Lion's Breed True Chapter 20

I again want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. You are all fantastic. I have a few quick notes to answer some concerns. First, I'm familiar with 'Choices' by random-fruitcake04, and I agree, it's fantastic!

Second, in chapter 4 when Ron tells Harry about saying Voldemort's name when he was six, the Weasley's were in no danger. But the fear of the name was so ingrained into the family they reacted as if they were in danger. The point of that story is the scars left by the first war didn't disappear, and the pure bloods had to deal with them.

Next, I'm TRYING to put gaps between the story and author's notes, but I've a new laptop and it takes the gaps out when I post! I'm sure it's my fault since I'm not good with computers. But I'll keep working at it.

Finally, I've been struggling over something here. I meant to end this story soon, since it takes place fifth year, and fifth year is almost over.

But I've been blocking out a sixth year story that is more AU, but shadows canon. It's occurred to me I could simply continue this story. I honestly didn't mean to, as I had a different format in mind for the other story, but it's possible.

So I'm asking if anyone has a preference. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways. Thanks again for reading. Any feedback is welcome.

It was, of all people, Luna who helped Harry accept the death of Sirius. Ron didn't suppose it mattered really. What was important was Harry was feeling better. Ron just wished he could have been the one who made Harry feel better, however petty that was.

It didn't help that Harry had a secret. Ron was fairly certain that no one else, not even Hermione, realized Harry was keeping something from them. But Ron knew.

It wasn't because Ron knew Harry better than Hermione, but he knew Harry differently than Hermione. Ron was beginning to appreciate that you knew different people different ways, and other people knew you in different ways.

Ron and Harry weren't quite as close as the twins, but they were still bloody close. Ron and Harry had spent five years in each other's constant company.

They had started out as rather scared and nervous, but excited boys. Together, they had gone through the sometimes fun, other times painful and often confusing transformation from boys to men.

Hermione had been on her own journey to becoming a woman, but as a male Ron couldn't fully understand. He had no clue what a period felt like, just as Hermione had no idea how an erection felt.

Ron supposed Hermione had her own set of friends she could share experiences like that with, though who they were, Ron had no clue. She didn't seem to have much in common with her dorm mates.

But she and Ginny seemed pretty friendly. Ron had mixed feelings about that. There were times when it made it convenient and easy that Hermione and Ginny were friends. If they disliked each other, it would be really awkward to have Hermione visit the Burrow.

On the other hand, there were times when Ron wished his sister would go off with her own friends and stay away from his. He knew it was his own stupid insecurities speaking, but it worried Ron that Harry and Hermione would realize that bright shiny Ginny was perhaps a better third than a clumsy oaf.

Ron wished for the umpteenth time that he could talk to Percy about all this. There simply wasn't anyone else to talk to about it. The twins and Ginny would mock him relentlessly, and Bill and Charlie were too remote.

Although, strangely enough, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George had all been waiting at the Burrow when he and Ginny had come home from Hogwarts.

Ginny, delighted, had rushed her brothers for a hug, but they had only given her a perfunctory hug in return, because all their attention had been focused on Ron. You would have thought there was no one else in the room.

Ron's first reaction had been blind panic. How had he disappointed everyone this time? How vicious was his family going to be?

But then Bill was coming toward him, arms held out for a hug, murmuring, "Ronnie".

Charlie had side-arm hugged him, ruffing his hair slightly, "Hey little brother."

Ron was so stunned he couldn't respond.

The biggest surprise was the twins. They stared at him with hang-dog looks, shoulders slumped, and shuffling their feet.

"We never meant for you to be hurt!" burst out Fred. "We thought it would be safe! We never…" Fred's voice trailed off, and he stared at his feet.

To Ron's horror, he realized Fred was crying. Ron looked to George, who was shaking and looking like a puppy expecting to be kicked.

This was the moment Ron had spent a lifetime imaging. All of his childhood, through countless hours brooding alone in his room, Ron had longed for just such an experience.

Every time the twins had pranked him, mocked him, set him up to take the blame, caused him to lose his temper and be punished, Ron had sat alone in his room and imagined this scene.

This was it: the twins were remorseful and humbled, pleading for forgiveness. So why in the bloody hell wasn't Ron savoring this? Somehow, he couldn't; he simply wanted Fred and George to be themselves.

Ron's throat felt tight. He wanted desperately to reassure the twins, but speech was somehow beyond him. So he did the only thing he could do; he rushed to the twins and hugged them.

They hugged him back, and suddenly Ron could talk again, "It's alright. None of it is your fault."

"We wouldn't have left if we had known you were in danger," replied George. "We're sorry, we're so sorry."

"Don't be. I volunteered. And I knew what Umbridge was like. She's gone now anyway, so it's alright.

It had turned into a nice family reunion, except, of course, Percy wasn't there.

Percy's absence hung over the family like a cloud. It didn't help that almost everyone except Ron, Mum and Dad were verbally abusing him.

Every time Ron had to listen to his siblings run Percy down he had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out, "You don't know the truth! Percy regrets leaving, and he's putting his neck out to make amends."

Ron thought it would be easy getting Bill alone to talk to him about Percy, but it wasn't. Bill always seemed busy, and if he wasn't other family members were hanging on to him.

Finally, Ron flat out said, "Bill, I need to talk to you, privately."

Fred immediately smirked, "Ronniekins! What could you possibly have to say to Bill that you can't say in front of everyone else? We have no secrets in this family!"

"Now Fred," admonished George. "Our baby brother is growing up. He probably needs girl advice. Pity he's going to the wrong brother."

Bill had an odd gleam in his eye, "Do you really think I'm the wrong brother for advice on girls?"

George backtracked, to Ginny's amusement, "Um, probably not."

"Ron probably wants help getting Hermione to like him," threw in Ginny. "I could tell him a thing or two, if he would listen."

"This has nothing to do with Hermione!" protested Ron.

Ginny and the twins exchanged glances, "There isn't some other girl, is there?" asked Ginny.

Ron took a deep breath, "This isn't about a girl."

"Don't tell me it's about a boy," Fred joked.

"Will you all stop it?" begged Ron. "This isn't about my love life."

"Hard for it to be, since you don't have one," agreed George. "What's up with that anyway?"

"Yeah," chimed in Fred. "You're a Weasley. You're letting the family down, little brother."

Ron felt like tearing his hair out, "I just need to talk to Bill privately. It has nothing to do with my love life, or lack of one. Now will you all piss off, and let me talk to Bill!"

"Ron," Bill put his hand on Ron's shoulder, "calm down. Of course we can talk. Let's go out to the pond."

Bill glanced at the other three, "I expect all of you to respect our privacy."

Ron could tell by the looks on Fred's, George's and Ginny's faces that they had planned to try to listen. He didn't think they would after what Bill had just said, but nevertheless Ron asked Bill to cast a privacy spell.

Bill looked startled, but did so, then asked, "Now, what's all this about?"

"Percy."

Bill's jaw dropped, "What about him?"

"He regrets, well, everything," replied Ron.

"Then why doesn't he came back?" demanded Bill.

Ron swallowed, "Because he's being watched. But he's turned the tables on the watchers. He's watching them and keeping notes.

"Bill, he's in danger! There are death eaters in the Ministry, and if they suspect what Percy's doing, who knows what they'll do!"

Bill gaped at Ron, "How do you know this?"

"Because Percy told me, of course," replied Ron, impatiently. "He didn't want me to tell anyone, but he finally agreed I could tell you."

"Ron," Bill's voice sounded shaky, "I'm trying to take this all in, but it's not making much sense. Start at the beginning. Tell me when you met Percy, and exactly what he told you."

So Ron recounted as well as he could his last meeting with Percy. When he finished, Bill was white as a sheet, and staring at Ron in horror.

Abruptly, Bill sat down, and put his head between his knees.

"Bill! Are you alright!"

Bill looked up, and laughed shortly, "Why wouldn't I be alright? I just found out one of my little brothers is playing a dangerous game of spy, and the only reason my baby brother told me that is in case he dies, and he wants to make sure someone knows."

Ron winced, "Sorry sounds inadequate, but it's all I've got."

"Yeah," Bill gave another short laugh. "Just give me a minute, alright? It's a lot to take in."

Ron waited as patiently as he could, while realizing all the time he wasn't going to get what he really wanted. As childish and silly as it was, Ron had been hoping that Bill would have some solution that would keep Percy safe.

Now he knew that wasn't going to happen. Still, it was a relief that he wasn't carrying the burden of being the only one to know the truth.

Finally, Bill straightened up and faced Ron, "Alright. I'm glad I know. I'll keep it a secret, unless I think there's a compelling reason not to."

"We can't do anything, can we?" asked Ron dully.

Bill sighed, "Percy's taking responsibility for his own poor decision. He's trying to do something about it, and that's better than sitting and feeling guilty and sorry for himself.

"If there's one thing I learned, it's everyone is responsible for their own life.

"If you don't like something about yourself, and you can change it, change it. If you can't change it, accept it.

"But hating yourself doesn't help anyone. And no one else can help you. Everyone has to do it on their own. Including Percy."