For Crina, with love
January
The love affair of Percy Weasley and Audrey Davies began one wintry day in the middle of January.
It was innocent, and beautiful, and passionate, and somehow it worked. Somehow it had the chance to see the light, to make it through the tunnel.
Only on that snowy day, Percy Weasley was not thinking of tunnels, or of Roger Davies's elder sister. Of the dark-haired beauty in the cubicle twelve down from his, precisely. Oh, no.
His thoughts were of his family. Of his mother's cheerful smile and of his father's laugh. Of his brothers Bill and Charlie's ability to hold them together, and of the twins' ability to make them laugh in the direst of times. Of Ron's and Ginny's sweet little faces.
Of the Christmas sweater he'd sent back to his mother.
Far from making him happy, thinking of his family caused him to become bitter, angry, and oh so guilty.
Because he knew, in his heart of hearts, that they were right. He was wrong. But he was too proud, was too scared to go back to them. And so instead, they filled his thoughts.
A knock sounded on the wall opposite the one he faced, and he turned abruptly.
"Hello," a sweet, melodic voice said. She was tall, pale, and dark-haired, with sparkling green eyes and a long, graceful neck. She smiled at him, and his thoughts were suddenly wiped out, like a cleaned plate or an erased blackboard. It was all he could do not to stare.
Somehow, he managed to croak out, "Hello."
"Mr. Weasley, correct?"
He stiffened and nodded. What did this woman have to speak to him about?
She smiled encouragingly and said, "Minister Fudge asked me to write out my recent research. Here it is—my file." She placed a folder with a neat For the Minister written in the corner. She turned to go when he, on impulse, grabbed her hand.
"Miss…"
"Davies," she supplied, smiling again. "Audrey Davies."
He will never know what possessed him to ask, but ask he did—"Is You-Know-Who back?" He was gripping at straws, was begging for reassurance. He needed to hear it was true, or wasn't. He needed to know.
Her face turned solemn and sour. "Of course." And with those two simple, heartbreaking words, she swept out of his cubicle.
A/N: This is the first chapter of a three- or fourshot for my fabulous friend Crina, who is amazing! Hugs to you and all your fics!
Also, I'm participating in Kore-of-Myth's Annual Fic Exchange, which is how this all came about. This was very short, my apologies. But later chapters will be (kind of) longer, I promise!!