Celestial Being

“I have a big favor to ask you,” Percy said, almost as soon as he closed his office door between Draco and Percy and the rest of Percy’s family.

Without hesitation Draco answered, “Of course, anything.”

Percy scrunched up his face. “You should let me tell you what I’m asking before you agree.”

Draco flopped down to lounge in one of Percy’s office chairs since this would apparently take a minute. “Even if I didn’t have next to nothing, it wouldn’t matter, I’d still give it to you. But go on, put your mind at ease.”

Percy clinched his hands together, then pulled them apart to set them on his hips, then twitched them again and crossed his hands over his chest. He held them there as he paced. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” he insisted.

Draco did his best to pull back his smile. “Again, even if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter.”

“It’ll likely take all day. Are you sure you have the time?” Percy had little worry lines on his forehead brought on by thinking unnecessarily hard about logistics.

Draco did his best to look reassuring. “If not with you, I’d just be spending the day with mother and Aunt Andromeda watching them dress shop.” Draco didn’t say that he wouldn’t mind that so much, since he’d quite like a look at the latest fashions and to possibly talk Andromeda into buying him patterns to test out at home. If he told Percy that his invitation had interrupted Draco’s plans Percy might break down and never ask for his favor at all.

Fortunately, Percy interpreted Draco’s comment as Draco appreciating an excuse to avoid shopping. He was adorable like that.

Percy finally lowered himself to his chair, perching just on the edge of it, his back ramrod straight. His lips were thin and his worry lines etched deeper as he leaned forward towards Draco. “I need to speak to the king,” Percy finally said.

Draco raised his eyebrows curiously but Percy didn’t go on. It took a moment before Draco realized that was it. That was the favor. “I’m a bit confused. What does that have to do with me?”

Percy made a little noise too manly to be a squeak but definitely sounding distressed. He explained, “You can get a meeting with him.”

Draco’s eyebrows raised further. “Pardon?”

Percy was gripping his desk so tightly it must hurt his fingers. “Let me show you the records, you’ll understand then why it’s important.”

Draco sat himself upwards and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk. “Percy, I need you to do me a favor here and believe me when I tell you I absolutely do not need to look at any records. If you say it’s important I trust you, and I’m here for you. I just don’t know how we’re jumping from me lending you a hand to you getting a meeting with the king.”

Then Percy said the most ridiculous thing. “You two are close!”

Draco might have laughed if he wasn’t so baffled. “What have I ever done or said to give you that impression?”

Percy was looking at Draco like he was the obstinate one. “He came to your picnic party, and to your birthday party, you were a special guest at his birthday party, and he visits you all the time.”

If it were possible, Draco’s eyebrows would have made it through the roof. Draco held up his fingers and counted off, “Luna, Teddy, Teddy, and Teddy. None of those were about me.”

Draco wasn’t certain he’d ever seen Percy roll his eyes before. It was the sort of immature expression Percy usually turned his nose up at. He was doing it now, with a long suffering sigh for good measure. “It doesn’t matter why you two are close, only that you clearly have some relationship and I’m certain you could get us through the door if you asked.”

A week ago Draco would have laughed in Percy’s face, no matter how rude and unsupportive it would have been. Draco bet he could have even talked Percy into pursuing a different channel to meet his goal, in a supportive friendly way where he definitely had Percy’s back. He’d have done it for Percy’s own good, because Draco desperately wanted Percy to get this meeting that apparently was very important and required things like records, and likely data, and, knowing Percy, plenty of math.

Only, after the invitation written directly to his mother inviting her to the castle, Draco had the sneaking suspicion he actually could get a meeting with the king. It was a disturbing thought. Draco licked his lips nervously and looked anywhere other than at Percy.

“I’m not saying no,” he started, glancing at Percy to drive home the point so Percy wouldn’t freak out, “but don’t you have, like, family who are the king’s best friends?”

Percy’s entire body dropped down at least an inch. “Yes.”

“And you couldn’t ask them?” Draco pushed.

It was like Draco could see the exact moment Percy aged ten years as his face drooped and frown lines cemented to his features. “They told me to submit a formal request through the Overseer of Finance.”

Draco blinked. “You asked them first?”

Percy looked at Draco the way he looked at his girls when they said something impossibly naive. “Of course, Draco. This is important.”

Draco hunched a bit and leaned away, back into his chair. “Right, of course. Whatever. Anyway, what do we do now? Like, just walk up to the castle and see if the king’s in?”

Percy was already getting to his feet. “He’s in,” Percy said solemnly, so certain that Draco wondered exactly what Percy had done not to leave this up to chance.

Percy tucked a bundle of reports under an arm, they interrupted math lessons to kiss the girls goodbye, and then they were on their way. Percy lived in town, and while it was far enough you could justify hiring a ride, Percy was also the sort to economize so they were hoofing it. It gave Draco plenty of time to think through what was happening.

Draco was nosy, so he just asked what he was wondering. “Why didn’t your family help?”

Maybe he shouldn’t have asked, since Percy’s face grew dark again at the question. He said shortly, “They don’t trust me.”

Draco tripped over his feet and Percy actually had to slow down to help steady him. Draco all out paused in the street while Percy left his hand at Draco’s elbow. “You’re the steadiest person I know. Why wouldn’t they trust you?”

Percy’s jaw clenched so tight. It reminded Draco of when Percy was holding back tears while he feared his wife might die. He let go of Draco’s elbow and nodded towards the path they were on and began walking without looking back to see if Draco followed. Draco didn’t, then he realized Percy wasn’t stopping and he trotted to catch up.

“I’m sorry. I can see you’re under a lot of strain right now. It’s none of my business, anyway,” Draco said.

That only made Percy frown guiltily. “I don’t mind you asking,” he said, even though Draco thought he minded anyone asking.

“You just don’t like talking about it?” Draco guessed.

Percy nodded almost imperceptibly. His jaw was still tight but he squeezed out the words, “They resent me for staying out of the war.” The war was the last thing Draco talked about with anyone and so he was caught off guard to hear it brought up. He also didn’t understand the sentiment. Draco envied anyone who’d managed to stay out of the war.

This was the sort of moment when Draco was unsure if he should let it go or prod further. He knew Percy would hate Draco nosing into his secrets. He also knew Percy didn’t have people who cared enough about him to talk about it.

“Must have been a hard choice. The war was brutal, and you were living in the City then. You’d have to have uprooted your whole family,” said Draco.

None of the tension in Percy eased. His voice was gruff when he answered. “It wasn’t a hard choice. I think they’d forgive me if it had been.”

Draco wished Percy was the sort who would accept a hug. Draco knew he would, in private, but not here out on the street. Out here, he’d simply bear the weight of all his choices, hiding his emotions behind a firm brow, straight back, and perfectly ironed, far too old fashioned suit.

At the castle gate Draco had been worried. He was certain the name “Malfoy” would be no good there, no matter his relation to the king. He needn’t have worried.

“I have an urgent message for Overseer Slughorn, he’s meeting with the king now,” Percy said to the guards, brandishing some identification that made him appear legitimate so that the guards let them in.

Draco waited until they were inside the castle proper and well out of earshot before he whispered, “You little liar! I didn’t know you had it in you.” Percy gave him a look so helpless that Draco took pity and let go of any future ribbing on the subject.

Instead, Draco leaned into the scheming. This is where he excelled. Which was good, because Percy’s plan was already on thin ice. He hadn’t planned anything past the clever bit with the guards, and intended just to walk straight up to the Hogsmeade Chamber where the king took his official meetings. The same rooms Horace Slughorn would be leaving any minute, apparently. Draco confirmed that the goal was to avoid Slughorn’s notice, and then led Percy on an alternative pathway that doubled back repeatedly to kill time.

“Just look normal,” Draco told Percy to help them blend in. Percy looked pinched and nervous as they walked. Draco supposed that was normal enough for him. They got some funny looks, but no one stopped them and they arrived well past Slughorn’s scheduled exit.

They made it all the way to a holding room outside of the chamber before encountering a snag. There they found what must be a secretary. The young man was holding a leather bound notebook and looked rather stern. He narrowed his eyes immediately at the two intruders. “Gentlemen, do you have an appointment?” The words hung between them long enough to answer the question. The secretary’s suspicious gaze was shifting into a sneer.

This is why Percy brought him, Draco had to remind himself. So he snapped out of his self consciousness and snapped into action. Draco stood to his full height and adopted an uninterested air, as if the secretary and his schedule were beneath Draco. “Please tell his majesty Draco Malfoy has an urgent matter to discuss.”

The secretary looked unimpressed. “You’re not on the schedule,” he confirmed.

Draco forced himself not to look at Percy for support. The secretary would pounce on any sign of unease. Draco held the secretary’s gaze without breaking character. “I’d think not.”

The secretary didn’t flinch. “The schedule is full. Please submit an inquiry on your way out and the appropriate staff will follow up.”

This time Draco did look at Percy, but it was with a sort of eyeroll and a look that would have shared some private joke if Percy was quicker on the uptick. He wasn’t, he just stood there standing rigid and completely out of place. He’d never have made it in alone.

“I don’t make appointments with his majesty, he comes to me,” Draco drawled to the secretary, balancing on a fine line between confidence and condescension. “When is he next scheduled for Grimmauld Place. Is it this afternoon? Because I do need to see him today and I’m sure if you tell him I’m here he’ll find the time.”

The secretary’s polished persona cracked, allowing just a sliver of uncertainty in. Draco could have grinned if it wouldn’t have ruined the game. “We don’t share out his majesty’s schedule,” the secretary said as a buffer to dealing with the actual issue at hand.

Now was the time to be understanding, so Draco nodded approval. “Certainly, I’d expect no less.” But it wasn’t time to let anything go. “We’ll just wait here until you’ve had a chance to figure this out and then you can share when he has time for us.” Percy got with the program and sat down with Draco on delicate wooden chairs that may just have been meant for decoration. Draco relaxed into it. Percy sat on the very edge and clutched his bundle of papers to his chest.

The secretary’s mouth was doing a funny thing where he couldn’t decide if he should open it to complain or leave it closed until he’d gotten to the bottom of this. Draco did allow himself a smile when the secretary stormed off.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Percy asked.

Apparently so. It was less than a minute later when the king himself walked into the room, the secretary hot on his heels. King Harry was back to his court attire, wearing a trim, lightly decorated suit that showed off his figure. It fit him perfectly, but he didn’t wear it comfortably like he did his soldier's clothes or workman’s trousers.

“Draco, what are you doing here? Is Teddy alright?”

Percy rushed to his feet to bow but Draco took his time. “Teddy’s fine. If Teddy was hurt I would have included that in the message to your secretary,” answered Draco.

The king let out a big woosh of air and ran a hand through his hair in a stressful gesture. “Great. Good.” Then, after a moment’s thought. “So why are you here?”

Draco tried not to frown at the question. It had come out more than a bit dismissive and while it probably wasn’t personal it sure felt like it. Once again, Draco did not look at Percy. He trusted that Percy came to Draco because Percy genuinely believed Draco was the one who held sway here, and Draco didn’t want to ruin it by undermining his own case.

“I have a very urgent matter to discuss.” Draco flickered his eyes to the secretary then added, “Privately.”

“What could you possibly need to talk to me about?” That was unquestionably personal. Then the king glanced to Draco’s side and said even more doubtfully, “and why is Percy here?”

Draco couldn’t help but scowl. Perhaps the appropriate thing would be to earnestly plead his case to the king so that the king would allow Percy a few moments of his time. Draco was imposing, and he should be respectful about it. It’s just that the king had come out to greet him, but only because he thought Draco so heartless as to bring horrible news in the worst possible way. So Draco didn’t plead. He crossed his arms and glared at the king. “I know you’re very important and very busy,” Draco had crossed far over into condescending by now, “but if you could spare a moment for us lowly supplicants then it would be my honor to tell you everything.”

The king rubbed a hand over his eyes. “I don’t have time for your games right now. I’m in the middle of a meeting with the ambassador to Beauxbatons.”

That did sound important. Intimidatingly so. Only, Draco did trust Percy and he really wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t important.

“And I made my way all the way here knowing you’d only greet me because of Teddy, which by the way is still exceptionally rude, but I did it anyway because this is important and maybe you could take me seriously now when you have the chance so you don’t have to come back apologizing later.”

Percy actually took a step away from Draco at his outburst. He clutched his papers tighter and chimed in. “I’m so sorry, we’ll just go.”

This time Draco did look at him, only it was a glare. “Don’t do that, Percy. We’ve already gone through so much trouble.”

Percy’s eyes were twitching between Draco and King Harry. “You yelled at the king!” he hissed. “We can’t yell at the king.”

“No, it’s fine, I yell at him all the time,” Draco said back, not keeping his voice low enough.

“For the record, I do not think it’s fine,” King Harry said. Percy and Draco both looked up at him, Percy more afraid than Draco but even Draco had the foresight to be nervous. Only, the king wasn’t looking angry so much as perplexed. The king put his hands on his hips and stared at the two men uncertainly. Then he relaxed his posture and took a deep breath. “Dennis, would you set these two up in a room and cancel my next meeting? I need to just pop in and excuse myself to Madam Maxine.”

Percy gasped and Draco elbowed him to keep him quiet.

“You yelled at the king!” Percy said again, once they were alone again after being shoved resentfully into a small reception room.

Draco wished he’d let it go. “It’s fine, Percy, he didn’t mind.”

“He said he minded!” said Percy.

“He also agreed to let us stay,” Draco reminded him.

“Maybe just to punish us!” Percy was really spiraling.

“The king isn’t going to punish us just because I yelled at him in front of his secretary,” said Draco, conveniently leaving out how the king had lost his temper with Draco at his birthday party. He had apologized for that, though, so Draco was willing to bet King Harry at least intellectually knew he shouldn't be repeating the behavior.

“King Voldermort murdered people for less!” If you looked at it that way, it was a reasonable fear.

Draco nudged Percy, trying to offer some comfort. “I think the point of the war was to get a new king who wouldn’t murder people for petty reasons. And if King Harry tries to, I’ll scold him again and he’ll feel too guilty to follow through.”

Percy’s eyes grew wide. “You’re joking, how can you joke?”

Draco cracked a smile, feeling exceptionally fond of his friend. “Percy, we did an honest to good scheme today, and it worked. George would be proud of you! Is there any chance that what you’ve got isn’t going to pay off and I should actually be worried?”

That steadied him. Percy was able to take a deep breath and sit tall. It was his version of relaxing, only it was exceptionally stiff and formal. “We have nothing to be worried about,” he said with conviction. “I brought proof that Slughorn is stealing a quarter of the king’s taxes.”