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Chapter Thirty-Six

The Return of Percy Weasley

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Penelope hoped that Ron hadn't unnerved Percy by talking about too many unfamiliar things. When she'd first opened the door of the flat and found him standing there she'd been unable to speak at first, and the way that he spoke to her was strange and rather un-Percy-like, though she supposed that was from the memory charm.

After Julian had left the flat with Abby and before Ron had shown up with Nate they'd talked half an hour with no break, sitting very close to each other on the couch. Eventually they'd stopped talking and their faces seemed to be very close together. He'd stared at her, clearly very nervous, so she moved first, brushing her lips lightly against his. She wasn't prepared for his response, which was to gasp, opening his mouth and bringing his hands up to grasp her head as she also opened her mouth. He kissed her back frantically, without any of the finesse she was accustomed to Percy Weasley possessing. (He was a perfectionist about everything.) She stopped worrying about something that had nagged her a little bit: whether he had been with other women while he was in Gibraltar. The fact that he was so awkward and seemed to have no idea how to do a simple thing like kiss her seemed to indicate that he was out of practice.

He wasn't completely clueless, however. He could tell from the way that she was responding—or not responding—that something was wrong. "Sorry," he said breathlessly. "It's been so long—and—and have you seen yourself? My God—what did you ever see in—in me? Why didn't you go for someone who was actually good-looking?"

She laughed. "Well, you were pretty smooth. We'll have to re-teach you that, yeah? It's all right—I don't mind…" She stood and started leading him toward the bedroom but he hesitated and asked for the bathroom. When he emerged, he looked like he was going to explode, and afterward she felt a little like a civilian who'd got in the way of friendly fire. He doesn't feel like himself yet, she assured herself, watching him lie on his back, contemplating the ceiling over the bed with a rather silly grin. He seemed about to suggest that they give it another go—so he'd have more practice—when she realised that Nate would be arriving, so they'd dressed and continued to talk while they waited for the moment when he would meet his son.

Ron was rising to leave when Percy returned to the kitchen, some colour in his cheeks once more. With a furtive look at Penelope, he said, "If you don't mind, I think I'd better see my mum and dad tonight." He looked nervously at her and at his son. "I got to meet Julian earlier, after all. He's so young. It might alarm him if I suddenly spend the night. In the morning you can all come to—to my parents' house and we'll have breakfast. Erm, if Mum is all right with guests for breakfast, of course."

Ron shrugged. "Don't see why she wouldn't be, considering the occasion."

"Of course," Penelope said. "How could I begrudge your parents finding out that you're back? I'm surprised you didn't go there already, though I am glad you thought of me first." She reddened slightly and turned to Ron. "Will you contact the others, or shall I?"

"Let me," Ron said swiftly. "Harry's my best mate, after all, and I see Fred and George a lot. But could you go to the post office in Diagon Alley and send a long-distance owl to Charlie? I couldn't possibly use my poor little owl to go to the reservation in South America. He can barely make it between The Burrow and our house." Ron turned to Percy. "If you're not back in practice yet when it comes to Apparating we can take the Knight Bus to Mum and Dad's."

Nate looked cross. "Why can't I go, too?"

"Because you've just got home from school and I want to talk to you about—a lot of things," Penelope said obliquely, looking sideways at Percy. "We'll see your grandparents tomorrow." She sighed. "I take it that all of the Weasleys are likely to be descending upon the Mother Ship in the morning?"

"Probably," Ron said. "Hard to say about Bill and Fleur. I just remembered—they're visiting her mum and sister in France. Could you send an owl to them, too?" Ron added, smiling feebly.

She rolled her eyes. "Very well. Oh, bother, if you're going to get the Knight Bus we might as well come along and get off at Diagon Alley, to go to the post office."

"Can we stop at McDonald's on the way back?" Nate asked.

"All right," she said, laughing. "Julian is, so you want to as well? Fine." She hooked her arm through Percy's. "And we'll have breakfast together tomorrow. Call me on your mobile, Ron, to confirm. We don't want to make your poor little owl fly to London."

Ron agreed and Percy nodded, saying, "Right. Okay then."

She couldn't help thinking that Percy looked a bit lost as he sat beside his brother on the bus. She and Nate got off outside the Leaky Cauldron and waved to Ron and Percy as the bus pulled away again. Nate sighed as they turned to the door of the pub.

"My dad. He's actually my dad," Nate said in wonder, looking at the empty street where the bus had been moments before.

"Yes. He actually is," Penelope said dreamily, amazed that the very thing she'd hoped for all these years had finally happened.

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"Say Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"

Percy blinked in the flash's blinding light as Luna took yet another photograph of him, before The Burrow's living room hearth, this time with Harry and Ginny. Harry was feeling disoriented from all of the photography. He didn't think he'd seen so many flashes since just after he'd come back through the Veil. At least it's Luna handling the camera, he thought, not that trollish old wizard Rita uses. Ron was writing about Percy's return for The Quibbler. No one else knew about him yet. The gathering at The Burrow was a family-only affair.

Ginny grinned and hugged Percy. "I still can't believe you're back!"

Percy held her tightly, smiling uncertainly at her. "So, you and Pot—erm, Harry, have been married for a while?"

"Since the summer I left school," Ginny mumbled, putting her arm around Harry and pulling away from her brother, her face very red.

"Percy, what have I told you about that?" Luna's dreamy voice said. She sounded disappointed.

Percy jumped, putting his hands in his pockets very quickly. Harry frowned, confused, but when he turned back to Luna he understood. She shook her head at her eldest son. The eight-year-old boy's strawberry-blond hair was falling in his eyes and his hands were behind his back. Luna patiently held out her hand, waiting. Young Percy finally took an Extendable Ear from behind his back. Luna sighed.

"If someone wants you to know something they will tell you," she said mildly.

The boy's jaw dropped. "But that's Dad's! How do you think he gets most of his stories?"

Luna simply put the pinkish piece of rubbery material in her pocket. "If you're here, who's taking care of Diana?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Cedric and Hal. Between the two of them they can manage. They're looking for gnomes in the garden. And Nana's out there with them. She's also watching Charlotte and the twins. She can handle Diana if Ced and Hal can't."

"Gnomes. That sounds like fun. Why don't you join them?" Her voice was as mild as ever, yet Harry—and young Percy—could tell that this was an order, not a suggestion.

The boy sighed deeply. "Yes, Mum," he droned, turning toward the garden, his shoulders slumping. Luna turned back to Harry, Ginny and Percy, noticing the surprised look on Percy's face. Her own revealed nothing.

"Did that confuse you? We named our eldest boy after you. Ron's idea."

Percy took his hands out of his pockets again. "Oh, right. He told me that on the bus."

He'd no sooner said this than the noise of the Knight Bus erupted again outside. Harry went to the door, Ginny hurrying after him. "Penelope and the boys are here," he announced, wondering why Ginny was standing so very close to him. They went out to the front garden to greet the newcomers to the party, but it wasn't just Penelope, Nate and Julian who disembarked from the bus. They were quickly followed by Hermione and Neville, carrying their baby daughter, Frances. The baby's abundant, unruly brown hair framed a very round face, like Neville's and his mother's, and her large, observant brown eyes seemed to take in everything around her.

"Ooooh!" Molly cried, coming around the corner of the house, toting Charlotte and Diana on her hips. "Look who's here, girls! It's little Fran!"

Harry did not miss Hermione's mouth tightening when Molly said this. If her smile were any stiffer she could pass for being Petrified again. Suddenly Molly thrust Charlotte at Harry and Diana at Ginny so she could hug the littlest Longbottom, cooing over her plump, tiny hands and the chubby brown legs and feet protruding from her gingham pinafore dress. When Harry heard Percy's voice at his elbow he noticed that Ginny jumped a little and edged away from him again.

"I thought this was family only," Percy said, looking suspiciously at the Longbottoms.

"Hermione and Neville might as well be family, right, Ron?" Molly said pointedly, bouncing the baby on her hip. Harry remembered that after Ron and Hermione broke up, Molly had explained to Ron that she would still welcome Hermione in her house any time, as she considered her to be a family member as much as Harry was, or any of her children. Ron would just have to get used to the idea. She also heartily approved of Hermione and Neville, as she and Arthur had known the Longbottoms well, but Harry thought she was also a little disappointed. The relationship with Neville made it less likely that Hermione and Ron would give it another go. Harry wondered whether that was why she wanted Hermione to come round 'any time.'

"It's amazing that you're back!" Hermione said, hugging Percy quickly. He looked shocked that she did this and it was over before he could reciprocate, his arms stiff by his sides while she had her arms around him. Neville shook his hand, nodding. Percy pulled his hand away abruptly.

"Ron? Where are you?" Molly evidently hadn't realised the first time she'd addressed Ron that he hadn't been nearby. She looked at the house and saw him in the doorway. "What are you doing?" she called. "Say hello to Hermione and Neville and Franny!"

"Frances," Hermione said, barely moving her jaw.

"I'm organising my story notes. We'll chat later," Ron called from the doorway of the house, raising his hand to wave at Hermione and Neville.

"Did you say something, dear?" Molly asked Hermione, turning back to her as Hermione reached for her daughter. Hermione had to tug the baby from Molly's grip.

"Her name is Frances," Hermione said, the stiff smile in place still.

Molly took Diana from Ginny and Charlotte from Harry again. "Yes, dear, I know," she said, distracted. "Named after your dear father," she added to Neville, looking on him fondly. "We're still setting up tables in the garden for breakfast." As she turned away with the babies Harry saw Hermione's feeble—and failed—attempt not to frown at the back of Molly's head. "Bill and Fleur and Marguerite should be here soon," Molly went on breezily, "and I expect the twins to be—"

At that moment Fred and George Apparated not one foot away from their mother, making her stop so suddenly she looked like she was going to have a heart attack. "Fred and George! How many times must I tell you—"

"Yeah, Mum, we're very, very sorry," Fred said hastily, reaching for Diana, throwing her up and catching her, grinning at her laughter. "There's my girl!" he said. "Be riding a Firebolt 3000 any day now."

"Born to be in the air," George agreed, catching Diana when Fred tossed her to him. She screamed with glee.

"Stop that! Give me that baby—" Molly started to say, but George had already tossed her back to Fred, who nonchalantly handed his niece to his mother. The twins walked around her, both still grinning, as they approached Hermione and Neville.

"And another one! How are you, little Fanny?" Fred asked as he chucked Frances under the chin. Harry thought the only reason the baby wasn't tossed in the air like Diana was that Fred recognised that Hermione had a death-grip on her. Harry also thought that Hermione would soon look like she'd had an overdose of Pepper-Up Potion.

"Her name is Frances," Hermione said, her jaw clenched.

This time Neville also looked nettled. "Do not call her that vile name," he said tensely to Fred.

"But Frances is such a bore," George said, rolling his eyes.

"You couldn't have called her Francesca, at least?" Fred suggested.

Hermione's face fell. "Oh. Wow. Actually, that's a really good one. Where were you when we were picking names?"

"Oi!" Neville said, bristling and taking the baby from Hermione, holding her closely. "You said you loved the name."

But the twins had moved on to Percy. "Perce! The prodigal returns!" Fred slapped Percy on the back so hard Harry thought his teeth were going to fly out of his mouth.

"Hmph!" Molly scoffed. "If anyone is prodigal…"

The twins ignored her, as usual. George approached Percy and Harry saw Percy flinch, perhaps fearing another round of back-slapping. "So, I hear you've been skiving in sunny Gibraltar. Lots of pretty girls to gawp at, yeah?" George said, winking.

"Well, erm, I wouldn't call it skiving," Percy said uncertainly. He never did quite know how to take the twins, Harry remembered. Then Percy looked like he was forcing himself to smile. "Maybe I should have had some of your snackboxes, though."

"Ha!" Fred laughed, slapping Percy's back again. While Percy looked rather alarmed by the twins—and also like he was trying not to look alarmed—Harry thought that he was making a noble effort, considering how much of his life he didn't remember.

By the time they were sitting at the tables in the garden, Bill and Fleur, who had taken a midnight Portkey from France, had arrived in a Gringotts car driven by a very old goblin chauffer, with their daughter. Marguerite was a tall, willowy girl who had turned nine years old about a month after Ruby and Rory. She had her mother's hair and her father's smirk. Harry enjoyed seeing all of the cousins together for once. They got along remarkably well. Ruby and Rory, amazingly, would do whatever Marguerite did, while young Percy and his brothers were surprisingly polite at table. Luna had only to raise an eyebrow or gently shake her head and one of them would say, "Sorry, Mum," and correct his behaviour.

Nate, oddly enough, wasn't the happiest-looking boy in the world. Sitting between his mother and his resurrected father, he seemed a little left-out and lonely as question after question was fired at Percy. Ron used his right hand for his quill and ate with his left. At length Harry thought he had an inkling about what was unsettling Nate.

"Would you like to have Teddy here?" he asked Nate, who sat across from him. His nephew looked up hopefully, but it was his little brother who answered.

"Could you bring Tilda and my dad?" Julian asked. Harry looked at Julian. He'd failed to notice that Snape's son, merely along for the ride as Nate's little brother, hadn't spoken much, not even to Ruby and Rory, who were listening to Marguerite talk about France.

Poor kid, Harry thought. Having Snape for a dad. "Of course, I'll fetch all three of them. I can Apparate there, make certain that they can come, and if there's no problem we'll all take the bus back."

As he started to stand, Ginny grasped his hand and squeezed it. When he looked at her she was mouthing the words, Thank you, to him. He squeezed her hand back.

"Your food will get cold, Harry—" Molly began.

"I'll use a spell to warm it up again. In the meantime, can someone add a few feet to one of the tables and conjure up a few more chairs?" He Disapparated as Arthur and Bill were doing this and Molly was trying to convince Fred and George that they didn't need to do a thing.

Harry knocked on Tilda's door a minute later, knowing that Snape was likely to be there, but it still didn't prepare him for the sight of his colleague answering Tilda's door in his dressing gown, in the middle of actually laughing at something either Tilda or Teddy had said. Harry froze and stared. Snape abruptly stopped laughing and looked highly affronted at seeing Harry, of all people, in the open doorway.

"Erm," Harry said, swallowing. When he saw Tilda coming down the stairs in her dressing gown, covered in a pattern of large pink roses, it didn't help matters. He very inappropriately remembered that when he first took refuge in her house, so many years before, he saw her remove her dressing gown after she'd showered…

Stop that, he ordered himself. If you're not careful Snape will find out what you're thinking. Don't want that, do you? And anyway—you're not interested in Tilda anymore. It was perfectly true. He wasn't. But at this moment it was very easy to remember that he had been, once, and why.

"Potter!" Snape said, making it clear that Harry's presence was not welcome.

"Harry?" Tilda said uncertainly, walking toward the door, instinctively pulling the collar of her dressing gown together with her hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, erm, something's happened."

Tilda paled. "Oh my God! What?"

"No, no!" he said hastily. "Something good, I mean. I'm going about this very badly. I've come to see whether you all can come to a celebration."

"A celebration?" Snape said sceptically, eyeing Harry suspiciously. "An urgent celebration at this hour?"

"Well, it's just that—it involves Nate. And Nate is Teddy's best friend. And he just—he seems rather lonely in the middle of all of this and a bit lost and unprepared. And I thought, if there's anyone who knows how it feels to suddenly meet your father—"

"What?" Snape said, gripping Harry's arm painfully. Harry felt something like an electric shock jolt them both at the place where the hand held his arm. Snape released his grip immediately. He peered into Harry's face very closely.

"Percy's back," Harry said, watching Snape for a reaction. Harry had never seen him so stunned. Snape seldom betrayed surprise so the fact that he showed any reaction at all was amazing, Harry felt.

"Percy Weasley?" he whispered. Harry nodded.

"In the flesh. He was at Penelope's when Ron took Nate home yesterday. Turns out he wasn't so much dead all these years as living in Gibraltar with a memory charm on him making him forget most of his life, including being a wizard. He's been working as a lawyer's clerk and couldn't leave Gibraltar with no papers."

It was strange to see Snape having difficulty speaking. "Penelope—she must be—"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed. "She is."

"Severus, wouldn't it be better to have this conversation in the kitchen?" Tilda said suddenly. She seemed to be watching him very intently as he spoke about Penelope. He looked at her as if he'd forgotten she was there.

"Of course, of course," he said vaguely.

"Well, see," Harry said quickly, "I'm inviting you to breakfast. At The Burrow. That's where Molly and Arthur Weasley live," he explained to Tilda. "Nate's grandparents. Penelope and Nate and Julian are already there and I offered to fetch Teddy so Nate could have his best mate there, and Julian asked if I could also bring you and Tilda."

Snape had returned to looking sceptical. "You don't just want your son there because—" He stopped abruptly, then said, "Never mind," very quickly.

"You mean—Nate's dad isn't dead?" Harry looked up. Teddy, in jeans and a Gryffindor T-shirt, was coming downstairs.

"Right," Harry said, jolted. When did Teddy get so tall? It was like seeing his dad in Snape's Pensieve again.

Teddy was suddenly grinning and looking impatient. "What are we waiting for? Can we go, Mum? Nate must be—well, that explains why he sounded so odd when I called him."

"Teddy," she said quickly, "don't assume anything. But, well—I reckon while we're at it we could make a little announcement ourselves."

Teddy frowned. Harry couldn't tell why. "Yeah, I reckon," he agreed, sounding reluctant.

It didn't take long for Snape and Tilda to dress and soon the four of them were on the Knight Bus, which was nearly empty the day after the summer term ending at Hogwarts. In no time they had arrived at The Burrow, only a little worse for wear. Harry was glad that he had offered to bring Teddy. Nate immediately brightened up, as did Julian, though it seemed to Harry that Julian was even more pleased to see Tilda than his dad. After being greeted by Arthur and Molly, who, Harry thought, was less than welcoming toward Tilda than she could have been, Snape, Tilda and Teddy sat at the new places that had been added to the table at the end where Percy, Penelope, Julian and Nate were already sitting.

Penelope did the introductions. "Percy, this is Tilda Harrison. She's Teddy's mum. Teddy is Nate's best mate."

Percy stared at Teddy before looking back and forth between Teddy and Harry. Harry felt an instinctive defensiveness rise in him. "So, you and—" Percy was having difficulty forming the words, glancing back and forth between Tilda and Harry so quickly Harry thought his eyeballs would fall out of his head.

Tilda was a deep pink colour as she cleared her throat. She nodded at Snape, beside her. "Perhaps this isn't the best time," Snape said quietly.

"Nonsense," she said briskly. "There's no reason to keep it to ourselves."

A slight frown pulling at the edges of his mouth, Severus Snape attempted a smile and stood, raising his voice. "Congratulations, Arthur and Molly, at the return of your son."

"…whose stepson will soon have a new stepmother!" Tilda finished, taking Snape's arm and looking fondly at Julian, who squealed and threw his arms around her waist.

Harry swallowed. What? No. This can't be happening. They're getting married? Tilda and Snape? But when he saw Ginny peering at him uncertainly he forced his mouth to smile. Harry stood and raised his glass of pumpkin juice.

"To Tilda and—and Severus," he said loudly, the forced smile making his face hurt.

"To Tilda and Severus," the others echoed, raising their glasses.

When Harry sat, Percy had a strangely familiar smirk on his face, though Harry couldn't remember ever seeing Percy smirk. Later, Harry was putting dishes in the kitchen sink while Percy followed with an empty pitcher. Harry couldn't help noticing that Percy was still smirking all over his face while Harry put a spell on the sink to make the dishes wash themselves.

"Is there something you'd like to say to me, Percy?" he asked quietly, trying not to sound too confrontational, in case Ginny heard.

Percy laughed for a moment. "It's just—you should have seen your face when the mother of your bas—erm, your son announced that she was marrying Snape!"

Harry took some cups and saucers from the table and added them to the sink with a clatter. "I'm fine. It's just—well, how did you react to finding out that Snape was acting like your son's stepfather? He'll actually be my son's stepfather."

Percy looked surprised. "What are you talking about?"

Harry shook his head and left the kitchen. Percy followed him up the stairs. "Did that memory charm take away part of your brain? You used to be halfway intelligent."

Percy bristled and repeated, "What are you talking about, Potter?"

Harry turned when they'd reached the bathroom. "Somehow you seem to have missed the part about Penelope having a kid with Snape. He's Julian's dad. Didn't you notice even a tiny resemblance? That's what Tilda meant when she said that your stepson was going to have a new stepmother."

Percy opened his mouth soundlessly at first. When he could finally speak he whispered, "Is that what she was on about? I'm not married, so I can't have a stepson."

"Well, you and Penelope have a kid, she seems to have been waiting for you to come back all of these years—I'm pretty certain that that's why she turned down Snape's proposal—and I reckon many of us just assumed—I know that your mum—"

"I'm not marrying anyone!" he said suddenly, his face very pale. Some of his freckles even seemed to be fading. Harry peered at him.

"Are you okay, Percy?"

Percy checked his watch quickly. "Erm, no, can I use the loo first?"

Harry stepped aside. "Of course. What's—" But Percy pushed past him without even a brief thank you, slamming the door quickly. Harry grimaced. "You're welcome!" he called through the door. He received no answer from Percy and after fifteen minutes of waiting he gave up and decided that he could go to the loo when he returned home.

Harry went outdoors again, finding that most of the party was breaking up and some people had left already. Bill, Fleur and Marguerite were gone, as were the twins. Hermione, Neville and Frances were talking to Tilda and Snape while Teddy, Nate and Ron's boys played Tag with Ruby, Rory and Julian. Luna stood nearby, taking photographs while Ron ran around the garden with Diana on his shoulders. Ginny was speaking with her parents and Penelope while Molly cuddled Charlotte.

Harry walked up to Luna as she snapped a picture of Ruby and Rory. "That looks like it'll be a good one. But surely you're not going to put these in The Quibbler?"

"No, these are for the family album. I'll send copies to you and Ginny," she said, the camera against her eye again as she got Teddy and Nate in her sights, joined by Julian. The boys suddenly saw that she was photographing them and immediately started pulling hideous faces. Luna didn't react but simply took the picture. Harry laughed at the boys' antics, but Luna's silent stoicism made him clear his throat and stop. He remembered that she didn't tend to laugh unless Ron was telling a joke.

"He's a bit rude sometimes," Luna said, the camera still hiding her face as she searched for another subject to photograph.

"Snape? What, don't you remember what it was like to have him for a teacher?"

She looked him in the eye. "I meant Percy. And you need to get over Snape marrying your son's mother."

"Who's being rude now?" Harry snarled, sinking his hands deep into his pockets.

"You're the one who brought up Severus Snape. Was he always like that?"

"Percy?"

"Yes."

Harry shrugged. "He was never exactly my favourite person. I reckon you need time to get to know the real Percy."

Luna said something but he couldn't hear it. The kids started squealing loudly, chasing each other in circles, and then Ginny called, "Harry! Get the twins! We should leave."

"Okay!" he agreed. "Excuse me, Luna. Erm, I have a feeling that I didn't hear the last thing you said."

"I said, 'Don't I have to meet him first?'" She looked at him placidly and Harry frowned.

"Yeah, I reckon. But in terms of personality, I don't think you'll find that Percy with all of his memories will be a lot different from this one."

She sighed. "That wasn't what I meant."

He had to turn away from her and extract Ruby and Rory from their game with the boys. They moaned and groaned and fussed so he resorted to tickling them, which made them even more hysterical, which exasperated Ginny. Once they were home again, Hades jumping around them excitedly and barking madly, Harry threw himself into his favourite armchair by the fire and thought about Luna's words.

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