Desperate

by Lady Alekto

AN: 1. Well, I think you all know that English is not my first language? (Ducks from flying dictionaries) Well.. I guess yes. 2. Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them, well, most of them. 3. Sorry that it took me so long, but I was/am/will be very busy. - school started again...

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the other characters used in this story aren't mine. They belong to JK Rowling, and I'm just borrowing them.

Pairings: none (but maybe there will be in future, I'm not sure though)

Warnings: Suicide attempt, angst (for now), blood spells

Rating: R

You can't go
You can't fly
You can't even run away
You can't sleep
You can't dream
'cause your problems lie to deep.

('Lost dreams', by Skyjacker)

Chapter 4

About half an hour after George had fallen into a restless sleep Percy could hear voices downstairs. Apparently Ron had returned with Madam Pomfrey.

Tiredly Percy rubbed his face with his hands and threw a last controlling glance on the two sleeping forms of his younger brothers. While his sleepy mind tried to convince him that this simply couldn't be happening he opened the door and stepped out of the room to get Madam Pomfrey. He actually ran directly into her. After a few seconds of confusion and a few apologies he led her into the twins room.

She stared at him helpless, obviously not able to decide who the boy was who needed her help. Percy gestured to the bed Fred occupied.

Madam Pomfrey let a little black bag drop onto the desk and pulled out a few unrecognisable items as well as her wand.

"What kind of poison did he take?" she asked worried, silently gasping as she uncovered the upper part of Freds skinny body. "What happened to him? Did you starve him?" she exclaimed angrily.

Percy shook his head "This is much more complicated as it seemed in the first moment" Percy sighed. "He took some sleeping pills that he found in the bathroom." He showed her the little package. "Unfortunately he swallowed all of them, so we can't find out what was in them."

"Oh dear, did you never pay attention in muggle studies?" she said grabbing the package and reading a few lines on the outside "The muggles tend to write the ingredients on the packages" She seemed to be in deep concentration.

"George found him" Percy said and took a deep breath "He said he made Fred vomit some of the pills." He wasn't even sure if Madam Pomfrey was even listening to him.

He simply watched her as she took her wand muttering a spell. It was then when he realised that Ron hadn't come upstairs with her. He frowned looking at Madam Pomfrey who was obviously capable of handling this herself. "I have to find Ron" he said simply and left the room.

He had a good idea what had happened to his youngest brother, wishing for the thousandth time that Bill or Charlie were here, and he wouldn't have to keep up the big brother mask. He simply wanted to have the freedom to cry and sob and scream like George had done it.

Ron was sitting on the floor in front of the fire place, staring at the fire. He wiped his eyes absently as he simply cried silently.

"Ron?" he asked softly, not wanting to startle the boy.

Ron didn't move he just kept staring at the fire. Percy bit his lip. He knew how to handle a brother that was screaming and shouting, but a brother that was crying silently? He sat beside Ron and stayed like this for a few moments. Then he pulled Ron into a hug. Soon he found himself in a choking embrace, his arms filled with a shaking bundle of little brother.

"Sshh, Ron, it's OK,... he'll be OK..." Percy whispered, gently stroking Rons back. "Let's go upstairs and check up on him, I'm sure Madam Pomfrey has already found a way to wake him up again."

Ron pulled himself out of Percys embrace furiously wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Standing up he went in front of Percy. Asking himself if he ever would stop crying, he thought back on all the signs that had shown that Fred wasn't alright. It simply couldn't be possible that something so severe could be unnoticed by a family as big as them, it simply couldn't happen.... yet it had.

~Flashback~

one week ago

"Fred you haven't eaten much, is something wrong with the food?" a concerned Mrs. Weasley asked her son who was sitting quietly at the dinner table.

"No mum, I'm just not hungry." Fred answered raising his head just long enough for Ron to see the dark circles under his tired eyes. Ron could feel that something was wrong with his older brother. He had been behaving very strange lately. Firstly Ron had thought he was simply bored, because George had a girlfriend and Fred was alone, but now? This must be more serious than he had thought first.

"May I please go to my room mum?" Fred asked silently, much too polite for the twin in any situation.

"Sure dear" Molly Weasley answered, not really able to hide the worry in her voice.

Ron noticed it too. He also saw that George who was sitting beside Fred and was currently chatting merrily with his father hadn't overheard anything of this short conversation. Ron bit his lip, and decided to follow Fred on his own hand. But if George didn't care too much, so it couldn't be that serious, or could it? Nevertheless Ron knew, something was wrong.

Excusing himself from the dinner table he went upstairs to check up on Fred. On his way to Fred and Georges room he could hear strange noises coming from the bathroom. The door was slightly open and he pushed it a little so he could see inside. The noises had stopped and through the mirror he just could see Fred wiping his mouth and taking a few gulps of water from the water pipe.

Suddenly concerned for his brother he pushed the door entirely open and went to Freds side.

"Are you sick? Should I call mum?" Ron asked him carefully.

Freds pale face in the bright bathroom light was reason enough for Ron to gasp, and he examined him closer. He seemed different ... somehow, thinner, paler.

"It's nothing Ron, just a little stomach ache." Fred grinned at Ron who smiled back weakly.

"OK, I'll tell mum, you should go to bed" Ron told his older brother, not thoroughly convinced with Freds explanation.

Fred nodded walking straight to his and Georges room.

"Something is wrong" Ron said to no one in particular.

He silently opened the door to Freds and Georges room. His gaze fell at the crumpled figure in the bed on the left side. He had fallen asleep in his clothes. Biting his lip Ron decided what to do. He didn't want to wake Fred, who seemed to need the sleep desperately. He closed the door after throwing a last look at him. 'What is going on here?'

~End Flashback~

Ron stopped in the middle of his tracks and Percy could barely avoid to bump into him.

"I should have known!" Ron said suddenly.

"What?" Percy stood in front of Ron, facing him.

"I should have known" he repeated silently.

"What little brother?" asked Percy looking worried.

"I should have seen it" Ron hadn't heard him apparently.

"Ron?" Percy frowned.

Ron turned to Percy, tears spilling out of his eyes again. "He was hiding something, you know. He was so pale .... and he was in the bathroom .... and there were those retching noises ... and then he said it was a stomach ache." Ron buried his face in Percys robes. "Why wouldn't he say me what was bothering him, why wouldn't he talk to any of us?" Percy sighed glancing worriedly on the redhead that was buried in his shoulder.

"Ron, shush, we all have failed him, we all should have seen, George blames himself most you know, but that doesn't help us right now. We can't pity ourselves while Fred needs us. You hear that Ron? We will talk to him when he wakes up, and everything will be alright, OK?"

"But..." Ron started.

"No Ron, he will wake up, just have faith." Percy said fiercely

He stepped into the room just in time to see Madam Pomfrey uncovering Freds slim form. Gasping for breath Ron tried to stop crying, but he couldn't.

Madam Pomfrey who hadn't heard their entrance in the room turned around startled. Smiling slightly at the looks on the faces of the two brothers.

"He will most certainly make it, though there could be complications. I'll stay here for the night. I've given him a potion that should neutralize the effects of those 'sleeping pills'" she said.

Percy gave a shocked but happy cry and Ron threw his arms around his older brother, both smiling for the first time since they found Fred.

"What did I tell you" Percy grinned, wiping tears from his cheeks.

Ron nodded and slowly eased away from Percy. Throwing another glance at George as another thought hit him.

"What will Mum say?" he asked.

Percy breathed deeply "I don't know, but she will be so upset, have you already notified her?"

"Yes, I send her a note earlier, it should've reached her by now"

"Ron, promise me one thing..." Percy started

Ron nodded "What?"

"If you ever have a problem, you'll talk to me, will you?"

Giving his older brother a smile he nodded "Yes, but you will to? I know I'm just the little brother but...."

"I'll take that for a promise" Percy smiled. "You should go to bed Ron, it's late"

"G'night Percy, you'll wake me if something happens, won't you?"

"I will, now go to bed"

"'kay" Ron went to his room, collapsing into his bed. He was asleep some minutes later.

Meanwhile Madam Pomfrey had taken a seat by Freds bed reading a book with a bright red leather cover. He already wanted to say something when out of nothing a single red ray of light seemed to connect the twins. He blinked, trying to see if it was an illusion. When he opened the eyes again the red light had disappeared.

Suddenly George started choking and was wide awake a second later. He put his hands to his throat desperately trying to breath.

Percy stormed to his side not being able to do anything but to look at him horrified. "What is happening?" he squealed at Madam Pomfrey who was currently distracted by Fred who apparently had stopped breathing too. Muttering a spell both Fred and George started to breath again at the same time. George who took deep shaky breaths and tried to calm himself stared at Fred with a pained face. "Gods, I thought it was just a nightmare" he sobbed.

Percy closed his eyes and sat beside George who had curled himself up into a fetal position. Being the older brother was a hard job sometimes.

But what was this connection earlier? Suddenly he remembered something that made his stomach tighten. "A spell-bond" he whispered. 'How is this possible, spell-bonds can only be created through a blood spell' He glanced on his brothers. They may be childish and stupid sometimes, but they would never do something so dangerous. Who could have enchanted them? Blood spells were incredible difficult, dangerous and absolutely forbidden. Remembering a spell he had learned he pulled his wand and pointed it at George, then at Fred. A single red bond seemed to connect the twins. It had a silver shimmer, which Percy guessed was their twins-bond, but the red thread left only one conclusion: A blood charm.

End Chapter 4

PS: Please Review, you know you have nothing better to do.