Entry for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Season 5, The Big Final - Wigtown Wanderers vs Montrose Magpies

Position: Keeper

Prompt: You are to write about a student's experience during one of the seven years that Harry Potter was at school (including his seventh year, even though he was off wandering around Britain). However, this character MUST NOT be a member of the 'Golden Trio' (Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger) or be Draco Malfoy.

KEEPER: Write a story set during Harry Potter's second year (1992–1993 school year)

Word Count: 1,100

Betas: silently-at-night

So Near And Yet So Far

It was in the middle of the procession of students being led from one classroom to the next that Oliver pushed through to Percy, them walking shoulder to shoulder being the closest they'd been unfortunately in days. While Percy wholeheartedly understood the necessity of these safety measures in the light of the recent attacks, he also couldn't help but feel the toll that the sudden restriction of the students' freedom had taken on him as well.

Before all this had started, he'd never realised how valuable being allowed to roam the castle and find spots where you could be truly alone and undisturbed, the risk of being detected comfortably small.

The jolt of electricity that went through Percy when their fingers brushed, the touch disguised by how close the students were walking together, proved how deprived he was of his boyfriend's touch already, and he could barely keep himself from gripping his hand. However, he didn't dare to take the risk of being exposed by chance, too insecure about what could possibly happen to them if someone found out and spread the news.

And so he didn't move, his heart picking up the pace and a gasp catching in his throat when a folded piece of parchment rasped against the skin of his palm. Percy was so surprised by Oliver's move that he almost failed to grasp the parchment, it slipping through his fingers, and he hurried to close his fingers around it. The parchment crumpled slightly in his grip as his curiosity rose. As soon as the parchment was secure between Percy's fingers, Oliver pulled back, and from the corner of his eyes Percy could see him slip into a different throng of students to get to his Arithmancy class.

A few minutes later, when he settled in the front row of the Charms classroom, he placed the piece of parchment between his school stuff. With slightly shaky fingers, he unfolded it, disguised between his Charms notes, even though Professor Flitwick hadn't even started the lesson yet. The nervosity was immediately replaced by shock when he read the message scribbled down in crooked, hurried letters, and he blinked a few times, then reread the note.

Disbelief washed through Percy as the words and their meaning slowly sunk in, stirring anger deep inside his belly, and he had trouble to keep calm – something that rarely ever happened to him. Growing up with so many siblings, and especially with the twins, had been a pretty good training to control his temper.

But this... he couldn't believe it. Oliver wasn't stupid by far, even though Quidditch sometimes seemed to be the only thing that was on his mind.
However, the suggestion written down on the parchment was so dumb that it made Percy think the opposite.

OoO

"Are you mad? Have you completely lost your mind?" Percy raged as he stormed into the dormitory, pushing the door with so much force that it banged against the stone wall so hard that the sound made his ears ring. To his utter luck, the other inhabitants of the dormitory were down in the common room, and thus it was only Oliver who stared back at him with wide eyes. It was the first time he saw Percy scream, and he even took a step back, giving Percy the time to continue ranting. This had been brewing inside him all day, and it was time for all the pent up frustration to break free.

"Suggesting this... you're suicidal!"

Percy pulled the piece of parchment from his pocket, where he'd continued to crumple it further during the day, taking his building rage out on it, and now he waved it under Oliver's nose, the black ink blurring, but the words had already burned itself into Percy's mind.

*Miss you. How about meeting at our usual place tonight, at 8pm? I'll wait for you*

"Why are you so angry, Perce?" Oliver asked carefully upon finding his voice again, stepping closer to him, but Percy in turn moved away from him, barely able to believe that his boyfriend was talking like this.

"Don't Perce me!"

"Sorry, Mr Weasley, but would you mind explaining to me why you're acting like a lunatic right now?"

Narrowing his eyes at Oliver and clenching his hands into fists before slowly unclenching them again, Percy doubted his boyfriend's sanity. Trying to calm down a little and talk with a more level voice, he said slowly: "Well, nobody is allowed to roam the castle on his own at the moment."

"We wouldn't be alone," Oliver shot back with a shrug and a crooked smirk that made Percy even more furious.

"It's still against the rules! It's such a big danger, and considering what happened lately... we can't do this!"

"Are you scared, Perce? Don't worry, I'll protect you! Come on, how big are the odds of being caught? Nobody will ever know."

The teasing smirk on Oliver's face stoked the fire inside Percy even further, the feeling of pure anger completely new to him, and he took very deep, measured breaths to try and calm himself down again. He knew that in this kind of state, words one would regret could be said so quickly that the act couldn't be controlled. Pinching the bridge of his nose against an upcoming headache, he said as slowly and patiently as he could manage: "Oliver, we can't sneak out to snog while someone's running around out there petrifying people, why don't you want to understand that?"

"But it's been so long since we did that! I miss you!"

Begging Merlin to help him upon seeing his boyfriend's unashamed pouting, he shook his head. "I miss you too! But I'd rather stay alive and be able to meet up with you for a long time than to be petrified together with you."

Oliver opened his mouth with a saucy expression, and Percy, anticipating his words, raised his hand. "No, that wouldn't be romantic. It would be disgustingly melodramatic."

"Spoilsport."

"We just need to have some patience, okay?"

Percy stepped closer to Oliver and took his hand, his voice a little hushed as he could hear their roommates coming up the stairs, chatting loudly, blissfully unaware of the little drama in their dorm. "Oliver, please, promise you'll hold out just a little longer. We'll make up for the lost time, I promise."

A tiny pout was still puckering Oliver's lips, but he squeezed Percy's hand gently in affirmation. "Promise. At least I still got Quidditch to handle the frustration."