This is the second chapter of the sequel to The Phoenix. I will probably have the next chapter up a little bit after Christmas and surely before the new year. Enjoy! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Merry Christmas!

-Rooney1077

They landed in long, soppy grass. Harry, not being at all graceful, fell on his ass in a puddle. Perci stood steady on her feet, her coffee still in her hand. Did she have it this old time? She looked around and when her eyes fell on the burrow she threw her coffee to the ground and yelled in irritation. "God dammit, Dumbledore!" She yelled at the sky. "Made me sit in a damn loo for 10 minutes." She murmured. Perci sighed and bent her knees, as if she was going to kick off.

Harry frowned. "What're you doing?" He asked.

"Leaving. I can't be here." She said.

Harry grabbed her by the arm. "Dumbledore wanted us to go here for some reason. We're going to have to trust him." He reasoned.

She seemed to contemplate this, but then shook her head. "I'm not going to put them in–"

"Perci, I doubt anyone knows where you are. The last place they would check would be here. I mean, why would you be here? You ditched them!" He raised his voice. "You ditched me! You were completely selfish. It didn't matter what everyone had sacrificed for you to be here. You threw us away!" He grit his teeth. He let go of Perci's arm, blood now caked under his finger nails.

All Perci did was stare at him. She didn't even notice the bloody half moon marks on her forearm. He was right, wasn't he? "I am selfish. I get that." She sighed, her shoulders slumping. She debated the consequences of staying with the Weasley's. Maybe the Death Eaters didn't know where she was. Maybe she could just– "Fine," Perci said. Harry nodded and the two headed out of the swampy grass toward the Burrow.

Perci's heart thumped loudly as she opened the door of the house. She could hear the Weasley's yelling all around the house. She saw her Hogwarts trunk and books sitting by Harry's trunk and Hedwig in the sitting room. Harry went over to greet Ginny. They must've found out he was there. Perci could hear shrill yells and cries of happiness, mostly coming from Mrs. Weasley. Perci felt awkward in the small, cluttered house. She alway felt at home in the Burrow, but things were different now. Perci took a deep breath and straightened out her clothes. She walked slowly from out of the living room and stood behind Harry.

"Oh, Dumbledore! That man!" Molly laughed. "What would we do without him?" She clapped her hands and gave Harry another hug. She let go of him after her eyes found Perci. She stood awkwardly behind him, shifting from one foot to the other. Molly stared at her for a minute.

Perci could feel the tension in the room. She could also feel Molly's eyes on her. Was she upset? Disgusted? Disappointed? Perci took a shaky breath. "Hey," was all she could choke out. She wanted to leave, to save herself the embarrassment and hurt of not being welcomed back into the Weasley family. However, Molly had other ideas. She rushed forward and enveloped Perci into the biggest hug she had ever received. She held onto Perci for dear life, not wanting her to leave again. Perci had no problem with that; she missed her mother-figure.

"Okay, Mum, give her a few minutes to breathe." Ron said, rolling his eyes with a small smile. They all finished greeting each other, hugging and laughing after several minutes. Molly brought both Potters over to the living room and sat ten on the couch. The only inhabitants of the house at the time: Ron, Hermione, and Ginny joined Molly and the two siblings in the living room.

They stared at each other until Molly broke the silence. "So, Perci," her motherly instincts kicking in, "where have you been?"

Perci sipped on her cup of tea. She glanced at everyone in the room nervously for help, but they all shook their heads with little grins, knowing she was going to get chewed out. "Er, first I went to New York and then California for sometime. After that I stayed in Alaska for a few weeks. I've been in and out of London. Just got back from a wedding in the States."

Molly crossed her arms. "Couldn't send an owl? Not even one to tell us that you were alive and well?" She raised her voice slightly. "We were worried sick! You couldn't check in at all? Too busy doing what exactly?" Molly was pacing back and forth now. Her hands shook with rage. Perci knew this was going to happen.

"I needed to take some time away," was all Perci said.

Molly ignored her comment. "But you could talk to Harry every few weeks. Only family, eh? Well, whether you like it or not, we're your family, too, Perci!"

"It was too dangerous." Perci tried reasoning. Everyone watched the two women in silence. "Voldemort and the Death Eaters knew what I did. They know my weaknesses, too. I couldn't endanger any of you just because I wanted to see you!" Perci was on her feet, too, yelling. "You are my family, I know that. You all have been my family for years."

"Then why not check in once in a while?" Ron piped up. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. Hermione saw his irritation and placed her frail hand on his.

Perci sighed, sitting back down. "Harry already has a target on his back. That won't change. I didn't see a reason to do that to all of you." Perci placed her head in her hands. "I won't endanger anyone else for my selfish needs. Hurting all of you was the last thing I wanted to do. I'm sorry." Her voice cracked. No, she thought, don't you cry.

"Everyone is at risk. You Know Who doesn't care what they mean to you. He'll kill anyone because he knows that it will still hurt, still anger you. You can't protect everyone. You're just kids." Molly said softly. "Just relax."

Molly's words went into one ear of Perci's and flew out the other. But she nodded. "Now, all of you, go clean up."

Molly ordered.

Perci sighed, looking around at Fred and George's bedroom where she always used to sleep when she lived with the Weasley's. It was the same– still as messy as ever. It was a tiny room, but they still had managed to fit three beds in it. Perci smiled, walking around the room. She hadn't been in it for a long time. She missed the whole house. Perci picked up a letter on Fred's nightstand and sat on his bed. Her hands shook as she opened it. This was the letter she had received a week after she left.

'Dear Perci,

I miss you. The house is boring without you. No–not boring. Barren. Barren of any laughter and happiness. My heart is a barren wasteland without you here.'

That last line was scratched out. He must've rethought that. Perci laughed lightly. Fred must've been trying to be poetic. He wasn't the type, but she thought it was endearing that he did try. Fred would try anything for her. Perci continued to read the letter.

'Please come home. I miss you. The whole family misses you. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. Please, come back to me.

With love,

Fred'

Many wouldn't believe that Fred had written that letter. He was a completely different person around his friends than with her. He could relax and not have to be the funny, care free prankster everyone saw him as. Perci loved that about him. She loved him. She had for a while, but it didn't matter. She knew what Molly had said only an hour ago. But she would not take the smallest chance of that. Perci knew what she must do.

Perci wasn't really sure how Harry, Ron, and Hermione had roped her into accompanying them to Diagon Alley. She had planned on laying on the couch all day and eat excessively to the point where Molly would have to wheel her out in a wheel barrow to the Hogwarts Express. They had just entered Diagon Alley. It was shocking how barren and dark it was. Diagon Alley was known for its crowds of people shuffling along and busily talking. It was quiet. Perci didn't like the quiet.

The three led her along the winding path until they reached a tall orange building with a huge, moving statue of a red headed man. Perci read the sign: "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes". A sharp pain hit her. This was her, Fred, and George's dream. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Fred would be here, and so would George. Perci backed away glaring fiercely at Harry. "What the hell do you think you're trying to do?" She growled. "You know I can't be here." Perci hissed as Harry approached her.

Harry grabbed onto her hand. "Just come see what's inside. I know you want to." Perci sighed. He was right; she did want to see how their dream turned out. Perci nodded and followed them in. She would just avoid the twins.

Of course that plan went to shit. The moment she stepped inside Fred and George stood right in front of her. They only stared at her. What was it with everyone and the staring? After a moment both of them, at the same time, embraced her tightly. Immediately, Perci had forgotten everything danger and risk she was putting them in. In that moment, she didn't care. She was with the people

she loved.

But then reality hit her and she pulled away. "The place looks incredible." She chuckled nervously. She glanced at the cluttered walls filled with joke products the three of them had designed. Her eyes fell on a small portion dedicated to the founders. Her portrait was right in the middle of Fred and George's. They included her. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"So do you," Fred piped up. His eyes had yet to leave her. If it was anyone else, even George, Perci would've felt uncomfortable with Fred's eyes roaming her body. She wasn't sure if he meant it to be sexual or to check for injuries. It made her heart pound.

George laughed and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Smooth, Freddie." He hugged her one last time before leaving the two alone to help a customer.

Fred still stared at her. Perci couldn't tell why. She hadn't changed that much. "I missed you."

Perci looked around desperately. She needed to get out of this situation as soon as she could so she would not make a mistake. "Me too." She said shortly.

Fred frowned. He reached out to touch her, but Perci flinched slightly. He saw it and drew his hand back. "Are you okay?" He asked. Perci shrugged her shoulders. "Did I–did I do something?" His brown eyes bore into hers, hurt evident in them. Perci hated doing this to him. She hated hurting him.

"No, no, it's just–" Perci began, and saw Harry: her way out. "We can finish this some other time. I need to talk to my brother." She walked past him, but

Fred grabbed onto her arm.

He didn't turn to look at her. His eyes were on the ground. "Please, please don't do this. I know what you're doing." His voice was hoarse and Perci could feel the pain in it as if it was her own pain.

She gently took ahold of his hand, his warm hand, and slid it off her's. "I'm not doing anything." She said before leaving him alone, heading over to Harry. A tear slid down her face. She bumped into someone tall roughly. She looked up. "Sorry," she said.

"No, it was my fault." Dean Thomas, Perci recognized him. He was one of Harry's friends. She nodded and continued on her way to Harry. He was looking at a dark rock, Peruvian Darkness Powder, Perci noticed. One of her ideas. She grabbed his arm.

"I can't do this. Can we go?" She mustered all of her mental strength to stop the tears from falling. Harry nodded and gathered Ron and Hermione. They shuffled past the crowd and out of the shop.

Hermione breathed in the fresh air. "How are Fred and George doing it? Half the bloody Alley's closed down." She said to no one in particular. They continued to walk down the alley.

"Fredrick reckons people need a laugh these days." Ron offered.

"I reckon he's right." Harry said. They walked past the now abandoned buildings, remembering when they were once alight and filled with chattering wizards and witches. Hermione stopped in front of Ollivander's Wand Shop.

"Oh, no. Everyone got their wands from Ollivander's." She said sadly. Perci pushed open the door and the four of them walked around the store until they saw two familiar looking people.

"Does it look like Draco and Mummy are two people who don't want to be followed?" Ron mused.

Perci's heart stopped, seeing that it was, in fact, Draco Malfoy. She instantly remembered all that he done to her. Her fear was soon replaced with rage. Perci growled, her pupils burning a bright orange like fire. Her fists erupted in flames. Her training with Chiron over the summer was paying off. Harry widened his eyes and took off his jacket to put out the flames.

"What are you doing?" He hissed. "D'you want them to see us?"

Perci stared straight ahead at the two. "I don't really care." She said through gritted teeth.

"Well, I do. We need to follow them. We can deal with Draco at school." Harry reasoned. Perci looked up at him and extinguished her hands and eyes.

"Fine," Perci sighed. The four of them hurried out of the shop and began to follow the two Malfoy's. They hid behind alleys and ducked out of sight until they finally reached a shop that the two pure bloods we're going into. Harry pointed to the roof causing Ron and Perci to scowl.

"We're not climbing onto the roof!" Ron whisper-yelled. Perci nodded in agreement, but Harry ignored them and began to climb up. Hermione did so rolling her eyes. Perci dragged herself and Ron up to the roof muttering curses the whole way. This was as much exercise she had done since her training with Chiron.

The foursome looked into the dirty glass, making out Draco and Narcissa and a few others, presumably Death Eaters. They tried to get closer, but a large, furry man with fangs stepped in front of the window. They ducked quickly as his eyes roamed the spots where they were. They could hear his growl and then the slam of the shutters. When they raised their heads, they couldn't see inside of the store.

Perci glared over at her brother. "Well, that didn't get us anywhere. Thanks, Harry." She rolled her eyes and slid off of the roof. The others followed her and soon they were back home at the Burrow.

Perci fell back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the day she would return to school. How lucky was she?