Haha, thank you as always Imperial Dragon.

College Chick, you're probably right. And I think taking longer to write the chapters actually tends to be better written chapters. My problem is I get too excited and rush stuff so I can upload it. But I think you're right. Thaaaaaaaaaank you for your woooooooords.

Thank you Schwans, from the chapter before!

Ohhh, you RP Pen on Twitter, gngrlvr1? I'm so old, how do you even RP someone on Twitter? Isn't it a bit hard with having such a minimal amount of characters to write with? Thank you as usual.

Thank you all! Hope you enjoy.

Please read and review. :)

Chapter Thirty Eight.

Fleur Weasley was consumed with worry for her Mother-in-Law. It was true, before Bill's injuries with Greyback, Fleur had had quite the number of issues with Molly Weasley. Her overprotective fierceness and irrational fear of losing her eldest son to the dreaded French part Veela had always been on the forefront of any sort of relationship they had built, but Fleur had managed to blissfully pretend oblivion with that (which she had known had infuriated the poor woman). But she had always appreciated that Molly was a fierce lioness, a generous woman who would walk through fire for her children and who could have adopted every single child who was in need she could lay eyes on, if she could have. But now she had seemed to wilt, to fade, to pale. Bill usually managed to keep a strong front up for the family, and if any crack of emotion showed it was more often than not anger. But alone, behind their closed bedroom doors he would sob over the change in his Mother. Indeed, they all seemed to be affected. Arthur would spend most of his time tinkering away in the garden shed. It seemed as if they had all used up every ounce of strength for the war, and had fallen apart afterwards.

Molly would hole away in her bedroom, where photographs upon photographs would cover the bed, would cover the floor, would cover every surface. She would pore over every trace of her sons, in every stage of their lives. She was mourning both her dead son and her lost son. It was tragic.

"You know, Fred adored Percy," Molly had said abruptly one early evening as Fleur had gone into her room with a tray of tea, "He would tease him the most but he was also the most ferociously protective of him. Percy was such a sensitive boy...He needed protecting..."

Ignoring the disturbing fact that Molly had used past tense to describe her living son, Fleur set the tray down on the bedside table, "Yes," she said with a nod, "Zat does not surprise me. 'E was ze one to forgive Percy straightaway, when 'e came to the battle, after all."

Molly had not seemed to have heard Fleur as she said absently, "Not many people know this, but do you know that Percy lost his Head Boy badge?"

Fleur arched her eyebrows in surprise as she poured her Mother-in-Law a cup of tea and passed it to her, "Really? Bill never told me zat."

"Well, he doesn't know. Only the twins knew out of the children," Molly explained, "I'm not sure what it was like at your own school, but the race for Head Boy and Head Girl was a rough road at Hogwarts," she sighed, "Sometimes I wonder at the amount of pressure we put on our poor children. The amount of scheming and deviousness that went into trying to win those badges…But anyway, he only lost it for one night. Solomon Byrne, he was a Slytherin and the only one that really stood a chance competing against Percy, he did a lot of things to try and ruin his chances. Damage Percy's homework, mislead him so he would not be at Prefect duties on time, that sort of thing. It seems politics even in a school setting is never clean. And then Percy became Head Boy. I was so proud…And the only weapon Solomon really had then to use against Percy was the twins. You know what tricksters they were. They used to distress Percy so much, always in trouble. Well one day Percy was tricked into thinking Fred had gone into the Forbidden Forest. Terrified that Fred was in danger or that he would be caught and expelled, he foolishly ran in there after him, instead of going to a Professor. Too loyal to each other, they get that from Arthur. Well, of course Fred wasn't in the forest, and Percy was caught and taken up to Dumbledore. Percy realised how foolish he had been, and realised it was Solomon's doing, but would not divulge that. None of my children are snitches. I suppose it was his pride too, he did not want people realising how duped he had been. Dumbledore had no choice but to strip Percy of his badge. Well, Morgan, his friend who was Head Girl – dear thing – was so distressed by this she told the twins. Fred guessed what had happened and while I did not approve…I was awfully glad he levitated that cheating scoundrel out the window of the Astronomy Tower till he had confessed. Percy was still punished, but he was given his badge back and I believe Solomon lost his Prefect badge over it," Molly's eyes filled with fresh tears, "Fred adored Percy, only Percy never really knew."

Fleur smiled sadly, and left the room and the Mother in mourning, just as Bill ran up the stairs.

"Bill," she said worriedly, "What eez it?"

"It's Percy –" Bill began.

"Percy?" Fleur said excitedly, "'E has returned?"

"No, no – shhh," he said urgently, "We can't tell Mum. It's…Just come down," he took her hand and she wasted no time hurrying down the stairs into the lounge room.

Charlie, Arthur, Harry and Ginny were all huddled around the family clock discussing something, as Bill pointed to it. The hand for Percy was rotating rapidly between Mortal Peril and Hospital, and Fleur at once gasped and swivelled to Bill, "Your Mother cannot see this! And Percy – what are we going to do?"

"Quicksilver sent for me as soon as he saw this, and they've also sent for Ron, Hermione, George and Angelina. We're all going to split up after listing the hospitals around London to see if we can find him," Bill explained.

"I'm going to go get Penelope as well," Charlie said from across the room, "Her parents both work in hospitals. She'd know all the places, she can go too."

"Right," Fleur easily detected the irritation in her husband's voice after Charlie had mentioned the girl but she was glad to see he was in too much hurry to dwell on it as Bill continued, "Fleur, we need you to stay here –"

"With your Mother?"

"Yes, whatever you do, you cannot let her come down and see that clock. Good lord, it will break her," he touched her arm, "Can you do that?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded, "You should all leave now. I will tell ze others when zey arrive."

And so the Weasleys were off, all in a hurry and with desperation that they could find their lost brother, leaving Fleur alone with the sound of the ticking clock.

Fleur knew it would not be a difficult job ensuring Molly never came and saw the clock. She rarely came out of her room as it was. Fleur set to work folding laundry as she thought about Penelope Clearwater.

The beautiful girl who adored Percy in the photographs on the walls was vastly different to the distrustful girl that she was now. Charlie had asked Fleur to help with her mass of once beautiful hair, all tangled and it was as if a glorious stained glass window would be destroyed when Fleur regretfully said it needed to all be cut off. She remembered the way Charlie had looked after Fleur had returned the next day to give Penelope her haircut. She had been impressed with her own handiwork as Penelope sat there afterwards, looking in the mirror at the cute little pixie cut she had now, instead of the schoolgirl curls. Fleur had beamed proudly and turned to Charlie, her smile faltering at the way Charlie was looking at the young woman. He noticed Fleur looking at him after awhile and he cleared his throat, walking over to Penelope and with the worst Parisian accent she had ever heard, he said "Oh, yes, 'ow very chic!"

A laugh had erupted from the girl, and she had looked away and blushed with a shrug, as with a flourish he took the fedora from his own head and placed it in a jaunty angle over her hair. Penelope had chuckled slightly, "I'm certainly not Percy's sweetheart anymore, am I?" and Charlie had made an uncomfortable cough.

Well, why not? Fleur thought defensively after the other Weasleys and Hermione and Angelina had come and gone as she had explained everything. Really, why not? The poor girl deserved something and Charlie had pined so after Tonks who had married the wolf…Well…Why not?

After awhile there was the familiar sound of apparition and Fleur turned, surprised to see the subject of her thoughts in the flesh. Penelope looked around uncertainly, and said, "Oh…I'm the first back."

"Yes, it seems you are," Fleur said, "Any luck?"

"Hmm?" Penelope looked around, her mouth half open, "Jeez…I haven't been here in years."

"With Percy," Fleur said, "Did you find him?"

"Oh, no, I didn't," she said with a shrug, "Wasn't really expecting too, though. Percy would've gotten as far away from London as he could."

Fleur sighed, "I see…Would you like any tea?"

"No," the girl seemed distracted and she turned away from Fleur, "No thanks. I'm just going to look at the photos on the walls. Haven't been here in years…"

Fleur let her wander off and one by one the others returned, all with the same sombre news. The usually strong Ginny burst into tears when she heard everybody say they had stormed into practically all of the hospitals with no luck. She slumped down on the carpet and buried her face in her hands as Harry knelt down beside her and pulled her close while she wept, "I want my brother back!"

George slipped out of the room with Angelina, while Arthur went to his garden shed. Bill gritted his teeth as he growled, "I can't be this useless – this is fucked. How can I not find my baby brother anywhere?" and with a crack, he banged his fist into the wall.

"What do you suppose has happened?" Ginny whimpered, cradled in Harry's embrace, "Why is he hurt? Why can't we find him?"

The choked sobs did nothing to ease Bill's temper and he started pacing the carpet. Charlie stood there helplessly till he started to walk out the room.

"Where are you going?" Bill barked.

"Back to Romania," Charlie muttered.

In just a few steps Bill had made his way over to Charlie, "What the hell?–" and he grabbed him by the arm.

Charlie shoved him out of the way angrily, "Look – I'm over all this –"

"What, and you think we're not?" Ron suddenly exploded from his corner, "Fine, just go piss off to Romania like you always do –"

"Yeah," Charlie laughed, "That's right. That's me. I'm good at pissing off, so I'm going to piss off. You all can bloody watch that clock all you like, hell, have fun watching Mum break apart, Dad distance himself, George going through his crazy Fred's still alive phase, watch Percy's hand turn to death on that clock, but I'm not – I can't take this anymore – I can't take not being able to do anything, fix anything –"

Bill's face twisted with hurt and he tried to placate Charlie, "Quicksilver, don't – don't go –"

"Why us?" Charlie seemed to thunder, "You look at the Malfoys – they should all be dead. Cowards, traitors – and for some God only knows reason they escaped Azkaban!" his voice was growing louder, "Don't you see how shit that is? Lucius was thrown there for the Ministry debacle and escaped when there was that mass breakout and even now – even after everything he's still wheedled his way out of finishing his sentence. What the hell kind of justice is that? When my family did everything exactly right and one brother is dead and the other – what the hell is that about? You tell me Bill Weasley! You tell me!"

"Quicksilver."

Her voice was soft and gentle, and everybody turned to Penelope Clearwater as she stood at the doorway of the lounge room, her face full of pain for him. Tears spilled down her pale cheeks as she moved forward and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his red hair. Slowly Charlie moved his arms around her and he rested his face on her shoulder, as he cried. The Winter ice had broken and his grief was finally gushing through. He had not properly been able to mourn the losses at all, it had all been vaguely distant as he had tried to keep himself busy, had tried to ignore it, to help his family.

"I want my brothers," he sobbed incoherently, "I want my family back in tact. I don't want this, I don't want this."

Bill looked disapprovingly at the couple, but obeyed Fleur without any argument as she gestured for everybody to leave the lounge room and give them privacy. They all obeyed, Ginny touching her brother's arm fondly before she was the last to leave before Fleur.

"Don't go to Romania," Penelope murmured as Fleur left the room, shutting the door gently behind her, "Don't leave me, that's too far away. Come with me, we'll get through all this together. Don't leave me, Quicksilver. Please."