The Whole Thing, Sorted
Author: Mira
Rating: Mild R for swearing
Slash - ie, two men in a romantic situation. Consider yourself warned.
Disclaimers: I have no claim on any of these characters, ideas or otherwise. They belong to Ms. Rowling. Not mine, ever.
Thanks to Dangermouuse for her beta-ing.
All mistakes are mine.
************************************************
Percy took a deep breath as he looked around. He was home, back in England. He grabbed his carryall from one of the many airport conveyor belts and went to the nearest washroom to apparate to Ottery St. Catchpole. The hour-long walk home would do him good. He wanted to collect his thoughts and prepare himself for his family.
An hour later, he stood in front of The Burrow. Nothing had changed - the chickens were still pecking around the yard, wellies were piled near the doorstep and... was that a gnome grinning at him? Percy smiled, put on his glasses, set his shoulders and walked into the house
"Hi Mum," he said, dropping his bag on the kitchen floor and coming up behind her. His mother was at the stove, stirring something that smelled really good. The dishes in the sink were clinking and, through the window, Percy could see a few gnomes playing with an old stick, possibly the remnants of one of the twin's old brooms. He smiled over at his mum. She was in slightly shabby green robes with an apron over them. Mrs. Weasley turned away from the pot bubbling on the stove, saw her son behind her and with a wide smile, hugged him. Percy tried not to wince at the action.
"Percy!" She said, stepping back to look at him. "Where have you been? Your father and I thought you got lost at the Ministry when you didn't come home. I sent your father back to the Ministry to find you, only to hear you left the country!"
Percy shrugged and took a look at the clock. It was rather late and he had been gone for three days. "Sorry Mum. I got sent to a meeting in Geneva on rather short notice and I didn't have time to send an owl."
Mrs. Weasley smiled and said, "It's so lovely that you're the deputy head of International Magical Co-operation. How was the meeting? What was it about?"
"Yes mum. The meeting was very interesting. There were wizards from all around the world and they all wanted what was best for their country." Percy looked around. "Where is everyone?"
"Fred and George are out and your father is working late tonight." She took off the apron and hung it on a peg next to the sink. Then she tapped the kettle on the stove with her wand, conjured up two mugs and soon had tea steaming. She handed one to her son and led him to the massive wood table that took up most of the space in the cozy kitchen where they sat. Molly took a sip from her mug and looked sternly at her son.
"Percy..." she hesitated.
"Mum?"
"Is everything all right?"
Percy sipped from his mug, not answering immediately. He couldn't tell her what he was up to these days.
"Everything is fine, mum. Why do you ask?"
"You're looking pale, and I don't think you're getting enough sleep. Maybe you should move back home."
Percy shook his head. "Thanks, mum. But I like my flat. It's closer to the Ministry and well..."
Mrs. Weasley smiled tenderly at him. "You like having your own place, don't you."
Percy grinned at her over his mug. "It beats hearing explosions at two in the morning." He drained his mug and walked over to put it in the sink. Mrs. Weasley came up behind him, did the same thing, then gently nudged him towards the stairs. "Go wash up and come back down for supper.
Percy picked up his case, went up the rickety stairway to his old room and tossed the case on the bed. He stood in front of the mirror and raised his sweater. The bandage was stark against his already pale skin.
"What happened to you, sweetie?" asked the mirror. "Have your brothers been harassing you again?" Percy shook his head.
"No. Nothing like that."
"Then what happened?"
"Can't tell you."
"I'll tell your mum."
"I'll stick you in a closet under Fred and George's dirty clothes."
"Right then. Point taken." The mirror hushed up and let Percy examine himself. He had to use muggle methods to treat himself when he was injured because he couldn't use magic without giving himself away. He remembered hiding in a dark alley, holding his bleeding side and hoping he wouldn't be found.
Magic was out of the question, so he had wrapped the wound intending to heal it later. He slowly walked to the bathroom, removed the bandage, muttered a healing spell and soon stood under the shower, moaning as the hot water loosened his muscles and relaxed his body. He had a few days off before he had to go back to work. Perhaps he would stay here and let mum baby him for a bit or he could go back to his flat and lie about relaxing. He deliberately used up all the hot water, dried off, slipped on his bathroom and went back to his room. He dressed in his most comfortable clothing he owned before walking downstairs to the kitchen, only to see his mum cooking up a storm.
"Um... Mum, I'm not really that hungry," Percy said tiredly She turned away from the pots on the stove and gave him a quick once over.
"Nonsense. You're as skinny as a wand. You're just like your father, never eat enough. Look at you. Pale as milk."
"I'm naturally this pale, Mum." He smiled at her, walking over to set the table.
His mother sighed. "You're paler than usual. A little sun might do you good." She tapped her wand against the pots and the food assembled itself on serving dishes, then settled on the table. Percy sat and watched as she piled food on his plate and poured him a glass of milk.
"Now I want you to eat everything on that plate." Mrs. Weasley served up her own dinner and joined her son at the table. They ate quietly, but Percy could feel his mother's eyes on him.
He knew what that look meant - eat your food or else. Mum's 'or else' could be a scary thing sometimes, so he started on the potatoes.
"Percy?"
He looked up, her face was serious.
"Mum?"
His mother smiled, reaching up to brush away some hair that had fallen into his eyes.
He sighed and again smiled tiredly at her.
"Excellent dinner, Mum. Now I'm going upstairs to write my report, must get it done." He carried the plate to the sink, used a cleaning spell and then went to his room. He left his mother at the table, looking worriedly at him. Once there, he fell into bed, barely remembering to slap a locking charm on the door and a soundproof spell on the room.
He needed to sleep. Reports could wait for tomorrow
Author: Mira
Rating: Mild R for swearing
Slash - ie, two men in a romantic situation. Consider yourself warned.
Disclaimers: I have no claim on any of these characters, ideas or otherwise. They belong to Ms. Rowling. Not mine, ever.
Thanks to Dangermouuse for her beta-ing.
All mistakes are mine.
************************************************
Percy took a deep breath as he looked around. He was home, back in England. He grabbed his carryall from one of the many airport conveyor belts and went to the nearest washroom to apparate to Ottery St. Catchpole. The hour-long walk home would do him good. He wanted to collect his thoughts and prepare himself for his family.
An hour later, he stood in front of The Burrow. Nothing had changed - the chickens were still pecking around the yard, wellies were piled near the doorstep and... was that a gnome grinning at him? Percy smiled, put on his glasses, set his shoulders and walked into the house
"Hi Mum," he said, dropping his bag on the kitchen floor and coming up behind her. His mother was at the stove, stirring something that smelled really good. The dishes in the sink were clinking and, through the window, Percy could see a few gnomes playing with an old stick, possibly the remnants of one of the twin's old brooms. He smiled over at his mum. She was in slightly shabby green robes with an apron over them. Mrs. Weasley turned away from the pot bubbling on the stove, saw her son behind her and with a wide smile, hugged him. Percy tried not to wince at the action.
"Percy!" She said, stepping back to look at him. "Where have you been? Your father and I thought you got lost at the Ministry when you didn't come home. I sent your father back to the Ministry to find you, only to hear you left the country!"
Percy shrugged and took a look at the clock. It was rather late and he had been gone for three days. "Sorry Mum. I got sent to a meeting in Geneva on rather short notice and I didn't have time to send an owl."
Mrs. Weasley smiled and said, "It's so lovely that you're the deputy head of International Magical Co-operation. How was the meeting? What was it about?"
"Yes mum. The meeting was very interesting. There were wizards from all around the world and they all wanted what was best for their country." Percy looked around. "Where is everyone?"
"Fred and George are out and your father is working late tonight." She took off the apron and hung it on a peg next to the sink. Then she tapped the kettle on the stove with her wand, conjured up two mugs and soon had tea steaming. She handed one to her son and led him to the massive wood table that took up most of the space in the cozy kitchen where they sat. Molly took a sip from her mug and looked sternly at her son.
"Percy..." she hesitated.
"Mum?"
"Is everything all right?"
Percy sipped from his mug, not answering immediately. He couldn't tell her what he was up to these days.
"Everything is fine, mum. Why do you ask?"
"You're looking pale, and I don't think you're getting enough sleep. Maybe you should move back home."
Percy shook his head. "Thanks, mum. But I like my flat. It's closer to the Ministry and well..."
Mrs. Weasley smiled tenderly at him. "You like having your own place, don't you."
Percy grinned at her over his mug. "It beats hearing explosions at two in the morning." He drained his mug and walked over to put it in the sink. Mrs. Weasley came up behind him, did the same thing, then gently nudged him towards the stairs. "Go wash up and come back down for supper.
Percy picked up his case, went up the rickety stairway to his old room and tossed the case on the bed. He stood in front of the mirror and raised his sweater. The bandage was stark against his already pale skin.
"What happened to you, sweetie?" asked the mirror. "Have your brothers been harassing you again?" Percy shook his head.
"No. Nothing like that."
"Then what happened?"
"Can't tell you."
"I'll tell your mum."
"I'll stick you in a closet under Fred and George's dirty clothes."
"Right then. Point taken." The mirror hushed up and let Percy examine himself. He had to use muggle methods to treat himself when he was injured because he couldn't use magic without giving himself away. He remembered hiding in a dark alley, holding his bleeding side and hoping he wouldn't be found.
Magic was out of the question, so he had wrapped the wound intending to heal it later. He slowly walked to the bathroom, removed the bandage, muttered a healing spell and soon stood under the shower, moaning as the hot water loosened his muscles and relaxed his body. He had a few days off before he had to go back to work. Perhaps he would stay here and let mum baby him for a bit or he could go back to his flat and lie about relaxing. He deliberately used up all the hot water, dried off, slipped on his bathroom and went back to his room. He dressed in his most comfortable clothing he owned before walking downstairs to the kitchen, only to see his mum cooking up a storm.
"Um... Mum, I'm not really that hungry," Percy said tiredly She turned away from the pots on the stove and gave him a quick once over.
"Nonsense. You're as skinny as a wand. You're just like your father, never eat enough. Look at you. Pale as milk."
"I'm naturally this pale, Mum." He smiled at her, walking over to set the table.
His mother sighed. "You're paler than usual. A little sun might do you good." She tapped her wand against the pots and the food assembled itself on serving dishes, then settled on the table. Percy sat and watched as she piled food on his plate and poured him a glass of milk.
"Now I want you to eat everything on that plate." Mrs. Weasley served up her own dinner and joined her son at the table. They ate quietly, but Percy could feel his mother's eyes on him.
He knew what that look meant - eat your food or else. Mum's 'or else' could be a scary thing sometimes, so he started on the potatoes.
"Percy?"
He looked up, her face was serious.
"Mum?"
His mother smiled, reaching up to brush away some hair that had fallen into his eyes.
He sighed and again smiled tiredly at her.
"Excellent dinner, Mum. Now I'm going upstairs to write my report, must get it done." He carried the plate to the sink, used a cleaning spell and then went to his room. He left his mother at the table, looking worriedly at him. Once there, he fell into bed, barely remembering to slap a locking charm on the door and a soundproof spell on the room.
He needed to sleep. Reports could wait for tomorrow
