It had been a long day, and Audrey wasn't anywhere closer to getting answers or feeling any better about the situation as she curled into bed. After a quick flick to turn the lights off Audrey tucked her wand under her pillow, and closed her eyes. The fatigue of the day quickly set on her and Audrey fell asleep only seconds after her head hit the pillow. In her fitful sleep all her fears played out before her eyes; her family and friends were attacked and she was separated from Percy, unable to help in any way. As she dreamed about a fierce battle a loud noise startled her awake. She grabbed her wand and nervously looked around her dark room.

"Lumos." She whispered, causing the end of her wand to light up.

At the edge of the light she could see Percy's somber face staring at her.

She jumped in fear as she let out a shriek. "Patrificus totalus." She said flicking her wand and causing Percy's whole body to go stiff as he fell to the floor.

She jumped out of bed and ran over to the doorway. She stood over Percy's stiff, unmoving body, looking down a bit shocked. "Good now you're forced to listen to me" She said with a sly smile. "If you ever pull your wand on me again Percy Weasley I will send you to St. Mungo's faster then you could say 'stupefy' and I am not afraid to do it. I have stuck by you through everything, and I will continue to do that, provided you start showing me some respect. As for You-Know-Who, if you want to use ignorance as a shield and pretend like nothing is going on then that's your own business, but I reserve the right to tell you 'I told you so' when the Ministry decides to pull it's head out of the sand and see what's happening." She flicked her wand quickly, unpetrifying him as she sat at the edge of her bed. "Good talk." She added.

"Whoa! Way to go Mum!" Lucy said with a smile.

"Thank you, I was quite proud of it myself." Audrey said flashing a smile at Percy from across the table.

Percy took a bight of his breakfast and just rolled his eyes. "I still think petrifying me was a bit uncalled for." He said.

"Don't show up in my apartment when I'm sleeping. Besides, it was the only way I was going to ensure that if I spoke I'd be heard." She explained.

"Overkill." Percy said.

"Is in the eye of the beholder." Audrey added with a wink.

"What happened next?" Molly nudged her mum though a full mouth.

"Audrey, I'm sorry for what happened earlier, and you have every right to be angry at me." Percy said with a groan as he got off the floor. "I overreacted." He added.

"Ya think?" Audrey snorted.

"Be nice. I'm trying to apologize here." He said sitting next to her. "You're the only real thing I've got besides work and I don't want to lose you. Can we just agree to cease all discussion about this situation and go on with our lives like this never happened," He held up his hand to keep Audrey from interrupting. "Your position on the You-Know-Who is duly noted, but I'd prefer if we no longer discussed it, we'll only fight." He said.

"Fine." Audrey agreed.

"I love you Audrey, and I just don't want to fight." He said grabbing her hand.

"I don't want to either. My biggest fear is that we're going to be separated when we need to be together the most." Audrey said, a shiver ran up her spine as she remembered her dream.

"I promise I won't let that happen, besides, there's nothing going on that you have to be worried about." He said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"I hope you're right." Audrey said hugging him back.

"I like the stories when you're together." Molly said.

"I do too." Lucy agreed.

"I'm a pretty big fan of them myself." Percy said, giving the girls a smile.

"Is this the part when you stopped talking to Gram and Gramp and everyone?" Lucy asked.

"Who told you I did that?" Percy asked.

"Uncle George." Audrey recited with the girls. "I'm going to sew his mouth shut, I swear." She added.

"I'm going to have a very stern conversation with him about keeping his big mouth closed." Percy said.

"Why'd you stop talking to everyone?" Molly asked.

Percy sighed, taking the time to choose the words he was looking for. "I was misguided and oh so stubborn. I didn't want to believe that Uncle Harry was telling the truth and it made me very angry that they believed him over the ministry. You see I never really felt like Gram or Gramps held the ministry to the regard at which it deserved, and it was very frustrating to me. Unfortunately you're dad had moments where he's not so smart, and this was one of them. It just seemed easier to believe that they were wrong and misguided then to believe that You-Know-Who, er, Voldemort was back." Percy explained.

"That's ok Dad, sometimes I make mistakes too." Molly said patting his hand.

Percy smiled. "Thank you Molly."

"Did you stop talking to everyone too, Mum?" Lucy asked.

Audrey shook her head. "Not exactly, I snuck behind your dad's back for months, giving Gram news of what your dad was up to, and how he was doing." She explained.

"Until I found out." Percy said.

"Well yes, until he found out." Audrey said with a bit of a frown.

"What happened when he found out?" Molly asked.

Audrey sat on the couch next to Fred at the Burrow. She took off a little early from work since Fred and George were home on break, and she wanted to spend time with them.

"Your boyfriends a prat." Fred mentioned for the thirtieth time as he ate a piece of candy.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "I think you've mentioned that already, and for the thirtieth time, stop calling him that." She said throwing a piece of candy at him.

"I'm only telling the truth." Fred said. He craned his head to look through the doorway to make sure no one was listening. "Mum's really emotional about the whole thing, it's nauseating. I'd be ecstatic if Percy wanted to just stroll out of my life." Fred said.

"I don't see you throwing any parties." Audrey noticed.

"I haven't counted him out, just yet." Fred explained. He fiddled with the bag of candy he was eating before sighing.

"What's that all about?" Audrey asked.

"I probably shouldn't tell you, knowing what side you're on and all." Fred started.

Audrey sat up straight. "I have no sides. I love Percy, but you and I both know he and the ministry are wrong about the whole situation." Audrey said.

"Well Harry's teaching us defense." Fred explained.

Audrey didn't know what to say. She had spent so much time hoping that it wouldn't come to that, she still wanted to believe it wouldn't come to that. "At least you're all preparing. I just hope you won't have to use it." Audrey explained.

"If the ministry keeps going like it is we will. They're only giving him time to build his strength and bring his followers back." Fred said.

"I know. The minister is a nutter. He's delusional, thinking Dumbledore wants his job." Audrey said.

"And your prat of a boyfriend works for him." Fred said shaking his head.

"He's not a prat, he's just a bit mistaken right now, and he'll come around." Audrey said.

"He'd better or else I refuse to let you date him." He said with a smile.

Audrey rolled her eyes at him. "I don't think you have a say, Mr. Weasley." She said with a smile.

"We'll see about that." Fred said pointing a finger at her.

Mrs. Weasley popped her head in. "Audrey, dear, are you staying for dinner?" She asked.

Audrey stood up. "I wish I could Mrs. Wesley, but I told Percy I'd meet him for dinner, which I will be late for if I don't hurry." She said.

Fred shook his head. "I will never understand how someone like you ended up with someone like him." He said.

"Someone has to love him." She said with a shrug. She pulled Fred in for a hug. "Come to the shop tomorrow if you've got nothing else to do." She said.

"Free candy?" Fred asked.

"How could I stop you?" Audrey said shaking her head. She gave Mrs. Weasley a quick hug before taking the flu network back to her flat. As she walked out she saw Percy sitting on her couch.

"Why do you keep doing that?" She screeched, grabbing her heart.

"Where have you been?" Percy asked.

"The shop." Audrey said standing frozen in her spot.

"You took the flu from the shop downstairs?" Percy asked.

"Not exactly." Audrey said.

"Where were you Audrey?" Percy asked.

"Why does it matter?" Audrey asked.


"You were visiting my family, weren't you?" He asked.

"They're my friends." Audrey said looking at the floor.

Percy looked at her, unblinking. "You're supposed to be on my side." He said.

Audrey met his gaze. "I don't want to be on any side, Percy. I love you, no matter what, but I don't want to give up my life just to appease you." She explained.

Percy grabbed her hand. "People are watching every move I make; I can't be affiliated with them in any way." He said.

"Dad that's horrible!" Lucy scolded.

"I know. I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger." Percy said.

Molly walked over and hugged her dad. "But you got better, that's all that matters." She said with a smile.

Percy hugged her back. "Yes, it is." He said quietly.