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: Thank you again for your encouragement. You may have noticed that this story is classified as angst/drama. Well, here's where the angst really starts.
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Crystal
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Part Four
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Charlie's laughter broke through the stunned silence. It was as though someone had cast the counter-spell for a freezing charm on the occupants of the room. Instantly everyone but Percy and Crystal started talking.
"Why didn't you contact the family?" Bill was demanding of Percy.
George was saying, "You must have bought her somewhere Percy, she's too pretty to be yours."
"Oh, Percy she's beautiful," said Molly, while she cuffed George behind his left ear for the rude comment. "Another girl in the family. Ginny will be so pleased!"
"Ginny!" Charlie laughed. "Mum, you're the one who wanted more daughters. So how's it feel to be a Granny?"
"So small," Arthur said softly. "I'd forgotten how little young children are," Arthur smiled at Crystal who was becoming rather upset by all the noise her uncles and grandmother were making.
The rest of the family was now having a loud discussion with Charlie. In true Weasley-interrogation style, Molly, Bill and George were demanding that Charlie explain how he knew about Crystal before they did. Their voices were getting louder and the arguments from Charlie were becoming sillier and sillier.
Percy sighed. 'No,' he thought, 'they haven't changed a bit.' Percy held his frightened, shaking daughter close to him then calmly stood and left the room. Arthur followed quietly and closed the door behind him. He cast a locking spell on the door.
"I think we have a minute or two before they notice we've gone." Arthur watched as Percy began making up a late breakfast for Crystal. "Can I help?"
"Yes. Thank you, Father." Percy handed Crystal to Arthur and returned to the kitchen table.
"You have given us all a shock, my dear," Arthur said gently to Crystal. "I think we've given you a shock too." Arthur walked around the room, making sure that Crystal could see Percy at all times. The little girl calmed down as Arthur continued his gentle monologue. Arthur wanted to bombard Percy with questions but years of working in the Ministry of Magic had taught him patience. So he bided his time and chatted gently to Crystal about the family clock and how a hand would be made for her.
Within three minutes Percy and Arthur were climbing the stairs to Percy's room. Arthur watched his son place Crystal's breakfast on the battered desk. The irony was not lost on Arthur; a few days ago Percy's bedroom was like a shrine, dusted within an inch of its existence by Molly who kept it ready for Percy's return. Then, if anyone had dared to bring a tray of cereal, fruit and watered-pumpkin juice into the room they would have felt Molly's wrath. Now, Arthur suspected that Molly wouldn't care if all the gnomes in the garden had a mud fight in it, so long as Percy stayed home.
Percy had opened one of his bags and was hunting fussily through the contents. Arthur thought his son was searching for something for Crystal, he soon realised he was wrong. Percy pulled out a thick wad of parchment out of the depths of the bag, then walked up to his father and silently took Crystal from the older man. The little girl clung so tightly to Percy that he had to loosen her grip on his neck before he could speak.
"Father, I...," Percy blushed slightly, surprised at how difficult a simple statement could be. Especially a statement he had practiced time and time again in his mind. Percy busied himself by giving Crystal a piece of fruit and putting her into the cot. Then he took a deep breath and started again.
"When I was away I thought about all the things I wanted to say to you, to everyone." Percy handed his father the bundle of parchment. "I get rather silly and pompous when I get nervous, so I wrote it down."
"Oh, thank you." Arthur wasn't sure which was the greater surprise, the parchment or the admission of nervousness. The Percy Arthur remembered would never have admitted such a thing and certainly not to his father. Arthur wondered if he wanted to know what had caused such a change in his shyest son.
"There might be too much there to read today." Percy looked rather embarrassed. "I had a lot of time to write."
Arthur nodded his understanding of the unspoken 'you might not be able to handle all this at once'.
"Will you be coming down to lunch?"
"No, I think both Crystal and I need some more sleep." Percy watched his Father leave the room. At the door Arthur hesitated.
"It's so good to have you home and safe." Arthur said quietly without turning to face his son. Then he left the room.
'Safe'. Percy wasn't prepared for the maelstrom of emotions that hit him. It seemed almost as though the soft click of the closing door had unlocked something inside Percy's mind. Percy staggered while three and a half years of suppressed emotions ripped through him.
He managed somehow to make it to the bed and collapsed onto it. He lay there, sobbing silently until eventually exhaustion took over and he fell into a dreamless sleep.
To be continued
Author's note: Thank you again for your encouragement. You may have noticed that this story is classified as angst/drama. Well, here's where the angst really starts.
--------
Crystal
--------
Part Four
--------
Charlie's laughter broke through the stunned silence. It was as though someone had cast the counter-spell for a freezing charm on the occupants of the room. Instantly everyone but Percy and Crystal started talking.
"Why didn't you contact the family?" Bill was demanding of Percy.
George was saying, "You must have bought her somewhere Percy, she's too pretty to be yours."
"Oh, Percy she's beautiful," said Molly, while she cuffed George behind his left ear for the rude comment. "Another girl in the family. Ginny will be so pleased!"
"Ginny!" Charlie laughed. "Mum, you're the one who wanted more daughters. So how's it feel to be a Granny?"
"So small," Arthur said softly. "I'd forgotten how little young children are," Arthur smiled at Crystal who was becoming rather upset by all the noise her uncles and grandmother were making.
The rest of the family was now having a loud discussion with Charlie. In true Weasley-interrogation style, Molly, Bill and George were demanding that Charlie explain how he knew about Crystal before they did. Their voices were getting louder and the arguments from Charlie were becoming sillier and sillier.
Percy sighed. 'No,' he thought, 'they haven't changed a bit.' Percy held his frightened, shaking daughter close to him then calmly stood and left the room. Arthur followed quietly and closed the door behind him. He cast a locking spell on the door.
"I think we have a minute or two before they notice we've gone." Arthur watched as Percy began making up a late breakfast for Crystal. "Can I help?"
"Yes. Thank you, Father." Percy handed Crystal to Arthur and returned to the kitchen table.
"You have given us all a shock, my dear," Arthur said gently to Crystal. "I think we've given you a shock too." Arthur walked around the room, making sure that Crystal could see Percy at all times. The little girl calmed down as Arthur continued his gentle monologue. Arthur wanted to bombard Percy with questions but years of working in the Ministry of Magic had taught him patience. So he bided his time and chatted gently to Crystal about the family clock and how a hand would be made for her.
Within three minutes Percy and Arthur were climbing the stairs to Percy's room. Arthur watched his son place Crystal's breakfast on the battered desk. The irony was not lost on Arthur; a few days ago Percy's bedroom was like a shrine, dusted within an inch of its existence by Molly who kept it ready for Percy's return. Then, if anyone had dared to bring a tray of cereal, fruit and watered-pumpkin juice into the room they would have felt Molly's wrath. Now, Arthur suspected that Molly wouldn't care if all the gnomes in the garden had a mud fight in it, so long as Percy stayed home.
Percy had opened one of his bags and was hunting fussily through the contents. Arthur thought his son was searching for something for Crystal, he soon realised he was wrong. Percy pulled out a thick wad of parchment out of the depths of the bag, then walked up to his father and silently took Crystal from the older man. The little girl clung so tightly to Percy that he had to loosen her grip on his neck before he could speak.
"Father, I...," Percy blushed slightly, surprised at how difficult a simple statement could be. Especially a statement he had practiced time and time again in his mind. Percy busied himself by giving Crystal a piece of fruit and putting her into the cot. Then he took a deep breath and started again.
"When I was away I thought about all the things I wanted to say to you, to everyone." Percy handed his father the bundle of parchment. "I get rather silly and pompous when I get nervous, so I wrote it down."
"Oh, thank you." Arthur wasn't sure which was the greater surprise, the parchment or the admission of nervousness. The Percy Arthur remembered would never have admitted such a thing and certainly not to his father. Arthur wondered if he wanted to know what had caused such a change in his shyest son.
"There might be too much there to read today." Percy looked rather embarrassed. "I had a lot of time to write."
Arthur nodded his understanding of the unspoken 'you might not be able to handle all this at once'.
"Will you be coming down to lunch?"
"No, I think both Crystal and I need some more sleep." Percy watched his Father leave the room. At the door Arthur hesitated.
"It's so good to have you home and safe." Arthur said quietly without turning to face his son. Then he left the room.
'Safe'. Percy wasn't prepared for the maelstrom of emotions that hit him. It seemed almost as though the soft click of the closing door had unlocked something inside Percy's mind. Percy staggered while three and a half years of suppressed emotions ripped through him.
He managed somehow to make it to the bed and collapsed onto it. He lay there, sobbing silently until eventually exhaustion took over and he fell into a dreamless sleep.
To be continued
