Chapter 4 - Nostalgia

24 August 1999

Seeing Percy again had left Audrey in a distracted trance. The events of that night had been nothing but a hazy memory, but as soon as she recognized those bright blue eyes, she could see it clearer than what she ate for breakfast.

At Hogwarts, and even shortly after graduating, Audrey had not given Percy Weasley much thought. He was the Head Boy, in charge of delegating her shifts and running those tedious weekly meetings. He was Fred and George's older brother, who they incessantly made fun of. He was the "young man" Kingsley always spoke of with a concerned tone. All of that stood in the way of Audrey recognizing his sheer ambition and loyalty... and she remembered the day it was so conveniently pushed out of her view so she could see Percy Weasley for who he truly was.

"Here's some files you should read up on," Kingsley started as he set down a very heavy box filled with muggle notebooks on the rickety table, "secret operatives of the Order, their missions, and their code names, should you two ever need to go undercover to provide back-up."

Keegan nodded thoughtfully and grabbed a handful of the notebooks. Audrey paused for a moment and glanced worryingly at her uncle before doing the same. This was it. As soon as she grabbed one of those notebooks, there was no backing out. She delicately turned the pages of the notebooks, taking in the information within the pages... wincing every time she got to one with a searing red stamp that read "DECEASED" boldly dominating the top of the page. For the most part, all of these were the people she had expected to be in the Order. It took a couple hours for Audrey to finally get caught off guard and do a double-take.

Audrey paused as her eyes took in the new page before her, a mix of surprise and sudden revelation dawning on her.

Code Name: Knight

Real Name: Percival Ignatius Weasley

Blood Status: Pureblood

Mission: Ministry intel, muggle-born protection, double agent

Notes: maximum clearance, mission and post must be maintained at all costs

Almost half the notebook was filled with details and information related to Percy and his mission just in the last month. In a typical Percy Weasley fashion, he left no stone unturned and no details omitted.

"Kingsley..." Audrey called, trailing off. "Is this right?" she asked as her uncle entered the tent.

He sighed heavily before slowly nodding. "Yes, I was just as shocked when Dumbledore had told me. I don't think anyone's given up more than he has for the Order..."

After the war, Audrey had expected Percy to be revered as one of the Order's heroes. She had been as behind-the-scenes as it got, and there was no doubt in her mind that if people had found out about everything he did for the Order, it would be front page news. However, months went by and there was nothing. Not a squeak. Logically, it made sense to Audrey. He kept it hidden and focused on what really mattered: his family. Still, he lingered in her thoughts. The file, the encrypted contact she had with him during the war, and that one time she had had to go undercover for him... it was all too much to forget.

It was pure chance that he had been on that balcony that night, and Audrey had most certainly not planned to kiss him... but everything had been perfect. He was captivated, Audrey was intrigued, and they were all alone under a moonlit sky. Perhaps part of it was the "hero goggles," the popularized Witch Weekly term for finding someone more attractive because of their role in the war, but in that moment, Percy was simply a poetic man that couldn't walk away from her. It was truly - as much as Audrey hated to say it - perfect.

Too perfect.

"Good day to my favourite ladies!"

Audrey was snapped out of her deep thoughts by the familiar sound of Keegan's voice as he dropped into the empty seat at the table that Audrey and Oralee had chosen. It was a small French-style patio table, bright turquoise in colour and situated right under the midday sun. Keegan still managed to look completely relaxed in the tiny chair, and he ruffled his little cousin's hair with a joking smile on his face. Turning to Audrey, the older Shacklebolt added, "How'd your day together go?"

"Audrey's going to eat Moroccan food."

The young woman snapped her head towards her little cousin with a glare. Bloody snitch, can't trust little kids with anything, she thought to herself bitterly.

"Moroccan food? That's... oddly specific," Keegan commented.

"A man asked her."

"Ah, there it is."

"Stay out of it, Keegan," Audrey warned as she set her glare onto her older brother.

"Oh yeah, or what?" he challenged.

"Or I tell Mum who you're dating."

Keegan paused and narrowed his eyes at his younger sister for a moment of silence before finally replying, "Go ahead, we both know Gran Lucinda will love her and that's the only opinion that matters. Now, who's Mystery Man?"

Audrey rolled her eyes at Keegan's smugness and simply crossed her arms as she looked away in defiant silence.

"It was Percy Weasley!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Kingsley needs to get this one a sibling," Audrey grumbled.

"Oh, such ruthlessness!" Keegan exclaimed as he high-fived Ora. "You'll make a magnificent Slytherin, love."

Audrey fought back a smile at Ora's beaming face. She could never stay too mad at her adorable little cousin. Her brief moment of happiness, however, was quickly interrupted by Keegan's inquiries.

"So, how'd that happen?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face. He was enjoying this far too much.

"Nothing happened, it's just a bloody dinner," Audrey replied with a roll of her eyes. She knew she was trying too hard to down-play this, but her frustration was getting the better of her. Surprisingly, however, Keegan did not push back.

"Fine, don't tell me," he concluded with a shrug, "but be careful, all right? Remember what Dad said: lay low. A Weasley and a Shacklebolt is not exactly laying low."

Audrey slowly nodded but didn't reply. She had to admit that Keegan made a good point - this was definitely something that would catch a lot of attention, both good and bad. Admitting that out loud, however, was a whole other thing. And in any case, she could handle herself.

"What did you do?" George asked slowly as Percy entered the joke shop.

After a brief pause, Percy hastily answered, "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Noth - ah forget it, I can't do this," George started. "We both know what you did, in any case."

Percy scoffed. "Sure you do," he replied disbelievingly. He was absolutely certain that George had figured it out, but over the years Percy had learned that the best way to deal with the twins was to mess with their heads just as much as they did with his. Besides, the last thing he needed was George to go blabbing to Mum about Percy's love life.

However, the next thing to come out of George's mouth surprised Percy.

"Just be careful, all right?" his younger brother warned. "She may be Kingsley's niece but... she's also a Slytherin and part of a big pureblood family with lots of ties to Death Eaters. Don't be stupid."

Percy narrowed his eyes at George, a sudden wave of defensiveness coming over him. Where did he get off on making those kinds of assumptions about Audrey? Perhaps while they were at Hogwarts, Percy would have thought the same of her, but he knew that was far from the truth. He remembered seeing her name alongside those of other Order members after the war, and he remembered how serene and thoughtful she had seemed that night at the gala. Perhaps George had some more experience with Audrey and had a good reason to say that, but Percy was simply unable to accept that logic in that particular moment.

"Noted. I'll see ya later," Percy replied somewhat bitterly, before bidding goodbye to his brother and making his way back to the Ministry.

George may have just been trying to look out for him, but Percy was capable of making his own decisions. It seemed as if ever since the war had ended and Percy had started to reconcile with his family they were all walking on eggshells around him, like they expected him to just leave again. It was those moments he wished more than ever that he hadn't kept so much from them.

26 August 1999

"So, what's new?" Sabina asked as she heavily dropped herself on Audrey's coach.

"Where do I even start..." Audrey muttered tiredly.

Sabina Kopitar was Audrey's closest friend. They had been in the same year at Hogwarts, and a perfect example of how a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw could be completely unstoppable together. The two had been inseparable since their first year. After graduating, they took different paths in the professional world, Sabina choosing to train as a Healer, but their friendship had still remained strong. Then, when the war truly reached its peak, Sabina was right alongside Audrey in the Order, putting her skills as a Healer to use whenever she was needed. The two of them truly had been through thick and thin together.

"Beer?" Audrey offered, raising her own bottle.

Sabina shook her head, her blonde ponytail swinging around. "No thanks, took up a medi-witch shift tonight," she answered. "Dad begged me. New Keeper is a little reckless apparently." She sat up straight and fixed a frown on her face, before adding in a near perfect imitation of her father's Slovenian accent, "'This one is more square than the rest of them, I tell you!'"

"Reckless quidditch player? Why I would have never guessed," Audrey said sarcastically as she sat down next to Sabina.

Sabina laughed and added, "All right, you can only avoid talking about yourself for so long."

"Damn you Ravenclaws," Audrey grumbled, following with a sip of her beer. "So I have a date," she started as she set down her drink.

"Nice, nice, what's he do?" Sabina inquired.

"He, uh, he works for the Ministry," Audrey answered.

"Doing what exactly?" Sabina coaxed, evidently starting to get impatient.

"He's uh... he's the Head of the Floo Network Authority."

Sabina's grey eyes stayed fixed on Audrey and almost pierced through her very soul for a pause, before the blonde woman blinked a few times and slowly stated, "You're going on a date with Percy Weasley."

"Yes, that would be correct."

"Does he know your name this time?"

Audrey rolled her eyes as Sabina cracked up laughing. Audrey had always known telling Sabina about the what had happened at the gala would come back to bite her in the arse somehow, but one could never quite predict anything accurately when it concerned the former Ravenclaw.

"It honestly isn't that shocking that he didn't remember me, all right?" Audrey reasoned. "I mean, Merlin knows Penny was a bit too possessive back in the day."

"Oh hell, don't even remind me. I had to share a house with the girl," Sabina agreed, her laughter dying down just slightly. "Still, you saved the man's life once."

"Well, he doesn't know that. Code names and disguises, remember?" Audrey justified. "Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, Keegan had to save my arse that day, and you did too."

Sabina sighed and nodded, a grim look appearing on her face as she recalled the mission. She quickly forced a smile on her pale face before changing the subject. "Anyways, as much as I like to tease, I am happy for you. Getting out there and having an actual date instead of a regretful one-night stand."

"Bloody hell, it happened once," Audrey grumbled as she rolled her eyes, then grimacing slightly as she recalled her brief, drunken reunion with her ex all those months back.

"Okay, seriously now, he seems like a nice bloke," Sabina admitted. "A little full of himself, but hey - birds of a feather."

"You just can't stop, can you?"

"Nope!" Sabina agreed cheerily as she jumped up from the coach. "Anyways, I gotta get going now. Thanks for the update, love."

Audrey waved goodbye to her friend with a small smile on her face and a shake of her head. Hearing some positivity from Sabina did lighten her mood a bit and take her mind off of Keegan's warning, but it brought other troubling thoughts to her mind. Audrey hadn't thought about one of her missions in ages, but that mission in particular always sent shivers up her spine and triggered a sharp pain throughout the scar that ran along the length of her left leg. Some parts of the war were truly inescapable.

Percy always enjoyed family dinners now. There was nothing he had missed more after he had left home, and now he tried to attend as many as possible and truly make the best of them. He knew, deep down, that he could never actually make up for that lost time - but at least he could try. Weasley family dinners after the war were always a chance to leave your worries at the door for a few hours. Despite his small spat with George the other day, they still hugged and smiled and chatted throughout the dinner like it hadn't happened. Family dinners were now a sacred event for the Weasleys.

One of the clocks in the living room chimed one o'clock and Percy lifted his head to look out the window at the night sky. The tea in front of him had gone cold yet again, so Percy swished his wand to warm it up... again. Even though the family dinner had been a nice distraction, afterwards his head was still plagued by George's words the other day. With his mind racing, he could barely stand staying in his childhood bedroom, so he headed downstairs to the kitchen to brew himself a cup of tea and try to calm his nerves.

So far, no luck.

"Ah, can't sleep?"

Percy's head snapped towards the direction of the voice but visibly relaxed when he realized it was Arthur. He shrugged lightly and replied, "Just a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?" Arthur offered as he walked over to the kitchen table and sat across from Percy.

Percy stayed silent for a long moment, considering how he could talk about what was on his mind without giving his father too much information. He didn't want anyone else knowing about him and Audrey - especially not when there was so many questions racing through his head. He felt inexplicably attracted to her, but there was so much he really didn't know about her. Everything he was feeling defied logic.

"Do you think your Hogwarts house matters as much as people say it does?" Percy finally asked.

A slight look of confusion dawned on his father's face. "What do you mean?" he asked in reply.

"Just, you know... all Gryffindors are brave, all Ravenclaws are smart..." Percy added in explanation, "all Slytherins are cruel."

"Ah, I see," Arthur voiced with a knowing look on his face. "No, I really don't think that. Pride is one thing, but it would be pretty insane to think that every witch and wizard truly and wholly belonged in one of four categories."

"That's not the popular belief though," Percy countered. "Especially not nowadays."

"No, it's not, and it is very easy to get caught up in that," Arthur admitted. "Happens to me sometimes, but then I remember one simple fact."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Percy asked, partly out of curiously, partly because he hoped it was something that would help his case a little.

Arthur's smile widened. "Your Nana was a Slytherin, and I know she was only alive for a few years after you were born but she was damn near the kindest woman you'd ever meet," he said with a longing tone to his voice.

How could Percy forget about Nana? Cedrella Weasley had been a household name among both blood purists and so-called "blood traitors" for quite some time after she had been disowned by the Black family. She had just fit in so well with the Weasleys, though, that no one ever questioned her ties to the Black family, let alone the fact that she had been a Slytherin some decades ago. He supposed it made sense from the vague memories Percy did have of her. She was always carefully watching and analyzing, and he had a very distinct memory of somehow convincing Bill to clear the garden gnomes completely on his own one day.

"What's got you thinking about this?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Just um, a lot happening at the Ministry," Percy replied vaguely. "There's lots of innocent people with ties to Death Eaters and it's a recipe for cruel gossip."

"Like Kingsley," Arthur said with a sigh.

A bit of panic filled Percy as Arthur got dangerously close to his real concern, but he decided it would be safer to just play along with it. "Right, it truly can't be easy for him, especially as Minister," Percy contributed.

"It's not... and on top of what they did to his father and parents-in-law during the war, it's a shock anyone questions his loyalty," Arthur continued, "but unhappy people always need to find someone to blame. All you can do is try to show some empathy."

Percy nodded, deep in thought. He remembered the day that Arthur was talking about all too clearly, but it was his father's advice that Percy focused on in that moment. He had been so busy being offended by George's forwardness that he hadn't considered the storm of emotions George hid from all of them on a daily basis. He should have been more understanding of his little brother's concern.

"Thanks, Dad," Percy replied quietly with a small smile.

Lots of new mysteries introduced in this chapter, but you'll have to wait to find out more! Till next chapter :)