Ron's POV
I look around at my happy family. Fleur is passing around ultrasound pictures and Bill is looking at her in awe, like he can't believe that this women is carrying his child. There is something else there too though. With everything she does he looks sort of panicky, like he's afraid she might break at any moment.
Even with everyone around, something feels off. Then I realize what it is. Percy isn't here. I had grown used to his know-it-all ways and actually grown to miss him when he wasn't around. If Percy wasn't bragging about some new achievement in his life, it simply wasn't a true family get together.
Soon, I found myself standing next to Bill. "Have you written to Percy yet?" Bill glanced at me for a brief second before looking back at his wife.
"Fleur and I wrote it up last night, and stuck an ultrasound in the envelope. I'm taking it to the owlery tonight." I sigh.
"I miss him, Bill. I know he's off doing some 'big thing' for the ministry, but it's not the same without self-righteous Percy here."
"Yeah, it does get a bit boring without him. I mean, Fred and George have nobody to pick on." Bill still watches his wife with the same mixed look on his face.
"What would you do if I told you I almost asked Fleur to the yule ball in fourth year?" He looks are me with a half glare half amused grin. "Nothing." He says before looking back at her. "I already knew, and it wouldn't matter anyway. She would have told you no."
"Probably." I agreed. "I'm glad you met her." I pat my oldest brother on the back. "Why's that?" His stare still stays on Fleur.
"You just seem different, somehow. Before you were shutting us out. You left home and, to be honest, I wasn't sure that you were going to come back. Then, you met Fleur. She brought you home."
"She did, didn't she?" Bill turns his attention from his wife to Charlie and Claudia. They stand slightly in the corner gawking at one of the ultrasounds. "Charlie left to get away. Not just because of dragons."
"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.
"Do you really believe that he needed to go all the way to Romania to study dragons? There are plenty of dragons here in Scotland. There are dragons in London, even. No, Charlie left to get away." It make sense. We all wanted to get away at some point.
"Just like Percy sided with the minister of magic to get away." Bill continues. "Fred and George got on well enough with their jokes. You and Ginny will follow Harry Potter to the ends of their earth if it means recognition. We are Weasley's and our fatal flaw is pride. We all want to be something great. And we all felt held back by our parents. But in the end? We all come back."
I think about what he is saying carefully. "She's bringing him home, isn't she?" We watch the pair closely for a moment longer. "I'd say so." Is the last thing Bill says before leaving me to go stand with his wife.
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Claudia's POV
After dinner with the Weasleys, Charlie had walked me back to my room. It had been the first time since I got here that I realized that in all the havoc from the past year at Hogwarts, the spell that was placed on the girls staircase doesn't exist anymore. "Thank you," I had told him, standing outside of my dorm. "for inviting my to dinner. I really like your family." Charlie laughed. "Wait until you get used to them."
I joined in his laughter. "Well, goodnight, Charlie." I had said, and a piece of hair escaped from behind my ear. Almost as quickly as it had, Charlie had it pinned back into place. His thumb brushed my cheek for a moment, before he cleared his throat. "Goodnight, Claudia."
Now a little after noon the following day, I was fulfilling my promise to Lacey. I had gotten the Slytherin password from Draco. "Snake Breath." I said just as the portrait opened. I stepped inside and was immediately met with greetings from every side.
"I was wondering when you were going to make your way down here." Draco said from the couch in front of the fire. Hermione lays across the sofa with her head in his lap. "So, this is where you've been getting off to?"
"Any place is fine if it's quiet enough to read." Hermione answered and I turned my attention back to Draco. "I'm actually looking for Blaise. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"
Draco pointed to the staircase. I quirked an eyebrow. "And is it safe for me to go up?" Draco looked at me confused, before catching my meaning. "Oh, yeah. Blaise doesn't mess around much anymore. He has his eye set on someone." I nod with a smile before heading up the stairs.
The door stood slightly ajar and Blaise sat on his bed reading a textbook. "Blaise Zabini, what in the bloody hell do you think your doing, not returning your sisters letters? She's worried sick." He looks at me sheepishly.
"It's only been a week, and in my defense I'm pretty busy."
"In your defense? Would your business have anything to do with this girl Draco is telling me about?" Blaise groans, and mutters something about 'can't keep his mouth shut.'
"Not entirely." I quirk an eyebrow. "Okay, yeah. Maybe."
I roll my eyes. "Just write your sister back."
"I don't understand why she has to act like my mother sometimes. Lacey is a year younger than me, but she still acts like my boss."
"She's your sister and you love her. Get over it."
Blaise sighs. "But do I have to?"
I glare at him. "Yes, you have to. Maybe she wouldn't act like you mother if you didn't act like a child. Just an idea." Blaise glares at me. "Fine I'll write."
"Right now."
"Fine. But don't expect me to be happy about it."
I smile and work my way back to the common room. I'm not even Slytherin anymore and I can still boss this place around. It makes me happy.