Memoirs of an Imperfect Prefect 3/?
Oliver just stared at Percy. He sat rigidly but Oliver could tell he was still a bit shaken. His hands were trembling slightly and his blue eyes had an empty, haunted look to them. Oliver felt an overwhelming urge to take him in his arms and hold him until that look went away. What could possibly have happened to him to make him react like that? Oliver really wanted to know.
"Percy, why...what happened? Did someone hurt you?"
Percy visibly tensed. His hands shook even more and he looked away.
"Can we talk about something else please?" he asked.
"But you said..."
"I know what I said!," Percy snapped, cutting him off.He took a calming breath. "Look, I'll tell you, just not right now, please?"
Oliver could see that pleading look in Percy's eyes and he nodded immediately. Percy relaxed slightly. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a shaky breath.
"Why did you change your hair?" Oliver asked.
Percy looked up and smiled ruefully. He twisted a strand between his fingers and sighed.
"The red stood out too much. I ran into some, um, trouble, a while back so I had to change it."
"Trouble?"
"I got arrested." Percy said , blushing slightly.
"Arrested! For what?"
Percy's only answer was to look at him over the top of his glasses, raise an eyebrow, and give him a pointed look. That look remnded him of the Percy he knew back at school. The one who was obsessed with rules and grades and would never ever do anything to get into trouble, let alone arrested. Oliver felt an ache in his gut for the old Percy. More than anything, he wanted to know what had happened to make the former Prefect become so lost.
"Oh." he said in a small voice, making Percy chuckle slightly.
"Yeah well, to keep it from happening again I bleached it, to blend in for a while. Turns out, blondes are popular in my line of work, so I kept it." Percy said with a shrug.
"Why bleach it? Why not use a spell?"
"I haven't used magic since I left England."
"Why?"
"So no one could track me. Which reminds me, how did you find me?"
"Quite by accident actually. I'm here for a Quidditch Exposition but I got sick. I had just gotten up when I heard the commotion across the hall and well, you know what happened after that."
"Sorry about that."
"Don't be, it's not your fault that guy was a jerk."
"No I suppose not. Thank you, by the way."
"No problem."
An uncomfortable silence fell . Oliver struggled to figure out something to say. He had so many questions. He decided to go with one that had been bothering him since he'd found out Percy had run off.
"Why'd you leave Perce?"
Percy looked up at him, surprise evident in his eyes.
"Well I thought that should be fairly obvious. I killed my brother."
"No you didn't. Death Eaters killed him."
"I distracted him. He'd still be alive if it wasn't for me."
"Percy it's not your fault. No one blames you."
Percy scoffed and looked away.
"You weren't there. You didn't see the way they looked at me. The pain and emptiness in their eyes. I just couldn't take it anymore. Knowing I was the one who put it there. Knowing they wished it had been me. Even I wish it had been me."
Oliver chose to ignore to present tense of that last statement. He moved closer and reached out to place a hand on Percy's shoulder. This time he didn't flinch away. He looked up into Olivers eyes.
"Percy listen to me. Your family doesn't blame you and they certainly don't wish you were dead. They want you home. They've been worried about you."
"How would you know?"
"Because I know your family. They've been heartbroken without you. I ran into George a few months ago. He's a mess Percy."
Oliver sat at the bar in The Leaky Cauldron, nursing his drink. It had been a bad loss and he was trying to drown his sorrows in Firewhiskey. He knocked back his drink and was about to order another one when he caught a glimpse of bright red hair at the opposite end of the bar. He narrowed his eyes and saw it was George Weasley. He hadn't seen him since the last Memorial Service at Hogwarts and even then it had just been in passing. He decided to go over and talk to him.
he made his way over to the redhead and sat down beside him. George glanced over at him briefly then went back to his drink. Oliver thought he hadn't recognised him and was about to say something when George spoke.
"My brothers send you to drag me out of here?"
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb."
"I'm not. I came in for a drink and saw you sitting here and thought I'd say hello."
George turned to him and looked him over. He sighed then turned back to his drink.
"Sorry. Thought Charlie or Bill had sent you to check up on me."
"Why?"
"Because I told them if they tried to get me to leave here again I'd hex their bollox off and sell them to a witch in Knockturn Alley."
Oliver crossed his legs reflexively and cringed. He then signaled the bartender to bring him another Firewhiskey.
"Let me buy you a drink?" Oliver asked.
"Sure, I think there may be part of my liver I haven't killed yet."
"Well can't have that can we?" Oliver said and signaled the bartender again.
Once they both had their drinks they sat and sipped at them quietly. Oliver tried to think of something to talk about. Obviously "How ya been Mate?' wasn't going to be appropriate. Oliver could plainly see George was doing terrible. He wanted to ask what was wrong but really didn't fancy having his nuts end up in some potion. He was about to make some comment on the weather when George spoke.
"You and Percy were dorm mates right?"
"Yeah." Oliver said slowly, not sure why George would ask him that.
"Were you friends?"
"I suppose. We were the only two Gryffindors in our year."
"Did he ever talk about us? Me and Fred?"
"Well he certainly complained about your pranks alot."
"Did he hate us?"
Oliver frowned at the question. He almost hadn't heard it. George had said it so softly. As if he were afraid of the answer.Oliver knew Percy hadn't hated his brothers. Their pranks, yes, but not them. He'd never said anything but Oliver knew how much he'd worried about them. If Oliver was totally honest though, he'd gotten the impression that Percy thought his brothers hated him. Of course Oliver couldn't tell George this so he just settled for a simple 'No'. George looked at him and Oliver could see regret and anguish in his dark brown eyes. It made Oliver suck in a breath. He didn't like seeing George this way. Like the laughter had died from his eyes. He had to look away.
"If he didn't hate us, Why did he leave?"
"Leave? Where did he go?"
George laughed mirthlessly. He turned back to his drink and knocked back what was left in the glass before ordering another. Once he had it in his hands he spoke again.
"A few weeks after the funeral, Mum went to his flat to check on him. When she got there she found half his clothes gone and a note."
"What did the note say?"
"I'm sorry."
"That's it?"
"Yeah. Mum nearly had a nervous breakdown. She sat by that stupid clock and just stared at his hand. She still does when she doesn't think anyone's watching. Bill and Charlie searched all over Europe. When they didn't turn up anything Dad asked Kingsley to contact all the foreign Ministries thinking he may have left Europe. They couldn't find anything either."
"I'm sorry."
"Why would he do that? Why would he just run away like that?"
"I...I don't know?"
"Didn't he know we needed him? That we love him?"
"I'm sure he knows you love him."
"The clock. I watch it just like Mum. I saw it move once."
"Really?"
"Yeah. A few months after he disappeared. It moved from 'Lost' to 'Mortal Peril'. It stayed there for about a minute before it moved back to 'Lost'. No one saw it but me. I never told anyone either. Now i just watch it for the day.... the day the hand falls off... like Freddies."
Oliver was surprised to see tears welling in Georges eyes. For as long as he'd known him, Oliver had never seen George cry. Not like this. He reached over and placed a hand on Georges back. George looked up at him.
"I've already lost one brother. I don't think I could stand losing another."
George broke down then. He clutched at Oliver's shirt as his body shook with sobs. Not sure what to do, Oliver akwardly put his arms around the younger man. Alot of the patrons had turned to look at them and Oliver felt it best to get George out of there. He gently stood, still holding George, and signaled Tom who understood and tossed him a key. Oliver caught it and led George up the stairs. Once in the room he settled George on the bed. The emotional display, coupled with the amount of alcohol he'd consumed had tired him and he was nearly asleep. Oliver pulled the blankets up over him and turned to leave. He was almost out the door when George spoke again.
"You'll keep an eye out for him, won't you?" he asked.
"Of course." Oliver answered, before closing the door and leaving George to sleep it off.
"H..he cried? Over me?" Percy asked, disbelievingly.
"He's worried about you."
"He shouldn't be. I don't deserve it."
"Now why would you say that?"
Percy looked up at him, tears shining in his dark blue eyes.
"Because I'm a terrible person."
"No you're not."
"I am! If you knew the things I've done you'd think so too!" Percy exclaimed as tears rolled down his pale cheeks.
"Percy, what could you havepossibly done that's so horrible?"
"You really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Alright, but you should be careful what you ask for."
"Percy, why...what happened? Did someone hurt you?"
Percy visibly tensed. His hands shook even more and he looked away.
"Can we talk about something else please?" he asked.
"But you said..."
"I know what I said!," Percy snapped, cutting him off.He took a calming breath. "Look, I'll tell you, just not right now, please?"
Oliver could see that pleading look in Percy's eyes and he nodded immediately. Percy relaxed slightly. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a shaky breath.
"Why did you change your hair?" Oliver asked.
Percy looked up and smiled ruefully. He twisted a strand between his fingers and sighed.
"The red stood out too much. I ran into some, um, trouble, a while back so I had to change it."
"Trouble?"
"I got arrested." Percy said , blushing slightly.
"Arrested! For what?"
Percy's only answer was to look at him over the top of his glasses, raise an eyebrow, and give him a pointed look. That look remnded him of the Percy he knew back at school. The one who was obsessed with rules and grades and would never ever do anything to get into trouble, let alone arrested. Oliver felt an ache in his gut for the old Percy. More than anything, he wanted to know what had happened to make the former Prefect become so lost.
"Oh." he said in a small voice, making Percy chuckle slightly.
"Yeah well, to keep it from happening again I bleached it, to blend in for a while. Turns out, blondes are popular in my line of work, so I kept it." Percy said with a shrug.
"Why bleach it? Why not use a spell?"
"I haven't used magic since I left England."
"Why?"
"So no one could track me. Which reminds me, how did you find me?"
"Quite by accident actually. I'm here for a Quidditch Exposition but I got sick. I had just gotten up when I heard the commotion across the hall and well, you know what happened after that."
"Sorry about that."
"Don't be, it's not your fault that guy was a jerk."
"No I suppose not. Thank you, by the way."
"No problem."
An uncomfortable silence fell . Oliver struggled to figure out something to say. He had so many questions. He decided to go with one that had been bothering him since he'd found out Percy had run off.
"Why'd you leave Perce?"
Percy looked up at him, surprise evident in his eyes.
"Well I thought that should be fairly obvious. I killed my brother."
"No you didn't. Death Eaters killed him."
"I distracted him. He'd still be alive if it wasn't for me."
"Percy it's not your fault. No one blames you."
Percy scoffed and looked away.
"You weren't there. You didn't see the way they looked at me. The pain and emptiness in their eyes. I just couldn't take it anymore. Knowing I was the one who put it there. Knowing they wished it had been me. Even I wish it had been me."
Oliver chose to ignore to present tense of that last statement. He moved closer and reached out to place a hand on Percy's shoulder. This time he didn't flinch away. He looked up into Olivers eyes.
"Percy listen to me. Your family doesn't blame you and they certainly don't wish you were dead. They want you home. They've been worried about you."
"How would you know?"
"Because I know your family. They've been heartbroken without you. I ran into George a few months ago. He's a mess Percy."
Oliver sat at the bar in The Leaky Cauldron, nursing his drink. It had been a bad loss and he was trying to drown his sorrows in Firewhiskey. He knocked back his drink and was about to order another one when he caught a glimpse of bright red hair at the opposite end of the bar. He narrowed his eyes and saw it was George Weasley. He hadn't seen him since the last Memorial Service at Hogwarts and even then it had just been in passing. He decided to go over and talk to him.
he made his way over to the redhead and sat down beside him. George glanced over at him briefly then went back to his drink. Oliver thought he hadn't recognised him and was about to say something when George spoke.
"My brothers send you to drag me out of here?"
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb."
"I'm not. I came in for a drink and saw you sitting here and thought I'd say hello."
George turned to him and looked him over. He sighed then turned back to his drink.
"Sorry. Thought Charlie or Bill had sent you to check up on me."
"Why?"
"Because I told them if they tried to get me to leave here again I'd hex their bollox off and sell them to a witch in Knockturn Alley."
Oliver crossed his legs reflexively and cringed. He then signaled the bartender to bring him another Firewhiskey.
"Let me buy you a drink?" Oliver asked.
"Sure, I think there may be part of my liver I haven't killed yet."
"Well can't have that can we?" Oliver said and signaled the bartender again.
Once they both had their drinks they sat and sipped at them quietly. Oliver tried to think of something to talk about. Obviously "How ya been Mate?' wasn't going to be appropriate. Oliver could plainly see George was doing terrible. He wanted to ask what was wrong but really didn't fancy having his nuts end up in some potion. He was about to make some comment on the weather when George spoke.
"You and Percy were dorm mates right?"
"Yeah." Oliver said slowly, not sure why George would ask him that.
"Were you friends?"
"I suppose. We were the only two Gryffindors in our year."
"Did he ever talk about us? Me and Fred?"
"Well he certainly complained about your pranks alot."
"Did he hate us?"
Oliver frowned at the question. He almost hadn't heard it. George had said it so softly. As if he were afraid of the answer.Oliver knew Percy hadn't hated his brothers. Their pranks, yes, but not them. He'd never said anything but Oliver knew how much he'd worried about them. If Oliver was totally honest though, he'd gotten the impression that Percy thought his brothers hated him. Of course Oliver couldn't tell George this so he just settled for a simple 'No'. George looked at him and Oliver could see regret and anguish in his dark brown eyes. It made Oliver suck in a breath. He didn't like seeing George this way. Like the laughter had died from his eyes. He had to look away.
"If he didn't hate us, Why did he leave?"
"Leave? Where did he go?"
George laughed mirthlessly. He turned back to his drink and knocked back what was left in the glass before ordering another. Once he had it in his hands he spoke again.
"A few weeks after the funeral, Mum went to his flat to check on him. When she got there she found half his clothes gone and a note."
"What did the note say?"
"I'm sorry."
"That's it?"
"Yeah. Mum nearly had a nervous breakdown. She sat by that stupid clock and just stared at his hand. She still does when she doesn't think anyone's watching. Bill and Charlie searched all over Europe. When they didn't turn up anything Dad asked Kingsley to contact all the foreign Ministries thinking he may have left Europe. They couldn't find anything either."
"I'm sorry."
"Why would he do that? Why would he just run away like that?"
"I...I don't know?"
"Didn't he know we needed him? That we love him?"
"I'm sure he knows you love him."
"The clock. I watch it just like Mum. I saw it move once."
"Really?"
"Yeah. A few months after he disappeared. It moved from 'Lost' to 'Mortal Peril'. It stayed there for about a minute before it moved back to 'Lost'. No one saw it but me. I never told anyone either. Now i just watch it for the day.... the day the hand falls off... like Freddies."
Oliver was surprised to see tears welling in Georges eyes. For as long as he'd known him, Oliver had never seen George cry. Not like this. He reached over and placed a hand on Georges back. George looked up at him.
"I've already lost one brother. I don't think I could stand losing another."
George broke down then. He clutched at Oliver's shirt as his body shook with sobs. Not sure what to do, Oliver akwardly put his arms around the younger man. Alot of the patrons had turned to look at them and Oliver felt it best to get George out of there. He gently stood, still holding George, and signaled Tom who understood and tossed him a key. Oliver caught it and led George up the stairs. Once in the room he settled George on the bed. The emotional display, coupled with the amount of alcohol he'd consumed had tired him and he was nearly asleep. Oliver pulled the blankets up over him and turned to leave. He was almost out the door when George spoke again.
"You'll keep an eye out for him, won't you?" he asked.
"Of course." Oliver answered, before closing the door and leaving George to sleep it off.
"H..he cried? Over me?" Percy asked, disbelievingly.
"He's worried about you."
"He shouldn't be. I don't deserve it."
"Now why would you say that?"
Percy looked up at him, tears shining in his dark blue eyes.
"Because I'm a terrible person."
"No you're not."
"I am! If you knew the things I've done you'd think so too!" Percy exclaimed as tears rolled down his pale cheeks.
"Percy, what could you havepossibly done that's so horrible?"
"You really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Alright, but you should be careful what you ask for."