Charlie watched Ron turn in his sleep. It was decided that him, Fred, and Percy would switch off staying with Ron. The three of them were the only ones that didn't let the things Ron said hurt their feelings. Hermione cried all day after Ron raged at her. What he was saying didn't even make sense, it was all just pain and rage. Even their father couldn't handle Ron's anger. Their mother could but she couldn't handle Ron begging her to kill him.

Ron's arm had almost fully grown back in the week since he came back. Healer Tress was a real miracle worker.

"Are you hungry?" Percy asked. He was leaving to go to work, Charlie was surprised he was functioning. Percy was going back and forth from work, the hospital then sleep and repeat.

"I ate before I came. Perce?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going on with you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Percy said but he wasn't looking at Charlie.

"You've been acting very suspicious for the last two years. At first I thought it was because of your fight with dad and abandoning us but now I think it's something else."

Percy glared at him. "I didn't abandon anyone; I was just living my own life. I admit, I was in the wrong."

"So, what's going on now?"

"I'm seeing someone. Someone I don't think most of the family would approve of." Percy was looking down at his hands now.

"Because it's a bloke?"

Percy's head snapped up. "What?"

"I know you like both. You don't have to keep it a secret."

"Who else knows?"

"No one, except Bill, oh and Fred and of course George…Ginny…Mum…Dad…Harry…Hermione…Ron."

"So, every-bloody-one then. How long have you known?"

"Since you were obsessed with Demetri Parker, remember him?"

"If I recall he was a beater for the Ravenclaw quidditch team years ago." Percy really expected Charlie to think he barely remembered the boy, it was absurd.

Charlie laughed. "You hated quidditch with a passion, but every time Ravenclaw played there you were in the front row. I have to admit, I didn't notice in the beginning, it was Bill that did. He was always checking on you to make sure kids weren't picking on you. We thought it was just blokes you liked until we found out about you and the Clearwater girl."

"Great. So, everyone knew. I wonder how the rest found out."

"You weren't good at hiding your magazines with the naked men on them, at least that's how I found out," Ron said, his voice raw. He had screamed and fought until the Healer gave him a sleeping potion. This was the first time that Ron wasn't yelling and there was a peek of the old one there.

Percy's eyes widened with excitement about Ron talking but they both knew they had to ignore it, or Ron would shut down again.

"What were you doing snooping in my room?" Percy snapped but with no real heat behind his words.

"It was after George and Fred left for Hogwarts. I was bored, Ginny was being a brat, so I snooped in all your rooms. Bill's, yours Charlie, Fred and George's and yours Perce. The only ones I didn't look in was Mum and Dad's and Ginny's."

Charlie wanted to keep him talking about easy stuff, fun stuff. "Find anything interesting in mine?" Charlie asked. He had some dirty magazines with women on them that he hid in case his mum looked. There were a few other things he didn't want his family knowing about. Like the muggle stuff that one of his mates at Hogwarts gave him. The last thing he wanted was his dad asking what a bong was for.

"Just some magazines with naked women and a bong."

"Wait, how do you know what a bong is?"

"I was dormmates with Seamus and Dean, both half-bloods and usually got in a different kind of trouble than Me, Harry and Hermione."

"You three I thought were going to give mum a coronary," Charlie said.

The smile slid off Ron's face and Charlie could have kicked himself.

"You know they keep giving me a potion to stop the nightmares. Healer Tress wants me to see an Obliviator. She said that it's the only way that I can be let out of here. I don't want to forget my time there."

"It made you sick, Ron," Percy said.

"I don't want to kill myself anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone else. But I want to keep my memories, they are a part of me."

"It's only been a week. This is the first time you've said anything without flying into a rage. Maybe give it a few more weeks before you decide," Charlie said.

"I've been a prisoner for the last year and a half, I don't want to be one for a minute longer."

"I haven't given up my old flat yet. Maybe they'll let us take you there to adjust back to normal life. They're said with you being around so many but if you move into my flat, me and Charlie can stay with you."

"I don't need to be watched like some child."

"It's not about us thinking of you as a child. The ministry will not allow someone with Deadman's Fever around the public," Percy said.

"Oh, so you know so much about it even though you never heard of it before but you're an expert now?" Ron's tone was biting.

"Ron, it's not up to us. It's the Minister of Magic's call and he wants you here," Percy said.

'Well, you are sleeping with him, can't you convince him?"

Charlie looked at Percy in shock. The Minister of Magic? Kingsley Shacklebolt? He was only a few years younger than their dad.

"How-How did you know?" Percy asked. He looked scared that anyone knew.

"I'm not always asleep when you think I am. When he came by last night I listened to him say what he wanted to do to you. I needed the dreamless sleep potion for more than just nightmares of torture after that. But I've got to give it to you, Perce. If he was telling the truth, I am impressed you're that flexible."

"Please…stop…talking," Charlie begged. Now that was in his mind and never leaving.

"If you two want to be my big brothers than get me out of here."

"We already are your big brothers, but I understand. We'll try but there are things you don't know that could keep you in here until you are deemed safe by the Ministry," Percy said.

"What does that mean? What things that I don't know about?"

"You'll know as soon as we're allowed to tell you," Charlie said.

"I've got to get to work," Percy said looking torn between going and staying. It was the first time that Ron had actually talked to them since he came back.

"Go on, Perce. I'm here," Charlie told him.

Percy nodded and looked down at Ron who was sitting up in his bed now. "It's good to have you back, little brother."