Disclaimer: I do not own HP.  I repeat, I do NOT own HP.  But, of course, you lot know this, right?  If not, whack yourself repeatedly in the head with a blunt object until you do.

Chapter 27 – We Do What We Should

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Potter?"

Harry sighed and looked at Draco as they watched Ron cross the grounds from the steps outside the main doors.

"It wasn't my idea, Malfoy.  Eth – oh this is going to be a bugger, isn't it?"

Ethan smiled from his place at Harry's left and said, "Probably.  Though I'd love to see Voldemort's reaction when he finds out he's been duped for two years."

"What'll the Ministry say when they find out?" wondered Draco.  He then jumped and continued, "Hell's bells, what'll my mum say!"

Ethan flinched and said, "Merlin, help me, Cissa is going to kill me for this."

"She's going to do more than kill you, Uncle," said Draco.  "She's going to kill you bring you back to life then kill you again!"

"I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"I'll tell you what'll really be funny," said Harry with a small smirk on his face.

Draco and Ethan looked at each other then at the boy standing between them.'

"What?" they asked in unison.

Harry's smirk widened into a grin as he said, "Everyone else finding out who you really are!  Especially Fred and George!"

Ethan grinned and said wistfully, "Now there's two expressions I wish I could see."  He then sombered and looked out across the ground at Ron's retreating form.  "Who is going to tell them about this?"

Harry sombered as well at that comment and his eyes hardened a little.  He considered the Weasley's family – which was probably the reason Voldemort had taken Ron into his ranks instead of just killing him.  If Ron's betrayal had hit him hard, what would it do to his bloodkin?

"I don't want Dumbledore to do it," said Harry.  "I told him so."

"You're going to?" asked Draco, his eyebrows arching slightly.

Harry nodded slowly.

"I think so.  My fault, after all."

"This was not your fault, Harry!" snapped Ethan.

Harry turned his serpentine eyes on his friend and said, "Good of you to say that, Sev, but I know better."

Ethan opened his mouth to say something then realized what Harry had called him.  Draco heard it too and stared at the dark-haired boy.

"'Sev?'" repeated Ethan.

Harry asked, "That's your name, isn't it?"

Ethan – er, Severus nodded slowly and said, "Yeah.  That's my name."

"Then what are you complaining for?"

"I wasn't complaining."

"Yes, you were."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too," finished Harry with a smirk.

"You are too good at changing the subject," said Severus with a frown.

"Thank you."

"But," added Severus with a raised finger and a glimmer in his black eyes, "don't think I'll just let this go.  Ron's betrayal wasn't your fault, Harry, anymore than it was mine or Mione's or Ginny's.  I know how betrayal works – I've done it before.  You can say someone pushed you to it but in the end it was your choice to do what you did.  That's how free will works.  You make your own choices and you build your own stairway or make your own grave.  Ron decided to dig his own grave.  I almost took that path the first time about.  Now I'm building that damned stairway towards the Light and not giving one damned cent to what the Dark says about it."

"Thanks," said Harry softly, smiling slightly at the boy beside him.

Severus clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Anytime.  Now, c'mon then.  We've got a family to inform."

Harry nodded and pushed himself up off the steps.

* * * *

"He did what?"

"Molly, I don't think…" began Arthur Weasley.

"Arthur!"  Molly Weasley turned a furious gaze on Harry and hissed, "What do you mean Ron has gone to ou-Know-Who?  Ron would never do such a thing!"

"He would, Mum," said Ginny.  "I saw it. I… (she shuddered here) …I saw the Mark on his arm."  She seemed to sink into herself after that and Harry wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her close.  The girl leaned into his embrace, eyes closed as she shook slightly.

Molly shook her head in disbelief.

"I don't believe it.  Ron…"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry softly, not looking at her.  "It…I should have been paying attention.  I should have seen what was going on.  Maybe if I had…  Maybe…"  He trailed off and just shook his head, unmindful of Molly rising to her feet.

She stepped towards him and enveloped him and her daughter in a warm hug, causing Harry to stiffen slightly.  When she pulled back, he turned his face away from hers, only to have it pulled back by warm fingers.

"It wasn't your fault," she whispered, staring – much like her daughter – fearlessly into the serpentine eyes that almost mirrored Voldemort's.  The eyes that marked him as – even if a fraction so – as a little bit of that madman's kin.

As Harry looked down at her face, he felt something inside him break.  Tears welled in his eyes and he tried to force them back.  But they continued to flow, even as he tried to stop them.

Molly gentle removed Ginny from his arms and took him into her own.  Harry wrapped his arms around the Weasley matriach and, in that instant, everything came out.

All his grief and pain.

He sank into that welcoming embrace and sobbed without remorse into the shoulder offered to him.

The Serpent shed tears.