Novel-Length Fic: A Year of Worry and Hope
Title: A Year of Worry and Hope
Word Count: ~73,000 + and counting; 5854 for chapter six
Rating: PG-13 (I *think* it stays PG-13 all the way through the story.)
Summary: Essentially, the events of "Deathly Hallows" from Percy Weasley's and Audrey Mitchell's points of view, including frequent cameos by Fred and George Weasley, and the Longbottoms, as well as other canon characters.
Chapter 1: When Percy Met Audrey
Chapter 2: Going Out
Chapter 3: Weasley Wizard Wheezes
Chapter 3.5: Seeing Is Believing
Chapter 4: Muggle Weekend
Chapter 5: Loneliness Revisited
CHAPTER 6:
CHAPTER 6: Unusual Correspondence
Words: 5854
Percy had gone from purchasing Audrey's engagement ring to finding out her life might be in danger in a matter of minutes. Work had always been the stable force in his life-what he enjoyed, where he could excel, something he could count on. Now there was a disgusting and unsanitary entrance to the Ministry, odd hearings, and the hideous statue in the atrium. Percy was miserable. Not only was his beloved Ministry falling apart, but he was beginning to realize his parents had been right all along. To top it off, he had no idea where the love of his life was. He was surprised no one had questioned him about Audrey, but everyone probably assumed boring, stuffy Percy Weasley would not have a love life. Not that he had had much of one . . . yet. But still. Percy hoped and prayed with every fiber of his being Audrey was all right. He had only been without her for four days, but was now certain he wanted to marry her. He carried her engagement ring with him at all times with concealment and sticking charms. He kept reaching into his pocket to feel it, thinking ahead to his proposal when he next saw Audrey. Work was awful, home was awful. Everywhere felt empty without Audrey.
Percy arrived home after yet another long day at the Ministry. He was just finishing up his supper, when Hermes flew in the open window carrying a parcel in one talon and a small cage in the other. Hermes put both on the table in front of Percy, squawked at him loudly, and flew back out the window, presumably to go hunt. Percy knew when Hermes was disgruntled. He'd have to get him a special treat.
Percy examined the Pygmy Puff in its cage. It really was the exact color of Audrey's eyes, and was chirping for lack of a better word. He picked up the note attached to the cage.
Dear Customer,
Thank you very much for your order. As your owl was hungrily eyeing your new Pygmy Puff, we enclosed a protective cage at no extra charge. Care and feeding instructions for your Pygmy Puff are enclosed in the parcel. Thank you again for your business, and we hope to serve you in the future.
Sincerely,
Fred and George Weasley
Proprietors
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Ah. That's why Hermes was so disgruntled. He'd have to have a chat with his owl later. He didn't want Twoey to be eaten. After much thought, Percy had decided to name his Pygmy Puff after that large, hideous plant in one of the movies he had seen with Audrey.
"Twoey, do you like your new name?" Twoey began to bounce up and down in his cage and chirped louder. Percy assumed it was a him. How in Merlin's name did you know with a Pygmy Puff?
"I'll take that as a yes, then." Percy unlocked the cage, and Twoey bounced out. Percy petted him gently, and Twoey wiggled and bounced, bouncing right up Percy's arm to his shoulder, cuddled into his neck, and fell asleep. (Percy checked in the mirror.) Percy smiled. Twoey really was a cute little guy.
Percy next opened the parcel. He put the Patented Daydream Charm aside for later, and opened the Voice-Activated Perpetual Parchment (VAPP). It was a large frame, filled with blank parchment, and had a holder for the dark blue quill in the upper left hand corner. Percy read and followed the instructions. Placing the VAPP flat on his table, he charmed the quill, and began talking to Audrey about everything that had happened in the past few days. He even included the story of buying her ring, because he fully planned to propose before he let her read this. The quill recorded everything he said verbatim. And when it reached what appeared to be the bottom of the page, it scrolled in a fresh sheet. All Percy had to do to find a particular part of what he said was to tap the VAPP with his wand and state the date of the entry, or a word which appeared in the entry, and the VAPP would find it. If he wanted the beginning, he could just say "beginning". This was completely brilliant! Percy had never realized how smart the twins were. He experimented with the VAPP while Twoey slept on his shoulder.
Percy was completely engrossed in using the VAPP when an unfamiliar owl flew to the back of a chair. The new arrival held out its leg and Percy stopped the VAPP and untied the small scroll. Percy unrolled the scroll and read,
Dear Percy,
I am writing to invite you to tea. As a career minded individual, I thought you could assist me in planning my future. You made an excellent Prefect and Head Boy, and you were always so helpful to the younger students. Gran said any night you are free for tea would be fine. Please reply and let us know when you will be coming.
Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom
What in Merlin's name . . .? Percy stared at the note, rereading it several times. Neville Longbottom was asking him for advice? Percy couldn't remember ever speaking to Neville individually. He debated writing back that he was too busy to come to tea, but curiosity got the better of him. He sent a reply with the waiting owl that he would be there tomorrow after work. At least he would be around people he didn't normally see, and it might be something to take his mind off of Audrey.
***
The next evening, Percy locked his office door, left the Ministry, and Apparated to the Longbottom residence. He had barely finished knocking when the door opened, and Percy saw, not Neville, but Mrs Longbottom.
"Come in quickly, boy. Don't linger outside too long." She took his arm and pulled him into the house, locking and charming the door behind him. "Come in to the parlor and sit down. Read this. It will probably explain everything." Mrs Longbottom handed him an envelope as she guided him to a chair. "We'll have tea when you are finished."
Percy was more confused than ever as he looked at the envelope. It wasn't parchment-just a plain, white envelope. He opened it, removing the letter inside. It seemed to be quite long and was written on butterfly stationery. What?! Percy quickly shuffled to the last page. It was from Audrey! Percy went back to the beginning and began to read.
Dear Percy,
After our wonderful weekend together, I came to work Monday and walked into a nightmare. Dolores Umbridge was waiting for me outside the Ministry entrance. She said the Muggle Liaison Office had been closed, and she would be confiscating my wand as part of the investigation into the murder of Minister Scrimgeour. Well, you know my feelings on Dolores Umbridge. I wanted to question her, but she said there was evidence of Muggleborn involvement in the Minister's murder. All offices dealing with Muggles in any way were being closed, all Muggleborns working for the Ministry were being asked to surrender their wands as part of the investigation into the murder, and all Muggleborns were out of jobs until the investigation was completed and "the full extent of the Muggleborn conspiracy came to light." I thought she was awful during my seventh year at Hogwarts, but this was far worse. She gave me a questionnaire to complete, and told me to go home and wait until I was called for a hearing to determine if I had any part in the conspiracy. Percy, she practically accused me of murdering the Minister of Magic! I gave her my wand and left the Ministry, just like she told me to.
Being completely comfortable in both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds can be a very good thing. I walked back to my flat, let myself in with my Muggle key, picked up my extra wand, and Apparated straight to Aunt Gussie's. I don't know what I would have done without my extra wand.
I don't think I've told you this before. When Nanny turned 17, Gringotts called her in to collect items left for her in a will. Apparently, Nanny had an ancestor who was a witch, and she had left several things for the next witch or wizard in the family-including her wand. Nanny was the next witch in the family, but she had already purchased a wand from Mr Ollivander before she ever saw the box. The wand didn't work very well for her, so she was glad to have her own. She let me try the wand when I turned 11, and it works for me, but Nanny suggested I still get my own wand, and have an extra. I'm so glad she suggested it!
I'm sorry to be rambling, Percy, but so much has happened in such a short time. I told Aunt Gussie what had happened, and she thought it best if I go stay with Nanny for a while. She came back with me to my flat and helped me shrink and pack everything, and turn in my key to my landlord. Then she went with me to my parents' businesses to try to convince them to come to Nanny's as well, but they wouldn't. Mom got angry at me for "magic messing up their lives again". I know I haven't gotten on very well with them in a long time, but they are my parents! I don't want them to be hurt, but I couldn't make them come with me. Aunt Gussie put up wards at their home and my dad's office and my mum's shop, and said she'd keep an eye on them and do her best to keep them safe. I guess it's all we can do without their cooperation.
I didn't want to leave without seeing you, but Aunt Gussie said it wouldn't be safe. She helped Muggleborns escape from You-Know-Who in the War with Voldemort, and sent them to Nanny who helped them get settled or found them temporary housing, often with her and Uncle Ed. Aunt Gussie wanted to keep me safe and insisted I leave. She looked at the questionnaire Umbridge gave me, and it has nothing to do with a murder investigation. It's all about my being Muggleborn. I'm supposed to have a hearing in front of the new Muggleborn Registration Commission. Apparently all Muggleborns have to go before this "Commission". I think the murder investigation is just an excuse to get rid of Muggleborns. You-Know-Who must be behind this somehow.
Percy, I believe good will triumph over evil, and You-Know-Who will be stopped. I don't know how that's going to happen, or how long it will take, but it WILL happen. And when he is stopped, the Wizarding world will be safe for Muggleborns again, and I will return to England. I wanted to ask you to come with me, but Aunt Gussie said You-Know-Who might target your family if you disappeared. I would never want that to happen. If we have to be apart for a while to keep our families safe, then so be it. Aunt Gussie and Cous promised me they would find a safe way to contact you. I will miss you terribly, Percy, and I will be thinking of you every minute. I will be safe with Nanny, so don't worry about me. Please keep yourself safe, Percy. I know how Gryffindors are. I want to have you alive and well, so I can come back to you. I love you.
Yours Forever,
Audrey
Percy had to read through the letter several times to take it all in. He breathed a huge sigh of relief that Audrey was safe. Now he understood Neville's strange letter. He looked up and saw Mrs Longbottom watching him from across the room. Percy couldn't speak. He thought if he did he might start crying. It'd sure been one hell of a week. He tried to speak anyway, but only managed to open and close his mouth a few times. Mrs Longbottom looked at him with more compassion than Percy thought her stern face could manage. She walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and Percy couldn't contain himself any more. He didn't care that he was losing any shred of dignity he had as he put his face into his hands and sobbed.
***
Percy didn't know how long he had been crying. At some point either Neville or Mrs Longbottom had handed him a handkerchief. As he collected himself, Percy became aware that Mrs Longbottom was standing behind him patting his shoulder. Percy felt embarrassed-he couldn't even remember the last time he had cried. He cleared his throat to apologize, but before he could say anything, Mrs Longbottom said,
"Now don't you worry about a thing, lad. There's a loo just around the corner where you can freshen up. Neville has tea set out for whenever you are ready."
Percy nodded and did as Mrs Longbottom directed. He took a very long time washing his face, but finally decided he couldn't avoid the Longbottoms anymore. He really had to break his habit of hiding in loos.
***
Percy enjoyed his meal with the Longbottoms. They kept the conversation to neutral topics. With a full stomach and his third cup of tea in hand, Percy felt emboldened enough to ask the question burning within him.
"Mrs Longbottom . . ."
"Oh, please, Percy. Audrey is family," Augusta gave Percy a shrewd look, "and from the looks of things, you will be, too, someday." Percy blushed, but did not deny it. "Call me Aunt Gussie."
Percy could not imagine calling this stern woman "Aunt Gussie" but he was willing to try. "Well, then. Aunt Gussie, I was wondering if there would be a way for me to get a letter to Audrey and maybe send her birthday present, as well."
"Communication isn't really safe since all forms of it can be monitored, but I have some Muggleborn neighbors who will be heading to Lucy's tomorrow, so you may send a note with them if you like."
"I'm sorry, but who is Lucy?" Augusta looked at Percy as if he were being quite thick.
"Lucy is my friend and Audrey's great-aunt."
"Oh! I didn't know her name before! Audrey calls her Nanny." Augusta's expression visibly softened.
"That's right. I always forget Audrey doesn't call her 'Aunt Lucy' like Neville does."
"I'll just need to go home quickly to get Audrey's birthday present." Augusta tapped Percy with her wand.
"You can get through the wards now, so you may Apparate straight here. No need to stop at the front door. And that goes for when you come over in the future as well."
"Thank you, Aunt Gussie." Percy disappeared with a pop.
Percy went straight to his nightstand and pulled the wrapped package out of the top drawer. He ran to his desk for an envelope, some parchment, and his favorite quill. Twoey bounced excitedly at seeing Percy.
"This is just a quick trip, Twoey. We'll play when I get home." Percy Apparated back to the Longbottoms.
He appeared with a pop, and Aunt Gussie offered him her writing desk. Percy thanked her and began his letter to Audrey.
Percy wrote everything that had happened since he had last seen Audrey. He omitted the bit about buying her an engagement ring. He realized he should have brought the VAPP with him and just copied it, but he didn't care. He told her about Bill's wedding gift, that he now couldn't send, and the toilet entrance, the "hearings", all about Twoey and looking at the WWW catalogue, and the strange letter from Neville. He told her he'd carry her letter with him. Percy did not mention he was going to be carrying her engagement ring as well.
It was quite late when Percy finished his letter. Neville and Aunt Gussie were both reading in the sitting room.
"I finished the letter. Thank you so much for getting it to Audrey."
"Not at all." Aunt Gussie smiled at him. "Why don't you come for Sunday dinner?"
"Thank you. I'd like that, but won't it make people suspicious?"
"Gran fixed it so you can Apparate straight here, so probably no one will know. But if anyone says anything just tell them you are strengthening social ties with an ancient Pureblood family."
Percy gaped at Neville. There was no sign of the shy, clumsy child he had once been.
Augusta laughed. "My grandson gets smarter every day." Neville beamed. Percy accepted the invitation for Sunday and Apparated back to his flat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audrey shuffled to the refrigerator, her white-ish fleece bathrobe hanging open revealing her ratty Sylvester and Tweety Bird pajamas. She opened the refrigerator door, stared into it for several moments, selected a can of Diet Mountain Dew, closed the door, and shuffled back to the kitchen table where she slumped into a chair with a sigh.
Uncle Ed shook his newspaper smartly as he turned the page, and peered over it at Audrey. "How many of those have you had, anyway?"
Audrey shrugged, opening her soda.
Audrey remembered very little about her trip to the States. Aunt Gussie Apparated her to Heathrow Airport, talked to . . . someone, and conjured appropriate tickets. After a tearful good-bye and tight hug, Audrey was herded onto an airplane, where she fell asleep shortly after take-off.
Audrey awoke before arriving at Huntsville International Airport. She felt as if she were in a trance as she returned her seat to the full and upright position, and waited in line to leave the airplane. When the line finally moved, and she exited, it wasn't long before she saw Nanny and Uncle Ed. She fell into Nanny's open arms and started to cry.
It was very late when Audrey arrived at Nanny and Uncle Ed's, and she slept for a solid day. For three days after, she ate, slept, and shuffled around Nanny and Uncle Ed's house in her bathrobe. She was now on her fourth day of moping and shuffling.
Uncle Ed folded his paper and put it down on the table. "You know, Audrey, you can't just laze around in your bathrobe forever. You need to do something to keep yourself occupied, get your mind off of things. Why don't you come with me to the Botanical Gardens today? There's plenty of work to be done."
Uncle Ed had volunteered at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens for as long as Audrey could remember. She nodded, knowing from Uncle Ed's tone that he would not take no for an answer. "I'll go get dressed." Taking her Diet Mountain Dew with her, Audrey left the kitchen.
***
Uncle Ed drove the two of them to the Botanical Gardens. Upon arrival, he said, "I'm going to work with my team for lights set up. Do you want to help or do you want to do something else?"
"The lights?" Audrey asked.
"Yes. For the Galaxy of Lights. You've seen it before."
"I never knew you started in August for a display in November!"
"We work on it most of the year actually. Those lights don't organize and hang themselves, you know."
"I could help with that if it were allowed . . ."
Uncle Ed chuckled. "None of that. So, what do you want to do?"
"I'd like to finish my roll of film so I can get it developed. Would you mind if I just wandered around a bit?"
"Not at all. I'll be in the Education Building if you need me."
"OK. Thanks!"
Audrey wandered down the path towards the water garden which was one of her favorite parts. The shaded walkway over the pond with different varieties of blooming water lilies gave her a sense of peace. Nanny and Uncle Ed had been members for as long as Audrey could remember, and she had fond memories of visiting the gardens as a child. As Audrey removed her sun hat and fanned herself with it, she wished she was back in England where it wasn't so bloody hot.
She wandered around fairly quickly, since it was too hot to be outside for long, taking pictures of flowers and butterflies. She saved a few pictures on the roll so she could find someone to take a picture of her with Uncle Ed.
When she entered the Education Building, she was refreshed by a nice burst of air conditioning.
"Hi! You must be Ed's niece. I'm Gloria. Ed stepped out to go check the location for one of this year's new displays, but he told me you'd be coming by."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gloria." Audrey offered Gloria her hand, but realized she was holding a large box and couldn't take it. "Do you need help?"
"Oh this is lightweight, just large. Thanks, but I've got it. If you want to help, though, you could come with me as I release the butterflies. This shipment just came in."
"That box is full of butterflies?!"
"Sure is. They're safe. I'm going to release them into the Butterfly House."
Fascinated, Audrey followed Gloria back out into the heat and to the Butterfly House. Gloria set the box on a bench, slit the packing tape with a pocket knife, and opened the top. Audrey expected butterflies to swarm out, but all she saw was a box full of white envelopes.
Gloria picked up a white envelope, holding it gently by one corner. "The butterflies are put into sort of a breathable refrigerator to get them cold for shipping. The cold basically puts them to sleep, so they can be put in these envelopes and shipped. It doesn't hurt them at all. They go to sleep in one location and wake up in their nice new home."
Gloria opened the flap of the envelope she was holding and pulled it gently apart from the other side. After a moment, a butterfly fluttered out, and lit on a nearby bush.
"Wow!" Audrey whispered.
"You want to try it?"
"May I?"
Gloria answered by handing Audrey an envelope. Audrey carefully pulled the edges apart as she had seen Gloria do, not wanting to injure the fragile cargo. She could feel the slightest movement as the butterfly exited the envelope. With delight, Audrey watched "her" butterfly fly away.
Audrey handed Gloria her camera, asking, "Would you please get a picture of me releasing a butterfly? This has to be one of the best things I've ever done."
"Be glad to, sugar." Gloria accepted the camera, examining it. "Do you want me to get several and finish off this roll?"
"If you wouldn't mind saving one or two, I'd like to be in a picture with Uncle Ed. He rarely allows his picture to be taken, so I thought finishing the roll would be a good excuse."
Gloria laughed. "That will be great! Maybe you can convince him to let me put the picture in our newsletter. Ed's volunteered here for thirty years, and he has yet to allow me to feature him in our 'Volunteer Spotlight'. Maybe if you're both in the picture . . ."
"I'll see what I can do." Audrey smiled.
Gloria and Audrey worked together to release the butterflies from their envelopes. Soon the Butterfly House was a mass of fluttering color.
Audrey asked, "Why ship the butterflies? Why not raise them here?"
"Different butterfly houses around the country generally specialize in raising a few types of butterflies. Then we share with each other to have a greater variety of species. No point in doing everything yourself if you can work with others and do it better." Gloria smiled.
After Gloria and Audrey had released all of the butterflies, they walked back to the Education Building together. Before they could get inside, they met Uncle Ed coming out.
"I was just coming to look for you Audrey to see if you wanted to get some lunch."
"I'd love to, as soon as I use up the last picture on my film. Gloria got a couple of me releasing butterflies, but there's still one or two left."
"Why don't I take a picture of the two of you together?" Before Uncle Ed could protest, Audrey handed Gloria her camera and stood next to Uncle Ed, putting her arm around him.
"Why do I feel like I've been set up?" Ed grumbled, although he dutifully smiled for the photo.
Gloria took a couple of shots until they heard the sound of the film rewinding. "There you go!"
"Great! After lunch, may I borrow the car, Uncle Ed, to go drop off the film?"
"Sure, I'm planning on staying until late afternoon, so do whatever you want. It's good to see you smiling."
"It would really make me smile if you let Gloria put our picture in the Gardens' newsletter. She could even write about two generations volunteering together."
"Now I know I was set up," Ed grumbled. "Fine, as long as the article's about both of us and not just me!" Ed shook a finger at Gloria.
Gloria laughed. "It's a deal!"
After lunch, Audrey did take Uncle Ed's car to go drop off the film. She wanted to do the one hour photo finishing since there were pictures of Percy on this roll, but she couldn't justify the expense, especially when she didn't have a job. She'd manage to wait one more day for pictures of Percy.
As she was returning to the Botanical Gardens, she passed the campus for the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Without thinking what she was doing she turned onto the winding street leading to the University's parking lot.
Before Audrey had gotten the job with the Muggle Liaison Office, she'd been a student at UAH. She couldn't believe it had only been last May-so much had happened since then. She hadn't planned to return to school since she had the job she wanted, but now . . .
Audrey sat in the parking lot thinking for several minutes. She couldn't remember whether or not she had told the university she wasn't returning. If she had forgotten to tell them, things would be much easier. She would need to figure out what classes she needed, register for them, see her advisor for approval probably . . . She might as well get started.
***
Several hours later, Audrey returned to the Botanical Gardens to pick up Uncle Ed. She found him waiting for her and wondering what had taken her so long.
"I registered for classes at UAH," Audrey answered.
She told him all about her process for registering on the way home. Uncle Ed even let her drive. She gave the edited version of the story to Nanny once they were home.
"That's wonderful, dear. And you didn't even have to use magic?"
"Only to change the date on my scholarship acceptance form. I had missed the deadline, but other than that it was fine."
"Now wait a minute! You didn't tell me you used magic to finagle all this!" Uncle Ed bellowed.
"I didn't 'finagle' anything. I never told UAH I wasn't coming back, so I'm still a student there, and I still have a full scholarship which I applied for and earned. I just hadn't sent back the form, so I changed the date to make sure there wouldn't be any problems. It's not like I can explain what actually happened."
"Now listen here, young lady, you know I don't like it when you misuse magic that way."
"I'm not misusing magic! I changed one date on a form for a scholarship that's rightfully mine! It's not like I invented a scholarship or kept somebody else from getting one! MERLIN!" Audrey shrieked and stormed off to her room, slamming the door. She didn't care if she was acting like a child. She wouldn't be in this fix if not for the bloody Death Eaters and bloody Umbridge! And she'd been having a fairly decent day, but now everything fell back on top of her and she started to cry. She wanted Percy.
Audrey never cried loudly, and she could hear Nanny placating Uncle Ed and convincing him that she hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't know why Uncle Ed was so touchy about magic sometimes. He'd been married to Nanny forever, and it wasn't like she lived as a Muggle.
Audrey didn't come out of her room even for dinner. She wasn't hungry anyway. She wrote in her journal pretending she was talking to Percy. Maybe she'd let him read it next time she saw him . . . Actually that was a good idea! She could "talk" to Percy every day by writing in her journal, knowing that someday she'd see him again and they could read it together. Audrey felt a bit better and wrote with renewed vigor.
She slept fitfully that night, and when she awoke in the morning, she wasn't sure she wanted to go downstairs. Maybe she should get a job and her own apartment rather than living with Nanny and Uncle Ed. She couldn't take having arguments like she'd had yesterday-her nerves were already shot with worry over Percy.
Her debate about whether or not to leave her room didn't last long. She was absolutely starving since she'd skipped dinner, and something smelled wonderful. When she arrived in the kitchen, she realized she needn't have been so worried about Uncle Ed. He was at the stove making sausage, biscuits, and gravy-homemade biscuits, too. Nobody made biscuits and gravy like Uncle Ed.
"Good morning, Audrey. Sorry I was such a horse's patoot yesterday. Your aunt sorted me out."
Audrey chuckled. Nobody apologized quite like Uncle Ed, either. "You're making my favorite breakfast-you're forgiven."
Uncle Ed chuckled, too, and handed Audrey a Diet Mountain Dew from the refrigerator, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She thanked him and sat at the table awaiting her favorite breakfast.
Audrey once again went to the Botanical Gardens with Uncle Ed and spent time in the Butterfly House with Gloria. She ate lunch with Uncle Ed at the Garden Café and then went to campus to buy her books. She picked up the pictures on her way back, thrilled to finally have a picture of Percy. She had planned to give him a framed picture of the two of them together for his birthday, but she wasn't going to be able to do it now. Audrey sighed. She was going to have to keep herself as busy as possible if she wasn't going to lose her mind. She'd wrap the present for Percy and give it to him . . . whenever she saw him next. Just like she'd let him read the journal she was writing for him. She had a feeling that she'd have quite a stack of things for Percy the next time she saw him.
The next day, Audrey helped Nanny clean the house. She didn't want to be a freeloader, and it wasn't like she had anything better to do anyway. With both of them working while Uncle Ed was outside barbecuing, they finished fairly quickly. Just in time it seemed. Around mid-afternoon the doorbell rang. Nanny answered to a couple standing there with suitcases. Audrey observed from down the hall.
"We're the Pattersons. Augusta sent us?"
"Yes, come in! Gussie told me you were coming. I just didn't know the exact time."
"And you have a niece named Audrey who's here?"
Audrey walked down the hall and made her presence known. "I'm Audrey."
"We have a letter for you from your young man. Augusta asked us to bring it to you."
Audrey could hardly believe it. She took the proffered letter with awe, thanked them and ran off to her room to read it.
Dear Audrey,
I am so relieved that you are safe. I was terrified when I went to the ministry Monday morning, and you weren't there . . .
Percy wrote his version of the "Worst Monday of All Time" as Audrey now thought of that day. He told her about Bill's wedding gift that he now couldn't send, and the toilet entrance, the "hearings", all about Twoey and looking at the WWW catalogue, and the strange letter from Neville.
Audrey couldn't believe Percy had bought anything from Fred and George, let alone a Pygmy Puff, but she was glad he'd have something to make him think of her, and even more glad Neville had succeeded in his plan to contact Percy!
I really hope you like your birthday present. I saw it after I bought Bill's gift and immediately thought of you. I am going to carry your letter with me until we can see each other again.
Birthday present? There wasn't a present with the letter. Of course, the letter was better than anything Audrey could have expected, but she'd definitely be asking Nanny and the Pattersons if there was something else for her.
I will do my best to stay safe. I'm hoping I can see Dad in the hallway and ask how everyone is, but I haven't seen him at all this week. Aunt Gussie invited me to come over again, so at least I will have someone to talk to from time to time (other than Hermes and Twoey, of course.) I really miss you. I never realized how boring I was until you came around and taught me how to have fun. I hope our time apart will be as short as possible. I'm going to see if I can help that along, without putting myself in danger. (I'm not really much of a Gryffindor, so don't worry.) I want to stay alive and well so you can come back to me. I want you to come back to me right this second, actually, but I know that wouldn't be safe. And I want you to stay safe so when you are back we can be together forever. I love you.
All my love,
Percy
Audrey clasped the letter to her heart for a moment before reading it over twice more and savoring every word. She could hear Percy's voice as if he were right there saying the words to her. And come to think of it, this was the only thing she had in Percy's handwriting. Audrey would treasure his letter.
She went back downstairs and found Nanny. "Percy asked in his letter if I liked my birthday present."
"Oh? Well, your birthday isn’t for several weeks yet."
"You do have a present for me, though?"
"Yes, dear. There was a present with the letter. You can enjoy the letter for a few weeks to tide you over until your birthday. It might be a while until you see Percy. I think you should wait for your birthday."
Audrey agreed and returned to her room to read Percy's letter yet again.
Chapter 7: A Surprising Start to September
Word Count: ~73,000 + and counting; 5854 for chapter six
Rating: PG-13 (I *think* it stays PG-13 all the way through the story.)
Summary: Essentially, the events of "Deathly Hallows" from Percy Weasley's and Audrey Mitchell's points of view, including frequent cameos by Fred and George Weasley, and the Longbottoms, as well as other canon characters.
Chapter 1: When Percy Met Audrey
Chapter 2: Going Out
Chapter 3: Weasley Wizard Wheezes
Chapter 3.5: Seeing Is Believing
Chapter 4: Muggle Weekend
Chapter 5: Loneliness Revisited
CHAPTER 6:
CHAPTER 6: Unusual Correspondence
Words: 5854
Percy had gone from purchasing Audrey's engagement ring to finding out her life might be in danger in a matter of minutes. Work had always been the stable force in his life-what he enjoyed, where he could excel, something he could count on. Now there was a disgusting and unsanitary entrance to the Ministry, odd hearings, and the hideous statue in the atrium. Percy was miserable. Not only was his beloved Ministry falling apart, but he was beginning to realize his parents had been right all along. To top it off, he had no idea where the love of his life was. He was surprised no one had questioned him about Audrey, but everyone probably assumed boring, stuffy Percy Weasley would not have a love life. Not that he had had much of one . . . yet. But still. Percy hoped and prayed with every fiber of his being Audrey was all right. He had only been without her for four days, but was now certain he wanted to marry her. He carried her engagement ring with him at all times with concealment and sticking charms. He kept reaching into his pocket to feel it, thinking ahead to his proposal when he next saw Audrey. Work was awful, home was awful. Everywhere felt empty without Audrey.
Percy arrived home after yet another long day at the Ministry. He was just finishing up his supper, when Hermes flew in the open window carrying a parcel in one talon and a small cage in the other. Hermes put both on the table in front of Percy, squawked at him loudly, and flew back out the window, presumably to go hunt. Percy knew when Hermes was disgruntled. He'd have to get him a special treat.
Percy examined the Pygmy Puff in its cage. It really was the exact color of Audrey's eyes, and was chirping for lack of a better word. He picked up the note attached to the cage.
Dear Customer,
Thank you very much for your order. As your owl was hungrily eyeing your new Pygmy Puff, we enclosed a protective cage at no extra charge. Care and feeding instructions for your Pygmy Puff are enclosed in the parcel. Thank you again for your business, and we hope to serve you in the future.
Sincerely,
Fred and George Weasley
Proprietors
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Ah. That's why Hermes was so disgruntled. He'd have to have a chat with his owl later. He didn't want Twoey to be eaten. After much thought, Percy had decided to name his Pygmy Puff after that large, hideous plant in one of the movies he had seen with Audrey.
"Twoey, do you like your new name?" Twoey began to bounce up and down in his cage and chirped louder. Percy assumed it was a him. How in Merlin's name did you know with a Pygmy Puff?
"I'll take that as a yes, then." Percy unlocked the cage, and Twoey bounced out. Percy petted him gently, and Twoey wiggled and bounced, bouncing right up Percy's arm to his shoulder, cuddled into his neck, and fell asleep. (Percy checked in the mirror.) Percy smiled. Twoey really was a cute little guy.
Percy next opened the parcel. He put the Patented Daydream Charm aside for later, and opened the Voice-Activated Perpetual Parchment (VAPP). It was a large frame, filled with blank parchment, and had a holder for the dark blue quill in the upper left hand corner. Percy read and followed the instructions. Placing the VAPP flat on his table, he charmed the quill, and began talking to Audrey about everything that had happened in the past few days. He even included the story of buying her ring, because he fully planned to propose before he let her read this. The quill recorded everything he said verbatim. And when it reached what appeared to be the bottom of the page, it scrolled in a fresh sheet. All Percy had to do to find a particular part of what he said was to tap the VAPP with his wand and state the date of the entry, or a word which appeared in the entry, and the VAPP would find it. If he wanted the beginning, he could just say "beginning". This was completely brilliant! Percy had never realized how smart the twins were. He experimented with the VAPP while Twoey slept on his shoulder.
Percy was completely engrossed in using the VAPP when an unfamiliar owl flew to the back of a chair. The new arrival held out its leg and Percy stopped the VAPP and untied the small scroll. Percy unrolled the scroll and read,
Dear Percy,
I am writing to invite you to tea. As a career minded individual, I thought you could assist me in planning my future. You made an excellent Prefect and Head Boy, and you were always so helpful to the younger students. Gran said any night you are free for tea would be fine. Please reply and let us know when you will be coming.
Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom
What in Merlin's name . . .? Percy stared at the note, rereading it several times. Neville Longbottom was asking him for advice? Percy couldn't remember ever speaking to Neville individually. He debated writing back that he was too busy to come to tea, but curiosity got the better of him. He sent a reply with the waiting owl that he would be there tomorrow after work. At least he would be around people he didn't normally see, and it might be something to take his mind off of Audrey.
***
The next evening, Percy locked his office door, left the Ministry, and Apparated to the Longbottom residence. He had barely finished knocking when the door opened, and Percy saw, not Neville, but Mrs Longbottom.
"Come in quickly, boy. Don't linger outside too long." She took his arm and pulled him into the house, locking and charming the door behind him. "Come in to the parlor and sit down. Read this. It will probably explain everything." Mrs Longbottom handed him an envelope as she guided him to a chair. "We'll have tea when you are finished."
Percy was more confused than ever as he looked at the envelope. It wasn't parchment-just a plain, white envelope. He opened it, removing the letter inside. It seemed to be quite long and was written on butterfly stationery. What?! Percy quickly shuffled to the last page. It was from Audrey! Percy went back to the beginning and began to read.
Dear Percy,
After our wonderful weekend together, I came to work Monday and walked into a nightmare. Dolores Umbridge was waiting for me outside the Ministry entrance. She said the Muggle Liaison Office had been closed, and she would be confiscating my wand as part of the investigation into the murder of Minister Scrimgeour. Well, you know my feelings on Dolores Umbridge. I wanted to question her, but she said there was evidence of Muggleborn involvement in the Minister's murder. All offices dealing with Muggles in any way were being closed, all Muggleborns working for the Ministry were being asked to surrender their wands as part of the investigation into the murder, and all Muggleborns were out of jobs until the investigation was completed and "the full extent of the Muggleborn conspiracy came to light." I thought she was awful during my seventh year at Hogwarts, but this was far worse. She gave me a questionnaire to complete, and told me to go home and wait until I was called for a hearing to determine if I had any part in the conspiracy. Percy, she practically accused me of murdering the Minister of Magic! I gave her my wand and left the Ministry, just like she told me to.
Being completely comfortable in both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds can be a very good thing. I walked back to my flat, let myself in with my Muggle key, picked up my extra wand, and Apparated straight to Aunt Gussie's. I don't know what I would have done without my extra wand.
I don't think I've told you this before. When Nanny turned 17, Gringotts called her in to collect items left for her in a will. Apparently, Nanny had an ancestor who was a witch, and she had left several things for the next witch or wizard in the family-including her wand. Nanny was the next witch in the family, but she had already purchased a wand from Mr Ollivander before she ever saw the box. The wand didn't work very well for her, so she was glad to have her own. She let me try the wand when I turned 11, and it works for me, but Nanny suggested I still get my own wand, and have an extra. I'm so glad she suggested it!
I'm sorry to be rambling, Percy, but so much has happened in such a short time. I told Aunt Gussie what had happened, and she thought it best if I go stay with Nanny for a while. She came back with me to my flat and helped me shrink and pack everything, and turn in my key to my landlord. Then she went with me to my parents' businesses to try to convince them to come to Nanny's as well, but they wouldn't. Mom got angry at me for "magic messing up their lives again". I know I haven't gotten on very well with them in a long time, but they are my parents! I don't want them to be hurt, but I couldn't make them come with me. Aunt Gussie put up wards at their home and my dad's office and my mum's shop, and said she'd keep an eye on them and do her best to keep them safe. I guess it's all we can do without their cooperation.
I didn't want to leave without seeing you, but Aunt Gussie said it wouldn't be safe. She helped Muggleborns escape from You-Know-Who in the War with Voldemort, and sent them to Nanny who helped them get settled or found them temporary housing, often with her and Uncle Ed. Aunt Gussie wanted to keep me safe and insisted I leave. She looked at the questionnaire Umbridge gave me, and it has nothing to do with a murder investigation. It's all about my being Muggleborn. I'm supposed to have a hearing in front of the new Muggleborn Registration Commission. Apparently all Muggleborns have to go before this "Commission". I think the murder investigation is just an excuse to get rid of Muggleborns. You-Know-Who must be behind this somehow.
Percy, I believe good will triumph over evil, and You-Know-Who will be stopped. I don't know how that's going to happen, or how long it will take, but it WILL happen. And when he is stopped, the Wizarding world will be safe for Muggleborns again, and I will return to England. I wanted to ask you to come with me, but Aunt Gussie said You-Know-Who might target your family if you disappeared. I would never want that to happen. If we have to be apart for a while to keep our families safe, then so be it. Aunt Gussie and Cous promised me they would find a safe way to contact you. I will miss you terribly, Percy, and I will be thinking of you every minute. I will be safe with Nanny, so don't worry about me. Please keep yourself safe, Percy. I know how Gryffindors are. I want to have you alive and well, so I can come back to you. I love you.
Yours Forever,
Audrey
Percy had to read through the letter several times to take it all in. He breathed a huge sigh of relief that Audrey was safe. Now he understood Neville's strange letter. He looked up and saw Mrs Longbottom watching him from across the room. Percy couldn't speak. He thought if he did he might start crying. It'd sure been one hell of a week. He tried to speak anyway, but only managed to open and close his mouth a few times. Mrs Longbottom looked at him with more compassion than Percy thought her stern face could manage. She walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and Percy couldn't contain himself any more. He didn't care that he was losing any shred of dignity he had as he put his face into his hands and sobbed.
***
Percy didn't know how long he had been crying. At some point either Neville or Mrs Longbottom had handed him a handkerchief. As he collected himself, Percy became aware that Mrs Longbottom was standing behind him patting his shoulder. Percy felt embarrassed-he couldn't even remember the last time he had cried. He cleared his throat to apologize, but before he could say anything, Mrs Longbottom said,
"Now don't you worry about a thing, lad. There's a loo just around the corner where you can freshen up. Neville has tea set out for whenever you are ready."
Percy nodded and did as Mrs Longbottom directed. He took a very long time washing his face, but finally decided he couldn't avoid the Longbottoms anymore. He really had to break his habit of hiding in loos.
***
Percy enjoyed his meal with the Longbottoms. They kept the conversation to neutral topics. With a full stomach and his third cup of tea in hand, Percy felt emboldened enough to ask the question burning within him.
"Mrs Longbottom . . ."
"Oh, please, Percy. Audrey is family," Augusta gave Percy a shrewd look, "and from the looks of things, you will be, too, someday." Percy blushed, but did not deny it. "Call me Aunt Gussie."
Percy could not imagine calling this stern woman "Aunt Gussie" but he was willing to try. "Well, then. Aunt Gussie, I was wondering if there would be a way for me to get a letter to Audrey and maybe send her birthday present, as well."
"Communication isn't really safe since all forms of it can be monitored, but I have some Muggleborn neighbors who will be heading to Lucy's tomorrow, so you may send a note with them if you like."
"I'm sorry, but who is Lucy?" Augusta looked at Percy as if he were being quite thick.
"Lucy is my friend and Audrey's great-aunt."
"Oh! I didn't know her name before! Audrey calls her Nanny." Augusta's expression visibly softened.
"That's right. I always forget Audrey doesn't call her 'Aunt Lucy' like Neville does."
"I'll just need to go home quickly to get Audrey's birthday present." Augusta tapped Percy with her wand.
"You can get through the wards now, so you may Apparate straight here. No need to stop at the front door. And that goes for when you come over in the future as well."
"Thank you, Aunt Gussie." Percy disappeared with a pop.
Percy went straight to his nightstand and pulled the wrapped package out of the top drawer. He ran to his desk for an envelope, some parchment, and his favorite quill. Twoey bounced excitedly at seeing Percy.
"This is just a quick trip, Twoey. We'll play when I get home." Percy Apparated back to the Longbottoms.
He appeared with a pop, and Aunt Gussie offered him her writing desk. Percy thanked her and began his letter to Audrey.
Percy wrote everything that had happened since he had last seen Audrey. He omitted the bit about buying her an engagement ring. He realized he should have brought the VAPP with him and just copied it, but he didn't care. He told her about Bill's wedding gift, that he now couldn't send, and the toilet entrance, the "hearings", all about Twoey and looking at the WWW catalogue, and the strange letter from Neville. He told her he'd carry her letter with him. Percy did not mention he was going to be carrying her engagement ring as well.
It was quite late when Percy finished his letter. Neville and Aunt Gussie were both reading in the sitting room.
"I finished the letter. Thank you so much for getting it to Audrey."
"Not at all." Aunt Gussie smiled at him. "Why don't you come for Sunday dinner?"
"Thank you. I'd like that, but won't it make people suspicious?"
"Gran fixed it so you can Apparate straight here, so probably no one will know. But if anyone says anything just tell them you are strengthening social ties with an ancient Pureblood family."
Percy gaped at Neville. There was no sign of the shy, clumsy child he had once been.
Augusta laughed. "My grandson gets smarter every day." Neville beamed. Percy accepted the invitation for Sunday and Apparated back to his flat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audrey shuffled to the refrigerator, her white-ish fleece bathrobe hanging open revealing her ratty Sylvester and Tweety Bird pajamas. She opened the refrigerator door, stared into it for several moments, selected a can of Diet Mountain Dew, closed the door, and shuffled back to the kitchen table where she slumped into a chair with a sigh.
Uncle Ed shook his newspaper smartly as he turned the page, and peered over it at Audrey. "How many of those have you had, anyway?"
Audrey shrugged, opening her soda.
Audrey remembered very little about her trip to the States. Aunt Gussie Apparated her to Heathrow Airport, talked to . . . someone, and conjured appropriate tickets. After a tearful good-bye and tight hug, Audrey was herded onto an airplane, where she fell asleep shortly after take-off.
Audrey awoke before arriving at Huntsville International Airport. She felt as if she were in a trance as she returned her seat to the full and upright position, and waited in line to leave the airplane. When the line finally moved, and she exited, it wasn't long before she saw Nanny and Uncle Ed. She fell into Nanny's open arms and started to cry.
It was very late when Audrey arrived at Nanny and Uncle Ed's, and she slept for a solid day. For three days after, she ate, slept, and shuffled around Nanny and Uncle Ed's house in her bathrobe. She was now on her fourth day of moping and shuffling.
Uncle Ed folded his paper and put it down on the table. "You know, Audrey, you can't just laze around in your bathrobe forever. You need to do something to keep yourself occupied, get your mind off of things. Why don't you come with me to the Botanical Gardens today? There's plenty of work to be done."
Uncle Ed had volunteered at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens for as long as Audrey could remember. She nodded, knowing from Uncle Ed's tone that he would not take no for an answer. "I'll go get dressed." Taking her Diet Mountain Dew with her, Audrey left the kitchen.
***
Uncle Ed drove the two of them to the Botanical Gardens. Upon arrival, he said, "I'm going to work with my team for lights set up. Do you want to help or do you want to do something else?"
"The lights?" Audrey asked.
"Yes. For the Galaxy of Lights. You've seen it before."
"I never knew you started in August for a display in November!"
"We work on it most of the year actually. Those lights don't organize and hang themselves, you know."
"I could help with that if it were allowed . . ."
Uncle Ed chuckled. "None of that. So, what do you want to do?"
"I'd like to finish my roll of film so I can get it developed. Would you mind if I just wandered around a bit?"
"Not at all. I'll be in the Education Building if you need me."
"OK. Thanks!"
Audrey wandered down the path towards the water garden which was one of her favorite parts. The shaded walkway over the pond with different varieties of blooming water lilies gave her a sense of peace. Nanny and Uncle Ed had been members for as long as Audrey could remember, and she had fond memories of visiting the gardens as a child. As Audrey removed her sun hat and fanned herself with it, she wished she was back in England where it wasn't so bloody hot.
She wandered around fairly quickly, since it was too hot to be outside for long, taking pictures of flowers and butterflies. She saved a few pictures on the roll so she could find someone to take a picture of her with Uncle Ed.
When she entered the Education Building, she was refreshed by a nice burst of air conditioning.
"Hi! You must be Ed's niece. I'm Gloria. Ed stepped out to go check the location for one of this year's new displays, but he told me you'd be coming by."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gloria." Audrey offered Gloria her hand, but realized she was holding a large box and couldn't take it. "Do you need help?"
"Oh this is lightweight, just large. Thanks, but I've got it. If you want to help, though, you could come with me as I release the butterflies. This shipment just came in."
"That box is full of butterflies?!"
"Sure is. They're safe. I'm going to release them into the Butterfly House."
Fascinated, Audrey followed Gloria back out into the heat and to the Butterfly House. Gloria set the box on a bench, slit the packing tape with a pocket knife, and opened the top. Audrey expected butterflies to swarm out, but all she saw was a box full of white envelopes.
Gloria picked up a white envelope, holding it gently by one corner. "The butterflies are put into sort of a breathable refrigerator to get them cold for shipping. The cold basically puts them to sleep, so they can be put in these envelopes and shipped. It doesn't hurt them at all. They go to sleep in one location and wake up in their nice new home."
Gloria opened the flap of the envelope she was holding and pulled it gently apart from the other side. After a moment, a butterfly fluttered out, and lit on a nearby bush.
"Wow!" Audrey whispered.
"You want to try it?"
"May I?"
Gloria answered by handing Audrey an envelope. Audrey carefully pulled the edges apart as she had seen Gloria do, not wanting to injure the fragile cargo. She could feel the slightest movement as the butterfly exited the envelope. With delight, Audrey watched "her" butterfly fly away.
Audrey handed Gloria her camera, asking, "Would you please get a picture of me releasing a butterfly? This has to be one of the best things I've ever done."
"Be glad to, sugar." Gloria accepted the camera, examining it. "Do you want me to get several and finish off this roll?"
"If you wouldn't mind saving one or two, I'd like to be in a picture with Uncle Ed. He rarely allows his picture to be taken, so I thought finishing the roll would be a good excuse."
Gloria laughed. "That will be great! Maybe you can convince him to let me put the picture in our newsletter. Ed's volunteered here for thirty years, and he has yet to allow me to feature him in our 'Volunteer Spotlight'. Maybe if you're both in the picture . . ."
"I'll see what I can do." Audrey smiled.
Gloria and Audrey worked together to release the butterflies from their envelopes. Soon the Butterfly House was a mass of fluttering color.
Audrey asked, "Why ship the butterflies? Why not raise them here?"
"Different butterfly houses around the country generally specialize in raising a few types of butterflies. Then we share with each other to have a greater variety of species. No point in doing everything yourself if you can work with others and do it better." Gloria smiled.
After Gloria and Audrey had released all of the butterflies, they walked back to the Education Building together. Before they could get inside, they met Uncle Ed coming out.
"I was just coming to look for you Audrey to see if you wanted to get some lunch."
"I'd love to, as soon as I use up the last picture on my film. Gloria got a couple of me releasing butterflies, but there's still one or two left."
"Why don't I take a picture of the two of you together?" Before Uncle Ed could protest, Audrey handed Gloria her camera and stood next to Uncle Ed, putting her arm around him.
"Why do I feel like I've been set up?" Ed grumbled, although he dutifully smiled for the photo.
Gloria took a couple of shots until they heard the sound of the film rewinding. "There you go!"
"Great! After lunch, may I borrow the car, Uncle Ed, to go drop off the film?"
"Sure, I'm planning on staying until late afternoon, so do whatever you want. It's good to see you smiling."
"It would really make me smile if you let Gloria put our picture in the Gardens' newsletter. She could even write about two generations volunteering together."
"Now I know I was set up," Ed grumbled. "Fine, as long as the article's about both of us and not just me!" Ed shook a finger at Gloria.
Gloria laughed. "It's a deal!"
After lunch, Audrey did take Uncle Ed's car to go drop off the film. She wanted to do the one hour photo finishing since there were pictures of Percy on this roll, but she couldn't justify the expense, especially when she didn't have a job. She'd manage to wait one more day for pictures of Percy.
As she was returning to the Botanical Gardens, she passed the campus for the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Without thinking what she was doing she turned onto the winding street leading to the University's parking lot.
Before Audrey had gotten the job with the Muggle Liaison Office, she'd been a student at UAH. She couldn't believe it had only been last May-so much had happened since then. She hadn't planned to return to school since she had the job she wanted, but now . . .
Audrey sat in the parking lot thinking for several minutes. She couldn't remember whether or not she had told the university she wasn't returning. If she had forgotten to tell them, things would be much easier. She would need to figure out what classes she needed, register for them, see her advisor for approval probably . . . She might as well get started.
***
Several hours later, Audrey returned to the Botanical Gardens to pick up Uncle Ed. She found him waiting for her and wondering what had taken her so long.
"I registered for classes at UAH," Audrey answered.
She told him all about her process for registering on the way home. Uncle Ed even let her drive. She gave the edited version of the story to Nanny once they were home.
"That's wonderful, dear. And you didn't even have to use magic?"
"Only to change the date on my scholarship acceptance form. I had missed the deadline, but other than that it was fine."
"Now wait a minute! You didn't tell me you used magic to finagle all this!" Uncle Ed bellowed.
"I didn't 'finagle' anything. I never told UAH I wasn't coming back, so I'm still a student there, and I still have a full scholarship which I applied for and earned. I just hadn't sent back the form, so I changed the date to make sure there wouldn't be any problems. It's not like I can explain what actually happened."
"Now listen here, young lady, you know I don't like it when you misuse magic that way."
"I'm not misusing magic! I changed one date on a form for a scholarship that's rightfully mine! It's not like I invented a scholarship or kept somebody else from getting one! MERLIN!" Audrey shrieked and stormed off to her room, slamming the door. She didn't care if she was acting like a child. She wouldn't be in this fix if not for the bloody Death Eaters and bloody Umbridge! And she'd been having a fairly decent day, but now everything fell back on top of her and she started to cry. She wanted Percy.
Audrey never cried loudly, and she could hear Nanny placating Uncle Ed and convincing him that she hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't know why Uncle Ed was so touchy about magic sometimes. He'd been married to Nanny forever, and it wasn't like she lived as a Muggle.
Audrey didn't come out of her room even for dinner. She wasn't hungry anyway. She wrote in her journal pretending she was talking to Percy. Maybe she'd let him read it next time she saw him . . . Actually that was a good idea! She could "talk" to Percy every day by writing in her journal, knowing that someday she'd see him again and they could read it together. Audrey felt a bit better and wrote with renewed vigor.
She slept fitfully that night, and when she awoke in the morning, she wasn't sure she wanted to go downstairs. Maybe she should get a job and her own apartment rather than living with Nanny and Uncle Ed. She couldn't take having arguments like she'd had yesterday-her nerves were already shot with worry over Percy.
Her debate about whether or not to leave her room didn't last long. She was absolutely starving since she'd skipped dinner, and something smelled wonderful. When she arrived in the kitchen, she realized she needn't have been so worried about Uncle Ed. He was at the stove making sausage, biscuits, and gravy-homemade biscuits, too. Nobody made biscuits and gravy like Uncle Ed.
"Good morning, Audrey. Sorry I was such a horse's patoot yesterday. Your aunt sorted me out."
Audrey chuckled. Nobody apologized quite like Uncle Ed, either. "You're making my favorite breakfast-you're forgiven."
Uncle Ed chuckled, too, and handed Audrey a Diet Mountain Dew from the refrigerator, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She thanked him and sat at the table awaiting her favorite breakfast.
Audrey once again went to the Botanical Gardens with Uncle Ed and spent time in the Butterfly House with Gloria. She ate lunch with Uncle Ed at the Garden Café and then went to campus to buy her books. She picked up the pictures on her way back, thrilled to finally have a picture of Percy. She had planned to give him a framed picture of the two of them together for his birthday, but she wasn't going to be able to do it now. Audrey sighed. She was going to have to keep herself as busy as possible if she wasn't going to lose her mind. She'd wrap the present for Percy and give it to him . . . whenever she saw him next. Just like she'd let him read the journal she was writing for him. She had a feeling that she'd have quite a stack of things for Percy the next time she saw him.
The next day, Audrey helped Nanny clean the house. She didn't want to be a freeloader, and it wasn't like she had anything better to do anyway. With both of them working while Uncle Ed was outside barbecuing, they finished fairly quickly. Just in time it seemed. Around mid-afternoon the doorbell rang. Nanny answered to a couple standing there with suitcases. Audrey observed from down the hall.
"We're the Pattersons. Augusta sent us?"
"Yes, come in! Gussie told me you were coming. I just didn't know the exact time."
"And you have a niece named Audrey who's here?"
Audrey walked down the hall and made her presence known. "I'm Audrey."
"We have a letter for you from your young man. Augusta asked us to bring it to you."
Audrey could hardly believe it. She took the proffered letter with awe, thanked them and ran off to her room to read it.
Dear Audrey,
I am so relieved that you are safe. I was terrified when I went to the ministry Monday morning, and you weren't there . . .
Percy wrote his version of the "Worst Monday of All Time" as Audrey now thought of that day. He told her about Bill's wedding gift that he now couldn't send, and the toilet entrance, the "hearings", all about Twoey and looking at the WWW catalogue, and the strange letter from Neville.
Audrey couldn't believe Percy had bought anything from Fred and George, let alone a Pygmy Puff, but she was glad he'd have something to make him think of her, and even more glad Neville had succeeded in his plan to contact Percy!
I really hope you like your birthday present. I saw it after I bought Bill's gift and immediately thought of you. I am going to carry your letter with me until we can see each other again.
Birthday present? There wasn't a present with the letter. Of course, the letter was better than anything Audrey could have expected, but she'd definitely be asking Nanny and the Pattersons if there was something else for her.
I will do my best to stay safe. I'm hoping I can see Dad in the hallway and ask how everyone is, but I haven't seen him at all this week. Aunt Gussie invited me to come over again, so at least I will have someone to talk to from time to time (other than Hermes and Twoey, of course.) I really miss you. I never realized how boring I was until you came around and taught me how to have fun. I hope our time apart will be as short as possible. I'm going to see if I can help that along, without putting myself in danger. (I'm not really much of a Gryffindor, so don't worry.) I want to stay alive and well so you can come back to me. I want you to come back to me right this second, actually, but I know that wouldn't be safe. And I want you to stay safe so when you are back we can be together forever. I love you.
All my love,
Percy
Audrey clasped the letter to her heart for a moment before reading it over twice more and savoring every word. She could hear Percy's voice as if he were right there saying the words to her. And come to think of it, this was the only thing she had in Percy's handwriting. Audrey would treasure his letter.
She went back downstairs and found Nanny. "Percy asked in his letter if I liked my birthday present."
"Oh? Well, your birthday isn’t for several weeks yet."
"You do have a present for me, though?"
"Yes, dear. There was a present with the letter. You can enjoy the letter for a few weeks to tide you over until your birthday. It might be a while until you see Percy. I think you should wait for your birthday."
Audrey agreed and returned to her room to read Percy's letter yet again.
Chapter 7: A Surprising Start to September