Confidence
By Serena-chan
Part Three:
Oliver wasn't quite sure what to expect when he arrived at the Weasley's house for Christmas break. When he had friends over at home, his parents always had this stiff demeanor that made both his friends and himself quite uncomfortable.
However, he quickly saw that he needn't worry. Mrs. Weasley greeted him with the same warm hug that she used to greet her own children and their other guests. Oliver decided that he liked her instantly. She was so, well, motherly, a refreshing change. His own mother did love him, but she wasn't very good at expressing it.
"My, we have a full house this Christmas!" Mrs. Weasley said cheerfully as she bundled them all in doors with their luggage in tow. "But the more the merrier! Now, Harry dear, you'll stay in Ron's room as usual. Hermione, you'll be with Ginny. Lee can sleep on the cot in Fred and George's room, and Oliver you can sleep in Percy's room. Now, get your things upstairs and rest a bit. I'm sure you're all tired from your trip. I'll call you down when supper's ready."
Oliver followed Percy upstairs and to his room. He wasn't quite sure what to expect of Percy's room, but it certainly wasn't this. His room was very tidy of course, but that was where his preconceived notions ended.
Deep blue curtains with gold stars hung from his windows and matched his bedspread. He had a bookshelf full of books, and Oliver was surprised to note that only about a third of them were school related. A pile of neatly stacked comic books was beside his desk, and he had a shelf next to one of his windows that was lined with miniature trees. The thing that surprised Oliver most was that the walls were covered with Quidditch posters.
Percy saw what he was looking at, blushed, and quickly said, "This used to be Bill and Charlie's old room. The posters are theirs, but I've never gotten around to taking them down." Maybe because they remind me of you.
Oliver set his bags down and watched as Percy carefully unpacked all of his belongings and put them neatly away. Then, he began to unpack Oliver's as well.
"Hey, you don't have to do that," said Oliver, embarrassed.
"I don't mind," Percy said, not making eye contact. There was an awkwardness between them that Oliver didn't like one bit. Deciding that he'd better do something, he searched the room for a topic of interest.
"These are clever," he said, walking over to Percy's shelf of trees. "Did you grow these yourself?"
Percy, finished with the unpacking, came up beside him. "Yeah, I did. They're called bonsai trees."
"Do they always grow like that?" Oliver asked, genuinely interested now. "I mean, in those funny shapes. It doesn't look natural somehow."
"No, if you let them grow naturally, they'd be the size of any tree you'd see outside. What you do is keep them from growing by cutting off the new growths. You can make them grown in these patterns by tying their branches so they'll grow a certain way."
"Seems kind of cruel," Oliver said, eyeing the plants. "Don't get me wrong, I think they're brilliant, but doesn't it seem mean to not let them grow naturally?"
"I don't think they mind," Percy said, fingering the leaves of one plant tenderly. "They live much longer this way, and they're not subjected to any sort of harsh weather. Besides, a tree in nature will grow to fit its surroundings, so tying their branches isn't really all that unnatural."
"I guess not," Oliver said, glad that the awkwardness between them had passed. He grinned mischievously at Percy's comic books. "Now what have we here? Don't tell me that Mr. Perfect actually reads comics!"
Percy grinned and blushed as Oliver snatched a comic book from the top of the pile and began to thumb through it. "Give that back," he said, laughing, "and I object to being called Mr. Perfect!"
"Make me."
Percy lunged at him with surprising strength, but Oliver, being the athlete, kept it just out of Percy's reach. Laughing, they tumbled backward onto Percy's bed, limbs tangled together; the comic book fell and lay forgotten on the floor.
Not wanting the moment to end, Oliver tickled Percy's ribs, eliciting a shriek of laughter from him. Percy tickled him back, and they ended up having a sort of a wrestling match, each fighting for a dominant position so as to get the better of the other. Just as Oliver was pinning Percy down so as to tickle him mercilessly, Fred and George burst into the room.
"What's all this laughing in here, Percy? It actually sounds like your beginning to develop a personality," George said, laughing at the scene before him.
"I've just discovered," Oliver said, grinning at his teammates while he continued to tickle Percy, "that our Prefect here is exceedingly ticklish."
"Found your weakness has he, Percy?" Fred said. Percy tried to look indignant, but failed miserably as his face was all red from laughing. "Mum says it's time to come down for supper."
The twins left, and Oliver watched them go, momentarily loosing his concentration. The next thing he knew, Percy had flipped him on his back and was sitting atop him triumphantly.
"Now, as payback for your atrocious behavior, I think I'll just have to sit here and prevent you from going down to supper." Percy grinned at him, "And there's nothing you can do to make me move."
"Really?" Said Oliver, raising himself up into a half sitting position. In one quick motion he had grabbed Percy's face in his and pulled him into a quick kiss on the lips. Percy was so stunned that Oliver was able to easily wriggle out from beneath him and leap off the bed.
"Hey!" Percy exclaimed when he realized he'd been tricked. "That's not fair!"
Oliver opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance because Percy's mother was shouting for them to come downstairs before their supper got cold. The boys grinned at each other, a new sort of closeness forming between them that they both very much liked.
Oliver followed Percy down the stairs to the dining room. He was definitely beginning to see a whole new side of Percy Weasley!
To be continued...
A/N: I'd just like to give a big thanks to fran, Goldsilk, Crimson-Ranger, and Adina-Anne for their wonderful reviews! New chapter will be up in the next day or two. Thanks again!
Serena-chan