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Finally! Update! My computer seems to dislike Grrrrr...
"You made a mistake and you are too stubborn to apologise, Percy!"
"I am not stubborn, Father! I am ready apologise but only when you answer me why you were so much against me taking that position!"
"Because they wanted to use you!"
"And you thought that I will let them use me, didn't you?"
"Judging by the way you were acting? Yes!"
"Arthur! Please!"
"What was I doing that made you think so? My ambitions? That I wanted to achieve more in life than you did? That I wasn't interested in Muggles as much as were you? What, Father?"
"Dad! Don't listen to him! He is a traitor to the family! What about that letter he wrote to me in my fifth year!"
"Well! It did you a lot of good, Ron, going against Umbridge, didn't it?"
"At least we did something against her! And we learnt to defend ourselves!"
"And almost got yourselves expelled together with 25 more-or-what-it-was people course you left that list lying around! And if Dumbledore didn't sacrifice himself and Kingsley didn't have quick reaction all of you would have been expelled!"
"But we weren't and it was Hermione who…Wait! How do you know about Kingsley?"
"I am not blind, Ron! Even if Fudge or Umbridge are!"
"But why didn't you tell…"
"Wouldn't want my brothers and sister expelled, would I, Ginny?"
"Course that would have been bad for your career!"
"It could have been hardly the point as I hadn't been talking to you all for almost a year then? Decide on your position before you open your mouth, Ron!"
"What do you mean!"
"If I am a traitor I am no longer worried about my family influencing my career! If I am still worried about that then I am not a traitor! Decide what you think about me. Ron! You contradict yourself!"
"Why did you say those awful words to Father before leaving?"
"Which ones, Ginny? About me struggling against his reputation and him having no ambition?"
"Exactly. And us having not enough money!"
"If I wasn't that angry I would have used different words but in the essence it's true. True for me and my plans for life!"
"Becoming a Minister of Magic, huh?"
"May be. What's so bad about that? But at least having enough money to give my children what they need!"
"We have what we need! It's just that you want more than we need!"
"Really? And that's why you are always intimidated by Potter buying for you something when you can't give him as much in return. He doesn't mind, I am sure, but you do! And I can't say you were happy to get a rat instead of an owl or ridiculous second-hand dressing robes cause parents didn't have enough money to buy you decent ones! I am not saying that's easy to achieve something but I never saw you, Father, even trying to do something! You could have done better if you weren't so obsessed with Muggles! They had always been more important to you than your own children! I would never have said anything, if you didn't object to my wishes to do things differently! If you let me carry on as I saw fit you'd never had to hear all that, Father! You didn't respect me! Why I had to respect you? Don't say to me that it's important to respect parents cause they gave you birth. It no longer works now! I respected you before you tried ti stop me from doing what I thought right!"
"Percy, darling, what….".
"Spying on your family is right!"
"There is no proof for the fact that Ministry wanted me as a spy apart from what you think! And we'll never find out now! Why can't you get over that? I'll apologise for what I said to you then and now only if you acknowledge that you had no right to stop me or shout at me then!"
I storm out of the room and out of the house.
"Percy! Wait! I need to talk to you! Wait!" – that's Ginny. What does she want to discuss now?
I stop and sight: "Ginny, you all told me more than enough!"
"Wait! I don't want to shout. Will you answer my questions? Please, I want to understand an need to as well", she asks breathlessly.
"What questions?"
"Bill told me yesterday about you and twins. Look, in there own way they love you very much", - she starts.
"You said "questions", Ginny. Not explanations. We, sort of, reconciled with them. We'll have to work on that but… What did you want to ask?" – I ask her gently. She had grown up. I must accept that. She is not that frightened eleven-years-old girl that read Tom Riddle's diary. She is almost a woman, a strong woman.
"I..er.. Will you forgive me for that incident on Christmas?" – she bursts out.
I blink: "Don't tell me you were involved!"
"I was. Me, Fred and George. Will you forgive me?" – she insists.
"I forgive you. But why, Ginny?"
"Well, you said all those words to Dad because you were angry. I was angry as well. Cause. Well, Harry.. I was always in love with him. You know that, don't you? After the Third task… It never occurred to me that anyone, well, at least among my closest friends and family members, those that know Harry, might not believe what he was saying! I never thought that his word might not be enough! He saved me from Voldemort. He… He did so much for all our family! Why wasn't that enough for you?"
"Firstly, I thought, and still think, that if he told Dumbledore about Riddle's diary you would never have been in such a danger. Secondly, what happened in his third year, what he was saying about Sirius Black, you couldn't have expected me to believe that Black was not a murderer! It seemed all too strange to me! Next, Second task after the Turnament! He had appeared long after the time limit. I was dead worried about Ron! After all that, his story after the Turnament wasn't really convincing to me. Ginny, you are more like twins than like me. We see things in different lights! What seems funny to you is stupid for me. What is right and noble for you is dangerous and careless from my point of view. If you knew something I didn't, something that could have convinced me, you could have told me. But you didn't", - I answer her calmly.
She bites her lip: "I can see your point… And I forgive you for acting rashly two years ago with Father if you need my forgiveness. And I don't need to forgive you for not trusting any of us as you had no actual reason to believe us apart from the fact that we were telling the truth. But you couldn't have known that.. So…
"Do you understand me Percy? – she sights.
"I think I do, Ginny. I need your forgiveness. And I except it. But.. Does he love you? Are you together now?" – I ask her.
"No. Well, not really. We love each over. But he told me that we must separate cause its very dangerous for. And he doesn't want that. I agreed with him. But I am still not sure that I was right in doing so?" - she replies.
Never before she had asked me about anything. At least nothing that serious. At first, I didn't even understand that it was a question addressed to me. But it was as far as could see from her face.
"Ginny, it's only you who can decide that. I'll just say that… that he shows himself as a very noble man by trying to protect you. But it doesn't mean that you'll be truly protected if everyone starts thinking that you don't love each other. Not all dangers of the war are connected with him. Malfoy gave you that diary not because you were in love with Harry but because you are a Weasley. Everyone is in danger right now… I would very much like to take you somewhere far and hidden and safe and keep you there until the war ends. But it's not possible. Even if I could find such a place, I would never have any rights to decide for you. They even let you come to the Order meetings didn't they?" – I stop looking at her.
"They did. But it took a lot of efforts to convince them that as Fred and George are already accepted there, there is no point in trying to hide anything from me. And the school closes this year for sure. So… What's the point? It's much safer for me to know than to guess", - she replied smiling.
I nod: "Exactly, it is the war. And you are not a child anymore. No matter what Mum and Father might think you are a grown-up woman. It's obvious. I haven't seen you for two years and I can see the difference more clearly than those who see you everyday. You are just sixteen. But it no longer matters now. Neither Mum nor Dad can really protect you unless you take care about yourself. If it wasn't for the war I would have never told you all this. But it's the war. And things I different. And noone now has the right to decide for you. If you think if it's better for both of you to separate than accept that. If you don't try to convince him that he makes a mistake. You can do that."
"But what do you think?" – she presses.
"I told you already, Ginny. There is nothing I can add to that. Choose your life. You've the right, strength and possibility to do that. So do that. Mum would never want you to endanger your life with Harry or without him. But don't let her emotions influence your decisions. She makes mistakes as any other people. Choose your life, Ginny," - I tell her firmly.
She smiles and kisses me on the cheek: "You've grown up as well, brother. Don't worry, I am sure that things will turn to the better soon".
"Ginny! – Father's voice. – Where have you…"
He stop abruptly in the doorway and looks coldly at me and disapprovingly at Ginny. "I'd better leave, Ginny. Remember what I told you," - I tell her and disapparate.
It was difficult to tell her those things, much more difficult than to accept them so quickly. No matter what my ideals and views on the world are, my brothers and sister have the right for their own ideals. I can't decide for them even if I want to. Even if the idea of a jokesshop seems stupid to me. Even if I think that it's dangerous to be in love with Harry Potter. Even if I don't like Fleur Delacour. Even if I think that starting and unauthorised defense association is dangerous and unthinkable. Even if I see nothing interesting in Muggles. Even if they were the first to deny me that right. Even if they still consider themselves right. Even if… I just can't become like them. But if I continue reacting that way, I'll be no better than them.
I close my eyes. Fine. I'll try one more thing. If it won't work, I'll give up and let them all think whatever they want. But I must try even if only to prove something to myself. I take a sheet of parchment and a quill and start righting.
Dear Father,
…………………………………