The kitchen was filled with an expectant hush. The only sound came from Tonks, who was muttering the Fidelius incantation, her usually boisterous voice a whisper, her face scrunched in concentration. Ron couldn’t even hear the others’ breathing over the sound of his own pounding heart.
Then something happened that made Ron forget everything else. A Snitch-sized, glowing ball formed at the tip of Tonks’ wand and popped off, floating like a bubble over the kitchen table. It revolved slowly in place, a tiny, multicolored planet of light, hovering, waiting. Tonks mouth crooked into a smile. She whispered again, speaking directly at the glowing orb. It shimmered, then headed directly across the table towards him.
The weight of what he was about to do hit him, and he gripped the wooden planks of table to keep himself from bolting. Easy, easy does it, he tried to calm himself. The ball of light hit his solar plexus and burst apart, splashing glowing color across his navy t-shirt. As it seeped in and hit his skin, Ron felt a disconcerting sense of heaviness, as if the light had tremendous weight. Then the sensation disappeared and his shirt was solid blue again.
“Nicely done, Tonks,” his Dad said from behind him, breaking the silence, “And you too, Ron.” The more comforting weight of his Dad’s big, freckled hand on his shoulder.
“Alright, Ron?” Tonks queried, wiping her forehead. She looked as if she’s just run a very fast mile, both energized and spent simultaneously.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” he replied, keenly aware that all eyes were on him, including the green and dark brown pairs of his best friends. “It “ it felt “ sort of like something was pressing on my chest when that ball-thing hit and broke.” He risked glancing at his Mum. She was standing at the very edge of the table, her arms folded across her chest. To say she looked displeased would be an understatement. But Tonks was saying something to him.
“-perfectly normal, a passing sensation that confirms the information was successfully transferred. All secrets have weight,” she explained.
“Well, I would say this has been a hugely productive visit, all and all. The Order has a new Secret Keeper and four talented new members, and we also managed to wrangle some of Molly’s delicious cooking,” Lupin smiled over at her. Ron noticed his mother’s mouth tighten in response.
“Remus, I really wish you wouldn’t take this business so lightly. I know I can’t, this is my child putting himself in harm’s way “” Ron blushed a bit at being referred to as a child, but said nothing, “- and don’t start in on me with that ‘no one is safe’ line, because there’s a difference between being in danger and specifically going out and looking for it, and now there’s not a single member of my family “” She’s getting revved up, someone better cut her off before she hits her stride, Ron thought, and opened his mouth to do just that when Lupin spoke again.
“Molly, I won’t insult you by pretending to know exactly how you feel, not being a parent myself. But, all of us have people we love out there, working and fighting against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. We can’t protect everyone, that’s the problem with fighting a war. Everyone is at risk,” Lupin paused, looking tired, and Ron was reminded of what Hermione had said less than an hour before. “And you and Arthur are just such great parents that you’ve got strong, brave, good kids. Well-fed, too,” Lupin grinned at her, and his Mum gave a short laugh, dabbing her eyes with edge of her apron.
“Come on, Molls, don’t turn on the waterworks, you know how hard it is to stop when you get started, we’ll all be drowned” his Dad walk over to her and chucked her under the chin, kissed her cheek. The kitchen broke into sympathetic giggles all around, and his Mum squared her shoulders.
“Well, Remus, I can certainly take a hint. I’m going to wrap up some leftovers for the two of you to take with you,” and she turned away from them, busying herself at the counter.
“Thanks, Molly. Especially considering Tonks and I aren’t anywhere near finished our day,” Lupin said.
“What else do you have to do, Professor?” Hermione, seated on his left, who looked about as happy as his Mum, if less teary. She seemed to want to push the whole Secret Keeper business out of her mind.
“Well, Hermione, it’s a combination of a personal call and more Order business, actually,” Lupin began, “We’re going to visit and old friend of mine, Fiora Podlink. She was in school with Sirius, James and I, a few years younger, a Hufflepuff. She contacted me late last year, I think because she had “ had heard “ of Sirius’ death. I always got the impression she carried a bit of torch for him, though as far as I know, they only were ever good friends. She was one of his strongest advocates when he was sent to Azkaban. She believed him even when the rest of us didn’t,” Lupin sighed, a look of sorrow crossing his face.
“Fiora Podlink, why does that name sound familiar to me?” Ron’s Mum had turned from her packing and joined the conversation.
“I’ve mentioned her, Molly,” his Dad spoke up, “She did some consulting work for the Ministry, and I worked with her on several occasions when I was in the Department of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Very bright witch, and an extremely pleasant person to work with. She’s one of the greatest experts on Transfiguration I know. We’d use her in difficult cases, and she could tell almost right off the bat whether an object was magic or Muggle in nature, and what it’s original composition had been. The Ministry wanted her full time, but she refused to work for them. She never mentioned why.”
“That sounds like the Fiora I knew, Arthur, to a tee. She’d never mind taking some of the Ministry’s money by doing some work for them, but she wouldn’t want to be under their thumb. Loyal as hell she was, but not much for the rules,” Lupin chuckled, “That’s probably why she was closer to Sirius and James than she was to me. I was the good boy.” Tonks snickered at this, and Lupin gave her a warning glance and blushed. Everyone else burst out laughing.
“Oh! I know who you’re talking about! Professor McGonagall’s mentioned her to me several times, actually,” Hermione piped up. “She said that Fiora Podlink was one of the best students she’d ever had.” Ron could tell she was trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. “I didn’t realize that she was at Hogwarts with you. Why are you going to see her now, Professor?”
“Well, Hermione, as I mentioned, it’s one part social call. Since Fiora contacted me, I’ve not had the chance to visit her, though we’ve been communicating via owl all year. But, her last letter had some interesting and potentially useful information in it,” Lupin paused. “I’ll tell you all what it said, but I don’t know the implications yet,” Lupin looked straight at Harry, “As I mentioned, Fiora never really believed that Sirius was guilty of betraying James and Lily. However, it wasn’t until the news of his death prompted her to contact me that she got the full story. I was able to tell her she’d been right all along, that Sirius was an innocent man and true friend, and had been wrongly imprisoned. As happens with friends who haven’t seen each other is a long time, Fiora and I started rehashing the old days, when we were at Hogwarts and those years right after. I know for all of us, even though we were in the midst of Voldemort’s height of power, they were some of the best years of our lives,” Lupin smiled at Ron and his friends. “I don’t think I need to explain that to you guys. Anyway, Fiora mentioned Peter in one of her most recent letters. I had told her Sirius was innocent but hadn’t yet told her that it had been Wormtail who had been the betrayer all those years ago. Her letter mentioned him with fondness and regret. It’s an old story, and not unique to our circle of friends “ Fiora pined for Sirius, and Peter fancied Fiora. Well, a few weeks ago I wrote Fiora and laid out the truth for her “ James and Lily’s death, Sirius’ false imprisonment, were all caused by Peter. I got a response from her a few days ago.” He stopped for a breath.
“What’d it say, Professor?” Harry was watching Lupin intensely. Ron figured this wasn’t an easy story for him to hear.
“Well, Harry, you can imagine she was pretty upset. However, she told me something I never knew “ that she saw Peter the night before Voldemort killed your parents. And that he asked her to do a favor for him,” Lupin finished.
“What was it Professor?!?!?” Harry’s voice rose and he looked pale.
“I don’t know, Harry, her letter didn’t say. That’s why I have to go see her. To find out what happened that night.”
“Where is she, Professor?” Hermione asked.
“She owns a curio shop in Paris. She’s there most of the time, except when she does work for the Ministry,” Lupin nodded at Ron’s Dad. He stood, stretched. Tonks took this cue and leapt to her feet as well. “Ok, you lot, We’ve got to be on our way, as you can imagine.” Everyone shifted to their feet and started saying their good-byes, Ron’s Mum pressing a brown paper package into Tonks’ hands.
Lupin was at Ron’s elbow. The much smaller man held out his hand. “Ron, I know your mum’s not happy with the state of affairs, but I’d like to say that Harry couldn’t be luckier in his choice of friends. Few people are so lucky,” and Lupin wrung his hand warmly.
“Thanks, Professor,” Ron mumbled, embarrassed but pleased.
“I’d ask you lot to call me ‘Remus’ if I think you’d take me up on it. You’re good kids, all of you, and trust me, calling you ‘kids’ - it’s not an insult,” Lupin shook his head, grinning. “Tonks? You ready? Harry, can you walk us out? I’ve got your birthday gift with me.”
The three of them walked across the lawn, Tonks slightly in the lead, and Harry and Lupin behind, their heads bent together. Ron stood watching them, remembering the ball of light from the Fidelius Charm and thinking of the story Lupin had told about his old friends. 'All secrets have weight.' So do friendships, I guess, he thought, and then felt a real, warm weight at the exact spot on his chest where the Fidelius Charm had exploded. Hermione’s hand. He put his own on top of it.
“I didn’t like seeing it there,” she said. “I knew how the Charm was performed, but I still didn’t like it.”
“It was heavy. I felt it, when it hit me,” he said to her.
“As Tonks said, ‘All secrets have weight.’”
“So do friendships,” he replied.
The Time is Now by Hermione816
Chapter Notes: The Fidelius Charm is performed - and Ron learns something about the responsibility of friendship. Lupin tells a tale of an old friend of the Marauders, and how she might help them defeat Voldemort...