the journal
chapter 11
After Percy retreated into his bedroom, Bill found himself doing the same thing. He sidestepped the questioning from his parents, the twins and Charlie with a brief declaration that Percy was just a bit frazzled right now and that he'd explain later.
He locked himself in his bedroom and dug through his desk drawers for a scrap of parchment. He pulled a quill from his shelf and placed it in between his teeth as he grabbed for the vial of ink and unscrewed it. It was an old jar from his school days, and it refused to budge for a moment, squealing with an intense vigor when it finally began to turn. Luckily, the ink wasn't completely dried up, and he managed to compose a short letter to his brother's best friend before the ink became unusable.
Oliver,
Do you think you'd be able to come over tomorrow around 3 pm? Not only because it was Percy's birthday today, but because I understand you two recently lost someone very important to you, and I think Percy could really use a friend right now. If he has any other friends you think would like to be present for his birthday please invite them, muggle or wizard. We can make it work.
Please respond with your reply.
Thanks.
Bill Weasley
He tied the letter to his owl's leg and watched as he flew off into the setting sun. Bill then settled back in his chair and listened to the cicadas begin to hum in treetops. After all the sunlight had melted out of his room, his mother called them down for dinner and Bill listened as his younger siblings' footsteps echoed down the staircase.
He pushed himself off the chair and it creaked under the shifting weight. When he opened his door, Percy's was still shut. He knocked gently and when no reply sounded he slowly opened the door. It whined against the movement.
Percy was asleep and Bill felt terrible waking his brother, but he knew a refusal to eat dinner would fry his mother's nerves, and no one wanted to deal with that. Percy would probably appreciate it.
He shook his little brother awake, waiting for him to rub the sleep from his eyes before, shoulder-to-shoulder, they made their way into the kitchen.
The dinner was loud and wild—not unusual for the Burrow, but Bill and Percy stayed mostly silent. They both knew tomorrow they'd have to tell their parents everything that was said that afternoon, but for tonight they just let their eyes occasionally lock through the glow of candlelight, and when they did their gazes held understanding.
And Bill had never felt closer to his little brother.
a/n i'm so sorry for the wait.
the next chapter will be out in a matter of minutes.
-c.v.