Zoran - here's another chapter for you. I know you were dissapointed I didn't do Ron's talk with Percy but here are Percy and the twins talking. Hope it makes up for it. Keep the feedback coming. It keeps me going.

Fred and George walked the streets of London, still laughing at Ron's attempts at transfiguring the rat. In fact, they would have still been there except they were starting to get looks from both Charlie and Bill and knew their older brother's wouldn't have put up with their teasing Ron much longer. Why did older brother's have to be such spoil sports anyway? Sometimes it was like having extra parents.

Instead of getting a lecture from either Charlie or Bill, or the both of them together, the twins had decided to leave the hotel suite for a little while. Telling Bill they were going over to the hospital, the twins had left.

As they reached St. Mungo's though, their laughter died away. So far, their Dad and Oliver were still the only two people who knew the real reason that Percy had gotten so sick. Knew that it was their fault that Percy was in the hospital.

"Think he'll be awake?" Fred asked his brother as they walked through the glass and into the hospital. Percy had been drifting in and out all day. Ron had gotten to talk to him but when Ginny had gone to visit, Percy had been sleeping the whole time.

"I don't know," George said as the walked through the reception area and down the corridors to their brother's room. Truth was, George wasn't sure if he wanted Percy to be awake or not. He was still nervous about talking to him. Did he blame them? Would he even want to see them? George knew he wouldn't blame his brother if he did. After all he blamed himself.

They reached Percy's room and slowly opened the door. Their parents were sitting in the chairs beside Percy's bed. They both looked up as the twins entered the room.

"How is he?" George asked for the both of them.

"About the same," their mother answered glumly.

"You two planning on staying awhile."

The twins shrugged their shoulders. They had set out just to get out of the hotel and this seemed as good of a destination as any as they knew their parents would frown upon them wandering around London on their own. Arthur decided that was as good enough answer for him, not to mention he wanted to give the twins some time alone with Percy. Maybe they'd get a chance to talk to their brother which they would eventually have to do.

"Let's go grab a bite to eat Molly. You've been here all day. You need a break. Fred and George can stay here with Percy," Arthur said turning to his wife.

"Arthur what if . . ."

"He's stable Molly," Arthur said standing up. He reached down and took hold of her arm. Gently he pulled her to her feet. "You need to get out for a little while. We'll grab something to eat and then you can come back and I'll head back to the hotel to make sure the kids get dinner."

With a sigh, Molly nodded. She felt exhausted. She didn't really feel like arguing with her husband once again.

"Stay here until we get back," Arthur told Fred and George.

"Sure Dad," the twins answered in unison.

Arthur led Molly out of the room. Fred and George watched them leave and then sat down in the chairs that their parents had just vacated. They were quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of the monitors in the room, the hum of the oxygen concentrator, and the heavy sound of Percy's breathing.

George looked at the still form of his older brother. The rise and fall of his chest the only movement. Percy had always been fair but right now his skin was white. George couldn't help but think how small and vulnerable Percy looked right now. Yeah, his brother had always been on the small side. He and Fred had always had fun giving Percy a hard time about it. Even after Percy had finally not only caught up to those his age in height, but was actually taller than most, he still had kept his slight build something the twins had kept teasing him about knowing Percy was still sensitive about it. George didn't think he'd ever tease Percy about his size again.

This was his fault. His brother was fighting for his life because he hadn't been able to stay no to some stupid dare. Yeah, Fred may have actually accepted the dare for them, but he hadn't even tried to talk Fred out of it. Instead he had followed blindly. Wanting to prove that they could get a stupid toadstool from the Forbidden Forest. That they could break yet another school rule. It seemed so stupid now.

Yeah, his brother could be annoying. Percy was so good at so many things. Made things look easy. Seemed to be able to do no wrong in their parents eyes. The professors all loved them. George had loss track of how many time he had heard the words, "if you are anything like your brother Percy then you'll do good in this class", during his first year. He hated hearing that, because he knew when it came to class work he was never going to be able to compete with Percy. It was during their first semester at Hogwarts that he and Fred had really started resenting their older brother. Decided to be the complete opposite of him. Percy was all for the rules. Followed them to the letter. George and Fred made a pact to try to break every school rule they could while managing not to get thrown out of the school.

George felt something cool on his cheek. Reaching up he wiped away the stray tear. He wasn't about to cry.

"It's okay," Fred whispered beside him. "I've shed a few tears myself these last couple of days," his twin admitted.

"Why did we do it?" George asked looking over at his brother. "Its not like we haven't already been to the forest before. We should have just passed up Shaun's dare."

"You two have never passed up a dare in your life. I don't expect you'll do so anytime soon," Percy said before Fred had a chance to say anything.

George and Fred looked toward their older brother. Percy had his eyes open but the exhaustion was still apparent on his face.

"Percy we're sorry," Fred said.

"For what?"

"For getting you sick."

"It wasn't you're fault. I could have very well gotten sick without being outside that night."

"Yeah sure," Fred said sure that Percy was just trying to make him feel better. "If we hadn't snuck out to the forest then everyone would have been inside and not out in that storm."

"Fred quit it," Percy told him. "What's done is done. Sure you didn't have to take that dare and I also didn't have to come after the two of you. It was my actions that put me out in the storm."

"Why did you come after us?" George asked. It was a question he had been wanting to ask since that night.

"Do you really have to ask that?" Percy asked looking at his brother. He could tell by the look on his brother's face that he really did want an answer to his question. "You and Fred are completely opposite of me. I was born to follow the rules. You two were born to figure out how to break them. You're free thinkers. The world needs people like you but you two still need to learn to think about consequences before you carry out your actions. You'll figure it out in time, and in the meanwhile its my duty as your big brother to look out for you, whether you two like it or not."

"Percy, I'm sorry," George said the last word getting choked up by the tears still threatening to fall.

Percy held his arm out to him. Moving from the chair, George knelt on the floor beside the bed and easily fell into his brothers arms, tears falling from his eyes. He felt Percy's arm around him, holding him close.

"It's okay," Percy told his brother softly. "Everything is going to be alright.

"I'm sorry too," Fred said moving from the chair to set on the bed next to George. He didn't feel like the words were adequate but he didn't know what else to say. He was so use to Percy turning them in for breaking the rules that it still seemed strange to him that Percy had broke school rules to come looking for them. To keep them out of trouble instead.

"I know," Percy told him looking up at Fred even as he still kept his arm around his other brother. Fred reached out and took his brother's other hand.

After awhile George pulled away. He had stopped crying but his face was tear stained.

"You going to be okay?" Percy asked.

George nodded.

"I should probably go clean up before Mom and Dad get back," George said knowing questions would be asked if they saw his tear stained face. Questions that he would prefer to avoid.

Getting up, George made his way to the room's small bathroom. Even though he was embarrassed by the tears, he felt better now. It was also a relief to know that Percy wasn't mad at him. Didn't blame him for what had happened. Now, if only Percy would get better everything would be fine.

Turning on the cold water, George cupped his hands under the stream of water. He splashed the cold water on his flushed face. He knew if Ron found out about this, his little brother would have a field day. Hell, for that matter, Fred might get a few jokes in. After splashing water on his face four times he dried his face.

Opening the door, he walked back into the main room. Fred had moved from the bed back to the chair. He was busy recounting the news from Hogwarts that Lee had put in the letter he had sent the twins. George sat down in the other chair and joined in on the conversation and that was how their parents found them twenty minutes later.

Percy closed his eyes. He wasn't really sleepy, but he couldn't take his mother's worried glances anymore. If he at least pretended to sleep then he didn't have to see that look.

He was starting to wish his family would leave him alone for a little bit. Give him time to sort through things in his mind without someone hovering over him. He knew that wasn't going to happen though. Percy saw it in their faces. They were worried. Worried about losing him. He hated being the cause of their worry and just wished he was better.

His talk with the twins early had given him new reason to keep fighting. Although he had assured them he wasn't angry with them and tried to convince them that his getting sick wasn't their fault, he could tell they weren't quite convinced. That they were still blaming themselves. He had to get better for them.

Percy heard the door open.

"Oliver," Molly said, slightly surprised. She had been expecting Charlie. "Where's Charlie."

"Having a conversation with his boss," Oliver replied. "I told him I'd come sit with Percy for awhile."

"Anything serious?"

"Not really sure," Oliver told her, although Charlie hadn't seemed like he was enjoying the conversation all that much.

"Well, Percy just fell asleep. Hopefully he'll sleep through the night. Rest is the best thing for him right now," Molly told him. She leaned down and kissed her son's forehead. "I guess I should go before Arthur comes and drags me back to the hotel."

"He's going to be okay, Mrs. Weasley."

"Thank-you dear. I'm glad Percy has such a good friend like you."

She patted Oliver's shoulder as she left the room. As the door closed behind her, Oliver walked over to the bed and took a seat in one of the empty chairs.

"You can stop pretending your asleep," Oliver said. "You're not fooling me."

Percy opened his eyes, to find Oliver looking at him with a amused smile on his face.

"You want to tell me why you were pretending you were asleep?"

"I was trying to trick myself into believing I was alone. Wasn't working very well though."

Oliver looked at his friend with concern. He knew his friend didn't like people fussing over him. Was a very private person. All this attention must have been driving him crazy.

"How about I leave for a little while then," Oliver said standing up."Charlie shouldn't be here for at least a half hour."

"Thank-you."

"Not a problem," Oliver told him. "I'll just be out in the hall if you need me for anything," Oliver said as he turned and headed for the door.