Special thanks to Nichol for the beta (she writes here under GeorgeandFredWeasley). And many thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. I tried to respond to everyone that had an e-mail address. The reviews were all nice to receive, and very much appreciated!
Disclaimer: JK Rowling and Warner Bros. own Harry Potter. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 2: Secrets & Responsibilities (1)
Only when Dave disappeared into the Great Hall was Percy aware of the students that scrambled about. Cliques broke to walk around him and Oliver, and sounds of excitable chatter and scuffled feet echoed against the cobblestones. Some of the younger years pushed past them, eager for a good seat, and the sudden motion was like a slingshot, sending Percy back into the real world. The feeling of numbness and confusion from Plum's class vanished, and he was left in the midst of chaos and fatigue.
Turning around to look at Oliver, he was met with a hard stare.
"Perce, we don't have to-"
The redhead dismissed his words with a wave of the hand and a nervous laugh. "That's alright, Ol. Dave just isn't going to let up this week." He started to walk slowly towards the Great Hall, the corridor quiet now as only a few students hurried by.
Oliver followed. "Dave's bark is always worse than his bite, huh? If things get rough, I'm certain a Quidditch game could persuade him to lay off."
"Or a raid of Finch's office. There's a whole drawer of Fred and George's recreational pursuits."
"Ah, a little testing on Dave, you mean?"
"Precisely."
Though their banter was light, Percy felt blood rush up to his neck when they entered the Great Hall, side-by-side. He swallowed hard, trying to quell the tennis ball that seemed to have apparated into his esophagus, and set his lips together to show a brave face. Like Oliver. Scrutinized, teased, and bullied everyday; and yet, here was Oliver, taking this news in stride.
That is, until he saw Oliver's fisted hands out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing his roommate's fists so uncharacteristically clenched sent heat through Percy's body. Why should a seventh-year student, a Quidditch player – captain! – a guy like Oliver, be forced into this situation? All because – what? – because they were Gryffindors and the only seventh-years in their house. Peeved, Percy stood taller. He was the head boy, walking to supper with his best friend. He's tutored, guided, and (on many occasions) apprehended almost every student that was seated around him. It was silly, really, to think otherwise.
And there was no reason to be embarrassed right now, he reasoned, taking his place at the table. Only the Ravenclaws knew about the assignment and more than likely, the novelty of their new 'spouse' had them looking elsewhere than at the Gryffindors. Well, maybe Dave, he mused. Now relaxed and seated, he resisted the urge to look over at his table, knowing the Ravenclaw was probably at staring both him and Oliver.
"Ol, did you hear about Puddlemere's newest…"
"I haven't seen the playbook for Wednesday's match, and…"
"Ron stepped on my broom handle last night…"
Percy nodded to his housemates as he dug into the meal set before him, only half-listening to the questions thrown at Oliver. As usual, Fred and George sat directly across from him, with Ron, Harry and Hermione on either side. Angelina and Katie sat to the other side of Oliver, while Ginny, Neville and Colin sat beside Percy. Everyone was talking together, and Percy felt a sigh of relief run through him. No one knew.
"Dave told us that Plum finally gave out the assignments."
Percy looked up and met Hermione's curious eyes, dropping his fork loudly to his plate.
"Really?" He chocked slightly, clearing his throat to cover the quiver in his voice. "Dave-Dave told you about the assignment?"
"Yes, Plum did hand out the assignment this afternoon," Oliver said, hurriedly, cutting the twins off. As he nudged Percy's side, the redhead heard Oliver mutter something in Gaelic (though he could have sworn he heard the words "Quidditch" and "arse" thrown in).
"Um, yes. Due next Monday, would you believe it? Though I suppose most of you have assignments finished on that date, too. Right? That's the cut off, huh?" Percy hoped his seemingly casual tone would direct others away from Plum's assignment and onto their own.
Harry caught the bait. "Professor Sprout gave the third-years an assignment to transform Hogwarts' current plants into new varieties. But someone messed up."
Hermione shot Neville a pointed look and the timid third-year immediately lowered his eyes to his plate.
"They keep transforming students into plants when they lean in too far. We all got the lecture today," Harry continued. He puffed out his chest and sat up rigidly, capturing the attention of the entire table. Using a voice and quiet tone that resembled the headmaster, he said, "Students, watch what you sniff this week. You just may end up on one of Sprout's greenhouse shelves!"
As their house laughed, Percy felt Oliver's breath on his ear. "They're going to find out-"
A loud throat cleared from the front of the hall. The students stopped their conversations and watched Headmaster Dumbledore stand, casting his watchful eye over the house tables.
"Good evening, students. I only have a few announcements; I shan't keep you from your meal too long. First, I must inform you once again that Hogwarts' plants continue to transform students into – well, I ask that you be careful what you sniff this week, as you may find yourself on one of Professor Sprout's greenhouse shelves." Dumbledore's voice gave way to humorous tones as he glanced over his half-moon glasses, and Percy could have sworn he seen him wink at Harry.
He looked at the other students sitting around the table. They were discretely nibbling on their meals, casting inattentive eyes towards the front of the hall. And as he noticed them whispering and watching each other, he felt the anxiety in his chest calm. Perhaps-
"And finally," the headmaster clasped his hands together in front of him, "I'm pleased to inform you that the seventh-year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors have received a particularly interesting term project."
"Shit," Percy felt Oliver's breath before he heard him whisper. Without looking at his friend, he nodded, his hands fiddling nervously with a napkin. Dumbledore had turned to face Plum, seated at the corner of the head table, and both were exchanging knowing glances. Between them, Snape looked his usual sour self, as he appeared to ignore Flitwick's attempts to steer him into conversation. Percy's eyes fell on Professor McGonagall who was staring directly at him, a worried expression on her face. He looked back at her, raising his eyebrows as though to ask 'what's wrong?' but her gaze shifted when Dumbledore spoke.
"For the first time, a Hogwarts' professor has been granted permission to use binding charms on under-age wizards. In Professor Plum's Global Wizard Interaction and Etiquette Education Class, students have been paired into groups of two and received several charms that will help evaluate their interactions for the next week. Each student is to be considered," the headmaster paused, as though (Percy felt) for dramatic effect, "married to his or her partner until Monday."
At this admission, the students dissolved into quick, uncertain smiles, cheeky grins and laughter. The younger years at the Ravenclaw table were chortling loudly, already having heard the news at the start of dinner. At the Gryffindor table, Percy felt eyes set in his direction.
Fred and George were the first to realize they hadn't heard incorrectly.
A mischievous smile appeared on Fred's face. "Well, can you believe that, dear brother!" he exclaimed to George. "We get Percy all married off and didn't even have to get him a gift."
George leaned close to Fred, and spoke in a mock whisper, "It's only right, Fred. I'm sure opening their gifts would have distracted him and Penny from their wedding night. Anything special planned, Perce?"
Percy felt his dinner begin to flip-flop in his stomach as he tried to form words with his mouth. This was worse than he expected. He would have to explain to them – explain to them – that he wasn't paired with Penny.
But the twins had already turned to Oliver. "So, Ol, what lucky guy did you get?" Fred licked his lips in anticipation of his latest tease.
Lee Jordan spoke up from down the table. "Does he cook for you? Clean house?"
"I'm betting him and Perce made it a double wedding. Right, guys?" George raised his eyebrows. "No sense letting a little thing like marriage take precious time away from the Quidditch captain and head boy!"
Oliver sighed, shaking his head at the twins with a small smile. Percy couldn't help but admire how he appeared to handle the twins' comments as though they rolled off his back. Even his calm demeanor, keeping a casual eye on his meal and his housemates, seemed to indicate their questioning didn't bother him. But Percy spent far too many nights seeing Oliver stare out their bedroom window after practice to know better.
He grimaced, realizing these comments were the easy ones, when they were done in jest and not followed by a fist.
"Perhaps he ended up with a lady friend?" Ginny teased loudly.
George turned to Fred. "We've taught her well."
"You know, we could give our dear Quidditch captain some pointers."
Angelina spoke up. "I do have a pop-up book, Ol, and Katie has some extra time on her hands to-" Katie leaned over to swipe her friend playfully, though (to Percy) she didn't seem too uncomfortable with the suggestion.
As the Gryffindors laughed, Oliver leaned to his side and whispered, "I don't care if they are your brothers. They're going to get what's coming to them at practice."
Percy managed a small grin before turning his attention back to the table. It was only a matter of time before-
"Who'd you get, Ol?" Harry leaned across the table.
"Don't leave us in suspense, mate!"
The room suddenly quieted as Dumbledore clasped his hands together.
"I understand the novelty and excitement of this assignment, and we encourage you to talk openly. However, I must ask that you understand the significance of a marriage bond. This is the most sacred of wizard ceremonies, and wizards that fail to interact or cooperate in this partnership may suffer harsh consequences. Consider the fourteen-month rainstorm of 1961 – I'm sure many of your parents informed you about-" heads bobbed around the room. "Yes, good. That is only one instance of many in which a particularly disastrous marriage of two ordinary individuals can affect the whole. And above all we teach at Hogwarts, the basic principles of good magic should include a respect of your power and it's affects on your fellow wizards."
The headmaster looked at Plum again, and the small man stood up and cleared his throat. He snapped his fingers and a long piece of parchment appeared in his hands.
"I'd like to introduce the happy couples. You'll be seeing a lot of them together this week. Please rise and remain standing when I say your name. From Ravenclaw, Penelope Clearwater and Adam Jones."
The Gryffindors immediately cast puzzled looks at Percy and he shrugged his shoulders at them, trying to appear indifferent at this announcement. Inside, he couldn't stop shaking, and some part of his brain that still functioned observed how difficult it was to look calm when one's cheeks were glowing scarlet.
"And from Gryffindor, Percy Weasley and Oliver Wood."
Eyes suddenly glazed, Fred and George looked like Christmas had come early. Percy was hit with the sudden realization that every bit of authority and respect he tried so hard to earn these past seven years was washed away before his eyes. Raising a cool hand to a red cheek, he looked down at his plate, too ashamed now to even look at his roommate.
The entire hall was now filled with laughter. Percy felt a tap on his shoulder and, looking up at Oliver, slowly stood beside him. Seeing the Scots' face flush, he felt a moment's relief that he wasn't the only one affected by the attention. Then again, Percy thought as he tried to stop staring at the tears that threatened the corners of his brothers' eyes, he had gotten the better of the deal. It was one thing to be paired with his best friend on a project – quite another to be bonded with handsome, popular Oliver, in a humiliating 'geek meets Quidditch Jock Extraordinaire' setup.
Percy eyes drifted over the room. Both Dave and Karen, standing among the many bonded Ravenclaws, gestured 'thumbs up' at him. The younger girls turned red with embarrassment, and the first and second-year boys seemed to concentrate on their food with small smiles. The older students were the main source of the hooting and applause, with cackles and the occasional derogatory remark coming from the Slytherin table. Chancing a glance at the professors, Percy saw Professor McGonagall giving him a small smile. But it was Plum's eyes that caught his attention. The professor was applauding all the couples, yet he stared at Percy and Oliver. He was – beaming at them? Yes, the more the redhead stared back, he was certain Plum was pleased with himself.
Then, to his surprise and (he thought) perhaps Oliver's, the absurdity of the afternoon struck Percy and he began to laugh with the rest of them.
Watching Percy gasp for air in between laughs, Oliver easily let out his earlier reservations about the assignment and laughed heartily with him. His roommate's earlier hesitation in the corridor had arisen many questions, and he spent most of the meal on autopilot, answering questions with easy answers as he tried to figure out how to deal with this mess. And now that everyone found out, it felt good to laugh. As Dumbledore clapped his hands again and gestured for the students to resume their meals, the two boys sat down, relaxed and prepared for the onslaught of teases that awaited them.
"Now, now, Oliver," Ron managed to wheeze in between sobs of laughter, "We have to make sure that your intentions are pure."
"Absolutely," George chimed in, one arm around Fred in support, "I mean, you two never told us you were dating!"
"Whatever will Mom and Dad say?" Fred managed to sputter, before collapsing in laughter again with George and knocking a few bowls over in the process.
"Couldn't have done any better, Perce," Ginny said generously, and Oliver saw Percy shoot her a small smile before she added, "Of course, it's not like you were spoiled for choice now, was it?"
As George leaned over and patted her arm as though in approval, Percy said in an overly loud whisper to Oliver, "I completely agree. Their game has been way off lately. If you're taking suggestions, I recommend push-ups."
"Lots," Oliver muttered, trying to wipe the smile off his face and replace it with a mock glare. He waited until the laughter subsided before saying, "You guys just wait until it's your turn. We have no idea what's going on with this assignment.
"We don't even know how they're grading us."
"What were you told to do?" Trust Hermione to get right to the details, Oliver thought, though he did see that her cheeks were still rosy from laughing.
"We were told that the charms cast would evaluate our performance on several aspects, such as cooperation and teamwork. But points can be earned outside of the classroom."
"'Evaluate your performance'?" Harry squeaked, sending the table chuckling once more.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Fred leaned over the table. "For instance?"
"Well," Percy started, staring at his brother with his best (as Oliver had come to call it) 'I'm going to kill you when we're not in public' facial expression, "We have to spend a lot of time together this week. Um, you know, as part of the bond."
"Meaning much of our free time has to be spent together," Oliver added, and a sinking feeling came into his stomach when he realized how his words sounded.
Harry spoke up and (thankfully, Oliver thought) his love of Quidditch prevailed over teasing, "All your spare time? But Ol, what about the game Wednesday? We have to practice, go over game plays and-"
Members of the Quidditch team began to murmur amongst themselves. Well, Oliver thought wryly as he held up a hand to stop them, at least they've let up for now. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead heard Percy's voice: "Don't worry about it. If you don't mind a spectator while you practice, I'll just bring my books and study in the stands instead of the library." He gave Oliver a cautious look. "If that's all right."
To Oliver, his roommate looked just as surprised as he felt when he heard the suggestion. Not that he and Percy hadn't compromised before. But Quidditch was his domain, just as the head boy badge that glittered on his roommate's robe was his, and they always kept that part of their lives separate from each other.
Oliver cleared his throat, "That'd be great, Perce, but what about your own responsibilities?"
Percy paused, then abruptly turned and said, "Hermione?"
She looked up at him.
"If Professor McGonagall approves, would you mind if I delegate some of my duties to you for the next few days?"
She flushed. "Oh, yes. Certainly!"
Oliver saw Ron and Harry roll their eyes.
Percy nodded at her. "We'll talk about it later?" She nodded, a small smile on her face as she continued to concentrate on her meal.
Percy turned to Oliver. "So far, we're managing to-"
Hands clapped behind them. "Ah! I see one of my couples is already cooperating!"
Oliver and Percy jumped at the sound of Professor Plum's voice, and turned to find him looming over them.
The Gryffindor table broke into laughter again. Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver saw Dumbledore whispering to McGonagall, both staring at the boys with what he could only describe as 'interest.' He heard himself sigh. He had too much to deal with, too much to think about than to be guessing other peoples' opinions. It was going to be a long week.
"Ol, it's six-thirty!"
He jerked up, watching Percy bundle books under his arm and jump to his feet. Some older students left soon after announcements, and the head boy and Gryffindor captain were no exception. With a nod to the rest of the Gryffindors, now pointing to the Ravenclaw table and gossiping about their partners, the two boys stood and started to make their way to the main door. Yesterday's news, Oliver hoped.
"See you later, fellows," Fred called after them, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Before the rest could chime in, Percy whirled around, rolled his eyes in an exasperated look to Oliver, and began to walk out of the hall. But the Gryffindors weren't the only students that noticed them leave.
Almost to the door, a voice from the Slytherin table called out, "Wood! Weasley! This will be the one week you won't have to pretend about your relationship."
"Like a dream come true, ain't it, Wood?"
"So, tell us really, what goes on in that dorm room of yours? That's an awful lot of space for two students."
"Not like they get lonely!"
Biting down hard on his bottom lip, Oliver couldn't hold his temper any longer. He knew those voices. They were the same that taunted him whenever Gryffindor played Slytherin, and he would be damned before he'd let that team get away with this outside of the Quidditch pitch. Ignoring the taste of blood, he started to walk over to the Slytherin table only to be stopped by a slight pull on his robe. He turned to see Percy, staring firm at the table, holding his robe and (Oliver supposed) trying to hold his temper.
Part of his mind knew that his roommate should be taking points away right now. He should be dictating regulations and some vague reference to respect from Hogwarts: A History. Now looking at him, Oliver saw the blue eyes soften, and he realized (perhaps, as Percy did) that this is how the rest of the week might be.
10.
9. 8. 7. Oliver tried to keep his temper in
check. He glanced around the room, watching the faculty talk
amongst themselves. 6. 5. 4. It looked like
Harry was doing another Dumbledore impression at the Gryffindor
table. Fred and George were watching the seventh-years, eyebrows
raised.
3. 2. 1. His eyes moved to
the Ravenclaw table, meeting Dave's worried gaze. Karen, a
plain-looking girl with an anything-but-plain personality, was holding
his hand. Dave's eyes widened, his back straight, as though
asking if he should join them, but Oliver quickly shook his head.
So far, he managed to keep Dave away from this. It was just too
bad he couldn't do that for Percy.
His gaze fell back on his roommate, who still stared at him with blue eyes he couldn't read. He knew now there was no use in staying – after all, he did run out of numbers. Nodding to Percy, they headed towards the corridor.
Next Chapter: The boys chat, go to practice and turn in for the night.
