Percy watched the bright lights of London bleed across the rainy window of the Knight bus.
It was late, or rather it was early, it had to be morning by now. He had finished work at the Ministry about two hours earlier and had been riding around the city ever since. He had no destination in mind and so the vehicle hadn't had a reason to stop, apart from to pick up a couple more passengers now and then. Usually the WPTE (the Wizarding Passenger Transport Executive) didn't approve of aimless passengers, but Percy had done this a few times now over the last year, and Ernie and Stan had learnt to turn a blind eye to the odd habit.
He wasn't sure why he found the pastime cathartic; it just soothed him and gave him a space to think through whatever was bothering him. It was normally on evenings like this that he found it a necessary habit to indulge in, when work was hectic and he finished late- that was always when things started bothering him, when things that had seemed minor suddenly bloomed into bigger issues, or when old problem or regrets reared up again.
Right now, Percy was plagued by one of his most recurring regrets,
His betrayal of his family.
He couldn't say that he didn't know why he had done it, because he knew the exact reason. Power.
Percy let out a shaky breath and pulled his heavy head off of the cool glass, watching as it steamed up and the lights became blots of colour,
Tuning his wrist over, he checked the time on his watch to find that it was indeed nearly half past one in the morning; it was far too early for all this self-pity and yet, he couldn't help it.
The flickering city scape past the window started to become clear and soon grew static as the bus stopped suddenly against the pavement. A floor down a short conversation started as Stan asked a new passenger for their destination and printed them a ticket, then before they could even get to the second step on the stairs, the bus jumped forward again, rocketing down the street.
Percy listened as the new passenger struggled to make it up the stairs, although he had to admit that it sounded like they were doing a better job then he would. Soon they came into view and Percy found himself stuck in what could only be described as a trance of some kind. He felt like a rubber neck watching someone falling off of their broom, he knew he shouldn't stare, but he couldn't look away.
Draco Malfoy was working his way to one of the few available seats, stumbling as he went. Percy followed his every move closely, watching him as he sat and placed his bag down next him, crossing his legs tightly and sitting as though there were a rob up his spine.
There were articles about the Malfoy's almost weekly in the Daily Prophet, although a year on from the end of the war, most of it was speculation these days. They were a very private family even before everything had happened, but now they were rarely even seen outside of their home, hence Percy's shock at seeing Draco on something as public as public transport.
He was trying his best not to stare, but truthfully it was difficult not to,
It was only when Draco looked over towards the redhead that he realised just how monumentally he had failed and made a total social faux pas,
"Oh!" he mumbled, wondering whether it was too late to look elsewhere and still get away with it,
They were making indisputable eye contact now though, so he concluded pretty quickly that that was out of the question,
"Hello" Percy said softly, vaguely raising a hand in greeting.
The blond nodded sheepishly but didn't respond, instead he just tugged his coat further closed over his chest and set his eyes resolutely to his lap,
"I- I didn't mean to stare Mr Malfoy, I'm very sorry"
Draco sighed and lifted his head once more, "It's okay Mr Weasley, it happens quite often these days"
"I'm sure" the redhead spoke before he even realised what he was saying, "That's not to suggest that you expect people to stare of course! I just- I just imagine that it's difficult for you these days and-"
"Please-" the man said suddenly, cutting him off, "-don't worry about it" he sighed once more and began to unwind his scarf from around his neck, "I'm afraid I'm not really the best for conversation right now Mr Weasley, it's been a long day"
Percy nodded sympathetically, "It has" he agreed, "What brought you into the city? If I can ask?"
"I was visiting the Ministry, again" he replied, shaking his head at the very thought, "I've been trying to arrange an application, but so far it hasn't been going all that well"
The other furrowed his brow, "An application for work?" he suggested. The Weasley would be shocked if Draco was looking for work at the Ministry; he still very young first of all (not even out of his teens) and even though Percy had been straight out of school when he started working there, he acknowledged that politics was usually considered an older man's game. Secondly, he would never expect Draco to follow in his father's footsteps, especially considering their relationship now.
"No, sorry, a visa application" he replied, shaking his head,
"Ahh, so you're wanting to travel?"
Draco folded his arms and gave a weak smile, "As you can probably guess, England isn't the best place for me right now, so I thought I'd see what it was like to live somewhere else for a while, maybe try working somewhere too",
Percy winced, the young man was clearly making an effort to sound very casual about the idea, but it was also pretty obvious that he was having a hard time, "Are you having trouble getting the visa?"
The blond frowned and nodded, "They're very resistant to give me the time of day, let alone the visa itself"
The other man had no idea why Draco's plight was appealing to him so deeply. It all sounded very frustrating, and he could imagine exactly how the young man felt; he was so taken by the story, that before he knew it, he was talking again: "I could try and look into it for you, if you want?"
Draco seemed taken aback by the suggestion, "Really?"
"I don't see why not. I work at the Ministry of course, and while I don't have a lot of sway, I could still ask around about it"
"That would- that would be very helpful, thank you"
Percy shrugged, the first smile for some time finding his face, "I'd be glad to, really"
"Well thank you again, really"
The Knight bus then started to slow once more, and Stan Shunpike appeared at the top of the stairs, one hand holding onto the railing as he leaned into view, "The Leaky Cauldron Mr Malfoy",
"Thank you" Draco said, nodding back to him and collecting his belongings, "And thank you Mr Weasley, I really appreciate it" he added, turning to the man and offering him his hand.
"Oh, of course" Percy replied, shaking the offered appendage,
They once more nodded to each other before the blond finally made his way from the bus, following Stan down the stairs and then stepping out onto the pavement,
Soon the Knight bus shot off across the blacktop again and the Weasley once more settled into his seat, suddenly feeling far more at ease and almost ready to go home in fact.
0o0o0
Percy rushed through the Ministry foyer with his shoulders about his ears and his nose buried deep in the day's newspaper.
He weaved through the crowds of people that blocked the route to the elevators, barely sparing a glance at them as he passed; as a rule, he didn't socialise with anyone at work, then again he didn't socialise much with anyone else either. He wouldn't say that he had 'friends' at work, there were people he said 'hello' to and those he talked to about work-related matters, but no one who he could say he ever saw outside of the walls of the Ministry.
He slipped into an elevator seconds before the metal doors clanged shut, and he pressed his back against a small gap on one of the walls before the cramped space shuddered and pulled away from the foyer. Percy had worked at the Ministry for a long time now, but he was still very unsteady on his feet whilst in the erratic, rickety elevators; he blamed his slight frame, it had never helped with his poor balance.
After a couple of stops, Percy stepped out of the elevator and began at a hurried speed once more down the corridor, still resistant to look up from the less than interesting article he was pretending to read. He only slowed when he got close to his office, and he set about fumbling in one of his deep robe pockets for his wand.
When the redhead's hand finally found purchase about it, he was practically at his door and he looked up, casting a flourish with his wand to unlock the entrance,
To his surprise, he seemed to already have someone waiting to meet with him- Draco Malfoy was standing rigidly by his office, his eyes cast low so that he might not catch anyone's gaze, apart from Percy's of course.
"Mr Malfoy" the man stuttered, awkwardly shoving his newspaper under his armpit to offer him his hand,
He hadn't seen Draco for about two weeks, they'd sent a few short correspondences via letter of course, discussing the exact arrangements for the visa and the progress Percy was having, but otherwise they had communicated very little, there had especially been no social communication.
"Good morning" the blond replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it, "Do you want me to take some of that for you?" he added, gesturing towards the other's briefcase and newspaper,
"Oh no, no" he said quickly, stepping to his door and shoving it open, "But please, come in",
The two slipped into the small office, stepping awkwardly between the filing cabinets either side of the doorway which made the entrance all the narrower. Percy quickly skirted around his desk and came to sit in his chair, swiftly shedding his bag and coat,
Draco watched him quietly, standing upright with his hands behind his back and a blank expression on his face. Once the other man was finally settled, the blond licked his lips and untensed his shoulders, "I just wanted to drop in to thank you"
He quirked his brow, "Thank me?"
The other man looked just as confused for a moment before his hand found its way into his coat pocket, "My visa was accepted, I thought it might have had something to do with you" he said, extracting an envelope and handing it across the desk.
Percy took the offered paper slowly, tugging it from the envelope and unfolding it,
There wasn't much to read over, the few lines of printed text simply stated that the applicant [Mr Draco Lucius Malfoy], had been granted a full working visa for Europe. There were other details pertaining to the nature of his work and stay, but otherwise it was a fairly standard grant.
"That's- that's excellent, but I'm sure it was nothing to do with me" he replied, returning the letter,
Draco smiled, shaking his head, "They wouldn't even see me before you intervened. We first spoke only two weeks ago, and usually the grants take about a month to be accepted" he paused, carefully sliding the envelope back into his pocket, "I'm quite sure it was thanks to you that they even let me into the offices"
The redhead didn't know what to say, all he knew was that he felt some strange surge of joy rushing through him, one that had become so unfamiliar, it left him almost uncomfortable to experience again.
After a long stretch of silence between them, Draco spoke once more, his smile becoming more apparent, "I'd like to say thank you properly if I might? I could buy you lunch today perhaps?"
Percy blinked, finally finding his voice again, "Oh, oh no, sorry" he began, frowning, "I have so much work to do, we're absolutely swamped" with that he gestured about him, indicating the dozens of stacked files dotted around the entire office space,
Draco nodded his understanding, his hands slipping into his pockets, "Maybe another time then"
0o0o0
Of course, 'another time' never came,
Draco left for Europe just a week later and Percy persevered with his work, dealing with every growing fire as it came. As the years past, their lives evolved into completely new entities, unrecognisable from what they had been.
Percy was working just one step down from the minister himself, advising him and dealing with his important schedule and Draco was settled nearly 1500 miles away, having not returned to England for any extended period of time for many years.
Although the Weasley was busy, and he was, he still found time for his family of course, that quickly growing and comfortable thing that he had once turned his back on. His deep regret led him to accepting every invitation to a family gathering whether work was hectic or not, and Charlie's 30th birthday party was of no exception.
Of all the Weasley siblings, Charlie and Percy were the least alike.
They interacted whenever the family came together, sent the occasional letter to one another out of curtesy and even bought each other thoughtful gifts for birthdays and at Christmas'. They never spent time together, alone however.
Percy had never been to Romania to visit Charlie, and equally Charlie had never gone back to England with the specific aim to see Percy. That didn't mean that they love each other any less than any of their other siblings, in truth they just weren't sure how to even talk to one another.
As such, Percy felt extremely out of place at the party, and that was before he had even so much as seen his brother.
The man wasn't too familiar with anyone at the gathering (save for his family of course), most of them were Charlie's friends and work associates; tall, muscular, tanned men and woman, all gathered together drinking, laughing and talking vividly.
Percy frowned and resigned himself to standing against a dark wall, deciding that people watching was a far more appealing pastime than interaction; it was only when the familiar figure of someone who he wasn't related to passed by in his gaze, that he finally moved again.
He was stunned to silence (not that he had been making any noise before),
Draco Malfoy had stepped over to the drinks table.
He was older now, of course, he was twenty-three like Ron; his hair was a little longer but still neat and his skin was golden. He hadn't gained much height by the looks of it, but like many of the other guests at the party, he was a little bulkier, having grown more muscular arms. He was also dressed casually, his smart shirts, coats and robes long forgotten in place of a tightly fitting t-shirt and a pair of muggle skinny jeans of all things,
For all the changes in him though, it was undeniably Draco.
"Draco Malfoy?" Percy asked, knowing full well that there was no need to,
The blond blinked and looked up from the beer he was pouring, "Percy, how are you?" he asked, a smile turning up his lips as he put down the now empty bottle and offered his hand to the man,
He pushed off the wall quickly and accepted the hand shake, "I- I'm well thank you, yourself?"
"Yes, I'm doing very well" he replied, bringing his drink to his lips, "I shouldn't be so surprised to see you-" he went on, his smile unwavering, "-you are Charlie's brother of course"
Percy was finding it very difficult to concentrate on what he was saying, he was finding the changes he saw in the Malfoy remarkable- his at ease posture, his smile, even his tone of voice was different,
"So you know Charlie then?" he managed to say, trying very hard to pay attention,
Draco's expression faltered a little and he seemed to shrink in on himself, "Yes, we've worked together for a few years now" he said quietly.
That was fairly obvious of course, there was next to no other reason for the man to be there, and his new appearance was fairly in line with the look of a dragon keeper, per the image which was common amongst the other party attendees.
Percy didn't care if he had asked an obvious question though, he was just glad to have someone to talk to, "Of course, working with dragons must be quite a change, do you enjoy it?"
The blond smiled again and nodded, "Yes" he said, now stepping away from the drinks table,
The other man followed him, picking up a pre-poured glass of wine as he went, "I'm glad" he said, sipping at his drink, "And have you seen Charlie today? I haven't but trust him to not make an appearance at his own birthday party"
"Err- yes. Yes, he's somewhere-"
At that moment the man in question slipped from the crowd of party goers and approached the two men, his trademark smile warm on his face,
"Hey Perce'" he said warmly, joining them, his arm finding its way casually about Draco's shoulders, "How're you?"
Percy smiled, "I'm fine" he replied, nodding vigorously, "Happy birthday by the way, how are you doing?",
"Oh yeah, I'm brilliant" his brother said. He then quickly turned his attention to the blond by his side, his hand sliding down his back to instead squeeze at his hip through his jeans, "There's talk of the cake coming out soon babe, make sure you're close by for the cutting, I want you in the photos" he was speaking quietly, although Percy could still hear him above the noise of chatter in the party.
Before he could question any of what he heard, he then watched as his brother stooped and pressed a kiss to Draco's jaw, the tip of his nose then going to rub at his cheek bone affectionately,
"I'll be there" the blond replied, turning his head to look back at the man,
"Good good" Charlie said brightly, reaching forward once more to now kiss him on the lips.
The contact was short but sweet, and when the Weasley pulled away he returned to full height, once more looking to Percy, "See you in a minute Perce', cake inbound" and with that (as well as a final squeeze of Draco's side) the man left, a wake of birthday greetings following him as he passed back through the group of guests.
Draco watched him leave before slowly turning to look at Percy again,
The other man was already looking at him however, a smile on his lips, "I'm glad you got your visa" he said, holding up his drink,
"Me too" the blond replied, lifting his beer glass and toasting it.