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Oliver sighed and consulted his watch. Percy had promised they could leave Fred and George's party at a reasonable hour so that Oliver could get some sleep before his match the next morning, but it was pushing 11 o'clock and Percy was nowhere to be found.
Oliver shouldered his way through the throngs of people in the store, searching for even the smallest glimpse of red hair. He finally started towards a redheaded someone, only to figure out at the last minute that it was Ron, not his boyfriend.
"Percy?" he shouted. Frustration threatened to overwhelm him. He didn't want a sore throat tomorrow, and it wasn't like Percy to break his promise and just...disappear. "Perce, where are you?"
A stumbling figure appeared in front of him moments later, and it took him nearly a full minute to recognise his boyfriend. The redhead's curls were slicked back and his glasses were missing. When he moved towards Oliver, the overwhelming smell of booze came with him.
"You called, Ollie?" Percy said, grinning.
"I did," Oliver said shortly, ignoring the cutesy nickname to focus on the fact that his boyfriend was well and truly smashed. "What the hell, Percy? How much did you have to drink?"
"Not much," Percy all but purred into his ear. He wrapped his arms around Oliver's neck and giggled. "Not much at all."
Oliver sighed again. His watch now read 10:58 PM. "Let's get you home, Perce."
"Home?" Percy rested his chin on Oliver's shoulder, which would have been an adorable gesture had Oliver not felt so exasperated. "Don't wanna go home."
"I have a match tomorrow—"
"Since when're you so...so...'asponsible?" Percy swatted his arm. "God, Ollie, live a little."
Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to rein in his annoyance. He couldn't fault Percy for wanting to let loose a little, but the fact was that he had an important match in less than 12 hours time and Percy had known that before they went out.
Something must have happened, he realised. Maybe Fred and George took their teasing a step too far, or…
He shook his head. Now was not the time to try and figure that out—he could ask Percy tomorrow. What he really needed to do was try and sober Percy up so that they could safely Floo home together.
Oliver looked around for the drinks table and spotted it in the corner under a large, colorful banner that proclaimed the grand opening of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He headed towards it, dragging Percy with him, and scooped up a bottle of water.
"Drink this," he said, pressing the bottle into Percy's hands. "You need the fluids." He led his boyfriend over to a chair near the wall and made Percy sit. The redhead did so, curling his knees up into his chest the way a small child might. "How are you feeling, Perce? You look a little pale."
"'M'okay," Percy mumbled, his hands fumbling with the lid to the water bottle. His forehead was shiny with sweat, and his hair was beginning to lose its shape. "Well, maybe—maybe not so good."
Oliver sat and reached for the bottle, gently unscrewing it for him. He then helped guide the bottle towards Percy's mouth, making it easier for him to take a sip. When water began to dribble down Percy's chin, he quickly wiped it away.
By now, Oliver's watch said that it was five minutes past eleven. He and Percy probably wouldn't get home until half past, and it would be midnight before he could finally climb into bed. He stifled a yawn as he leaned his head onto Percy's shoulder.
"Tired?"
Oliver hummed. He wanted so badly to close his eyes, but he had to make sure that Percy was okay. Catching Ginny's eye as she walked by, he flagged her down and asked if she would grab him a coffee. She acquiesced, returning promptly with a small paper cup for him and a smirk for Percy.
"I've never seen him this drunk," she whispered to Oliver.
"I'll take that," he said, taking the cup from her. "And Ginny?" She said nothing, but looked expectantly at him. "Can I trust that you won't mention this to Fred and George?"
"Of course." With that, she disappeared back into the crowd.
Oliver slowly sipped his coffee in between assisting Percy with his own drink. His earlier annoyance had evaporated and was replaced with amusement. How ironic that he should be the responsible one, for once. It felt nice, though.
He checked his watch again. 11:27 PM.
"C'mon, Perce," he said, helping the other man to his feet. "Time to Floor home and get some sleep."
Percy nodded and followed him to the fireplace located in one of the shop's many backrooms. Before Oliver could grab a pinch of Floo powder and toss it into the flames, however, Percy stopped him.
"Thanks for looking after me tonight, Oliver."
Even though the evening hadn't gone as planned, and even though it was very likely that he was going to be exhausted the next morning, Oliver couldn't keep the smile off his face. He was lucky to have someone as sweet and appreciative as Percy in his life.
"You're welcome," he said, leaning in for a quick kiss. "Maybe you can make it up to me after tomorrow's match, when I'm sore and achy...you give the best massages, you know."
Percy smiled. "Deal."