Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful character just the plot.

Review Responses:

lilyqueen777 – It certainly does take a man to admit he's wrong and I think Percy's brave enough to admit that he got the Voldemort thing wrong. I think Percy's very loveable but I disagree with Fred and George calling him a git! Thanks for the review!

Queen of Useless Info – The incident you mentioned where Percy called Arthur Dad was something I interpret as him looking for his father's approval, something he's obviously trying to do now because he wants to be forgiven by Arthur. I think that under the circumstances he can't afford to sound standoffish or do anything that might place a greater emotional distance between them, that and he's only twenty, he still needs his parents sometimes and I think it's more natural in this situation that he would call them mum and dad. Just my interpretation and a way of indicating an improvement in their relationship. Hope that explains it.

Kateydidnt – Thank you for the kind review!

Cooldot – I adore Charlie! I also have reasoning for the Bill and him thing, that is that Charlie strikes me as a more laid back, understanding, but probably quite fiery person whereas Bill I dislike. There's two reasons for this, the fact that in the fifth book Ginny says that Bill doesn't like Snape (who I love and would have thought Bill would know better than to criticise!) and also in book 4 he tells Percy to do everyone a favour and shut up after the world cup thing which I thought was rather mean! So because of that I think it's more likely to see Charlie defend him than Bill, also because he and Charlie are so different and have different skills I think they'd be less competitive and would get on better as a result. It was just my personal reasoning but I'm glad you like my Charlie! The family have indeed treated him like dirt and they will have to start dealing with that very soon! It may take a while for certain people to be nicer to him though. Thanks for the review!

ElavielBlack – I'm actually surprised I made people cry with the last chapter, it didn't occur to me that it might. I have to offer a warning that it will get worse before it gets better! Thanks for the review!

What You Left Behind

Chapter 4: Every Word I Said

"I meant every word I said, but only said half the words I meant. There's a load more where they came from, I suppose will get left unsaid."

Percy Weasley hadn't been back at home a week before he began to seriously wonder what had possessed him to miss the place. He was sat in his room cleaning a coffee stain out of his robes. He'd spilt the coffee when accidentally eating one of Fred and George's canary creams. Ever since he'd been back he'd been their favourite target for old and new jokes alike and he was getting a little tired of it, he was also getting a little tired of the fact that Bill wouldn't speak to him except to make derogatory remarks, but he had been determined to grin and bear it. However, as he sat heavily on his bed he began to remember all the reasons he had left in the first place.

'I should be happy to be home, I should be relieved that they forgave me. I should be a lot of things but I'm none of them. I'm just starting to wish I'd never bothered coming back, but then I was no better on my own, was I?' he thought.

Percy crossed his room to stare out of the window, the twins, Bill and Charlie were carrying their broomsticks out of the gate with Ron and Ginny hurrying after them bickering about something, no one had even asked if he wanted to go. Admittedly Percy had been the school laughing stock in his first flying lesson and things hadn't improved much since. Over the years he had managed to become accomplished enough to stay on a broom but even that had only been after hours of practice when no one was around and the odd bit of help from his amused yet sympathetic dorm mate, Oliver Wood.

Still, it would have been nice to be asked, he was the only Weasley apart from Bill who'd never flown on the Gryffindor quidditch team, but that didn't mean he wouldn't go and watch them. Then again he'd never gone to watch them before. He was well aware that he was hardly the easiest person to get to know and that his siblings' bad relationship with him was partly his own fault.

He sighed and sank back against the wall. What was the point in working out whose fault it was anyway? It wasn't like he could do anything about it. Walking out at the start of the previous summer had felt good; he couldn't deny it. He had known he was right and that he had been defending what was right, but there had been something better than that; he had been escaping. Escaping from all the misery he had felt in this house, all the loneliness he'd never been able to quite ignore, the misery and loneliness that had seemed to come flooding back within days of him returning to his family.

The family he loved and couldn't bring himself to hate no matter what they said or did because he knew that they had never intended to hurt him in the way they did, and it was now undeniable that he had hurt them.

It was not in Percy's nature however to sit and sulk, he liked to be doing something productive so he rifled his briefcase and came up with a report he felt could be bettered and sat down to re-write it.

It was several hours before Percy felt the need to surface. He packed his papers away neatly and, in a brief fit of nostalgia, apparated down to the foot of the stairs, remembering the days when one of his chief pleasures had come from the pride in his achievements. He smiled in amusement at the memory of his younger self then frowned at hearing raised voices coming from the direction of the kitchen.

"Look I'm not saying we shouldn't trust him but I don't think he should come with us. He's not even a member of the Order for crying out loud!" It was Bill, his brother's voice floated clearly down the corridor and round to the foot of the stairs where Percy stood frozen in place.

"Well, shouldn't he be?" Charlie's voice asked.

"That's not for us to decide!" Bill protested.

"He doesn't deserve to be." One of the twins, Percy would have guessed at Fred but couldn't be certain.

The other twin began to speak. "I think the point is less what he deserves and more would he be any use? What's he going to do, file the minutes of the meetings?"

"We don't need him running to Fudge the minute he hears something the minister might not like!" Bill, again.

"He wouldn't do that." Percy once more heard Charlie's voice defending him.

"How do we know?" Bill questioned.

"You may not but I do." Charlie insisted.

"Alright!" Percy heard his father's voice cut across the others, "Bill, Percy would not report back to Fudge in that manner and I believe he would be an asset to the Order. However, you're right in that it's not our decision, we'll bring it up at the meeting tomorrow and in the meantime Percy can stay here and keep an eye on Ron and Ginny."

"I think he should come with us." Charlie protested.

"Charlie," his father sighed, "He may not even want to and we need to get Dumbledore's permission before we show him where the Order headquarters are."

"Right now, that's settled," Molly said, "You can all lay the table."

"I'll go and find Perce and tell him dinner's ready." Percy heard Charlie volunteer.

Percy watched as the kitchen door handle began to turn, he didn't know what to think or do or say. It was clear that they hadn't known he'd been listening, the amount of noise the creaky wooden stairs tended to make would have alerted them to his presence, they wouldn't have expected him to apparate.

The door swung open and Charlie found him standing in the same spot he'd apparated into at the foot of the stairs. Without a word Percy turned and began to climb back up them.

"Perce, dinner's ready," Charlie called weakly, guilt eating away at him as he wondered how long his brother had been stood there.

"I've lost my appetite," Percy responded simply, without turning back.

XXXXXXX

Charlie slipped back into the kitchen and his mother gave him a questioning look. "He said he's got a headache and isn't hungry."

"Oh the poor dear," Molly exclaimed, "I'll make him up a tray, he should try to eat something."

"I'll take him something later Mum, we should let him rest for the moment." Charlie's voice was quiet yet rang with the same authority his father's often did. Seeing that her son was determined he was right about it Molly let the subject drop, making a mental note to ensure Charlie did in fact take Percy some food later.

XXXXXXX

After dinner, at his mother's firm insistence, Charlie carried some food up on a tray and knocked on Percy's bedroom door. There was no answer at first but then a tired voice called, "What is it?"

"Room service!"

"Don't seem to remember ordering that."

"Alright, complementary room service."

There was a faint chuckle from behind the door and it swung open to reveal Percy. "You didn't have to bring me dinner, I told you I wasn't hungry."

"Well you have to eat, you're too thin as it is," Charlie frowned.

"Just stick it on the desk." Percy gestured towards his immaculate desk with an ink stained hand.

Charlie complied before sitting down on the bed.

Percy ignored him for a moment before acknowledging that his brother was showing no signs of leaving.

"What can I do for you, Charlie?"

"Smile?"

"What?"

"You look so miserable sometimes and I hate that. I hate thinking that you're not happy in this house, even though I understand perfectly well why."

"They don't trust me."

"Dad does, I do."

Percy smiled weakly, "Thanks, that does mean a lot, I just wish everyone else felt the same way."

"They'll come around and if Bill doesn't stop acting like a prat soon I'll end up swinging for the guy!"

"Yes I heard you hit Fred, don't you think that was a little uncalled for?"

Guilt flitted across Charlie's face, "Hey, I'm not proud of it!"

"I know," Percy said soothingly, "You wouldn't be, it's not like you to hurt people in any way."

"Yeah well I just kind of saw red. You know there were more than you to blame for everything that happened."

"That's debatable."

"You don't really think that. You know as well as I do that the way they treated you was bound to lead to something like that one day."

"Does it matter what I think I know? It doesn't change what I did."

"It matters," Charlie insisted. "You didn't do anything so very terrible you know, you were angry and said some things you shouldn't but from what I've heard you did have a right to be angry."

"I don't want to talk about it, Charlie."

Charlie shrugged, "Alright. You should eat that dinner, it's good."

Percy smiled weakly and sat down at the desk and picked at the food. "Thanks, Charlie."

"Dad wants to talk to you later this evening."

"To tell me to stay here and baby-sit Ron and Ginny tomorrow morning?"

"I think so. He does trust you, he just has to talk to Dumbledore first."

Percy nodded ruefully, "I do understand, it's not like I did anything to deserve anyone's trust lately."

"Don't be silly! People trust you, but sadly the policies of the Order of the Phoenix do not lie in the hands of any member of this family."

Percy raised an amused eyebrow, "You think that's something to be sad about?"

"Well now you come to mention it it's probably something we should all be extremely grateful for!" Charlie laughed.

"Don't worry I'm not going to wallow in self-pity, I did bring this on myself and I do see that. Besides I agree Ron and Ginny shouldn't be left on their own here."

"Well I honestly can't think of anyone else I'd rather entrust with their safety," Charlie said sincerely.

XXXXXXX

Arthur Weasley was equally convinced of Percy's ability to look after his brother and sister and so the next morning Percy was left having a late breakfast with Ginny and Ron, once Molly had herded the rest of the family out of the house.

"I still don't see why we can't go!" Ron grumbled.

"Because you're not Order members!" Percy responded for what was beginning to feel like the thousandth time though was probably only the tenth.

Ron tried a different tactic, "Yeah well if you think about it it's actually inconvenient for them not to take us, it's meant you have to stay here and I do think Dad would have insisted you go if it weren't for us being stuck here."

Percy found it hard to hide the smile of pleasure at hearing that. "I doubt that Ron, but thanks for saying it."

"Well when you become a member will you plead our case to them?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"No." Percy said in a determined voice, "Now eat your breakfast."

"Why not?!" his younger siblings chorused indignantly.

"Because, because...just because!" Percy finished, not really wishing to delve into the issue.

"Because what? I think we've both proved we can be useful in a fight and in difficult circumstances!" Ron said in the same indignant tone.

Percy sighed, "Look Ron, the answer is no."

"Why? We've done more than..." Ron looked guilty and trailed off, his temper beginning to dissipate.

Percy gave a wry smile, "More than I have?" He sighed, "I know that but proud as I, and undoubtedly many other people, are of your bravery last year I never want to hear about anything like that again! You could have been killed! You all could and I'm not saying that because I doubt your intelligence or your abilities but because these people want to hurt you and they've taken down much more powerful people than you. I won't advise the Order to let you be involved in any practical way because I care about you, I want you to stay safe and I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to any of you!"

Ron and Ginny exchanged a look across the breakfast table and Percy stood up suddenly to start washing the dishes, keeping his back to them, partly embarrassed by his emotional speech.

"We don't want you to get hurt either," Ginny spoke quietly and sincerely, squeezing her brother's hand as she passed him to go upstairs and change out of her pyjamas.

"Want some help with those?" Ron took a plate from his hands and began to dry it with a tea towel, being unable to use a charm without breaking the Decree for Underage Wizardry and thinking that Percy may want him safe but probably wouldn't aid him in breaking the law.

Percy smiled at him, "Thanks."

"We know you care, Perce. You've got a slightly odd way of showing it on occasions but we do know."

"If it's any consolation I think the Order should give you a certain amount of information, you deserve to know what you're up against."

Ron frowned, "I thought we weren't supposed to go up against anything?"

"Ideally, no. But I've learnt that situations aren't always ideal and you don't need mollycoddling and shielding from the truth. You've as much right to hear it as anyone else."

His brother's troubled tone prompted Ron to change the subject, "Percy, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Why haven't you been to work lately?"

"I had a lot of leave saved up, I go back in a couple of days but I wanted to try and sort things out here first."

"They won't fire you will they? For coming back home I mean."

"I don't think they can fire me for that, but I've a nasty feeling that in my absence I'll have proved a very convenient scapegoat for various problems and mistakes."

Ron's temper flared in his brother's defence. "They shouldn't be able to do that!"

"Ron, that's politics. Unfortunately a certain amount of backstabbing is to be expected and I'm just grateful I'm not one of the people who've had to take the fall for Fudge. He's fired a hell of a lot of his advisors and secretaries lately."

"That ruddy git! Why can't he just admit he was wrong and that it was all his fault?!"

"Because he can't afford to have people lose faith in him as a leader, besides anything else we're heading into war, if we don't have a leader we can unite behind things could get very nasty," Percy reasoned, not sounded much like he even believed it himself.

"Well then maybe it's time for a new leader!"

"Believe me, Fudge won't let go of power without a fight."

Ron frowned thoughtfully, "You sound like you wish he would."

"Do I?" Percy turned away to pick up another cup to wash.

"Yeah, and you didn't tell me off when I called him a ruddy git."

"Well, I don't think he's always the fool you all think he is. He's a shrewd politician, but that doesn't make him a good leader, or even an especially bright one when it comes to some things."

"So you hate him too?"

"I wouldn't waste my energy hating him, but I can't say I especially respect him anymore. I respect his abilities as a politician but he's not a very nice person some of the time, or maybe even any of the time. But then leaders don't have to be, they can't be to a degree because they have to make the decisions no one else wants to. I pity him, but you're right he is a ruddy git!"

Ron laughed, "Can I get that written down and signed?!"

"I think that'd be a little more than my job's worth!"

"Don't see why you want it anyway!"

"Money, Ron, I need something to live off unfortunately. That and I do like my job some of the time."

"Is some of the time really enough?"

"To me? Yes, because I know that some of the things I do have an impact and they may seem silly but occasionally they matter and that's why I went into the damned place to begin with."

"That and you couldn't think of any other job that would allow you so much of your beloved paperwork!" Ron teased.

Percy slapped his brother lightly with a wet sponge, provoking a brief but messy water fight.

Ginny came back downstairs and saw her two brothers looking rather bedraggled and the kitchen a little waterlogged.

"Boys!" she exclaimed, "Hermione's right, you all need locking up for your own protection!"

Percy looked abashed, "Yeah, I think I should clean this up. Go and get changed Ron, you can't stand around in wet pyjamas."

"Neither can you Percy!" Ginny scolded, sounding eerily like her mother, "Both of you can go and get changed, I'll mop this up. Go on!"

The two boys decided not to question further and made for the door.

When the rest of the family returned that evening the kitchen was looking spotless, a little too spotless to Molly's suspicious eyes but nothing was said.

XXXXXXX

The quote that this chapter title comes from is from a song called, "Spit it All Out" by The Beautiful South.

Chapter five will be up next week and we see Percy interacting with the Order. Also the lovely Severus Snape's there!

I'd love it if you reviewed!