People have always gossiped. Or at least that's what Percy Weasley thinks. When they start to relax, they want some story to talk about. Some new information about someone else that they can dissect in a million ways.
Percy isn't an idiot. He knows he has been the subject of gossip for years. When his long-term girlfriend married someone else, the papers had been full of questions about what had happened between the two of them, and when Percy would start dating again.
He hadn't been dating Penelope for years. They'd broken up amicably during school, when they realised the relationship was more of a friendship. When she got married to one of their Hufflepuff friends, he'd sent them a wedding gift and a polite note to say he couldn't make their wedding.
He also knew the wizarding world was very backwards. Their attitude towards couples who veered from the acceptable was to ignore them almost to the point of being rude. When his brother, George, had come out as bisexual, and started dating two people, every Weasley found it more difficult to do their shopping. Only Ron managed to continue living his life normally, and even he was pushing the bat with the number of flings he had.
He hated how people assumed who you would date based on your House. It was outdated thinking, that House affiliation while at school actually mattered. It was that kind of thinking that had led to two wars, and Percy never wanted to feel that level of fear again. Besides, Hermione was engaged to Draco Malfoy, the only Death Eater still free, and he was a perfectly nice young gentleman.
Well, he wasn't the only Death Eater. But he was the only Marked one. There were many rumours that Theodore Nott was Marked too. His family was as close to Voldemort as the Malfoys had been. How Theodore could have avoided the Mark wasn't well known, but he'd never had a trial.
But gossip. Gossip was the current bane of Percy's life. He had gone out for lunch with Hermione yesterday, and the evening papers had been full of it. Questions about whether she was cheating on Draco Malfoy with him, the brother of her best friend and rumoured ex. As if they would be stupid enough to do that in public. The Malfoys were a family to never cross. They could ruin you twenty years later with no more remorse than declining a party invitation.
Percy couldn't wait to get home. He knew there would be his favourite meal waiting on the table, a fresh bottle of wine airing. It was their second year anniversary, and he had a surprise for his partner. He checked his pocket quickly, making sure the box was still there.
He checked the clock again. Finally. He could go home, after what had seemed like the longest day. He had fended off questions yet again about his dating life, as everyone and their wife seemed to want to know when he was "going to settle down with a nice young girl". He wanted to answer them truthfully, but it wasn't fair to his partner. They had agreed together to not go public. Not until they were sure.
He took the box out of his pocket for the Floo travel. He didn't want it to fall out into some random fireplace. When he arrived home, he felt a weight leave his shoulders. He had got so used to the place in the last year since he had moved in, and barely noticed the size anymore, unless he was trying to find someone. It was like a communal house for his partner and his friends, but Percy loved the fact that someone was always there. He'd grown up with too many people to enjoy solitude.
He wanted solitude now. He wanted to find his partner, and kiss away the stress of the day. Kiss away his hatred of gossips and just lose himself in the feel of his favourite lips under his own.
His partner was arguing with an elf when he entered the intimate dining room. There was some problem with the choice of wine.
"Thank you, but I think we'll keep this wine. It has a special meaning for us." Percy smiled at his partner as he tried to defuse the situation before someone started huffing.
The elf vanished, muttering something about their meal being ruined, but that was their problem now. Percy smiled, holding his hands out.
The two of them kissed for a long moment, and all remaining tension trickled out of Percy as every muscle relaxed. This was what coming home should feel like. When they broke apart, he knelt, ignoring the gasp from the person in front of him.
"Theodore Nott, will you marry me?"
A/N: This is an entirely unauthorised thing that is based of the fabulous Rebuilding by Colubrina. Seriously. Go read it, and you will be in love. This might make a little more sense once you get to Part 2 of it.