I finally manged to finish this. I'm working on it for months... It's written for the Failed Romances Challenge with some help from the Because of Love Challenge.
I used the quote for Penelope: "Because she's always taken more than she gave and maybe that's why Percy left all those years ago…" Credit to Amy, of course;)
RoseScor90 helped me a lot, beta reading this;)
Leave a review.
we wanted more than everything
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When you are seventeen and in love you think it will last forever. You think you'll be one of those few who stay faithful and committed to their first love. But most times you are wrong.
Penelope Clearwater, high official of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, had just finished a tiring day of work and had decided to spend the rest of her evening in The Three Broomsticks. As it was a beautiful, sunny day she decided to sit outside.
She was enjoying her coffee when a young girl- she must have been 2 or 3 years old- grabbed the chair where she had left her purse and took it down. She gave the girl an angry look and leaned to take her stuff from the ground, making the girl to start crying- her game was probably ruined. I'll never be good with children, she thought feeling mostly relieved than sad.
"Lucy! Lucy! What have you done, now? Have you apologized to this lady?" a man's voice- probably the girl's father- was heard.
Penelope froze at her place for a second; that voice seemed strangely familiar to her- she had definitely heard it before. Then she got up and turned to the man.
His attention was on his daughter. He had kneeled next to her and was wiping away her tears while talking to her in a lightly didactic tone- that once again couldn't but remind her of something. Only… the tone she had in her mind was ten times harsher.
"Lucy, we are not at home… what have I told you, honey? You should be a nice young lady. Be the polite and sweet little girl, I know you are… What happened now?" he was telling the girl.
"Daddy, I was playing…." she tried to explain.
"Uhh, you can't play with strangers! Neither can you bother unknown people! You are a little devil, dear! So much different than Molly- she's very restrained. But of course she wasn't affected by George like you are…"
George, Molly… He couldn't be… But then he turned to her, ready to apologize for his daughter's manners and behavior, and she couldn't but admit that he could.
"Percy Weasley." she simply stated a sad tone in her voice.
He seemed taken aback. Whatever he had planned to say was forgotten. Percy Weasley managed to say only one thing:
"Penny?"
Hearing him saying her name with that tone made her remember better days between them. Made her heart beat just a little bit faster. Made her feel again like a teenager in love…
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Percy Weasley was sitting alone in an empty classroom. Normally, as a prefect, he should have been in the Great Hall for the last dinner of the year. But he couldn't; the past few days, his anxiety hadn't let him do anything.
Suddenly, the door opened and a brown haired girl entered the room, smiling. He turned to her, surprised.
"Penny?" His voice gave away all his feelings: fear, anxiety, anger, surprise…
Her reaction was a wide grin as she ran closer to him and fell into his arms.
"Penny." He repeated with relief this time, holding her tightly.
It was the end of their sixth year- June 1993: the end of a rather colorful year: The Chamber of Secrets had been reopened but thankfully, without any student losing their lives.
However Penelope had lived that year's events by first hand; she was, as a Muggle-born, one of the students to be attacked by the basilisk and to end up petrified.
Percy had lost his composure during the months she'd been at the hospital wing. It came as a shock to him, and made him realize his feelings for her.
"I love you."
She smiled, her face buried in his neck. "I love you, too."
.
"Percy," she greeted him.
"You know the lady, daddy? Ms. Penny, will you let me play with your chair?" the little red- head told her formally making Penelope laugh.
"Of course, dear."
"Really? That's great- thank you so much!'' responded Lucy but stopped, turning at her father who was still staring at 'the lady'. "Can I go, daddy? You see, I have permission now…"
And then Percy laughed an honest laugh. Penelope was sure that the last time she had heard him laugh that way was during their seventh year, when they were still restless with no worries or responsibilities.
"Of course you can go, dear… If you have permission."
The little girl started running around the table, making her smile.
"Mind sitting with me," she stopped thoughtful as to what would be the proper thing to say. But looking into his eyes, she realized there was no reason for formalities. "Percy."
"Not at all. Let's hope Lucy will decide to leave our chair alone," he joked, sitting down next to her.
.
"I got a place in the Ministry!" an excited Percy told her as soon as he sat down next to her.
"Really?" she responded with eyes wide open. "That's great, Perce!"
He pulled away from her, blushing. "It's nothing special, I'd just be an assistant but still…"
She laughed. "Come on, Perce! I know how excited you truly are. Don't try to be modest!"
.
"Still working in the Ministry?" he asked her.
"Yes. You are working with your brother in the store, right?"
He shook his head. "Yes. I'm trying to convince George to branch out into more serious stuff."
She smiled and then turned serious again. "I was sorry to hear about Fred…"
He stopped her. "It's fine. We… managed."
She squeezed his hand, realizing he didn't want to talk about it. She had scratched an open wound.
.
"My father thinks they are using me. He said that I took the place to spy on them, on Dumbledore…"
"He didn't mean it, Perce, I'm sure," she tried to comfort him. "They are just upset because of what happened in June…"
They never discussed what had truly happened that summer, in the Tournament. Penelope realized it didn't matter for him. His family had abandoned him- or had he abandoned his family? Percy always was very ambitious. Had he lost the truth, seeking recognition and glory? She couldn't say. But from that day forward their relationship started to change; Percy was being distant.
.
An awkward silence had fallen between them.
"I used to love you, Penny…" he started.
"You love someone forever, Percy. That wasn't love, it was youth's excitement." She smiled sadly again.
He shook his head. "I don't think so. Youth's excitement was a crush and I was never that type. The excited one."
"That's true."
They remained silent for a while until Percy sighed. "What I meant is that I'm sorry."
She looked at him surprised. "Sorry?"
He closed his eyes at her surprised tone. "I changed, Penny."
"We all do," she added. "I just don't think there's anything to be sorry about. It was mostly me."
He smiled. "No. It's that we changed. First you, then me. War made us two different people who dealt with life in their own ways."
"And then they say that hard times bring people close."
Percy laughed. "Maybe they do. But we weren't every people. We were too stubborn and ambitious for our own good."
.
"They were right, Penny! They were right! Voldemort is back…"
Percy seemed alive for the first time in months. But she barely raised her head from the paperwork to give him a look.
"I know, Percy. This happened more than a year ago."
He sighed. "My brother is getting married in the summer."
"Really? Then you should go."
He appeared skeptical. "I can't."
She raised her head. "You are right. Working in the Ministry and being away from these people protects you the most."
"What?"
"I'm thinking of leaving the country," she continued, ignoring him. "You know, since Dumbledore died…"
"I said that I can't because I'm scared of their reaction, Penny! They must hate me and they would be right!"
She wanted to care. She truly did. But she couldn't at the moment. Her survival was the most important thing for her.
"I see…" he murmured at her lack of response. "I'm sorry, Penny. I must have been unbearable the past few months." And saying that he kissed her forehead and left.
.
"It was nice seeing you again, Penny…" he murmured, kissing her cheek tenderly.
She got up and hugged him, "Indeed it was."
"Lucy," Percy called. "Say goodbye to the nice lady, honey- we are going."
Lucy run to them and smiled to Penelope. "Bye, miss."
"Bye, Lucy."
"I hope I'll see you again," Percy said holding his daughter's hand.
"Definitely."
She sat down and watched him leave, knowing that she wouldn't keep her promise. Too many things had happened for them to be friends or even acquaintances. She was glad he was happy, even without her. Percy Weasley had transformed into a great man; but they had always had bad timing.