I'm glad you all seemed to like the last part. Here is part number 9. It's not moving very fast I've covering 2 days only. Oh well. I have to admit I've enjoyed making up Audry, and now you all get to meet her. Thank you all for the reviews, alerts, and fav's. It's very touching to know that people still want to read what I write after a few years of not writing anything.
After a little more discussion everyone in the kitchen convinced Percy that he should go and get Audry and bring her back for dinner. Percy was still not sure. He knew Audry had build a relationship with his Dad while they worked together and had even met his mother a few times when Audry had come to the burrow to look at what Arthur had been tinkering with in his shed. He also knew they liked her, but to now drop on them that they were living together, well he just hadn't been sure it was the right time with all that the family was going through.
It was Bill who convinced him in the end. "You'll need her. I know I need Fleur with me at the moment. If you love her, I'm sure you want her to lean on over the next few days."
Percy had finally agreed and headed out to Apparate back to his flat promising to be back in half an hour for dinner.
While everyone else sat around discussing how impressed they were by what they had just found out about Percy. Ron and Charlie agreeing that he had still been a prat in the last few years, but it had helped when the war effort needed it.
Hermione and Harry were just putting the finishing touches on Dinner when Arthur and Molly finally joined everyone down stairs again. Fleur had been peppering the cooks with questions especially as they had cooked a fare amount the muggle way. Harry who was stirring some gravy was trying to explain to Fleur that it helped him to keep an eye on it so it didn't get lumpy. Something he couldn't do if he just charmed the spoon to stir by itself.
"Oh it smells wonderful down here." Molly exclaimed her eyes still slightly red. "It's so nice to not have to cook."
"It was a team effort, Mum." Ron smiled at his mother.
"Because charming a peeler is helping so much." Hermione muttered sarcastically. Harry couldn't help but smile at her comment.
Molly just took a seat at the kitchen table. "I'm sorry I should have cooked."
She was greeted by a chorus of comfort from her family. That they all just had to pull together at this time, and no one should feel bad about having moments of not coping. Harry felt a contentment of being part of a real family, one that no matter how much they had all been through pulled together.
It was as they were setting the table and starting to serve up they heard voices at the door, and everyone realised Percy was back. George who had been once again pulled from his room, looked very confussed when Percy walked in with a female behind him. Harry noticed straight away that Audry was of a slight build with long brown hair, and was surprisingly attractive, then shook his head reminding himself that Percy was now grown up and hardly likely to still be dating girls covered in pimples.
Arthur stood up at the sight of Audry. "Audry dear, what are you doing here? Is everything all right?" He asked, seeing that his assistant seemed to be looking a little unsure.
"It's fine Arthur. Well I hope it is." She smiled then looked around all the faces, raising a hand. "Hi, I'm Audry." She shrugged her shoulders at all the faces looking at her.
"Welcome Audry, would you like some dinner?" Molly asked turning into her hostess self.
Percy was looking at Audry then back at his parents. "Amm…that's sort of why she's here. Audry is my girlfriend and we have been living together for the last 6 months. For some reason she wants to be with me." He finished looking sheepishly at his parents for their reaction.
"Oh." Molly exclaimed. "Oh…..well then you better stay for dinner." She pulled Audry into a hug.
Arthur looked a little flushed and flustered by this news. "Well that's something neither of you told us about." He muttered looking a little uncomfortable. Harry felt he could almost see the clogs turning in Arthur's head as he pieced together the information he had received from Audry while she had been working with him.
It was interesting as they all sat down together. Harry could see that Bill and Charlie were a little disappointed that there was no lectures aimed at Percy living with a woman he wasn't married or even engaged too. But Harry was pretty sure that even Molly and Arthur wouldn't chew one of their kids out for something in front of their girlfriend.
Ginny had hugged Audry after Molly and had told her how pleased she was to meet her, this had clearly relaxed Audry, and the dinner turned out to be quite a nice family affair. Harry wondered how long it would take the family dinners to be back to the jolly affairs they had been before things in the wizarding war had gotten so out of control, but now he knew that there would forever be someone missing.
After dinner while people were in a mixture of cleaning up, and organizing some tea for everyone Harry was amused to see Ron, and George take a seat on either side of Audry. It was George who started the conversation.
"Now you seem like a sensible girl, what are you doing with are you doing with an anal retentive guy like Percy?" He asked.
Ron nodded trying to look very serious. "You know he did make our lives very hard when we were younger. All his rules, and wanting to keep them. I hope he doesn't make you iron his shirts just so, and hang them up like he used to try with Mum."
Harry saw Percy starting to go red in the face looking worried about just where this turn of events was heading.
Audry looked side to side at the two brothers talking to her then smiled at Percy with slightly raised eyebrows. "Yes, so I've heard. I like to think I've beaten some of that out of him. I sort of have to confess I don't have a shed like Arthur, so Percy has to put up with me pulling apart things on the Kitchen table." She then leaned towards Geroge and whispered not so quietly. "I also enjoy using some your shops products on him."
George smiled hugely giving Audry's shoulder a good squeeze as he did so. "Welcome to the family."
Ron just shook his head. "You sure he didn't slip you one of their love potions? You seem a little too good for him."
"Ronald, don't talk about your brother like that." Molly scolded.
Audry got up from her chair and made her way around to sit next to Percy again. She glanced back at Ron. "Now, I'm the one who admitted to using George's products. I may have slipped him one for all you know." She said taking her boyfriends hand, and giving Ron a wink.
Everyone burst into laughter while Ron looked shocked that Percy was actually dating someone who had a sense of humour and a good one at that.
"This one is most defiantly a keeper." Charlie finished laughing and having to wipe his eyes.
"Let's going into the living room and have our tea, shall we?" Hermione asked holding the tray she had been preparing. Harry jumped up to pick up the second tray with biscuit's and chocolate's on it to carry it in for her while everyone filed out of the kitchen. It was as he turned he noticed Arthur had pulled Audry aside.
"Ammmm…does…..Ahh…" He started. Then stopped, took a deep breath and started again. "Does Percy know you've been sharing information, I know now you must have gotten it from him?"
Audry smiled at Arthur, and gave him a kiss on the cheek whispering. "Why do you think he gave me the information?"
Arthur's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" He asked. The look of shook on his face was clear. "So….so Percy's been….."
Audry nodded. "Since before we met. Since the ministry fell actually. He just couldn't be seen talking with you without losing his power and top level information."
Arthur shook his head trying to take it all in. "Well, that's…that's wonderful." He finished smiling broadly.
Audry nodded. "I'm so happy to see him with you all again. He's missed you."
"As we have him." Arthur answered.
Harry knew they hadn't noticed him still in the kitchen so waited until they had joined the others before heading into the living room himself.
Percy and Audry returned to their flat for the night, he was going to work again tomorrow before taking another several days off to be with his family, and Bill and Fleur decided that they would also return to Shell Cottage for the night promising to be back around mid-morning the next day. It was after they left that George once again retreated to his room. Harry wondered just what he was doing up there. He seemed to be coping alright whenever he came out. Quieter but still able to make jokes smile a little. The smile's just no longer seemed to reach his eyes.
Molly and Arthur got up to retire for the evening as well. Molly looking over the five left up. Sighed, shook her head then looked to Arthur who nodded back at her.
"I think that now we have enough space. Hermione can have Bill's room and Harry Percy's." She declared. "We…we will deal with Ginny's nightmares if she has any when they come." She finished looking at her daughter with a 'don't you argue with me young lady' look written clearly across her face.
Ron groaned. "I'm of age. So is Hermione." He complained. "Not that we've even done anything yet. But Percy's allowed to just live with Audry."
Hermione went bright red, and glared at Ron. "It's fine with me Mrs. Weasley." She answered.
"Just because you're not screaming in the middle of the night doesn't mean that we don't sleep better knowing the other one is near." Ron complained looking at his girlfriend.
"Ron." She whispered.
Ginny just sat there looking at her parents. "So it looks like rules might be changing around here. Can Harry move into my room when I turn of age in a couple of months?"
Molly gasped, and everyone looked at Ginny like she had just grown two heads. Harry turned bright red, and tried to stop his mind from having images that Ginny's words had just stirred in his head that were defiantly run by another part of his body.
Ginny looked around everyone and laughed. "I was just joking. Don't look so horrified." Then shrugged her shoulders at Ron. "You have to admit Ron, that Percy hasn't been living here for quite a few years, and is 22. It's a little different from us shacking up with Harry and Hermione."
Everyone let out a breath, and Charlie sighed. "I'm finding staying at home this week most enlightening. Gin has a point Ron. You're just going to have to accept that snogging Hermione will have to be done during the day." He finished slapping Ron on the back.
Arthur just shook his head at his children then took his wife's hand. "Come dear. I wouldn't worry about them, they are just being cheeky."
Molly nodded. "I will be checking in the middle of the night." She warned as she followed her Husband.
Ginny was still giggling at her joke, when she looked at Harry. Who was still trying to control his thoughts, and he could feel himself turning redder under her gaze. She just smiled at him, and moved to lean back against his legs where he was sitting taking one of his hands in hers. While Hermione broke into a rant at Ron's rudeness to his mother with everything she was going through.
Charlie just smiled and pulled out a pack of exploding snap holding it up to Ginny and Harry. "Want a game while those two sort it out?" He asked with an amused grin.
Let me know what you think.
R&R