Yule Ball: Write about Percy Weasley
Word Count: 419
"Penny?"
Penelope looks up at him, and his heart skips a beat. Percy feels tears prick his eyes. He had been so afraid when he'd heard that she'd been Petrified; even knowing that a remedy was being prepared hadn't calmed him. Now, she's here again, and the universe feels so much brighter.
"Are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to say something?" she asks, her voice soft and teasing.
Percy clears his throat and adjusts his glasses. Color warms his cheeks as he takes a steadying breath. It shouldn't be so hard to talk to her. They've been dating for a year now; she's his girlfriend, his best friend.
"I was wondering if you'd like to be more public about our relationship," he says.
"I thought you wanted to keep it a secret."
He laughs softly. He had been an idiot for that, so afraid of the endless teasing that would spew from his brothers' mouths. Now, it isn't a secret anymore; Ginny knows, and it's only a matter of time before the others are in on it.
Still, he realizes he can handle their laughter and jokes. Penelope had only been Petrified for a short time, but it had given him a lot to think about. He could have lost her, and the world would have never understood his tears. She could have been taken from this world, and he would have had to live with the guilt, always afraid that he hadn't done enough.
"To hell with secrecy," he says, taking her hand gently in his before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I love you, Penelope, and I want the world to know it."
The words fall from his lips before he can stop them. Love. He's felt it for a while but has kept it to himself. It's such a powerful word that holds so much promise and commitment.
She's silent for several moments. Percy wishes he could take his words back and make her forget. This isn't how he had hoped to tell her his feelings at all.
Finally, a small smile stretches her lips, and she leans in closer. "I love you too, Percy," she tells him, offering him a quick, chaste kiss. "And I would love to be your girlfriend in public."
Percy holds her closer, unable to shake the giddiness that seems to tickle his insides. In that moments, all his fears and doubts seem to melt away. He has Penelope, and he will hold on.