The Secret Keeper

The next couple of days passed pleasantly, with people coming and going all the time, making it hard to be bored, especially with Molly always setting tasks for everyone to do in light of Bills and Fleur's approaching wedding. At one point, Molly insisted that everyone who had nothing else to do were to be cleaning the house, which, although much cleaner, reminded Remus of two summers past cleaning Sirius's house for the Order.

With the wedding fast approaching, as it always is near weddings, rumors were flying about as to various other couple that could be getting married. Of course, Remus and Tonks were a favorite, but Remus just became grumpy at these suggestions because he knew what the ideas of weddings led to with women. Instead, when people asked him if he had plans of marriage, he would tell them to be more concerned with the wedding at hand, and to stay out of his business, thank you very much.

Tonks, on the other hand, loved all the wedding talk, and, although she never flat out said that she would marry, she was adamant that she could change Remus' mind on the matter. A task, Remus knew, was pointless, especially after the promise he'd made to himself so long ago.

"Remus! Remus!"

Tonks disturbed Remus from yet another nap one morning. This had become an increasingly annoying factor of the whole wedding business, and he told himself it was just one more reason never to get married.

"Wha?" he grunted, desperately wishing to get back to sleep.

"Molly wants us to go to Headquarters."

Remus rolled over, as far as he knew no one had been to Number Twelve since Dumbledore's death. The members of the Order had decided that until a new Secret Keeper was picked, no one should be seen coming or going.

"What for?" he asked grumpily.

"I don't know. But she said it's important. We're to meet Minerva there. Now get you, lazy pants."

"Will you let me sleep when we get back?"

"Yes, fine. Now let's go!" Tonks stood up, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor, which only irritated Remus more.

Women, he thought to himself, they've got no more patience than tourists. He stretched, waiting for his shoulder to crack, and then left the tent.

Several moments later, after Apparating into a clump of tresses at the end of Grimmauld Place, Remus and Tonks approached the front door of Number Twelve.

"Er, should we just go in?" Tonks asked, apprehensively.

As if I should know. You're the one who made me come, remember? Remus muttered to himself. He wasn't about to forgive her for waking him up anytime soon.

As soon as she'd said it though, the door opened and Minerva McGonagall was sweeping them inside, into the front hall.

"Good afternoon," she started, before turning to look at them. "Remus, have you been sleeping well? You're looking a little under the weather."

"Good day to you, too." Remus scoffed and scrunched his face up in distaste.

"You'll have to excuse him," Tonks butted in, "it's his time of the month."

Minerva smiled a rare smile and waved her hand, "No matter, Tonks, it's quite alright, I'm in a bit of a hurry anyways. I've got a meeting with the Councilors fairly soon."

"OH!" cried Tonks, "Will Hogwarts be remaining open?"

"That's what the meeting is about, we have yet to reach a decision…"

Remus, who was quite put out by what Tonks had said about him strode from the front hall and into the kitchen.

"Remus, come back here!" Tonks hissed, only to be interjected by McGonagall.

"No, it's quite alright, we don't want to wake Mrs. Black up…" she said, as she set off after Remus into the kitchen, followed closely by Tonks, who kept giving the wall hanging a wary look.

As they settled around the kitchen table, Remus couldn't help but think of happier times spent with Sirius in that room, but his thoughts were swiftly cut off by McGonagall.

"Now, as you know, Albus was the Secret Keeper of the location of the Order. Now that he has died, that secret has died with him, and only the ones he told will continue to know the location. However, while this may seem safer than having a living Secret Keeper, I assure you, it's not.

"The Secret wants to be told, and when there's no one who can freely tell it, it will begin to sit in the mind of anyone else who knows it as something that should be told. But, bound by magic as we are, we're unable to tell I, but it – the secret, – doesn't know that. It will keep pushing your will to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, until you finally lost your mind from wanting so desperately, but not being able to tell the secret.

Thus it would be that those who know the secret would all eventually be gone, and the secret would be lost forever."

She was quite grave as she took a breathe before continuing, "Or, it could be much worse. There are many of those accomplished in the Dark Arts who can, once they know the Secret Keeper is dead, get the truth out of those who know. We believe that Voldemort is able to, and will take the Secret from Severus Snape. However, he will be quite unsuccessful until the Secret wants to be told, and, as we can all tell, this has not happened yet. It could, however, happen at any moment, which is why a new Secret Keeper must be put into place.

"I have consulted many members of the Order, and they all said the same thing. They all said you should be the Secret Keeper, Remus. Would you do it?"

Remus didn't need to think twice, as he knew there were some things worth dying for, and that protecting the Order was one of those things.

"Yes."

Tonks gave a gasp beside him and put his hand on his arm, "Remus, you can't!"

McGonagall cleared her throat, "It's his decision, Tonks."

"But he could die, Minerva!"

"Just as easily as you could, as you well knew when you joined the Order!"

Tonks got up and huffed from the house, the sound of slamming doors left in her wake.

"I hope this won't affect you decision, Remus." McGonagall said.

"Of course not, Professor. While I may love her, I know that this is much more important, and it is something I will take on, and do with pride."

McGonagall smile, "Shall we begin, then?"

Outside, Tonks stood staring at the house, which suddenly vanished into thin air, and she was left wondering what she'd been looking at.

Suddenly, Remus Apparated by her side, and whispered, "Order of the Phoenix, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place," and again Tonks could see the house, and the figure of Minerva emerging from the front door.

"Thank you, Remus! Make sure you tell the other members!" McGonagall said, as she swept past.

"Good luck at your meeting! Do your best for Hogwarts!" Remus cried cheerily.

Tonks looked at Remus sadly, suddenly very aware that he'd done what she'd asked him not to. "And what if you die because you're the Secret Keeper?"

"Then I die doing my task, and I'll die with the knowledge that Headquarters is safe."

Tonks frowned, "I meant about me. Would you die rather than be with me?"

Remus found it an odd question, as he understood perfectly that that wasn't what he'd meant at all by becoming the Secret Keeper, and he didn't see how she could even think that. "You know that my decision to put myself in an endangered position for the Order had nothing to do with how I feel about you. You should well know that just because I love you, it doesn't mean that I'll drop my first and most important duty, which is to the Order."

"Remus, I'm in the Order too, but I would have given the decision more thought!"

Remus rounded on her, "Which shows that you don't really understand what the Order is about, that some things are worth dying for! It shows that you'd put your happiness above the safety and continuance of the Order, which is the only hope for our World!

"I understand all of that, and I've had many of my friends and loved one give their life for that same cause, How would they feel if I'd not done what was asked of me for something they died for? How would I feel knowing I'd passed up the chance to defend that, and to die with pride as they had!"

Tonks tried to cut in, but Remus wouldn't have it. "I've lost James and Sirius, and now Dumbledore, and while I would love to spent a very long time with you, I'd also love to go and meet them in death. They have my heart too, Tonks!"

With that, he spun angrily on the spot and disappeared, leaving a very stunned, and very hurt Tonks standing alone in front of the graying old house.