Another instalment in this series, one that I hope will pick up readership again now that the crux of the situation with Percy and his family is coming to head in the next few chapters. The Blood Bind Project, Drase and Lepenope will become more intricate to the plot from here on out but don't worry - Oliver and Percy will still be the main stars in this. As always, this is slash and M for a reason so if no like these, please click back. But if you got this far you would already like those things by now wouldn't you ;) Also, this is a very, very long instalment so I apologise for this, but I had a lot of stuff to get through and the next one should be as long, so depending on how much you like this story and how long you like the chapters I suppose will be an issue. Otherwise, enjoy and hope you like the meeting between Percy, Thomas and his family. It took a while, but by Jove we're here people ! Enjoy !
CHAPTER 25 - ENTERING THE LION'S DEN.
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" You have to speed up things."
Drase looked up, eyeing Lepenope with a cynical look before turning his attention back to the folders sped out in front of him. " I do not take orders from you in case you forgot."
" Ah, but as you have so conveniently chosen to forget as well dear doctor, it is the people who I represent who you should be worried about. Especially now."
" They are not worried about the project yet."
He heard her chuckle. " No, but they will be when I tell them what is happening right at this moment."
Drase looked up from the files. " What are you talking about ?"
The woman, if Drase could even call her that, simply smiled as she continued to walk around the small office before coming to a stop right in front of the doctor's
desk. " The top candidates in the project, Oliver Wood and Percy Weasley is what's the matter. They are going somewhere very interesting today."
" What are you on about ? My agents say that they are too busy shagging and galavanting naked through Weasley's apartment to be going anywhere."
" Not today they aren't. And with the boy in tow no less. Though I must say the little brat is not happy about Wood tagging along. Or the whole idea of where they're going for that matter."
Drase frowned. He hated it when she did this to him, bated when she knew he wanted to truth straight out. " Just spit it out already. I'm a busy man and have a lot on my plate at this moment in time. I don't need your constant prattling in my ear as well."
" Patience is needed in matters such as these good doctor," she purred, leaning up against the side of his desk to peer down at him with those yellow orbs that passed as eyes. " Especially when I know that the minister himself is due to see you this afternoon with ten representatives of the most influential pure blood families."
Drase eyes widened. How did she know...But I thought I was only privy to that kind of Intel ?
" How did you find out about the minister coming here ?"
" I have unrestricted access to all files on those with the Blood Bind Project doctor. And that includes yours. Quite an interesting read too I might add. I mean, who would have thought you and Wood would be..."
" Just spit it out !! What is so bloody important that you have burst in here when I am right in the middle of working out how to combine the strands of DNA needed to..."
Lepenope's grin broadened. " They're heading to the Burrow."
Drase blinked. Surely he just didn't hear what he had just heard.
" The Burrow ? Today ? All three of them ?"
The black robed woman nodded. " Yes. Should be very interesting to see how this pans out."
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" But why do I have to go Daddy ?"
" Because your baby-sitter is busy and Miss Rankin's is closed down until further notice. Now stop your fussing and brush your teeth."
It would have been a typical start to their morning, both young and older Weasley men brushing their teeth in front of the bathroom mirror with nothing but their briefs on with their hair stuck at odd angles. But it wasn't.
Today's the day we meet the devils themselves. And Mum, Dad, Ron, Ginny, Charlie and Bill.
Percy frowned, Even after all these years he could not shake the image of the twins as the Satan's own personal cabana boys but alas, no end in sight there. But those two were a far distant annoyance when compared to the complicated matter of trying to figure out how to explain Thomas to the rest of the family. It was one thing enough to try to explain how he ended up with Oliver Wood and not the infamous Penelope Clearwater, but another thing entirely to tell them he'd had a son for nearly five years and not tell them about it.
" But why are we seeing them now ?"
Percy sighed, looking down from the mirror to see a pair of curious brown eyes staring up at him expectantly. Quickly he spitted and rinsed out his mouth before leaning down to pick up his son and placed him on top of the bathroom counter in front of him. " You remember when I told you that Daddy had some problems with Grandpa and Grandma and his family ?"
Thomas nodded. " Yeah, You said you had to leave because they didn't like you or Mummy back then."
" Right. Well, Grandpa recently just called me, and it seems he wants to get the family together again. So I agreed."
The little boy in front of him frowned, deep in thought. " But, you told me you never wanted to see them again, like, forever Daddy. Why'd you wanna see them now ?"
Because I'm scared of what'll happen if they find out about you from someone else and them ALL gang up on me. Because I want my mum to finally meet her new grandson after always pestering me about wanting grand-kids as soon as possible and from me in particular. Because...
" I just think it's time we tried to get along. It's nice to have family around when times get tough and since it was Grandpa who turned to me here I think it's time to see if we can get along for once. You understand love ?"
Thomas nodded. " I understand."
" And you don't mind coming along with me today ?"
" No."
Percy smiled and pulled Thomas into a hug, surprised when his son still clung to him after a while when he began to pull back. " Thomas ?"
" You won't leave me alone there will you ? I can stay with you all the time ?"
He's more scared about this than I am.
Smiling Percy kissed Thomas softly on the top of his head before gathering the small boy into his arms. " Let's go pick out what you're going to wear for the big event
okay ? Got to look snazzy for the oldies."
He felt his son nod before burying his face into the crook of Percy's neck, his whole body tightening around him like he was afraid to let go and have his rock of stability taken away from him. " Okay Daddy. But I don' want Mr Wood helping. Just you."
Percy sighed. Another obstacle to overcome. And it was only six am.
" Sure Thomas. Just you and me together."
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Arthur watched with detached amusement at the scene before him.
One thing's for certain. I've never seen everyone look so on edge before my entire life. And that's saying something.
From his vantage point he could hear Molly and Ginny having another one of a long series of yelling matches that had been going on ever since Molly had gotten them all involved in the last minute spring cleaning marathon. And now, judging by the high pitched scream of obvious frustration and the slamming sound of the back door a few seconds later, Ginny had reached her final breaking point.
" She's gone around the bend. Stark raving mad."
Arthur smiled as he felt his youngest son throw himself in the space next to him on the large lounge seat. Taking in the untucked shirt and the rolled up sleeves, it would appear that he had just come off from another one of Molly's chores from upstairs and not looking all that pleased about it.
" She's got you on cleaning detail again son ?"
Ron rolled his eyes. " Not quite. I've just been upstairs helping Fred and George move out all their crap from their room. All those crates and bags filled with all their joke shop merchandise."
" Why on earth are they moving all that stuff out now ? Molly was fine with it last time I spoke to her and the twins now live up the top of their shop in Diagon."
" Mum wants everyone to be here when Percy arrives. Something about family unity and all that bull, so that means Fred and George are basically being ordered to move back home for the duration of Percy's visit, hence all their stuff being moved back to their shop's back room."
Arthur frowned, turning around to face Ron fully. " And I take it she's got everyone else staying here too ?"
" What do you think ? I'm supposed to start cleaning out my old room so I can sleep there and Ginny was livid a while ago when Mum basically ordered her back home from her flat in London."
Arthur shook his head. " She shouldn't do this, all this fussing about. It'll only stress him out when he gets here with Oliver."
" Stress Percy out ? What about us Dad ? It's more like a drill sergeant working us over than Mum around here lately and you're more worried about a git who has not bothered to owl a line or Floo a hello for nearly five years ?"
Arthur chuckled at Ron's scandalised expression, once again noticing how much alike Percy and Ronald were when they got stressed out or surprised over anything that seemed so life altering yet rather mediocre.
" Just promise me you won't go for the jugular right off the bat when he arrives son all right ? If nothing else for your mother's sake and mine."
Ron looked like he was about to say otherwise but nodded, folding his arms and stretching his legs out to cross at the heel as he settled back into the couch and stared off into the far off distance. Arthur watched him out of the corner of his eye for a moment, wondering if he should stress anything more or just leave the boy be as to not put any more added pressure on him at that moment.
He is right though. What should be a happy occasion for our family is turning into the lunch date from hell. In just hope it works for all our sakes. And our sanity as well. Maybe it'll all.
" I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK IT'LL BREAK THE ICE GEORGE !! YOU ARE NOT PUTTING STINK BOMBS IN PERCY'S BED AND THAT'S FINAL ! AND FRED, WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH THOSE FIRECRACKERS ?!"
Beside Arthur Ron chuckled, turning his head slightly to catch his father's eye.
" Maybe it's the twins you and mum should be worried about Dad. Mum seems to think so."
Groaning the older Weasley was already off the lounge and headed in the direction of the three way screaming match in the kitchen. He already knew what he would find once he reached there, Fred and George cowering at one end of the small confined space with their formidable mother fast approaching from the other side with the look of murder right across her face.
Just like old times. And to think I thought this would end once they all grew up and left the nest.
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" I still don' see why we have to travel this way. Why can' we just apparate to the burrow like normal wizards ?"
" Because, you nit, we have Thomas in tow and we have to limit magic use around him as much as possible. The charm is still in effect in case you've forgotten."
" Then why the hell are we going to the Burrow with him at all ? Last time I went there was so much magic going on it was like Hogwarts times one hundred sometimes."
Percy threw the other man a filthy look but said nothing, instead stared back down the street a bit where their son was currently playing a quick game of hopscotch on the square pavement. Dressed in a bright red hoodie with matching sneakers and pale blue jeans he certainly looked the part of an everyday muggle child, but somehow the thought of him being treated as something not normal when he arrived at his own house nagged at him. Telling them about Thomas was one thing after all. But would they accept him into the fold so soon after meeting him ? His mother and father he was sure would welcome their new grand-child with open arms, but the siblings were another matter entirely.
Next to him Oliver Wood quietly watched Percy out of the corner of his eye, every now and then looking over to see Thomas standing there a few metres away and giving him a look of such thinly veiled dislike it was unnerving.
" You've worried about the family accepting Thomas more than anything aren't you Perce ?"
Percy nodded. " More than anything. I can handle rejection being an adult, but Thomas is only a wee lad and I will not stand for it if they are cruel to him in any way while we are there."
" I understand. But remember you got me coming with you. I'd knock anyone flat who insults you or Thomas."
Percy smiled and looked up to see the determined gaze in the brown eyes that looked upon him. Smiling still he leaned up and placed a quick kiss on Oliver's slightly chapped lips, pulling away to see the Keeper match him grin for grin when he did. " Thanks.That means a lot. I just hope Thomas understands your not the enemy after all this is over."
" I hope so," Oliver paused. " How...how are we going to explain how our son was born by the way ? I know we can' use the blood bind project as an excuse or our cover will be blown, yet if we don' come up with a reasonable story they'll all start asking more and more questions."
" I thought about that."
" And ?"
" I'm thinking along the lines of saying Penelope and me could not conceive a child with my sperm, so we turned to one of our best friends, that being you, to be a donor."
Oliver frowned. " Artificial Insemination right ? That muggle treatment for infertile couples ?"
Percy nodded. " The very same. Sound like a good cover for us ?"
" I think so. At least until everything gets back on a good enough footing as to reveal the truth about his birth and why you went into hiding in the first place. But what about the Penelope angle ?"
Percy frowned, biting his lower lip as he took the question in. That angle would be more difficult to divulge, especially since many in his family expected him to end up with Clearwater than the burly Wood. And her being dead and all added only another layer of awkwardness.
" I can' think of anything for that. Let's just focus on getting through the lunch in one piece all right ? Worry about Penelope when we get to that bridge as it were. Okay Ol ?"
Oliver nodded, though inside he was debating how long that particular cover would hold up once they got to the burrow and in front of all the Weasley clan.
In an hour's time we'll soon find out.
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" Fred, tuck your shirt in ! George, you too and don' you dare pull that face at me again or I'll slap it off !! And you Ginny ! Where on earth did you get that short thing you call a skirt !"
Bill and Charlie chuckled at the looks their siblings were throwing their mother when her back was turned, marching up and down the row she had her children lined up in at the front yard of their house. Mrs Weasley has told them all to get dressed in their best clothing and robes, faces and backs of ears clean as a whistle and their hair to be immaculate to a fault. The inquisition at the front lawn though was the last straw for some.
" This is ridiculous !" Fred fumed, batting away Molly's hand as she fussed over his unruly mop of red thatches. " It's Percy Mum !! Not the bloody Minister himself !"
" And what if he doesn't show up !" George chimed in, grinning though at his twin's plight. " You're doing all this fussing for nothing and..."
" Your brother WILL show up George so shut it ! And Fred, fix your hair again. It's too messy. And Ginny..."
Leaning against either side of the from doorway the eldest brothers just smiled, both turning at that moment as their father stopped at the door step, his eyes catching the fiasco outside before smiling and shaking his head.
" Better pray your brother turns up for this boys, otherwise I fear your mother will end up killing us all due to the stress."
Bill smiled, shaking his head as pushing off the wall with his foot to move over to the group to save them from more of their mother's wrath. He did hope Percy would be coming. It was just a matter of what would happen once he arrived here and how the rest of the family would react to him. And that Oliver Wood fellow too was a .
The day of reckoning is about to begin.
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" Just here will do thanks."
Oliver caught the puzzled look the driver was giving him from the rear vision mirror, not to mention saw the one Thomas was giving to him from his vantage point seated in Percy's lap. But the driver complied, pulling over to the side of the dirt road they had been travelling on for the last half hour since leaving London, putting them in a place smack bang in the middle of lush green fields and pastures dotted with the occasional cow munching away at the foliage.
" Thank you." Percy smiled as he handed over the folded muggle money through the slot in the bullet proof sheeting that separated driver from occupant. Oliver swore it was a hundred pound note Percy had just handed over and was about to point it out, but already Percy and Thomas were scrambling out of the cab so he had no choice but to follow.
" Okay, mind explaining to me why we got off here ?"
Percy threw Oliver a look, instead looking down to see Thomas looking up at him expectantly, one hand clutching Percy's left while his other held fast to the little Power Ranger backpack he bought. " Ready for a little walk there Thomas ?"
" How far is it ?"
Percy shrugged. " About thirty minutes. Of coarse, with the way you run it'll be about half that."
The little brown eyes lit up like light bulbs. " I can run ? Really Daddy ?"
Percy smiled and crouched down to Thomas' height before pointing out to the fields that were just on the opposite side of the road. As Oliver followed Percy's point he could just make out the long smoke trail of chimney smoke in the far off distance.
" See where that long line of smoke is coming up from behind those hills all the way across there ? That's where we got to go. Think your up for it ?"
An enthusiastic nod was all Thomas gave and what Percy needed. As soon as they crossed the road Thomas tossed Oliver his bag, let off a squeal of delight and ran head long into the first field to leave both his Dads in his wake.
Oliver stood there for a moment, laughing as he watched the small version of himself jump and tumble through the grass, once in a while stopping to pick up a rock or twig before moving further on towards the next field.
" Thought this would be a good idea."
Oliver smirked. " Yeah. Poor kid's been cooped up for too long in that small taxi and was itching to do something. And let's face it, there was only so much our son can take in
Percy chuckled and began himself moving across the field with Oliver right by his side. " It won't take us long to reach the Burrow. About fifteen minutes I reckon and we'll be at the front gate."
" How did you know to get to the Burrow from here ? Last time I came here was by Knight Bus in our seventh year, and even then we had to take the front roads that didn't pass by fields like these."
" When your a loner like I am in a family like mine, you go out of your way to find places where you can be on your own without any intrusions. I stumbled upon these fields one day and came here when ever I wanted time away from my family."
Oliver nodded. " I can understand that. You always liked being on your own. Even at school you always preferred your own company."
" Except from you of coarse."
" Thank God. "
" Likewise," Percy smiled, casting Oliver a sly glance before turning his attention back up front where Thomas was. Then stopped dead in his tracks.
" Oliver."
Oliver stopped too, looking right at Percy. " Yeah Perce ?"
" Where's Thomas ?"
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" He's not coming Mum."
Molly glowered at the boy who leaned against the front gate where his mother was currently stationed, herself leaning over to peer up and down the one stretch of dirt road that went in front of their small house. Behind her she could hear more grumbling and complaining from the other children, themselves already given up standing by the gate and seated on the long wooden seat that was by the front entrance way. Lord knows where her husband had disappeared to.
A hand touching her right shoulder made her turn to see Ginny now standing by her side, a small smile on her face as she came to stand beside her.
" Maybe we should wait inside Mum. Have a cup of tea while we wait."
" It'll be a long bloody wait if you ask me."
Ginny threw her brother a heated look behind her mother's back before turning her attention back to the front fields. Then frowned. Something caught her eye that was coming in quite fast over the last field across the front road.
" What on earth could that be ?"
Her words bought the rest of the Weasley brood to the front fence, all now watching in utter amazement as the small blur was fast approaching their front lawn and seemed to be trailed close behind by what appeared to be two adults shouting at the top of their lungs.
" Oh my goddess !! It's him !! Arthur look !"
Beside her Arthur could only gape in amazement as, lo and behold, the little brown mouse haired boy that his wife swore appeared in the family pictures was before them. Dressed in what appeared to be muggle clothing and bright red sneakers, the child waved at them from across the road as he stopped, looked both ways twice, then ran across the street to stand right at the front gate. All the Weasley's stared at the small brown eyed boy in silence as the child himself simply kept smiling while looking from one Weasley to another as they stood there.
" Hi !" he said and stepped forward, left hand extended to Molly in front of him.
" My name is Thomas Weasley. Pleased to meet'cha !"
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" And he's the end result of what exactly ?"
Percy glared at a dumbstruck George, sparing a quick glance to the backyard seen to his right. Thomas was still sitting there on the makeshift tire swing, giggling and chatting away to himself while Oliver and himself were being interrogated by the whole brood in the lounge room. Percy and Oliver were seated in the long lounge chair by the fireplace as his parents and six siblings stood in one long line in front of them.
" It's like I just told you three minutes ago George, Penelope and I were having trouble conceiving a child and the only person we could trust with such sensitive knowledge was Oliver here."
Charlie turned his eyes to the Keeper, frowning. " And you went along with this willingly ?"
Oliver frowned back. " Of coarse I did. They were my friends in need and I wanted to help out."
" What ? So Perce here just waltzes over you place with a cup in hand, knocks on your door and says ' Listen mate, it's not a cup of sugar I want to borrow but a cup of baby batter. Can you spare some of tha' ?"
" No you foul git ! Look, truth be told I've actually wanted to become a Da for some time, so when Percy and Penelope came to me and told of the situation and how it was they chose me to be the donor I was, well, honoured."
" And you had no problem with this Percy with your best mate being the biological father of your son ?"
Percy simply shugged at his father's question, knowing full well it would irritate the older man when he did. " Better I know where the candidate came from than some random bloke off the street and besides, it was not like we were just going to use Oliver's genetic material and leave it at that. Penelope and I wanted him to be a part of our son's life as well."
Charlie frowned further. " So in effect this child has three parents ?"
" Did have Charlie."
Molly, who had so far remained quiet throughout the question and answering equation, looked up from the floor and straight at her third child. " What do you mean by that Percy ? What's happened to..."
" Maybe we can just get on with lunch now Mrs Weasley eh ?" Oliver smiled, placing a hand on Percy's knee and giving a warning glance to the kids standing around them as he did. " Perce, why don' you go get our son while I help you family here with setting up the lunch out back ?"
Percy looked startled for a minute, looking back and forth from his family and a rather determined looking Oliver. Still he complied, smiling a tad as he stood up and walked to the back entrance. The minute he was out of sight all eyes were back on the Keeper but their mouths stayed shut as soon as they saw the look the brunette was giving them when they did - it was a look of a pissed of Quidditch player.
" Now listen here, Percy is here on his own accord and by your own invitation Arthur as I recall correct ?"
Arthur nodded. " Yes, but that still..."
" Which means," Oliver growled, throwing a knowing look at both Fred and George as he spoke. " That he should be treated with politeness and respect as any one of you guests should. Now, he's answered your main questions about our son and the reason he was not in contact with you after all this time was that he was afraid of how you would react to our, um, unusual lifestyle situation, but let's..."
" Oh such big words from the strapping Keeper !" snapped George, eyeing the brunette with thinly veiled distaste. " That good for nothing prick has a lot to answer to us more than anyone ! Mum and Dad need to know the whole truth about what happened in those missing five years and..."
" Mr Wood ?"
All the eyes turned to the little voice. Thomas was standing by the back door with Percy, holding his hand in a tight grip and staying hidden behind the thinner man's long legs and peering out around them.
" Yeah Thomas ?"
" Can we eat now ? I'm really, really hungry. And Daddy is too !"
" Of coarse mate. Just wait outside and..."
" Well what are we waiting around here for now Arthur !"
Oliver turned around to see Molly looking from each of her brood to the next with a steely looked that clearly showed she was not in the mood to be interrupted. Arthur though, Oliver noted with some amusement, look unfazed by his wife's bossy tone as she stood up and made her way towards the kitchen, calling orders behind her shoulder as she went.
Probably used to her taking charge of everything on the home front. Wonder how HE feels about Thomas and Percy being with me ? Or indeed having a Grandson suddenly in the picture. Weird.
" Fred ! George ! Move that table to the backyard and begin setting up the chairs. Ginny, you and Charlie will bring the food out the normal way as well. Bill, you and your father can bring out the bottles of..."
Oliver heard Arthur Weasley snicker, and turned to see the elder Weasley looking directly at him, amusement clearly shining in those eyes as he did.
" Welcome to the family Oliver. I suggest you prepare for the ride of your life."
Great.
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The food was delicious and the glasses of mulled wine from the cellar was the best he had tasted since Hogwarts at his graduation ceremony and all around he could hear the chuckling and chattering and all the other sounds that signalled a relaxed family lunch gathering. But Oliver could not shake the feeling that something was off about the whole deal. Sure there were smiles, knowing nods and the occasional slap on the back from Fred ( or George ? ) once in a while but still, in the back of his mind he knew it was not sincere. Or real.
It's mainly all a put on for him. This little bloke sitting between me and Percy.
For show or not, Oliver was glad when he looked down to see the little boy clearly enjoying himself despite earlier protesting his coming along to Percy and Oliver. In between stuffing his mouth with ham or potato coleslaw Thomas kept up an animated conversation with Percy and the other Weasley members that would lean over and ask him one question all the other. And like any child of his age he loved the attention and thrived in it, talking and waving his hands around excitedly while describing a soccer move or something funny he saw on the muggle streets in his apartment block. In the corner of his eye Oliver noted Percy keeping a steely glare at the twins when ever they would come over and talk to their son and keep it trained on them when they moved back down the long table back to their spot. Oliver noted it as Percy was quite easy with Ginny, Bill or Charlie talking to their son, so his guarded behaviour with Fred and George definitely stood out like a sore thumb when he did his guard dog impression.
Can't say I blame him. The twins teased him like mad when they were at school and at home. Just wants to protect our son from possibly becoming another target in their little ego games. But he's got to know I'm not going to let anything happen to Thomas while where here either.
" I think someone's finally tuckered out." Percy smiled, looking down and making Oliver glance as well. Thomas had fallen asleep somewhere between his third helping and desert, his body leaning up against Percy's with his head coming to rest in the redhead's lap. Before he could stop himself Oliver reached out and lightly brushed away a stray lock of hair from the sleeping lad's face, making Thomas giggle and batted away his hand.
" Stop it Daddy. I'm a tryin' to sleep."
He thinks it's Percy. But still, I'll take this 'Daddy' anyway.
Smiling Oliver slowly pulled his hand away as Percy began to stand up from his seat, lifting the sleeping toddler into his arms before turning to his mother and father at the end of the table, both who were looking at him as if already knowing what he was going to ask.
" Mum, is it all right if I put Thomas in my old room for a kip ?"
Molly smiled, nodding. " Of coarse love. It's still as you left it."
Nodding his thanks Percy turned to leave, Oliver remaining seated as he watched his lover and his son making their way back into the house and out of his view. And he was quite content to stay there and finish up his desert of strawberries and cream until Percy came back, but when he turned around to see a virtual swarm of red haired locus about to descend on him with bazillion questions itching on their tongues Oliver suddenly felt he should tag along too.
" I better go up too. Help Thomas get settled in and all tha'. I'll be back in a jiffy."
And hoping that it was not too obvious that it looked the Keeper shoved his plate out of the way and was making a beeline straight into the Burrow and up the stairs like a Quaffle thrown at full pelt. A minute of silence shrouded the scene as the Weasley brood watched the Scotsman hightail it out of there, before Fred turned to his twin brother and grinned the biggest grin that day.
" This should be interesting. Very interesting indeed."
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" I still can't believe it's as I left it. Even the posters are the same."
Oliver looked around the room as he leaned against the door frame, taking in the astronomy posters and multiplication times tables dotting the otherwise sparsely decorated room. Looking back over at the bed he smiled as he watched Percy tuck their son under the covers, playing a kiss on Thomas' forehead before standing up quietly and making his way over to Oliver to stand next to him. They both just stood there and watched their child as he slept, totally oblivious to the commotion he was causing by being there and what was probably going to happen later on this evening when they were due to leave.
" They're probably having a tribal council down back you know."
Percy chuckled. " Yeah. Probably pulling straws to see who'll be the one to ask about Penelope and why we said they cannot do magic while Thomas is here."
Oliver frowned, turning around on his shoulder to face his lover before he spoke again. " Do you think it's wise not to tell them about Penelope being dead and the whole Blood Binding business ? It would certainly make it a lot less awkward than it has to be. You know they'll all be itching to know everything and it won't stop until they get answers."
" Then I guess we'll just have to be more vigilant and ride it out till we leave. We've already had lunch and desert is nearly finished so we haven't got that long to go you know."
" Yeah ?"
" Yes. Mum'll probably badger Dad to keep us for coffee or a night-cap of scotch in the family room to keep us here longer but she knows I want to be out of here before it gets dark so it won't take too long."
" Just as long as your old man doesn't corner me alone and starts asking how long I've been shagging his son in the five years you've been missing. It'll be bloody nerve rackin' and when I think about the twins and the way they were looking at me..."
Percy chuckled and leaned over to place a soft kiss on Oliver's lips, effectively cutting off the rest of what he wanted to say. Oliver smiled into it though it was unexpected, kissing Percy back with equal pressure and managed a sweep of the tongue on the redhead's lower lip that delightfully made Perce groan when they finally pulled apart. The Keeper reached up with one hand cupping the back of Percy's neck and kept them close, forehead to forehead and smiled when he saw Percy was just as out of breathe as he was after that kiss.
" Ye know, " Oliver grinned, reaching his free hand down to roughly caress the growing bulge in Percy's pants. " If our barn wasn' kippin' in front of us and yer clan wasn' plotting our demise downstairs I'd shag yer right here in the doorway."
Percy groaned despite himself, keeping an eye on their sleeping son and hoping that he was fast asleep so quick that he was not privy to the full on groping right in the doorway. " Oliver. Our son is right here and downstairs there's..."
Oliver growled, turning them both out of the room and around the doorway to slam the thinner man up hard against the wall in the hall, hand still on the neck to hold him close to his broad form and his free one now making harder caresses into the large organ pressing against his palm and fingers.
" We're out of sight now."
" The door is still..."
Growling Oliver pulled his hand away from it's caressing, took his wand out from his back pocket and pointed it at the bedroom door and it closed in a split second, then stowed his wand away and turned back to Percy to continue what they had started. The problem though was that Percy had disentangled himself from what Oliver thought was a vice grip on the neck and was already down the hallway and at the stairs. He turned back and shook his head and didn' say a word, instead turning his back and made his way back down and most probably back into the onslaught of questions and cutting remarks.
Oliver cursed. Great. Not only was he now stressed out and on edge with them being smack bang in the middle of a firing squad and the harpies swarming above, but now he had a raging hard on and images of a bubble arsed redhead dancing in his head on top of that to content with too. But he knew one thing. There was no fucking way he was just going to leave Percy to go downstairs alone and face that lot alone and, hard on or not, Oliver aimed to keep that promise of protecting his new family to the fullest.
And when we get home and send Thomas to bed I'm gonna fuck him senseless on the kitchen table for my reward.
Keeping that thought in mind Oliver squared his shoulders, quickly adjusted the bulge in his pants with one hand and prayed to the Gods it didn't stand out too much to be an embarrassment, and moved back downstairs behind his love.
TBC...
I was going to post a new chapter of THE PLAYWITCH FIASCO first, but this chapter has been sitting around for about a week and since this story has not been updated in yonks I decided GRAVITY OF LOVE was more of a priority. But do not despair PLAYWITCH lovers as the next instalment will be up in a few days and, as a reward for your patience, a REMIX of OLIVER WOOD'S GREAT SHOWER PHILOSOPHY will be up at the same time, with the final section, PART 4 - WORKING OLIVER HARD, finally added after all this bumbling around.