Chapter 4 - Apologies aren't my thing
We went to lunch and I made sure to sit far away from Oliver and Judy. No use in starting another fight. George and Fred came and sat down on either side of me as I moved the food around in my plate with a fork. Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson were next and they sat in front of us, chatting about something that happened in their transfiguration class. I grabbed my goblet full of iced pumpkin juice and took a big gulp. My eyes went to Oliver and Judy as they were engrossed in a deep conversation. They looked around at us and then chose to sit next to Fred, so I thought, as not to look at me.
"Ey Percy," whispered Katie as I looked up hesitantly.
"Yes?" I asked as I leaned in to hear her.
"How's Penelope? she asked concerned.
"Good I guess, I heard Professor Sprout tell Dumbledore that the Mandrake potion will be done tonight. So I'm anxious for tomorrow." Katie smiled. After lunch, we finished the rest of our classes and made our way to the common room before dinner.
"Weasley, I need to talk to you." came the voice of Professor McGonagall from the inside of the common room. She looked more grave than usual. I nodded and followed her to her office.
"Percy, I have something to tell you that might shock you." I was concerned now.
"Okay," I began as she motioned me to sit down. "What is it about?"
"There's been another attack and a student has been taken to the chamber." my breath caught in my throat. "The student that was taken ... well it was your little sister, Ginny." I was taken a back by what she had just said.
"Ginny ...?" I responded bewildered.
"An owl has already been sent to your parents. I'm very sorry Percy." Professor McGonagall put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I sprang up and hurriedly made my way to inform my brothers. As I got to the common room, it was empty, everyone had already made their way to the Great Hall. I practically ran to the Hall and sat next to Judy, not caring about the matching glares Oliver and Judy were giving him. I was out of breath and thirstly drank from the goblet in front of me. Just then Dumbledore came in and sat down at the head table. He announced to the rest of the students about the progress of the potion. Everyone but me cheered as they realized that soon they would know who was the attacker. After announcements were done and everyone began to eat, I faced Fred and George's face. They saw my expression and they both produced a matching one.
"All right, Percy?" asked Fred. I shook my head and cleared my throat.
"Fred, George, where's Ron?" they both shrugged, neither Ron nor Harry were at dinner.
"What's going on Perce?" asked George.
"It's Ginny." I replied as my eyes began to well up with tears.
"What's happened to Ginny?" they asked at the same time. The faces around me of my friends and Judy and Oliver were now all etched in concern.
"She's been taken to the chamber. They got her." I said in a whisper. The girls gasped and put their hands up to their mouths. Fred and George swallowed hard and Oliver shot me a look of sympathy.
I got up and made my way back up to the common room. Fred and George had all of their friends to comfort them, who did I have? No one. I took a seat in front of the fire, staring at the floor. The portrait hole opened and students came and filled up the common room. He heard familiar voices but didn't seem to keen on talking to them at this moment.
Oliver and I made our way through the portrait hole into the semi-full common room. There sat Percy in front of the roaring fire. I elbowed Oliver softly and nodded towards Percy. Ollie gave me a you-better-be-kidding-I'm-not-talking-to-him look and then I gave him a you-better-or-not-I'm-not-talking-to-you look. Then I gave him some puppy eyes that I knew he couldn't resist. Oliver dragged his feet over to Percy and I could tell Percy and Oliver were apologizing to each other. I smiled to myself as Ollie clapped Percy on the back.
"Hey Percy." I said quietly and sat down next to Oliver.
"Hey .." he said as quiet as I did. Oliver and the rest talked for awhile as the whole Quidditch team sat around us. Percy was staring off into space and Harry wasn't even there. I felt sorry for Percy, I mean, I hadn't apologized to him and he to me. The hours went by and one by one the students would go up to their rooms. The only ones left in the common room were Ollie, Percy, and me. Oliver and Percy were talking about next year and the N.E.W.T exams that they had to take, and I was reading up on something from my Standard Book of Spells 4. Then finally, Oliver said he was going to go up to bed. He leaned down and was gonna kiss me in the mouth when I turned and he kissed me on my cheek instead. I didn't feel like showing P.D.A's infront of Percy, especially since he was in the shape he was. Ollie left and me and Percy sat there in silence. A couple more minutes passed and then both of us spoke up.
"I-" we both said at the same time. Percy chortled, it was the first time I had ever really seen him laugh. He looked at me and then cleared his throat. The awkward silence filled the air again. I got up and sat right next to Percy. He looked up and stared into my eyes from behind his horn-rimmed glasses. This sort of peace of mind came over me.
"I'm not that good at apologies ... they're not really my thing." he smiled genuinly.
"Percy-" I began, but was interrupted by Percy's lips over mine. At first I didn't respond, but then I don't know what came over me and I gave in. My arms went instantly around his neck and he sorta pushed me down so I was lying under him on the couch, our lips never parting. Oliver's face flashed in my head and I quickly pushed Percy off of me. Percy had this look of pure disgust for himself, and I, well I felt like shit.
"It was just his emotions taking over, cause Ginny's gone, that's why. It was a mistake, and Ollie needs to know." I said to myself as I ran up the stairs to my bedroom that I shared with Katie and Angelina.
We went to lunch and I made sure to sit far away from Oliver and Judy. No use in starting another fight. George and Fred came and sat down on either side of me as I moved the food around in my plate with a fork. Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson were next and they sat in front of us, chatting about something that happened in their transfiguration class. I grabbed my goblet full of iced pumpkin juice and took a big gulp. My eyes went to Oliver and Judy as they were engrossed in a deep conversation. They looked around at us and then chose to sit next to Fred, so I thought, as not to look at me.
"Ey Percy," whispered Katie as I looked up hesitantly.
"Yes?" I asked as I leaned in to hear her.
"How's Penelope? she asked concerned.
"Good I guess, I heard Professor Sprout tell Dumbledore that the Mandrake potion will be done tonight. So I'm anxious for tomorrow." Katie smiled. After lunch, we finished the rest of our classes and made our way to the common room before dinner.
"Weasley, I need to talk to you." came the voice of Professor McGonagall from the inside of the common room. She looked more grave than usual. I nodded and followed her to her office.
"Percy, I have something to tell you that might shock you." I was concerned now.
"Okay," I began as she motioned me to sit down. "What is it about?"
"There's been another attack and a student has been taken to the chamber." my breath caught in my throat. "The student that was taken ... well it was your little sister, Ginny." I was taken a back by what she had just said.
"Ginny ...?" I responded bewildered.
"An owl has already been sent to your parents. I'm very sorry Percy." Professor McGonagall put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I sprang up and hurriedly made my way to inform my brothers. As I got to the common room, it was empty, everyone had already made their way to the Great Hall. I practically ran to the Hall and sat next to Judy, not caring about the matching glares Oliver and Judy were giving him. I was out of breath and thirstly drank from the goblet in front of me. Just then Dumbledore came in and sat down at the head table. He announced to the rest of the students about the progress of the potion. Everyone but me cheered as they realized that soon they would know who was the attacker. After announcements were done and everyone began to eat, I faced Fred and George's face. They saw my expression and they both produced a matching one.
"All right, Percy?" asked Fred. I shook my head and cleared my throat.
"Fred, George, where's Ron?" they both shrugged, neither Ron nor Harry were at dinner.
"What's going on Perce?" asked George.
"It's Ginny." I replied as my eyes began to well up with tears.
"What's happened to Ginny?" they asked at the same time. The faces around me of my friends and Judy and Oliver were now all etched in concern.
"She's been taken to the chamber. They got her." I said in a whisper. The girls gasped and put their hands up to their mouths. Fred and George swallowed hard and Oliver shot me a look of sympathy.
I got up and made my way back up to the common room. Fred and George had all of their friends to comfort them, who did I have? No one. I took a seat in front of the fire, staring at the floor. The portrait hole opened and students came and filled up the common room. He heard familiar voices but didn't seem to keen on talking to them at this moment.
Oliver and I made our way through the portrait hole into the semi-full common room. There sat Percy in front of the roaring fire. I elbowed Oliver softly and nodded towards Percy. Ollie gave me a you-better-be-kidding-I'm-not-talking-to-him look and then I gave him a you-better-or-not-I'm-not-talking-to-you look. Then I gave him some puppy eyes that I knew he couldn't resist. Oliver dragged his feet over to Percy and I could tell Percy and Oliver were apologizing to each other. I smiled to myself as Ollie clapped Percy on the back.
"Hey Percy." I said quietly and sat down next to Oliver.
"Hey .." he said as quiet as I did. Oliver and the rest talked for awhile as the whole Quidditch team sat around us. Percy was staring off into space and Harry wasn't even there. I felt sorry for Percy, I mean, I hadn't apologized to him and he to me. The hours went by and one by one the students would go up to their rooms. The only ones left in the common room were Ollie, Percy, and me. Oliver and Percy were talking about next year and the N.E.W.T exams that they had to take, and I was reading up on something from my Standard Book of Spells 4. Then finally, Oliver said he was going to go up to bed. He leaned down and was gonna kiss me in the mouth when I turned and he kissed me on my cheek instead. I didn't feel like showing P.D.A's infront of Percy, especially since he was in the shape he was. Ollie left and me and Percy sat there in silence. A couple more minutes passed and then both of us spoke up.
"I-" we both said at the same time. Percy chortled, it was the first time I had ever really seen him laugh. He looked at me and then cleared his throat. The awkward silence filled the air again. I got up and sat right next to Percy. He looked up and stared into my eyes from behind his horn-rimmed glasses. This sort of peace of mind came over me.
"I'm not that good at apologies ... they're not really my thing." he smiled genuinly.
"Percy-" I began, but was interrupted by Percy's lips over mine. At first I didn't respond, but then I don't know what came over me and I gave in. My arms went instantly around his neck and he sorta pushed me down so I was lying under him on the couch, our lips never parting. Oliver's face flashed in my head and I quickly pushed Percy off of me. Percy had this look of pure disgust for himself, and I, well I felt like shit.
"It was just his emotions taking over, cause Ginny's gone, that's why. It was a mistake, and Ollie needs to know." I said to myself as I ran up the stairs to my bedroom that I shared with Katie and Angelina.
