Fic: HP/Revolutionary Girl Utena
Title: "Family and Other Strangers"
Rating: PG
Fandoms: Harry Potter/Revolutionary Girl Utena
Summary: In which Percy Weasley, estranged from his family during the holidays, is offered a mysterious new mission.
Characters: Percy and Akio
Notes: This takes place during Order of the Phoenix. Written for onlyinthislight.
Family and Other Strangers
Percy’s new flat is at the top of an old brick building in the south of London. It’s on the small side, but at least there is no clutter, nor any twin brothers to sabotage his Head Boy badge and explode Dungbombs under his bed. No parents to call him traitor and spy, and no uppity little sister to stand in his doorway and twist the proverbial knife.
“You’re really just going to leave,” she said that night.
“They’re the ones making me -“
“Nobody is making you do anything,” Ginny snapped. “You choose.”
“Then I’ve made my choice.”
“Why do you have to be such a git about this?”
“Would you rather I join the ranks of the fear-mongering conspiracy theorists?”
“It’s thanks to at least one of those ‘fear-mongering conspiracy theorists’ that You-Know-Who didn’t kill me,” she reminded him. “And if there’s even a chance that he might have come back to hurt anybody else, I’m not just going to hide my head in the sand.“
“I can see that Mum taught you how to administer a guilt trip,” Percy said coldly. “Well done, both of you.” She stared, rendered speechless for the first time in his recent memory, and he realized that he’d gone too far. “I’m sorry, Ginny,” but she just spat out a distinctly unladylike insult, turned on her heel, and stalked off.
That was the last he saw of her of her, the last he’s seen of any of his siblings, for months on end.
Work keeps him busy. There are files to sort and documents to draft and hands to shake and stories to spin, late into the night, as the days grow colder and shorter. After a while, he stops feeling a twinge of guilt at discrediting the boy who saved Ginny’s life two years ago. People can change, after all.
--
The streets of London are soaked with gray slush, glittering with tiny electric bulbs in a rainbow of colors. The abandoned storefront that disguises the entrance to St. Mungo’s Hospital looks shabbier and more desolate than he remembers it, and new graffiti covers the boarded-up windows: mostly curse words and nonsense and the names of couples, with lines of verse scrawled in one corner: They fuck you up, your mum and dad… they may not mean to, but they do…
Percy stares at the lines for a long time as the snow swirled around him, then turns back the way he came. He should probably pop home and change before arriving at the office Christmas party fashionably late - he will be missed, or at least he likes to think so - but for some reason, he no longer feels like celebrating.
He doesn’t quite know how to go about getting drunk, either, but there doesn’t seem to be any better night to learn. Tom the bartender refills his glass without comment and asks carefully neutral questions about the Ministry’s Educational Decrees, which Percy is glad to be able to answer. “Last term ended in tragedy,” he says. “We only want to ensure the safety of our students, at all costs.”
“If I may play devil’s advocate,” says a new voice, “isn’t that counterproductive to their learning the necessary skills to survive outside the classroom?”
Percy turns. The speaker is handsome, dark-skinned and pale-haired, dressed in serviceable if brightly colored Muggle disguise. “You make it sound as if they’re going to be tossed into the untamed wilderness after seventh year, Mr. -“
The stranger extends his hand. “Akio Ohtori, educator and traveler.”
“Percy Weasley, Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic.” Yes, he still likes saying it. They shake hands. “What would you suggest?” he continues. “That they live in fear of attack, and duel each other in the hallways between classes?”
“Well, perhaps not in the hallways,” Mr. Ohtori says smoothly. “And there are plenty of people who do see the outside world as an untamed wilderness, with predators and victims, and so on, and so forth. I am sure you’ve heard this argument before.”
“Are you saying that those people are right, Mr. Ohtori?” Debate has never been one of Percy’s strong points, but tonight, he’s glad for the distraction.
“Akio. Please. We’re all adults here.” A pause. “And in answer to your question: no, not necessarily, but there are enough of them that the unprepared may be at a disadvantage.” He runs one long finger around the rim of his glass. “May I buy you another drink… Percy, was it? I should like to talk with you further.”
--
“What brings you to London?” Percy asks at length.
There is a long silence before Akio finally answers. “I am… searching for somebody. I thought that she might have settled here, but her trail has grown cold.” He sighs. “The trouble with trying to guess your opponent’s next move is this: you must always remember that she is simultaneously trying to guess yours.”
“You know each other that well, then?”
Green eyes flash in the dim pub light. “We do indeed. She is a very powerful witch, and I fear that she may have already done grievous…” He stops abruptly. “But this is neither the time nor the place to delve into what I’m sure you’ll find a long and tedious story.”
The last thing Percy needs is to have to suppress rumors of another threat to the populace - he doubts that his boss would be very happy with him for that. Much more quietly, he asks, “Is she dangerous?”
“She is not as predictable as she once was, but I doubt that she plans to attack any innocent people. In any case, I am more than equipped to deal with her when I do find her.” He speaks firmly enough to temporarily quash Percy’s burgeoning curiosity. “However, I think that’s enough about my sordid past, my new friend. Tell me more about your responsibilities at the Ministry.”
--
“Do you see those little lights in the windows?” It might be hours later. It might be days. They’re outside again, and the streets are dark and silent. “My father went mad over them one year and bought a whole set, all different colors, and spent all his evenings fiddling about with them in our shed. Mum just shook her head over it; my brothers think it’s cute and eccentric. I wanted to say, Play with your hobbies and toys here if you must, but for Merlin’s sake, leave them at home and go try for a better and more respectable job, if not for yourself, then for your children.”
“Do you think that he would have listened?” Akio isn’t wearing a coat, but the cold doesn’t seem to bother him.
They fill you with the flaws they had, and add some new ones just for you... Percy laughs. The sound is unfamiliar even to him. “Haven’t you heard? Ambition is what makes Dark wizards.” The snow is falling thicker and faster now; he takes off his glasses and mutters a quick charm to keep them dry. “Everybody is welcomed into their world with hugs and pudding until he dares to rise above his origins and become something more, something better. To have my achievements recognized instead of mocked…” He stops. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to listen to me prattle on, either.”
“Think nothing of it,” Akio assures him. “Besides, it’s reassuring to be reminded that Anthy and I didn’t invent family discord.”
“Anthy?” Percy echoes.
His companion stares straight ahead. “My sister, yes.”
“The woman you’re seeking.” Admittedly, he had assumed that it was a lover, and the truth makes him think of the last real conversation he had with a member of his own family.
“She has done terrible things, hurt and deceived people. Despite what she has become - or perhaps what she always was - I still care for her, and believe that with some time and rehabilitation, she will return to what she once was.”
“Sometimes we can’t return to the people we once were.”
“Perhaps I am only digging my own grave, but I refuse to give up hope. If you’re willing, I believe that you could be useful in my search.”
Percy swallows and does up the top button of his own coat. “That wouldn’t mean turning against the Ministry, would it?”
“What ever gave you that idea? No, I think you’ll find that our goals correspond rather well. But I’m glad to hear that you’re loyal as well as ambitious and clever. You remind me of one of my prize students, you know.” Akio stops, turns to face Percy, and places a hand on his shoulder. “To ascend, sometimes one must break out of one’s comfortable shell and face the wilderness. The power you have…” He lowers his voice. “It still doesn’t satisfy you, does it?”
Percy steps back. It must be the alcohol that has made his mouth suddenly go dry, his tongue grow thick and clumsy. He tries to remember which pocket he stored his wand in, although he hasn’t been attacked yet, and… “Who are you?”
“Are you frightened of me all of a sudden?”
It’s a test, and one for which he hasn’t even begun to study. I’ve made my choice. “Should I be?”
--
I shouldn’t be here. I’m late for work. I should be somewhere else.
All the shutters on the house are drawn, and all the furniture is draped in sheets. Percy blinks in the dim light and clears his throat. “Anthy, are you here?” His only reply is silence. “Your brother only wants to help you.” Just like he himself wanted to help Ginny during her first year; like he wanted to help Ron, the latest prefect in the family, just last fall. He knows by now that he can’t have it both ways, can’t sever ties with his family and expect them to listen to him… at least, not right now.
I should be somewhere else…
He wakes in a panic, with the winter wind striking his face as the car accelerates.
Rating: PG
Fandoms: Harry Potter/Revolutionary Girl Utena
Summary: In which Percy Weasley, estranged from his family during the holidays, is offered a mysterious new mission.
Characters: Percy and Akio
Notes: This takes place during Order of the Phoenix. Written for onlyinthislight.
Family and Other Strangers
Percy’s new flat is at the top of an old brick building in the south of London. It’s on the small side, but at least there is no clutter, nor any twin brothers to sabotage his Head Boy badge and explode Dungbombs under his bed. No parents to call him traitor and spy, and no uppity little sister to stand in his doorway and twist the proverbial knife.
“You’re really just going to leave,” she said that night.
“They’re the ones making me -“
“Nobody is making you do anything,” Ginny snapped. “You choose.”
“Then I’ve made my choice.”
“Why do you have to be such a git about this?”
“Would you rather I join the ranks of the fear-mongering conspiracy theorists?”
“It’s thanks to at least one of those ‘fear-mongering conspiracy theorists’ that You-Know-Who didn’t kill me,” she reminded him. “And if there’s even a chance that he might have come back to hurt anybody else, I’m not just going to hide my head in the sand.“
“I can see that Mum taught you how to administer a guilt trip,” Percy said coldly. “Well done, both of you.” She stared, rendered speechless for the first time in his recent memory, and he realized that he’d gone too far. “I’m sorry, Ginny,” but she just spat out a distinctly unladylike insult, turned on her heel, and stalked off.
That was the last he saw of her of her, the last he’s seen of any of his siblings, for months on end.
Work keeps him busy. There are files to sort and documents to draft and hands to shake and stories to spin, late into the night, as the days grow colder and shorter. After a while, he stops feeling a twinge of guilt at discrediting the boy who saved Ginny’s life two years ago. People can change, after all.
--
The streets of London are soaked with gray slush, glittering with tiny electric bulbs in a rainbow of colors. The abandoned storefront that disguises the entrance to St. Mungo’s Hospital looks shabbier and more desolate than he remembers it, and new graffiti covers the boarded-up windows: mostly curse words and nonsense and the names of couples, with lines of verse scrawled in one corner: They fuck you up, your mum and dad… they may not mean to, but they do…
Percy stares at the lines for a long time as the snow swirled around him, then turns back the way he came. He should probably pop home and change before arriving at the office Christmas party fashionably late - he will be missed, or at least he likes to think so - but for some reason, he no longer feels like celebrating.
He doesn’t quite know how to go about getting drunk, either, but there doesn’t seem to be any better night to learn. Tom the bartender refills his glass without comment and asks carefully neutral questions about the Ministry’s Educational Decrees, which Percy is glad to be able to answer. “Last term ended in tragedy,” he says. “We only want to ensure the safety of our students, at all costs.”
“If I may play devil’s advocate,” says a new voice, “isn’t that counterproductive to their learning the necessary skills to survive outside the classroom?”
Percy turns. The speaker is handsome, dark-skinned and pale-haired, dressed in serviceable if brightly colored Muggle disguise. “You make it sound as if they’re going to be tossed into the untamed wilderness after seventh year, Mr. -“
The stranger extends his hand. “Akio Ohtori, educator and traveler.”
“Percy Weasley, Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic.” Yes, he still likes saying it. They shake hands. “What would you suggest?” he continues. “That they live in fear of attack, and duel each other in the hallways between classes?”
“Well, perhaps not in the hallways,” Mr. Ohtori says smoothly. “And there are plenty of people who do see the outside world as an untamed wilderness, with predators and victims, and so on, and so forth. I am sure you’ve heard this argument before.”
“Are you saying that those people are right, Mr. Ohtori?” Debate has never been one of Percy’s strong points, but tonight, he’s glad for the distraction.
“Akio. Please. We’re all adults here.” A pause. “And in answer to your question: no, not necessarily, but there are enough of them that the unprepared may be at a disadvantage.” He runs one long finger around the rim of his glass. “May I buy you another drink… Percy, was it? I should like to talk with you further.”
--
“What brings you to London?” Percy asks at length.
There is a long silence before Akio finally answers. “I am… searching for somebody. I thought that she might have settled here, but her trail has grown cold.” He sighs. “The trouble with trying to guess your opponent’s next move is this: you must always remember that she is simultaneously trying to guess yours.”
“You know each other that well, then?”
Green eyes flash in the dim pub light. “We do indeed. She is a very powerful witch, and I fear that she may have already done grievous…” He stops abruptly. “But this is neither the time nor the place to delve into what I’m sure you’ll find a long and tedious story.”
The last thing Percy needs is to have to suppress rumors of another threat to the populace - he doubts that his boss would be very happy with him for that. Much more quietly, he asks, “Is she dangerous?”
“She is not as predictable as she once was, but I doubt that she plans to attack any innocent people. In any case, I am more than equipped to deal with her when I do find her.” He speaks firmly enough to temporarily quash Percy’s burgeoning curiosity. “However, I think that’s enough about my sordid past, my new friend. Tell me more about your responsibilities at the Ministry.”
--
“Do you see those little lights in the windows?” It might be hours later. It might be days. They’re outside again, and the streets are dark and silent. “My father went mad over them one year and bought a whole set, all different colors, and spent all his evenings fiddling about with them in our shed. Mum just shook her head over it; my brothers think it’s cute and eccentric. I wanted to say, Play with your hobbies and toys here if you must, but for Merlin’s sake, leave them at home and go try for a better and more respectable job, if not for yourself, then for your children.”
“Do you think that he would have listened?” Akio isn’t wearing a coat, but the cold doesn’t seem to bother him.
They fill you with the flaws they had, and add some new ones just for you... Percy laughs. The sound is unfamiliar even to him. “Haven’t you heard? Ambition is what makes Dark wizards.” The snow is falling thicker and faster now; he takes off his glasses and mutters a quick charm to keep them dry. “Everybody is welcomed into their world with hugs and pudding until he dares to rise above his origins and become something more, something better. To have my achievements recognized instead of mocked…” He stops. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to listen to me prattle on, either.”
“Think nothing of it,” Akio assures him. “Besides, it’s reassuring to be reminded that Anthy and I didn’t invent family discord.”
“Anthy?” Percy echoes.
His companion stares straight ahead. “My sister, yes.”
“The woman you’re seeking.” Admittedly, he had assumed that it was a lover, and the truth makes him think of the last real conversation he had with a member of his own family.
“She has done terrible things, hurt and deceived people. Despite what she has become - or perhaps what she always was - I still care for her, and believe that with some time and rehabilitation, she will return to what she once was.”
“Sometimes we can’t return to the people we once were.”
“Perhaps I am only digging my own grave, but I refuse to give up hope. If you’re willing, I believe that you could be useful in my search.”
Percy swallows and does up the top button of his own coat. “That wouldn’t mean turning against the Ministry, would it?”
“What ever gave you that idea? No, I think you’ll find that our goals correspond rather well. But I’m glad to hear that you’re loyal as well as ambitious and clever. You remind me of one of my prize students, you know.” Akio stops, turns to face Percy, and places a hand on his shoulder. “To ascend, sometimes one must break out of one’s comfortable shell and face the wilderness. The power you have…” He lowers his voice. “It still doesn’t satisfy you, does it?”
Percy steps back. It must be the alcohol that has made his mouth suddenly go dry, his tongue grow thick and clumsy. He tries to remember which pocket he stored his wand in, although he hasn’t been attacked yet, and… “Who are you?”
“Are you frightened of me all of a sudden?”
It’s a test, and one for which he hasn’t even begun to study. I’ve made my choice. “Should I be?”
--
I shouldn’t be here. I’m late for work. I should be somewhere else.
All the shutters on the house are drawn, and all the furniture is draped in sheets. Percy blinks in the dim light and clears his throat. “Anthy, are you here?” His only reply is silence. “Your brother only wants to help you.” Just like he himself wanted to help Ginny during her first year; like he wanted to help Ron, the latest prefect in the family, just last fall. He knows by now that he can’t have it both ways, can’t sever ties with his family and expect them to listen to him… at least, not right now.
I should be somewhere else…
He wakes in a panic, with the winter wind striking his face as the car accelerates.