? Do as the Master orders… Take him the child.”

“But… It’s not…It’s…I can’t.”

“Stop your blubbering, fool! Do as you are commanded!”

Percy looked down at the child and frowned. “This is not right. He’s just a baby.” He mumbled down gaze riveted to the now blue eyes of the child. Blue eyes that seem to be growing more round by every second. “I should never have done this.”

Severus took a step before the boy, hiding him from Voldemort’s view. “Do as you are told, Mr. Weasley. I assure you, all will be well.”

Percy looked around Severus and noticed that Voldemort was staring angrily at them both. He glanced back and Snape and knew that all was lost. That he was wrong in the belief that all Pure Bloods were superior. Too bad he realized it too late and an innocent life would be ended because of his need for acceptance. He glanced once more at the baby and placed it at the feet of the Dark Lord.

“I’m sorry,’ he whispered.

“Do not waste my time again! Now get back,” Voldemort yelled and bent down to pick up the infant by the blanket, intent on not touching the child itself. He snarled, and turned to face the entrance just as a group of people poured in. He held out the child to the newcomers. “Stay back. Come closer and I will kill this child.”

Albus stopped immediately and stared over his glasses at the dark man. “You don’t want to do that, Tom.”

The man who had once been Tom Riddle threw back his head and laughed. “I will do anything that I want. And this…” He waved his wand towards the bundle. “Will be but a small victory.”

“Stop!” Harry stepped around Albus and took two paces towards the Dark Lord, his wand pointed at the reptilian man. “You will not harm that child.”

“Oh? And a mere wisp of a boy like you will stop me? Come, come, child. Prophesy or no, I will not be brought down by a mere boy,” Voldemort snarled, holding the baby up closer. Turning it so that it could look out at its ‘father’. “Look upon it, Potter. I took your parents' lives, now watch me take your child‘s!”

Harry took another step forward, his wand never waving. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Voldemort grinned toothlessly and turned the infant towards him. His eyes widened at the face grinning back.

“Bad Man!” a voice squeaked and a small rattle zoomed up from the blanket to hit Voldemort right on the forehead, shattering on contact. A milky blue liquid oozed over his skin, as well as blood from a cut on the man’s head where the rattled had broken from the impact. Immediately, the tall man started shrinking, screaming, while trying to brush off the bluish liquid.

Harry raced forward, catching the body of Nanny as she fell. Pandemonium erupted as bodies scattered in every direction. Black cloaked men ran for the doors as more people entered, causing a melee of shouts and screams. Severus moved back into the shadows, pulling Percy along with him.

“Stupefy!”

“Expelliarmus!”

Spells flew above their heads, forcing Snape to stay low. One by one, he saw others fall to the massive mix of Aurors, Order members and DaRats. Pride filled him as each student fought brilliantly and efficiently, only stumbling slightly as they ducked spells and hexes thrown at them. He watched, rather than partook of the fight. There were more than enough to fight and he'd rather protect the one Weasley, dressed in black, that could be targeted as an enemy.

From the back, they both watched as the battle rose to a crescendo then miraculously, as if a light switch had been thrown, all was silent and still… And dark.

“What happened?” Percy spoke from behind him.

There was a darkness so vast that not a spark of light infiltrated it. Severus reached out his hand, only to come into contact with something cold and scaly. He jerked his hand back and squinted into the darkness.

“Lumos,” another voice spoke and a small spark formed for a split second before extinguishing. “There’s a Dampening field.”

Some scuffling and muffled noises echoed around the huge chambers. People bumping into walls and other people.

“Call out! Identify.” Albus’ strong voice rang out of the din. It was answered by those that could.

“Shacklebolt.”

“Tonks”

“Lupin.”

“Ardemore”

One by one the names called out, until the end, when an unexpected name was added to the list.

“Snape.”

“Snape! You traitor!” A familiar voice to Snape’s left screamed out and a rush of air passed by his side. Instinctively, Severus moved swiftly to the right and allowed the man to pass, he bashed his head into the wall just behind Snape.

“Idiot,” Snape returned and felt the man fall to his knees, obviously knocked out by the blow. He turned his attention back to the others. “Who is casting the Dampening field?”

“I is,” a tiny female voice replied and, within seconds, light filled the room. The tiny form of Nanny grinned up at Severus. In her hands was a small green garter snake. “I’s cast the spell so no ones could leave.”

Severus looked to the small Nanny-elf then around the chamber. The Death-Eaters were all out cold on the floor. Behind him Severus saw that it was Lucius whom had thrown himself against the wall, braining himself into unconsciousness. “Well done, Nanny… Well done.”

“Indeed.” Albus approached and looked down at the harmless snake wrapped around the Nanny’s wrist. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Yes, sir.” Nanny happily held the small reptile up toward the older man. “I’s made sure he can hurt no more babies. See?”

“How is that possible?” Snape reached out to take the reptile from Nanny. “How can you do this to a man?”

Nanny frowned and shook her head. “He not a man. He a snake mostly, easy to turn him into one for reals.”

“Elf magic,” Albus spoke softly, “is more powerful that one can figure.”

“Obviously.” Snape looked down into the beaming face of Nanny and did something he had never thought he would ever do. He knelt down and gave the Elf a hug. “Thank you, Nanny.”

Nanny beamed even brighter. “Nanny goes back home now?”

Severus nodded, “Yes, go home and tell Hermione that all is well, and that we will all be returning soon.”

“Yes, sir,” Nanny replied and winked out.

“Sir?” A timid voice rose from the back of the room and all eyes turned to Percy, forgotten at the back of the chamber. “What about me?”

Snape raised one eyebrow at Percy and answered, “What about you, Weasley? You stole a child from its parents. What should one do about you?”

“But…I didn’t want. I couldn’t. Not after…”

“Percy Weasley.” Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped up next to the young man and placed his hand on his shoulder. “You are under arrest for the kidnapping of one Sebastian Samuel Snape and under the suspicion of being a Death-Eater.”

“Snape?” Percy’s eyes widened as he turned to look at the dark man standing just behind him. “The baby’s…”

“Mine. Yes.”

Percy stood gaping at Snape until the man being stared at turned and spoke to the Auror. “Treat this one with kid gloves, Shacklebolt. He is…” He turned and looked at the red-haired man. “Redeemable.”

Shacklebolt frowned but nodded as he led Percy from the chambers, out into the open air where they could Apparate with ease.

Ron and Harry approached and looked down at the snake around Snape’s wrist. “What are you going to do with that?”

“I don’t know yet. Perhaps a zoo.”

“I’ll take him.” A voice spoke and they all turned their eyes on young Mr. Malfoy. “It’ll be a change to keep my eyes on him for a while.”

“And Susan?”

Draco grinned as he reached for the reptile. “Susan has a thing for Slytherins. I don’t think she will mind.”

Severus gently unwrapped the small snake from his wrist and transferred it onto Draco. “I don’t think it’s able to harm you, but do take care.”

“Yes, sir,” Draco replied and stepped back, eyeing the little reptile as it tried to bite. “Keep that up, Morty, and you will find yourself unable to feed at dinner time.”

“Morty.” Severus snorted in amusement. “Suits him.”

“Indeed.” Albus agreed and indicated the unconscious Death-Eaters around them. “Take them all away.”

“Except Lucius.” Snape glared down at the doomed man. “I have unfinished business with him.”

“As you wish. Just call an Auror when you are done.” Albus agreed as they exited, one by one, leaving Severus alone with the still unconscious man.

“Alone…at last.” Severus smirked as he eyes the man.