Hermione stood by Ron’s window, looking out at the pouring rain. Ron sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands. She heard Harry and Ginny voices in the hall, their muffled laughter. She hoped they came in soon.
She turned around, resting her back again the steamy windowpane. Ron looked up at her but didn’t say anything. She knew they were both keeping their mouths shut so as to avoid a row. This is ridiculous, she thought, we’re going to fight sometimes, it’s practically an unwritten rule for the two of us.
“Ron, can we just “”
“Hermione, let me explain “”
They smiled ruefully at each other and something in her chest loosened. She walked over and sat down on the bed beside him. He was gazing at his hands again, flexing his fingers as if the answer to this dilemma was going to appear out of thin air, and he needed to be prepared to grab it when it did.
“Go ahead, say what you’ve got to say,” she prodded him.
“Why do you want to be the Secret Keeper?” He asked. She could he was struggling to keep his voice calm.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? For the same reasons you do, Ron,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “To help Harry. To help the Order. And…” but she trailed off. She wasn’t going to say anything about the idea that had come to her earlier this morning until Harry and Ginny were here.
“And, what?”
“No, not until the others come in. I have an idea about something...” she trailed off. A look of both admiration and irritation crossed Ron’s face.
“You always have an idea about something,” his voice was wistful. Now he raised his eyes to meet hers. There was a darkness to their blue this afternoon, as if in response to the storm raging outside. “Let me do it, Hermione. Let me. Don’t you get it? Lupin thinks we’re all going back to Hogwarts, that we’re going to have some sort of protection this year, or he’d never let one of us be Secret Keeper! And if we refuse now, it’ll make everyone suspicious. I “ I won’t let you do it. I won’t.” He seemed prepared to argue the point.
She fought back the indignation that rose up in her chest. What does he think? I can’t handle it? That I’m not aware of the fact that we’re all headed for some serious danger? She tried to fight it. No matter what, if they were going to investigate her hunch, she or Ron had to be named Secret Keeper. “Ron, listen, I’m just as capable of doing this as you are and I don’t “”
“No, Hermione! You’ve got to listen to me! Don’t you get it? With Dumbledore dead and Vol “ Volde- Voldemort gaining strength, witches and wizards from Muggle families are going to be targeted! You’re in more danger than I am of being captured by Death Eaters, and they know you’re connected to Harry “”
“I could say the same about you, Ron! We’re all at risk here, and me being Muggle-born doesn’t affect my odds very much one way or the other! I can’t believe you’re being so stubborn about this! Harry should be allowed to choose one of us on his own,” she finished.
She watched his hands, which kept clenching and unclenching. He was looking down at them once again. “Do you know,” he began, his voice barely audible, “do you know, Hermione, how I would feel if you “ you were “ were tortured “ for information, and I could have been the one in your place? If something happened to you and I could have prevented it?”
She wasn’t going to cry. She wasn’t. “Yes, Ron. I do. Because I would feel the same way if it were you.” He lifted his head up, startled. It seemed that this concept hadn’t occurred to him. “We’re going to have to give up the idea that we, any of us, can really protect each other. Harry’s trying to protect Ginny, and us, you’re trying to protect me, I’m trying to protect you, your Mum is trying to protect all of us…but the best thing we can all do is work together, fight together. Anything else, we’re sunk.”
You’re right…you usually are,” he brought his hands together, creating two fists. “But, Hermione, there’s another reason I want to take on Secret Keeper. I want to do it because it’s something I can do.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I don’t have your brains, or Harry’s driving force…I’m not particularly skilled at anything. But this, this I can do. I can be useful this way,” he stopped, his face flushing.
Hermione thought her heart might break. “Ron Weasely, if I ever hear you talk like that again, I swear I will hex you into oblivion. You are one of the bravest, most loyal people I’ve ever met,” she finished, putting her hand over his clenched fists. He looked like he really wanted to believe her, but wasn’t entirely sure. She sighed, knowing what she had to do. “Ok. Tell Harry it’s you. You’re the new Secret Keeper for the Order.”
She jumped up, unable to sit there any longer without getting upset. I’ve got to keep myself together, or all I’ll be doing is crying all the time. Harry and Ginny swung the door to Ron’s bedroom open. They were still laughing a little. Even still, she heard the soft voice behind her, just above a whisper.
“Thank you, Hermione.”
* * *
“Well, mate, I “ I don’t know what to say,” Harry began. Ron had just offered to be Secret Keeper and Harry had looked over at her to gauge her reaction. She nodded very slightly. “I really don’t like the idea of either of you taking this on, but, well, if we say anything about it now “”
“We know. Lupin’ll be suspicious,” Hermione finished for him. “So…we’re all agreed? Ron’s the new Secret Keeper for the Order.” She walked over and stood beside him. Ginny and Harry were sitting on Ron’s bed, her head on Harry’s shoulder.
Ron cleared his throat. “Ok, Hermione ‘fess up. You knew why Lupin was coming to see us, and you said it’d be to our advantage. Explain, O Wise One.”
“Well, it’s only an idea I’ve just thought of, and I haven’t had the time to research or validate the theory so it may be a bit off “”
“HERMIONE!!” Harry and Ginny shouted together.
“Ok, ok. Well, Harry, when you made that comment about Percy and Ron being brothers when we were waiting on the porch, it was as if two things I already knew, sort of “ sort of clicked together to make sense. The note in the fake Horcrux locket was signed ‘R.A.B.’, right? I pretty much exhausted the books in the library trying to find witches or wizards with those initials, but your comment about brothers made me think “ Sirius’ brother, Regulus Black! The note called Voldemort ‘The Dark Lord’ “ only a Death Eater would’ve addressed him that way! And, don’t you guys remember? The summer before fifth year, when we were helping clean out Number 12? Sirius told us his brother had joined Voldemort’s side. But, but more than that,” she was pacing now, eager to share her idea with them all, “Do you lot remember all those bewitched objects and things in that one cabinet? There was a locket amidst all that junk, and no one could get it open. What…what if Regulus Black had a change of heart? What if he realized that Voldemort wasn’t just about purifying the wizarding world, but in fact pure evil? What if took the real Horcrux, replaced it with a fake from his family’s store of treasures? What if he tried to get out “ and do what he could to damage Voldemort on his way?”
She paused for a breath. The other three were staring at her, their mouths slightly agape.
“I know, there’s lots of missing information. Regulus Black’s middle initial, for one. But it’s an idea right? And now we have the opportunity to check it out,” she finished.
Harry, Ginny and Ron all exchanged glances in silence. “Thank goodness you’re on the side of the good guys, Hermione,” Ginny finally spoke. The boys chuckled.
“God, Hermione, how do you remember all that stuff? I can hardly remember what we had for lunch,” Harry shook his head wonderingly.
“Shepherd’s pie, you dope,” she shot back, but she was definitely pleased. Ron was still staring at her, saying nothing. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up.
“Now I get it! You knew Lupin wanted Harry to appoint a new Secret Keeper, and you figured it’d be one of us. Then…then, once Tonks performs the Fidelius Charm, I’ll be the only one who can reveal the location of Number 12. So…so what, I only tell you three for now, right? Then we’re the only ones who can come and go as we please, we can plan our next steps and look for the other locket without worrying about being detected?”
“Right, Ron,” Hermione’s stomach still went cold with fear at the idea of him being Secret Keeper, but she tried to push it away. “Eventually, we’ll have to move on. But as we’re still on holiday, I think we can just…just tell everyone -” Lie, you mean. Lie to everyone. But what else can we do? “We can just say that Harry’d like a week or so at Number 12 to look over Sirius’ house before the Order takes it over again.”
They the four of them looked at each other. Harry finally spoke, nearly sighed. “Ok. Let’s go tell Lupin and Tonks the Order’s got a new Secret Keeper.”
The Time is Now by Hermione816
Chapter Notes: Hermione and Ron thrash out responsibilities, bravery and friendship, not necessarily in that order. And she tells the others her suspicions about Number 12...