Title: You Needed Me - 17 July 1995
By: PepperjackCandy
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: You recognize it? It's J.K. Rowling's. General Robert E. Lee belongs to history. My twisted chess book version belongs to me.
A/N: A *huge* thank you to my reviewers for chapter 5, Krissy, Strega Brava, ~*Black Dreamz*~, Oceana, jona, Erin LaCroix, Ruka-chan, Myr, Lady Gambalinera, KCarke, Katharione, Foxy77, Rubicon, JediGinny, Merii, Creamy Mimi, LadyVoldemort, Artema, Coqui, j and Netty. :whew: I hope I didn't miss anyone, and if I did, it was purely an oversight, I assure you! Your reviews are a large part of what keeps me writing. (the other part is my muse, and the plot bunnies that keep nibbling my ankles -- no, wait, that's a kitten!)
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17 July 1995
Dear Percy:
Yes, Ron does ask me to make a cake for Harry's birthday around this time every year. His birthday in on 31 July.
I hope this letter finds you well and that you are able to put the attached to good use.
Much love,
Your Mother
Percy did the mental calculations as he opened the box that had arrived with Hermes. Fourteen days. I guess I'd better get my order in to Buzz immediately, then. Hope he's not too backlogged.
The box was stuffed full of home-baked goodies. He snagged one chocolate-chip cookie from the box and set it aside, noting idly that it was a much larger box than he was used to receiving from her. He brushed the thought away, thinking, Maybe she figured I'd share it with Penelope.
The delicious smell from the box drove him crazy throughout the morning. He wanted nothing more than to take it back to his apartment and put it in the kitchen, where he wouldn't be tempted by it, but he had to see Buzz as soon as possible to make sure he'd have Harry's present in time for his birthday.
He hurried down Diagon Alley to Ollivander's Wand Shop, then climbed the rickety side staircase to a small apartment. He knocked on the door. "Please be there, Buzz." He whispered under his breath.
The door opened. "Yes? Oh, it's you, Mr. Weasley! Come in." The old man's face lit up at the sight of Percy.
"Yes, it's me." Percy responded as he stepped over the threshold. He felt awkward asking, but Harry deserved the best he could provide for his birthday and so he stuck to it. "I want to ask a favor of you."
"What?"
Percy removed the ring from his the third finger of his right hand. "Could you make another one of these for me? Well, not for me, for a friend, really."
Buzz looked at the ring and smiled up at Percy. "It must be someone very important to you." He said as his eyes twinkled.
"Yes. It is." Percy was surprised as he realized that he was telling the truth. Harry was very important to him.
"Exactly like this?"
"Well, except the monogram. My friend's initials are H.J.P."
"The P stands for his surname?"
Percy nodded. "Er, if it's not too much to ask, how soon can it be ready?"
Buzz looked up at him. "You're a customer. It's perfectly acceptable to ask when it will be ready." He looked at the workbench that sat beside the door. "It should be about a week. No later than the 25th."
Percy breathed a sigh of relief. It would easily be ready in time for Harry's birthday. Buzz handed the ring back to him. "Won't you need that?" Percy asked.
The old man shook his head. "No. I can remember exactly what went into that. I just needed to see it for a second. I'll send you an owl as soon as it's ready."
Percy's grin broadened as he slipped the ring back on. "Thank you. I'll have the money sent to you from Gringott's as soon as possible."
Then, a spring in his step, Percy left the shop and headed back towards the office. He glanced at his clock as he arrived, which showed that he didn't have time to get the box of goodies back to his apartment and still be back in his office by the end of his lunch break. Instead, he tied the box to Hermes's leg along with a hastily-written note.
Harry,
These are from Mum. She sent enough for both of us, but I wanted to get them out of here before I ended up eating them all myself. Help yourself to them while I'm at work.
Percy
Later that afternoon, Percy got a message from Cornelius Fudge's office.
Mr. Weasley:
Please leave the afternoon of 18 July open so that you may speak with the Minister regarding your application.
Very truly yours,
H. McGonagall
Percy's hands went numb as he read the letter from Fudge's secretary. He wants to talk to me - tomorrow - about the application? He can't sack me for it, can he?
He immediately admonished himself for the thought. He'd never heard of anyone being fired for putting in for a job they weren't qualified for, but that tiny voice in the back of his head just responded that there was a first time for everything. I wish I could just go see Harry, he thought, I never listen to that little voice when he's around.
But he still had two hours to go, and so, with grim determination, he turned back to his desk.
Harry untied the box of goodies from Hermes's leg, scratching the owl behind his wings and opening the box. What he saw inside made his mouth water - a variety of cookies and small cakes that would feed a small army. Well, Percy said to help myself, he thought as he took one chocolate chip cookie from the box and resealed it, placing it in the kitchen. While he was there, he began planning dinner. Percy had come to his rescue by providing him with some recipes.
He was peeling carrots when Percy returned home. "Hi." He grinned at his summer roommate.
"Hi." Percy smiled back as he opened the box of goodies from Molly. "Harry, did you eat any of these?"
Harry looked at Percy sheepishly. Years of conditioning by the Dursleys created a litany that began repeating in his head Percy told me to help myself, didn't he? Would he have said that if he didn't mean it? Maybe he just said that to be polite. "I had one."
Percy looked at Harry for a moment, then smiled. "Only one? I'm amazed you had that much willpower." He opened the box.
I should have known he meant it. Damn it! Harry was cursing himself for his doubts when Percy held out the box for him to take something. Harry reached in and took out a small cake, and Percy took out another chocolate chip cookie.
"So? How'd your day go?" Harry asked, wishing he sounded less like a housewife.
Percy's eyebrows shot up as if something important had just occurred to him and he hastily swallowed his bite of cookie. "I think they want to interview me for the job tomorrow."
"You think . . .?" Harry asked.
Percy shrugged helplessly. "Well, the note I got from Mr. Fudge's secretary said that he wants to talk to me about my application. That could mean an interview, it could mean that they're going to sack me for my impertinence."
Percy felt his doubts dissipate in the warmth of Harry's smile. "You *know* they're asking you for an interview, Perce." He assured him.
Percy smiled back. "Yeah. I guess they must be. It's just hard to believe, you know? I expected my application to just disappear into the ether."
Harry laughed gently. "You may just get the job, you know." He reminded Percy.
"I sincerely doubt it."
"Eh. Well, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we? Look, dinner's ready and then you can kick my butt in chess."
Percy grinned. "Something tells me the General's going to kick both of our butts, like he usually does."
"You're probably right. Oh, and over dinner, I want to talk to you about the O.W.L.s." Harry said as they retired to the living area to eat.
Hours later, Percy was paid his first compliment from General Lee. "There! You did really well, Weasley. Took all of Potter's pieces into account and everything."
Percy silently blushed in response.
"Now, what are you going to do, Potter?"
Harry, completely flustered, glanced around the board and admitted, "I don't know. This?" He moved his knight.
General Lee sighed. "Well, that's an acceptable move I guess, Potter. Maybe the rook would've been a better choice, though."
Harry looked down and walked through his possible moves with the rook. "Oh! You mean like this?" He put the knight back and moved the rook.
"Yeah. Just like that. But the knight was the move you made, so that's one you're going to have to stick with."
Now it was Percy's turn. He glanced up at the clock. "I didn't notice the time until now." He said. "If I'm going to be in good shape for my . . . talk with Fudge tomorrow, I'd better get some sleep."
"Well, then, good night." General Lee said as Percy used the dormio charm that put the book into suspended animation for the night.
They put the board aside for the night and Percy curled up in his nest on the floor.
"Why don't you take the couch tonight, Perce?" Harry asked.
Percy looked sternly at him. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
Harry sighed, deciding it wasn't worth fighting over. "Well, I guess I'll just read for a while before I go to sleep, then." Not for the first time, Harry wished for a television so that he could catch up on the late night talk shows.
"Good night, Harry."
"'Night, Perce."
By: PepperjackCandy
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: You recognize it? It's J.K. Rowling's. General Robert E. Lee belongs to history. My twisted chess book version belongs to me.
A/N: A *huge* thank you to my reviewers for chapter 5, Krissy, Strega Brava, ~*Black Dreamz*~, Oceana, jona, Erin LaCroix, Ruka-chan, Myr, Lady Gambalinera, KCarke, Katharione, Foxy77, Rubicon, JediGinny, Merii, Creamy Mimi, LadyVoldemort, Artema, Coqui, j and Netty. :whew: I hope I didn't miss anyone, and if I did, it was purely an oversight, I assure you! Your reviews are a large part of what keeps me writing. (the other part is my muse, and the plot bunnies that keep nibbling my ankles -- no, wait, that's a kitten!)
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17 July 1995
Dear Percy:
Yes, Ron does ask me to make a cake for Harry's birthday around this time every year. His birthday in on 31 July.
I hope this letter finds you well and that you are able to put the attached to good use.
Much love,
Your Mother
Percy did the mental calculations as he opened the box that had arrived with Hermes. Fourteen days. I guess I'd better get my order in to Buzz immediately, then. Hope he's not too backlogged.
The box was stuffed full of home-baked goodies. He snagged one chocolate-chip cookie from the box and set it aside, noting idly that it was a much larger box than he was used to receiving from her. He brushed the thought away, thinking, Maybe she figured I'd share it with Penelope.
The delicious smell from the box drove him crazy throughout the morning. He wanted nothing more than to take it back to his apartment and put it in the kitchen, where he wouldn't be tempted by it, but he had to see Buzz as soon as possible to make sure he'd have Harry's present in time for his birthday.
He hurried down Diagon Alley to Ollivander's Wand Shop, then climbed the rickety side staircase to a small apartment. He knocked on the door. "Please be there, Buzz." He whispered under his breath.
The door opened. "Yes? Oh, it's you, Mr. Weasley! Come in." The old man's face lit up at the sight of Percy.
"Yes, it's me." Percy responded as he stepped over the threshold. He felt awkward asking, but Harry deserved the best he could provide for his birthday and so he stuck to it. "I want to ask a favor of you."
"What?"
Percy removed the ring from his the third finger of his right hand. "Could you make another one of these for me? Well, not for me, for a friend, really."
Buzz looked at the ring and smiled up at Percy. "It must be someone very important to you." He said as his eyes twinkled.
"Yes. It is." Percy was surprised as he realized that he was telling the truth. Harry was very important to him.
"Exactly like this?"
"Well, except the monogram. My friend's initials are H.J.P."
"The P stands for his surname?"
Percy nodded. "Er, if it's not too much to ask, how soon can it be ready?"
Buzz looked up at him. "You're a customer. It's perfectly acceptable to ask when it will be ready." He looked at the workbench that sat beside the door. "It should be about a week. No later than the 25th."
Percy breathed a sigh of relief. It would easily be ready in time for Harry's birthday. Buzz handed the ring back to him. "Won't you need that?" Percy asked.
The old man shook his head. "No. I can remember exactly what went into that. I just needed to see it for a second. I'll send you an owl as soon as it's ready."
Percy's grin broadened as he slipped the ring back on. "Thank you. I'll have the money sent to you from Gringott's as soon as possible."
Then, a spring in his step, Percy left the shop and headed back towards the office. He glanced at his clock as he arrived, which showed that he didn't have time to get the box of goodies back to his apartment and still be back in his office by the end of his lunch break. Instead, he tied the box to Hermes's leg along with a hastily-written note.
Harry,
These are from Mum. She sent enough for both of us, but I wanted to get them out of here before I ended up eating them all myself. Help yourself to them while I'm at work.
Percy
Later that afternoon, Percy got a message from Cornelius Fudge's office.
Mr. Weasley:
Please leave the afternoon of 18 July open so that you may speak with the Minister regarding your application.
Very truly yours,
H. McGonagall
Percy's hands went numb as he read the letter from Fudge's secretary. He wants to talk to me - tomorrow - about the application? He can't sack me for it, can he?
He immediately admonished himself for the thought. He'd never heard of anyone being fired for putting in for a job they weren't qualified for, but that tiny voice in the back of his head just responded that there was a first time for everything. I wish I could just go see Harry, he thought, I never listen to that little voice when he's around.
But he still had two hours to go, and so, with grim determination, he turned back to his desk.
Harry untied the box of goodies from Hermes's leg, scratching the owl behind his wings and opening the box. What he saw inside made his mouth water - a variety of cookies and small cakes that would feed a small army. Well, Percy said to help myself, he thought as he took one chocolate chip cookie from the box and resealed it, placing it in the kitchen. While he was there, he began planning dinner. Percy had come to his rescue by providing him with some recipes.
He was peeling carrots when Percy returned home. "Hi." He grinned at his summer roommate.
"Hi." Percy smiled back as he opened the box of goodies from Molly. "Harry, did you eat any of these?"
Harry looked at Percy sheepishly. Years of conditioning by the Dursleys created a litany that began repeating in his head Percy told me to help myself, didn't he? Would he have said that if he didn't mean it? Maybe he just said that to be polite. "I had one."
Percy looked at Harry for a moment, then smiled. "Only one? I'm amazed you had that much willpower." He opened the box.
I should have known he meant it. Damn it! Harry was cursing himself for his doubts when Percy held out the box for him to take something. Harry reached in and took out a small cake, and Percy took out another chocolate chip cookie.
"So? How'd your day go?" Harry asked, wishing he sounded less like a housewife.
Percy's eyebrows shot up as if something important had just occurred to him and he hastily swallowed his bite of cookie. "I think they want to interview me for the job tomorrow."
"You think . . .?" Harry asked.
Percy shrugged helplessly. "Well, the note I got from Mr. Fudge's secretary said that he wants to talk to me about my application. That could mean an interview, it could mean that they're going to sack me for my impertinence."
Percy felt his doubts dissipate in the warmth of Harry's smile. "You *know* they're asking you for an interview, Perce." He assured him.
Percy smiled back. "Yeah. I guess they must be. It's just hard to believe, you know? I expected my application to just disappear into the ether."
Harry laughed gently. "You may just get the job, you know." He reminded Percy.
"I sincerely doubt it."
"Eh. Well, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we? Look, dinner's ready and then you can kick my butt in chess."
Percy grinned. "Something tells me the General's going to kick both of our butts, like he usually does."
"You're probably right. Oh, and over dinner, I want to talk to you about the O.W.L.s." Harry said as they retired to the living area to eat.
Hours later, Percy was paid his first compliment from General Lee. "There! You did really well, Weasley. Took all of Potter's pieces into account and everything."
Percy silently blushed in response.
"Now, what are you going to do, Potter?"
Harry, completely flustered, glanced around the board and admitted, "I don't know. This?" He moved his knight.
General Lee sighed. "Well, that's an acceptable move I guess, Potter. Maybe the rook would've been a better choice, though."
Harry looked down and walked through his possible moves with the rook. "Oh! You mean like this?" He put the knight back and moved the rook.
"Yeah. Just like that. But the knight was the move you made, so that's one you're going to have to stick with."
Now it was Percy's turn. He glanced up at the clock. "I didn't notice the time until now." He said. "If I'm going to be in good shape for my . . . talk with Fudge tomorrow, I'd better get some sleep."
"Well, then, good night." General Lee said as Percy used the dormio charm that put the book into suspended animation for the night.
They put the board aside for the night and Percy curled up in his nest on the floor.
"Why don't you take the couch tonight, Perce?" Harry asked.
Percy looked sternly at him. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
Harry sighed, deciding it wasn't worth fighting over. "Well, I guess I'll just read for a while before I go to sleep, then." Not for the first time, Harry wished for a television so that he could catch up on the late night talk shows.
"Good night, Harry."
"'Night, Perce."
