Disclaimer: It's not my world. I just borrowed it a little while.

This story pretty much ignores all that happened in Book 6. I like both Percy and Snape and hope that in the last book things all work out….otherwise I may have to live in the AU-verse

This story has about 4 lines of dialogue or maybe just three. I can't remember!. Please forgive any verb tense mishaps and any other grammar issues…it was a slow night in the ER when I typed this up but I was also running on three hours of sleep and it was three in the morning…I was just trying to stay awake…so this little ditty is a drabble really. Let me know what spelling, wrong word issues you find so I can correct them. Thanks for your time.

Also For those who care I'm slowly working on a sequel to Austin. I have about two chapters down and want to have the story complete before I post it.

What is lost

By

Asuki - Anani

Molly smiled as she watched the returning students fill their house tables. Most students looked at her and rightly assumed she was taking over the only vacant faculty position . Professor Flitwick had announced his retirement last term to quiet a few tears not only in Ravenclaw but equally among the houses. Molly Weasley was a formidable witch and quiet skilled in Charms. She had also been a private tutor before become a mother. She had been quite honored to join the Hogwarts staff. Especially since her children were all very much grown and showing no inclination to provide her with grandchildren any time soon.

A group of red haired children caught her attention; she smiled and thought that's what my children must of looked like trooping into the Great Hall. The group of five had stopped abrupt in the Hall causing other students to go around them. Molly noticed that they stared at her in a bit of apparent shock. The oldest boy shook himself and the prodded the girls standing before and beside him. They broke off their stare and quickly moved to their respective tables. All four girls sat together at the Slytherin table and kept sneaking glances to the Head Table and speaking amongst themselves. The boy, a prefect she noted by his shiny red gold badge, joined his year mates at his table.

Molly felt herself go weak and was sure if she looked in a mirror she would be pale. The boy was the image of Percy. A bit broader in the shoulders but very much the image of her long banished son.

Molly closed her eyes. She could still see the look on her boys face when she told him it was probably for the best if he didn't come around the Burrow for awhile. It was soon after the last major battle against Voldemort. Ron was still at St Mungos, the twins refused to come home if Percy was there and the others would occasionally speak to him but they did not truly welcome him.

The situation had been that way ever since Percy had tried to explain that he had been a spy for Dumbledore and hadn't wanted to cause strife among the family. For the sake of the rest of her family she had sent him away. The family was just not ready to accept him so she weighed the consequences and had made her choice. She had asked him to leave the Burrow and not return until she called for him. Her son had looked so defeated and dejected but with bright eyes had simply nodded and said as you wish. He walked out the kitchen door, shoulders slumped, somehow managing to looking small in his ragged battle robes. He walked out past the garden and between one step and the next apparated away.

A few days later when the whole family was home Dumbledore had made a surprise visit. He was well received and when he asked to speak to all the family together they had eagerly gathered around the man. Quite calmly and with sorrow in his blue eyes he informed them that Percy had attempted to kill himself two days ago. He had slipped into a coma for a little more than a day but he had been recovering nicely. Somehow although quite weak and heartbroken he had managed to leave the infirmary and despite everyone's best effort had seemingly disappeared.

All of her children had ranted and raved on how selfish Percy had been trying to end his life. How he hadn't even stuck around to make sure everyone had recovered from the latest attack. After a few minutes Molly was finally able to regain peace in the house and then she had confessed.

Molly told her children and Arthur that she had asked Percy to leave the house and family while they pulled themselves together. She couldn't take the twins not going home or the coldness everyone radiated when around Percy. She wanted a little peace in her home and asking Percy to leave seemed to be the best way to achieve that peace.

There had been total silence after that announcement and no member of her family made any comments. However, the look the headmaster had given her left her beyond words. Dumbledore's last words to the family were restating facts that Percy had tried to tell the family. The boy or rather the man had been his spy for the last few years. Dumbledore said Percy had been every bit as important a spy as Severus Snape had been. He also let them know he had placed a monitoring charm on Percy while he was in the infirmary recovering. While it did not let him know where the man was it did let him know he was in fair health. The man left soon after leaving the Weasley family on their own once again.

Twenty years had passed since she had last laid eyes on her third eldest son. Twenty years.

Six months after Percy's suicide attempt a letter had been delivered to the Burrow by an international owl. It was short letter, more of a note really. Nothing more than I am alive sorry for trying to take the cowards way out. I will return only upon your request. The delivery owl had left as soon as the parchment was in her hands. Molly had not replied to that short missive.

Thereafter a letter arrived once a week for a year. Letters that went unread. Molly had felt such shame at running her boy off she could not bring herself to read what he wrote. After a year the letters had dropped off to once a month and remained that way for three more years. For the last sixteen years letters only arrived at Christmas and Easter. All those letters went unread and unanswered. Never had Molly written back to her estranged son but she had hoped he would simply turn up at the Burrow one day. But through the intervening years she realized that Percy had kept his word. She had asked him to leave, she had asked him not to return until she called. The one and only letter she had read even stated he would only return upon her request.

Molly did not know how to ask her son for forgiveness. How could she ask for pardon for sending him away. Throughout the years the children never mentioned his name to her but there had been occasions when the conversations would stop when she entered a room. The children would look slightly guilty but quickly changed the conversation to include her.

None of her children had given her grandchildren. The were all content with their lives but the sounds of children laughing and playing had not been heard at the Burrow in more than twenty years. Now Molly sat at the Head Table in shock. She had even missed most of the sorting in her reminiscing. There were only two children left to be sorted. One was tall almost delicate looking red haired girl.

Severus Snape stood holding the sorting hat and announced the last child to be sorted, Weasley-Snape, Aissa. The girl walked confidently to the stool and winked at the Potion's master as she sat. He scowled at her and gently placed the hat upon the shiny red hair. Almost immediately the hat announced Gryffindor!

The girl pushed up the hat so it sat at a cocky angle on her head and grinned up at Snape.

"Sorry Grandpa, four out of six ain't bad and there's still quite a few of us left!" She quickly stood and hugged the man glaring at her.

"It's Professor Snape," he growled at her.

Still smiling the girl jumped to attention and saluted, "Yes Sir, Grandpa, Sir."

Snape smacked her bottom as she walked away giggling and turned to make short work of the stool and hat. He quickly sat down between McGonagal and the Muggle Studies professor. Molly just barely noticed the small boy sitting on the other side of the female professor.

She barely heard the Head Mistress' opening remarks but she stood and nodded at her introduction to the students but was not really aware of the students reaction to her. She was still lost in thought

Bill, Charlie, Ron, and Ginny were all bonded had been for quite awhile, the twins were quite happy being bachelors. All of her bonded children were quite happy in their unions but none had yet to produce children. And now as she looked out across the Great Hall she saw a small tribe of what could only be Weasleys attending Hogwarts.

Two Gryffindor's and apparently FOUR Slytherin's! The smallest Gryffindor had called Severus Grandpa and quite obviously loved the man. A small giggle from Snape's side drew her attention. She gasped, two more red heads. A girl and another curly haired boy giggled as Snape quietly scolded them. He rolled his eyes and hugged the small boy to his chest, they looked so happy. They looked like Weasley's

What had she done by driving her son away? What else had she missed in his life? What had she lost?