Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
duj – Thank you for taking your time to write such long reviews! I appreciate it very much. I agree with you about Percy on many things. Molly and Arthur make a lot of mistakes with their children (well, many parents think that they do it for better but it turns out for worse). I also think that Molly (who is not very interested in Muggles) doesn't like her husbands obsession with them. For her Percy was an ideal man that her husband wasn't and couldn't be (even if she loves him, she still might feel dissatisfied with their life). And it turned out that she was wrong when she wasn't letting Fred and George to open a jokeshop, wrong about Fleur and Bill and wrong about her favourite son Percy. But she would never admit her wrongs… For Arthur Percy is a person whom he can't be and doesn't want to be. And he simply doesn't understand him. They don't understand each other.
On with the story!
I am tired. Tired. I am not sure whether I've done the right thing. May be I should have turned Charlie down? If tells anyone apart from Father and Mother… I doubt I will be able to survive it. I imagine my whole family sitting together and discussing whether they have to give me a chance or not. Mum shouting, Ron and Ginny arguing. The very thought makes me sick.
The doorbell rings. I decide not to answer. If someone needs me at work, they'll send me an owl first. The doorbell rings for the second time. A thought that it might be my Mother crosses my mind. But, surely, Charlie couldn't have talked with her so quickly. But if… I sight and go to the door.
I take my wand out, just in case, and open the door. "What the Hell are you two doing here?" – I snarl before I can stop myself.
"Percy! Is it the way to greet your brothers? Mind if we come in?" – says Fred sarcastically.
"Actually, I do mind. I had a long day. I am tired. And I see no reason for your arrival", - I snap.
George looks away, then on the floor and finally says, still not looking at me: "It happened so that we overheard a conversation not meant for us but concerning us".
"What did Charlie tell you", - I demand, not sure on whom to be angry: them or Charlie.
"Nothing to us. We heard his conversation with Mum. We didn't mean to. But as we did… Can we come in Percy? – Fred insists. – No pranks, I can ensure you. We are not in the mood for joking. Seriously".
I raise my eyebrows skeptically: "That's already a joke. Fine, come in but better be quick. What did you hear that thought it necessary to visit me?"
"well, the main point that worries us is that Charlie said something that meant that we where the reason for leaving and for not coming back", - George goes straight ahead.
I wince slightly. I wouldn't put it so straightforward but Charlie always preferred simple truth. "Not only you", - I reply finally not looking at them.
"What Voldemort had to do with us?" – asks Fred.
"He had nothing to with you. Your sense of humour did", - I reply wistfully.
"What is wrong with it that made you leave?" - exclaims Fred.
"It didn't make me leave. Scandal with Father did. You had nothing to do with it, except that you quickly thought me a traitor and didn't bother seeing my point of you", - I snap.
"What else were we supposed to think, huh?" – asks Fred angrily.
I cross the room and look at the window with my back to them: "Nothing. As you already expected that from me. For you being serious is a crime, isn't it? Being ambitious is a crime, yes?"
"Yes, if it means betraying your family!" – replies George fiercely.
"I betrayed noone by taking the post Fudge proposed me?" – I shoot back.
"But you could have…", - Fred tried arguing.
"Well, you didn't have an opportunity to find out, did you?" – I reply with a faint smile.
"Would you ..", - Fred starts.
"No! I would never spy on my family! And I did believe you when you told me that Voldemort was back. I didn't see then and I don't see now what it had to do with my job in the Ministry!" – I snap again.
'Well, were does our sense of humour comes in", sights Fred.
"In the very beginning. You never think, do you?" – I try to sound distant and uncaring.
"Does it really hurt so much?" - George asks quietly.
"It does, - I whisper. - More than you can imagine. It's horrible. And painful. And why, for hell, it always had to be me?"
"Well, Mum always talked about her favorite Percy, how we must follow your footsteps. It hurts as well, you know", - Fred suddenly says.
I frown: "What do you mean?"
"He means that we were jealous and the fact that you never reacted to our jokes didn't make thing better", - says George.
I close my eyes and shake my head: "It's all seems very very stupid".
"Because it is very stupid", - Say they in unison and their faces are serious.
"What shall we do than?" – I ask quietly.
Thy joined me near the window: "I think that we'll forgive each other, Percy. And at least we'll try to forget. Now we know what are the problems among three of us. And we can deal with them. And it's not fair for our parents to suffer because of our misunderstandings even if they unknowingly created them. What do you think?"
"For you it's that east, isn't it?" – I look at them with a sad smile.
"It's not. But we may at least try, don't you think?" – says George hesitantly.
"I think that we may try, - I answer. But now it's better if you leave".
They look at me clearly unsure what to do or say.
"Listen, we'll try. But we all need time. It's possible to forgive, - I tell them. – It's more difficult to forget. It's almost impossible to change all in one swift moment. I forgive you. I hope that you'll forgive me. But now you have to leave. Please".
I am at the verge of tears again. And I won't let them see my tears.
They nod and say: "You are right. But we, as well, forgive you. May be someday it will get better than just that". Than they leave. I close the door. And I cry. Because I know; It's not just difficult. It's almost impossible.
I change that because it REALLY was TOO fast as it was first time.