Let Me Count The Ways

The first time Percy brought Oliver home, Bill and Charlie had exchanged a Look. Oliver was an annoying, flitty ball of energy, bouncing off the walls of the Burrow. He'd seemed at home within two minutes, and their mother instantly adored him. Oliver seemed so very much Percy's mirror opposite that neither Bill nor Charlie knew what to think. He had sat between Charlie and Percy at every meal, and hung off every word Charlie had to say. It would have been amusing if Percy hadn't been so jealous.

The second time Percy brought Oliver home was during the twins' first year at Hogwarts. The twins trailed Oliver around the Burrow in exactly the same way Oliver had trailed Charlie the first time, and for many of the same reasons. Bill and Charlie had laughed, because so often Percy would end up scowling at the twins, with his hands on his hips. After all, he wanted Oliver all to himself.

The third time Percy brought Oliver home, they were both older, and taller, and ganglier, and more serious. They would sit for hours in Percy's room, and if anyone entered, they would see that Percy was studiously studying his History of Magic textbook, and that Oliver was just as studiously studying Quidditch plays. It started to dawn on Bill and Charlie, then, that they had been perfectly mistaken about all this - and yet in a way, perfectly correct. Oliver was Percy's mirror opposite. Oliver was Percy's counter in every single way - but in every single way he was opposite, he was equally identical. Bill and Charlie also noticed how Percy had started to blush when Oliver grinned at him. Percy had started to be uncomfortable in Oliver's presence, and Bill and Charlie were beginning to realise why.

The fourth time Percy brought Oliver home, they sat in Percy's room and talked for hours about nothing. They would come down to breakfast each day still talking, talking about nothing, talking about everything. Bill and Charlie raised eyebrows at each other over the table as Oliver enthused about how wonderful England's new Beaters were, and Percy actually listened and offered a few opinions of his own. Bill and Charlie could hardly believe it. But when Percy did offer the opinions, Oliver beamed at him, and Percy burned scarlet, and Bill and Charlie understood.

The fifth time Percy brought Oliver home, they all understood. Percy took Oliver's cloak when he came through the door, and there were fewer words spoken, and more private smiles exchanged. The fifth time, there was no studying or Quidditch plays, and there were no night-long discussions. When Bill and Charlie passed Percy's room, there was only silence. But Percy sat a lot closer to Oliver now, and Oliver hung off Percy's words now, and Bill and Charlie nodded at each other.

It was the sixth time that Percy brought Oliver home, however, that he told them all that he was in love.

The twins, and Ron, and Ginny, and their parents, had all said they'd thought so.

But Bill and Charlie had known all along.