Ron wrinkled his nose in distaste at that last statement. "No. I would never have just let you read it in the Prophet, Percy. Especially not when I was-" He didn't really need to finish the sentence. "That's not how it works, remember? Family tells each other shite and helps each other? Or however it went." He shrugged, not really remember what it was exactly he had said yesterday at the Burrow but it didn't rightly matter. "Don't-don't thank me. It's not like I really looked forward to telling you this but I wasn't going to let you be alone when you found out, yeah?"
If Ron were to consider his entire family and their closeness to Harry, Percy might actually be the only one who didn't seem to ever really bond with him. Charlie had met Harry earlier on in their first year and then once the Order was reassembled and Bill met Harry with the Order as well and both of them seemed to get on with him rather well. Obviously they weren't exactly the best of friends, but they still liked him well enough. But that was all a time in which Percy was stuck in the Ministry and before that, Percy was always busy being a Prefect and studying so truly, he sort of was the only one in the family that didn't know Harry much at all. It was odd for Ron to think about it that way because Harry had just sort of always been a part of the family and he never considered that anyone didn't quite know him that well. "You did help, just by being there. By offering support even if you didn't know him well. That's all we really can do, I guess."
Ron looked over at Percy and gave him a cynical look. He was rather a master at being stupid at a time like this so he knew better than to believe him or to leave him alone either. He did need to go see Hermione and discuss all the new information he had uncovered but that could wait until he knew Percy was not in danger. Which might not be for a while considering his connection to Penelope's dream. Ron was going to have to ask Gaskin for a protection detail for Percy - it only made sense considering. "No mate, it's fine. I think I'll stay with you for a while if you don't mind." He'd also ask George if he'd stay with Percy once he left as well.