Chapter 4: St. Mungo's "Ssshh! Fred! Mum and Dad'll catch us! Be quiet!" George huffed at his brother. "What do we say? We thought Ron and Ginny wanted to go for a walk? It'll never work!" Fred shot back. "Fredrick Joshua Weasley! George Jeffrey Weasley! WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!?!?!" Mrs. Weasley screamed in a strict, stern, completely serious tone. Her face was red and her eyes bulged. She was in no mood to messed with. Fred and George looked worriedly at each other, then, in silent agreement, they had a plan. They suddenly burst in tears, wailing and bawling, startling Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy just smirked. He knew that they had been practicing fake crying for a long time, but didn't say anything. Then more siblings would hate him. Like Ron did. "Mummy! We were *sob* soooo scared! *Sniff* Bad men were after us---" "And they said they wanted to kill us! We couldn't find you or Percy or Charlie or Bill! *Sob, sob* So we took Ron and Ginny and ran---" "*Snivel* We wore these cloaks so they couldn't find us. They almost did. But they didn't. We were soooo scared! *Sniff* Please! Please make them go away! I can't stand them! The voices, the images, that knife! *Sob* W-we almost....they could've....we might've---" "*Sniff* They-they.... they said....t-they s-said that- we were going t-to-- -" Both twins erupted into a volcano of tears, shrieking, and insufferable sniffing. Mrs. Weasley rushed to their sides, hugging them and apologizing for getting angry. The twins stopped crying and looked up at their mother. Their mother that they were lying to. Fred and George exchanged guilty glances. There eyes welled up with real tears. George blinked them back and whispered softly: "Let's get Ron to St. Mungo's." ************ Tap, tap, tap. Percy's foot jiggled against the silky white carpet covering the floor. How long was this going to take? Are Ron's head wounds really that bad? Will.....Will he.......live? Tap, tap, tap. I'm so sorry, Ron. I swear when Mum and Dad come through those doors, I'll tell them it was me who broke the twins' wand. I swear I will. ************ Charlie's cheeks were soaked with trickling moisture. His sleeve was also damp. He looked down to see Ginny sleeping on his arm, oceans of the same moisture flowing down his face gushing down hers. Tap, tap, tap. What are they doing in there?!?! Why are they taking so long? Is Ron okay? Tap, tap, tap. Oh God, please let him be okay. Please. He doesn't deserve this. He's only six. Only six. Oh, God, please let him be okay. ************ Tap, tap, tap. She was spinning in a deep blue. Where was that tapping coming from? It was growing louder. Tap, tap, tap. She felt velvety, sweet- smelling textile beneath her chin and around her cheek. It was warm, and felt like a fluffy cloud wrapping her in it's beam of light. She rubbed her skin against it. But suddenly, she touched a watery, sopping piece of fabric dripping in a salty, wet liquid. Was it raining in her cloud of peace? She huddled up closer to the smooth comfort. It kept drizzling. She soon realized she was crying, raining sadness in her soothing, sweet, summer breeze cloud. ************ Bill was drowning. Drowning in a pool of depression. Ron, why are you not coming out of that horrible, white room? Why are they taking so long to help you? Is there something wrong with you? Tap, tap, tap. Oh, Ron. Don't die. You can't die. I would miss you like the sky misses the sun after sunset. Like the flower misses the rain in the hottest desert. Like a brother who misses his brother after a terrible tragedy that tore them apart. Ron, this can't be the tragedy. It mustn't. You won't die. You'll live to see the sun rise, the flower bloom, and the brothers together. Tap, tap, tap. ************ "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? You may come in now." They glanced at each other worriedly. Doctor Springsteen's face did not look hopeful when they brought in Ron, bruised and bleeding. Her voice seemed distressed and weak when she took the unconscious Ron in her arms and told them to wait. Her pallid lab coat was drenched with a thick, ruby liquid. Blood. His head was surging it all over everywhere. She was pale when she had ran into the emergency room. She was bellowing orders to nurses at her side. There was a booming SMASH! More loud shouts of anger, frustration, and desperation. Then there was silence. ************ Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stepped carefully through the door. Mrs. Weasley gasped and Mr. Weasley choked, knocking his glasses askew. There was Ron, unconscious and barely breathing, his eyes half-closed and his lips parted slightly. The blood on his face and in his hair was gone, leaving no trace except for a deep gash running across his temple, over his eye, across his nose, and down his neck. But there was something strange, extremely incredible about him. His pale skin glowed a soft silver, his red- orange hair blazed a rich gold, floating tenderly around his face as if there was a gentle gust from beneath him. A white light glimmered around his entire body, giving him the appearance of a bright diamond star. He groaned with a small, weak voice that was so quiet they wouldn't have been able to hear if there wasn't the complete silence between the three adults. "Is he okay?" Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Dr. Springsteen looked up, startled. Two pairs of tiny feet carefully stepped onto the colourless carpet. Their brilliant blue eyes shone with sorrow and curiosity. They hugged two identical teddy bears. Terrified squeaks jumped from their mouths, and they pointed at Ron hysterically as if the adults hadn't noticed he was glowing. But the question remained. "Is he okay?" Bill and Charlie walked into the room, Charlie carrying sleeping Ginny. They gaped at Ron in horror, and stood, shocked and stunned. Ginny stirred. ************ The tapping stopped. She felt like she was being lifted. Her vision was blurred with purple. A cozy blanket of relief spread through her when she stroked against the supple material of her magical sky. It waved and fluttered beneath her, almost like she was soaring in mystical oceans deep. She was flying through the colourful corals and clusters of Angelfish, beautiful Blue Whales, and adorable baby Orcas when she saw it. A glittering something at the bottom of the shining sandy floor. She dunked into the thick puff of bubbles and swam through the glistening azure waters. As she explored the mysterious aquatic and electrical pink caverns for the glinting object that seemed to get further and further away, she suddenly felt a feeble shove at her side. Then another push at her back. Swift, frail forces jabbed everywhere, overpowering and flinging her into a stream of foamy fizz. She ceased spinning abruptly, the fluffy suds fading and her blurred vision clearing. What met her eyes was a pair of dazzling golden ones. She gawked and rubbed her eyes quickly. A Dolphin. A Dolphin swimming right in front of her. She spread out her fingers and reached out to grasp the glossy gleaming skin. The Dolphin relaxed under her gentle touch. She grinned while she stroked the velvety flesh. He shrilly screeched and motioned his sleek head towards his back. She nodded understandingly and lunged onto him. He propelled his flippers and dove rapidly into thick seaweed and out of sight. ************ "Well, why aren't you answering us? Is he okay or not?" Percy marched into the room, stopped in his tracks, gasped, and rushed over to the hospital bed Ron was sprawled in. "Ron, Ron, answer me! Please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he broke down and wailed horribly. "Ron, I didn't mean to! I didn't want to! But I had to! I had to do what I did! I'm sorry!" he sobbed breathlessly. He hollered loudly and pounded the ground with his clenched fists. "Forgive me! Forgive me Ron! I'm sorry!" He cried at the top of his lungs. His face was as red as his hair, a puddle of tears was developing on the drab faded rug, and his knuckles were bleeding from beating the floor. Charlie stared at Percy quizzically and cautiously stepped towards him. He knelt to the ground beside Percy and lifted his swollen hands in his. "Percy, what did you do to Ron?" Percy gulped hard. Perfect Percy. Clever Percy. Mature Percy. Yes, that's my son, the helpful, responsible, do-gooder Percy! He always tells the truth and is always calm and confident. Yes, that's my brother, the one who covered up for me when I ate Mum's Wild-berry pie last summer! He reads loads of big books, and he'll never let us down! He'll lead us to a better life! Truthful....... Intelligent........ Mature............ Responsible.... Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. I'm sorry Ron. He thought. If I told them, I would be ruined. Everything I worked for would be gone. I wouldn't be Perfect Percy anymore. Please forgive me. I just can't tell them. Mum and Dad would be so mad. They're not going to be mad at you. Look at yourself. Of course all they'll do is pity you. I-I'm sorry. I can't do it. "I.....I never said sorry."