Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Author's Note: Okay people, this hopefully be signalling the change to semi-regular posting again – I'm almost done finals!! Yay!

On another note, I haven't got around to replying to all the great reviews I got – I'm going to try and do that now, but I do really appreciate any comments you guys have, so thanks for all the great feedback (and leave some on your way out hint hint).

Chapter 13

Charlie had long since gone to bed, as had his parents. The rest of the family had scattered to the four winds, gone back to their flats, wherever that may be. Bill was still seated in front of the fireplace, which had long gone cold. He was drifting in that particular state where one is not quite asleep, but certainly not awake either.

Suddenly he was pulled from his drowsy thoughts, and he jumped up, wand in his hand, and heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. He looked around, expecting to see Fred or George, or maybe Ginny with a huge grin, but was met with empty air. Frowning, he rubbed his eyes and tried to remember exactly what had startled him.

Noise from the kitchen drifted into the room to curl lazily around him. Frown deepening, he gripped his wand tighter and carefully made his way to the kitchen. Peering around the door frame, he saw Percy leaning against the counter, head in his hands. A broken tea cup was scattered around him on the floor. After a few seconds Percy sighed, lifted his wand and muttered, "Reparo." Grimacing, he pocketed his wand and poured his tea, before limping slowly over to the table. He sat down heavily, with a grunt. Staring into space, he alternately sipped his tea, and massaged his hand. Bill debated whether he should go in and talk to him, or leave him be, but Percy looked so pitiful that Bill found his decision made for him. Stepping into the room, he put away his wand, and got himself a cup of tea, ignoring the way that Percy had stiffened when he realized he was no longer alone. Sitting down across from his brother, he studied him, not really liking what he saw.

Percy looked worn. Like a shadow. He was too pale and there were dark circles under his eyes, which were themselves red rimmed and bloodshot. Percy was clearly trying to ignore him, staring over his head, jaw clenched. Sighing, Bill wondered what he was going to say to fix this, and knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't be easy.

"Look, Percy . . . I'm sorry about Penelope. I . . . I shouldn't have said that at dinner. I just . . . why didn't you tell us?" Try as he could, Bill couldn't quite keep the reproach out of his voice when he asked that last question. He watched his little brother as he closed his eyes, and bent down to rest his head on his arms on the table. They sat in silence for a while, before Percy broke it, voice muffled from his arms.

"We weren't talking to each other when . . . it happened." Bill winced at Percy's voice. It sounded like every word was shredding his throat. "We weren't talking, and none of you wanted to talk to me. Not that I blame you. It was just . . . easier."

"Percy. Merlin, you always have to be so difficult!! You're my brother. I would have wanted to know this! Do you think so little of me that you wouldn't come to me? You thought I would refuse to speak to you because you weren't working with the Order, because you stayed in the Ministry, because you stood up to Dad, and wouldn't take Dumbledore's word on blind faith?" Bill hated to think that Percy really had that little trust in him, and he ruthlessly squashed down the tiny voice in his head that was telling him that maybe Percy's beliefs were justified.

"Well it certainly felt that way at the time. I thought you would all slam the door in my face if I tried to talk to you, so it was just . . . easier." Bill didn't know how to reply to the weary tone in Percy's voice, so he said nothing. They sat in quietly, the stillness magnifying every sound so that when Percy did speak again, Bill was almost startled by it.

"I dream of her still, you know. Sometimes I wake up and think she's beside me. Sometimes I wake up and reach for her, and . . . she's never there." Percy spoke so slowly, and sounded miles away, adrift. He sounded lost and so young, and again, Bill didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to respond to this brother that he didn't think he'd ever met. The brother who had lost a love. The brother, who in that moment, was older than Bill.

"She was always laughing. Always laughing with me and not at me, and I just . . . Merlin, I miss her." They were both still and silent for a moment, until Percy continued.

"I found her. They left her on our doorstep. Like trash. They just left her there. And she . . ." Percy cut off, and Bill was stunned to realize he was crying, brokenly and quietly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Percy cry. When he was a kid, maybe, but Bill honestly couldn't recall. Belatedly, Bill realized that he was just sitting there and watching his brother cry. Giving himself a mental shake, he stood and went around the table to kneel beside Percy. He wrapped an arm around Percy's shoulders, and drew him close, whispering

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry Perce . . . "Over and over again.

Much later Percy shrugged out of his hold and, refusing to look at Bill, carried his cold tea to the sink. Then he fled the room, muttering softly to Bill as he passed

"I'm sorry to have woken you, go back to bed."

Bill watched him leave, feeling unsettled and guilty and angry and sad all at once. He slowly washed their cups, and put them away, then climbed the stairs to his room, feeling aged and decrepit. As he passed Charlie's door, he noticed that his light was on. Tapping lightly, he opened the door to find Charlie reading in bed. Charlie looked up when his door opened and offered a small quirk of his mouth, and a "couldn't sleep." Bill stopped just inside the door.

"You were right. About Percy. We should . . . do something. Try and fix it. Anyway, it's late. But starting tomorrow, we need to . . . he needs us, I think."