It was just after dinner, and everyone was sitting around in a comfortable way, loosening belts and feeling satisfied. Bill murmured something to Ron, and Ron sniggered. Arthur sighed, resting his head on his hands. It was enough to make Molly Weasley flip. She surged to her feet, white-hot anger running through her.

In the beginning everyone had respected her feelings and not said anything while she was around, but now comments about Percy were becoming more pronounced.

She let fly at Bill. “How dare you speak about your brother that way! You take that back RIGHT NOW!�

Bill jumped in surprise. “Sorry Mum…�

Fred unwisely intervened to save his older brother from the famous Weasley Female Wrath. “But Mom, he is a git!�

George nodded vigorously. Both twins were tired of seeing their mother’s wan face whenever Percy’s name was mentioned.

Molly had angry tears in her eyes though, which was something they had not often seen.

“IF HE IS A GIT, WHO MADE HIM THAT WAY?� she yelled. Arthur put his hand on his wife’s arm to calm her down. The rest of the family (which included Harry Potter) looked at her in surprise and alarm.

Molly felt Arthur’s hand on her arm, and gave it a reassuring pat, turning to Bill in a calmer manner.

“He’s wrong. We all know he is wrong. So you expect him to come crawling back here with his tail between his legs and saying he’s sorry?� She motioned at Ron, who was mutinously unwrapping his after dinner mint. “Ron obviously thinks so. And then what? You will graciously forgive him? No you won’t, any of you. All he would have to look forward to is the sneers and jibes as you thoroughly ground him into his place. He could never be sorry enough for any of you.�

Charlie shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know Mum. He was pretty obnoxious.�

Molly sat down again. She was obviously determined to be calm. “Let me tell you a story about Percy,� she said. Her sons all shuffled uncomfortably in their seats, looking at each other with hunted gazes. She carried on, regardless.

“When you came along Bill, you were our first. You had a great joy of life, and Arthur and I had all the time in the world to look after you. Then came Charlie. It was a little more difficult, but I still had time for you. As Charlie got older, he was more of a daredevil than you were, always trying to live up to his big brother. And then I got pregnant with Percy. It was still easy. We were poor, but had such fun. I would be outside all the time with you two, teaching you how to ride your minibrooms, throw snowballs, showing you how to throw gnomes, and how not to get bitten. When Percy was born he was a wonderfully good baby, and we were able to do such a lot. I started homeschooling the pair of you, because neither your father nor I had the faintest idea about Muggle Kindergartens. And then I got pregnant with the twins, and things got very difficult. I don’t know if you remember that at all Bill? You were six, and Charlie four. Percy was just under two. I was put on bed rest a lot, and it was a very difficult pregnancy. I could let you two older ones run wild, but Percy still put things in his mouth all the time, so most of that summer, he was shut in the house with me, while you played in the garden in bathing suits. We did a lot together, but I still made time for you two older ones. But you both started to shut Percy out. It is something that children do, and he was only two – not old enough to play the games you both enjoyed, and so he spent a lot of time on his own. And then the twins were born.

Right from the start, Fred and George, you two acted as you meant to go on. Both of you had colic, and neither your father nor I got much sleep for about five months. You two older boys played on your own a lot in the garden, but Grandmother Weasley came to help me, and look after Percy.�

Here all the Weasley boys winced. Harry gathered that none of them much cared for Grandmother Weasley. Charlie noticed Harry’s bewilderment, and added in an aside “Smelled of mothballs and was very strict.�

Molly nodded and carried on. “When she left, I was still tired. Looking after twins who still insisted on getting up twice a night and were especially lively during the day, and trying to homeschool two older children was tough. Bill, you could already read, and Charlie caught on fast, but Percy was still only three and four, and so we hadn’t really started teaching him anything yet. He couldn’t ride a broom, or throw a gnome, but there wasn’t much time to teach him. I did make a point of reading to him every night while your father took you older ones outside after I put the twins to bed.� She paused.

“Then I got pregnant with Ron.� She turned to smile at him, and Harry noticed Ron’s ears redden. “Well, I wasn’t too well that time either. Fred and George were still active. Bill and Charlie, you two had each other, and you played together all the time, but poor old Percy had not caught up with your physical activities, and normally got left out of your games. Then your dad found out he was nearly blind when he started including Percy in his outside time as he got older, and able to stay up later than the twins. He wouldn’t get on a broom, and cried when he did ..�

Mr. Weasley broke in here. “I was exasperated and rather ashamed of him.� He looked down at his plate. “I asked him why he couldn’t be a bit braver, and then he fell off, hit the ground and screamed. It suddenly occurred to me, I don’t know why, that perhaps he couldn’t see the ground while he was on the broom, and that turned out to be the case. I will never forget the guilt I felt for not noticing sooner.�

Molly patted him on the shoulder. “It was difficult love, he didn’t act as if he couldn’t see.� Arthur nodded his head tiredly. Bill looked down at his plate, his ears turning the signature Weasley red. He remembered taunting Percy too, only in a much more unkind way than his father had. He and Charlie had both called him “Sissy Percy,� for a long time after the broom incident. He looked sideways at Charlie, and saw that he too, remembered.

Molly continued. “Anyway, then Ron was born, and almost immediately, your father was sent away to France on Order business. He was away that year. All I remember that whole year is trying to remain sane. Bill, you were able to study on your own a lot, and only needed help on the harder bits. Charlie, you raised all types of animals in your room, and drove me insane with refusing to do anything, and then suddenly doing three weeks worth of work in two days. Percy was always worrying. He turned four that year, and since you two older ones were out a lot, he thought the twins were his responsibility. He was only four, and he was so anxious about you, Fred and George. You gave him endless trouble. And you two twins used to adore him! He read to you, or rather, pretended to, because he didn’t read yet, and played with you constantly.� Harry stole a look at the twins, and was amused to see their ears were red too. Molly had tears in her eyes.

“I often think that his sense of responsibility stems from that time, something that just never left him. But we were happy and loved each other, and so it was wonderful when your father got back home – which meant of course that I found myself unexpectedly pregnant again – with Ginny!�

There was not one pair of ears that was not red now, excepting Harry’s.

Mrs. Weasley stopped to look fondly at her daughter, who was sitting next to Harry, her face shaded by her hair. “That was a wonderful pregnancy, and I finally had some energy again. We did all sorts of things. That summer was hot, and we were out by the lake most days, and even did most of our schoolwork out-of-doors. Percy still felt that the twins were his responsibility, but we had a lot of fun too. But you older ones used to hurt his feelings terribly when you wouldn’t let him join in your games. He admired you both so much, and you used to tell him to go and play with the babies.� She looked down the table at Bill and Charlie, who both looked very uncomfortable. “Darlings, I am not blaming you at all, or telling you this to make you feel bad. You were children. I am just trying to say that everyone in this family had an effect on each other through simple human interaction. And Percy was only six. He couldn’t do many of the things you and Charlie wanted to do. He was naturally more timid, and now that he was reading, he read all the time. He used to read to you a lot Ron, while I put the twins to bed, and Charlie and Bill were outside (you two just never came indoors if you could help it!) and nursed Ginny.

Later on, Percy still felt that you twins were his special responsibility, and he took it very seriously. From holding your hands to cross roads, to teaching Fred how to ride a broom. I think it hurt his feelings a little when you both outstripped him in flying so very quickly. He was very much the odd man out then. There were the two older ones, who he played with sometimes, and then you twins under him, who let him join in sometimes, but most often ganged up on him. Rather an unfortunate position to be in.

And Ron! You felt miserable going to Hogwarts. After all, if you were a Prefect or Head Boy, nobody was going to notice because your brothers had done it before you?� (Here Ron stared at his mother as if she were a mind reader.) “Well, Percy felt that way too. When he became Head Boy, both Bill and Charlie had done it before him. And he always felt defensive about the fact that he was the only Weasley that would probably never be on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.�

Molly turned to Bill. “You could have helped him then Bill, but you didn’t. When Charlie turned 18, you went out and got him smashed. When Percy turned 18 you sent him a lovely leather briefcase. I wish you had taken him out and got him drunk!� Bill’s eyes opened wide.

“But he loves that briefcase! Carries it everywhere!�

Mrs. Weasley shrugged. “It says, ‘You are a paper pushing executive’. Dragging him out would have conveyed the message, ‘Join the brotherhood. Become seasoned warrior. Me man, you man too’. He would have woken up with a hangover, and complained a lot, but he needs to let his hair down once in a while.�

The Weasley boys were looking at their mother as if she were some kind of weird animal. Ginny, however, had a faint smile hovering on her lips. Harry wondered if she had the same kind of perceptivity as her mother.

Mrs. Weasley huffed out a breath. “And none of you are at all excited about his job. He always admired you Charlie. And you talk about your job. Of course, dragons are much more exciting than cauldron bottoms, but Percy isn’t a dragon kind of person. And what is wrong with working at the ministry? Your father works at the ministry.� She glared around the table at her sons and daughter. Harry felt himself shrivel in exactly the same way as they did as her gaze passed over him.

“I’m not excusing Percy. His letter to Ron about you was terrible, Harry. He is responsible for his own actions. The only mitigating circumstance is that Fudge genuinely likes Percy, and gives him some positive attention. Percy is going through a teenage rebellion all of his own, and not at the right time or place. Bill, you got your ear pierced, and let your hair grow.� She looked unlovingly at the earring as she spoke.

“Charlie, you didn’t need to rebel, you had all the danger you could handle. Fred and George, you two have been rebelling since way before you were teenagers – mainly against Percy! Of course, Percy managed to find the stuffiest way to rebel. But that is Percy. Do you know Penelope Clearwater likes him because he is neat and tidy and safe? And he would do anything for Penelope.�

Bill winced, and his mother nodded at him. “Quite. He needs someone totally different. Someone haphazard, who will keep him on his toes, adore him unquestioningly, lose his personal organizer regularly and send him to work in rumpled clothes with baby cereal on his tie. It would be a very good thing if Penelope would throw him over. She needs someone different too – someone to shake her up a little, before she settles into a comfortable middle age. If they stay together they might just grow old very fast.�

She clasped her hands in front of her. “Yes, Percy has his faults, but so do all of you. Fred and George in particular right now, you need to monitor your own behaviour without having Percy to check you. Some of the stuff you sell in that joke shop is just terrible. Puking lunchboxes? Shame on you! Isn’t a teacher’s life hard enough without having to cope with those? It was quite funny when Umbridge was present, even necessary, but they are still on your shelves. Minerva McGonagall was talking about it to me herself. Ron, you are ashamed to be poor, and always wishing for money to land in your lap. Well, pull yourself together, get a summer job, study hard for once so that you can make lots of it if you like it that much. The way you hang on Hermione is appalling. She is working quite hard enough without having to pull you up with her. That goes for you too Harry!� (Harry jumped, not having seen himself on the receiving end of any of this. Her expression warmed as she looked at him.) �How the pair of you imagine you are going to be Aurors without putting in the work is beyond me. Quidditch is not a necessary qualification. Not that you haven’t quite enough on your plate as it is Harry.�

And if I wanted I could say things about you Bill, and Charlie and Ginny. None of us are perfect.

She sat back in her chair with a sigh. “And none of you, to my knowledge has sent Percy even an owl, saying that you miss him, or asking him to stop making an ass of himself and come home. You are just grumbling about him and feeling self-righteous. So on that note, I don’t want to hear anything more about Percy from any of you. Arthur and I just want him to come home.� She linked hands with her husband, who smiled at her adoringly, looking very much like Percy at that moment, and looked up.

“Anyone for coffee?�


It was two days later that Bill popped over to the ministry to see Shacklebolt. When he had finished his business, he followed directions and went up the stairs to a room marked P. Weasley. A rather attractive secretary sat at a desk in an open office in front of the door. Bill walked past a few times, until he saw the secretary leave, and then he popped in and knocked on the door. Hearing his brother call out, he opened it and went in. Immediately he was impressed. Not only did Percy rate his own secretary; he had a really nice office. He ignored the fact that Percy was looking at him as if his eyes were about to fall out, and strolled over to the bookshelves, letting out a whistle.

“Nice place you have here.� He picked up a heavy glass paperweight with gold lines running through it, and examined it thoughtfully. Percy was still quiet. Bill turned to look at him, and saw he was thoroughly confused. Ignoring the chairs he went to perch on the edge of Percy’s desk, putting the paperweight down on the papers his brother had been working on. “So Perce. When are you coming home?�

Immediately he saw, to his complete and utter horror, that Percy was going to cry. However, Percy managed to control himself and only took off his glasses, wiping them, not on his shirttail, but with a cloth specifically for the purpose.

“Didn’t think you wanted me back home,� he muttered, not looking at Bill. He put his glasses back on. Bill, lighthearted now that he knew he was not going to have to cope with a sobbing Percy, reached out and cuffed him on the side of the head.

“Not want you home? Mum’s been bawling her head off every night. Fred and George have blown up their bedroom, and Charlie and I have nobody to pick on when we drop by!� Percy gave the ghost of a shy smile, so Bill cuffed him again, and Percy put up a hand to stop him. “Hey! Watch the glasses!�

“Yeah! Dead sexy! All the girls go for bifocals�. Bill looked at his brother pityingly. “Sooner I break those for you the better. You need to get some different ones.� He slid off the desk. “Well, coming?�

“What, to get new glasses?� Percy looked at him as if he were mad.

“No… It’s lunchtime. I only ate three hours ago, and I am starving. Do they let you have lunch here, or do you have to work through?� Bill knew his brother. Percy glared at the thought of the Ministry being less than perfect, and gave a muttered jumble about having to get his report finished, but nobody ever had to stay, of course they got lunch… Bill cut him short. “OK, if you have to work, we’ll make it short. They have this really great Muggle sandwich shop round the corner.� Percy just managed to catch his jacket as Bill flung it to him.

They chose their sandwiches - Bill avocado and bacon on thick white bread, and Percy tuna and tomato on thin wheat – and made their way to the nearby park to eat them. It was a lovely summery day, and the air was hot with traffic fumes and lilac perfume. Percy took a deep breath, not seeing any of it. He turned to Bill abruptly.

“Well, aren’t you going to give me ‘the talk’?� He noticed Bill’s mouth drop open, and carried on defensively. “Well, I know you turned up for some reason. It’s not like I rate a visit in the usual scheme of things.�

The strained way he said this brought home more effectively everything his mother had said the other day, and made Bill feel worse than he could have thought possible. He suddenly lost his appetite for his sandwich.

“Come home is all,� he muttered, scuffing a stone with his dragon hide boot. “Mum needs you –“

Percy cut him off sarcastically, “Yes, and the rest of you miss me like a hole in the head!�

Bill gave Percy a look that made him feel ashamed. “That is not fair. OK, I’ll acknowledge we have all been mad at you – especially when we see Mum so upset – and the things you said about Harry really upset Ron. You owe both him and Harry an apology. But we have all made mistakes too. Admittedly your mistake has been the biggest and best so far, but you do like to do things well if you do them at all. Besides, it is your birthday tomorrow. Mum has already made the cake, and is planning on icing it tomorrow in the hopes that you’ll turn up. So what do you say? If you come on home tomorrow and let her cry down your front for a while, do the family dinner thing, Charlie and I will take you out in the evening and make sure you get properly rat-arsed down at the local. And it’ll be Saturday the next day, so you won’t have to worry about work. You still have your bed at the Burrow – you could stay over for a fry up next morning.�

Percy fidgeted, sorely tempted, but the thought of facing his mother, and possibly Harry made his insides squirm. Bill watched him appraisingly. Percy was going to crack, he could tell.

“I’ve never been drunk before,� he muttered, “and I don’t intend to start now. Load of old…�

Bill clapped him on the shoulder, standing up. “Great! You can be the sober one. Charlie and I tossed for it, ‘cause we thought that it being your birthday and all you should have a right to get pissed, and Charlie lost, but if you don’t want to drink, he’ll probably have a couple.� He took a huge bite of his sandwich, suddenly hungry again.

“Hang on!� Percy protested. “I just said I wasn’t going to get drunk! I don’t mind having a couple or two...� his voice dwindled away as he noticed Bill grinning. He had just agreed to go, without intending to.

“Your birthday, your choice!� Bill agreed, wiping avocado off his chin. “Charlie can slurp cola. I won’t tell Mum you’re coming. I want to hear her scream. And Perce! Better see Ginny about going shopping for glasses. She chose Harry’s new ones, and he looks great.� He noticed Percy’s screwed up eyes and grimace. Funny, before his mother had let off at them all, he would have been glad to see Percy so embarrassed, now he felt only sympathetic. “He’ll be OK. Harry has enough enemies without holding grudges against his friends.� He took another huge bite of sandwich.

Percy looked up at him, squinting against the sun. “Bill, I don’t think I can do this.�

Bill didn’t pretend not to know what he was talking about. “Of course you can. Never known you to run from an awkward situation before. Mum’ll just be happy to see you. Dad will be too, although he probably won’t cry. Harry has had people call him worse than deluded and psychotic before, so he’ll be OK. Might not want to snog you straight off, but you could work on it.� He took a last huge bite, and spoke round the edges of it. “Shee you ‘roun ‘bout shix ‘morrow?�

Percy shook his head, disgusted. “You look just like Ron,� he complained. Bill swallowed with an effort, and grinned.

“Don’t tell Ron that…he’ll get all conceited. So. See you tomorrow then?�

Percy sighed. So far it had not been bad. The twins were going to be the worst, but Bill was right. He could cope, and he missed his loud, messy, noisy family. He nodded. “See you tomorrow round six.�