Hahaha, I'm just here to make your lives miserable because this probably won't happen. Jokes, I just like writing. This one is just short and sweet.

Disclaimer: I still don't own HP universe. I'm still upset about it.

Chapter 7:

Percival had retired early that night. He didn't feel like doing anything productive. He couldn't focus and he knew he was spiralling. He barely made it to the bed before he curled up in a tight ball. He shuddered.

The nightmares were worse that night. He woke up to find Adriana at his door, holding a glass of water. He wanted her to go away. He didn't want to look at her. He didn't want to see her. He yanked the covers over his head. He felt them being removed from his head and heard the glass set on the table.

"Don't do that, you'll get tangled up." Adriana whispered. "You might suffocate." Good. Percival thought. Suffocating seemed a lot better right now. But he couldn't do it. The same way he couldn't bite his tongue in the MACUSA cell. He was a coward. He was pathetic. Worthless. There was a small hand on his shoulder. It burned. He pulled away. He didn't want the pity. The comfort. He didn't want the stupid emotions. The hand was back. Only, it was in his hair, gently stroking it. As if the owner were trying to placate a child. For some reason, that felt okay. That comfort. That compassion. That was fine. He heard words above him. They sounded like a silly little tune. But he fell asleep to it anyway.

He wasn't entirely sure how long he'd slept or how he'd managed to sleep that long. There was a lingering scent of cinnamon that made him suspicious of who had been there. He went downstairs to find a note from Adriana.

'Percival,

Working today and I didn't want to wake you. Help yourself to

whatever you want. I'll be back around six if there aren't any raids.

Please don't blow up the house.

Adriana'

For some reason that made him smile slightly. If only for a moment. It was probably because it seemed so... normal. He had no idea what he was going to do all day. Maybe read. Maybe try and steady his hands. He looked at the garden. Or maybe do something nice.

The garden was very wild. Percival wasn't a gardener but he was pretty sure you weren't supposed to let them grow this madly. Plus, he could use some magic, if only discreetly. All the houses around them were detached and had high fences, but he couldn't be too careful. He should probably start by clearing away... everything. It was methodical. And that soothed him. The repetitive movements. The slight strain on his muscles. There was something cleansing about cleaning the garden. As if the madness and wildness of the garden mirrored his own mind. As the garden became clearer so did his mind. He became calmer. As his clothes got dirtier he felt cleaner. It was strange. He couldn't explain it. He piled the plants in a stack and vanished them with a flash. He was caked in mud and plant matter. He spent an hour trying to cleaning it off. He took another hour trying to get it out of his clothes. He wasn't sure how they got so, icky. Instead he focused on cleaning them. He didn't seem to process how late it had gotten because in the next minute Adriana was walking through the door. Percival shoved on his shirt so fast he heard something click.

"Percival?" Adriana called. He appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. She smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How was work?" He asked.

"Dull." Adriana said. "Just paperwork and paperwork."

"It sounds dull." Percival agreed. One thing he didn't miss. Paperwork.

"So, what did you do today?" She asked, walking into the kitchen. She started waving her wand and hands. Pans and knives started flying about.

"I did gardening." Percival said. Adriana nearly dropped the pan. Percival caught it almost lazily and sent it flying back to the stove. Adriana seemed far more interested in the garden than cooking dinner so he took over.

"I've never seen it so tidy." She said. "What spells did you use?"

"I did it by hand." Percival said casually. Adriana stared at him. "It helped... calm me down."

"Well, we can add gardening to the list of your skills." Adriana said jokingly.

"I... think I find gardening enjoyable." Percival said hesitantly. He felt odd. He didn't normally hesitate when speaking. Adriana looked at him.

"If you enjoy it I suppose I could get some gardening supplies." She said. "There are some in the shed but they aren't very good."

"I found those." Percival said. "And I fixed them and cleaned them. With magic." He'd seen the slight disbelief on her face.

"What would you like to plant in the garden?" She asked.

"I was thinking roses." He said. He was fond of roses. "But I don't know much about gardens." Adriana smiled. Then she frowned. It seemed she'd realised that she'd stopped making dinner. She started helping again. They enjoyed a simple meal. Percival didn't eat much. He just couldn't stomach large amounts of food. Adriana disappeared upstairs and returned with British money. Percival stared at it. She started explaining what each piece was and then told him to go to the muggle, which she had to correct to No-Maj, shop not far from the house. He honestly didn't know what to say. He started to protest.

"Percival, my garden." She reminded him. "Just don't go mad."