finally, after getting an idea, i have updated! you all owe me a lot of reviews: it was birthday on monday... grin... and i almost forgot about it.

have fun and review,

slytherinphoenix7

disclaimer: dont have enough money to buy anything

chapter six: the long awaited chapter

I sat on my bed, and eagerly opened the letter I had received that morning from home. It had been so long since I had heard from them, as I hadn't gone home for Christmas. Excitedly, I ripped the envelope open, and began to read the letter.

Dear Ginny,

Something I have expected a long time has finally happened. You may also have been expecting it, but Mum wasn't. She had a stroke and is now in Saint Mungo's. She's fine, just in shock. I don't exactly know why, as it was obvious, this was going to happen. Anyway, you're probably dying to know what it is that I'm referring to. Yesterday, I got an owl from the Ministry of Magic. In it contained a note from a friend, who I will not name in case this owl is intercepted. I hate to tell you this, but Percy died last week. He had been leaning to the Dark Side. Remember when Cornelius Fudge was still minister? Well, it turns out he had persuaded Percy to sympathize with the Dark Side. Percy had been a supporter until recently, when he realized what they were doing, and wanted to come back to us. It was too late. When Voldemort learned of his transfer of feelings he had one of his supporters eliminate him. Some of our friends found his body and brought it back. In his possessions, we found this letter addressed to you. I have enclosed it. Anyway, I have to get back to the shop. I love you.

Fred

A letter from Percy? I shook the envelope. Another small envelope fell out. I picked it up. The last time I got a letter from Percy was right after he joined the Dark Side. He tried to persuade me that what he had done was the right thing to do, and the Dark Lord was a wonderful person and his motives were the right, and getting rid of mudbloods would make the world a better place. I knew how wrong he was, but I forgave him anyway. I always hoped he would come to realize his mistake and come back to us. With shaking hands, I opened it, and took out a tightly folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, I fought to hold back tears.

Dearest little sister, Ginny,

By the time you read this, I will be dead. Voldemort has discovered that I have changed my support and will soon send someone to kill me. I just want you to know how sorry I am for all the trouble and heartache I have ever caused you. I was cruel to our family, and especially to you. You never deserved anything I gave you. Please tell our family that I'm earnestly sorry. You must understand that I was blinded by greed. I didn't see how corrupt and evil Voldemort is. They had persuaded me that you were the enemy; all those I had loved were evil. I went to their side and helped them. I betrayed them in the last July's incident. I am sincerely sorry. Ginny, I don't think you can possibly imagine how much I regret everything I've done for the past two years. I realized that I was wrong when I found a letter you had written to me last year, trying to reason with me. I thought I had burned it, but for some reason, I ended up saving it. I hate myself for destroying our family and you especially since you always understood me, supported me, and never teased me. I wish I could undo everything. But what's done is done. That's the way fate is. I love you more than anything, Ginny, and wish I could express that in action, and not just a letter. I can only pray that you will get it, and find it within yourself to forgive me. Ginny, you are worth more to me than life itself, and I would gladly die to know you have forgiven me, and love me too.

Your brother,

Percy

I let the letter fall to the floor. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I stared angrily at the curtains. I collapsed on my bed and sobbed.

"Ron?" I said tentatively. He was sitting on the couch in the common room late at night doing some kind of homework. I had finished crying, and fallen asleep. When I had woken up, it was already eleven-twenty. I had gone down to the common room, to see if Ron was there. Thankfully, he was, and almost everyone had gone to bed.

"Mmhmm?" He said, not glancing up.

I sat down next to him on the couch. "I got a letter from home today."

"Really?" he said, looking up at me for a minute, and then returning to his work. "What'd Fred and George have to say?"

"Percy's dead," I said.

He looked up. "Sorry?"

"Percy's dead, Ron. Voldemort's followers killed him."

I swallowed, trying to get rid of the catch in my throat.

"Why'd they kill him? He was one of them!" Ron said, angrily.

"He turned back to us," I said quietly. I sniffed.

Ron softened, then saddened.

"Oh." He said quietly.

"Oh, Ron!" I couldn't hold back any longer. "He wrote me –"

I started to sob. He pulled me to him, and I cried into his shoulder. I handed the letter to him, and put my arm around his neck.

His hand smoothed my hair, while his other held the letter from Percy, and he read it.

After a few minutes, he sighed and hugged me tight. "It's ok," he said, consolingly. "At least he repented and wrote to you a letter confessing, and apologizing."

"He died," I hiccupped. "Not knowing, hic, that I had, hic, forgiven him! He didn't, hic, know I loved him!" I said,

"I think he did," Ron said softly. He sounded a little choked up.

I didn't answer.

Ron smoothed my hair, and held me tight, while I cried.

"What's going on down here?" A sleepy voice said from the stairs.

I looked up, wiping my eyes on my sleeve.

It was Colin. Hermione and Harry came in, yawning.

Harry came over, "Here's a tissue," he said, offering one to me.

I wiped my eyes and blew my nose.

"Ginny got a letter from Fred telling her that Percy had died," Ron said.

Colin walked over and sat down on the couch opposite us. I got up and went over, clutching my letter from Percy. Colin put his arm around my shoulders, and I rested my head on his shoulder. Hermione replaced me. She and Ron embraced. Harry looked awkward.

"Percy wrote me a letter, apologizing," I said quietly. I didn't want to bring the entire Gryffindor House downstairs. I folded my hand over the letter, hiding it from view. "And Mum had a stroke."

"Oh no!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I want to go home," I whimpered. I sighed and let a small sob out. Turning my head away from everyone, I buried it in Colin's warm shoulder, and my hair fell in front of my face, blocking me from view.

"I think I can arrange that," Harry said.

"Could you really?" Ron asked. "I don't need to go home as much, but Ginny definitely does. She was the closest to Percy."

"Yeah, I'll see to it now," Harry said, and I heard him leave the Common Room.

"Well, Ginny, until this can be arranged, I suggest we all go to bed," Ron said, standing.

Colin stood, pulling me up, my head still resting on his shoulder.

I looked up, and smiled at him.

He bent down and kissed my hair affectionately. "I love you," he said.

"Me too," I responded, and followed Hermione up to the girl's dormitory.

I arrived at Grimmauld Place the next morning by portkey. I rang the bell, and the door was answered by Lupin. I was ushered in, and the door was closed. Mrs. Black's painting had been removed finally.

I hugged Lupin and he took my coat and bag.

"Where's everyone?" I asked.

"Your Mum is in Mungo's, and your Dad and Bill are visiting her. Your brothers are at their shop in Diagon. The only people here are Tonks, who won't be here for more than another ten minutes, and your brother Charlie," he said.

"Ginny?" A voice called from down the hall.

"Is that you?" Another voice said loudly, this one was deep and husky.

"I ran down the hall and into the kitchen. "Charlie? Tonks?"

I was swept up in a huge hug from Charlie. "Ginny! I haven't seen you in ages!" He set me on the floor again, and looked me up and down. "You've grown in more ways than one!" he said. "Wow! You're prettier each time I see you!"

I grinned and colored slightly.

Tonks appeared behind him. She was different from what I remembered. I wouldn't have recognized her, except for the eyes. Those dancing and laughing eyes. Her hair was short and dark brown; she had tanned skin. I received yet another hug.

"I like your look!" I exclaimed.

"Really? Thanks! I've been like this for a while. I think I've grown out of the constant-changing," she said, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"I have a friend at Hogwarts who's a metamorphagus. She likes to keep one trait the same, so people don't get confused."

"That's a good idea, except with my job, I often change completely."

Lupin came in. "I put your stuff in the room with Phineas Nigelis. That way Dumbledore can keep in contact with you."

"Thanks, okay," I said.

"Where did you put Percy?" I said in a low voice.

"We put him in the living room in the back of the house," Lupin said.

"Can I see him?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you really want to… I mean, he wasn't exactly very handsome after the Death Eaters finished with him," Charlie told me

"I still want to see him," I said firmly, putting my hand in my pocket and clutching the letter.

I moved out of the room, and strode deliberately down the hall to the living room. I opened the door quietly, and walked in, closing the door behind me. There was a table in the middle of the room, with a white sheet over his body. I went over, and before I could lose my nerve, I pulled back the sheet.

I gasped.

Charlie hadn't been wrong. His face was cut up and disfigured. His mouth was closed at a weird angle, and his cheeks sagged in, nothing to support them anymore. I could barely tell it had been Percy at one point. Suddenly, I took in a short breath. One of his eyes was missing. The eyelid covering up the hole was black and blue with some green streaks. I covered my mouth and stepped back, throwing the sheet back over to hide his face.

The room seemed to swim.

Then I fainted.

sometimes i think this is turning into a soap opera... but i think i was able to keep it away from that this time. so.. what'd you think? PLEASE REVIEW!

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grovels

kisses readers feet

slytherinphoenix7