There were two things that Percy was sure of, in the entire world he could count on two things and two things only.
One was that his family was everything to him, even if he was nothing to them.
And the second was Riley was a sneaky little brat who had no shame or filter on her words. Riley could, and often would get up long before he would, disappear of the face of the planet for weeks on end and show up on Tuesday with a bag of Chinese a cut on her lip and a smile that shown bright in her eyes.
On her return from these 'vacations' as she called them, her nails would be speckled with dirt and at the very least five limbs of hers would be bandaged and another five would be bruised and riddled with cuts.
She would never tell him what she got up to, but she never gave the inclination that whatever she was up to was illegal or even morally ambiguous, so he tended to shrug it off and get to the paperwork he brought home while she started on the food for the night. Which usually tended to be sandwiches, mac and cheese, or cup ramen. And that was when she actually cooked.
He loved her, but she could cook for love or money.
Which he didn't understand, the raven haired girl could make the best potions this side of Hogwarts, plan and succeed in robbing the highest security buildings; which he only knew because she bragged about her burglaring skills, and succeed in killing and hiding a body and never being found again; again he only knew from her bragging.
But she could not cook. Riley was honest as the day was long and never hid anything from him, so he knew she had no culinary experiences; after asking her one day why they had cup ramen for the past four days.
So when he woke up on August twenty-second and Riley was nowhere to be found, he wasn't overly upset. She disappeared all the time, and always came back when she deemed whatever she was doing was acceptable.
So when he walked into the kitchen as saw a full English breakfast with a note resting on top of it, he was skeptical but not surprised. He recognized the breakfast from the café down the street so he knew he wouldn't be accidently poisoned. And so grabbed the plate and note and sat down at the small table he had for eating and read Riley sprawling words.
'Be back at six tonight sweetie pie, when I get home I'll have your birthday gift for you. 11' Scrunching his nose at being called sweetie pie he set the paper down and shook his head picking up a slice of toast and traced her thick tilted t's and delicate infinity x, along with her sloping 1's.
He didn't understand why she signed everything, from her school papers to official documents with 11, and sometimes just that two slopping ones. He knew enough to know that it was something that she preferred, she sometimes referred to herself as the 'Eleventh' but she never said anything more, delicately changing the subject whenever he brought it up.
He didn't understand, 11 was a number not an identity, but Riley had her reasons he supposed. And he doubted he would ever truly understand.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he finished the breakfast and set about to get ready for his day.
Walking into his apartment after a long day, Percy was momentarily stunned when he smelt the distinctive smell of Welsh cooking. Wondering just how Riley managed to con her father to cook up a dinner for the two of them, he hung up his cloak and kicked off his shoes.
He knew better to believe she cooked the dinner.
Standing in the doorway to the kitchen he watched the raven haired girl dance around the island opening the oven and stirring the pot on the stove.
"I no yer en thar Percy." Riley drawled in her unique accent. Percy sighed and came over to her.
"Are you trying to destroy my kitchen?" Percy asked giving her a hug.
"Na, I ahm warman oop are Denah." Riley sighed giving him a kiss on the cheek then grinned. "Weh have Tatws Pum Munud, ore feve menite pohtatoes. Wrost lam wit laver sawce and Cockles." Then giving him a kiss turned back to the food. "And that all the accent you're getting from me, you know I hate my natural accent."
Percy shook his head. "But that's you; if you had any other voice you wouldn't be you."
Riley laughed. "Flattery will get you nowhere." Then she moved and pointed behind him. "Table, if you're good I'll give you the Tottenham and Welsh Cakes Yan made for dessert."
Percy just shook his head and sat down to enjoy the dinner.
He'd really have to thank Ianto sometime.
Once dinner was done and the dishes piled in the sink, Percy knew they would be gone by morning. Riley grabbed his wrist and drug him over to the living room and shoved him down on the couch.
"Stay here a mom' love." She said to him "I have to get your gifts." Percy looked at her.
"You mean you're not the gift?" Riley chuckled and pushed his shoulder so he would sit back.
"Just give me a moment." Riley said disappearing into his office. He heard some rummaging and she came out with two jewelry boxes, the type they put tennis bracelets in but longer and a tad wider.
"It took me a while to do them both, and Yan almost stopped teaching me, and I screwed a lot more up then I meant to in the beginning. But here." She said handing him both boxes, and opening the slightly larger one first.
It was a brilliantly carved ornament. Two heart shaped bowls with a leaf above one and bird above the other with delicate carved filigree with three hearts two intertwined and one at the top. "What is this?" he asked.
"It's a love spoon. The Welsh usually gave them as courting gifts, but now they can be made for any occasion. This one represents love, specifically everlasting eternal love and togetherness. The bird right there represents 'lets go away together' or a new life. The leaf represents growing love. The heart shaped bowls of the spoon say willingness to provide and work, the heart means provide love. And the two bowls themselves mean a couple together forever." She said pointing to each figure as he ran his hands carefully over them.
"Their mainly heirlooms now, but this was something I could share with you from my culture, other than my accent of course." Riley smiled at him and nudged the other box on his lap.
Handing the first spoon to her he opened the second box. This spoon was much less detailed, but was still very beautiful. First was the heart shaped padlock connected to four chains which then connected to the rest of the spoon. Then came a cage with two balls in it with the bottom connected to a circular wheel like symbol. And finally the pointed spade like spoon.
"What does this one mean?" He asked and she shifted closed to him.
"The heart shaped padlock means the promise of faithfulness of your love. The chains mean the wish to be together forever, the cage with balls inside means love held safe and warm. The spade like bowl means willingness to provide and work, like I said before." Again pointing at each feature.
She looked up at him. "I really want this to work Percy. But I'm scared, really scared. Because our family's don't have the best track records. I don't want that to happen to us."
He set the boxes and spoons on the table and drew her into his arms. "That won't happen, as you keep saying, the children aren't the parents."
"I know, but you can't have hope without some bit of fear. I just don't want to hurt you." Percy shook his head.
"You won't."
"Sometimes Percy, the person you'd take a bullet for is standing behind the trigger. I don't want to hurt you accidently. I don't want you hurt because of me." He gripped her tighter to him chest.
"I trust you enough to know that won't happen. You won't hurt me, and you never will."
"Fi cariad eich Percy." She said burrowing her head in his neck.
"I love you as well Riley." Percy said kissing her forehead.
"Penblwydd hapus." Riley sighed nuzzling him. "Penblwydd hapus fy nghariad, happy birthday."
"I'm happy just knowing you were here."
N/A: This story is for the Create a Smile Competition on Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum.
The translations of the above are here:
I no yer en thar Percy. = I know you're in there Percy.
Na, I ahm warman oop are Denah. = No, I'm warming up our Dinner.
Weh have Tatws Pum Munud, ore feve menite pohtatoes. = We're having Tatws Pum Munud, or five minute potatoes.
Wrost lam wit laver sawce and Cockles. = Roast lamb with laver sauce and cockles.
Fi cariad eich Percy. = I love you Percy.
Penblwydd hapus. = Happy Birthday.
Fy nghariad = My love
The pictures of the lovespoons are here:
www . Jenkins lovespoons images / ban 1 . jpg = First Spoon
2 . bp . blogspot - QjSNCT3PKHk / UTTVmGILM0I / AAAAAAAAWis / aOeoYwrIPdo / s1600 / $ (KGrHqN,!p8FC4Jn,EklBQ5+8sseJ ! ~~ 60_35 . JPG = Second Spoon