All the King's Men
By Perse
Chapter 7: Homecoming
oOo
The kitchen seemed somehow smaller now that all the kids were bigger. Or perhaps it was just that he was nervous, and thus the space felt too small. He tugged at his collar as he glanced around the breakfast table at his assembled family.
Arthur never thought that he would be nervous about one of his kids coming home. But then, he never would have imagined how far the situation with Percy would go. Truth be told, he was afraid now of what memories might be sparked by this house and the family atmosphere.
He'd agreed to let Bill handle the transport, since Percy still felt most comfortable with him. Moody, Tonks, and Lupin were playing guard.
While there was an air of excitement amongst the children and Molly, he felt some of the same tension coming from them as well. Nevertheless, they had all gathered for breakfast, preparing for the big day.
Suddenly, Arthur noticed something amiss. He counted his family members.
He'd been so preoccupied, he'd missed something rather important.
"Where's Ron?"
oOo
Harry was startled when he heard the front door open, long before Remus was supposed to be back. He abandoned his breakfast and pulled out his wand, cautiously exiting the kitchen.
A few moments later, he breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the wand. "Ron, you scared me."
Ron had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "Sorry. I didn't want to call out, not knowing who all was here."
"It's pretty much just me. Someone—I think it was Shacklebolt—is in one of the upstairs rooms if I need him, but he's been on a mission for the last few days and he's exhausted. I doubt we'll wake him." Past his initial surprise now, Harry narrowed his eyes at Ron. "What are you doing here? I thought Percy was coming home this morning."
There was a pause, then, "He is."
Harry simply stared at him, waiting for him to explain. Ron took to staring at the floor, and said nothing. Eventually Harry said, "Ron. Does your family know where you are?"
Ron shrugged guiltily. "I left a note."
"Ron," he sighed. "You're making a bit of a habit of this, you know." He studied his friend. "I thought you were looking forward to Percy coming home."
"I thought so, too. Until I met with him in the hospital the other day."
Again Harry waited for more of an explanation, but none was forthcoming. This was like pulling teeth. Trying to make his friend more comfortable, he changed the subject. "You want some breakfast? I was about halfway through mine."
"Sorry. And, sure. I'm starved."
Harry led him back to the kitchen and got him a bowl. Ron chose a cereal from the cabinet and grabbed the milk before sitting down. Ron was as at home here as Harry was; he'd spent nearly as much time here. They sat in a comfortable silence as they ate, and Harry observed his friend. He wondered if Ron had slept since he'd seen him last. He looked as if he hadn't. There were dark circles under his eyes, which lacked any natural spark of life.
"You look tired," Harry ventured, thinking it perhaps the understatement of the year.
"Haven't been sleeping well," Ron confessed in a mumble.
Harry debated the merits of pushing for more detail there, but ultimately decided against it. Ron really did look exhausted. "Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep?" he suggested instead.
Ron hesitated, seeming wary.
And, though he wasn't sure it was the best idea, Harry nevertheless offered, "I've got a little Dreamless Sleep potion leftover, if you'd like."
That eased some of the tension. "Yeah, that would be great," Ron admitted.
So they finished their breakfasts and then made their way up to their room. Harry fished out the potion vial as Ron sat down on his bed and pulled off his shoes. He handed the potion to his friend, watched as Ron swallowed it in one gulp, then took the empty vial back as his friend settled into the pillows. Harry simply watched him for a moment, then felt compelled to say something before Ron drifted off. "Ron…I'm here. I mean, if you want to talk to me, whenever…I'm here."
"I know. I'm just really tired right now," he said faintly.
"Okay." Harry let it go for the moment, hoping Ron would take him up on the offer later.
Ron fell asleep quickly, letting Harry know that he hadn't overestimated his exhaustion. He retrieved a blanket from the closet and covered his friend. Then he quietly left the room and headed downstairs. He didn't think it was his place to call the Weasleys behind Ron's back—he really wanted his friend to trust him right now. So he would wait for Remus to get back.
oOo
Percy had been a little fuzzy on apparating. Bill had explained patiently and he had tried, but in the end he wasn't sure if it had been his doing or Bill's hand on his arm. Either way, they were now standing on a patch of green land, in front of a quaint little house.
Unfortunately, the house was swimming. "Whoa," he said, clutching at his older brother as a wave of dizziness hit him.
Bill grabbed hold of him, supporting most of his weight. "Easy there. Hang on, it'll pass."
Behind them, three pops signified the arrival of their escorts.
"He all right?" Moody's gruff voice asked.
"He'll be fine. The Healer said this would probably happen with the apparating."
Moody grunted noncommittally, moving around them towards the house. "Still the best way to travel."
Tonks stepped up and took Percy's other arm, giving him an encouraging smile. "Are you ready?"
Percy nodded. He didn't risk speaking—he feared he might throw up.
Bill wrapped an arm around his back and urged him forward. Slowly, they made their way to the house.
Percy tried to take it all in. His first impression was that he really loved the setting. It seemed quite peaceful. The garden was well-kept and the nearby fields large and lusciously green. A lone chicken wandered into their path, cocked its head at them, then seemed unimpressed by their presence and continued on.
They approached a small door on the side of the house. Bill knocked briefly before opening it, ushering them inside.
It was a homey kitchen. He took in the room before he looked to his family, all lined up on the other side of the table. They all looked a bit harried. The smiles were big, but seemed forced.
Bill picked up on it, too. "What's going on?" he asked cautiously.
They all exchanged glances. Eventually Arthur said hesitantly, "Ron's gone missing."
Bill's grip on Percy was suddenly quite tight. "Missing?"
"Oh, not missing like," he gestured vaguely at Percy, then realized what he was doing and cleared his throat. "…I mean, he left a note. It just didn't say where he was going. But, it will be fine. Right now, we're just happy to have you back, Percy."
Percy tried to force a smile of his own as his father clasped his arm. The greeting was sincere, and he had no doubt that most of them were glad to see him. But the fact that Ron was gone spoke louder than words.
He was passed off to his mother, but he noticed over her shoulder that Arthur went to speak seriously with Remus. Remus left shortly after that, as Ginny was hugging Percy.
They were trying to act as if this wasn't cause for alarm, but the underlying tension was palpable.
He could even feel it from George, who managed the most lighthearted attitude as he hugged him and then steered him out of the kitchen to the family room. On one hand Percy was quite grateful, for he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand, and he sank into the couch with relief. But he knew he was being purposefully distracted from the crisis.
He would have liked a tour, but he'd gotten a look at the stairs and knew he wasn't up for it at the moment. Fred and Ginny joined him and George and got comfortable. And while Percy was still distracted by Ron, they easily managed to create a family atmosphere. They carried the conversation, letting him contribute when he wanted or just sit back and observe. He found himself relaxing and even laughing along with them. Their parents and Bill drifted in and out, throwing in comments. His Mum kept asking him if he needed anything.
Some time later, after Molly had brought him three glasses of water, he discovered a problem with not knowing the layout of the house.
He reached for Ginny, who was closest, and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. When she turned he asked quietly, "Uh…where's the bathroom?"
"Oh, sorry…down that hall, first door on your left. Do you…er…need help?"
"I'll manage," he said with a small laugh. She returned his smile, though he felt her watching him as he made his way down the hall, probably making sure he didn't fall on his face.
But he managed to make it on his own. When he was done, he reopened the door to begin the trek back to the family room. But he paused, hearing purposefully quiet voices just down the hall. Making a decision, he made his way towards them and stopped a short distance from the open door.
"Remus called," Arthur was saying softly.
"He's there?" came a voice he easily identified as Bill. Percy didn't need any hints to know that they must be talking about Ron.
Arthur must have nodded. "I'm going to go get him."
"No, Dad. You stay here with the family; I'll go."
"Are you sure?"
"I don't mind, really. Just let me tell Percy."
Bill cam into the hallway then, and nearly ran into Percy. He recovered himself gracefully and said, "Hey, Perce. Listen…"
Percy smiled at him wanly. "It's okay, I heard. Go on."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine." But as Bill started to move away he called, "Bill?"
"Yeah?"
"That wasn't some random breakdown the other day. Ron's mad at me about something specific," he said softly.
"No. Well, yes, but…it's really nothing big. He's moody. It will pass." Bill placed a hand on his shoulder. "Try not to worry about it, all right? Go back and sit down. You're supposed to be resting."
Percy expected that Bill could feel him trembling, so he tried to lighten the situation a bit. "Yes mother," he said teasingly.
Bill gave him a mock glare as he turned to go.
Percy painfully made his way back to the family room, where Fred jumped up to help him back to the couch. He tried to smile at the twin, though his thoughts were not bright.
Something was happening, or had happened, between him and his youngest brother. Something not at all good, something they were hiding from him.
And if they were hiding that…what else was he not being told?
oOo
Remus expressed some disappointment in Harry for his failure to call the Weasleys immediately.
It left Harry frowning as he climbed the stairs to wake Ron. He had hoped Remus would understand the need to put a friend first. Harry loved the Weasleys, but it was Ron who was his best friend. He had also hoped for a bit more time, for he thought Ron needed more than a few uninterrupted hours of sleep. But Remus had insisted that his family was worried and that they had been through enough.
He slipped into the room and over to the bed. Ron actually looked peaceful at the moment. As much as he hated to do it, Harry sat down on the edge of the bed and put a gentle hand on Ron's back.
"Ron," he called softly.
It took a few more calls before Ron blinked up at him sleepily. "Hmm…Harry? Whas goin' on?"
"Remus called your parents. Someone's on their way to get you." He paused as that sunk into a groggy brain and then added quietly, "I'm sorry. I wanted to let you sleep a bit more."
"'s okay. Not your fault. I knew it wouldn't take too long for them to find me," Ron said as he hauled himself into a sitting position, staring about blearily. He hair stuck up in various directions, making Harry smile despite himself.
Ron gave him a confused look. "What's so funny?"
Harry shook his head, but didn't get the chance to answer. There was a light knock on the door, then Remus entered just before Bill. Ron visibly tensed, suddenly seeming much more awake.
Bill rubbed a hand across his face. He almost looked even more exhausted than Ron had, and Harry was getting a rather bad feeling about this whole situation. He stared at his youngest brother for a moment, seeming to stew over his words. Then he sighed and said simply, "Let's just go. We can talk about this later with Mum and Dad."
Ron hesitated, then, "No."
"No?" Bill repeated incredulously.
"I mean…I would really prefer to stay here for now, if I could," Ron responded softly, looking down.
Harry glanced between the brothers nervously, then looked to Remus. The older man shook his head, telling Harry not to interfere.
Bill, meanwhile, had taken on a look that rather reminded Harry of Snape on one of his worse days. "You selfish little prat—" he caught himself, seeming to realize what he was saying, and looked away for a moment.
Ron had paled. Harry knew his own eyes were big as saucers. Even Remus looked a bit shocked.
Once he'd taken a breath Bill continued, "How could you do this? After all this family has been through, how could you disappear?"
"I…I left a note."
"Oh, yes. That was terribly thoughtful of you. Do you have any idea—"
Remus reached out to lay a calming hand on Bill's shoulder. Bill tensed, but then relaxed a bit as he turned to look at the older man. He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded to Remus that he was all right.
Ron watched all of this without a word, in his defense or otherwise.
Finally Bill moved closer, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry stood, and Bill sat down in his place before saying, "Look, I am sorry that you're having such a difficult time with this. But you are only making things worse, for all of us." He gently grasped Ron's chin and forced eye contact. "You are going to come back with me, and we are going to work all of this out together. But you don't take any of this out on Percy right now, all right? You want to yell at someone, you come yell at me. Deal?"
Ron studied his brother's eyes for a moment, eventually nodding wordlessly. With a slightly defeated look, he reached to pull on his shoes and stood.
"Thanks Harry," he said softly a moment later as they walked down the stairs.
Harry nodded. "I'll see you soon, okay? Take care of yourself."
Remus put a hand on his shoulder as they watched the brothers walk out the front door and into the sunlight.
The whole scene had been rather unnerving for Harry. Ron just wasn't the contrite type. It was as if he suddenly didn't have any fight left in him. And Bill…admittedly, he didn't know the eldest Weasley boy all that well. But from what he did know, the blow-up was rather out of character. Things should have been better once they had Percy back in one piece. How was it that they seemed to be getting worse?
oOo
Percy awoke on the couch. The room was quiet, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. He knew immediately that he wasn't in his hospital bed, for the surface he was lying on was too soft. He rubbed at his eyes and turned his head to find one of the twins in a nearby chair, reading a rather hefty-looking book that looked like something about magical business management. No one else seemed to be around, making him wonder how long he had been out.
He studied a moment more before venturing, "Fred?"
His brother looked up, then broke into a gentle smile as he put the book aside. "Hey, Perce. Mum's fixing lunch, if you're hungry. I could bring you a plate in here," he offered.
"No thanks; I'd like to eat with the family…if you could give me a hand?"
"Sure." Fred came to his side, waited for him to sit up, then helped him stand. He kept a hand on Percy's arm as they made their way into the kitchen. Mum was at the counter, standing before a copious collection of sandwiches. George was nearby, overseeing the magical place-settings. As they came in, both offered them brilliant smiles. Fred saw Percy to a chair, then stepped away to help move the food to the table.
"Let me call your sister and father and we'll get started," Molly said with a smile, heading for the stairs.
Percy returned her smile, then turned to ease himself into the chair.
Suddenly, he felt a rush of panic. The room seemed hot and he felt lightheaded. His vision swam…
Then he was looking at a chair, similar but definitely not the one in his parents' kitchen. This room was dark.
A second later he was being roughly forced into the chair. His head hurt, and his vision was blurry. He felt his arms and legs being tied to the wood, but he could not summon the strength to resist. He looked up, squinting until he could make out a hooded figure looking down at him…
As abruptly as it had come, the strange vision was gone. He was out of the dark room, and on the kitchen floor.
One of the twins—at the moment he couldn't tell which one—was holding him. The other was nearby, calling for help.
"I'm okay," he tried to tell them. But when he tried to sit up he found he couldn't do it without his brother's support.
"What's going on?" a new voice demanded, and Percy looked up to see that Bill had returned.
As his oldest brother moved towards them, Percy caught sight of an additional red head standing in the doorway.
Ron.
The boy looked terrified by the scene. Their eyes met, and held. There was a wealth of emotion there and, for the moment at least, anger was not among them.
"Percy?" Bill broke his connection to Ron by taking his face in his hands, forcing his focus to him. "What happened?" he asked urgently.
Percy thought about that for a moment, a moment during which his parents rushed back into the room and began demanding an answer to the same question. Finally he said, "From what the Healer told me to expect…I think I had a flashback."
oOo
to be continued