Author's Note and Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything and I'm sorry I
haven't updated in so long.
Chapter 6: The Fine Art of Drinking
Percy watched in silent amusement as Daedalus swayed in the center of the pub belting out the lyrics to a very bawdy song.
He took a sip from his shot glass filled with Odgen's Old Firewhiskey, grimacing as it ripped a trail into his gullet. It was his fifth glass and he kept a hand on the bar to steady himself. Even though he was more than slightly tipsy he was not about to go and make a fool of himself like his friend.
While Daedalus lost all common sense, or what little common sense he had to begin with, when he was drunk, Percy became subdued and melancholy or depressed, depending on his mood.
He glanced around the pub, the normal evening crowd had dispersed, leaving the hard-core drinkers.
There were several groups of people passed out in the corners and then Daedalus' fans who were staggering around him as he sang, bracing himself on a chair. He had spotted Hagrid weaving his way to a back room with a long necked bottle of something in his hand. There was also a dark figure in the corner of someone he didn't recognize at the moment.
He blinked once, then twice as the grimy pub wove in and out of focus. Shaking his head he drained his glass and set it down with a loud clink.
As he pushed his glass over to Tom for a refill he heard the shadowy figure in the corner noisily detach it's self from the corner and amble over to the bar.
With much difficulty Severus Snape slid onto the stool next to Percy with a swish of black robes. He sank his rubbed the bridge of his hooked nose, muttering to Tom an order for a glass of wine. Then as he raised his head, slightly bleary black eyes focused on Percy and he managed a sneer.
"Fancy seeing you here Minister," he drawled.
"Stow it Severus," Percy said tiredly, taking a gulp from the refill Tom had given him.
"Fine Percy," Snape snapped, putting insolent emphasis on Percy's given name.
Since when had he been on first name basis with Severus Snape? He could barely remember. Then again it might be the alcohol, the thought.
Probably since the beginning, before Mum had come. Directly after Dumbledore had found out what he'd done. A memory surfaced, surprisingly clear for the amount of Whisky that was in his system.
It was Snape, talking to Dumbledore outside the Gryffindor Common Room.
"You may leave Severus,' Dumbledore told the younger man wearily.
He could tell Snape was lingering though, and to prove his point he heard the Potion's Master inquire, "but why is Percy Weasly still here Headmaster? That mother of his seemed to be one of the people who would be the first to pull her children out."
He heard Dumbledore clear his throat, "Percy is hear under special circumstances, ones that you would do well to sympathize with."
It seemed though that Snape had not caught on and he interjected, "it is my experience sir, that no person at Hogwarts should be given special treatment."
"It is MY experience that that only applies to students and faculty, not alumni," Dumbledore said firmly.
There was a moment of silence during which Dumbledore and Snape seemed to be having some sort of quiet exchange that was blocked by the empty portrait of the Fat Lady.
It was quite some time before Percy heard Snape speak again.
"Headmaster, you can't ask that!" Snape protested, "I don't do well with children!"
Dumbledore had lost his patience and said pointedly, "then you shouldn't have become a teacher."
Percy heard Dumbledore's retreating footsteps and they were the only sound for at least fifteen minutes and then he heard Snape bark at the Fat Lady who had only just returned, "can't you ever be damn punctual?
"What's the password, " the Fat Lady sniffed, in a manner clearly intended for making him aware that she had been wronged.
"Grindylow snot," Snape hissed at her. "You bloody Gryffindors have the most idiotic passwords."
"I beg your pardon!" She exclaimed as she swung forward.
"You can beg all you damn well want," Snape told her rudely.
The Portrait Hole was now clear and Snape was in plain view, billowing robes and all. Awkwardly he climbed through the Hole and spied Percy sitting stiffly in an armchair and prowled over to him, sitting in the opposite chair.
Snape looked Percy over, still leering, and then held out his arm. "Show it to me," he ordered.
That took Percy completely off guard and he asked confusedly, "show you what?"
"The Dark Mark," Snape replied as if it was the most reasonable request in the world.
At this Percy recoiled, " NO YOU MAY NOT!" He felt highly affronted.
Snape was not fazed by this show of anger and folded his arms across his chest, "how else am I supposed to believe you're a Death Eater?"
Percy glared at him, the prick just had to request the most humiliating thing in the world, "didn't the Death Eater robes tip you off," he asked disgustedly, plucking at his clothes, " or maybe the Death Eater mask," he held up the silver mask for inspection, "or maybe the fact that, I don't know, I'm a Death Eater!"
Snape looked at him as though he was the greatest prat on the face of the earth.
"You fool boy, anyone can wear a mask or robes and claim that they're a Death Eater, why anyone would want to is beyond me though."
Percy glared at him, "what'll you do if I show you my Dark Mark?"
Snape sat there in silence, seeming to have an inner struggle and then said softly, " I'll show you mine."
Percy started, he had never known that Snape was a Death Eater, the younger recruits often attended different meetings than the older members and Voldemort did not usually give the names of the those in his inner circle to anyone, much less an inexperienced boy.
Percy slowly raised his sleeve, bearing the initiation tattoo. After Voldemort had been destroyed a horrible pain had torn through his arm, leaving the Dark Mark perpetually black, like a Muggle tattoo.
Snape leaned forward with mild interest, "yours stayed black as well?" He pulled back his sleeve hesitantly, bearing the same ugly symbol, which was just as dark as Percy's.
Percy nodded. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Snape glanced in his direction surreptitiously.
"What ranks were you in?"
"Trainee and guard. I took shifts for watching captured Aurors."
Snape nodded pensively and Percy succumbed to his curiosity and said, "what were you?"
He noticed the older man flinch and reply quietly, "assassin."
It suddenly occurred to Percy how odd it was sitting here having this conversation with the most feared teacher at Hogwarts and he nearly laughed at the strangeness of it.
Percy was jolted to reality when Daedalus staggered up and gave him and Severus and overly amiable smack on the back. Wincing he thought it was a good thing for Daedalus that Severus was drunk because it was never a good idea to even TOUCH a sober Snape much less smack him.
"Jolly good fun, eh Perce?" Daedalus slurred, "couldn't have this kind of fun at home now could you?"
Home…Oh no! What time was it?
Percy frantically strained his eyes at the clock and groaned, "eleven forty- five. Mum's going to kill me."
With this in mind he made his way to the fireplace (with a good deal of help clinging to furniture) and, throwing in some Floo Powder, pitched forward into the flames hearing Daedalus' distant, "all right then, I suppose I'll see you later."
Whirling through flames he was dumped unceremoniously on to the carpet at home. With the room spinning he somehow managed to get to his feet.
Good, he didn't see his mother anywhere. He'd just make his way on upstairs to bed and no one would be any the wiser. Starting to make his uncertain way upstairs he was suddenly stopped upon hearing:
"PERCIVAL ANTHONY WEASLY YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Oh no…
Chapter 6: The Fine Art of Drinking
Percy watched in silent amusement as Daedalus swayed in the center of the pub belting out the lyrics to a very bawdy song.
He took a sip from his shot glass filled with Odgen's Old Firewhiskey, grimacing as it ripped a trail into his gullet. It was his fifth glass and he kept a hand on the bar to steady himself. Even though he was more than slightly tipsy he was not about to go and make a fool of himself like his friend.
While Daedalus lost all common sense, or what little common sense he had to begin with, when he was drunk, Percy became subdued and melancholy or depressed, depending on his mood.
He glanced around the pub, the normal evening crowd had dispersed, leaving the hard-core drinkers.
There were several groups of people passed out in the corners and then Daedalus' fans who were staggering around him as he sang, bracing himself on a chair. He had spotted Hagrid weaving his way to a back room with a long necked bottle of something in his hand. There was also a dark figure in the corner of someone he didn't recognize at the moment.
He blinked once, then twice as the grimy pub wove in and out of focus. Shaking his head he drained his glass and set it down with a loud clink.
As he pushed his glass over to Tom for a refill he heard the shadowy figure in the corner noisily detach it's self from the corner and amble over to the bar.
With much difficulty Severus Snape slid onto the stool next to Percy with a swish of black robes. He sank his rubbed the bridge of his hooked nose, muttering to Tom an order for a glass of wine. Then as he raised his head, slightly bleary black eyes focused on Percy and he managed a sneer.
"Fancy seeing you here Minister," he drawled.
"Stow it Severus," Percy said tiredly, taking a gulp from the refill Tom had given him.
"Fine Percy," Snape snapped, putting insolent emphasis on Percy's given name.
Since when had he been on first name basis with Severus Snape? He could barely remember. Then again it might be the alcohol, the thought.
Probably since the beginning, before Mum had come. Directly after Dumbledore had found out what he'd done. A memory surfaced, surprisingly clear for the amount of Whisky that was in his system.
It was Snape, talking to Dumbledore outside the Gryffindor Common Room.
"You may leave Severus,' Dumbledore told the younger man wearily.
He could tell Snape was lingering though, and to prove his point he heard the Potion's Master inquire, "but why is Percy Weasly still here Headmaster? That mother of his seemed to be one of the people who would be the first to pull her children out."
He heard Dumbledore clear his throat, "Percy is hear under special circumstances, ones that you would do well to sympathize with."
It seemed though that Snape had not caught on and he interjected, "it is my experience sir, that no person at Hogwarts should be given special treatment."
"It is MY experience that that only applies to students and faculty, not alumni," Dumbledore said firmly.
There was a moment of silence during which Dumbledore and Snape seemed to be having some sort of quiet exchange that was blocked by the empty portrait of the Fat Lady.
It was quite some time before Percy heard Snape speak again.
"Headmaster, you can't ask that!" Snape protested, "I don't do well with children!"
Dumbledore had lost his patience and said pointedly, "then you shouldn't have become a teacher."
Percy heard Dumbledore's retreating footsteps and they were the only sound for at least fifteen minutes and then he heard Snape bark at the Fat Lady who had only just returned, "can't you ever be damn punctual?
"What's the password, " the Fat Lady sniffed, in a manner clearly intended for making him aware that she had been wronged.
"Grindylow snot," Snape hissed at her. "You bloody Gryffindors have the most idiotic passwords."
"I beg your pardon!" She exclaimed as she swung forward.
"You can beg all you damn well want," Snape told her rudely.
The Portrait Hole was now clear and Snape was in plain view, billowing robes and all. Awkwardly he climbed through the Hole and spied Percy sitting stiffly in an armchair and prowled over to him, sitting in the opposite chair.
Snape looked Percy over, still leering, and then held out his arm. "Show it to me," he ordered.
That took Percy completely off guard and he asked confusedly, "show you what?"
"The Dark Mark," Snape replied as if it was the most reasonable request in the world.
At this Percy recoiled, " NO YOU MAY NOT!" He felt highly affronted.
Snape was not fazed by this show of anger and folded his arms across his chest, "how else am I supposed to believe you're a Death Eater?"
Percy glared at him, the prick just had to request the most humiliating thing in the world, "didn't the Death Eater robes tip you off," he asked disgustedly, plucking at his clothes, " or maybe the Death Eater mask," he held up the silver mask for inspection, "or maybe the fact that, I don't know, I'm a Death Eater!"
Snape looked at him as though he was the greatest prat on the face of the earth.
"You fool boy, anyone can wear a mask or robes and claim that they're a Death Eater, why anyone would want to is beyond me though."
Percy glared at him, "what'll you do if I show you my Dark Mark?"
Snape sat there in silence, seeming to have an inner struggle and then said softly, " I'll show you mine."
Percy started, he had never known that Snape was a Death Eater, the younger recruits often attended different meetings than the older members and Voldemort did not usually give the names of the those in his inner circle to anyone, much less an inexperienced boy.
Percy slowly raised his sleeve, bearing the initiation tattoo. After Voldemort had been destroyed a horrible pain had torn through his arm, leaving the Dark Mark perpetually black, like a Muggle tattoo.
Snape leaned forward with mild interest, "yours stayed black as well?" He pulled back his sleeve hesitantly, bearing the same ugly symbol, which was just as dark as Percy's.
Percy nodded. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Snape glanced in his direction surreptitiously.
"What ranks were you in?"
"Trainee and guard. I took shifts for watching captured Aurors."
Snape nodded pensively and Percy succumbed to his curiosity and said, "what were you?"
He noticed the older man flinch and reply quietly, "assassin."
It suddenly occurred to Percy how odd it was sitting here having this conversation with the most feared teacher at Hogwarts and he nearly laughed at the strangeness of it.
Percy was jolted to reality when Daedalus staggered up and gave him and Severus and overly amiable smack on the back. Wincing he thought it was a good thing for Daedalus that Severus was drunk because it was never a good idea to even TOUCH a sober Snape much less smack him.
"Jolly good fun, eh Perce?" Daedalus slurred, "couldn't have this kind of fun at home now could you?"
Home…Oh no! What time was it?
Percy frantically strained his eyes at the clock and groaned, "eleven forty- five. Mum's going to kill me."
With this in mind he made his way to the fireplace (with a good deal of help clinging to furniture) and, throwing in some Floo Powder, pitched forward into the flames hearing Daedalus' distant, "all right then, I suppose I'll see you later."
Whirling through flames he was dumped unceremoniously on to the carpet at home. With the room spinning he somehow managed to get to his feet.
Good, he didn't see his mother anywhere. He'd just make his way on upstairs to bed and no one would be any the wiser. Starting to make his uncertain way upstairs he was suddenly stopped upon hearing:
"PERCIVAL ANTHONY WEASLY YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Oh no…
