Chapter four: Family Connections

After the burial everyone except Percy and Audrey headed inside to turn in early.

"We're going to go get a few more of our things," Percy announced to the group.

"Don't stay out too long," Mrs. Weasley said as Percy linked hands with Audrey and they began walking.

"It's so weird being back here," Audrey said as they dropped down into the safe house.

"I know. Just get a few things tonight. I say we leave most of this here until we get our own place," Percy said looking around.

"I guess that works for me," Audrey said. They didn't take long gathering the things that they needed for the night and the next few days and headed back to the Burrow.

"Hey Audrey," Percy said sadly as they climbed into his bed for the night.

"Hmm?" she looked up at him and rolled over onto her side to face him better. He fidgeted.

"I know what you've said and I hate that I'm asking you this but I need you Audrey," he said not meeting her eye.

"I'm here, I have no intentions on going anywhere. There's no where else that I want to go or can go. You are the only thing I have left," she said adding emphasis on the word "only." She reached up and touched his cheek causing him to look at her.

"That's not what I meant," he replied. She looked at him for a moment confused but then realized what he'd meant.

"Percy," she trailed off, this time her eyes didn't meet his.

"I know, I'm sorry, I know you said you wanted to wait," he started but she'd cut him off with a simple kiss.

"With or without a ring, do you plan on asking me to marry you?" she asked.

"Yes, I do. I said that before. I just don't want to rush it and I want to get you a ring and ask you right. You're the only one that I want to spend the rest of my life with. You're the only one I could spend it with. It's been almost three years since we met do you realize that?"

"In August," she smiled.

"In these three years, we've been to hell and back, literally. I just can't see my future without you in it," he said.

"I don't want this to happen all the time. I told you that I wanted to wait until I was married," she said.

"I know, I know, but tonight I need you," he replied.

"I said I wasn't going anywhere," Audrey smiled before pulling him to her and kissing him.

~HP~HP~HP~

It was going on eleven o' clock when Mr. Weasley knocked on the bedroom door.

"Nice to see you awake," he poked his head into the room. Percy and Audrey were lying in bed cuddled together and they were talking about the next handful of days.

"Morning father," Percy said his ears turning red. He and Audrey weren't exactly dressed yet.

"I just wanted to tell you that your mother seems to think that moving on with every day life is going to help her cope with this. She may be in here soon demanding that you two help clean this place up. She's upstairs laying into Ron and Ginny about sleeping in the same bed as Harry and Hermione, and if she sees you two," he trailed off, "Well, let's not think about that, he said.

"They shouldn't be sleeping together anyways," Percy said.

"Oh come on Perce, I don't think anyone wants to be alone right now. Cut them a break," Audrey said lightly smacking him.

"Yes, but they're all just children," Percy said.

"Actually, Ginny's the only one who's still legally a child now and she's grown up to be a fine young lady. Age is just a number," Mr. Weasley interrupted. Audrey glared at Percy for a moment.

"Well anyways, get up and make yourselves presentable before your mother decides to round on you," Mr. Weasley said leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"You know, I don't really want to," Audrey said now smiling at Percy, "I'd rather stay right here," she rested her head on his bare chest.

"I agree," Percy said wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, "But you heard my father, and he's right, mum doesn't approve of this since we're not married."

"You know, I don't really approve either, but as long as you plan on marrying me," she smiled up at him.

"I heard that she caught Bill and Fleur before they were married. They were engaged. I didn't hear everything that happened, but apparently she was beyond mad," Percy said.

"Well then I guess we'd better get up now?" Audrey asked.

"That would be a good idea," Mrs. Weasley opened the bedroom door. She looked furious but her tone and word choice were just the opposite.

"If you're planning on sticking around today I'm about to go start making breakfast. Ginny and Hermione are going to help me while Ron and Harry get started helping your father out in the garden. You two can help Bill, George, Fleur and Angelina dust the inside of this place so that it looks like we live here again," she said.

"There isn't anywhere else we want to be mum," Percy said with a smile on his face. Mrs. Weasley's eyes teared up. She looked for a moment like she wanted to hug him but then she decided better of it.

"Well get up, get dressed and come on down," she said shutting the door behind her.

"She didn't say anything," Audrey said.

"I know. For a minute there I almost had a heart attack," Percy said. Audrey laughed.

"Me too. I thought we were done for," she smiled.

~HP~HP~HP~

As the day went on, more and more of the house looked new again. Audrey finally had the chance to spend a little time with everyone getting to know them better than she had when she'd come for Christmas with her mum.

"You are a very charming girl," Fleur laughed at a joke Audrey had made. "Percy is lucky to 'ave you," she said in her French accent.

"I think that Bill is lucky to have you," Audrey said. She was getting along with everyone just fine.

"So Audrey, I hear you're keeping my little brother in line," Bill walked up behind Fleur. Audrey smiled.

"If that's what they're calling it these days," Audrey replied.

"In August I'll be old enough to teach you some of my favorite tricks," Ginny walked into the room as well.

"Thanks Ginny, but I don't think I'll need them any time soon," she smiled as she looked out the window. Percy was outside talking with Ron and Harry. She was sure that he was trying to make it up to them one family member at a time.

"Whatever you've been doing seems to be working," Ginny commented following Audrey's line of sight.

"I honestly haven't done much of anything besides try to talk sense into him," Audrey replied.

"And that worked?" George came in and asked astounded at her answer.

"Well, look at him," she pointed out the window, "You tell me," she said.

"We've been trying that all our lives," George said sitting down on the arm of the chair Audrey was sitting in, "Now he's making jokes, and spending time with us, it's weird."

"I don't know," Audrey said.

"I think he's in love with you," Bill said. Audrey smiled and then turned a small shade of pink

"I know he's in love with me," she replied thinking about how he told her just last night she was the only one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"Aw man," George said pulling Audrey out of her mind. She looked questioningly up at the man beside her.

"After he lost the bet to dad, Fred and I made a bet that he would accidentally hurt you like he hurt Penelope. Fred bet that he wouldn't. He always had more faith in the git than the rest of us," George said sadly.

"Wait, what?" Audrey asked, "You guys bet that Percy and I wouldn't last?" she asked disbelieving what she had heard.

"Well, Percy's always been a git. He's had bad luck with relationships," George said.

"I agree, he is a git, but he and Penelope are friends now," she said. The men in the room looked at one another.

"You mean that they're actually on speaking terms?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. I stayed with her for a few days and then she stayed with us for a night when we went into hiding," Audrey said, "We were visiting her and her daughter at her friend's house and –" Ginny cut her off.

"Penelope has a daughter?" she asked.

"She was married. Apparently he died when they came after her for being a Muggleborn. Katrina's about four months old now," Audrey answered.

"Wow," Bill said, "Are you sure that talking since to him is the only thing you've done?" he asked, "Are you sure we're talking about the same Percy Weasley?"

"Red hair, glasses, occasionally a prat," Audrey said.

"That sounds like him. Everything else you've said doesn't," Bill replied.

"What are we talking about?" Percy asked coming into the room followed by Ron and Harry. Almost the entire family was here now. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were the only two missing.

"Nothing important," Audrey said blushing. Percy eyed her wearily. Ginny and George snickered while Bill and Fleur looked at one another.

"I'm sure it was nothing," Percy said to Audrey.

"I'm going back in the kitchen," Ginny announced getting up and leaving the room

"Is Hermione in there? Harry and I will come to," Ron said dragging Harry behind him.

Slowly, one by one each family member gave an excuse and left Percy and Audrey alone. Bill and George stood outside the door inconspicuously watching the room they'd just left.

"Let them alone Bill," Fleur tried to persuade.

"I want to see what she does," he said kissing his wife on the cheek. She shook her head and then went to join the girls in the kitchen.

"Did I do something wrong?" Percy asked looking over his shoulder at the door most of his family had just gone through.

"No, we were just finishing up the conversation anyways," Audrey said. Percy crossed the room to her and touched his hand to her burning cheek.

"Why can't I know what you were talking about?" he asked.

"You'll have to ask someone who can tell you. I'm not allowed," Audrey said not meeting his eye.

"Come on Audrey," he said pleading.

"It's not important," she replied reaching up and kissing him.

"I don't believe you," he said moving her over a little bit and sliding into the chair beside her. She rested her head against his chest.

"Then don't believe me, but that usually gets you in trouble," she smiled. He sighed.

"You're right, it usually does. This time, I have a feeling that it won't."

"Look at how easily he succumbs to her," George whispered to Bill.

"I see this. She reminds me a lot of Fleur," he replied.

"You know, I have an idea," Percy said to Audrey.

"What's your idea?" she asked looking up at him. His eyes matched the smile on his lips as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Will you tell me now?" he asked when they broke.

"Nice try Mr. Weasley," she smiled, "That only works if I'm the one trying to get something out of you," she said.

"One of these days, you'll have to play nice," he said smiling.

"Why will I have to play nice?" she asked.

"One day you'll be Mrs. Weasley," he whispered. She smiled.

"That doesn't mean I have to play nice. I heard that to be a Weasley you have to be smart, you have to be brave, you have to have red hair or something close to it, and you have to be able to tell a worthy joke" she smiled.

"That's not true. I've been a Weasley all my life and until I met you I was neither brave nor able to tell a good joke," he said sadly, "That's been up to Fred and George to do."

"I'm sorry," she whispered running her hand through his hair.

"It's not your fault, its mine," he said.

"Come on Percy, you've been told by every single one of us and even punched in the face by George. You can't still believe it's your fault," she replied a tint of sadness in her voice as well.

"I should have done something else. I shouldn't have caught him off guard," Percy said.

"I know you feel that way, but honestly it isn't your fault. It'll be okay," Audrey said in a comforting tone as she leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Maybe it will, but I'll never have the chance to make things right with him. I have a feeling that it'll be okay with the rest of my family, even though they probably think I'm mental, but Fred's gone Audrey," he said sadly.

"I don't know about you Bill, but I think he's mental," George whispered to his older brother as they continued to watch the middle Weasley brother and his girlfriend.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I almost wish you would have come and gotten me first," Audrey said sympathetically.

"I didn't want you in the middle of the battle. If I'd lost you, I would have found a way to kill myself," Percy said.

"Please don't," Audrey pleaded, "I would rather not fight anyways so I'm glad that you didn't," she said.

"I'm glad that I didn't too. I know I told you to go somewhere different but I figured you'd go right back to Nicole and Penelope anyways," he smiled at her as he rested his forehead against hers.

"They're my friends now too," she said, "I didn't know where else to go."

"I know. I also said it to throw the Death Eaters off," he replied. They looked at each other for a moment.

"I love you Audrey," Percy said and then he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

"Did he just tell her he loves her?" Bill asked surprised.

"I told you he's gone mental," George replied in the same tone.

"I think it's sweet that he's finally learned to tell a girl how he feels," Ginny said coming up behind them, Harry in tow, "we like to be reminded more than once," she smiled leaning back against Harry.

"Okay, I can't take any more of this lovey dovey stuff. First my brother and now my sister?" George said standing up from where he'd been crouched below Bill so they could both watch inside the room.

"One day George you'll find her, and you'll look about like the rest of us," Bill said smiling.

"If I ever look like that," he pointed to the room where Percy and Audrey were now enjoying sitting together in each other's arms, "Somebody hit me," he finished. Bill, Ginny, and Harry laughed at him as he made his way up the stairs to his room.