For Amber on the QL drabble tag, who requested Charlie&Percy with "I know you better than that.".

Word count: 1365

just between you and me

'Oh brother, where are you?

I think I need a hand

Can you come pick me up?'

Don't Let Me, Morningsiders

Percy's favorite spot at the Burrow has always been up on the roof. Their parents had hated it and forbidden him many times to go there — especially his mother, who'd fret and cry that it was too dangerous — but up there, leaning against the chimney, Percy has always felt at peace.

It had always been the one bout of rebellion he'd had going, though he's rather sure everyone thought he'd stopped long before he graduated.

Maybe that's why he's surprised to hear his brother climb after him, huffing and cursing quietly under his breath.

"Thought I might find you here," Charlie says, a soft grin curling his lips. The setting light makes his hair look aflame, and that grin looks like Fred's, when he had…

Percy looks away, eyes stinging. "I wasn't hiding," he says, arching an eyebrow despite himself.

"Sure you weren't," Charlie replies with a drawl. "Come on, what's the matter?"

Percy stays silent, not staring at his brother and wishing he would go away.

He almost wishes he smoked, too, if only to have something to keep his hands busy.

From the corner of his eye (he's not looking at his brother, he's not), Percy sees Charlie frown. When he speaks, his voice has grown quiet. "Don't you trust me?"

"Don't be daft," Percy retorts instantly. He regrets, too late, how biting his tone is, but Charlie doesn't seem to care or mind, just sighs and sits down next to him.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Charlie asks, and Percy rolls his eyes inwardly.

"I know," he mumbles out, drawing his knees up to his chest. He keeps his eyes on the horizon. "I don't have anything to say — I'm fine. Just needed a break," he adds after a short pause, because experience has taught him that he needs to give his brothers something if he wants to be left alone.

"Yeah, it's a bit stifling inside, isn't it?" Charlie remarks sadly.

Percy lets out a bitter laugh. "You could say that."

Their mother won't stop crying, and Ginny and Ron glare at him every time he walks into a room. George looks like a ghost, or a rather like a man who hasn't quite realized he's still supposed to be alive, and Bill has taken to following anyone who leaves the house, even though he technically doesn't live at the Burrow anymore.

And Charlie…

Well, Charlie's on break from work, and he's taken over all the tasks their mother no longer seems to have the will to perform.

"You could talk to them, you know," Charlie tells him, nudging his shoulders gently.

Percy scoffs. "Because that would go over so well, I'm sure."

"You can't know that until you try," Charlie retorts, his lips drawn tight. "Besides, you left the Ministry, didn't you? You came back."

Percy shakes his head, swallowing back another bitter chuckle. "Do you even hear yourself? Do you think me leaving solved anything?" He lets his lips curl into a snarl. "So what if I came back? We lost — Fred's still gone."

The words fall between them like an anvil, and the roof seems to grow colder.

Or maybe it's just the sun, finally dipping below the horizon.

"You know, I didn't think anything could hurt you." Charlie remarks, his eyes watchful and sad.

"Yeah, well, you were wrong." Percy scoffs, looking away into the distance and clenching his fists until he can feel his nails breaking the skin. The leftover light from the setting sun hurts his eyes, but at least then he can pretend that's where the tears come from. "Obviously."

It hurts, deep in his chest, that no one in his family seems to understand him. They never have, not really, and even now, it doesn't seem like they do.

Because Percy chose wrong when he was seventeen, and now Fred is dead, and even if Percy came back, he still hurt them, and they don't understand that there are some things he cannot regret.

Working for the Ministry — climbing up the ladder until he was recognized — was all he'd ever wanted.

Sometimes, it still is.

But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt to leave, or when they refused to support him.

(It doesn't mean he doesn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night, wishing it had been him instead of Fred, and knowing his family would have been happier for it.)

"I didn't mean —" Charlie starts, stumbling over his words awkwardly. "I know you care, I know you better than that. I just meant —"

"Save it," Percy interrupts with a scoff. "I know what you think of me. It's fine."

It isn't, but it's what he deserves.

"It's not," Charlie retorts, incensed. His eyes seem to see right through Percy, burning a hole straight into his soul. "Perce', come on, you know it's not fine. It's okay to feel… To feel things," he says with a bittersweet grin. "But whatever happened with Fred… That wasn't your fault. No one blames you for that."

"Sure." Percy scoffs, finally turning to throw a scathing look at his brother. "And that's why Ron threatened to curse me the last time he saw me. Ron."

Charlie winces. "He took your leaving hard," he says. "It was hard, and you…" He swallows, and Percy looks away, remembering the letters he'd sent. Misguided attempts to protect his siblings that had turned sour. "But he doesn't blame you for this, I promise. Nobody does."

"Right. If you say so," Percy replies, unconvinced.

"I do say so," Charlie retorts. He grins, his lips only quivering just a little around the edges, and Percy knows what his brother's about to say before he even opens his mouth.

"I'm older than you," he starts, his voice taking on the familiar smugness that Percy had spent years scowling at, "and that's why you should listen to me. I'm always right."

"You are not," Percy retorts automatically, his lips curling into a familiar exasperated smile despite himself.

He turns it into a scowl as soon as he notices, but the damage is done — Charlie's noticed, and with a grin, his brother pulls him close with his left arm.

And with his right hand, he flips something at Percy. The metal shines as it catches the light, and Percy fumbles to catch it.

It's his old Prefect badge. The golden 'P' stares back at him mockingly, and Percy clenches his fist around it so tightly it hurts.

"We were always proud of you, Percy," Charlie tells him, unaware of the wound he's digging anew in Percy's chest. "And we always loved you."

It's hard to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat, but somehow Percy manages.

"I — Okay." He's not sure he believes it — he hurt them so much, how could they still…?

(But then again, Percy himself had never stopped — couldn't — so maybe they hadn't either?)

He lets Charlie pull him closer, the warmth of his body welcome in the night's growing chill. "Okay," he repeats. He feels eleven again, anxious about leaving for Hogwarts, joining his older brothers there and leaving behind the rest of the family — like he's standing on the edge of a precipice.

They sit in silence for a while longer, watching the sun turn darker and darker shades of purples and blues until finally, the only remaining light comes the moon and the stars shimmering above.

Charlie sighs and stretches, making his back pop. Percy hides his grin, though he gets the feeling his brother isn't fooled.

"What do you say we go back inside?" Charlie asks softly.

Percy looks up to the sky and sighs. He doesn't really want to. Here, on the roof, he feels… free. Away from the real world and its troubles. It's… nice.

Nicer than downstairs.

But… Percy's eyes dart to the side, to his brother.

In the darkness, Charlie's eyes shine with something expectant and soft that Percy hesitates to qualify as hope.

Percy sighs again, rolling his shoulders. "Sure," he mumbles.

After all, he's not alone.

And that's… Well, that's something, at least.

AN/

Also for Hogwarts:

Writing Club:

Assorted Appreciation: 4. Relationship: Bromance; Record Collection: What's The Story, Morning Glory: Hey Now! - Emotion: Shame; Bingo: Row 5 - 4: Style: Linear; Time Machine: Theme: New beginnings; Book Club: Darry: (emotion) proud, (plot point) an embrace, (trait) intelligent, (character) Percy Weasley; Showtime: 1 - Alexander Hamilton: (trait) ambitious;

Amber's Attic: Dale: (genre) hurt/comfort (bonus); Showtime: 12 - Joseph and the Amaxing Technicolor Dreamcoat: (relationship) siblings; Liza's Loves: The Tonight Dough - Write a fic set in the evening; Lizzy's Loft: 2 - April Wine - (title) Just Between You and Me;

Scamander's Case: 25 - (trait) misunderstood; Film Festival: 3 - (emotion) guilt; Marvel Appreciation: [Plot Point] Write about trying to find an inner peace.; Lyric Alley: This is my hand; The Forecast Says: 5th. Sunny with clouds: Guilty; EnTitled: 15 - The One With the Stoned Guy - Write about someone relaxing;

Camp:

Outdoor Cabin: Fairy Gardens: Mini stone planter: (genre) Family; Gold Panning: Item: Badge; Horse Riding: Gypsy - (trait) Loner; Firework Show: Party Pooper: (relationship) siblings; Jenga: (dialogue) "Do you even hear yourself?";

Sports Cabin: Tug of War: Hurt/Comfort - (Genre); Archery: (relationship) Siblings; Dodgeball: (dialogue) "You were wrong.", Hermione Granger; Crazy Golf: Hole 6: Music-alley: Write a song!fic - Don't Let Me, Morningsiders; Racing: Destination 2: (dialogue) "This is why you should listen to me.", Detsination 3: (restriction) only two characters;

Skills Cabin: First Aid: Gab - Using a defibrillator: (theme) Second chances; Guitar: Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas; Cooking: Limes - (word) Stifling; Shelter Building: Chunks of Bark: (action) hugging; Dino DNA: Velociraptor: Write about someone intelligent.; Gardening, Vegetable Patch: Cucumbers: (setting) The Burrow;

Arts&Craft Cabin: Quilt Making: Spots&Stripes - 2. "I didn't think anything could hurt you."; Balloon Animals: Hedgehog - (genre) Hurt/Comfort; Puppet Theater: Fairy Princess: Bag of fairy dust: (dialogue) "What's the matter? Don't you trust me?";

Adventure Cabin: Nature Hunt: Water from the Stream - Write a Trio Era character; Bear Hunt: Hedgehog Prints: Write about someone who prefers solitude; Zipline: Percy Weasley, Medium;

Games Cabin: Hide & Seek: (genre) family, guessing DarylDixon'sGirl1985; Escape Room: Second Room - (emotion) grief; Simon Says: (action) stretching;