Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, nor do I make any profits
from this.
Many thanks to Elwen, my beta reader! =D
Chapter One
Percy Weasley had just apparated to the front door of the Burrow, the home of his large family, only to discover it empty as he walked inside. Calling out for his parents, and then his siblings, he was met with a stunning, heartbreaking silence.
Of course they had moved. Percy mentally kicked himself. They would not stay somewhere where they were vulnerable to the Dark Lord; most of the family was in the Order of the Phoenix.
He had been wrong. Lord Voldemort had come back, Harry Potter had been telling the truth, and Percy's entire family had been on the right side. And he, Percy, had left them all in favor of the Ministry of Magic, who had turned out to be in the wrong.
Percy still remembered how his heart had jumped to his throat when Cornelius Fudge had told him the truth. The third Weasley son had taken sides with a liar and a coward against his entire family. As Percy stepped out of the house and into the rain, it felt as though his heart was still in his throat.
Soon his soaked robes were as heavy as his heart as Percy walked down the long road, knowing he could have just apparated back to the Ministry to wait until morning for his father to come to work. But he had not wanted to speak with Arthur Weasley at the office-he wanted to apologize at home, and to the entire family.
He did not expect forgiveness. No, Percy was aware of how much grief and anger he had caused his family, especially his parents. But he knew he owed to them to apologize, and he figured he could at least hope to be forgiven. Then he could hope that there was still a place for him somewhere in this cruel world, that his family still loved him unconditionally.
Through the sounds of the harsh winds and the rain, a small voice calling his name barely reached his ears. Thinking he imagined it, Percy ignored it and walked on.
"Percy!"
The shrill voice rang through the air, halting Percy in his tracks. Slowly he turned back to the abandoned house. Squinting through the storm, Percy could barely make out a redheaded figure, shorter but more muscular than himself, running towards him, holding an umbrella over his head.
"Charlie?" the younger Weasley called back, recognizing his older brother at once. He walked towards Charlie slowly until they met up with each other.
"What are you doing here?" he asked the older Weasley as Charlie pulled Percy underneath the umbrella.
"I took a personal leave from work to come out here and be with the family." There was a pause. "Professor Dumbledore thought you might be here. Mum and Dad have been hoping you would have tried to make contact with them earlier. Here."
Charlie handed Percy an envelope, which Percy opened to find an invitation from Dumbledore.
"An invitation to.. Grimmauld Place?"
Charlie gave a nod of his head. "Come on."
*******
"This is the Black family house," Percy stated with awe as he and his brother appeared in front of the house.
Charlie nodded. "We'll be changing headquarters as soon as we can find another place. It's weird here now that." Charlie's voice trailed off but Percy knew what he was about to say.
The younger redhead took a deep breath and followed his brother into the dining room, where their parents sat at a table in deep discussion. When they saw Percy, both stopped talking, their eyes wide and cautious as they stared at him.
"Er.um, hi, Mom, Dad," Percy began nervously. "Listen, er. I am sorry I didn't listen to you about Fudge, and about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You were right." Percy hesitated, as his next words did not come easy for him. "I was wrong."
Molly's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her son's apology. She offered him a smile before turning to Arthur.
Percy looked to him as well. "Dad. I am so sorry I didn't come visit when you were in the hospital. I should have. I wanted to. I was a complete git, as Ron would say. I really should have come."
The smile Percy got in return was weak but sincere. Arthur slowly made his way over to his third son and, placing one hand on his shoulder, shook his hand.
"Nice to have you back," he said. Percy nodded slowly, hope shining in his eyes for the first time in what felt like forever.
With a cry of joy, Molly sprung from her seat and threw her arms around Percy so tightly he could barely breathe.
"Welcome back to the family," she sobbed. Percy shifted uncomfortably but returned the embrace. He never had dealt well with his mother when she was like this.
When Molly finally let him go, still sniffling, Percy felt Charlie's hand to his shoulder and he turned to his older brother with a smile.
"Since Dumbledore invited you to stay here do you think you will? It's only temporary anyway, until we find a new place," Molly offered hopefully.
"Uh." Percy cast an awkward glance at his parents. Things were still awkward with his father, he knew, and Percy still had to face his other siblings. Some of them, Percy realized, would be much less forgiving than his parents and Charlie had been.
"Let's just settle for dinner for tonight," Percy replied, catching the disappointed look on Molly's face and feeling like a jerk for it. With a frown Percy wondered if the repercussions of his mistakes were far from over.
TBC
Many thanks to Elwen, my beta reader! =D
Chapter One
Percy Weasley had just apparated to the front door of the Burrow, the home of his large family, only to discover it empty as he walked inside. Calling out for his parents, and then his siblings, he was met with a stunning, heartbreaking silence.
Of course they had moved. Percy mentally kicked himself. They would not stay somewhere where they were vulnerable to the Dark Lord; most of the family was in the Order of the Phoenix.
He had been wrong. Lord Voldemort had come back, Harry Potter had been telling the truth, and Percy's entire family had been on the right side. And he, Percy, had left them all in favor of the Ministry of Magic, who had turned out to be in the wrong.
Percy still remembered how his heart had jumped to his throat when Cornelius Fudge had told him the truth. The third Weasley son had taken sides with a liar and a coward against his entire family. As Percy stepped out of the house and into the rain, it felt as though his heart was still in his throat.
Soon his soaked robes were as heavy as his heart as Percy walked down the long road, knowing he could have just apparated back to the Ministry to wait until morning for his father to come to work. But he had not wanted to speak with Arthur Weasley at the office-he wanted to apologize at home, and to the entire family.
He did not expect forgiveness. No, Percy was aware of how much grief and anger he had caused his family, especially his parents. But he knew he owed to them to apologize, and he figured he could at least hope to be forgiven. Then he could hope that there was still a place for him somewhere in this cruel world, that his family still loved him unconditionally.
Through the sounds of the harsh winds and the rain, a small voice calling his name barely reached his ears. Thinking he imagined it, Percy ignored it and walked on.
"Percy!"
The shrill voice rang through the air, halting Percy in his tracks. Slowly he turned back to the abandoned house. Squinting through the storm, Percy could barely make out a redheaded figure, shorter but more muscular than himself, running towards him, holding an umbrella over his head.
"Charlie?" the younger Weasley called back, recognizing his older brother at once. He walked towards Charlie slowly until they met up with each other.
"What are you doing here?" he asked the older Weasley as Charlie pulled Percy underneath the umbrella.
"I took a personal leave from work to come out here and be with the family." There was a pause. "Professor Dumbledore thought you might be here. Mum and Dad have been hoping you would have tried to make contact with them earlier. Here."
Charlie handed Percy an envelope, which Percy opened to find an invitation from Dumbledore.
"An invitation to.. Grimmauld Place?"
Charlie gave a nod of his head. "Come on."
*******
"This is the Black family house," Percy stated with awe as he and his brother appeared in front of the house.
Charlie nodded. "We'll be changing headquarters as soon as we can find another place. It's weird here now that." Charlie's voice trailed off but Percy knew what he was about to say.
The younger redhead took a deep breath and followed his brother into the dining room, where their parents sat at a table in deep discussion. When they saw Percy, both stopped talking, their eyes wide and cautious as they stared at him.
"Er.um, hi, Mom, Dad," Percy began nervously. "Listen, er. I am sorry I didn't listen to you about Fudge, and about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You were right." Percy hesitated, as his next words did not come easy for him. "I was wrong."
Molly's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her son's apology. She offered him a smile before turning to Arthur.
Percy looked to him as well. "Dad. I am so sorry I didn't come visit when you were in the hospital. I should have. I wanted to. I was a complete git, as Ron would say. I really should have come."
The smile Percy got in return was weak but sincere. Arthur slowly made his way over to his third son and, placing one hand on his shoulder, shook his hand.
"Nice to have you back," he said. Percy nodded slowly, hope shining in his eyes for the first time in what felt like forever.
With a cry of joy, Molly sprung from her seat and threw her arms around Percy so tightly he could barely breathe.
"Welcome back to the family," she sobbed. Percy shifted uncomfortably but returned the embrace. He never had dealt well with his mother when she was like this.
When Molly finally let him go, still sniffling, Percy felt Charlie's hand to his shoulder and he turned to his older brother with a smile.
"Since Dumbledore invited you to stay here do you think you will? It's only temporary anyway, until we find a new place," Molly offered hopefully.
"Uh." Percy cast an awkward glance at his parents. Things were still awkward with his father, he knew, and Percy still had to face his other siblings. Some of them, Percy realized, would be much less forgiving than his parents and Charlie had been.
"Let's just settle for dinner for tonight," Percy replied, catching the disappointed look on Molly's face and feeling like a jerk for it. With a frown Percy wondered if the repercussions of his mistakes were far from over.
TBC