Julu's Journal

Hi! - An update on my life and a little H/G fluff for everyone.

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:27:48 GMT

It's almost Christmas. John and I are sitting by the fire and watching Love Actually. Great movie. Everyone in it is so beautiful. My husband can quote the thing. It always makes me cry.

I've had a busy but good fall. I think the biggest thing was the play that I directed. I worked like mad on it. We came out second in the competition and our kids were very proud. Our critiques were great and most importantly, I was just proud. I was a nervous wreck during the competition. I had told the kids over and over about selling the opening number, and they had been good but never up to what I really wanted. And then, lo and behold, they nailed it. I sat there on the edge of my seat amazed at all of them. It was a great moment as a teacher, watching those kids take that show and really fly with it. I also felt really good directing again. It felt good to be able to trust your instincts. Sometimes I'm not sure I am a natural teacher. I think that I can be a good teacher when I'm on my game – but I don't know that I'm a natural teacher. I think that is why I probably didn't go into teaching right off the bat.

The family is doing well. My oldest is deeply involved on our high school debate team and travels a good bit with them. So far, she's loving it and she's doing really well. She has a lot of her dad's gifts - sharp tongue, quick wit, a sensible nature. My middle child is one of those all around kids who keeps herself busy with a hundred different things. She's had soccer and dance and chorus and she's learning to play the recorder and she's reading constantly. She's much more worried these days about the girl cliques than about boys...we haven't gotten there yet. My baby is the dramatic one, the one with the sensibilities of an artist. She's in a little Christmas play right now and she's had a blast with that. She's also had soccer and dance this fall. My parents are better than they were this summer. Mom had a rough summer, but her health is better. Not perfect - but much much better.

My crew is all thrilled with the national election. John is chairman of the county Democratic Party here and I wish we were as thrilled with how things turned out locally. Unfortunately, everything local was quite dismal. Still, I believe a man has been elected President based on the content of his character and not the color of his skin, and for a girl from the deep south, that makes my heart sing! Now, I just want my gay friends and family to be able to marry the people they fall in love with.

Two movies I desperately want to see over Christmas - One is Milk. Probably no one reading this is old enough to have seen the documentary "The Life and Times of Harvey Milk", but if you ever get the chance, you should absolutely see it. Since I first saw that documentary in college, I've always thought of Harvey Milk as a hero. I've read that Sean Penn's portrayal is incredible. I'm also looking forward to seeing Doubt, a play that I read a couple of years ago and had a student take to drama competition. The play was absolutely incredible and I just read the Rolling Stone review, which says the movie is even better than the play. It sounds like the performances are going to be stunning.

Plans for Christmas...we'll see lots of family. My sister and her family are coming from Dallas, John's mother is coming, and we'll see John's sister and her family at some point too. We'll go with the law firm for an overnighter (just grown-ups). Then we'll go with our best friends, our kids, and their new baby to the mountains and get a cabin for New Year's. Hopefully, that will be fun for the whole crew.

Writing...well, I haven't had time for much to be honest, but I have done a tiny bit. I hope I can do a bit more as I relax over the holidays. It is something that I really love and miss. So - here is a bit of something as a sort of Christmas gift for those who still like fluffy fan-fiction. I wanted to do some different characters - but you know me, I can't have Percy too far away in my writing as I suppose he is my muse. (So weird, I know it!) So this is an H/G story, with a cameo for Neville and it is set at Percy and Audrey's wedding. I might try to write a bit for some of the other wedding guests, we'll just have to see.

Hope you like! Love to all...

Harry fumbled with the watercooler and then leaned against the wall outside the loo. Perhaps if he stayed here in this dark corner of the Ministry no one would notice he had disappeared. It was a big ‘if’ considering the crowd that was now dining and dancing in the atrium. Percy Weasley was the only person he ever knew who would want to have his damn wedding in the Ministry of Magic. Harry sighed and crumpled the cone-shaped paper cup in his fist. He should just leave. There was no point in his being a drag on the Weasley family’s celebration and most of all he didn’t want to have to watch Ginny purposefully ignore him as she flitted around in that ridiculous pink dress.

He eased up to the corner and peeked around a potted palm. Candle-lit tables were scattered in a circle and couples were dancing around the new fountain, a statue of Fawkes that continually morphed from egg to golden Phoenix. Hundreds of golden butterflies fluttered over the dancer's heads and every ministry fireplace had been lit with a special red fire that cast a warm glow over the shiny marble floors. It should all be lovely and romantic - except his heart felt like lead and there was an aching feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with food.

Ron and Hermione were swaying together, Ron bent so that his forehead touched Hermione’s. They would be next, Harry thought. Another Weasley wedding wouldn’t be too far away, and looking at Fleur as she chatted with Ginny, neither would another Weasley grandchild. Ginny laughed and held Victoire’s tiny hands as the baby stood up on her lap. Why did she have to be so hard-headed, so infuriating, so incredibly sexy?

Harry cursed under his breath and turned with a jerk. There was an embarrassing thump and an “Ummph” and he found himself falling back into the potted palm.

“Neville,” Harry rubbed his head and stood up, “I’m so sorry mate. I’m - I’m bang out of line- not watching where I’m going.”

“It’s alright, Harry,” Neville had just managed not to fall by catching on to the water cooler and he held it steady as it tottered precariously. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah – no – I mean I’m okay, I’m just feeling – stupid. I think I need to get out of here.”

Neville’s eyes narrowed and followed Harry’s gaze over to where Ginny was sitting.

“You and Ginny had a fight?”

Harry loosened his dress robe and sat down on the bench beside the watercooler. “Yeah. We don’t fight a lot, really. But when we do, it’s not pretty.”

Neville chuckled, “Well, you’ve always known that about the Weasleys. When they fight…”

“Yeah…” Harry paused and watched the dance floor. Percy was waltzing with his mother. Mrs. Weasley fumbled with her long blue robe, but smiled up at her son as he turned her under his arm. Harry glanced again at Ginny and felt his stomach clench. She was looking at him. No sooner had their eyes met than she had looked away. She strode across the dance floor and disappeared through a service door beside a fireplace.

Neville cleared his throat and poured himself a cup of water from the cooler. “She just went into the Ministry kitchen, mate. You should go after her. That’s my advice.”

“Neville, I don’t understand women. Why are they so…so…so…”

“Indispensable,” Neville said.

“Totally.”

"If I go after her right now, I’m going to have to say something about a conversation we had last night. And I don’t know how to say what I need to say. I’ll muck it up for sure, Neville. Anyway, things with Ginny aren't going how I planned them. Everything's different and…damn Neville…I think I’m in over my head here.”

Neville chuckled. “Oh come on Harry, it doesn’t take Professor Trelawney to figure out that you and Ginny are meant to be together. Are you telling me you’ve just now figured out you’re in love with her?”

“No – I mean, of course I love her. She makes me laugh, she gets me when nobody else does, she makes things easier – except for when she makes things harder.”

“What’s harder?”

Harry sighed. "It's a long story."

Neville nodded. “I think you should talk about it with Ginny instead of me. I'll make you a deal. You go talk to Ginny and send Hannah Abbott out here to talk with me."

"Hannah Abbott?" Harry grinned. "Do you fancy her?"

"I think she's incredible."

"Really?"

"Yep. She's so talented and she doesn't even realize it. Audrey talked her into catering the wedding. She's been worrying about it for weeks, but it was all perfect."

"Does she know you like her?"

"Not a clue. I'm too much of a coward to ask her out."

"We're a couple of sorry blokes," Harry snorted in disgust. "Godric Gryffindor would toss both of us off the Astronomy Tower. Okay, then. One Hannah Abbott on the dance floor and Ginny Weasley in the kitchen.” Harry stood and stuck out his hand. “Good luck, then, Neville."

"I'll probably need it more than you," Neville smiled.

"Don't be so sure," Harry muttered. He swatted at a gold butterfly and then walked fiercely toward the door through which Ginny had disappeared.

When he stepped through the door, he found himself in a bright white and silver room, filled with shelves of cauldrons and a long steel table at the center. Ginny was talking with Hannah and she looked coolly at him as he approached.

“Hannah, Neville Longbottom was looking for you."

Hannah’s eyes widened. "Oh, okay. Thanks Harry, I guess I should go find him."

Harry didn't take his eyes off Ginny. "He's on the dance floor. You'd better hurry. There's always a line of girls to dance with Neville."

Hannah blushed and quickly disappeared through the door.

"We need to talk, Ginny."

She tossed her hair and reached for a basket that was hanging just out of her reach on an overhead rack. He lifted it down for her and handed it over.

“I could have gotten that myself, you know.”

“I know you could.”

“If you’ll excuse me, Harry, I’m going to make my brother and his wife a basket with food from the reception before they leave for their honeymoon. They’ve barely had a chance to eat their own wedding cake.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Yes, well, I’m capable of having a few intelligent thoughts. Though that might surprise you.”

“No. You are capable of whatever you set your mind to.”

“Except, playing for the Harpies.” She laughed dryly.

“We’ve been over this a thousand times. It’s not about you playing for the Harpies. It’s about the schedule and the contractual obligations."

"Having contracts and schedules is part of professional quidditch, Harry. You know that is part of the deal."

"Yes, but the Harpies have no right to interfere with your private life. Other professional teams don't have contracts like that, Ginny. It's ridiculous."

"They don't see it that way. They see that they are paying me a lot of money and that my private life impacts my performance."

"So being with me is going to mess up your performance as a seeker? It's insane. They're men haters, Ginny."

"There you go again! What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to tell them to take that stupid stuff about your personal life out of that contract or to fuck off! A celibacy clause! Good God, Ginny! Who do they think they are?"

"You know the rules are the same for all the Harpies," she snapped. "It's been this way for 400 years. It's tradition."

"It's a stupid and asinine tradition. Who you see and what you do in your private life is nobody's business."

"Look Harry, I waited and waited for you. And now I'm asking you to wait for me. I want this. I want this for me. We aren't talking about forever. It's only six months. When the season is over, I'll be back home at the Burrow."

He was burning with frustration. How could she even think of going back to her parents’ house? "Don't you get it, Ginny? When the season is over, I don't want you to go back to the Burrow. I want you in MY house with ME!"

He froze. The words had come out far too loud and far too fast. He wanted to take them and push them back inside, not because they weren't true but because he had crossed the line. Now it was out there and he couldn't go back and nothing was happening the way it was supposed to happen.

She was completely still. He could see her chest rising and falling under the pale pink silk of the bridesmaid dress. "What are you saying to me, Harry?"

"You know I'll wait for you, Ginny. But when the waiting's over, I want you all the time, every night, every morning. And...and... the truth is…I’m a sorry sot, Ginny. I brood too much. I’m self-centered. I’m a slob and I like it that way – I hate things being too neat…and…”

She had frozen with a look of shock on her face but her eyes softened and a tiny smile crept across her face.

“You aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know. Tell me something new, Harry. Tell me something I don’t know.”

He took a deep breath and then picked up her hand. "I scared to death of living without you. I need you, Ginny. Please marry me."

At that exact moment Molly Weasley breezed through the kitchen door. "Ginny, Harry, there you are. They are about to leave! You've got to get out there or you'll miss it. Hurry, hurry, Hermione has the rice."

Ginny gaped between her mother and Harry. "I was...um...I was making a honeymoon basket..."

Molly nodded and pointed her wand at the basket on the kitchen counter. With a small flash and a poof of smoke, it was suddenly topped with a white ribbon. "Give that to George, dear, and let him send it on. He knows all the honeymoon details." She gave them both a push and they were back in the atrium, the crowd gathering in two lines leading up to one of the huge Ministry floos that was now burning bright green. Percy and Audrey were at the end hugging their families and Harry suddenly found himself shaking Percy's hand and then Ginny had her arms around her brother's neck and then the couple was running and everyone was laughing and pelting them with rice. George yelled, "Pick her up, you prat, pick her up!" Percy grinned and picked Audrey up in his arms, then stepped into the emerald flames. They could all see the couple looking at one another for one fleeting second before they disappeared.

And then everyone was talking at once, people were saying goodbye, Neville was helping Hannah make plates and glasses disappear and the two kept casting shy smiles at each other. Victoire was asleep on Bill's shoulder. Charlie and George were heading back towards the bar. Only Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still swaying on the dance floor.

"You never danced with me, Harry." Ginny took his hand and led him out onto the floor. He wrapped his arms around the tight fitting pink silk bodice and he could feel every curve. Her cheek was against his and he was breathing the scent of her hair. If he tipped his head ever so slightly he could brush it against his chin. Her fingers were at his neck and they were gently stroking him in the most soothing way.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for mucking up your proposal. Sorry for being a prick."

"You didn't muck anything up and you aren't a prick, Harry."

They kept swaying on the dance floor. Somehow it felt private to hold her close, to hear her whisper in his ear things that only he could hear.

"It wasn't what I planned for you, you know. It wasn't the way it should have been."

"Well, why don't you ask me again? Why don't you ask me over and over again? You'll always have the same answer, you know. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."

He lifted her chin and kissed her lightly and she turned her head and rested it against his chest. "Except for... Harry, you know I'm still going to play for the Harpies."

He chuckled and pulled back and looked at her. "Well, I'm going to wait for you for six months and then after that the Harpies may have to wake up to some new traditions."

"Fair enough," she smiled and laid her head back against his chest. "Harry?"

"Mmm."

"I haven't signed any contracts with celibacy clauses in them, yet."

He took her face in both his hands. "Ginny Weasley, will you come home with me tonight? I have something very very important to ask you."

She nodded slowly. "Yes," she whispered.

Happy Birthday Percy!

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:50:09 GMT

For August 22, 2008:
Happy Happy Happy Birthday Percy!!

Hello friends! I know many of you think that I must have fallen off the face of the earth. I have been crazy busy and had a sort of stressful and wild end to my summer. Things seem to be somewhat calmer now that school has started back, though I am sure that we are not really in the full swing of all our activities and I know that the next couple of months are going to bring a huge challenge.

My summer was, in general, quite nice. We took some mini-trips, my favorite of which was a four-day visit to the North Carolina mountains that was just my little family. The mountains are my favorite place and hold a lot of special memories for me. It was great fun to get to enjoy them with all the kids. The end of the summer was a bit different. My mother’s health became a major concern and we decided that she needed to go to Dallas, TX for surgery. We were amazingly fortunate to have a connection to a fantastic doctor there who took very special care of her. She is back home and recovering wonderfully, but it was a tough ride for her for a while. While she was in Dallas recuperating at my sister’s house, I took my sister’s children to visit. It was great fun, but I felt a bit like Molly Weasley for a while. Another stress was a few weeks where I was having some concerns about my own health. Fortunately, all seems to be worked out there too – all I can say is once you pass a certain age, things just don’t always seem as certain in the health arena. It’s good to be reminded of the blessings of every single day.

Now we are back at school and things are gathering speed. I will be directing my first play in 15 years and auditions are next week. I’m quite excited and very nervous. I want so much for it to go well. Please keep me in your thoughts because I know the next two months are going to be crazy.

The husband and kids are doing well. Soccer has started and dance will start after Labor Day. Debate will begin in about two weeks and that will take a lot of weekend time.

We have been glued to politics recently. I come from a long line of what we call in the deep south “yellow dog democrats”. We are deep blue people living in the middle of red land, so we will watch the convention next week with passionate interest.

I must say, I miss writing and Percy and the Sugar Quill terribly. There was something about all of that that was relaxing and soothing. It was a lovely little escape. However, life goes on and there are always new adventures. One of these days I’m going to finish some of my half-done fan-fiction and in the meantime, I always enjoy reading any good fan-fiction I can find.

That’s it from my little world. For tonight , all is well - the flowers are blooming on my patio, my little one is in the bathtub, my husband is cooking chicken and I’m *almost* ready for work tomorrow.

Much love to all…
Julie

Reflections from the beach

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:34:58 GMT

June 1, 2008

At last I am writing to update my journal. For some reason, I hate to write when I am in the midst of everyday doldrums. And frankly, this year I’ve had a lot of that.

Today, I am sitting in a place I love, a little family paradise. This stretch of beach is my favorite place to come when we are down here. We don’t make it every time because it is about 30 minutes off the beaten track, but it’s worth the drive to get away from the crowds and see nature. Today we’ve let little silver fish nibble at our toes, watched a dolphin family jump in the waves off shore, and snapped pictures of a crane who was more interested in the fish than in us. It is lovely to feel the weight lifted and to know that I have two months of setting my own agenda ahead of me.

The year has been tough. I say that a little sheepishly, because I know that the trials and tribulations of a new workplace are meager and that with a beautiful, happy family I have countless blessings. Still, I have struggled with the daily pressures this year and I am glad for a break. Next year is going to be different again – I’m being assigned more elective courses (which I’m happy about) and it seems that they are moving me toward building a drama program. I think I’m going to return to my educational roots and direct a play next year – something that I haven’t done in (has to stop and think) about fifteen years now. I’m enthusiastic and nervous and hope I can accomplish this while maintaining balance. I so admire those people who seem to gracefully have everything organized and balanced in their lives. I seem to accomplish in spurtz rather than one graceful flow.

The family is thriving. The girls are great – we’ve juggled dance, soccer, debate, chorus, play practice, and church activities this year for all three. My darling husband seems to be doing well too. The new law practice still is not quite as profitable as it was in our old town, but he is staying really busy and things are growing slowly. My mother’s health is mediocre. I worry - but she and my father seem to plug away at tilling their own little garden.

I have days when I hate (no – loathe is a better word) the small town thing and wonder why in the world I chose to go back home again – was it courage or lack of courage? I’m not really sure. I had dinner with an old old friend this past year…someone I love but just don’t get to see enough..she knows me and she gets the dynamics of place that gnaw at me. She is normally gregarious and exuberant but she dropped all that for one second to tell me that what I had done was worth it. She said it off-the-cuff, but I still hold on to those words.

So plans for the summer…get rid of lots of junk and clutter from my house; do those little decorating things that have been on my list for a long time; start my plans for directing; try to exercise and eat healthier; and write a little more (just for me). I hope all friends are doing well and please forgive that I have been distant. I’ll try to do better over the summer!

Audrey and The Long Weekend - Parts 3 & 4

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:04:37 GMT

And then things get more complicated...

Saturday P.M.

They Apparated to the middle of a pasture full of dairy cattle. “Watch where you put your feet,” Percy instructed as they tromped over the uneven ground. Audrey eyed the cattle suspiciously. They looked back mildly at her as they chewed their cud. “You don’t think they’re dangerous do you?”

“What?” he chuckled. “This lot? They’re just waiting to be milked.”

“They’re really big. How far are we from the circus?”

“I believe that’s it just ahead.”

It was an old metal grain bin in the middle of the field that looked like it had been deserted thirty years ago. The red paint was weathered away, but the round shape and cone-like top reminded Audrey of a Muggle circus tent.

“Percy, is the circus inside?”

“Yep.” He grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward.

She was out of breath when they finally reached the bin. It looked to be about four or five stories tall and walking around it, she saw there wasn’t a door.

“How do you get inside?”

“You have to climb the ladder.”

That was when Audrey realized that the door was actually toward the top of the silo. Percy started up the ladder and then looked back down on her on the ground. “What are you waiting for? Come on!” She hesitated and he jumped down and put her on the ladder. “I’m right behind you. Just keep climbing and don’t look down.”

When she reached the landing with the door, Percy called up to her. “Just knock Audrey.” Without looking down, she carefully reached over and knocked on the little door. It swung open and all she could see was blackness but, strangely, she thought she could catch the far away sound of music.

Percy was beaming with excitement as he stepped off the top rung of the ladder. “Let’s go!” He gave her a little push and she stepped forward through the black door. She wasn’t falling, rather she was on some sort of circular slide, going round and round farther and farther downward. The sound of the music was clear now and the sparkle of what seemed to be fireworks flashed around her. Just when she was thinking that her stomach could not take much more of the spinning she took off. She was flying through the air without a broom or perhaps she was falling through the air. She landed with a soft thud on some sort of enormous pillow and Percy thudded roughly beside her. She sat up and heard a coarse voice.

“That’ll be seventeen sickles and three knuts, please.” Percy was already on his feet and reaching in his pocket. At first she thought it was a goblin smoking a cigarette, but the voice was too low to be a goblin and the creature was too tall. As she sat up she was able to see him more clearly, his bottom half was covered in brown fur and his bare chest was matted hair. Instead of feet he had hooves and a short brown and white tail twitched as he counted Percy’s money. The cigarette dangled from his lip as he handed Percy money and some tickets. “Here’s your change,” he said gruffly, “Section J, row 4. Down the steps and too your left.”

“Percy, that was a satyr.” Audrey whispered.

“Uh yeah. Didn’t you know satyrs run the circus?”

Percy stopped to buy candy and she had the opportunity to look around. They were no longer inside the grain bin. They were outside, in some open air theatre built into the side of a hill. What’s more, it was no longer the middle of the afternoon but it was night. Enchanted stars twinkled above her and everything was lit by floating lanterns which gave the world a deep purple hue. They descended down stone steps and found a seat next to a family with two little girls with braids who were having a hard time sitting still. Percy offered her some Bertie Botts and then proceeded to show her his talent for catching them in his mouth. Then a strong wind blew down on them and the lanterns were extinguished. When Audrey looked up, she saw the night sky was filled with winged horses, that circled in formation and came to light in the ring below them. Magical light filled the ring and everyone was clapping as a handsome satyr in a top hat appeared at the center.

“What’s your favorite part?” Audrey whispered and inched closer.

“Oh the dragon-tamer is exciting and there’s a shape-shifting giant. You’ll probably like the naiad’s water ballet segment though; girls usually like that sort of thing.” He smiled at her and her stomach flipped. She had forgotten about the past and he seemed to have forgotten too, and they clapped and cheered until their voices were hoarse.

**

For Percy, the day flew by in a pleasant whirl. After the circus, he had to wrack his mind for the next thing to do. It was a shock to be back in the bright afternoon sun. “Remember, what would you want to do if you were nine years old?” Audrey kept asking him. In all honesty, the things he was thinking about didn’t fit in with his nine year old self. But she was so easy to be with, that he was able to push the sex driven part of his brain away, and just enjoy having fun. He felt as if he could talk to her and at the same time he enjoyed listening to her. She wasn’t too opinionated or too quiet. She said things that made him think. He took her to Ferris Pond and was surprised that she knew how to bait a fishing line. Sitting on the dock as the sun set, he almost kissed her again. But then something caught the fishing line and he was grabbing her fishing pole struggling to help her pull out a three foot long orange-bearded carp.

At last they lay on the bank beside the pond, frogs were singing in the rushes and real stars were starting to twinkle in the sky overhead. “We should go back,” she said at last. He hated to hear the words. He didn’t want the day to end and then a delightful thought occurred to him. She was going back with him! She would be going back to his flat! Images floated through his mind: Audrey in his pajamas, Audrey in his bed. A warm feeling flooded through him and suddenly the idea of going home didn’t seem bad at all. And yet, he wasn’t sure how she would react to him there, would it be awkward? If ever there was a moment to make a move, this was it. “Today has been wonderful,” he said turning to look at her. She reached out and took his hand and he felt her thumb gently stroke along his index finger. Fire coursed through him. He leaned over her and kissed her gently. Her fingers were on the back of his neck and his entire body was tingling with excitement. She was kissing him back, rolling so that her arms were now around him.

At last she broke away and sighed as she looked up at him. “Let’s go back to your flat,” she whispered.

In that moment, Percy Weasley was glad for everything that had broken his heart in the past: glad for Penelope, glad for the witch in the floo regulations department, glad for the sexy Muggle girl who hadn’t really cared that he was lying to her. Tonight, he knew exactly what to do and he bloody well intended to do it right.

**

He Apparated with his arms around her and the minute his feet hit the floor he kissed her again. She laughed and gently pushed him away. “I have to take a shower and you should too. I’ll go first and you can be deciding on what to have for dinner. You don’t mind if I wear your paisley pajamas again, do you?”

He shook his head mutely and she smiled and disappeared into his bathroom. Suddenly he realized he had a hundred things to do: he flicked his wand at the fireplace; he conjured some candles; he turned on the wireless and twisted the dial until he found the perfect music. Food – he needed to plan a romantic dinner and he rushed to his kitchen and flung open the door of his cold cabinet. Ginny had brought a pot of his mother’s lamb stew. God bless Mum! Now he just needed wine. Surely he had one bottle of wine somewhere in this kitchen. He flung open all his cabinets and finally found one dusty bottle that still had a Christmas ribbon tied to it. She was humming in his shower. The thought of her naked in his shower just made him fumble with the cork and almost cut his finger.

He had things almost perfect when there was a knock on his door. Percy grabbed his wand. Whoever it was, he was going to get rid of them quick. When he swung open the door it was Roger Davies in front of him. “It’s not a good time Roger.”

Roger looked at him in surprise and then glanced over Percy’s shoulder to the candles floating in the flat. “Blimey,” Roger smirked, “old Perce isn’t having a romantic evening is he?”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Roger.” Percy tried to slam the door but Roger stuck his foot in the way. “You’re about to have a pig’s snout, my friend, if you don’t move your foot.”

“Testy, testy,” Roger grinned and pushed his way into the flat. He tiptoed over to the door to the loo. Audrey was still humming. “You’d better clean up a bit before you try any of that Weasley love magic on a woman.” He picked a leaf out of Percy’s hair and handed it to him. “And what’s that odd cologne you have on? You smell a bit like fish.”

“Don’t worry, I’m getting there – if you’d just LEAVE!”

“Keep you pants on,” Roger paused and then started to giggle and elbowed Percy in the ribs, “Or don’t keep your pants on as the case may be. Listen, some bloke who is a friend of yours has been by to see you. He said it was urgent that he speak with you and that he’s been trying your floo but couldn’t get through.”

At that moment Cecil’s head popped into the fire. “Perce, thank goodness! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Percy’s body went numb. “Cecil – I…”

“Listen, mate, I’ve got a bed for the girl at the St. Mungo’s shelter. We had an amnesia patient suddenly get her memory back.

“That’s great Cecil but…”

“ I’ve held it for you, but I can’t do it for much longer. There’s a waiting list and I’m bending some rules for you, mate. I know how much you wanted to get the girl out of your flat.”

Percy’s heart sank. She was standing in the door of the loo and there was a long and horrible pause.

“Well, Percy?” Cecil sounded frustrated. “Do you want the spot or not, mate? I’m just trying to do you a favor here.”

Audrey fell to her knees at the fire. “Yes, I want the spot. Thank you so much for helping me. I’ll just need to pack up a few things and I’ll Apparate over.”

“No, Audrey, don’t!” Percy couldn’t help himself, but she turned back and looked at him.

“Percy, this is for the best.”

Cecil left. Roger punched him on the shoulder and said, ‘better luck next time, mate.’ And Audrey was standing in front of him so soft and beautiful he could barely breathe. All he could think about was that she was leaving and that he smelled like fish.

“I don’t want you to go, Audrey. When I said that to Cecil I didn’t know you. Everything’s changed now. Please stay with me tonight.”

She smiled tenderly and cupped his cheek. “Percy, we’ve had such a lovely day together and I confess that I really did want to spend a lovely night with you too. But we can’t live together like this when we’ve only known each other twenty-four hours.”

“Why not?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be proper and it wouldn’t be smart. I like you, Percy. I’ve liked you since I was fifteen. If I’m going to be with you, I want it to be in the right sort of way.”

He took her to St. Mungo’s and carried her one lone bag for her. He promised to come and see her first thing in the morning. He promised he would take her to buy new clothes. He promised he would do something about her wand. She smiled and squeezed his hand. “It’s going to work out, don’t worry. We’ll find the answers.”

As he went to bed that night, he thought of a thousand things he didn’t know about her. She hadn’t talked about her year in hiding. He hadn’t told her about how Fred had died. He hadn’t met her family or taken her to the Burrow. She’d never seen his office. He’d never seen her artwork. He fell asleep making a list of all the questions he must ask her tomorrow.

In his dream he was back in the circus. He was flying with Audrey on the back of a winged horse. She was beautiful in a flowing white dress and as she turned to kiss him the horse soared upward and he fell back. She was flying away and she looked back at him, her arms outstretched. He screamed her name and then he was floating outside the grain bin and the door slammed shut. A satyr sat on the roof of the bin counting money out to Mr. Olivander. “Let me back in,” Percy screamed. “I need her back!” “ Come back later,” the satyr said gruffly. “She’s not gone, she’s simply stored away.” When Percy looked again the satyr and Mr. Olivander were gone. Delores Umbridge sat on the top of the bin grinning wickedly as she sipped her tea.

Percy woke up in a cold sweat and he went to the loo to splash water on his face. The dream was so vivid that he couldn’t shake it, even in the bright light of his bathroom. Delores Umbridge sitting on top of the bin had been so chilling that he had the feeling she was keeping Audrey locked away from him. There was no use trying to go back to sleep. He might as well try to do a little work.

The thought hit him as he was brushing his teeth. It hit him with such a powerful punch that he nearly choked on the toothpaste foam. He spit and took a quick drink of water. It couldn’t be possible, could it? But then it could! It could so easily be possible! He fumbled for his watch. It was five o’clock in the morning. He ran to his closet and grabbed some clothes. He had to find out for sure.

Sunday and Happily Ever After

Audrey woke to the sound of a ruckus outside the door.

“This is a young ladies ward, sir. You can’t go in here.”

“This is official Ministry business. I must see Audrey Sommersby.”

”If you would like to wait, sir, until she is up and dressed then I’ll have her meet you in the cafeteria.”

“It is imperative that I see her right away.”

It was Percy’s voice. Audrey grabbed the white robe that the volunteer at St. Mungo’s had provided her and went to the door of the ward.

“Audrey!” Percy looked both agitated and relieved. “You’ve got to get dressed and come with me.”

“Percy, is something wrong?”

“No. It’s the thing you said about getting unstuck, you were right. The answer was right there in front of me all along and I just couldn’t see it. I’ve got to show you. Please come with me!”

“I’ll be ready in five minutes,” she said.

When Audrey was dressed, she signed her name on the clipboard of the receptionist. “Check in is 8:00 tonight. One minute late and you will lose your bed,” the woman warned.

“I’ll be back,” Audrey said. Percy seemed totally disinterested in the rules of St. Mungos. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the floo bank in the lobby.

“Where are we going, Percy?” she asked as he threw powder on the flames.

“We’re going to the Ministry,” he said.

**

She could barely keep up with him; he was walking so fast. The Ministry seemed quiet this early on a Sunday morning and the lobby was deserted as they crossed to the lifts.

“Level One,” Percy said loudly. He reached over and grabbed her hand. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

She looked at him mystified and then the doors slid open and he started down the long hall. The tall mahogany doors stretched ahead on either side of them. They seemed to go on and on and Audrey had to do double steps to keep up with Percy’s long strides that echoed down the corridor. At last they came to a place where the hall widened and the space contained desks with lots of white pamphlets that said “The Post-War Economic Recovery Program.”

“Is this your office, Percy?” Audrey asked.

“I should say not. Stand back, I’ve been doing a little breaking and entering today.” Percy pointed his wand at the door and it swung open.

They were in Delores Umbridge’s office. Audrey knew from the dusty kitten plates that mewed angrily on the wall. It looked as if Umbridge had not been here in a while. Her desk was littered with papers.

“Where is Delores Umbridge?”

“Don’t know,” Percy said. “She hasn’t been seen since the night of the final battle. But this morning I got the idea to search her office. At first I thought perhaps I was wrong, but then I came up with this.” He pointed his wand at the bookcase in the corner and with a flash of light it swung open to reveal a hidden cupboard. “Come have a look,” Percy grinned.

Audrey inched cautiously forward. Inside the cupboard she saw wands piled like kindling on the floor. She gasped and fell to her knees, scooping them into her arms. “Percy, how did you ever find these? There are hundreds of wands here.”

He kneeled beside her. “It just came to me this morning, out of nowhere. Just like you said it would. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. The Ministry never throws anything away. They just lock it up in storage. Umbridge wasn’t about to destroy the wands she confiscated, she wanted the power of those wands for herself.”

Audrey was sorting through the wands as fast as she could, separating out anything that looked like it was white birch and swishing it frantically. On her fifth try, the wand warmed in her hand. She shrieked and white sparks flew in circles over her head, raining down a golden shimmer. She threw herself into Percy’s arms. “You are amazing,” she said. “You are completely amazing.”

**

After a lengthy committee meeting, the Ministry decided that the wand redistribution should happen at Olivander’s as opposed to the Ministry offices. Upon further reflection, the parties involved decided that Mr. Olivander’s store would be far too cramped to hold the large crowds expected. So, after much political wrangling, it was at last determined that the Ministry would close off Diagon Alley for one day and have the redistribution occur in the street. Shacklebolt assigned the trainee Aurors and their mentors to oversee law and order and put Percy in charge of the coordination. While the event would not be nearly as large as the Wizarding World Cup, he still expected significant crowds and a great deal of merry-making.

Percy worked furiously all week, trying to think of every organizational detail. It was George’s idea to get the entire Weasley family involved. He came into the kitchen one night as they were all discussing the effort and offered to assist with publicity by making a flashing sky banner. Percy said he thought it was a brilliant idea and Molly cried.

On the morning of the event, the streets were already becoming crowded by 8:00. Bill and Charlie set up long tables between Olivander’s and Weasley Wizard Weezes that Hermione and Luna filled with wand boxes. Luna stacked them all alphabetically by the wood type and crossed referenced them by their core.

Hermione blushed when Percy asked her about the shiny gold ring on her left hand. “We’ll have a long engagement,” she assured him, “I have to go back to Hogwarts to complete my NEWTS and Ron has to finish his Auror training.” Ron just shrugged and grinned and said whatever Hermione wanted was the way it would be.

Harry Potter looked less like the hero of the wizarding world and more like a love-sick puppy. Percy couldn’t blame him. Even though Ginny was his little sister, he had to admit that she looked completely grown-up and prettier than ever.

But the most beautiful girl he could see was Audrey, whose hair shimmered in the sunlight and whose light blue dress fluttered seductively in the breeze. She smiled in delight every time a wand sparked for its owner and despite his job as official Ministry representative, Percy couldn’t help but smile as well.

It was late in the afternoon when he noticed Roger Davies saunter down the street with Betsy on his arm. The long-legged brunette talked excitedly with Audrey before blowing a kiss at Percy and waving goodbye. Audrey ran up to him excitedly and pulled him off to the side.

“Guess what? I’ve got a job and a place to stay,” she beamed at him. “Betsy’s opening her salon and she’s asked me to do the painting and decorating. I’m going to do it in exchange for living in the upstairs flat rent-free for a month. And I met your friend Cecil’s wife said she wanted me to do a painting for a baby’s nursery.”

“That’s wonderful, love,” he said pushing a lock of stray hair neatly behind her ear, “you’ve gotten your wand back, and a flat and a job. It sounds like you’ve gotten just about everything you wanted.”

“Well, maybe not everything.” Her lips were soft and full as she looked up at him.

He cocked an eyebrow and smiled. “Perhaps if you would spend an evening with your boyfriend, we might discuss what else it is that you desire.”

She laughed and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed too, lifting her off her feet and kissing her properly. The war was over at last. Percy Weasley was ready for his happy ending to begin.

##

Audrey and The Long Weekend - Part 2

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:58:30 GMT

The weekend continues...

Saturday A.M.

Audrey was floating in a bright white cloud, her body surrounded by softness and a delicious smell. It was like cinnamon and paper and something else that she couldn’t describe. Whatever the new smell was, it was lovely and she breathed it in deeply. Somewhere in her mind a little voice told her to move but she felt so good that she ignored the voice. If this was heaven she wouldn’t mind dying.

The sound of pots banging woke her. With a stab of panic, Audrey realized where she was. She threw back the covers and leaped out of bed, her heart racing. He was in the kitchen and she was standing in his pajamas in his bedroom. She looked around for her clothes. They were nowhere to be seen. She looked around the room. There was not one mirror. There was a comb on the chest of drawers. She grabbed it and ran it through her hair, catching it in the tangles. She heard footsteps coming toward the door. Maybe she should be back in the bed. Without thinking she threw herself quickly back under the covers and pulled them up almost over her head.

“Hello?”

It was a girl’s voice. The door creaked open. Audrey looked up at the girl in the doorway. She had hair the color of Percy’s and it was pulled back in a ponytail and tied with a ribbon that matched her purple t-shirt. She knocked on the door as she stepped inside the room.

“Hi there. Are you awake? It’s almost time for lunch and Percy will be home soon. He said he thought you needed to go get a new wand. Do you feel like getting up and getting dressed? I’m Ginny, by the way, I’m Percy’s sister. I brought you some clothes to wear.”

For the second time, Audrey pushed back the covers and sat up. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost 11:00. I’ve been hanging out here for a while waiting on you to wake up.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve been too much trouble. I’ll just get dressed in my old clothes and be on my way. Your brother has been very kind to me, but I shouldn’t overstay my welcome.”

“You can’t get dressed in your old clothes, Percy had them incinerated.”

“He did what?”

“He sent them down to the incinerator. He seemed to think that you didn’t need them anymore.”

“That’s rather presumptuous of him.”

“Yes, well that’s Percy for you. Here, I think we’re about the same size, see if these things fit.”

Audrey took a pair of blue jeans and a plain navy shirt. The clothes were a little tighter than she was used to wearing but they fit. It felt wonderful to have on clean clothes again. “Thanks for letting me borrow these.”

“Oh it’s nothing,” Ginny waved her off but then paused and bit her lip. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be on the run from snatchers all by yourself.”

“It all runs together in my mind. I found some “safe” houses - a sort of network that would keep muggle-borns for a while or at least give us food. Sometimes I would try to blend into the Muggle world for a while, but it was dangerous. Without a wand you were at a huge disadvantage. It seemed best to try to keep to dark places. Last night, when your brother brought me to his flat, I went into the loo and when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t even recognize myself. I felt – I felt like I wasn’t even human anymore – I couldn’t go back out and see your brother. It was just too humiliating. Then a woman came and knocked on the door, I wasn’t quite sure how your brother knew her, but she was very kind. She said she was a beautician and she ran me a bath and had me wash my hair.”

“A woman?” Ginny turned in surprise. She had obviously been snooping around the flat. Audrey watched her as she thumbed through the books beside Percy’s desk and then opened a desk drawer. “Percy doesn’t have a girlfriend does he?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. But this woman was with Roger Davies who lives down the hall. Do you remember him?”

“Doesn’t everybody remember Roger Davies? Is he still as gorgeous as he used to be?”

“Yes,” Audrey giggled, “and he cooks too.”

“He was definitely eye-candy,” Ginny nodded, “though not really my type, you know. I always liked dark hair on men.” She shut the drawer of the desk and then looked sheepishly at Audrey.

“Please don’t tell Percy that I’m being nosy. It’s just that my brother’s lived in this flat for over three years and I’ve never been here before. That’s odd isn’t it?”

Audrey opened her mouth but nothing came out. She wasn’t quite sure what to say.

Ginny plopped onto the sofa and pulled her legs up Indian-style. “You see, I feel like I’m just starting to figure out who my brother is. I thought I knew him and then I found out I was wrong. And then I thought I knew him a second time and I found out I was wrong again. Now, it’s almost like I’ve met a new person that I’ve known all my life. It’s feels very strange. Do you have any family?”

“My parents and brother are in Dover. I haven’t seen them in a while now.”

Ginny nodded, watching her hands in her lap. “It’s hard not seeing people you love. Not knowing if they are dead or alive.”

“But at least the war’s over. Percy said last night that it was.”

“Yes,” Ginny smiled. “It is over and now, we just have to try to live the best life we can. My mum says that’s how we honor those who died for us. We do our damnedest to be happy.”

“I’m sorry about your brother,” Audrey said.

Ginny nodded. “How did you know?”

“There’s a program from the memorial service beside Percy’s bed. I had herbology with Fred at Hogwarts. Even though I didn’t really know him very well, it was impossible not to like him. He just made people feel happy when they were around him.”

“I know. I just wish he was here to make us all feel happy again.”

There was a knock on the door. Ginny frowned and looked over her shoulder. “Percy wouldn’t knock,” she said.

Ginny opened the door a crack and Audrey recognized the long legs. It was Betsy, the woman who had been so kind to her last night. “I was just coming by to check on Audrey,” she said, sliding past Ginny into the flat and looking Audrey up and down. “Look at you, love, you’re cleaning up well.”

“Thanks,” Audrey smiled. She was starting to feel a bit more like her old self. “Betsy, I was just wondering, do you think you might…I mean, it may be too much trouble and I certainly wouldn’t want to impose on you but…”

“Would I cut your hair? I was hoping you would ask! And you know what? While we’re doing it, I could give you both one of my spleenwort facials! Guaranteed, no zits for three months.”

Ginny’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Guaranteed?”

“Absolutely, on someone with your gorgeous complexion, I’d go for five months.”

Audrey felt a bit of girlish glee. The idea of making herself beautiful had been unthinkable only a few days ago. Then she realized the obvious problem. “Oh Betsy, it sounds wonderful, but I’m afraid we can’t pay you.”

“I know that, silly. This one is on the house. You two will be my walking advertisements.” She pulled out a couple of pink business cards from the pocket of her short robe and handed one to each of them. Brown ink scrolled elegantly across the tiny card: Betsy Teesgloss, Magical Beauty Consultant.

**

Percy tapped his quill distractedly on his desk. He hadn’t heard from Cecil. He supposed that he should send him an owl, but something kept him from it. Surely Cecil would contact him soon. He couldn’t erase the memory of the girl from his mind. She had looked so helpless, so fragile. He wracked his brain to try to remember her from Hogwarts, but there was nothing. His desk was stacked with folders on staffing needs from every department in the Ministry. He could stay here all day and night trying to find lost employees and figure out which people could handle two jobs until further notice, but his mind wasn’t working anymore. He closed the folder in front of him and filed it away. It was lunch and he needed a break. He needed to check on Audrey.

He Apparated into his kitchen and the sounds of music blared from his bedroom. It was that obnoxious blonde vampire singer, Vlad Thrustle. Obviously Ginny was still here, as he didn’t think that Audrey would be interested in such teenage nonsense. He pushed into his bedroom and saw Ginny and Audrey sitting in two huge chairs, their hair in towels and their faces covered in a slimy white goo. Roger Davie’s girlfriend was sitting on his bed filing her nails.

“What is going on in here?”

Betsy jumped up and pushed him back through the door.

“You can’t see yet,” she said closing the door to the bedroom behind him. “They’re not done.”

“Oh they’re done alright. Turn that ridiculous Thrustle boy off. He needs a serious hex.”

Betsy flicked her wand at the bedroom and the music stopped. “Percy love, ten minutes. Just give me ten more minutes with them, I promise it will be worth your wait.”

“I’ve got to get back to work, I just came home to take Audrey for a new wand.”

“She’ll be ready in ten minutes and I’ll be out of your hair. Betsy held her hands up to him in a gesture that plainly meant for him to stay put as she backed into the bedroom. Behind the door he heard a great deal of shuffling and giggling.

Ginny emerged with the white goo wiped off her face. Her long hair had been cut to just below her shoulders and it hung in a shining sheath of brilliant red. “How do I look?” she asked beaming.

Percy huffed. “You look exactly the same.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Wait till you see Audrey, she doesn’t look the same at all.”

She emerged from the bedroom with a shy smile and something in Percy’s stomach dropped. She was lovely. Her hair fell in soft gold waves to her shoulders, the t-shirt and jeans hugged close to her body, and the small glasses perched on her delicate nose couldn’t hide the ocean-colored eyes. He cleared his throat in the awkward silence. “Well, I suppose that’s better isn’t it? You look very nice, Audrey.”

Her cheeks turned a light pink and she smiled at him. The heat in his ears spread down his neck and into his elbows.

“Percy,” Ginny was bustling in his kitchen, “Mum fixed you some lamb stew, I’ve put it in your cold cabinet. Hey, I’ve got to tell you something.” She leaned over the tiled counter that separated the kitchen from the sitting room and smiled conspiratorially. “Ron’s talking about getting married.”

“What!”

“I heard him talking to Dad last night. He said he’s in love with Hermione, that he always has been and always will be and that he doesn’t want to waste any more time.”

“Oh come on. Ron and Hermione are too young to get married!”

“They’re the same age that Mum and Dad were when they got married,” Ginny said defensively.

“But that was different.”

Ginny shrugged. “I don’t know what will happen. Hermione keeps talking about taking her NEWTS, but Harry says they’re going to get married and that they might as well just get on with it.”

Percy looked her up and down, “Don’t you go getting any ideas…”

She laughed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m perfectly happy to just have a hot date tonight - speaking of which, I better get home. Harry and Ron should be back from Auror training by now.”

There was a flurry of goodbyes; Ginny and Audrey and Betsy all hugging each other. Apparently, putting goo on your faces was some sort of female bonding ritual. Percy was left with Audrey and he felt strangely tongue-tied as he noticed the pink in her cheeks.

“So shall we go to Olivander’s then?”

“I just realized, perhaps I should find a job first. I don’t have…”

Percy shook his head. “You can’t get a job without a wand. You can just pay me back. Actually, if there is one thing I do have after all of this mess, it’s a little money in Gringott’s. I might as well use it well.”

She frowned. “I really will pay you back, just as soon as I get a job.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said, holding the door open for her.

**

Diagon Alley was bustling and as they approached Olivander’s a knot tightened in Percy’s stomach. A small crowd was grouped around the front door. “What seems to be the problem here?” Percy pushed his way forward. “I’m with the Ministry of Magic, let me through please.”

A plump woman in a dirty grey robe turned to him. “Well, can’t you do something about this then? They’re not letting us in. There’s just a big sign-up parchment on the door.”

Percy looked at the door. There was, indeed, a large parchment and a sign above it that read: Please leave your name along with your wand wood, core and length. Olivander’s will make every attempt to recreate your wand in the nearest approximation possible. Due to high demand, all orders will take eight to ten weeks for delivery.

“Eight to ten weeks!” An elderly wizard moaned. “I need a wand now!”

The plump woman turned on Percy. “If you’re with the Ministry, sonny, can’t you make them open up and give us our wands?”

Percy looked at Audrey, who was biting her lip. He steeled himself and rapped on the glass front door. When there was no response, he rapped a second time. A blonde head peek out from below the counter.

“Look, there’s a girl in there!” The old man cried.

“I know her,” Percy whispered to Audrey. “She’s a friend of my sister’s.” He turned to the crowd and announced with as much authority as he could muster. “Ladies and gentleman, as a representative of the Ministry of Magic, I will attempt to discern the policy and schedule for wand replacement. Please move away from the door and do not harass the young lady in Olivander’s. I will return to advise you momentarily.”

“Are you ready?” He whispered to Audrey and she nodded and grabbed hold of his arm. Something inside of him surged at the feeling of her touching him and he wrapped his arm around her and ushered her forward. He turned back to the blonde girl inside Olivander’s. “Luna,” he called. “Luna Lovegood, it’s Percy Weasley. You’ve got to let me in!”

Luna’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head in disgust as she cracked the door. “I think the sign on the door is self-explanatory, Percy.”

“Come on, Luna. Ministry business, let me in.”

She sighed and cracked the door just wide enough that he could slide in and pull Audrey behind him. Luna brightened considerably when she saw Audrey. “I know you! You’re Audrey Sommersby, aren’t you? You’re the one who did those lovely botanical paintings that Professor Sprout had in her office.”

Percy looked sideways at Audrey. He didn’t think, in all his time at Hogwarts he had ever been in Professor Sprout’s office. Audrey nodded and smiled modestly. Luna looked distractedly back at the crowd who had pushed up against the store window and sighed. “You two had better follow me to the back,” she said.

They followed her behind the counter and then down a narrow hall lined with shelves. Luna ducked around a corner and behind a velvet curtain. They were on a rickety spiral staircase that twisted upward. “I’m working here for the summer,” Luna said mildly. “Mr. Olivander needed a lot of help and, frankly, I find the wand lore quite fascinating. Daddy says I might have a gift for wand making. I’ve been discussing the idea of alternate wand cores with Mr. Olivander, though he doesn’t seem quite interested in Snorcack whiskers.” Audrey turned back and glanced at Percy and he could see a twinkle in her eye that made him cough back a laugh. They followed Luna up the staircase and stopped outside a grey wooden door. Luna knocked. “Mr. Olivander, you have some guests,” she said then she turned to them, “just a few minutes. He needs his rest.”

The door swung open to reveal a small flat with red velvet wallpaper and dusty mahogany furniture. The room was dimly lit with a large crystal chandelier that was missing over half its candles. In a wingback chair beside the fire, Mr. Olivander sat with a blanket over his lap. He looked frail and terribly old.

“Mr. Olivander,” Luna kneeled down beside the elderly man, “Percy Weasley is here from the Ministry. He’s worried about the crowd outside needing wands.”

Mr. Olivander stirred in his chair and fumbled for his glasses. Luna picked them up out of his lap and handed them to him. Mr. Olivander blinked and then looked straight at Percy. “Percy Weasley, third one of the Weasley boys, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hazel with Dragonheart String. Twelve and a half inches. Very stiff.”

Percy nodded. “Yes sir.”

“And your friend?”

“Audrey Sommersby, sir.”

“Sommersby, hmm. A few years after Weasley here, eh? It was birch was it not?”

“It was sir,” Audrey smiled.

“Birch with unicorn tail. Ten inches precisely, white and very supple.”

Audrey nodded sadly. “I’m afraid my wand must be added to the list of replacements. It was taken from me at the Ministry months ago.”

Mr. Olivander snorted in disgust and shot Percy a scathing look. Percy thought it was best to try to move things forward. “Mr. Olivander, the Ministry was unaware of the demands you are under to help all of these people obtain new wands.”

“Well, there’s nothing to be done about it," Mr. Olivander stood shakily and addressed Luna, “take my hand, dear and lead me over to that desk.” Luna guided him over to a roll-top desk. He pushed up the top and brought out a large leather-bound book. “This is a record of the wand wood I have on order. Every Olivander wand is hand-made from the finest wand wood available. I get shipments of new wood every day. What did we receive this morning, Luna dear?”

“A case of reed wood. We have three reed wands currently on our production list.”

“Very good, very good. We will attempt to produce those three wands within the next two weeks, in the meantime the customer’s will just have to wait. Wand creation is an art and it cannot be rushed.”

“Yes sir,” Percy said diplomatically, “but there may be a hundred people on this list, and there are perhaps more coming out of hiding every day. This is a tremendous amount of work for one individual. Perhaps the Ministry can do something to expedite…”

“Like what? There is nothing to be done except to make the new wands and to be patient.”

“I understand, sir, but these are unusual circumstances. We have just come out of a war. Perhaps a foreign wand-maker could assist you.”

“Pah! We need no assistance from foreign substandard wand-makers! I am starting to feel like my old self again. With Luna here to help me, I’m sure I can turn out more wands. It’s just going to take time.”

Percy sighed with frustration, arguing with the old man would only make the situation worse. He felt Audrey’s hand on his elbow as she spoke. “Yes sir, we do understand. You were so kind to see us today.”

“I’ll report to the Ministry about this situation and check back with you next week, Mr. Olivander.”

Olivander shrugged disinterestedly, “You can report to the Ministry anything you bloody well please lad, but the wands will be completed when wands are completed.”

Luna walked them back down the twisting stairs. “Don’t worry, Percy. I’ve talked to Dad about trying to get a hold of some Griffin mane. I think they would work great as wand cores. He says he has a reporter who knows of a nest in the Pyrenees.”

The crowd was still outside the front window of the store; some had their noses pressed against the window. “Perhaps we should leave another way?” Audrey asked hesitantly.

“No,” Percy steeled himself. “I’ve got to answer these people.”

**

If Audrey had been the slightest bit afraid, something in the way Percy lifted his head took all the fear away. “Stay right behind me,” he said calmly. Luna unlocked the door and suddenly they were on the sidewalk in the middle of the clamoring crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Percy’s voice was loud and clear and the voices curbed. “I have just spoken to Mr. Olivander on behalf of the Ministry. We are making every attempt to expedite your wands. I have, in fact, just learned that several new wands are being created as we speak. I will, forthwith, be reporting the urgency of your situation to the new Minister of Magic.” The crowd groaned and someone even booed. Percy raised his hand to the crowd. “While we are deeply concerned about any inconvenience you may be suffering, we must all remember that any sacrifices we make during this time of rebuilding, pale in comparison to the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for our freedom and for the magic of future generations. Thank you for your continued patience and I bid you good day.”

The crowd was silent. Percy reached back for her and then steered her through the crowd, which parted to let them pass. He was walking so quickly down the street that she could barely keep up with him. He didn’t glance back but kept walking and then suddenly, without warning, he ducked down a narrow alley. It was only then that she could see that his hands were shaking.

“Percy, that was amazing! You were amazing!” He looked down at her doubtfully and she wanted him to know that it was the truth. She moved closer and was surrounded by the intoxicating cinnamon smell and the feeling of white heat. The world slowed and he was kissing her. She felt as if her entire body had been flipped upside down and then - just as suddenly - it stopped.

“I’m so sorry, Audrey. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“No, please don’t apologize.”

“But I barely know you and here you are needing help and I’m taking advantage…it’s just…that…you are very pretty.”

“And you’re very handsome.”

She blushed the second the words came out of her mouth. What an idiotic thing to say to a boy. Why could she not say the perfect gracious thing. That’s what Penelope Clearwater would have done. Strangely, Percy didn’t seem embarrassed, he was actually smiling at her.

“Do you know you’re the first person to ever say that to me? Are you sure you don’t need your glasses checked?”

She smiled and blushed harder, “I think it’s true.”

He patted her on the shoulder and looked away. “Pretty and sweet too. It’s not fair you’ve been screwed by the Ministry. It’s going to take Mr. Olivander far longer than six weeks to fill those wand orders, if he even lives that long. I told those people the Ministry would do something about all this, but I don’t know what we can do. I can’t work long enough or hard enough to make everything right.” He shook his head and leaned back against the brick wall in defeat.

“Well maybe that’s your problem,” she said.

“What?”

“That you’re working too long and too hard.”

“Now you sound just like my family,” he shook his head bitterly and pushed past her.

“No wait Percy, let me explain. I didn’t mean it that way.”

The hurt in his eyes softened as he looked down at her. “Would you like to get something to eat?”

“I’d love that; I never had breakfast.”

They got a booth at The Brew Café, the restaurant that most witches and wizards seemed to think was “modern,” a strange notion to Audrey as by Muggle standards it seemed at least fifty years old. It felt greasy and strangely comfortable and she leaned forward as she cut into her sausage and eggs. “You know that I paint, right Percy?”

He swallowed and nodded. “I didn’t, but I do now.”

“My mum is a painter too. A Muggle artist and my dad used to write a lot. Now he’s the editor for the newspaper in Dover. Sometimes, when I was little, one of my parents would get to what they called a ‘stuck spot’. Mum always explained it like having the answer on the tip of your tongue. You feel lost and frustrated because you know you ought to be able to find an answer but it’s just not quite there. Sometimes Mum would get into a stuck spot in a painting. She would feel like it wasn’t quite what it was supposed to be but she couldn’t think of anything to do differently. Sometimes my dad would get to a stuck spot in his writing. I could always tell because his rubbish can would get really full. Anyway,” she put down her fork and took a sip of her tea. “Percy, I think you might be in a stuck spot.”

He chewed thoughtfully. “And if I am?”

“Well, then you have to get unstuck. It’s not about working harder or longer. That’s just like spinning your wheels when you’re stuck.”

“So what do you propose? That I stop working and somehow these problems will miraculously solve themselves? That’s utter nonsense.”

“No, no, not at all. Getting unstuck means making your brain work, but in a different way. It means doing something that feeds your inspiration.”

“Now you’re sounding like Luna Lovegood. No amount of brainwork is going to change the past, it’s not going to make Mr. Olivander well, or bring back my brother.”

“No. You’re right about that. But maybe there’s a new way of looking at those things you can’t change. Maybe an answer is right there, but you just can’t see it.”

Percy rested his chin in his hand and stared at her with a hint of a smile. “So, obviously, I’m not good at this getting unstuck thing. I suppose I’ve been stuck for quite sometime. Perhaps I’ll need your help to accomplish this miraculous inspiration of the brain.”

Audrey hesitated. “Well, no. Really, you get inspiration by doing something completely alone. You should do something you loved to do as a child. Go someplace that made you happy a long time ago.”

Percy leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms across his chest. “Audrey, I’ve been alone for three years. I was alone at home, I was alone at work, I was even alone with the few women I saw. I’m rather tired of being alone.”

A pang shot through her. She had been alone the past year too. Percy had not asked her about it. It was almost as if he already knew or perhaps, as if he was waiting on her to bring it up. She nodded at him, “Alright then, we’ll try to get unstuck together.”

He picked up the tab and then pulled three sickles out of his pocket. “So, what do we do first?”

“Well, it’s really up to you. What’s something that you loved when you were nine years old?”

Percy thought for a second, “The circus.”

“They have magical circuses?”

“Oh yeah.”

Audrey smiled, “Alright then, let’s go to the circus.”

Audrey

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:39:17 GMT

Hello friends!
All is well in the deep south! It has been a busy winter and it is nice to finally see the flowers peek out. Work and family have kept me running like crazy. The change in schools for me this year has been tough, but I continue to learn a lot.

I have (at last) finished a new story. It is about how Percy met Audrey and I'll post it in four chapters. Honestly, I felt a variety of things about JKR's announcement about Audrey. I was happy that she, at least, gave Percy a marriage with two little girls. And I was very fond of the names of the two girls as one of the two names is also the name of one of my own daughters. I was a bit mystified that Audrey seems to be pulled from thin air. We actually seem to know less about her than any other partner. We don't even know her last name! On the positive side, this left me open to imagine lots of possibilities and I had fun thinking about who Audrey could be and how Percy would fall in love after the war. In my mind, she turned out quite different from Penelope.

I have to plug St. Margaret's Audrey, which was my wonderful birthday present. Please have a look on St. M's live journal, if you haven't already. And a huge thank you to the queen of fluff for always looking over my stuff and saying sweet things.

I think I'm calling this The Long Weekend, though I'm sort of ambivalent on the title (suggestions are welcome!)

This one is for James because he's always made me feel happy to write Percy.

Friday

It was a bright June day - the kind of bright day that should have made his step lighter. But somehow, Percy Weasley felt as if he was looking at the world through dirty glasses. Not that the feeling was any surprise. For weeks now, he had felt as if he was standing outside his body, watching his own life creep by. Every day, he heard his voice saying things to his parents and his siblings and yet the words were totally disconnected from the thoughts running through his mind. He worked long hours at the Ministry, attending meeting after meeting about the future, about building on the legacy of heroes. And yet it was the past that haunted him. He needed to leave it - leave the Burrow, leave his office, leave the memories that looped continually in his mind.

And so he walked - walked the sidewalks of London not really knowing where to go. At last, he found himself back in front of his own flat, not because it provided him with any particular comfort, but more that it was just familiar. For all its lonely dullness, it was at least completely private. He climbed four flights of grey steps and fumbled in his pocket for a key.

The flat was wrecked. Had it only been three weeks since he had left this place in a desperate panic to get to Hogwarts? It felt like it had been years ago. Ministry papers were scattered where he had left them and a book on the Imperius Curse still lay open on his unmade bed. Unwashed dishes were growing mold in the sink and his dirty Ministry robes lay in a pile beside the cupboard.

Percy flicked his wand at the fireplace and started a magical fire. Ridiculous, he told himself, to start a fire on such a warm day. But somehow things always seemed a little homier with a fire in the hearth. He Accioed the rubbish bin and with one swoop of his wand, the mass of Ministry papers floated into the air and shot into the can. There was a certain satisfaction in knowing that he would never have to save or file these papers. Turning his attention to the empty bottles of butterbeer on his kitchen counter, he was struck with sudden resolve. He would take it all to the basement furnace and dump it there himself - every bit of rubbish, every bit of silly worthless nonsense that had filled his life for years. He wanted to watch it all burn.

**

He made his way down the basement steps with a bag of garbage, the drama of the little cremation ceremony playing over in his mind. It was the end of his former self. Fred would have approved of the gesture and Percy imagined his brother looking down on him and applauding. He lifted up the latch on the furnace door. The heat burned his face and forced him a step backwards. Looking down at the glowing coals, he muttered a eulogy.

“So this is it. The end of Percy Ignatius Weasley’s crap. Gone forever. Burned to a bloody crisp. And the world will be a better place because of it.”

Glass shattered and a strangled voice cried out behind him. Percy jerked around, letting the bags fall to the concrete floor.

“Who’s there,” he called, whipping out his wand. His reflexes had not forgotten the battle and his body was still reacting to sudden startles. He looked in every direction, but there was no one there. The cold cinder block walls simply stretched into blackness.

And then a small voice came from somewhere near the rubbish shoot. “Please don’t hex me. I don’t have a wand.”

A girl emerged from behind a bright red rubbish skip. She was skinny with smudges on her narrow face. Her honey-colored hair was tangled and her wire-framed glasses were taped with dirty spell-o-tape. Clearly, he had frightened her. She had been rummaging through the bin.

Percy lowered his wand and took a step toward her. This was an issue for the Ministry. Witches and wizards who had been on the run for a year were now returning from hiding. Many were without homes or wands and they were turning up in strange places all over the wizarding world. “Hello there. Do you need help?”

She looked at him suspiciously. “No. Do you need help?”

Percy knew he would have to move carefully. “Miss, may I ask why you are rummaging through that skiff?”

She swallowed and bit her lip. “May I ask you why you were about to throw yourself in the furnace?”

“I was – what?” Percy hesitated and then realized what his little eulogy must have sounded like.

“Oh no, not me! I was – I was just going to burn the rubbish from my flat.” He held up the bag and the girl looked at him.

“The way you were speaking, I thought…”

“No, no. I’m perfectly fine. Now, if you would allow me, I can assist you to St. Mungo’s. You know the war is over now, and the Ministry has set up a temporary housing ward for homeless witches and wizards…”

“It’s over?”

“It’s over.”

Her lip began to quiver. “Who won?”

Percy swallowed back his own emotion and answered kindly. “The good guys won.”

She looked at him, bewildered and then began to sob in earnest. “I – I – Ju-u-st – n- n -need – my – wand baaack,” she wailed.

“I can help you with that. When was the last time you had something good to eat?”

She looked up at him and he could see behind the broken glasses that the hungry eyes were a deep aquamarine color.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said extending his hand. “Come with me.”

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and nodded and he cautiously led her back to the lift. “I’m Percy, by the way. Percy Weasley.”

“I’m Audrey. Audrey Sommersby.”

**
She was shaking. Why – why did she cry out like that? It was because it was him. It was irrational, the way her legs had always turned to jelly around him. She had never even spoken to him in school, she’d only watched when he held the door open for the other girl or nonchalantly carried her books. After all, who could hate Penelope Clearwater? She was sweet and smart and polite with that beautiful hair that was always pulled back with the perfect matching bow?

Now here she was following along behind him as if he were Head Boy again. He was talking about the war being over and the idea seemed unreal. It couldn’t be over. The world seemed exactly the same. There was no change in the color of the sky or the sounds of the cars on the streets. The alleys were still dirty, the night was still cold and yet - he said it was over and that she hadn’t known. How could she not know? And yet – this was Percy Weasley. He was speaking kindly to her and letting her into his flat. Dark shadows seemed to be intruding around the edges of her vision and she felt a little dizzy.

“Are you alright, Audrey? You look pale.”

“Could I go to your bathroom?”

“Of course, it’s right over here.”

She shut the door. She was not going to faint. Quickly, she turned on the water and splashed her face, grabbing the towel by the sink. It was dark red and clean and soft and it smelled so lovely. She rested her face in the warm softness. The war was over. It was really really over.

Forcing back the tears, she stood up and looked in the mirror. Her stomach dropped. The pale, dirty face that looked back at her was almost unrecognizable.

**

“I’m sorry, Percy, but we’re talking about at least a week. We’re slammed, mate.” The head in the floo was Percy’s old friend Cecil Leonard. Cecil had been Head Boy the year before Percy and was now a Healer at St. Mungo’s.

“Come on, Cecil,” Percy hissed. She’s in my loo, right now. She has nowhere to go. You guys are supposed to have money coming from the Ministry to get these people back on their feet.”

“And it doesn’t work that easily,” Cecil sneered. “You Ministry guys think you can throw some money at us and it will fix everyone’s problems. These people have been running and hiding for almost a year. Many need serious treatment and St. Mungo’s is working all of us overtime. I haven’t been home in three days,” he added painfully. Percy shifted guiltily. Cecil had been married just last year and he was, obviously, missing his wife.

“Look, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?” he asked.

Cecil sighed. “Does she seem hurt?”

“No. She’s frightened, I think.”

“With good reason, I’m sure, if she’s been escaping the Dementors without a wand. Talk to her. Make sure she understands where she is and what has happened. If you think she is confused in any way send Hermes and I’ll come by your flat. In the meantime, send the Ministry paperwork to my attention. I’ll do everything I can to expedite things here. But I can’t promise you, mate. Until I can get an open bed, you’ll have to handle her on your own.
.
Cecil disappeared and Percy got up from the floor and knocked on the door of the loo. “Um…Miss? Audrey?”

“Yes?” Came a voice from behind the door.

“Are you alright in there?”

There was no answer just the sound of sniffles.

Percy’s heart started racing. He tried the door. It was locked. “Are you sick?”

“I don’t know…” She was crying again. Percy considered breaking down the door and then checked the idea. If she really was sick that could be embarrassing. What he needed was another woman. But where could he get a woman? He couldn’t or wouldn’t go to his mother. Everyone at the Burrow had enough on their mind. There were the women he knew at the Ministry, but he didn’t associate with them outside of the office. He’d never call on Penelope. Not in a million years. There was only one hope he could think of, and it was a long shot.

**
He marched down the hall to flat 7D, steeled himself for what he was sure was going to be an unpleasant experience, and knocked. Within seconds Roger Davies was at the door holding a cocktail.

“Oh Percy. Hey there. Listen it’s not a good time right now, I’m a little…”

“Yes, I figured you were,” Percy said placing a hand on the door to try to keep Roger from slamming it in his face. “I’m not actually here to see you. I wondered if I could disturb your date?”

“My date?”

Percy could just see her standing behind him. She was tall and glamorous with long brown hair and a very short skirt. “Roger?” she called, “Is there a problem?”

“No, not at all.” Roger raised his eyebrows and gave Percy a little push back into the hall. “Hey man, give me a break here…” he hissed.

“Roger, this is an emergency. I need a girl.”

“That’s been clear for three years, old chum, but you’re not honing in on my territory tonight. I’ve been working on this honey for two months now. I just got her to open up about her plans to start a magical beauty salon. I’m on a roll, man. You’ve got to go.”

“I’m sorry Roger, but this will only take a minute, at least I think it will only take a minute and I really need a woman because there’s a girl in my flat and I think she’s sick and…”

The girl was standing in the door behind Roger. “What’s going on here?”

“It’s nothing Betsy, it’s just my insane neighbor.”

Percy leaped at the opportunity. “Betsy, I’m so sorry to bother you, but I really need your help.”

Ten minutes later Percy was sitting on one end of his sofa and Roger Davies was sitting on the other staring into his whiskey. Betsy was in the loo with the girl. When she emerged she smiled. “Percy? Is that your name?”

Percy nodded.

“Can I see your clothes?”

“My clothes?”

“Yeah, lovey. I need to look at your clothes.”

Percy led her into his bedroom and Roger Davies groaned and swigged down the last of his drink. Betsy selected a pair of paisley pajamas that she seemed to find rather humorous and then headed back to the loo. When she returned the second time, she frowned at him. “I’ve run a bath for her and she’s going to wash her hair. She needs food, though. I don’t think she’s had a real meal in weeks. Do you have anything in here?”

“Not much,” Percy answered truthfully, “I have some canned stuff.”

“Roger’s got a casserole in his flat.”

Roger looked up from the sofa. “Hey, I made that for you.”

“It’s okay, lovey-dove. What do you say, you and I go out dancing? I feel like I need to move any way.”

Roger perked up. He looked from Betsy to Percy and then disappeared. When he reappeared he was holding a casserole dish with two potholders. Betsy smiled. “Oh it does smell delicious, love. Maybe you can cook for me some other time. I really love breakfast, you know.”

Rogers eyes widened and he plopped the casserole on the kitchen counter. “Well, the casserole’s all yours, Perce. Glad we could help you out here, but can’t stay any longer, you know.”

“Yeah, I understand. Thanks to both of you. I owe you one, Roger.”

“Oh it wasn’t any problem at all,” Roger puffed importantly as Betsy beamed at him. “Glad we could help out and I hope the girl’s going to be okay. What was her name, anyway?”

“Audrey. Audrey Sommersby,” Percy said.

“Audrey Sommersby? Blimey, she was at Hogwarts with us.”

“Are you sure? I don’t remember her.”

Roger rolled his eyes. “You Gryffindors were always so daft. She was in Hufflepuff, I think. A year behind me, two behind you. Didn’t play Quidditch or anything like that - quiet, a little artsy, as I recall.”

“Well that explains a few things,” Betsy said.

“Explains what?”

“Well, she’s embarrassed, don’t you see? You may not remember her, but she remembers you. And now she sees you again after all these years and she, well, she looks a fright. Just be kind to her. She’s obviously been through quite a lot.”

Roger left with his arm at Betsy’s back, giving Percy the thumbs up sign as he shut the door. Percy went to the kitchen to find a plate and fork and then went and knocked on the door to the loo. “Um – excuse me - Audrey, it’s okay to come out. There’s some food out here. You must be starving.” The door cracked a bit. “Come on. Believe it or not, it smells really good.”

She emerged with wet hair, wearing his paisley pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. She looked something like a tiny kitten that someone had tried to drown. “Sit here by the fire where it’s warm and I’ll bring you the food on a tray,” Percy said. She shivered and obeyed him. He placed the tray with the casserole in her lap and then retreated back to the sofa, watching her eat. Her plate was clean in less than two minutes and he was bringing her seconds. “Who knew Roger Davies was a good cook?” he chuckled. “There’s no telling what other tricks he has up his sleeves. Talented guy, Roger Davies, but he only has one ambition.”

She smiled with her mouth full. She hadn’t really said much. Percy thought about Cecil’s advice and wondered if he should try to get her to talk. He decided there would be time for that later. He went to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a tiny bottle and brought it back to her. “Tomorrow, we’ll go get you a new wand, but for now I want you to take some of this. It’s dreamless sleep potion. You remember. We brewed some at Hogwarts. Truth is, I take it sometimes myself. It helps with the nightmares.”

“You have nightmares, Percy?” she said softly.

“I think everyone has had nightmares lately.”

She stood up and went to his window, it was dark outside now and the skyline of London sparkled over the tops of buildings. “Are you absolutely sure it’s over?”

“I’m sure.”

“And we’re safe here?”

“Safer than you’ve been in a year.”

“You always made people feel safe, Percy.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, you patrolled the corridors all night when the Chamber of Secrets opened and that night Sirius Black broke into the castle you stayed awake all night making sure everyone was in their sleeping bag.”

“Yes. Well, I was a kid and I wasn’t really making anyone safer.”

“You made me feel safer. I knew no one would pull any pranks on us while we slept. I knew you would keep the door safely locked. I felt safer because of you.”

He smiled at the irony and poured a teaspoonful of the potion. “Just a little bit should do you. You can have my bed tonight and I’ll sleep here on the sofa.”

“No, I don’t have to take your bed,” she swallowed down the potion and then stuck her tongue out and shuddered. “Ugh that stuff tastes like gin mixed with toothpaste. I can sleep on the sofa or even on the floor.”

“Nonsense. Sleep in the bed for tonight.” He steered her carefully toward the bedroom. She was already starting to get drowsy as he helped her under the covers.

He pulled a blanket from the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and headed for the sofa. His mind raced with guilt and worry. How many people, just like this poor girl, had the Ministry stripped of their wands?

A Super Day

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:10:01 GMT

Hey everyone! Had a great day on Sunday. We went to the city and had Indian food, which is my favorite and something that I can't get now that we are in the boonies. Then we browsed a bookstore, something else I can't do in the boonies, and went to see a really good movie. If you love the Beatles, you'll enjoy Across the Universe. It's a musical - a bit like Moulin Rouge but with Beatles music. I don't consider myself a Beatles fanatic but I do like them a lot, and being married to a true music fanatic I know a fair amount. I was interested in the movie not only because of the music but because Julie Taymor was directing. She's the director who designed the original Lion King on Broadway and is known for her creative work with puppetry. I was not disappointed. The young singers were talented and beautiful, the design was energetic and creative, and the original love story (between Jude and Lucy - get it?) is quite sweet and sexy. If you can't find this at the theatre be sure to check it out when it comes out on DVD. I don't know if this will work but I'll try to link the trailer. It's fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ6d3m-GFyw

I'm still working like crazy and trying, trying, trying to squeeze in a bit of personal writing time.
Love to all my sweet friends...
Julu:)

A New Year!!

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:39:15 GMT

New Year’s Resolution…
Communicate more on Live Journal.

So here goes…

Life this past year has been very good, but very exhausting. The weeks before Christmas were filled with work, coming home, trying to take care of the children’s issues and then after supper, more work until midnight. Now I’m at the end of the holiday and it was too short and filled with obligations. I'm afraid I don’t feel particularly rested or rejuvenated. Part of the stress comes from this first year of teaching a new subject at a new place. The post Christmas study list includes Dante’s Inferno, A Doll’s House (which I know but it has been years), The Great Gatsby, Merchant of Venice and some other stuff I’m sure I’m forgetting. I think next year, when I have been through everything one time, life will be a bit less complicated.

I continue with my love/hate relationship with my small town southern home. I measure and second-guess the pros and cons of this place all the time. I miss the city and sometimes want to scream at the narrow-mindedness of this place, but I love the beauty of the land, our home, and the practical little benefits small-town life provides. I’m blessed to have three beautiful healthy children and a darling husband, whom I adore.

Last night we went to visit our best friends for New Year’s Eve. When we got to their house, they ushered us into the guest room and hanging above the bed was an enormous photo of me and the-darling-husband from when we were in our 20’s. In the pic, I was in desperate need of a haircut and my long hair was over-curled 80’s style and way out of control. I must have gone crazy with the hot-rollers. I was wearing a leather jacket that was in that old “Members Only” style and (this is the worst part) I had this bandana knotted like a necklace and tied around my neck. Gross. Darling-husband looked far more normal in his denim jacket and dark sunglasses. And we both looked much skinnier. They gave us the picture as our Christmas gift. What a hoot.

So – on to the prevailing HP news…Who the *&%$# is Audrey?!? :)

Oh well, it is a lovely name and at least she married Percy and gave him two daughters with adorable names. I can see Percy being completely over-protective with two little girls. I was terribly afraid she was going to marry him off to some yucky character or to tell us he married but he was such a jerk that he divorced years later. One minute I think JKR hates Percy and then the next I think she likes him after all. It’s a bit odd. I have been thinking about Audrey for a couple of days now and I think I’m figuring out who she is for me. It’s actually sort of fun to come up with her. I’m sure whatever I come up with will eventually go out the window when JKR gives us more information one day, but it’s nice to have some strings off of Percy in the relationship department. After all, he has a lot of baggage.

I must get up from the computer now and go take down the Christmas tree. The long wait for spring begins tonight! Love to all my friends and I will try to be better about communicating this year.

Project Crumpet

Wed, 02 May 2007 23:41:44 GMT

This is a bit from the story I've been working on for - ooh...over a year now! Yes, it really does exist. Percy and Penelope are newlyweds in this story and this snippet takes place on a day when they are out having fun in London. It also happens to be Bill's wedding day, but that's for the story. At the start of the snippet the two have been out for a bike ride. Percy has ridden out of Penelope's sight and she finds herself lost in a very strange alley.

The Back Way
Old brick buildings stretched up several floors on either side of her. Balconies formed patchworks over the aging white-washed walls and each balcony was adorned with different odd cast off items: colored sheets draped over railings; boots hanging from ropes; odd collections of mops and brooms. Penelope's bike slowed to a stop and she put her foot to the pavement and looked around in awe. Hundreds, or maybe thousands, of cats perched above her - on steps and railings, peeking out of rubbish cans, and lazing regally on open windowsills. They were everywhere and they all stared at her as if they knew her, their eyes gleaming orange and yellow and green. From the back of a large rubbish bin she heard a growling hiss and a numbness washed across her body. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even open her mouth to scream. Penelope looked to her right at a large tabby with a black patch over one eye. The creature stiffened and its tail switched agitatedly.

She reached over the handle bars for the wand in her basket. Just as her fingers were closing around it, she heard Percy’s irritated voice echoing down the alleyway. “Penny, what are you doing? You’re going to get lost if you can’t keep up.” He looked at her expectantly as if there was nothing odd with five hundred cats watching her and licking their chops. “Come on! I want some lunch.”

She slowly peddled forward and he gave her a curious look as if she’d lost her mind.

“I don’t like cats,” she muttered as she got off the bike and pushed it around the next corner. He rolled his eyes, “Come on, we’re almost there.”

“Where? The Leaky Cauldron?”

“Oh no. I’m taking you in a back way.” He pointed his wand at the bicycles and they began to shrink. When they were reduced to the size of two small coins he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a white handkerchief. Wrapping the tiny bikes neatly inside, he tucked them back into his pocket.

“I didn’t know there was a back way into Diagon Alley,” Penelope said.

“There’s always more than one way to get somewhere,” Percy said authoritatively. He bounded up a flight of iron steps and stopped and looked back down at her. She gripped the railing tightly, putting each foot carefully on the shaking metal treads. “Not many people know about this entrance. The cats protect it, I think. I found an old deed one day when I was doing some research and it mentioned the entrance. I spent one Saturday just trying to find it by myself.”

Penelope smiled. It was such a Percy thing to do, to go off and quietly play by himself. She couldn’t help but wonder how much he played by himself when he was little. In that large family was he always off alone, imagining in his own make-believe world?

She carefully followed him up three flights and he opened a door. They were in some sort of attic. There was an ugly kitchen sink lying upside down on the floor and boxes of magazines and Christmas decorations. Several black chairs with pink cushions were stacked in a corner and were covered in dust and grime. The air emitted an odd smell that she couldn’t quite place.

“Where are we?”

“We’re in the attic of an old Chinese restaurant.” Percy went to the corner and began moving a stack of boxes, he tapped the floor with his wand three times and a black hole appeared in the floor. “It’s a bit easier to get in this way than get out,” he grinned. He lit his wand and shown it down into the hole. “Ah yes, not too bad.”

Sitting down with his feet dangling into the hole he put his wand in his teeth and reached across to the other rim and then lowered himself, slowly and carefully until all she could see were his knuckles. Then these disappeared too and she heard a light thud below.

“Come on, Pen. Your turn!”

She grunted with disgust. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just go to the Leaky Cauldron and walk through, without having to do your gymnastic routine?”

“Come on, you’re no fun. It’s only about eight feet. That’s nothing.”

“Not when you’re six foot four, it’s not!”

She sat with her feet in the hole and a dim light came on beneath her. He was standing in a broom cupboard just far enough down that she couldn’t jump.

“Just swing yourself down, like I did.”

“I can’t Percy. My arms aren’t as long. I’ll fall.”

There was only one thing to do. She turned on her stomach and dangled her legs. She could feel Percy’s hands on her calves. “Okay, that’ll do. I’ve got you.”

“I’m going to fall.”

“No you’re not. I’ve got you.”

“You’ve got my knee but there’s a lot more of me up here.”

Percy laughed, “Pen, just let go. I’ve really got you.”

She swore and scooted lower, knowing that it must look bizarre from his end. His hands were on her thighs. “Wait,” he said, “don’t move.” She could feel the heat from his wand as she hung with her legs and bum dangling awkwardly down into the hole.

“What?!” she whispered frantically.

“It’s just so bloody beautiful,” he said dryly.

“Screw you, Percy Weasley, get me down from here!”

She felt his hands around her bottom and sliding to her waist. He was chuckling and she couldn’t help but grin. “So was that fun? Did you get your little jolly from my bum floating in mid-air?”

The chuckle stopped and his breath was warm and sweet. She felt a heady power as she tipped her chin toward him and then reached around to caress his perfect narrow curves. She loved taking in his breath and feeling the warm touch of his tongue. She relaxed in his arms for a moment, then broke away.

“Well, Mr. Weasley, we’ll leave you with something to look forward to, but for now – I want some lunch.” She opened the cupboard door and found herself looking at a tall bookshelf that looked vaguely familiar. She looked back at Percy who was leaning against the door frame, his eyes twinkling.

“Do you know where you are?”

“Third floor of Flourish and Blotts?”

“Of course.”

“Brilliant,” she giggled.

A new Percy story

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:56:38 GMT

This is a little missing moment from Chamber of Secrets with Arthur and Percy from Arthur's perspective. I was inspired by the way Mandrakes are used in other works of literature and their historical mythological connotations. I hope it is enjoyable and that a few Percy-fans might find it.

Title: The Thing About Mandrakes...
Word Count: 2,347
Pairing: Arthur/Percy; Percy/Penelope
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
***

The Thing About Mandrakes…

Arthur watched in silence. Percy had fallen asleep in the chair, his head bent over and resting on the side of the bed. Dumbledore had told him that the boy had been getting very little sleep.

“He’s been pushing himself to the breaking point. Taking extra patrol duties. More than any other Prefect. His work to his professors has not suffered. Every quiz a perfect score, every paper flawless.”

Without the glasses the slender freckled face looked distantly familiar, the little boy who had steadfastly refused to sleep in his own bed, who had crawled repeatedly between him and Molly, trying to steal some comfort, some attention from his parents.

Arthur took a few steps forward and cautiously looked over the girl. He could tell that she was pretty. The girl’s face was more startled than fearful. Her eyes were wide and her mouth parted slightly as if a sound was about to escape them. She looked strange and uncomfortable, her body frozen in a stature inappropriate for a bed.

He walked over and gave his son a gentle shake. “Wake up, Percy. It’s me, son. Wake up.”

Percy slowly pulled his head off the bed and blinked several times, then reached for his glasses. The dreamy state quickly evaporated. “Father! What are you…? Why are you…? What time is it?”

“It’s almost dinner time.”

“Dinner time?” Percy stood up quickly and fumbled with his watch. There was a Prefect’s meeting at 5:00. I must have dozed and…”

“Don’t worry. I asked Professor McGonagall to excuse you. Thought you and I might stroll down to Hogsmeade and grab a bite.”

“What? Hogsmeade? Why are you here?”

Arthur blushed. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Well, I had to see Dumbledore on Ministry business and while I was here I thought we might go eat.”

Percy nodded, slightly confused. “Alright, we can stop by the common room and grab Ron and Ginny. I think Fred and George were going down to the Quidditch pitch.”

“I…um…I thought we might just make it you and me.”

“You and me?” Percy looked even more confused. “You want to just eat with me?”

“Yeah. If that’s alright with you.”

Percy eyes glanced sideways at the girl and he shuffled a little uncomfortably. “We don’t really have permission to go to Hogsmeade anymore.”

“I know. But I’ve spoken with Dumbledore. He says you deserve a little break with how hard you’ve been working and since I’m your parent they’re going to grant permission. Just don’t brag about it to your friends.”

Percy considered this and without a trace of suspicion, nodded his agreement.

They walked in silence down the icy path toward Hogsmeade. Every year it was the same. His children left him one way and returned another. It was always a little frightening to see the clear passage of time etched on their bodies. Percy seemed to have stopped growing upward but his body was filling out- the shoulders seemed broader, the face was slightly fuller. “Have you been working out, son? Flying? Running?”

Percy looked surprised. “No, not really. Why do you ask?”

“Oh no reason. Just wondering. So…” Arthur searched for something to say, “How are the Prefects duties coming? Keeping you busy, I hear.”

“Oh yes. We are patrolling the corridors during the night. Making sure no one is sneaking out of bed, trying to catch the Heir of Slytherin.”

“Sounds like dangerous work.”

Percy lifted his chin. “Yes, well, I’m not afraid.”

Hogsmeade was quiet on a Sunday evening. They took a booth in the corner of the Three Broomsticks and Madam Rosmerta quickly approached their table. “Arthur Weasley, I haven’t seen you in years. How’s Molly?”

“She’s fine, Rosmerta, thank you.”

She shook her head and nodded at Percy, “I see this one and it could very well be you, Arthur. What can I get for you two?”

“How about two Runespeller Ales.”

“Two Ales coming right up.”

“You’re going to allow me to drink a Runespeller, Father?” Percy sat up straight in the booth.

“Don’t go getting ideas, but since I’m with you, this once. Are you hungry?”

Percy thought about this very seriously before coming to a conclusion. “I’m starving.”

They both ordered large bowls of hot stew and Rosmerta brought a plate of steaming rolls and butter. They sat and ate silently for a while, conversation not moving easily between them. Arthur watched the boy devour four rolls. He was going to have to broach this subject sooner or later. “So, the girl…what is her name?”

Percy blushed, swallowed and looked off distractedly. “Penny. I mean Penelope. Penelope Clearwater. She was…is…the Ravenclaw prefect.”

“Oh, I see. So you got to know her through Prefect duties?”

“Yes. We’re friends because of Prefect duties.”

“Professor Dumbledore seems to think you are more than friends.”

Percy bristled. “I don’t know what he means by that.”

“It’s okay, son, to fancy a girl. I would hope you would fancy a girl. I mean, you can fancy anyone you like but - well, what I’m trying to say is that, if she is more than a friend to you, you shouldn’t be afraid to say it.” He paused for a moment letting the words sink in. Percy looked at him and took a small swig of the Runespeller Ale, revealing the taste with only the slightest of blinks.

“I’m not afraid. I do fancy her and she…she fancies me. We..I guess we…we fancy each other.”

“So, is she your girlfriend then?”

Percy lifted the Runespeller again. “Yes. Yes she is…or was…or…” a frightened look passed over his face.

“I’m sure she is going to be fine, son. I know Madam Pomfrey has told you all about the Mandrakes.”

“Oh yes,” Percy nodded

“Then you know that she will be able to revive those who are petrified. Mandrake is a fascinating plant, Percy, with amazing regenerative properties. It is so powerful that it has even made its way into the Muggle consciousness. Though,” Arthur frowned and shook his head, “their ideas about Mandrakes are confused and bizarre to say the least.”

“Really?” Percy raised his eyebrows. “What do Muggles think about Mandrakes, Father?”

“You don’t really want to know.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Muggles get things very mixed-up, son. Sometimes, it can be somewhat disturbing.”

“I’m a Prefect.” Percy leaned back with confidence. “I can take it.”

Arthur sighed and shrugged. “Well, if you must know, they believe that a Mandrake is born from the…well, the..the seed of a hung man.”

Percy looked at him expectantly. “What does that mean - the seed of a hung man?”

“Well, the process of death by hanging can cause a man to become physically…well…not always, but they say sometimes a man might…” Arthur couldn’t finish. He coughed and took a long drink. Percy sat expressionless until a slow perception dawned on his face.

“That’s – that’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard! How could anyone, even a Muggle believe such a thing?”

Arthur sighed. “I don’t know, son. I suppose that they understand something about the most basic of concepts but then they get all fuzzy on specific details. They know that out of death comes life. After all, the Mandrakes will die so that your Penelope can live, won’t they?”

“Well, I should hope so,” Percy huffed indignantly. “They’re plants.”

Arthur nodded and chuckled. “Yes. Yes they are. You’re absolutely right.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and shifted uncomfortably in the booth. “You know, Percy, there is one other quality of the Mandrakes that is important for you to understand, and while this may have been mentioned in Professor Sprout’s class, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall thought that in this particular case, it might be best for your, um – for me to discuss the situation with you.”

“What situation?”

Arthur took a deep breath. Why was this so difficult with this boy? Bill would have been two steps ahead of him. Charlie would have laughed and ordered another Runespeller. “You know son, when you are sixteen and you have a person that you fancy and that fancies you. It is only natural that you should have certain feelings, certain thoughts.” Percy turned beat red. His eyes glazed over and he stared at a spot on the wall over Arthur’s shoulder. “It’s no big deal really. It’s just that – you see, the thing about Mandrakes is that the same properties that makes them such powerful regeneratives means that they are also powerful when it comes to…to reproduction. As a matter of fact, they are often used by women who are trying to well, you know – who are older and married. You understand what I am saying, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“As Professor Dumbledore explained there were two girls petrified and the other girl is only twelve years old. She isn’t old enough for anyone to worry about this side effect. But your friend is sixteen and a young woman, in her particular case… ”

“I understand what you are saying, Father.”

“Oh good. Now don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to suggest that you two would…I mean, you are both only sixteen. Still, it would only be natural for you to want to and well, here’s the important thing for you to understand, Percy. Any protective charm or potion that either of you could take, would - would most likely, prove ineffective.”

For the first time, the boy’s eyes met his and he swallowed. “I understand.”

“It’s important that you know what you are dealing with here. That’s all. Just important that you are aware.”

Arthur realized he was sweating slightly. He wiped his brow and sat for a minute then pointed at the Runespeller. “Do you want another one of those?”

“No thank you.” Percy fidgeted in his seat. “Father, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to Hogwarts. I’ve got homework to do for Professor Vector and I wanted to get the minutes of the Prefects meeting.”

“Oh sure. I know you’ve got things to do. Let me clear the tab with Rosmerta and we’ll go.”

They walked in silence through the school gates, their faces bundled inside their scarves and their hands plunged deeply into their pockets. The snow had left, but the ground was still frozen hard. At last they pushed the door of the castle open and stood together in the deserted grand foyer. Percy cleared his throat and cast a glance over his shoulder toward the stairs. “Well, I guess I should get up to the common room. Would you like to come up? See Ginny perhaps?”

“No, no. Best get home to your mother. She’ll be starting to worry. You run along and give Ginny my love. Keep your eye on Ron and the twins.”

Percy nodded and then stood up very straight and thrust his hand forward. “Thank you, Father.”

Arthur thought about pulling him into a hug but something held him back. He shook his son’s hand and then patted his shoulder. “Good night, Percy.” He watched as the boy climbed the steps without looking back.

“Need a Floo, Arthur?”

Arthur turned, surprised. Dumbledore was smiling behind him. He had a large yellow butterfly perched on the side of his purple pointed hat that moved its wings lazily.

“Ah, yes. A Floo would be nice, Albus, thank you. I don’t fancy the walk back to Hogsmead.”

Dumbledore nodded toward the entrance to his office. “Monarch,” he said and the wall slid back to reveal the revolving staircase. “I’ve just been down to the greenhouses to check on the Mandrakes and there were several butterfly chrysalises that had opened up. Fascinating little creatures, no matter how far away they are, they instinctively know how to return home.”

They stepped into Dumbldore’s office and a warm fire was crackling in the grate. Dumbledore sank into a chair beside the fire and Arthur watched as the butterfly fluttered from the pointed hat over to the windowsill. “I think my talk with Percy went fine, Albus. I see why you contacted me, though. He’s got it bad for this girl, no question. Though at his age, it may all fade in a month or two. Bill must have gone through a dozen girls.”

Dumbledore nodded. “It may or it may not. Hard to say. One never knows about this sort of thing. I’ve seen it for many years and would never risk predicting it.” He walked over to the window and opened it. The butterfly flitted out into the night.

“Awfully cold out there for that little fellow,” Arthur said.

“Yes, he’s a bit over-eager if you ask me. Another week and spring would be here.”

“Do you think he’ll make it?”

“Oh, I think he will. I’ll leave the window cracked in case he wants to come back. Always nice to leave a little crack, Arthur.”

Arthur nodded, though he wasn’t quite sure why. “How are the Mandrakes, Albus?”

“They are doing quite well. Professor Sprout has been experimenting with rock music. We’ve hooked up a wireless and it’s definitely making them leafier. It won’t be long now until they are ready to reproduce. That changes everything, you know.”

“Yes, I guess it does. I expect Professor Sprout will wait until she has a strong crop of saplings before she harvests the parents.”

“Yes, she’ll wait,” Dumbledore sighed, “It can be a messy business, can’t it?…herbology, I mean.”

Arthur nodded slowly. For some reason he couldn’t stop thinking of Molly - Molly in the three broomsticks, Molly with her Prefects badge sparkling, Molly with her hair long and beautiful. “I’m not sure I’d be up to dealing with Mandrakes.”

Dumbledore chuckled, “I suspect you’d do just fine.” He took a cookie tin off the mantle and held it out. “Give Molly my best regards.”

Arthur pinched a bit of Floo powder and tossed it on the flames. When he looked again, Dumbledore had walked to the window, he had pushed it open wider and was staring out into the night.

A Huge Thank You!

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 05:01:01 GMT

Well, I had the most blissful of birthdays! Sweet Hubby and I woke up with kiddies crawling in bed with us and enjoyed a round of wrestling and silliness. Then I got presents. My middle daughter made me the most beautiful homemade gifts that she had put so much work and thought into...a precious bracelet and key-chain and card. The littlest angel saw all this work and realized (bless her cute little heart) that she didn't have a present for me like big sis. So she ran to the laundry - pulled out a sock and drew a happy face on it - then came back and proudly gave me my present - a sock puppet! It was a precious and frankly, hysterical moment, eliciting much laughter, hugs and applause from everyone. Hubby took us all to brunch and later that night took me out for a delicious and romantic dinner. On the way home, we stopped by B&N and I bought several plays and several Loreena McKennitt CD's. I was overjoyed to see that her new release has "Penelope's Song" on it. It's been playing non-stop.

If you've never listened to Loreena McKennitt, I highly recommend her for HP writing inspiration. Her music has a real mystical quality to it and is very influenced by Celtic music, as well as British myth and literature. Whenever I think of the kind of music that would surround magical people, I think of what she does - something that is rooted in the ancient and timeless.

I hope everyone has seen the lovely Percy/Penny story that St. Margarets wrote for my birthday and the simply adorable, take into your arms and hug, 10-year-old Percy that Kit the Brave did for me. If anyone hasn't seen either of these beautiful bits...please check them out on St. M's and Kit's LJ. AND don't miss Starsea's wonderful missing moment Cat's Paw on the SQ.

It was a great birthday! Thanks to everyone for sharing the Percy-love and for all the warm wishes.

A little self-indulgent request

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 03:06:47 GMT

To the sweet stars in my itty-bitty universe...
My birthday is Saturday and so I am going to make a request, because you don't know what's out there unless you ask.

For my birthday, nothing would make me happier than a little Percy-love. The Percy-hate always makes me SO sad and makes me feel bad about people and the world. Percy-love represents something for me about love and acceptance, about doing your best to see beauty in all people and what all people have to give to the world. I know I fail at doing that, but I do try. It is something that is important to me to try to always remember - whether it is with my students, or my family, or even politicians who make me crazy. I love Percy because he is so flawed, so insecure, he tries so hard and messes up so completely - his imperfections are very human to me.

So...nothing specific, nothing big and fancy - but a tiny bit of love for my much-maligned favorite character would make my heart happy!

Love to all...
Julu

New Year's Party Fluff

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 17:16:51 GMT

I started my party fluff weeks ago when the challenge came out and then put it away with all the pre-holiday crazies. Now it has turned out to be a very silly little New Year's fluff. St. Margaret told me that I have to put some non-angsty Percy out into the universe so I had fun writing him secure and happy in the future. I also had great fun with my other couple and trying to put together the feeling of old friends and married life.

Hope someone enjoys...Happy New Year to all!

Title: Auld Lang Syne
Word Count: 3,163
Pairings: Percy/Penelope; Oliver/Luna
Rating: G
Warnings: None
**

Penelope pushed her hair back and examined her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Turning her head from side to side, she contemplated the sapphire earring in the left ear as opposed to the tiny silver owl earring in her right ear. She liked the owls.

“Ready Pen?” Percy poked his head around the door. He already had his coat on.

“Have you told the sitter where we’ll be?” she asked as she fumbled for her lipstick.

“Yes, yes. It’s all done.”

“And is Tristan in his pajamas?”

“He’s already tucked in. Come on Pen, I want to get there first.” Percy disappeared and she quickly added a squirt of perfume. For some reason, she wanted to look her best for New Year’s Eve.

Walking through the hall, she grabbed her coat from the closet and pushed open the door to Tristan’s room. His nightlight illuminated the back of his curly head, which was snuggled perfectly into his white pillow. Percy had indeed tucked the bedspread tightly around him and even added an extra blanket. She tiptoed backwards and left a tiny crack at the door, then headed down the stairs.

“You’ve got the Floo address, Bianca?” Penelope questioned the teenage witch who stood at the bottom of the staircase as she pulled on her gloves.

“She’s got it. She’s got it. Let’s go.” Percy was standing with one hand on the doorknob, the other outstretched to pull her with him. She waved goodbye and let him maneuver her out into the snowy night, grabbing her arm to make sure she didn’t slip as they descended the front steps and crossed the sidewalk for the car at the curb.

Penelope smiled as she slid into the front seat. Having a Ministry car was one perk of her husband’s position that she loved. Percy slammed her door shut then climbed behind the wheel and turned the ignition key. The car pulled out into the busy London streets and she relaxed back against the soft leather. For just a few lovely minutes they were alone together in the dark. “So…how is he?” she said quietly.

Percy’s jaw tightened as he turned left. He always paid full attention to the road, even though she knew full well he could have taken both hands off the wheel and it wouldn’t have mattered. “He sounded okay. But even so…”

“I know. No talk about Quidditch. We could have had him to our house, you know. It would have been more private.”

“And run the risk of you inviting over someone from our days at Hogwarts? No thank you ma’am. You’ve had enough of playing Cupid to last you a while. I booked us a private room at Anansi’s. He can use the back entrance there.”

“It wasn’t really so bad last year when Karen Sturple came over.”

“It was a disaster.”

“I thought she was a lovely person.”

“If you like exotic dancers.”

“Percy Weasley, Karen Sturple teaches belly dancing at the Wizarding Community Center. She is NOT an exotic dancer. What about you setting up that appointment for him with Yolanda Kurtz?”

“Yolanda is an excellent financial planner. You know as well as I do that he was horrible with math.”

“Right. And it doesn’t hurt matters that Yolanda has enormous breasts.”

“Oh you noticed that did you?”

“You’re thoroughly transparent. You know that don’t you?”

The corners of Percy’s mouth twitched. “Only to you, Pen, only to you. Anyway, tonight it’s only going to be the three of us. Just like the old days. Absolutely no intrusions from outsiders. We can reminisce and ring in the New Year just like we did when we were seventeen. And one more time, we are NOT going to talk about the recent trouble. It’s best to just leave it alone, talk about things that are a distraction.”

They pulled up outside the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron and parked on the street. The pub was crowded with New Year’s revelers and they bustled through to the courtyard and out into Diagon Alley. Penelope pulled her scarf tight and slipped her gloved hand over the wide folds of Percy’s heavy coat. He walked briskly but kept a firm hold on her, as they turned left onto Crescent Way. Anansi’s glittered provocatively in front of them. The laughing giant spider that adorned its roof was outfitted tonight with a New Year’s party hat. Percy pushed through a large crowd of people around the front door. “Excuse me. Excuse me. We’re trying to get to the door. Thank you.”

As they stepped through the restaurant’s door the snow and ice melted away. They found themselves in a courtyard magically charmed to the temperature of a pleasant African night. Lush green plants with enormous pink flowers towered in the corners and gave off an intoxicatingly sweet smell. “Good evening and welcome to Anansi’s, I’ll be happy to check your coats.” The tall dark-skinned hostess was clad in a white robe covered with a silvery web-like netting.

Percy pulled at the fingers of his gloves. “The name is Weasley and I believe we have reservations.”

With a little poof of smoke their coats disappeared and a ticket fell to the ground. Penelope tucked it inside her bag as the hostess walked over to a podium and checked a long piece of parchment. “Yes sir, if you’ll follow me.”

They walk into the main dining room, which was lit by a giant glittering web overhead and passed through the dozens of white candle-topped tables until they came to a curtained wall. The hostess stopped and handed the menus to Percy. “The band will begin at nine o’clock for dancing and there’s complimentary champagne at midnight.” She nodded politely and pulled back the curtain. There at a small table, looking tired and slightly ruffled, was Oliver.

He smiled and stood. “About time, you two. I thought Weasley was never late. You’re a bad influence on him Princess.”

“Oh Oliver, Happy New Year, dear.” Penelope threw her arms around him and he hugged her quickly and somewhat awkwardly. They all slid into the private table and the hostess dropped the curtain.

Oliver turned to Percy and surveyed him with good humor. “Perce, you ugly old fool. What’s the matter? The Ministry making you lose some of that red hair?” Oliver grinned slyly and Percy chuckled. “I still have plenty of hair, Oliver.”

“Yes and you have a bit more forehead too. Are you still in love with this old prat, Princess?”

Penelope smiled at the teasing. “You know I am, Ollie.”

Oliver nodded approvingly, a hint of intensity in his eye. “Ah, then all is right with the world and I’ll sleep well tonight.”

“Oh Ollie, we’ve been so worried. It’s so unfair what they are saying…”

“Penelope!” Percy hissed.

“I’m sorry, Percy. But, oh Oliver, you can’t worry, you’ll be back. It’s going to all work out. I mean you are THE Oliver Wood.”

“Pen, that’s enough.”

“But you are! Three Quidditch World Cups, MVP for the past two years. This thing has been blown way out of proportion.”

“Pen, I thought we agreed about the Quidditch thing!”

“It’s okay Percy,” Oliver said with a small smile. “You always have faith, don’t you darling? Well, perhaps it will work out or perhaps it’s just time to retire. But in the meantime I’m here with my best mate and his best girl and it’s New Year’s Eve.” Oliver uncorked the bottle of wine on the table and poured them each a glass. “How’s the little genius-child doing?”

“Tristan’s doing fine. He’d love to see you.”

“Taught him to fly yet?”

Percy shook his head, “He’s only two Oliver.”

“Never too early.”

“Well, we are working on talking first.” Penelope said.

“And potty-training.”

“Percy, how many times have I told you, he’s still too little to worry about that.”

“He is not. My mother…”

“If I have to hear one more time about the way your mother potty-trained you lot…”

A blonde woman practically fell through the curtain. She was petite and dressed in a dramatic black robe with bright unusual jewelry. She looked at them, froze and held her finger to her lips. On the other side of the curtain they heard a frenzy of footsteps and bewildered voices. “Where did she go? Did she Disapperate? No way. We’d have heard the crack. The kitchen. She went out through the kitchen.” The footsteps gathered speed and then faded away. The woman heaved a sigh and sank down next to Oliver at the table. “Thank God I found you. That was just too close.”

Percy was looking imperiously over the top of his glasses. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we have reservations for a private table here.”

“Yes, I can see you do. How are you Percy? Penelope?” The woman turned toward Oliver and pursed her lips in a comical sort of way. “I can’t remember you.”

Oliver looked from Percy to Penelope who were both gaping at the woman in shock. “I’m Oliver, Oliver Wood.”

“Oh yes. You’re that Quidditch player. I’m Luna Lovegood.”

A smile crept over Penelope’s face. “Luna Lovegood? Oh my goodness! I can’t believe it! The last time we saw you was…”

“Harry and Ginny’s wedding. That was a fun night wasn’t it? Harry looked so funny after you boys threw him in that lake. Did they ever find his pants?”

Percy coughed. “Um…yes, I believe they did. Well…it was certainly nice to see you again Ms. Lovegood. We hope you have a happy New Year and we’ll be sure to pass on your regards to Ginny and Harry.”

Luna smiled at Percy as if she had completely missed his implicit meaning. “Oh good. Lucky for me that I stumbled behind your curtain. I’m glad to see you both again. Penelope hasn’t changed at all.” She cocked her head and studied Percy closely. “Percy has - though I think in a good way. You always were very cute, Percy. Even in your prat phase, you were sort of a cute prat.” Luna turned to Penelope “Don’t you agree, Penelope?”

Penelope looked confused but then her eyes started to twinkle. “Um..well, yes. Personally, I’ve always thought he was extremely cute.”

Luna leaned forward. “Did you know you had a secret fan club when you were Head Boy?”

“Excuse me?”

“Yes. They were a group of second-year Hufflepuffs. Inez Godleburg was the president. If you ever decide to run for Minister of Magic you should look Inez up.”

Oliver burst into laughter. “Miss Lovegood, you may be my new favorite person.”

“Well, it’s not a joke, Mr. Wood. Percy should look up Inez. And he is rather cute.”

“You’re absolutely correct, Miss Lovegood. I’ve secretly been in love with him for years,” Oliver reached across the table and tweaked Percy’s cheek.

“Bugger off, Ollie,” Percy recoiled and rolled his eyes.

Oliver laughed heartily then turned to Luna. “You are quite perceptive Ms. Lovegood. Who was that following you?”

“Oh, just some fans.”

“Fans?”

“I’m a writer. Do you read books Mr. Wood?”

“Of course, he…” Percy stopped mid-sentence as Penelope’s arm seemed to move under the table.

“Actually, Miss Lovegood, if the truth is told, I only really read books about Quidditch. Do you like Quidditch?”

“Oh yes! Especially when the team is wearing red shirts.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well it’s just so much prettier in red. Ravenclaw always had blue and it blended in with the sky. I thought it was rather dull, didn’t you Penelope?”

“Hmm,” Penelope cocked her head to one side, “you know I never thought about it.”

“Good God.” Percy reached across the table and refilled his wine glass.

Oliver looked at Luna and nodded. “She’s right, you know. Ugly uniforms, you Ravenclaws had. You should have known better.” Oliver twisted his finger in the air and another wine glass magically appeared in his hand. He reached over and took the wine bottle from Percy, handing Luna a full glass. “So what kinds of books do you write, Miss Lovegood?”

“It’s a new genre - Muggle science fiction.”

“My father’s favorite author,” Percy said dryly.

“Oh yes!” Oliver nodded, “I’ve heard of this, outlandish stories. It must take great creativity to think up some of those plots.”

“Actually, most of my stories are based on true elements of the Muggle world. The research is always quite fascinating. I’ve just returned from America where I’ve been doing research on the Muggle sport of basketball.”

“What is basketball?” Oliver asked.

“Well it’s a team sport similar in some ways to quidditch or even Muggle football, however in this sport the quaffle bounces.”

“Bounces?”

“Yes, the important skill for the Muggles is to appropriately bounce the ball.”

“You are kidding. Princess, is she telling the truth?”

Penelope nodded. “Yes, she’s telling the truth.”

“Perce, can you imagine anything more comical than a bunch of Muggles bouncing a bunch of balls around?”

“Oh there’s only one ball.”

“Only one!”

Luna nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, and then to score the Muggles have to jump up and place the ball in a hoop in the air.”

“Oh well, that is harder. How high is the goal, twenty-five or thirty feet?”

“Ten.”

“Ten feet! Are you sure this isn’t a sport for Muggle schoolgirls? Percy jumps that high when the Princess yells.”

Percy smirked, leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest. “How did you come up with this research, Miss Lovegood?”

“It was brilliant fun. I posed as something they call a ‘trainer’ for the team. My job was to take care of players who got hurt. Usually, the Muggles are injured by minor things, twisted ankles or knees, cuts and bumps, things most magical mums can learn from a first-aid handbook. I, obviously, had quite the knack for healing ligaments and such. I spent a few hours a week at their games and lots of time taking notes.”

Oliver chuckled. “Quite clever. I think I will have to purchase that book when it comes out.”

“It won’t be for a few months. When it’s ready I’ll send you one. And for your quidditch team too, if you like.”

Oliver smiled. “Do you not read the paper, Miss Lovegood?”

“The Daily Prophet? Never.”

“Well, that would account for it. You see, I no longer have a quidditch team. I’ve quit.”

Luna tipped her head and frowned, “Really? But why? You loved quidditch and you were always very competitive.”

“Yes. Well, you see, I was a bit too competitive. I’ve gotten older, Miss Lovegood. My reflexes are not quite the same. But I still have the desire. I still crave the win. So when my own ability started to fail me. I relied on my magic.”

“On your magic? But, that would be…um, cheating.”

“Perceptive, as usual, Miss Lovegood.”

Penelope reached out and took Oliver’s hand and squeezed it. “And so Oliver did the bravest thing. He made a full confession and resigned from his team.”

“Making me the object of scorn for the entire wizarding world. That’s the reason my dear friends have a private room here tonight, Miss Lovegood and the reason I have to slip in through the kitchen. I’m pretty much universally disliked.”

“It doesn’t look like you’re disliked at this table,” Luna said matter-of-factly.

“Spot on,” Percy said fiercely, his eyes boring into Oliver.

Oliver blushed. “Yes, well I’m lucky to have a few good mates who care about me even when I’ve been a fool.”

Percy leaned in. “Everybody’s a fool sometimes, Ollie. A mate of mine told me that a long time ago, do you remember?”

“I remember, Perce.”

“I remember too,” Penelope said softly. “And I remember that when you care about something or someone, you don’t give up. I’d say that goes for people and quidditch.”

Luna nodded. “Being highly popular isn’t really that much different from being highly unpopular, Mr. Wood. What matters is having a few real friends.”

Oliver stared at Luna for a long while. And Luna stared right back. “Miss Lovegood, did my friends invite you here tonight to raise my spirits?”

“Oh no Mr. Wood,”

“Call me Oliver.”

“Oliver,” she said slowly, “I was absolutely uninvited.”

“Absolutely,” Percy muttered.

“Well, Luna Lovegood, I believe if that’s true perhaps my new year will be a very lucky one. Perhaps my fortunes are about to change.”

“Do you think so?”

“I think I do.”

Percy cleared his throat and spoke in an overly bright voice. “I’m starving. Let’s order, shall we?”

Penelope shot him a dirty look and then turned to Luna. “You must join us for dinner.”

Luna hesitated and scrunched her nose to the side. “Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Oh you must stay!” Penelope said quickly. “You’re not intruding at all. Is she Percy?”

Percy looked over at his best friend and then at his wife. “No, you’re not intruding. Stay Luna and let’s have a toast.” He raised his glass to the center of the table. “To old acquaintances and to best mates and to never forgetting the days of long ago. To auld lang syne.”

“To auld lang syne,” they all repeated as they smiled and clinked glasses.

Loud drum beats came from the main dining room and then the strains of violins and guitars. “Ah, do you remember this one? The Weird Sisters used to sing this.” Luna said dreamily.

Oliver turned to Luna, “Would you care to dance? We might cause quite the stir.”

“Oh let’s do. Do you know how to do the funky owl?”

“Um…no.”

“I can teach you, it’s the latest dance craze. Now don’t be shy. I used to hate to dance but anyone can do the funky owl. You have to flap your elbows a bit like this.”

Oliver imitated Luna who was now moving her head stiffly from side to side, her eyes bulging larger than ever.

“That’s right,” she giggled, “Oliver, you’re very good! Are you sure there’s something wrong with your reflexes? You know I have this theory…” They disappeared through the curtain toward the dance floor.

Penelope turned to Percy who was shaking his head in stunned disbelief. “What just happened?” he asked as Penelope jumped up and peeked through the curtain to watch Oliver and Luna on the dance floor.

“It’s a new year and I think Oliver’s planets just realigned.”

“You can’t believe he could be serious about her. She’s…she’s always been…”

“Come here, sweetheart.”

Penelope stepped aside to let Percy peek through the curtain. “Good God, can you imagine how that’s going to look on the front page of the Daily Prophet tomorrow morning?”

“Spectacular, I imagine.”

“She’s going to drive me crazy, you know.”

Penelope wrapped her arms around Percy’s waist. “I know. Will you dance with me?”

He looked down at her with that warm half smile. “Not the funky owl.”

She laughed and flapped her elbows and pulled him into the middle of the crowd.