Chapter 1:
A/N: This fic begins one month after the end of the Prisoner of Azkaban. Canon no longer exists in my mind, everything up until this point has happened but there were some hidden aspects involving Percy that will be revealed later in the story. Enjoy? :)
Disclaimer: Not mine
The Burrow was silent. Most of its inhabitants too deep into the lull summer holidays to wake before dawn, all but one member of the Weasley family was asleep. He crept from his bed silently, wandless spells were cast to hide his footsteps and conceal him in shadows, his window opened with only an almost inaudible 'creak'. A broom was retrieved from under a loose floorboard and he scooped up a bag as he dove from the window.
Laughter bubbled up his throat as the wind enveloped him in its sweet embrace. The world became a blur as Percy sped towards the nearby forest, its tall trees open and welcoming. The sky was a dark blue and warmth from the early sun caressed his face as he climbed high above the fluttering canopy. When the air began to grow thin he stopped, hovering over the woods. With a deep breath he lept from the broom, shrinking it midair and cramming it into the old leather bag that hung from his shoulders.
He closed his eyes and let gravity pull him towards the vibrant leaves. Air rushed past his face, pulling at his hair and guiding him down. Percy laughed, 'this is freedom!' When the ground came dangerously close he reached inside himself and pulled. A bright white flooded his mind and his rapid descent slowed, his magic grabbed hold of him and placed him gently down at the edge of a large clearing. When his bare feet touched the grass his eyes opened, the white orbs were carefully replaced with a swirl of bright blue. The white rush of power faded, lingering just within reach.
Percy allowed himself a few brief moments to catch his breath before raising a hand and dropping the heavy wards that coated the clearing in an invisible shimmer of magic. A white web crept along the surface of the barrier, breaking it down to reveal a tiny stone cottage, old and warped with age. Its once-smooth bricks were littered with scrapes and chips, the blue stone had faded under the sun's rays and the strong wooden beams had long ago lost their color, leaving them a stark white. The final wards fell and a row of wooden figures was revealed, along with a line of targets and a massive closed chest.
Percy's grin widened and he started towards the heavy wooden door of the cabin. A white burst of light leapt from his palm and slid into a hidden lock, the door swung open and a single room was visible; other locked doors branched away from the main entrance, all different in size, shape and color. His bag was placed near the door and his glasses were removed, placed into a case that rested on the large desk. Percy changed quickly into a pair of loose black sweats and a matching shirt, his feet were left bare. He headed outside with a sheath of small, sharp daggers. With the flick of a wrist the training arena awoke and he lept into action.
Molly Weasley was worried, for a mother of six children this was nothing new, she worried about Bill when he left to become a Curse-Breaker and Charlie when he decided to go to Romania for the dragon reserves. Fred and George were constantly on her mind, whether it be worry or frustration and Ginny had almost given her a heart attack two years ago when the Chamber of Secrets opened. Ron, as of late, had been the cause of the most worry, especially after getting himself into another dangerous adventure with Harry and Hermione. But Percy hadn't been a cause for worry in… well, as long as she could remember.
Percy had always been different from her other children, he was quiet and preferred to read rather than play, he followed rules without question and even went as far as to try and enforce them himself and he always knew what his next step in life would be. For the longest time he had plans to get into the Ministry after he graduated from Hogwarts, he knew what he wanted, why he wanted it and how to get there. He passed through his schooling with mostly straight O's; years before he graduated he had told her and Author his plans for after school. There was a list of applications and requirements that had been posted on his wall for months, yet he had done nothing since graduation. Nothing besides wake early every morning and disappear into the large forest that bordered the fields surrounding the Burrow. He returned home late in the evenings and headed straight back to his room.
Molly sighed, and as she stirred pancake batter and flipped eggs she pondered Percy's strange new, almost carefree, behavior. 'I wonder wh-'
"Hun?" A sleep-roughened voice interrupted her thoughts.
"I'm here Arthur," she called, leaning to peer out the doorway.
He studied her face and frowned, "What troubles you, Molly?"
"Oh! Its nothing really, just-" she paused, "Its Percy. He's so… so distant! More so than usual and I can't help but worry. I mean, It's been over a month since he graduated and, and… What happened to all the plans he told us about? All the talking about the Ministry and Minister of Magic, what happened to that? It's been over a month Arthur! He's never been this… He's never done nothing for this long! And that's exactly what he's been doing! Nothing! Nothing but waking up at merlin-knows-when and spending all day doing merlin-knows-what alone in that depressing forest! And… and I'm worried. I'm worried about him, and I don't know what to do, I don't know how to approach him or talk to him about it because we've never- we've never had to before. He's always been so… so perfect. I just- I just don't know."
"Molly dear, this is Percy we are talking about. Why, He's probably out there practicing for an interview or rereading the history of the Ministry! There is nothing to be worried about, he has a plan, just you wait. Percy won't disappoint us now."
She opened his mouth to reply but the sound of matching footsteps rushing down the stairs interrupted her. She offered a small smile and a hesitant nod before turning to face the twins.
"Morning oh dearest parents, what's for breakfast?" Matching grins dominated their faces. Molly opened her mouth to reprimand them for whatever it was that they had done this time when a furious yell echoed from upstairs.
She shared a smile with Arthur before addressing the boys, "Good morning, when your brother comes down I want whatever curse, jinx, hex, or anything else removed immediately." A raised brow stopped any protests and she pointed to them each in turn, "Fred, set the table, George, call your sister down, and-"
"But I'm George!" Fred protested.
"I'm Fred!" George yelled.
"Oh for the- I don't care who does what, just do it! Ginny! Ginny! Call Ronald! And you two, go remove that jinx right this instant! Arthur, dear, could you please hand me the- Oh thank you dear!" As the Burrow awakened with its regular flurry of activity and the family settled down at the table to eat Molly couldn't help but notice, for the first time, the heavy absence of her wayward son.
Percy yawned, arching to stretch on the thick, comfortable couch, his sore muscles protested the movement and he had to fight to keep his eyes open. 'What time is it?' he wondered reaching for his wand. A quick tempus charm had him jumping from the couch, cursing.
"Shit! Mum's gonna kill me!"
When Percy returned to the Burrow the lights were out and everyone was asleep. He crept through the house slowly, charms once again cast to conceal him in the shadows. Only once he was safely in his room, the door shut and locked, did he remove the spells.
Minutes later he was nearly asleep, curled underneath think quilts, when a noise jerked him fully wake.
'Tap, tap, tap.'
"Go 'way." he mumbled into his pillow.
'Tap, tap, tap.'
"Uggghhh," he glanced towards his window, "bloody bird."
'Tap, tap, tap.'
Slowly he forced himself from warm blankets and towards his window. A cold breeze drifted in as the window was opened and he shivered, a massive black owl landed on his desk. Its sharp yellow eyes were trained on his face and it thrust an envelope towards him. The second it left its grasp it was gone, racing through the night sky and fading into the black. Tiredly he popped open the plain wax seal and removed the parchment.
Percival Ignatius Weasley,
The deadline grows near and we await your answer. In thirty days we will come, be ready. Spend your time wisely.
Percy Weasley did not sleep that night.
A/N: Thank you to my first two reviewers, . .world and WolfSpirirt1992!