What I've Missed
As the sun broke over the ceiling of the Great Hall, Percy Weasley sat with his family – of which he had been reunited the previous evening – at one of the long tables. Breakfast had been served but Percy couldn't face trying to eat it. He looked up at his family and studied them for the first time since he had arrived at Hogwarts the previous evening.
His father, Arthur sat with both his arms around his mother and had silent tears running down his distraught face. This alone shocked Percy for he had never seen his father cry. Percy could see faint scars on his father's fore arms where he assumed he had been attacked by the snake over two years ago. Percy felt a pang of guilt – he had not been there for his father when he was almost killed.
His mother, Molly had her face buried in her husband's tear soaked shoulder but she was no longer crying – perhaps she had run out of tears. Percy looked at her and saw only a mask of shock, distress and sadness, he could barely believe that mere hours ago she had killed Bellatrix Lestrange after the latter had almost killed his sister. Percy knew his mother's pride and joy was her children and couldn't bear to think what she might have done if she had lost two children in the war. Percy began to realise just how much he must have hurt his mother by sending back the Weasley jumpers and ignoring the few letters she sent him and not attending Bill's wedding. On thinking this Percy began to feel even more guilty and upset.
His eldest brother, Bill was sitting between his wife and younger brother. Fleur was whispering words of comfort to him and although Percy could see Bill was registering them it was obvious that Bill needed her beside him. The long, deep scars that tore up Bill's once handsome face looked especially dominant against Bill's face which was whiter than Percy even knew a face could go. Furthermore Percy's guilt began to overwhelm him when he remembered that Bill had also been almost killed during the time he was being a prat and had he been there was his brother? No.
His next eldest brother, Charlie sat between Bill and Percy. Bill had a hand on his shoulder as some sort of comfort. Looking around his family Percy decided that Charlie was the least physically scarred and knew he hadn't almost died but Percy could see the pain blazing in his next eldest brother's eyes. This affected Percy greatly; when Percy had been a child he had always looked up to Charlie as the one who never got hurt. Percy had seen him fall out of trees and fall off his broom but not once had Charlie complained or said it hurt. As Percy grew up he realised that Charlie must have been hurt but was strong enough to bear he pain. But Charlie was still the tough one, the one who went to Romania to work with dragons! Charlie wasn't supposed to look so weak and defeated.
His younger brother, Fred was not present at the table and Percy was still finding it hard to remember that he wasn't going to just appear from under the table after dropping a fork or walk into the hall grinning at the news that Voldemort was gone. Because it wasn't just Voldemort that was gone. Fred was gone too. Percy felt a lump rise in his throat as he remembered Fred's happy face when he returned and admitted he'd been a prat. Then he remembered the explosion and seeing Fred lying there – gone. Percy felt beyond terrible; he was Fred's older brother! He was supposed to protect Fred. Survivor's guilt Percy thought, it's true what they say; sometimes it's worse to be the one who survives. Fred should be the one sitting here not Percy, he never left, he always knew what was right, he would never dream of leaving his family and now by no fault of his own he had left his family ... forever. Percy winced as he remembered Fred's last unfinished sentence and wondered when the last time Fred had heard him tell a joke. It tore Percy apart to realise he would never find out the answer to that question.
His second youngest brother, George looked beyond lost, he sat slightly away from their father and Percy could easily see that there was room for a person in the gap. But the seat wouldn't be filled again. Looking at George alone there, Percy could honestly not think of any moment in his whole life that he had seen one twin without the other. George looked so lost as he stared into space at a complete loss of what to do. Percy wondered momentarily if he would reopen the shop and vowed he would help George if he wanted. George was sporting a long gash across his jaw line but had shaken his head when Madam Pomfrey had offered to clean it up. Percy's eyes veered to George's missing ear and felt another pang of guilt; he had not been there for George either in his moment of need. Percy wished he could do something to comfort his brother but how can you comfort someone who has just lost their twin, their best friend, their business partner and the person who they have done everything with for over twenty years? Percy answered his own question – you can't.
His youngest brother, Ron sat opposite George, for once not touching - let alone eating - the food in front of him. He was covered in dirt, grim and blood but Percy could identify a number of cuts and scars on his face and fore arms. He had rested his head on Hermione Granger's head who had rested her own head on Ron's shoulder. Ron was clearly holding back tears, Percy wondered if it was for the benefit of their mother who was distraught enough without seeing her sons cry. He and Hermione had their hands clasped together and it was clear without her there he wouldn't be able to hold his tears back. Percy continued to look at his brother and was once again hit with the now familiar feeling of guilt. Ron had been poisoned and almost died only a year ago. And Percy had not been there for yet another of his family. Percy admired Ron greatly for the courage that he had shown in this night alone and wished that he could be as brave as his brother.
His sister, Ginny sat between her mother and none other than Harry Potter. Ginny was who Percy had been most shocked to see. The last time he had seen her she was fifteen years old, he had barely even seen her as she had quickly obscured his vision with mashed parsnip and the time before that he had stormed out of The Burrow when she was thirteen. Now Ginny was sixteen and couldn't be more different to the thirteen year old girl that he remembered from July 1995. He had watched her fighting during the Battle and was shocked at just how strong she was and how powerful her magic was. She was also extremely brave to fight at only sixteen for he knew his sixteen year old self wouldn't have been able to do what she did. He'd heard of the hell on earth that Hogwarts had become under Snape and knew she was most probably part of a rebellion. Percy was happy to see that Ginny seemed almost unharmed by the Battle except for a small cut below her eye. The most shocking thing however was the fact that Harry Potter was sitting with his arm around Ginny, his other hand grasped in both of hers and her head resting on his shoulder. Percy was not entirely sure how he felt about this but at the moment he was just happy that Ginny was being comforted. Ginny herself had been crying – something Percy hadn't seen her do since she was eleven after Harry and Ron had rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets – but was now just staring into space, her eyes bloodshot and pain etched on every inch of her face. As he looked at her, her gaze travelled to Ron and Hermione and a small amused smile appeared on her face which of course didn't reach her eyes. Percy almost felt like smiling slightly; even he who had been gone for almost three years had been wondering when the two would get together.
Fleur, his sister-in-law was crying as she shakily whispered to Bill. Percy felt both jealous and guilty at the same time. He felt guilty as he had not been there for the wedding of his oldest brother and his new sister-in-law and jealous because she seemed to fit in so well to the family, even his mother who Percy had assumed wouldn't approve of her. But then he had only ever met her once and that was over three years ago and a lot had changed. Now she definitely seemed a lot less full of herself, although in saying that the first thing she did when she sat down was charm the dirt and grim off both herself and Bill. She had seemed willing enough to welcome him back even though she had not been apart of the family when he left and Percy decided he liked her but thoguht he didn't deserve her compassion on his return.
Hermione, his brother's girlfriend had tears rolling down her face and like Ron was also covered in blood, grim and dirt. Like Ron and Ginny she had also changed dramatically since he last saw her at the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. So much had changed since then, she had gone from a brilliant school girl on the way to 'Head-girlship' as Percy would call it to a heroine of a war and Percy remembered that he had been rather good friends with her to start with but now he wasn't sure what he would say to her; she had changed so much although obviously her value of friendship had only grown stronger as he had saw during the battle, he had not seen her parted from Ron or Harry until the very end when Harry went to the forest. Percy again felt slightly jealous of her as she like Fleur fitted into his family as if she had been part of it her whole life.
Harry, his sister's boyfriend or at least that was what Percy assumed he was from the way the two were acting but he wasn't sure. Truth be said if someone had asked him six years ago did he think Harry and Ginny would ever become a couple, he would have laughed in their face but now he thought about it they really were good for each. But of course that doesn't mean Percy was pleased that Ginny had a boyfriend but he would think about that later. Harry was like Ron covered in scars and dirt of various descriptions. Percy recalled the memory of Hagrid carrying the apparently dead Harry out of the forest and remembered how he had felt almost as bad as he had when he realised Fred was gone. He couldn't believe that Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived was dead after all he'd gone through. Percy remembered back to the first day he met Harry, it had been the 1st September 1991 and a boy who Percy assumed was a Muggleborn due to his clothing and the fact he didn't know how to get on to the platform. Harry had approached his mother and asked how to get onto the platform, little did Percy realise who he was or how intertwined his life would become with The-Boy-Who-Lived. Now looking at Harry, Percy barely recognised him from the eleven year old he had met all those years ago. Instead of a scrawny little boy sitting opposite him, there was a seventeen year old war hero. Harry was looking around the hall with pain burning in his eyes and something else – guilt! Percy was at a loss to why Harry of all people should be feeling guilty – this wasn't his fault, it was because of Harry that it was over. Why was he blaming himself?
Percy looked around his whole family once more and thought about what had happened in the last three years. His father had almost died. His mother had been hurt on countless times by his own stupidity. Bill had been mauled, almost died and got married. Charlie had lost his tough exterior. Fred and George had started a joke shop. Fred had … died. George had lost an ear and the best friend he ever had. Ron had become a war hero and had almost died of poisoning and finally got Hermione. Ginny had grown up incredibly fast, had followed what he had once called 'the Fred and George route' but instead of being annoyed about that he actually felt very proud of her and become the girlfriend of the Chosen One. Fleur, Hermione and Harry had all become honorary members of the Weasley family or in Fleur's case had married into the family.
So as Percy sat looking at his family he realised just how much he had missed.
Author's Note: I'm not the biggest fan of Percy Weasley so I was surprised with myself that I came up with this idea but I'm pleased with the finished product and I hope you are too :)