Content Warning: mentions of pregnancy loss/infant death
September 17, 2003
"Oh, excuse me!" Percy Weasley said as he collided with a short brunette witch exiting Dervish and Banges on the Hogsmeade High Street. He narrowly avoided knocking her over entirely, his arms wind-milling comically as he tried to catch the small packages flying from her arms.
"Oh. Oh! Oh dear," the petite witch said with dismay as some of her packages hit the ground.
"My apologies, my apologies," Percy said, stooping to pick up the packages. He tried to help her balance them in her arms again, but even more slid from the pile. "Uh, may I help you to wherever you're going?"
She gave him a considering look. "Alright," she said a little suspiciously, "It's just up here."
Percy followed her further up the high street, then down a short alley to a door marked "Buchanan Squib Placement Agency." Percy froze for a moment, hoping he hadn't made any insensitive comments during his brief acquaintance with the as-yet-unnamed witch, but breathed a quite sigh of relief when she tapped the doorknob with her wand and pushed the door open. A bell tinkled gently.
"You can just put them here," she said, placing her own packages down on a small desk in the corner. Percy put his armful down. "And from whom do I have the pleasure?" the witch asked politely, holding out her hand.
"Percy Weasley," Percy said, shaking the proffered limb. Her hand was small in his.
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Audrey Edgecombe."
"Do you work here, Miss Edgecombe?" Percy asked solicitously.
"Yes, I do," she said, a slight wariness to her tone.
"I've never heard of the Buchanan Squib Placement Agency," Percy said, "Do you work with the Ministry often?"
"No, we don't," Audrey Edgecombe replied, "That is, they did, and then during the war they had to close up shop, and when they reopened, they decided a bit more independence was necessary."
Percy was surprised. "You, ah, haven't found the Ministry to be supportive?"
"Oh, no, they're fine. Better than before, according to my boss. But the agency wanted its own funding source, so they started soliciting donations," she replied.
"I see," Percy said. He was a little surprised at himself. Not for knocking into Miss Edgecombe or helping with her parcels – both of those incidents were fairly predictable. But for some reason he wanted to keep talking to her. He racked his brain for an excuse. It had been so long since he had wanted to talk to a woman just because she was a woman. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to keep you, but I work for the Ministry and now that I've heard of the Buchanan Squib Placement Agency I'd like to know more. Could I set up an appointment, Miss Edgecombe?"
She looked at him. "You may take me to dinner," she said finally, her mouth quirking up in the corner, "And you may call me Audrey." Percy stared at her. Dinner. Dinner? Audrey blushed, and started to open her mouth, but Percy cut her off.
"I would love to take you to dinner, Audrey," he said, "The Three Broomsticks?"
"That's fine," she said, "Let me get my things." It didn't take her long to gather her cloak and purse, and they set off back towards the main part of Hogsmeade.
"What brings you to this part of the world today, Percy?" she asked as they walked.
"Well, I was on my way to look for a birthday present for my sister-in-law, Hermione…" The pair rounded the corner and their voices faded away.
March 13, 2004
Percy Weasley was tidying up his already-immaculate flat. The takeaway boxes were hidden in the trash, a bouquet of roses was in a vase on a side table, and the taper candles were lit on the table.
He had been dating Audrey Joy Edgecombe for almost five months. She was five years his junior – twenty-two going on twenty-three to his twenty-seven going on twenty-eight. She had been a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts, while he had been a Gryffindor, and had started her first year the year he had been Head Boy. She worked as a social worker with the Buchanan Squib Placement Agency, and he was the head of Broom Regulatory Control in the Department of Magical Transportation at the Ministry of Magic. They were different, but not too different.
Percy opened the door a few seconds after Audrey knocked. "Eager, are we?" she asked, coming into his flat. "Oh, Percy, this looks lovely."
"I got you flowers," Percy said, taking her bag and hanging it on the hook behind the door.
"They're beautiful Percy," Audrey said, "And the food smells delicious. Did you make it?"
"Ah, no," Percy admitted, "I ordered in. But I've set out real plates."
"You're very sweet," Audrey said, standing on tip-toe to kiss him. Percy fumbled awkwardly for a moment, then kissed her back.
"How was work?" Percy asked.
"Oh fine," Audrey said, continuing further into the flat, "Will you show me around?"
"There's not much to see," Percy replied, "This is the lounge and through that door is the kitchen. Behind you through the hall is the bedroom and my study."
"You have a study?" Audrey asked.
"It's a second bedroom, but I use it as a study," Percy said, walking over to the table. Audrey was looking through the photos on the mantle.
"Are these your nieces and nephews?"
"Two of the three, plus my brother-in-law's godson. The oldest boy is Teddy – Harry's godson – he'll be six next month. Victoire is the blonde. She'll be four just after that. And Dominique is the toddler – she's eighteen months."
"You said three?"
"Oh, yes, Freddie. He was born at the end of January, after that picture was taken."
"Are they all in the same family?"
"Victoire and Dominique are my older brother's, Bill, and his wife Fleur. She was the Beauxbatons champion during the Triwizard Tournament. Freddie is my brother George's. His wife is Angelina. They got married shortly before we met."
"Percy," Audrey said sharply, "Who is this?" She had pulled a photograph down from the mantle. Percy froze. He hadn't expected to do it quite like this.
"That is my wife. Penelope."
Audrey turned around with tears in her eyes. "You're married? You're married! Percy!"
"No, no," Percy said going over to her. He took a deep breath. "No," he repeated more softly, "I'm not married. Penelope…Penny died. Three and a half years ago."
"Percy…you didn't tell me," Audrey said. She still sounded hurt.
Percy took off his glasses and rubbed them, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No. No, I didn't. I'm sorry, this wasn't how I planned it. Will you come sit down?" Audrey sat next to him on the sofa but held herself slightly apart from him. She was still holding the photograph. "My wife's name was Penelope Clearwater. You probably don't remember her – she was one of the seventh year Ravenclaw prefects your first year. Anyways, we dated during our sixth and seventh years and got engaged summer of 1996, just after Voldemort's return became public. Our wedding was scheduled for Christmas 1997, but she was a Muggleborn. I tried to smuggle her out of the country during the war. My eldest brother and sister-in-law were one of the refugee points for getting Muggleborns to France. But Penelope's Portkey was intercepted, and she was taken to Azkaban. She spent seven months there during the war before the prison was liberated." Percy paused.
"Did you marry then?" Audrey prompted.
"Yes, yes we did. We married at the end of that summer in 1998. It was a small, quiet wedding. Penelope's health was very poor. We didn't know how long she'd live. She was in and out of St. Mungo's receiving treatment for the damage done in Azkaban. And on Valentine's Day 2000, we got pregnant. Penelope and I were very happy. The baby was due in November. But she wasn't strong enough. At the end of July, she had complications. She died August 2, 2000, along with our son, Patrick."
"Oh Percy," Audrey breathed, "I'm so sorry."
Percy scrubbed at his face. "This wasn't how I was going to tell you. I'm sorry. I was going to tell you after dinner. It was coincidence that you didn't know, really. I only took off my wedding ring a few days before we met. I…I got tired of the questions."
Audrey was quiet for a long time. Percy felt tears prickling at his eyes. He thought of the silver wedding bands tucked away in his dresser.
"Your son's name was Patrick?" Audrey asked gently.
"Patrick Arthur," Percy said, "Yes. After our fathers."
"It's a beautiful name," Audrey said.
"Thank you," Percy said quietly. They sat in silence for what felt like hours, even though the clock on the mantle only three minutes had gone by.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Audrey asked.
"I wasn't sure how to…how to say it," Percy said, absentmindedly rubbing his ring finger, "I'd only been on a date once since Penelope died, and that was a disaster. How soon was too soon? I didn't know, and there was no one to ask. Maybe I should have announced it at that first dinner – 'Yes, my name is Percy Weasley, and by the way my wife and child died three years ago.' There isn't a handbook for any of this."
"I suppose not," Audrey said, "But Percy, you should have told me before this. We've been dating five months – I'm not even sure how you managed to keep it from me. Have you been hiding it?"
"Not exactly," Percy replied, scowling slightly, "Not really."
"Does your family know about me?"
"No, they don't – but Audrey, no, wait, that's not just because of Penelope. My family – they're intense. All my brothers – okay, except Charlie. And Fred, of course. But all the rest of my siblings are married, and Bill and George have kids. They aren't really used to new people. From what my sister has said, it wasn't easy for Fleur – that's Bill's wife – with the family when they were engaged."
Audrey settled onto the couch slightly. "You have a large family, don't you?"
"Yes," Percy responded, "Large, and a little insular honestly. It's easier that way. Cuts down on gawking at my brother-in-law –"
"Harry Potter," Audrey interrupted, "I know."
"Yes. And with Ginny's Quidditch career, and we all went to Hogwarts and everyone else was in the Order. I don't know. It was easier not to have new people."
Audrey couldn't help it – she paled a little. New people. She hadn't fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. She'd been sixteen, a fifth year, evacuated to the far side of the lake and stuffed into nearly-forgotten, moldy bunkers which, according to Professor Binns, had dated from the Second War of Scottish Independence. She would be "new people" to the Weasley family.
Percy was watching her quietly. Finally, he said, "Do you want to stay to dinner?"
Audrey stood up and looked down at him. She didn't have to look very far. He was tall, her once-married boyfriend. "Yes, I suppose so," she said.
December 25, 2004
"GEORGE WEASLEY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY WAND?" an irate Molly Weasley shouted from the kitchen of the Burrow, clutching a rubber chicken.
"It's behind your ear, Molly," a slightly distracted Hermione Granger-Weasley said as she passed through with two tins of biscuits.
"Oh, hello dears," Molly said, "Are Harry and Ginny with you?"
"Just behind us," Ron said, "Or at least they were. Blimey, lots of stuff to carry with that baby!"
"'That baby' is your godson, James," Hermione said, half reprovingly.
"Yeah, yeah," Ron said with a wave of his hand.
"Hello, hello!" Ginny called from the hall.
"Is she here yet, is she here yet?" cried an excited six-year-old with purple hair.
"Teddy! Ted!" Harry called, "Remember what we talked about?" He and Ginny came into the already crowded kitchen carrying an overflowing changing bag and wailing, black-haired baby respectively.
"Oh, come to Nana!" Molly called, abandoning the potatoes and reaching out for her youngest grandchild. Ginny handed the baby over to her mother.
"Where's the wine?" she asked Hermione.
"On the table, but Ginny don't you think you should wait until –"
"He's be crying for hours," Harry said as Ginny made a beeline for the dining room table. They'd finally added on a proper dining room a few years after the war, although the old (and now too-small) dining table was still in the kitchen. James Sirius, the baby in question, was now happily gurgling in his grandmother's arms. "Now Teddy," Harry continued, crouching down, "What did we talk about?"
"How to be nice to Uncle Percy's new girlfriend," Teddy replied confidently.
"And what did that include?"
"Not knocking her over like a bowling pin."
Any further conversation was cut off by Charlie's chorus of "They're here!" coming from the living room. Harry sighed, as half the adults, plus Teddy, went running for the living room.
"Act casual!" Ginny barked.
"Right, right!" said George, stopping in his tracks, "Angelina, where's the baby?"
"In the cot upstairs, napping."
"How can I be casual without the baby?"
"I don't know, how did you manage it for the first twenty-four years of your life."
George stared at her, mouth slightly agape, but was prevented from responding by the opening of the front door. Percy and a young woman stepped through.
"And this is the Burrow," Percy said, glancing around and giving an awkward gesture with his hand.
For a moment, everyone just stared. Then Charlie barked, "Percy, close the door, it's cold out!" and Arthur Weasley stepped forward.
"Hello, Percy," he said calmly.
"Hello, Dad," Percy said, "Dad, this is my girlfriend, Audrey Edgecombe. Audrey, this is my father, Arthur Weasley."
"Mr. Weasley," Audrey said politely, holding out her hand.
"Please, call me Arthur," he replied, shaking it, "Why don't you come in and meet the rest of the family."
Introductions were made all around, and soon they were settling down at the long table in the dining room.
"Wait," Molly said, halfway into her chair, "Who are we missing?" Everyone glanced around. Several places were indeed missing.
"Bill!" Charlie said, "Where are they did?"
"Did they send an owl?"
"Are they in France?"
"Are they playing hide and seek?" proposed George.
"Well!" came a happy voice from the kitchen, "I can see who is really the overlooked one in this family!" Bill Weasley stepped out of the fireplace and around the doorway.
"Oh, you're so late. Where are the girls?" Molly asked.
"At St. Mungo's, admiring their new baby brother!" Bill said. Angelina and Hermione let out small squeals.
"Oh Bill! He's here?" Molly said, hurrying over to her eldest, "But six weeks early! St. Mungo's? Is he alright?"
"Just fine, just fine, born right before midnight. Fleur had to be transferred, but both mother and baby are fine. Gabrielle was already at Shell Cottage, so we just had her stay with the girls." Bill accepted a small glass of firewhiskey from his father. "But I should get back, I just wanted to tell you all we'd miss lunch – not that you apparently noticed!"
"Oh Bill, a son," Molly said, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Louis Pierre," Bill said proudly, "Four pounds, fourteen ounces. Speaking of arrivals, is she here?"
The room erupted into giggles, and Percy just put his head in his hands.
June 14, 2006
"This is a stupid tradition," groused Ron.
"It's a tradition, don't be a grump!" Charlie said, slapping him on the back.
"Who wants to go out and get drunk on a Wednesday?" Ron asked.
"Me," said George and Harry in unison.
"We always have the stag party two nights before," Bill said placatingly. The Weasley brothers – including Harry – were in a private room at the Leaky Cauldron. Percy, who was nearing thirty and, in any case, had already had a stag party once before, had declared himself "too old for shenanigans," and his brothers diplomatically refrained from mentioning that his last stag party had been equally boring. Hermione had gone into the Muggle world to find expensive steaks, and Hannah Longbottom had laughingly agreed to prepare them instead of the pup's usual fare. So the five redheads and one "specky, scrawny git" were enjoying well-cooked steaks and well-aged firewhiskey in comfortable privacy near Diagon Alley.
"How's work, Perce?" Charlie asked.
"We really need to try and be more interesting," said George.
"It's good, Charlie," Percy replied, ignoring his younger brother, "We finally wrapped up prosecution on that case a few months back."
"That took literal years," said Ron, leaning in.
"When did we start that Percy, spring of '03?" asked Harry.
"I think so," Percy replied, "But you all didn't give it to us until fall."
"Blimey, we've apologized!" chorused Harry and Ron in unison.
"Oi, does that mean you can finally tell us what it's about?" George asked.
Ron and Harry looked at Percy, who shook his head. "Embargo ends next month."
George frowned, "Bloody secretive, the lot of you."
"Oh yeah, then what are you working on?" Bill asked.
"Plenty o' stuff, oh venerable eldest brother of mine," George replied with a grin, "But I'm afraid to reveal would be giving you advance notice."
Bill eyed him warily, while Ron said cajolingly, "Come on give us a hint, then!"
"Well, we've got some very exciting developments in the romance and fertility department," George said brightly.
"Oh, is that how you got Angelina pregnant?" Charlie snicked.
"Charles, Charles, you wound me. You think I would have to resort to such products on my lovely wife. Bill, here, might want to check his drink."
"Oi!" exclaimed Bill, "I've already got three kids!"
"Speaking of kids," George said smoothly, "How is our lovely brother's soon-to-be-wife?"
"George!" replied Percy indignantly, "You make it sound criminal!"
"Well, she is only a tender lass of twenty-three –"
"Twenty-four!" protested Percy.
"While you are an aged old gentleman of thirty-one."
"Twenty-nine!" said Percy.
"Hey now, watch what you say is ancient," Bill chimed in at the same time.
"And I'm just curious how dear Perce is doing with a younger woman," said George. Ron and Harry snickered.
"You do realize Bill is six years older than his wife and I'm only five years older than Audrey!"
"Hey, whose side are you on?" asked Bill.
"Yeah, but Audrey is younger than Ginny," said Ron teasingly.
"And a year behind her in school," added Harry.
"For all we know," Charlie sniggered, "You took points off her."
"During her first year!" George concluded.
"You're all terrible," said Percy.
"True," quipped Harry leaning back in his chair, "But at this point, you're pretty much stuck with us."
October 18, 2007
"Mum? Dad?" Percy called quietly out of the fireplace. The Burrow was dark, and the chickens were just beginning to putter about the yard in the early dawn. Percy got no response. He stepped into the kitchen, intending to walk up the stairs, but then remembered Charlie's horror story a few months earlier of popping in for a "surprise" visit to the Burrow. He took out his want. "Expecto patronum," he whispered quietly. A few moments later, he heard his parents door open.
"Percy?" his mother called out.
"In the kitchen!" he replied, starting for the stairs. He met his parents in the front hallway. "She's here!" he said excitedly.
"She?" Molly asked, rubbing her eyes.
"My daughter. Our daughter. Mine and Audrey's. She's here!" Percy was crying. It was so different from last time. Last time his parents had met him at the hospital. A Healer who knew Bill in school had sent an owl, and Fleur had gone to fetch them. When they arrived, Bill was supporting a sobbing Percy. Penelope and Patrick were both dead. This time he'd left a peaceful house, a safely slumbering wife and child, watched over by a competent, reassuring midwife.
"Oh Percy," his father said, hugging him. Percy had been the second Weasley child to become a parent. He'd spent nights up with his father, but they were different than Bill's. Victoire had been a fussy baby, and Molly and Arthur had spent plenty of nights helping Bill or Fleur soothe her to sleep. With Percy, Arthur stayed up, drinking tea, sometimes saying nothing, often just listening to Percy ramble. They'd talked of the baby his parents had lost after Charlie. They'd talked of work. They'd talked of Azkaban and the horrible damage it had wrought.
"Do you want to meet her?" Percy asked, "Audrey says now is fine, says it's okay."
"Oh, Percy, my hair," Molly said. Arthur laughed.
"Molly, she's a baby."
"Right," she replied, beaming, "Oh Percy, a baby."
"A healthy baby," Percy had said, his eyes spilling over. He had known this would happen. Audrey had known too. He'd stayed strong throughout the pregnancy and birth, but before she had gone to sleep she'd given him that look, the one that said that she knew he needed to cry about his dead wife and child, that she didn't blame him.
A few teary minutes later and the proud grandparents were following Percy through the fireplace. "We'll just wait and let you check on them, make sure they're ready for us," his mum said, patting him on the arm. Percy had obediently trotted up the front stairs and found his wife sitting up in bed, nursing their daughter.
"Are they here?" Audrey asked, noting his wide smile and red-rimmed eyes, "She's nearly finished."
"Hello, darling girl," Percy said, stooping to kiss his daughter, "Your grandparents are here to see you."
"No kiss for me?" Audrey asked, and Percy bent to kiss her too. "She's done now, I think," she said, unlatching the baby, "Bring them up."
Molly and Arthur Weasley entered a few minutes later, full of smiles and congratulations. Percy picked up his daughter and handed her to his mother. "Mum, Dad," he said, "Meet your newest granddaughter, Molly."