Soulmate AUs Day Twenty-One

Prompt: you have a clock that counts up from 0 until you meet your soulmate

Optional prompts:

· (Saying) "Life begins at forty."

An Opportunity

Percival woke in a hospital bed, surprised to find himself alive. A healer rushed in, likely alerted to his conscious state.

"Geroff," he muttered, scooping up his wand from his bedside table and deflecting the diagnostic spells she cast at him. He staggered to his feet, ignoring vocal cries off disapproval.

"Mr Graves, you must get back into bed!"

"Bugger off. I've been held captive for Merlin knows how long – you're not keeping me here!" he snarled.

The healer crossed her arms, and frowned.

"Graves, are you being difficult?"

Percival groaned. He conjured himself a basic robe, and wrapped it around his body.

"Always," he grunted. Piquery stood in the doorway, tapping her foot, an amused expression upon her face.

"I don't know how I ever mistook him for you," she teased, but kindly. She offered an arm, and he gladly took it. "I'll apparate you home."

"Hpmf," Percival said, but accepted her offer.

He collapsed into an armchair the moment they arrived. Merlin, but that had taken a lot out of him.

"Tired?" Piquery said dryly.

"No," he growled. "Now, tell me what in Merlin's name has been happening."

She snorted. "Grindelwald had been impersonating you for three weeks, searching for an obscurus that he wanted to hone into a weapon and use to expose the magical world. A British Wizard named Newt Scamander got himself caught up in all the trouble, and somehow managed to capture and reveal him. The obscurus, I'm afraid, could not be contained. There's a complete report on your desk, but I don't want to see you in MACUSA for a week, do you understand?

Graves rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"There's something else."

He arched a brow when she paused. "Yes?"

"Check your arm."

Graves frowned. He rolled up his sleeves and – gaped.

His number was frozen. "Fuck off," he said to it, unwilling to deal with that, on top of everything else. But, there it was. 41:5:7:11:3:58. Years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds. From his rough calculations, it had frozen three days ago.

"They do say 'life begins at forty'," Piquery said cheerfully. He narrowed his eyes at her.

Ah hell. All that – and now he had to hunt down his soulmate as well.

There was a knock at his door. Percival exchanged a bewildered glance with Piquery, and went to answer it, wand in hand.

A scruffy looking man, with lovely eyes, and a case in hand, stood there, shuffling his feet anxiously.

"Percival Graves? I, er – " His gaze snapped to Percival's exposed number, which he promptly hid behind his back.

"Oh, er, sorry! Look!" The man shoved his own frozen number in Percival's face. "Three days ago, I came to visit you, Mr Graves, and I've only just realised that had stopped, to be perfectly honest, and so I spoke to Tina, and she told me to come here."

"Mr Scamander?"

The man – Scamander – stiffened. "President Piquery," he said, his voice wary.

She took in the situation with sharp eyes. "I think I'll be off now, Graves. See you in no less than a week. More, if you like." Piquery winked at him, and Percival glared back at her, until she apparated away.

"I suppose you better come in." Percival held open the door, and led the way back to his lounge.

"Newt Scamander, and I, well, I know who you are." They shook hands. His handshake was firm, confident. Despite his nervous exterior, Scamander was a self-assured man, of that, Percival was certain.

He sat down in his armchair, and laced his fingers together, inspecting Scamander. He was scrutinised in return.

"Look, if you don't want this, just say, and I'll be off," Scamander said tiredly, swiping a hand through his hair. "I understand it's a lot to deal with."

He hadn't taken a seat, and turned toward the door.

"Wait," Percival said, knowing he'd curse himself if he let this opportunity slip through his fingers. "Do you have anywhere to be?"

Scamander shook his head.

"Then – just stay here, a while. We can get to know each other."

Scamander offered him a tentative smile. "Alright," he said softly. "I think I'd like that."