Penelope
Percy wakes up the next morning hungover as highwater and ill. He had broken out the wine that he and Audrey usually drank with Charlie. He’s already missed work by several hours. Hermes is in his window with a letter from his boss attached to his leg.
He pulls himself out of the armchair, a crick in his neck and stumbles to his dear friend. He opens the letter, expecting a reprimand. Instead, it’s just Kingsley asking if everything was okay. Percy sighs and squints in the light of morning, searching for a quill and parchment. He manages to scribble out a reply- an apology for his unexpected tardiness and explain g he’s not feeling well and slept past his alarm. He sends it off with Hermes and hops into the shower.
He's feeling so ill he vomits into the sink drain. He feels weak in his knees and ends up just sitting in the spray until the water goes cold. When he finally pulls himself from the shower and into clean clothes, he feels exhausted. Hermes is back in the window and Percy takes the letter from his owl. He gives Hermes some scratches and the bird hoots happily. The letter is quick reply from Kingsley, telling him to feel better and to not come in today. Percy feels grateful, because moving from the chair, the window, and the shower, is enough to make him feel exhausted.
He rummages through the cabinets and finds a hangover relief potion and a stomach settler. He takes the stomach-settler first, knowing he’d throw up the hangover relief potion with out it. He spends a very unpleasant twenty minutes trying to keep the stomach settler down until it finally works, and he takes the hangover relief desperately. Then, he jumps back into bed. He keeps the window open, and Hermes gleefully hops his way onto his owner’s chest. Percy falls asleep cuddling his bird.
He only wakes up once to use the bathroom, but thankfully doesn’t vomit again. He’s not feeling well, hangover aside. He feels a cough in his chest and feels oddly warm in the chest and behind his eyes. He’s definitely sick. Hermes is perched on Audrey’s pillow. When Percy lays back down, the bird pecks gently at Percy’s messy curls. The rhythm is enough to get Percy to go back to sleep.
Finally, Percy wakes up in the midafternoon, the sun shining on his face through the window. Hermes is gone, probably out hunting, and he can’t help but feel a bit lungful, wishing his friend would have stayed longer. He’s not hungry at all, so he makes himself a cup of strong tea instead of eating.
In the hallway, the muggle landline rings. Audrey had insisted on installing it after they had moved in, for emergencies. Even though Percy was nervous about it, technology and magic rarely mixed, it seemed to be holding up fine. Percy shuffles over to it and picks up the corded phone.
“Weasley residence.” He says into the receiver, fighting off a cough.
“Hi Percy!” comes a bright voice on the other line.
“Hi Penny. How are you?” Percy replies, unable to keep the smile from his voice. It was Penelope Clearwater, his best friend. She was the only one besides Charlie, who had taken to using muggle phones while he was in Romania, and Audrey’s family who regularly called.
“Fine. I didn’t see you at work today. Minister Shacklebolt said you were out sick. I was wondering if everything was okay.”
Percy is still feeling rough for wear, despite the potions. His hangover is all but gone, but the drinking must have lessened his immune system. He really should stop.
“I am sick, unfortunately.” He tells her.
“Oh no! Are you keeping away from the twins?” she inquires.
“Audrey and the girls are at her sister’s house. It’s just me and the owl, I’m afraid. Terrible company.”
It’s just a joke, but he winces at how Hermes might react to being called ‘terrible company.’
“That won’t do. I’ll come after work and bring you some soup and some potions.”
“You don’t have to do that, Penny. I’m fine.”
“Don’t be stupid, Percy. I’ll be there in an hour.”
His best friend hangs up first. Percy sighs and puts the phone down. Penelope’s always been the stubborn type- if she hadn’t been in Ravenclaw she’d be in Hufflepuff due to her sheer force of will alone.
Knowing there’s not much he can do to stop her; he pulls a blanket from the linens closet and lays down on the couch. He hasn’t got the energy to do much of anything other than just lay there. He dozes off for a bit, only to be awoken by a sharp knock at the door.
It’s an effort to get himself from the couch to the door. He opens it without looking at who it is. Penelope is standing, a shopping bag in one hand and a tub of something in the other.
“Hi.” He greets, his voice cracking. She winces.
“Hey Perce. How are you feeling?”
“Just wonderful.” Percy remarks dryly. Penny cracks a smile and lets herself in. Percy shuts the door after her. She sets her bags down on the counter.
“Go take a shower, mate. I’ll get this set up.”
“I took one this morning.” Percy tells her. She shrugs.
“It’ll make you feel better. Here-,” she hands him a small puck of something that looks like powder that has been pressed together.
“It’s a shower steamer, I got it at the apothecary. Put it by the drain and when the steam forms the herbs will help you breathe better.”
Percy eyes it skeptically, but his lungs feel dull and weighted down enough that he takes it into the bathroom. He turns the water on as hot as it can go and tosses the puck in. In moments, the air smells sharp and pungent of something, but his lungs feel better. His nose even clears. So, he takes his second shower of the day, quicker than the one this morning. He towels off and changes into clean clothes, feeling better than he had been all day. When he comes back into the living room, his curls still drying, Penelope’s got a tray on the coffee table of dry toast and some soup. There are also a few potions on the table, uncorked and ready for him to drink.
“Thank you, Penny. You didn’t need to do this.” He says, taking the potions and drinking them down quickly.
His best friend smiles and pats him on the shoulder. “Of course I did. Here, try to eat something.” Percy takes the bowl of soup from the tray- it’s a clear broth with chicken pieces and carrots. It smells wonderful. He sips at it a bit while Penelope turns on their television, another one of Audrey’s suggestions. Percy hardly watches it, but Penelope’s a muggleborn and very used to it. She finds some reruns of a black and white show and plays it.
Percy finishes off the soup and half the toast. Penny hangs out with him on the couch for awhile and they chat about little things, mostly work gossip.
Penelope’s got her feet in his lap, gesturing wildly with her hands.
“I know! So, Maude goes ‘I don’t know, Mr. Nott. Do you think that it’s appropriate to dare your fellow Aurors to strip in the middle of the Ministry or are you just an idiot?’ and I swear he turned like three shades of purple.”
Percy laughs, trying not to cough from the exertion. “No, did she really?”
Penny nods, grinning. “She did! So, then the door opens and all the sudden Mr. Blanche walks in-,”
The front door opens.
“Percy?” Audrey calls, sounding tired.
“Here!” Percy calls back.
Audrey appears in the living room, a bag slung over her shoulder. The twins are behind her. She looks tired, btu when she sees the scene- Penelope sitting on the couch with her feet in Percy’s lap, she straightens a little.
“Aunt Penny!” Molly shrieks. She throws herself at Penelope, with Lucy right behind her. Penelope wraps the girls up in a tight hug.
“My girls! Are you behaving for your mum?”
Lucy giggles. “Not really.”
Penelope smiles and pinches her cheek lovingly.
“Oh, hello Penelope. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Percy swallows, his throat hurting a bit more than before.
“I sort of dropped in. Percy was out sick today, so I thought I’d keep him company.” Penelope says. She stands to get the girls to get off her and stretches out her back, checking her watch.
“I should probably head out anyway. Feel better, Percy. The rest of the soup is in the fridge.” She pecks Percy on the cheek and gathers her belongings.
“Thank you, Penelope.” Audrey says, her voice warm.
“It’s no bother. I’ll see you guys later.”
“Don’t go, Aunt Penny!” Lucy cries. Penelope hugs her tightly in the doorway.
“I’ll come back later, okay? I’ll take you to the park.”
“Promise?”
“Of course!” Penelope kisses both girls on the head. “Call me if you need anything.” She calls out over her shoulder, and she leaves, shutting the door behind her. Audrey looks at Percy curiously. Percy feels himself being irrationally nervous about her reaction.
“Why didn’t you call and say you weren’t feeling well?” she asks.
“It just started today.” Percy admits.
Audrey sighs and puts her hands on her hips. “I wish I’d known. We can’t have the girls getting sick, they’ll pass it on to everyone at school.”
“I’m sorry.”
His wife shakes her head. “I guess it can’t be helped. Why don’t you go to our room and lay down. I’ll handle the girls.”
Percy bites his lower lip. “Are you sure, I can-,”
“It’s fine, babe. If you’re sick, you’re sick.”
Percy hesitates for a moment, but he’s still not feeling well, so he nods and go back to the bedroom. His brain is racing, but he’s just so exhausted he falls asleep again.
He wakes up to the sound of Audrey getting ready for bed. He checks the time- he’s slept the evening away.
It’s a bit disorientating, sitting up in bed. It’s completely dark outside. Audrey is sitting at her vanity, brushing out her long hair. He looks at her through the mirror. She smiles at him.
“Hey babe. How are you feeling?”
Percy takes stock. His joints ache still, but the pounding in his head feels less like a metal bucket against a wall, and more like the pattering of rain against the window. He still feels a bit stuffy, but worlds better than before.
“Better.” He manages to say, his voice rough. “Did the girls eat?”
She smiles at him through the mirror. “Yes, although we missed you. I don’t think Lucy was very happy you weren’t in your usual spot.”
This was something he and Audrey had been noticing recently. Lucy had always been behind her sister in her development, and now she was showing certain peculiarities. The table had to be set a certain way, and deviation to her routine was met with tears, and Percy had recently watched Lucy repeatedly counting and recounting her peas.
“We should take her to a specialist.” Percy grumbles.
“She’s fine.” Audrey says with a wave of her hand. This was another thing they disagreed on. Percy wanted to take her to a doctor, Audrey was sure it was just a phase. Although, she hadn’t been the one who had noticed that Lucy repeatedly counting everything. Percy decides to let it go; he’s not in the mood to get into another argument about parenting.
Audrey sets her brush down.
“So, Penelope was here.”
Percy stomach clenches.
Fantastic. Audrey about about to start another argument.
“Yes,” Percy says, trying to seem casual. “We usually get lunch on Mondays. She was concerned when she didn’t see me and called. When I told her I was sick, she offered to keep me company.”
Audrey sets her brush down.
“I don’t want you to spend any more time with her.”
Percy blinks.
“What?”
Audrey turns on her stool gracefully.
“I don’t want you and Penelope to spend time together anymore.” She says calmly.
Percy would have laughed before, thinking she was kidding. But now…
“You can’t be serious. She’s my best friend.”
“You used to date her.” Audrey points out.
“When we were sixteen.” Percy retorts, crossing his arms. He and Penelope had a bit of a whirlwind, hormone fueled relationship about eight months while they were in school. After the Chamber of Secrets incident during which Penny had been Petrified, they had tried to make things work but things were just too emotionally charged for her and too overwhelming for Percy. They had decided to remain friends, and friends they remained. During the war, she had been the first person Percy thought about protecting by forging documents. She was a huge part of his life.
“I don’t care. I don’t like the idea of you spending time alone with her. I’ve put up with a lot. She was at our wedding, even. You invited your ex to our wedding, Percy.”
Percy scoffs. “Seriously? You’re the one who insisted I should invite her. I asked your permission.”
Audrey shakes her head and stands up, turning off the lights. “You’re not remembering it right, love. You’re the one who insisted. I wasn’t happy about it."
Percy honestly can’t believe what he’s hearing right now. He was certain, he was sure that Audrey had been the one to insist he invite her to their wedding. But… Audrey said she hadn’t been happy. Could that be what she meant? She had only told him to invite Penny because he wanted her to be there, but she wasn’t happy about it? Could that be it.
He shakes his head, trying to focus.
“Why, Audrey? Tell me why you don’t want me to be around my best friend. D-do you think that if she smiles at me, I’ll what-, sleep with her? Because we dated for eight months when we were sixteen? Do you not think I have some modicum of self-control?”
“Relax, Percy.” Audrey says, still calm. She walks around the bed and pulls the covers down so she can slip under them. She looks radiant in the moonlight streaming in from the windows. “You’re still sick, don’t get yourself worked up.”
“Me? Audrey-,” Percy starts to say.
His wife pulls the covers over her and turns to face Percy, her eyes wide and gentle.
“It’s not really about you.” Audrey says, looking… sheepish? She looks away for a moment and licks her lips before looking back at her husband.
“It’s about me. I’m just insecure. Penelope’s known you longer, and she’s gorgeous, I mean just look at her curls!” Audrey peers up at him through her long, thick lashes and Percy feels like he did when they at first started dating; charmed.
“And I’m a little envious. I know you’d never do anything. It just makes me feel better. It’s something I’m working on in counseling.”
Percy lets his brows knit together. “At anger management?”
She shrugs. “That’s what I first thought, but Melvin, my counselor,” she adds helpfully “Said that anger can come from a lot of places, like insecurities. And for me, the biggest is losing you.”
Percy feels a bit blindsided. Audrey never talked about what she did during counseling. He knew she went once a week, but he wasn’t sure of what she was even doing during it.
“You never told me that.” He says, his voice creaking a little. Had she really been scared of losing him this entire time? Was that why she was-,
“I’m embarrassed about it. I know you’d never do anything like that rationally, but irrationally…” she trails off for a moment.
“Please? For me? Just for now? Stop spending time with her, just until I work through my emotions?”
Percy bites his lower lip. Penelope was his best friend in the entire world, he was closer to her then even his family. He was closer to her then anyone in the world, probably. Besides… Audrey. His wife. The mother of his children. The woman he stood with at the courthouse and vowed to stand by her, through thick and thin.
“Okay,’ he says softly, not recognizing the sound of his own voice. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
His wife beams at him and lays down, pushing herself on the bed to lean into his side. He tucks his arm under her neck, shifting down and laying on his back.
“Thank you, love.” Audrey says merrily, already dozing off.
He doesn’t get any sleep that night.