As the sun started to set on the muggy summer day, Ron stared out of
his window. As far as he could see, everything was normal. The grass was
green and the sky was blue. Yet, the boy felt like nothing could ever be
normal ever again. Sirius was dead, and Percy was trying to come back. As
Ron sighed and started to close the blinds, his mother popped her head into
his room.
"Come on down for dinner!" Mrs. Weasly said in a fake happy voice. "Percy came home for dinner."
"Ugg," Ron murmured as he made his across his messy room, "Mum, do I have to see him?"
"Ron, just come down! You haven't seen your brother for days! I know you still don't trust him but..." Her voice trailed off. The silence was quickly broken by the sound of a large dish breaking a few floors below.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Tonks voice floated up the stairs.
"Not again," Mrs. Weasly groaned, "that's the third time this week!" She started towards the door. "Ron, come down now! I want to see you at dinner"
"Fine, Mum, whatever you say!" Ron yelled. When his mother was out of the room, he locked the door and flopped back down on his bed. "Stupid Mum, making me go to see Percy. Why do I have to pretend to be nice?"
"Ronald Bilius Weasly, if you don't get your butt down here in five seconds, I am going to blast it off!" With that comment, Ron decided there were worse things than stony cold silence with a brother you hate. As he made his way down the creaking stairs of number twelve, Grimmald Place, he heard the murmur of many voices below.
Ron finally made his way down the stairs, achieving his first look at the dinner table. The long table was filled with the usual assortment of people
"So, 'en I said, Marty Willus, yew mus' be not right in the 'ead if ya think I'm gonna sell ya 'ese toads fer that price!" Mundungus said to Lupin in his normal voice, which was just below yelling. Lupin seemed disinterested, staring at various areas, and then fixing his gaze on the wall. Tonks was chatting quietly with Fred and George, and Ron could have sworn he hear the words extendable ears come up in their conversation. Bill and Charlie were in a heated debate about quidditch. Dumbledore was arguing with his brother Aberforth about the quality of each of their chocolate frog cards. It was rare to see Aberforth at the dinner table, as he was almost always bartending at the Hog's Head. Near the head of the table, Mr. Weasly was making forced conversation with Percy.
"Dad, I know it's hard for you to believe me, but I never wanted to hurt you! If I had told anyone, the minister would have found out somehow! I was only trying to spy on Fudge, not to hurt you!" Percy cried with a hint of self-pity
"Why couldn't you let someone know? You could have had a secret keeper; you could have been nicer to your family! We are trying to accept you, but we have no idea of what you have really been doing!" Mr. Weasly rambled.
"Damn you! You don't realize that I am telling the truth! I am trying to gain your trust now! I wanted to save you, not hurt you! That was furthest from my mind!"
"Well, we don't want you here anymore! You lost our trust! Don't come back until you can tell us the truth!"
"Fine then, I'll leave!" Percy screamed. The whole table stopped and stared in creepy silence. The silence was broken with the quiet pop of Percy apparating.
Next Week: Harry and Hermione arrive at Grimmald Place. Suspicious activity by Fudge causes him to be a spying target for the order. And... tap dancing spiders!
"Come on down for dinner!" Mrs. Weasly said in a fake happy voice. "Percy came home for dinner."
"Ugg," Ron murmured as he made his across his messy room, "Mum, do I have to see him?"
"Ron, just come down! You haven't seen your brother for days! I know you still don't trust him but..." Her voice trailed off. The silence was quickly broken by the sound of a large dish breaking a few floors below.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Tonks voice floated up the stairs.
"Not again," Mrs. Weasly groaned, "that's the third time this week!" She started towards the door. "Ron, come down now! I want to see you at dinner"
"Fine, Mum, whatever you say!" Ron yelled. When his mother was out of the room, he locked the door and flopped back down on his bed. "Stupid Mum, making me go to see Percy. Why do I have to pretend to be nice?"
"Ronald Bilius Weasly, if you don't get your butt down here in five seconds, I am going to blast it off!" With that comment, Ron decided there were worse things than stony cold silence with a brother you hate. As he made his way down the creaking stairs of number twelve, Grimmald Place, he heard the murmur of many voices below.
Ron finally made his way down the stairs, achieving his first look at the dinner table. The long table was filled with the usual assortment of people
"So, 'en I said, Marty Willus, yew mus' be not right in the 'ead if ya think I'm gonna sell ya 'ese toads fer that price!" Mundungus said to Lupin in his normal voice, which was just below yelling. Lupin seemed disinterested, staring at various areas, and then fixing his gaze on the wall. Tonks was chatting quietly with Fred and George, and Ron could have sworn he hear the words extendable ears come up in their conversation. Bill and Charlie were in a heated debate about quidditch. Dumbledore was arguing with his brother Aberforth about the quality of each of their chocolate frog cards. It was rare to see Aberforth at the dinner table, as he was almost always bartending at the Hog's Head. Near the head of the table, Mr. Weasly was making forced conversation with Percy.
"Dad, I know it's hard for you to believe me, but I never wanted to hurt you! If I had told anyone, the minister would have found out somehow! I was only trying to spy on Fudge, not to hurt you!" Percy cried with a hint of self-pity
"Why couldn't you let someone know? You could have had a secret keeper; you could have been nicer to your family! We are trying to accept you, but we have no idea of what you have really been doing!" Mr. Weasly rambled.
"Damn you! You don't realize that I am telling the truth! I am trying to gain your trust now! I wanted to save you, not hurt you! That was furthest from my mind!"
"Well, we don't want you here anymore! You lost our trust! Don't come back until you can tell us the truth!"
"Fine then, I'll leave!" Percy screamed. The whole table stopped and stared in creepy silence. The silence was broken with the quiet pop of Percy apparating.
Next Week: Harry and Hermione arrive at Grimmald Place. Suspicious activity by Fudge causes him to be a spying target for the order. And... tap dancing spiders!