In A Time Of Uncertainty

Part Four, Chapter Thirteen

Dear Percy,

Hagrid's fine and all when you're in school and he's the gamekeeper who lives in the hut, but the second you have to work with him and dangerous beasts you realize he truly is mad. I'm not even going to start telling you about the manticores, or the quintapeds, or the time that he tried to convince Dumbledore that we ought to invest in some re'ems so that we could use their blood for strength. I won't even mention his plan for how to use the blood and still keep the re'em alive and healthy. I refuse to bring up his enormous little brother and the way that he sees red hair as a shiny toy. So don't ask.

Not a bad person, Hagrid. Just completely out of his mind.

Oliver's mother certainly is gorgeous, isn't she? For an older woman and all. If you and Ol ever want to have children make sure that he's the one they're genetically related to, as it would be better for them to be gorgeous and burly as opposed to pasty and with hair that looks like a Shiny Grawp Toy.

That was a joke, Perce. Just for the record.

Love, Charlie

Dear Percy,

I'm rubbish at letters, but I thought I'd write anyway to see how things were going. Remus (so odd, calling him Remus) and I have been at Evermore for about a week. He says you and Oliver are officially invited to come visit once you get back from traveling.

Hope things are well, Harry

Dear Percy,

Things here are very different without you, though I must say that Ron and Ginny keep me from sitting around and missing you all the time. We were supposed to have a system for who made dinner, but they insist that I make better food than either of them do and so now it's all my job. Ron has kept the promises he made to your mother about not annoying anyone and doing all his own laundry.

Fred has been doing excellent work with the Aerial Branch. As soon as the rest of the Branch begins to notice I'm going to promote him - I'm not going to do it until then because I don't want anyone to think I favor him because of you. Tensions are a little high as it is, just because of the circumstances, and so I'm trying to avoid conflict whenever possible.

I suppose you've heard by now about the destruction in Knockturn Alley. That was Kingsley's branch. I'm dreading the day when my branch has to attack, scared that I'll kill someone like Theo who was there by chance. Kingsley's branch tried to get word out about Knockturn Alley ahead of time to avoid something like that, but there are only so many people we know we can trust, and - damn, I wish you were here.

There's a surprise for you when you get home. No, it isn't lots of sex - that really isn't a surprise anymore, is it? (Insert huge wink here.) I think you'll like it.

I love you always and I miss you very, very much.

Yours, Oliver

Dear Percy,

I arrived at Evermore to find that the Queen Anne's lace was blooming everywhere in the back garden. Right now it's filling vases all over the house.

Sirius and I never needed a guest bedroom in the house, so now Harry is sleeping on a couch. I offered him the bedroom but he said he wanted me to have it. Until we arrived no one had slept in it in over a year, and it was very odd to be there again.

Harry's being terribly good about the fact that he hasn't got his own room. We've developed a kind of routine. Every morning I get up first and make breakfast; he does the dishes and then we're at our own devices for the rest of the morning. He makes lunch and then we typically go into town and do any errands that need to be done together. Later in the day he writes to Ron and Hermione and sometimes lets the Snitch loose in the garden so he can catch it. I'm catching up on some reading.

He spent the day over at Topaz Sun a couple days back, has Oliver told you? Came back with a sunburn.

We are both in the position, Percy, of being newly rich men. I hope that when you return home you don't have the shock of adjustment that I'm currently having. I find myself putting on threadbare robes only to remember that there is no longer a reason for me to not have better ones. A small thing, but somehow very unnerving.

Sincerely, R.J.S. Lupin

Dear Oliver,

I miss you too. Your mum is great to work with, though, and I've been hearing a lot of stories about your childhood. I'll leave you to wonder which ones, and whether they're horrible or adorable.

I'm glad to hear about Fred; I think a promotion would be excellent for him. I did hear about Knockturn Alley. I know you hate all of this, Oliver, but I trust that when the time comes you'll be able to do the right thing.

Your mother and I are leaving for Spain tomorrow. The Canadian Ministry took a lot of time, as Voldemort never affected North America in the previous war and they didn't know nearly as much about him as the Ministries in Europe do.

Looking forward to my surprise!

I'm working on a poem for you. Hopefully you'll have it in the next letter.

Love to you always, Percy

Percy:

Good of you and Wood to give me the flat in Allerby Lane instead of the one in London, because the flat is currently becoming full up with visitors. Like operating a hotel except that no one thinks to pay me. Death Eaters wrecked someone's house, Dumbledore sends them here. Someone's neighbors are acting suspishush, they take over the living room. Pretty soon we'll have to be sending them to the London flat.

I want to have Tibblentina's claws removed, as she likes sinking them into my trouser leg and the sides of the beds, but Figgy says that she should have them if she ever goes outside. Am inclined to believe Figgy.

Dung

Dear Harry,

Your letter was fine. Oliver and I would love to visit Evermore, although the way things are going I don't know when we'll find the time. It won't be until after you've left for school, unfortunately. School - a place where you will further develop your mind that has never, ever been unbalanced.

Remus tells me you got a sunburn. I hope it isn't too horrible.

Sincerely, Percy

Dear Percy,

Things on the island are really busy, although not much of it directly affects Ron and me. Most days we swim. Ron's got some actual muscles on his arms and I can tell he thinks they're wonderful, although I think they're only sort of regular. Tonks is visiting - this is her magenta ink - and she's teaching me to do somersaults under water. You have to do it really fast or else salt water and horrible things go up your nose.

Harry came for a visit. We all - Harry, Ron, Oliver, Fred, and me - played sort of an abbreviated version of Quidditch on the beach. It's really cool, flying over the beach when the sun is setting.

Oliver, I can tell, misses you a lot, although the surprise he told you about is helping somewhat.

Love, Ginny

P.S. Tonks and Ron want to write...

WOTCHER, PERCY! OLIVER TOLD ME ABOUT HOW THE PIXIES ACTUALLY HELPED YOU TWO OUT A BIT, SO NOW I DON'T FEEL SO AWFUL. I'M SPENDING MY THREE DAY'S HOLIDAY HERE, AND THEN IT'S OFF TO ANOTHER MISSION WITH SEVERUS. HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU.

TONKS

Hi, Percy, wish I wasn't writing in pink ink. Stuff here is fine. Harry came over but Ginny's told you about that. Hermione's parents say that they don't see enough of her and are insisting that she stays home for the rest of the summer. Not much else to say. Ron

Dear Charlie,

I'm sorry that Hagrid's mad. I'm also sorry that you are a Shiny Grawp Toy. Maybe if you wore one of the balaclavas he would leave you alone.

Yes, Ol's mother is very pretty, although she thinks she needs to lose weight (which I don't agree on). As for children, I know you meant it as a joke, but it got me thinking. How long do you think this war will last? Stupid question, forget that, how old do you think a person ought to be before they have children? It's a long way off but I've been thinking about it a lot because it takes my mind off things.

Spain is rather warm, and I don't know very much Spanish yet at all, though Anne is fluent.

Love, Percy

Dear Remus,

I'm pleased to hear that things at Evermore are going as well as can be expected. What books are you reading? I haven't read one for the fun of it since March of last year, now that I think about it.

Work is stressful and exhausting. If Sirius managed to do all the things that Anne and I are doing on his own he must have been very determined. I wish I could have met him.

Sincerely, Percy

Dear Percy,

We've bombed Malfoy Manor. Afterwards we heard that Draco and his mother had been out of the house at the time, but we injured a house-elf and the entire time I was feeling as though I were on your feverish ship. The place is completely annihilated, just a heap of stone and smoke and ash.

Retaliation is expected soon.

Yours, Oliver

Ol -

Oh God, I love you so much. The poem is finished. Before I got your most recent letter I was going to tell you not to laugh at the poem, but now you can laugh all you like if it will make you feel better.

waves undulate, bodies wave -

salt of sea and salt of semen

sweet sweat, liquid of life -

island is land,

undulate

Love, always, Percy

Perce,

Last time I saw you you were pretty out of it, so I thought I'd write and tell you that I'm all right. Not great, but not horrid, either. Dung and I are busy making weapons, and both of us have to go back to St. Mungo's a lot for physical therapy. I don't think about my leg so much as I used to - loads of people are staying here and I'm sharing what used to be you and Ol's bed with two other blokes, from Cheshire. When you never have any privacy you get used to other people being around.

If Oliver was right you'll be getting this letter once you're in South Africa. Best of luck.

Your brother, George

Dear George and Dung,

Not much time to write. Things here are very busy but I'm okay. Say hello to everyone for me.

Percy

Percy dear,

I know we haven't written but Remus and Oliver have been telling us all of your news. Things are very quiet in the Burrow without any of you here. Bill comes over for dinner on most nights, though. Your father is messing about with some sort of fuse and I'm keeping very busy.

Love to you always, Mum (with love also from Bill and Dad)

Dear Oliver, Ron, Ginny, and Fred,

It was very indefinite for a while but thing are now on schedule and I'm still coming home on 1 September. No time to write more, except to say that I love you all and am counting down the hours.

Love, Percy