Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Intentions
Percy's broken heart was met with jubilation from the student body. Which is a slightly mean way to express that while Percy was distracted by his feelings the student body (specifically Gryffindor) broke curfew, snuck food from the kitchens, and took part in general tomfoolery with reckless abandonment. It's amazing what one can get away with when the usually too serious head boy is not paying attention. Ron and Harry returned to the common room after hours on a school night after getting caught up discussing 'the good old days' with Sirius and Percy didn't even bat an eye.
Interestingly, the only ones who didn't seem to take advantage of Percy's emotional state were Fred and George. "It's not good sportsmanship", George answered when I asked why we were taking an impromptu break from pranking.
"You shouldn't kick a man when he's down, Jolly Holly", Fred added in a voice that suggested I should know better. Wasn't that honorable of them? It kind of made me feel guilty for using Percy's downtrodden state to sneak out of the common room without actually sneaking.
But in my defense, I had won a bet. As awful as that quidditch game had been, Gryffindor was victorious and Adrian and I now had a date. A date in what was undoubtedly the best spot for couples in the whole castle. Or it would be if more people could access it.
"Are you really not going to join me?" I asked from inside the pool-sized bath. My arms were crossed and resting on the edge of where the side of the pool and floor connected. The water was warm and frothy with bubbles that smelled like rose water. Being in it was kind of like swimming in a giant hot tub without fear of your hair getting sucked into the suction-fitting drain.
Adrian, fully clothed, sat on a spread-out towel we were using as a sort of picnic blanket. Clearly, he didn't understand the appeal of a swimming date. With it being after hours, there was no natural light filtering through the stained-glass windows. The only light source came from flickering candles in a chandelier hanging over our heads. The ambient lighting cast shadows on Adrian's face; softening his usually sharp contours. "I prefer showers", Adrian said as he unscrewed the cap to a thermos of hot chocolate we had gotten from the kitchens. That being the most romantic thing we could drink at our given ages.
I rolled my eyes at Adrian's answer. Why go through all the trouble of agreeing to a bet he knew he was going to lose if he wasn't going to participate? A moment of silence allowed my mind to randomly connect some dots without intending to. Adrian was not a fan of bodies of water. Be it pool-sized baths, lakes, the ocean, or a watery cave with inferi.
Uncrossing my arms, I placed my palms flat on the floor and pushed myself up until I was able to climb out of the pool. Bits of wet hair clung to my face and I knew it'd be a tangled mess if I didn't brush it before it dried. Adrian handed me a towel we weren't using for the makeshift picnic. Taking it, I wrapped it around myself; covering the red polka-dotted swimsuit I borrowed from Angelina. "You could've told me you wouldn't enjoy this", I said; sitting down across from Adrian. "I would've understood. Besides, this was all a ploy for me to get to see you without a shirt on".
Adrian's eyes flashed in my direction, expressing mild amusement as he handed me the cap to the thermos. While I had been climbing out of the pool, Adrian had poured some of the hot chocolate into it so we could use it as a mug. "I don't mind. Watching you is pleasing enough", Adrian said as I took a sip from the thermos cap. The drink cooled enough that it didn't burn my mouth, but warm enough that I felt its heat trickle down my throat. The hot chocolate and heat from the bath served as a good way to disguise the cause of the blush I was feeling on my face.
Slightly changing directions, I said, "It's hard dating in boarding school. There's nowhere for us to go". Handing the thermos cap to Adrian to take a few sips of his own, I explained, "If we lived at home year-round we could do things like go to museums, take walks in different parks, window shop, try different restaurants". I listed off the dating options I thought could apply to wizarding relationships; knowing that Adrian wouldn't be able to relate to things like bowling, mini-golf, and the cinema.
"Should we attempt an outing during the holiday break?" Adrian asked as he poured us more hot chocolate.
"I don't know", I said as I accepted the full makeshift mug. "The last time we did that you got mad at me for talking to a muggle".
Adrian scoffed. "We'll keep to our own kind this time". A part of me wanted to address the discriminatory us vs. them line of thinking Adrian was displaying. But that part of me died when Adrian reached out a hand and started tracing an invisible line on the side of my bare left knee.
"What would we do?" I asked before taking a long drink from the cap; using it to cover my face and hide the effect Adrian's contact had on me.
Adrian hummed in the back of his throat as he thought about it. "It would have to be something safe. With Pettigrew and Lockhart on the loose".
"I doubt they're still in the country", I said; shaking my head. It was tiring, constantly worrying about individuals and what they were doing when you didn't know where they were.
"I'll think of something", Adrian said; choosing not to continue discussing two major question marks in our lives. Adrian's hand stilled. He placed his whole hand on my knee and squeezed. "Holly?"
"Hmm?" I asked as I handed the thermos cap back to him.
"You have no problem using knives during potions or when you cook with your mother". Although Adrian's touch was intimate, he wasn't looking at me. The sensitivity and vulnerability of this subject were preventing his usual straightforwardness. "How did you…. face your death?"
Looking up at the ceiling at the chandelier, I let out a big exhale through my nose as I thought. There were different ways to interpret Adrian's question. Not that I needed to. I understood what he meant well enough. The issue was how I answered because while I faced my death every time I had a nightmare, I haven't been able to get past it. Which is probably why I keep having nightmares.
When I collected my thoughts, I looked back at my boyfriend. In the time I had spent thinking, he finished the cap of hot chocolate and screwed it onto the thermos. "A knife isn't responsible for killing me", I said slowly. Besides, it would be mighty hard to make it through life if I couldn't use knives. "A person did. And I wouldn't say I'm over dying". My frequent nightmares were more than enough proof of that. So much that I didn't need to specify them for Adrian. He had caught me sleeping in class enough to know. "Why? Are you thinking you want to swim?"
Adrian's nostrils flared. "No", he answered. "But I think I'm going to have to". I waited in silence for Adrian to elaborate. But he never did.
Percy was in a slightly better mood the following week. Not because he was over Miss Clearwater. Not because they had made up. But because he had received a letter. "I've been asked to interview at Lord Flint's law firm", He announced at breakfast after having just finished reading said letter.
"Why are you surprised?" I asked, refilling my mug for a second helping of coffee. Only for George to take it away from me before I could take a sip. I frowned at him as Fred replaced it with a goblet of pumpkin juice instead. They were catching on that despite my nightmares still being present, I hadn't been seeking them out like I used to. As a consequence of that, they noticed I was struggling to stay awake during class. And their response was to deny me caffeine to ensure I would eventually sleep. It was sabotage, I tell you.
Percy neatly folded his letter and slipped it back into the envelope it arrived in. "It's an honor", he argued. "Flint said there was only one open spot and a large candidate pool. To even be offered an interview is an achievement in itself".
Fred and I shared a look, as George kept his focus on Percy so we wouldn't be too obvious. Percy didn't know Lord Flint had asked for him specifically. We hadn't told him this whole apprenticeship was set up from the beginning. Percy truly thought his success was based on his own merit…. Not to suggest that Percy's merit didn't deserve success. "After all that stuff Flint told you about what his father thought of your resume, I thought it was clear that you were the favorite", I said quickly to save ourselves.
Percy preened. "He was very complimentary. Perhaps I should ask to see if he has any insight into how his family's firm interviews".
George shook his head. "You've been hanging out with Flint a lot lately", he observed.
"You realize Flint's a Slytherin, right?" Fred asked.
It was interesting watching Percy take on an argument I had many times in the past year. "Ginny is in Slytherin", our older brother reminded us.
"Ginny's our sister. She doesn't count", George countered.
"Holly's boyfriend is in Slytherin", was Percy's next point.
Because he just had to bring me into this. "Adrian doesn't count", I spoke quickly. "He's been tamed". Very quickly I regretted my words and the audience I had spoken them to. "Don't tell him I said that", I ordered Fred and George.
"Oh, we're going to tell him", George assured me with an underlining mischief dancing behind his pupils.
"We'd love to see what his response is", Fred continued. I didn't have to look at him to know his expression would match our fellow triplet's. Gits.
"There's nothing wrong with befriending a Slytherin", Percy said; getting us back on track. Interesting choice, considering that he had an opportunity to get the attention off him but chose not to take it. And he really wanted to intern at a law firm?
I wanted to argue that point but could think of a way without undermining my own interactions with the snake house. So instead, I asked questions. "You've been spending a lot of time with Flint. Why? What is there for you two to talk about? What do you have in common?"
Percy's response was alarming. And it was alarming in a way that I couldn't interpret. Which just made the feeling worse. Percy rubbed the back of his neck; like he didn't want to tell us what he and Flint got up to as new acquaintances. "School mostly", Percy answered.
"School?" Fred questioned suspiciously.
"Doesn't Flint have the lowest marks in your year?" George asked. There was even a rumor going around that Flint may be retained if he didn't bring up his grades in time for graduation.
Percy deflected our questions by continuing to answer the first one; acting as if he hadn't heard Fred and George. "He also likes to talk about quidditch and… his family".
Okay, that was an answer that didn't tell us much of anything. "And do you like hanging out with Flint? I mean, you don't like quidditch and it's common knowledge he doesn't like academics".
Percy shrugged as he adjusted his glasses. "Flint is different. I suppose it's nice to talk with someone who isn't serious all the time". That was a comment that led to another shared look between us triplets. Percy…. not taking things seriously…. What was happening to our brother?
Clearing his throat, Percy stood up. "Class will begin soon", he said to excuse himself. "Don't be late", he warned us before quickly exiting the hall.
Fred, George, and I watched him go. We tracked him with our eyes until Percy was completely out of sight. "I don't like this", I shared.
George sighed. "I'd love it if Percy learned how to loosen up and have a bloody laugh, but…. I don't like this either. It doesn't feel right".
Fred nodded in agreement. Turning to face us he leaned in, causing all of us to duck our heads together. "I guess this is technically our fault", Fred admitted. It was a big milestone for all three of us. "So, what should we do?"
'Well, I did have an idea involving glitter and some nifflers…" I started to describe.
"No", Fred and George vetoed at once.
"No magical creatures", George specified.
"Not after that time with the gnomes and the ghoul", Fred added.
"Oh, come on", I complained. "That was one bad experience and we know more now. Besides, nifflers are cute".
"That's what you said about the gnomes", Fred argued. "Until one bite you in the finger and it got infected".
"Fine", I caved with a roll of my eyes; sad that I wouldn't get to see Flint be accosted by a bunch of nifflers. "What do you have in mind then?"
It was a Friday evening before we made our move. We had to wait for Percy to excuse himself from the library table he was sharing with Flint. For some reason, Percy's nose had started to bleed and nothing he tried was stopping the bleeding.
I was in the middle as we swooped into the seats across from Flint. Fred on my left and George on my right. Flint looked up from where he had been carefully copying Percy's notes. He spared a few seconds to study our faces. As rehearsed, we mutually decided on stony-faced expressions; wanting Flint to feel like he was up against an impenetrable wall.
Flint pulled back his upper lip; revealing his crooked yellow teeth. "You just missed your brother. Do you need me to pass on a message?"
"We don't like you", I said; getting straight to the point.
There was no change in Flint's face. "Aw, Weasley. That hurt my feelings. And after all the time we've spent together".
"We don't like how much time you're spending with our brother", George continued as if Flint hadn't said anything at all.
Flint sent down the quill he had been writing with. It was a signal that we had his full attention. "I wasn't aware Percy needed permission from his younger siblings on who he could associate with".
The use of Percy's first name did not pass unnoticed and it had us bristling. "We don't like it when people play with his head", Fred continued. "That's our job".
George and I nodded in support of Fred's statement. While Flint hummed in the back of his throat. "It's curious the Weasley Triplets would feel this way towards a brother they offered up to the Flint family to pay a debt". Flint's pupils were small, but the gleam in them was unmistakable. Very similar to the look Snape got right before he failed someone.
"We didn't offer Percy to anyone", argued George.
"All we did was promise that Percy would apply to your father's law firm", I clarified, keeping my voice firm. "What Percy does is his choice".
"With minimal guidance from us", Fred added. Just to make it clear that if Percy makes a decision we don't like, we would intervene. "We were the ones who convinced him to apply to the apprenticeship and we can convince him to decline it too". That part was extremely unlikely. But Flint wouldn't know that. Nor did he need to know that.
Flint leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. For someone we were trying to intimidate, he looked awfully relaxed. "Do all triplets talk as if they are of a similar mind, or is it just you three?"
"We don't know what you think there is to gain from making nice with Percy, or from having him working for your father", I continued. "But if you try to hurt Percy, we'll hurt you".
"You know our reputation". The next line came from George. "You've seen what we've done to Snape". And by that, George was referring to the time we filled Snape's office with enough dung bombs to fertilize a whole field. The amount of time we spent scrubbing cauldrons after that had probably been a new record. But it had been worth it.
"Imagine what we could do to you". Fred got the honor to make the actual threat. "To someone who isn't a teacher".
Flint let his head fall back as he let out a single laugh. One was all he could risk if he didn't want to evoke the wrath of Madam Pince on us. When he finished, Flint straightened in his seat before learning towards us. As if he was going to let us in on a secret. "You're a bit late", Flint whispered sarcastically; his poorly cared for teeth on full display. "Whatever it is you're accusing me of planning, I've already succeeded".
"That sentence doesn't make sense", I snarled. "You can't have already succeeded in an accusation we haven't yet made".
Pleased as punch, Flint grinned. "I can when I'm three steps ahead", Flint said in the same volume before he leaned away from us.
Fred and George were tensing next to me. I bet the plan with the glitter and the nifflers was starting to look pretty good. "Only three steps", I quipped because I needed to say something.
But Flint had something else on his mind. Something he was happy to verbalize. "Does Pucey know you are going around threatening older students? I thought he was keeping you on a shorter leash this year".
My hand twitched to pull out my wand. But George grabbed my hand under the table; preventing it. "This means war, Flint", Fred declared as the three of us stood up.
"I'm looking forward to it", Flint smirked.