→ o1. [video]

[aperfectthird]

[The feed opens quite abruptly on a young man looking into the device with a combination of consternation and confusion. A finger appears and taps on the screen, then the view promptly swings around to a pair of perfectly polished dress shoes. The view shakes for a moment before coming back to Percy's face, brow still furrowed.]Oh, I think it's

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[7thborn]

[Merlin's beard. Merlin's beard. What's the City playing at? He's never been here before, not until that one weekend, and that had to have been a fluke because Percy Weasley doesn't ever follow where his family's been, not for years-Merlin, it's been years-and here he is because who else could it be, she can't forget a face, even if it belongs to her estranged older brother.

Had they even parted on good terms that weekend? Civil, at least? She'd been awful. But they'd still spoken. They'd been in the same room and she didn't draw her wand.

Breathe.

Breathe.

... How is she supposed to react to this? How is she supposed to greet him?]

voice ][

[7thborn]

[She can't deal with video right now. She cannot promise her expression won't be less than pleasant.]

Percy?

[... or her tone, for a matter of fact.]

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

Ginny?

You've been brought here, too? That is absolutely unacceptable. Don't worry. I'll get us back to England.

voice ][

[7thborn]

[And he's acting like they're best friends.]

I'm not worrying and no, you won't.

[... Alright, maybe she ought to reel her temper back in just a bit more. She pauses, working through the tightness in her throat, and when she speaks again, her voice is more even. Maybe softer on the edges. A little.]

And you haven't got to yell, I can hear you just fine.

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

[...wait, why does she sound so angry? Well, perhaps it's understandable; he's angry too, and scared, and getting angrier because she's here too and probably scared as well, and that Will Not Do.

A moment, and when he speaks again, it's in a more normal tone.]

I will. I'm waiting to hear back from the people in authority here. They can't just be yanking British citizens without any regard for anything; it's unconscionable.

voice ][

[7thborn]

[She's not angry. SHE'S NOT ANGRY-this... is not what angry sounds like. No. Of course not. Okay, temper in, breathing, and Merlin damn it, let her heart stop going about a mile a minute.]

Percy, look.

[Play nice, Ginny, remember the last time the two of you talked.]

The "people in authority" here... the deities-they don't exactly care about being, er, unconscionable.

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

...deities?

What do you mean?

voice ][

[7thborn]

I mean this place has magic. And not the sort we're used to.

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

Is that why I couldn't get out -

[A pause, and he lowers his voice a bit more.]

- the normal way?

voice ][

[7thborn]

It's a lot like Hogwarts that way, yeah.

[She pauses, then huffs out a breath.]

At least we had the option to leave the castle. Though I suppose it's about time this place started collecting more of our lot or something.

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

What do you mean 'our lot'? How many others are here?

voice ][

[7thborn]

A fair amount.

[She isn't about to break any news when she doesn't have any answers of her own.]

Can't quite say, not until I ask a few questions too. You worked in the Ministry, Percy, you know all the laws about Time-Turners, don't you? [Hypothetical question.] The City mucks around with time, so I've got to ask when you're from.

[Pause.]

Of course, given that you're actually talking to me and want to save your baby sister from this awful place- [She manages to keep the mocking from her voice, actually, it's just sort of matter-of-fact.] -I think I can guess.

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

What do you mean 'what time?' It's seventh May, 1998, of course.

voice ][

[7thborn]

[There's a sound, something not so tightly controlled and sharp and irritated all at once. Ginny doesn't realise it's come from her own throat until she feels how the device is digging into the palm of her hand, she's squeezing it too hard, and she sets it down on her desk and stands and walks away from it for a few seconds. Ahead. Always ahead. All of them. And she'll be left behind again and again; she knew Percy must be from after, he's talking to her like she's forgiven him, he's talking to her, but the confirmation sits bitter on her tongue like it always does

voice ][

[aperfectthird]

Ginny?

[He heard that noise, and it had to have come from her, because who else would it come from? It sounded awful, guttural, sharp and ugly, and he's immediately concerned for her. If something's wrong, he wants to do something to help her.

And then, after a moment that's dragged out just a little too long, she speaks, and he's too stunned to reply for a moment. He finally manages to gather his shattered composure to speak:]

...2011? How is that possible? And when - when are you from? If not May 1998?

voice ][

[7thborn]

[Wouldn't you like to know? leaps to the tip of her tongue but she bites it back almost literally, swallowing against the lump in her throat and trying to reach for calm and rationality. It's a good thing, perhaps, that this isn't the first time she's seeing or hearing Percy since she's been here. The viciousness isn't nearly as potent as it had been that one weekend, drained away to leave something colder and emptier but less acidic. Maybe in time, that missing piece in her heart and their family will be filled again, maybe the City is giving the Weasleys a second chance altogether-but for now, she's tired. And she doesn't feel like hurting her older brother because she doesn't know what to feel.]

Doesn't matter. I know the same things you do.

[Maybe not everything, but enough.]

How- [A bit stiffly,] How are you, then?