RP: Black Holes and Revelations

[pb_percy]

Characters: All Wealeys and Cho
Location:  Symphony Hall--The Burrow
Date: June 24, 2000
Status/Warning: Closed
Summary: Time to break the news to the family.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[pb_cho]

Cho glanced at Percy rather pointedly, and then down at the clothing she had taken nearly forty five minutes to pick out. (And then another ten to finalise.) It wasn't anything fancy, but it would do. She'd made sure it wasn't anything she'd mind not wanting to put on again.

Depending.

"I can't not worry," she said after a moment, adjusting the case on her back. It was strange that the instrument would accompany them, but in a way Cho did not mind at all. "I want everything to be the way it should."

And they'd already defeated one dragon: Jun had little to do but tease. He'd come to croon over the reception plans -- it was making him happier than she'd ever imagined to have a tangible piece of her life in his hands. (This was a responsibility he'd always seemed happier to push away, with his dreams of independence and child self-sufficiency.)

But as they approached the house, something came over Cho, regardless of what frothed and bubbled in her conscience. There was something to be said for a facade: her shoulders were back, hair shining, jaw set. She looked ready, and that was all she could say for now.

[pb_percy]

He chuckled. No, she was right, things had to be this way--if they both weren't in some way terrified beyond being quite aware of it, nothing would be right.

"You're right." He said with a wry sort of smile. Fingers tightened around hers until they were over the hill and the house was visible--the same odd squat thing he remembered and would always remember. "But I just want you to know they won't hate you. Mum might pretend to, but don't believe a minute of it."

Deep down Percy knew they wouldn't hate him either--at least not for a very long time.

[pb_ron]

Ron wasn't feeling well. Or at least -- he was a little more tired than usual, it being that this would normally be time for a nap. (Training was particularly rough on Wednesdays; it was a phenomenon he'd yet to understand, it being that his sore muscles never correlated with the proper exercise.)

Anyway. He really wasn't feeling well, even though there was going to be real food, and though the Burrow smelled like a beautiful dinner Ron had a feeling it wasn't really going to be much of one. Not at all. And though he was a grumbler -- it had worked when he was young, and old habits died hard -- something told him not to bother Percy about inviting Harry at the last second, though this was exactly what he was considering when the door finally sounded.

Whoever it was, they had a very timid knock. Even... a girly one. Ron opened the door immediately to tell them so, and --

"Oh. Figures. Uh." Pause: he looked down at Cho ( who beamed up at him) and then down at his brother, who hadn't quite been his height since at least last year. "Hullo."

Another moment of silence. Ron fidgeted, glancing over his shoulder for mum. "Come in."

[pb_molly]

Molly finished placing the rolls in the oven just as she heard Ron speaking to someone. As she exited the kitchen, she wiped her hands on her apron. The roast was just finished and the veggies were on the stove.

She hurried across the room and pushed Ron out of the way, he'd already gotten his greeting earlier in the day. "Percy," she wrapped him in her arms even though, based on past history, he was likely to pull away. As she hugged him, her eyes turned to Cho.

"Cho, so nice to see you again," she greeted the young lady just as she released her son.

[pb_cho]

"Yes, and you," said Cho, smiling. "I hope you've been well."

She took Percy's hand when he'd been released, wanting to follow him in rather than lead; it didn't seem her place to simply walk through the door, cello and all, as if she'd been the one to call dinner. It wouldn't be a big deal, of course, but there was just something -- something pulling at her, in that odd way a 'something' tended to have. It said to let things happen rather than make them, and there was no better way than to wait. She was sure she'd have a better idea of her place in things when there was ... A reaction. Anyway, Molly was probably most excited to see Percy -- if he went in first they could talk, and perhaps she could find a place to set her instrument in peace.

Unless Ron insisted on hanging about as he was. After Molly had pushed him out of the way, he'd sort of backed off, looking tired and somewhat irritated; now he stood behind his mum, watching the couple with a kind of tired interest.

"Hi, Ron," said Cho after a moment. "It's good to see you as well." (She had to be polite to everyone, because most of all she wanted everyone to accept her.)

[pb_percy]

"Ron, Mum..." Percy allowed Molly the embrace because a part of him wondered if his mother would ever want to hold him like that again after this night--but habit and nerves had him pulling away all the same in a few moments. The box he carried hovered into the house with them, swaying a little towards Ron in mid-air.

"Ron, could you grab that and put it somewhere safe please?" He asked indicating the box with a nod. "It's something for later." He answered the question without being prompted because obvious tired or not, Ron's curiosity never rested. With Cho's hand in his he stepped in to see everyone else milling about, and, in a rare moment, gave his father a brief hug as well. They were all there, and despite the reason he had gathered them-the innate deception of it, Percy swelled with joy.

[pb_ron]

"Good to see you too." (It was sincere, but came out sounding like sarcasm.)

The box was much heavier than Ron expected. For a moment he struggled to get a hold of it, and then promptly set it down somewhere in the middle of the living room -- out of the way, if it was supposed to be for later. As if reacting to a cue, Cho followed him and shyly propped her wierd instrument against the wall.

[pb_percy]

"Wednesdays not treating you well?" Percy called, watching Cho go with obvious affection before turning to the rest of the family. He couldn't help but be aware that there were quite a few pairs of curious-bordering-skeptically-crital eyes on him.

Unlike dinner with Jun, though, Percy was dtermined to actually have them eat before breaking the news. It would be a double blow to Molly to ruin things before everyone had a chance to eat. "This looks great mum. Ginny, George, how have you been?"

[pb_george]

'Mhm,' George grunted begrudgingly. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to be at home, having dinner with his unapproved live-in-girlfriend and illegitimate K-9 child. The sooner the whole affair was over the sooner he could defend his brother, see him and his wife safely away from Molly's raging tears and thundering shouts (because that's what a best man did) and go sulking home to Katie.

Might as well put a bit of effort in then. George shrugged. 'Fine. Yourself?'

[pb_ginny]

Ginny had just breezed into the kitchen when Percy and Cho arrived, and was surreptitiously trying to sneak an apple when Percy asked her how she was. She held a finger up to her lips as Molly had her back to her and took a bite of the apple before putting it behind her back. Mum would rag on her about ruining her dinner, but she'd just finished practice not too long ago and she was starving.

"Pretty well, thanks. How are you? I heard about the break in at Sins of the Father - everything all right, there?" she asked.

[pb_ron]

"Yeah, that Sins of the Father thing," said Ron, who had forgotten all about it. Mum had said this might be about Percy's work; he hadn't quite believed her, but maybe it'd be better than anything else it might involve. (He didn't really want to think about the alternatives.)

[pb_percy]

Percy managed a slight smile at Ginny. His lips were sealed, of course--after keeping the kind of secrets he had in the last year. He leaned in to hug her briefly before answering her and Ron's inquiries.

"Yes and no. The injured employee should be back to work soon, but it was scary for a while." He shook his head but cast a warm look at Cho--what ills couldn't be cured by having someone waiting for you in bed? "We're all recovering. It's been a lot of needless paperwork and worry."

'Oh, if it was all that simple.' Percy thought longingly.

[pb_ron]

Ron nodded along. Injured employee, yeah yeah.

"Wish they'd set trainees on the case," he admitted. "I'm pressed for fieldwork." A glance at Cho revealed a kind of shared experience between them; the look on her face made it quite evident that she could relate, if only in the posterior. It was weird relating to anyone like Chang; he'd never honestly wanted to, but there it was.

"Those thieves have been bloody successful enough, anyway." And by now Ron realised he'd started talking out of the corner of his mouth, grumbling only partly to Percy. The other part was entirely at a set of bruised knuckles he'd earned earlier.

[pb_percy]

"Not alone you don't." Percy said, a bit of the old prefect tone slipping into his voice. "Trainees shouldn't be tackling anything alone." He clarified, starting to lead Cho further into the kitchen where they'd be eating. As always there that wonderful blast of familiar warm smells.

"This looks wonderful mum!" He exclaimed, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

[pb_cho]

A mildly nervous Cho could only agree. She nodded, beaming at Molly with all the cheer she had left. "Yes. Wonderful!"

[pb_molly]

Molly found herself wrapped up in the business that accompanied putting dinner on for the family. She fell into the old habits so quickly she easily lost herself in the taskings. She noticed that George had not brought Katie along even though Percy had stated the young woman had been invited. It made Molly a bit sad to see that the invitation had been delined. Or had it?

No, she would not allow herself to focus on George the pity party attitude Molly felt he exhibited more and more as of late. Percy had pulled them all together for some reason and Molly would do her best not to undermine his request.

Turning her attention back to the tasks at hand. She noted that the pile of apples she'd set aside for the pie she was going to set to baking while they ate was off. She wasn't sure which one did it, but she knew one of her brood had to be the culprit. With a shrug of resignation that the pie would have to be made later, Molly carried the rest of the food to the table.

"I just hope no one misses the apple pie when it's time for desert," she gave each one a pointed look as she motioned them all to the table.