Wow, it's been a while. Sorry about that. I've had other stories, homework, and the holidays to keep me occupied, and now that one of three is gone I'll have more time. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this story updated!
Disclaimer: JKR owns all!
Percy took a deep breath. His wand was pointed directly in between his eyes, and his breathing was coming in deep gasps. Biting his lip, he closed his eyes and muttered the curse.
When he opened his eyes again, he immediately emerged from the stall of the muggle restroom and looked at himself in the mirror. The curse had worked perfectly, despite Percy's misgivings. He had cursed himself to look as if he had come down with a fever. There were bags under his eyes, he was extremely pale, and although he felt perfectly fine, beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.
He retreated back into the stall of the restroom and locked the door behind him. He pulled a battered piece of parchment and a quill out of a pocket in his robes, and, balancing the parchment on the little box that housed the toilet paper, scribbled a not to Lisa Turpin.
Lisa, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I have come down with a muggle illness that I can't seem to shake. There are a few memos marked 'urgent' on my desk, and if you could take care of them it would be much appreciated. I'll be sure to make it up to you in the future. Yours sincerely, Percy
He tucked the note and quill back in his robes and turned on the spot. When the constricting feeling passed, he was standing back inside his apartment.
Throwing off his work robes, Percy crossed into the living area, where the large window was ajar. His owl, Hermes, was resting on a perch nearby. Percy hastily nudged the owl awake.
"Sorry, Hermes, but this is an emergency," he said apologetically. He knew Hermes hated making deliveries during the day, but, like he had said, it was an emergency.
After retrieving the note from his tossed-aside robes and giving it to Hermes to deliver to the ministry, Percy hastily changed into his best imitation of muggle clothing. He wore a pair of jeans and a slightly overlarge sweater.
After tucking his wand into an inside pocket of his sweater, Percy turned on the spot and was back inside the muggle bathroom. Luckily the stall he appeared in was unoccupied.
He almost ran outside, where the small boy named Freddie was waiting for him.
"How'dja do that, Mister?" he asked, smiling toothily up at Percy.
"Do what?" Percy asked, confused.
"You look all sick," the boy pointed at Percy's face, "and your clothes are different."
"Um," Percy's heart rate picked up. He had not expected the boy to be that perceptive. "Magic?" He tried to make this sound as if he was joking.
"Okay," Freddie shrugged.
"Freddie, can you close your eyes for a minute?" Percy asked, not slightly nervous.
"Why?" Freddie cocked his head when he asked questions, Percy noticed. With a pang, he remembered that had been Fred's signature habit until he had turned nine.
'Because I'm about to break the Statute of Secrecy and the whole thing would be a lot easier if you weren't watching,' Percy thought, but said, "Just trust me, okay?"
"Whatever you say, Mister," Freddie shrugged again and closed his eyes.
Looking left and right, Percy stuck out his right arm.
An enormous, triple-decker bus appeared in front of him. The muggle cars and the muggles on the street did not notice the bus and kept going about their own business. Percy let out the breath he had not realized he was holding.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus," the conductor Stan Shunpike, still a very pimply wizard (though not as energetic after his stay in Azkaban), greeted Percy.
"You can look now, Freddie," Percy told the little boy, who opened his eyes. At first the little boy didn't look at the Knight Bus, but after a few seconds his eyes found it and his jaw dropped.
"That's a really big bus," he said in disbelief.
"Yep," Stan said proudly. "So, where to?"
But Percy did not answer. He had taken a couple steps closer to the Knight Bus, ready to board, but before he had taken his fourth step he felt a small hand grab his own. Looking behind him, he saw Freddie, looking a bit frightened, his tiny hand holding Percy's with a vice-like grip.
"You okay, Freddie?" Percy asked.
"Mister, where are you going?" Freddie asked, looking confused.
"What?" Percy was also confused, so, motioning to Stan to wait for a minute, he bent down to speak to Freddie face-to-face. "What do you mean, where am I going? Don't you want to come with me?"
Freddie's face brightened. "You want me to come with you?" He looked disbelieving.
"Of course," Percy answered, smiling. "Why, do you have somewhere else you'd rather be?"
"Well, my mom always told me not to go with strangers," Freddie said suddenly, looking guilty. "Nobody's ever wanted me to go with them before. Everyone's ignored me."
"If you don't want to come, you don't have to," Percy assured him. "If you'd like to come with me, then I promise that I will take good care of you."
"Pinky promise?" Freddie held out his little finger, looking expectant.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Laughing, Freddie took Percy's hand and wrapped his pinky around Percy's.
"That's a pinky promise," Freddie explained.
"Oh, okay," Percy was still a bit confused. "Then I pinky promise to take good care of you."
Straightening up, Percy told Stan where to find the Burrow. Freddie took Percy's hand again, and the two of them boarded the bus. There was a slight mishap with Freddie's crutches, but the two made it on just fine.
Percy chose two seats close to the front of the bus. Freddie was reluctant to sit; he seemed to want to explore the entire bus. His eyes were wide and he kept looking up to the other levels. Percy could only imagine what it felt like to be a seven year old muggle coming onto the Knight Bus.
"That'll be seventeen sickles," Stan informed Percy after the two had been seated.
"Oh, right," Percy had completely forgotten that he would have to pay. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he came up with a galleon, a few sickles, and a small handful of knuts. He gave Stan the galleon.
"Wow, that's some funky money you've got, Mister," Freddie said, his eyes even wider. "Are you from another country?"
"No, uh, this bus just uses special money," Percy answered wildly, hoping Freddie wouldn't ask too many more questions.
"Can I see it?" Freddie asked, his eyes on the pocket Percy had put his money in.
"Sure," Percy pulled out one sickle and one knut and handed the money to Freddie. The little boy turned the coins over at least five times, exploring every inch.
BANG!
With a jolt, the Knight Bus began moving, their seats sliding back at least three feet and knocking into the row of chairs behind them. Freddie, who had not been expecting this, fell out of his seat and dropped the money. His crutches fell under his seat. Stunned, he looked up at Percy for explanation.
Percy held out his hand and helped Freddie back up. When he was satisfied the boy was safely back in his seat, he picked up the small crutches and held them in his lap rather than risk losing them on the bus.
"What was that?" Freddie asked, seemingly terrified out of his wits.
"That was the bus starting," Percy tried to explain without telling Freddie what exactly was going on. "Sorry, Freddie, I forgot."
But he doubted Freddie even heard his last sentence. The boy's eyes had turned towards the window, where everything was a gray blur. Sometimes quick glimpses of buildings could be seen, as well as mailboxes and lampposts jumping out of the way.
Percy felt stupid. What had he been thinking, bringing a muggle boy he barely knew onto the Knight Bus? Why didn't they take a field trip into Diagon Alley while they were at it? Feeling sick to his stomach, Percy closed his eyes, willing the trip to be over.
BANG!
As the bus screeched to a halt, Percy flung out his arm, holding Freddie in his seat.
"That's your stop, mate," Stan said, turning around and addressing Percy.
"Thank you," Percy said shakily, helping Freddie stand up. The pair walked to the door, wobbling, and staggered down the stairs. Percy thought he had a worse time getting out than Freddie, who had to manage crutches.
When the two were safely out the door, the doors to the Knight Bus closed. Freddie waved to Stan inside, and before Percy had a chance to ask Freddie to look away, the Knight Bus sped away.
"Whoa," Freddie craned his neck, trying to see the bus. "Why didn't the bus get a ticket?"
"A what?" Percy asked.
"A speeding ticket," Freddie said, as if that were obvious. "My daddy got one once, and he wasn't going nearly as fast."
"Trust me, Freddie, it's a special bus," Percy said, taking a deep breath. He really hadn't thought out this plan very well.
"Is this your house?" Freddie asked, pointing over to where the Burrow seemed to stick out of the ground.
"It's my mother and father's house," Percy corrected him. "My mother should be home."
No sooner had he said this than Mrs. Weasley came bursting out of the house, running towards the pair of them, her arms wide open. Feeling guilty, Percy remembered that he hadn't visited for almost a month.
"What should I call her?" Freddie asked, tugging on Percy's sleeve and looking at Mrs. Weasley nervously.
Percy didn't get a chance to answer, for Mrs. Weasley flung her arms around him, close to tears, as he opened his mouth. He awkwardly embraced her as well.
"Oh, Percy, it's so good to see you," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she released him. Then, catching sight of his still sickly appearance, she let out a cry. "What is it, dear? What did you catch?"
Percy, who had forgotten all about his appearance, had to think for a minute before he realized what his mother was referring to.
"Oh, I'm not really sick. But I'll explain later. This," he gestured to Freddie, who had backed away behind Percy, obviously nervous, "is Freddie."
At first Mrs. Weasley was too distracted by Percy's appearance to take in what he had said. Then, when she noticed Freddie, she looked confused. After a couple seconds, she seemed to process what exactly his name was, and he eyes began swimming with tears.
"Freddie?" she asked, bending down to be on eye level with the little boy.
"Yes ma'am," Freddie answered, still looking nervous. "And you're Mister's mom, aren't you?"
It took Percy a couple seconds to realize that 'Mister' was him, and that he had never introduced himself to Freddie.
"Yes, I'm Percy's mom," Mrs. Weasley was the first to respond.
"Could we find something for Freddie to eat, Mom?" Percy asked quickly, sensing that he was about to be interrogated and not sure he wanted Freddie to be there when his mother started asking questions. "Then I can explain everything to you."
"Of course, dear," Mrs. Weasley looked slightly taken aback, but stood up immediately. "What do you like to eat?"
"Oh, I'll eat anything, ma'am," Freddie nodded enthusiastically.
"We'll have plenty that you'll like, then," Mrs. Weasley assured him, starting to walk back to the Burrow. "And you don't have to call me 'ma'am,' dear. You could call me Mrs. Weasley or Miss Molly or whatever is easy to remember."
"Mrs. W?" Freddie asked hesitantly.
Mrs. Weasley smiled and ruffled Freddie's hair. "Mrs. W is perfect."
As the strange party of three headed back to the Burrow, each had different thought running through their heads. In Percy's case?
How can we possibly take care of a muggle child in a wizarding world?