QL Prophet's Friendly Face. Pride, beater 2.

Written for: Dina

Prompt: Perciver

Word Count: 816

Beta'ed by: CupCakeyyy

Percy had never felt like he fit in. At home, he was the black sheep of the family. In school, all of his Gryffindor friends loved Quidditch and his best friend Oliver ended up becoming the captain. Even when he joined the Ministry, things weren't completely right - he was there for a purpose and was around more like-minded individuals, but it wasn't for the right reason.

It took him a long time to realise how far down the rabbit's hole he had fallen as he sought to fit in somewhere.

Making the decision to aid his family and firmly choose the side against Voldemort at first glance appeared to be difficult. However, the second that choice needed to be made, he didn't hesitate for even a second. He went straight to fight on the side with his family.

That decision disrupted his life. Though, he didn't mind.

After the war, he maintained his job in the Ministry but found himself to be more reserved than before. He had to figure out who he was and what his ambitions were once again. That was difficult. Percy had always known what he wanted out of life: To get out of the Weasley household, work in the Ministry, and be respected.

A sigh left the ginger-haired boy as he looked down at the pitiful dinner he had made himself. His mood was affecting everything right now, including his ability to cook. Still, he ate it. Every bite made him miss his mother's wonderful cooking more and more.

He couldn't help but wonder what his life would have been like had he made different decisions. His family had always been welcoming in one way or another. The Ministry had informal get-togethers over his time there which he had declined. Oliver had invited him to go flying several times during Hogwarts and extended it as an open invitation when they had graduated.

On self-reflection, maybe he should have taken some of the opportunities given to him instead of only working towards the opportunities he thought was important.

He thought through the options he had remembered; he was already seeing his family more regularly since the war and wasn't currently aware of any informal events from the Ministry. Which left Oliver.

Percy contemplated this thought as he finished his dinner before picking up his quill and writing a note to his former best friend who he hadn't seen in a while.

Dear Oliver,

I realise this letter is out of the blue, I wasn't a good friend after Hogwarts as I delved into my life at the Ministry. It has been years since we caught up properly. I acknowledge that that is down to me.

Now that the war has ended, I have reflected on everything that has happened and the opportunities that I turned down without giving them any thought.

If your offer to show me how flying is 'really done' is still open, I would love to accept it this time.

Sincerely,

Percy Weasley.

Rolling the parchment together and attaching it to his owl, Percy watched it fly away into the distance. He barely waited a minute, knowing a reply wouldn't come immediately, and continued to get on with his regular evening routine.

Percy furrowed his eyebrows as his owl hooting woke him up. Still half asleep, he sat up and took the letter from him.

Instantly, the words woke him up properly. Firstly, Oliver was delighted to hear from him and would love to fly. Secondly, his friend had chosen today to do so and was expecting Percy to meet him at 9 am.

Percy should have considered asking Oliver to fly straight away instead of simply meeting up - Oliver always got overly excited about anything related to Quidditch, and was constantly awake early to participate.

He checked the time, 7:15. Not bad.

The ginger-haired man wasted no more time in bed and got up to get ready. He showered, dressed in his most athletic attire - which was probably equivalent to Oliver's least athletic attire - had a healthy breakfast, and then made his way to the meeting location.

Percy felt ready. He had his broom in one hand and a magically refilling water bottle in the other. This would help him reflect more and remember what he used to love, he was sure. Flying had been calming or adventurous - the latter always when any of his siblings were involved.

As he walked closer to the large field, Oliver came into view. He had really aged well!

"Percy!" Oliver greeted with a huge smile.

Percy raised a hand to wave, not wanting to shout as there were still a few meters between them. However, on the instance of hearing Oliver's voice, a strange sensation filled him and he wanted to greet his old friend with a kiss. He hadn't expected the warmth that filled his heart. Maybe this meetup was going to reveal more to Percy than he had originally expected.

The End