Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.
Author's note: Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement.
This part comes with an industrial strength 'cutesy' warning. :)
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Crystal
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Part Three
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Percy sat back into the well-worn, over-stuffed sofa and let his family's chatter wash over him. The warmth in the room and the food in his stomach were making him drowsy. It felt strange to relax like this while Bill and his mother told him about the latest drama that Ginny had got herself involved in at Hogwarts. The tales of schoolgirl fights over who would be Harry Potter's date to the Halloween Party were so far from Percy's recent problems that he felt like he was having surreal daydream.
What if this was all a dream? Would he wake up and discover himself back in the dank city squat in Amsterdam with Muggle policemen or social workers trying to break the door down and take Crystal away? Or maybe he would wake in the run-down abandoned cabin in a French forest, where the two of them had hidden for months from the Death Eaters?
Percy shuddered as the thought of the Death Eaters brought the memory of Penelope's death back to the surface of his mind. He tried to push the terrible images away and concentrate on his mother's chatter.
Arthur, who was sitting in his favourite armchair and directly opposite Percy, watched the emotions flickering across his third son's eyes. It was almost like looking out a window at a storm; Arthur could see so much yet the full intensity of the storm was muted by an invisible barrier. Arthur sighed inwardly at the sight of so much pain and, yet again, silently swore at Voldemort for what he and his followers had done to the Weasley family.
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Crystal gave a little squeal and toddled as quickly as she could towards Charlie. The gnome who was chasing the little girl cackled and ran faster.
"Oh no you don't," Charlie grabbed the gnome by an arm and swung it around his head. He let go of the gnome and it flew over the fence where it landed near three other gnomes who had made the same trip earlier.
Crystal peeked out from behind Charlie's leg and watched the gnome fly out of sight. She stood still for a moment then looked up at Charlie and held out her arms.
"That's enough gnome fun for today, is it?" Charlie picked up his niece and carried her towards the house. "OK. Let's go find your Dad."
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Back in the parlour, Molly was telling another story, with added commentary from George, this time about Ron. Percy was blinking tiredly and nodding slightly.
"Hey, Percy," Bill said cheerfully from the other end of the sofa. "Mum's stories aren't that bad."
"Sorry, Mother." Percy smothered a yawn with his hand. "It's just so comfortable here."
"You're far gone if you think this sofa's comfy," Bill quipped, the concerned look in his eyes belying his humour.
Percy was about to reply when Charlie's voice echoed out of the kitchen.
"Look out, Perce. Escapee headed your way."
Percy looked towards the doorway and smiled. The angle of the sofa meant that only Arthur and Percy could see the bottom of the doorway. Arthur sat perfectly still, watching the little figure enter the room and make a beeline for Percy. A gentle smile broke across Arthur's face as the final piece of the puzzle surrounding Percy clicked into place in his mind.
Molly had ignored Charlie's comment as a bit of silliness and returned to her story. Almost instantly she noticed that Arthur and Percy were ignoring her.
"What are you looking at, Arthur dear?" asked Molly in a peevish tone. She looked towards the end of the sofa and noticed a book seemingly floating in the air.
"Charles Weasley," she called, "have you been enchanting my cookbooks again?"
"Nope," said Charlie who walked into the doorway. "Nothing to do with me." He stood there and watched his family. This was a moment he wanted to see.
Molly, Bill and George watched the book slide onto the arm of the sofa. Percy pulled the picture book safely onto the sofa arm and smiled down at his daughter. Still out of the line of sight of Molly, Bill and George, Crystal turned and gave her grandfather a beaming smile before toddling around the end of the sofa. Arthur nodded back at her.
Bill was about to say something about gnomes loose in the house when the words died in his throat. A little dark-haired child had toddled past Percy and was clambering up onto the sofa beside him. She turned and gave Bill a very familiar, appraising look before climbing into Percy's lap and reaching for the book.
"Did Uncle Charlie give you that book, Crystal?" Percy asked his daughter in a conversational tone, as though his family being struck dumb at the sight of a twenty-month old child was an everyday event.
Crystal nodded and tried to open the picture book. Percy started to help her but the little girl whined and Percy said, "All right. You want to do it yourself."
All the Weasleys stared silently at the little girl while she opened the book and began looking at the pictures. After a few moments, Crystal noticed that all the grown ups were watching at her. She dropped the book and, overcome with shyness, pressed her face against Percy's chest.
"You know Crystal," said Charlie as he walked into the room, "this is the first time in years that I heard a pin drop in this house."
"Charles!" Molly said sternly. It was the only thing she could think to say. George was sitting open mouthed, still staring at his niece.
"Percy," said Arthur quietly, "is there something you neglected to tell us?"
Percy looked down at Crystal then back at his father.
"Can't think of anything at the moment." Percy said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Can you think of anything Charlie?"
"Nope," Charlie gasped as he collapsed into laughter. "Not a thing."
To be continued
Author's note: Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement.
This part comes with an industrial strength 'cutesy' warning. :)
--------
Crystal
--------
Part Three
--------
Percy sat back into the well-worn, over-stuffed sofa and let his family's chatter wash over him. The warmth in the room and the food in his stomach were making him drowsy. It felt strange to relax like this while Bill and his mother told him about the latest drama that Ginny had got herself involved in at Hogwarts. The tales of schoolgirl fights over who would be Harry Potter's date to the Halloween Party were so far from Percy's recent problems that he felt like he was having surreal daydream.
What if this was all a dream? Would he wake up and discover himself back in the dank city squat in Amsterdam with Muggle policemen or social workers trying to break the door down and take Crystal away? Or maybe he would wake in the run-down abandoned cabin in a French forest, where the two of them had hidden for months from the Death Eaters?
Percy shuddered as the thought of the Death Eaters brought the memory of Penelope's death back to the surface of his mind. He tried to push the terrible images away and concentrate on his mother's chatter.
Arthur, who was sitting in his favourite armchair and directly opposite Percy, watched the emotions flickering across his third son's eyes. It was almost like looking out a window at a storm; Arthur could see so much yet the full intensity of the storm was muted by an invisible barrier. Arthur sighed inwardly at the sight of so much pain and, yet again, silently swore at Voldemort for what he and his followers had done to the Weasley family.
--------
Crystal gave a little squeal and toddled as quickly as she could towards Charlie. The gnome who was chasing the little girl cackled and ran faster.
"Oh no you don't," Charlie grabbed the gnome by an arm and swung it around his head. He let go of the gnome and it flew over the fence where it landed near three other gnomes who had made the same trip earlier.
Crystal peeked out from behind Charlie's leg and watched the gnome fly out of sight. She stood still for a moment then looked up at Charlie and held out her arms.
"That's enough gnome fun for today, is it?" Charlie picked up his niece and carried her towards the house. "OK. Let's go find your Dad."
--------
Back in the parlour, Molly was telling another story, with added commentary from George, this time about Ron. Percy was blinking tiredly and nodding slightly.
"Hey, Percy," Bill said cheerfully from the other end of the sofa. "Mum's stories aren't that bad."
"Sorry, Mother." Percy smothered a yawn with his hand. "It's just so comfortable here."
"You're far gone if you think this sofa's comfy," Bill quipped, the concerned look in his eyes belying his humour.
Percy was about to reply when Charlie's voice echoed out of the kitchen.
"Look out, Perce. Escapee headed your way."
Percy looked towards the doorway and smiled. The angle of the sofa meant that only Arthur and Percy could see the bottom of the doorway. Arthur sat perfectly still, watching the little figure enter the room and make a beeline for Percy. A gentle smile broke across Arthur's face as the final piece of the puzzle surrounding Percy clicked into place in his mind.
Molly had ignored Charlie's comment as a bit of silliness and returned to her story. Almost instantly she noticed that Arthur and Percy were ignoring her.
"What are you looking at, Arthur dear?" asked Molly in a peevish tone. She looked towards the end of the sofa and noticed a book seemingly floating in the air.
"Charles Weasley," she called, "have you been enchanting my cookbooks again?"
"Nope," said Charlie who walked into the doorway. "Nothing to do with me." He stood there and watched his family. This was a moment he wanted to see.
Molly, Bill and George watched the book slide onto the arm of the sofa. Percy pulled the picture book safely onto the sofa arm and smiled down at his daughter. Still out of the line of sight of Molly, Bill and George, Crystal turned and gave her grandfather a beaming smile before toddling around the end of the sofa. Arthur nodded back at her.
Bill was about to say something about gnomes loose in the house when the words died in his throat. A little dark-haired child had toddled past Percy and was clambering up onto the sofa beside him. She turned and gave Bill a very familiar, appraising look before climbing into Percy's lap and reaching for the book.
"Did Uncle Charlie give you that book, Crystal?" Percy asked his daughter in a conversational tone, as though his family being struck dumb at the sight of a twenty-month old child was an everyday event.
Crystal nodded and tried to open the picture book. Percy started to help her but the little girl whined and Percy said, "All right. You want to do it yourself."
All the Weasleys stared silently at the little girl while she opened the book and began looking at the pictures. After a few moments, Crystal noticed that all the grown ups were watching at her. She dropped the book and, overcome with shyness, pressed her face against Percy's chest.
"You know Crystal," said Charlie as he walked into the room, "this is the first time in years that I heard a pin drop in this house."
"Charles!" Molly said sternly. It was the only thing she could think to say. George was sitting open mouthed, still staring at his niece.
"Percy," said Arthur quietly, "is there something you neglected to tell us?"
Percy looked down at Crystal then back at his father.
"Can't think of anything at the moment." Percy said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Can you think of anything Charlie?"
"Nope," Charlie gasped as he collapsed into laughter. "Not a thing."
To be continued
