A/N Written for QLFC season 8 round 3
Team- Kenmare Kestrels
Position- Beater 1
Prompt- It's Quiet Uptown: Write about someone asking for forgiveness.
Additional Prompts- 1 (Emotion) Regret, 15 (Relationship) Father/Son
Lyrics Used- you hold your child as tight as you can
Word Count- 1070 words
Percy had been pacing outside his father's shed for a whole thirty minutes trying to work up some courage to knock on the door.
He knew his father would welcome him inside with open arms, yet here he was hesitating to talk with his own father.
He remembered the last time he spoke to his father with great regret. "I was such a selfish git" he laments softly.
Somehow, he manages to summon his Gryffindor courage and knocks at the shed's door.
He waited in what felt like an hour before he heard a quiet "Come in".
He gently opened the door and peered inside the shed. His father had been tinkering with something that looked like a rectangular box to him.
"Father, can I talk to you for a while?" he slowly asked the older man, afraid that he would refuse to talk to him.
"Of course, Percy. What is it that you want to talk about?" Arthur immediately agreed.
Percy stepped inside the shed and pulled a stool to sit next to his father near the workstation.
He tried to work up the nerve to address his father. It had been three years since he had last spoken with him. The conversation or rather, the argument they had then is not something he wants to think of right now.
Yes, he had apologized but that was not directly towards him. He had apologized to the whole family.
They had even fought together during the battle, yet they had not talked.
They had buried Fred together with the rest of the family. Even then, they had not said a word to each other. Why?
He knew why. It had been eating him since the day he realized his mistake.
Seeing that Percy was nervous to start a conversation, Arthur decided to break the ice. "How have you been holding up? I am sorry, I didn't get a chance to ask you before. I was too busy taking care of Molly to focus on any of you kids" his voice was gentle as he talked with his third son.
Percy shot up his head in shock. He couldn't understand "Why was his dad asking him that? Why was he talking to him like nothing had happened between them? Why wasn't he angry with him?"
Deep down, he knew his father still loved him in the same way as before. The mere reminder of his father's love for him multiplied the guilt and regret he had in his heart about his actions towards him.
Arthur watched as the colour drained out of his middle son's face. He watched his son's face show emotions that he never wanted to see on any of his children. He knew why Percy was feeling this way.
He had noticed the way Percy had avoided looking at him whenever they were in the same room. He had seen him glance his way as if he wanted to say something and then backing down at the last moment. He knew the turmoil his son must be going through. It hurt him seeing him like that.
So he decided to take matters into his own hands now. He pulled his stool closer to Percy and pulled his son closer to him.
"Today must be hard for you, burying your younger brother. It must be harder for you and Ron than the others since both of you saw him die in front of you" Arthur softly started talking.
Suddenly reminded of one of the reasons he had come to seek his dad made Percy tear up again. He really hated how his father is so concerned about him, even when he had been such a bad son to him. He didn't deserve him even if he needed him the most at this moment.
He broke down at the realization. He cried harder, remembering each moment he had disappointed him. He cried for how he had given up his father as well as his family and insulted him for his own selfishness. What did he get out of it? Nothing but regret.
Seeing Percy cry like that Arthur remembered something that Molly had once told him when he had confessed his fears about protecting their kids from getting hurt to her. "Arthur, if our children ever come to you and cry to you, you hold your child as tight as you can. You let them cry to you, and you will take away all their pain for them by listening to them."
So, he did as Molly told him, he held Percy tightly against his chest as his son cried in his arms, regretting his actions and mumbling apologizes.
"I am so so sorry, Dad. I am sorry I said those awful things to you. I am sorry that I left you and the rest of the family behind. I am sorry I left home like that. I am sorry that I sided with the ministry instead of you. I am sorry that I let Fred die," Percy cried into his father's arms. He hugged him hard not being able to hold it inside him anymore.
Arthur ran his hand through Percy's hairs lightly stroking it to calm him down as he consoled him. "Shhh. It's alright Percy. Everything is alright. I am not angry with you. What matters is that you came back. You chose your family in the end. And Fred? It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done." His voice was soft as he soothed all his worries and regrets.
Percy felt all the tension leave his body. He felt freer than he had in a couple of years. Was it this easy to let go of the regret he had buried in himself?
"Yes" something inside him muttered. He chose to agree with that voice. He felt so silly about avoiding his father for the past few days when all he needed to do was talk to him.
His father had always been the best at taking away all his worries and making him happy. He had yet again proved it to be true. He yet again showed him that Percy was safe with him.
So, neither of them mentions when Percy decides to stay in his father's arms for a few more minutes and then join him in his tinkering. They were back together, and that was what mattered at this moment.