CHAPTER 21 - New plan
Weasleys and Hermione were talking over each other as the older man they caught was still unconscious.
Molly was tending to her youngest son, with a worried expression and giving him chocolate milk. It wasn't much, but she always agreed with Lupin, nothing like a rich taste of chocolate to help calm the nerves of a person attacked with dark magic.
- Care to explain how you know that man? - Tom crossed his arms and looked both at Hermione and Ron.
- Oh, so you think it's their fault and not yours? - George hissed.
He raised his brow.
- Well, they knew his name and I had never seen him before. Need I say more?
Arthur examond his features, but shakes his head.
- He does look like him, if he was older, but no… it's impossible…
- No… - Hermione blushed. - It is him… Me, Ron and Harry discover that it was Perrigrew who helped to kill Harry's parents… he framed Sirius Black… he is an animagus and he pretended to be a rat all those years…
Molly gasped and turned her head to Ron.
- Why didn't you say anything?!
He blushed and took another gulp of the chocolate milk.
- He ran away… and besides what was I supposed to say? "Mom, dad my pet rat is really some old man who can turn into animal and slept in mine and Percy's room for years, but don't worry his not a pedo just a murderer? Oh, but he ran away to join You Know Who so it's not our problem anymore." - His embarrassment turned into annoyance. - Would that make you less worried?
Everybody in the room sent him a glare.
- This is not the time to get sarcastic with me, young man. - Molly said, although her anger was muted by her being worried about him. The same goes for Arthur, he would wish their kids didn't get themselves into troubles this often.
- This family has way too many secrets. - Bill growled.
- A family pet… - Tom put a hand on his mouth. - So that's why he was able to get through my protection spells!
Hermione was so confused. She sure missed something, but in this chaos no one thought to explain it to her. She was questioning whether or not events from yesterday were just a dream.
- So, does anybody else have a secret You-Know-Who related past and wants to share? - George's words dripped with sarcasm. - Fred, for fuck sake, put your hand down, it's not funny.
- So what are we going to do with him? - Percy asked, realizing that this was Scabbers down on him. Geez…
- Can we torture him? - Ginny's eyes shined with a sadistic grin.
- Ginevra! This is not a diary anymore, you can't do whatever you want!
Ok, now Hermione was completely lost.
On the other hand there was a mix of horror and disappointment in Arthur and Molly about what Ginny wanted to do.
- It's not like we won't send him to Azkaban anyway… - Redhead girl rolled her eyes.
Tom was now looking with attention at the Death Eater.
- Mother, father… I think we should inform headmaster Dumbledore about it.
- Funny it's your idea. - George glare could kill.
Tom knew the idea of telling Dumbledore of all people was weird coming from him, but he would be blind not to notice what was going on. He wanted his younger siblings to be safe and as far from Voldemort as possible, so he himself mentioned sending them to another school, but they were miserable thinking about it.
Another problem was, they didn't have enough money to just pull out 3 kids from school and send 4 aboard. They just have to get Dumbledore on their side again. Or at least make their relations civil.
And this Death Eater… Peter Pettigrew was like a gift sent from heaven to them.
Arthur and Molly already told him a lot about both the new, modern and past Order of Phenix. They were disappointed that despite their wish to remain loyal to the cause Albus seemed to think their input was no longer necessary.
Nonsense. Tom knew well enough that Molly would gladly adopt Harry too if only she could. Motherly witch was just that kind of person.
And so far if he understood correctly putting Pettigrew on trial would help Sirius Black. The man who was on the run for at least two years now. Helping Harry Potter win in the proces. If that wasn't going to prove to them Tom was not a Voldemort, then he would just give up.
There was already a lot to deal with, for one, his girlfriend was looking at him curiously. It will be a nightmare to tell her everything… He wondered how much she remembered from last night.
George's hostility too, was a problem. Not to mention Charlie was still unaware of anything at all.
Tom was always the one to have a plan, or at least to come up with a new one every time. This man, from what Hermione and Ron told them so far was a coward. A gold mine of the information about Lord Voldemort.
- First, we will talk to Dumbledore, but also to the press. - He said calmly. - We can't just put all the eggs in one basket. People need to know Weasleys are not supporting Voldemort. They need to know I don't support him.
Everybody silently nodded. Again, Hermione felt left out, as if there was something she should know. As if guessing her thoughts, Tom took her hand into his.
- Please, can we talk?
As they left for a moment, he took her to his room. At first she wasn't able to say anything out of shock, then she started to yell at him, finally she calmed down.
He wasn't sure if that was good silence or not.
She took a deep breath.
- You… I can't lie. It hurts you didn't trust me. - She said.- You could ask me before you did… that…
His eyes open wide. He didn't want her to say "no"...
- I can't believe you were alone in this… - Hermione pulled him to herself. Her eyes shined with tears. - Never lie or keep secrets from me ever again!
- I promise. - He kissed her. - Our souls are one now, remember?
She smiled. There was something she missed when she woke up after the ritual yesterday, but now, her body relaxed. As they connected their lips, it felt like two bodies, minds and souls really marged. Hermione had any right to be furious, but in her own mind she knew… she saved his soul and life by sharing her own with him.
- Forever.
They come back down the stairs, their hands linked. Ron glanced at them, so she forgave him…
After Percy informed the ministry of magic, Bill contacted the Daily Prophet and Arthur and Molly got to talk with Albus, Twins were in charge of telling Charlie to stay in Romania for now. The day ended.
When the authorities took Pettigrew under arrest, Weasley parents told their kids and Hermione to pack their things. if one Death Eater found a way to the Burrow, then it was not safe anymore.
They explain their situation to Dumbledore, and he reluctantly agrees with them. They explain their situation to Sirius and he jumps at them like a happy pup, he was inviting them all to stay with him. Tom is never going to forget that that giant black dog who licked his face like a manic was in fact a guy his parents' age. Ugh…
They were going to spend the rest of summer in Grimmauld Place 12. To their surprise all members of the Order were already waiting for them… And they were welcomed as heroes.
Even so, they knew that it was still a long way to go before they could win this war.
Still, the small victory was sweet.
Tom did everything it takes to escape the diary.
He did whatever it takes to make Hermione his witch.
He did whatever it takes to be a Weasley.
And he will do whatever it takes to help get rid of Voldemort.
No more hiding or trying to run away. It was a better, improved version of his life. Because he knew and embraced feelings that his counterpart deemed to a waste of space. That he ripped from himself and forgot about.
He took Hermione's hand into his.
- I love you.
There's still epilogue that takes place far in the future. I hope you guys like my work so far.