Disclaimer: I don't own. The title doesn't make much sense until a few chapters in k?
Memoirs of a War. - by Charlie Weasley.
As one of the lesser wounded patients he had been asked to give up his bed and help out around the hospital as best as he could what with two fingers missing off his right hand, a terrible limp and numerous cuts down his body. But his help was greatly appreciated, he fetched water and read letters to patients that couldn't manage themselves. And he held hands with the ones who were frightened, the ones who sometimes couldn't be helped like his little brother.
"Percy? Percy it's Charlie," he said, trying not to sound choked. His clever brothers chest was just one gaping wound still weeping blood and there was nothing they could do to close it, it had been cursed.
"C-Charlie?" Percy asked weakly, his hand reaching out where the voice had come from. Charlie gripped the weak hand tightly and leaned over Percy's body so the younger man could see his face. He tried to smile kindly but ended up nearly crying his eyes out.
"I-I'm here Percy," he said with a gulp.
"Is everyone-everyone else alright?" Percy asked. The Doctor's had told Charlie that his poor brother had minutes left at most. "M-Mum? D-Dad?"
"They're…they're fine," Charlie lied quietly, "It's alright Percy, everything's alright and I'm here." Percy smiled sadly up at Charlie.
"I'm glad you're here, I-I don't want to die alone."
"You're not going to die Percy," Charlie said quietly, his grip tightening on Percy's hand, pressing it to his now wet cheek. "You're going to be fine." A single tear fell down Percy's cheek but he smiled.
"Yes I am Charlie, you know it, I can see it in your eyes," Percy smiled sadly, "But that's ok, everyone has their time." Charlie gave a sob and pressed Percy's hand to his cheek even harder.
"I love you Percy," Charlie whispered.
"I know, love you too Charlie," Percy's voice was getting quieter, "Tell everyone-everyone still alive that I said sorry for-for everything and that-and that I love them." Charlie nodded and a tear from him splashed on Percy's cheek. "I-I'm not in pain any more…but I'm so tired…"
"Go to sleep Percy, it's alright, I'm here. Go to sleep Percy," Charlie whispered, pressing a kiss to his brothers forehead. Percy smiled at him one final time before his eyes drifted shut and his body sagged on the bed. Charlie watched the faint rises and falls of his brothers chest end and carefully placed the hand he felt down by Percy's side. A nurse carefully drew the white sheet up to cover Percy entirely.
"I'll see to him sir, he'll be in the um, in the hospital morgue," she said awkwardly as Charlie stepped away from the bed. "Will you be wanting a private funeral or one in the hospitals graveyard?" It her unfortunate duty to ask such questions. Charlie sucked in his breath and wiped his cheeks.
"Private, he needs to go with the others. I'll arrange it all and…and let you know what you'll need to," Charlie said breathing deeply. "I'd best get back to work." And he did just that, returned to his duties as unpaid helper which was in fact a job much needed and respected by the Healers and Nurse's because they simply didn't have time to do all their own jobs as well as the ones Charlie did which they would have had to do if her and the others like him hadn't begun to help out.
"Charlie?" he looked up from the letter he was reading to a young man and smiled slightly at the sigh of his older brother, supporting his pregnant wife. "They told me you were here, we're allowed home so I'm taking Fleur back to rest." Charlie excused himself from the young man and went to his brother and step-sister.
"Have you heard about…" Charlie trailed off.
"Percy? Yes, I'll-um-talk to the funeral directors when we get home and sort that end. Can you arrange for his-um-body to be moved?" Bill asked sadly, awkwardly. He didn't want to talk about his brothers as anything but alive. "Yes I can do that. Do you know if Ron and George know?" Charlie asked.
"I don't, no," Bill said sadly. "Poor George isn't really with it any more after Fred died. I'll tell him if you want."
"No I'll tell them, you get Fleur home. You've got the little one to look after now Bill," Charlie said, smiling at Fleur who rubbed her stomach gently. "Off you go, get some rest and don't worry about Ron and George. We'll be alright." Bill nodded and pulled Charlie into a tight hug.
"I'll write about the…arrangements. Take care of yourself," Bill said as they parted and he helped his tired wife away down the hall. She turned and waved at Charlie just as they turned a corner and went out of sight.
"Charlie? Will you finish reading my letter to me?" the blind young man asked quietly, his hands nervously clenching and unclenching.
"Of course but then I must go an find my two brothers," Charlie said sitting back into his seat he picked up the letter. "Now where did we get to?" He continued the letter where he figured out that they had left off and soon finished the young mans mothers words.
"Thanks Charlie," the young man said, taking his letter that Charlie placed in his hand. Charlie smiled and told him that he was welcome before he nodded to the ward sister and left the ward, heading to the next floor up where his poor brother was. The ward was quiet when he entered but he wasn't surprised, this was the ward for traumatised victim's, the one's that sank frequently into depression of anger.
"Hello George," he said to his brother who lay on top of his sheets, curled up on his side staring at a photo in his hands. It was of him and Fred. "It's Charlie."
"I know who you are," George mumbled with a sigh before slipping the photo under his pillow. "Why are you here? No one ever visit's me unless they have to so you must have a reason." Charlie sighed and fiddled with the bandage around his damaged hand.
"As usual you are right, um, Percy passed away this morning," Charlie said quietly. George didn't react at all which was even scarier to Charlie and him reacting would have been.
"Oh," was all the young man who was once a twin said quietly. "I don't have a photo." That confused Charlie and George, still as perceptible as ever noticed. "Of Percy, I don't have his photo." His hand went under the pillow and brought out three photo's, a copy of their parents wedding photo, the one of him and Fred and a cute one of Ginny when she turned fourteen. "I have to have photo's or I'll forget and I don't want to forget."
"I'll find you a photo of Percy, George," Charlie said, touching George's hair softly as his brother stared at the photo's he held.
"I need photo's of them, must have them, then they're not really gone," George mumbled, barely moving his lips to speak. Charlie was saddened at how depressed and…well crazy his brother was.
"I'll bring it to you when I find one." Charlie left the ward, smiling at the poor stressed Ward Sister, looking after this lot was definitely a task and a half. He head up once more, this time to the top floor and then to the private room which was where their saviour and his lover were cared for, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
"Hello Harry, Ron," Charlie said to the two younger men curled up on the bed.
"'Lo Charlie," Harry said tiredly, still recovering for his many rooms and drained magical energy. But he'd won and as he himself often said that was what really mattered. Ron smiled and waved at his brother. "So what brings you here?"
"I'm afraid I've got some sad news," Charlie said quietly and both of their heads snapped up, staring at him, knowing what he would say next. "Percy died this morning, I've just been to see George and he didn't take it too well." A look of utter shock and regret flashed across both of their faces before Harry started to sob into Ron's shoulder.
"It's alright love," Ron whispered quietly, "It wasn't your fault, none of them were. It's alright." Harry clung to Ron like a lifeline and Charlie could see perfectly well that to the poor saviour of the world that was what his brother was. "It wasn't your fault." Charlie put his bandaged hand gently on Harry's shoulder and squeezed gently as best he could.
"Ron's right Harry, for once. You should listen to him," he said quietly. "I'm sorry to bring you the news but I thought it should be family rather than a nurse simply doing his or her job." Ron looked up at his brother, a single tear on his cheek and smiled sadly.
"How's your hand?" he asked.
"Getting better, they're talking about taking the bandages off in a couple of days," he answered quietly. "Can't wait to see what the scars look like." Of course he was being sarcastic and it was easy to pick up on. Harry looked up at him tearfully and Charlie moved his hand to stoke the soft and wet cheek. "Don't cry dear Harry, you don't need to cry any more."
"But all those deaths, they're my fault," Harry whispered. As Ron started to protest Charlie shushed his brother and spoke softly to Harry.
"How? How are they your fault Harry? Tell me your logic," Charlie said seriously, a stern note to his voice. "Tell me why you think that it's your fault and not his, that murderer who you rid us of. Tell me Harry, tell me."
"It just is, if I'd killed him earlier, if I'd tried to save them then…"
"Then you'd be dead. Trying to kill him earlier you wouldn't have been ready. Trying to save them would have meant he'd probably have escaped. It's not your fault Harry and there's no way it can be your fault. If you need to blame someone like so many people do blame him, the Dark Lord, Voldemort. He was the killer, he wanted the power and the world and you defeated him for the world."
"That was quite a speech Charlie," Ron said quietly, "But one that I agree with whole heartedly." Harry looked between them and seemed to calm as the sense the brothers spoke seeped in.
"I-I don't…I…" he seemed so lost now and Ron pulled him in close. Charlie smiled down at them as Harry clung to his boyfriend as tightly as possible.
"I'll leave you two to be alone," Charlie said quietly, pushing his chin length red hair behind his ears with practised ease.
"Come back when ever you can Charlie," Ron said with tears in his eyes, "Our recovery will be long and lonely if we do not have visitors."
"I promise, I'll visit so much you'll tell me to leave you alone," Charlie grinned, kissing Ron on the cheek he was startled when Harry turned suddenly and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Never," was all Harry said into Charlie's ear. Then he released him and turned back into Ron's embrace. The elder Weasley smiled down at the two and left, closing the door softly to the private room just as the two men kissed properly. With a smile on his face for the first time that day he returned to his duties.
A/N There we go, chapter one.