Court
“Are you sure you don’t want any of us to come?” Mum asks the morning of his first court appearance. He’s been mostly staying at the Burrow since his meltdown after getting the letter from Mara. Audrey had been cheating him for who knows how long with this Melvin person. Someone who was supposed to be helping her deal with her anger.
Percy hadn’t blown up like he had when he did in his flat, but the complete opposite. He’d shut down. Mum came to check in on him that evening and he hadn’t moved form his spot from his desk. She’s read the letter and said nothing. Instead, she guided him into bed and sat with him the whole night.
It had felt nice to feel her there, even though he didn’t sleep at all.
He’s not sure what he was expecting. Screaming, crying, anger. But all he felt was defeat. This was the final nail in the coffin. Part of him had hoped that maybe… maybe one day they’d get around this. That Audrey would get her shite worked out and they could be a family again. But this was the ultimate deception. It made him feel worthless. All he wanted was to be the best partner, the best husband. And still somehow it wasn’t enough. He was just tired of it all.
Tired of Audrey.
“I’m sure.” Percy says firmly. He’s not sure he can handle having his family at his divorce hearing, especially not after what he found out. He can’t even handle having Penelope there, even though she offered.
Mum places a warm hand on his cheek, and he leans in a little. It had been years since their estrangement; still Percy finds himself feeling so lucky to have her. She’s solid weight for him right now. She’s even readily agreed to keep Audrey’s infidelity away from the girls.
“You’ll be okay.”
“I know. I love you.”
“We love you too.”
Mum gives him tight, quick hug before he pulls away and heads out the door. It’s a quick trip in the Floo, and he finds himself outside the steps of the courthouse. Mara is there, waiting for him, dressed sharply in a muggle pantsuit. When she sees him, she waves him over.
“Percy! Let’s go, let’s go. They’ve moved us up in the docket.”
Percy rushes up the stairs to join her. Once they go through security at the doors, he follows he down the marble floors to a court room. He’s not sure what he was expecting- maybe a room. But the place is crowded, filled with different people and their solicitors. There’s another couple with their solicitors at the podium, talking.
“This is divorce court?”
“It’s busy, I know. Don’t worry, no one is paying attention. They’re too busy with their own cases.”
The judge slams down the gavel, making Percy jump little. He’s nervous, more nervous than he’d like to let on.
He and Mara take a seat. The judge starts on with another cases and Mara leans in quietly to talk to Percy.
“Hey, so I looked into Melvin Ambrose.”
Percy winces. He’d rather not be talking about his wife’s lover. Mara knows this from his face and she scrunches her nose in sympathy.
“I know, I’m sorry. Look, Audrey was his client for years. I don’t know how long their relationship was going on, but it’s enough to get his license suspended. Permanently.”
Percy felts a jolt of shock run through him.
“Seriously?” he whispers, keeping his voice low. He sees a woman frowning at her spouse over one of the tables as the judge bangs her gavel again.
“Yes. He was in a position of power, technically. He had a morale responsibility to not do something like sleeping with one of his clients. It’s illegal. It could get his license to practice revoked for good.”
“I don’t want that. Do we have to bring it up in the divorce?”
“No. I don’t want to drag this on. I hate Carter Rohan, but not enough to delay this for you.”
She sniffs and goes back to looking at her files. Percy feels oddly touched. Mara never seemed like the sentimental or caring type before. It was her way of saying she cared for him in her own brutish, brusque way.
It’s only two more cases before the judge clears her throat and calls out;
“Divorce Proceedings…. Audrey Weasley and Percival Weasley?”
Mara nudges him and they both stand. He follows her to the small wooden gate separating the galley of people and the two tables on either side of the room.
“Percy Weasley and council, your honor. Present.” Mara introduces them. She guides Percy to sit down next to her at one of the tables. They wait for a long moment, perhaps five minutes.
“Audrey Weasley?” the judge calls out again, looking bored. There’s some shuffling, and then the wooden gate is opening. It’s Carter Rohan, Audrey’s solicitor. The one Mara hates. He looks… nervous.
“Council present, your honor.”
Audrey’s not here.
“She’s not here? Is she not coming” Percy asks Mara, surprised. His solicitor looks behind them at the gallery, her sharp haircut bobbing as she looks around.
“I suppose not.” Mara mutters. The judge doesn’t blink as she slams her gavel down.
“Your client, Mr. Rohan?” she inquires.
“She will not be coming, your honor.” He confirms.
“I see. Let’s get going.” She turns her hawk-like eyes onto Percy, who feels like squirming under them.
“Well, Mr. Weasley, you and your spouse have been married for approximately 11 years. Why do you want a divorce?”
Percy swallows nervously. Mara nudges him with her foot, and he stands.
“Er, she was, uh, irreconcilable differences, Your honor.”
The judge quirks a brow and looks down at the paperwork in front of her.
“I see these police reports- Mrs. Weasley was the defendant in all of them?”
“Yes, your honor.” Mara pipes up from her seat.
“Hmm.” The judge takes off her reading glasses. “Children?”
“Two girls. Twins, your honor. They’ll be in boarding school about ten months out of the year.”
Mara picks up the custody agreement she drafted and waves it in the air. “We’re asking for 50/50. Mrs. Weasley gets the girls during Christmas, Mr. Weasley from the 26th to the new year. Half the summer with Mrs. Weasley, half with Mr. Weasley.”
The judge leans back in her chair, looking Percy up and down.
“And you believe your children are safe with your spouse?”
“Yes.” Percy says, his tone wavering a little. He was about 98 percent sure. Audrey adored the girls, and he was almost certain she would never hurt them. That two percent was about her not picking them up from school though… maybe this had been a mistake.
“Are you open to visitation, instead?”
Percy blinks.
“Huh?”
The judge glares at him over her reading glasses, and Percy feels like he’s been summoned to the headmaster’s office.
“I mean- excuse me, your honor?”
The judge nods. “This history of domestic violence is extensive. Despite any convictions, this court is inclined for visitation rather than custody.”
Percy resolve is quickly dissolving. He can't quite get his brain around what the judge had just said. History of domestic violence, while true... it still felt untrue, in way. He almost wants to defend her. Mara gets to her feet quickly, noticing his nerves.
“Mr. Weasley is attempting to keep things as amiable and normal for the children as possible. In the future we may request visitation rather than custody, but for now he is satisfied with the proposed arrangement.”
The judge looks between Percy, who feels like he’s about to melt into a puddle, and Mara’s stern face.
“Alright,” she says with a nod after what feels like an eternity. “Well, let’s not waste any more of this court’s time. I hereby grant in favor of the petitioner, Percival Weasley.” She pulls a pen out with a flourish, signs something a few times, and the slams the gavel down again. “We are done here. Good day.”
There are some mutters in the court as the she waves her hand in dismissal.
“What does that mean? What did we get?” Percy asks, gathering up his belongings. Mara throws her bag over her shoulder and starts to try to scoop up the paperwork. Percy collects it for her instead.
“Just what you wanted and what I propose. 50/50. Not full like she wants. Those police reports you gave me did the trick. She must have known that it would work out poorly for her if she tried to fight it out in court, especially with the paternity test.”
That made sense. She makes grabby hands for the files in Percy’s arms, and he passes them over. She balances them on her hip, and they make their way out of the courthouse.
“What about everything else?”
“She’ll sell the house, and you’ll split the profit. She gets the car. You’ll divide the joint bank accounts evenly and they will be closed. She removes you off her life insurance and makes the primary beneficiary the kids, you do the same. . You walk away basically splitting the money."
“I don’t care about the money.”
“I do. This is how you’ll be paying me.”
“Okay.” Percy agrees readily. She’s been incredible this entire time. “Thank you, Mara. You have no idea how relieved I am."
“Please, anything to get one over on Carter. Mr. arsehole Rohan can be a bitch. I’ll owl you all the filings once the courts make copies- the custody agreement, the property agreement and the like. We can set up a trust for the girls for anything in between as well.”
“Is that... true?”
“What is?” Mara hums, a little distracted as she glances at her paperwork. “The trust?
Percy hesitates. “No. Uh, Doing visitation instead of custody?”
“Yes. I think we could have gotten it too. If she would have tried to pull that bullshit that she did in mediation in open court we’d have sued her for defamation. She acted with malicious intent, claiming about that therapy thing. That would be a nail in the coffin in her parental rights.”
They step outside the courthouse. It’s busy in muggle London, and the skies are overcast and grey as usual. But Percy feels like it’s the sunniest day ever.
“So… that’s it? We’re done? I’m... divorced?”
Mara stops on the steps of the courthouse and turns to Percy on her heels. For the first time in the months that he’s known her, she smiles. It’s beautiful.
“There are still a few things I’ll need you to sign and some stuff I need to take care of magically. It’s usually cut and dry to get the process started in the wizarding world once we have the muggle stuff out of the way. It’ll take about six months to finalize everything… But yes, Percy. It’s over. You’re divorced.”
Percy feels dizzy. He feels like laughing.
“I’m divorced.” He repeats.
“Yes. You are divorced. It’d done, Percy.”
Percy wipes his face and finds an unexpected wetness there. He’s crying. Not because he was sad but because he was happy. Relieved.
“Thank, you Mara. Thank you.”
Her smile grows wider. “You’re welcome. You can emphasize your thankfulness by writing me a check, now.”
“Oh, I-,” he doesn’t have a check book on him.
“I’m kidding, Percy. I’ll just bill you later. C’mon, let’s head back to my office. I’ll have you sign a few things and then you’re free to go. You can just- walk past this now.”
“Walk on by.” Percy mutters under his breath.
“Hmm?’ Mara asks, already starting off down the street. She didn't hear him properly, it seems.
“Nothing. I’m coming.” Percy says quickly. He trails behind her as that one last thought pings off the walls of his skull.
Walk on by.