Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Written for Lo - Forgive me yet? Ily.
Beta'd by the Lovely Sam
Word Count - 4027
Fallen
The night was quiet. Silent even. It was dark; almost pitch black, the low clouds blocking the moonlight that usually bathed the garden. Until… a line. A white line, so white it would be almost blinding to any onlookers who happened to look up.
A whistle broke the silence, growing louder and louder until it ended abruptly with a splash.
"Oh. Eww."
…
Percy scowled at his mother as she turned her back, before he stomped out into the garden. Why didn't she understand that he needed to study? He was heading into his seventh year, his NEWT year!
And she was making him degnome the garden.
Rolling his eyes up at the windows still blocked by curtains, he sighed. He supposed this would teach him not to get up so early. Next time, he'd leave the others to drag their lazy backsides out of bed and then they could degnome the garden.
A rustle in the bushes by the pond had him heading in that direction, and he pushed his hand in, searching blindly for the gnome that was surely hiding there.
A sharp pain, and he pulled his hand back, to see teeth marks indentured in his skin. Oddly, it didn't look like a normal gnome bite.
In fact, it looked… human.
"What the bloody hell," he murmured. Pushing the bushes back with more caution, Percy gasps. Hidden behind the bush is a boy, around his age if he had to guess.
A naked boy.
With…
Were those wings on his back?
Percy blinked. "Did you just bite me?"
The boy nodded.
"Why?"
The boy looked indignant. "You were trying to grope me! If this is what you humans do in your spare time, I'm not surprised they threw me down here to teach me a lesson!"
"Threw you down?" Percy asked, ignoring the rest of that sentence for fear that he'd blush red enough to blend in with the jumper he was wearing.
"Hello? I have wings!"
…
"And you just found him in the bush?" Molly asked in a hushed voice, watching the boy–Oliver apparently–chew happily on a piece of toast. Percy had returned indoors to find him a pair of trousers before he'd brought him into the house.
Percy nodded, showing her the bite mark. "I heard a rustle in the bushes and thought it was gnome, so I pushed my hand in and he… he said I tried to grope him, so he bit me!"
Percy did blush this time, the heat only intensifying when his mum chuckled.
"Well, a fallen angel. Do you know how rare they are?" his mum asked, watching Oliver.
Percy shook his head. "I've never encountered a reference to them before," he admitted. "I didn't know fallen angels were real. I thought heaven was just, you know, for the afterlife."
"Oh, yes," his mum nodded. "Only once every five hundred years or so, an angel behaves so badly that they get cast out and thrown down to earth."
Percy blinked. "So he's a criminal?"
Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Certainly not by our standards, dear. I'm sure the angels have much different rules to be broken than we do."
"But we don't know what he did!"
Oliver turned to look at them. "You could always just ask, you know?"
…
"Nobody could possibly like Quidditch that much," Percy said, shaking his head. "Mum, he must be lying!"
"I don't think he is, dear," his mum replied, patting his hand placatingly. "I really don't suppose the angels would be very happy that he was using the prophecy balls as Quaffles."
"But how did he even know about quidditch?"
"On the screens, of course," Oliver replied, frowning. "We have big screens that show the area's we're sworn to take care of, and I saw it on them. It looks like so much fun! I want to try being a keeper, I'm good at catching things!"
Percy shook his head. He didn't really have any words to say. Still, as he heard the movements upstairs, he thought his brothers would find the angel more interesting.
They certainly wouldn't complain about having someone else to play their pick up games and fool around.
Percy didn't have time for that kind of nonsense. He had to study.
Standing up, he left the table and moved towards the stairs, pausing when his mum called him back.
"Percy, dear?"
"Yes, mum."
"Be a love and go and degnome the garden."
Dammit.
…
"What is that?" Oliver gasped, racing to the window of the kitchen. He'd been restless for the last couple of days, bouncing around the house while the rain poured outside. He'd wanted to go out in it, but Percy's mum had put her foot down, saying she didn't want him to get ill.
Percy scoffed as he looked up from his book. "It's a rainbow. Surely you know what a rainbow is?"
Oliver rolled his eyes. "I lived in Heaven. Heaven does not have rain."
"But… couldn't you see it from above?"
Oliver tilted his head to the side. "Why do humans believe Heaven is just in the clouds? Did you even think that through? You have aeroplanes. That go above the clouds. I mean, it's just not logical. Heaven is much, much, much, higher. By a lot."
"Okay, I've got it," Percy replied, heaving a heavy sigh.
"It's so shiny and pretty though," Oliver said, turning his attention to the rainbow. "Can we go and find the end of it? People do that don't they? Go find the leprechauns and the gold at the end of the rainbow."
George, catching the end of the conversation as he entered the room, started laughing. "Sure they do, if they want to get their asses kicked by leprechauns."
Oliver sighed dejectedly, staring longingly at the rainbow.
Percy felt a stab of sympathy for him, but quelled it immediately, turning his attention firmly back to his book.
…
Oliver lay on the bed Mr and Mrs Weasley had given him, looking up at the ceiling. He was bored out of his mind! Sure, the twins had offered to let him help them with pranks, and Ron was practically bouncing with excitement about the upcoming trip to Egypt, but Percy was out.
Oliver didn't like it.
He felt antsy without the moody boy close by.
A knock on the door, followed by Mrs Weasley poking her head into the room had Oliver sitting up, grinning at her cheerfully. He liked Mrs Weasley. She was so kind and always happy.
"Hello, dear. I've brought you some adjusted clothes, for when you're just around the house. It can't be comfortable, keeping those beautiful wings furled up all the time."
Oliver looked in wonder as she opened up a plain white t-shirt to show him the holes she'd cut into the back for his wings to go through.
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," he murmured reverently, stripping off the shirt he was wearing immediately and putting the new one on. He let his wings unfurl, guiding them through the holes in the shirt. It was a perfect fit!
"Really, Oliver, how many times must I tell you to call me Molly?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."
"Nothing to it, love. I can see the boredom all over you, why don't you help me with the cooking?"
"Cooking?" he asked, looking interest. "Cakes?"
She laughed. "We can make cakes if you'd like to, dear."
…
The skies were so clear in Egypt. Oliver lay on his back on the flat roof of Bill's house, staring up at the sky. The stars twinkled down on him, and he was happier than he'd been in a while.
"What are you looking at?"
Oliver turned to see Percy stepping carefully towards him, sitting down beside him.
"Constellations," Oliver replied happily. "What are you doing up here?"
"Oh, the others are being… themselves, and I needed some peace."
"So you came to me?" Oliver asked, unreasonably happy with the thought.
"I came to the roof," Percy corrected haughtily, but there was a small smile playing around his lips.
"What's your favourite planet?" Oliver asked.
"I… haven't got one," Percy replied. "Earth, I suppose, since I live here. You?"
"Pluto, obviously," Oliver replied promptly.
"Pluto isn't a planet."
Oliver sat up so fast, Percy leaned back in alarm.
"Pluto is too a planet! I don't care what your human people say, Pluto is the planet boss! Capisce?!"
Percy held his hands up. "Okay, okay. I'm… sorry I offended you."
"Humph," Oliver huffed, lying back down. "It's okay, I guess. You're only human after all."
...
Oliver travelled back from Kings Cross with Molly and Arthur, a subdued shadow of the bubbly boy he usually was. He wasn't going to see Percy for ages!
Or any of the others.
And Harry. He'd liked Harry. Harry was a Seeker. He'd sat by the younger boy the previous night, and the two of them along with Ron had cheerfully talked sport for hours.
What was he supposed to do with himself without his Percy to annoy? Or, for Percy to pretend he was annoyed at least, because Oliver could always see the little smirks and smiles when Percy turned away from him, even if he didn't call him on it.
And now, he was alone. For months! What on earth was he going to do?
…
She could see him struggling. Day to day, the sparkling, bubbly, happy boy that she knew seemed to fade a little bit more. She tempted him out with baking and knitting, two things he enjoyed, oddly enough, but she knew exactly what he needed.
And it wasn't Molly.
"You miss Percy, don't you, sweetheart?" she asked one day, as he was painstakingly icing a cake by hand.
He nodded. "And the others," he tacked on after a moment.
She smiled at him. She thought that that was probably true, but he had a special affection for Percy, anyone with eyes could see that.
"Oliver, do you like Percy?"
He frowned. "Of course I do!"
"Well, yes, but do you like him?"
His lips drawing into an adorable pout, he stared at her. "I just told you I like him! Do you need to lie down, Mrs Weasley? You don't normally repeat yourself so."
She shook her head with a chuckle. "No, dear. I'm fine."
…
"It's all about misdirection, see," Arthur showed him, fanning the cards out in his hand.
"And this is all done with no magic?" Oliver asked, spellbound.
Arthur grinned, overjoyed to have found someone who seemed to share his enthusiasm for the ingenuity for Muggles.
"Can I try?" Oliver asked, holding his hand out.
Arthur passed them to him. On his first attempt, Oliver got a little… over enthusiastic, and in seconds, the cards were scattered around the floor.
"What do we do now?" Oliver asked, staring at the cards in dismay.
"This is where I teach you about fifty two card pick up."
…
Oliver had been excited. Percy was coming home for the summer, and he never had to go back to school, so even though he knew Percy was excited to get a job, he would be home much, much more.
Only… that wasn't how it worked.
Sure, Percy was home more. He joined them for dinner occasionally.
But he wasn't like the Percy that Oliver knew.
The Percy was smug and self important. This Percy could talk for hours about cauldron bottoms, which Oliver thought was just about the most boring topic in the universe!
Oliver tried conversation. He tried playful teasing. He tried outright annoying. He even tried ice cream, although that one didn't go far, because Molly took it off him before he could eat any.
Oliver tended to get a bit… energetic, when he ate ice cream.
Percy just wasn't interested in being around Oliver anymore it seemed. He was completely enamoured by the mystical Mr Crouch.
It was sickening.
…
Oliver could barely contain his excitement. His wings were fluttering against his back, trying to break out of the t-shirt he was wearing. He wanted to be out there, flying with the players, playing the sport he loved.
Harry sat beside him, laughing at him as he bounced in his seat. Harry was watching with his Omnioculars, but Oliver didn't have the patience for all the knobs and buttons. He'd broken them within three minutes of being handed a pair.
As the cheers went up, as Viktor Krum caught the snitch, Oliver looked to the side and saw Percy watching him with a small smile on his face.
Oliver ached to go and sit with him, but he didn't. He turned away, put his attention back onto the pitch as the Irish did their lap of honour.
On top of the world, he stayed up late with the others, and had barely laid his head down when he was being woken up again, the worry in Arthur's voice putting Oliver on high alert immediately.
"Get into the woods with the other's, Oliver," he murmured, nodding his head to Fred, George and Ginny. "We'll come and find you when it's safe."
Oliver followed the others into the wood, but as they continued on, he held back, watching from the shadows.
Why would humans do this to one another? They were the same. He couldn't imagine ever fighting with another angel, not even the ones that had clipped his wings, so to speak.
He just didn't understand.
In front of him, a running man fell to the floor, and lights were shooting from the wands of those wearing masks.
Oliver didn't even think.
Building his concentration, he narrowed his eyes at the men casting the spells, and pushed. White light let him for just a second, and when it dimmed back to darkness, the men were all on the floor, groaning.
Oliver swept over to the man, picking him up and running back into the woods, placing him gently against the tree.
"Are you okay?"
"What… what are you?"
Oliver smiled. "I'm an angel. Are you okay?"
The man nodded. "I… yeah. Yes, I'm okay. What's your name?"
"Oliver."
"I'm Philbert Deverill. If I can ever do anything for you," he murmured, handing over a card. "Please, don't hesitate to ask."
"Oliver! There you are! Come on, or Dad will kill me for losing you too!"
"Who else did you lose?" he asked, frowning.
"Ron, Harry and Hermione," George muttered. "We're going to go find them though, come on."
Oliver nodded, checking the man one final time before he pocketed the card and walked away.
…
"You're… you're the angel. The one who saved me."
Oliver blinked. "Oh. Hi. I'm looking for the manager?"
"You're looking at him."
"Oh. Oh." Oliver smiled sheepishly.
"What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping you'd have a job? I mean, I know I can't fly, wings, probably unfair and all, but I just really love Quidditch, and just to be around it would be a dream come true and -"
"You're rambling, kid. Come with me."
"And then he said I can work there four days a week as the trainer's assistant!" Oliver finished, beaming widely at the Weasleys.
They congratulated him heartily, all knowing what it meant to him to work around Quidditch, particularly that close to the team.
Oliver looked at Percy expectantly, bouncing in his seat.
"Oh. Yes, well done, Oliver. I mean, it's not real work is it, Quidditch, but at least you'll have something to fill your time with a few days a week. Congratulations."
Oliver ignored the other's calling his name as he made his was up to his room, deflated.
When would his Percy come back?
…
"You love Percy."
Oliver nodded. He'd worked that much out for himself. He looked at Molly. "I don't know what to do."
"Tell him."
"I think about what to say to him, but when I say it outloud, it all falls apart. I, uh, I practised in the mirror."
"Sweetheart, just let it come from the heart and you can't really go wrong."
"I'll think about it."
…
Percy and Arthur were arguing. Oliver sat with the other's on the stairs, listening in. His chest was tightening with every minute that passed, and he just wanted to go and drag Percy from the kitchen, to tell him to stop, to think about what he was saying.
A slam of a door, and the sound of Molly crying signalled the end of the argument, and Oliver moved rapidly, following Percy outside.
"Percy! Wait! What are you doing?"
"Go away, Oliver!"
"No! Come back inside and talk to your dad! It doesn't need to be this way!"
Percy shook his off angrily. "This is nothing to do with you! It's family business!"
"Oh. And. Oh. Okay. I'm not…"
"No. You're a bloody nuisance fallen angel that's been getting on my nerves since the day you arrived and bit my hand!"
"But… I love you."
"Find someone else to love, someone who wants your love, Oliver. I… I'm done here."
Percy watched Oliver Apparate away, the finality in his words settling heavily on his chest.
He was gone.
…
Oliver moved out of the Burrow and into a flat close to the training ground. He couldn't handle being around the Weasleys the familiar red hair and warm smiles.
He couldn't handle Molly's crying.
And he couldn't unfurl his wings.
He'd tried, while at home, and they just wouldn't come. They were stuck against his back. He could feel them, but they felt… wrong. Dead.
And so he moped.
Because what else was a broken hearted angel to do?
…
"Come to dinner, Oliver. Just dinner. Please. Molly is beside herself that you haven't visited in so long and we miss you."
"I don't… I don't know."
"Please. Just an evening?"
Oliver nodded, offering Arthur a weak smile. "Okay."
And that was how Oliver got his people back.
…
Months passed, and Oliver survived.
He learnt how to not think about Percy too much. He learnt to concentrate on the good in his life, on his job, which he loved and on the other Weasleys, who loved him as he loved them.
He met Fleur when Bill fetched her home, and felt an instant kinship to the French witch.
He was there in the aftermath of Bill being attacked by Greyback, the cruel werewolf that had been at Hogwarts when the Headmaster was murdered.
And…
And he missed Percy.
...
The wedding was great! Oliver was having a lot of fun dancing with the guests, showing Fred and George the latest Muggle magic tricks he'd learned, catching up with Harry.
He was sad about how stressed out Harry seemed, but Oliver… Oliver knew it would work out right. Not that he could tell him. Even if he tried, his tongue would stick to the roof of his mouth for hours.
He knew. He'd tried it out once.
Still, the angels above had made sure he couldn't tell any secrets to his new human family. It hurt him, to keep things secret, but he had no choice.
All the guest gathered around, and Oliver joined them eagerly, awaiting whatever came next at the wedding. He'd never been to one before, but he hoped he got to go to more after this one.
Weddings were fun!
He saw flowers flying through the air, and without thinking, he jumped to catch them, smiling when he landed, bouquet safely in his hands.
"I caught it!" he called waving the flowers in the air.
The guests were all looking at him strangely, except the Weasleys, who looked like they were suppressing laughter.
"Oh, Oliver," Molly said, shaking her head as she smiled at him. "What are we going to do with you?"
When she explained the tradition of throwing the wedding bouquet into a hoard of women, he smiled sheepishly and handed the bouquet back to Fleur to throw again.
Oops?
…
Oliver lazed on the sofa of his flat, reading a book about knitting that Molly had sent home with him on his last visit.
A bang sounded, and he jumped, looking around the flat. Another bang, and his door was bursting open, three of those masked cowards standing in the doorway menacingly, all holding their wands.
Oliver stood up, backing away until he was backed up against the wall. He tried to force his wings out, knowing he'd be able to get away if only he could unfurl them.
He might be fallen, but all his parts still worked.
They didn't even fluttered, and he swallowed hard.
"We're here with a message from the Dark Lord," the middle masked person said, his voice identifying him as male. "He'd like to invite you into his circle. He believes that with your… unique abilities, you could create wonderful things together."
Oliver narrowed his eyes.
He wasn't stupid, and he wasn't naive, no matter his general childlike enthusiasm for life. If he went with these men, he'd be changed up before he knew it, and the Dark Lord would attempt to use him for evil.
Angels, even fallen ones, were not made for evil.
He shook his head. "No. Thank you."
"It's not a question, Angel," the one to the left, also a man, said threateningly.
"And yet, it's still a no," Oliver replied.
He knew what would happen a second before it happened, and he jumped just as the spells hit the windows behind him. As the glass smashed, Oliver leapt from the window, disappearing before he hit the ground.
He'd wished to go home.
…
"Ollie? Ollie, are you okay?"
Molly was checking him for injuries before he'd even opened his eyes.
He'd wished to go home.
He smiled to himself as he realised that the Weasley's really were his home now. His family.
Even without Percy.
"I'm fine, honestly," he assured her, sitting up. "I just. They came for me. He wanted me."
"Oh you poor dear," Molly cooed.
"I'm okay. I promise."
"We were going to come and see you in about an hour actually, dear. We're going into hiding, it's not safe for us anymore. We… we want you to come with us. Where we know you'll be safe. With your family."
Oliver smiled, nodding and leaning into the embrace she wrapped him in. Apparently he wasn't the only one who knew they were family.
…
"We've been called to arms. Hogwarts. It's happening now."
…
Oliver saw Percy and froze for a split second, only to dive back into action just as the wall fell, pushing Fred out of range. He felt pain, blinding nauseating pain as the wall fell on top of him, burying him under rubble.
"Oliver! OLIVER! NO!"
As the blackness threatened, Oliver heard Percy's voice. He sounded upset. As much as Oliver hated Percy, he loved Percy and he didn't like him sounding upset.
Rejecting the threatening unconscious, Oliver pushed at the bricks covering him, using the last of his energy to lift them away from him, to smile tiredly at Percy.
"I'm alive."
And then he fainted.
…
"Is it too late to apologise?" Percy asked, sitting beside Oliver. He'd only been awake for a few minutes, his body healing much faster than that of a human. There were some perks to being angelic.
"Why don't you try, and find out?" he replied, eyeing Percy suspiciously.
"I'm sorry," Percy began. "Truly. I… I was an asshole. And I didn't mean what I said. Any of it. You've never been a nuisance, and I… I love you, Oliver. And I never understood why you, an angel, would want anything to do with me, and I still don't understand it now but if you'll give me the chance to make it -"
Oliver laid a gentle finger on his lips. "You're rambling."
Percy nodded.
"You hate rambling."
Percy nodded again.
"Percy?"
"What?"
"Kiss me, you jackass!"
"Oh. Yes. I. Yes, I should so that."
As their lips met, Oliver finally, finally felt a flutter against his back and his wings unfurled.
And ripped his shirt.
Dammit.
Written for;
Character Appreciation - 17. Muggle Magic Tricks
Disney - - Someone who is always moving and has lots of energy.
Ami's Audio - 11. Misdirection
Lo's Lowdown - C2. Write about someone with wings
TV Addicts - 17. The OA - Angel!AU / Afterlife / "When I say it outloud, it all falls apart."
Easter Build A Bunny - Rainbow Shirt - Seeing a rainbow for the first time
Auction - Male character catching the bride's bouquet