Title: Birthday Presents
Author: A.H. Jenkins
Rating: G
Summary: Percy forgets something rather important.
"Percy?"
He looked up from his work report. "Yes, Hermione?"
"What have you got me for my birthday?" She smiled sweetly, and sat on the arm of his chair. Percy's heart was trying to make an exit through his throat. Her birthday?
"Oh.Hermione, I, err, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." He hoped she wouldn't notice that he'd begun to fiddle with his textbook nervously. The fact that she beamed at him then only served to add to the guilt he was beginning to feel.
Hours of overtime, 6am till 10pm days, hardly ever getting to see her and not noticing it. Report after report, working in and out of the office constantly. Forgetting his mother's birthday. Forgetting his nephew's christening. She'd had to remind him, every time. She sorted it out for him - presents and travel arrangements, gave his apologies when he couldn't attend parties. Every time she was smiling, but Percy knew she thought he was drifting. The truth was.that was exactly what was happening to him. He was drifting further and further away from her.
Now he'd gone and forgotten her birthday. Her twenty-first birthday. What troubled Percy most was getting caught forgetting. He wasn't worried that she wouldn't forgive him.he was worried that she would, and that she'd put that brave smile on again and pretend everything was all right. And then the guilt would come again.
He had to think of something. What would she want? Robes? No, she didn't care for the latest fashions. A pet? They had Crookshanks.maybe a necklace? No, he'd bought her one of those last year. It had to be something special, to make up for the lack of time he'd spent with her.
Something special.aha! He'd got it. That would be perfect, a way to apologise to her and give her a gift all in one. He only hoped she'd take it the right way.
--
Mid-September morning. Percy was awoken by the motion of someone.bouncing on the bed?
"Hermione, what are you doing?"
She laughed then, as she landed next to him, and her hair fell onto his chest. "Bouncing, of course. So? What's the surprise, Mr. Weasley?" Percy sat up, and she slipped back under the covers next to him.
"Well.I've not really got you a present, as such."
"You forgot, didn't you?" Her face fell, and she began to fiddle with the duvet. Percy began to panic.
"No! Well, yes, but I have got you something. Except it's not a thing, it's sort of a promise."
"A promise?" She tilted her head, and became more interested.
"Yes, a promise. And something I've done, so that I can be a better.so I can treat you like you deserve." Percy bit his lip, and flicked his hair out of his eyes.
"Percy, what did you do?"
"I.uh.I quit my job at the Ministry." Percy closed his eyes, expecting retaliation.
"Oh my god.Percy."
He was shaking with worry now. "I wanted to apologise, for.not being around, and I want to be around from now on.you know, so that we're actually together rather than just sharing a house.I'm sorry, I thought you'd like it. I couldn't think of anything else to get you."
"Percy. Percy, look at me!" She placed her hands on his cheeks and turned him to face her. "You did that? For me?"
He nodded, very slowly, and gulped.
"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever given me, Percy."
He blinked. "Really?"
"Really," she said, and kissed him.
"Percy?"
He looked up from his work report. "Yes, Hermione?"
"What have you got me for my birthday?" She smiled sweetly, and sat on the arm of his chair. Percy's heart was trying to make an exit through his throat. Her birthday?
"Oh.Hermione, I, err, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." He hoped she wouldn't notice that he'd begun to fiddle with his textbook nervously. The fact that she beamed at him then only served to add to the guilt he was beginning to feel.
Hours of overtime, 6am till 10pm days, hardly ever getting to see her and not noticing it. Report after report, working in and out of the office constantly. Forgetting his mother's birthday. Forgetting his nephew's christening. She'd had to remind him, every time. She sorted it out for him - presents and travel arrangements, gave his apologies when he couldn't attend parties. Every time she was smiling, but Percy knew she thought he was drifting. The truth was.that was exactly what was happening to him. He was drifting further and further away from her.
Now he'd gone and forgotten her birthday. Her twenty-first birthday. What troubled Percy most was getting caught forgetting. He wasn't worried that she wouldn't forgive him.he was worried that she would, and that she'd put that brave smile on again and pretend everything was all right. And then the guilt would come again.
He had to think of something. What would she want? Robes? No, she didn't care for the latest fashions. A pet? They had Crookshanks.maybe a necklace? No, he'd bought her one of those last year. It had to be something special, to make up for the lack of time he'd spent with her.
Something special.aha! He'd got it. That would be perfect, a way to apologise to her and give her a gift all in one. He only hoped she'd take it the right way.
--
Mid-September morning. Percy was awoken by the motion of someone.bouncing on the bed?
"Hermione, what are you doing?"
She laughed then, as she landed next to him, and her hair fell onto his chest. "Bouncing, of course. So? What's the surprise, Mr. Weasley?" Percy sat up, and she slipped back under the covers next to him.
"Well.I've not really got you a present, as such."
"You forgot, didn't you?" Her face fell, and she began to fiddle with the duvet. Percy began to panic.
"No! Well, yes, but I have got you something. Except it's not a thing, it's sort of a promise."
"A promise?" She tilted her head, and became more interested.
"Yes, a promise. And something I've done, so that I can be a better.so I can treat you like you deserve." Percy bit his lip, and flicked his hair out of his eyes.
"Percy, what did you do?"
"I.uh.I quit my job at the Ministry." Percy closed his eyes, expecting retaliation.
"Oh my god.Percy."
He was shaking with worry now. "I wanted to apologise, for.not being around, and I want to be around from now on.you know, so that we're actually together rather than just sharing a house.I'm sorry, I thought you'd like it. I couldn't think of anything else to get you."
"Percy. Percy, look at me!" She placed her hands on his cheeks and turned him to face her. "You did that? For me?"
He nodded, very slowly, and gulped.
"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever given me, Percy."
He blinked. "Really?"
"Really," she said, and kissed him.