Annibal - glad you approved of the explanation. I figured only another family member would really keep Arthur Weasley from going to his son right away. I plan on getting Will into the story more.

Mandy - honestly, I hadn't even thought about Penelope but I managed to work her into this chapter this for you. I may have been a little harsh on her though so if you're a Penelope/Percy fan let me apologize now - "sorry"!

Zoran - I honestly have no idea how old the two older Weasley boys were so I just made up ages. If if doesn't go with something that is in the books that I missed (and keep in mind I'm only now reading number 5) then - oops - but I don't think it really impacts the story much. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Keep the feedback coming as I really appreciate it.

"Oh Arthur, he's so pale. I should've already been here. What kind of mother am I?"

"Relax honey, you're here now," Arthur told her.

Their voices brought Charlie out of the light sleep he had fallen into. Waking up, Charlie found that his parents had joined him. Sitting up, he rubbed his sore neck. The chair wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep.

"Perhaps you should go and get some sleep son," Arthur suggested seeing his second son was awake. He and Molly had tried to keep their voices low so as not to disturb him. "You look like you could use it."

"Yeah, sleep sounds good right about now," Charlie said standing up. Other than little naps here and there he had been up since the previous morning, having sat up with Percy all last night. "I sent Bill an owl about a half hour ago, letting him know what was going on," Charlie told his father as both he and Arthur started walking toward the door of the hospital wing, leaving Molly to fuss over Percy.

"Thanks. I'll send him another one this evening. What about you. This time off isn't going to cause you any problems at work is it?"

"No. I told my boss what was going on and asked for a few days off and he told me I could have as many days off as I needed. I don't exactly work for the goblins like Bill does."

"That's good," Arthur said feeling relieved. "It'll be good to have you here."

"This is the worst he's ever gotten isn't it?"

"Yes, but the two of us need to be strong for your mother and your siblings."

"You got it Dad," Charlie told him. They had reached the main stairs. "Oh and Ginny . . ."

"Minerva has already caught us up on what happened last night. I plan on talking to the others at dinner time. There's no need to interrupt them while they're in class."

Charlie nodded.

"How did the situation with Uncle Will turn out?" Charlie asked. He had always liked his Dad's younger brother although he tried not to let his Mom know. He knew how much she disapproved of Uncle Will's antics. They had some wild adventures together when they were younger. Their mother even blamed Fred and George's behavior on him most of the time, and Charlie had to admit the twins did remind him of his uncle but then they had been babies when Uncle Will had come to live with them. Maybe they had spent too much time around their uncle at a very impressible time.

"Malfalda sentenced him to just community service this time. If he gets caught again though, I don't think even I will be able to keep him out of trouble."

Charlie tried to hide a yawn.

"Go get some sleep," Arthur told him. "We don't need you getting sick too."

"Night Dad," Charlie told him as he started up the stairs to the room he had been assigned.

As Charlie went upstairs, Arthur turned back and walked back to the hospital wing. Rejoining his wife, he found her kneeling on the floor next to the bed, her face hidden in her arms. Arthur could hear her sobs though.

He knelt down next to her and put his arms around her.

"Shhh, Molly," Arthur told his wife soothingly. "Crying isn't going to help anything."

"Arthur, I can't lose him . . ."

"Shhh, don't think like that Molly. We'll get through this," he told her, holding her close and running his fingers through her hair. She didn't reply, just leaned her head against her husband's chest.

She always had worried about Percy more than her other children and she wasn't completely sure why. Maybe it had something to do with the many times he had been sick growing up. That he was of slighter build than his older brothers and never had seemed as physically strong as they had. Or that he kept to himself more than her other children. Even his first year at Hogwarts had been trying for him. Sure the school work had come easy but fitting in had been difficult for him. Was still difficult for him, Molly knew but he always kept trying. No matter what, Percy always kept pushing forward. Kept working for whatever it was he wanted no matter how difficult it was for him.

"Mom, don't cry ," a weak, scratchy voice said, interrupting Molly's thoughts.

Arthur and Molly looked up to see that Percy had his eyes open.

"Oh, honey how are you feeling," Molly asked, quickly wiping her tears away. She grabbed her son's hand relieved that he was awake.

"Like I just fell off my broomstick," Percy told her as she reached for the glass of water that was sitting on a bedside table.

"Here honey, drink some water," she said helping her son sit up and holding the glass to his lips.

"What are you and Dad doing here?" Percy asked her as he laid back down.

"Like we wouldn't come when we heard you were sick," Molly told her son surprised he would even think something like that. Then again, Percy never had clamored for attention when he was sick.

"But Dad and work . . ."

"The ministry can do without me for a few days," Arthur told him having gone to the other side of the bed and was sitting on the edge of it.

"Was Charlie here or was I imagining that?" Percy asked looking a little confused.

"Charlie got here last night before we did actually," Arthur told him. Molly was soaking the cloth in the ice water again. "He sat up with you all last night and just now went up to get some sleep."

"I remember Oliver coming into my room and then everything is kind of fuzzy after that," Percy said a look of concentration coming over his face. He was trying to figure out if things he remembered were real or if he had only imagined them.

"Shh, just relax honey," Molly told him softly as she placed the cloth on his forehead again. "Its not important."

She watched as her sons eyes closed again, and he fell back into a restless sleep. She looked up at her husband. The same worry she was feeling was mirrored in her husband's face.

Cinda Shelton and Penelope Clearwater walked silently along the corridors of Hogwarts. They were on their way from the Library to the Ravenclaw dormitories. Cinda looked over at her friend. Penelope had seemed preoccupied all day and Cinda knew why. Penelope told her everything. The two of them were like sisters.

"If you're so worried, then why don't you ask one of his brothers how he is doing," Cinda told her friend.

"How can I? They don't know Percy and I are seeing each other and Percy doesn't want them to know," Penelope replied. What she didn't say was that deep down, part of her wasn't sure she wanted them to know either. Wanted anyone to know.

She liked Percy. Liked being with him but at the same time she knew how their classmates viewed him. If people knew they were a couple, she knew she would be on the receiving end of a lot of jokes. Penelope wasn't sure she was ready to deal with that. Did that mean she didn't truly love Percy?

"Then ask Oliver. They've been best friends for years," Cinda told her.

"What just go right up and ask him," Penelope said in a shocked voice. It wasn't like she was shy it was just that she had never really talked to Oliver before. He was the most popular boy in their year and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. All their classmates, except for some of the Slytherins of course, liked him. Some often wondered why he was even friends with Percy. Penelope had never even considered just going up and talking to him.

"Why not, its not like he's going to bite," Cinda said fighting the urge to laugh. As amusing as Penelope's answered had been, she knew Penelope wouldn't appreciate being laughed at.

"I don't know. He just seems unapproachable."

"Oliver Wood unapproachable," Cinda said with a little laugh. As much as she was trying not to laugh at her friend, that comment was just to hard to keep a straight face on. Oliver would was the easiest person to talk to that Cinda knew. "What world are you living in Penlope?"

Penelope blushed. She knew her friend was right. Oliver was usually easy to approach. Even the first years weren't afraid of him. Penelope had her reasons not to want to talk to him though.

"I thought you said you were over that?"

"Yeah well," Penelope said blushing even redder. She had a crush on Oliver wood their third year. Had even told him how she felt about him in a note. Needless to say, he hadn't felt the same way about her. Though he had been nice about letting her know, and hadn't mentioned since, Penelope still felt awkward around him.

"You want me to go ask him?" Cinda asked as she noticed Oliver Wood up ahead with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The group had just turned into the corridor Cinda and Penelope had been walking down. They were dressed in there scarlet robes and had their broomsticks in their hands. From the direction they were walking, Cinda figured they had just come in from Quidditch practice.

"Would you, please?" Penelope said trying not to sound to desperate.

"You're coming with me," Cinda told her, grabbing her friend's hand and walking a bit faster. The two girls closed the distance between themselves and the Gryffindor's before Cinda called out to Oliver. "Oliver, can I talk to you a moment. It's about our Transfiguration homework."

"Yeah sure," Oliver told her having looked over his shoulder when she had called his name. "Why don't the rest of you go on ahead," Wood told his teammates.

The other Gryffindors continued onto their common room while Oliver waited for Cinda and Penelope to reach him.

"What's up?" Oliver asked looking first at Cinda and then glancing quickly at Penelope, who seemed to be busy studying a spot on the floor.

"Well this really has nothing to do with our homework," Cinda admitted to him. "Truth is, we were wondering if you knew how Percy was doing. No one's saying anything."

Wood glanced from Cinda again to Penelope. He knew Percy was seeing Penelope and he could tell she was worried. Still, he wasn't sure if it was his place to give out that kind of information.

Mr. Weasley had gotten all of his kids together right after dinner and had included Oliver in the conversation. Percy wasn't getting any better. Madame Pomfrey was at a loss as to what to do. As a result, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had decided to move Percy to St. Mungos Hospital. Mr. Weasley's younger brother Will was coming up to go with Mrs. Weasley and Charlie to take Percy to St. Mungo's. Mr. Weasley was staying here at Hogwarts to be with his other children. Oliver had the feeling he wanted to be there also in case the worse happened.

"Look, I can't go into details," Wood finally said with a sigh, "but I will tell you he isn't doing well right now. If you want more information than that, then you're going to have to talk to one of his family members. I'm sorry I can't say more," Wood said giving a sympathetic look to Penelope.

Penelope was a nice enough girl, still he didn't think she was right for Percy. He wasn't about to say anything to him though. His relationship with Penelope, made Percy happy, and Oliver was glad to see him happy for a change instead of worried about living up to the reputation that his two older brother's had at Hogwarts.

"Well thanks for telling us that much," Cinda told him.

Oliver nodded and then headed down the corridor in the direction his fellow Gryffindor's had taken. Leaving Cinda and Penelope standing in the doorway.

"Maybe it was better not knowing," Cinda said looking at her friend in sympathy. She could tell Penelope was close to tears. Cinda put her arm across Penelope's shoulders. "We could go to one of the twins or even Mr. Weasley," she suggested.

Penelope shook her head. They had decided not to let their families know they were seeing each other. Percy didn't want to put up with the flak he'd get from her younger siblings and Penelope had to admit she had her own reservations about telling her own families. The Clearwaters were not a pureblood family anymore. Several members of the Clearwater clan had married muggles. Penelope's mother was muggle born. Still, the Clearwaters had must more money and prestige in the wizarding world. Her mother's family was also wealthy and had several members in government in the Muggle world. Penelope knew her parents expected her to marry well and that they would look down upon her seeing Percy.

No, for now it was better that they didn't know.

"We do have a lot of homework," Penelope said continuing on her way to the Ravenclaw dormitories.

With a sigh, Cinda followed. She wasn't sure what else she could do. What else she could say to her friend to make her feel better.