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Review Responses:
Queen of Useless Info – He's sweet, he's smart, he likes Dragons, I quite agree Charlie Weasley has everything a girl could want in one very attractive package. I'm so glad I got you to join the Charlie fans! I adore him! More of him in this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!
db – Glad you're enjoying the fic and that you find my Percy believable, I'm trying to keep him in character. Thanks for the review!
Cooldot – I love my Charlie too! He's one of my favourite Weasleys! (Along with Percy, Ron and Arthur!) I'm afraid his family are too used to not noticing his merits, they don't see the concern behind his occasional bossiness, he doesn't want them to break the rules because he doesn't want them to get hurt but such complex reasoning is beyond the stupidity of Fred, George and Bill in particular! Give them time though and they may eventually begin to appreciate what they've got. Snape is very intriguing I think and I too wish to hear more about his background though I feel sure it's heart breaking! The glimpses we saw of his memories in the occlumency lessons were so sad! Also the line that always struck me about him comes from book four. Sirius says, "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the seventh years," to me that doesn't speak of a healthy home life. The poor dear, I do adore him! As for Oliver, he's another of my favourites, he had to get in there somewhere! Thanks for the lovely long review (I adore long reviews!)!
Toria – I'm glad you're enjoying this, thanks for the review!
ElavielBlack – I get a screech?! Wow! I think I'm going to get a big head reading some of the lovely reviews you lovely reviewers leave! Fred and George are subtly different even in the books I think. I'm not sure why but I just always got the impression of George being the better one of the two. I'm still pretty angry with them for their actions in book 5 and having reflected on some of their pranks (one of which will be dwelt on in particular in this chapter!) I found some of them to be more disturbing than funny! I'm afraid they'll be paying the price for their meanness to Percy, thing is he'll pay more than them! Oh but I'm waffling and giving things away! Thanks for the review, I'll leave you to enjoy the lovely Sev!
What You Left BehindChapter 5: A Waste of Time and Effort
"You branded me and every single one of my mates a waste of time and effort to teach."
Dumbledore had decided that Percy should attend the Order meetings and join them if he wanted to and Percy had deliberated for only a minute before agreeing to join them. It was for this reason that he was glancing around a largish dining room at Grimmauld Place at the other Order members seated around the long table. He was sat at his father's side feeling very out of place and a little unwanted. So far, the only person outside of his family to speak with him had been Professor McGonagall who had simply smiled sympathetically and said she was glad to see him. Some of the other Order members were looking fairly hostile, Moody was glaring at him and Percy had the disconcerting feeling that even when he wasn't looking at him his magical eye was. A young woman with purple hair had given him an appraising look and returned to talking to Bill about dragonhide boots, a conversation Charlie was getting a little distressed about and clearly trying not to hear. His love of Dragons had made some of Bill's fashion choices a little controversial in their house.
Before Percy could see what everyone else was doing, Snape and Dumbledore entered the room in conversation with each other and the Hogwarts Headmaster called the meeting to order. He was though quickly interrupted by Moody.
"What's he doing here?!"
Everyone instantly looked at Percy, except for Snape who looked as though he momentarily thought Moody was talking about him before turning his attention back to the parchment he'd brought in with him.
"He, has a name!" Charlie said in a warning tone that both embarrassed and reassured Percy.
"Mr Weasley is here to join us," Dumbledore smiled, "Aren't you Percy?"
Percy nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say but defiantly meeting Moody's eyes.
"We can't trust him."
"So you say about me every other meeting, Moddy, can you name one person you do trust?" Snape was clearly feeling a bit touchy.
"Well I never have liked traitors!" Moody replied and Percy had the feeling that the comment was as much aimed at Snape as it had been at himself.
"You sound like a broken record," Snape commented.
"That's enough now," Dumbledore broke in good-humouredly. "There is no one in this room I wouldn't trust. Mr Weasley will be joining us and I believe he will be an asset to our organisation."
This quashed further further complaints, though Bill, Fred and George looked decidedly doubtful about Percy being an asset. Percy had a feeling he was also looking pretty doubtful about that, after all he did doubt it.
Things became rather boring after that and Percy reached up to pet Hermes who was sat on his shoulder. He liked taking his owl with him, it wasn't just convenience, he was very fond of the animal.
"Severus, you mentioned that you had some information?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape looked up and nodded briefly, "Yes, but I would advise you see it yourself first."
"Yes, I quite agree," Dumbledore nodded, seeming to receive a more subtle communication from the potions master.
Fred and George though instantly spoke up. "Why can't we all hear it?"
"Because some of it isn't for the ears of silly school children!" Snape definitely wasn't in a good mood.
They were clearly about to argue further but Dumbledore ignored the brewing fight and moved on to speaking with the quiet Remus Lupin.
Things continued for another quarter of an hour before a small argument, over something Percy hadn't been listening to, broke out between Moody and Lupin. Whilst everyone's attention was elsewhere, the twins managed to do what they excelled at above all else and set in motion events that would lead to uproar.
Snape had been looking haggard and weary throughout the meeting and the twins were quick to notice that he was now deep asleep with his head resting on his arms. Fred nudged George and gestured to the sleeping potions master with a wicked grin on his face. The two of them left their chairs and crept quietly towards him and reached for the parchment still on the table in front of him, careful not to disturb the man, but unfortunately for them not careful enough. Snape suddenly jerked upright and swung his wand to point at them and before anyone could say anything there were a couple of white mice running round on the floor.
Severus regarded them coolly before sneering, "Sorry, automatic reflex."
Charlie was fighting back laughter and Hermes decided that it was lunchtime, swooping down to narrowly miss one of the mice before flying back up to try again.
"Turn them back!" Molly cried out in clear distress that two of her sons were about to be eaten by Percy's owl.
"Why would I know how to do that?" Severus drawled. "I never felt the need to know how to change people back again."
Minerva McGonagall tried to look stern, but failed at seeing the dark circles under her colleague's eyes. She muttered a spell and suddenly there were a couple of shouts from under the table where Fred and George had banged their heads upon returning to normal.
They crawled out from under the table looking furious. "He turned us into mice!" George sounded faintly horrified by the whole experience.
"We noticed," McGonagall said coolly, "I was the one who changed you back again."
"We just wanted to see the information!" Fred protested sullenly.
"I think you've just spectacularly proved why you're not allowed to see it!" Arthur said, "You may think you're grown up because you've left school but you still act like a couple of children." He turned to the potions master, "I'm sorry for their behaviour Professor."
"Hang on a minute, he turns us into mice and you apologise to him!" The twins complained.
"He has a name you two! Professor Snape is a great part of the reason why we are all still alive so you might think about affording him a little respect!" McGonagall snapped, "And frankly you're both damned lucky that was all he did to you, do you not realise how easily you could have got yourselves killed?!"
"Never tickle a sleeping dragon boys," said Dumbledore who seemed to think it had all been a great joke, "Or creep up on a sleeping potions master."
The meeting broke up shortly after that incident.
XXXXXXX
After the meeting the Weasleys remained at Grimmauld Place for a cup of tea and to talk with the other order members. Dumbledore had returned to Hogwarts and Snape had disappeared. Percy had been introduced to everyone and then pretty much left out of the ensuing conversation. He slipped out of the door and took his tea into a sitting room looking for some peace and quiet. As he stepped inside though it became clear he was not the only one who had sought refuge there. Severus Snape was stood by the window, nursing a mug of black coffee.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt Professor, I thought there was no one in here. I feel I must apologise for my brothers' behaviour towards you, they should have known better." Percy went to leave.
Snape turned around, "Mr. Weasley. I didn't expect you to come back."
"Back?" Percy was puzzled for a moment. "You mean back to my family?"
"Yes." Snape replied in his usual blunt style.
"Oh." Percy didn't know how to respond but then he supposed he couldn't expect people to have faith in him with the way he had been behaving.
"How are you," the other man asked, "Happy to be back?"
Percy sighed, tired of pretence and gave a painfully honest answer. "Not really, no. I know it sounds terribly ungrateful but..." he trailed off. "I'm starting to realise I wasn't the only one in the wrong and most of the reasons I left are still there. Nobody takes me seriously, Fred and George are driving me as crazy as ever, Bill still doesn't want to be in the same room as me and I'm starting to think I was better off where I was."
"Maybe you were. Percy, from what I was told about what happened I don't think you were the only one who should have been apologising. Perhaps you should think about that." Snape swept from the room closing the door quietly behind him.
XXXXXXX
Snape found Arthur Weasley in the kitchen getting himself another cup of tea.
"Professor Snape, you haven't seen Percy have you?"
Snape nodded, "Yes, he's in the other sitting room. He doesn't look too happy."
Arthur frowned in concern, "Why not, is he alright?"
Snape gave a derisive snort, "I doubt it, I'm surprised he came back to you. I would have expected him to join the Death Eaters."
"How do you know about that?!" Arthur asked in shock. He had told no one of what he seen, apart from Bill in an attempt to get him to see what his brother had been through and go a little easier on him, (not that it had worked), and he couldn't see Percy wanting to talk about it.
"Your eldest son was shooting his mouth off about it at the last meeting," Snape sneered, suggesting he did not hold Bill in particularly high regard.
Arthur decided to temporarily put aside the issue of his eldest son's immaturity. "Well I knew he would never have joined them." Arthur Weasley reached the door of the kitchen when Snape's quiet, silky tones stayed his hand on the door handle.
"You say you knew he wouldn't but did you really? Do you have any idea what people can do when they're desperate? Nothing against your son, but I really would have expected him to join the Death Eaters; I'm surprised, though pleased, that Percy saw himself as having another way out."
Arthur turned back in anger to face the potions master, "I think I know my son a little better than you do."
"Do you?" Snape raised a dark eyebrow, "I taught him for seven years and I am very familiar with the kind of situation he found himself in." He hesitated as if unsure whether to carry on but then continued as though he had never stopped, the haunted look his eyes had developed over the last few months never wavering. "It's hardly a secret that I've made some mistakes in my life but if the clock were to be turned back twenty years I'd make the same decisions and mistakes all over again, sometimes its hard to see that you have any options open to you. I watched your son go through seven years of school getting quieter and more withdrawn while his brothers treated him like a verbal punch bag. Their behaviour went from the vaguely amusing to the outright cruel and Percy was the major recipient of it all. From what I've seen you and your wife don't seem to have much of a reign on them. After Percy left they simply moved on to your youngest son, and that's hardly where the similarities between he and Percy end. Perhaps you should consider keeping Fred and George under control before another one of your sons walks out because they can't take it anymore. After all it's not as though their eldest brother seems interested in doing anything to help."
"Bill just needs a little time to calm down and Fred and George don't mean to be cruel," Arthur felt compelled to defend his sons.
"Does it really matter what they mean anymore?" Snape snarled. "Last year they put one of my students in hospital. More to the point, they thought it was funny! One of these days they're going to cause someone some very serious harm, the kind you can't undo with a few months booked into St. Mungo's, not that what they've already done isn't bad enough."
Arthur frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about?"
"Montague, one my students, he was pushed into a vanishing cabinet by them because, as a member of Umbridge's blasted Inquisitorial Squad, he tried to take points off them for rule breaking. He turned up upside down in a toilet, which I can assure you is no where near as funny as some people seem to find it. He's spent the summer in St Mungo's, the first few weeks he was in a very serious condition and his parents have been out of their minds with worry."
"I didn't know. From what I heard though Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad weren't always the easiest of people to get along with."
"Are you saying that justifies hospitalising them?" Snape sneered, an undercurrent of anger in his usually calm voice.
"No, I realise Fred and George's behaviour may have gone beyond the pale on occasions but I'm sure they didn't mean for that to happen."
"And I'm sure they didn't care much when it did."
"Now just hang on a moment..." Arthur began to grow angry himself but was interrupted by the Professor.
"Well I didn't see them so much as apologise and I know they haven't spoken to Mr and Mrs Montague."
"I seem to remember Mr Montague barely escaped being sent to Azkaban for some rather terrible crimes not fifteen years ago!"
"I see, well that changes things entirely. Of course children should pay for the crimes, proven or otherwise, of their parents. Just because you don't agree with the views someone holds that is entirely justifiable for putting them in a critical condition!" Snape sneered.
"I didn't mean that and you know I didn't!"
"Then what was your point in bringing up his father's record? You sanctimonious Gryffindors were always far too concerned with what dark secrets were lurking in other people's family trees, you never see the ones lurking in your own!" Snape practically spat at Arthur.
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"You allowed two of your children to constantly make the life of their sibling a misery, they took every opportunity they got to humiliate, annoy and ridicule him. Why on earth were you surprised when he finally grew a backbone and walked out on you? What possible reason would he have had for believing in anything his family did?"
The sound of raised voices had brought Charlie in from the corridor where he had been making the acquaintance of Sirius' late mother; her screams were making it impossible for anyone else to hear what was being shouted in the kitchen. However, Professor McGonagall, with her sixth sense developed to smell out trouble before it ever got started, noticed Severus was missing along with several of the Weasleys and decided to investigate. After all the Weasley's had never been Severus' favourite family and she didn't think bloodshed would help anything.
Charlie found his father and Snape staring each other down, Arthur Weasley looking rather put in his place and Severus Snape looking as angry and resentful as Charlie could remember seeing him. McGonagall could remember having seen that look before though, it was the look he'd had on his face whenever back in his school days the Gryffindors had decided any lone Slytherin was a fair target, the lone Slytherin in question generally being Severus. It was the frustration she saw on his face when one of his students seemed unable to step out of the shadow of their family's often dubious reputations.
"Well," McGonagall started without ceremony, "What were you fighting about?"
It didn't matter that Arthur Weasley was older than she was Minerva McGonagall was quite capable of making anyone feel like a school child again, of course in Severus' case it didn't help that she had actually taught him.
Arthur looked contrite while Severus simply glared at her; but then, she thought, Severus had glared at her when he had been a school child.
"We were arguing about Percy," Arthur drew her attention from the glaring potions master. "Professor Snape seems to think he's unhappy at home."
"He is." Charlie said quietly. "He feels unappreciated."
"Unappreciated?" Arthur looked genuinely confused, "Why?"
"Dad, Percy just wants us to respect him, he can't stand being ridiculed and wound up for other people's entertainment. And I know it can't be easy trying to bring up seven of us but I can't help but feel that he needs a little attention every now and again. He works so hard and his heart's always in the right place, he's always trying to do what he thinks is right and what will make you proud of him."
"I must say Arthur I quite agree," Minerva put in, "Your son works hard to reach the top of everything because he wants attention, he wants you to tell him he's done well. I can't help but feel that he hasn't always got the attention he needed. I'm not telling you how to raise your children but Percy had his reasons for walking out and they weren't all his own fault, some of them were yours. I hoped he'd come back but I've seen desperate students make some terrible decisions."
Severus laughed derisively.
"What's so amusing, Severus?" Arthur noted that McGonagall was one of very few people who addressed the potions master by his first name.
"Only that people are all alike. I said something very similar to you about Mr Weasley's situation sixth months ago but you needed one of your Gryffindors to say something before you could take it seriously. Really Professor," and he managed to make the word sound like an insult, "You're just like the rest of them, just as bigoted and unable to see what's staring you in the face."
McGonagall coloured slightly and looked oddly sad as he walked out, leaving her with the two Weasleys. "Think about what we've said Arthur, Molly should too. Your son needs you and I think some of your other children could use a bit of a talking to as well." She smiled slightly and followed Snape in walking out of the room.
"Where did things go this wrong Charlie?" Arthur sighed.
"I don't know dad, things just got out of hand somewhere down the line. You should talk to mum though, the way she fusses over Harry when it's one of her own children, maybe more than one, that badly needs attention...I know she means well, you both do, but Percy really does need to be told that you care and you're proud of him every now and again; and there's no use saying it one minute and allowing the twins to put him down the next."
Arthur put a hand on his son's shoulder, wondering briefly if this was the same person as the little boy he'd taught to fly, "When did you get to be so wise, Charlie?"
"Working with Dragons probably, in Chinese belief they're supposed to be very wise creatures perhaps it rubbed off on me!" He smiled, "Or maybe I got it from you. Don't look so guilty, everyone gets things wrong and the twins and Bill and even mum to a degree have a lot more to feel guilty about than you do."
"I'm his father, Charlie, I shouldn't need telling that there's something wrong with him."
"You've had other things on your mind, Dad," Charlie said reassuringly.
Arthur smiled gratefully at his son, "Maybe, but certainly not more important things. So what have you been up to that you haven't told me about? It feels like I don't pay enough attention to any of you sometimes."
"Ah you know me, I'm the low maintenance kind of son, just give me some dragons to play with and I'm happy!"
Arthur couldn't help laughing at Charlie's seemingly half serious comment.
XXXXXXX
Minerva McGonagall, feeling decidedly guilty, sought out her colleague, finding him alone in a sitting room.
"Severus."
"Professor. Can I help you?"
"I just wanted to say you were right in what you said to Arthur Weasley, I should have listened to you about Percy but I had other concerns at the time and you have to admit his behaviour was a trifle irritating."
"It could have got a lot worse than irritating."
"I know. I suppose I disliked the insinuation you knew my house almost better than I did."
"Sometimes you need an outside view to see these things, Percy was hardly the average Gryffindor though and I have to admit he was a brilliant student, I couldn't claim to know them all that well. However if I could make one suggestion, keep an eye on Ronald Weasley; he's been in Potter's shadow too long and I think his treatment from his family has hardly been any better than Percy's. He's too easily overlooked, what with Potter's celebrity status and Miss Granger's unfortunate habit of making herself impossible to ignore - no matter how hard you try."
McGonagall should have been annoyed at the man's comments about her students but what he said rang too true for her to take up the slights against Harry and Hermione. She raised an eyebrow, using the potion master's own look against him, "You might be right Severus."
He gave her a look that seemed to suggest that of course he was right and she'd have to be mad to think otherwise, causing her to smile in amusement at her colleague.
His expression changed to one of curiosity and he asked, "Who did you mean when you said you'd seen desperate students make some terrible mistakes? I wouldn't have thought you'd have admitted weakness in one of your precious Gryffindors."
"It wasn't a Gryffindor I was talking about."
"Strange, I didn't think you paid enough attention to the students of the other houses to notice."
She smiled sadly, "That was the problem, I didn't pay enough attention. I was talking about you, Severus."
He fell silent and she walked past him to leave, laying a gentle hand on his arm as she passed and offering a quiet, "I'm sorry."
The dark haired man was left stunned until slowly a small smile crossed his face. Well it wasn't everyday you got a Gryffindor to admit they were in the wrong, much less their revered head of house.
XXXXXXX
The quote the title for this chapter comes from is from a song by 'The Beautiful South' called, "Just a Few Things That I Ain't". The quote does not refer to Percy in case there was any confusion there, it refers to someone else in the chapter and I imagine it's fairly obvious but, just in case, it refers to Snape's relationship with McGonagall. Don't get me wrong, I love McGonagall but she's made mistakes!
Oh and on the subject of McGonagall I know she's supposed to be older than Arthur Weasley but you know what this is fanfiction and I'm taking a liberty with the details! I always saw her being about ten years older than Snape and as I'm a huge Snape/McGonagall fan (why does no one write this wonderful stuff? If you know of any good fics about them do let me know!) I decided to alter her age for this fic. Sorry if it annoys anyone but the joy of being the writer is you get to change these things around and I've stuck almost religiously to all the other details from the books so I think I'm allowed this little alteration! Sorry, felt the need to justify!
Your reviews make my day, they really do, and they inspire me to keep working on the sequel to this which is a many chaptered mess at present. I know what it's supposed to be but it's got a bit complex somewhere along the way! It'll branch out from just Percy but he's still there!
Next chapter Percy's having a bad time of things again I'm afraid!
Anyway, I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter!