10) I Can Even Tell You What a Nano-Particle Is!

Percy returned a happy man from France, bag half-packed and threatening to return. The conference went swimmingly as their foreign counterparts were happy to work with people who wouldn't murder when they turned around. Paris was phenomenal, full of fascinating museums, galleries, historical sites and great food. What made Paris his new favorite holiday destination was simple. Audrey was the best thing that had happened to him in a very long time. Every night in Paris they had gone to dinner, talking late in the night, drinking fine wine at restaurants, walking and exploring and learning about each other. It was the most magical experience of his life, without any real magic used. He spent the rest of the week at meetings with a big goofy grin that his brothers or friends must never see on pain of death.

Their relationship deepened on returning to London. In the evenings, he took her to feed the ducks at Hyde Park, escorted her to the different art galleries, watched theatre in the West End and all the Muggle London things he had never bothered to experience. One Sunday they had even ran into his brother and Hermione at the National Gallery. He and Audrey were going to happily spend the next hour in the Monet room, where poor Ron was probably headed to Medieval art or something, the poor sod, and his facial expression pretty much said the same thing when Hermione wasn't looking.

Audrey had met the Many Rejected Men at the noodle restaurant. She thought they were a trip and could dish it out as good as she got it. They asked for the mobile numbers of her sisters, which seeing as she had none, didn't work; so they begged for cousins. She promised flatmates and classmates, but only after viewing c.v.'s and personal recommendation letters.

Living near Bloomsbury, she frequented and enjoyed many of the same pubs and restaurants he had when he was on duty with the Many Rejected Men, and was always game for a new adventure or a quiet night with takeaway and studying. His life was near idyllic. He questioned himself on how seamlessly his and Audrey's lives had meshed together, but figured after the last few years, he deserved something easy.

Of course they had their own nights away, where she holed up in the laboratory, visited her family or went out with her friends, and he had work night at the Leaky Cauldron, lads nights and family dinners. For the first time in his life, Percy didn't like coming home to silence and order. After a night apart, he couldn't wait to call her and hear her voice, hear about her day.

Percy shared as much as he could about his life; he was open as he could be, simply because international magic coöperation was not far off from international non-magic coöperation, but he was sure Audrey could sense something holding him back. He modified what career paths his siblings took, nicely asked the pictures on his walls to stay still and directed Hermes to go hunting when she visited. He told her he was from the country and his family didn't have much growing up, which was true, and he was a bit geeky and over committed to his job, which was also true, and those excuses helped cover up his errors in the non-magical world. But nothing covered up the dread he felt every time he told a part truth, or an out-and-out lie, to her.

He had a quiet yet happy birthday celebration for the first time since before his last year at Hogwarts, but avoiding inviting Audrey was awkward. His mum made him a cake, and his in-town siblings traveled to the Burrow to sing Happy Birthday, but her spark was missing. He wanted Audrey to celebrate with them, but they had only dated each other for a month, and she had no clue about his magic, or the magical world. He tried his best to explain to her that it was so soon after the loss of his brother, his family hadn't fully rebounded to their normal boisterous self, and it wasn't fair to introduce someone new, and Audrey had gracefully and understandingly suggested they celebrate alone, which was one of the more spectacular nights of Percy's existence.

A few months after his birthday, he still wasn't sure what to do. He wanted Audrey in his life, he wanted to share his life with her, and that whole Statute of Secrecy was standing in the way. He hadn't made any headway thinking about the problem himself, and couldn't discuss it with her, the closest person to him, the person who Percy could easily refer to as his best friend. The old Percy would have clamped up and searched a book, then lied to Audrey until he obliviated her when she interfered with his career. The newer version of Percy, horrified by that thought, had friends, family and a conscious, who among them could help? He paced his apartment, wishing he could talk to Audrey but not wanting to interrupt her girl's night. He focused on the many he could trust and then the few who had experience in the steady girlfriend arena.

Maybe Bill could help with this. Of his friends and family, he, besides his parents, were the only ones in a stable, long-term relationship. The Many Rejected Men had all met Audrey and liked her, but none of them had steady girlfriends, thankfully for the women of London. His sister seemed pretty happy with her boyfriend, but on pain of death he wouldn't talk to Ginny about relationships, unless it was insinuating Harry's painful death if he ever hurt her.

He checked his watch. It was late enough that his brother would be home from work, early enough that he would catch them before they went to bed. He took a chance and apparated nearby Shell Cottage, quickly directing his patronus to Bill to see if he could visit. After receiving a yes, he strode forward and knocked on the door.

"Perce! Glad you came, little brother," Bill opened the door and welcomed him in. "Need to polish some silverware? Need my wife to teach your department true Gallic manners?"

"No, no," Percy said nervously. "I came to ask you personal stuff." Bill raised his eyebrows at this. "I know, I know. Percy Weasley has a personal life. Ha, ha," he said sarcastically then sobered up. "You see, I like this girl, but she's non-magical, and I want her in my life, but I don't know if I should tell her about us, but I don't want to continue to lie to her, and I would regret it if I couldn't see her as often as possible. I'm not sure what to do."

"Aha! We are finally hearing about your mystery girl. You have dated for a while and you have to decide what path you are going to take. That's huge, Perce," Bill gestured to the sofa. "Do you want anything to drink?" Percy nodded no, sank into the sofa and Bill sat in the chair across from him. "Tell me what's going on."

Percy didn't know where to start so he jumped right in. "I don't know if I can tell her, I don't know if I even like her like that. What if she can't handle us and I have to obliviate her?" Percy did not like that option at all.

"What's she like?" Bill asked.

"Her name's Audrey. She's beautiful, smart, and I mean crazy-mad-Muggle-scientist smart. We like the same style of art and I've started reading Muggle novels she recommends and I really enjoy them. She likes to run, and even pays people money to run in races. She listens to me talk about boring work items and doesn't even yawn! She travels the world and likes computers and I can even tell you what a nano-particle is!" Percy paused to take a breath. "I like her, but I'm not sure what that even means. You see, I just learned how to like myself."

Bill looked thoughtful at that last line, paused, then grinned at him. "Oh, you like her all right. Listen, within days of meeting Fleur I knew she was the one. Mum hated her, and I told them it was both of us or none of us. Relationships usually aren't easy, but ours is, or at least the struggle is always worth it. I would move mountains for that woman, and she puts up with cranky, scarred old me and my taste in alleged golden oldie music. Is that how you feel about Audrey?"

Percy nodded. He didn't even have to think about it, really, when Bill asked. He knew, and Bill knew it, too. It just needed pointing out to him.

"Do it. Tell her, and if she likes you as much as you like her, it will be fine. If you didn't, you would regret it for the rest of your days."

"What if she says no?" Percy asked, instantly imagining many scenarios in his head involving Audrey laughing at him and then leaving him in various ways, he having to strike her memory and then never seeing her again. He shuddered involuntarily.

"I don't think she will. You're a good man, Perce. But I'm here for you if she does. But she won't. Oh, and this will thrill Dad," Bill continued with a big smile.

"Huh?" Percy wondered where that thought came from. He knew his dad said Audrey was cute, and had drawn his attention to her, but had no guesses on anything else.

"Arthur Weasley, lover of all things Muggle, owner of a mobile telephone and an email account, will have a non-magical person dating his son. None of his other children had the courtesy to even date a Muggle." Bill spread his palms out, daring Percy to rebut him, in that superior big brother way of his. "Prove me wrong, little brother."

"Fine, fine, you win, as always," Percy sighed. "However, you will be next to last to meet her. Serves your smugness right."

"What?" Bill protested. "After all my excellent advice? After I loan you my wife to save your department?"

"Loan me your wife?" Percy's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Poor choice of words there, Bill Weasley. 'It could be worse. You could be Charlie. He is last on my list of people a non-magical person should meet," Percy stated. Bill nodded to agree with that. Their brother, who lived and breathed for his work with dragons, would not be the most Muggle-friendly Weasley family member to start with. That, and the geographically undesirable angle. Now it was time to put his big brother in his place. "Besides, you're not meeting anything but some household chores."

Bill's face dropped. "She's standing right behind me, isn't she?" He asked quietly. Percy could only grin. Sure enough, Bill's beautiful wife was standing in the nearest doorway, holding a wooden spoon and looking, as Percy later described it to the rest of his family, like a very devilish angel.

Percy left Shell Cottage on that note.