Title: The Many Qualities of Mercy
Author: Jmaria
Rating: FR-15
Disclaimer: JK owns all - Im still coping with the fallout.
Spoilers: All seven years at Hogwarts. (Mainly set during OotP, HBP, and DH)
Summary: Its the softening of a heart that leads to the breaking of it. Millicent learns this all too painfully for her own comfort.
A/N: In which Percy makes some decisions without knowing that Millicent has made a few of her own.

The Many Qualities of Mercy


14. The World

The easiest thing he'd done was breaking things off quietly with Penny. He could use any excuse really - her obvious distaste for his family, her constant harping on his career moves, her sudden and disturbing interest in Oliver Wood. They'd spent more time apart lately than they had together.

The hardest was thinking how to try and change his relationship with Millicent. Or see if she was even interested in changing things with their relationship. He showed up at the Burrow earlier for the weekly get together three weeks after going to visit Fred's grave and breaking up with Penny.

Miranda threw herself at her uncle, giggling happily at seeing him alone. Percy pulled her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes searching behind her for her mother. Millicent hovered just inside the door, tension in her face clear as she glanced behind him looking for Penny.

"By yourself again?" Millicent asked quietly, looking up into his eyes. "Penelope not able to join us again?"

"Good," Miranda sighed.

"Miranda Winifred, apologize this instant! That was a very rude thing to say about your Uncle Percy's girlfriend," Millicent scolded.

"But she's ever so mean, Mama! She doesn't like me at all!" Randa pouted.

"And that is part of the reason Penelope will no longer be joining us. It is just reprehensible, not liking our Randa," Percy teased lightly. Millicent paled at his words.

"No," she gasped. "You can't -"

"That and she fancies Oliver Wood," Percy shrugged, trying to play it off casually.

"Eww," Randa scrunched up her nose. "He's not nearly as pretty as Uncle Percy! He hasn't even got red hair!"

"Ah, then all the girls should fancy me for my red hair?" Percy grinned.

"Of course! "Randa chirped, her eyes brightening as she spotted Tori, Bill and Fleur coming. "Down please!"

Percy watched her leave for a moment before turning back to the extremely tense Millicent.

"I'm sorry things ended with her," Millicent said stiffly.

"I'm not," Percy shrugged. He took a deep breath, averting his eyes from her. "She - she wasn't the same girl I knew from school. She changed during the war, and the changes weren't good ones."

"But you felt something for her, and she's been the first girl you've brought around. If Randa's attitude towards -"

"It had nothing to do with Randa's attitude toward her," Percy stared at her. "I didn't care for her attitude towards my family."

Millicent nodded at that, but the tension didn't go away. Percy wished he could figure out why she was so upset - surely she didn't believe he and Penny were destined to be? He noticed the tension in both his mother and father as well, but he couldn't place that. He thought perhaps it had something to do with Penny's continued absence. He sought out both his parents after dinner, while the rest of the family went outside for a pick-up Quidditch game.

"We were upset that Penelope couldn't join us again," Molly said sadly. "Though, to be honest, she wasn't the warmest of witches."

"We've broken up," Percy sighed. "Just wanted different things."

"I'm sorry, Percy," Arthur looked out the window, not really paying attention to his son.

"Why don't you go out and join your brothers dear?"

Frowning over his conversation with his parents, Percy did go out. Not to play Quidditch. He had rotten coordination - there was a reason he was the only Weasley sibling to never play for the house team. Percy went to where Millicent was sitting by herself. Hermione and Alicia sat together, the two little girls taking turns pressing their ears to Alicia's burgeoning belly to hear their little cousin Fred.

"So, what's up with Mum and Dad?"

"Hmm?" Millicent turned to him.

"They're distracted and handled my break-up with far fewer tears than I had expected. Did no one like her?"

"I doubt its really sunk in for them yet, and I'm afraid that's partially my fault," Millicent sighed, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her left ear.

"Why?"

"I told them today that Miranda and I would be moving out at the end of the month," Millicent said in one breath.

"You're - you're leaving the Burrow?" Percy shook his head. "Whatever for?"

"Because its time I grow up," Millicent shrugged. "Because they deserve to be done raising kids. Because I can't hide out here forever."