A/N: This is Beater 2 of the Chudley Cannons checking in for Round 10 of the QLFC.
Prompts: 8. no using the word "forbidden," 9. "practically," 13. New Year's Eve party
This is all the world of J.K. Rowling. I just pop in and out sometimes.
"Look at them just—just oogling over her!" Hermione spat from the couch. Her hair was sleeked back into a crisp ponytail. Her arms were knotted across her stomach. And her eyes were planted on her boyfriend.
"Jealous?" Ginny sniggered.
"What!" There was a hitch in her voice. "Of course not. I would never—"
"Relax. Won-Won is all yours," Ginny plopped beside her. She had been helping her mum in the kitchen, cleaning up dishes and other messes from dinner. It was New Year's Eve, and for the first time since the war was won, they were all together in one place. Well, almost everyone, of course, but this was the most complete the Weasley clan had been since the war, and Mrs. Weasley would do anything to keep it perfect.
Hermione and Harry were there, along with a pregnant Fleur and Percy's new girlfriend, who had instantly become a favorite among the men. Percy still wasn't sure how to feel about this; he had been such a prat toward everyone, especially Ron and Harry, so on one level, he felt like he deserved to have everyone interested in Audrey more so than himself. But on another he felt like he was being unfair to her. Instead he kept quiet during most of the evening not knowing what to do. Yet, Percy was comfortable in his corner.
He was certain that the two girls didn't see him, which was good, because he wasn't about to step into their conversation. It was his girlfriend that started all the testosterone-induced "oogling."
"Won-Won? Please, Ginny, you aren't even the remotest bit funny," Hermione huffed. Across from the two girls, Charlie sat chuckling. "What?"
"Oh, it's nothing," he tried to hide behind his smirk.
Percy saw the young girl's face scrunch up in thought, but she quickly turned back to Ginny. "Harry's over there, too. I know you saw him practically sitting in her lap at dinner."
"Was he?" Percy could tell his sister was just as unhappy as Hermione, but she was trying not to care. "I barely noticed."
Ginny's neck and ears turned red, which forced Percy to hide his own grin. It was true. The poor kid had been leaning over the whole time and spilled his pumpkin juice all over the table.
"They don't mean it, you know," Charlie leaned back. "She's Veela. I know you picked up on it, Hermione. There's no reason for any jealousy."
"Veela?" Ginny craned her neck, trying to get a better look at Audrey. "I wonder why Percy didn't warn anyone."
"I don't really think that's something you warn people about," Charlie took a quick glance behind him.
Percy's eyes landed on Audrey, surrounded by his sea of siblings. She had a small smile on her pale face, and her blonde hair was pinned up in a braid. She had worried so much about impressing his mother that she spent three hours getting ready. Forty minutes were spent on deciding whether or not a braid was too childish. In the end, they both knew it wouldn't matter. Her own charm would outweigh any hairstyle.
She was seated beside Bill and George, her head held high. Percy was slightly worried about George, only because he was (a) single, (b) successful, (c) handsome, and (d) he lived as a recluse since Fred had died. This was the most animated his younger brother had been in months. Percy knew Bill would never do anything to hurt Fleur; he was simply entranced like most men are when they first meet her. Percy's dad was offering her all kinds of foods and discussing Muggle knick-knacks, while Harry and Ron kept pushing each other away to get closer. She was used to this, Percy knew, and he was not.
He could still remember when she first came to work in his department two weeks after the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Every man in the office was fawning over her, offering to do work for her or clean her office or buy her coffee from the Muggle shop. Everyone but Percy.
"Are you afraid of me?" she had asked.
He laughed. "Never."
"Then do I repulse you?"
"No. Not at all. It's just… my mind's on other things." And then he broke down crying, telling this beautiful—no, gorgeous—stranger that he should be dead. His brother was gone, and it should have been him. Everyone would have fared better off if it had been him.
She ended up taking Percy to the coffee shop to calm him down. It wasn't until months later that he felt the full effect of her Veela charm, but by then Percy knew her too well. He could see past his own primal instincts… unlike his entire family.
"Can you imagine Percy when he first met her?" Ginny was giggling. "How did they ever get to this point?"
"We will never know, I suppose," Charlie said. He put his feet on the small coffee table and his arms behind his head. His eyes slid closed, a tell-tale sign that he was ready for a nap.
"Why aren't you over there?" Ginny asked.
"Oh," Charlie was up. "I, uh, I don't usually go for—"
"—Veelas?—"
"—women."
"Oh," Ginny was turning red again, this new information clearly a shock to her. This time Percy laughed out loud. Her embarrassment was priceless.
Hermione looked toward him first. "Percy! We were just—we didn't see you there, and…"
"I know." He sat on the couch with the girls. "Reckon I should rescue her?"
"Her?" Ginny scoffed. "Rescue Bill before Fleur gets in here and hexes him. She's been barking ever since she got pregnant. And Bill is drooling over your girlfriend."
"Better yet, rescue Ron before Hermione hexes him," Charlie said.
"Hey!" Hermione knotted her arms tighter around her midriff. If he had been a better person, Percy might have been friends with this girl while at Hogwarts. Not the best of friends—the age difference would prevent that—but relatively good acquaintances. She was smart, sharp, and level-headed. Probably great at Ancient Runes. She was balance for his youngest brother, and for that Percy knew she was good.
"Well, for whoever's sake, I'm going to take Audrey out for a walk. I think she's had enough of that for the evening."
Outside, Audrey stuck close beside him. They were walking slowly through the garden underneath a brilliant full moon.
"I like them," she murmured. Her voice always reminded Percy of wind chimes.
"They're bonkers."
"They're harmless. And sweet," she grabbed his hand. "Your mother didn't like all the attention, though. I wanted to help with the dishes, but after all of your brothers offered to help as well, I was pushed out of the kitchen."
"Whatever happens," Percy smirked, "please don't throw fireballs at her. Then she'll never like you."
"Shut up," Audrey giggled. "I can manage myself, Perce. How else could I live like I do?"
He didn't answer. They discussed this topic before in much more detail; she knew when to turn her charm up and when to tone it down, though down was harder for her since she couldn't stop being who she was. She knew how to keep herself level-headed in frustrating situations, instead of transforming into a misshapen Harpie. Percy had only seen her act out once, when a man in Borgin and Burkes pinched her bum. She turned and started wailing on him, her features slowly transforming into an angry bird with red eyes. Percy didn't know what to do, so he simply walked toward the back of the store, where he waited till she found him looking extremely embarrassed.
"I'm so grateful for you," Audrey said after a few minutes. They had stopped in front of the shed, gazing off into the distance. There was snow everywhere, and her breath tickled his neck like a little puff of steam. "I'm grateful that you didn't act all crazy when we met. I'm grateful we were able to just be."
"Oh yeah?" He smiled. "I'm grateful you were willing to listen to me for an entire hour while drinking lukewarm tea from that rundown shop."
"Best hour of my life." Then she kissed him lightly, like a feather caressing the seam of his two lips. Such times were the hardest for Percy to resist her the Veela in her. It wasn't like she was deliberately sending little fireworks from his lips to his limbs. It wasn't like she intentionally mentioned he was of the male species and she was the only woman that mattered. That was all a part of her abilities.
Or maybe it was love. And until Percy could separate pleasurable physical contact from Veela-inspired lust, he would wait to say it.
Although, even when she wasn't attached to his lips, Percy felt the little fireworks and currents racing throughout his body. She could be sleeping in his bed, brushing her teeth, or just talking about that wanker Jeoffry from the office, and Percy felt like all his neurons were on fire with this woman.
"We should get back in," he finally pulled away from her. He shouldn't, but Percy always did feel a certain sense of pride when he realized that a Veela girl was frowning at him, because she wasn't kissing him any longer. All the years of being made fun of for being too uptight were worth it.
"Percy!" They turned. His mum was waving from the door. "It's almost midnight!"
"Yes," Audrey smiled. "Let's go."
She darted off in a sprint for the door. Percy raced alongside her until they tied up at the door. Mrs. Weasley smirked, letting the laughing pair enter her home once again. "I didn't mean you had to get here immediately."
"We know," Percy smiled.
"Thank you for letting us know, though. I'd've hated to miss New Years," Audrey said.
"Of course, dear," Mrs. Weasley placed a hand on the Veela's shoulder. "And just so you know, I had a talking with Percy's brothers. Hopefully you'll get some peace for the rest of the evening."
Audrey blushed. Percy took her hand and whispered, "She definitely likes you."
Together they waited for the clock to chime out midnight. Harry and Ron had joined Ginny and Hermione on the couch. Ginny was asking about their many adventures from the past year, to which the trio still refused to speak much about. George was engaged with a riveting chess match against their dad, while Bill and Fleur listened for the hundredth time about proper napping schedules from his mother. Charlie smiled at Percy, and he felt at peace. These people were his family. They had forgiven him and accepted him back into their lives. He was going to be better for them.
Audrey smiled up at Percy and attention in the room shifted slightly. No one dared move after the look Mrs. Weasley sent. They'd get used to her, and then Veela would only be a word to describe her, not define her. Percy promised to be the best he could be for her, too.