Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.
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Crystal
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Part Two
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The teacup hit the kitchen floor and shattered, splashing sugary tea and pieces of cheap china across Arthur Weasley's slippered feet.
"Not another one," Molly turned from the stove where she was cooking breakfast. She was about to berate her husband for breaking the second last of her favourite teacups when she saw the expression on his face. "Arthur, dear, what is it?"
Arthur Weasley appeared to be in shock. He was staring intently at something on the wall. Molly walked over to her husband and followed the direction of his gaze with her own. Why was Arthur was staring at the clock?
"Arthur?" Molly asked quietly. She gave her husband's arm a gentle shake. He looked down at her and Molly could see the tears in his eyes. He grabbed her hand tightly and looked back at the clock.
Molly looked at the clock, deliberately avoiding the hand labelled 'Fred' which was pointing at the words 'in God's care'. For a moment she couldn't see what was wrong. Ron and Ginny were at school and everyone else was 'at home'. There were no hands pointing to 'lost', 'in trouble', 'travelling', 'at work', or 'don't ask'. Then it struck her, everyone else's clock hands including Percy's were pointing to 'at home'!
"Percy!" Molly yelled. She let go of Arthur's hand and trotted towards the stairs. She was halfway to Percy's room when Charlie ran out of his room and grabbed hold of her.
"No, Mum," Charlie grabbed his mother in a hug.
Molly tried to push Charlie's arms away and get past him. "I've got to see Percy," she said tearfully.
"Mum, listen to me. Percy came home late last night and he's dead tired from travelling." Charlie looked into his mother's eyes. "You know how grumpy he is when he's tired. Give him a bit of time, OK?"
"He's home? He's all right?" Molly sobbed while she allowed Charlie to lead her back down the stairs.
"Yes, he's home, Mum and he will be all right," Charlie replied, "eventually."
When they reached the kitchen, Molly and Charlie found that Bill and George had obviously finished the few chores that Molly had asked them to do before breakfast. Bill and Arthur were talking quietly in front of the clock while George looked on.
"Percy's back! Isn't it wonderful!" Molly walked over to her husband and smiled up at him. Arthur nodded. While this was happening, Bill noticed breakfast burning on the stove and walked past his family to rescue the pot and his mother's wand.
"Decided to show his face here, has he?" snarled George.
"You sound more like Snape each day," Bill replied angrily. "Percy's your brother, for Merlin's sake!"
"Really? Then where was he when the Death Eaters got Fred?" George replied equally fiercely. "Hiding like the coward he is. That's where!"
"George! Please!" Molly said tearfully.
"Stop it!" Arthur said firmly. "I've already lost one son. I refuse to lose another or see this family torn apart. Regardless of what's happened in the past we will welcome Percy into this home just as we would welcome you George no matter what you did or may do."
George blinked at the rare outburst from his father and moved to meekly sit at the table.
"George," said Charlie quietly, "Percy may be many things but he's not a coward. I think he might be just about the bravest person I know."
"I would not wager on that, Charles," said Percy from the doorway. "Do you know, I forgot how noisy this place can be?"
Whatever Percy had planned to say next was smothered by Bill who had strode quickly up to Percy and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Soon all the Weasleys, even George, were sharing a group hug.
After a few minutes they stepped apart and moved towards the table, the Weasley men all pretending that they didn't have tears in their eyes.
"I better go and get..." began Percy and he started towards the door.
"I'll check on Crystal," said Charlie gruffly. "You have your breakfast."
"Yes, you need it, dear," said Molly firmly, she took hold of Percy's arm and led him back to the kitchen table.
'Whoever this Crystal person was,' thought Molly, 'she obviously hasn't taken good care of my Percy. He's all skin and bone. Well,' she thought as she hunted in the cupboard for another teacup, 'this Crystal can come downstairs and eat like a civilised person with the rest of us. And then I'll give her a what for.'
"Crystal?" said George. "Who's she? Some girl you picked up on your travels?"
"You sly dog," chuckled Bill.
Percy bristled at his brothers' words but before he could answer Charlie spoke.
"Oh yeah, she's a real heartbreaker." Charlie's eyes twinkled and he winked at Percy. Percy thought of all the tricks his brothers had played on him over the years. Maybe it was his turn to get a little of his own back, besides he was too tired to argue with Charlie. So Percy bit back a smile and said nothing.
Charlie grabbed a piece of buttered toast off the table headed upstairs. Soon he was quietly opening the door to Percy's room. He stuck his head around the door and discovered that Crystal was awake.
"Hello Crystal," Charlie said quietly to the little girl. She was sitting quietly in the old cot Charlie had found at the back of the garage and apparated into Percy's room the day before. "Remember me? I'm your Uncle Charlie." He gave Crystal the toast. Crystal inspected the toast carefully, in a very Percy-like way, before she began to eat it.
"You, me and your Dad are going to have fun today." Charlie leant over and picked up the toddler with the expert skill of a man who had helped raise five younger siblings. "Yep, lots of fun. What do you think about that?"
The little girl nibbled her toast and smiled shyly at Charlie.
"And maybe," added Charlie, "you and me just might get your Dad and your Uncle George to laugh again. Won't that be fun?"
To be continued
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Crystal
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Part Two
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The teacup hit the kitchen floor and shattered, splashing sugary tea and pieces of cheap china across Arthur Weasley's slippered feet.
"Not another one," Molly turned from the stove where she was cooking breakfast. She was about to berate her husband for breaking the second last of her favourite teacups when she saw the expression on his face. "Arthur, dear, what is it?"
Arthur Weasley appeared to be in shock. He was staring intently at something on the wall. Molly walked over to her husband and followed the direction of his gaze with her own. Why was Arthur was staring at the clock?
"Arthur?" Molly asked quietly. She gave her husband's arm a gentle shake. He looked down at her and Molly could see the tears in his eyes. He grabbed her hand tightly and looked back at the clock.
Molly looked at the clock, deliberately avoiding the hand labelled 'Fred' which was pointing at the words 'in God's care'. For a moment she couldn't see what was wrong. Ron and Ginny were at school and everyone else was 'at home'. There were no hands pointing to 'lost', 'in trouble', 'travelling', 'at work', or 'don't ask'. Then it struck her, everyone else's clock hands including Percy's were pointing to 'at home'!
"Percy!" Molly yelled. She let go of Arthur's hand and trotted towards the stairs. She was halfway to Percy's room when Charlie ran out of his room and grabbed hold of her.
"No, Mum," Charlie grabbed his mother in a hug.
Molly tried to push Charlie's arms away and get past him. "I've got to see Percy," she said tearfully.
"Mum, listen to me. Percy came home late last night and he's dead tired from travelling." Charlie looked into his mother's eyes. "You know how grumpy he is when he's tired. Give him a bit of time, OK?"
"He's home? He's all right?" Molly sobbed while she allowed Charlie to lead her back down the stairs.
"Yes, he's home, Mum and he will be all right," Charlie replied, "eventually."
When they reached the kitchen, Molly and Charlie found that Bill and George had obviously finished the few chores that Molly had asked them to do before breakfast. Bill and Arthur were talking quietly in front of the clock while George looked on.
"Percy's back! Isn't it wonderful!" Molly walked over to her husband and smiled up at him. Arthur nodded. While this was happening, Bill noticed breakfast burning on the stove and walked past his family to rescue the pot and his mother's wand.
"Decided to show his face here, has he?" snarled George.
"You sound more like Snape each day," Bill replied angrily. "Percy's your brother, for Merlin's sake!"
"Really? Then where was he when the Death Eaters got Fred?" George replied equally fiercely. "Hiding like the coward he is. That's where!"
"George! Please!" Molly said tearfully.
"Stop it!" Arthur said firmly. "I've already lost one son. I refuse to lose another or see this family torn apart. Regardless of what's happened in the past we will welcome Percy into this home just as we would welcome you George no matter what you did or may do."
George blinked at the rare outburst from his father and moved to meekly sit at the table.
"George," said Charlie quietly, "Percy may be many things but he's not a coward. I think he might be just about the bravest person I know."
"I would not wager on that, Charles," said Percy from the doorway. "Do you know, I forgot how noisy this place can be?"
Whatever Percy had planned to say next was smothered by Bill who had strode quickly up to Percy and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Soon all the Weasleys, even George, were sharing a group hug.
After a few minutes they stepped apart and moved towards the table, the Weasley men all pretending that they didn't have tears in their eyes.
"I better go and get..." began Percy and he started towards the door.
"I'll check on Crystal," said Charlie gruffly. "You have your breakfast."
"Yes, you need it, dear," said Molly firmly, she took hold of Percy's arm and led him back to the kitchen table.
'Whoever this Crystal person was,' thought Molly, 'she obviously hasn't taken good care of my Percy. He's all skin and bone. Well,' she thought as she hunted in the cupboard for another teacup, 'this Crystal can come downstairs and eat like a civilised person with the rest of us. And then I'll give her a what for.'
"Crystal?" said George. "Who's she? Some girl you picked up on your travels?"
"You sly dog," chuckled Bill.
Percy bristled at his brothers' words but before he could answer Charlie spoke.
"Oh yeah, she's a real heartbreaker." Charlie's eyes twinkled and he winked at Percy. Percy thought of all the tricks his brothers had played on him over the years. Maybe it was his turn to get a little of his own back, besides he was too tired to argue with Charlie. So Percy bit back a smile and said nothing.
Charlie grabbed a piece of buttered toast off the table headed upstairs. Soon he was quietly opening the door to Percy's room. He stuck his head around the door and discovered that Crystal was awake.
"Hello Crystal," Charlie said quietly to the little girl. She was sitting quietly in the old cot Charlie had found at the back of the garage and apparated into Percy's room the day before. "Remember me? I'm your Uncle Charlie." He gave Crystal the toast. Crystal inspected the toast carefully, in a very Percy-like way, before she began to eat it.
"You, me and your Dad are going to have fun today." Charlie leant over and picked up the toddler with the expert skill of a man who had helped raise five younger siblings. "Yep, lots of fun. What do you think about that?"
The little girl nibbled her toast and smiled shyly at Charlie.
"And maybe," added Charlie, "you and me just might get your Dad and your Uncle George to laugh again. Won't that be fun?"
To be continued
