“Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it...
Percy had made French toast for breakfast, and they'd both stuffed themselves to the point where the last piece really couldn't be eaten. The mutual agreement was that exploding would make too much of a mess, and seeing as the flat was just cleaned, pointless.
Boris would probably come and lick at it at some point.
"So, Jack, are you ready for the new term?" Percy asked from his side of the nook that served as a table.
"I am. Everyone says Headmistress Jane will let Grandmum come back to work. Are you going to come visit? Headmistress Jane likes parents to visit, and you could meet all my teachers. Professor Lupin is there, and the librarian Miss Van Andel is real nice."
Percy couldn't help the little line of concern that formed between his brows at the thought of his mother returning to work so soon, if at all.
"I know Professor Lupin from my days at Hogwarts," Percy replied. "I would like to meet your teachers, and see where it is you're spending your school days. Your Grandmum was the one to teach us before Hogwarts."
"I know," Jack said.
Penelope wiped her hands on her jeans and rapped on the door. She was excited to get Jack. Penelope hoped they'd had a good summer. As reluctant as she had been to give up her son, she had seen how happy he was. He needed more time with Percy.
"That'll be your Mum coming to collect you," Percy said as he got up to answer the door. He checked through the peephole, just to make sure it wasn't Mrs. Lowbinski trying to give them more sauerkrat. He smiled, then opened the door.
"Good morning, Penny. Please come in."
She did so.
"Hi, Mum."
Penelope tried not to be hurt that he did not jump up and run to her. Then again, he was getting older. She should expect he was not mummy's little boy any longer.
She made herself smile. "Your father cooked you breakfast, I see."
"It was very good. I almost exploded."
Percy grinned at Jack at the look on Penelope's face, and hastily explained, "From the amount of food eaten, not from some mishap with the cooking process. We found explosions were much less fun than running with sharp things and putting beans up our noses."
Penelope was trying to look exasperated at Percy and failed. it ended up a lopsided grin.
"Jack is far too sensible to be persuaded to put things up his nose."
Jack grinned. "I don't know, Mum. Heather assures me it's fun."
"They were small, non magical beans. Perfectly safe. Didn't affect Fred and George a bit," Percy assured Penny, rubbing his hand over Jack's hair affectionately.
"It seems, son, that our manly summer has come to an end," Percy said, sitting down so he was at Jack's level. "Do you have everything?"
"I left my toothbrush on purpose," Jack whispered loudly. "I want to stay with you some weekends if that's all right."
Penelope smiled sadly at them leaning so close. They should have had this always.
Percy nodded solemnly. "Of course it's all right. I'll make sure Boris doesn't chew on it." He held out his arms, pulling Jack close and squeezing tight, taking in the little boy smell of his son. Percy knew that he could see Jack at any time, but he'd enjoyed the summer they'd spent together, and he was going to miss having him about, talking about books, and Heather, and whatever else came to mind.
"We're staying above Three Broomsticks, and you're welcome to see Jack any time you like," Penelope said. "The MacDougal Matriarch decreed it so. She likes you, you know."
"Wow, Dad. That's pretty great. Nana doesn't just go liking anyone."
Jack hugged him again.
Percy hugged Jack back just as hard, then let his son pull away.
"I'm glad to hear that. We'll be sure to see one another, I promise. Have a good first day of school," he said, finally, not meeting Penny's eyes.
"Jack, would you go see what Boris is doing? I hear a ruffling sound."
Jack made a face. "You just want to talk without me here."
"Jack, please."
"Yes, Mum."
When Jack was safely out of earshot, Penelope looked at Percy hard. "What's wrong?"
Percy breathed in, hard, then the breath out slowly. "I can't fool you, can I? Nothing's wrong, per se. Mostly that I'm going to miss having Jackson here. He doesn't make a lot of noise, but I got rather used to him being around."
Penelope smiled a sad smile. "I know how that is. It won't be... I can share. You can come and see him any time you feel the need. Honestly. You heard him - he expects many more weekends until the next break. I've also been teaching him to use the owls. Jack loves getting and sending mail."
"Now that I don't feel as if I'll be pulled apart by the limbs in a sea of tartan, I'll make more of an effort to stop by," he replied, shoulders falling from their position near his ears.
"I shouldn't keep you any longer, though," Percy said, standing. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Thank you for letting me having Jack for a while."
"It's good for him, and I have always been about what was best for my son. That includes hexing the whole lots of the MacDougals if the harm Jack's father." She paused to let that sink in. "Jack? We should be going."
"I ride the portkey from Hogsmeade to school," Jack said, lugging his bag behind him. "It meets outside the Happy Hearth Bakery at 7:30 in the morning on normal school days, but the first day we meet at 10:30. If you're interested."
Penelope grinned as she shrunk Jack's things and picked up Georgie's traveling cage.
"It just happens that my calender is open, perhaps a bite of breakfast before school? Learning is impossible on an empty stomach," Percy grinned, before stepping back a bit to let them out the door.
"That would be great," Jack said excitedly. "The bakery's right there. Hannah makes real good breakfasts."
Penelope smiled. It was wonderful how excited Jack got about simple things sometimes. She liked that.
"Thank you, Percy," she said, taking Jack's hand.
"You're welcome. I'll see you on Tuesday."
Penelope nodded.
{SUMMARY: Penelope comes to pick up Jack from Percy's, ending their manly summer together.}
Boris would probably come and lick at it at some point.
"So, Jack, are you ready for the new term?" Percy asked from his side of the nook that served as a table.
"I am. Everyone says Headmistress Jane will let Grandmum come back to work. Are you going to come visit? Headmistress Jane likes parents to visit, and you could meet all my teachers. Professor Lupin is there, and the librarian Miss Van Andel is real nice."
Percy couldn't help the little line of concern that formed between his brows at the thought of his mother returning to work so soon, if at all.
"I know Professor Lupin from my days at Hogwarts," Percy replied. "I would like to meet your teachers, and see where it is you're spending your school days. Your Grandmum was the one to teach us before Hogwarts."
"I know," Jack said.
Penelope wiped her hands on her jeans and rapped on the door. She was excited to get Jack. Penelope hoped they'd had a good summer. As reluctant as she had been to give up her son, she had seen how happy he was. He needed more time with Percy.
"That'll be your Mum coming to collect you," Percy said as he got up to answer the door. He checked through the peephole, just to make sure it wasn't Mrs. Lowbinski trying to give them more sauerkrat. He smiled, then opened the door.
"Good morning, Penny. Please come in."
She did so.
"Hi, Mum."
Penelope tried not to be hurt that he did not jump up and run to her. Then again, he was getting older. She should expect he was not mummy's little boy any longer.
She made herself smile. "Your father cooked you breakfast, I see."
"It was very good. I almost exploded."
Percy grinned at Jack at the look on Penelope's face, and hastily explained, "From the amount of food eaten, not from some mishap with the cooking process. We found explosions were much less fun than running with sharp things and putting beans up our noses."
Penelope was trying to look exasperated at Percy and failed. it ended up a lopsided grin.
"Jack is far too sensible to be persuaded to put things up his nose."
Jack grinned. "I don't know, Mum. Heather assures me it's fun."
"They were small, non magical beans. Perfectly safe. Didn't affect Fred and George a bit," Percy assured Penny, rubbing his hand over Jack's hair affectionately.
"It seems, son, that our manly summer has come to an end," Percy said, sitting down so he was at Jack's level. "Do you have everything?"
"I left my toothbrush on purpose," Jack whispered loudly. "I want to stay with you some weekends if that's all right."
Penelope smiled sadly at them leaning so close. They should have had this always.
Percy nodded solemnly. "Of course it's all right. I'll make sure Boris doesn't chew on it." He held out his arms, pulling Jack close and squeezing tight, taking in the little boy smell of his son. Percy knew that he could see Jack at any time, but he'd enjoyed the summer they'd spent together, and he was going to miss having him about, talking about books, and Heather, and whatever else came to mind.
"We're staying above Three Broomsticks, and you're welcome to see Jack any time you like," Penelope said. "The MacDougal Matriarch decreed it so. She likes you, you know."
"Wow, Dad. That's pretty great. Nana doesn't just go liking anyone."
Jack hugged him again.
Percy hugged Jack back just as hard, then let his son pull away.
"I'm glad to hear that. We'll be sure to see one another, I promise. Have a good first day of school," he said, finally, not meeting Penny's eyes.
"Jack, would you go see what Boris is doing? I hear a ruffling sound."
Jack made a face. "You just want to talk without me here."
"Jack, please."
"Yes, Mum."
When Jack was safely out of earshot, Penelope looked at Percy hard. "What's wrong?"
Percy breathed in, hard, then the breath out slowly. "I can't fool you, can I? Nothing's wrong, per se. Mostly that I'm going to miss having Jackson here. He doesn't make a lot of noise, but I got rather used to him being around."
Penelope smiled a sad smile. "I know how that is. It won't be... I can share. You can come and see him any time you feel the need. Honestly. You heard him - he expects many more weekends until the next break. I've also been teaching him to use the owls. Jack loves getting and sending mail."
"Now that I don't feel as if I'll be pulled apart by the limbs in a sea of tartan, I'll make more of an effort to stop by," he replied, shoulders falling from their position near his ears.
"I shouldn't keep you any longer, though," Percy said, standing. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Thank you for letting me having Jack for a while."
"It's good for him, and I have always been about what was best for my son. That includes hexing the whole lots of the MacDougals if the harm Jack's father." She paused to let that sink in. "Jack? We should be going."
"I ride the portkey from Hogsmeade to school," Jack said, lugging his bag behind him. "It meets outside the Happy Hearth Bakery at 7:30 in the morning on normal school days, but the first day we meet at 10:30. If you're interested."
Penelope grinned as she shrunk Jack's things and picked up Georgie's traveling cage.
"It just happens that my calender is open, perhaps a bite of breakfast before school? Learning is impossible on an empty stomach," Percy grinned, before stepping back a bit to let them out the door.
"That would be great," Jack said excitedly. "The bakery's right there. Hannah makes real good breakfasts."
Penelope smiled. It was wonderful how excited Jack got about simple things sometimes. She liked that.
"Thank you, Percy," she said, taking Jack's hand.
"You're welcome. I'll see you on Tuesday."
Penelope nodded.
{SUMMARY: Penelope comes to pick up Jack from Percy's, ending their manly summer together.}