Nineteen Years Ago

Walking back into his house, Percival kept his head held high. He was going to go through with this and his parents could not stop him. He had to do this. He had to go and be with Lillie. It was what he wanted. They could go to Europe together and they could start their new life together. It would be perfect. He would see to it. He kept his hands by his sides as he entered the living room and looked around, seeing his mother and father sat on the sofa, both of them close to each other.

"We need to talk," Markus Graves spoke, his voice tight and his tone harsh as he moved to his feet, standing up and looking over to his son. Hillary Graves remained on the sofa, her hands laced together as she looked to her son, a sense of disappointment clear.

She had her black hair wound up on top of her head in a bun while she wore a tight fitting grey dress that clung down her body. His father was still dressed in his grey suit, his dark hair neatly coiffed on top of his head. His cheekbones were high and his cheeks red, a sign of anger. Percival took a sharp breath before looking between the pair of them.

"What have I done now?" Percival enquired, his tone haughty as he remained in the doorway, hands behind his back.

"Apart from not applying yourself?" Markus demanded from him, his gaze narrow. "You should be in MACUSA right now, Percival. You should be an Auror."

"Well, I'm not," Percival responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You're lazy," Markus said. "You leave school with outstanding grades and you still cannot be bothered to think of your potential. Your mother and I had wondered why, until I followed you last night."

Hillary moved a hand over her mouth and Percival wondered if she was about to cry. Instead she kept herself composed and moved from the sofa towards the drink trolley, pouring herself a drink of alcohol before downing it and laughing once afterwards. She said nothing as Percival continued to stand in the doorway, his hands on his hips as he tried not to break down.

"A No-Maj," Markus said, his voice harsh and demanding as Percival looked to the ceiling and Markus continued hissing. "Are you insane, Percival? You know what will happen if you are discovered."

"We will not be discovered," Percival spoke.

"But you have been," Markus responded, his voice raising an octave. "You have been caught because I saw you. I followed you and I saw you with her. I tracked her down…Lillie Montford…daughter of Boris and Mary Montford, the man who runs the No-Maj bank in Chicago."

"She is more than that," Percival declared. "She has her own mind and she is able to make her own decisions. She wants to be with me. She wants to be with me for who I am."

"And does she know who you are?" Hillary demanded from her son, hands on her hips as she looked to him with wide eyes, her cheeks stained from tears. "Does she know that you are not like her?"

Percival shifted from one foot to the other, a feeling of awkwardness taking over him. "No," he admitted. "I never told her because…because I didn't know how she would react and I know that it would be dangerous if she knew."

Markus scoffed. "It is dangerous now, Percival. If MACUSA find out about her then they will wipe her memories. I have no idea what they would to you…how they would punish you…you are being reckless."

"I have no intention of staying here," Percival replied. "We will go away."

"Run away?" Hillary shrieked. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, but every other wizard seems to have lost their mind," Percival said, flapping his arms by his sides as he spoke and looked between his parents. "In Europe wizards and No-Maj's live in harmony. They marry…they are friends…why does the US have to be different?"

"Because it is," Markus said, offering no more explanation. "That is how the law is, Percival, and you are not going to break it. You will go to that girl and you will wipe her mind clean of any trace of you."

Percival let out a dry laugh at hearing that, shaking his head back and forth as he spoke in a low voice.

"I will not."

"You will," Markus said to him, "or MACUSA will do it for you."

Silence engulfed the room then and Percival let his eyes widen, his head suddenly feeling light as his chest pounded. He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. How could he do this? How could his parents do this to him? He continued to let his head move back and forth as he looked between his parents.

"No," he said with a shake of his head.

"Yes," Markus declared. "You will not see her again. You will not go anywhere near her. You will join MACUSA and you will become an Auror. You will not throw your life away for some silly teenage infatuation."

"Infatuation?" he spat the word back. "I love Lillie Montford."

"You hardly know her!" Markus snarled.

"I have known her for years," Percival responded, shocking his parents as they went silent and he continued speaking. "I met her when I was a little boy and I have been seeing her every summer and winter I have come home. We have been together for years and I know how I feel about her. I love her. I love her more than anything and I will go with her to Europe. You cannot stop me or do this to me."

"I can and I will," Markus responded, voice harsh and a snap. "I am serious, Percival. I will come with you and you will wipe her memories. Or I will summon MACUSA and you can both suffer the consequences."

Percival could not believe what he was hearing. "Are you being serious?" he asked, voice full of hurt.

"I do not want this for you, Percival," Markus spoke. "You have too much potential and you cannot risk everything for this girl."

"But you would see me punished by MACUSA?"

"No," Markus said. "We are hoping that you choose to make the right decision."

"By blackmailing me?" Percival asked from him. "You do not know Lillie. You know nothing about her."

"And we do not wish to," Hillary declared. "We are doing this for your own good. You shall see that soon enough, Percival."

"No, you're not," Percival responded. "You are ruining us."

"We are saving you both."

"No," Percival said quickly, moving with haste back to the foyer, but Markus was behind him, pulling out his wand to lock the door and stop his son from going anywhere. Percival tugged at the door, but failed to open it, moving to look behind to his father. "I will go now."

"You will do no such thing," Markus snapped. "As soon as you step foot out that door then I will tell MACUSA. They will stop you before you make it to the port."

"I will try," Percival said. "I need to do this. I need to be with her."

"You will never be with her," Markus said. "The sooner you see that then the better it will be for both of you. Either way, by the end of tonight the girl will have no idea who you were and she will move on with her life, just as you will move on with yours."

Percival felt the rage inside of him continue to grow, bubbling over as he looked to his mother and father. "How could you?" she demanded from them. "I am your only son…your son and I thought that you loved me…but how could you? How could you love me if you were threatening to hand me over to MACUSA? And all because I love a No-Maj."

"You do not love her," Hillary firmly declared with a shake of her head.

"I do," Percival said. "I love her and I will never forgive both of you if you do this."

Holding his head high, Markus nodded to his wife who offered a slim nod back. Turning to look back to his son, his hands dropped to his hips as he spoke in a low and calm voice.

"Then it looks like you will not forgive us."

1924

Percival did not entirely know how he had ended up in this situation. One minute he had been consoling Lillie on the bench and the next he was by her side, her arm tucked into his as they strolled through the park together. He suspected that if anyone saw them then they would be suspicious, but they were hardly acting in an inappropriate manner. If anyone asked then he would inform him or her that Lillie Montford was feeling unwell and he was escorting her home. He was being chivalrous.

"John cares deeply," Lillie explained to Percival after she had finished telling him how her fiancé rarely had time for her anymore. "I know that he cares deeply. I would not have accepted his proposal if he did not."

"Of course not," Percival said, unsure of how he should converse with her. He wanted to hear everything, but he could not push her. He had to act like a stranger to her. It just so happened that he was a stranger who she had met a handful of times and was now pouring her heart out to.

"But when he tells me that I should not work or that I should dress in a certain way…it feels too controlling," Lillie said and Percival did his best not to let his grip on her increase dramatically. "I know how foolish I sound. I have been lucky, really. Before I met John I didn't think I would find anyone…not like…well…"

"Not like?" Percival wondered and Lillie shook her head back and forth.

"It's silly," she told him. "I know it isn't true, but sometimes I have these dreams and they are so vivid."

"Dreams?" he continued to push her, his tone trying to be nonchalant.

"Yes," Lillie said, her hand moving to rest on top of his arm. "I don't know what they are, but sometimes I go back to when I was just a young woman and there is this man…this man who I meet in the middle of the night and he is perfect. Everything about him…I just…I cannot see who he is."

Percival tried not to act too shocked. He wanted to scream at her and tell her that he was the man. He had to be. Who else could it be? But he kept himself quiet, his hand moving into a fist as he coughed awkwardly and Lillie let out a sarcastic laugh.

"I told you that it was silly," she said and he shook his head.

"No," he assured her. "Perhaps a little imaginative, but not silly."

She laughed again and he struggled to stop his lips from quirking upwards at the noise. He watched her nod her head as she moved her eyes over his face, drinking in his features as he looked straight ahead, worried about what he might do if she kept on looking at him in such a way.

"Well, I have always had an imagination," she declared. "But I know it sounds odd. I am aware of that…but a part of me knows that the reason why I have been alone for so long is because I was waiting for someone like him…someone who I dreamt of. How ridiculous is that?"

Percival was about to tell her that was anything but ridiculous, but he kept his comments to himself and nodded his head in her direction. He longed for her to recognise him. He wanted her to see that the man she was waiting for was standing right besides her. But he couldn't do that. How could he? She didn't know him. She had no idea who he was.

"I think…I don't think it is ridiculous," Graves declared with a firm shake of his head. "I think that it is a sign…a sign that you would rather wait until you find the person you want."

"And how do you know when that has happened?" Lillie enquired. "I thought that John was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, but now…now I don't know."

"Perhaps you need to speak with him and tell him your concerns?"

"I have," Lillie responded, a sigh escaping her. "Every time I try to bring it up he accuses me of being ridiculous. I don't know what more I can do…or if there is anything I can do…"

"And if there is not?"

"Then I should return home," Lillie said. "Although I doubt my parents will want to see me. Perhaps I can rent a room in New York. I have heard of girls who do that."

"That is true," he nodded to her. "However, if you do find yourself at a loss then I implore you to tell me. You should not be alone in New York."

She offered him a small smile. "You are too kind, Mr Graves-"

"-Percival," he interrupted her. "If I am to call you Lillie then I would like you to call me Percival."

Her smile remained on her face. "In that case, Percival," she said, testing his name on her tongue. It felt right. "I thank you, but I will find my own way. You have done more than enough just by listening to my concerns."

"Not at all," he said to her. "But, again, I insist, Lillie. Please…do not struggle."

Percival moved into his suit jacket pocket after a second, hoping that the paper with his address had appeared there. He tugged it out and handed it to her as she looked at it, a brow arching on her forehead as she did so.

"You happen to have your address in your suit?" she asked of him and he shrugged.

"For purposes like these," he jested and Lillie folded the paper up and slipped it into the pocket of her dress.

"Do you often find women and offer them help?" she enquired.

"Only to those who I can see are suffering," he said, his tone serious as her smile fell from her face and he looked her in the eye as they stopped walking and he stood in front of her, his hand holding onto her forearm as she looked down. "I am not blind, Lillie. I can see the agony in your face and I hear it in your voice."

"I am not-"

"-Please," Percival interrupted her. "I can see it, Lillie. I might not know you, but I know when someone is in pain."

Lillie went silent then, looking down to the ground as Percival resisted the urge to move his fingers to her chin and guide her gaze back to his. He remained mute; instead he bit down on his tongue, giving her the time that she needed. She took another second before nodding her head firmly.

"Thank you for everything, Mr Graves," she spoke to him, back to the formalities. Clearly he had overstepped the mark. "But I must go."

Before Percival could convince her to stay behind she had gone. She was rushing down the pathway, her hands held together by her stomach as she went. He let out a deep breath and let her go.

…

Percival had not expected to see her again. He had returned back to his apartment that evening, stepping into the room and looking around. Everything in his apartment was bland and tasteless, the furniture new but clinical. He had no homely touches to the space. He had deemed them unnecessary after he had moved to New York and devoted his life to becoming an Auror. He had been so reluctant to move to New York in the beginning. He didn't want that life, but he had been given no other option. He had been blackmailed by his own parents.

Looking back on it, he knew that they only wanted the best for him. They only wanted him to be safe. He was not safe with Lillie. He knew that. But that didn't stop him from stopping all contact with his parents. He had not spoken to them since the night he had left for New York.

Chuckling to himself darkly, he shook his head as he sought out some alcohol, but he had no option to find anything. Instead he heard a knock on the front door. Moving his hand to his pocket, he felt his wand there, but he did not draw it out. Instead he approached with caution, pulling the door open slowly. He opened it wide as soon as he saw her. His eyes widened. She was drenched from the rain, her coat limp and sopping on her body. Her hair was straggly around her face and her eyes were puffy.

But that wasn't what caught his attention. What caught his attention was the bright red mark on her cheek and a slight cut on her lip.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking. "I didn't know where else to go…"

"Come in," Percival demanded from her, holding his arm out in front of his body to guide her in. Closing the door behind her, Percival took a deep breath and wondered exactly what he was going to do now. He had certainly crossed the line. That was clear.

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think and thank you so much to everyone for reviewing!