Your Hidden Past

The wine was bitter, burning a way down his throat as he swallowed it grudgingly. He had never liked wine. 'My lord,' he attempted, yet another time, but as the two narrow red eyes focused on him, he wished he hadn't breathed a word.

'Yes?' The "s" at the end was long and snake-like, and Peter Pettigrew made a small, scared noise in the back of his throat that was somewhere between a nervous laugh and a snort.

'My lord, I was,' Peter swallowed, but pressed on, 'I was wondering if there had been any news.'

There was a roar of laughter at this, and Lord Voldemort grinned sinisterly behind his own silver goblet, holding it up high and tilting it slightly in his direction, as if toasting to him. Right next to him, Draco Malfoy was sitting, looking pale and gaunt. He, too, was laughing.

'News, Wormtail?' came the amused reply, after the laughter had died down. 'Of course there is no news other than the news we heard yesterday. Hermione Granger, mudblood friend of Harry Potter,' he spat the last name, and Peter was glad for the black robes that hid his shaking hand, 'disappeared in this era, and appeared in another.'

There was an appreciative chuckle from the young Malfoy next to him, but Peter squared his shoulders, not willing to back down again. 'I was there.'

'Correction, Wormtail. You are still there.'

'Then let me help, master. Let me do something, anything, I can –'

'Silence!'

Peter stopped mid-sentence, and the chatter that had been bubbling up again around them stopped suddenly, also. 'Wormtail, you have proven yourself unworthy once before.'

'Master, please –'

'Crucio.'

'You're mad.'

'Ron –'

'No! We won't go without Hermione!'

'What choice do we have?' said Harry, exasperated, balling his fists.

'A very bloody good one!'

'Don't.'

'I'm not going without Hermione!'

'Ron!'

'No, Harry, you can't make me!'

'YOU OAF!'

There was a loud smack, and Ron was glaring down at his vibrant-haired sister, whose right hand was still up in the air, trembling in her rage. 'Ginny!' said Harry, half-horrified and half-admiring.

'You will go look for whatever it is you're going to look for, and you're going to do it now. You're not going to help the wizarding world by just standing here like an idiot going 'Oh, no, not without Hermione!''

'Like you would understand,' said Ron nastily, one hand to his cheek.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. 'I'm letting two men I love (here, Harry choked) go away doing god-knows-what. What don't I understand?'

'I don't want to go without Hermione,' said Ron again, bitterly, and Ginny's posture softened, her outstretched hand falling back to her side. 'I know you don't want to, Ron. But you have to. For her sake.'

Ron swallowed, sighed, and nodded finally. 'I know.'

'Good,' Ginny whispered, before disappearing out of the kitchen of the Burrow. Harry stared after her, amazed, and Ron snickered.

'Not a word, Ron,' Harry sighed, wearily.

Ron gave him a wicked grin, the handprint on his cheek already fading. 'I wouldn't dare.'

Many years back, Hermione Granger was sitting at a library table, translating one of the unfinished passages in Odin's book about his work for the essay that was due next week.

'Laguz,' she muttered vaguely under her breath, frowning as she glanced at the book she'd been allowed to use (Ancient Runes: What Do They Mean?). She didn't see the rune she was looking for in the list, and slammed her quill down to the table in frustration.

'What is wrong with me? I know this. Laguz, it's one of the basic runes, it's –'

'Water.'

'No, it's not,' said Hermione, scrunching up her nose, and turning around in her seat to face the person who'd spoken.

'Well, it is. Laguz, the Water rune. Its modern day equivalent is the letter "L", and it translates to emotions, fears and intuition, among other things.'

'I knew that,' Hermione said, slightly sheepish, making a note of something on her parchment.

Richard grinned. 'Sure you did. Mind if I –?'

Hermione shook her head, and moved some of the many books she'd taken out for this particular essay off the chair next to her, so he could sit there.

'Thanks,' said Richard, flashing her a smile, before starting on his own essay. Hermione watched him for a moment longer, then shook her head, and returned to her essay.

Across from them, Lily Evans dove back into the row labelled 'Ancient Runes', not-too-successfully hiding a knowing smile.

'How are you feeling, Remus?'

Remus looked up from Treasure Island, which he had been reading on his four-poster bed, to James, who was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

'I'm fine?' volunteered Remus, not quite sure whether he should answer positively or not, and therefore making his statement into a question.

'Full moon's in a few days,' came Sirius' voice, from his own bed. It took a moment, but then Sirius poked his head through his curtains so that Remus could see him properly.

'Are you sure you're fine?' piped up Peter, sitting on the floor with The Profound History of Goblin Rebellions sprawled open in front of him.

'Yes, I'm fine,' said Remus, sounding more certain of himself. 'Thank you.'

''s all right,' Sirius said, running a hand through his hair, and grinning broadly. 'Just looking out for you, Moony.'

'How are you feeling, Remus? Full moon's coming up.'

Remus looked up from Treasure Island, which he had been reading at the kitchen table, slightly uncomfortable and hunched over, china filled with cold tea across from him, to Tonks, who was standing in the doorframe.

'I'm fine. Really,' Remus said, managing a slight smile, but Tonks' lips were pursed, and she took a seat next to him.

'Do you remember her?' she asked anxiously, looking at him with big brown eyes (so different from her own steel blue ones).

'Miss Granger, you mean?' Remus asked back, and Tonks paused for a moment, before nodding.

'Yes,' said Remus, sitting back in his chair. 'The memories are there, and new ones appear with each passing day. But, they're like all memories, vague and only remembered when thought of.'

'You're so solemn,' said Tonks, imitating his frown and tone of voice. Remus smiled half-heartedly, and gave her hand a soft squeeze.

'Thank you, Nymphadora.'

'That's all right. I'm just looking out for you.'

Remus opened his mouth to say something, but Tonks was already heading out of the kitchen that smelled of polished wood and cakes; the kitchen that had become their very own after leaving Grimmauld Place; and he closed his eyes, going back to his reading.

'Shut up, it's right this way!'

'Someone will see, and we will get caught,' another voice whispered back, sounding aristocratic and bored.

'Will not!'

'Will too!'

'Stop it, both of you, we're here.'

Peter and Sirius stopped their bickering and turned around. They'd left hundreds of worn stone steps behind them, and James had opened the trapdoor he'd knocked his head into the first time around.

'Honeydukes!' Peter raved, argument with Sirius forgotten as he dashed out into the cellar, disappearing in the black of the night.

'I never knew there was a passage to the castle in Hogsmeade.' The voice sounded arrogant, and the boy it belonged to was treated to a smirk by his companion.

'You wouldn't,' Peter Pettigrew said, holding his wand up to illuminate the worn steps below, hidden partially in darkness. 'Little ones first,' he added mockingly, turning around to face the boy.

The pale, sneering face of Draco Malfoy looked awful in the wand light, grey eyes illuminated to the point of being nearly translucent, and Pettigrew swallowed and turned away.

'Coward,' Draco Malfoy spat, before illuminating his own wand. He pulled his cloak closer to him against the cold, and started down the stairs, soon swallowed entirely by the darkness below.

Peter Pettigrew closed his eyes and sighed. 'This is for you, Prongs,' he whispered, eyes opening to look at the ceiling. He managed a watery smile, and then followed the young Malfoy; descending down the stairs he'd last visited twenty-three years ago.

Author's Note: I'm pleased to report my final results were satisfactory, and so I will do my best to try and make more frequent updates to this story.

The rune laguz means water. Its divinatory meanings are, for so far known: emotions, fears, unconscious mind, things hidden, revelation, intuition and counselling. Many a people view water as a peaceful thing, but to the Norse mythology, water means the ocean; many a seaman's grave and home to the Jörmungandr, or Midgard Serpent.

Remember, there's more than meets the eye.