Oliver couldn't believe what he had heard. Beth had told him about what Percy had done. He hadn't talked to Percy in a long time but he knew he should now.

He apparated to Percy's apartment. It was two in the morning—he should be back from work. He knocked on the door. After a couple of minutes a dishelved Percy opened the door. He stepped back. "Oliver? What are you doing here?"

"Aye wanted to talk. Did Aye wake ye?"

"No. Come in."

Percy had been drinking, a lot. Percy sat down in a chair and pointed at the couch. Oliver sat down—it was very dark—one light was on in the bedroom but the door was shut so you could only see a part of it.

"So how have you been?"

"Great. I'm in charge of another project."

"That's great."

"Yes. I know. I hear you're doing real well."

"Yes."

"Doing Quidditch. Good job mate."

"Sorry I stopped seeing you—it's just—"

"You got busy. That's fine because I've been plenty busy. I've gotten rid of tons of things that only hold me back."

"Like what?"

"My family, Penelope. Once they were gone I was able to rise up and the ladder will only keep going up."

"Not always."

"What?"

"Sometimes things back fire. You think all is going well and it's really not."

"Really?"

"Yes. Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Well, fifth year. Quidditch. Perfect team and then you-know-who and we lost."

"I remember. So?"

"You told me that things backfire and you have to realize that."

"Oh." Percy reached for a bottle on the table next to him and drank from it.

"So when did you break up with Penelope?"

"I don't know, a couple of months—five."

"Wow. I thought you were still together."

"Nope. Not at all. You know we're the same you and I."

"What?"

"Well, let's face it everyone says I'm obsessed with perfection and you're obsessed with Quidditch."

"I'm not."

"Face it, the only reason we even became friends is because no one else could stand being with us."

"That's not true."

"Really? Then please tell me who will sit and listen to you talk about Quidditch and actually want to be there."

"Well….Jusea."

"Jusea. Really?"

"Yes."

"What about Beth?"

"Well, she…"

"Doesn't. She'd care more about other things then that."

"My parents…"

"Only listen because you're their son. Could you honestly tell me that they would listen if you weren't?"

"No."

"See."

"What about your family?"

"Fred and George—could care less about me. Bill and Charlie will listen for a bit but then they roll their eyes. Ron and Ginny—they wouldn't want to be near me even if someone paid them. My Dad—I'm nothing like him what does he care?"

"But your mother."

"Maybe her. But it's probably just because I'm her son."

"You told me you could talk to Penelope and she would listen."

"She would. But recently she wouldn't. She got mad and left."

Percy downed the rest of the bottle. He got up and went to the kitchenette. "Want one?"

"Sure."

Percy brought four out. Oliver took one and raised an eyebrow. "What?" Percy asked.

"It's just…"

"What?"

"There are two of us."

"Just in case."

Oliver took both of them. "I'm sorry she left."

"Well maybe I'm not. Without her telling me how bad I'm being and how stupid I am I can rise to the top."

"What top do you want to get to?"

"Minister of Magic of course. I could do way better than anyone else."

"Percy don't you think that you shouldn't live just to become that?"

"I don't see how it matters."

"What do you mean?"

"At least when I'm Minister I can show everyone."

Percy was half way through the next bottle and Oliver had just started his second. "Show everyone what?"

"That I can do it and that I was born to be someone." Percy went and brought back two six-packs.

"Born to be someone?"

"Of course. All my life I'm no one, I always knew I coud be someone if I tried."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah, well like it matters, no one cares."

"No one ever cares."

"And those who seem to are just pretending."

"I suppose that's true."

"Suppose? We both know it is."

"Percy did you and Penelope love each other?"

"Yeah. Of course I don't think it was all that much."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because strong love would have stayed—she didn't."

"Well…"

"No listen—every one has someone, but I guess I'm not good enough."

"Yeah, but it'll happen."

"Sure." Percy and Oliver finished their six-packs and Percy brought out more.

"Jusea loves me."

"Good."

"I think that's why she'll listen."

"I hear you."

"But I'm not obsessed."

"Yeah, well, neither am I."

"Do you think I'm obsessed?"

"About Quidditch?"
"Yeah."

"No. I think you're passionate."

"Thank you."

"Do you think I'm obsessed?"

"No, I think you're dedicated."

"Thanks." They sat in silence and drank four more bottles in silence. "People suck."

"I hear you."

"I mean do we make fun of their things?"

"No. But they make fun of us."

"Perce, what about what you did to your family?"

"Family. What is a family? Isn't a family supposed to care about you and love you?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't have one."

"But Percy…"

"Look, I know that everyone says that the Weasley family is awesome and wonderful. I guess that's true—as long as you're not me."

"You family loves you."

"No. No. They love everyone else. My siblings hate me."

"After what you did, yeah."

"No. Even before. They never cared—never."

"Your parents."

"My parents. My parents. Well I doubt they care much about me."

"Percy, I bet they do."

"Oliver I was horrible to them. I know that. But I did what I had to."

"Really?"

"Yes. Trust me."

"I just think you shouldn't have done that."

"Well, everything's' the same. The only difference is I don't have to go over to the house and be made fun of every single day."

"Every day?"

"Yep. Every day."

"You know I know I've always been the outcast. I never had any friends until you. Jusea was my first actual girlfriend, I mean there was Angelina, but that wasn't anything."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Angelina?"

"Yeah we made out—that was it. I don't know why—she doesn't either."

"Well that's news to me."

"Yeah well, no one knows—it's a secret—keep it that way."

"Yeah, I'll tell all the people I hang out with."

"You know what I mean. My point is, no one ever wanted to be my friend."

"Me too. Although at least with you people wanted to actually know you."

"Ha. Only because of how good I am. Or, so I'm told, how good looking I am."

"We're pathetic."

"Yeah, well I don't care."

"Me neither."

They drank until they fell asleep.

Oliver woke up. His head hurt. He looked around he was still at Percy's apartment. Percy came out of his room dressed for work. Oliver looked at him in amazement, "Doesn't your head hurt?"

"No. Here, drink this." He handed Oliver a glass that was greenish, red.

"I'm supposed to drink that?"

"It'll take away your hangover, believe me. I gotta go to work. The door will automatically lock. Bye."

And with that Percy was gone. Oliver picked up the glass. He was about to smell it but decided against it—he might get sick, so he swallowed it. It tasted horrible, but within five minutes the hangover was completely gone. Oliver went to his job.