A/N: Many thanks to my beta, Elwen. =D
Chapter Four
Ron and Charlie were playing wizard's chess when noon came and Percy arrived. There was still half an hour to lunch, but Percy had come over early with the purpose to visit with his family, and to show his younger siblings that he intended on sticking around.
The welcome he received was neither as surprised nor as awkward as the one he had gotten the day before. His parents were bright and cheery, Bill immediately engaged him in a conversation about an upcoming international Quidditch game, and Charlie called out a warm greeting from across the room.
No one else really said anything to him, except for an occasional comment from Tonks or Lupin, or someone else from the Order whom he didn't know. He had come prepared to be ignored by his younger siblings, and since he knew he deserved it, he was able to take it.
"Are you going to stay with the Ministry?" Bill asked him when they'd worn out the subject of Quidditch. Percy looked at him, slightly surprised by the question. "It's only a question, Perce," the older brother laughed.
"Oh… Yes, I think I will stay with the Ministry, but I think I'll switch departments. I'm not quite sure what will happen exactly."
Here Percy's eyes met with Ron's but only for a quick second; the younger feigned disinterest and turned back to his chess game.
Percy thought. They have never understood why I am so ambitious. None of them. The most likely to understand are Fred and George.
That in itself was ironic because the twins and Percy had never seen eye to eye on anything. Not even once. There had always been a wall between them, since they were very young. They were of the same family, but just too different for things to be any other way.
Lunch was a silent affair. Neither Ron nor Percy had much to say to anyone, and Ginny kept a rather dark look on her face that stopped everyone from speaking to her. The twins kept joking back and forth to each other, and for once Molly was grateful for it because it kept the mood at the table lighter. Nothing would be accomplished if everyone was brooding.
Arthur asked Percy to stay for a while after lunch was over, and to everyone's surprise Percy agreed. He did not want anyone to think he was only coming for meals.
When his plate was clear, Ron quietly went up to his room, and he was not surprised that Hermione followed him. As she walked in he noticed the determination on her face so he just let her talk.
"Ron, you can be such a git sometimes," she told him, ignoring the surprised expression on his face at her words. "I completely understand why you're so angry, and you have every right to be, but you wont even let him try to make up for it. Ron, he's your brother! He may not be the only one you'll ever have, but he's the only one like him you'll ever have."
"Thank God for that!" Ron yelled, rising to his feet and stepping closer to his friend. "Why should it be so easy for him? Why does he get to come back to this family so quickly after everything he did? He didn't even show up when my dad was in the hospital! Did he care? I don't have to forgive him—he doesn't deserve it."
"No, he doesn't. But Ron, that's what forgiveness is! It's not earned, it's given. He's your brother, and in spite of everything I know you love him and I know that he loves you. You know he is sorry."
"That is not bloody good enough! Sorry doesn't even begin to make up for it. And how do I know that he won't do it again next time around?"
"You don't," she replied after a pause. She opened her mouth to say more but Ron cut her off.
"Last night you were in complete agreement with me, but now you're telling me that I should give him a chance. So what changed?" Ron waited for an answer, but Hermione didn't reply quickly enough. "Never mind, just forget it. It doesn't matter anyway."
Hermione glared at the red-head before leaving without a word.
***
Percy was still at the house, talking to Charlie, when Ron came downstairs nearly an hour later. Ginny looked surprised to see him; he just gave her a weak, none-too-reassuring smile before asking Percy to speak with him in private.
The older brother agreed, unsure of whether this was a good thing or not. They headed to an empty room on the first floor, everyone staring after them anxiously.
"To be a fly on the wall for that conversation," Tonks said aloud to everyone.
"Time to break out some old tricks," George said to Fred, who nodded in understanding. They disappeared upstairs for a few moments and returned with their Extendable Ears.
"I do not want to know where or when you got those, but put them back now!" Molly yelled, her face going red with anger.
"It's for Percy's own good, Mum," Fred told her innocently. "We need to make sure that Ron isn't about to kill him."
"Besides, this is the only way we'll get to know what was said," George reasoned. "And we know you want to know."
No one could argue with this, not even Molly, and quietly everyone hovered around the door the two brothers had gone into.
*****
Percy waited for a few tense moments for Ron to say something, and he grew more nervous the more that time went by.
Finally Ron gathered his thoughts. "Our parents have made it perfectly clear that you are still a part of this family, but I want to know by what rights you deserve to be."
The older Weasley made no reply to this; rather he did not know what to say. He knew he didn't deserve it, and anyway saying he did for whatever reason might further anger his youngest brother.
"I don't," Percy stated carefully. "But I was sincere in my apologies, Ron. Mum and Dad forgave me but I didn't ask them to. I didn't expect them to."
"So you think then everything is back to normal? Do you have any idea what Mum and Dad went through because of you?"
"Yes, I have an idea. And anyway, this isn't about them. They've forgiven me and that's water under the bridge. This is about you and me."
"All right. Why should I bloody forgive you? Harry is my best friend, and you bloody well know the things I have seen and been through with him! You were bloody there my first year at Hogwarts, when He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named almost got the Sorcerer's Stone! Or was I a liar, too? And Hermione? Did nothing that I had seen, or that Ginny had seen, cross your mind at all? Was the Chamber of Secrets another fabrication? Did you really think Harry would kill Cedric? You're a bloody moron for ever believing the bloody Minister."
This was followed with complete silence. Percy knew his brother was right about everything, but he was still left with a need to defend himself.
"You have never understood me, Ron. You're right about everything you just said, of course, but… You just don't understand where I was coming from! My whole life, all I've ever been was just a Weasley. Bill and Charlie's younger brother, Fred and George's too-serious older brother. I never had close friendships like you have with Harry and Hermione. All I ever had was Penelope, and that didn't last. I was so afraid that all I would ever be was one of those Weasley children."
"What's wrong with being a Weasley?" Ron seethed.
"Nothing! But you don't get it! I was afraid of being nothing more! You know how some wizarding families look down on us just because of our name, and you know the financial problems we've had for years. I wanted to get past that. I wanted to be recognized as more than that."
He didn't realize it, but Percy had just struck a chord in his youngest brother. Percy's insecurities and fears echoed the ones Ron always struggled with. Ron had always felt so overshadowed by all of his older brothers, Percy included. He was afraid of only being the youngest of the Weasley boys, merely Harry Potter's best friend. He wanted to be more than that, too.
When Ron didn't speak, Percy lifted his gaze and was shocked to see the younger Weasley looking so thunderstruck. "What?" Percy asked. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No," Ron replied. "Percy, I do understand all of that. But wasn't there a way for you to get what you wanted without hurting all of us like that?"
Percy sighed. "There was, I'm sure. I am sorry I allowed my ambitions to blind me, and I am dreadfully sorry about that letter."
Ron only nodded, not exactly accepting his brother's apology nor forgiving him just yet, but as they left the room, a new feeling of understanding rose between them, as did the feeling that they'd been spied on.
TBC
