Title: Bonds Broken and Forged
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Percy Weasley, Marcus Flint
Prompt: #71 – Broken
Word Count: 1,989
Rating: T (minor coarse language.)
Summary: Percy has a falling-out with the Weasleys and goes to the only place he feels he has left to go.
Author's Notes: 2nd in the Lineage universe.
Disclaimer: I own nothing …

"Yeah, I hear you, I'm coming!" Marcus shouted, swearing profusely as his banged his knee on the side of the coffee table in his living room. He'd been taking a nap after quidditch practice when pounding knocks on his front door had re-awoken him. "Bleedin' Merlin's ghost," he muttered as he nearly tripped over his quidditch gear bag that he had carelessly dropped near the front door when he'd come home earlier that evening. "What?" he growled out as he yanked open the door. His demeanour quickly changed from irritation to shocked concern at the sight of the dejected looking person on the other side of the threshold. "Merlin and Nimwe, Percy what's happened?" he asked as he opened his door to admit the slightly built bookish young man. Of all the things he'd have expected to see that day, the sight of this man – who he lead into the living room – was among the last.

"I- well that is to say- I mean… I'm intruding. I'm sorry. I should just- go…" Percy stammered as he was turning back to the door.

"What? No. Percy, stay. You just got here," Marcus grabbed hold of the younger man's arm to prevent escape. "Just sit a moment." The red-head complied. He sat on the couch staring at the coffee table that Marcus had just run into looking for all the world like someone had just kicked his pet puffskein all the way down a hill and off a cliff and then laughed about it all in his face. Marcus went into the kitchen and came back through with two chilled bottles of PuJuka Original – a vodka and pumpkin juice beverage (1) – handing one to Percy, who was still studying the wood grain of the table in front of him, and also taking a seat on the couch. The younger man looked very much like he wanted to make a run for the door. Marcus briefly wondered if he'd have to resort to magic to keep him in place until the red-head spoke what was on his mind.

"I'm sorry for imposing on you like this," Percy said, changing his focus from the table to the bottle now in his hands. "But I literally have nowhere else I could go to right now." He took a swig of the drink.

Taking a drink of his own, Marcus carefully considered his next words. "It's alright, little brother. I don't mind."

He heard Percy's sharp intake of breath and watched the sky blue gaze shift to his own clear grey. "Y-you know?" His eyes were as wide as an insulted tree fairy's and the blood was draining from his face.

"I've known for years, Perce," Marcus confirmed gently.

"But… how?"

Marcus took another drink and thought a moment. "Honestly? Since we brewed the Direct Lineage Potion in class two years ago." Percy seemed at a loss for words and dropped his gaze again. "I got into a fight with Wood later that day. He ran off in a huff after a professor broke it up and didn't notice he'd dropped a parchment. It was your results." If possible Percy looked even more lost. He placed his bottle on the coffee table and hugged himself.

"He'd known…" Percy said quietly in a hurt tone. "All that time he'd known…"

"Who knew what?"

"Oliver," Percy replied, looking up again. "I never understood why he suddenly started avoiding me. I tried to ask him about it outside the Great Hall one day and he just told me to shove off." He averted his eyes dejected again. "He knew…"

It actually broke Marcus' heart to see the younger man – his younger brother – so down trodden. "Wood always was a bastard. Just like his father."

"You mean my father," Percy said morosely.

Marcus shrugged. "He's no different from mine. Only difference is neither of us actually take after 'em."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that one." Percy's shoulders slumped. The two were quiet for a while. Marcus finished his drink as Percy took up his again.

"Want to let me in on it?"

"I'm an idiot and a fool with my head in the clouds," Percy said and knocked back the bottle, finishing it off in one go. "I took a perfectly good thing and ruined it. All for a misplaced sense of pride and the irritation I've not been able to shake since I found out."

"Well that was elaborate," Marcus said a dryly.

"I was proud for being in the professional position I am. I'm the bloody Junior Undersecretary for the sodding Minister for Le Fay's sake. And under the Weasley name to boot," Percy began, picking at the bottle's label. "I was self righteous. Thought the family would be better suited if Arthur was more than a drone in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office."

"Why d'you call him Arthur?"

"'Cause I don't deserve to call him father. Not after today. I was getting a lot of heat from him and Molly about my job. They said I rose in the ranks too far too quickly and that I only did so because the Minister wanted to keep tabs on them since they are in thick with the headmaster. They spoke like I didn't know the government's corrupt."

"Why don't you deserve to call Arthur father? And Molly mother, too?" This turn of events was curious to the black haired man.

"Because I'm a disgrace of a son. I ought to go to the infirmary and get my head examined," Percy answered and pulled the label completely off. "I was hurt when I found out I'm not their son. At first I thought they were purposely keeping it from me. But after a while I realised that wasn't the case." He put the bottle down and played with the label. "But I've never felt quite right since. I mean all my life, deep down, I never felt like I quite belonged. Now I know I didn't." He sighed and tossed the label down as well.

"What happened, Perce?"

"I did something horrible today. Something unforgivable." Percy leaned back on the couch and rested his head on the back, staring at the ceiling. "I got angry with Arthur for trodding on my success. I said everything I knew would hurt him. I berated him, and his work, and his self worth." Percy sighed and closed his eyes. "And, sin of sins, I stated point blank that he wasn't my father and never would be." The two stayed silent for a few breaths. "I just up and left after. I packed my things and left. I'm a fool."

"What made you think to come here?"

"I just… I have nowhere else to go." Percy's voice cracked. Marcus couldn't stand it. He pulled his little brother, who looked so much like their mother (may her soul rest in peace), into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."

"Shh, don't be. You can stay here."

"N-no, I've imposed enough."

"I have plenty of room and you're not imposing," Marcus stated firmly. "You're family." The two brothers sat on the couch in comforting silence.

A lot had changed in the three years since Percy had his falling out with the Weasleys. Within the following week he had quit his job at the ministry. He went back to school taking business and management classes. By the next year he was able to become his brother's sports manager and was currently in the process of completing negotiations for Marcus' contract with Puddlemere United. He could still recall when he'd showed up to begin the negotiations two days prior:

He'd been his brother's manager for the past year. Since Marcus' five-year contract with the Chudley Cannons was expiring he was convinced he could negotiate a contract with a more prestigious team – Marcus was easily their best player and had single-handedly pulled them out of dead last. He arrived at the player management's office for his meeting and found the current starting keeper and one of the chasers in an argument. The manager was sitting behind his desk looking irritated at the chaser. While he wished he didn't have to face the keeper so soon he realised, from the argument, this could actually work out to his advantage.

"Ah, Mr. Flint, I hope the chaser contract for your client was satisfactory," player manager Jack Swann said as he stood and moved around the desk to shake hands. Oliver Wood, who was the keeper for Puddlemere United, turned at the name 'Flint' and was shocked to see his red-haired former schoolmate instead of his black-haired rival. The chaser bristled at the mention of the chaser contract.

"Almost, Mr. Swann," Ignatius Flint replied. And so started the three-day negotiation.

When Vivien Flint died the year after her two sons graduated from Hogwarts of an incurable illness she'd left, in her will, letters entrusted to Marcus. One was addressed to him, the other to his brother. They explained her actions surrounding the birth and switching of her child and the Weasley child. Marcus was instructed to give the second letter to his brother when he felt the time was right, which he did not long after his brother moved in with him.

Not long after moving in and quitting his job, Percy legally changed his name to Ignatius Ambrosio Flint. Marcus and Iggy (as the elder insisted on calling him) soon made a tradition of visiting the small gravesite of the true Weasley child every year on Iggy's birthday. They had the headstone changed within the first year. It now reads the name Percival Vivyan Weasley.

During Marcus' seventh year at school Vivien came into an inheritance from a relative who had been moderately wealthy. This old woman hadn't been fortunate to have any children of her own and was quite fond of Vivien, regardless of the supposed dishonour she'd displayed in having two children out of wedlock, and with separate fathers on top of it. As it stood, Vivien Flint's inheritance included as small manor, a large cottage, some stocks and bonds, and a small number of medium sized vaults in Gringotts. In her own will, Vivien left her entire estate, in equal shares, to her two sons – each to inherit on his twenty-first birthday.

Despite the fortunes they inherited, the two were contented with their chosen professions. They did, however, move out of their old apartment and into the cottage which was situated closer to the Puddlemere United stadium.

Iggy smiled softly as he took a drink from his bottle of PuJuka Red(2). He watched from his seat beside his older brother as Ginny formerly-Weasley danced with her new husband. He was fairly certain his and his brother's invitations weren't extended by the happy couple. While he did eventually apologise, and the apology was accepted, most of the Weasleys never truly forgave him for the falling out.

The younger Weasleys were generally quite happy to discover that he wasn't actually a genetic member of the family – he even heard they'd thrown a party after the truth was announced. Bill and Charlie, on the other hand, being so much older than he, were saddened by the news as their parents had been. They didn't fault his mother for what she had done and even went so far as to make his brother feel like family too. He shared tea every Sunday with his parents – as they still insisted on being called. They appreciated it when he showed them the gravesite of their true son, but were quick to assure him that they still saw him as one as well.

He finished his drink and stood. He made his way out of the large tent covered area, his brother following behind. He turned back once more to see the Weasley family, all smiling, at the happy couple, before the Flint brothers turned and disapperated into the mist.

- 30 -

THE END

Footnotes:

(1) PuJuka is, as stated above, a vodka/pumpkin juice drink (one of my versions of a wizarding alcohol drink). A wizarding cooler similar to the Vex and Bacardi brands and, like Vex has something like a 7% to 9% alcohol content. PuJuka Original is the original pumpkin juice flavour. I figured there has to be other, more modern, wizarding drinks than butterbeer and firewhisky… butterbeer is wizarding right? I can't remember…

(2) PuJuka Red – pomegranate flavoured.

completed: July 25, 2010
updated: August 17, 2010