Walk On By

Also: The amazing Jellybee_Cupcake made a freaking PLAYLIST for this fic!!! I'm screaming, crying, throwing up. Give it a listen if you get a chance! :D

A few days later, he, the twins, and Penelope are making their way through the crowded throngs of people in the streets just outside the stadium. People are packed in, wearing a mixture of orange and blues and browns. Percy feels also self-conscious in his plain dark blue jumper. Puddlemere had changed their colors from a muddy brown to blue and gold in the 1990’s, and people still wore a combination of both.

He's got his hand in Molly's, and Penny’s holding Lucy’s as they squish through the crowd. Lucy had been so excited for this, she’d barely slept the night before. Percy knows this because Molly came down to his room at 3am complaining until he let her join him in bed so she could get some measure of sleep.

It had been an early morning indeed. The game started at noon, but it was crowded despite it being a weekday. It was the game opener- the first home game of the season, and it showed.

He and Penelope push through the crowds until they find a cobblestone path. The stall is modest, just a few booths that together made up one big stall for people to purchase and claim tickets. People were eagerly holding out Galleons, hoping to secure the last remaining seats for the big game. Percy motions  with his head for the will-call tickets.

There’s a short line, but Lucy’s excitement is still palpable and doesn't fade while they wait. She's always quiet usually, so seeing her bounce around in excitement makes Percy's heart swell.

“Dad! Dad! Do you think they’re going to win? Togami’s got a lot of heat coming at them after the transfers from Holyhead. Do you think there'll be a fight?”

“I hope not,” Percy says the same time Penelope says “I hope so!”

He cuts her an annoyed glance without any heat while she beams innocently.

“You’re a terrible influence on my children.”

“You’re welcome.”

Molly sniffs. “For what it’s worth I think you’re a good one, Aunt Penny.”

“Awh, thanks kid. Tell your dad that.”

“Dad, I think Aunt Penny’s a good influence on your kids.”

“Thank you, child.”

All three girls crack up as Percy rolls his eyes. Despite the chaos and noise and the sheer amount of people, there was a comforting familiarity to the scene. Quidditch fans were always the same—loud, boisterous, but did have that undeniable sense of unity that came from a shared love of the game.

As he stands there, he overhears snippets of conversations, all tinged with excitement.

"Did you hear? A new Seeker this year," one woman is saying to her companion. "They say he's got an arm like a cannon."

"Of course, Puddlemere will win," another voice pipes up. "We’re unstoppable this year. We haven’t lost!”

“The year hasn’t even started yet, Harold.”

Despite Percy’s reputation of not liking Quidditch, he did like it. Watching it, that is. Not playing it. That sort of aversion to the physicality of it started in his first year and stuck, giving him the label of being a hater of the sport.

It was even better in person. The roar of the crowd, the fast-paced player pitch, it lead to a kind of feeling of being part of something bigger than himself—it was a magic all its own.

Finally, it was their turn. He steps up to the booth, greeted by the witch behind it who was already eyeing him with a practiced smile.

Do you have tickets for Puddlemere United’s season opener?" she asks, already knowing the drill.

“Er, we should be on the list.” He rattles off their names in quick order. The witch raises an eyebrow.

“Guests of Oliver Wood?’ she inquires, sounding like she doesn't believe him.

“Yes.” Percy replies, suddenly feeling uneasy and shy.

“Oh! Sorry, dear I didn’t mean to spook you. It’s just I don’t think he’s ever asked for family tickets. Here, let me-,”

She flicks her wand, and four shimmering tickets appear in midair, suspended by an invisible charm. She catches them expertly before handing them to him.

“Enjoy the game,” she says with a wink. “Section J, Level Five. Take a right and then go up the stairs.”

Percy nods gratefully and the witch ushers them through to the ticket gates. He glances over at Lucy, who is turning the ticket over and over in her hands, staring at it in awe.

“You know, your Aunt Ginny could probably get you tickets, if you asked.” He tells her. Lucy shrugs. “I don’t like her team. I like Puddlemere.”

Percy sighs to himself. Of course, Lucy would rather wait until she was eleven to see a professional game of a team she liked then go any earlier for a team she didn’t. Godric, when he was a kid, he’d kill to just see it played professionally in-person, even with terrible seats.

They reach the gate and show their tickets and are waved in by a bored-looking wizard with two different colored eyes. Percy finds himself looking up at the different labels plastered on the high walls of the stadium, looking for the correct section.

Penny points to a large posted of a J, enchanted to float and sparkle off its paper.

“I think it’s here!”

They start to walk towards it. The closer they get, the more the sounds of the crowd grow.  The landing where all the stairs is crowded, yet there’s a festive air to it all—children waving tiny flags, couples strolling arm-in-arm, and the general hum of excitement in the warm afternoon.

They make their way to the section. A witch checks their tickets and they’re allowed to pass, going up and up the stairs until finally they reach the section. Percy’s jaw drops.

They’re the best seats in the entire stadium.

The section is gorgeous. Different from the packed stands in the other sections, where there’s only wooden benches, there are plush seats stretched, each one strategically placed for the best view of the game. From here, one could see every dive, every chase, every bludger hit in perfect detail.

“This is nice of him.” Penelope says, sitting down on the seat. She pats the seat next to her and smiles up at Percy.

“This is- this is too much.” Percy says. The girls are happy to rush to their seats excitedly and take in the view. He lets them gush over the view as he takes his seat next to Penelope.

“Well, you said he’d gotten us good seats."

“I thought he’d just gotten us good seats, like by the goals! Not - not this! This is like a private section!”

It’s true. It’s a private box, with just six seats staggered into two rows. It’s small, but there’s enough room to move around. Percy’s never experienced anything like this- even when he had accompanied his old boss at the Ministry to games.

“This is awesome!” Lucy exclaims excitedly, leaning over the edge of the railing to get a better look at the crowds. It’s a huge mix of blues and browns on this half of the stadium. The sun gleams off the polished broomsticks, and the vibrant colors of blue and gold uniforms seeming to glow against the emerald green pitch.

He can already see the Puddlemere players warming up on the pitch, flying high above the stadium as their Beaters practice their swings, while the Chasers dart about with the Quaffle. Percy thinks he sees Oliver by the goals on his broom, blocking practice shot after shot, but he’s far enough away it’s hard to make out. The other team, the Wimbourne Wasps who are wearing stripes of yellow and black, are on the other side of the pitch, doing their own warm-ups.

It’s then the Keeper on the broom that Percy thinks is Oliver leaves the goal and swoops down low, flying near them. Percy stands; it is Oliver. They make eye contact and Percy grins.

“Alright, Oliver?” Percy calls over the roar of the crowd.

“Fine! Bloody gorgeous day for Quidditch!” Oliver shouts back.

“Oliver!” screams Lucy. “You gotta watch out of the Triple Flip! The Wasps have been developing it during the off season!”

Percy looks down curiously at his daughter. How on earth did she know that? Molly looks just as mystified as he feels, but Oliver nods solemnly.

“Got it!”

A whistle blows, and Oliver looks over his shoulder. It’s the team captain, trying to get all the team members together. Percy waves him away, smiling.

“See you after the game!”

“After we win, you mean!” Oliver calls back cheekily. He winks at Percy and zooms off to join a team huddle. Lucy and Molly settle into the front seats, while Percy joins Penelope in the back row of three. They watch as the two teams do a coin toss to determine possession and a loud speaker blasts someone giving the pre-game announcements.

This entire thing feels… overwhelming. Oliver had just mentioned getting good seats, not the literal best seats in the entire stadium. Penelope glances over at him curiously.

“What?”

“It’s- nothing. This was very nice of Oliver.”

“He’s a good guy.”

Percy doesn’t even need to think about it.

“Yes, he is.”

It gets quiet between them, for a moment the only sound of the girls chattering away and the sounds of the crowd. Then Penelope’s eyebrows raise so high it almost meets her hairline.

“Oh my god!”

“What?” Percy asks.

“You totally like him!”

Percy frowns, a little confused. “Of course I like him. We’re friends.”

“No, I mean, you like like him.”

“What?!” Percy squeaks unconvincingly. “No I don’t!”

“Yes, you do! You totally do!”

“I—I don’t,” Percy stammers, trying to brush it off.

“Really? Because every time you talk to him, you get all flushed. You just did it.  And you’ve been staring at him.” She smirks.

Percy opens his mouth to argue but then catches himself. Did he like Oliver?  Oliver had been so enthusiastic when he invited them—the way he’d grinned at Percy when they made eye contact earlier….the way his hair looked when the wind blew it back—Percy shakes his head, trying to push the thoughts away.

“I—I don’t know what you mean,” Percy insists, but Penelope leans closer with a teasing smile.

“Percy, it’s okay. I mean, you’re allowed to have a crush on him. He is very... Oliver Wood-y. Who wouldn’t?” Penelope shrugs casually.

“I don’t have a crush on him!” Percy insists again, but this time, his voice wavers just a little. He feels caught and his stomach churns with nerves. He glances at his daughters, who seem to be absorbed in the pre-game rituals.

Penelope watches him closely, trying not to laugh at how flustered he’s becoming. “Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say.”

“I don’t!”

“Okay.”

“Penny, really-,”

“Your Mum likes him.”

“My Mum likes everyone. I don’t like Oliver.”

“That’s fine.”

“I mean I like him, but not like that-,”

“I just said it was okay!” Penelope interrupts, holding her hands up in faux defeat, but she’s still got the smirk on her face, though.

Percy glances back at Oliver, who is now on the ground, talking to some of his teammates, and for just a moment, his heart skips a beat. There’s something magnetic  about the other man. His energy, his enthusiasm. Not to mention how kind he was. But no. He can’t—he shouldn’t—

“I’m just... focused on the game,” Percy mutters, looking away quickly to the field.

“It hasn’t started yet.”

 The Wasps fans are starting to buzz like bees as their team is introduced one by one. Percy had read somewhere that they usually only buzz during penalty shots, but perhaps it was the excitement of the first kickoff game of the season.

“I came here to watch Quidditch with my family, not—”

“Not fall in love?”

Percy glares at her, though there’s no heat in it. “Shut up,” he mutters.

But Penelope just grins.   “It’s cute, Percy. Really. You’re all red and nervous. It’s like watching a lovestruck Hufflepuff.”

“I’m not lovestruck!” Percy insists again.

"Okay, okay. You don’t have to admit it. But it’s obvious to me. Just don’t let him catch on. Or maybe do, if that’s what you want," Penelope teases, nudging him in the side. “I’m just saying—”

“Penny!” Percy exclaims, his tone a little harsher than he’d intended. She blinks at him, taken aback. He leans in close, not confident the girls aren’t listening in. The announcer starts to rattle off the names of Puddlemere players.

“Look, regardless of my feelings, things are sort of crazy right now- the separation, the legal part of it. It would reflect really, really poorly on me if I even considered the idea of being—” he hesitates for a moment. “Well, considering the idea of Oliver. My priority must be the girls. Not me or whatever feelings I have. Or don’t have.” He tacks on quickly.

“Percy,” Penelope starts, pity in her eyes.

“Can you just drop it, Penny? Please?”

Penelope opens her mouth to say something, her brows creasing, but the stadium begins to shake as the crowd busts into song- the chant of the Puddlemere team. It develops into a steady roar that neither Percy nor Penelope can ignore.

“Beat back those Bludgers, boys,
And chuck that Quaffle high,
We’ll score those points and lift our voice,
Puddlemere will fly!

Bludgers coming at our side,
We’ll knock them from the sky!
Puddlemere will never hide,
We’re gonna fight and fly!

Beat back those Bludgers, boys,
And chuck that Quaffle high,
We’ll score those points and lift our voice,
Puddlemere will fly!”

When they finish, Penelope turns to Percy and looks like she about to try again, but then The first whistle blows and the stadium erupts in cheers, the game is underway. Percy very pointedly seats in his seat and stares straight ahead, trying very hard to ignore the looks that Penelope is giving him.

They win.

 It had been a close match- once again Percy s reminded about how different professionals are to the school teams. Watching Oliver out on the pitch is like watching an artist paint their masterpiece. The man had been smiling the entire time, even when he took a hit from a Bludger and was knocked to side, allowing the Wasps to score.

When the Seeker catches the Snitch, the crowd erupts into a roaring cheer, Percy and his family included.

Once the excitement wears off and people start to slowly trickle out of the stadium, Oliver flies back over to them- red-faced and sweaty, but grinning wildly.

“Congratulations!” Penelope says in lieu of greeting.

“Thanks,” Oliver has breathlessly. “Lucy, thanks for the tip about the Triple Flip- you were right. Coach has us change strategies to counteract it.”

Lucy beams. “See? I told you!”

“Yes, you did. We couldn’t have won without your input. Have you ever thought about playing?”

Lucy scrunches her nose and shakes her head. “I don’t like to play. Just watch.”

“Coaching, then. The League would be lucky to have you when you’re a little older.” Oliver compliments.

“This is so cool.” Lucy gushes, her cheeks turning a little pink in embarrassment at the praise.

“How are you feeling?” Percy asks. “That hit looked like it hurt.”

Oliver shrugs, leaning slightly forward on his broom.

“All’s fair in love and Quidditch. I just wish it wasn’t so bloody hot outside.”

Molly gasps in exclamation, like she’s suddenly got an idea.

“We have a lake! Come over and swim with us.”

Oliver raises an eyebrow and glances at Percy, who looks down at his daughter.

“Oh, Molly I’m sure Oliver has things to do-,”

“No,” Oliver says coolly. “It’s just press stuff. Coach won’t mind.”

Percy looks from Oliver to his daughter’s pleading face. He looks back at Oliver.

“Are you sure, you don’t have to.”

“I want to. Like I said it’s bloody hot. If it’s okay with you, I mean.”

There’s a beat of silence as Percy thinks about it. It seems like a bad idea given what his solicitor had told him, but he liked Oliver and the girls adored him… Penelope catches his eyes and nods vigorously. Oliver’s not looking in her direction, so she throws two thumbs up.

Say yes! she mouths.

“Yeah,” Percy says finally, and Molly throws her arms up in a victorious whoop. She bounces on her heels. “It’ll be nice.”

“Yes!”

Percy smiles and rolls his eyes at Molly’s dramatics. He places a hand on her shoulder.

“You know where to find us. Come by once you’re done and we can spend the rest of the afternoon at the lake. Actually, it’s more of a pond…” he trails off.

“I can be there in an hour.” Oliver offers.

“Awesome!” Penny exclaims. She throws her arms around Lucy and gives her a tight hug. Lucy giggles. “It’ll be great. Summer sun, swimming. We can have a picnic and make a day out of it.”

Oliver smiles that crooked, toothy smile and Percy feels his stomach flip.

Oh no.

“Sure,” he says trying to sound normal. “It’ll be fun.”

True to his word, Oliver arrives at the Burrow about an hour later. He’s carrying a small bag and smiles when Penny opens the door for him.

They had swung by Penny’s flat so she could bring a change of clothes and swimming costume- Percy had argued that she could had just transfigured some of his clothes into a swimsuit, but she had insisted. Her flat was a mess as usual, and they’d stood in the doorway while she quickly threw stuff into a tote bag. Percy had noticed the building was rather empty and mentioned it to Penelope.

“Oh, they did some renovations and gave people a chance to break their lease. Lots of my neighbors left to find somewhere cheaper so it’s gotten quiet around here.” She had said, stuffing a towel into her tote.

Then they’d made it back to the Burrow, and the girls practically sprinted up the stairs to change. Mum and Dad were out doing whatever it is they did during the day, so Percy changed while Penny mad them some sandwiches.

That was where he encountered a problem he hadn’t faced in a long time.

Percy had scars.

Not a lot of them, but they were there. And they were noticeable. None of them were caused by Audrey. They had happened during the War.

He felt a little silly about it. They all had scars. Charlie probably had the most out of all of them. But he had a good excuse; he worked with literal fire-breathing dragons. Percy worked an office job and didn’t really do any sports. Merlin, he didn’t even hike or anything that could explain it away.

It was stupid. It’s not like anyone was going to question him about them, but there was a little voice in his head that urged him to take precautions. The worst one was on his shoulder, the one that had been broken during the fall of the Ministry. The others were thin, silvery lines or small rounded circles. But his shoulder…. He’d never let anyone see him without a shirt on other then Audrey or Healers in more than a decade.

For a moment he thinks about it, and then finds an old shirt to wear with his swim trunks. He’s not one for short sleeves either because it was more comfortable, but he couldn’t go around wearing a button-down to swim, so it’ll have to do.

He goes down the stairs and helps Penelope finish making their lunches and pack it all away. The door knocks and she goes to greet Oliver just as the girls come back down the stairs.

“Hey Penny.” Oliver says in greeting. Penelope gives him a quick hug and waves him inside, leading him into the kitchen.

“Hi Oliver, just in time.” Percy greets as he packs away the last of the food into the picnic basket. It’s been charmed similarly to Hermione’s old bag. It was a brilliant bit of magic. He wouldn’t be surprised she became the next Minister if she kept inventing spells and ideas like that. He hefts it off the counter.

“Let’s head out. You ready?”

“Yep.” Oliver says nodding. Together the five of them leave the house and start down the winding path to get to the pond. The property was huge, their nearest neighbor, the Lovegoods, living ages down the road. It’s about a ten-minute walk which isn’t unpleasant at all. Lucy talks to Oliver about the game. Percy tries to follow along, but it quickly becomes outside of his knowledge level, so he decides to listen to Molly prattle away about Hogwarts. Penny floats between both conversations, speaking when she felt like it. Then they finally reached the pond.

He can understand why the girls kept calling it a lake- he’d thought it was huge when he was little, too. But it was smaller than a lake.

The water is a soft, inviting shade of green. The water ripples gently, shimmering as the sun casts golden rays down on its surface. It’s surrounded by lush, overhanging willows. Their branches sway lazily in the warm breeze, offering cool patches of shade on the edge of the water. There’s an old rope tied to one of the trees as a makeshift swing.

The girls whoop excitedly and throw off their overclothes, rushing to the water. Penny laughs as the girls dive in without hesitation. Percy is grateful he had made the girls put on suncream before they got here- otherwise they’d get sunburnt. They had inherited Percy’s fair skin.

Percy and Oliver lay out a blanket that Percy had brought by the edge of the pond. Penny strips off her over-sized shirt, revealing a blue and white polka-dot bikini.

“That’s what we had to go to your flat for?” Percy teases. Penelope flips him two rude fingers without any heat and ties up her curly blonde hair. She digs around in her bag and pulls out a pair of sunglasses which she slips over her nose.

“You’re just jealous because you can’t make it work like me.”

“Okay, you caught me. I am secretly jealous that I can’t wear a blue polka-dot bikini like you can. You’re a fashion inspiration to our entire organization.”

Penny shoves him lightly. “Hey! Oliver, Percy’s not being fair.”

Oliver is slipping out of his shoes, grinning. “I don’t know, maybe he could wear one better than you. Besides if any one of us looks the best in a bikini it’s me.”

“Obviously.”

Percy laughs and Penelope winks and Oliver. This is nice. He’s having fun, it’s a beautiful day, too. The air is thick with the earthy scent of moss and damp soil. The ground is soft and spongy, the grass a plush like a carpet. He can totally do this- a nice outing with his friends and family.

But then Oliver reaches for the hem of his shirt and pulls it off.

Oliver’s a professional athlete, Percy knows this. But that information still wasn’t enough to prepare for the sight of him. He’s fit. Really fit. The jumpers he always wears gave off the illusion he was more on the slender side, but without anything else on he looks absolutely ripped.

He’s burly, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. His build looks like he was meant to be slender and thin like Percy’s but he’s gone against his nature and became stocky. He’s got a clear tan, too, probably from taking his shirt on and off during long days of practicing. He’s got abs. Literal abs that display when he shifts a little. His chest has a small smattering of dark hair, and Percy can make out a well-defined ‘V’ shape that disappears under his swim trunks.

Oliver gets his shirt stuck while taking it off over his head, and Penelope’s eyes whip from Oliver’s body to Percy’s face. Her mouth is open in an astonished grin, lips slightly rolled into her mouth.

Oh my god she mouths dramatically, pushing her sunglasses down her face so she can make eye contact with Percy.  For once Percy doesn’t think she’s overreacting. Oh my god was right. Percy frantically tries to school his expression into something that a normal person would look like as Oliver gets the shirt unstuck.

He looks at Percy curiously when he gets shirt off.

“Are you alright? You’re a bit pink.”

“Yes, fine. Fine. Just ah- delicate skin. Any longer than half an hour outside and I’m burning.” He mutters.

Percy coughs awkwardly and busies himself with opening the picnic basket, searching for nothing in particular. He finally finds something he can get his hands on and pulls out a bottle of water.

“Right. Weasley curse.” Penelope chips in helpfully. “One time we tried to study outside during school and Percy fell asleep with sleeves rolled up. He had a farmer’s tan for weeks.

Percy is so glad she is his friend.

“Ooh, gotcha.”

There’s a splash from the pond and Molly pops her head out from under the water.

“Oliver! Jump in!” she shouts. Oliver grins and backs up a little.

“Look out!” he calls back. He runs to the pond, takes a flying leap over the edge of it and tucks himself in tightly at the last second. The water splashes in a huge explosion, going everywhere. The girls shriek in delight as they are drenched from the ripples of Oliver’s cannonball.

Penelope looks back over at Percy. She’s still smiling, but a little less bright.

“Hey. You okay?”

Percy sighs. “Yeah. Just- I’ll figure it out.” He nods to the pond. “Go on. You can do a better splash then that.”

Penny’s smile brightens again.

“You’re damn right I can.”

They spend the entire afternoon at the pond. The girls, Penny, and Oliver get into a very heated cannonball competition of which they demand Percy be the judge. He seriously can’t tell whose is better and tells them this. They all groan and call him names.

While they play in the water, Percy takes a book from his bag and moves to sit at the bank of the pond. The rocks allow for a slightly raised seat in the shade of the willows, so Percy dangles his feet in the water. He’s half reading, half watching them. He finds himself smiling fondly at them, even when Penelope and Oliver challenge each other to a children fight and scoop the girls up over their shoulders and have them try to push the other off their shoulders.

He does end up joining them eventually after finishing his book, and he keeps his shirt on the entire time. No one says anything, nor does anyone give any indication that they notice or care. He finds himself supporting Penelope’s head she floats on her back with his sunglasses on while Oliver and the girls play mermaids. It’s adorable actually, and Oliver looks like he’s seriously getting into it.

A little while after they all pull themselves out of the pond and Percy passes out water and the sandwiches Penny had made earlier. Maybe it’s the sun or the water, but for the first time since he left Audrey, he’s able to completely finish his meal. Penny finds some grapes and starts to chuck them at Percy, who catches each one in his mouth. Then the girls get involved, and then Oliver, and all of the sudden they’re hurling grapes at each other trying to catch them. He catches Penelope cheating by using wandless magic and uses his own wandless magic to have a grape hit her in the eye.

Penny and the girls go back into the pond, but Percy and Oliver find themselves laying down on the blanket. Oliver’s on his front, supporting himself on forearms while Percy leans back on his hands.  They watch as Penny eggs the girls on to swing from the old rope and into the water.

“Thanks for coming.” Percy says after awhile of comfortable silence.

“Thank for having me even though your child invited me without permission.”

Percy lets out a small laugh. “She does that.”

They watch as Molly leaps the the rope swing and does a flip before crashing down into the water.

“Merlin,” Percy says wistfully. “They’re growing up so fast.”

“Hmm,’ Oliver hums. “Hogwarts soon?”

“In a couple of months. Six weeks.”

“Think they’ll get in?”

“I don’t know,” Percy answers truthfully, shifting a little. “I hope so. But it won’t be the end of the world for me if they don’t.”

“What about Audrey?”

Percy winces a little.

“That bad, huh?”

“She’d be… disappointed.”

 He an Audrey had talked about it repeatedly. Maybe because she was a half-blood, she thought it was important that they get in. She even suggested that if Lucy didn’t, they could hire a private tutor for her. Percy pointed out that magic didn’t work that way, and it had dissolved into a yelling match and only ended with Percy getting a split lip.

Oliver gets quiet again and settle down onto the blanket, resting his head on his arms instead of propping himself up. He tilts his head toward Percy.

“I think you’re a great Dad, Percy.”

Something about his soft, gentle tones makes emotion form thick in Percy’s throat. He thinks he knew that, but it was really nice to hear it from someone else. Everything that happened with Audrey, Molly having to see what she did; he’d felt like a failure. As wizard. A husband. And a father.

Oliver had somehow just lifted that burden from Percy with just seven words.

“Thank you,” Percy says quietly.

“It’s true. No thanks needed.”

They head back to the Burrow as the sun begins to set in the sky. Despite Percy’s best efforts, both of the girls are pink from their afternoon in the sun, and both are so worn out from the day Percy and Oliver have to resort to carrying them back home while they doze. Penelope manages to charm all of the bags into the one basket which she carries, and they walk silently back to the house, the sounds of grasshoppers in the air. The Burrow is dark when they reach the door, Mum and Dad are not back yet, so Penelope turns on the light and starts to unpack their belongings and sort them out while Percy and Oliver trek up the stairs to put the girls to bed.

Oliver, being a professional athlete seems to have no problem but by the time they reach the attic Percy is wheezing. He’s never been much for sport, and the twins have gotten so big in what feels like just weeks. Oliver sees this and, after putting Lucy into one of the beds, takes Molly from Percy at the stop of the stairs. Percy’s grateful, even if he must wait to catch his breath before he can express it.

Percy transfigures the girls’ clothes into nightclothes- they won’t be super comfortable given they were originally swim costumes, but they’re dry and clean. He can recall nights like these after a log day in the pond- skin warm and ears buzzing, and he fills up two glasses of water and places them on the small nightstand between them. Oliver  disappears downstairs briefly to change, and Percy takes a detour to his room to pull himself out of his wet clothes.

Percy goes back down the stairs, seriously questioning his athletic ability now, where Penelope has changed into loose pants and a shirt.  She’s tanned in the face and her curly blonde hair looking tangled pulled into a ponytail behind her head, but she looks reasonably happy.

She stretches, cracking her back and letting out a huge yawn. Oliver is nowhere to be seen.

“Walk me to the edge of the wards? I have an early meeting tomorrow.” she asks, and Percy agrees. They leave the den and head outside, past the garden. It’s quiet for a long moment, but Percy can feel Penny’s eyes on him.

“Penny,” he warns.

“Come on!” Penelope exclaims, unable to hold it in anymore. “He’s great.”

“He is.” Percy agrees, “But I’m not ready.”

Penelope sighs and crosses her arms, pouting. “When will you be?”

“I don’t know. After the divorce is through and I move out of my parent’s place, probably.”

Penelope snaps her fingers. “Why don’t you see about my complex? There’s lots of units. You saw today. You need your own place to make you look better, right?”

Percy frowns. He had implied that earlier, and Penelope’s building of flats did seem very empty.

“The unit next to mine is free. I’ll help you move. I’m sure Oliver would, too.”

Percy tries to imagine it. Living next door to Penelope, being able to see her whenever he wanted. He imagines walking to work with her and greeting the girls at the door of a flat. Having guest over whenever he wanted- having Oliver over…

He must admit, it does sound nice.

“Fine,” he relents. “I’ll investigate it tomorrow. It depends on how expensive it is.”

Penelope beams in the moonlight. “Excellent! Ah, here we are.”

They reach the fence, the border of the heavy wards that had been cast and recast by Weasleys over generations. He pecks her on the cheek in farewell and she disappears with a loud CRACK. It’s a quick walk back to the Burrow, and Percy spies Oliver in the kitchen, finishing up packing up his belongings. He’s wearing an old shirt of a muggle band and grey sweatpants.

“Hey,” Oliver says with a smile. “Penelope left?”

“Yes. She said she had an early meeting.”

Oliver nods and it gets quiet again.

“Well-,” Oliver says carefully.

“I’ll walk you out.” Percy agrees quickly. Oliver grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder. They follow the same path Percy and Penelope just took, but Percy feels more nervous with Oliver then he does Penelope. When they reach the edge of the line, Percy turns to Oliver. They’re about the same height, Percy being officially the taller one. But somehow Oliver seems so big.

“Thank you for today, Oliver.” Percy says quietly. “I mean it.”

“I had a lot of fun. Really. Your girls are wonderful. I meant what I said earlier. You are a good dad.”

It’s then Percy realizes just how close they are; less then half a step away. They’re practically chest-to chest- when had that happened? Oliver lets his bag slide down his shoulder, setting it down carefully.

“Percy-, I’m going to try something. Let me know if it’s okay.”

“Okay,” Percy echoes weakly. He can feel his heartbeat in his throat.

Does he want… is he even allowed to want this? He was still technically married, and the last time he’d kissed Oliver they’d both been drunk and had fallen down the stairs at Hogwarts. But Oliver is looking steadily into his eyes, so confident and sure. Unwavering.

Slowly. Very slowly Oliver leans in. Percy finds himself meeting him.  Oliver’s nose touches his, and Percy lets his eyes flutter shut. For a long second, Oliver stays there. And then Percy feels a warm, calloused hand on his waist and another settling behind his neck and then there’s the faintest touch on his lips. It’s barely a graze, but it sends all the blood rushing into Percy’s heart- something like a bolt of lighting through his body and nerves. It’s so gentle, so reverent. Like a postulant worshipping a deity.

Percy surprises himself when he moves in first.

Their lips touch, and it’s like Percy has seen the face of God. It’s perfect, so perfect and Oliver is so sweet and gentle and solid-

Then Percy realizes what he’s doing. What he’s risking. His solicitor had made it clear- getting involved with anyone right now would make him look bad and could affect his request for full custody of the twins.

Oliver feels the moment Percy goes ridged. Without needing to ask, he withdraws, moving from touching lips to resting his nose against the bridge of Percy’s.

“I’m sorry.”

He sounds almost mournful

“Don’t be. It’s just- I want to. I really want to,” Percy tacks on quickly. He's breathless. “More then you know. Oliver you’re-,” he needs to stop himself before he says something stupid. “My solicitor said it would look bad if I get involved with anyone before the divorce is over.”

Oliver takes half a step back withdrawing his hand from Percy's neck but keeping the other hand on Percy’s waist. He looks solemn.

“I understand.”

“I need to protect my kids, Oliver. They’re the most important thing to me.”

Oliver gives him a little wistful smile. “I know. I could never ask you to choose.”

“Just- I can’t walk on by this.”

“It’s okay, Percy.” Oliver insists gently. He moves the one hand from Percy’s waist and places it gently on his cheek. Percy feels heat rush through him at the careful touch. It was like Percy was delicate. Someone worthy of such care. He rubs the pad of his thumber under Percy’s eye in a careful motion.

"I'm sorry."

“You love your children. It’s okay, Perce. I’d argue you loving your children is a good think.”

Percy huffs out a laugh, and Oliver continues.

“We can revisit this after everything is squared away. If you want.”

“Would it be selfish of me to ask for you to wait for me?” Percy inquires softly. Oliver never stops in his gentle, sweet caress of Percy’s face.

“For you? I’d wait an eternity.”