A/N This will be the last chapter for a while. I'll be moving at the end of the month and it might take a while to get settled. If I have time I'll write, but getting used to England and finding a home and a job could take a while. I won't forget about this though. I promise. I've already got a little of the next chapter written. I was hoping to be further along than this, perhaps even to the search of Malfoy Manor, sadly it won't be happening. I can promise that Ron finds something important, perhaps the greatest clue to what happened to Harry.

Nycgrl- Thanks for reviewing. Please keep reading. I made this chapter extra long to make up for the lack of updating. No Snape in this chapter, but some great Brenna moments. You might be interested to know that in a recent brainstorming session with a friend Snape has taken on a larger and much more important role in this.

Jo-AnnMarie- Thank you for reading. I hope this was quick enough for you. Things have been hectic. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

NixiNox- Come of which part? Many things will come of this chapter, hope you like it. Enjoy.

TrinityDD- Thanks for reading. Remus is having some personal issues. He gets grouchy near his time of the month. Don't worry, things will work themselves out, though I can't promise a happy ending, only one that gives closure. Have faith, I'll try and be nice.


Percy Weasley was ambitious, prideful and overwhelmingly sanctimonious, but he was not a traitor. He would fight to the death for what he believed, but he would never purposefully betray a trust. Few knew the difference. The majority seemed to enjoy referring to him as a deserter. In his opinion he had not deserted, but had simply chosen another path, one that inevitably led him astray.

After Cornelius Fudge was removed from office, Percy had found himself in a bit of trouble. The new Minister of Magic was systematically interviewing each member of the staff and her intentions were to end the corruption that had managed to take control of the ministry. Several of Percy's close associates had already been dismissed, and his hopes that she had overlooked him were in vain.

"Mr. Weasley, thank you for being prompt." Amelia Bones had said with a nod of greeting.

He sat stiffly in the high backed chair she motioned to and waited quietly for what he knew was coming.

"I'm sure you were expecting this meeting."

"Yes." He replied.

She folded her hands in front of her on the desk, "I reviewed your file, you have an interesting history."

"Yes." He replied uncertainly.

"You were hired directly out of school, your professors all gave you glowing recommendations and I believe your test scores speak for themselves, however you had difficulty with your first job. Am I right?"

"The investigation proved that I had nothing to do with Mr. Crouch's disappearance."

"Yes, and soon after that you were appointed to a vague position with very dubious responsibilities."

Percy chose not to answer. He had long before realized the truth behind his miraculous promotion, there was no need to repeat it.

"I have decided to terminate your position for several reasons. The first being that there is simply no need for it. The second is much more personal. I have been made aware of the disagreement between you and your family. While your personal life is none of my concern, the productivity of my staff is. Several of your relatives work for the ministry, and I will not have your presence upsetting them."

"I suppose that's wise." He managed.

"So I have decided to reassign you."

"Reassign?"

"As I'm sure you know, a new department has just been formed. Its purpose is to record the actions of the entire Ministry. While proper spells are developed to assist in this task I will need several diligent people to transcribe notes into written documents. You are one of those people."

As it turned out, he was well suited for the job. It seemed he had found his calling. The apparently endless incursion of records that would have intimidated most people, gave Percy a feeling of pride. It was not the arrogance that comes from a promotion or a raise in pay, but joy in finding something he excelled at.

There were disadvantages to this, the first and foremost being a severe drop in salary. He was forced to find a smaller flat, and to sell quite a few of his belongings in order to afford the necessities. With difficulty he convinced himself that he was making sacrifices for his independence. Yet, late at night he wished, as he had many times before, that he were back in the Burrow.

It was not until two years later that he was forced to admit defeat. Ginny came to visit carrying his newborn niece.

"Ginny." He tried to sound formal but only managed tired.

She looked around the room at his few belongings and said nothing.

"You look well." She smiled warmly.

"Was there something I could do for you?"

"Still trying too hard, I see." She rolled her eyes, "You don't have to act like that with me, I'm your sister."

"I wasn't invited to your wedding." The words slipped out before he could stop them. Once said he realized how foolish they truly sounded.

"Yes," a blush crept over her cheeks, "At the time you were being quite the prat, I believe my actions were reasonable."
Heaving a resigned sigh he motioned for her to sit on his tattered sofa.

"I didn't come here to fight with you." She said, shifting the infant in her arms.

"I didn't think you had."

"This is Brenna, your niece."

Frowning he sat beside her and looked closely at the baby, "She's very small."

"A month early."

"Was it a good wedding?" He'd heard rumors of his family's activities, but never had the nerve to speak with any of them directly.

"Yes. Very nice. Harry arranged to use the great hall at Hogwarts, it was lovely."

"I'm glad. And this is your baby."

"Yes. She's our miracle."

Very gently he touched the sleeping child's cheek, "She is."

"It is important that she have a blessing from her family. You missed her Runing."

"You want me to bless her?" His shock was evident.

"Yes."

"But I've… I'm not…"

"You didn't slam the door shut when you saw it was me. That's a start."

"I wouldn't do that."

"You would. If I had come knocking on your door four years ago, you would have shut it in my face and never thought twice ."

"I suppose you're right."

"I know I am."

"What should I bless her with? I've never done this."

"Whatever you like."

Again he touched Brenna's soft cheek and ran his fingertips over her downy feathers of dark hair, "May you… may you have the strength to admit when you're wrong."

Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek, "You've a nephew as well."

"I saw the pictures… Ron's desk… I look sometimes."

"Come home, Percy." She'd said before leaving.

A month later, he did just that. Everyone was surprised at his actions, but the Weasley's would never turn one of their own away. As he lay in his old bed that first night, he swore to make up for his stupidity.

"Uncle Percy!" Brenna shouted nine years later, flinging herself into his lap.

"Goodness." He managed, pulling her into a sitting position.

"Brenna… don't run…" Remus followed the young girl into the Burrow's small kitchen.

"I'm not." She replied, inspecting the papers Percy had been working on.

"Good afternoon Remus, you are a day early." Percy greeted with a smile.

"If it's an inconvenience I can work something out, but it's going to be a rough month. I feel better knowing she's safe."

"I can assure you, my parents will find nothing inconvenient about having their granddaughter stay an extra night. Though, Halliday won't be leaving until tomorrow." The younger man said thoughtfully.

Soon after Brenna was born, Arthur had developed a bad case of pneumonia. Despite the severity of his illness he still worked a full shift and managed to put in overtime as well. Then one morning he simply was unable to get out of bed. Three weeks passed before he could leave the house and it was two more weeks before he could work again. Even with most of the children out of the house, money was still tight. His illness had set them back greatly and the stress of catching up was threatening to make him ill again.

Ron and Harry worried over him constantly, checking on him numerous times during the day and trying to make his job easier. He refused to accept their help financially and grew angry if they pressed him on the matter. After much deliberation the young men decided to meet with the Minister to discuss the situation. She agreed that Arthur needed a break and suggested that it was time for him to retire. Ron had a different idea.

He suggested they turn the Burrow into a convalescent center for injured Aurors. Several complaints had been made that the amount of time allowed in the hospital was too short. Little had been done to rectify the problem as the hospital needed to free the beds as soon as possible so as to have room to care for new patients. As Ron pointed out, there was plenty of space at the Burrow. Arthur could spend his time at home with his family while still providing a valuable service. Intrigued by this, Amelia agreed to think on it.

A month later Arthur and Molly found themselves attending classes on emergency healing. The Burrow was inspected and renovated to accommodate whatever sort of company they might be attending to. Soon they had their first guest. Since then the house had seen many people come and go. John Halliday was only the most recent.

"He's doing well, then?"

"Very, should be back to work in a few days."

"What are you working on?" Brenna asked, tilting her head backwards to look at her uncle upside down.

"Nothing you would be interested in." He kissed her forehead.

"What are you working on?" She repeated insistently, turning about to see him properly.

"Why don't you go outside? I'll bet Charlie has Nell out." Remus suggested, giving Percy a meaningful look.

"Yes, Will is here as well." Percy agreed.

"I guess."

"You can help me with my work later tonight."

"Promise?"

"Promise." With another kiss to her forehead, he set her on her feet and pushed her gently to the door.

Together the men watched as she slipped out into the garden, the wind making a mess of her long dark hair.

"What's bothering you?" Percy questioned as Remus sat across the table from him.

"The nightmares have gotten worse."

"How much worse?"

"I think she's starting to remember, and what she's seeing worries me."

"Such as?"

The older man sighed, "She remembers two men. One of them is dark and the other pale."

"That matches Professor Snape's description"

"That's what worries me."

"If you are insinuating that Harry murdered my sister…"

"I'm not insinuating anything. I think Brenna would have told me if Harry were present in her dream."

"Assuming, as Ron suspects, that the pale man is Draco Malfoy, who would the dark one be? Snape himself?"

"Severus was nothing more than a witness. Brenna trusts him. The man in her dream frightened her."

"Then our options are limited."

"I suppose we'll have to keep waiting."

"I'll watch her. She'll be sleeping close by, it won't be difficult for me to hear her."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

A moment of companionable silence passed between them.

"I hear you're up for another promotion." Remus said with a smile.

"Who told you that?"

"Your father mentioned it in when he owled me."

"I really need to find out who his informant is." Percy muttered, gathering his various work materials.

"My guess would be Ron."

"Or Neville. They're thick as thieves, those two."

"It's true, then?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to accept it this time?"

"I haven't decided."

"If you keep declining, your parents will begin to worry."

"I know. They don't understand how dangerous it could be."

Remus frowned, "You transcribe notes, how dangerous could it be?"

"Not the job itself, but advancement."

The older man nodded, "You might take it too far?"

"I don't want to hurt them again."

"I suppose the trick would be learning to control your impulses. You need to know your limits."

"That would be the trick." Percy agreed.

"You are the only one who can make the decision."

He nodded and ran a hand through his red hair.

"I think I'll go and see how my granddaughter is doing." Remus smiled and stood from the table.

"You haven't heard from George, have you?"

"I spoke to him a few weeks ago. Why?"

"Mum is worried about him."

"Give him some time."

"If you see him, let him know."

"I will."


"Aren't you my lovely girl?" Charlie whispered, tickling the soft scales beneath the little dragon's chin. "Such a clever girl" Nell purred in reply and licked his fingers with her warm tongue.

She was a strange looking creature. Standing barely three feet tall, she had already reached her full height. The wings on her back were twisted and malformed, unable to hold her weight for more than a few minutes. Every breath let a small tendril of smoke from the corner of her mouth, but that was the closest she would ever come to breathing fire. Her very existence was a miracle.

Charlie hatched her himself, against his better judgment and against the rules governing the Preserve itself. By law they were required to destroy any and all deserted eggs. He'd found Nell in a clutch buried beneath three feet of snow. Even as he raised his wand to cast the spell to dispose of the egg, a tiny squeak from within had stayed his hand. Secretly he took her to his private rooms and kept her in the warm embers of the fire.

He knew the moment she hatched, that she was special. Something in the way she curled into the palm of his hand and gave a wheezing cough simply melted his heart. It took weeks of paperwork before the Ministry allowed him full ownership of the little dragon. He had assured them that she was harmless. Unable to breathe fire and born without poison glands, she was the ideal pet dragon.

"Find Will then, my darling." He whispered to her and smiled as she scampered off with her nose in the air.

She was of a mild temperament, gentle with the children and keeping mostly to herself. There were times, however, when those silver eyes glimmered with mischief and Molly's wash would go missing or one of Percy's many piles of paperwork would be scattered through the house, every sheet covered in incriminating teeth marks. He would find her hours later, curled on his bed, sleeping peacefully.

"Uncle Charlie!" A voice called.

He looked up and grinned as his niece jogged towards him, "Brenna."

"I know you." She smiled and climbed up into his arms.

"Yes, and I know you." He kissed her cheek.

"Where is Will?"

"Well, that would be the mystery wouldn't it? Will has gone hiding. I've sent Prunella out after him, though she might be needing your help." He explained.

The child considered for a moment, "I could wait here with you."

"You could."

"I think I will." She wriggled out of his grasp and landed on the grass beside him.

"How is your grandfather?" Charlie asked, seating himself on the ground.

"Fine. We're early." Brenna sat herself in his lap and leaned back against his chest.

"Are you? I hadn't noticed. Is something the matter?"

"No. Grandpa wasn't feeling himself, he thought it would be best if I stayed here tonight."

"I see."

"He's still in talking with Uncle Percy. They told me to come outside."

"And you didn't want to?" He tried to sound hurt.

"I wanted Uncle Percy to read to me. He said he would later tonight."

That sounded like his brother. In Charlie's opinion Percy worked himself too hard.

"Leander and Caleb will be here tomorrow."

"I know." She smiled and traced the tattoo of flames on his left arm.

"Maybe Luna and Neville could be persuaded into leaving Will here as well."

"Maybe."

"It's safe here, I don't see why they wouldn't."

The child shrugged and continued mapping his body art with her finger tips, "Does it cover your whole body?"

"You've asked that before, little one."

"Does it?"

"Mostly."

"Why did you get it?"

He smiled as Nell dragged Will across the lawn by the hem of his shirt, "I have my reasons."

"Will!" Brenna shouted, waving frantically. All previous conversation forgotten.

"Hullo." He said with a wave to Brenna and a glare at the little dragon.

"I see she found you. Will you be wanting to play again?" Charlie asked, running his finger tips along Nell's back.

"I think I'll go and find my Mum. She'll be wondering where I am."

"She knows you're with me."

Will shook his head, "She'll be worried."

"I'll go with you, I didn't say hello to grandma yet." Brenna smiled and followed the boy towards the Burrow.


Remus found Arthur and Neville deep in discussion over a muggle toaster. He smiled to himself and shoved the shed door open further.

"I told you it was supposed to toast bread." Neville insisted.

"We tried that, I think you must have misunderstood."

"It has a plug, maybe we have to… plug it in… to… something." The younger man frowned and held up the pronged head of the plug.

Arthur gazed thoughtfully at the machine, "Perhaps if we did a warming charm…"

"That's brilliant!" Neville pulled his wand and from his belt and prepared to cast the spell.

"You might want to cast it on the inside, rather than the outside." Remus suggested.

"What for?" Arthur asked curiously.

"It's made of metal, it'll be too hot to touch."

"That's a good point… but how would we warm the inside and not the outside?" Neville questioned, lowering his wand.

"You could slip your wand in one of the slits…"

"I'm not risking my wand." Neville stated, taking a step backwards.

"Well, I'm certainly not using mine." Arthur said.

All three men stared at the shiny silver toaster, brows furrowed in concentration.

"It'll have to wait until tomorrow, then." Arthur sighed, "I assume my granddaughter has arrived?"

"Yes, she's off chasing dragons with Charlie."

"That Nell, she's quite amazing." Neville chuckled as he tucked his wand back into his belt.

"Better than a watch dog." Arthur agreed.

"How have things been?" asked Remus.

"Very well. Halliday has made incredible progress, he nearly has full use of his right hand. His brother is taking him home tomorrow."

Arthur led the way out the door and locked it behind them.

"Remus, I've been meaning to ask you, have you spoken with George?"

"It's been several weeks, but I have."

"How was he?"

"He seemed well."

"Molly and I are worried for him." Arthur said quietly, "He's not spoken with us in months, it isn't like him."

"I'm sure he'll come around."

"He's upset with his mother. At the time she wasn't aware of Angelina's part in all of it, none of us were. Since then Fred has written and explained… I feel terrible for the things I said."

"What did Fred have to say for himself?"

Arthur stopped walking and turned to face his old friend, "He never meant to hurt George. It's not in his nature to do something like that. From what he says, Angelina was going to leave… she asked him to go with her."

"George suspects that they had been meeting in secret for some time before that." Remus replied.

"I had the same suspicions, they won't do any good now."

"Perhaps things aren't so bad as they seem. Given time, I'm sure they'll reconcile." Neville offered, patting Arthur on the back.

"I hope you're right."

"They're brothers. Brothers forgive each other."

The resumed their walk to the house in silence.

"Remus!" Molly greeted, as they entered the back garden through the wooden gate.

"I see you found your granddaughter." He grinned at Brenna, who had made herself comfortable on her grandmother's lap.

Luna waved from her seat in the grass at Molly's feet, her many bracelets tinkling merrily, "Hello." The greater part of her attention was given to the large basket of clothing sitting beside her. Several pairs of trousers were trying to fold themselves, only to have their legs tangled together.

"You know, Remus, she's looking very thin." Molly gave Brenna a scrutinizing look.

"Yes." He nodded.

"She really should be eating more. Are you making sure she finishes her plate?"

"Always."

"You shouldn't let her be so thin. Harry was just like this… he had reason… those awful Muggles… no excuse for such treatment."

Remus smiled and let her talk. There was no reason to tell her about Brenna's eating habits. It might upset her to know that sometimes they simply forgot to eat dinner or were content to share something small. Such behavior was not allowed in Molly Weasley's house.

"I'll be sure to feed her more. I wouldn't want her to waste away." He agreed.

"Where's Will gone off to?" Neville asked, interrupting.

"In the house with Charlie. They wanted to fix Nell a treat." Luna gave her husband a wink and continued with her folding.

"I think I'll go and see how they are. He seemed alright to you, then?" While his tone was light, Remus felt the younger man's worry.

"Yes, but it wouldn't hurt if you checked on him."

Neville nodded and hurried into the house.

"You don't have a hug for your old grandfather?" Arthur asked Brenna.

The girl laughed and climbed down from Molly's lap, only to be scooped into the air.

"I think you've gotten more beautiful since I last saw you." He swung her around and cuddled her close.

"Really?"

"Oh yes, you grow lovelier every day. Are those freckles on your nose?"

"Yes."

"Nothing prettier than a woman with freckles on her nose."

Remus watched them for a few minutes, enjoying the child's laughter, "I had best be going."

"Thank you for bringing her. You know we'll be happy to keep her any time." Molly said.

"Leander and Caleb will be here tomorrow. Hermione and Ron will be busy with the raid…" Arthur trailed off and glanced nervously at his wife.

"For Ron's sake, I hope they find something." Molly whispered.

"Yes, anything to give him a little peace."

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough." Remus said, leaning over to kiss Brenna's cheek.

"Yes… we will." Luna murmured almost to herself.


Faolan was sitting on the front step when Remus arrived home. His eyes were closed and he leaned lazily against the door as though napping.

"How long have you been waiting?" Remus asked.

The younger man smiled, but did not open his eyes, "A short while. I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

"You did look concerned."

"Ah… sarcasm… I'm glad to see you have a sense of humor."

"You did say it was a long trip, I've a bag packed just inside the door."

"Fetch it quick, we'd best be off." Still he did not move.

"Fetching it might be easier if you were to move."

At last Faolan opened his eyes and sat up straight, "You make a good argument."

Remus shook his head and moved past his companion to open the door. A moment of searching and he had his backpack on his shoulders.

"Ready, then? We'll use a portkey for the first bit, it's easier that way."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we arrive. Now hang on." He held out a battered tin can.

Seconds after taking hold of the can, Remus felt the familiar pull of a portkey and closed his eyes against the sliding colors. When he opened them again, they stood just outside what appeared to be a large forest.

"The Forbidden Forest?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes. You were expecting something different? Where else in wizarding Britain would you find an uninhabited area?"

"I can think of several places… none of which are as dangerous as this."

"After a good deal of research and scouting, I found this to be the most secluded place available. Few humans ever wander in, and it's reputed to be a home to werewolves anyway. Why not add a bit of truth to the rumors?"

Quelling his sudden anxiety, Remus nodded. It was to late to turn back, he'd made a commitment. A glance told him that they were not near Hogwarts, which was a relief. The last thing he needed was to worry about some mischievous student wandering into the forest and becoming someone's late night snack.

"Shall we?" Faolan gestured grandly and stepped in amongst the trees.

Their pace was steady and the path relatively easy to follow. Had he not known what sorts of things lurked within, Remus might have enjoyed the walk. As it was he spent a good deal of his time watching for centaurs or the acromantulas that Ron insisted made their home here. Time passed quickly and soon the sun was directly above them, shining broken beams of light through the thick cover of leaves.

"Let's stop and eat something." The other man suggested.

"Alright then."

It was not until he had settled against a moss covered tree trunk that he realized how tired he was.

"I've made this walk several times, and the first day is the worst."

"First day?"

"It's a two day walk to the den. Why did you think we left a day early?" The younger man asked, sitting on a root nearby.

"I didn't think about it… I suppose that would make sense."

"More of a safety precaution than anything else, wouldn't want one of the pack straying out of the forest." Faolan dug through his pack and pulled out two sandwiches. "Hope you like turkey. My aunt said you did."

Remus accepted with a nod, "I've been meaning to ask you about Mrs. McMahon."

"What about her?"

"She's a muggle. You are obviously a wizard."

"She's my great aunt, a squib. When I'm in town I stay with her."

"Does she know?"

He laughed around a bite of sandwich, "Oh yes."

"And?"

"Eat your sandwich." Faolan said, and waited until Remus had begun to chew. "She's been good to me. Nothing frightens her, I don't think."

"She does seem quite tenacious."

"She would have to be with you living so nearby."

"She knows about me, then?"

"Oh, Aunty knows many things."

They ate in silence for a while, each given to their own thoughts. When the sandwiches were gone, Faolan passed Remus a canteen of water.

"We'd best be off. I'm surprised we've not come across some of the others."

The older man nodded in agreement and once again shouldered his pack.


The fire burned low and Percy strained to see the parchments in front of him. With a groan, he rubbed his aching eyes and leaned back against the cushions of the sofa. Despite the weariness creeping through his body, there was a certain peace that came with being the last person to bed. He enjoyed the quiet.

Earlier in the evening, Brenna had crawled into his lap and insisted that he explain his work to her. The gentle curve of her smile reminded him so much of Ginny, her found it impossible to refuse her anything. After a time, Charlie joined them and sat himself in front of the fire with Nell.

"Are you going out tonight?" Percy had asked.

"No. Not tonight."

Since coming home, Charlie had spent nearly every weekend at one party or another. Usually not returning until the small hours of the morning, smelling of firewhiskey and more often than not, leading some giggling young girl up to his bedroom. It was a predictable, if not particularly healthy, pattern.

Once, perhaps out of pity, an invitation had been extended to Percy. While he did not relish the thought of loud music or the taste of alcohol, he agreed. Most of the night was spent backed against a wall, trying not to be noticed. He desperately wanted to leave, to surround himself with his books and parchments in his safe little bedroom. When it was finally time to leave, two girls went with them.

It was not until they were standing at the foot of the steps in the Burrow that Percy realized one of the girls was intended for him. She stood there eyeing him dubiously, chewing on one of her pink lacquered fingernails.

"I'm Tracy." She said after a time, brushing her fingertips up his arm.

"Percy."

"Good to meet you. Charlie says you need a good time." Over her shoulder Percy could see his brother whispering in the other girls ear, hands boldly traveling under her shirt.

"I…I… suppose…" He was cut off by her lips on his.

It was nice, he decided quickly. She tasted of cherries and her lips were very soft. Perhaps, if they took their time, he could do this.

"You want to go up to your room?" Tracy whispered as she kissed his neck.

Her hands traced the back of his thighs and tugged at the waist of his trousers.

"I…" His voice refused to work properly.

"Come on, then. We can do anything you want… anything at all." Her voice was low and seemed to reverberate through his body.

"I… I just…"

Those long fingernails dug tightly into his hips, "Relax."

"I don't think… my mum… this isn't…"

She laughed, "Are you afraid of me?"

Swallowing hard he found his voice, "I really don't think this is a good idea."

Her brown eyes seemed to look through him, "Really?"

"No."

"I promise you'll enjoy it." Again her hands roamed his body, caressing and scratching as they went.

"I… I…"

"What's the matter Perce?" Charlie called from further up the steps.

"He's afraid of me." Tracy answered with a grin.

"I doubt that. What's wrong?"

"I don't want to. I just… I don't want to." Percy stammered without meeting the girl's eyes.

"Tracy, why don't you come up with Hannah and I?"

"What? He doesn't like girls?" Hannah asked with a giggle.

Percy looked up the steps and saw Charlie's posture change, even in the shadows it was obvious that he was not happy with the situation, "What's it to you?"

"Why else wouldn't he want me?" Tracy replied with a cruel smirk.

"Maybe he doesn't want to shag someone who spent half the night with their tongue down my throat?"

"Excuse me?"

"You had your hand half way down my pants when I suggested you come back to the house with us. Maybe Percy would rather have a girl with a little less… experience." Charlie growled.

"What's with you tonight?" Hannah seemed angry.

"Get out of this house."

"What?" Tracy glared up at him.

"Get out."

Hannah shoved Charlie away and Disapparated before he could respond.

"Your loss." Tracy shrugged and followed suit.

Percy could feel Charlie's eyes boring into him. He would be angry, of course.

"Forget them." Charlie said and patted his brother on the back gently.

"You aren't mad, then?"

"No. I shouldn't have asked you to come… it wasn't your sort of thing."

"I just… I don't like parties."

"Yeah, I knew that. Figured you were just being stuffy, like you used to be. I was wrong." He shrugged.

"You were?"

"You're better than that."

Charlie had gone to bed then, without another word on the subject. They never spoke of that night, and Percy was never invited to another party.

He smiled to himself and looked at the ceiling of his childhood home. Before everything had happened, he hated staying up late. Of course, had his job required it, he was more than willing to oblige, but somewhere in his mind it bothered him. The silences were far too long, it gave him time to regret. Now, he could think of nothing better than the long hours of darkness when the rest of his family were tucked safely into their beds. Still smiling he leaned forward again and began gathering his papers together.

A noise caught his attention and he stopped his movements. It was very soft, almost impossible to hear. Curious, he rose to his feet and went to the bottom of the steps. As he climbed them, he strained to hear over the creaking of the wood. From the first landing he could hear the sound more clearly. It came from the next landing, Brenna's room.

Determined now, Percy hurried up the rest of the steps and shoved open the bedroom door. She sat at the head of her bed, tangled in the blankets, crying.

"Brenna?" He whispered sitting at the foot of the bed.

She glared at him and tightened the covers about her.

"Brenna, don't be frightened."

"I had a nightmare." She answered.

"Yes. I heard you."

"Safe?"

"Yes. Safe." He smiled sadly at her old habit and reached out to hold her.

Reluctantly she let herself be gathered into his arms and cuddled.

"What was your nightmare about?"

The question went unanswered for a time.

"You can tell me." He assured her, kissing her forehead.

"My mother."

"What about her?" A lump grew in his throat.

"She was dying."

"Who… who else was there?"

"The pale man saw me. He saw me and told me to keep hiding." Her hands clung tightly to his shoulders and he felt her shiver.

"Why?"

"He didn't say it. But he wanted me to keep hiding, I knew it when he looked at me."

"Why did he want you to hide?"

"The dark man would hurt me… he would… he'd kill me. Like my mother."

Inwardly Percy cringed.

"Was the dark man Professor Snape?"

"No."

"Who was he?"

"I don't remember."

"What did he look like?"

"He had a scar…" Her voice trailed off and he decided not to push her.

"Don't worry, you are very safe here with me."

"I know."

He pulled himself further onto the bed to lean against the headboard, still holding her to him.

"Will you stay?" She asked quietly.

"If you like."

She nodded and snuggled closer to him.