Thank you times a thousand to those who reviewed!

Oh, wow, E.F.B.! I'm glad you liked! Ha, that's all I can say really. Thank you! It was actually rather hard to write, because I love both characters. I didn't cry when Dumbledore died, but I swear, when I thought Arthur was a goner I bawled.

To the anonymous reviewer, thanks heaps for your review too! I'm glad you said that, as I've always said, tell me if you think I'm making someone ooc. I've had a thought about it though, and I personally don't think it is. I mean, this was one fight that caused a rift that lasted a couple of years and had Percy miss Bill's wedding and not come see Arthur when he was in the hospital or when Bill's face was nearly torn off from Greyback. So I tried to make it a terrible fight, but keep it in character. See, I think Arthur's just terrified that his son is so easily being used as a puppet, and he knows the Ministry is up to its teeth in corruption and he also knows his son is good but incredibly silly and blind, and so a lot of the crap he says is purely from frustration, not to mention Percy's dumbass attack on Arthur's parenting and being able to provide for his family, which was a low blow from Percy. And also, Arthur did once have a physical fight with Lucius in Flourish and Blotts in the Chamber of Secrets, so I think that says Arthur can snap. And most of the points I had Percy say was what Harry was told about the argument. Don't worry though, I totally take what you say into account and I'll throw in a few things in future so I'll balance out the crazy Arthur you just saw with the loving Father that he is. Thanks! Sorry if I ramble a lot, discussion on HP makes me excited... :S

Thank you all!

I'm in such a hurry right now as I'm getting harassed by the parentals to get off, but I'm desperate to upload this. So if there's spelling mistakes or whatever, please forgive me, I'll edit them tomorrow. But if there's HP mistakes, feel free to poke me with sticks.

Please read and review. :)

Chapter Ten.

Charlie was walking down a street, Ginny in tow, looking for a particular number to a house. But if he were to be honest, his thoughts were roving from the task at hand. It still had not really sunk in that his brother was dead…Merlin, it didn't seem right…He should have been feeling immense grief – well, in a way he was, but in such a way that he was numb to it. He saw his family's pain – especially his Mother and Father – and felt tremors of his own anguish, but it was as if it were confined within him. It seemed to be roiling as if it were underneath a thick layer of Winter ice. He knew it would crack sooner or later and he would be immersed in it, where it would be all consuming – the death of his baby brother! – but he did not fancy being around everybody when it finally hit. He could already feel his feet itching, an inner restlessness for him to be gone. He felt incredible guilt – he should stay of course and help his family through this. But at the same time he wanted to be back in Romania, back to risking his neck every day with dragons, where he didn't need to think. How could they all stand it? Being overwhelmed with such pain yet be surrounded by the same pain as the others around them whom they loved? His Mother could not function, he caught his Dad weeping regularly, Bill's mourning came out through anger – he had always been like that, George…Poor George was in some form of denial still, Ron would have fits of sullenness where for some reason only that Granger girl could reach him…And Ginny.

He felt such a strange bout of fondness for his little sister at that moment. She was such a tough little thing, and yet a stranger to him. He had been nine when she had come into the world with her shock of bright curls and had still been so small at two years of age when he had ventured off to Hogwarts. He had watched his brothers grow of course, had played with them, fought with them, stuck by them, gone to school with them and had dobbed on them through letters to his Mum while at school, and at the same time covered for them when it was really important, but he had only caught glimpses of Ginny growing up, small windows of the little girl's growing up when he came home in the school holidays. And then he had travelled after school of course, and had returned home, expecting the same little imp who would use her brothers' Qudditch robes for dress-ups, but instead was confronted with a young and poised woman. Her bright hair from childhood had darkened to a beautiful russet and the only one recognisable feature of the young woman who stood by him was one little curl, resting on the side of her forehead which would never go away, no matter how she had cut at it.

His heart had literally lurched to his teeth when he had entered the battle of Hogwarts and had seen her in the fray. His instinct was to protect her, to throw her over his shoulder while she kicked and screamed in protest, and chain her somewhere in safety – but it had seemed his instinct had been wrong. He had been worried about the wrong sibling.

She had been seeing that Harry Potter but their time together had been fleeting, even after the battle and their triumph. Remus Lupin had been seriously injured in the battle, and Harry had gone to stay with him and Tonks, to help Tonks take care of him. Not to mention the fact there were so many funerals to attend, so many burials that were being organised, the young sweethearts had barely had any time at all for such frivolous things as dates. Ginny had been a life-saver though. She and Fleur had become the backbone of the family while their Mum tried to deal with her grief. They prepared meals, did housework, dealt with the onslaught of guests who paid respects to the family…She was only seventeen in a few months time and already had had to deal with so much.

Charlie wondered how Ginny was coping with her own grief. Was she coping? Or was she, like him, ignoring it while trying to keep busy?

"So, you definitely think it's this street?" he asked her, to change his thoughts.

"Well if somebody had just let us apparate here…" Ginny said feigning innocence.

"You're underage Gin," he said absentmindedly, "Mum would blow her gasket," – well, in any normal circumstance where she wasn't in mourning, she would.

"Oh come on," Ginny said impatiently, "Kingsley's Minister now, you really think he'd let me be expelled for something like this?"

"I think with the roundup of all the Death Eaters and trying to sort out the whole Ministry of Magic, he wouldn't be too pleased to have to come out and deal with a bit of improper underage magic. Alright, it's definitely this street, and I'd say this house," Charlie looked up as well as Ginny, staring at the dilapidated house before them. Weeds were overgrown and spiralling out of control and it looked like it needed a bit of degnoming. Curtains had been thrust over the window panes even though it was during the day.

"You reckon this is where Penelope lives?" Ginny asked uncertainly.

"That's what Percy's address book says…Well I mean, this was the place she stayed before she shacked up with him when he left home, so I guess she would have come back here, right?" Charlie answered.

Percy had vanished, nearly a week after Fred's death and Bill had given them all the addresses of contacts and friends he had had at school, and at the ministry after Hogwarts. Bill had searched what was left in Percy's room, and had found the address book. He had divided all of the names and had taken a list for himself and Fleur, had given a list to Ron and Hermione and had given Charlie and Ginny one too. There was no way Percy would have buggered off somewhere without telling somebody. Percy had never liked to be alone…

Charlie was storming up the stairs to the astronomy tower for a class (Blah. Morning astronomy classes meant only a theory lesson, since they couldn't obviously look at anything during the day. Boring.) when he had crashed unexpectedly into his little brother who was in first year, sitting on the stairs and sobbing heavily.

"Perce?" he bent down, "What's the matter?"

"I'm looking for a class and the other Gryffindors told me it was up here and it's not and now I'm lost and nobody likes me and I want to go home!" was what Charlie made out of the reckless crying.

Charlie pulled him up by his robes, and said gently, "Stop being a little softie. What's your class?"

"It's Transfigurations," a little girl popped out from the doorway down below, "Why in Heavens you'd believe it was up here is beyond me. Come on, we'll be late for class, Weasel."

Charlie looked hard at the little girl with Slytherin green on the lining of her robes, but Percy had jumped up, his tears forgotten as he had seen a familiar and friendly face. All loneliness had been forgotten.

"Morgan!" he had said happily, and she held out her hand for him.

"It's alright," she said solemnly to Charlie, which had made him want to laugh considering she was so much younger than him, "I'll take him to class, but we'll have to be quick or I'll be late for Herbology. I heard them all laughing about it as I was walking past. Don't worry Percy, we'll jinx them later!" and with that his brother and the little Slytherin girl with riveting blue black curls bouncing down her back, dashed out of the corridor.

He had often wondered what had happened to that Slytherin girl, but had been pleased she was not in the list that Bill had given him and Ginny to find. Such command in a little girl would be disturbing in an adult woman.

Charlie thought of the infamous Penelope Clearwater. She and his brother had been on-again, off-again throughout school and afterwards too. With a mane of dark blonde curls she had been very pretty, and from what Charlie could remember, their relationship had been very volatile. They had been too different, that's what had been the issue. She had been too wild and he had been too well-behaved. He remembered her too, in first year, bolting past him with no fear that she had just barged past a bunch of fifth years, her gold hair flying behind her as Percy tried to walk as fast as he could and keep up at her pace at the same time, calling out, "Penny – we're not supposed to run in the corridors! Penny! We'll get in trouble!"

He remembered Percy and Penelope's first serious breakup…

Charlie had been home from Romania incidentally enough, on a break, and his Mother had come into his room, worry creased over her brow as she held out a letter the twins had written, gleefully talking about their brother's heartache, "Please talk to him, Charlie, dear…He needs his big brother."

"Talk to him?" Charlie laughed, "Why not ask Bill?"

Her blank expression gave him the answer to that.

Sighing he went to the family fireplace, and in a few moments his head was in the fire

He soon saw the bedroom of Percy at Hogwarts. Now that he was Head Boy he had been given his own, not to mention his own fireplace where he could converse with his family when he chose. Charlie saw Percy at once, his head lowered over something he was writing, in utter concentration.

"BOO!" Charlie cried out and laughed when his brother jerked in surprise, knocking over a goblet, its liquid spilling over his parchment.

"That's not funny!" Percy exploded, and Charlie had to laugh at the shrillness in the tone, "What do you want, anyway? I'm busy."

"Busy?" Charlie said teasingly, "You know, Bill and I couldn't even have a bet if you would be in your room or not. We knew you'd be there, you're that boring."

With a flick of his wand Percy had cleaned the liquid mess and replied bluntly, "Apparently so, according to some."

"Oh come now," Charlie whined, "It's no fun when you agree."

"Yup."

"You're a spoilsport, Perce."

"That I am."

"What are you doing anyway?" Charlie asked, "Ohhh, don't tell me…Head boy things!"

"As a matter of fact," Percy answered calmly, obviously refusing to take the bait, "I'm writing a letter."

"To a girl?"

Percy said nothing, but continued to write.

"Oh no! You aren't begging her back are you?"

Percy looked up sharply, "You know?"

"Mate, the whole family knows."

Percy flushed in indignation, muttering, "The humiliation of it all!"

"Hey," Charlie retorted firmly, "We all get our hearts stomped on from time to time, Perce. It's called women."

"I mean Mum making you talk to me about this, as I imagine she would have," Percy rolled his eyes when Charlie did not argue this, "I'm fine. If she'd rather be with a…With a stupid, mediocre future Transfigurations professor than – than the future Minister of Magic – than – than good luck to her I say!"

"You're a pompous ass, that's your problem bro," they heard Bill say from behind Charlie, but with only amusement in his words and no malice.

Charlie continued as if there had been no interruption, saying sympathetically, "Caught her with another guy at the Twilight Ball, huh?"

Percy puffed up, his eye twitching, "I mean, the indignity of it! He was a Hufflepuff!"

"Yeah, well…" Charlie sighed, "She's a cheap hag. If she can't see the good man you are, then…May a Boggart get her!"

There was silence, and Percy looked down at his hands thoughtfully, "You…You really think…I'm a man?"

Charlie said bluntly, "Don't let it go to your head. You've still got a way to go before you're anything like Bill and me... Do something crazy with your hair or take on a dangerous creature, then we'll see about giving you the rite of passage into being a real man."

Percy sniffed, "There is no rite of passage."

"Ohhhhh," Charlie whistled, "Dad hasn't talked to you about it yet? Huh, must think you're not quite ready..."

"You're full of centaur shit," Percy replied.

"Percy swore!" Charlie cried out to Bill, with Bill's laughter being obvious.

"Yes, and now he's doing this," Percy stood and after muttering "Aguamenti," with his wand, he started to fill a bucket with water to douse over Charlie and the flames.

"Wait, wait," Charlie said hurriedly, "What's the letter about anyway?"

He thought he would have to chew it out of his brother, but oddly Percy muttered without any hounding, "I'm demanding she compensate me for the corsage I wasted on her the night she found another more appealing."

Charlie pulled a face, with Bill saying in the background, "Bad idea Perce!"

"Ow...I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Bill…No, trust me. You need to keep your dignity intact. That letter will just amuse her. You don't want that being passed around."

"…Already owes me ten Galleons on a Quidditch match."

"I'd suggest you count your losses, mate," Charlie said pityingly, then he turned his face to the side, listening to something, then returned to Percy's direction, "How far did you get with her?"

"What?"

"Bill wants to know," he answered with a shrug.

"Tell Bill to mind his own business!"

"Oh, you didn't," thoroughly enjoying Percy's horror and discomfort, he turned his head again, "No, he – Oh, he wants to know if she ever…Well…Treated you to any special…Err, services as Head Boy."

"Can't you just leave me alone? How in Hades are we related?" Percy shot back, and Charlie began to laugh until he saw his little brother trembling, and covering his face with his hand.

"Perce…" he began tenderly.

"No!" Percy grabbed the full bucket of water, "I'm busy, rack off!" and he hauled the bucket of water on to the flames, Charlie pulling back into the Burrow, coughing with ash and water. Bill was still laughing.

Charlie stood outside the door still with Ginny, as both continued to look indecisively at the house. Then he shrugged. She had been the one girl who had continued to be in Percy's life, even when they had quarrelled. If anybody would know where Percy was, it would be Penelope Clearwater. Charlie raised his fist and knocked on the door.