A/N: Hey guys, I will be finishing this story before I continue the other stories that I have since I'm on a streak with this one. Tell me what you think of the chapter.

Please R&R

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February 1998

Percy strode over to Thickenesse's office. He wasn't much in the mood to talk with the Minister lately, now that everything was compromised. All the things he used to believe in, he used to trust. Everything was falling apart and nothing was going in the direction that he had hoped. No, this wasn't what Percy dreamed off when he first joined the Ministry, when he first thought that he could make the difference that the rest of his family couldn't. Part of Percy wanted to keep on fighting, that there was something behind the Ministry's predicament; but the other part told him wanted to throw away the paper reports that he had been doing and go home.

I've seen pain on broken faces

No, he would never forget the day he went home and had a row with his father. He would never forget the way he treated the man, the man who many years did all his best to raise a family of seven children. Percy, he rarely did shoe appreciation and he knew it. He wanted to, but many things prevented him. Mostly, it was his pride. Every time he wanted to, the twins would probably tease him. He did not want to be the center of their jokes so he stashed away the feeling he had for the family. Besides, he thought that they never fully appreciated him anyway. But Percy knew he was wrong. Why else would he be the only one his parents buy an owl?

He could never forget the picture of his father's face, as he called the man an idiot. Of course not. He was no idiot and Percy knew that. The man was as smart and brave as he could be. Percy looked up to his father, even then, for always being true to his ideals and his beliefs. He thought that if his father saw the way he would do the same that Arthur would be proud of him too. But no, he just got angrier and angrier until Percy thought that his father was simply belittling him. It was his mistake for letting the news be an abrupt insolence to his parents. Although it was hard, it seemed even harder for him to take it back.

"Say sorry!" said Molly Weasley firmly, gripping Percy's hand tightly. The young boy had just insulted his older brother Charlie and yet he could not apologize. Molly's grip tightened. "Percy, you were wrong to say those things to your brother. Come on now, say sorry." Still, Percy was unmoved by his mother's rage, as if it was nothing at all. Molly's eyes narrowed as she looked at her son whose lips were pursed as if he were about to cry and yet he wouldn't. "Percy!" Molly said exasperatedly.

Charlie fist tightened. "He wouldn't even apologize, Mum!" he said hotly. He was very enraged with his brother. No one has ever thought Percy was capable of such name-calling. It was overboard and both Charlie and Molly knew it. Charlie looked at Percy then at their mother. "It's no use, Mum," he mumbled and turned to walk away. "He'll never say sorry for anything he's done."

Percy reached his boss's office. He held onto the doorknob, but did not turn to open it just yet. He was only eight then, when he was asked over and over to say sorry. He wanted to. He knew how much he hurt Charlie, saying those what he said, but he just couldn't find the right words to explain himself. Percy wanted to find the right words at the right time. He never found them, since Charlie walked away before Percy could even say it. He knew how disappointed his mother was with him. She refused to converse with him the whole week, so did his other brothers when they found out what just happened. Maybe it was the start of his difficulty to apologize…for being right.

"Weasley, come in," came Thicknesse's voice from the other end of the door. Percy pushed open the door and stood before the Minister. This wasn't something he wanted to do, be the puppet of evil, but he knew he was caught in the middle of it. Percy had thought long and hard to resign, but he was also afraid of what was to come next if he did. Thicknesse motioned for Percy to sit down. "How about all those reports I've asked you?" he said, holding his hand out to Percy.

Percy leaned forward and handed the Minister a the papers in his hands. "Here you are, sir," he said in the steadiest of tones. His mind has been grappling about this job for ages, but he cannot let anyone know that. Percy was capable of acting too. He might have picked it up from Fred and George every time they acted like angels they really aren't. "It's way far off sir, just as you expected." Percy forced himself to smile. "I still cannot believe that this would happen, not that I doubted you."

Beyond all thought of hope

"Charlie! Charlie!" Percy knocked loudly on Charlie's door, but his older brother refused to answer it. Percy didn't really blame him, but he wanted Charlie to know his reasons. Percy persisted for the next couple of minutes, but he tired out soon enough when his brother still refused to talk to him. "Charlie, it's been a week since you haven't talked to me. Come on, Charlie. Please!" His squeaky eight-year-old annoying voice did not help, but Percy did not care.

Bill passed by. He caught Percy practically bringing Charlie's door down. "He won't talk to you," Bill's voice said coldly. Percy's frowned even more. Bill looked at the door then back to Percy. "I wouldn't too, the way you accused Charlie so much. You're little, yes, but Mum and Dad has taught you how to respect people older that you, didn't they?"

Percy looked at Bill, his eyes were filled with tears. "You don't understand!" he cried. "Charlie was wrong. He was wrong to say that I didn't care about Mum and Dad. He was wrong to say that I'm spoiled." Tears were streaming down his eyes. "He was wrong to say that I didn't care. I only told him what was in my mind about him, the way he did to me. Why doesn't he get punished for it and everyone gets mad at me when I wasn't the one who started it?" Percy after all, only told the truth about Charlie. Only, it was in a nastier way than Charlie did to him. "Was I wrong to tell him that, Bill?" asked Percy, still tearfully.

Bill didn't say anything. He simply shook his head and went downstairs for lunch. Percy watched his older brother disappear from sight. He did not understand. He was right about Charlie. He was, and no one would listen to him and all they did was accuse him for not being able to say sorry. Percy sadly walked away, head bowed.

Thicknesse eyed Percy. "Are you even listening to me, Weasley?" Percy's head shot up and looked at his boss. He was still thinking deeply of that day, when he was eight and the rest of his family did not understand him, did not see that he only wanted to be heard. Thicknesse sighed and threw the papers to the table. "Well, I see nothing wrong with the reports." He leaned back on his seat and looked at Percy straight in the eye. "Is there something I have to know, Weasley?" he asked.

Percy immediately shook his head. "No, Minister," he answered. He stood up from his chair. "I suppose I better get back to work then." He checked his watch before looking back at his boss. "I wish you all the luck, sir," he said before leaving the office without another word.

Percy wondered how he and Charlie ever made up. He couldn't remember. All he knew was they started talking after then. Maybe it was Charlie who said sorry, because Percy certainly knew he didn't. Or maybe, none of them said sorry at all. After all, Charlie didn't do anything but pointed out the truth in a kinder way than Percy did. However it ended, Percy did not say sorry. I doubt he ever will, even if Charlie still held that kind of a grudge over him.

For a moment there, it got Percy thinking is his brother did hold a grudge against him for that. Percy sighed as he sat back down on his chair to continue yesterday's work. His hand swept from one side of the table to another, still thinking about it. Did Charlie ever hold a grudge for Percy having called him a son-of-a-gun-who-wasn't-smart-enough-to-see-that-he-was-the-burden-of-the-family-for-asking-their-parents-for-a-broom-instead-of-books-that-might-help-in-their-Hogwarts-year? Percy didn't approve of Charlie wanting their parents to buy a broom for him. Despite the fact that Percy knew Charlie was heading somewhere, with his love for Quidditch, the boy was very much aware of what his parents would have to go through to buy Charlie that present. He didn't care much for the crude language that he had learned from Charlie in the first place. He just wanted Charlie to see the big picture of what he was asking their parents of.

Percy could only wonder if Charlie ever forgave him for that. It was already years ago. He didn't even know if Charlie could even remember that incident. After all, he was even too young to enter Hogwarts then when that fight happened, and Charlie was only entering his second year. Charlie, though, wasn't pleased when he heard that Percy and Arthur had a row about Percy's job. Percy knew that, Charlie being always on their father's side. Although there was still that void inside Percy, that kind of wonder whether or not he was forgiven for the night he told the truth. He knew that might never know the answer.

I was just too far from home

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