Charlie Weasley - The Observant Eye
The late afternoon scene at the Burrow was sombre. As Charlie parked a ministry car they had borrowed, he looked over at his house. By the kitchen window, Molly was setting up plates for something to do, but her eyes were looking at some unknown point in the distance—misty and red-rimmed.
Arthur, Bill and Charlie had finally convinced Percy to move back to the Burrow. Charlie had led the way for the movers to shift Percy's belongings to the Burrow, as Bill gave directions to the movers. Arthur was overseeing everything, with an arm around Percy. Percy, with a guilty and ashamed look, kept swiping at his nose. Seeing them, Molly mechanically made to help them.
"Shh! Don't disturb them!" She hissed as Percy made yet another attempt to repeat the same thing he had said since May 2. Molly and the others knew it, and this was their way to assure Percy that he was forgiven, and that he was welcome with them. Percy saw his father and brother nod at him. Bill had cast a Silence Charm as the movers took the items upstairs.
Just then, George walked in after Bill, "Well, prefects lead by example, Perce". George's index finger was on his lip. Molly pointed at the living room.
On a couch, leaning against the armrest with one leg folded and another leg on the floor, sat Harry. He had completely lost his childlike innocence. His emerald-green eyes now betrayed a look of a horrific and painful past. In his arms was a redheaded, freckled girl who had, by now finally drifted off to sleep against her boyfriend's shirt, damp with her innermost emotions and sorrow. Harry's arms circled around Ginny, his chin resting on top of her head. She snuggled closer into him as his eyes finally gave up protesting to stay wide awake.
In the armchair opposite Harry, Hermione slept, making herself look incredibly smaller than the chair itself. Her one solace was Ron's hand, firmly clutching hers as he slept on the floormat leaning against the chair. His head kept drooping over Hermione's bushy hair. This gave comfort to both of them. Hermione, because she knew Ron was there. Ron, because he could feel Hermione's presence.
When Hermione moved an inch, Ron didn't need to know why. Because just then, he felt Fleur put a blanket over him too. With half an eye open, he saw Fleur put a third blanket on his sister and his best friend. The blanket covered Ginny except for her head, as Fleur lifted Harry's right leg from the ground and tucked it into the blanket.
"You didn't have to, Dear. Harry is younger than you, and elders do not touch youngsters feet." Molly said as she led Percy towards the stairs leading above.
"He is akin to my brother, and he saved Gabrielle." Fleur shrugged with a smile. She and Bill followed Percy and George upstairs. When Charlie came home that night, he extinguished the lights in the dining room and took the toast Molly had kept for him to his and Percy's room. A small smile crossed over his grief-stricken face at the thought of Percy joining them once again. Looking at the four teenagers, he knew that Fleur must have arranged the blankets; his own parents were grieving and would take time to become their former selves.
He gave Harry a sad look, as his heart felt heavy. The four teenagers had also attended Remus' and Tonks' funerals, like he and Arthur had. Tonks had been his classmate. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs weren't enemies. They were cordial and friendly with each other. Heck, Harry had been talking about Slytherins like Snape in a better light now! Charlie was sure the relationship between the Slytherins and the other four houses would also get better.
But, poor Teddy! The infant did not deserve to become an orphan. Mere days after his birth, at that! With that thought, Charlie found Percy in front of him and realized he was no longer in the living room.
Charlie did not know what to make of his sister and Harry's relationship, given that he did not know Harry as well as some of his family members. But his sister was happy with Harry, so he was happy for them. He and Bill had often heard (with a pang, he remembered it was Fred who told them) of Ron's interest in Hermione from as early in their third year, so their relationship wasn't as big of a surprise to him. He supposed if his brother, Ron, was happy, so was he.
Charlie and Percy slept, with an eye on George. They wanted to take care of him, and not put that burden on Molly or Arthur. They could hear their mother sniffling even at that time. It was a long time before Charlie, the last of the family in the Burrow (Bill and Fleur had left to Shell Cottage) shut his eyes.