The characters of the Harry Potter universe belong to Ms. Rowlings, and I'm borrowing them for my own imagination.

Chapter 21 - Kiss

"So you really think that Harry, Ron and Hermione are behind the break in a Gringotts as well as the escaped dragon?" Audrey asked in awe as she cleared up their plates from dinner. Before eating, they had listened to the latest 'Potterwatch' and were now discussing all the questions that would have for Kingsley when he returned home later that night.

"It is their MO. Though, if they escaped on that dragon, I am sure Hermione is having an emotional breakdown." Percy commented as he was cleaning up Molly who had quite a bit of the spaghetti sauce down the front of her jumper

"Why?"

"She hates flying. She confided it to me her first year. I'm not too fond of it myself." Percy admitted as he lifted Molly out of her high chair and headed toward the living room.

"I thought you mentioned playing Quidditch with your brothers, and Oliver mentioned you helped him practice." Audrey called out to him as she started to wash the dishes.

"Yeah, well with my brothers, I wanted to belong, and with Oliver, I just threw Quaffles at him before tryouts. He so wanted to make the team second year, and I was trying to be a good friend." Percy said as he sat his daughter in the play area they had set up for her in the living room.

"You are a good friend." Audrey said sincerely.

"Thanks." Percy said his ears reddening a bit as he rejoined her to help clean up.

"I mean it." She said and splashed him with the soapy water.

"Hey." Percy called out and flipped the towel that was in his hand at her.

When she splashed him again, he quickly grabbed the soapy sponge from the sink and held it up in front of her.

"You wouldn't." She giggled inching away from him before making a mad dash to the other side of the table.

"With my brothers, I learned a lot about getting even." Percy warned and smiled as she giggled again.

As he started to make his way around the table she did the same, when he reversed directions so did she. Discretely he pulled his wand out and with a tap at the table, it vanished.

She screamed when there was no longer anything between them and took off for the living room. Unfortunately for her, he was faster than she was. She hadn't made it too far into the room when his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him. She turned is his arm as he held the sponge over her head. Raising her hands, she tried to push the arm away. All the while, she continued to laugh.

She squealed when despite her best efforts, he squeezed the sponge and the water went streaming down her back. She was laughing so hard that she had to place her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance.

She stopped laughing when she felt his other arm wrap around her. She looked up and saw the spark and intensity in his eyes as they watched her.

'Merlin, he smelled good.' She thought, not for the first time since they had met.

"Do you mind if I kiss you?" He asked, falling back on being polite and proper.

"No, I don't mind." The answered escaped her in a rush of air. She wrapped her arm around his neck and closed her eyes as he slowly lowered his face to hers.

The first kiss was tentative and sweet as was the second. He had just started to deepen the third kiss when they were startled by his daughter's scream and saw the silver goat before them.

"The trio has arrived at Hogwarts. Others are arriving for the battle. Your whole family has arrived." The voice of Albeforth Dumbledore spoke.

"I have to go." Percy said as he stepped away from her and quickly lifted up his startled daughter. He hugged her and kissed her, "Luv, be a good girl for Audrey. Daddy will see you as soon as he can." He hugged and kissed her again before passing her to Audrey.

"The goat?" Audrey asked.

"I figured that if I wasn't with your dad when he got word of the battle, I wouldn't find out until too late. I asked Albeforth to notify me. I can't not go. I have to do this. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't fight with my family." Percy explained.

"Be careful." Audrey urged tears in her eyes.

He wrapped a hand around the back of Audrey's neck. "I will." He promised before kissing her lips then his daughter's forehead one last time. "Remember the letter is in the drawer." He added as he let go and headed toward the door.

"Just make sure I don't have to use it." She said tears in her eyes as he walked out the door.

Comforting the child who was still upset from the appearance of the silver goat, "Please let him come home to us." Then gasped "Oh, Dad!" She began to cry along with Molly, realizing that she wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye to her father. "Please let them both come home to us."

It was going to be a long night.

TBC