Written for Last Ship Sailing Competition II on HPFC
Prompts: 2. (word) alone, 4. (object) umbrella, 5. (object) wand, 7. (dialogue) "Let me explain!", 8. (dialogue) "How do you do that?"/"What?"/"Look so adorable all the time.", 9. (weather) thunderstorm, 10. (setting) Quality Quidditch Supplies
Words: 1160

Thanks to Kage and Carmen for betaing!

Oliver looked out of the window and shuddered; the light drizzle that had started that morning had progressed to a thunderstorm, and he pitied anyone currently outside. He doubted anyone had actually come out to Diagon Alley anyway, but the stragglers were probably taking shelter in the open stores.

He turned back to the bookshelf he was stacking and put Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland into its place by Quidditch Through the Ages. That was the last of the book stacking he had to do—everyone coming through Quality Quidditch Supplies was rowdy and messed the store up, and Oliver, when he was alone and not in charge of any customers, was in charge of cleaning up—, so Oliver jumped down from the ladder and was on his way over to his desk when the door burst open. He turned around, expecting customers, only come face to face with a drowned rat.

"Oliver!" the drowned rat exclaimed with a relieved smile, proving that it was not, in fact, a drowned rat at all, but one Percy Weasley.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver looked from Percy to the two smaller versions of him—his siblings, just as red-haired but much less wet, though their hair was plastered to their faces and made them unrecognizable—to the umbrella they were holding.

"We were getting ice-cream." Percy took off his glasses and started wiping them on his damp clothes, which Oliver doubted worked. "And then it started raining."

"Where's the rest of you?" Oliver look over to the door, expecting more Weasleys to come through.

"Mum was yelling at Fred and George," Percy explained, "so we decided we'd get away."

Oliver looked at the two mini-Percys—he now saw that one was a girl—who were looking less than happy at being inside. One of them, the boy, held the dripping umbrella out to Percy.

"We didn't think it would start raining, I was just lucky enough to have thought ahead and brought this with me." He indicated the umbrella. "Any chance we can put it somewhere to dry?"

"Yeah, over there." Oliver pointed to a stand in the corner. "Give it a few minutes. You can stay for the duration of the storm, too… if you want?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Percy nodded as his sister took the umbrella from his hands and brought it over to the corner. "Thanks."

Percy still seemed to be trying to dry his glasses; he was squinting at Oliver, though trying to pretend that everything was fine. Oliver rolled his eyes at his valiant efforts.

"Give them here," he said, holding his hand out for the glasses, reaching into his back pocket with his other hand and taking out his wand. He muttered a spell and watched the water disappear.

"Thanks," Percy mumbled as he shoved the glasses back on his face.

"Anytime."

Oliver lifted his wand once more and pointed at Percy's siblings. "May I?"

Percy nodded.

"What's he—"

But Percy's siblings' questions were interrupted by Oliver's spell, leaving them dry and finally recognizable.

"Oh," said Ron—Oliver remembered that he was Harry Potter's friend—, looking impressed. "Cool."

"Thanks." Ginny smiled.

Oliver smiled back at them. He rocked back on his heels when it seemed like no one would speak. "So… what's your Quidditch teams."

He could feel, rather than see, Percy's annoyed frown.

"Cannons," Ron said proudly. "Oh, and hey—d'you have the book—whatsit called again?—Percy?"

"Flying with the Cannons."

"Yeah—that—d'you have it?"

"Yeah." Oliver pointed towards the bookshelves, then called after Ron's already retreating back. "It's all in alphabetical order. Hey! The Puddles' book should be on there, too, you know it's never too late to change teams, especially—"

"Give it up," Percy interrupted.

Oliver huffed. "Fine." He turned to Ginny. "You know, Puddlemere's history is absolutely fascinating, you should—"

"She's Harpies," Percy said in the same bored tone as before. "Give it up."

"Oh, come—"

"He's right," Ginny piped up.

"At least let me explain!" Oliver groaned as they shook their heads. "Fine. There's books on Harpies over there, too, also some coloring books on sale."

"I'll buy them," Percy said before Ginny could even turn to him, and they watched her run off to the shelves after Ron, smiling widely.

"That's how you're using the rest of you Head Boy reward money?" Oliver smiled. "You're great."

Percy grinned and shook his head slightly, sending water droplets to the floor. "You're ridiculous."

"So are you. You sent me five letters telling me about the Head Boyship!"

"And you sent me seven letters when you were made Captain!"

Oliver nodded. "That's fair. Now… how about a drying spell?"

"Alright." Percy made an annoyed face. "You know, my birthday's in less than a month, you won't be able to flaunt your magic anymore."

"Last time, I promise." Oliver laughed; he delighted in being older. He waved his wand and Percy immediately dried, his clothes unsticking from his body and his hair frizzing up away from his head. He grinned. "Wow."

"What?"

"How do you do that?" Oliver shook his head bemusedly.

Percy grinned in puzzlement as he looked down. "What?"

"Look so adorable all the time."

"You know, ever since you asked me out over owl, you've gotten so sappy." Percy shook his head. A stray drop of water flew onto Oliver's nose. "Used to be you'd only rhapsodize about Quidditch."

"Now I get to rhapsodize about you." Oliver grinned; asking Percy out a month ago had been the second-best decision of his life, right after compiling his current Quidditch team. "You see what I mean? 'Rhapsodize'. Absolutely adorable. "

"It's not adorable, it's—"

"Scholarly, yes, I know."

Oliver laughed. They didn't see each other over the summer much: Oliver himself was working, and Percy was with his family, and no matter how much they owled each other, nothing beat face-to-face interaction.

They looked out of the window simultaneously. It had stopped raining, but Oliver didn't want Percy to go yet. Their new relationship had been kept up with letters, and Oliver had been looking forward to continuing it at school.

He put a hand on Percy's arm when it seemed like Percy was going to the umbrella stand. "Wait."

"Yes?"

"You don't have to go now, do you? I mean… Ron and Ginny are looking at their books, you wouldn't want to tear them away or anything, would you?"

"You just want me to stay."

"That, too, yes."

Percy shook his head, but he didn't seem annoyed; bemused, yes, but he usually was when they were talking. "Alright, I will."

That had thrown Oliver. "Really?"

"Really." Percy nodded. "Though you might want to make tea or something, my siblings are enraptured, it might take a while."

Oliver laughed, took his hand, and led him over to the desk, where he had a kettle and a conversation waiting.