The game of Gobstones ended with Ron winning and Percy conceded defeat gallantly. The both went upstairs to wash for dinner and then came back down to set the table. There were a lot of Order members milling about the kitchen and Percy was feeling decidedly uncomfortable, not that anyone noticed him. Ron had gotten into a conversation with Tonks and Percy looked for a way to escape from the kitchen without being noticed. He managed not to jump in surprise when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder but he was extremely shocked. "Yes?" he managed to choke out. It was Alastor Moody, someone who Percy had only met in passing before.
"You'd be the other Weasley boy I take it? Percival, isn't it?" Moody asked casually.
"Yes Sir," Percy didn't know if he liked where this was going.
"Damn good family you've got, you'd do well to remember it," Moody told him.
"Yes Sir," Percy repeated and over Moody's shoulder he caught Ron shooting panicked looks at the pair of them Percy couldn't help but be pleased that his brother was worried about him, but was slightly concerned that there seemed to be something Ron was worried about involving Alastor Moody talking to him.
"You spacing out on me there, lad?" he was asked gruffly.
"Just wondering why my brother seems to think that there's something to worry about while I'm talking to you," Percy told him.
"Aye, he does look a tad concerned, doesn't he?" Moody commented, his magical eye looking out the back of his head. It creeped Percy out quite a bit.
"This bothers you, does it?" Moody asked, referring to his magical eye.
It took Percy a moment to get what he meant. "It'll just take a bit of getting used to," he said neutrally, "although I'm not going to deny that it has it's advantages!"
"Indeed, lad, indeed. But are they the advantages you need?" he asked shrewdly.
"I'll figure that out when I figure out what advantages I need in a given situation," Percy said wisely. "Although it is always useful to have someone you trust to cover you're back, but that someone you trust isn't always yourself."
"I can see that good common sense and bravery runs in the family," Moody said glancing at Ron.
"But that's only a good thing if used for the right reasons," Percy commented.
"Indeed, laddie, indeed," Moody agreed absently. "So, what are you planning on doing with yourself now?"
The question was asked so abruptly that it caught Percy off guard. "I'm not sure at the moment, I'll just do whatever is needed of me, although I doubt I'll ever go back to the ministry," Percy answered after a pause.
"You should give it some thought," was all Moody said before walking away. Percy shook his head to try and clear it. That was weird he thought and he carefully walked over to Ron, the kitchen seemed to be unusually full.
"What was that about?" Ron asked him from where he was leaning against the table.
"I'll tell you when I figure it out for myself," Percy told him.
Ron grinned at him and shook his head. "And I thought you were supposed to be the clever one," he teased.
Percy grinned back at him. "Well you obviously thought wrong," he teased back.
Ron simply laughed and the two pressed themselves against the table as another Order member squeezed past. "When did the order get so big?" Ron asked. "I don't know half of these people!"
"Well don't look at me for answers, I wasn't about last year," Percy reminded him.
"Yeah, good point," Ron agreed. "But there certainly does seem to be a lot of people here right? I'm not just imagining it, am I?"
"No, you're definitely not imagining it, there are rather a lot of people here," Percy agreed. "Ever get the feeling that you're just in the way?" he then asked.
"Definitely," Ron agreed. The kitchen had seemed to have shrunk.
"Come on, let's go through to one of the sitting rooms," Percy said as he made his way towards the door, knowing that Ron was following. They only stopped briefly to let their mum know where they were going. It was a relief for both of them to collapse on one of the couches in one of the many sitting rooms in the Ancient and Noble House of Black.
Both were silent for a while. "Do you think something's happened?" Ron asked, finally breaking the silence.
"I'm not sure, but it looks like its going to be an important Order meeting whatever's going on," Percy answered.
"I don't like it," Ron admitted.
"Neither do I," Percy told him. "But there's not exactly much we can do is there? We're at war Ron, it's not supposed to be enjoyable."
"Still doesn't mean I have to like it," Ron sulked.
Percy laughed at him. "I don't think anyone likes it, but it is, unfortunately, one of the facts of life."
"Yeah…" Ron sighed. "Everything keeps changing so quickly."
Silence descended again but both Ron and Percy quickly looked up when Fred, George and Ginny entered the room. "Oh," Fred said in shock, when he saw Percy sat in the room with Ron and the three of them hovered in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Percy met the three stares head-on, despite feeling extremely uncomfortable and the twins turned as one and left the room, heading for a different sitting room. Ginny hesitated for a second and Percy sent her a very watery smile before focussing his eyes on the floor and attempting to calm himself down. Ron sent a glare at Ginny's retreating back.
"Come on, lets go and get some pumpkin juice," Ron ordered and Percy followed Ron back into the kitchen with great reluctance, hoping that no one, especially his mother, would notice that something was slightly off.
It was his Father who noticed something was off. "I thought you're mother said you'd retreated to one of the sitting rooms," he said as he came to stand in the corner where Percy was standing and where Ron was perched on the worktop, both sipping on pumpkin juice. "Is something wrong?"
Percy and Ron shared a long look and Arthur raised an eyebrow at them both. "Run-in with Fred, George and Ginny," Ron finally said.
"Ah," was all Arthur said as he got himself a glass of the juice.
"Don't worry, nothing happened," Percy reassured him. "We're all still alive and no ones wounded."
"So you two haven't hidden the bodies anywhere?" Arthur joked.
"Nope, no bodies to be disposed off," Ron told him. "Yet."
"Yet," Arthur echoed. "Are things that bad?" he asked seriously.
"They could be worse," Percy said lightly, not wanting to make a big deal out of the matter.
"But they could be better?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah…" Percy admitted, looking away and trailing off.
Ron took a chance and changed the subject, although he did make a note to remember to try and talk to his father alone later on. "So Dad?" he asked. "How come the Order has suddenly seemed to have expanded?"
"Erm… I can't tell you that boys," Arthur replied, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Don't worry about it, dad," Percy told him.
"Yeah, but it was worth a try," Ron added. Arthur simply laughed and ruffled Ron's hair, despite the fact that Ron was taller than him when he was perched on the kitchen counter.
"You've grown again Ron," Arthur mused. "You're going to need some new clothes before you go back to school in the autumn."
"Don't worry about it Dad, I'm fine," Ron said. "I haven't grown that much." Ron knew he shouldn't be lying to his Father, but he knew how short money was and there were still schoolbooks to buy. He didn't mind looking slightly shabby, although he would look forward to his Christmas jumper this year because he had definitely out grown his other.
"Hmmm… if you say so, but we'll have to see what your mother says," Arthur told him.
"'Kay, dad," Ron mumbled and Arthur moved away to talk to Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had made eye contact with him.
Ron suddenly became aware of Percy studying him intently. "I think some of my old jumpers and things may fit you, if you want them," Percy said. "I doubt I'll need them as much as you will."
"If you don't mind," Ron said in a low voice. "I know how tight we are on money, mum and dad really don't need to be spending extra on getting new clothes for me!"
Percy just gave him a sad smile - he wanted to argue, Ron deserved new clothes, not hand-me-downs! - but he knew that his brother was right and that their parents were desperately short of money, although the Order was now financing the meals and there would only be Ron and Ginny's schoolbooks to buy this year.
Percy glanced around the kitchen again, still only recognising very few faces and he was relieved to see that the twins and Ginny hadn't decided to come into the kitchen. Professor Dumbledore caught his eye and gave him a small smile which Percy returned and then he turned his attention to his mother, who had come over to him and Ron. "Will you please go and tell Harry and Hermione that dinner is almost ready," she asked, not speaking to either one in particular.
Percy, seeing his younger brothers gaze cloud over, quickly said, "I'll go." And he did, he left the room and jogged up the stairs quickly, knocking on Hermione's door as Ron had told him that that was where both Harry and Hermione spent most of their time. He waited until he had gotten some kind of response before sticking his head around the door and both Harry and Hermione were visibly surprised to see him. "My mum said to tell you that dinner's almost ready," he said and then quickly left, both Harry and Hermione had sent him glares, not that Percy knew why. From the sound of things they weren't that close to Ron anymore. He quickly made his way back down to the kitchen and over to where Ron was, he was talking to Tonks and Remus. He didn't know Tonks well, but he didn't particularly want to stand alone and Remus had always seemed nice when he was teaching, but Percy didn't particularly know what type of reaction he was going to get.
"That was quick," Ron commented when Percy appeared next to him.
"Yeah, I didn't particularly want to hang around, although they both seemed surprised to see me," Percy told him.
"They were probably expecting me," Ron commented.
"Probably," Percy agreed, glad that he could now have an easy conversation with his brother and looking over Ron's shoulder he met Tonks's gaze and offered a shy smile.
"I'll hazard the guess of Percy then, should I?" Tonks asked quietly and Percy simply nodded, knowing that whatever she knew about him wouldn't be pleasant. He did however, manage to hold her gaze, but it was a difficult thing, but he wasn't going to be taking the easy way out anymore! Ron stayed quiet as well, not being able to place the tone of Tonks's voice, but he did touch Percy lightly on the hand and Percy dropped Tonks's gaze to give his brother a quick smile, which conveyed everything he was feeling without words.
"Don't forget that you promised me you'd help me with my Defence homework tonight," Ron finally said, although Percy had promised him no such thing.
"Don't worry, I haven't," Percy said quietly, "although I doubt you'll need my help," and then he glanced at Remus to back him up.
"Indeed, I think you're perfectly capable of protecting yourself, Ron," Remus injected into the conversation.
"Thanks," Ron whispered, blushing a little. "But I can still use improvement."
"Don't we all," Percy said quietly.
"Definitely," Remus said. "Circumstances have changed."
"I'll say they have," Ron muttered and Percy lay a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder, feeling protectiveness rising up in him. He noticed both Remus and Tonks smile at the gesture and he couldn't help smiling back and he was glad when Ron didn't try to shrug his hand off, as he would have done not so long ago. Then Percy felt someone place a hand on his own shoulder and he looked up into his Father's eyes.
"Just to let you two know that Fred, George and Ginny are talking to Kingsley if you wish to avoid them," he said gently. "We don't need any more causalities than necessary."
"'Kay, dad, thanks," Percy said quietly.
"Causalities? Now why would there be causalities?" Moody asked, walking over and joining the conversation. Ron and Percy shared a long look and then glanced quickly at their Father. "Hmm?" Moody asked again.
Ron looked again at Percy, clearly not wanting to answer and clearly not wanting to break Percy's trust. "Just a slight tension between me, Fred, George and Ginny, Sir," Percy finally answered, shooting a half worried glance at Ron.
"Tension being an understatement," Ron put in. "Full out open hostility towards Percy on Ginny and the twins behalf is more accurate." Percy smiled across at Ron.
"Yeah, I suppose that may be a more accurate description," he commented, both brothers trying to make light of the situation.
However, neither failed to notice that when they sat down for dinner, seated near Harry and Hermione who were completely ignoring them, Moody chose to sit with Fred, George and Ginny. "Oh, Boy!" Ron muttered under his breath and Percy fully agreed.