Chapter 9 - Grudges

5 September 1999

Audrey could feel her lip shaking as she tightened her jaw and tried to keep herself together. She felt Percy reach behind her and grab her hand, which she immediately squeezed tightly. Her heart was beating wildly. She had always thought about what she would do the next time she came face to face with Kelsey, but now that she was in that very scenario, Audrey felt powerless and... scared. She wasn't ready. She didn't want to see that horrible woman. The woman that had tried to kill her twice now. The woman that had killed Grandpa Dion - Kelsey's own father. Audrey felt a mixture of fear and anger course through her body.

"Sorry I missed the big meal, but you know I'm one for making an entrance," Kelsey said with a shrug. Her piercing hazel eyes shifted to Percy. "Wasn't planning on the collateral damage, but there's no such thing as a perfect mission. Audrey, Keegan, I'm sure you two know all about that."

"What do you want, Kelsey?" Kristopher bellowed as he took a step forward to face his younger sister. The other three Death Eaters quickly turned their wands on him, but the Shacklebolt patriarch didn't even flinch. "Get to the point and get out."

"Oh, my dear brother - you could have brought a lot of respect to the Shacklebolt name, once upon a time," Kelsey taunted. "Look at this place now - full of blood traitors - Shacklebolt, Weasley, what a sad variety of people."

"I said get to the point," Kristopher repeated threateningly.

Kelsey laughed darkly as she took a few slow strides to stand just a foot away from her older brother. "You don't scare me, Kris," she said in a low voice. "You never have. You walk around, thinking you are just so strong and intimidating. But let's not forget - your two, just graduated children did more in the war than you ever did. Because you were too scared of me."

Audrey could see the pure rage boiling behind her father's eyes. Kristopher Shacklebolt was a generally calm person. Although intimidating, he always held a perfectly composed and stoic demeanour and never bared his emotions quite like Audrey and Keegan would from time to time. However, Audrey knew he was very capable of raining hell on anyone that crossed him if it was his only move, and she was very scared that this would be the moment they would all see the result of decades of pent-up anger.

"But I suppose I'll do you this one favour and get to the point, as you so put it," Kelsey continued. "I want two things: the deed to the estate, and dear Audrey."

"You can have my middle finger, you twat!"

Audrey's fear had melted almost instantaneously as soon as Kelsey had made her demand, and the words had poured out of Audrey's mouth before she had even had a chance to think about them. Kelsey's head snapped towards her with a shocked and angered look on her face, but Audrey only challenged her gaze and lifted her chin.

"What did you just say?" Kelsey demanded.

"You heard me," Audrey said. "The only thing you're getting from us is a firm fuck you, so you can be on your way."

Kelsey stared her down for a long moment of silence. Then, the woman burst into laughter and turned around to look at one of the other Death Eaters. "Darling, did you hear that? She's gotten a bit of an attitude since last time," Kelsey said between laughs.

The other Death Eater pulled back his hood and Audrey quickly recognized him as Kelsey's husband, Thorfinn. He had an amused smile on his face as he shook his head. "I don't think you understand - we're getting what we want, one way or another," Thorfinn said. "We'll be nice and let you choose how."

"You can have the deed," Kristopher said, the room suddenly growing quiet, "but if you think you'll lay another finger on Audrey, I can tell you now it'll be over my dead body."

"That can be arranged, dear brother," Kelsey replied bitingly. Her gaze unfaltering, she added, "Ariane, Antonin, go sack his study for the deed."

"I can show you - "

"You're not leaving my sight, Kris," Kelsey interrupted sharply. "No, I know you are all far too smart and cunning for me to let you out of my sights," she continued as she paced around them. Thorfinn kept his wand pointed their way the entire time, daring one of them to step even a toe out of line.

Kelsey stopped pacing when she reached Percy and shook her head lightly. "You, especially, you little rat," she said bitterly. "You are very sneaky for a lion."

Percy stared back at the older woman, his face blank, and stayed completely silent. He recalled from their narrow escape during the war that Kelsey loved to taunt her prey, so Percy felt no need to humour her. As much as her overconfidence irritated him, he knew the smartest move was to stay quiet. He suddenly felt Audrey squeeze his hand again and looked over at her. Her eyes were wide and her jaw tightly clenched. She looked furious and, in a way, sad. As if she could no longer take surviving these encounters by the skin of her teeth. Percy could tell Kelsey's wrath was starting to take a toll on her.

"Aw, how sweet," Kelsey mocked. "You know, you have quite the habit of getting between me and my niece. For your sake, I'd recommend sticking to your blood traitor ways and finding a sweet little mudblood instead."

Percy scoffed. "And make it easy for you? I don't think so," he bit back.

"Ah, he talks!" Kelsey exclaimed sarcastically. "What a perfect man!"

Listen carefully.

Audrey and Percy fought the initial urge to look around as the familiar echo of Legilimency filled their minds. They quickly recognized Zhara's voice, though, and Audrey felt a little betrayed that she didn't even know her own mother was a Legilimens; although she supposed that this was hardly Zhara's biggest secret, considering the confidential nature of an Unspeakable's job.

Kris, use wandless magic to bring down the Apparition Wards without getting caught, Zhara commanded. Keegan, on my signal, use your wandless magic to make the room completely dark. Percy, Audrey, you apparate next to Thorfinn at the same time to get our wands - they're in his left pocket - then apparate back to us so we can have our wands. As soon as the lights are back on, we take them down.

Audrey felt a small surge of confidence run through her - if there was one thing her mother was good at, it was strategizing. Her father had started learning wandless magic at just sixteen years old and was definitely strong enough to handle the task. Keegan was good enough to clear the path for Audrey and Percy, who were both skilled enough as duellists to take care of Kelsey and Thorfinn on their own if need be.

"You know, I really should stop wasting my time on Audrey," Kelsey continued as Zhara finished running through her plan. Audrey could see her father's hands just slightly moving behind his back as her aunt moved past her and stopped in front of Zhara. Kelsey slowly drew her wand and pressed it to Zhara's throat. "You're his real weakness," she said in a low voice.

Kristopher's hand movements suddenly stopped as he looked over at Zhara, but they all instantly heard her commanding voice: do your job.

"I genuinely think our parents loved you more than they loved me," Kelsey continued bitterly. "Beautiful, prim, and proper Zhara. But I bet you have your fair share of secrets. That's how it goes when you're an Unspeakable. I bet I could break this family with a bit of digging."

Now.

With a quick wave of his hands, Keegan filled the room with darkness just as Percy and Audrey disappeared with a pop and reappeared right next to a confused Thorfinn. Audrey quickly grabbed their wands as Percy sent a forceful punch towards his jaw that produced a loud crack. They heard his body thud to the floor just as they apparated to where the rest of Audrey's family was. As soon as Zhara had a wand in her hand, the room was illuminated once again and she didn't hesitate to send a strong stupefy right at Kelsey's chest before the Death Eater could even think to draw her wand again.

Just then, the other two Death Eaters stormed into the room and Audrey and Percy quickly turned around to stun them as well. Keegan waved his own wand to produce a large cage, then procured a spell that dragged the four Death Eaters into the magical cage. The cage lock clicked shut just as Kelsey slowly started to sit up. Percy, Audrey, and the rest of the Shacklebolt family walked towards the trapped Death Eaters.

"I'll kill you!" Kelsey shrieked. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"You keep saying that and yet you keep failing," Zhara taunted. "You always did talk too much, Kelsey."

Kelsey scoffed. Suddenly, with a smirk, she turned her sights to Percy. "Guess what, Weasley - I'm the one that killed your brother."

In an instant, everything grew silent around Percy and he felt his heart stop as he met Kelsey's wild gaze. Her words echoed in his mind and every time they repeated, he felt his shock slowly turning into anger. Seemingly beyond his own control, Percy felt his grip tighten on his wand until his knuckles grew white. As Kelsey bent her head back and let out a manic laugh Percy rushed forward with his wand raised and aimed right at her.

"No!"

Percy suddenly stopped in his tracks as Audrey jumped in front of him. He was frozen in place, his wand still raised even as Audrey held up her empty hands. Her eyes quickly flitted to behind Percy as she slowly said, "Wand down, Keegan."

"Audrey - "

"I said wand down!"

"No, I'm - "

With a wave of her hands, Keegan's wand jumped out of his hands. He looked back at his little sister in shock.

"You think you're the only genius that can learn how to do wandless magic?" Audrey demanded. She turned back to Percy as Keegan and her parents watched warily. "Percy, put your wand down," Audrey ordered calmly.

"Did you - did you hear her?" Percy asked shakily. "I can't, Audrey. I can't - "

"Percy," Audrey started, "she's lying. She's a manipulator. Look at her - she's desperate. She's only trying to get a rise out of you."

"I killed him in cold blood!" Kelsey shrieked. "I killed the brat!"

Percy's grip tightened on his wand as tears pooled in his eyes. "Percy, please," Audrey whispered. "You're better than this. She was fighting Kingsley for almost the whole battle - it wasn't her."

"What if - "

"Fred died a hero," Audrey continued. "He died fighting for what was right and for what he believed in. Don't let her ruin his memory."

Percy's gaze finally shifted away from Kelsey and to Audrey. She was standing completely still before him, her arms up and her hands spread open, with a pleading look on her face. Her eyes didn't ever move away from his own. Slowly, Audrey took a step towards Percy, and when she noticed him relax slightly, she quickly moved to embrace him. He didn't hesitate to tightly hug her back, his wand falling out of his hands. Audrey felt his body shake as he took a deep breath and she hugged him tightly.

"You're not a bad person, Percy," Audrey whispered.

"Thank you," he whispered back.

Audrey stood by Percy, her hand tightly holding his, as Aurors filed into the Shacklebolt dining room and started inspecting the damage. A couple Aurors took on the task of handling the trapped Death Eaters, while Head Auror Robards headed straight for Kristopher and Zhara. They seemed to be deep in conversation, Robards nodding along seriously to everything Kristopher was saying. A few minutes later, Robards shook hands with Kristopher and headed towards Audrey and Percy.

"Shacklebolt, I'm disappointed to see you're not getting any rest during your medical leave," Robards said sternly, although Audrey knew that sternness stemmed from genuine concern.

"No rest for the wicked," Audrey joked with a shrug.

Robards laughed lightly as he turned to Percy. "Ah, Percy. You have..." he started, "a very worked-up family waiting for you at home."

Percy let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Right, I should get to them," he said. Turning to Audrey with an apologetic look, he added, "I'll come by as soon as I can."

"Go, go - don't worry about me," Audrey replied with a wave of her hand and a small smile. "I'm a big girl."

With a smile spreading on his face, Percy quickly leaned in and kissed Audrey's cheek before running off for the Floo. Audrey looked after him with a small smile on her face, but she was quickly snapped out of her dreamy state when Robards cleared his throat. As she looked back at her boss, Audrey found the older man with a smirk on his face.

"You are undeniably smitten, Shacklebolt," he said slowly.

Audrey laughed lightly. "What can I say - I have a soft spot for the spectacles," she joked.

Robards let out a small chuckle. "You deserve this, Audrey," he said, his tone much more sincere. "Things are hopefully going to get more peaceful now for your family. You have the whole Auror Office on the side of the Shacklebolts."

Audrey gave her mentor a sincere smile. "I hope you're right, Robards. I could really use some good news."

"Ah, well, I am fresh out of that," Robards said a little dryly.

With a frown, Audrey slowly asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, well... I went personally to the Weasleys' to inform them of the situation," Robards started, "and, uh, they had some emotionally charged opinions on certain... aspects."

"Robards," Audrey started in a low voice, "what happened?"

"They may have voiced their concern, uh, that these situations have only started being a problem for Percy very recently," Robards explained nervously, "namely, in your presence."

"What?" Audrey seethed.

"Audrey, listen, you are by far one of my favourite people," Robards started, "but you need to realize that they are worried for their son. The things they say now are just... a byproduct of their worry."

"They think I'm trying to kill him!" Audrey exclaimed.

"Now, that's hardly what they said," Robards reasoned. "Their worry is not entirely misplaced, all right? Percy... he didn't fight the same war you did."

As Robards' words sunk in, Audrey finally realized why the Weasleys would be so worried for Percy. And, in that moment, she had a pretty strong gut feeling of what Percy might do.

"That's where you're wrong, Robards."

As soon as Percy stumbled out of the Floo, his eyes found almost his whole family huddled at their old dining table. Their heads immediately snapped up upon his entrance, and he quickly felt the sting of the worry and sadness in their eyes. Molly's face was spotty and her eyes red, while Arthur sat next to her with his hand gently rubbing her back. George sat next to them with his arms crossed and a stony look on his face. At the far end of the table, Percy could practically feel the ice in Ron's glare as Hermione sat next to him and held his hand. Finally, Percy noticed Bill and Fleur leaning against the kitchen sink just behind Arthur and Molly.

"Wow, so... you're all here," Percy started slowly.

"Oh, Percy," Molly said with a sob, "thank Merlin you're alive."

"Mum, please don't cry, look - I'm fine," Percy pleaded. "Alive and well."

"Perce, come on," Bill said in a tired voice, "this is getting ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" Percy repeated with an incredulous tone in his voice. "You think I'm going out there looking to get killed by Death Eaters?"

"Well, you're certainly not trying to avoid them," George commented icily.

"This rubbish again?" Percy bit back, turning his sights to George. "What is your problem with her? So she was a Slytherin - get over it."

"Percy, no one thinks you're trying to get yourself killed," Arthur intervened, giving George a pointed look. As he turned his gaze back to his older son, he continued, "I know that Audrey and her family are very honourable people. I remember how they fought in the Order - we all do."

Percy stayed silent as his father paused, never once looking away from his father's eyes. Although those were the words Percy had thought he wanted to hear, he had a horrible feeling that things were about to take a turn for the worse.

"But that wasn't your world," Arthur continued. "You were never in that crossfire, and it worries us that you're getting caught up in it now."

"Yeah, way to be late to the party, mate," Ron grumbled.

At his father's words, Percy felt the world around him fade away much like it had done when he had been face to face with Kelsey. He couldn't believe his ears. His family thought he was just too simple and weak to handle something that was the status quo for so many other people in the wizarding world. Facing old enemies, getting attacked by fugitive Death Eaters, getting harassed for your blood status... this was all much too normal for survivors of the war. However, apparently for Percy - inexperienced and bookish Percy - it was all simply too much.

In that moment, Percy felt his anger get the best of him.

"You must be joking right now," Percy seethed.

"Mate, you have a sick sense - "

"Not my world?" Percy repeated, his voice rising to a shout. "Never in the crossfire? Is that what you think?"

"You were a bloody paper-pusher making galleons for kissing arse!" George shouted back as he shot up from his seat and slammed his hands on the table. "You left us, Percy, when it mattered most!"

"Oh yeah?" Percy challenged. "Well how's this for kissing arse: number five, Teardrop Crescent."

Silence followed as George looked back at him in confusion, so Percy continued, "Number eleven, Grindy Lane. Number fifty-two, Hillside Avenue. Number - "

"Percy, what is this?" Molly interrupted tiredly.

Percy didn't answer, but after a long pause, Bill spoke up, "They're... they're safehouses." His jaw was dropped slightly as he stared back at Percy, finally connecting the dots.

"Exactly," Percy confirmed, "and I can tell you the names of every single person that stayed in every single one of them."

"What are you goin' on about, Perce?" Ron asked with a hint of annoyance in his tone. Hermione was quick to elbow him and reply, "Really? Are you that stubborn?"

"I never left my family," Percy continued in a low voice. He could feel the back of his eyes burning with tears but he held them back. "I only made a choice to do the good thing."

Silence filled the room for a long, tense moment after Percy finished talking. Then, breaking the stillness, George scoffed, "You really expect me to believe this rubbish? Learn how to apologize, mate."

"Apologize?" Percy shouted. "I've been bloody apologizing for things I haven't done for years! Don't fucking tell me to learn how to apologize!"

"Percy, please!" Molly exclaimed. "I - wh - where is this coming from?" she asked shakily. "How... how did any of this happen?"

Percy felt guilt surge through him as he met his mother's pleading eyes. He hated upsetting her, but in that moment it was as if George's only goal was to simply rile him up. With a heavy sigh, he began to explain, "After I graduated, Dumbledore wanted someone to be his eyes and ears in the Ministry. Someone that would fit in well - I was a pretty obvious choice at the time. It was fine at first. I was just doing what I had always wanted to do, with the added task of keeping Dumbledore in the loop. You'd be surprised how easy it is to keep a secret if you're just a bit creative.

"But then... Voldemort came back," Percy trailed off. When he noticed how still everyone was, their gazes fixed on him, he continued, "Dumbledore wanted to reinstate the Order and he wanted me to continue what I was doing, but for the Order... and with a catch. I couldn't risk anyone targeting any of you if I ever got caught, either to get to me or because they thought you would know something - so I had to push you away as much as possible. Make it seem as if the Ministry was the only family I cared for."

"Pretty bloody convenient," George seethed, "guess you should start an acting career then, huh?"

"What do you want from me, George?" Percy exclaimed. "After all these years, I'm finally being honest with all of you - this was my burden alone. I sacrificed my family and my life for people I didn't even know because I wanted to make the good choice, not the easy one! I thought of all of you every single day that passed, and you have no idea how much it hurt me to push you away!"

"Could've fooled me, you prat!" George shouted back.

Just as Percy was about to continue his shouting match with George, the room was once again silenced by the sound of the Floo roaring to life. The tension in the room was palpable as everyone fixed their sights on Audrey stumbling out of the fireplace with soot covering her dress. Without a moment's hesitation, Audrey turned to Percy. "I told you I'd back you up," she said with a shaky smile.

"How - I - wh - " Percy stumbled, clearly in a mild state of shock at Audrey's surprise entrance. However, a few moments later, it all melted away and he smiled back. For the second time that day, Audrey had somehow melted away his anger. Turning to his family again, Percy said, "If you really find it that difficult to believe me, then Audrey can tell you where it all fell apart."

Intrigue etched on everyone's face, their sights once again focused on Audrey. She could feel the tension, anger, and sadness in the room as she looked around at the small part of the Weasley family that was before her. It had been somewhat of a gamble, assuming that Percy would end up telling his family about his involvement in the war. However, the combination of Percy Weasley's textbook Gryffindor pride, a very emotional few hours, and a family that was under the impression their son knew nothing of war and sacrifice... Audrey had a pretty good feeling that it would be Percy's tipping point.

It seemed her gut instinct had been right, though, and that she had arrived just in the nick of time. "Everyone that worked high-risk and secret missions for the Order had codenames. George, you so graciously nicknamed me Viper," Audrey started, briefly pausing to give her old classmate a pointed look, "My brother was Ace. And the Order's oldest Ministry spy was... Knight," she trailed off as she glanced at Percy. "One day, we received an encrypted letter signed off by Knight using a common Muggle coding strategy - really clever way to get around purebloods, actually.

"The note was a warning that Dion Shacklebolt, my grandfather, was going to be targeted, but the end of the note was the hardest to decode," Audrey continued. "When we finally got it, it was simply the word 'compromised.' Kingsley knew exactly what it meant - Percy was at risk of getting discovered should we pull out Dion. As per Dumbledore's orders, if Percy was to ever get discovered, there was only one way out: a vial of deadly nightshade."

Molly gasped lightly before Audrey continued, "Evidently, Kingsley wasn't a fan of the plan, so my brother and I were given a revised extraction protocol which included Percy. What we didn't know was that Kelsey Rowle was the one that ordered the execution of my grandfather," Audrey paused for a moment, her heart racing as she recounted the events of that day. "Unfortunately, none of the disguises in the world could have stopped her from recognizing me and Keegan. She's smarter than she looks. We were stopped just short of the portkey. If it hadn't been for Percy, we would have all lost our lives that day."

The room filled with tense silence as Audrey finished talking. Everyone's eyes were still intensely fixed on her, which certainly didn't help calm her racing heart. Then, all of a sudden, Molly and Arthur shot up from their seats and raced over to Percy, tightly embracing him. Percy stumbled back a bit but quickly hugged them back, a smile spreading on his face and tears welling up in his eyes. Bill was next to join in, then Ron. When George finally approached the rest of his family, they all dispersed slightly and a path cleared between Percy and George. The air between them was still with the newfound silence in the room.

Then, in one abrupt movement, George took one long stride toward his brother and tightly wrapped his arms around him. Percy didn't hesitate to hug his younger brother back, squeezing tighter as George let out a sob.

"I love you, Perce. I'm - I'm sorry," George said into his older brother's shoulder.

"I love you too, George," Percy replied. Audrey could see the tears of joy start to run down his face and she smiled back at him as his eyes met hers.

"And, um, nice to officially meet you, Audrey," Arthur spoke up as he stepped forward and extended his hand for a handshake.

Audrey chucked as she shook Arthur's hand, "Nice to meet you all, too."

Almost instantaneously, the Burrow was once again filled with conversation and the noise of a boisterous family. As Molly made her way to the stove - simply insisting on serving some tea and biscuits - and everyone busied themselves in the dining area, Percy made his way towards Audrey.

"How did you know?" he asked curiously.

"Just seemed like the most logical outcome," Audrey answered with a shrug, "and if I happened to be wrong, well, let's be honest - it was about damn time."

"Slytherins and their cleverness," Percy chided with a shake of his head and a smirk on his face.

"Gryffindors and their impulsivity," Audrey shot back jokingly.

Percy's smirk turned into a grin as he stepped towards Audrey and placed his hands on her hips to pull her closer. He leaned in close as he quietly said, "We are quite the pair."

This is quite a long one but writing this chapter made me so HAPPY. Kinda balances out the sadness of this story ending soon... but, I of course have plans for prequels and sequels :) See ya next chapter! -C x