Rumours
Chapter One

Oliver/Percy
PG-13

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the characters. I'm not making any profit. For cheap entertainment only, and for me to finally learn how to write a decent story.

Author's notes: I've had a lot of people asking me to continue my old stories – I'm sorry, but I really can't. They are too old, I was too young, I can't write like that anymore. But, I'm hoping you'll accept this instead. :) I'm breaking the rules here, btw, this hasn't been beta'd. Any volunteers, my e-mail is visible in my info.

Oliver was engaged in a rather passionate conversation with Angelina Johnson in the hall in front of the Fat Lady when Percy walked by, carrying books and quills and parchment, on his way to the library to do some more research.

The conversation was, predictably, about Quidditch. Oliver was apparently convinced that what he was saying made perfect sense – if only he could get Angelina to see his point. Angelina, on the other hand, understood Oliver's point perfectly, she simply didn't agree.

Percy knew better than to interrupt their discussion. He glanced briefly at Angelina and then gave Oliver a dazzling smile, and Oliver paused for a split second and smiled back in a bit of a disorientated manner before continuing talking a mile a minute.

Percy felt warm all over as he made his way to the library. Even a glimpse of Oliver on a day on which there was Quidditch practice was a rare thing, and therefore it was to be cherished. Percy would see him again soon enough – they shared a dormitory, after all – and until that, he'd just busy himself with schoolwork to keep his mind off the path his thoughts liked to wander down.

It was no big secret, really. It was always out there in the open, lingering looks, wide smiles, casual nearly-touches. Neither of them had ever been frank about it, but this was Hogwarts, after all – if something was to be a secret, it reached everyone's ears in about two hours. This was something that was never discussed with them, something people gossiped about behind their backs and raised their eyebrows at.

The love story of the Quidditch Captain and the Head Boy.

It was the stuff of fairy tales – or, if the rumours were to be believed, the stuff of some very imaginative Muggle soap opera.

Oliver was already in bed when Percy made his way back to their dormitory.

Being the only two Gryffindor boys in their year, it really was their dormitory.

Roused from light sleep, Oliver propped himself up on his elbows and leaned over to pull the curtain aside, blinking at Percy in the sudden light, and smiled faintly.

"Hey," Oliver said, covering his mouth with his palm as he yawned. "What time is it?"

"Not very late yet," answered Percy, who was unsurprised to find Oliver already in bed. "I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry."

"No big deal," Oliver said good-naturedly and yawned again. "It is a bit ridiculous, isn't it, to be in bed already?"

Percy set down his books and other things and shrugged one shoulder. "I don't think so," he said, and meant it. "You've had a long day, what with the Quidditch practice and all." Oliver always got more and more tired towards the end of the week, and some Friday nights after their Quidditch practice he'd just fall into bed, barely managing to undress, and Percy understood this kind of tiredness perfectly. Besides, in the family he came from, it really wouldn't have hurt if people had been in the habit of going to bed a bit earlier.

Oliver smiled at him sleepily. "Yeah, well, you may be right," he said.

"Did you get all your homework done?" Percy asked in the quiet, off-handed way that you ask someone about something they know they should've done.

Oliver let out a slightly hopeless groan. "Nowhere near done," he said. "Potions is doing my head in."

Percy let out an amused "hmm" as he put his wand on the table, trying to get out of his robes. "I'll help you with that tomorrow if you like," he said.

Oliver smiled radiantly, not looking terribly relieved – he'd been expecting that comment, after all – but grateful nevertheless. "Cheers, Perce," he said. "You're saving my life."

Percy didn't know what to say to that, so he just smiled, folding his clothes and putting them away. With his glasses still on, he pulled back the covers of his bed, making everything ready.

Oliver, seeing this, smiled back at him with a tender look in his eyes. "Come on now," he said cheerfully, reaching out an arm towards Percy, "come here and give me a kiss, hmm?"

This was code speak for "Come here, because I want a goodnight kiss and can't be arsed to move from my comfortable bed, and frankly, I'm so exhausted with this day and this week that I believe if I tried to walk I'd just collapse in a heap".

Percy, who was good at following rules and commands, didn't hesitate. He was by Oliver's bed in a few moments, bending down, accepting the hand that came to cup the back of his head, sharing a lingering albeit still too short kiss with Oliver before pulling back.

Oliver's head was always filled with Quidditch. He lived and breathed it. Day time was always reserved for Quidditch. But quiet, late moments were for Percy only. Intimate moments like these right before bed.

Oliver licked his lips, giving Percy a heavy-lidded look. "I'd offer to let you sleep next to me..."

"...but you're ready to pass out, I know, and it might get too hot, anyway," Percy finished for him with a slight smirk. "I know, Oliver. And I think you'll sleep more peacefully by yourself, anyway, and you look like you need it. Don't worry about it, I'll talk to you in the morning." Affectionately, he ruffled Oliver's already tousled hair before standing up and walking over to his own bed.

"Good night," said Oliver before disappearing into his bed, under the covers.

Percy climbed into his own bed and lay in the dark for a while. There, all alone, he allowed himself one of those rare smiles that expressed utter happiness over life in general, before falling into deep sleep and pleasant dreams.

The next morning Percy ran into Fred and George in the hallway. They were on their way to – no matter where, Percy had a feeling that he was better off not knowing. He didn't want to know any more about the twins' pranks than he unfortunately had to, when something went wrong and the clues led him to believe his brothers were to blame.

"'Ello, big brother," George said in a cheerful fashion as the two of them stopped to chat with Percy.

Percy didn't like it when his brothers stopped to have a chat with him. It invariably meant that he was about to be teased to death about one thing or another – except when it was one of those times when someone was almost failing a class and his help was desperately needed. But that happened very, very rarely, about which Percy was both grateful and disappointed for – like most other people, he did like being needed, but it was always good if his siblings could manage with their school assignments on their own.

"Hello, Fred, George," responded Percy, already bracing himself for the teasing he was about to receive.

"Yesterday was a bit of a rough day, you know," Fred said.

"Especially for those of us on the Quidditch team," George continued.

Percy relaxed somewhat. It was about Oliver. That was alright, he was used to hearing about Oliver, used to ignoring hints and suggestions.

"We're hoping you allowed him some sleep," Fred said, a wicked glint appearing in his eyes.

"He really needed sleep last night," George said. "Without interruptions."

"Without being distracted."

"Without being disturbed."

The twins chuckled to each other. "We hope you gave him that, because we're having extra practice today, and we need our brave leader in top form." Fred even winked at Percy.

Oh, yes. Extra practice even, what with the Hufflepuff game coming up and all that. Oliver's head would be filled with Quidditch even more thoroughly than usual for a few weeks.

"I'm sure he's fine," Percy said patiently, resisting to tap his foot in irritation.

"We'll take your word for it," George said, and winked, too.

Then the twins were gone.

Percy resumed walking down the corridor, letting out a deep breath. There were times, occasionally, when the teasing was nearly fun, times when he nearly enjoyed it. At least this was different kind of teasing than before. At least they weren't cracking jokes about how Oliver might grow bored of him or anything – that would have been so much like them, really.

Besides, their teasing made sure Oliver was on his mind.

Percy didn't mind anything that made him think of Oliver.

TBC