Note: Chapter complete.

Chapter 4: A Visit with Percy

As Ron and Hermione walked down to dinner, the awkwardness was still there, even though they were both trying to ignore it. They chatted casually about what was going on with the Quidditch teams, and about the Hogwarts school letters they had both received, but yet how the results of their O.W.L.s had not yet arrived. Ginny was following along behind them, trying not to giggle at their droning conversations. Fred and George both greeted Hermione with a wave, and kept winking and Ron.

"Have a seat right here, dear," Mrs. Weasley pulled out the bench for Hermione.

"Thank you," Hermione said politely, sitting down on the bench. Ron sat down next to her, and Ginny sat on her other side. Fred and George were sitting on the bench on the other side of the table, and Mrs. Weasley sat on one end.

"Dad will be late again tonight," she said, passing around one of the pots of food. "There's more trouble at the muggle hospital."

"He's always late for dinner," George said through a mouthful of potatoes.

"He can't help it, he loves his job," Ginny replied defensively.

"I know that, but if he loved his-"

"George, it's fine," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, not wanting this conversation about who loves what to go on. It made her think of Percy, and George blushed slightly.

"Sorry mum," he kept eating. After that, they all ate silently, listening to the rain that was still falling like bullets against glass, and the thunder that was like pounding drums. Ron had scooped a pea onto his fork, busy trying not to watch Hermione eat, and when he flicked it too hard, the pea went flying from his fork and hit the wall. Hermione giggled into her glass of water, and Ron watched it rolling along the floor. Unintentionally, the same thing happened when Hermione scooped up a pea, and the two of them were giggling together, trying not to look obvious.

"There's something funny with these peas," Ron whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Maybe there's a flying spell on them," Hermione giggled back. She had two peas on route to her mouth, but once again they sort of flew off, one landing in Hermione's hair, the other hit Ron on the nose.

"What are you guys on about?' Fred asked, giving them both a weird stare.

"Nothing, "Ron breathed quickly, wiping the pea that had stuck on his nose off. Even Mrs. Weasley was looking at them with a sort of knowing look.

"Would you like some help with the dishes?" Hermione asked when they were all done eating. Mrs. Weasley gave her a surprised look.

"Oh no dear, it's fine. You guys run off and have fun!" She replied. The twins ran off right away again, and Ron and Hermione went up to his room.

"Oh, this is a new poster!" Hermione hurried closer to the Tornado poster. "Since when do you like the Tornadoes though?"

"I don't really, I just thought the colors were cool," Ron admitted.

"Oh," Hermione giggled. There was that awkward silence again.

"Um...when are we going to visit Percy?' She suddenly asked.

"I dunno, Ginny said she'd come get us."

"You anxious to see him?"

"Not really. I have a lot of bottled up things I'd like to say to him, but Ginny wants me to be kind and understanding."

"Well, he is going to have a child, that's pretty big."

"I know," Ron sighed. "Just all the stuff he did to mum..."

"Maybe now he'll come home," Hermione suggested.

"Maybe." Another silence.

"So... tell me about France." Her face lit up right away.

"France is amazing. There are so many lights and so many people and so many different kinds of food, it's tiring! I told my parents I wanted to go back there next summer, so I hope we go."

"Sounds fun," Ron tried to sound excited, but wished he had been along. Paris is...what do they call it?...the city of love. Who knows what could have happened there. Hermione kept looking at his walls, and Ron folded his hands on the bed, thinking of another topic to bring up.

"Thanks for letting me come," Hermione sat down on his bed next to him. "It gets rather boring when you're stuck at your house with no one to talk to. The only time my parents weren't working was when we went to France. Other then that, they work a lot of overtime."

"No problem, I'm glad you're here. I know the feeling. The only people to talk to around here are the twins and Ginny, but I'd rather have you. And Harry. You and Harry here to talk to," Ron corrected himself. He and Hermione looked at each other, and Ron didn't feel anything awkward. It just felt...happy and calm, and Hermione was grinning at him in a way she never seemed to do before. Ron could have sworn something was going to happen between the two of them, but there was a loud knock on the door and Ginny ran inside, a backpack on her back.

"You guys ready to go now? I told mum we would go de-gnome the garden again!" She said to them. Hermione had jumped off the bed, and Ron nearly tumbled over.

"But it's raining," Ron tried to protest.

"I've got plenty of these umbrellas," Ginny held them up, and handed one to Hermione.

"How do they work?"

"They open up. You pull this open, and this material covers you," Hermione explained as she opened it up. "I've used these before."

"Come on, the twins are waiting outside for us," Ginny ran out of the room.

"They are coming too?" Ron ran after her. Mrs. Weasley wasn't around as they all darted out into the rain. Ron still didn't quite understand how to use the umbrella, he couldn't get his open. Hermione gave him hers, and stood in the rain, opening his, and then used that one for herself. Ginny was running quickly ahead of them, and already disappeared into the trees. The twins were shining flashlights at the gnomes that had poked their heads out of the bushes to see what the commotion was. They were yelling curses at them as one of them darted out. It looked at Ron mischievously, and Ron could remember by the scar on the eye that this was the one that had attacked his arm.

"Come on Hermione, that one has it in for me," he took her arm and pulled her along, but the gnome was following them. It came over to Hermione, and stopped right in front of her feet. She gasped in surprise as she tumbled foreword and knocked into Ron. Fred and George were too far ahead to notice them fall, and Ron fell on his back with Hermione lying on top him.

"What the fuck?" He shouted at the giggling gnome.

"What is wrong with these fucking things?" He helped Hermione to her feet, and ran after the little gnome that had darted into the bush. The umbrella was no use now, for both of them were soaked from head to toe, grass sticking on their clothes.

"Ron, it's okay! I'm fine. Let's just catch up with the others," Hermione tried to pull Ron away from the bushes, but he was determined to catch that gnome. It was gone though; there were a few other sleeping ones behind the bush, but not the one with the scar. Ron's umbrella had blown away, so Hermione got close to him and they huddled under hers.

"You guys are so slow!" Ginny had run back out.

"Where are we going exactly?" Ron asked a bit angrily.

"His house is on the other side of the trees," she replied, running off again. They all kept close in the dark trees, their flashlights flying in every direction. It was when Ginny had finally stopped that Ron could catch his breath.

"Well?" Asked Fred. Ginny looked around, a bit confused.

"Hold on, I'm a little lost."

"Lost? You got us lost out here? Who knows what's out here," George groaned.

"You know how Dad's always telling us not to come in here at night." They had stopped in a clearing, and when the flashlights weren't on, Ron couldn't see a thing. There was a sound of leaves crunching from the right, and they all jumped a little, Hermione grabbed Ron's arm on impulse.

"What was that?" She asked, her voice getting drowned out by the rain.

"That was just thunder," Ron tried to reassure even himself.

"You idiot, thunder doesn't sound like leaves crunching," George yelled.

"Why don't YOU go see what it was then?" Ron shouted back.

"Maybe it was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Fred suggested.

"Shut up Fred!" Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and George all yelled together at that idea.

"You never know!"

"Why would he be lurking around these woods?" George pointed out.

"I don't know, he was bored with attacking Harry?"

"Fred!" They all said again.

"Let's not talk about him attacking anyone," Hermione said quietly. Ginny had started moving again, and they all followed. Maybe Ron and Hermione were being paranoid, but they both thought they could hear that sound following them, growing louder with every step they took. Relief fell over them both as they saw the small cottage-like house glowing in the distance.

"There we are!" Ginny said excitedly.

"But....where's Fred?" Ron looked around, and saw Ginny standing in front of him, Hermione huddling into him for warmth, and George standing behind him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Come on you guys, no one is in the mood for a trick right now," Ron said loudly, waiting for Fred to pop out from behind a tree.

"Ron's right Fred, just come back here right now! George!" Ginny yelled over the rain, giving George the evil eye like he was in on the joke.

"No, I swear. He was just running along next to me," George said quickly. "So if there's a trick going on, he's the only one in on it." Ron saw his expression was somewhat fearful, so he believed he didn't know.

"Where did he go then?" Ginny aimed her flashlight in the trees that had just come from, and a flash of lightening blinded them all for a second. Pale light flooded over the entire area, and Ron couldn't see any sign of anyone in the trees.

"Fred!" George shouted.

"Where the fuck are you, this isn't funny!" Ginny called. Ron stared at her, never before hearing her quite so angry.

"Let's just leave him here. If he's out there listening, he'll know that Percy's house is just this way." She took off again, George reluctantly followed.

"What if something really did happen, Ron?" Hermione asked. A cold chill was running through her bones, and she was shivering up against him.

"I'm sure he's fine," said Ron, already convinced it was another joke. They hurried after the others, and came closer to the small house. Ginny knocked on the door, and a dark figure answered. They all rushed into the warm room, water dripping from every direction.

"I'm glad you all came," Percy's voice came from the dark figure. Ron looked at him closer, and saw he looked like hell. His curly hair was long and messy, skin paler then normally, and dark bags sat under his eyes. Ginny was hugging him as they walked into a bigger room, where a fire was lit in the fireplace, and a woman that Ron recognized as 'someone Clearwater' from Hogwarts was knitting in a chair, her stomach large. No one really knew what to say, but the woman was smiling at them.

"Have a seat," said Percy, throwing some stuff off the couch so they could sit by the fire. George, Hermione, and Ron squeezed on it together, while Ginny went over to the woman and started handing her things from the backpack.

"You guys remember Penelope right?" Ron and George just sort of grunted in reply, but Hermione smiled.

"I do. How are you doing Penelope?" she asked.

"I'm not bad Hermione, and yourself?" She smiled.

"Good, thanks."

"So, Ginny...did you tell them everything?" Percy asked, sitting on a chair across from the couch.

"I did," she replied, handing Penelope a box of something.

"And what do you think? Ron?" He looked to him. Ron was tempted to start shouting at him, and it took all his might not to.

"I was a bit surprised," he said calmly. "Mum would be thrilled to know she was going to be a grandma," Ron watched Percy flinch as he said that.

"Look, Ron the thing is-"

"You could have told her you were leaving, at least taken five minutes out of your busy life to write a note!" Ron's voice grew louder. "Do you have any idea how she felt when she checked your room that morning, and you weren't there? Or when her Christmas card that she made JUST FOR YOU came back unopened?!" Ron was almost shouting now. "And you don't even talk to me or Fred or George or Ginny about it, you just up and decide to leave! What kind of brother are you for the four of us to look up to?" Ron's heart was racing, and Percy looked like he'd just been punched.

"You don't understand. You just don't. No one does."

"Enlighten us then."

"I-I can't," he stuttered. "It's one of those things that are hard to talk about. I just felt down in my soul that it was what I had to do. I admit, I was extremely selfish to do that to all of you. But I just had to."

"That makes no sense!" George piped up. "You left because your SOUL told you too?!"

"Fred, it-"

"I'm George!" He said angrily.

"George, I'm sorry." He ran his hand through his hair. "I know it's hard for you to understand this, I just need you all to try and look at things from my view, and to be on my team."

"Go to your parents, Percy," Hermione suggested gently. "They'd be more then happy to have you back."

"I can't do that, Hermione," he said sadly. Ron nearly exploded at Percy's ignorance, but clutched the pillow next to him to stay still.

"Where is Fred?" Percy realized he wasn't around.

"Oh, he's lost in the woods, being attacked by something that crunches in the darkness. He's probably dead now actually, his insides splattered all over the trees, but you wouldn't care anyway, you don't seem very interested in being our brother," George snarled, standing up and striding to the door.

"I'm going to find him so Mum at least has something in front of her to cry for!" he called with the slam of the door.

"Fred is just playing a joke on us all," Ginny said quickly at the look on Percy's face. Ron couldn't believe George had just said that, and Hermione's eyes were wide. Percy looked much older then he was, almost like an old man, and Ron suddenly felt the twinge of sympathy tug at his heart.

"I know you all hate me, and I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm just looking for you to be there. We are family. And friends," he said with a look to Hermione.

"We don't hate you," Ron said quietly. "Hate is such a strong word." Penelope looked ready to cry.

"It would just be nice for some company and a little help, you know?" She sniffled. "Especially when Percy is away at work, I'm alone the whole time."

"We'll come visit you," Ginny said, taking her hand. "Won't we, Ron?"

"Yeah, sure," Ron said, still deciding if he really would or not.

"Thanks you guys." Ron looked down at his watch.

"We better go. Mum just thinks we are out de-gnoming the garden."

"You're right," Hermione agreed, feeling how uncomfortable Ron was. "I know I certainly will want to come and visit you again, and I'd love to do anything to help with the baby, I love them." She leaned down and hugged Penelope, then Percy hugged her tightly.

"Be careful out there," Penelope warned. Ron smiled at her, and then looked at Percy.

"I'll see you," he said quietly. They shook hands quickly, and then he hurried to the door. Ginny was still back by in the room, hugging them both for a long time, having a quick whispered conversation.

"That wasn't too bad, hey?" Hermione touched Ron's arm.

"Not bad, but I didn't really get any answers," Ron tingled at her touch.

"You didn't attack like I thought you were going to," she joked lightly. "But by the looks of that pillow you were squeezing to death..." Looking down at her wet, matted-down hair, Ron suddenly felt his heart grow, happy she was there with him. Something between them seemed to be happening again, but just as before, Ginny came over to them.

"We better find Fred and get inside before mum knows we've left the yard." She waved to Percy, and then the three of them jogged out and into the dark trees. They hadn't gone far, calling for Fred and George, when Ginny and Ron's flashlights both died.

"No way," Ron slapped it angrily. Hermione took one of his hands, and Ginny wrapped her arms around his other.

"Ron, I'm starting to freak out," Ginny panicked, her grip tight. It was raining a bit more lightly, but the thunder was louder, and the lightning touching the ground just yards around them. A chill ran through all three of them as the crunching started again.

"G-George?" Ron's voice shook. No reply.

"Fred?" Ginny asked hopefully. A dark shape appeared to the left, and the three of them screamed in unison and ran in the direction they had been heading in. The crunching was following them close behind. Leaves and hanging branches were slapping them in the face, but they didn't stop until The Burrow was in site.

"Thank goodness," Ginny rejoiced loudly at the site. As they came out of the woods, two more shapes jumped in front of them and they all screamed again.

"Fred! George!" Ron yelled, as the twins nearly doubled over with laughter.

"Fred got us all!" George laughed. "Even me!"

"You idiots, there is really something out there!" Ginny pointed into the darkness.

"What, a rabbit?"

"No, bigger. Definitely bigger." The crunching had stopped before, but it started again and something that looked like two red eyes were watching them from a few yards away. Terror flashed across even the twins faces as they whipped out their wands.

"I think we should just go back to the house," Hermione backed away slowly, dragging Ron with here.

"Good plan," Ginny started running, and they all ran after, not looking back until they were inside and the door was locked. They all ran to the windows, as something crashed into the door. Ginny let out a little scream as she ran to the other side of the room.

"It's going to dent the fucking door!" Fred yelled, about to unlock the doors.

"Shh, mum is probably asleep! And don't open the door, are you crazy??" Ginny whispered loudly.

"We should go get dad, is he home?" Ron looked at the clock that also showed where his family was at the time.

"Damn, he's still at work." Fred didn't open the door, but they all stayed where they were for at least five minutes, in a silent stare. George popped his head out the window and looked around.

"There's nothing there. Whatever it was is gone."

"What do you reckon it was?" asked Hermione, who was clutching Ron's hand, wrapped in his arm.

"Maybe it was a werewolf," Ginny suggested as they all walked upstairs.

"Do we have those around here?"

"Hey, maybe it was that Professor Lupin guy!" George suggested.

"Why would he be around here? And he had different eyes. I remember how they were when he had turned into a werewolf," Hermione replied, remembering the time she, Ron, and Harry had been at the Shrieking Shack about three years ago.

George and Fred mumbled their goodnights as they disappeared into their room, and the three girls all gathered into Ron's room, all still a bit worked up.

"I really hope whatever it was has left," Ginny said, looking out of Ron's window slowly. A million thoughts were running through Ron's head: Percy, the thing that was chasing them, how Hermione was still clutching him, and those goddamn gnomes that were back.

"I'm going to head to bed," Ginny yawned. "I'll catch you guys in the morning." She shut Ron's door and left them alone. Ron stared at the cuts on his arms, one from the gnome and the others from the branches. Hermione had a small cut on her eyebrow, and was touching a cut that had ripped her pants in the knee.

"I should go too," she stood up and limped slightly.

"You okay?" Ron asked, looking at the bleeding cut.

"Yeah, it's just a small scratch. Are you?" Ron sighed.

"I'll live." They looked at each other in the lightening, and before Ron knew what was going on, Hermione had leaned foreword and put her lips to Ron's. It lasted only a second before she pulled back, but it was enough to make Ron's heart race.

"Good night then," she quickly disappeared from Ron's room, and left Ron staring at the door. Did that just happen? No way. But why was it so short? Was it just a friendly goodnight kiss, or did it have more meaning? These things ran through his mind as he shoved his pajamas on. He fell asleep, reliving that scene over and over in his brain.

Note: Yes, there's a small kiss for you, hehe. But this isn't to say that Hermione is totally sure what she wants...we all know what Ron wants, though. What about Harry? Hmm.... Thanks for reading, please review. More chapters are to come soon. (once again, I don't own these characters)