It takes place just outside the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes store, and George and Lee are standing in the doorway. Ron and Percy don't know what to do. They are hanging back; they are hovering near. They are, in truth, trying to do both and, as a result, failing at both.

It's the first time George is back at his store since the war. It's the first time any of them are, and Percy has his hands in his pockets and looks awkwardly.

It's the first time Percy visits the store, Ron realises. It sometimes hits him, the memory that Percy has missed so much of their family. He knows Ginny doesn't forgive him; he knows George does. He doesn't know what he thinks. He rarely does, anymore.

"It's a lot bigger than I thought it'd be," says Percy. "Very big."

Ron nods and stares with some anticipation up at the building. It doesn't look like it's been ransacked or booby trapped or destroyed. He hopes it hasn't been. George says something to Lee, so quietly that Ron misses it. It's a quiet moment. Someone is watching them from a doorway. She must know. About Fred.

George opens the door quickly, like he's ripping a plaster off. Lee puts a hand on his shoulder. It's tentative. Everything they do is tentative these days.

George and Lee end up in the stockroom going through the stuff they still have, and Ron and Percy remain in the main shop. Ron moves a pile of Skiving Snackboxes off a table and sits down. Percy remains standing, awkwardly tall and unsure in the middle of the room.

"It's really impressive," says Percy. "They started this all themselves?"

"Harry helped," says Ron. "He gave them his Triwizard winnings."

"Oh," says Percy. "Right- I wondered. He told us he didn't want them. I think he tried to give them to the Diggorys."

"Yeah."

There's a moment of silence. Ron tries to hear if there's anything going on in the stockroom, but it's silent there, too. Ron shifts uncomfortably on the table.

It's not that he doesn't trust Percy. He does. Well, sort of. But he'd never been as angry at Percy as the twins or Ginny or his dad. He wants to forgive Percy, and he thinks he can, but he thinks that's separate from trusting him.

"Really neat place," says Percy. He's reading the back of a potions bottle. "Blimey, this thing is genius."

"Yeah," says Ron, and clears his throat. "Honestly, this whole store is full of genius, I can't work how they only scored three OWLs each."

"What was it, Charms, Defense, and-"

"Transfiguration, I think," says Ron, and Percy shakes his head.

"Guess they didn't need them, though," he says. "Blimey."

Ron nods and glances to the side. There's the table where the Pygmy Puffs used to be. Ginny still has them at home. George hasn't been home in a month, though. He crashed in at Bill's and stayed there.

Ron understands.

"I'm really sorry," blurts Percy, and Ron turns back in surprise. "For- for leaving and-"

"Yeah, I know," says Ron without thinking. "I know."

There's a moment where they both seem to overanalyze what had just happened, and Percy adds, "I know it was inexcusable. I'm not going to try and-"

"Give yourself a little credit, Perce," says Ron. "You did what you thought was right. Even if it was, you know."

"Horribly wrong? Detestable?" Percy says it without looking at Ron. Ron glances away from him.

"Yeah."

"I know," says Percy, and there's another moment of silence. "It should have been-"

"Percy," says Ron, before he finishes it. "Just don't."

Percy nods, staring at the stack of Skiving Snackboxes that Ron had moved off the table. "Did they really make things for cutting class? That can't be legal."

"It's legal," Ron says, and smiles, a little. "They're just banned at Hogwarts."

"If I know anything about Hogwarts," starts Percy, and Ron laughs, a little.

"Yeah, the ban isn't doing much, far's I heard."

"Yeah."

"It's probably what he'd have wanted."

Percy smiles, a little.

They sit for a moment, before Ron says, perhaps unwisely, "You know you're going to be okay, right? Ginny will come around."

"Maybe," says Percy, but it's doubtful.

"She will," says Ron. "I swear."

Percy shrugs, looking down and away. "I wouldn't."

"Honest, Percy," says Ron. "We've all fucked up now and then."

Percy glances up at him sharply at the swear word. Ron almost takes it back. Hard to remember they aren't Hogwarts anymore; hard to remember Percy isn't Prefect. One of the few things he has gotten out of Ginny is that they'd given the Gryffindor Prefect badges (and one from Ravenclaw) to Slytherins. Even Ron could have done better than Crabbe; it's a bit insulting.

"None of you guys ever ran out on the family for two years to kiss arse at the Ministry," says Percy.

"Maybe," says Ron, then looks down again. "I ran out on Harry and Hermione, though."

"You what?" says Percy.

"I left them. 'Round November, for about a month. I came back."

Percy nods slowly. Ron sighs.

"Just… don't tell anyone, will you?"

"I'm not going to tell," says Percy.

There's another moment. Ron thinks that they both see each other in a different light. A more understanding one. A sadder one.

"It doesn't really," says Percy, then pauses. "We came back."

"We did," says Ron.

There's a long moment, then there's a small laugh. From the storeroom, not from them, and Ron realized he hasn't heard George laugh since the Battle.

"We're gonna be fine, you know," says Percy, and it's more of a question than a statement.

"Yeah," says Ron.