CHAPTER 26

This was really happening, Ron thought. This is real. He looked around the somber room and saw Fred and George standing next to Charlie. Bill and Fleur were sitting on the sofa, Fleur putting her arms around him. Mrs. Weasely was fussing over Harry's hair, who just arrived. Ginny sat in the armchair alone, tears coming down her face. Ron looked at Hermione standing next to him. He held her hand and she looked at him with a comforting smile. It has been a long time since they have spent any time alone together. So many things have just been happening since they kissed on Halloween.

Ron wasn't quite sure what this thing between Hermione and him iscalled. They haven't had time to really have a talk about their relationship. Is this even a relationship? Of course it's a relationship. It's a friend relationship. But is it more than just friends? That's something he needs to discuss with Hermione...Right after he finds out that his dad is okay.

"Alright, we have to go now," Bill said, getting up from the sofa.

Charlie nodded and walked over to his older brother.

"Why can't we go?" Fred complained.

"We want to help," George said.

"Well, you can stay here," Bill said. "You two can help mum and Fleur watch over the kids."

"We're not kids," Ginny yelled.

"Billy, do you have to go," Mrs. Weasley asked worried.

"I waited to make sure Ron and Ginny got here safely, and they are."

"Percy hasn't shown up yet," Mrs. Weasley said, looking at her magical clock. Percy's hand was pointing at danger, like all of her children.

Fred gave a little snort. "Why would he show up?"

Mrs. Weasley looked like she was on the verge of crying. Fred quickly apologized when he saw the look on her face.

Bill and Charlie apparated to the Ministry to help.

"I'll make zee tea," Fleur said softly.

Everyone sat around the living room as Fleur poured Mrs. Weasley a cup. She sat right next to her with her own cup of tea.

After a few hours of complete silence, there was a popping noise in the kitchen. Ron knew that sound meant someone has apparated. Everyone got up and ran to the kitchen. As soon as Ron walked in, he saw Charlie with a few cuts and bruises and covered in blood. He stood motionless, staring straight ahead in a state of shock.

Mrs. Weasley ran over to him and try to find the source of where the blood came from. Charlie continued staring straight ahead, not noticing Mrs. Weasley crying. Fred ran to get some bandages and Ginny went to get some potion.

Charlie blinked a couple of times and he seemed to come back to reality. He finally noticed his mother and what she was doing.

"It's not my blood," Charlie was able to croak out. He held his mother away from him and looked at her.

Mrs. Weasley seem to be a bit relieved at that insight.

"It's Percy," Charlie finished. "He's...he's dead."

Mrs. Weasley fainted and George caught her. Fred and Ginny, who just came in the room and heard Charlie, dropped the medical supplies they were holding in their hands. Ron felt a bit queasy and felt Hermione trying to support his weight. She guided him into a chair and walked over to Charlie.

"Where ez Bill," Fleur asked Charlie, grabbing onto his arm. He didn't answer her and she started to panic. "Where ez Bill," she asked louder, tugging at his arm. Tears were falling from her eyes. She fell to her knees, holding onto Charlie's leg, begging him to tell her. "Where ez Bill," she said one last time.

Everyone in the room was in shock over Percy's death. However, the silence from Charlie about Bill's whereabout made everyone wonder if they lost another brother. Bill cannot be dead. He is the invincible older brother that can do no wrong. He is the backbone and strength of their family. No one moved or said anything. The news of Percy was a low blow to the family. Charlie just blurted it out. He didn't prep anyone for it. He didn't have anyone sitting and ready to brace some bad news. he just said it. No one wanted Charlie to blurt out Bill's death either. Ron didn't know if he could handle it, if anyone in the family could handle it. Finally, Hermione walked over to Charlie.

"Charlie," Hermione said, trying to shake Charlie out of his hypnotized state. "Charlie, listen to me," she turned his head down so he was looking at her. "Where is everyone else?"

"Dad's at the hospital...Bill, he...he...took dad...but Percy...Percy's...Bill's okay."

Fleur stopped crying, but she didn't let go of Charlie's leg. While everyone had some tears in their eyes, or at least looked like they could cry,Charlie's eyes were dry. He continued staring off and acted as if his mind wasn't even here with everyone.

Fred ran over to his twin to help him with their mother. They were able to successfully revive her. But as soon as she awoke, she saw Charlie and remembered everything. She flung herself onto Charlie who was trying his best to hold his mother up. "What happened?" she asked through her tears. "What happened?"

Charlie, who was looking at his mother's tears coming down like a river, now started to tear up. "He was killed by a Death Eater," he croaked out. "He was trying to save dad."

At that revelation, everyone looked at Charlie. Mrs. Weasley was now sitting on the floor with Fleur right next to her. Hermione pried Fleur off of Charlie's leg and help guide Charlie into a chair and ran to get him a cup of tea.

"Percy went to visit dad early that morning," Charlie started speaking again. "He was at the Ministry already when the attack happened. When Bill and I got there, it was an ongoing battle already. We were able to find dad and Percy fighting back to back."

"We somehow got separated during the fighting, but I could still see dad and Bill. I saw dad get hit from behind. I tried to get to him, but a Death Eater cut my path off and I couldn't get to him. Bill was on the other side fighting two Death Eaters by himself. I knew Bill couldn't get to dad in time. I couldn't find Percy."

Charlie drank the tea Hermione has handed to him and he started to shiver even though he had just had some hot tea. There was silence. Ron felt it was ironic that on a horrible day like this, the birds are still outside chirping and singing happily as if nothing ever happened.

"A Death Eater approached dad and kicked Dad's wand away from him. Dad was on his hands and knees struggling to get up. He was hurt really bad..I was able to throw the Death Eater near dad across the room, but the Death Eater I was fighting hit me with a Stun Spell.He then turned to dad. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even scream for Bill or anyone."

"As the Death Eater lifted his wand, I saw Percy, out of no where, jumping in front of dad and blasting a spell in the direction of the Death Eater. Percy was able to get the Death Eater, but the Death Eater also got Percy. He slashed Percy across the chest as if he used a large knife." Charlie hung his head.

"The Death Eater fell on top of me, dead. Bill came over and helped me up. Then, we both ran to Percy and dad. He lost alot of blood, and dad was badly injured. We left for the hospital as soon as we could, but Percy didn't make it. He just lost too much blood and the Mediwizards couldn't do anything about it."

Ginny cried on Harry's shoulder as he just held her. Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were on the floor crying on each other. Fred stormed out of the kitchen and George followed him. Hermione walked over to Ron and he saw a tear fall from her eyes. He held onto Hermione around the waist and just started crying into her stomach.This can't be happening.

There was a knock at the door and after a few minutes, another person entered the kitchen. Ron recognized her as Penny Clearwater, a former Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry," Penny said. "No one answered the door and I just let myself in."

She already looked worried, but when she glanced around the room, tears began to form. "I was wondering if you knew where Percy was. I've been looking for him all morning."

Ginny started to cry out louder. Mrs. Weasley slowly got up and walked over to Penny with tears falling down her face. Penny didn't need Mrs. Weasley to explain why she was crying. She knew from the expression on Mrs. Weasley's and everyone's face. "No!" she yelled before she broke down and hugged Mrs. Weasley, crying.

Bill also came home. Fleur shot up and flung herself into his arms, refusing to let go. Ron didn't feel like he wanted to be in that room anymore. He left, letting go of the one thing that was comforting him in the kitchen. Hermione started to follow, but Ron stopped her.

"I just need to step outside for a bit," Ron said apologetic. "I just need to be by myself for a bit."

Hermione bit her bottom lip and nodded. He appreciated that she understood he needed space.

Ron walked out in the backyard and sat under a tree, where the leaves are starting to fall off of it. He stared off into space and watched two garden gnomes preparing for the winter. Snowflakes started to fall from the sky. It was mid-November, a bit early for snow, but not unusual. It was then that Ron realized how cold he was. He left the house with no jacket or sweatshirt. He was wearing the t-shirt he picked out that morning to wear under his school robes. But the cold was good, Ron thought. The coldness helped him get his mind off of the death of a brother.

Ron had to admit, Percy was never his favorite brother and they never really gotten along. But he was still his brother. Ron flashed back to the times when Percy was still in Hogwarts. He was annoying, but at least he was tolerable. Then, he changed as soon as he left Hogwarts and started working for the Ministry. It was dad who helped Percy get the job, but even Percy wasn't thankful for that. From there, it just went downhill. Ties between Percy and the rest of the family were strained. It was so bad Ron and the rest of his siblings purposely avoided the topic of Percy.

Percy did come back though. He didn't abandon the family forever. He came back over the summer and apologized, but Ron, Fred, and George refused to accept it. How can they take him back after all those times of hurting the family. Percy had to do more than come over for dinner and say 'I'm sorry.' And today, Percy did do something more, but Ron wished he didn't have to do it that way. Because now it's too late for Ron to accept Percy's apology. It's too late for Ron to throw some bad times behind and look forward to some happy family times. How can Ron show Percy he has forgiven him when he's dead? At that thought, Ron got mad again. But this time he wasn't mad at Percy. How could he be? He didn't know who or what he was mad at, but he knew he was mad because Percy isn't here anymore.

Ron heard some footsteps behind him and that snapped him out of his thoughts. The ground was covered lightly with snow in that short period of time. He put his hand on his wand, ready to draw if it was someone to kill him.

"Ron," a worried female voice called out. Ron dropped his hand from his wand. He turned around and saw Hermione walking from the back door and towards him. She was carrying a coat with her.

"Ron," Hermione said. "It's cold outside and you don't even have a coat on." She placed the coat around Ron. "Your hands are like ice, here give them to me."

Ron obediently gave her his hands and she rubbed them feverishly between her hands. Ron was starting to warm up already. He looked at Hermione's beautiful face and smiled to himself. A snowflake landed on her eyelashes and he pulled his hand away from hers to wipe it away.

Hermione stopped what she was doing and looked at Ron. But she wasn't smiling back at him, she was looking worried.

"What are you thinking," Hermione said, standing up.

"Everything," Ron leaned against the tree trunk to help himself up. "About today, about Percy, about the family," Ron grabbed her hands, "about you."

Hermione blushed and smile shyly. He leaned in and kissed her. It was all he needed to escape this world. There was so much comfort in those lips of hers that he didn't want to stop, because if he did, reality would come back to him. This was also a better way to warm up, Ron thought as he felt himself getting hot. What seems like hours later, Hermione finally broke the kiss. The cold wind woke him back to reality.

"Ron, you missed something while you were out here."

"What," Ron asked. He couldn't focus on what she was really saying. He was still staring at her lips, wishing he was still kissing her.

"Well, Penelope is here," Hermione said slowly.

"Yeah," Ron said. " I know. I was there, remember?"

"Yes, well, while you were out here, she kind of told us something. Something important."

"What?" Ron said, snapping his eyes up from her lips to her her eyes.

"She's a little pregnant," Hermione blurted out.

"What!" Ron asked in shock. "She's-but how? How can someone be a 'little pregnant'?"

"Okay, fine, she's a little more than a 'little prgnant.' The point is, she's having Percy's baby. She just found out last week."

"But I thought they split up. How can they be having a baby?"

"They did, but they got back together over the summer. After he came to Grimmauld Place, he went to apologize to her, too."

"But they're not even married! Unless they got married without telling the whole family."

"No, they're not married."

Ron allowed the thought to sit in his mind for a little bit. This was the best news. So, Percy's going to be a father. But then the horrible truth hit him hard. Percy's dead. He's gone. His child is going to grow up fatherless.

"So,what's going to happen to Penny now? I mean, Percy's..." Ron couldn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. Hermione knew what he was going to say.

"She's going to France to live with her parents. They moved there two years ago to retire.Everyone thought it would be safer for her to be in France because of the war She was going to stay here, but your mother convinced her to move. She moved into Percy's flat about a month ago,and they were talking about getting married. Then they found out Penelope got pregnant. That's why Percy went to the Ministry this morning. To tell your dad the good news and to ask him for a job so he could provide for the baby."

Ron hung his head and softly chuckled to himself. He was laughing at the irony. Percy's gone, but at least his child will have a chance to live. He stepped in closer and held Hermione close to him. He rested in chin on top of her head as she buried her face into his chin. They stood out there in the snow in complete silence, trying their best to comfort each other. It was at that moment that Ron knew the joy and innocence of childhood is over. Now, he lives life as an adult.