Chapter three
Percy walked into the common room the next morning, still silently fuming. Oliver was so stubborn! He needed help. He had to see that. Right? he must know that he needed help. After all, he was a Quidditch player. He was obsessed with the health and wellness of his team, so of course he had to see that he was becoming sickeningly thin himself. How could he not? Percy stopped and blinked, trying to calm down. His thoughts were becoming jumbled. He needed to think clearly. The only thing to do would be to try to talk to him again. They were roommates, so surely Percy would have a lot of time. Oliver had not yet returned from the hospital ward, but his stays were never more than two or three days long.
He desperately wanted to help Oliver. He cared about him. Only as a friend, of course. Nothing more. Even if Oliver did used to parade around their room shamelessly with just a towel wrapped around his waist after showering, water still clinging to the well-defined muscles on his torso. No. He couldn't think about that again. He shook his head to clear it of all thoughts. When Oliver had suddenly developed some modesty, Percy had thought nothing of it. He was just glad that his daily exhibitions had stopped- he, Percy, did not like men. He fancied Penelope Clearwater. He was just jealous of Oliver's body. Yes, that was it.
Percy spent the Sunday afternoon supervising a trip to Hogsmeade for the third years and up. Fred and George were their usual trouble-making selves, getting into as much trouble as possibly. They managed to spill one of their "disappearing ink" potions on his robes, laughing and falsely apologizing when it didn't disappear. He was much less amused than they were. Percy made a mental note to owl his Mother home about their bad behavior. He also noticed that Ron, Harry and Hermione seemed to be missing- where could they be? He assumed that they were with Hagrid and dismissed the thought- they always seemed to be with the Hogwart's gamekeeper.
When they returned back at the castle, Percy had more Prefect duties. He returned to his room to change his ink-stained robes, and sat on his bed. Now wearing a fresh set of robes, he polished his Prefect badge absentmindedly. He pinned it on and stood up, ready to make his rounds. He had potions homework to do that night, but he would either have to give up sleep or not do it since he had been busy all weekend. Of course, not handing it in was not an option so he would have to do it later. Percy made his Prefect rounds, to find that basically everything was the same as usual. He had some trouble with the Slytherins in the dungeon as usual, but the other students (mostly first and second years) were courteous and minded him.
By the time he returned to the Gryffindor house, it was quite late. He found two students sitting quietly in the common room, and he warned them that it was past curfew and that they should be in their dormitories. One, Seamus Finnigan - a friend of Ron's - snickered to himself, but both he and the other student he was with got up and went to their dorm. Percy climbed the stairs to the room that he and Oliver shared and opened the door, shocked to find someone moving in the shadows. He flicked on the light to see a shirtless Oliver standing there with his back to him. Percy audibly gasped, and Oliver turned around to look at him. Percy was horrified- bones were protruding from Oliver, and his collarbone, spine, and ribcage were visible through his skin. He stared, mouth agape at him for quite awhile before Oliver said anything.
"Anything wrong, Perce?" he questioned, looking at Percy quizzically.
"Oliver, you're so skinny!" he said, and Oliver blushed, looking pleased with himself.
"Thanks." he replied, laughing. "I'm trying to lose weight for Quidditch." Obviously Oliver didn't understand that Percy hadn't meant it as a compliment.
"No...that's not what I mean. Don't you think you've lost a little too much weight? It's like I said in the hospital. Maybe you should get hel- " Percy was cut off in the middle of his sentence by Oliver's sudden glare. Oliver had changed from being flattered and happy to angry in record time.
"I don't need help, thank you. And what do you know, anyhow? This isn't some school subject, not a Prefect duty. It's Athletics. It's different from what you know!" he barked, his words stinging Percy. "If you won't stop badgering me, than I'm going to have to stay somewhere else!" With that, Oliver grabbed the gold and red blanket off his bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Percy stared at the closed door before deciding to give Oliver his time, and shutting off the lights to go to sleep.
Percy walked into the common room the next morning, still silently fuming. Oliver was so stubborn! He needed help. He had to see that. Right? he must know that he needed help. After all, he was a Quidditch player. He was obsessed with the health and wellness of his team, so of course he had to see that he was becoming sickeningly thin himself. How could he not? Percy stopped and blinked, trying to calm down. His thoughts were becoming jumbled. He needed to think clearly. The only thing to do would be to try to talk to him again. They were roommates, so surely Percy would have a lot of time. Oliver had not yet returned from the hospital ward, but his stays were never more than two or three days long.
He desperately wanted to help Oliver. He cared about him. Only as a friend, of course. Nothing more. Even if Oliver did used to parade around their room shamelessly with just a towel wrapped around his waist after showering, water still clinging to the well-defined muscles on his torso. No. He couldn't think about that again. He shook his head to clear it of all thoughts. When Oliver had suddenly developed some modesty, Percy had thought nothing of it. He was just glad that his daily exhibitions had stopped- he, Percy, did not like men. He fancied Penelope Clearwater. He was just jealous of Oliver's body. Yes, that was it.
Percy spent the Sunday afternoon supervising a trip to Hogsmeade for the third years and up. Fred and George were their usual trouble-making selves, getting into as much trouble as possibly. They managed to spill one of their "disappearing ink" potions on his robes, laughing and falsely apologizing when it didn't disappear. He was much less amused than they were. Percy made a mental note to owl his Mother home about their bad behavior. He also noticed that Ron, Harry and Hermione seemed to be missing- where could they be? He assumed that they were with Hagrid and dismissed the thought- they always seemed to be with the Hogwart's gamekeeper.
When they returned back at the castle, Percy had more Prefect duties. He returned to his room to change his ink-stained robes, and sat on his bed. Now wearing a fresh set of robes, he polished his Prefect badge absentmindedly. He pinned it on and stood up, ready to make his rounds. He had potions homework to do that night, but he would either have to give up sleep or not do it since he had been busy all weekend. Of course, not handing it in was not an option so he would have to do it later. Percy made his Prefect rounds, to find that basically everything was the same as usual. He had some trouble with the Slytherins in the dungeon as usual, but the other students (mostly first and second years) were courteous and minded him.
By the time he returned to the Gryffindor house, it was quite late. He found two students sitting quietly in the common room, and he warned them that it was past curfew and that they should be in their dormitories. One, Seamus Finnigan - a friend of Ron's - snickered to himself, but both he and the other student he was with got up and went to their dorm. Percy climbed the stairs to the room that he and Oliver shared and opened the door, shocked to find someone moving in the shadows. He flicked on the light to see a shirtless Oliver standing there with his back to him. Percy audibly gasped, and Oliver turned around to look at him. Percy was horrified- bones were protruding from Oliver, and his collarbone, spine, and ribcage were visible through his skin. He stared, mouth agape at him for quite awhile before Oliver said anything.
"Anything wrong, Perce?" he questioned, looking at Percy quizzically.
"Oliver, you're so skinny!" he said, and Oliver blushed, looking pleased with himself.
"Thanks." he replied, laughing. "I'm trying to lose weight for Quidditch." Obviously Oliver didn't understand that Percy hadn't meant it as a compliment.
"No...that's not what I mean. Don't you think you've lost a little too much weight? It's like I said in the hospital. Maybe you should get hel- " Percy was cut off in the middle of his sentence by Oliver's sudden glare. Oliver had changed from being flattered and happy to angry in record time.
"I don't need help, thank you. And what do you know, anyhow? This isn't some school subject, not a Prefect duty. It's Athletics. It's different from what you know!" he barked, his words stinging Percy. "If you won't stop badgering me, than I'm going to have to stay somewhere else!" With that, Oliver grabbed the gold and red blanket off his bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Percy stared at the closed door before deciding to give Oliver his time, and shutting off the lights to go to sleep.