He woke up early today. Well, can you call it early if you didn't really fall asleep? Percy grumbled to himself. He wasn't ready for everything that was going to happen today. He wasn't. As he lay there in bed, he could hear water running in the shower, soft footsteps on the stairs, quiet murmurings of conversations in other rooms. Apparently, he wasn't the only early riser today. He could hear no movement in the kitchen though; the normally delicious smells of a full English breakfast were absent. Just as well. His stomach already felt like lead.
He heard the water shut off in the shower. If he was quick, he could be next in the queue. He didn't feel like hurrying, but he drug himself out of the bed anyway, gathered the necessary items, and trudged down to the loo. Surprisingly, no one else was waiting there. Just him. After a few minutes, Fred, no scratch that, George opened the door. For a brief moment, it looked like George was actually going to say something to him. He braced himself for whatever George would say. He'd been waiting for it. Instead George turned and took the stairs back to his room. Fine, give me the silent treatment. I know I deserve it. Hell, I deserve worse than the silent treatment.
The bright yellow of the bathroom attempted to cheer him a little. The walls, the towels, the floor mat were done in a sunshine yellow. It was his mum's favorite; she thought it was such a happy color. She insisted that the kitchen and the bathroom were always in shades of yellow. And when they had a nursery, and they did have one for twelve years, it was always yellow.
()()()()
The baby's room, well actually, the babies' room, was always located across the hall from his mum and dad's bedroom. This was currently his little brothers' room. But soon, Freddie & Georgie were going to get their own room with their very own big boy beds, just like his. They were all going to be big boys, not babies, just like he was. He couldn't wait.
Mummy said that there was going to be a new baby any day now. The new baby would take this yellow room. He had felt the baby kick the other day. That was fun.
Currently Percy was searching for his older brothers. He thought they were probably outside, but he would check each room along the way. His little brothers' room was next.
Freddie and Georgie were in their side by side cribs. Freddie was running back and forth in his while Georgie was giggling, hands clenched on the top bar to help hold himself steady as he jumped up and down. He could hear them talking in some baby language that only they understood, Mummy called it their "twin-language."
Suddenly Freddie picked up his toy bear and hurled it towards Georgie. The toy bear bounced off of Georgie's head causing him to cry out. Percy was shocked. He knew that Mummy had said they weren't supposed to hit each other. He would have to tell that Freddie not to do that again, and he had to try to make Georgie feel better.
He marched over to Georgie's crib first. He reached out to pat his little brother's hand. "Georgie, it's okay. You are alright. See," he said as he tickled Georgie's ribs. Georgie smiled and giggled.
Now that Georgie was okay, he had to tell Freddie that he was wrong. He would try to act like Daddy as much as his four-year-old self could. "Freddie, we don't throw things at each other. Brothers are 'posed to stick together. Bill and Charlie always say so. So you shouldn't do that – Ouch!"
Freddie had reached over and yanked on Percy's hair. The resulting giggle from Georgie made Percy scowl. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Percy was older than they were; they were supposed to listen to him. Percy was not happy.
()()()()
Percy finished up his shower as quickly as possible, for that was always the rule at the Burrow: Don't hog the bathroom. There are others waiting. He only had to brush his teeth then he'd be done. As he looked in the mirror, toothbrush in hand, he wondered, What am I going to do now? What are we all going to do now? He shook his head. There would be time to think about that later. Right now, he had other things to do, like get out of the bathroom.
He stopped at the hallway window that overlooked the broom shed and parts of the clearing where they would play pickup games of Quidditch. Percy didn't love to fly, but he was reasonably good at it. He remembered all the good times out there, like the Quidditch match when he was on the winning team with Charlie or when he was watching Fred and George create new Beater moves. He also remembered the not so good times, like when he broke his arm or when Fred and George played chicken, resulting in a mid-air collision with both of them breaking bones. Of course, broken bones were nothing compared to the verbal wounds. Fred's words echoed in his ears. "I guess that means you're not our brother since you won't be there."
()()()()
"Please, Charlie? Let me fly the real broom. I am six now, remember? We celebrated my birthday this weekend, 'member?"
Ginny had been making her rounds since their mum had left to run a quick errand. She had been begging each of her brothers for a chance to ride a real broom all morning. Fred and George weren't helping matters, either. They both were goading Charlie to let her. Since Charlie had let Ron have a solo ride when he turned six, well, Charlie didn't have much of an argument. Ginny remembered this fact. So she just gave Charlie one more pleading look and he finally caved. The innocent little girl eyes and slightly pathetic voice, together with her dogged persistence, led to her victory and Charlie's defeat.
Charlie was supposed to be in charge while Mum was gone, and Percy hoped she would return quickly. He didn't want Ginny to fly the real broom; she was too young. He hadn't liked it when Ron had his solo flight either. He couldn't believe that Charlie caved, either. Charlie was risking a lot by letting Ginny fly. But that was what was going to happen. His brothers were going to let her. A real broom, not just the toy one.
"Charlie, I don't think this is a good idea," Percy stated once more. "Didn't Mum say that if things went well with you in charge that you would no longer be grounded? Why are you willing to risk your freedom for this?"
"Look, it's only for a little while. We'll make sure she doesn't get hurt. She could ride with me. Isn't that right, Gin-Gin?"
"No, I want to ride by myself. I told you that I am old enough now. I am six!" She stomped her foot to emphasize the point.
Charlie grabbed Ginny by the waist and settled her on the old broom. "Fine, Ginny. Just a quick solo fly. I'll be on my broom, and you stay low to the ground on this one."
Percy just gaped at what was happening. His brothers had gone barmy. Why wouldn't anyone listen to him?
"I can't believe you're risking it, Charlie!" He took a deep breath. "You know what? I'm not going to stay out here and watch this."
He stormed his way into the house, banging the back door for good measure. If Ginny was going to get hurt, he didn't want a part of it. He would make sure that he told Mum as soon as she got home that he tried to stop them, and he would hope to Merlin that Ginny wouldn't be seriously injured.
Fred ran after Percy, threw the door back open and yelled,"Oh, yeah, well you aren't in charge today. Charlie is! So stop your whinging!"
"Fine! Then you let Ginny get hurt. See if I care! She is too young to ride that broom and you know it. The age on that is clearly marked 'For age 8 & up.' She just turned six years old. Not to mention, Mum said – "
"But Mum's not here. She left Charlie in charge, so we don't have to listen to you, you know." Fred paused, a taunting grin spreading across his face. "Is that what's bothering you? That you're not in charge?"
Fred stared at Percy's shocked face. "It is, isn't it? You're jealous!"
"I am not jealous! I just think that you are wrong for breaking the rules!" he huffed.
"Rules were meant to be broken."
Ugh! Fine, he would have to resort to using his nickname. "What are you on about? Where's the logic for that one, Freddie?"
"Don't call me Freddie! I -"
"You can't honestly believe that. Or are you that daft?"
"I do believe it! In fact, everyone agrees with me. Our entire family does. So, you must be the daft one. Not to mention you're the only one in our family who has a broomstick up their arse!"
Percy gasped. "One day, I'll be in charge and you will have to listen to me. You won't have any choice!"
"Yeah, well, that day isn't today!"
"Unfortunately, it's not. But either way, it doesn't matter to me what you think. This is against the rules." Percy turned on his heel and started marching upstairs. He was anxious to get away from this silly argument with his stupid brother.
When he was halfway to his room, he heard Fred say, "No, what matters is that Charlie will watch her. We all will. After all, brothers are supposed to stick together. I guess that means you're not our brother since you won't be there."
Damn, Fred always had to have the last word.
()()()()
Okay, enough thinking like that. Good words, good thoughts, happy thoughts, I will think only good thoughts. He repeated his new mantra under his breath. I need to distract myself. He decided that he was hungry enough for some toast and jam. That might distract him. He walked down the steps. Looks like I wasn't the only one who isn't too hungry this morning. Ginny was sitting at the table with the same breakfast he was going to have. She silently got up, poured two cups of tea and brought one to him.
"Thank you, Ginny. You didn't have to." Percy sent a small smile her way.
"I know." She returned the look back at him and lifted her tea to her mouth.
"Where's Mum & Dad?"
"Still getting ready, I assume. I believe everyone else is too."
Percy nodded. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Apparently, neither could Ginny as they had the rest of their breakfast in silence. When Percy finished, he washed his cup and plate and put them back in the cupboard. Ginny had already gone back to her room to finish getting ready. Percy decided that he would wait outside on the porch. He pulled on his coat and walked outside.
The porch was normally surrounded by colors. His mum's landscaping was always so well done. There were all sorts of flowers and plants, all in shades of yellow, of course, as well as purple and pink. His mum had them all arranged just so, but this year, there weren't any flowers. No yellow. No purple. No pink.
()()()()
Pink! His entire room was pink. His bedspread, his curtains, his carpet, his clothes, all pink! What did they do? he wondered. Bubblegum, hot, fuchsia, pastel and baby pink! It was slightly disconcerting that he knew so many names of the shades of pink. Apparently, his girlfriend Penelope had really influenced him (pink was her favorite color).
With each step he took further into the room, it kicked up a little cloud of light pink dust. He looked around at the other beds in the dorm. They were unharmed. Only his possessions and his space looked like it belonged to a five year old little girl.
He picked up one of his textbooks. Even the pages of his books were pink. They weren't even spared. Ugh! The only non-pink item was his uniform, the one that he was currently wearing. He wouldn't even be able to go to class with his pink textbooks.
How did he do it? This was Fred's work, he just knew it! Of course, George would have helped, but he hadn't done anything to George recently. He knew that this was retaliation because he told Mum and Dad about Fred's latest detention. He just knew it!
However, he didn't feel bad for telling Mum and Dad. It was his obligation to tell them. What Fred did was against the rules. And Percy was a prefect who wanted to stay a prefect. He had to report him. Not that he liked being involved in giving detentions to Fred or George; he always knew there would be payback. However, Fred had hexed that Slytherin right in front of him. It was Percy's duty to be fair. His hands were tied.
Right before he got on the Hogwarts' Express this year, his Mum had made him promise to continue his reports home. To let her know if any of her children did something that Percy thought she'd want to know about. He was simply obeying.
He took a deep breath. First things first, he thought. He had to figure out a way to reverse the charm. He didn't earn 12 O.W.L's for nothing. He could reverse the damage. He flicked his wand. Nothing changed. Everything stayed pink. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. It was Fred, after all. Another deep breath. He knew the spell to change colors. What was the reverse? he pondered. He hadn't bothered much with this spell since he was a second year. Flipping through some of his old notes, he found the reverse easily enough.
He waved the wand. Again nothing. Wow, I forgot how good he is at Charms! Percy thought. That is fine, I have a couple more to try. Finally, after attempting several variations of the color reversal charm and combining it with reverse permanence charms, everything was back to normal. He was moderately impressed by Fred's charms skills. It took 30 minutes to change everything back. However, it didn't take away all the irritation.
So, how to retaliate? Obviously, he wasn't going to seek retribution immediately. He would let Fred think that he won this round. He would wait until the Christmas hols. It would be more fun to get them in trouble with Mum and Dad. Fred and George obviously didn't care what their professors thought about them. But they might care about Mum and Dad's opinion, or, at the very least, they might care more about their punishment.
()()()()
Charlie stuck his head out the front porch door.
"Hey Perce, I was sent to find you. Everyone is waiting. You ready?"
No, I'm not, he thought, but he nodded anyway. "Where's the portkey?"
"It's out back. Come on."
Percy thought the portkey was a great idea. He had agreed to it immediately. They would all arrive on time, and due to the intense emotion they would all be feeling, there would be no need to worry about splinching accidents if they Apparated. It was all very logical.
As Percy followed Charlie back inside, weaving through the rooms to get to the back door, he realized just how tired he was of ending up on the opposite side of the rest of his family.
()()()()
It came today, his Christmas present. He didn't know if he'd receive anything from his family this year. There was a small part of him that thought he would, but the majority was doubtful. This was probably his mum's doing anyway. He wondered if his dad knew that she had sent him a present this year. He didn't think that his dad would be happy with that knowledge. However, he had the present in his London flat now. There was nothing his dad could do about it.
Actually, he wondered what he should do with it. His first instinct was to open it. But really, there was no need for that. He knew what it was. Every year, his mum would give each family member a hand-knit sweater with their initial on it. The only variation was in the color his mum would select. He wondered what color she chose for him this year. He tugged on the gold bow that secured the festive red wrapping paper around his present. Then he stopped.
If he kept the present, wouldn't that send the wrong message to his parents? Would they think that he was going to change his mind? He was still angry with them. They should be proud of him. He was working at the Ministry. He was in a good position too. He wasn't just some flunkie. He was Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic. Yes, there had been some bumps along the way in his career path, but he earned this position. He didn't understand his dad at all.
He hated that he had such a big row with his father. Why couldn't his parents see sense about Dumbledore? Furthermore, why wasn't his dad supporting the Ministry more? That is where he was employed, after all. No, Percy would stick to his decision. He didn't want to give in.
But thinking of his mum's homemade treats, the warm scents of the Burrow at Christmas, the laughter, the acceptance, he missed it. It was fine if he felt like somewhat of an outsider to the rest of his family. He didn't have quite the same mindset as they did. He valued different things. It was fine that they didn't see eye to eye with Minister Fudge. He could accept it. He missed them. But he was still angry with his dad.
He would have to send his present back. His mum would be so mad if he sent it back, well actually, she would be hurt, but he had no choice. He still felt the same way. He wanted the best for his family, but he still felt his father was wrong.
A day later, a seemingly normal Howler arrived addressed to "The World's Biggest Prat, otherwise known as Percy Weasley." It opened its mouth and out came Fred and George's voices. Alternating, they let loose a full diatribe describing all of Percy's flaws, followed up by litany of foul names. Finally, it stopped. Percy anxiously watched for it to tear itself up into little pieces, but that wasn't what happened. It apparently had been modified by Fred and George.
The envelope began to move, folding in upon itself. It then burst into a small grey-green dragon made of firework flames and lunged at Percy. It aimed for Percy's left hand, then swooped over to his right arm as he tried to bat it away. It made one final attempt straight at Percy's face, causing him to jump backwards. It had really only come close to him, but never actually touched him. It was clearly just a scare tactic. After the dragon faded, little fireworks lit up the room stating: Words by Fred & George Weasley, Special Effect Dragon that I hoped singed your clothing by Fred Weasley.
Although he was hurt at the content of the Howler, he had to admit that their modifications were rather creative, especially that grey-green dragon. Not surprisingly, even in Howler form, Fred had managed to have the last word.
()()()()
It was grey green at the site. The overcast grey sky had hidden the day's sunlight. The normally bright green grass was dulled by this lack. There were rows of black chairs underneath the steel grey canopy. They were lucky that the rain had finally tapered off into a light mist. This grey green of the landscape was so perfect, so fitting for this part of today. It would help this soon-to-be memory blend into the grey green of the day he had died. Maybe if the memories just blended together, he could let it fade easier.
He knew that wouldn't happen though. He wouldn't ever forget this day.
There were so many people present. There were members of the Order of the Phoenix, members of Dumbledore's Army, and miscellaneous students and faculty of Hogwarts. There were more people than he expected. His brother would've been pleased.
Everyone was starting to settle into the seats. His family alone took up the front rows. He settled into a seat at the end of second row. Kingsley had stepped up to the podium; he was going to be the first one to speak.
Percy knew that he was going to have a difficult time paying attention. His mum was already softly crying. Actually, a lot of people were. He wondered what everyone was thinking. They probably think that I should have been the one killed, he thought.
Instead, today was the day they were going to bury his brother, Fred.
()()()()
He was thinking about how he was so happy that Aberforth Dumbledore managed to contact him. It had been a struggle to get to Hogwarts. He was hoping that he made it in time. And he had.
He hadn't expected to run into his family immediately, but it was such good timing. He had stumbled through his apology. Fred had called him a "Ministry-loving, family disowning, power-hungry moron." Fred was right. He had been all of those things. He regretted that he hadn't been there fighting along side his family as part of the Order of the Phoenix.
But once he had made the decision, he had found it difficult to change. There were so many people watching his, and everyone else's, every move each day. He didn't want to put his family in more danger or draw any more attention to them. So, his hands were tied. He had finally managed to get in touch with Aberforth, somehow got here in time and somehow managed to be accepted (or at least temporarily forgiven) by his family. He was so grateful for their forgiveness. It was only moments ago that he felt so lucky.
And now, as he was lying on Fred's dead body, he couldn't feel more unlucky. The crumbling wall, the groaning of the building as it was blasted with curses, the shouts of the opposing sides, the spells zooming by him, it was all happening so fast. And now this? He couldn't let Fred go. It was his fault. Why did he make a joke? It wasn't something he normally did. Joking was what other people did, not him. He was serious. If he had just stayed in his normal mode of conduct, he wouldn't have distracted Fred.
He was sure that it was the distraction that did it. Or maybe if he hadn't come back to fight, maybe Fred would have been standing somewhere else and wouldn't have been hit. Maybe he should have moved or changed positions or anything!
Regardless of the why, the important thing right now was that he wouldn't let anything else happen to Fred. He would protect Fred's body with his own. He had been separated from his family for so long. He didn't have time to truly make amends. But he could do this much at least.
Suddenly, Harry Potter was lifting Fred's body. It took a moment, but he realized that Harry wanted to move Fred's body to safer place, a bit out of sight. Fred would be more protected there. This was a good idea. So, he helped move Fred.
With rage and the desire for vengeance overtaking the grief for the moment, it propelled him to his feet. He took off down the corridor after Rookwood. He would channel this anger towards the other Death Eaters. He would make sure that Fred didn't die in vain. He would fight.
()()()()
It was over. Fred was buried.
Percy hadn't been able to stay focused on what was happening, who was speaking, or what anecdotes were told about Fred, but he noticed that everyone was filing away now. They were getting up and mingling under the tent, giving their condolences to his family. Most of the attendees would be heading back towards the Burrow in moment to eat.
However, George was still sitting in the front row. Percy made his way over to him.
Words began tumbling from Percy's mouth. "I think it should have been me in there. I know that you probably think so too. I had already missed so much of everything. I had been away for so long. I am sure that everyone had almost forgotten about me. It would have been easier on everyone. And I was standing right by Fred. It should've been me. I am sorry that it isn't. I-"
George gripped Percy's arm. "Stop, just stop, Percy. I am still angry at you for leaving us. I don't even know if I've forgiven you entirely because I really don't understand why you didn't support us, your family. But, ultimately, you came through in the end. So, just stop it."
"Do you wish it was me?" He was compelled to ask.
George took a deep breath and looked towards Fred's gravesite. He sighed.
"Sometimes. But mostly, I wish that it wasn't at all. I wish that he didn't die. I wish that we had been standing somewhere else. I wish . . . you know that I was standing by him too. It should've been me. I feel guilty for it too."
They sat in silence for a moment more. Percy glanced around the tent. His family was congregated in the back. It looked like they were waiting for them.
"It looks like they're ready to go. We should probably head over to them." Percy stood.
"Yeah, let's go." George stood beside him.
As they walked back towards their family, George looked at Percy. "I don't know what is going to happen now either, but you know that brothers are supposed to stick together. And we will."
And they would.
a/n: This was written for the Sibling Rivalry Competition Round Two hosted by My Dear Professor McGonagall. My pairing was Percy/Fred, obviously. Many thanks go to my super-fabulous beta, keeptheotherone! Thanks also go to prophesyinglass for acting as an excellent sounding board! I couldn't have done it with you both cheering me on.
Credit goes to J K Rowling for her fantastic work, and the descriptive phrase Fred used, calling Percy a "Ministry-loving, family disowning, power-hungry moron." The quote is taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, page 487, Bloomsbury edition, adult version.