Penelope
Penelope had a little problem. She was kind of bored with her life. By all means, she was quite satisfied. Her grades were phenomenal, she was never lonely with friends like hers, and she acquired a job over the summer that allowed for her to have some spare change to buy nice things for herself. It was basically all a teenage girl had to worry about.
Except, she didn't have a boyfriend. Now, she didn't believe that all her problems could be solved with a boyfriend, but then again, this was her only problem. She felt as though she'd never have time for such frivolous things when she was younger, but now she felt she was in a position where she could correctly manage having one. No matter how much she wanted a boyfriend, though, she wasn't desperate enough to throw herself at the first male to show any interest in her. Penelope wasn't a cocky person, but she knew that she was conventionally quite attractive. It wasn't that her options were limited, it was that she had standards. She knew her worth, and she knew that she didn't have to settle for anything less than what she deserved.
With that in mind, she started her 6th year off looking at everybody in a new light. Who was kind, who was smart, who was funny, who was handsome. She swore that she didn't have a list, or a type, but well... she had bare minimum requirements.
Even before classes began, Penelope was able to open her eyes and realize that there were a lot of decent looking men around her. Some stood out more than others, but decent-looking all the same. Decent-looking alone wasn't enough. Obviously, since there were so many, that didn't make them special.
On the first day of classes, it was really regrettable to find out that she had charms at the top of the morning. And no friends with her, either. It was a NEWT level class, so all students from every house were combined into classes, as a disproportionate amount of each had continued to take certain classes. Upon arriving, Penelope scanned the room and took the first seat that presented itself to her that was close to the front, but not that close. It just so happened that she found herself sitting next to Percy Weasley.
She didn't really know what to think about him, actually. A lot of people found him to be quite annoying, but Penelope found herself seeing the reason in a lot of the more annoying things he did. She'd occasionally been scheduled for prefect rounds with him, and it was her intention to talk to him then, but it always seemed like he had other company with him during those times, so she ultimately steered clear of them. All in all, she didn't know Percy, but when she sat down next to him, she nodded at him, and he returned it with an amicable smile. Percy Weasley was one of those decent-looking people, Penelope noticed. Definitely not the most attractive person in their year, but she liked the smattering of freckles on his face. He was cute.
They sat the remainder of class in silence, both listening intently to Flitwick's introductory speech and lesson, and they got up after without a word to the other. That was how it was like for most days. Penelope would walk in a little later than Percy, she'd nod and he'd smile at her, and then they went about their way.
This routine couldn't hold up when Flitwick made them collaborate in class, though. They were to be working together to figure out the theory behind casting, and eventually cast the knitting charm successfully and consistently. They were given two needles each and a ball of yarn, and were basically told to do whatever they needed to do to get it right. This was an autonomy never granted to them before NEWT level classes, especially because Flitwick just reviewed the reading he assigned to them and let them go without a demonstration, but they were probably expected to fare well as NEWT students.
"So," Percy began, causing Penelope to look up from fiddling with needles. She needed to read his lips to understand him, because with everyone talking, it was kind of hard to hear. "Did you do the reading?"
"Of course," Penelope replied. She couldn't say she remembered it, though.
"I guess we should just try it and reconvene if it's necessary, then?" Percy said, already lifting his wand to start casting.
"Sounds good to me," Penelope responded, picking up her wand to seem productive and as if she knew what she was doing. She watched Percy do it first to jog her brain of the motions. Lo and behold, he got it first try. She followed soon after, imitating his pronunciation and wand movement. Her needles moved toward the yarn before dropping an inch away. She frowned.
Percy noticed her struggle and looked at her knowingly. She ignored it and continued in her attempts, cursing under her breath. One time, the yarn even casted itself on the needle, but the needle struggled to make a stitch.
Percy cleared his throat. "Would you like some assistance?"
Penelope sighed. "Yes, please."
Percy chuckled, not unkind. "That's alright. It took me a while to get it too."
Penelope glared at him. "You literally just got it first try. I watched you. Don't play that rubbish with me," she said accusingly.
"No, I typically do this with my mother's wand over the summer. I like to help her with the knitting, but I've never bothered to learn to do it by hand. My needles tried to stab me the first few times, don't worry. By all means, I think you're doing quite well," He assured her placatingly. He tacked on as a joke, "Don't tell anybody I've been practicing underage magic. Nobody will look at me the same."
She laughed. "Thanks, and I won't tell." To be honest, Penelope found the joke quite lame and unfunny, but she appreciated Percy's attempt to lighten the mood all the same. Additionally, she felt a little better knowing that she wasn't just fudging a really simple spell. They settled into a companionable silence but then,
"So are you going to help me or what?" Penelope snapped.
"Oh, right," Percy replied, scrambling to fix his wand into the right position. He slowly showed her the right movement while making sure she knew the incantation, and then he let her try. She copied him, and she thought she got it right when the needles started making a stitch, and then a second, and even a third, but then they stopped.
"Oh," Percy said, surprised. "I think you cut off the movement at the end. Here, let me..." He explained, taking her wand arm by the wrist and guiding her through the motions.
Penelope looked at him, unimpressed at what she assumed was supposed to be a way of getting at her. To her surprise though, Percy seemed completely serious, and when she tried again, her needles began to belt out rows and rows of stitching. It was magnificent.
"Thanks, Percy," she finally said, lowering her wand on the table. "That was quite helpful."
Percy smiled at her. "It's no problem."
When Flitwick hobbled over to them, he didn't even have to try and look at the table to see their progress as both of their pieces (Penelope wasn't sure what was being knitted) were hanging over the table in their rapidly-increasing progress.
"Oh my! Excellently done Ms. Clearwater, Mr. Weasley! 5 points to Gryffindor, and 5 points to Ravenclaw!" He exclaimed, running his fingers over the draping stitches of yarn before moving on to the next table.
Percy and Penelope exchanged a smirk. The rest of class proceeded as normal, and they didn't really talk much after that as there was no need, but Penelope made sure to thank him again as they were packing up.
"Thanks again, Percy. That was very considerate of you, helping me. You're not as much of a prat as everyone says," Penelope told him, patting him on the shoulder.
Percy cringed, stepping away from her with an awkward smile. "Any time," he said, before walking away. Penelope laughed.
Not only was Percy Weasley a little cute, but he was also quite nice. It was already undisputed that he was quite smart, too. Penelope kept this in mind.
And as time went on, they began to talk more during class about things that weren't about class. It was great. Penelope enjoyed hearing about Percy's view of things and how he would go about certain situations. Two more things, Percy Weasley was charming, and he was funny too. He made way too complicated jokes about what they were working on in class or some random piece of gossip that she had told him. Penelope found them to be so bad that they were actually quite funny to her. It was delightful.
Everyday, she looked forward to going to first period charms! Just because she could see Percy Weasley. The smile never left her face when he was around.
Somewhere along the way, she realized that she probably had a crush on him. She constantly thought about her charms class, and not about the course work. She planned their interactions in her head, but she never could get Percy's character right. She wanted to know more about him. Often times she didn't get much done in class while talking to Percy, which would be problematic if Percy weren't so intent on his studies too. She liked that about him.
He was smart, while this other guy she was considering, Ellias, wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.
He was kind, while this other guy that she occasionally chatted up was quite mean to people that he wasn't interested in. Quite shallow, too. Percy had depth, she'd say.
He wasn't conventionally funny, but it was funnier to talk to him than, say for instance Lucas, the older Hufflepuff who supposedly wanted to get to know her.
And as for looks, well... They were all cute. But Percy stood out to her.
So her decision was made. Penelope wanted Percy Weasley.
By the time she decided this, December rolled around. She wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him, but she also wanted for him to ask her. She understood that that might take a little finesse, but she had nothing but time.
So Penelope ended up going to Hogsmeade with a group of friends, as planned. It was quite chilly out, but people were going to get last minute gifts for their families or whatnot. Penelope was just there for the fun, though. The cold didn't mean much to her, because she was a competent witch that knew how to cast a heating charm, and she had a coat, scarf, and hat as well. Unfortunately, she accidentally left her gloves.
"I'm just here because I want to be," Penelope told them, as the topic was the itinerary for the day. "I've got nowhere special to be."
"I need to make a run to Zonkos," one girl piped up. Penelope didn't know her name, because she was a friend of a friend, but she was nice enough. "My little brothers love that stuff."
Another girl, Charlotte, announced morosely, "I was supposed to go to Puddifoot's with William, but well, you all know what happened..."
Everybody went quiet. Nobody really liked Charlotte. Penelope felt bad for her, though. She couldn't function without a man in her life.
"No. What did happen between you two?" Penelope's friend, Alice, asked with a tone of innocence. Penelope shot her a disapproving look. She could tell that Alice was trying to joke around, but she honestly wasn't in the mood for Charlotte's whining.
"He... he cheated on me," Charlotte wailed, stopping dead in the middle of the path and bursting into tears. "Some younger Slytherin girl," she continued with an angry mutter before sobbing even louder.
The rest of the girls looked at each other awkwardly before finally, Penelope and the girl whose name she didn't know went to comfort her.
"There, there," Penelope said soothingly, rubbing circles on her back. The other girl patted her shoulder and gave her a handkerchief that Charlotte blew her nose with before handing it back.
"Thank you," she said, wiping her red eyes with a sniffle. Penelope nodded at her and the other girl gave her a thumbs up.
"Oh, Charlotte. Your mascara," Alice pointed out pityingly, pulling out a pocket mirror and a tissue for Charlotte to check for herself. Charlotte gasped in horror upon looking at her reflection, and quickly wiped the runny black streaks before they could dry.
She handed the mirror back to Alice. "Thank you." And then they continued on the path like nothing ever happened, Charlotte looking relatively indifferent to the break down she just had.
"So, Penelope," Charlotte began, "Is there anyone you've got your eye on? I understand that you've been looking, as of late."
Alice elbowed her in the arm playfully. "I've heard you flirting with Lucas on the way to class. Just sickening," she said, gagging exaggeratedly to punctuate her statement. Alice's unknown friend giggled at her antics.
Penelope laughed shallowly. "No, I've actually got someone else in mind," she revealed, looking at her feet with a blush.
Evelyn, a gossipy Gryffindor girl who'd been trailing behind them, jumped to her side. "Who is it, then?" She asked, leaning into Penelope's personal space.
"Percy Weasley..." Penelope mumbled quietly.
"Sorry, we couldn't hear you," Charlotte said with a frown, trying to discern what Penelope said.
"Percy Weasley," She repeated with a firmer and louder voice.
"We still can't hear you," Alice told her. "I thought you said Percy Weasley!" She laughed, and all the other girls joined in with her.
"I did," Penelope responded. "So what? It's not funny, don't laugh."
The laughter died, but Alice's friend kept giggling at her side. Penelope wondered what in the world was so funny. All of the girls were staring at her like she'd grown an extra head.
"No way!" Evelyn gasped.
"Oh, Nelly..." Alice started, leveling her with a sad and empathetic stare.
"But Percy Weasley is so..." Charlotte trailed off, looking for the right word.
"What?" Penelope challenged. "He's smart, he's funny, he's kind, and I think he's quite decent looking. Sod off."
"He's a right git, is what he is," Alice's friend replied. Much to Penelope's annoyance, the rest of the girls nodded in agreement.
Penelope bit her lip, and her voice raised in volume due to the passion of her statement. "No, he's not!" She defended him. "You guys just don't know him like I do. I should've never told you..." She mumbled this last part, tone full of regret, before going back to her raised voice. "And who even are you?" She added, eyes settling on Alice's friend.
Alice's friend's eyebrows shot up at the confrontation, but she quickly recovered with a shrug. "The name's Olivia."
Alice butted in, settling a placating hand on Penelope's shoulder. "Well, if you like him, Nelly..."
"I heard that he regularly shags some other prefect," Evelyn suddenly chimed in.
Penelope frowned. "Is that so?" To which Evelyn nodded smugly. Penelope bristled and tried not to show how much that had bothered her. She didn't know how much credence to put in Evelyn's claims, but she decided that she'd have to do her own research on the matter. She was above flirting with a taken man.
"Well," Penelope said. "If that's not the case, then Percy Weasley will be mine by the end of the year," she declared with a decisive nod, not missing the looks of bewilderment being exchanged behind her back.
"I guess he's not that bad looking," Charlotte finally said as they arrived at Zonko's. Olivia got her things and then they were off to the Three Broomsticks for a drink and a seat.
They were walking and talking and laughing, when all of a sudden Evelyn let out a loud gasp and pointed at the alleyway they were passing up. "Is that Percy Weasley kissing that Ravenclaw prefect that never talks?!"
Everybody stared at her in disbelief before turning to look in the direction she was pointing at. Lo and behold, Percy was standing there with a Ravenclaw prefect, but it seemed as though they were just chatting and watching people pass by.
"That's Emilio," Penelope corrected her. "And that wasn't funny."
"I swear!" Evelyn cried. She hissed vehemently, "They were literally just snogging. Their hands were all over each other!"
The girls all gave her an unimpressed look.
"How come none of us saw it, then?" Olivia asked.
"You're such a pervert, Evelyn," Alice said at the same time.
The rest of the walk to the Three Broomsticks was spent with Evelyn defending herself and swearing that she knew what she saw, and the rest of the girls in turn calling her crazy.
All in all, it was a fun outing for Penelope, minus the part where she had to defend her crush to her friends. It was humiliating, but honestly, she stuck by what she said. They just didn't understand him like her. And to be quite frank, that was fine because that's more for her anyway. So long as they stopped teasing her about it, though. They tried to use it as leverage against her, but that wouldn't work, because she wasn't ashamed despite knowing how they felt about her choice of man.
After that Hogsmeade weekend, there were only two weeks left before the students were dismissed for holiday. Because of this, a lot of classes were reviewing what they'd learned in the first few months of the year, but only a few were giving out exams. Luckily for Penelope, charms wasn't one of those classes, leaving her more time to focus on flirting with Percy rather than studying. Of course, she still made time for her studies, but not when she didn't have to.
Anyway, she'd taken to subtly pushing her chair closer to Percy's as she took her seat everyday. Unfortunately for her, Percy did notice, and politely pointed it out to her.
"Sorry for not saying anything sooner, but I notice that you accidentally move your chair closer to mine when you sit down. I don't really mind your proximity, it's just that you're left-handed, and I'm right-handed, and it must be bothering us both with how much our elbows are colliding." He laughed as he said that last part, slowly pulling his elbow from where Penelope had intentionally placed hers to touch his.
She awkwardly smiled in turn and shuffled her chair away with a blush. Her heart sank into her stomach, and she was honestly confused. That sort of felt like a rejection. She shook it off, though, reminding herself that sometimes, Percy really was that dense.
"Thanks," she said, focusing on what Flitwick was instructing them to do today. He had basically written a whole bunch of charms that they were supposed to be able to efficiently cast, coincidentally with the blackboard writing spell that they'd learned. They had until the end of the week to show Flitwick that they could cast the spells three times in a row with no mistakes, which all in all seemed easy to Penelope. Still, she saw this as an opportunity.
"Hey, Percy," she nudged him lightly. He had his head down, waiting for Flitwick to get around to them. Upon feeling her touch, he turned his head to look at her, but he still had his head down.
"What's up?" He asked.
"I need a little help with this water-making spell. Think you can assist me?" She said, gripping his forearm in the guise of pleading.
He cleared his throat, straightening up and moving his arm in the process. "Of course? What exactly is it that's causing you trouble?"
Penelope swallowed her pride and made up an excuse as to why she couldn't cast a silly water-making spell. "I'm just having a little trouble with the wand movement, is all."
"Oh, that's okay! It's basically just a short, slanted 's,'" he explained, and Penelope nodded dutifully before taking the bowl they were provided and adopting a face of concentration.
"Aguamenti," she casted perfectly, and then there was water.
"Brilliant," Percy praised, nudging her shoulder. "I knew you could do it. Stop pretending," he joked.
Penelope laughed, "Thanks, you're a really great help." Truth be told, she hadn't needed his help since the knitting charm at the beginning of the year. But he didn't mind helping her, and it made him more tactile for whatever reason. She guessed he liked feeling needed.
When Flitwick finally came over to them, Percy went first, casting all of the spells perfectly.
"Very good, Mr. Weasley," Flitwick nodded in approval, before turning to her expectantly.
She began casting, but stopped at the last one. "I want to show you this one tomorrow, if that's alright with you, Professor," she said innocently.
"But of course, Ms. Clearwater. If you need any further assistance, just let me know," Flitwick agreed understandingly.
"That's alright, I'm just a little rusty. Maybe I can show you at the end of class, even," Penelope insisted. Finally, Flitwick walked away to the next table with a promise to come back at the end of class. She then turned to Percy, who was looking at her with a confused frown.
"What's that all about? You're so good at the gouging spell," He questioned gently.
"I.... I forgot," she tried to excuse herself. She internally cringed. That was so stupid at her. At Percy's incredulous look, she continued, "Please, Percy. You've got to help me. It's just one spell, and you're so good at teaching me!"
Percy blushed. "Well, alright," he conceded, picking up the rock they were given and beginning to explain the gouging spell to her. She nodded along studiously, satisfied at his reaction.
At the end of class, Flitwick came back and Penelope was obviously able to perform the gouging charm 3 times perfect, making her charms course load virtually over until after holiday. Additionally, she was starting to figure Percy out a little more— what he responded to and what he didn't. All in all, she'd consider that day to be a success.
The following few days would be nothing but free time for them, and Penelope got giddy imagining all of the possibilities of the conversations that she would have with Percy. They'd laugh, banter, flirt, it would be fun.
Except that didn't end up being reality. When Penelope tried to talk to Percy, he didn't respond, or if he did, he would respond shortly. When she touched him, he didn't pull away, but he didn't exactly react the way she wanted. In fact, he didn't react at all. He seemed to be in some kind of chronically pensive and frustrated trance, and Penelope didn't know what to do. It was stressing her out. Especially with Evelyn shooting her knowing looks all throughout the hour when she should've been focusing on her own work, still yet to complete half of the spells that they were supposed to master.
"Alright, Percy?" She asked him after the third day of him showing up to class like that.
Percy didn't even seem to register her words for a few seconds, and she was going to repeat herself until he abruptly looked at her and nodded. "Fine," he assured her.
"Well, if you need to talk..." she prompted.
"It's a little personal, if you don't mind. Thanks anyway, Penelope," he brushed off her suggestion.
She really didn't know what else to do. So she decided to keep busy doing her other coursework and seeing if she could wait out his funk.
On the final day of classes before the break, he seemed to be in a better mood than before, apparently having made up his mind about whatever he's been thinking about for the past few weeks.
"Alright, Percy?" She asked again. This time, he responded with a smile and a "yes" and that was that.
He was more easygoing that day, and was more like what Penelope had been getting herself excited for just a few days prior. Her heart swelled, enjoying their conversation that often lulled into a comfortable silence because it seemed like neither knew how to keep up a conversation with the other. It was awkward, yet nice, and that was the last time she saw him before they went home for vacation.
By the time they came back from holiday, Penelope had made up her mind to be a little more obvious about wanting for Percy to ask her out, without blatantly stating it.
Once they were done with the lesson, there were around 12 minutes until Charms ended and there was nothing left to do. In the absence of anything to do, Penelope typically visited the topic of classes with Percy, because she still didn't know much else about him, other than that he was a prefect and liked school. Today had them talking about potions, more specifically amortentia, which they'd only read about toward the beginning of the year.
"I don't smell anything important, really," Percy was saying, and Penelope nodded along. "Or at least anything I find particularly surprising to smell. What about you?"
"Oh, well..." To be quite frank, she smelt vanilla cupcakes, sea salt, and the faint smell of eucalyptus that she associated with Percy. She wasn't trying to tell him that last part, though. "Nothing surprising for me either. I like to bake and go to the beach, so I can make out things like vanilla and sea salt in there."
Percy nodded. "What kind of things do you bake?" He asked, after a long pause where they awkwardly waited for the other to say something.
Penelope wasn't really interested in the course this conversation was taking. "Oh, biscuits, brownies, lemon bars, simple stuff like that," she replied flippantly. Then, what must've been seemingly out of nowhere for Percy, she commented, "I baked a cake with someone before, but either he really didn’t like me or he was a complete idiot, because he undercooked it and had me eat it. Got food poisoning."
Percy's congenial smile turned into a frown. "That’s not very considerate.”
"Yeah. A shame, because I really liked him," Penelope sighed. Making up stories like that on the spot was not for the weak. "Of course, now I'm still looking."
Percy hummed. "Uh... well good luck with that," he said with a thumbs up.
Penelope rolled her eyes, prompting, "What about you, Percy?"
"Oh, well..." he trailed off.
Suspicious of his hesitation, Penelope suddenly realized that she forgot to make further investigations about Evelyn's statement. So outlandish were her following claims that the more reasonable ones were completely lost in her brain. That obviously proved to be a slight oversight on her part.
"Are you single, Percy?" She pressed him.
Just as he opened his mouth to answer, the shuffling of students around them getting out of their seats alerted her of the end of the class. Percy looked to be considering running away, but he sighed and finally answered her question, evidently reluctant.
"I guess I am, nowadays," he shrugged.
Penelope's eyebrows rose at that, but she quickly tried to disguise it, fearing it might upset him. She slung her bag over her shoulder and they began walking side by side, exiting the classroom together. "So your being single is a more recent development, then?"
Percy pursed his lips. "I guess it's been around two weeks now."
"Oh..." Penelope responded dumbly. That was all she could say, struck with the sudden realization that she'd been crushing on a taken man this whole time. She couldn't even say anything back when Percy told her bye and departed the other way. That was a terrible shock.
So the natural way to proceed, rather than using her free time to do her homework and study, she gossiped to her friends. And of course, wherever there was gossip, there was Evelyn.
"He's been in a relationship this whole time!" She cried, covering her face with her hands just thinking about the embarrassment.
"I told you," Evelyn said smugly, ignoring the hard elbow to the side that Alice gave her. "Guys, I swear, it's Emilio."
"Would you shut up about that?" Charlotte snapped. And for once, they all agreed with her. "Look, Penelope. While that must be extremely embarrassing for you, it's not that important."
Penelope frowned at her.
"Yeah," Olivia agreed. "You didn't know, so it's okay. And the fact of the matter is that he's single now!" She finished, and Alice nodded along.
"You guys really think so?" Penelope asked, feeling slightly comforted. That only lasted a second, though, because then the feeling of dread settled back in her stomach. "But I've been flirting with him! God, how embarrassing! Why didn't he tell me?"
"Whatever you two do in class is not flirting, love. It's awkward and weird," Evelyn commented sagely, placing a hand on Penelope's shoulder.
Penelope shrugged it off, looking at Evelyn offendedly. Before she could say anything, though, Alice cut in.
"It doesn't matter. He's single now, so go for it."
Penelope didn't say anything to that.
"Did you tell him that you were looking?" Olivia asked.
Penelope nodded.
"Well, what did he say?" Charlotte prompted.
"I don't think he said anything of importance... and then I asked him if he was looking and he didn't answer me until he'd told me that he just got out of a relationship," Penelope recounted.
Alice frowned. "Well maybe you should give it a little time. I think he's still getting over that."
"Of course," Penelope agreed. "But how much time?" She huffed, clearly frustrated.
"You'll really just have to wait and see. My guess is that Percy Weasley has never been in a relationship before that," Evelyn told her nonchalantly.
The entire ordeal left Penelope feeling confused and conflicted.
The next charms class was extremely awkward for her. It felt so wrong sitting next to him, knowing that he'd been going out with someone the whole time she'd been trying to flirt with him. She understood that she didn't know, and that now he wasn't taken anymore, but that didn't really bring her much comfort anymore because she always ended up thinking about how once upon a time, that wasn't the case.
Normally, on days like these, Penelope would initiate conversation and then he'd readily engage her as she made sure to make eye contact. She even went the full mile, batting her eyelashes and casually flipping her hair over her shoulder if it wasn't tied up. But now, she tried to avoid looking at Percy and dutifully kept her hands to herself, taking notes on Flitwick's lesson. Occasionally, there would be breaks in the lesson where they were to turn and converse with their tablemate about the current subtopic, and only then would Penelope allow herself to look at him.
It seemed like he was waiting for her to start the conversation as per usual, but she stubbornly kept her mouth shut, so he began, "Well, I think..."
Penelope internally grimaced at the normalcy of it all. He was acting as if nothing had happened, which in his eyes, it probably hadn't. For her though, it felt so surreal. She didn't know how to act anymore. She still wanted to talk to him and laugh with him about whatever, but it just didn't feel the same.
When Percy finally finished expressing his thoughts about the question that Flitwick proposed to them, all Penelope could do was nod in agreement. "That's what I was thinking."
He smiled at her before focusing his attention back to Flitwick who was beginning to reel the class back into his lecture.
Penelope felt terrible about her dry response, but that was all she could do, honestly.
When the lecture was over and everyone was packing up with 3 minutes to spare, she could swear she felt Percy sneaking glances at her. The next time he did it, she met his gaze head on with a questioning frown.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
"Totally," she said snappishly, immediately regretting her tone. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know...." He replied contemplatively. "You just don't seem... Penelope. Feels kind of different. I don't know if it's just me, but I just wanted to ask if I did anything wrong? Or is there anything I could help you with?"
"Oh," Penelope said in a small voice, her hands halted in their packing in her surprise. "That's... very considerate of you. I'm... we're quite fine. Just a little tired, is all."
Percy was finished putting his things away and was watching her as she resumed stowing away her notes. "Um... I know we don't talk much outside of class. But well, we can."
"Obviously," Penelope replied wryly, zipping up her bag. She delighted in the sight of Percy's cheeks filling with color.
"I mean, we should," he hastened to clarify. "I'd like to be your friend, and you can talk to me, and..." At this part, he trailed off, seemingly having nothing else to say. Penelope opened her mouth to say something, but that was when Percy decided to continue, "I hope you feel better. See you later!" And then he walked away before Penelope could get a word in.
She stared at his back, her stomach churning with dissonant emotions. It was a wonder that just as she felt like giving up on him, he extends the offer of friendship. Of course, Penelope did want to be his friend, but she also reminded herself that she wanted more, and this was practically an olive branch for her to get it. And really, she was quite flattered that he went out of his way to make her feel like she could talk to him about how she was feeling, because he recognized that she wasn't acting like she normally would. At least not around him. Naturally, she wouldn't be taking him up on that offer, but she really felt like it was the thought that counted. Her resolve was weakening. It was like fate felt her giving up and then gave her this little push.
So she took it as a sign. She left class in better spirits, with renewed enthusiasm in her pursuit of Percy Weasley. This was the most reciprocity she'd been shown since she began this whole thing.
It seemed as though for all her troubles, that was the only bit of acknowledgement of her actions that she was going to be afforded. That made sense. She understood that the only reason why Percy gave her that much was because he thought that she was just like that with him for no reason. He only mentioned it because he thought that she was acting abnormally that day, which in a way he was right, but for the most part she acted abnormal around him everyday and that was the first time she was being normal. Anyway, since he'd gotten so used to her attempts at flirting, she decided she'd go about it a different way. She'd never outright ask him out or tell him to ask her out, but...
"You want for us to give him the suggestion to ask you out?" Olivia echoed slowly.
Alice and Charlotte were giggling.
"I never thought that this would be the way you went about dating. You're so different when you like someone, Nelly." Alice commented in between her giggles.
Penelope frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Alice sobered, sensing Penelope's frustration. "Nothing, really. It's just that you're normally so straightforward and tactful. This is the most immature thing you've ever suggested!"
Penelope opened her mouth in protest, but Charlotte beat her to it. "I think this is a quite brilliant way to get a guy to ask you out. It has plenty of tact! And it's bound to work on a guy like Weasley!"
Penelope didn't know how to feel about that comment, but was nevertheless thankful for the defense.
"As fun as this sounds," Olivia butted in. "What have you tried thus far? Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I've tried being more tactile, talking to him," Penelope sighed deeply, preparing herself to continue the list. "Batting my eyelashes at him, and flipping my hair!"
Alice and Charlotte started giggling again.
"How has that worked for you?" Olivia asked, shooting playful glares at the other girls.
"I think that... we're definitely closer! I mean, he even asked me if there was something the matter the me when I wasn't doing those things! Like genuine concern. And he offered to talk more outside of class. And we have, a little. I studied with him just last week," Penelope explained.
Alice let out an exaggerated gasp. "You never told me that!"
Penelope shrugged with a smirk before she adopted a more serious look. "For real, though. Help me, please!"
"Okay," Olivia, Charlotte, and Alice agreed simultaneously. They looked at each other, amused.
"I'm in," Evelyn announced, appearing out of no where and taking a seat next to Penelope.
"Um," Penelope began, but stopped when she realized the effort was futile. Evelyn already knew way too much about her little crush on Percy, and Penelope didn't see why she couldn't help. Who better to drop hints through than Evelyn? "He'll be in the library next weekend, helping his roommate, Oliver, study. But Oliver is gonna leave eventually for a Gryffindor quidditch practice, I just don't know when."
"I can figure that out," Evelyn volunteered with a preen, already anticipating the thanks that she received from Penelope.
"And when that happens, you guys can go and talk to him. See what he thinks about me... I'll be nearby because I told him I might swing by the library while he's in there. Good?"
Everyone nodded.
And that was what happened.
Evelyn informed them that the practice started at 3:00, and Oliver would probably be there at 2:30. So as not to raise suspicion, the girls approached Percy at 3:20, 55 minutes after Oliver left. Penelope lingered in earshot, crouching behind the nearest bookshelf while Olivia, Evelyn, Charlotte, and Alice pulled up chairs to Percy's table.
Only then did Percy look up from his book, just in time to see Alice fall into her chair with a huff. For a beat, nobody said anything. Then:
"Hi, Percy," Evelyn greeted him.
"Hello, Evelyn," Percy replied awkwardly, pushing his glasses up his nose. He surveyed the other girls. "I don't believe I know you lot... aren't you Penelope's friend?" The last bit was directed at Alice, who snapped out of her bored trance, surprised to be addressed.
"Why, aren't you clever? Yes, I am, and so are they. It's come to my attention that... you're Penelope's friend too, aren't you?" Alice said, looking at Percy with a predacious smile. Penelope had never hated her more than in that moment. She could imagine the girls discussing a 'good cop, bad cop' scenario before this conversation started.
Percy shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I'd like to think so. Something the matter?"
Olivia smiled at him politely. She must've been the good cop. "Do you like her?"
"Yes. I think she's quite nice, and I admire her intellect," Percy responded immediately.
"Isn't she pretty?" Charlotte prompted.
"Well... yes. She's quite attractive, too," Percy agreed with a blush.
"I mean," Olivia continued her lining of question. "Do you like like her?"
Percy didn't say anything for a moment, apparently having not expected the question. "I suppose... I've never really thought about her like that."
Penelope's heart sank.
"But," Percy continued. "I think she's just lovely. Maybe I do like her, after all." The last part was more of a murmur, and Percy looked away from the girls and toward the bookshelves.
Penelope's heart then leapt in her chest, in excitement that Percy might like her and in fear that he knew that she was there. She crouched down lower, clenching her fist to calm her nerves so that she didn't do anything stupid.
"You should ask her out," Charlotte suggested sagely.
"Maybe," Percy said vaguely. "Does she... like me?"
"You'll find that out if she says yes when you ask her," Alice chimed in. She nodded at the other 3, and they all stood up in unison. Penelope wondered if she was dreaming right now.
Percy stared at them confusedly as they walked away, and Penelope watched them pass her hiding spot with no more than a sideways glance in her direction. She snuck out of the isle she was in and waited a few minutes before approaching him with a friendly smile, as if she hadn't been there the whole time.
"Hey, Percy," she greeted him. "I decided I'd join you after all."
"Hey, Penelope," he smiled at her like he'd always done. This time, it looked a little weird. Nevertheless, they conferred with each other about the material they were studying and then started, sitting and quietly chattering in the library for a good few hours. All the while, Penelope could swear she saw Percy looking at her contemplatively when he thought she didn't know.
And as it would turn out, he would continue to do this for a good week, seemingly in deep thought whenever their conversation would lull. The best part is, Penelope didn't have to wonder what he was thinking for long.
"He approached me about trying to ask you out," Alice reported to her excitedly.
"Really?" Penelope asked, in awe. Truly, she hadn't thought it would be that easy.
"Yes! Apparently he's realized that he likes you... I don't know, he was confusing me. He's quite weird, frankly, but..."
"What did you tell him?" Penelope cut her off eagerly.
"Valentine's Day. Be ready. I'd tell you more, but I don't want to spoil the surprise," Alice told her mischievously.
No matter how much Penelope begged Alice to tell her more, she wouldn't budge. It didn't help that she only had charms with Percy once before Valentine's Day, and he was as weird as ever.
He was more hyperaware of where Penelope touched him, and he couldn't meet her eyes as much either. She'd even caught him staring while Flitwick was writing on the board. As much as Penelope enjoyed the effect she had on him now, she couldn't wait until this was all settled. She kind of liked him a little more when he was able to engage in really intense eye contact. She found it extremely attractive. Now, he was a little skittish.
Eventually, the day she was waiting for finally came, and she couldn't even brush her teeth without imagining Percy turning the corner with a fucking huge bouquet of flowers, asking her on a date.
When she finally stopped thinking about it, he finally caught up to her. She'd been on her way into the Great Hall for breakfast when she'd heard him ask her in a shy voice if they could speak.
"Uh... alone," He clarified, shooting looks at Alice and Charlotte who were standing at her side with identical smirks.
"Of course," Penelope agreed easily, trying to hide her excitement. She disguised her shudder as Percy's fingers gently closed around her wrist, and he began pulling her down the hall until they reached a secluded alcove that was covered by a tapestry.
"So," Percy began, evidently nervous. Penelope nodded encouragingly. "I think you're quite pretty. And you're super smart, and really fun to talk to. And you make me feel... I don't know. But yeah. So I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me?" He finished, pulling out a singular rose.
"Yes," Penelope answered immediately, uncaring of the rose.
"I know the proposal was less than ideal, but I swear, I practiced. I don't know what happened. And I know it's only one rose, but look," Percy rambled, and then the rose was 2, then 4, 8, 16, 32, and finally 64 vibrant blue hydrangeas. "Your favorite," he said, pushing the flowers to her. "And I got you this because I know you like to bake and would probably appreciate it a lot," holding up a cookie jar full of lemon macarons.
"That's alright," Penelope assured him. "They're lovely, and I love macarons," she said, taking the jar from him.
"You said yes?" Percy finally computed.
Penelope smiled. "Yes."
"Oh," Percy said dumbly, still holding the flowers out.
"You wouldn't mind carrying those for me, would you?" Penelope asked sweetly.
"Not at all," Percy replied hastily, retracting the hydrangeas.
Penelope leaned up and pecked him on the cheek, laughing at the dazed expression that was on his face. "You're so cute," she told him. And lord was it liberating to finally be able to say that to him. As expected, the blush that she liked was starting to blossom on his face and neck, and Percy bashfully ducked his head.
This time, it was her who took him by the wrist, leading him back to the doors of the Great Hall. "Come sit with me," she said as she pulled him along.
"Okay."
Her friends, spotting her coming due to the large bouquet of flowers that Percy was holding, made room for the both of them.
"Treat her well," Alice warned him.
"Of course," Percy agreed, turning to smile at Penelope before nodding at Alice.
That was better than anything she could've dreamed of. She finally had him.
One pleasant surprise for Penelope was the physicality of their relationship. To be quite honest, she thought that Percy was a virgin. But he told her he wasn't. And while she'd never been in a relationship before, Penelope wasn't a virgin either. Whoops.
Percy, in her opinion, was a typically well-composed guy. He was rather oblivious, too, completely unaware that Penelope was crushing on him for months. People called him a prude with no emotions, let alone sexual ones. That proved not to be the case, though. Far from it. Penelope found that while he was first a little shy in their relationship, he quickly warmed up to her, and they were rather touchy. PDA wasn't really their thing, but Penelope knew it was rather apparent that they were together. So long as no one knew that they played footsie under the table damn near every day.
Percy was sweet. Really sweet. They spent a lot of time together, and he did meaningful favors for her when he could. But he was also hungry. And he only seemed to get hungrier. His libido was impossibly high at some times. This, Penelope found out the hard way, quite literally, after a sneaky and heated snog led to Percy getting a hard-on. At that point, it was the 3rd time in the month that that had happened.
"You're impossible, Percy," Penelope sighed in between kisses, palming at his pants.
"Sorry," he murmured, voice dripping with shame. Penelope knew better.
"I'm still not helping you," she said, pulling her hand away from his crotch. She stepped away from him, fixing her curly blond hair into a tidy ponytail because Percy kept messing it up for some reason. He really liked her hair. She fixed her uniform before turning to face Percy, who was sitting there motionlessly, staring at her.
"You're not really what I expected you to be," she commented, leaning against the desk that Percy had sat at. They were in an empty classroom while everyone else was at lunch.
"What do you mean?" Percy asked, starting to fix his uniform while willing his erection to go down. It didn't seem to be working, but he'd figure it out.
"I thought Percy Weasley would be too good to get hard by kissing his girlfriend," she teased, pointedly looking down. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but..."
"I'll refrain next time," Percy joked, adjusting his tie.
"I won't leave you hanging next time," Penelope promised. "My birthday is coming up. Easter holiday. I can stay if you'll stay. The castle will be more empty..."
"Oliver will be preparing for the match against Hufflepuff," Percy said hastily.
"Sounds like a plan," Penelope smiled, waiting for Percy to finish putting on his robes and righting his badge before leaning down and placing a lingering kiss on his lips.
"You're so pretty," Percy told her as she pulled away, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Stop trying to seduce me," Penelope scolded him playfully, ignoring the way her face started to heat up at the compliment. "Wait a few minutes before you follow me out," she reminded him, opening the door to the classroom and slipping out before Percy could say anything else.
She couldn't wait for her birthday.
The day finally came, and Penelope couldn't wait. She hadn't seen Percy all day, because they were both busy catching up on their work. 6th years had a lot of free time to do their work, but rather than doing that, she and Percy had found it more important to use it to snog. Big mistake, but Penelope couldn't say that she regretted it.
Her friends had gone earlier in the week, leaving her presents and wishing her a happy birthday. Alice started to notice that something was up, and quickly found out about the plans that she'd made with Percy. So Penelope found herself subject to a lecture full of information that she already knew, and that Alice knew she knew, but just wanted to drill into her brain. Duly noted.
They ultimately waited too long for Percy's roommate to be away, and Penelope was positive that she wouldn't be able to sneak Percy into her dorm, so they had to meet in an abandoned classroom as per usual. Penelope wanted for it to be a bit more special, but it didn't end up mattering much.
When Percy finally walked through the door with an apology on his lips, she practically pounced on him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.
Percy's hands dropped to her waist, eagerly responding. He backed them away from the door and to a cushioned bench on the other side of the classroom, where they collapsed with Penelope on top. Percy quickly sat up, readjusting them so that Penelope was straddling his left thigh and he was leaned against the back of the bench. He began to kiss down Penelope's jaw, all the way down to her collarbone where he paused to unbutton her shirt before slipping it off her shoulders and continuing lower. When he reached her breasts, he tentatively licked and sucked at her nipples before Penelope impatiently shoved his head closer to her chest.
Penelope huffed, desperately grinding against Percy's thigh, her arousal leaving a dark spot on his grey slacks. In her haste to meet him, she didn't put on underwear, which was quite risky but that just convinced her to do it more. "Want you inside of me," she pleaded, reaching blindly for his belt buckle. Percy helped her, and it was all fumbling hands and heavy sighs until finally, Percy was able to slip his belt off and unzip his pants.
Penelope shifted her weight so that she was straddling both of his legs, their sexes aligned. She took his cock in her hand, rubbing the tip around her entrance and debating the necessity of lubricant. Percy decided that for her, though, casting a silent spell that slicked his cock instantaneously. Throwing caution to the wind, Penelope hoisted herself up with Percy's shoulders, balancing her weight on her widely spread knees that were digging into the cushion on either side of Percy.
Percy hitched her skirt up, and watched carefully as she sank down onto him, a mixture of pain and pleasure on her face. His breath caught when the sensation of Penelope's warm and wet heat tightening around him registered.
"Penny," Percy groaned, his forehead falling forward onto her shoulder while his hands came up to hold her hips. Penelope said nothing in response, taking deep breaths to adjust to the feeling of Percy's cock inside of her. She didn't move for a while, but once she got used to the burning stretch, she slowly rocked her hips back and forth to see how it felt. It was good, but she wanted more.
The rocking of her hips progressively sped up with Percy's hands on her hips assisting her in the motion. When she finally reached a set pace, it was needy and exhilarating. Percy was looking at her in awe, eyes blown wide as he watched her ride him.
Penelope caught his gaze and smiled at him, her hips pausing their gyrating so that she could take Percy's hands and place them on her chest. Taking the hint, his rough palms began fondling and groping her as she continued to rock back and forth on his length with more fervor than ever.
The feel of Percy's hands combined with her fast movements had Penelope throwing her head back, a sinful moan escaping from her lips as her juices leaked out of her around Percy's shaft, making it ever easier for her to speed up. Percy's hips were shakily bucking into her, deepening the length of his cock inside her and hitting spots that reduced her to nothing but mewls and jerky motions.
Penelope's rocking became more and more sporadic as her pleasure built, and the pressure in her nerves started tightening into a knot that was waiting to be released. And just as soon as it had come, it was over. Her eyes squeezed shut and she gasped as her orgasm took over her, riding out her high with measured movements as she no longer had control over the strength of her knees.
As Penelope collapsed forward onto his shoulder, Percy's grunts became more frequent and loud due to the tightening of Penelope's walls around him.
"Gonna come," he groaned into her ear, placing his hands on her hips again and going to gently pull her off. She pushed his hands off with a shake of her head.
"Come inside. Wizarding contraception. Failproof," she murmured.
And just like that, Percy was releasing his load inside of her, head lulling back against the back of the bench. Penelope tightened her grip on Percy's back for a second, her nails digging into the freckled skin on his shoulder blades. For a good moment, all that could be heard in the room was their heavy panting as they caught their breaths. After that, Penelope didn't really know what to do. She was reluctant to climb off, scared of ruining the moment. Not to mention the clean up and her heightened sensitivity. The stretching sensation wouldn't feel as good anymore now that she was satisfied.
Percy ended up being the first to speak, petting Penelope's hair that turned frizzy due to how hot she got during their... activities. "We should probably clean up before someone sees us."
"Yeah," Penelope agreed, making no move to get up.
"Do you... need help?" Percy asked.
"That's alright," Penelope rasped, swiftly hoisting herself off of his lap and falling next to him. "Percy... have you ever done this before?"
Percy pursed his lips, before replying slowly, "I've only ever received oral, I guess. Does that make me a virgin, technically?"
"I believe that oral sex is still sex," Penelope contested. "I wouldn't consider you a virgin... but in any case, I'm your first time with sexual intercourse, right?"
Percy looked away with a sigh before nodding.
Penelope reached over and pinched his cheek. "You're adorable," she cooed playfully, taking pleasure in the reluctant smile that sprouted on Percy's face.
"Come on," he said, trying to put on a serious face. "We should head back. Oliver will wonder where I am."
"Will he?" Penelope sighed, picking up her discarded shirt after a few cleaning charms were cast. She skillfully did up the buttons and smoothened out her skirt. Only then did she wish she'd worn underwear.
"Yes," Percy insisted. He picked up his belt after fixing his pants to not look like Penelope wasn't just riding him a few minutes ago. "He gets suspicious if I'm not back by 12:00. Especially because I told him I'd be back by 12:00."
Penelope rolled her eyes, patting Percy's hand. "He'll definitely know what happened regardless. I'll let you go though, because I need to be back too."
Percy blushed in mortification, attempting to tame his tousled hair in vain. "You really think so?"
Penelope didn't warrant that with a reply, but rather with a sympathetic look. "Wait before following me out," she instructed, before leaving him without another word. As fun as that was, she really needed a shower. And some panties would be nice.
Upon arriving back to her common room, she was met with relative silence due to the fact that everyone was either asleep or away for the break. The only person in there was her fellow 6th year Ravenclaw prefect, Emilio, who was reading some Shakespearean text by the fire. She was honestly going to walk right past him, having no interest in holding conversation about Hamlet or whatever he was reading, but then she heard his voice cutting through the silence.
"You're dating Percy Weasley, aren't you?" Emilio asked, lowering his book onto his lap to fix her with an unnerving gaze. It was kind of creepy.
Penelope stopped in her place at the bottom of the stairs leading to the girls dorms. "Erm... yes?"
"How's that for you?" Emilio continued.
Penelope walked a little closer to him, if only to be polite and better understand what he was asking her. She replied, "quite well, actually. He's great."
"I bet," Emilio murmured.
Penelope was confused about whether or not she was supposed to hear that, so she waited awkwardly for him to say something else.
"You look like you've been having a good time," Emilio observed, an unreadable expression on his face.
Penelope shuffled, embarrassed and suddenly remembering her lack of underwear. "I... yeah."
"It's to my understanding that Percy quite likes the company of a man," Emilio informed her matter-of-factly.
This caught Penelope off guard. She didn't know how to respond to that statement, nor where it came from, but it thoroughly confused her.
"How did you come to understand that?" She decided to ask.
Emilio gave her a meaningful look, and suddenly it clicked for Penelope.
Percy was the only person Emilio ever talked to. She remembered that there had even been rumors amongst the prefects about them dating, but she never put much credence in them because she didn't have any reason to. Penelope never knew what went on in the prefects compartment, because, for lack of a better way to put it, she had friends. All that goes without mentioning Evelyn's claims about Percy dating a prefect and seeing him snog Emilio in an alleyway at Hogsmeade. Maybe she was right both times.
Penelope was surprised and a little proud about how fast she realized the meaning behind Emilio’s words. But then she realized that Emilio’s words truly had meaning.
"You knew that, didn't you?" Emilio asked with his tone purposefully innocent, interrupting Penelope's racing thoughts.
"Of course," she lied easily. Percy never told her that, but Emilio didn't need to know what she did or did not know about her boyfriend's sexuality. "But he likes me, too. So that doesn't really matter."
Emilio stared at her. "He was really great," he finally said.
Penelope took it as the challenge that it was. "Yes, my boyfriend is indeed really great. He treats me very well."
"I miss him," Emilio proclaimed, looking down at his book before meeting Penelope's eyes directly.
Penelope couldn't believe his audacity. She was down to her last straw, snapping, "Sorry for you," before turning and racing up the stairs to her dorm. She didn't have time to listen to her boyfriend's ex-boyfriend not-so-subtly dropping hints that he wanted to take him away from her. She needed a shower.
Since there weren't as many people there due to the break, Penelope found herself going over to the Gryffindor table where Percy was sitting at breakfast. She sat down next to him, and was genuinely going to wait until he was done with the conversation he was having with Wood, but Wood immediately shut up when she came near.
"We need to talk," she told Percy, stealing a glance at Oliver. He probably knew all about it.
"What about?" Percy inquired. Confusion bloomed on his face and he put down the handful of grapes he was about to inhale.
She casted a cautious look around, as if he was going to appear out of thin air, before replying, "Emilio."
Oliver huffed a laugh but started to intently stare at his plate when Percy glared at him.
Percy pursed his lips. "How do you know about him?"
"Because he bloody told me! Why didn't you?" Penelope hissed, hitting him on the shoulder repeatedly.
Percy grabbed her wrist, preventing her from trying to hit him more, exclaiming, "Sorry!" He let her calm down before continuing, "I didn't think it was necessary. I liked Emilio, but I like you."
She considered his reasoning, but she still couldn't help being hurt. "But Percy..." She didn't know how to put this. "Why did I have to find out from him that you apparently swing both ways?"
Oliver choked on his food, but Penelope didn't pay him any mind as Percy began blushing and stammering.
"Sorry," he finally said. "I should've told you."
She sighed. "I know."
And that was that.
She was contented to forget about it for a good while, but then every time she'd see Emilio he'd look at her knowingly and then walk the other direction. What a drama queen. She knew he wasn't taking Percy from her, though, so he could give her as many dirty looks as he pleased.
That was her only concern, until the end of May, when apparently Percy had become good friends with Marcus Flint.
Penelope and Percy didn't really study much together anymore, preferring to do other things. But occasionally she'd drop by the library and see her boyfriend sitting at a table with Marcus Flint, obviously helping him with some assignment or another. When she decided to drop by, Marcus glared at her offensively until she stopped talking to Percy. Lord forbid she ever took a seat with them.
Upon further observation, Penelope scoffed at the fact that Marcus only sometimes paid attention to the material that Percy talked endlessly about, preferring to roam his eyes over Percy's body like he was some Adonis. And wouldn't Penelope know. How terribly shameless he was.
One day, her and Percy were walking around and enjoying the warming weather when they spotted Flint, who seemed to be watching the pair of them from a distance.
Percy waved at him amicably, and Marcus waved back slowly, probably embarrassed at being caught. Then, Penelope peaked out from Percy's side and also waved, letting herself be known. Marcus' blossoming smile turned into a scowl and he dropped his hand. He was lucky Percy wasn't looking anymore. Penelope scowled back, hanging onto her boyfriend's arm and pulling him closer before throwing a final smug glance at Flint.
"He has a crush on you," Penelope informed Percy as they walked away.
Percy frowned. "That's ridiculous. We’re friends. I'm just helping him with his studies, and he pays well for it. So..."
Penelope was trying to tell if he was being serious or not. "Is that so?" She asked, to which Percy nodded. She then said, "You're an idiot," before storming off back to the castle.
Admittedly, that wasn't one of her finer moments, but she was genuinely fed up with how oblivious Percy was being towards things like this. It was like he was intentionally trying to ignore them. Still, she apologized, and they passionately made up.
But then, she was confronted by Emilio once again. This time, it kind of got to her. She just wished he'd leave her and Percy alone. And on top of that, there was Flint, who also seemed to be trying to steal her boyfriend. Not to mention Oliver. There was always Oliver. Sure, he was Percy's best friend, but he radiated some unfounded animosity toward her whenever she was around. And he always had something to say. Penelope was sure the guy had a little crush, and genuinely believed that if anybody could take Percy from her, it would be him.
So she made up her mind. She was sure that Percy would never leave her for anyone, but she couldn't take it anymore. It was especially impactful, because if Percy couldn't recognize the one-sided emotional affairs that he was in, then they definitely weren't going to be ended. And that just wasn't going to cut it for Penelope.
Which is why she broke up with him on the first week of June.
"I'm breaking up with you," she told Percy solemnly as they walked around the lake.
Percy stopped walking, forcing Penelope to turn around and face him.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to compete with other people for you."
"You're not competing with anyone. I like you."
"And I appreciate it. I just didn't expect that so many people would like you. And you don't even know. It maddens me terribly."
Percy looked at her uncomprehendingly. "Is this real?"
Penelope hesitated. "Yes," she finally said before tentatively kissing him. She pulled back before he could try to turn it into anything more. "I hope we could still be friends."
"Right," Percy responded blankly. He had the same expression on his face as he watched Penelope walk back to the castle—without him.
Penelope felt bad for ending it that way. If she regretted anything, it was that it ended this way, not that it ended. And she really did think that they could be friends, despite having been in that relationship.
She also felt empty. She'd been chasing him for half a year, and never thought she'd see the day where she broke up with him. It felt like a waste of time, but she decided she was quite grateful for their time together.
Unfortunately, the emptiness didn't subside. Especially not when Alice and Charlotte came to see her that day and Alice asked what was wrong (Penelope broke down crying). And especially not when classes resumed after the weekend and Percy wouldn't even look at her, despite them being forced to talk by Flitwick. She missed him a lot. Still, she didn't regret her decision.
But slowly, things got better. And by their last class together, they were able to laugh and ignore the tension between them. Penelope promised to write him over the summer, and Percy said that he'd write back. And so they wrote.
And while Penelope still had some feelings for him, and could tell that Percy still had feelings for her, they were able to reach some sort of mutual agreement that they weren't going to get back together, and would eventually get over it. Their correspondence always spoke of underlying emotions, but it was generally enjoyable, and Penelope could see her and Percy being really good friends without shagging and going on dates.
Penelope could definitely see how dangerous it was to still be talking to him after that, but it served to bring her comfort. She lost Percy as a boyfriend, resulting in a huge hole in her heart, but having Percy as a friend filled the void. Maybe 3/4 of the way.
Delightful their relationship was, but Penelope thought she'd lay off pursuing a boyfriend for a while. It just left her right where she started, bored and alone, but quite satisfied with her life. At least her grades never slipped throughout the whole ordeal.