Author's Note: I would like to thank Paddy, Prongs and Yoru for helping me so much with this fic. I would also like to thank Cel for helping me beta this story. I have to admit, it took a long time for me to figure out what to do with this. I'd started writing another story for the round without realizing that the main prompt takes a while to feature in it. Therefore, this is my alternative, and hopefully good, conclusion. Despite the OOC tendencies of Percy.
Set right after the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Title/Link: Missing Cheer
Team: Kenmare Kestrels
Position: Beater 2
Extension Used: Yes
Season 6, Round 4: Write about losing a pet (to death or otherwise).
Optional Prompts: (phrase) under the stairs, (word) pillow
Missing Cheer by ValkyrieAce
It was almost Christmas time.
The Weasleys were decorating the Burrow with enthusiasm, in their own unique way. The happiness and cheer exuding throughout the house would convince even the most stoic of humans to show some emotion.
There was a large Christmas tree towering outside their house, fully outfitted with colourful lights and the Weasleys' handmade ornaments. Silver baubles levitated by the tree, catching the shine of the lights once in a while, and making it look as though fireworks were being shot into the sky.
Arthur had taken some time off of work to celebrate the holiday with his children. As the head of the family, he made sure that the decorations were properly set up and that his children were ready for the evening. Molly had been cooking tirelessly for their family of nine, swishing her wand at the direction of the foods that were being cooked using her magic. Her energy knew no bounds at this time of the year, and her love was poured into every dish that she created.
Bill and Charlie had made it back to their house especially for the Christmas dinner, their love for their jobs forgotten in favour of their mother's cooking. Percy sat in his room, clothed in a pair of Christmas themed pajamas and reading a book, while he leaned on an old lumpy pillow. Ron and Ginny were helping their father set the table, while simultaneously trying to escape the traps that George and Fred had placed around the house.
It was a lovely evening, perfect for a Christmas celebration.
Which is why something terrible was bound to happen.
For the last twelve years, ever since Percy had found Scabbers, the Weasleys had brought about their own tradition. After the table was properly set with all of the Christmas food, Scabbers would be brought down from Percy's room and given a tiny decorated pillow and a special spot for his cage in the middle of the table. It was only after Scabbers was placed on the table, that the family would start eating.
It was a gesture that Percy had made when he first got Scabbers and it had stuck with their family ever since.
The Weasleys were the sort to include everyone in on their cheer. Even the pets.
This would be the first time they'd celebrated without him.
It was an nearly an hour later that it was time for everyone to take their seats. The food had been moved onto the table and the dinnerware was all set up. As Percy seated himself, with his back straight and his hair combed in pristine condition, he'd realized that Scabbers wasn't in his customary celebrating area.
"Mum," he started unthinkingly, "where's -"
He stopped, all eyes focusing on him. He shifted in his seat, trying to ignore the awkward silence that was encroaching in their house. He looked at his mother, who shook her head almost imperceptibly, her eyes filled with sadness. He looked at the rest of his family, who bore similar expressions of sorrow and wistfulness. Even Ginny, who usually disliked having a rat on their table, had her hands clenched into fists and tear filled eyes.
His eyes shifted to a spot under the stairs. It was Scabbers' favorite place to hide. It was where Scabbers would be if he was let loose out of his cage. Only this time, he wasn't there. He wasn't with them like he usually was.
And it felt like a blow to his stomach.
'That's right,' he thought, 'Scabbers is gone now.'
Even as his mother promptly started passing the food around the table, he wondered if Christmas would ever be the same for them.
'This isn't right,' he thought. And it truly wasn't.
The dinner proceeded in an awkward silence. One couldn't have cut the tension with a chainsaw; the atmosphere was stifling. By the time they were halfway through dinner, Percy had grown more and more furious by the casual dismissal. Paired with the piteous looks, it was unbearable.
Deep inside his conscience, he knew that it wasn't their fault. They weren't as close to Scabbers as he was. And they all knew that he was a Death Eater masquerading as a loyal pet for twelve long years. Yet, at the same time, he also wanted to have someone to blame for this turn of events.
He couldn't go on eating any longer. He was already sick of it.
Percy stood, his arms hanging stiffly by his sides, his eyes almost lifeless and full of emotion. Ignoring his family's reaction and cries to come back to the table, he left for his room.
He let a hand drop into his pocket, clutching at the contents inside. As he took the necessary steps forward, a tear slipped down his cheek. He let it drop, hoping no one noticed the show of weakness.
He was wrong.
'Why did it have to be this way?' he thought, his heart heavy.
As soon as Percy had gotten to his room, he flopped onto his bed, pressed the pillow into his face, and let the tears pour out. He couldn't care less about the embarrassment of someone finding him with tousled hair and dried tear tracks. His perfectionism didn't matter anymore.
This unexpected betrayal of his first friend wounded his soul.
As he curled into the fetal position, he thought about all the moments that he'd spent with Scabbers. Finding Scabbers in the wilderness by the Burrow, right past the wards his parents had set up. Watching his mother's face morph with surprise when he finally found a reason to play.
Nostalgically, he remembered the details of the summer during which an unofficial Order meeting was held. He had been nine years old and curious about what had happened during the First Wizarding War. His parents were adamant that their children didn't learn about the cruelty of war, but his thirst for knowledge was insatiable.
It was the only time he was willing to break the rules.
He had tried every excuse and had taken every opportunity, but they all passed with a resounding "no." His parents would never allow it. So he had to come up with something else.
That was when Scabbers ran in, bouncing excitedly on his fluffy yellow pillow, and squeaking heavily. His eyes bulged with excitement and his tail swished violently, thumping at the pillow with gusto.
Soon after, Scabbers had ran off, leading him to a hidden nook with a full view of the Floo. He watched as his parents said goodbye to Bill - of course, with an additional reprimand to watch the children - and walked into the Floo one by one, yelling the address with a loud and clear voice.
His body shook with excitement. He knew where to go, and he knew how to use to Floo. He only had to evade Bill. Once again, Scabbers provided the perfect solution. As Scabbers distracted Bill, he had silently climbed into the Floo with the Floo powder at the ready. As soon as Scabbers ran into his hand, he had yelled the address and disappeared off into the Order meeting with him.
He used to think that Scabbers had only done this to help him. But now, he was deathly aware of the fact that Scabbers could have played him to get himself into the Order meeting, considering he wasn't welcome there.
'Was it all in my imagination?' he thought, his hands gently holding a dusty yellow pillow. He gripped it tightly and let out a soft wail, his tears splashing onto the pillow.
'Were you just using me all this time, Scabbers?'
It was in the midst of this thought that he heard a knock on the door. He croaked out a response and waited until the door opened. He felt a hand land on his shoulder and grip it, offering him a small semblance of comfort, and turned to see his mother sitting at the edge of the bed.
"We have something for you, Percy."
His mother had ushered him downstairs slowly, then put her hands over his eyes, guiding him to the Christmas tree they had left outside.
His heart pounded heavily in his chest as it had done before, with both the stress of losing Scabbers and this "something" his mother referred to taking its toll on him. After a painful long time, she removed her hands from his face.
His heart almost stopped beating.
Left under the Christmas tree were little pillows, their shades varying from bright sunflower yellow to a softer pastel yellow. Each of them were embroidered with the letters making up Scabbers' name.
It was then that he realized there were eight of these pillows. And eight people in his family, excluding himself.
'Did everyone do this for me?'
With beseeching eyes, he looked towards the rest of his family, the question clear in his eyes. He watched as they nodded at him with soft, albeit slightly awkward, smiles on their faces.
It was almost as though his soul was soothed, the tears and the pain slowly melting away to form a sense of closure.
His mother brought him into a hug.
"We know that he turned out to be a Death Eater, love…" she started, causing Percy to flinch, "but he meant a lot to you, and for that, he meant a lot to us. We just hope you know that."
She let go of Percy and walked him over to the gifts. He stood there, mesmerized by the thoughtfulness of his family, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Standing behind him was Ginny, who was obviously nervous. She was twiddling her thumbs and bouncing on her feet, a clear sign of her anxiousness.
"I… I hope you didn't mind that we did this for you," Ginny said. Beside her, Fred and George laughed.
"Don't be shy, Gin, it was your idea!" They exclaimed, dissolving into laughter as her face reddened from being singled out. She had begun to turn away when Percy grabbed onto her hand, pulling her beside him as he walked towards the display of pillows.
With a deep breath, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the dusty yellow pillow that belonged to Scabbers. He kneeled towards the bundle of pillows and laid it by the end of the name. He looked upon it a for a few seconds and stood abruptly, turning to walk towards the house with Ginny in tow. He threw an arm around Ginny's shoulder and laid a kiss on her forehead.
'It'll be okay from now on.'
Even after many years, when Percy was no longer there to smile at it, the bundle of pillows still laid under the stairs.
With both respect for the dead and love for the living.
Fin
Word Count: 1,807
Additional Prompts:
The Golden Snitch - Through the Universe - (character) 9. Aphelion - Percy Weasley
The Golden Snitch - Ollivander's Wand Shop - 8-9 inch: Write about a Gryffindor character.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - The 365 Prompts Challenge - 192. Location - The Burrow
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - The Insane House Challenge - 464. Item - Pillow