Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, but the story is mine. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
"You want me dead?" Percy was completely taken aback. He knew that Penelope would be angry, especially after some of the arguments that they'd had recently, but he hadn't considered how far he had pushed her.
"After everything we've fought for. After so many people we've loved have died for the cause you- you betrayed them Percy!" Penelope screamed. Her hand was shaking violently and her breathing sounded shallow and harsh. "You betrayed me."
"Penelope, you need to breath." Percy realized what was happening, she was having a panic attack. He could see her face turning red and her eyes start to flutter. "Penny, you need to calm down. Breath."
"Fuck you Percy. Fuck you." She spat violently and dropped her wand. Percy thought that maybe she was going to pass out and moved to reach for her but she leaped at him with great force. She hit him in the chest and it knocked him backwards onto the floor; she collapsed on top of him, panting heavily. Percy couldn't bring himself to say anything so he did the only thing he could do at that moment and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She was gasping for air, her lungs clenched in desperation; a feeling her heart was already so accustomed to. For all his strength, his determination to follow through he was beginning to lose faith, as he had already lost so much already.
"I am so sorry Penny." He whispered into her ear; at the worlds being put out into the world, relief flooded him like some great and terrible sensation. "I've made so many mistakes. I've been lying to you. I've been lying to every body. If I could take it all back, I would." Penny's grip on him tightened and he kissed the top of her head while she continued to cry. As he ran his hands through her hair he felt her move and noticed that she was looking back him with wide innocent eyes.
"Do you still love me?" She asked quietly. Percy looked at her and wanted laugh; not in a cruel manner but more as a sign of relief. He might have even smiled if had not been for the sudden pain the flared across his chest. Percy winced noticeably and Penelope rolled to her side and faced the wall. "He's calling you again isn't he? Like he did in the office earlier today."
It wasn't really a question because she already knew the answer. Percy just nodded his head and stood up.
"There's a little girl, in the living room. I need you to watch over her until I come back." Percy asked as he looked down at Penelope's slender figure. She turned her head towards him and glared.
"Please?" he added.
"Where did she come from?" Penelope asked and then from the unreadable look on Percy faced she prompted another question. "Where's her family? Won't her mother be worried?"
"Please don't Penny," Percy said irritably as he turned and walked out of the bedroom. He heard Penelope following close behind him, her bare feet making little thuds against the hardwood floors. Percy didn't look back, he just continued forward until he reached the little girl.
She was still curled up in a little ball and he could see that he face was streaked with tears. He longed to saying something, anything that might give her comfort or ease his guilt but no words came to him. He could think of nothing that would help the situation. Penelope pushed past him and scooped the little girl up into her arms and held her close. The little girl immediately wrapped her arms around Penelope's neck and held on tightly. That was the last image that Percy saw before he Apperated back to the little girls house.
"Where have you been?" Beth cried, anxious but not worried. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the house and they were met with other hooded figures moving down the street. "The Order has just arrived, we need to leave."
"How did the Order of the Phoenix find us to quickly?" Percy asked, feigning innocence and ignorance. Percy, Beth and the rest of the Death Eaters raced back up the hill and Apperated home, their work done for the night.
Percy and Beth both Apperated into Hogsmead and quickly unearthed the invisibility cloak that lie in wait for them. The moved silently up the hill towards Hogwarts, and when they reached the gate they were admitted by nods from the Order members standing guard. They moved, unseen, past Hagrid's hut where Fang began barking but was quickly silenced by Hagrid shouting, "Will ya' shut up Fang, you mangy mutt. I'm tryin' tah sleep."
When they finally found their way it to castle, they removed the cloak and preceded to the gargoyle who protected Dumbledore's office.
"Cockroach Clusters." Percy said, and gave a half smile at Beth's face. "It's an oldie by a goody." The gargoyle leapt aside and allowed the two of them to make their way to Dumbledore's office where they found it empty and simply made themselves comfortable in chairs by the fire. Neither one spoke, for words could not describe the pain each one felt and the horrors each one had seen and done. The fire, which crackled and hissed, was all the warmth and sound that filled an otherwise hollow room.
Percy closed his eyes and let them wander back to that house, to the two bodies, to the little girl at the top of the stairs, to Penny - asleep, awaked by some terrible nightmare. He felt dirty, diseased and began to hope that whatever evil was inside of him was not contagious. He looked over at Beth was seemed just as lost in her own thoughts and without thinking he reached over and took her hand in his. She jumped as if the touch sent a shock through her but relaxed and gave his hand a squeeze and covered his hand with hers.
"Percy, I don't know if I can do this anymore." She looked at him with the same fragile eyes that he had seen at Hollow Creek Manor. He felt as fragile as she looked, but tried to give her a reassuring looking.
"You don't have to do this anymore Beth." Dumbledore said quietly from behind his desk. How long he had been present or how he had arrived was unknown but his presence now flooded the room.
"What do you mean?" She asked, facing him now.
"Harry's affections for you have waned and Voldemort will soon know this." He said this calmly, dispassionately.
"What?" Beth stood and walked over to the desk. "What can you mean?"
"In light of this, it is time for you to go into hiding. You've done all you can for the Order." Dumbledore folding his hands in front of him and placed them on the desk, obviously considering the matter closed.
"But- but I'm close to Voldemort. He favors me." She was grasping at straws because she did not want to face the larger issue: Harry's waning affections.
"He will not favor you when he learns that Harry has become taken with another girl. He may punish you, even kill you for what he will surely consider a terrible trespass of his trust and faith in you." He voice had become stern but it was not blameful or cruel, simply matter-of-fact.
"I've given up so much for this, for you. I gave what little innocence I had in this world, TO YOU." Beth's voice was rising, as was the manic tone that was invading her usually controlled manner.
"You gave no more and no less than you were asked, than you were willing, Beth." His voice annoyingly calm. "I did not take anything you were not willing to give."
"You bastard. You fucking bastard." She spat. "I killed for you."
"I did not force your wand." Dumbledore looked sadly at her and she stumbled back as if he had struck her. Percy had, up until then, watched the scene with a certain level of dispassion but at this he stood up. Beth looked so much younger than her sixteen years, but only in this moment and in this light. He has seen her commit murder, torture a man to the brink of insanity and never flinch; yet here, she was a young girl, protecting someone she loved, and who she had believed loved her. He reached out to her but she recoiled and moved to the fire, grabbed a handful and floo powder and disappeared in a flash of green flames. For a time both men quietly watched the fire until finally Percy needed the answer to his question.
"Who has Harry taken into his heart?" Percy looked at Dumbledore with a sorrowful glance. "What poor girl must now risk her life and take Beth's place at his side?"
Dumbledore paused at this and replied simply, "Ginny."
A/N: I know, it's been forever. Sorry!