Hello there! This is not Master Potter of Kamar-Taj! I know, it's been nearly a year since updating that. I haven't given up, I've just hit adulthood, anxiety, and writers block like crazy. So I'm easing myself back into ff with a challenge! I have put the names of 50 Harry Potter characters (25 male, 25 female, 2 house elves and one hat) into wheeldecide, and spun the wheel twice. From this I received two names, this time Percy and Cedric, who I then challenged myself to write 500 words, give or take 10%, pairing them. This is the result. Enjoy!
Percy leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples. Whoever told him that working for the Ministry wouldn't be stressful was a damned liar. He groaned, biting his fingernails one by one. This bill on the standardisation of cauldron bottoms had to be absolutely perfect, so that Mr Crouch will consider him in higher regard, so that he might get recommended to the Minister, so that he might-
"You trying to bite your fingers off, Perce?"
"MERLIN'S BOLLOCKS!" Percy leapt out of his chair, hand on his chest as he saw Cedric standing on a broom, hovering outside of his window. "I've told you to stop doing that!"
"And I've told you, not a chance," he grinned, stepping into Percy's room. "So, cauldron bottoms, eh?"
"How can you tell that from over there?"
"You mumble,"
"Oh," Percy blushed slightly, looking away. "Yeah. Cauldron bottoms. Hardly the most glamorous event in Ministry history, especially not now, what with you-know-what coming up," he chuckled, rolling his neck and standing up.
"Why do you care so much about this stuff?" Cedric peered at Percy's desk, groaning after reading the first sentence.
"Why do you care so much about Quidditch?" Percy retorted, an eyebrow raised.
"Come on, Quidditch is hardly comparable. Why are you so determined to do well, when all they give you is filler stuff like this?"
Percy sighed, swinging his legs over the windowsill, watching the sun set. His brothers, Ginny and Harry were having a game of pickup Quidditch in the field. He grinned as he saw Ginny swerve through Fred, George and Charlie with one elegant spin, sinking the Quaffle through the makeshift hoop. "Because of them. Charlie works with Dragons, everyone thinks Bill is the coolest thing since the Wendigo, Fred and George are probably going to open a joke shop when they get out of school, Ron's helped to stop You-Know-Who twice, and stood up to a mass murderer to protect Harry, and Ginny, well, Ginny becomes more talented and brilliant every day,"
"So its competition?" Cedric surmised, joining Percy on the windowsill.
"I don't like to say it but…" the silent pause was deafening. "I just feel like I have so much to prove. They're all so amazing, and it seems to just come naturally to them. But me? I've had to work so hard for everything, and it never feels like enough for anyone,"
Percy stiffened for a moment, as he felt a pressure on his shoulder. Looking over, he relaxed as he saw Cedric's arm snaking across his back. "At least you have family your age. I love my parents, really, but it gets lonely being an only child. I wish I had half as many siblings as you do,"
"Take Fred and George," Percy smirked, eliciting a mock gasp from his companion.
"Did straight-laced Percy Weasley just make a joke?" He laughed, his smile shining in the sunset light.
"Can you shut up for just a second?" Percy sighed, resting his head on Cedric's shoulder, as the sun began to disappear over the rolling hills the both called home.
"Hey," Cedric nudged him, smiling softly. "You're enough. Trust me,"
Percy closed his eyes as the last rays of sun dropped out of sight. "You know, I'm starting to believe that."