Promise to the Past | 🐾 ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ✓

04 | Trusted Ones

"Well Miss Granger, I think it's time for you to fill us in on this mission you mentioned." 

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "I think it's best if we called in a few more people before I start explaining it all." 

"I'll call an order meeting-" 

"No!" 

They all stared at her, startled by her vehemence. 

"You all are right to be paranoid, there is a mole in the Order. I know who can and can't be trusted the most, so if you don't mind, I'd like to select the people who are aware of my true identity and this mission." 

Dumbledore nodded acceptingly. "Well who are the people you'd like us to call." 

"Other than the people in this room? I'd say Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, and Molly and Arthur Weasley." 

"Anyone else," Dumbledore inquired, already sending off patronuses to her listed people. 

"If the Weasleys are coming, do you want the Prewett twins there? They're more involved with the war effort than the Weasleys," Remus mentioned. 

"They're still alive?" Hermione asked in shock. 

The others stared at her trying to decide if she was serious while Dumbledore looked at her grimly. 

"Yes, I suppose they should be called," she concluded. "Are the Longbottoms still okay?" 

"What happens to Alice and Frank?" Lily asked tensely. 

Hermione exhaled unsteadily, shaken by how much she could still change. "Hopefully, nothing," she said. "But we'll want them there as well." 

"We should call Peter," Sirius added. 

"NO!" 

The Marauders all looked at her confused while Lily assessed her in concern. 

"Pettigrew... Pettigrew is the mole. He's the one who betrays you in the future." 

"No way," James immediately defends. "Pete is one of our closest friends, there's no way he would do that." 

"Yeah, you must be mistaken. Peter doesn't have it in him to be a death eater," Sirius said confidently. 

"He is, and he does," Hermione insisted. "You guys switch secret keepers to Pettigrew last minute, and he gives your location straight to Voldemort." 

"Wait.." Remus chimed in. "You guys switch to Peter? Why?" 

The others look at him uncomfortably. "Mate, you're doing dangerous work with the wolves," Sirius started saying. "It would be easier for Voldemort to get to you than Peter." Sirius's confession makes it clear they'd already discussed the possibility of switching secret keepers.  

"So what if he could get to me?" He cried incredulously. "I would die before I betrayed Lily and James, same as you!" 

"Mate.." James began guiltily. 

"You all thought I was the mole didn't you?" Remus asked, already knowing the answer. 

"No!" James denied vehemently. "We just thought you were too close to the darker influences of the war is all... even if we did choose to change secret keepers, it would be less of a risk by not changing it to you." 

Remus looked at them, practically heart broken. "Why do you think I volunteered to work with the packs," he spit out as if disgusted by the very thought. "For you. Do you think I actually enjoy being surrounded by people who make me forget my very humanity? I spend years trying to teach myself the opposite."