A/N

Written for Chaser 3, Round 6 QLFC Holyhead Harpies

Disclaimer - I own nothing but Ben and Mia :)

Prompt - Write about one of the following : Sirius Black, Silvania Kettleburn, Bill Weasley, Egmont Hobday.

Optional Prompts -

(2) (colour) Taupe

(4) (object) Sickle

(15) (word) Striped

Word Count w/o A/N - 1437

Bill turned in his seat when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. When he turned he saw Professor McGonagall standing behind him with a somber expression on her face.

"Can I help you with something, Professor?" Bill asked, attempting to sound confident but the expression on her face was worrying.

"Mr. Weasley, come with me please," McGonagall replied, never taking her eyes off the sixth-year. He went to collect his books but McGonagall held her hand out to stop him.

"Mr. Harper, could you take Weasley's books back to his dorm?" Bill saw his best friend nod and he followed McGonagall out of the library. As they started down the corridor, his curiosity got the better of him.

"What's going on, Professor?" Bill asked, hiding how truly worried he was, or attempting to anyway.

"Your brother, Percy, has been injured," she responded.

Bill froze, he thought when she had come and found him it had something to do with Charlie. Surely with all the time Charlie spent on his broom—he was in and out of the Hospital Wing every five seconds—it had to be him. Percy was just a first year, he was supposed to be fine.

"You must be mistaken," he choked out.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Clearwater found him in a hallway off the library hall. He was pretty badly-" Bill couldn't take it anymore, he didn't need details. He just needed to see him.

"Where is he?" Bill demanded, cutting McGonagall off.

"He's in the Hospital Wing. But Mr. Weasley you really should-" McGonagall started, but Bill was already gone.

Bill stopped once he got to the Hospital Wing doors. There was a silencing charm on the doors, but he knew as soon as he opened them he would hear his mother's weeping. He took a deep breath before opening the door just enough to slip in. Madam Pomfrey looked at him with a gentle expression and gestured to the closed curtain at the other end of the wing.

Bill pushed one curtain to the side silently and froze when he saw his younger brother laying in the bed. He had black eyes and his arm was in a splint. His father turned to see him standing there.

"Bill, you should be in bed," Arthur said.

"I was studying, I have a Transfiguration test tomorrow. McGonagall found me. I was supposed to study with Percy this afternoon, then maybe…" Bill pulled at his hair. His chest felt heavy.

Molly stood from her seat beside the bed and enveloped Bill in a hug for a moment.

"It's not your fault, Bill," she assured him. "It is nobody's but the people who did this to him."

After a moment she let go and sat down, taking Percy's hand once more. Bill stood still after his mother released him. He was supposed to study with Percy that afternoon, but he had brushed him off to sneak out to Hogsmeade with Charlie and some other mates for his birthday, which was tomorrow.

"If I had been with him, maybe he wouldn't be lying here," Bill whispered quietly, staring out the window that was currently letting moonlight into the curtained-off section they were standing in and letting the tears pour down his face in silence.

"He'll be okay," Arthur reassured him, but Bill didn't know whether his dad was trying to convince himself or Bill.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, I have classes tomorrow," Bill turned to leave.

"McGonagall already told your other teachers you won't be in class tomorrow. But the sleep part isn't a bad idea." It was Madam Pomfrey's voice that floated in. "Visiting hours just ended Mr. Weasley."

Bill nodded. He turned and left the Hospital Wing, walking in a haze until he reached his bed.

Bill woke to someone calling his name and shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Charlie standing over him.

"C'mon! Ben and Mia are waiting!" Charlie was more excited about Bill's birthday than he was.

"I'll meet you guys at breakfast, I just have to stop by the Hospital Wing first," Bill climbed out of bed and went to his trunk,

"Who's in the Hospital Wing?" Charlie asked, flopping onto the bed.

"Percy." He pulled a blue and taupe striped button-up on as he spoke. When he was met with silence he looked up to see Charlie frozen.

"You didn't know?" Bill was confused, and then he remembered the time McGonagall had found him last night, Charlie must've already been asleep. Charlie shook his head, Bill sat next to him.

"Percy was found by another student last night. He's pretty badly beaten up. I know he has two black eyes and a broken arm. Beyond that I have no idea. I didn't stay very long last night."

"Is he going to be okay?" Charlie asked, his voice very small.

"I hope so," Bill replied, pulling his brother into a side hug.

Once Bill and Charlie reached the common room they saw Mia and Ben chatting near the fireplace.

"Morning, sleepy head," Ben called. They were the only ones in the common room.

"Hey. Ready for breakfast?" Mia asked, standing up from the sofa.

"Yeah, could you guys save us seats? Our brother is in the infirmary and we need to check on him first."

"Of course," Mia said. "If there's anything we can do, let us know."

"Right. And happy birthday, mate," Ben replied, Mia then echoed the happy birthday wishes.

Bill thanked them with a tight smile, then headed for the Hospital Wing with Charlie in tow.

The brothers checked in on their parents and Percy, whose condition had not changed overnight. Molly wished Bill a happy birthday and insisted he spend the day with his friends despite the grim situation.

"You go on," she said, patting his shoulder. "I'll be watching over him."

They joined Mia and Ben reluctantly. Bill quietly filled them in on his brother's situation while Charlie quietly picked at his food.

"It won't take them long to figure out who did it," Ben said, his eyes scanning the Great Hall as if he could figure it out himself.

"I'm sure Percy will be alright, Bill." Mia laid a hand on Bill's in an attempt at comforting him.

Suddenly Charlie was pushing away his plate and standing.

"I'm going for a walk," he muttered and stalked off.

Bill attempted to eat his breakfast and not focus on his brothers, but to no avail. It was his job to look out for his siblings and he couldn't sit there and pretend like everything was fine.

"I've gotta go find Charlie. I'll catch up with you guys at lunch."

Bill headed straight for the Quidditch pitch, knowing how Charlie tended to take to the skies when he needed to think. When he got there he saw Tonks and Charlie sitting side by side in the center of the field. He smiled and turned around. Charlie would be okay.

He was on his way to the infirmary to keep his mum company when he was interceded by a white owl clutching an important notice addressed to him. He tore it open as the owl soared towards the pitch.

Percy is awake, it read.

Bill stood, looking out the window onto the Burrow's lawn. Mum was barking orders at everybody and Dad was standing to the side shaking his head. He turned when the door creaked. In his hands was a blue and taupe striped shirt.

"You still have that old thing?" Charlie asked, recognizing it from their teenage years.

"I was so terrified that day, I thought we were going to lose him," Bill responded. Clutching the shirt in his hands.

"I did too," Charlie responded, leaning back against the dresser.

"I was wearing this when he woke up, I guess it was just a good memory of him." Bill turned to Charlie. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Tonks asked me to give this to you." Charlie held out his hand, in his palm was a sickle. "For something old, y'know?"

It had a small chip in the side so it was worthless but it was Tonks' birthday present to Bill that day, she said later it was a gag gift to make him laugh, so he could deam November 29th, 1987 a happy birthday. Bill smiled and accepted the sickle, but it didn't last long. He set the shirt and sickle down on the bed and sighed.

"I miss him."

"I know. We'll get him back, I promise," Charlie assured him, coming to stand next to Bill as they stared out at the wedding preparations.