In A Time Of Uncertainty

Part Three, Chapter Six

Ron endured a second of Percy's touch - perhaps more out of surprise than anything else, Oliver thought - and then violently jerked away. "I'm leaving," he muttered. His face was blotchy and tear-stained. "I'm leaving," he muttered as he stood. "Damn it, you - " He stopped short and ran out of the kitchen door, leaving it to slam behind him.

Of the remaining four people in the room Remus had maintained the most calm expression; for the first time, Oliver realized how many loud fights he must have endured in his life. "Let him go," Remus said. He turned back towards the table and stared downward at it. "He doesn't want to hear you right now."

"I don't care," Oliver said. He rose from his chair and helped Percy to his feet. "Go take your shower, Perce, I'm going to find him."

"Look, Wood, listen to Remus," Mundungus said at the same time that Percy asked, "What happened to not forcing people to reconcile?"

It was Percy to whom Oliver responded. "I don't care if he agrees with me. I mean, I do, but I just want him to hear what I have to say." Percy had come too far for this. His own remorse was penance enough for his sins; he felt he was unworthy of forgiveness but Oliver who loved him disagreed. Percy had been foolish and oblivious, but rarely dishonest. The strength of his lover's will redeemed him in Oliver's mind. Perhaps his mother had brought him home, but no one had made him join the Order. No one had forced him to return to a job he hated for its sake.

No one had coerced his love for Oliver.

"Can you and Dung represent the department?" Oliver asked. "I don't know how long this will take."

"He won't want to listen to you." Percy held one of Oliver's hands in each of his own. "I know he won't. He's too much like me."

Oliver pulled him closer; once he had done so he could see the slight trembling of Percy's lips. "Even back when we were in school, I thought you felt like no one heard you," he said softly. "Maybe he won't hear you, but he'll hear me whether he wants to or not."

"Then I'm going with you."

"Go to the meeting, love."

"I said I'm going with you," Percy said through clenched teeth. "I'm not going to let you go off and fight my battles for me."

"But you'll let me help?"

"Of course," Percy whispered. He brushed the side of Oliver's face with two long fingers, a delicate touch. "I'd want to help you when you needed it."

Oliver clasped Percy's hand and turned toward Mundungus. "Then I guess it's up to you at the meeting."

"And Charlie," Mundungus said. "He's apparating from Romania. And Figgy, if the kittens can spare her."

"We'll be in good hands." Oliver looked at Remus and tried to read his expression. It was impossible to tell, impossible to find anything past the cultivated blankness. But Oliver could see no anger, and that was what mattered the most.

"This place is enormous," Oliver said to Percy once they were out in the corridor. "How are we supposed to find him?"

Percy shrugged. "I guess we just have to look everywhere we can."

"Damn it. There's got to be some - oy! Mad-Eye!"

Alastor Moody had just come out of the dining room, a stack of papers under his arm and his magical eye spinning hurriedly. Upon hearing Oliver's call he fixed it on the two young men and squinted. "Yes?"

"Could you tell us where Ron is?" Percy asked.

"Why do you want him?" Moody asked suspiciously. Oliver got the impression that he would have regarded them just as warily had they asked for a glass of water.

"Because we need to talk to him," he said. "We'll find him whether you help us or not, but it'll save time if you could tell us where he went."

"You think he's in the house?"

"Yes."

"Good. This thing isn't exactly wonderful at long distance." Moody's eye rolled back in his head and then began to revolve like a globe. "Let's see...no, that's Bill...back staircase, between the second and third floors. Sitting with his elbow on his knee and his head propped up by his hand."

"Thank you," said Percy, and they took off down the corridor.

"I think the back staircase is this way," said Oliver, leading them back past the kitchen and toward the rear of the house. "Yeah, here it is." He stopped and took a deep breath. "I think I ought to go first. If he sees you he might take off."

"You're probably right." Percy stepped back and let Oliver proceed up the stairs.

Ron was where Moody had said he would be, his eyes looking intently at the cracked banister. Oliver knew they must be in his peripheral vision but Ron did not move his gaze. Uneasily, Oliver sat down on the step below Ron, beside the place where his large feet rested. Percy sat one step further down.

"I need to talk to you," he began. No response. He sighed and tried again. "Ron, we aren't trying to make excuses for anything Percy did. I won't tell you it wasn't wrong, or that it didn't hurt you family. But if you want him to suffer, you don't have to do a single thing."

"I don't care if he suffers," Ron snapped, his head turning sharply towards Oliver. "To tell you the truth, Percy, I'm just tired of dealing with you. You think you're brave? You're not. You're doing the same bloody thing you've done all your life, looking out for your own best interests. You wait, Oliver. When the Death Eaters attack - and they will, Dumbledore thinks they've been quiet for far too long - he'll be gone. Hiding in his office with his papers and his books."

"If that's what you want to think I can't stop you," Percy said. "There's no way I can change your mind. But I want you to know that I know I was wrong. I'm not skirting the issue or pretending to be on the Order's side so that I can be back in our family's good graces."

"But let's say you are right, Ron," Oliver said. "Let's say Percy's a manipulator who only wants to protect himself. You can't deny he's intelligent, even if you won't admit he has a single other positive quality. Wouldn't he find a better way to do it than using me? Because honestly, between your mum and Dumbledore, he wouldn't have to use anyone to join the Order. And there are even more things that don't fit into your theory. He never asked to join the Order, it was my idea. He didn't make a single pass at me either. My idea again."

"When it comes to you, Ol," Ron said, "there's only two options. First, he's gay and he used Penelope for a cover-up. Second, he's straight and he thinks he can get what he wants by shagging you."

"Third, I'm bisexual," Percy said.

"As in, you can't make up your mind because you can't make up your mind about anything."

"As in I loved Penelope and I love Oliver. It isn't easy loving a man, you know. It's not some convenience that gets me what I want."

"It makes you look sympathetic," Ron retorted. "'Oh, poor Percy, no wonder he was such a complete arse to everyone, he was feeling misunderstood because he fancies blokes.' I'm not stupid."

"No, but you're as stubborn as I am," Percy said, standing up. "I've said what I wanted to say and there isn't any more I can do." He reached out a hand to Oliver. "Let's go home, Ol."

Percy was right; there was nothing left to be done.

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

As soon as Percy took his shower and they went home - they skipped the meeting entirely, not feeling like facing another stressful situation - Percy took out parchment and a quill from his desk and began to write letters. "This one's to Fudge," he told Oliver as he signed the bottom of the first one. "To tell him that I'm resigning my position as Junior Assistant and that I'm going to apply for another job somewhere else in the Ministry." He dipped his quill and started to write the second. "This one's an apology to your parents."

"Give me some of that," Oliver said. Percy handed him a sheet. "I've got a letter to write too." He pulled up a chair and set his parchment down on the corner of the desk.

"To who?"

"Jean-Marc. He's a friend of mine I met in France the summer before seventh year. First person besides the family that I was out to, introduced me to my first boyfriend and everything. I haven't seen him since last winter but we write all the time. I told him about you back when we were in school."

"Did you tell him how I used you? I hope you did." Percy raised his head and looked at Oliver. "If I were you, I wouldn't have taken me back."

"If you were me, you would have seen how much potential you had. Have."

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

That night they made love slowly for the first time in their lives, taking time to experiment and to fully explore each other's bodies. When they had both climaxed Oliver climbed off of Percy - he had been straddling him - and folded him in his arms. "You won't have to be at work in the morning. If you want I can take the day off and spend it with you."

"No, go to practice. You've just had an excellent match, you don't want to do anything to jeopardize your career. Besides, someone has to go grocery shopping, there's barely any food left."

Oliver buried his head in the space between Percy's neck and shoulder. He meant to say something else, something about Ron, but then Percy began to stroke his hair and he was asleep within seconds.