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“I think I’ll go and get a new quill,” Percy mumbled to no one in particular. It wasn’t like anyone was listening to what he had to say anyway. “Don’t wait for me.”
He turned on the heel of his well-worn boots and walked away from his parents and siblings, Hermione Granger with her muggle parents, and Harry Potter so quickly that his cloak trailed behind him like a black cloud. Of course, he wasn’t quick enough to not hear the hushed snickers and whispers of his younger brothers Fred and George. It stung, as it always did, but he wasn’t about to reprimand them.
No, he had somewhere to be.
Rather than walk to Amanuensis Quills like he implied, Percy made his way back towards the Leaky Cauldron. He brushed passed his fellow Hogwarts students dressed in their black cloaks with their house mascots, giving a polite greeting to those he recognized but ultimately not striking up much of a conversation. He would keep the interaction going for as long as needed for it to be considered polite, but not a moment longer. Even if his family didn’t have much money, that didn’t mean he was without class.
To the left of the Leaky Cauldron, right before the brick wall leading to muggle London, was a small pathway leading to a hidden alcove. Percy had discovered it when he was eight years old when the Weasleys were visiting to buy Bill’s school supplies. He had never seen anyone in it.
At least, until now.
Kneeling in front of a small wooden garden bed was a young woman holding her wand at the trellis in the center, making the vines grow higher with the raising of her wrist. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back to her waist and shone in the light as if it was woven from gold.
Percy was sure there was no thing or no one more gorgeous than the woman in front of him.
“You know. . .” Percy knelt down next to her and grasped her left hand, “They grow even without magic—” he kissed the back of her hand “—though, I always enjoy watching your wandwork, Miss Macmillan.”
The flush of color on Victoria Macmillan’s cheeks made her, in Percy’s opinion, even more beautiful. He was starting to wonder just how red he could make her during their little “rendezvous.”
Percy’s lips trailed higher up her hand. He gently kissed her wrist while his own hand pulled her cloak back, showing her blue dress underneath. His lips went higher still, now going up her arm.
“What has you in such a good mood, Perce?” asked Victoria. A small, child-like giggle escaped from her lips as he softly nipped at her skin.
His arm snaked around her waist and drew her closer to him. Victoria in turn wrapped one of her arms around Percy’s neck.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Percy asked. “I’m seeing you.”
“Quite the wordsmith, aren’t you Mister Weasley?”
“For you? Always.”
He couldn’t wait any longer. Percy pulled Victoria in even closer and kissed her, his lips gently moving against her oh–so–soft ones. He smiled at the familiar weight of a pink flower blooming behind his ear, a side effect of Victoria’s magic.
Being with her in this way brought the same feelings it always had. Joy, relief, contentment, and fear accompanied by the small thrill of adrenaline. They were always at risk of being discovered with every secret kiss they shared and every embrace that lasted a bit too long to be written off as just friendly.
At this moment? He didn’t really care. And based off of the enthusiasm she was kissing him back with, Percy figured she didn’t either.
After a few wonderful seconds, they pulled away, panting. Victoria rested her forehead against Percy’s as he entangled their fingers together.
“What did you say to get away?” Victoria asked after a moment, her face still flushed from the kiss.
Percy brushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, grasping onto one of the pink flower buds before answering. “I told them I was buying a quill.”
“How studious of you.” Victoria began to giggle as he peppered her face with kisses, pink flower petals appearing out of thin air and falling on them.
“And whatever did you say, oh wise one?”
“I told my family I was seeing a friend.”
Percy snorted. “And here I thought we were closer than that.”
Victoria lightly smacked him on the stomach, causing him to laugh. “You know I see you as more than that.”
Percy rested his head on her shoulder, his glasses pressed against his neck. A shiver went down his spine as she ran her fingers through his red curls. He grasped onto one of the petals that fell out of the air, rubbing the soft pad between his fingertips.
Everything was always so loud around him. Back home at the Burrow, there was always something going on. The twins were usually causing some kind of mischief that led to Mum reprimanding them loudly. Of course, that led to Ron and Ginny going to see what was going on, which led to even more yelling and so on.
Hogwarts was just as bad, if not worse. Between Wood’s obsession with Quidditch and, strangely, a growing obsession possessing just as much passion towards Percy’s cousin, Radiant. So, at night, he had to deal with whatever that is after spending all day studying and doing his prefect duties.
And his mind? Oh, Merlin. His great-grandmother, Nan Delilah, always said he had some of her Ravenclaw wit. Apparently, that meant his brain never was quiet or ever stopped thinking. Even in silence, he never knew what stillness was like. He never knew peace.
Except with her.
Victoria always brought a sense of calm with her, no matter what was going on. She didn’t even have to do anything at all, being in her presence was enough for his mind to rest. There was just something about her that calmed him. She always had, even when they met as first years.
Even when she was struggling in the dark, she was still able to be his light.
As perfect as this moment felt, as she felt, he knew it couldn’t last forever.
“I have to go back,” Victoria whispered, not even bothering to hide the melancholy in her voice. It was as if she had read his mind. “I wish we could stay like this until the end of time.”
Percy drew away from her neck, meeting her gaze. “Me too.”
Victoria kept her hand in his hair. She pulled him closer, and this time she was the one to close the gap between them. The kiss didn’t last as long, nor was it as deep, but that didn’t make it any less wonderful.
After a few moments, Percy found himself back in Diagon Alley. He grabbed two new quills (new to him at least, they were used as those were the only kind he could afford) from Amanuensis Quills, his mood significantly worse after leaving Victoria. Then again, this wasn’t very unusual.
He found himself wandering aimlessly between storefronts. He strolled into Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop after hearing a laugh that suspiciously sounded like it came from one of the twins.
The store was dingy and dimly lit and made him feel immensely dirty as soon as he stepped across the threshold. He wanted to leave, but the need to make sure his younger brothers weren’t causing problems for others was very persistent. Percy weaved between the dirty tables filled with broken wands, half-filled glass bottles, parts of brooms, and things he didn’t even want to guess what they were.
As he brushed past a worn end table, a book sitting at the edge toppled over and landed on the dirty carpet with a few petals from his encounter with Victoria. Percy picked it up after muttering a curse, brushing the dirt and flowers off of the cover. He was about to continue on when he read the title. Prefects Who Gained Power.
The oh–so–familiar feeling to prove himself began to rise once more. It was a desire he started to feel when he started at Hogwarts. No, it started when he first saw other pureblood families look down at himself and his family simply because they didn’t have very much money and because they didn’t support Vold— You–Know–Who. He had this desire to prove them wrong. To show that he, and the rest of his family, were of more value than the wealth they possessed.
He wanted to show that he was a worthy partner to Victoria when their relationship was no longer a secret. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the heiress of the Macmillan family fortune made a good choice in her partner.
As Percy flipped through the book, there were a few names he recognized. Althea Sallow, for example, was a witch he remembered reading about before. Her possession of ancient magic and what it did for the wizarding world—
“A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers,” Ron, Percy’s youngest brother, read aloud. “Wow, Perce. That sounds fascinating. . .”
The sarcastic tone he took rubbed Percy the wrong way, even more than usual. He was used to the constant teasing and jeering from Fred and George, but from Ron? It was even more irritating.
“Go away,” Percy snapped.
Ron shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Harry and Hermione. Percy knew that Ron saw the glare shot in his direction. He turned back to his book, but he still heard what Ron said.
“Course, he’s very ambitious, Percy, he’s got it all planned out. . . He wants to be Minister of Magic.”
As the trio made their way out of the joke shop, Percy was left standing with the open book in his hands. He felt an even larger rush of irritation flood his body. What was so hard to understand about wanting more in his shitey life?
Every step, every accomplishment Percy made, he was met with ridicule from his own family. No matter what he did, they always found a way to completely and utterly worthless.
There was a light in the dark, though.
His light in the dark.
No matter what happened, Victoria wasn’t going to abandon him. She would always listen, always be proud, and always find a solution to figure things out.
And Percy knew he would protect her with everything he had, no matter what.
No matter what.