Characters: Molly, Percy
Summary: The clock's accepted that Percy has a new home. Now why can't Molly?
Pairings: None
Author's Note: I wonder about that clock sometimes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
The Weasley's clock is a curious object; in fact, to Molly's eyes, she suspects it to be nearly sentient.
When one of the people whose name is on the hands of the clock dies, the hand devoted to them falls off. This is how Arthur knew his brother Bilius was dead before anyone else did; he went white in the face when he watched Bilius Weasley's hand fall from the clock.
And when the status of one of the members changes, the clock senses it.
Molly Weasley watches the clock almost obsessively for the first few weeks after her third eldest son abandons the Burrow in a huff in her spare time, whenever there's no one to witness her following the progress of Percy's hand on the clock. It's not part of the show of solidarity they're supposed to put up in times of crisis to show anything resembling concern for Percy, but Molly doesn't care. She's his mother; she might only watch the clock when no one else is around, but whatever Percy does she's still going to worry.
For the first few weeks, Percy's hand on the clock is pointed firmly to "Lost". It doesn't move even when he goes to work (because Molly knows Percy's still going to work, even if Arthur refuses to talk about him; it's just not like Percy to take time off) and she doesn't think she could get the hand to move even if she whipped out her wand.
Then, early in September, something changes.
The hand moves.
Molly first notices when she gets up one morning to make breakfast. She glances over at the clock, and frowns when she sees that Percy's hand has moved from "Lost" to "Work".
Percy's hand stays on "Work" for a long time, from day to day. It stays on that time and moves no sooner than seven in the evening. Sometimes it doesn't move to "Traveling" until nine, or even ten.
And then, it moves to "Home".
But Percy's not home. Not the home he should be in. Molly doesn't think she's ever come so close to hating an inanimate object as when it tells her that Percy's "Home" but he's not in his room or in the kitchen with the others.
Percy's found a new home.
The clock has seen it. The clock has accepted it.
Why can't Molly?