A Serpent Among Lions

Chapter 8 - The Truth

Molly stepped into Hermione's office through the floo which she had entered at Harry's flat. She understood Ginny's desire to stay with Harry after his attack, but she also worried about how Meghan would take her coming instead of her mother.

"Molly! What are you doing here? I thought Ginny was coming?" Hermione said, going over to give her a hug.

"Hermione, Harry was attacked today. Ginny didn't want to leave his side, which I can completely understand. Especially now," She said, cryptically.

"What do you mean, especially now?" Hermione said, offering her mother in law a chair.

"Ginny and Harry are expecting another baby. Apparently Harry got an owl from an unknown person and left while Ginny was napping. She woke up, found the note at 1:30 when the meeting was supposed to be at noon, and naturally panicked. She apparated there, wearing his invisibility cloak, and found him. Poor girl is exhausted," Molly said, clucking her tongue and shaking her head.

"Harry...is he okay?" Hermione said, concern in her voice.

"Yes, fortunately. Apparently whoever attacked him though obviously a witch or wizard wanted to resort to muggle attack methods, because they tried to strangle him and left him for dead. Harry said that he didn't see anyone."

Hermione sighed, this was a horrible situation. Harry and Ginny certainly didn't deserve this. Harry had been through so much already in his lifetime and now was the time he deserved to have some peace and quiet, "Does Harry have any idea who might have set him up for murder?"

Molly shook her head, "No, he has been checking on every lead that has come his way, but they all have ended up being dead ends. How is Meghan holding up?"

"Well, from what I have seen so far, she has been making a small effort to get to know her fellow Slytherins but they don't seem to want to give her the time of day. William's doing the best that he can to help her, along with Emily and Connor, but you remember how it was as a student here. Everyone pretty much stuck with their housemates."

Molly nodded, it had been a while since she had been to Hogwarts but she remembered very well, "Well, I guess we should get Meghan here now so that we can talk."

Nodding, Hermione scribbled a note and sent it to Meghan with her owl, "Do you want me to leave you two alone?"

"Of course not, we're family and it might help her some too. After all, you're her favorite aunt," Smiling at Hermione, Molly settled back in her chair and waited for Meghan to arrive.

Approximately fifteen minutes later there was a knock at Hermione's office door and Molly got up and opened the door.

"Grandmum! What are you doing here?" She said, giving Molly a hug, "I thought Mum was coming?"

Molly lead Meghan into the office and shut the door, "Your mum couldn't make it, Meghan. So she asked me to come to see you."

"My mum's okay isn't she?" Meghan said, a note of fear in her voice, "She's not hurt?"

Giving Meghan a reassuring hug, Molly smiled at her, "No, you're mum's not hurt. I do have something to tell you about your Dad though," She said, taking her hand.

Meghan's eyes misted over with unshed tears, knowing that whatever it was, it probably was something really bad.

"Your mum wanted to tell you this yourself, before you heard it from another student. There are people who think your dad did something very bad. Now, you and I know, as well as your aunts and uncles that your Daddy didn't do these things. But that's why your dad hasn't been around. He left to protect you and your Mum. He wanted you to be safe."

"My dad's okay though?" Meghan said, looking at her grandmother, "Really?"

"Yes, Meghan, he's fine. Your mum wanted to stay with him and make sure that he was taken care of. Plus, she's had quite a day herself. Next year, you're going to have a little brother or sister."

"A brother or sister?" Meghan was really excited, she had been wanting to be a big sister for a while now.

"Yes," Molly said, smiling warmly at her, "Maybe this weekend I can see if I can get Professor McGonagall to let me take you to see him. Would you like that?"

Meghan beamed, things were really looking up, "Yes! I want to see for myself that he's okay. And I want to tell mum how happy I am about the baby!"

Molly's expression grew somber, "Meghan, there's one thing you have to promise me and promise Aunt Hermione. You can't let people know about the baby and you can't tell people you know that your Dad is innocent."

Meghan appeared to be puzzled, "But why, Grandmum?"

"You have to pretend that your Dad really did do those things because if someone knows that you know he didn't, then they might try to hurt you. Your dad doesn't want you to get hurt, none of us do. Okay?"

Meghan nodded, understanding that this was very important. Molly noticed that she looked a little scared, so she changed the subject, "I see your Mum gave you the necklace that I gave her when she started at Hogwarts," Molly said, smiling at her granddaughter.

"Yes, Mum sent it to me today with Hedwig," Meghan said happily, "I've always admired it and she told me that when I went to Hogwarts that I would get it."

"It's been passed down for many many years, Meghan. I know that you'll take good care of it."

"I will, I promise!" Meghan beamed at her grandmother, "I better get going now, I have some studying to do before dinner. Tell Mum and Dad I love them and I'll send them an owl soon, okay?"

Molly gave Meghan a hug, as did Hermione, "I sure will. Your dad wants you to know that he loves you and that he will come home as soon as possible."

Meghan gave her grandmother one last hug and then left the office, heading back up to her room. She wanted to write in her diary and look over the notes that she had taken in her classes that day. Scratching Scooter behind the ears, she took out her diary and wrote:

September 2nd

Well, here I am at Hogwarts at last. I am not in Gryffindor, and I'm kind of sad about that. But my first day wasn't that bad... I really enjoy my classes and Aunt Hermione really makes History of Magic interesting, though I know that a lot of people in Slytherin don't like her because she was born to Muggle parents.

Grandmum came to visit me tonight. I can't believe I am going to be a big sister finally! I'm so excited!

Before she could write anymore, one of her roommates came into the dormitory and before she she could stop her, grabbed the diary out of her hands.

"Well well well, what have we here?" Druhilda said, reading Meghan's diary entry for the day.

"Druhilda, give me back my diary!" Meghan said, standing up from her bed.

"How many times have I told you today, call me Dru!" She said angrily, "So you're going to be a big sister, huh? Well, maybe your new baby brother or sister will be sorted into Gryffindor like the rest of your family was. Unlike you, you big freak!" Throwing the diary back on Meghan's bed, she laughed as she walked out the door.

Meghan's eyes filled with tears, but she was too proud to let them fall. She knew that she wasn't a freak and she knew that her parents loved her, but the words still stung. Finally, one lone tear inched its way out of her tear ducts and landed on her cheek. Sadly wiping it away, she was determined not to let Druhilda's (Dru's!) words stop her from doing her homework.

After allowing herself a few minutes of self pity, she settled down to go over her notes and immersed herself in learning, completely forgetting that she wasn't supposed to tell anyone about the baby.