A/N Yep just bought them all from JK – pah
Chapter 7: Percy
6th July 1996
Percival Weasley was just charming his breakfast dishes to wash when there was a knock on his front door on a sunny July morning. His girlfriend Penelope Clearwater called out that she'd get it. They were expecting Percy's Hogwarts roommate Oliver Wood and for once it looked as though he was running early. Quidditch practice must have finished early for once. Since leaving Hogwarts the pair of best friends had made a habit to routinely meet up for lunch on the first Saturday of the month with Oliver coming by whenever practice finished, usually about twelve. A quick glance at the kitchen clock told him that it was barely ten.
Penelope stuck her head round the door, looking delectable in his shirt, leaving him time to wonder how such a gorgeous girl had picked him before he processed what she said.
"Your brothers and sister are here."
"What!"
"I think you heard me"
"Which of them are here?"
"All of them."
"All of them!"
"Stop repeating what I say please"
"Sorry, but all of them! Are you sure?"
"Well I counted five red headed males and one red headed female, two were definitely the twins and Ron and Ginny are there too, Bill's there and I can only presume that the last one is Charlie, so yeah all of them"
"Something must be wrong at home for them all to be here."
"Of course something is wrong at home Perce, you're not there." The two jumped about two foot in the air at the female voice that interrupted them.
"Ginny!"
"So you do remember my name then. Any chance you'll come into your living room so that I can test you on the others? You do have five brothers in case you've forgotten."
"Of course I remember Ginny, I just didn't expect you all to just turn up here."
"Yeah, well we didn't expect you to turn out to be the stupid one either, so I guess that makes us even. So are you going to talk to us? Doesn't matter, we're not leaving until you do. And I wouldn't dawdle if I were you, you'll only annoy us further."
"I'll be right in, let me just put on a shirt."
"Not one of Penelope is wearing please, the twins will ridicule you more than they are already planning to. They can't believe you had it in you Perce. Not sure I can believe it myself."
"Believe what?"
"Percy your girlfriend is wearing your shirt." Ginny rolled her eyes and turned to Penelope.She turned on her heal back towards the living room.
"Don't be too long Percy, you'll only leave the twins with time to think up things to tease you with." She called back over her shoulder.
"Go on and change love, I'll stick the kettle on and make some tea for you all.
Two minutes later Percy was back in the kitchen and starting to panic his brothers were here. All of them! How could he face them he knew he was doing the right thing? But he couldn't let them know. There were things in motion, in motion for years. He was protecting them, in ways they couldn't yet understand. But would they understand in the long run? He could tell that despite her calm exterior Ginny was angry. And if Ginny was angry they all were. Damn hot headedness and loyalty issues that they all had. But yet they couldn't trust his loyalty. He had their best interests at heart and they only believed the very worst of him. Penny passed Percy a tray loaded down with teapot, mugs and biscuits and pecked him on the cheek wishing him luck.
"I'll go meet Oliver in Puddlemere, come find us when you're done. I'm sure we'll be at his flat." Percy took a deep breath, counted to ten and braced himself for the firing squad.
"I still say we beat the snot out of him Gin, sending mum's jumper back. He deserves to have both his legs broken."
"This coming from the brother who moans every year about the colour of his jumper." Percy entered the argument as soon as he entered the room.
"But we've never had to force Ron to wear his," Fred said
"Like we did during your fifth year," George added
"While I might not like the colour maroon I DO appreciate the effort mum goes to for us, although why she bothers with you…"
"Enough Ron," Bill said sharply, "we didn't come here to belittle Percy."
"No just my choices, right Bill."
"No, not that either Perce," Charlie told him, "we just wanted to remind you that we are family and that we're here when you're ready."
There was something wrong Percy could see it in the sudden snap of Bill's head in Charlie's direction at that proclamation. Clearly this was not part of the pre-planned dialogue. Percy had never known is oldest brother go into any situation with out planning in exact detail, it was what made him a good curse breaker, he examined all the options in front of him. Of course his reaction also indicated that in some way they, or at least Bill, were here to belittle his choices. Then again Ron and the twins and more than likely Ginny just wanted him to admit that Harry had been right and he and the Minister wrong. Oh if they only knew. Did Charlie know? Was that why he was deviating from Bill's plan? No she would've warned him if she was back in touch with Charlie. If for no other reason than to warn him to stay out of Charlie's way.
"Right." Bill was being vague, in other words trying to make a come back to his prearranged plan.
"We understand Percy, that it can be difficult to make your way in the wizarding world and create your own identity, but is this really the way you want to do it?" Bill asked.
Yes actually"How do you mean Bill? I formed an opinion last year based on the facts that I had at the time and I stand by them. Granted I've been proved wrong by You-Know-Who's appearance on the Ministry and I will admit that. But somehow I have a feeling that you are talking about some of the things our Father and I discussed last year."
"Since when are you calling dad, Father, Perce?" Charlie asked
"A while"
"Yes I'm talking about the things that you and dad discussed last year. That's if you call discussing, a good yelling session. You were quite hurtful you know."
"And of course Father was nothing but respectful to me!"
"Fudge hired you to be his assistant despite what happened with Crouch, didn't that strike you as suspicious."
Of course it did.
"Even if it did, do you think I appreciated being yelled at like an idiot?"
"Shouldn't have behaved like one then should you!" Ron snarled. "And you should've believed Harry, he's never given you a reason not to has he?"
But I did Ron, I did"Harry is your friend not mine, I don't know him that well at all."
"So you're saying you don't trust my judgement with the friends that I make then!"
"And forgetting that it was Harry that saved Ginny from that bastard?" George fumed
"I haven't forgotten, nor have I forgotten his Parselmouth ability."
"So what if he's a Parselmouth, he couldn't have got to the Chamber if he wasn't."
"Parseltongue is a Slytherin trait."
"And getting all O's in your exams is supposed to be something only Ravenclaws can do, yet you and Bill managed just fine." Ginny threw back at him. "The shame of it, having personality traits that belong to other houses."
Percy was getting nowhere and decided to pause for a moment and gather his thoughts so poured himself a cup of tea and took a biscuit. With a bite and a sudden flump he was covered in yellow feathers.
"Like that Percy, a Canary Cream, courtesy of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, something else you've missed out on in our lives? Like to know where we got the start up money? Harry gave us his Tri-Wizard winnings, because you see he just loves the attention that Cedric dying gave him."
I know he hates it.
"No instead he bribes people to be loyal to him." Crikey Ron was going to kill him.
"Why you…."
"Ron, no… don't." His fourteen year old sister was protecting him from his youngest brother, the other four watching Ron in shock at his behaviour as he attempted to cross the room to Percy, with only Ginny standing between the two brothers.
"How dare you speak that way about Harry. You've got no idea what his life is like; he has no need to bribe people to be his friend. He doesn't even have to worry anymore about people only wanting to be his friend because he's famous, you and your precious Minister saw to that. Not to mention the 'really delightful' Umbridge, which you know is quite useful when it comes to dealing with Harry when he is 'unbalanced and violent'. He read that you know, your letter. He knows exactly what you think of him. I don't know why we bothered coming."
"Ron, please, you promised."
"You never read the letter he wrote to me Gin, about Harry," Ron sank back into the armchair, "I've never been more ashamed of a family member. Did you know Percy that Umbridge tried to use the Cruciatus curse on him? So much for us being safe at school." This last comment seemed to be directed at the couch Bill and Charlie were sitting at though, rather than Percy himself.
"More of Potters' tales…"
"Both Ron and I were in the room when she tried to cast it Percy, there's no doubt as to her intention if Hermione hadn't distracted her…. Well."
"This isn't what we are here to discuss."
"Then what exactly are we here to discuss Bill?" Ginny asked. "I thought we were just here to help Percy see the error of his ways, another perspective on the last year. He threw his towel in with Fudge and Umbridge. Surely that means telling him that it was Umbridge that sent Dementors after Harry, meaning he had to do underage magic. The same Dementors that have now left Azkaban. Just whose side is Fudge on? Which side is Percy on?" She was beginning to tear up but refusing to let herself cry, she turned to him. "You don't have to come home with us now, but think about the things we've said. We love you Percy even if you've been a git. You are our git and even if Bill is trying to be the bossy one and forgetting that the rest of us aren't seven anymore he has your best intentions at heart. Ron, however, may kill you."
"Thanks Gin, thank you all, I appreciate your concern but for now I have to do what I believe is right. The Minister – and I – stand corrected. Harry was right. You – Know- Who is back. Now is a time for caution and I hope you can understand this but I'm going to stay at the Ministry with Fudge and try and sort this all out. Now is not the time for the fate of the wizarding world to lie in the hands of a fifteen year old boy no matter what his destiny." Ron's head had snapped at that comment and his brow furrowed. "And Ron, I am sorry for the letter, I just worry for you, it can not be easy being Harry's friend, I think that perhaps you miss out on being a normal teenager, but he, and you, was right and I was wrong and perhaps that's why you keep beating me at chess."
Charlie sensing that an end had come to the discussion stood.
"Well. Percy, you know where to find us, and Dad, for the apology that you owe him. The only thing left to say is that I hope you come to your senses sometime soon." He turned to his other siblings. "Let's get going shall we?" The only one to give any problem was Bill. "Come on big brother, the Valley of Kings wasn't built in a day, we've left Percy with some things to think on, so there's not much else we can do for now, he knows now that we won't ignore him if he wants to talk on anything."
Percy threw the plateful of biscuits into the bin, not knowing which of them would be jinxed and regretting that he was not able to tell the difference, although with Fred and George that was probably the point. They had changed, there was a toughness there somewhere under their fun loving exterior. Was that just directed at him or was it a change to their characters that he had missed and if so what had caused it. Well there was the impending war of course. He'd known since Harry Potter was sorted into Gryffindor that Ron would be in the thick of everything with him. Not because of Harry's fame but because Harry was able to see Ron as an individual and Ron was able to do the same for him. Ron, sixteen and angry and rightfully so. His best friend dismissed as a mad man by the entire wizarding world only to have that best friend proved right only after his godfather had been killed. Yes, Percy knew what was going on possibly more so than Bill and Charlie did, one of the benefits to working both sides of a story. His older brothers still seemed intent on sheltering Ron and Ginny from the war, no doubt due to their own vague memories of the last one. Bill especially seemed to be having difficulty realising that a new war was upon them and his younger siblings especially Ron would be in the thick of it. This in itself was odd, Bill was always the realist of the siblings, and maybe that was now causing him problems. His reality was that his siblings were at war both with themselves and the outside world.
Perhaps it was time for Percy to make his move show him where his loyalty lay. But that in itself wasn't going to be easy, he had said some terrible things in the heat of the moment last year to his father, but he had just returned from his inquiry at work and was all in all quite relieved. The personnel department had handed him his new assignment just after the inquiry board had cleared him and he had waited until he got home to read it, where his father had gone completely through the roof. And Percy had reacted, people thought of him as the mild mannered brother but when pushed his Weasley temper could come out in true force just as it did that day.
He sighed as he placed the mugs back in the cupboard. His baby sister had grown up too, no longer did she use her tears to coerce her brothers and ensure that she got her own way in all things but now, there was a maturity there that shouldn't be, she should be forty before she knew some of the things that she did but that bastard had changed that. And yet his brothers still thought that he might be capable of siding with that bastard and his ways. But maybe that was the nature of war, and it was what he needed them to believe, it served his purpose for the moment that they doubted his beliefs but it hurt like hell. But then he was hurting them too wasn't he; his only hope was that they would forgive him when the time came.
He moved to the bedroom of his flat, looking for his jumper, he held the navy jumper at arms length and found himself regretting once more that he had sent his Christmas jumper back to his mother, a necessary evil, but nevertheless, this one was getting a tad threadbare especially round the elbows.
Charlie had surprised him this morning, normally the more laid back of his older brothers, happy to let Bill be the oldest and Percy keep those younger than him in line he had been quite assertive today. Perhaps he had realized that the war was coming and they're younger siblings were going to be in the thick of it and maybe Charlie just wanted him around again. Of all his siblings, he was closest to Charlie. They'd spent a lot of time together after the twins were born and Bill was at Hogwarts, not the Percy remembered a lot of it, but Charlie was a constant in his life and that continued up until he went to school a nervous first year and Charlie at that stage about to start his final year, he must have been a real pain to his older brother considering Charlie was studying for his NEWTs at the time and although Percy hadn't known it until he went to school his older brother had also been in love. Percy had known there was a girlfriend Bill often teased Charlie when they were home for the holidays, but to see Charlie like that. It had been like watching a younger mum and dad. And Katelyn had been so nice to him he figured that was why he had started keeping her secrets.It was the first morning of his second year at Hogwarts and he was sitting at breakfast with his roommate Oliver Wood catching up after the summer holidays when the grey owl first appeared at the Gryffindor table. And in an odd way relishing that he had no brothers at school with him, it would after all be a nightmare when the twins arrived next year.
1st September 1988
Dear Percy
I hope that you don't mind me writing to you, although by the time I've finished this you probably will, because I have a favour to ask and it's one you probably won't like. If you wish to refuse to do it you should go ahead, after all your loyalty lies with Charlie – he is your brother.
I was hoping Percy that you might keep me up to date on his life, just let me know that he's keeping well, that my decision was worth it. Daily I regret not accepting his invitation to come home with both of you, but then I remember tales of the twins and I know that I would be a hindrance in your household and in doing so I would make your family a target for my family's wrath. My father is capable of terrible things and by rights should be in Azkaban where other members of my extended family are for their own cruel deeds. I am not like the rest of my family and with the exception of Dora and her parents have no wish to be. As such I do believe that were I to stay a fate worse than that my aunt Bellatrix bestowed upon the Longbottoms would befall you all and I would never forgive myself.
I also believe that with my new found "allergy" to magic I would hinder Charlie's future career. The natural magic of dragons would mean I could not be in close contact with them and I fear that over time this could cause problems between us. And while my heart is breaking, as I'm sure is Charlie's at least I know that I will never end up hating him, although I no longer assume that the reverse is true.
I think at this stage I've rambled enough, and written an extremely girly, emotional letter that you've probably hated – sorry. My owl will await your reply until you are ready to send it. Know this Percy whatever decision you make I know that it will be for the best.
Kind regards
K. M.
Percy had replied to the girl who had been so kind to him the previous year in an attempt to stay in touch so that when Charlie came to his senses Percy would be able to reveal his knowledge of Katelyns whereabouts. But as time went by Charlie seemed to close himself off to that part of his life. Nobody, not even their mother dared to tease him about his love life. Percy had long suspected that his brother had realized that he had over reacted to the perceived slight that Katelyn had chosen Franklin over Charlie, and come to see that she had just been clearing up the ends of her old life before starting to see how she might be able to live with her life cursed. The Definio was often used in their home, it had to be with the twins and even at twelve he had known that it would not been an easy life for Katelyn. And Charlie stubborn mule that he was, a Weasley trait to be sure, refused to speak to anyone now about how he felt, and without knowing Percy would not reveal her location. It left the way open for more heartache, especially now he knew all the facts.
He had stayed in touch with Katelyn Malfoy for the past eight years, using only her owl, even when Hermes came his way. Only two people knew of his continued association with her, Oliver who had been sitting beside him when the letter first came and was sworn to secrecy and Penny, who had been worried that he had had another girlfriend. Katelyn knew that they both were aware of his correspondence with her and that they could keep a secret. They were also aware of his more recent discovery. When Katelyn had first mentioned Ben in her letters Oliver had insisted that Kate was lying about his age and that he was in fact her new boyfriend despite her declaration that he was an older colleague that was lonely after being recently widowed. Percy though had been adamant that Katelyn and Charlie were meant to be and no one could replace him for her. They had both been right and wrong in their own ways. Last year, following the discovery, that Crouch had been sending in owls while under the Imperius Percy had been dispatched to an International Conference on the Standardization of Magical Equipment and present the findings of his investigation into cauldron bottom thickness. Fortunately, the conference had been held in Washington DC in America, where Katelyn now resided. After checking into the hotel he had ventured into the American Muggle world with hopes that any strange things he might have said or done were excused in the event of him being a foreigner. He had managed to get to the law firm that she now worked in, which specialised in Muggle/Magic relations. He knew she had chosen law in an attempt to find the best way of getting revenge upon her father while not breaking the law herself.
He had asked at reception to see Lyn Foy, the name Katelyn now used, something she had said was close enough to her own name that she wouldn't forget who she was. Moments later she had appeared before him, a huge smile on he face and enveloped him into a hug. He had been explaining why he was in town when a young red head stepped off the lift. He had stared in confusion at the miniature version of his older brother held onto the hand of a blonde woman that Katelyn obviously knew. There had been a garbled conversation the blondes' mother had been in an accident of some sort and was now in hospital and had to go. All the while miniature Charlie had stared at Percy, neither of them blinking. It had reminded Percy of the silly games he and Charlie had played as kids. Percy had nearly always won these having a more patient nature than Charlie who had always wanted to go on to the next game. Kate had just finished seeing the blonde onto the lift when Percy had stuck his hand out and introduced himself.
"Hello, you must be Ben, my name is Percy, and I'm your uncle."
"Yeah, I'm Ben. You look a lot older than in your picture."
"Well, I've gotten older than I am in any of the pictures your mum would have of me."
"Percy, I can explain."
"I think I can figure it out Katelyn, after all he is the image of Charlie. How old are you Ben?"
"Seven and almost a quarter."
"Almost a quarter, wow, you'll be eight before you know it."
The boy smiled at this appreciation of the extra special fraction.
"When is your birthday so I can be sure to get a present in time?
"April 20th"
"I'll be sure to remember."
And as such Percy had been introduced to one of the most important members of the Weasley family. For that was what he was through and through. Katelyn had ensured that Charlie's name was on the birth certificate and Ben was known in school be his Weasley surname. He may have had no contact with his family but Katelyn had told him the stories that she had heard from Charlie and she read him the letters that she got from him. The boy knew everything about them all. He could have been living in Romania with Charlie for all these years. And Percy understood the need for secrecy. If Lucius Malfoy knew that Katelyn had had Charlie's baby there really would be hell to pay, and what had happened to Ginny would look like childs' play compared to what would befall both Kate and Ben and so Percy had agreed to keep the secret on the condition that he could tell Oliver and Penny when he returned home and when the time came he could let Charlie know the truth. With the war finally acknowledged it looked as though that time might be approaching.
Ready now to go out he glanced again at the clock, nearly one and time for lunch, which meant Oliver and Penny would be able to interrogate him as to what his siblings had wanted. And try and get him to tell all that was going on. Only they and Dumbledore knew that he had taken the position with Fudge in an attempt to stay close to the Minister. And only Penny and Oliver knew he had taken the job in an attempt to keep an eye on Malfoy who had been able to get far to close to the Minister for an accused Death Eater. Of course all this didn't mean Charlie wouldn't skin him alive once he knew that Percy was hiding his son from him.
A/N – Well hope it was worth the weight, personally I had been hoping that Fred and George would give Percy a harder time of it but I just couldn't manage it because I knew he was going to turn out to be a good one. Sorry to those of you who were expecting that to happen.
On another note I know I had hoped for updating fortnightly and honestly that is what I planned but my health problems didn't clear up as easily as I had thought they would. I can't promise another chapter in a fortnight because as we all know HBP is coming out. My own thesis deadline is drawing nearer and I need to buckle down to it and my next chapter is going to get back to Draco and I have to get back into a suitably snotty mindset.
Gingerbed Thanks (again) for your review. I'll take on board the point about long paragraphs, someone else said it to me as well so I will try and stop doing it but keep pointing it out to me. As you can see I abandoned the idea of more Ginny cause really I was just putting off doing Percy. I wanted to attempt to avoid repeating all the scenes I've seen of this reunion of sorts, how good I did well you tell me. I probably should have let him suffer at the hands of the twins a bit more. I wasn't going to involve Katelyn just yet but then we haven't heard from her since the first chapter, which is part of the reason for the title change, as I continue to plan and write I see Draco and Katelyn becoming less involved than I had originally thought they would be. As to who the Guardians are….. well you'll just have to keep reading.