Percy Weasley was grateful for his family. There had been parts of his life when he thought he had lost them, but perhaps he had underestimated just how strong the Weasley bond is, and he was thankful that he had.
His family had accepted him back with open arms, and during the entire final battle Percy admitted that he was feeling a little too light-hearted. Knowing that when everything was finished, all would be well again.
Except it wasn't. He never thought it possible, but he would give anything to have Fred tease him again. Then, as the days passed after the battle, Percy thought he would give anything to have George tease him again. George hasn't smiled, much less cracked a joke, during the days leading up the funeral of Fred.
Then Katie appeared. Katie who was quiet and soft-spoken, who smiled and held George's hand, who made George smile again.
For a while Percy thought George was going to be alright. Katie had lived in the Burrow for the couple of weeks following the funeral, helping out in the joke shop during the day and giving a hand around the house to aid Molly.
Molly had been delighted to have her, and not just because of George. Katie became close to Ginny quickly as well, and Percy supposed that to some degree Molly saw in Katie her vision of a perfect daughter-in-law (despite everything, Molly and Fleur were never grew too close).
Arthur liked her as well. Katie's parents were both magical, but her uncle had a nice muggle family, as such, Katie could provide Arthur with countless hours of muggle entertainment.
George himself seemed much more relaxed when around Katie. After a while he even began teasing Percy and Ron. Percy, personally, has never been more pleased to be embarrassed by his brother.
And then, of course, just as Percy thought everything was going to be alright again, George messed it up.
"I've got an interview tomorrow." Katie had announced happily at the dinner table. "With the Prophet."
"Oh, that's wonderful dear.' Molly had exclaimed with genuine pleasure, the other members of the family offered their congratulatory remarks as well.
In retrospect, Percy thought he should have known something was going to happen when instead of congratulating Katie, George had scowled and stabbed his food with his fork.
"What will you be writing about?" Ginny asked. Percy looked around the table. His father was also looking thoughtfully at George, and Percy was pleased that he wasn't the only one who noticed George's abnormal behavior.
"Quidditch." Katie said, "They want me to cover the new season."
"That's nice of them." George muttered, though the sarcasm was more than abundant in his tone.
"Well, it's not like I'm good enough to play professionally." Katie shrugged. Percy thought it was very nice of her to let George's comment slip, and he supposed that if George had remained quiet, things wouldn't have gotten quite so bad.
But when has George ever known to remain quiet?
"Doubt that they'd have gone to you if all the reporters hadn't been too busy covering everything else." George said casually, and the remark earned him a stern look from just about everybody around the table.
"Thanks, George." Katie rolled her eyes, "Good to know you think so highly of me."
Percy let out a breath he'd been holding, and sent a mental plea to George to stop talking, George must have missed it, for he went on muttering into his plate.
"It's alright, Katie." George smirked, "After you get over your trail period and need a place to work again, you're can always come back to the shop and work for me."
That had been the last straw, although frankly Percy was impressed that Katie had handled it well thus far.
"You're a part, George Weasley." She said coldly, and then stood up and Apparated.
"That was uncalled for." Molly scolded after a moment of silence.
"Hope you're pleased with yourself." Charlie looked furious. Percy recalled how he had taken a quick liking to Katie, boding over their love of Quidditch.
"Do you think…" George had closed his eyes, shutting them rather tightly, "Do you think she'll forgive me?"
"If she knows what's good for her, she wouldn't." Ginny said, and then softened her tone at the distressed expression on George's face. "I suppose she will though, since she was silly enough to date you in the first place."
"I've really messed up, haven't I?" George frowned, tugging at his hair in an act of frustration.
"Why did you even say that?" Ron asked, in a voice that clearly meant even he knew better not to.
"I don't want her working." George blurted out, as if unable to stop the words coming out of his mouth, "If she gets a job she will realize that she can do a lot better than me, and what if she leaves me? What if she runs off with a hunky Quidditch player?"
"It's not like she didn't have plenty of chances before." Ginny glared at George, "you're being stupid."
"Ginny, don't talk to your brother that way." Molly interrupted, and then turned to George with a sigh, "now, George dear, Ginny is right, you are being rather stupid. You go and apologize to that young lady right now and sort this out."
George certainly didn't need to be told twice. He stood and Apparated at once.
He returned ten minutes later with the right side of face redden, clearly just having been slapped.
"She won't talk to me." He said dejectedly, touching his cheek gingerly, "She slapped me when I showed up and won't talk to me at all."
"Serves you right." Ginny said, she was curled up in an armchair reading the latest issue of Which Witch.
George looked at his brothers in turn, and everyone shrugged upon making eye contact.
"Say, Ginny." Percy cleared his throat after seeing the absolute despair that appeared on George's face. "You're a girl."
"You're nearly as smart as Ron, Percy." Ginny said with a snort, "Congratulations."
"Well, so what would you do?" Percy ignored the indignant squawk from Ron, "If your boyfriend, not that Harry would, but if he was being a prat."
At this point George seemed to have finally caught on to what Percy was trying to do, and turned to his sister eagerly, looking at her as if she were the most interesting person in the world.
"I'd slap some sense into him." Ginny said, flipping a page in her magazine. "And he'd better have prepared to grovel."
"I am." George nodded eagerly.
"Flowers would be nice." Ginny added, putting down her magazine. "And Katie is pretty fond of sweets, too."
"Yeah, OK." George nodded, and Percy thought he looked ready to start taking notes as Ginny talked.
"And you better explain to her why you were being a git." Ginny gave George a hard look.
"I will, I will." George nodded, then turned and soon locked himself in his room.
The next morning George appeared at the breakfast table holding a bouquet of red roses and had an expression of triumph on his face. Percy had been kept awake by minor explosions coming from George's room all night (as had Charlie and Ron, judging by their bags under their eyes and the dark looks they were shooting towards George).
"What are those?" Percy asked, looking at the bouquet George was holding in his hands. He knew exactly what they are; they are the cause of the explosions he had been hearing all night.
"Everlasting roses." George said proudly, "Made them last night."
"You know you could have just bought them, right?" Percy scowled. Everlasting roses were a bit expensive, yes. But they weren't so out of the price range of George Weasley. They certainly were not steep enough that George had to stay up and make then (and deprive everybody of sleep).
"Ah, but these aren't the ordinary ones." George looked even smugger than he had before, "They'll change depending on the mood of the person holding them, and I've charmed them to smell just like fresh flowers."
He handed them to Ginny, who let out a cry of surprise when they changed from roses to carnations in her hands the second she took them.
"Well they're not really roses, are they?" Percy made a face and bit into his toast.
"They are when I'm holding them; you can name them if you invent them." George said, taking back the bouquet carefully and smiled as they changed back to vibrant red roses once again.
"What happened to your hand?" Ron asked suddenly. It was only then that Percy saw how George's right hand was bandaged up (rather poorly).
"Potions accident." George waved it off, looking no less pleased with himself.
"You ought to have that looked at." Charlie frowned as he looked at George's hand.
"After I visit Katie." George smiled, "I'm going to leave. I want to get Katie a cake from Madam Celorie's."
Madam Celorie's is one of the more famous bakeries in London. One that Katie was particularly fond of and had mentioned several times. Despite the fact that the staff were all witches, they never used magic in their cooking, and Katie (as well as numerous food critics) claimed that it was why they had been so successful.
"They're so busy that you have to line up really early to actually be able to buy a cake." Katie had said regretfully as she produced a bag filled with baked goods, ""But their muffins and cookies are just as good."
"Good luck, George." Ginny offered him a smile of encouragement just before George Apparated away.
"I hope everything works out." Percy said to nobody in particular.
That night upon returning from his job at the ministry (he had been kept late due to complications with a legislation he was trying to push through on the use of magic carpets), Percy was pleased to see Katie once again seated at the dinner table, retelling her day to Ginny. George sat beside her, with a much better bandaged right hand.
"Worked out?" Percy whispered as he sat down in the empty seat next to George.
"The flowers and cake didn't do much." George whispered back, carefully keeping his voice low so Katie can't hear. "But she softened when she saw my hand."
"What did she say?" Percy asked.
"Said I was an idiot." George said, grinning broadly, "Said I was stupid and is she was going to leave me she'd have done it a long time ago, and she said she'd stuck by me for so long that she can't really imagine life without me."
Percy watched as George's smile grew even wider, if possible. Katie was now finishing her chat with Ginny, and turned to flash George a smile.
"I think I'm going to move back to the shop, mum." George said as he took Katie's hand in his.
"It's fine if you want to stay here a bit longer, dear." frowned at the idea, "There's enough room for you and Katie."
"I know, mum." George said gently, "but I think it's about time I left. I mean, I don't want to keep everyone awake again if I'm going to be inventing stuff, and I should start creating new things soon."
Despite the fact that Percy found comfort in knowing his brother was ready to start working again, he suddenly felt a pane of regret that Fred would never be there to help with the inventions. The thought hit him so suddenly that he felt his eyes welling up. As he saw Katie squeeze George's hand, he wondered if she was thinking the same thing.
"Besides," George carried on after a pause,"Not a lot of privacy in the house, and Katie and I could certainly use some."
"George!" Katie pushed away George's hand and blushed an impressive shade of red.
"What? I meant so we could enjoy some peace and quiet." George exclaimed innocently and turned to wink at Katie.
"I doubt living with you anywhere could provide peace and quiet." Percy said drily.
"Oh, how well you know me, brother." George grinned and clapped Percy on the back.
"Are you moving in with him?" Ginny asked Katie suddenly.
"Yes."
"No."
The two answers came out simultaneously, causing George to frown deeply.
"Why not?" He asked, his attention now solely focused on Katie.
"Because I want to live on my own for a little bit." Katie replied calmly, "I haven't had a chance to do that yet, and I want to, before I move in with somebody else."
George opened his mouth to protest, and Percy, sensing an impending disaster, quickly cut him off. "I think it's very sensible of you, Katie." Percy said, nudging George none too gently. "Have you an idea of where you want to live?"
"Not yet." Katie seemed pleased that George has quieted down, even though he looked as if he's sulking. "I haven't really had the chance to look."
"You're welcome to stay here while you look, dear." Molly smiled towards Katie.
"Why would she stay here mum?" George rolled his eyes, "She's going to live with me till she finds a suitable place that I approve of."
"You'll help?" Katie turned to George, beaming at his change of tone.
"Of course." George grinned, "Can't have you living in the slums, can we?"
Percy was surprised that he was the only one who noticed what George had done. He watched with amusement as George quickly changed the subject while secretly looking smug.
George had said "an apartment that I approve of", which was quite clever of him. Katie could be prevented from ever finding a suitable place, since Percy was quite certain George was already thinking of different ways he could convince Katie that a place is unacceptable.
Despite the rather underhanded trick that George had played, Percy watched his younger brother with great affection. A scheming George is a normal George. Percy would have given anything to have George back. He supposed it'll be a while before George was exactly like his old self again (if he ever is, but Percy would rather not think about that), but so far things seem to be looking good.
Percy watched as George groaned dramatically when Katie suggest he should help out with the dishes, then smiled softly when Katie rolled her eyes and tugged on George's good ear playfully.
Somehow that night Percy ended up doing the dishes. He was sure that George tricked him into it, and was grateful when Katie gave George a stern look.
He didn't mind doing the dishes that night, honest. Because as he washed and dried in the kitchen, he could hear laughter coming from the living room, and he was quite certain that George would be fine in the future.