Chapter 7

Family Affair

Author's note: First of all, I know it's been awhile since I updated this story but RL and ff.n haven't cooperative with me : )  Second of all, my thanks to Zsenya for her excellent beta (as always). Third of all, my luverly reviewer get loads of hugs for their kindness and enthusiasm. And last but not least: Enjoy!!!

"I'll try to firetalk tomorrow," Angelina said as she squeezed Fred's hand. He nodded. It would be hard not to be able to see her every day.

"Fred, are you coming?" George yelled from where he stood, ready to go through the barrier to the Muggle part of King's Cross.

"I better go," said Fred and took her in his arms, giving her a brief hug and a kiss. Then he turned towards his brother. He wondered how his parents would act. This would be the first time he was meeting them since the whole Eve business. An image of his mother popped into his mind, her broken down countenance when they boarded the Hogwarts Express last fall. He knew she had wept quite often over the fallout between him and George and though she had tried to mend things, her eyes had been filled with a silent plea every time she looked at him. The night after Eve had revealed her true self, his and George's first job had been to write an owl to their mother. She had replied to them immediately, her letter had been a tear-stained exclamation of joy.

On the other side of the barrier, Fred saw that his parents and oldest brother were already busy greeting Harry, Ron and Ginny. Bill was ruffling Ginny's hair when Mrs Weasley let out a shout.

"Oh, Fred! George!" she ran towards them and soon they found themselves nearly crushed to death by their mother. Their father stood behind his wife with a serious look and when Mrs Weasley had finally let go of her sons, he patted their back.

"Well, I think that it's best that you two come with us," Mr Weasley said, "Ron, Ginny and Harry can go with Bill in another taxi."

They had just settled in the car and Mr Weasley was still trying to get his long legs into a comfortable position when George turned to Fred.

"Seems like Angelina has completely forgiven you," he said with a grin. "I saw her giving you a Christmas gift." Fred didn't respond immediately because he was aware that his parents were listening with full interest.

"Ehh … yeah," he answered feebly.

"The same Angelina who's on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"  Mr Weasley asked. "I didn't know that you were such good friends."

"She's more than a friend to Fred, I dare say," said George grinning.

"Really?" said Mrs Weasley in a fascinated tone. "Isn't she daughter of Linda and Paul Johnson?" Fred just nodded.

"We must invite her for a visit, Molly," Mr Weasley looked in the direction of his wife, who nodded. "But there is something we need to tell you two."

"What's that?" asked Fred, somewhat relieved that it didn't seem like his parents were going to question him much about Angelina. On the other hand, there was something unsettling in the tone of his father's voice.

"I suppose you two know about my and your mother's involvement with the Order of the Phoenix?" The twins nodded. "Dumbledore mentioned that he had told you about it, George. Now, we have few spies in the various places, even one amongst the ranks of the Death Eaters, but one of our informants told us about a death that was supposed to go undisclosed. Delilah Flint, or Eve as you knew her, is dead." Fred and George both gasped. They had never expected this. Fred couldn't help but feel a bit nauseated. Mr Weasley kept talking. "It's most likely that the Dark Lord killed her for failing her mission. That's what our specialists think. We've also heard that You-Know-Who didn't intend for her to target the both of you, but that can't be confirmed."

"Are you okay?" their mother asked with concern in her voice. George mumbled something and Fred wished he wasn't stuck in this taxi with his parents. He wanted to have a private talk with his brother. They had had one conversation about Eve and it had been difficult. What was he supposed to think? That it was his fault she was dead? He couldn't. She had tried to kill George, she had tried and nearly succeeding in turning them against each other. Was he sorry she was dead? Maybe – no one deserved to die, did they? But he had only ever felt hatred towards her since the curse had been lifted and he had discovered what she truly was.

"We weren't sure whether to tell you this or not, but since Fred obviously has moved on, it didn't seem like it would upset you extremely," said Mr Weasley and pushed up his glasses. "And there is the matter of your future participation in the Order. Not that your mother and I are excited about that, but our fellow Order members seem to have confidence in you. They seem to think that you're Order material." The twins looked each other in the eye. Order material, fighting against Voldemort? This hung in the air between them with the news of Eve's death. Quite a lot to take in.

"So, is Charlie coming home for Christmas?" George asked, changing the subject. Fred nearly sighed in relief.

"No, he says he's too busy," said their mother, pursing her lips. "Well, the six of you plus Harry, I shouldn't complain. I suppose I should be ecstatic that Percy is coming. I've been worried about him, ever since Mr Crouch's death was announced, he's been withdrawn and then he showed up with Penny last summer. I honestly thought they had broken up." Fred suddenly remembered something that George had told him. That both their parents had been involved in the earlier war against Voldemort. He decided to wait and ask Bill about it when he had a chance – Bill would remember what things had been like.

The rest of the taxi drive was spent in small talk about the twins' studies and a bit of squabbling over joke shop plans. Mr and Mrs Weasley wanted their sons to put them on hold because building businesses in war times might be risky. Fred was more inclined to think that more laughter would be needed, as Harry had suggested, but he didn't voice that opinion to his parents. He was sure though that George felt the same.

There was no snow in Ottery St. Catchpole, Fred noticed as he walked up to the Burrow.  There rarely was snow at home, but Fred would have enjoyed the prospect of one good snowball fight – especially since he and Bill had a score to settle.

~~~~

George's mind was reeling by the time that dinner was ready. There were so many things he had to think about: Eve's death, The Order of the Phoenix and the newest letter from the secret admirer. He was uncharacteristically silent when he sat down at the dinner table, which was decked with baked trout and side dishes. He didn't notice that he wasn't the only one silent at the table. Percy sat rather subdued three seats away from him. This was the way things were until the pudding was served, then Bill turned to Percy and asked him about how things were at the Ministry.

"I prefer not talking about it here," said Percy, and no one missed the look he gave his parents. Bill was obviously concerned about it.

"What was that for?" he asked quietly, but the whole table heard him. The chattering had died down.

"What was what for?" asked Percy back, folding his arms in defence.

"That look you gave Mum and Dad, it wasn't pretty."

"As I told you, I prefer not talking about it."

"Percy, don't tell me you're siding with the Ministry. Are you insane?" The oldest of the Weasley siblings had now abandoned his nonchalant exterior. George heard his sister gasp and he felt Fred grip his shoulder. Bill continued, "You're willing to turn the other way while You-Know-Who takes over our world?"

"Maybe it's the safest way, you know. I mean … I don't want to … I remember how it was the last time." Percy was very pale.

"You were five, I was thirteen when You-Know-Who was vanquished the first time and I think I would remember it better. Yet I'm not afraid to fight against him." Bill looked like he was ready to reach across the table and grab Percy by the throat.  George's eyes darted to his parents, who sat grave and silent. He saw the wish in his mum's eyes to send at least Ginny, Ron and Harry from the table so as to protect them.

"I remember quite enough," Percy had raised his voice and his face had started to flush. "I remember being two years old and thinking that I would never see my Mummy again." The effects of these words were instantaneous. Mrs Weasley had her hand over her heart, both Bill and Mr Weasley looked severely taken aback, Fred's grip on George's shoulder tightened, Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled looks and Ginny's usually big eyes became even wider.

"You heard me," Percy kept his voice low. "I know how foolishly Mother gambled with her life and the lives of her two unborn sons. I know she was captured by the Death Eaters. I remember not having any Mum to cuddle up, a Dad who wasn't good at comforting because he didn't have anyone to comfort him and two older brothers who kept to themselves. No one thought about me because you thought I didn't understand what was going on. It might be partially true, but I understood that I might not see my Mummy again. So, can you blame me for wanting keep out of danger?"

Mrs Weasley let out a sob and her husband reached out to hold her protectively. His face conveyed conflicted emotions, and matched the expression on Bill's face.  The others, George included, just sat frozen. For several minutes the only thing that could be heard was Mrs Weasley's sobs. Finally she drew a deep breath and looked her third-born in the eye.

"Percival Lowell Weasley," she said standing up and gripping the edge of the table, "for once, imagine how I must've felt. I'd been captured by the enemy, I was expecting to die and by some silly stroke of luck, I managed to Confound  my keeper and Apparate home, taking terrible risk. I was five months pregnant with twins and could easily have splinched myself and killed both of them.

"But though I might have retreated from direct action, I supported our cause with all my heart." Though Mrs Weasley might have stopped sobbing, tears were falling down her cheeks. Percy's eyes were welling up as well and his shoulders began to shake.

"Come here, Percy," his mother said with her arms outstretched. Percy got up and was enveloped in a motherly hug. He buried his face in her shoulder and George heard faintly what Percy was whispering: "I'm sorry, it's just … I don't want anything to happen to you again … why did he have to return … I was looking forward to a future with Penny and a career in the Ministry …"

George turned to Fred and they both got up, as did the rest of the table. They, Harry, Ron and Ginny headed upstairs while Bill and Mr Weasley slipped into the living room.

"I didn't know that Mum had been with the Order," said Ron, awestruck, when they came to the landing where the twins' room was. "Did you know?" he asked Fred and George.

"Yeah," admitted George, rubbing his chin. "Dumbledore told me, of all people."

"Really?" Ginny's eyes were still enlarged with wonder. "I'm just surprised that Percy actually remembers. He was only two."

"I remember the celebration when You-Know-Who was defeated. Mum and Dad took us all to Diagon Alley. You were just few months old, Ginny," said Fred.

"You were three and a half at the time," Ginny said, furrowing her brow.

"I remember it too," said Ron, "it was then when you made me drink Putrid Pumpkin Juice."

"Oh, yeah. And then it was recalled from the market because its consumption made people's ears turn interesting shades of colour." Fred's tone was innocent and Ron's ears grew red. "Shut up," he said then.

"All right, so you remember that … oh, poor Percy," Ginny sighed, "I suppose he's never talked about it. I wonder how he felt when you all thought I was dead." George shuddered at that recollection and from the look of the others, they felt the same.

"Come, Harry," said Ron thickly and they ascended the stairs, Ginny followed them.

"That was something," said Fred when he had closed the doors to their room. "Maybe that's the reason Percy's so weird."

"Percy's not weird, he's just different from us," said George heavily.

"He is. Just look at Bill and Charlie, they understand us. I think Bill would like our party idea and I'm sure he wouldn't blab to Mum and Dad." Fred was busying himself with hiding secret stashes of Wizard Wheezes products in their hiding place, a box they'd attached under their bunk bed.

George took little notice because he was watching the owl outside of the window. It had to be an owl from his secret admirer. He sighed and let it in. He recognized the handwriting immediately.

 I'll be coming to your party on New Year's Eve and I've decided to reveal my identity then. You'll know who I am because I'll be in robes that are laced up in the back and my hairstyle will be unusual (for me at least). I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas and all … keep your eyes open for more owls …

XXX

Your secret admirer

"What does it say?" asked Fred. "Hmm … robes that are laced up in the back … it's a girl then … what bloke would … except … a bloke who would be sending you love letters might wear such robes …"

"Shut up, Fred," said George, irritated. He had a very bad feeling about that admirer.