Chapter 21

The students left the next day, and the staff and the few remainders were all that were left inside the castle. Christmas eve dinner was held in the great Hall, with everyone fitting at one table. After dinner they stayed around the fire, chatting or playing games.

Ron and Methos were having yet another rematch while Severus watched and teased his lover.

Hermione was playing with Ginny's hair as the two gossiped.

Charlie and Oliver talked Quidditch while Percy and Bill discussed whatever came into their minds.

Molly and Arthur sat in compatible silence, content to watch their family while Molly absently worked her knitting needles.

Harry and Draco sat and played exploding snap with Crabbe and Goyle while Neville was making a dent in a pile of muggle comics that he had sent to him by a cousin in America. His favorite was one called "G-Force" with "Spiderman" close behind.

The evening passed as all pleasant evenings do, with no revelations, no arguments, and no mention of Voldemort or his minions. All in all, it was a peaceful Christmas Eve.

***

That night in the room they shared, Bill and Charlie discussed the new Defense Teacher.

"He certainly is handsome, isn't he?" Bill said. Charlie smirked at him.

"He's not my type," Bill made a face and pulled on his nightclothes. "Why ask?" Charlie continued, "You interested?" Bill blushed and Charlie laughed.

"I knew it." Bill couldn't help smiling and grumbled playfully.

"Oh, shut it."

Charlie gazed at Bill thoughtfully for a moment. "You realize that if u make a pass at him, you'll have to at least tell Mum and Dad. I mean, Percy came out to them before the rest of us.though it may be a good idea to talk to him too." He waggled his eyebrows, "He can give you some pointers." Bill rolled his eyes.

"I'm not gonna make a pass at him." He said, frowning." Charlie's brow furrowed.

"Why not? You like him, don't you?" Bill rolled his eyes.

"Charlie you can be so dense."

"What?"

"MacLeod's strait. And big. If I make a pass and he's offended I'm gonna get my skinny ass beat, master curse-breaker or no." Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Oh please. You are such a drama queen. Honestly. You're where Percy gets it from."

Bill threw a pillow at him. Charlie caught it.

"What's the real reason?" Bill sighed and sat on his bed.

"For my whole life I've been strait, or at least, strait enough to go for the girl over the guy. I'll admit there was a brief fling with an ambassador's secretary from work, but he lasted maybe a weekend. I have no problem with a short fling with a guy, but at this point in my life I'm looking for something with a bit of permanence. Get with MacLeod is not something I want to do briefly. I want to get to know him first, so that when I do make a pass, I know that I'll a) be accepted and b) it'll be more than a one night stand." Charlie suddenly hugged him from behind.

"Oh! My big Brother's finally become a mature adult." Charlie thwaped him with the pillow he was holding. "Why do u have to grow up on me now." Bill laughed, as Charlie intended him to, and the brothers dissolved into a wrestling/pillow fight that ended with feathers everywhere and the two laughing so hard they were crying. Bill wiped his eyes and stood, staggering to his feet (They had ended up on Charlie's bed) and climbed into his own bed. He clapped his hands and the lights went out.

"Good (hic) goodnight, Charlie."

"Night Bill."

And they slept, their conversation conveniently forgotten for now.

***

It snowed during the night, covering the ground in a blanket of thick white snow. The morning, however, dawned bright and clear with rich blue skies and a pale winter sun. Those who realized why the morning was so beautiful, smirked when they say Percy and Oliver together later in the day.

Presents were exchanged and opened. Harry and Draco received an earring each, an Emrald the shade of his eyes for Harry and a sparkling diamond for Draco. Hermione pierced their ears with a spell she had learned when she learned of the gifts.

Ron received two new robes, each everyday dress with spells woven in to prevent tearing, fading, staining, and to never grow short as he grew. Hermione received a necklace charmed to match any outfit from Ron and an anytime full access library pass from Percy, Oliver, Snape, and Methos.

Methos gave Severus an obsidian knife, perfect for his potion making. Severus, with a twinkle not often seen in his eyes gave Methos a toaster oven.

When Methos stopped laughing Severus gave him his real present, a photo album of wizarding pictures taken on their summer vacation.complete with and "adult" section for those lonely nights.

Percy gave Oliver plans for a trip to Hawaii for the coming summer.complete with an engagement ring and a proposal. "To let everyone know how special.a wedding on our anniversary" (a/n: in Weather Magic they were bonded in early July.July 6)

Oliver gave Percy himself.among other things.

Sirius gave Lupin a leather collar with a wolf embossed on the side. The charms would help Remus stay himself without pain during the transformation.not to mention a snazzy accessory. Lupin gave Sirius a studded collar with "Snuffles" written on the tag.

At breakfast, everyone was showing off their favorite present, especially Dumbledore, who was constantly lifting his robes to show off his new wool socks with the Hogwarts crest on the sides.

Charlie, being the wonderful brother he was, managed to maneuver MacLeod and Bill into sitting next to each other. Bill, realizing he was being manipulated, glared at his brother, but made no effort to move from his seat next the Highlander.

True to Christmas tradition, everyone, students and teachers alike, were dressed in their nightclothes, and the members of the Weasley Clan, Harry, Hermione, Draco and Oliver included, all wore their signature sweaters. This year, however, Hermione got Ron's Maroon and he wore her normal Gold. Even Snape was wearing his pjs; black silk with a familiar black sweater with a green "S" on his breast. When Molly saw it she was delighted.

"Oh Severus! You kept it!" He smiled at her.

"Of course. It's my favorite sweater."

"It's his only sweater." Methos chimed in.

"You're just jealous because you don't have a Molly Weasley Sweater."

Molly glowed with pride. Breakfast was loud and happy and everybody ate just a bit too much. When everyone finished, Percy leaned into Oliver and smiled when a warm arm wrapped around his waist. Molly looked at his plate and frowned.

"Percy, you barely ate anything. I won't have my son waste away while there's still food on the table. Eat something."

"I ate, Mum," Percy protested feebly as Molly filled his plate with more sausages and bacon and eggs. Percy looked vaguely ill. "I'll eat more later, Mum, I swear, but I can't eat any more now. It's too much too early."

"But you're so skinny!"

"I'm thin, Mum, just like Dad. And Bill. And Ron. I'm no different from them. They just have more muscles."

"You must be real sure of your self to admit your younger brother has more muscles, Percy."

"You know it," Percy grinned and threw his napkin at Charlie. Oliver spoke up in his love's defense.

"He did eat a lot more than he normally does, Mum." She rounded on Oliver.

"You're encouraging him! With all that.exorcize you get he should be eating more."

Percy turned bright red.

"Mum!"

"Maybe he is eating more, which is why he eats less in the morning."

"Bill!"

"EWW!" cried the twins in unison, covering their ears.

"I did not need that image." Ron said, agreeing with the move's sentiments.

"Oh, I don't know. I kind of like that image." Oliver said leering at a blushing Percy.

"Oliver!" Percy protested. Oliver merely grinned and Percy banged his head against the table. "Keep grinning, Oliver. See if you're going to get anything "eaten" anytime soon." Oliver blanched and lost the grin.

"Right."

Ginny turned to Severus and leaned in to whisper, "I should be glad I missed that, right?" Severus snickered.

"Yes, be glad." Methos smirked at her from Severus's other side.

"Mother, I promise I'll eat more at dinner. More food!" He corrected when Bill and Charlie started snickering. "Can we please just drop this here? It's gone on far enough and if I blush much more I'm going got have an aneurysm. You'll be sorry when you kill me, I can guarantee it. I will haunt you all, then, I'll haunt your ghosts." Oliver placed a hand over Percy's mouth.

"Enough love, your rambling." Percy crossed eyes at Oliver. Oliver pulled his hand away and gave Percy a quick kiss, gaining comments (awws and ewws and snickers) from those at the table.

"Aww, bugger off," Percy muttered to his brothers (the ewws) gaining him a sharp look from his mother.

"Why do you all tease Percy so much?" MacLeod asked Bill quietly as the others started talking about different things, or left the table. Bill felt himself flush slightly but was able to keep his voice steady.

"Ever since the war ended, when he was about five, " he has been a stickler for rules to a point of unhealthy obsession. He managed to estrange the whole family, save for Ginny and a few friends. I hate to say it, but he played the part of the geek very well and got picked on a lot. He became so reserved the my brothers and I started to see how far we could push to get a reaction, and it got to a point that any reaction, embarrassment, anger, laughter, was worth it. He's come out of his shell some since he met Oliver, but old habits are hard to break."

"What happened to him?" He asked. Bill looked around at those still gathered, Percy and Oliver included and motioned for him to stand.

"Not here. Let's go for a walk."

They stood and left the table, not seeing Charlie smirk at their retreating backs. When they made it to the hall, Bill began talking again.

"Well, I first want to say that all I know is second hand information. Living so far from home makes getting first hand information about anything hard to do. Anyway, it started when he first became conscious of the war. Unlike Charlie and I, he was born into the war. All he knew as a baby and a young child were the safe houses, the rules. Father was away a lot and Charlie and I were away at school. He was then the oldest boy at home, and that must have been hard, especially with the twins. "

They passed Goyle and Neville chasing Trevor, who had escaped yet again. Bill shook his head and turned back to MacLeod.

"From what I've heard from Mum and some random comments from Ginny, Percy seriously messed himself up in school. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't socialize, and there were some hints about self-abusive behavior on top of the abuse he received from some of the Slytherins. I don't know how bad it actually was. Percy is a private person and I have a feeling he's the only one who'll know the whole story.

"On top of all this Percy has.abilities, beyond those of a normal wizard. He's very connected to nature and forcing him to stay inside cold stone like this, and forcing him inside at the safe houses took it's toll and added to the mental strain he was under. I remember once right before the end of the war he got really sick. None of the medi-witches we brought in could find out what was wrong. I remember Dumbledore one night suggesting we take him outside to rest. Mum threw a fit and the medi-witch on hand.I think now that it may have been Madame Pomfrey.absolutely refused. I wasn't in the room at the time.I was "in bed", so I don't know exactly how he convinced them, but he did. It was stormy out and the minute they went outside the storm got one hundred times worse, then almost disappeared in a matter of moments. Percy got better, slowly, but he was greatly improved every time we brought him outside." He looked down at the ground and leaned against the stone wall.

"Unfortunately before he healed the sickness, or whatever it was, settle in his head and damaged his sight permanently. There was nothing they could do to restore his sight perfectly. You know, I think he uses those glasses to hide sometime. Next time you see him angry or upset, look at his eyes. You'll never see them behind the glass."

Duncan leaned against the stone next to him.

"It sounds like you really care bout him."

"I do," he replied, looking at MacLeod. "I know I have younger brothers than him, but he was the first I saw as a baby, the first I saw actually grow up. Charlie and I are too close for me to really remember. It makes him even more special than he already is." MacLeod smiled at him.

"It's great to see brothers as close as you and yer kin. It seems that most families these days are being torn apart at the seems."

"Well, that's one thing about the Weasleys. We stick together. No matter what." Duncan looked at his watch.

"It's almost noon and I wanted to get in some sword practice." Bill nodded.

"Ok. I have to go bug Charlie anyway. I'll see you at dinner, Mac."

"Bye, Bill."

MacLeod smiled one last time at him and jogged off in the other direction. Bill sighed and let his head fall back against the stone, eyes close.

"Oh, Billy boy, you've got it bad."

TBC