Winter 1991

Percy Weasley

The faint flicker of the torchlights cast long shadows against the cold stone walls as Percy and Harry made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. They walked together in silence, Percy's mind racing through the choice he had made and whether or not it had been the correct one. He guessed that either Harry had nothing to say, or perhaps the boy-who-lived was too preoccupied thinking about his family.

Percy felt a little foolish for doubting himself, he had made the choice weeks ago and whatever came out of it would no doubt leave him in a better position than he had started in. Even if it only meant he had a little more money to go towards establishing his life before eventually becoming Minister for Magic. Yet, he couldn't help but feel as if he was in ankle-deep water, not enough to drown him, but just enough to make it so his feet splashed as he struggled through whatever came next after Hogwarts.

For the longest time, Percy had a clear plan in mind. He would start his career at the bottom rungs of the Ministry, and maybe if he was really lucky, he could even become a secretary for someone important like Amelia Bones or Barty Crouch. But, now, that carefully constructed plan had been thrown aside in favour of the ambition that rested deep in his heart. After all, he had to take whatever chances came to him. Wasn't that how fate worked? Wasn't it fate that Great Aunt Muriel gave him the offer that rightfully should have been Bill's?Fate and Ron.

Percy let out a short breath and stole some glances at Harry. The younger boy had barely said a word since they'd left Dumbledore's office, his hands running across the shimmering enchanted fabric of the invisibility cloak. Percy had to admit it was mesmerising, he had even held it for a moment and felt the texture of the fabric, it was unlike anything he had ever touched, like water had been woven together.

Harry noticed him looking. "Are you alright?"

Percy forced a smile. "Yes, I'm fine, I was just thinking about… things."

"The thing with your aunt?" Harry asked.

Percy nodded. "I'm going to be helping her run her family's businesses, which I guess are my family's businesses now. She doesn't have any children herself."

Harry seemed to think for a moment. "I thought all wizarding families were large. It seems like it."

Percy shrugged. "Not really, I mean the Weasleys are, maybe even by far the largest. We have cousins but none of them are at Hogwarts. They're all already older, they were at school with my brother Bill. But some families… the Malfoys for example, have only a few members. I think I read somewhere that the Malfoys only ever have a single child. It's one of those nonsense blood things about inheriting wealth."

"Do you think the Potters were like that?" Harry asked.

Percy frowned, he hadn't considered that Harry could have more family than he really knew. Rightfully, he might have a couple dozen third or fourth cousins who were only mildly related. There was even a fairly good chance, Percy thought, that he might have some connection to one of the current generations of Weasleys. After all, he was sort of in a very roundabout sort of way a very distant cousin of Draco Malfoy or something of the like. Percy's grandmother was a Black and Draco Malfoy's mother was Narcissa Black at one point.

"I'm not sure," Percy said carefully, "but, there's a good chance, Harry, that you have more family than you realize." He took a moment to explain the rather complex interconnection of the pure-blooded houses. "So even if you are a half-blood, there is a good chance that someone in this school is very distantly related to you."

Harry smiled at this. "I'd like to think It's you and Ron," he said thoughtfully. "Or Neville, but it probably wouldn't be Hermione."

Percy nodded. He imagined that the chance to be related to a muggle was a lot worse given how many muggles there seemed to be, there were millions of them in Britain alone. Briefly, Percy thought about letting Harry know about another theory, one of the fringe ones that rested at the back of a book he had checked out of the restricted section and then thought better of it. After all, what were the odds that all muggle-borns had squib blood?

The Fat Lady's portrait swung open with a small creek, revealing the common room beyond. It still seemed strange to Percy, the way it was almost quiet and deserted, it was as if every other wizard had simply disappeared rather than having gone home for the holidays. Despite that, the room felt the same as home, with warmth and brightness.

Percy stepped through first, Harry trailing behind him with the folded invisibility cloak still clutched to his chest. The stillness should have been peaceful, or so Percy thought, only until he glanced to the left of the doorway.

"Oi, look who it is!" Fred greeted them entirely too cheerfully.

Percy turned to face the small set of chairs, a thin frown forming on his lips. He had no time to deal with whatever nonsense the twins wanted to get up to. He still had to finish wrapping the present he was going to give to Penny.

"Percy Weasley," George said in a mock-serious voice that mimicked their mother. "Returning from yet another super-secret meeting?"

"Always a pleasure to witness your dedication to tattling," Fred added.

Percy sighed deeply, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Did you two do something that I should tell the headmaster about?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "I don't know, did we, mother?"

"I think not," George said, still mimicking the voice. "The twins would never do anything so bad. So what is it that Percy has been telling the headmaster, some lies perhaps? Tricky sneaky little Percy?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "For your information, I was meeting with our Great Aunt. You know? The one you two scared away from our house?"

Fred's eyes paled slightly and he glanced towards George.

"Don't tell lies," George said in his normal voice.

"He's not lying," Harry added, "I was there. She told me that I should stand straighter. And she wore a feathered hat."

"It seems we made a mistake Fred…" George said softly.

"Quite right, brother of mine. Perhaps, fart sounds are not as hilarious as we once thought. And it also seems like little icky Ronnikins wasn't lying, Great Aunt Muriel really is leaving us out of her will. It would have been a good amount for the shop."

Percy felt a sudden explosion of rage inside his chest at the mention of Ron. He could hardly believe that the twins were acting like nothing had happened between them, and he also couldn't believe they cared more about Aunt Muriel's will than the fact that they had made her spend Christmas alone for the past several years.

"Maybe if you two didn't antagonize her to near death, you wouldn't be in this position!" Percy snapped.

Both sets of eyes turned towards him and Fred gave him a rather shameful look.

"We didn't mean it," George said, "we were just trying to have some fun. It was in good spirits."

"Was it!?" Percy asked quickly. "She hasn't attended a family Christmas in ages? What do you think she does for the holidays? She doesn't have any other family, just us! And she doesn't spend it with us!"

Fred averted his eyes. "We were young… it was a mistake."

"A mistake!? A mistake!? You two are completely unbelievable! Don't you understand that not everybody thinks you're both so hilarious?" Percy felt as if he were about to explode, he could hardly hold things in around them any longer. "You made our brother cry in the hallways after he almost died! Do you not understand how messed up that is!?"

"Ron did nothing wrong…" Harry added softly.

"Right, Harry, he didn't. In fact, if it weren't for you and him, then Hermione would be dead. A little girl would have died and our brother would never able to forgive himself. But that doesn't matter to you two does it? Only that you have some stupid pretend high ground as if you're both better than me. As if what I do, what Ron does is so wrong and you're so right." Percy took a short breath. "Don't you two understand that you're doing the same thing to Ron that you did to Aunt Muriel? You're pushing him away. Or worse, you're shoving him away, trying to pretend he isn't your brother and there is something actually considerably wrong with him. And I'm sick of it."

Percy reached into his pocket and fingered the stack of envelopes that Dumbledore had given him at the end of their meeting.

"And you know what?" Percy added. "Despite everything you've done to antagonize him and make him feel like he's alone, he still hasn't forgotten about you. After everything, our brother still wants to be your brother. And you two are completely lucky that Ron isn't as vindictive as you are."

Percy pulled the top two envelopes from his pocket and pushed them out in front of him towards the twins. He had no idea why Ron had decided to write them letters, but Dumbledore had insisted that Percy hand deliver them. He would have much rather they have been sent by an owl. The twins, in Percy's opinion, didn't deserve the paper the letters were written on; much less a hand delivery.

A heavy silence filled the air around him, the twins both seemingly frozen in place wearing sorry looks on their faces. Percy hoped they felt worse than they looked, for everyone's sake. For his, for Ron's and for their Great Aunt Muriel.

"After all that's happened he hasn't forgotten you…"

Percy took one last deep angry breath and turned around. He didn't have time to shout at the twins all night, he had presents to wrap.