Title: Oil and Water

Author: celerysticks

Summary: Percy/Oliver slash.  It's Christmas for the Weasleys, but the idyllic mood is soon shattered as books and Quidditch don't generally mix.  Or so Percy thinks.

Rating: PG.

E-mail: red_five@sailormoon.com

AIM: kateishida

Livejournal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/celerysticks

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O I L   A N D   W A T E R By Celerysticks PART THREE

Suddenly the whole conversation seemed to have switched Percy's interest from himself to Harry.  Charlie had to marvel at Harry's methods of getting his brother out of his shell.  It was clear to Percy from his earnest expression that Harry wasn't lying, and the way he was brazenly laying bear his soul to save him… It made Percy start to look at the young magical legend in a whole new way.  What Harry was telling Percy took bravery, and Harry's unsure placement in Gryffindor was never looking surer.


"You--"  Percy looked shell-shocked, less sure of the notion that he was a total freak.  "You're gay, but I thought, I mean everyone knows of your crush on Cho Chang."

Harry laughed nervously, sitting rigidly on the bed.  "That wasn't one of my better ideas," he laughed.  "I suppose I didn't know there could be any other way, until…  Well, this isn't a story about me.  This is a Percy day."

Percy scowled. 

"I'd rather hear your story," Charlie said with a grin.  Harry turned and elbowed Charlie sharply in the ribs.

"Bitch," Harry retorted lightly.  "Anyway.  What did you say to piss Oliver off like that?"

Percy looked to the carpet again, studying the worn threads of the beige and brown pattern that swirled in dizzying spirals.

"I… got scared.  I mean,  he was talking of moving in together… And I guess I was just… scared.  I was just scared."

"And you couldn't tell him that," Charlie responded flatly.

"Well, no…"  Percy shifted uncomfortably.


"You broke up with him because you couldn't tell him you were scared," Harry reiterated.  "You bloody moron."

Percy gazed at Harry, the insult coming as a shock to his system, made more startling by the fact that Harry was being nice to him.  "What--"

"He means Oliver will be scared too.  If you just talked it over, you'd probably realise you were both being silly.  Being with him makes you feel like everything is right, correct?"  Charlie stared flatly at Percy.

Percy nodded.


"Like nothing could go wrong?" Harry stared at Percy, his gaze curiously intent once more.

Percy nodded again.

"Like the whole world would stand still for the both of you if you merely asked it to?"

Percy nodded yet again.


"What did you say?"  Harry finally asked for the third  time.

"I told him…  It would never work out…  Books and Quidditch just don't match, I mean, have you ever seen anyone reading while flying a broomstick?  It just…  it doesn't work!"  Percy's voice raised to a crescendo, and he broke out into loud sobs again.  Charlie moved forwards and enveloped his brother in a fierce hug while communicating with Harry with a fierce stare.  Harry got the message, and got up off the bed to pick the book Oliver had thrown at Percy earlier and which Percy had accidentally dropped in his misery.

Harry started to laugh, and Percy pulled away from Charlie and glared at Harry miserably.

"Oliver is pretty determined to keep you, Percy," Harry said, a warm smile on his face.  "I suggest you grovel.  If being with him is what you want."

"It is," Percy admitted through his tears.  "Oh goddess, it is."

Harry handed the book to Charlie, who took it and read the title with a grin.  "Percy, you really have screwed up.  Books and Quidditch do match, you moron."

Percy scowled at the same insult that this time came from Charlie.  "What are you two twittering on about now?" He demanded.  Charlie passed Percy the book.  The green book had the words "Quidditch Through the Ages" sprawled across the jacket, the author's name Kennilworthy Wisp printed neatly underneath.  "I don't get it."

Charlie shook his head, and squeezed Percy's shoulder.  "It's a book," Charlie said simply.  Percy gazed at Charlie as if the dragon breeder had gone mad (which, Percy reflected later, someone who willingly works with beasts that can snap you in half or burn you to a crisp in seconds must be) and Harry took pity on Percy.


"It's a Quidditch book," Harry added on gently.

Percy stared at Harry for a long, long second before dropping his gaze to the book.  He let his fingers drift along the upraised words of the title before looking up at Charlie and Harry, who were now stood next to each other and looking at him with identical warm smiles.

"How much grovelling do you think I'll have to do?" Percy asked, his voice sounding small in the room.

"I think you're going to be wearing out your jeans faster than the twins can," Harry replied with a grin.  Percy bit his lip.

"He'll say yes, right?"

Charlie, irritated, hit the back of Percy's head lightly.  "He'd be an idiot not to."

"Right."  Still worried, Percy sank his head into his hands before looking curiously at Harry.  "Do I get to hear your story yet?"

Harry looked confused for a second before exchanging a glance with Charlie and blushing.

"Well -- you remember the TriWizard ball?"

Percy nodded slowly.  "Don't say Parvati Patil steering you around like a show dog made you gay, because that's such a cliché…"

Harry shook his head, brushing one hand through his unruly mess of night-coloured hair.  "No.  Well, when I stayed here for the last week of the summer, I got taught to dance by someone.  Someone who kissed me, and kind of made me realise I was gay."

Percy bit his lip, confused, as he looked up at Harry who was blushing furiously.


"Someone?"  Percy frowned.  "Someone here?  Who?"

Charlie laughed, and Percy glanced at his older brother angrily, wanting to hear Harry's response, but none was needed.  Charlie grinned innocently at Percy, before slapping Harry on the arse and sauntering cheerfully out of the room.

Percy gazed opened mouthed at Harry, then at Charlie's retreating back.  "You -- you--"

Harry gesticulated wildly for a second, before eventually shrugging.

"He's seven years your senior!" Percy exclaimed.

Harry shrugged again.

Percy decided that not only was Charlie mad, not only was he  mad for not voicing his fears to Oliver, but the entire world must be mad.

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[To be continued]