CHAPTER 10

"Ron! Ron!" shouted a voice behind a door. "Get up!"

The voice then started to resort to pounding the door. Ron heard Harry get up and unlock the door.

"Sorry, Ginny, bad habit," Harry said.

"Harry, is Ron up yet?" Ginny asked walking in the room towards Ron's bed.

"What time is it," Ron said groggily. He rolled over and checked his watch. "It's two in the morning, Ginny! What's so important that you needed to bang the door down like some madwoman?"

"Percy," Ginny nearly yelled. "Percy's here! He's in the kitchen with mum and dad. Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George are here too! Come on! Percy's here!" Ginny started to pull Ron out of bed by the arm.

"What's happening now?" Harry asked.

Ron got out of bed slowly and put on his robes, waited for Ginny to answer.

"They're all in the kitchen, waiting for you two," ginny said.

"How did Percy find this place," Ron asked. "I thought no one can see this place without knowing the address."

"Percy showed up at dad's office," Ginny explained. "Percy has been fired since the attack in the Ministry. Dad has been stopping by Percy's flat, trying to get him to come back. But, you know Percy, he refused to ask dad for help. So, after a while, dad stopped going to Percy's. Tonight, dad was doing some work for the Order and saw Percy sitting outside the Ministry. He said he was waiting for it to open so he could see dad. So, dad just brought him back to Grimmauld tonight."

"What," Ron said surprise. "Why didn't any of us hear about Percy getting sacked or dad trying to talk to him?"

Ginny just shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe they didn't want us to know. It's bad enough to hear Percy has abandoned us. But to hear he has nothing left and still refuse to come back? It would only make us hate him more. You should really him, Ron. He's a total mess."

"I don't care," Ron said. Percy has done nothing for the past two years than be a git. He turned his back on the family, ignored his parents, talked badly about Harry and Dumbledore, and worst of all, he made his mother cry, more than Ron has ever wished to see his mother cry. "What does Bill and Charlie think?"

"I don't know," Ginny admitted. "But Fred and George are livid. They stopped by for some leftover dinner to take home, but then they saw Percy sitting in the kitchen. They nearly tackled him if Bill and Charlie didn't stop them."

"I bet your mum is really happy," Harry said.

"Of course she is," Ginny said. "Now, come on you two! They're all waiting for us."

"Me too," Harry asked, surprised.

"Yes, you, too," Ginny said, grabbing Harry by the arm. "I think you deserve an apology from Percy."

Harry and Ron followed Ginny down to the kitchen with a little sense of urgency.

As they entered the kitchen, Ron could feel the tense silent in the room. Everyone was staring at their teacups, except for Ron's mum. She was pouring more tea into Percy's cup and making a big fuss over his hair. He didn't look like he normally would. There were dark circles under his eyes. His cheeks were a bit sunken in.

This wasn't the Percy Ron remembers. This wasn't the same Percy Ron saw earlier that year. No, this is Percy at the bottom. He worked his way to the top, only to come crashing down. This was a Percy who had nothing left.

For a minute, Ron almost felt sorry for Percy. But then he remembered everything. Two years ago, he was acting all smug being an assistant. And last year, he abandoned the family for Fudge. He even wrote a letter to Ron telling him to stay away from Harry. If anything, Ron would be happier if Percy never came home. Having one less brother is how Ron would have wanted it. If Percy is going to turn his back on the family, Ron could do the same.

"Oh, Ron, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said just noticing the two boys at the door. "Look, Percy's home. Sit, sit. We're all together again, like a family."

Ron glanced at Harry then all of his brothers. They sat across from Fred and George, next to Ginny. He saw Fred muttering to himself. George sat there staring at his tea and occasionally nod in agreement to Fred's muttering. Bill sat straight in his chair, while Charlie had his head in his hands.

"I want to say something," Percy said softly, when everyone was seated.

"Unless it's about you dying, we don't want to hear about it," Fred snapped.

Mrs. Weasley gave Fred a sharp look. She obviously wanted this moment to be a happy one, not a moment filled with hate and loathing. She opened her mouth to scold Fred, but Percy stopped her.

"No, it's okay, mum. I deserve it. What I don't deserve is you willing to take me back so easily. I'm really so sorry. I know that doesn't make up for my behavior for the last two years, but I hope it's a start." Percy sighed heavily. "What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have turned my back on the family in such a crisis. I should have believed my family. Now, I hope it's not too late to ask for your forgiveness."

Percy looked up at his brothers, Ginny, and Harry. They all stared back, not blinking. However, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley nodded. Mr. Weasley put a hand on Percy's shoulder, while Mrs. Weasley held his hands.

"Of course we do, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, tears of happiness rolling down her face. "We're your family."

A small smile appeared on percy's face, but that was immediately wiped away when Fred yelled, "Bullocks!"

"Now, Fred," his father said sternly. "Your brother has apologized. I think, as a family, we can accept it. Don't you think so?"

"This is total bullocks," George said. "Percy has nothing left. Of course he would run back to us. But that doesn't mean he's truly sorry for what he has done to this family."

Fred, along with the rest of the brothers were nodded in agreement. Ginny just sat there and stared at her hands in her lap. She didn't seem to want to say much.

"I am sorry," Percy said with some sign of weakness. Ron has never seen his older brother with such desperation or defeated. Percy was always the proud, uptight one in the family. " I should have came back when I was sacked in June, but I didn't."

Tears are now forming in Percy's eyes. "I didn't because I let my pride get in the way. My pride has left me all alone in my flat. I did a great deal of thinking!"

"Oh yeah," Fred said. "What were you thinking about?"

"I was reflecting back on my life. And I realized I abandoned my family, forgot my loyalties, and grew to become this terrible person. I came by the ministry so I could talk to dad again. Because I want things to go back. I want to go back when we were a family and things were good again."

"It's not going to be that easy," Bill said, finally speaking up. Everyone looked at Bill. Being the oldest, he had the most authority over his siblings. Even Fred and George wouldn't dare to disobey Bill. However, seeing Bill upset, lost, and quiet, was a complete opposite of what Ron was use to seeing. If Bill was able to accept Percy's apology, then, it might be easy for Percy. But, if Bill can't or refuse to, then the rest of his siblings will side with Bill.

"Let me make it up to you," Percy pleaded. "I can help out with the Order. I want to help out. I want to show you, you can trust me. Please."

No one said anything for longest time. Percy had his head down and said softly, "He's back. He's really back. Now is the time I needmy familythe most."

"You're right," Charlie said. "Now is the time for us to be a family and stay united. But, like Bill said, it's not going to be easy."

"I know," Percy said. "But I'm willing to try, if you let me."

Everyone looked at Bill and Bill in turn looked at everyone at the table. He looked at Percy last. After a few lingering seconds, Bill finally nodded. "We're still a family," he said.

Percy smiled and stood up and ran to Bill's side to give him a hug. Charlie, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley joined the hug. Fred and George stayed in their seats. They still held a grudge against Percy, as well as Ron. But, Ginny got up from her seat and joined the group. Tears were coming down her face and she was actually smiling. A stern look from Bill made the twins and Ron get up to join the family. Harry stood at the side, not wanting to intrude on what was a happy day for the family, but Mrs. Weasley pulled him in into the group hug.

"We need to talk to Percy alone," Mr. Weasley said when everyone let go. "Bill, Charlie, can you take everyone out?"

They were all ushered out by the older Weasley brothers and stood in the foyer.

"Just because everyone forgives him, that doesn't mean he's still not an arse," Fred said angrily.

"Look," Bill said, "we need to stick together as a family. You don't remember what it was like when You-Know-Who was in power. You were too young to understand, but I wasn't. Please, for mum's sake, could you try and be civilized with Percy?"

"You didn't see mum on Christmas when Percy gave the jumper back," George said just as angry. "We were there trying to make her feel better, but nothing worked."

"Yeah," Ron chipped in. "And you didn't see mum when she faced that boggart. She was hysterical when she saw Percy's dead body."

"We don't have time for this," Fred said. "We have to get back to work. Come on, George."

The twins left, slamming the door, which of course caused Mrs. Black to start screaming again.

"Dammit Fred," Charlie said as him and Bill raced to quiet Mrs. Black.

Ron, Ginny, and Harry went into the study room to tune out Mrs. Black's yelling.

"So, are you happy Percy's back," Ron asked Ginny angrily.

"If mum's happy, that's all that matters," Ginny said. "I personally, couldn't care less about Percy. He should have done a better job apologizing to all of us. But, if Bill says he forgives him, then so do I."

"Are you mad," Ron hollered. "You're going to forgive him? Just like that? Do you not remember what he did to us?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Ginny argued back.

"Ginny's right," Harry said. "Volder-er-You-Know-Who is back. That's all that matters. Last time he killed a lot of people. What if something happened to your family, like last year. You wouldn't want your family splitted when something horrible happens."

Ron didn't want to hear this from Harry. He didn't need to be reminded how dangerous the world is. He didn't want to think about how one of his family members might get hurt, or worse, killed. Ron angrily left the study room, leaving Harry and Ginny behind.

He walked up the staircase, not caring if Percy was the one that got hurt.

A/N: I just wanted to say, I'm going to try really hard to get as much of my story in before HBP comes out. Hopefully, I'll be able to have up to Halloween. I'm working like House-Elves over here trying to update asap. Enjoy!