There was a stunned silence.
“P-Percy,” said Mr. Weasley. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to say I’m sorry “ I was wrong, wrong about everything.”
“You’ve known that you were wrong for six months “ what’s the sudden change of heart?” Fred said angrily, standing up and walking to the door.
“Fred!” said Mr. Weasley, looking at him sharply.
“No “ he’s right, Dad,” Percy was looking thoroughly ashamed.
“Come in, Percy,” Mr Weasley said, moving aside so he could come inside.
Fred was still standing in his way looking indignant, but with a warning look from his father, he stepped aside. Percy walked in and looked around at everyone. The shock of Percy’s entrance had caused Hermione’s crying to subside, but she was sitting with Ron’s arms around her, her face still tear-stained. Ron wouldn’t look at Percy; nor would George or Ginny. Charlie and Bill were with Mrs. Weasley, who also couldn’t bring herself to look at her son. Harry sat on the floor looking from Percy to Fred to Mr. Weasley.
“Looks like everyone’s here,” Percy said nervously.
“Yeah,” said Fred. “Everyone...we’ve been waiting for you. Remind me again, how long ago did you leave?”
“I think it’s been over a year, Fred. Isn’t that right, Perce?” said George, getting up to join Fred, his voice malicious.
“Fred. George. That’s enough,” said Mr. Weasley.
“Look, I came to say I’m sorry. I know “ I should have come sooner. I was afraid. When I left, I thought I was right “ I thought you were all in trouble, I thought leaving would knock some sense into all of you “ I never meant to hurt you, any of you. Please, please believe that I’m sorry.”
This was a Percy Harry had never seen before. He had changed “ maybe because, for the first time he had been proven wrong. His ego had taken a hit. Harry looked at Mr. Weasley, who began to speak quietly.
“It’s okay, Percy... I understand. It’s alright.”
George looked at his dad as though he’d gone mad.
“WHAT? You’re just going to take him back, just like that? After everything he did to us? He hurt you Dad! He hurt everyone! He made Ginny and Mum cry; he told Ron to stop being friends with Harry! And you’re just going to forgive him?”
“We’re supposed to be a family, George “ ”
“Well maybe Percy should have thought about that before he ditched us all,” he replied, before storming upstairs. He was followed by Fred, who threw Percy one more scathing look before leaving.
“I’m going to bed, Arthur,” said Mrs. Weasley quietly, and she got up and followed her two sons upstairs.
Bill sighed and stood up, walking over to Percy and Arthur.
“They just need time, Perce... you really hurt some of us,” he said.
“Yeah, I know,” said Percy quietly. He looked at Harry. “Harry, I’m sorry about “ ”
“Don’t worry about it...” Harry said. He could tell Percy was honestly ashamed of what he had done to the Weasleys, and to him.
“So...what’s going on with everyone?” Percy asked.
“Well, Fred and George have their own business; it’s doing well. Charlie just moved back from Romania. Ron’s Quidditch Captain; Ginny’s just been made a prefect.”
“That’s great. That’s all great.”
The conversation was all very stiff.
“Maybe we should go to bed “ talk more in the morning,” Arthur suggested. “We have an extra bedroom downstairs now, Perce “ you can sleep in there...”
“Alright,’ said Percy. “Thanks dad.”
He said goodnight to everyone and then Mr. Weasley showed him to the room.
Charlie stood up, stretching.
“Yeah, I think it is best we go to bed “ it’s been quite an interesting evening,” he winked at Ron and Hermione. He and Bill both said goodnight and went to bed. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were the only ones left. They sat quietly for a minute or two. Ginny looked very upset.
“What do you think, Ron, about Percy?”
“I don’t know...” he said blankly. “I think he means it “ that he’s sorry. But even Mum couldn’t stay in the same room as him.”
“He was brave to come back,” said Hermione. “He’s really had to swallow his pride...”
“Yeah, and for Percy that’s pretty hard “ all he’s ever had is his pride,” agreed Harry.
“Are you going to forgive him?” asked Ginny.
“Dad did...” Ron replied. “I s’pose we should, too.”
Harry stood up to go to bed.
“I'm going to go on up, I have to write to Katie...” he said.
“Yeah, I have to write to Dean,” Ginny said, joining him.
“Hermione and I are going to stay up for a bit,”
“Alright, g’night...” Harry said, and he and Ginny went upstairs.
Charlie was right; it had been a very interesting night.
Harry was first downstairs the next morning. He walked into the sitting room to find Ron and Hermione asleep on the couch. He walked over and nudged them.
“Ron, Hermione “ wake up.”
“Whoosdat?” Ron said.
“It’s Harry “ wake up, you’ve fallen asleep on the couch.”
The two of them sat up sleepily.
“We know, Harry...” Hermione said, getting up and going into the kitchen.
“Yeah “ we didn’t fall asleep, we went to sleep,” said Ron groggily.
“Together? On purpose? Why?” Harry asked, disgustedly.
“Because we wanted too...” Ron said walking over behind Hermione, putting his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek.
“There is something really wrong with the two of you,” Harry said. Neither of them seemed to be listening, though. They were acting worse than Ginny and Dean. Luckily, Harry wasn’t subjected to having to be alone with them much longer; Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie came downstairs. Mr. Weasley told them all in a hushed voice that Mrs. Weasley was staying upstairs because she wasn’t ready to talk to Percy, and to give her some time, then he grabbed something to eat and left for work, as did Bill. Charlie stayed and made breakfast for everyone. Ginny, Fred, and George arrived shortly. It seemed Fred and George were as equally disgusted by Ron and Hermione’s behavior as Harry had been, but they put this aside to discuss Percy.
“I can’t believe him “ showing up here like that, asking for forgiveness...” said Fred.
“He probably has no where else to go...” added George.
“Come on “ give him a break. Like Dad said “ we’re a family...” said Charlie, putting a few sausages on Harry’s plate.
“Yeah, well tell that to Percy...” said George
“He’s trying to make up for his mistakes. If you push him away, you’ll be no better than he was,” replied Charlie.
“Charlie’s right,” said Ron. “I think we should give him a chance. You’re not going to make things better acting the way you are now...”
“Oh, why don’t you go kiss your girlfriend...” said George.
“All right then, come on Hermione “ let’s go upstairs.”
With that they left.
“They’re not serious...” said Fred, with an appalled grimace.
“Oh, I think they are,” said Harry.
Percy entered the kitchen a few moments later.
“Good morning, everyone,” he said apprehensively.
“Percy, just in time for breakfast,” Charlie said trying to sound friendly, and giving Fred and George a significant look from the corner of his eye.
“Where’s Mum?” Percy asked.
There was an awkard silence.
“She won’t come downstairs,” said Ginny quietly.
“Oh...I see,” said Percy, sitting at the table. “You’ve grown a lot Ginny,” he said trying to make conversation.
“Well it’s been a year since you’ve seen her,” George said in an undertone. Charlie looked at him warningly; luckily Percy hadn’t heard him. Ron and Hermione came back downstairs, blushing.
“Thanks for the suggestion, George,” Ron said grinning and sitting back down for some eggs and toast, Hermione next to him.
“Oh...good morning Percy...” Hermione said a little too formally, when she spotted him at the table, looking at the two of them very perplexed.
“Are the two of you...?”
“Yes,” said Ron “he wouldn’t look Percy in the eye, but he sounded as though he was trying to be friendly.
“So,” said Fred, eyeing Ron and Hermione with disgust. “What are everyone’s plans for the day?”
This pattern of formal, forcefully friendly conversation continued throughout that day and the next at the Weasley household. Mrs. Weasley still hadn’t come downstairs, and had all her meals in her room. Finally, that Wednesday “ Harry came downstairs to find Charlie, Bill, Mr. Weasley Ginny, Fred, George, Hermione and Ron eating breakfast at the table, being served by Mrs. Weasley. She was bustling around the kitchen, humming as though nothing unusual had happened recently.
“Good morning, Harry dear! What would you like for breakfast?”
“I’ll just have some toast, thanks...” he looked at Ginny and mouthed ‘what’s going on’ but she just shrugged; clearly she was as clueless to her mother’s behavior as he was. Then, Percy entered the kitchen. He looked surprised to see Molly as well.
“Mum...It’s nice to see you.”
“Oh, good morning Percy dear “ would you like some toast? I was just putting some on for Harry...”
“Oh...yes, please...” he said unsurely.
Everyone looked curiously at one another, even Ron and Hermione took a break from feeding each other cereal; what on earth was going on? Mrs. Weasley served Harry and Percy their toast, then announced that she would be going to Diagon Alley after breakfast.
“Does anyone want to come with me?” she asked.
“Oh, yes,” said Harry. “I have to pick up some things.”
“George and I will come as well, mum “ we have to check on the shop,” said Fred.
“Us too,” said Ron and Hermione in unison, which was quite frightening.
“And me,” said Ginny.
Mrs. Weasley looked at Percy expectantly.
“Will you be coming too, dear?”
“If you want me to, of course.”
“Don’t be silly “ of course I wanted you to come...why wouldn’t I?”
“Alright,” said George. “Can we end this act right now “ forgiving Percy is one thing, mum. But you can’t just act as if nothing has happened “ especially after spending two days avoiding him “ it’s unhealthy, and it’s just strange.”
“I don’t know what you mean, George...”
“Mum, stop it! We all need to talk about this,” said Ginny. “Right now. We’re all here. Things aren’t going to just go back to normal if we all play nice...”
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips and looked around.
“Molly, Ginny’s right... we’ll have to talk about this,” said Mr. Weasley.
There was an awkward silence.
“You sent back your sweater,” Mrs. Weasley said suddenly.
“I know, mum. I’m sorry”
“You hurt your father and me, and your siblings “ And all things you said about Harry...”
“I was wrong, I let Fudge get to me, I thought you were all traitors, I thought Dumbledore was wrong, I thought Harry was mad...”
“Maybe you shouldn’t believe everything someone tells you just because they’re in a powerful position,” Mrs. Weasley replied, a hint of anger in her voice.
“I know. Believe me, I know. I’ve learned my lesson “ I’m sorry. Please forgive me for everything I’ve done, for all the hurt I’ve caused. I don’t want to lose any more time “ with the war and everything else; I don’t want to lose you, any of you.”
“And what about last Christmas, when your father nearly died! You couldn’t even stop by, or send an owl “ nothing!”
“I cannot tell you how incredibly sorry I am for that “ you know I would never want anything to happen to Dad “ to any of you. There is nothing I regret more than not being there for Dad when he was bitten. And I realized that, if anything were to happen to any of you now, and I missed the chance to say I was sorry, I would have to carry it inside me for the rest of my life. And I love you all too much to not get the chance to tell you that.”
The sincerity in Percy’s voice was heartbreaking, and it brought Mrs. Weasley to tears “ she threw her arms around Percy.
“I'm so glad you’re back, I’ve been so worried,” she said, sobbing into his shoulder. Mrs. Weasley breakdown washed over the others like a wave; it was like a spell had been broken. Even Fred and George realized they had to forgive Percy. After that, things were back to normal at the Weasley household; Percy still seemed a little apprehensive, and obviously nobody was as comfortable with him as they were with each other “ but then again, Percy had all been a little closed off “ and now he was on his way to being closer with them all then he ever had been before. It seemed as though everything that happened had, in some odd way, been for the good, and that Percy’s return had brought the Weasley family, Harry and Hermione included, closer together than they ever had been before.