Chapter IX - The Secret
When Ellie woke up, the sun had sat and there were candles lit all over the room. Remus had gone, and she went to look for him when there was a knock on the door. She quickly dressed her robes to answer it.
It was Snape. Apparently he was as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She had no time to think about the reason of it because he quickly got to the point.
"I'm sorry to come this late, Ellie, but I'm afraid it couldn't wait."
"It's okay" she said, indicating the living room. Snape entered, casting a look around.
"What have you done to your house? It's clean." but he seemed to be looking for something rather than appreciating the cleanness.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
He looked particularly grave.
"The Ministry is aware some illegal potion has been used here."
Ellie certainly didn't expect this.
"How do you know?"
"Fudge sent an owl to Dumbledore, asking for advice and the Headmaster called me at once."
"But I've been using it for two weeks! Why now?"
"You're already trying it, then?" and Snape didn't look pleased.
"We've sorted all out" she said quickly, with pink cheeks "and Remus has been taking it for the last two weeks."
"And tonight was a full moon." Snape added, looking her very closely.
"Yes."
"Well, did it work?" he asked impatiently.
"Yes, it worked."
Snape was torn between the pleasure of knowing she had done it and the hatred that consumed him everytime he thought of what that meant. His greatest rival had always been the shadow of an impossible love, but he could read it in her face that that was no longer true. If any hope rested inside his skin it was quickly ripped off by Remus entering wrapped only in a towel, his wet hair revealing as much as his stunned face.
"I'm sorry" he said, walking to the bedroom door "I didn't know we were not alone." And he didn't avoid Snape's eyes this time. In fact, it was Snape the one who looked away, at Ellie, before Remus entered the room.
"Sevy" she said, but he lifted a hand, stopping her.
"We have a lot more important matters at hand." he said. She looked embarrassed. She had never realised their past hadn't been forgotten. at least by him. But Severus was talking again. "The fact remains that the Ministry is ready to take the adequate measures to stop you. You know they will never allow you to register the potion. For one thing, you're not in the Confederation anymore. And for the other because you know werewolves are not taken as real wizards but as monsters. The Wolfsbane potion will remain illegal and now that they know about it they'll confiscate it."
"But how did they find out?"
"You know the Ministry has detectors for any illegal activity." He waved his hand impatiently. "What are we going to do?"
"We?"
"I'm here to help you" he said darkly "unless you want me to leave."
"Oh, Sevy!"
"In that case we should move quickly. Dumbledore has asked Fudge to meet him at Hogwarts. That should give us enough time."
"For what?"
"To hide the potion-"
"They'll find it!" she interrupted.
"To hide the potion with the Fidelius Charm."
Her silence indicated him she had never heard of it.
"The Fidelius Charm hides a piece of information inside a person. As long as that person refuses to reveal the information, nobody will be able to learn it."
"You mean. nobody will find out where the potion is hiding if that's the information concealed?"
"Exactly, Ellie."
"And. the person?"
"It's called the secret keeper" Remus said. He had entered the room, properly dressed, his hair still wet.
"You know this spell?" she asked.
"I do." his voice quivered "That's the spell James used to hide the information of where he, Lily and the baby were hiding."
There was a very dark silence and Remus was the first to speak again.
"You should not perform it unless you're absolutely sure you can trust your secret keeper."
"Who was James secr-" but she suddenly understood. She was away when she heard about James and Lily, and that Sirius betrayal story was very confusing, but everything made sense, now. And Remus was right. Sirius was the last person she would ever think that could betray James.
She looked uneasy at Severus.
"If you have any other idea, Lupin, I'll be glad to hear it." said Snape with a snarl.
The two of them were eyeing each other with loath.
Ellie decided to break the silence.
"You're right, Sevy, there's not much time. What do we have to do?"
"You have to decide who your secret keeper is" he was still looking at Remus. "The Headmaster sent me here believing I was the right choice, but if you have anyone else in mind."
They were looking murderous.
"You're the one who knows the spell, you be my secret keeper."
None of them seemed to be expecting this. Severus was looking at her deeply stunned and Remus was horrified. He knew Snape wouldn't betray Ellie, but since the matter involved him, Remus, he wasn't sure it was safe.
"Ellie." he began to say. But she cut the conversation turning to Severus and saying "We must hurry. The Ministry men can be here any moment."
"I need not telling you we should be alone for the spell to work." Severus added, with a pleasant smile. Now, he was enjoying bulling Remus.
"You need not say another word." said Remus, nearly squashing a running beetle as he turned to return to his room.
When Ellie woke up, the sun had sat and there were candles lit all over the room. Remus had gone, and she went to look for him when there was a knock on the door. She quickly dressed her robes to answer it.
It was Snape. Apparently he was as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She had no time to think about the reason of it because he quickly got to the point.
"I'm sorry to come this late, Ellie, but I'm afraid it couldn't wait."
"It's okay" she said, indicating the living room. Snape entered, casting a look around.
"What have you done to your house? It's clean." but he seemed to be looking for something rather than appreciating the cleanness.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
He looked particularly grave.
"The Ministry is aware some illegal potion has been used here."
Ellie certainly didn't expect this.
"How do you know?"
"Fudge sent an owl to Dumbledore, asking for advice and the Headmaster called me at once."
"But I've been using it for two weeks! Why now?"
"You're already trying it, then?" and Snape didn't look pleased.
"We've sorted all out" she said quickly, with pink cheeks "and Remus has been taking it for the last two weeks."
"And tonight was a full moon." Snape added, looking her very closely.
"Yes."
"Well, did it work?" he asked impatiently.
"Yes, it worked."
Snape was torn between the pleasure of knowing she had done it and the hatred that consumed him everytime he thought of what that meant. His greatest rival had always been the shadow of an impossible love, but he could read it in her face that that was no longer true. If any hope rested inside his skin it was quickly ripped off by Remus entering wrapped only in a towel, his wet hair revealing as much as his stunned face.
"I'm sorry" he said, walking to the bedroom door "I didn't know we were not alone." And he didn't avoid Snape's eyes this time. In fact, it was Snape the one who looked away, at Ellie, before Remus entered the room.
"Sevy" she said, but he lifted a hand, stopping her.
"We have a lot more important matters at hand." he said. She looked embarrassed. She had never realised their past hadn't been forgotten. at least by him. But Severus was talking again. "The fact remains that the Ministry is ready to take the adequate measures to stop you. You know they will never allow you to register the potion. For one thing, you're not in the Confederation anymore. And for the other because you know werewolves are not taken as real wizards but as monsters. The Wolfsbane potion will remain illegal and now that they know about it they'll confiscate it."
"But how did they find out?"
"You know the Ministry has detectors for any illegal activity." He waved his hand impatiently. "What are we going to do?"
"We?"
"I'm here to help you" he said darkly "unless you want me to leave."
"Oh, Sevy!"
"In that case we should move quickly. Dumbledore has asked Fudge to meet him at Hogwarts. That should give us enough time."
"For what?"
"To hide the potion-"
"They'll find it!" she interrupted.
"To hide the potion with the Fidelius Charm."
Her silence indicated him she had never heard of it.
"The Fidelius Charm hides a piece of information inside a person. As long as that person refuses to reveal the information, nobody will be able to learn it."
"You mean. nobody will find out where the potion is hiding if that's the information concealed?"
"Exactly, Ellie."
"And. the person?"
"It's called the secret keeper" Remus said. He had entered the room, properly dressed, his hair still wet.
"You know this spell?" she asked.
"I do." his voice quivered "That's the spell James used to hide the information of where he, Lily and the baby were hiding."
There was a very dark silence and Remus was the first to speak again.
"You should not perform it unless you're absolutely sure you can trust your secret keeper."
"Who was James secr-" but she suddenly understood. She was away when she heard about James and Lily, and that Sirius betrayal story was very confusing, but everything made sense, now. And Remus was right. Sirius was the last person she would ever think that could betray James.
She looked uneasy at Severus.
"If you have any other idea, Lupin, I'll be glad to hear it." said Snape with a snarl.
The two of them were eyeing each other with loath.
Ellie decided to break the silence.
"You're right, Sevy, there's not much time. What do we have to do?"
"You have to decide who your secret keeper is" he was still looking at Remus. "The Headmaster sent me here believing I was the right choice, but if you have anyone else in mind."
They were looking murderous.
"You're the one who knows the spell, you be my secret keeper."
None of them seemed to be expecting this. Severus was looking at her deeply stunned and Remus was horrified. He knew Snape wouldn't betray Ellie, but since the matter involved him, Remus, he wasn't sure it was safe.
"Ellie." he began to say. But she cut the conversation turning to Severus and saying "We must hurry. The Ministry men can be here any moment."
"I need not telling you we should be alone for the spell to work." Severus added, with a pleasant smile. Now, he was enjoying bulling Remus.
"You need not say another word." said Remus, nearly squashing a running beetle as he turned to return to his room.