A Friend of Percy’s

Lirum spent the better half of the day avoiding or ignoring Cedric and the Weasley’s. Potions was usually their safe class from people trying to talk to them. Ravenclaw and Slytherin the two houses that actually happened to pay attention in class. Well, that and Professor Snape ready to take points from anyone who dared interrupt him. Their lesson of Draught of Peace wrapping up with them making said potion.

Professor Snape had heavily stressed the importance of following the recipe closely. Whether he was trying to scare his students or actually warn them was still in the air. However, if improper measurements could really put someone to sleep permanently, it was understandable either way.

But of course they were sat next to a seemingly very guilty Adrian Pucey. His need for everything to be fair and good looked to be eating him alive. He glanced back and forth between his carefully measured powdered moonstone and Lirum. They focused on measuring out their own while He scribbled frantically on a small piece of parchment. He pushed the small roll of parchment into Lirum’s workspace.

“I don’t know if it will help you feel better, but I wasn’t invited either.” -A. The parchment read.

“For someone who ‘wasn’t invited’ you didn’t seem surprised when it was brought up.”-L. Lirum scribbled onto the parchment, before pushing it back. They tried to ignore him as they stirred the first portion of powder, but the parchment ended up right back where it started.

“Word travels fast in the Slytherin common room. Even to those who aren’t supposed to hear it. I forgot it’s not the same everywhere. We weren’t invited because people see us as actual prefects.”-A

When their potion finally shifted from green to blue they wrote their response.

“Well, I’ve been told it’s because no one wants me around. So pardon my bitterness. As apparently being friends with Percy is a free pass for even your friends to abandon you.”-L.

When they slid it across the work station they noticed his potion had already turned purple. He stopped, and stared at the parchment for a moment deciding how to respond. He reached over to grab a vile of hellebore syrup, and dropped the roll of parchment on the Lirum workspace again.

“I thought they’d told you. I thought George, or Cedric might have even invited you. I didn’t realise you had been completely kept in the dark.” -A

Lirum huffed, drawing the attention of Professor Snape as they measured out their second dose of powdered moonstone.

“Having trouble focusing, Mx. Ollivander?” He asked giving them a side eye as he passed.

“Of course not Professor. I just realised I need to stock up on powdered unicorn horn next time I’m in Hogsmeade.”

“I don’t need your life story Ollivander.” He replied in a monotone voice as he continued toward the front of the class. They dumped the second dose in and began waiting for it to simmer. Once he was out of ear shot they picked up the parchment again.

“Well they didn’t! You know, when Davies said everyone treated me differently because I was friends with Percy I was so confident he was wrong. That my friends cared for me, and that he was just an arse. Then I thought Patricia was making excuses when she blamed my friendship with him, but then it was Fred, and now here we are. Third times the charm to make you realise it’s true right?”-L.

Lirum wrote before tossing the note back onto his workstation. He grimaced reading it, before writing his response.

“I don’t believe they wanted to hurt you, Davies being the exception. People just see Percy Weasley as someone very strict, some would even say authoritarian. So by being a prefect, and also being heavily associated with him people assume you fall into that same category. Meaning they show you the same level of respect, but also that they fear and avoid you.” -A

Lirum huffed, grabbing their quill to respond. “My Fred and George do not fear me. Nor does Cedric, or any of the other prefects for that matter. They’re my friends. They know I’m not intimidating or uptight. They know I’m nothing like Percy. Unless they’ve told you something they didn’t tell me-“ They froze. Everyone had told him something they hadn’t told Lirum, and when they found out everyone panicked.

Everything was out of their control. No matter what they did, everything was moving too fast around them. No one ever saw Lirum. Most people saw a friend of Percy. They assumed they were his lover or when that could no longer be the case his shadow, a carbon copy. They had to want whatever he wanted.

Percy saw a misguided child. One getting too close to the fire, making friends with the wrong sort, and stepping off of his perfectly manicured path to success. He saw taking them in as his duty to save them from his brothers. To ensure they didn’t waste their potential. Never mind what they wanted.

Lirum wanted nothing more than to be a first year again. They were perfectly happy staying in their tower in their room alone reading their Lockhart books to take brakes from their studying. People had found a way to ruin everything they used to enjoy. Their first two years were comfortable and nothing more. They were predictable, plain even, utterly uneventful. They knew exactly how every day was going to go. Lirum missed that more than anything.

They sat there for a moment starting at the parchment. Sitting with the words they’d written. They’d said a million times no one ever actually tried to get to know them. They couldn’t even blame that on Percy. No one cared to even before him. They were jarred back to reality by the burning in their hands. Their potion began to spit at them, boiling over.

“Oh Helga, help me.” They hissed quickly pulling away from “Salazars shaft! I really can’t do anything right this year can i?”

“That one could catch on, actual.” They heard Adrian mumble.

“You’re not even going to help me?!” Lirum snapped as the smoking contents of their cauldron flooded their work station spilling all over into their robes. “Fucking hell!”

“Language Ollivander, our other Professors might not know muggle swears, but I am well versed.” Professor Snape growled. “What is your problem now?”

“Sorry!” Adrian said, flicking his wand. “Tergeo.”

He stopped the spill preventing any more of the failed potion from pouring everywhere or worse splashing back and covering Lirum more. While they on the other hand struggled to get their sopping wet robes off half burning themselves every time they touched the fabric.

“Your hands look pretty bad.” Adrian said, helping them get their robe off. “You should probably go see Madam Pomfrey.

“The hospital wing again Ollivander? Has someone slipped you a love potion? Or are you just in love with Madam Pomfrey?” Jeered a voice from across the room. Instantly they knew it came from Roger Davies.

“Five points form Ravenclaw from the potion explosion and language.” Davies laughed. “And ten points for your continued interruption of my class.” His smile dropped. “Mr. Pucey Make sure they find the hospital wing and don’t collapse in another corridor.”

“Am I just known for this now?!” Lirum asked, exasperated, looking over toward their friend. He only returned them a sympathetic shrug.

“Pft, third times the charm.” Davies mocked.

“Make that Twenty points Mr. Davies.” Snape grumbled, as Lirum and Adrian left the room.

“I hate this school.” Lirum huffed, leading the way out of the dungeons, dragging their hot wet robe behind them. Surly Filch would be furious when he found the mess they left behind but they didn’t care at the moment. “Do you think if I started studying French I could transfer to beauxbatons?”

“Come on Lirum, it’s not that bad.” Adrian said, following them down the first corridor toward the stairs.

“Our teachers have little to no respect for their students. Exams the last two years have been canceled because people almost died, and it’s probably going to happen again this year because now there's a murderer in the castle. The headmaster seems to not be worried the least bit about the almost murders or murderer. If anything he seems to be pushing kids to go get themselves killed by giving them stupid amounts of points.” Lirum huffed marching up the stairs.

“Ok, maybe it is that bad.” He replied awkwardly. “But we have a chance to make it better. We’ve already proven we can change things by standing together.”

“How do you suppose we fix the school? Throw out the headmaster?” Lirum said, exasperated. “He’ll more likely than not be replaced by some blood purest give who’s in the school governing board. For example the head chairman and notorious bigot Lucius Malfoy!”

“It can’t be that bad, and at least we would have tried!” Adrian argued, almost having to run to keep up with the very angry pace Lirum was walking.

“If you think for even a second he won’t hand pick a fellow bigot who believes in all the same flawed ideals he does your living in a fantasy. Wake up.” Lirum snapped

“Well, erm. You wouldn’t leave your friend behind!” Adrian pushed, trying to make them see reason. “You care about them too much!”

Lirum stopped at the top of the stairs to face him.

“Which friends? The ones who constantly tell me how I feel, and refuse to listen when I try to actually explain how I feel. Oh, or are you talking about the ones who were actively willing to exclude me from activities because of the false narrative others created about me, and who I am based solely on if my friendship with one individual without ever once interacting with me? The ones who never thought to try to correct those ideas others had about me, or defend me the way I would have for them. Those friends?”

“What about those two kids you take care of? They didn’t do anything. Are you just going to leave them here? Let them go back to being bullied, and alone.” He argued, trying to guild them.

“That’s not fair and you know it.” Lirum hissed, glaring at him.

“You’re the one who put yourself in charge of them.” He asked, shrugging. “So, are you going to abandon them?”

“This is why you were sorted into Slytherin.” Lirum grumbled, throwing their soaked robe at him. “They have each other now, and Ginny. Besides, you'll handle the bullying. That’s what you’re here for. Keeping things fair, and good, right?”

“What about George?” The two of you literally just became a couple, you wouldn’t just leave.” He insisted, finding every point he could to argue.

“In case you were unaware, he was also one of the people who purposely left me out and then lied to me after! Of course, I’ve developed a terrible taste in men and friends apparently!”

“Who’s there, and why are you out of class?” Percy’s voice rang down the hall as he turned a corner.

“Oh great, aren’t we just having the best year so far!” Lirum huffed to themself. “It’s me Percy!”

“Lirum? Who’s with you? You don’t have patrol today? You should be in class.” He called, marching down the hall.

“Me! Adrian, I mean. One of the Slytherin prefects, we’ve meat a few times.” He rambled, realising his additions only made the interaction more painful. “We’re on our way to the hospital wing, Percy. We were sent by Professor Snape Lirum’s potion boiled over and they burned themself.”

“What do you mean, you burned yourself? Potions is one of your best subjects? What could have possibly distracted you in a class with-“ He stopped dead in his tracks. “What did you do?”

He’s glare was fixed on Adrian, who in Percy’s defence was actually led to what distracted them. Adrian paused for a moment, before answering.

“I borrowed some of their hellebore syrup.”

“You’re lying, that wouldn’t have taken long enough for a potion to boil over.” Percy was stern, his glare unwavering. “Lirum-“

“My hands really hurt. Can we please do, whatever this is later?” Lirum said, waving their beet red hands between the boys to get their attention.

“I’ll take them from here, go back to class.” Percy said, pulling Lirum towards the hospital wing, careful to take their arm instead of their hand.

“I am not a dog, nor a child Percy.” Lirum said pulling their arm free but continuing beside hims. “Stop dragging me around.”

“Li-“ They cut him off before he could argue.

“Final warning, next time you do it I’m hexing you.” They threatened. “Unless you want to end up petrified again like last year you’ll start listening.”