- Rating:
- R
- House:
- Astronomy Tower
- Ships:
- Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood
- Characters:
- Percy Weasley Remus Lupin Oliver Wood
- Genres:
- Romance Drama
- Era:
- The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
- Spoilers:
- Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Quidditch Through the Ages Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Stats:
-
Published: 06/29/2003Updated: 10/31/2004Words: 75,316Chapters: 45Hits: 65,748
In A Time Of Uncertainty
Marauder
- Story Summary:
- They once longed for each other years ago, but neither was ready to face his feelings. Now Voldemort has returned, Oliver is recruiting wizards to fight against him, and Percy is estranged from his family. Hesitant and apprehensive, they decide to try to be a couple.
Chapter 11
- Chapter Summary:
- Percy comes back to the Burrow, where he finds mixed reactions.
- Posted:
- 09/03/2003
- Hits:
- 1,406
- Author's Note:
- A belated thanks to hikarineko and jadeblue, who gave me a bit of beta advice on Part One, Chapter Nine to Part Two, Chapter Two. Love you lots!
Part Two, Chapter Two
They held each other for a long time until at last Molly looked up at her son, her eyes pink and wide.
"I always thought I didn't need to worry about you,' she said softly. "You were always old for your age, responsible, got excellent marks...it bothered me a bit that you spent so much time alone, but I figured that it was minor compared to the things your brothers got themselves into. You never wanted any help and after a while I stopped asking."
He didn't know what to say.
"We've never really been close," she said. "When you were little I didn't quite know what to make of you, you were always so reserved, not a bit like your father or me in that respect. And then the twins were born..."
"You were busy," he said.
She pulled him close again. "I feel almost as though I've never really known you. The night you left...I hadn't the faintest idea you thought any of those things, it never entered my mind..."
"It's all right, Mum," he said. He wasn't used to seeing her cry over him and it made him uneasy.
"I know you're an adult," she said. "I know you'll be twenty in a few weeks, but - I asked Fudge to give you two weeks' holiday."
His mouth dropped open. She must be mad. "Now? But - but You-Know-Who, the Ministry needs - "
"And I need you home," said his mother. "The Ministry can last for two weeks without you, they've had an influx of applications since the official announcement about You-Know-Who."
"That was only three days ago," he said. It shocked him that the Ministry hadn't sprung into action at the news; they'd walked about in shock for a while, going about their usual tasks while their eyes looked dead.
"Nevertheless. Alexandra Whitmoth is going to fill in for you; you'd have gotten a memo about it if you'd gone back to your office."
"And Fudge agreed to this?"
"I think I might have scared him a bit," said Molly. She looked down at her jumper and grimaced. "I look a mess, don't I."
He couldn't even begin to think of what he'd do for two weeks. An entire two weeks at home with his family, with no work...the unknown put a feeling of sick dread in his stomach.
"Where will I sleep? What about my flat, my clothes, my mail - "
To his surprise, his mother reached up and cupped the side of his face with her hand. "Don't worry about a thing. Let me take care of you, Percy - I want to do this."
"All right," he said after a moment, the words seeming alien to his tongue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They apparated to the Burrow's kitchen. At the table sat a young red-haired woman, eating a box of Every Flavor Beans; a yellow one was between her fingers. She looked up at him, her expression somewhere between scared and shy. "Hello, Percy."
It couldn't be - "Ginny?"
His baby sister had grown up. Her face had lost its child plumpness, and she was at least three inches taller. Her hair - the same hair Percy used to braid for her when they were very young - brushed just below her chin. There was a heaviness to her eyes he hadn't remembered.
"I didn't know if you'd come home," she said awkwardly.
He moistened his lips. "Well. I did."
"And he's not to do a bit of work while he's home," said their mother, picking up some books from the table. "You can have your old room back, Percy, there's plenty of room now that the twins have moved out."
They had? "Already?"
"Well, there's room about their shop, enough so that Charlie's staying with them. He's home from Romania for a month, did I mention that?" She tidied up the kitchen as she spoke, putting plates in the sink and regrouping the spice canisters.
So his brothers had finally gotten their long-awaited joke shop. A lucky thing, too - Percy had heard about how they hadn't graduated from Hogwarts. In his opinion, they ought to have waited out the few remaining months; even Marcus Flint had managed to graduate eventually.
"I must say, they've done quite well," said Molly. "George tells me that their daily profit averages around one hundred Galleons. Perhaps it's not the most intellectual of careers, but it suits them."
The damned prats were making more money than he was.
"Oh, Mum, Ron says to tell you that he isn't coming home for dinner," said Ginny, who was now separating the green Every Flavor Beans into a pile. "He's eating at Harry's."
"Harry lives with Muggles," said Percy.
"Some of the Order had a, er, discussion with his uncle," said Ginny, biting her lip to restrain a smile. "Don't know what they all said, but Moody was there, so I'm guessing that it was short, intense, and terrifying."
Percy's mother's mind was still on dinner. "So without Ron that leaves me, Bill, Charlie, you two, and your father. Percy, sit down, you're making me nervous."
He took the seat next to Ginny, who was chewing thoughtfully. "Not Fleur?" she asked.
"Your brother, thank heavens, has broken things off with her," said their mother. "Percy did you have breakfast?"
"Yes."
"He hasn't," said Ginny. "If his idea of breakfast is the same as it was when he was in school, he had three cups of black coffee with a side order of fingernails." She picked up Percy's hand and examined it. "Yep, looks like I was right."
"Accio Eggs!" cried their mother.
"Mum, it's fine, really, I don't need - "
"Percy Ignatius Weasley, you are having a decent meal and that is final!"
Ginny snorted. "Ignatius..."
"Hortensia," he retorted.
"That's enough, you two," said Molly, but she looked pleased. The eggs cracked themselves over the pan as she summoned the bread. "Bill finally came to his senses about that girl," she continued. As she pointed her wand Percy's breakfast continued to make itself, the fire crackling and the orange juice pouring into glasses. "I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did, they never had anything in common."
"Except that they both turned heads everywhere they went," Ginny added.
"Who does, us?" said a voice from across the room.
To his dismay, Percy turned his head to see Fred and George stepping out of the fireplace. "Oh, and she's made us a second breakfast too," said Fred. He noticed Percy and his cheerful manner vanished. "So. You're home."
Percy could feel his palms begin to sweat. "Yes."
"Finally decided Dad's not a lazy nutter?" asked George acidly. "Or did Fudge sack you now that he can't use you to - "
"George!" exclaimed their mother. Her cheeks were flushed and Percy could see the familiar dangerous spark in her eye. "Don't speak to him like that."
"Why not, he speaks to the rest of us any way he damn well pleases," said Fred. "Oh, I forgot, Percy's always gotten his own set of rules because he's too superior."
Percy leapt from his seat. "That's not true," he said at once.
"Oh, isn't it," Fred sneered. An ugly look had come over his face. "If we'd said half the things he said to Dad, we wouldn't have been taken back in a second because we're only the skiving, irresponsible - "
"That isn't true and it isn't fair!" cried their mother, but the twins weren't listening.
"I can't believe she took you back," said George. His voice was calmer than Fred's but it held no less venom. "You couldn't even be bothered to visit Dad when he was in St. Mungo's."
"I nearly did," Percy whispered.
"Yes, well, that did him a load of good, didn't it."
The smack of the frying pan caused them all to jump. "Fred, George," said their mother through clenched teeth, "I think it would be best for all of us if you got what you came for and then left."
Fred turned to Ginny. "Has Dean finished the logo yet?"
"He says he needs another day," said Ginny in a small voice.
George picked up a pinch of Floo powder from the mantle and tossed it into the fire. "Well, I'm off then," he said, stepping into the green flame. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." And he was gone.
Fred stared at Percy. "I saw Oliver Wood today," he said stoically. "I told him we weren't speaking, but he gave me a message to deliver anyway. He wants to meet you at the Leaky Cauldron as soon as possible. Why he'd want anything to do with you, I can't imagine." He too stepped into the fireplace. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
The second he disappeared, the smell of something burning wafted through the room. A flaming egg hovered just about the stove.
Ginny let out a shuddery cry. "I wish something could go right around here for once!" she cried, and raced out the door and up the stairs.
Slowly, Percy scooped up the scattered Every Flavor Beans. If things continued at the rate they were going, his idea of breakfast would soon include vodka.