Hey everyone! This is a short little story shedding some light on how I think Audrey and Percy got together. Hope you enjoy, don't forget to review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters, however the story line is all me :-)
Percy Weasley is a boy, and a pretty boring one at that. He personally didn't find himself boring, but a year after the war, Teen Witch Weekly named him the most forgettable Weasley. He came in 7th, right behind his brother Charlie, who lives halfway around the world and hasn't been near England in at least 8 years. Percy's one of 6 boys born to his mother and father, Molly and Arthur Weasley.
His parents met on September 1st, a decade or three ago, and that was that. There was nothing particularly special or poetic about his parents' relationship. He was handsome and popular and she was pretty and confident. It was a recipe for success. He admired her from afar, waiting for the perfect moment to ask her on a proper date. The perfect moment came in the form of Molly tackling him and telling him to either ask her out already or sketch a picture. Of course he asked her out, because, according to his father, he can't draw. At some point they fell in love and twenty years later they had 7 kids. It was pretty simple.
Being one of 7 children; not so simple. Having all those siblings can be a bit much, and Percy had always been the odd one out. He was a pessimist. No one understood him, so they basically ignored him. The funny thing though is that he was different than the others because he did what he was told. Yes, that was why his siblings did not like him. He had grasped the general concept of following the rules, something the rest of them never attempted. Following the rules had never seemed hard to him, considering the rules are given to you. The other six Weasley children, however, had a blatant disregard for authority and discipline. Most children would be praised for this, but not in their house. Bill and Charlie, his eldest brothers, would pick on him endlessly, and he vowed that if he ever got a little brother he would make sure he never treated them that way. Then his mom had Fred and George, which put a halt on his plan.
Those two were something else. They were smart and quick, meaning you had no chance in hell of out-scheming or out-talking them. They also had the 'cute' twin-factor, making them un-punishable in their mother's eyes. When he learned that his mother was having another baby, he thought that he'd finally get his chance at being a role model for his brother; but then she had Ronald.
Ron was an interesting kid. He was very impressionable and dense and Percy had hopes that there was a chance for him, but Ron's drive to be accepted overpowered his will to do the right things. He'd rather play jokes with Fred and George to keep them from playing jokes on him, or play Quidditch with Charlie so that Bill wouldn't pick on him. Percy could tell that Ron's downfall would be knowing when to say 'no'. That pretty much ended Percy's quest to be the best big brother ever.
No one expected his mom to have another child, and more importantly, no one expected her to have a girl. Before Ginny was brought home, they had received endless talks about being quiet and gentle when their sister arrived. Percy could handle quiet and gentle, it was his brothers he was worried about. When he saw Ginny for the first time, he immediately felt like he had to take care of her. She wouldn't make it in this house without someone to stick up for her, and Percy would make sure he always did.
Ginny was shy at first. She didn't cry or whine much, and she wasn't annoying like he'd expected a little girl to be. She always knew what she wanted; even when she was 3 years old. Surprisingly, she had taken to Percy more so than she had with the others. When he got home from Hogwarts she would follow him around and he'd try to entertain her as much as she could. When the others wouldn't let her play Quidditch with them, he opened the shed for her so she could practice on their brothers' brooms. Charlie had always been worried about her falling, but Percy would never let her fall. He felt bad that their family didn't have much, because she was a girl and hand-me-downs just wouldn't work. He wanted to do well in school and get a nice job so he could help her get nice things like she deserved. As they grew older the two of them drifted apart. He was busy, and she was coming into her own at Hogwarts. He regretted letting go of that bond with her. He regretted letting go of all of them.
Percy remembered the days when he could think about his family without that weird aching sensation in his stomach. It was guilt. When he thinks about them now, which isn't often, he feels terrible. He remembers how he became distant from them, and couldn't wait to graduate and move out of the Burrow. He remembered fighting with his dad when he decided to work for the crooked ministry. He remembered turning his back on them, when they needed to be a family. He betrayed them, and in the process, missed out on vital parts of their life. It wasn't until the very last second that he came to his senses during the war; but by then it had been too late. His brother, Fred, lay lifeless on the floor in front of him. He had missed out on his brother's life, then watched as it was taken from him cruelly.
His family crowded around the body, and he stood awkwardly behind them. His mother comforted his father, Bill had Fleur, Ron was with Harry and Hermione, and Ginny was with George. He didn't belong; he shouldn't be there. They were a family, and he was a traitor. Percy went back to the Burrow for the first time in what felt like forever, but it was short-lived. After Fred's funeral, Percy moved to a new flat and never went back. He didn't deserve to go back.
Percy didn't write or call or visit. He purposely made sure he didn't cross paths with them. They needn't worry about him; he had caused them enough pain. He walked past the Auror training facilities everyday on his way to his office, knowing Ron was inside. He ducked his head in Hogsmead when he passed the joke shop, so that George wouldn't see him. He never read the owls he'd received from Bill, and disabled his mother's howlers before he could hear the disappointment in her voice. He knew he was a disappointment; that's why he saved his family the trouble of having to deal with him.
Now more than ever, Percy Weasley was alone. He lived alone, worked alone, and went to sleep alone. Love had never been an option for him. Love was one of those good feelings associated with happiness, warmth and comfort. Percy Weasley needed happiness, warmth and comfort. Percy needed to be loved, but he didn't want to burden any women with the task of loving him. He'd dated girls before, but nothing had ever really worked out. That was partly because he was kind of weird and particular, and partly because there was never any kind of spark in the relationship.
Logistically, these relationships should have worked. All of the girls he dated were organized, ambitious, and well-mannered, but for some reason they never got along. It was a mystery, but Percy decided not to dwell on that. He figured eventually he might find someone, and if not, life would go on.
Percy Weasley didn't want a love story, but sometimes what we want and what we need have a funny way of never adding up just right.