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 17

Chapter Summary:
Percy gets very horny and Oliver makes a few decisions.
Posted:
10/19/2003
Hits:
1,278
Author's Note:
All right, you patient yet hyper readers, I promise you that this is the VERY LAST CHAPTER Percy and Oliver spend apart. Thanks for hanging in there!

Part Two, Chapter Eight

"Actually, she took it well," said Charlie to Oliver the next day. "I think she was afraid that Percy would use all the baking supplies if we left him at home another day."

"Dedalus brought me some of those biscuits," said Mrs. Figg, who was sorting papers on the floor. "Lovely. Very tasty. Mr. Tibbles liked them too."

Oliver and Percy exchanged furtive smiles over the top of her head.

A very subdued Mundungus was spread out on the couch, both eyes half closed. "Don't talk so bloody loud," he groaned, putting his hand to his head. "I'm hung over."

"Charlie, come and look at this," said Mrs. Figg in an exaggerated stage whisper.

"I thought I'd let you use my library as a sort of office," said Oliver to Percy. "Follow me."

Down the corridor and to the left was a tiny room - or maybe it was only the fantastic amount of books that made it look so small. They covered every inch of wall space, leaving only the desk and floor bare.

"Sorry about all this," said Oliver, gesturing to the books. "There's no place else for them."

But Percy was barely listening; he turned around in a slow circle, trying to take in the sheer vastness of the volumes. "How many are there?" he asked, aware of the awe in his voice.

"Ian tried to count once, but he got bored after three hundred and eighty-three," said Oliver.

"I knew you liked to read, but I didn't know you liked it this much."

"Oh, don't be impressed," said Oliver, rolling his eyes. "They're mostly dedicated to three subjects: Quidditch, murder, and sex."

Percy gave a little jump. Oliver grinned.

"That one got you interested, didn't it?" he said with the air of someone who knew he was right. "Try that wall over there." He winked before he shut the door. Percy couldn't decide if he was irritated or pleased.

Pleased won.

"Brad," he moaned, getting harder by the second. "Just do it..."

"Give me one good reason why," whispered Brad before he bit teasingly at Jonathan's stomach. The other man's fingers dug fiercely into his shoulders.

"Because I - "

There was a loud knock at the front door, followed by an even louder string of expletives from Mundungus. Percy set down the book and, once he was sure his robes sufficiently hid his erection, opened the door to the library.

"Hello, Ian," he heard Oliver say.

"Hey, Ol. What's all this?"

Pause. "Complicated. Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." Ian sounded confused.

"All right. My bedroom, then."

Two pairs of footsteps were getting louder as they came closer to the corridor; Percy sprinted back to the library and shut the door as quietly as he could. He heard the door next to him open and shut a few seconds later.

There was some muffled noise, and then Oliver said, "Ian...you know I think you're great. You've always been a wonderful friend to me, and I hope you always will. But I don't think we ought to be a couple anymore."

Percy leaned against the bookcase and strained his ears.

"Why?" Ian asked. "I mean, we have loads of fun, and - Ol, is there something you're not telling me?"

Oliver sighed. "No, there isn't. But we can't give each other enough, Ian. You need someone who can share his whole life with you, and I can't. Until this war ends, there are always going to be things I can't tell you, people I know whom you can't meet. I love you as a friend, but I'm not in love with you, and you shouldn't have to wait around for someone who isn't absolutely mad about you." His voice was gentle and a little sad.

There was a silence. "I understand," Ian finally said.

"I had to tell you," said Oliver. "I care about you too much to do this to you."

More silence. Then Ian said, "That mate of yours with the red hair and glasses is gorgeous."

Percy nearly fell into the bookcase.

"Percy?"

"Yeah, the tall bloke with the freckles across his nose. Is that his brother in the sitting room?"

"Yeah, Charlie."

"He's cute too. Too many muscles for me, though."

"I resent that," said Oliver. Ian laughed.

"Is Percy gay?"

"Bi."

"Date him."

Percy's mouth fell open. He couldn't believe this, couldn't believe that Oliver's now-ex was trying to set them up...

"Ian!"

Well, Oliver didn't need to sound that shocked.

"I'm serious, date him. Honestly, Ol, have you seen that arse? God...and that really white skin. I bet he turns pink up to the roots of his hair whenever he's really turned on."

"He does," Oliver replied. "He's my ex."

There was a sound of skin slapping against skin and then a groan."

"Sorry, I'm so stupid - "

"No, you just didn't know."

"So what happened?" Ian asked.

"Things. It was right after Hogwarts...I think we were just too young for things to get as involved as they did."

"You're older now."

"Oliver!" called Mrs. Figg from the sitting room. "I need you to read this letter."

"I've got to go," Oliver said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"All right."

"If you ever want to snog an incredibly handsome Frenchman, I know three single ones."

"You know, I might just take you up on that."

Their laughter grew fainter as they walked further down the hall.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Percy slipped off his glasses and turned them over so he could see his reflection. The curvature of the lenses made it slightly distorted, but still fairly accurate.

Am I really good-looking?

he wondered.

He hadn't bothered to comb down his hair since coming home to the Burrow, so it was a mass of unruly curls. Though he'd fought against his hair for years, somehow he didn't mind the curls now. They seemed right, somehow, like the way his hair should be.

His forehead, due to a full two years without holiday, was currently unfreckled, though he did have two spots lurking near his temple.

His eyes frustrated him most of all. Percy had read book after book in which eyes reflected every possible emotion: grief, joy, anger, lust, disappointment, fear, determination, love. His didn't. They were brown, not even a deep brown like Oliver's, but a pale and blank shade that revealed absolutely nothing. He hurriedly skipped down to his nose.

The last of his freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of his nose, like someone had tapped a cinnamon canister over him. It was quite a long nose, though fairly thin and straight. Only his father and Ron had a nose like his.

He hadn't seen Ron yet. According to Ginny he'd come home late at night and left at the crack of dawn. "He's fuming," Ginny had said. Her eyes had been solidly fixed on the sausage she was cutting. "I've never seen him quite like this. I could hear him storming around his room most of the night."

Percy stared a second longer and then hastily shoved his glasses back onto his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Oliver invited the Recruitment Department to stay for dinner.

"Can't, sorry," said Mundungus, who had eventually forced himself to get up off the couch and start work. "I've an engagement."

"If Magical Law Enforcement catches you, don't expect me to pay your bail," said Mrs. Figg as she removed Mr. Tibbles from Oliver's umbrella stand.

"The problem with you, Figgy," said Mundungus, raising his head in a very defensive way, "is that you can't see the better nature of a man. As it happens, my engagement tonight has nothing to do with my, er, line of business."

"Where are you going?" asked Charlie, grinning.

"On a visit, not that it concerns you."

"Have you got a date, Dung?" Oliver asked, his eyes crinkled with mirth. "What's her name?"

"I'm going to see my mother. Satisfied, Wood?"

Charlie and Oliver howled with laughter. "Your mother!" Charlie gasped, his head thrown back. "What's she called, Mrs. Dung?"

"Now we know where the lovely drag ensembles come from," Oliver added.

Mundungus scowled and disapparated.

"I can stay for dinner," said Mrs. Figg once Charlie and Oliver had calmed down.

"All right, then, spaghetti for four," said Oliver, and opened the door to the kitchen.

Percy had never seen Oliver's kitchen before; it was small and blue, with several Muggle appliances. There was a gigantic moving photograph of the sky on the ceiling. Percy watched the clouds roll across the setting sun.

"I've owled Fudge to say I'm going back to work tomorrow," he said as Oliver began to boil water.

"Tomorrow?" said Charlie, surprised. He sat down between Percy and Mrs. Figg. "Go on and go the day after, we won't mind." He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Of all the days to go back to work..."

Oliver looked over, curious. Percy's eyes rested on the strong curve of his back.

"It's Percy's twentieth birthday tomorrow," Charlie explained.

Oliver smiled at Percy. "Really? Take the day off."

"I need to go back to work," Percy insisted. "I've added a bit to the list of names and now there isn't anything left to do until I get the files."

"It can wait," said Oliver. "If you skive off work another day I'll show you Edinburgh after I'm done with practice."

"Oliver, this is a war! Things can't just wait!"

"War doesn't mean your life gets put on hold," said Oliver firmly, dropping stiff strands of spaghetti into the bubbling water. "Come on."

"Bill and I thought of an inscription for your gravestone, Perce," said Charlie. "Here lies Percy Ignatius Weasley. The only man who, on his deathbed, wished he had spent more time at the office."

"I think he's being very responsible," said Mrs. Figg.

"That's his problem," Charlie replied.

Percy gave him a pointed look. "I am returning to work tomorrow and that is final."

"Then I'll pick you up afterward," said Oliver. Percy's stomach gave a nervous yet anticipatory jump.

"What did Ian want?" asked Mrs. Figg as Oliver served the spaghetti.

"The long and short of it is that we broke up on amicable terms," Oliver said.

Percy was stunned. Aside from one lesson in Professor Lupin's class, he'd never heard someone talk so candidly about romance between men. He wished someone had been candid when he was fourteen and scared out of his mind. Just once.

"Pity," said Mrs. Figg as Oliver poured the milk. "He's such a nice boy."

Oliver took the seat next to Percy. "He is," he said. "But I think we both need someone different."

By the time Percy dared to look at Oliver his host was staring resolutely at the salt shaker.


Author notes: Next chapter: Percy goes back to work...