A/N - This is the second fic in a series with the first fic titled 'A Scarlet Snake'.

Summer 1992

Ronald Weasley

Ron's heart pounded against his ribs, each beat hammering in time with his feet falling and pushing against the packed earth. Loose dirt and tufts of grass kicked up around him as he pushed himself forward, faster and faster. The wind bit at his face, and his breaths came in sharp bursts, his lungs burning, but he pressed forward, not allowing himself to stop.

The landscape blurred around him, the stretch of rolling countryside flashing past in streaks of green and gold beneath the evening sky. His arms pumped at his sides, his legs ached, and fire burned through his veins. The Burrow loomed ahead, but Ron barely registered it; he focused his mind on running.

Just as the tension in his chest came to a peak, he stopped suddenly. His feet sliding on the grass slightly as he came to a stop just a metre ahead of his brother. His hands breached against his knees as he bent over, panting hard. The evening air was thick, thicker than he would have liked despite the wind. His pulse still thumped wildly in his ears, but a small, slow grin broke across his face.

"That's the best yet."

Ron looked up to meet Percy's eyes. His brother stood, one arm outstretched, his hand grasping a dented silver pocket watch.

Ron let out a breathless chuckle, still catching his breath. "Yeah?"

Percy nodded, "It was only a matter of time. I mean, you do this almost every day."

"It's not every day," Ron defended. Although, he probably should have done it every day.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked suddenly. "I mean, truly?"

Ron took one last deep breath, stood back straight, and looked up at his brother. He could see worry in Percy's eyes. "I just want to be healthy, Perce."

"Right," Percy frowned, seemingly not believing him. "So healthy you want to run to the end of the field and back… almost every day?"

Ron nodded. He couldn't tell his brother the truth, at least not without sounding like a nutter.'Oh yeah, Perce, the real reason I've decided to take up running is because one of the Hogwarts founders told me to. After I spent a year protecting our school from unknown threats that haunt my dreams.'

Percy sighed, snapping the pocket watch closed with a quietclick. His expression shifted as he studied Ron carefully. "Well," he said after a pause, "I suppose it's better than doing nothing all summer. You look more like Bill now; you've only grown taller over the summer, and you've lost weight as well."
Ron shrugged, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. "It's not that complicated. Keeps me busy."

"Are you friends doing the same? Will you see them at Greengrass Manor?"

Ron shook his head. "Are you jealous that I'm going?"

Percy snorted. "Hardly. A week at a pure-blood estate, surrounded by Slytherins? I'd rather spend a week reorganizing Mum's spice cabinet."

Ron chuckled, "I'm looking forward to it. I miss them."

Percy nodded. "None of them have been by, have they?"

A smirk spread across Ron's face. "No, but I know who has been."

Percy blushed slightly and glanced away. "Penny…"

Ron laughed. "It's alright, I like her, Perce. I think she's good for you."

Percy nodded. "Well, I'm glad you like her at least. I don't think Fred and George do much. Ginny does."

"Knob heads," Ron muttered. "They still haven't apologized to me, you know? They act like nothing happened."

"Do you expect an apology?"

"Eventually," Ron shrugged. "I just wish none of it ever happened…"

A small moment of silence stretched between them before Ron spoke again. "What about you? Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Dunno. Maybe 'cause you spent last week with Great Aunt Muriel, and now you're acting like someone sucked the fun out of you with a straw."

Percy let out a dry, short laugh. "It's… nothing really. I just didn't quite realize how much work I was going to have to do. It's strange. I had my entire life planned out for such a long time. And then… then I just changed it."

"That's pretty normal, Perce, or at least I think. Who really knows what they're going to do until they do it?"

Percy nodded. "It's just not what I expected."

Ron frowned. "What, just 'cause she's making you read a bunch of old letters?"

Percy sighed again, glancing away toward the horizon. "That's just part of it," he admitted. "There are a lot of numbers to look at. Hogwarts really needs another mathematics course. I mean, I've picked it up relatively easily, but it's a lot of math. There are a lot of numbers that come with running a business, and most of them have been neglected for a long time. Muriel says she tries where she can, but Ron, it's all a mess. A lot of them will have to be sold off to finance the others. And Aunt Muriel has some very specific ideas about what it means to be a Prewett."

Ron scoffed. "So does Mum about being a Weasley. We all turned out alright."

Percy nodded. "Yes, I suppose."

"But are you hating it?"

Percy froze for a moment. "No, the opposite. I think I'm enjoying it too much. I'm worried that I'll get swept in and then never be able to leave."

"Then enjoy it," Ron shrugged. "Who cares if you become Minister. Sure, Britain would be better for it, but as long as you're happy."

Ron's heart clenched slightly. As much as he meant what he said, he knew it would be much harder to fix things if his brother didn't join the Ministry. Still, wasn't Percy's happiness important? To Ron, it was very important. He just wasn't sure if it was as important as fixing Britain. He just had to hope that Percy would go through with his plans, even if he decided he enjoyed playing Prewett.

Percy gave him a tight-lipped smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Right," he murmured. "Something like that."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, at least your summer plans don't include getting hexed by Daphne in her garden."

A confused look crossed Percy's face. "Hexed?"

Oh… Oh…

Shit.

Ron grimaced. "You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Some pure-blood families, you know, the old ones, have land the Ministry can't use the Trace on," he said, carefully watching Percy's reaction. "It's part of their protections or whatever, tied to old charms or magic. Means that their kids can do magic over the summer without anyone coming down on them for it."

Percy's eyebrows shot up. "That's not possible."

"You think I'd lie about something this stupid?"

Percy opened his mouth and then shut it again. His grip on his pocket watch tightened. "That… that's completely unfair!" he spluttered. "The Trace is supposed to apply to everyone. It's one of the most important regulations in the Statute of Secrecy! If some families can just bypass it—"

"They can," Ron said with a nod.

Percy's expression twisted, frustration clear on his face. "Somebody at the Ministry should change that," he said firmly. "It's a blatant loophole in enforcement. If certain families can practice magic freely while the rest of the population is restricted, then it—"

"Everyone should be able to do magic," Ron muttered.

Percy turned to him sharply. "No, they shouldn't," he said. "The Trace exists for a reason, Ron. If underage wizards could practice freely, it would jeopardize the Statute of Secrecy. It's bad enough that Muggle-borns struggle with accidental magic, do you know how dangerous it would be if untrained wizards were casting spells unsupervised?"

"Wouldn't want some kid to get good at magic before the Ministry tells him he's allowed."

Percy stiffened. "It's not about control, Ron. We live in a world where wizards and Muggles have to coexist carefully. You can't just let anyone do whatever they want."

Ron just shook his head, not arguing further. What was the point? It wasn't like Percy was going to change his mind, and after what happened last year, he wasn't going to change his mind either. If he had been allowed to perform magic at home before Hogwarts, he would have been a lot more prepared for everything. Maybe Harry wouldn't have had to kill Professor Quirrell.

Percy exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple as if willing himself to calm down. "I may be a little overzealous. I still think it's ridiculous that certain families get to bypass the Trace. The Ministry should enforce it to maintain order, not to play favorites."

Ron shook his head. "They do enforce it. Order and fairness aren't the same thing, Perce."

Percy frowned. "That's not what I meant—"

"Sure it is," Ron cut in. "The people who currently work in the Ministry don't like people like our father because they want what's actually fair. They'd rather take money from people like Lucius Malfoy and not bother closing loopholes because it maintains order. If they tried to close the loopholes, it would make too many people upset."

Percy opened his mouth, then hesitated. Ron could see that his brother wanted to argue, to insist the Ministry wasn't as bad or as corrupt as Ron thought it probably was. But something Ron said must have struck a nerve because Percy's lips formed into a tight, thin line.

- TToS -

Summer 1992

Ginny Weasley

Ginny could hardly breathe, her hands trembling as she clutched the envelope tightly between her fingers of one hand while she ran the other hand over the thick parchment. She traced the Hogwarts crest that was embossed into the wax seal. She had dreamt of the moment over a thousand times and she could hardly believe that it was finally happening. In only a few weeks, should we leave to join her brothers at Hogwarts. She would finally be a real witch. Her heart pounded so fast she thought it might burst from her chest. She felt wired with excitement, her whole body thrumming with so much energy that she could barely sit still.

For years, she had watched her brothers get theirs, one after another, Fred and George turning theirs into a joke, Percy handling his with near reverence, and Ron… seeming almost surprised that he was a wizard at all.

Ginny bit her lip, her eyes flicking toward him. He stood near Percy, watching her, a pleased expression on his face. She had missed him… but he wasn't the same as she remembered. He had come home different when he had left last year. It was a better difference, more like his old self and less like he was after his accident. She was glad he had changed. But still, a part of it worried her. She worried when she knew he hardly slept, and she worried more when he ate less and ran more. Something about Hogwarts had changed him considerably; would it change her just as much?

She swallowed hard, gripping the envelope tighter. Her eyes shifted to her mother.

Molly Weasley's eyes were shining, her hands clasped together as she beamed at her, practically vibrating with excitement. "Well, go on, dear! Open it!"

Where will I go?The thought made her stomach twist. She had always assumed she would be a Gryffindor. She had to be, right? She came from a long line of them, and it was the house of heroes, of stories, of legends. Her mother would be so proud of her. But then… but then Ron had been sorted into Slytherin. She knew her parents fought with him about it, but he acted as if everything was fine.

What if she was a Slytherin? Would she even mind? Would Mum get mad at her in the same way she had with Ron? If her brother was to be believed, and Ron seemed like he wasn't lying, the twins had scored him too. Her heart clenched as the thoughts ran rapidly in her mind.

Her throat felt tight, the weight of the letter suddenly heavier in her hands. She let out a slow breath and carefully, carefully broke the wax seal. Her fingers unfolded the parchment with deliberate care, her eyes scanning the first few lines.

She smiled; despite her doubts, she smiled. She had been accepted, it was real. It was happening. She was going to go to Hogwarts, she was going to be a witch.