You Promised It Would Be Forever - Edit

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 41 ~ Getting Ready for the Burrow

Ginny told her mother and father that she was bringing a guest home on Sunday, someone she wanted them to meet. Molly Weasley, on finding out it was a male guest was beside herself. She was in the kitchen, wearing a flour-dusted apron, cracking eggs into a bowl. Her father was also in the kitchen, keeping his wife company as he read the paper. Molly turned to her daughter

"Is he your beau, dear?" she asked Ginny anxiously. Ginny had never, ever brought a wizard home to meet her family.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"No, mum, he's just a friend," she replied.

"I've yet to see you bring a friend to dinner," Arthur Weasley said, looking up from the Daily Prophet, his brown eyes twinkling. "Nor a male one at least."

"Well, he is a rather special friend," she said to her father, reddening a little.

"Oh ho. A 'special' friend," he said, "that makes all the difference."

Ginny scowled at her dad, and he chuckled, returning to his paper.

"I just want you to be nice to him, Mum. Dad. And make Fred and George and the others act at least halfway decent. You know how atrocious they are," the witch said.

Molly put her hands on her hips.

"Now when have you known us not to be nice to anyone, Ginerva Weasley?" she asked her daughter, a sour look on her motherly face.

"I was just saying..." Ginny said lamely, her face red. Her parents always made her feel like a little girl.

"You were just saying nothing," her mother scolded her, "He will be treated like one of the family. That's good enough for anyone, including 'special' friends."

Her mother went back to cracking eggs.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ginny said under her breath.

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Percival looked in the mirror at himself. He wore a nice set of dress robes…but not too elaborate. He had to search around his huge wardrobe for this particular set. Ginny had asked him not to dress formal. But he felt he should make a good impression on her parents.

He didn't see many things that made Ginny Weasley nervous, but obviously his going to "The Burrow" did. She explained they grew up at the Burrow, a very small somewhat rickety house, and that when Fred and George became successful, they wanted to move their mother into a bigger, nicer house. But Molly refused to budge.

"All my best memories of my family are here. I just couldn't leave," she said crying.

Their mother crying was always traumatic to the twins, and they shushed her and told her she didn't have to leave if she didn't want to. So they had the Burrow fortified so it wouldn't keel over, and added some more rooms. But they still lived in the original space, the kitchen and dining room being the center of most Weasley activities. Molly believed in the power of food. It could solve any ill, soothe any savage breast. Sunday supper was important to her. It was when all her family came together under the same roof, keeping their family bonds strong.

All but one, that is. Percy Weasley.

Percy was in Azkaban for being a deatheater. He was interrogated and was found to actually not have participated in a single atrocity, although he witnessed several. He told them he realized he had made a mistake joining Voldemort early on, but once a wizard took the Mark, the only way out was death. So he was forced to stay and pretend to be loyal.

The young wizard hated Voldemort, because he had an interest in the young Weasley that was not in line with what the red-haired wizard felt appropriate. That didn't stop Voldemort from fucking him though. Percy believed it was because of Ron's close association with Harry Potter that he was targeted. But because Voldemort favored him, he managed to get out of committing the horrible acts the other deatheaters did. However, he was still sent to Azkaban for having the Mark. He had a lifetime sentence.

Ginny wrote him twice a week, telling him to be strong. They were appealing his sentencing. It had been going on for almost two years now. They had gone back to hearings several times, but the Ministry Board would not release the wizard.

Like most incarcerated individuals, Percy had a chance to review his life and see exactly why he had ended up the way he had. He believed he despised his family for being 'too common'. But the truth was, he was too stuck on himself. He was proud to be a pureblood and felt it made him special, while the others in his family just took it in stride and never bothered dwelling on that. They were too busy living day to day to put on false airs. Molly didn't help and for some reason favored Percy's delicate sensibilities, buying him new things when everyone else had hand-me-downs. But Fred and George did their best to keep him humble, always pranking him and showing up and acting out when he was trying to impress other, richer purebloods. He couldn't stand his rowdy, boisterous brothers. They were an embarrassment, as was the entire family with their patched robes and hand-me-down books and such.

He was recruited by the deatheaters after he had worked at the Ministry for a couple of years, by Lucius Malfoy himself, who convinced the young wizard that Ginny's unfortunate incident in the Chamber of Secrets was merely a ruse to try and get Potter, that the witch herself was never in danger of harm. He even blamed Ron's association with Harry as the true danger. Lucius then took him about and let him get a taste of the good life, introducing him to other wealthy, powerful deatheaters that seemed to accept him. Shared service to the Dark Lord equalized everyone…they were all brothers. So Percy took the Mark. It was at the first revel that he learned what a horrible mistake he had made.

This did not absolve the wizard however. He really did want to rape Hermione when she was captive at Voldemort's stronghold, though he would have never tried it on his own. He had wanted a go at her for a long time…and it seemed rape was the only way it would have happened. He figured it couldn't hurt, because she was destined to be fucked by a bunch of deatheaters anyway. He might as well join in. They weren't going to kill her after all…maybe make her wish they had, but that would have been on Hermione.

Anyway, he regretted what he had given up. Percy would give anything to sit among his boisterous, ill-mannered family and fight over the last bun, or piece of treacle tart on the dinner table. He wouldn't care if Fred and George pranked him all day, or if Ron drove him mad with stupid questions. And he would give anything, anything, to feel his mother's comforting arms around him, covering his face with kisses like she used to do, embarrassing him in front of his peers. He missed Molly. And Ginny. Sweet Ginny. She never gave up on him or forgot about him. She and his mother sent him gift baskets of fudge, meat pies and all manner of treats on holidays and his birthday. It meant so much to him. Percy wished he had appreciated what he had when he had it. He wished he could live his life all over again. He'd be different this time. But there were few second chances to be had at life, and despite all the attempts, the wizard was sure he would never see the outside of Azkaban prison again.

At Sunday dinners, a table setting was always made for Percy and an empty chair placed in front of it. Molly would look at it from time to time, and tears would fall. But her son was always in her heart, and she refused to act as if he didn't exist. This made Sunday dinner bittersweet sometimes, but she did find joy in her remaining family being together.

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One good thing about going to Ginny's house for dinner, Percival finally found out where she lived. She never told him. They always met up for their dates.

Percival flew to her flat by broom, since Ginny disliked extravagance and would have balked at going to the Burrow in a carriage drawn by Pegasii. She still hadn't told her family just whom she was bringing to dinner. Most likely they would apparate there, but Percival wouldn't have minded flying with her. It would be an opportunity to hold her in his arms again. The kiss had affected the wizard very much. So much so that the next date he had with a socialite ended with him sending her home after an unsuccessful attempt at taking what she offered him after dinner and a show. Her practiced responses turned him off, and he sent the disappointed witch home in his carriage.

The wizard landed in front of a series of rather tiny run-down flats. He checked the number in his pocket and looked on the front of each flat for the corresponding digits. He found Ginny's. It wasn't as bad as most. She had planted some flowers and given the front of it a coat of paint. Still, Percival didn't like it. She deserved so much more.

Percival reduced his broom, walked up to the door and knocked on it. Ginny opened it, immediately, giving him a nervous smile and a peck on the cheek. For a moment, the wizard considered turning his head so her kiss landed on his mouth, but resisted the urge.

"Hello Percival. Please come in," she said opening the door. "I'll be ready to go in a second."

Percival walked past Ginny into the smallest flat he had ever seen in his life. The combination living room and kitchen was smaller than his walk-in closet in the manor. A bathroom and a bedroom opened off of it. He felt he could hardly turn around.

Ginny kept it nice however. It was painted a soft pastel green, and she had a lot of plants, and nice pictures on the wall, scenes of landscapes mostly. Her furniture was second-hand and mismatched. A small sofa and a loveseat. There was a small recessed bookshelf that held a number of titles, and her little kitchenette was clean and bright, pots hanging from hooks under the two small cabinets.

Ginny walked into her bedroom. Percival couldn't resist peeking in. She had a full-sized bed that almost took up the entire room. He couldn't see the witch but heard drawers opening and closing. He sat down on the sofa…right on a spring. He stood up, pulled out his wand and fixed it surreptiously, then sat down again. He noticed a picture of several red-haired people waving frantically, and stood up, walking over to examine it. Obviously it was her family. All with flaming red hair. They seemed to be in a foreign land. A couple of them were wearing fezzes. It was an old picture. Ginny was quite young. He noted a set of twins who were ruffling the hair of a rather aggravated looking brother, who kept pushing his glasses up in exasperation and swinging at their hands. He smiled.

Percival was an only child, and growing up had been lonely and rather strict. Since his family was wealthy, his parents were quite picky about who he played with. Mostly it was house elves when he could manage it. Both his parents died, one after the other shortly after he graduated Hogwarts and taking over the family business matured him quickly. It was a blessing he was sorted into Slytherin house and lived by their code of self-preservation and self-gain. Other wizards attempted to acquire his holdings while pretending to be taking him under their wings, but he never once fell for it…divining their intentions immediately.

One elderly wizard with an eye for his galleons had asked him, "Do you not trust anyone, Percival?"

To which the wizard responded, "Yes I do, sir. Myself."

Percival learned the game quite quickly and became somewhat of a pariah, though he was a brilliant businessman, with an eye for moneymaking investments. His father had drilled into him that he was a steward of the family fortune and had to make sure it would be there for his children and their children. So he did his best to do so, hoping to have plenty of children with which to share the wealth. Preferably a couple of redheaded children.

Ginny exited the bedroom. She was in a nice dark green skirt that fell below her knees and a lighter green button-up blouse. Her red hair was pulled back in a long French braid that hung down her back. She wore small green earrings and a small watch on her wrist. She didn't have on any make-up. She rarely wore it. Only on special occasions. Still, she looked wonderful. Fresh. Open. Not a bit of artifice about her. Percival wished he could kiss her again.

Ginny looked at Percival, that nervous smile still on her face.

"I'm ready," she said, "Shall we go?"

Percival rose.

"I'm ready if you are," he said, grinning at her nervousness.

Ginny walked to the door, followed by the wizard.

"Then you can't be that ready," she replied. "No one is ever really ready for the Weasleys."

Percival smirked but didn't say anything as he exited the flat. The truth was, he was looking forward to meeting Ginny's family. It seemed as if it would be an adventure.

Ginny locked and warded the door to her flat with care. Percival watched her, frowning slightly as she applied several wards.

"You are certainly piling those on," he commented.

"Well, I was cleaned out once. Someone broke in and stole everything of value I had…which wasn't much really. They left what really mattered to me…my photos and books," she said as they walked up the street to an apparation point.

Percival tried to wrap his mind around this. He had never been robbed in his life, but if he had…he would most certainly had moved from the place which had been violated.

"Why do you stay there?" he asked her, his brow furrowed. "This doesn't seem like a very good area."

Percival eyed several shady-looking young wizards in front of a flat who were watching them pass. Not a very friendly-looking lot. He slipped his hand in his pocket, gripping his wand.

"I can afford it. It's not too bad really. I'm just very careful, and it's all right. I'm not a 'victim' type. I will hex the hell out of anyone who even looks like they want to mess with me," Ginny said with a cruel little smirk. "One bloke told me I fit right in down here."

Percival didn't think so, but didn't say anything. Now that he knew where she lived, and how she lived, he would hire some extra security to watch over her home and the witch. Quietly of course. Ginny would kill him if she found out. But she wouldn't.

They arrived at the apparation point. Ginny took his hand. Percival noticed her grip was rather firm and sweaty.

"Don't be nervous, Ginny. I'm sure everything will go fine," he said, patting her hand reassuringly.

Ginny looked up at him hesitatingly.

"Um, Percival…would you mind if I introduced you as Mr. Percival Hornswallow, rather than Lord? It might make things a little less…er…tense," Ginny said in a small voice.

"Well, that would be fine, Ginny, particularly since I am going to tell your family to call me Percival," he replied.

Ginny stiffened a moment. How could she have forgotten such a thing?

"Percival, my mother might have a reaction when she hears your name. I just want to prepare you," she said.

"A reaction," Percival repeated, his eyebrows raised. "What kind of reaction?"

Ginny hesitated.

"An emotional one. She might cry. You have the same name as my brother who is in Azkaban…but we call him Percy," she said softly, her brown eyes sad.

Percival looked at the witch.

"Why is he in Azkaban?" Percival asked, hoping he wasn't being too intrusive. But he hadn't known this…not that it reflected in any way on Ginny or her family as far as he was concerned. People made their own bed of nails to lie upon, and not everyone slipped into it.

"He joined Voldemort, not understanding what he was getting into. He's in Azkaban because he was a member, but he never committed any crimes in the Dark Lord's name. We've been working on an appeal for almost two years, but the Ministry won't let him go. He used to work for them and I think they feel he needs to be punished worse than an ordinary wizard since he was one of theirs," Ginny said.

Percival nodded.

"Hopefully, your mother won't be affected too long," he said, tightening his grip on her hand.

"Mum is always affected. She is always grieving for Percy," Ginny said, "Even in her happiest moments, if you look deep enough, you can see the sadness underneath."

Percival nodded again.

"Let us go, Ginny," he said softly. "I want to meet your family."

The witch nodded, and they disapparated.

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A/N: All right, they are on their way to the Burrow to meet the parents. This ought to be interesting. We see a bit of the Slytherin come out of Percival when he decides to hire some invisible security for Ginny without her knowledge. Please review.