Chapter 2: a truth and a lie

Saturday, September 5th, 1987

You and me and all our friends

I don't care how much we spend

Baby, this is what the night is for

I know nothing's making sense

For tonight let's just pretend

I don't wanna stop so give me more

Midnight memories

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Baby, you and me

Stumblin' in the street

Singin', singin', singin', singin'

Midnight memories

-midnight memories

Percy hadn’t yet chosen between hitting his head against the library table or hitting a book against his head when Oliver sat beside him, a smile tugged in his lips and what seemed like a very much not legal hot chocolate in his hands.

When Percy had first gotten to the library, hours ago, it looked like a good idea to re-read all the notes he took during that first week since he didn’t have anything better to do anyway and Wood appeared to be too focused on whatever he was reading the whole day to entertain Percy. However, hours later, Percy was studying something completely new that they weren’t supposed to study until their third year and was so bored he felt like crying. He didn’t regret it perse, it was more like he would rather be doing something else.

Looking up at Oliver, Percy asked “Where did you get that?”, pointing to the drink the other Gryffindor took a sip of, hoping it involved an interesting story that would take his mind off the complete boredom he was feeling.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Weasley”, Wood answered, shrugging. That was usually the answer Percy would prefer, that way Wood didn’t involve him at the crazy and very much against the regulation activities he seemed so fond of, yet when you are as desperate for anything merely interesting that doesn’t involve studying as Percy was, even a stupid and unimportant story like the one of how Oliver got his hands on the drink looked amazing. “So, what amazing subject are you re-reading for the fifth time today?”, Oliver teased.

“Hm, actually, I’m not really…”, Oliver didn’t let him finish.

“Sounds fun. Do you know what sounds even better?”, Oliver took a long sip of his hot chocolate, clearly waiting for an answer Percy wasn’t planning on giving.

See, now that Oliver was there, ready to bother him and beg him to do something fun instead of studying, Percy found himself inclined to keep reading and noting down everything that seemed important. He couldn’t point his finger to the exact reason why that happened, but he didn’t try to understand it either, just enjoyed annoying Wood declining his ideas.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?”, Wood asked, sounding a bit offended. He looked around them to see if anyone was close enough to hear them, not because he had something particularly juicy to tell Percy - much to his dismay -, but because he didn’t like people prying on his personal business. What was exactly what he loved to do with Percy since Weasley liked to pretend it annoyed him when Oliver knew damn well that him prying on Weasley’s business was the most interesting thing that happened on Percy’s day.

Although Weasley liked to pretend he didn’t like him, Wood knew better.

“No.”, Percy finally replied, not lifting his gaze from the book, not giving the attention Wood craved so much.

While Percy all but hid himself from the world and everyone in it, clearly hating any type of attention directed to him, Oliver thrived with it. He may not like people putting their nose on his business, however, he simply adored to be looked at, talked about, pointed at. Actually, as he soon came to realize, he liked when people pried on his business, just not when they dared to give their opinion on his shit to him. However, he didn’t mind at all when someone gave their opinion on him to other people, if they were talking about him and not to him, Oliver supposed, he had no problem with it at all. He loved attention in any shape or form, not caring if it was the bad kind. He preferred everyone talking shit about him than no one saying anything at all. That only made Oliver and Percy’s friendship even more perfect, since Oliver absorbed all the attention given, making Percy completely invisible to everyone else, something he was more than content to be.

“Rude”, Oliver mumbled that quite a lot when talking to Weasley, so much so that he almost made Percy smile. Since he wasn’t done annoying him, he added, “No matter, I will tell you anyway”, Percy didn’t need to look at Oliver to know he was smiling, an ability he had developed those last days when Oliver smiled a little bit too much, Percy also snorting a lot more than he usually did.

“Of course, you will”, Percy sounded as bored as he felt minutes ago. Oliver though wasn’t bothered by his tone, knowing damn well it was only an act, his smile growing on his face.

“Going back to the common room to talk with the boys!”, Oliver finally said, finishing his drink with one long sip, putting the mug on the table without ceremony, and quickly changing his mind with the look Percy shot him, hiding it on his robe, at least for the moment.

By “the boys”, Wood meant Sam Whittles and Andrew Mistbone, the other two boys who shared the dormitory with them. Percy hadn’t really talked to either of them during that first week, but Oliver had and he liked them enough to want Percy to like them too.

Which, if Percy was completely honest with himself, he had no desire to let happen at all. Not even a little bit. He didn’t have anything against the boys, however, he had nothing in their favor either, it also appeared to demand a lot of work on Percy’s part to be only Oliver’s friend at that moment, he honestly didn’t have the demanded energy to befriend the other two.

Oliver, though, didn’t mind Percy’s way of seeing the situation at hand, he saw that as he saw everything worth of his attention and time; as a challenge. Therefore he wouldn’t stop until Percy, Andrew, and Sam were the best of friends, Percy willingly spent time with them. Them, in that case, included Oliver.

During that first week, they sat beside each other in every class they had, Oliver always whispering something, Percy firmly asking him to shut up, I’m trying to hear what the professor is saying, Wood! They ate the three meals together - when Oliver didn’t wake up late, lost breakfast, and spent the rest of the morning skulling at Weasley for not waking him up in time. They talked a bit before going to bed every day. Well, they spent every second they had together, but that was Oliver’s doing, Percy didn’t trouble himself to look for the other boy at all, he only found himself in Wood’s presence. Clearly, Oliver’s challenge was more like an impossible mission, and Percy could only hope he would end up giving up on that stupid idea. Percy didn’t need friends at all, Oliver was more than enough as he was.

“C’mon, Weasley! Please?”, Oliver insisted, putting his hands on the book Percy was pretending to read, blocking the words.

“Oi!”, he protested, not because he cared, merely because it was what he usually would do. At that, Wood rolled his eyes.

“Unless you take two minutes to read the same word, Weasley, you weren’t actually reading that”, Wood pointed out. Percy was forced to admit he wasn’t putting much effort into his fake-read.

“What if I do?”, he muttered, annoyed enough to go that way, even knowing Oliver wouldn’t get mad at all and leave him alone - he had already tried that, more than once.

“Well, it would explain the time you spend studying”, he deadpanned. Percy had to bite his lips not to laugh at that. Of course, as Oliver saw that, he smiled even more - something Percy hadn’t thought possible. “Pleeeeaaaseee…”

“No. You can go ahead, though”, he tried, even though he knew it was a lost cause, Oliver wouldn’t give up that easily. “I won’t hold it against you”

“Oh, but how could I ever risk making you mad, Percy, my darling”

“Promise you I would not be mad”

“Are you sure, though?”, Oliver insisted, pulling Percy’s book out of his hands.

“Yes”, Percy said, while trying to take his book back. Wood stood up, opened in a random page, a fake interested expression on his face.

“Really, really sure?”

“Yes.”

“Would you say you’ve never been surer?”, Percy kept trying to reach for his book, unfortunately for him, though, Wood was taller by some inches, keeping the book at an unreachable distance. Oliver’s cough sounded suspiciously like a laugh to Percy’s liking.

“Indeed, I would. Now, please give me back my book”, and stopped trying to reach for the book.

“Oh, but I want to read it, it sounds awfully interesting!”, he then proceeded to read it out loud, “Numerology and Grammatica”, Oliver looked at him questioningly, “Are you even taking Arithmancy?”

“Not yet sure”

“Sounds boring”

“I thought it sounded ‘awfully interesting’”, the other boy only shrugged.

“I lied”

"You don't say”, Percy deadpanned and Oliver laughed loudly, earning a hush of “shhh” from people all around them.

Before Oliver could keep insisting until Percy finally gave up, accepting to go to the common room to mingle, the librarian kicked both of them out - taking Percy’s book back to the shelf.

“I can’t believe you got us kicked out of the library, Wood. What is wrong with you?”, he said, this time truly mad.

“Lot of things.”, he admitted, nonchalantly, “Also, you promised you wouldn’t be mad”

“I promised not to be mad if you left without me, not if you got us kicked out of the bloody library because you can’t take no for an answer!” Percy all but shouted the last part.

“Okay, okay, I got it! Jeez, no need to yell either”, okay, perhaps Percy had shouted. But that wasn’t the point.

He huffed, ignoring Oliver all the way until the Gryffindor’s common room.

“Hey, hey”, Oliver caught his hand before they entered, stopping him. “C’mon, Percy. Don’t be mad, please?”, yet he simply shook his head, not wanting to talk. “I’m sorry. Honestly. I am”, Wood insisted, when Percy looked at him skeptically.

“Sure, Wood.”

“No, I mean it, Weasley. C’mon, tell me something I can do to show you how serious I am”

Except Oliver was already forgiven, so Percy said, “Choose Arithmancy on the third year.”

“Asshole”, Oliver muttered, knowing Percy was kidding.

“No, Wood. You’re the asshole.”

And he simply nodded, “Yes, yes, and I’m sorry. You forgive me, don’t you?”

“I don’t know… should I?”

“Not really”, at that, Percy barked a laugh at the boy’s honesty.

“They better be hilarious, Wood.”, he declared, finally giving in and agreeing to go talk to the other Gryffindor boys.

“Not like you, they aren’t”, Percy rolled his eyes as Oliver said the password and they entered the common room.

____________________________

Andrew Mistbone’s blond hair fell to his eyes while he laughed at something Oliver told them. Percy hid his half-smile behind his hand, looking at the other boys trying to understand the picture before him.

Sam was leaning against Drew, a smile resting on his face, daring to make a sarcastic comment here and there. Oliver and Andrew carried a whole conversation easily, making Percy comfortable with his rare remarks, since that, not like Wood, when he had nothing important nor interesting to say, he kept quiet.

And there was also a girl, Angie Silverblood, a first-year like them, sitting between Percy and Sam, a brow arched, clearly not bothering to pretend she wasn’t judging them. When Angie opened her mouth to say anything at all, the four boys fell quiet so they could clearly hear her. She appeared to be indeed very much pleased by that.

She was pretty in a way that told Percy in some years she would be absolutely stunning. Dark skin, dark hair, and a mischievous smile resting on her full lips. Some girls might look like a princess, not Angie, she looked like a bloody queen, ready to beat the shit out of anyone who dared to annoy her.

At that moment, the four boys were doing a fantastic job at that, Angie a few stupid comments away from throwing her very thick book at Oliver’s face. He was the one who annoyed her the most, the snarky comments and stories that made it very clear Wood thought himself cooler than everyone else. She was not a fan of that - because she was cooler than anyone else herself, still she didn’t act like a bloody narcissistic shit.

Of course, Percy was having a terrific time watching her, rooting for Oliver to be bloody stupid again, wanting nothing more than seeing him put on his place for once.

“How can you stand this?”, she asked Percy during a particularly heated conversation between the other three Gryffindors. By ‘this’ she clearly meant ‘them’, Percy realized.

“I’m pretty sure I can’t, actually”, he told her, making her smile grow.

“I don’t even know why I’m still here, my Transfiguration homework almost sounds more inviting than listening to them”, Percy laughed at that. Yep, he could sympathize since he was feeling the same way. Except for the fact that he was already done with his Transfiguration work, of course.

“If it makes you feel better, you can always go to your room and get rid of them. I can’t. We share the dorm”, at that, Angie groaned.

“I am truly sorry for you, Weasley. If it makes you feel better, that did make me feel better”, she told him, shaking her head slightly as if she couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to be in his position. Which, to be fair, wasn’t so bad. The boys were funny. They also talked enough for Percy not to feel bad for being quiet.

“Why would that make me feel better?”, he honestly asked, brushing his hair off his eyes. It took a while for Percy to realize the room had fallen quiet suddenly. Every eye was on him and Angie as if waiting for her to react to what sounded like a rude comment in a harsh tone. It wasn’t meant to sound like that, Percy cursed himself.

Whatever they thought would be her reaction wasn’t what happened. Angie threw her head back, laughing loudly.

“You’re right, I don’t know why it would”, she shook her head in disbelief, “God, I like you, Weasley. You’re funny”, snorted, got up, and left them there, staring at her go completely dumbstruck.

“What the hell did you tell her?”, Sam was the first to react, turning to look at Percy as Angie disappeared around the corner.

“Nothing important”, Percy answered quickly, not wanting to share his conversation with Silverblood with any of them. He was pretty proud of himself for making her laugh, happy she liked him and not them.

“It sounded important. She says she likes you. Silverblood doesn’t like people”, Andrew remarked.

“Or perhaps she just doesn’t like you”, Percy shot back, making Andrew snicker, Oliver laugh, and Sam shake his head.

“Percy does have a point there, Drew”, Sam said, “Silverblood seems to despise you with all her being.”

“That’s only because I accidentally spilled my whole potion on her the first day of class, not that it is a good reason to despise someone for that”, at this comment even Percy was forced to laugh, how had he missed that?

Probably it was at the same time Oliver was being particularly funny so he was too focused on him to see that oh so amazing scene. He couldn’t believe he had not seen it!

“Wait, no, hold on. ‘Only’ because you spilled something at her. Only? Really, Mistbone, you’re going with that?”, Percy couldn’t help but say.

“Merlin, where was I when that happened?”, Oliver asked, sounding as bitter as Percy felt for the same reason.

“If my memory doesn’t fail me, you were being yelled at by Snape”, Sam offered, Wood nodding profusely.

“Oh, yeah, I remember that. Man, I can’t believe this is Snape’s fault. Bloody typical”, Oliver scoffed.

Percy didn’t bother to point out that Oliver had just met Snape, so he wasn’t sure that that situation was anything ‘typical’ at all, no, he was too busy remembering what he was doing at that moment: hiding his hysterical laugh the best he could so Snape wouldn’t notice.

“Do you reckon she will ever forgive me?”, Andrew asked Percy, bringing his attention back to the present.

“Um, I don’t know. Perhaps? Did you apologize at least?”

“Yeah, ‘course I did!”, Andrew affirmed at the same moment Sam said, “Nope, he so didn’t apologize”

That made Drew a bit offended, and he was quick to defend himself. “I did, too!”

“You didn’t, Mistbone. ‘You distracted me with those pretty eyes’ is not considered an apology at all.”

In the next second, Oliver was laughing so hard, tears ran down his face as he tried - and failed - to ask how did that go, only it sounded more like: “How… owdiddag-” before he started laughing again.

He was laughing so hard he was now laying on the floor, kicking his legs everywhere, he also didn’t appear capable of breathing very well, which would have worried Percy if he also didn’t have tears in his eyes.

“Please tell me that truly happened”, Oliver finally managed to ask. At that, Sam nodded vehemently.

“Swear it on my blood, mate. She was so mad I feared for Andrew’s life.”

“And what did she do about it?”, Percy finally asked the question he was dying to ask. Angie didn’t look like the sort of girl who would’ve let that slide without any type of comment or straight-out revenge.

“What do you think, man?”, Andrew asked, sounding desperate to move on with that conversation, “she threw her potion at me and left the class. I heard she got a week's worth of detention after that, but perhaps it’s just a rumor”, he shrugged as if that was a normal conversation after all.

“You’re forgetting the best part!”, complained Sam, who appeared to be having the actual best time of his entire life.

“Dammit, Whittles, will you never let me forget that?”

“Not likely, no. Now, please tell us what exactly did Angie Silverblood told you”

Andrew sighed, finally giving in “She said, and I quote, ‘All men are pigs, yet you managed to be the worst so far. Bloody arsehole’.”

“Oh, man!”, Oliver muttered between laughs, “I owe Silverblood the biggest ‘thank you’ of all time. Not only did that story just make my day”, a quick laugh scaped, “ she was also the reason Snape stopped screaming at me for smelling the potion we were making.”

“Bloody terrific. Could we please talk about something else, now?”, Andrew pleaded.

Oliver and Percy’s answer came at the same time, “We could, yes. Will we? Probably not”, they laughed at the shared joke while the other boys just looked confused.

“I absolutely hate you”, Andrew announced.

“That’s what Angie said”, Percy was quick to say, making the other boys laugh, causing Andrew to grimace.

“Stop being such an asshole!”, he shouted, exasperated.

“Yeah, she also said that”, Oliver observed.

“Okay, I’m done, I’m going to take a shower now”, he seemed to realize his mistake only a second before the three boys yelled at the same time: “That’s what Angie said!”

Some hours later they still managed to find new jokes to make about Andrew’s story, but he didn’t appear bothered at all, only a bit impressed by the boys’ creativity. When it was all too much and already late, they couldn’t think of any more jokes to make, Sam and Andrew decided to call it a day.

Percy wasn’t yet tired enough to fall asleep and Oliver had finished the book he was reading that afternoon, he also didn’t feel like starting a new one just yet. So they stood there, just the two of them in the common room, a comfortable silence between them.

Percy shouldn’t have been surprised when Oliver broke it, “Did you finish the Transfiguration paper due on Monday yet?”

He rolled his eyes, “Yes, I did, not thanks to you. I’m not helping you with it, though”.

“Why not?” Oliver asked, clearly outraged.

“Because, Wood, I’m your friend, not your homework machine, asshole”

“Yes, exactly, my friend. Friends help each other, Weasley.”

He thought about that for a second. “Okay. Let me see. If you tell me what my favorite color is, I will gladly help you with your homework”, he said, knowing damn well Oliver would never guess it, he simply didn’t know.

Wood didn’t seem to be following his line of thought, though, since he looked adorably confused by that request. “What does one thing have to do with the other?”

“Well, if I’m your friend you should know my favorite color, right?”

“Why your favorite color, though? It’s so… unimportant. Ask me about what you drink every morning”, coffee, “or your favorite time of the day”, sunrise, “or some shit like that, don’t ask me about your favorite color!”

“I am asking about my favorite color. Seems like something a friend should know.”

“I bet Angie doesn’t know your favorite color”, Oliver pointed out.

“Angie isn’t asking for my help with her homework, you are.”, Percy shrugged, trying to pretend he wasn’t having fun with the whole situation. “But if you don’t know, it’s fine…” he pretended to be ready to get up and go to bed.

Oliver quickly held him down, “Wait, no, of course I know what your favorite color is! It’s b…” he looked at Percy, trying to use his expression as an indication if he was going in the right direction, “red. It’s red, duh”, which was the obvious choice, not only it was Gryffindor’s color, it was also the color of Percy’s hair, it was so pretty Oliver couldn’t imagine Percy liking any other color at all.

“Not even close”

“What? You’re lying!”, Oliver accused.

“Nope. Not lying”, Percy said, unable to hide his smile.

“How am I supposed to know if you’re lying?”

“You’re supposed to believe me, Wood. My favorite color is green”, which was mostly due to the fact that Percy hated the color of his hair. Not only did it make him stand out in a crowd, but it also marked him as a Weasley, only the forgotten one. Oh, he hated it so much. However, he loved his eyes. So, yeah, green. “I imagine your favorite color is red”

“Not really”, Wood said, but it sounded like a lie. It shouldn’t, it was the truth, his favorite color was blue, or at least it was until that moment. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about red, how much that reminded him of Percy, how much he liked that.

“That sounded like a lie”, Percy pointed out.

“It wasn’t”, Oliver replied, more trying to convince himself than Percy.

“You’re so bad at lying”

“Am not”

“Yeah, you are. Tell me a truth and a lie, then, I will tell you which is which”, Percy suggested, ready to prove his point.

“My mother’s name is Diana and I have a scar on my belly because I accidentally dropped a pointy knife”

Percy considered both affirmations before answering. , “You so don’t have a scar”

Oliver laughed as he pushed his shirt up, pointing at a small, almost faded white line on his belly. “My mother’s name is Patricia.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that”, Percy concluded, thinking about how he should have known that about Oliver.

“That’s fine”, Oliver gestured with his hand as if to show that didn’t bother him, “I didn’t know your favorite color wasn’t red either. I would say we’re even”.

They both fell silent as they stared at each other.

“Your turn”, Oliver said, always breaking the comfortable silence Percy wouldn’t mind living in.

“What?”

“It’s your turn. Tell me a truth and a lie, I’ll tell you which is which”

“Okay.”, he took some time to think about a truth about him that wasn’t obvious. Besides his favorite color - apparently -, he was pretty predictable, “I like to bake and I used to stay up until late at night to watch the stars”

Wood was indeed conflicted and didn’t have the slightest idea which was the lie.

“Did you still wake up early to watch the sunrise at that time?”, he asked, but Percy, to no one’s surprise, did not answer the question.

“Not answering that’, he stated, as if Oliver hadn’t yet got the memo, “I didn’t ask you any questions”

Oliver clearly didn’t agree with that affirmation, “It’s not my fault you didn’t think about that, Weasley!”, he was exasperated enough to gesture with his hand to prove his point. Not that it helped, it only made him look like an idiot.

“And it’s not my fault if you don’t know what the lie is”

“Oh, but I do know”, Wood insisted, even with both of them knowing that was complete bullshit. “As I said, you like the sunrise a little bit too much to stay up late. You would end up oversleeping, so that’s the lie”, he was obviously proud of himself, and Percy felt bad for laughing at him.

“That’s actually the truth”, Oliver groaned and threw himself dramatically from the sofa to the floor, “Um, Wood?”, Percy asked, when Oliver didn’t look like he was gonna move from the floor.

“Whaaat?”, Percy rolled his eyes at the other’s boy drama.

“Your leg is pushing against my ribs, it’s not exactly comfortable, y’know”

“Oh, sorry”, he said, finally getting up and looking over at Percy with the usual smile on his face.

“Also, how do you know I watch the sunrise every day?”, he asked as if that had just occurred to him, but the truth was he was thinking about that for a while now.

Thing was, he watched Oliver sleep once or twice, not in the weird way, more like just… you know, just looking. Not watching, that was the wrong word for it, he definitely just glanced at Wood from time to time. If Oliver was awake and noticed that, Percy could die of embarrassment. How would he explain himself without sounding like a complete idiot, or, worse, psycho?

Oh, please Merlin, don’t let him know Percy glanced at him while he slept. Please! It wasn’t too much to ask, he was sure of it. His whole life depended on it because he would have to throw himself out of the Astronomy tower if Oliver had indeed seen him.

“Oh, you woke me up on the first day, and then I just got used to the sound”, the way Wood was smiling told Percy he had indeed seen Percy watching him.

Percy’s face was hot, he just knew his whole face was pink, that damned genetics he had, that bloody pale skin, and oh no, no, no.

“Meaning, you woke up at five in the morning every day just like me and you chose not to get up, continue to sleep and deliberately just be late to class?”, he tried to change the subject.

“I wouldn’t use the word 'deliberately', no, however, besides that, yes, pretty much what I did. Who wakes up at five in the morning by choice, anyway? Oh, no, let me rephrase that, please. Who deliberately wakes up at five in the morning? Is that better, Perce, dear?”

“Yes, that’s better. I’m actually surprised you know what ‘deliberately’ means, still, let’s pretend that’s not the case”

Oliver dramatically put a hand on his chest, “You wound me, Weasley”, he added a piece of much necessary information, “And I do know what ‘deliberately’ means, duh.”

“First one is the lie”, Percy declared, making Oliver laugh.

“Oh, we’re still playing?”

“Of course we are, I didn’t win yet”, Weasley said knowing damn well that would do to wake Oliver’s competitiveness, making him forget all about Percy’s glances.

“You’re so not winning this, Weasley”, on and on it went.

“I almost burnt the house down”, Oliver said, Percy immediately announcing that as the truth - he was right -, and Oliver pretended to be offended by how quickly Percy had figured it out, saying something like “You’re not supposed to think I would burn a house down!”, making Percy question if Oliver knew himself at all.

“I help my mother with my younger siblings”, offered Percy on his turn, Oliver shouting “BULLSHIT” so loudly Percy flinched. “It’s not a lie!”, it was his turn to be offended.

“‘Course it is, Weasley. You’re so not the type to help someone with babies”

“Yes, I am! And that was supposed to be the easy one, idiot” because it honestly was. Percy was responsible, more than any of his brothers, meaning he helped Molly anytime she needed. He couldn’t quite understand how Oliver hadn’t seen that, it was one of his most obvious personality traits.

But now that he thought about it, perhaps he wasn’t that much uptight when Oliver was around. He acted very much not like himself, but, for some reason, he always had a great time.

“I don’t know how to bake”, Oliver lied, surprising Percy, who thought it was true. Oliver baked pretty well, or at least that’s what he claimed.

“I sing in the shower”, was the easiest one yet. Oliver very proudly announced that as a lie.

“I know how to play guitar”, Percy thought about that one for a second. It would make sense, Oliver was the type of bloke who played guitar and drums, he probably even was part of a band. It was, unfortunately to Percy and fortunately to Oliver - who was losing at the moment -, a lie.

“I don’t know how to swim”, Percy said, causing Oliver to laugh and say, “That’s clearly a lie”

Percy smiled triumphally, “No, it’s not.”

“No way, I don’t believe that!”

“Why not? I just never learned, no big deal, Wood”, he pointed out before the other boy’s shocked expression.

“Well, that’s not fair! How was I supposed to know you, Percy Weasley, didn’t know how to do something? It’s just not you.”, Oliver noted, as though that made a whole lot of sense. “How can you not know how to swim? You, of all people? I mean, sure, you’re not a swimmer, yet to don’t know how to do it at all? That’s bullshit, Weasley!”, he kept going, “You know what?”, he didn’t give time to Weasley to answer him, “I’m teaching you how to swim. Up. Get up, Weasley, now”, when Percy didn’t move at all, he pushed him up, “I said ‘up’, come on, up, up, up! Let’s go!”

“What, you meant right now?”, Percy asked, a little bit too surprised to not do what Oliver asked.

“Of course I meant right now!”, Oliver looked at him questioning how stupid Weasley was, “Don’t waste my time, stop looking at me like that and move! The door is that way!”

“No bloody way, I’m not doing that!”

“Yes, you are. Come on, I’m gonna teach you how to swim!”

“First of all, I didn’t ask for your help”, Percy pointed out, “And second of all, where are you planning on doing that? At the Black Lake?”, he asked sarcastically, still Oliver simply nodded.

“Yes, exactly. Where else?”

“You’re insane, Wood! I’m not going!”

Oliver didn’t like that in the slightest. “Yes, you are! Don’t make me repeat myself, it’s uncool.”

“You’re uncool”, okay, Percy admitted that wasn’t his brightest moment, though, in his defense, he was really worried Oliver would end up convincing him to go.

“How mature”, Oliver said and Percy sneered. “Just so we’re clear, Weasley, we are going. You’re just wasting our time.”

“Oliver…”

“Percy.”

“That’s a bad idea. We’ll get caught! I can’t get caught! I can’t go to detention. Oh, I promise you, Wood, if I get detention because of you, I will make you suffer. Don’t look at me like that, I mean it. I’ll make you pay.”

“Yes, sure, I am indeed very much scared and intimidated. Can we go now?”

Only because Percy was too tired to keep saying “no”, he nodded, as Oliver pushed him out of the Gryffindor’s common room, in the middle of the night, on the direction of the Black Lake, where he would teach Percy how to swim.

Oh, that was going to end badly.

____________________________

“You’re doing it all wrong!”, Percy said and Oliver stopped floating on the cold water to look at him.

Wood wasn’t exactly sure if it was Fate or just luck, still, both of them managed to get to the lake without crossing anyone whatsoever. This was pretty surprising considering how Percy complained the whole way about how stupid all of that was. He didn’t get Oliver to change his mind about that, though, he also didn’t appear to realize that every time he claimed they would get caught, Oliver got more and more excited.

When they finally got to the Black Lake, Oliver didn’t think twice, he took off his shirt and trousers, immediately jumping on the chilly water.

They were lucky Percy told him about his inability to swim when it was still summer, the sunny day had clearly heated the water so it wasn’t as bad as Oliver had expected it to be.

The night was a bit windy, but not enough to make Oliver the least bit cold when he surfaced and started floating around the Lake. He loved to swim, as he loved to run and play any muggle’s sport with his father. Honestly, Oliver enjoyed everything that involved any kind of physical effort, always had and probably always would.

By the way Percy was looking at him, though, he wasn’t sure Weasley felt the same way about physical activities.

“How would you know that?”, he finally answered, a bit surprised by Percy’s audacity to judge him when he didn’t even know how to swim, for fuck’s sake!

“I’m not stupid, Wood. You’re not swimming, you’re floating, that does not count!”, Percy exclaimed, sounding annoyed, to say the least. Perhaps Oliver shouldn’t have dragged Percy with him, he was ruining all Oliver’s fun.

“Oh, shut up and get in the water, Weasley”

“Wood-”, Percy whispered, almost as if he was afraid.

“Come on, don’t be a bitch about it!”, but then he looked at Percy, all his breath leaving his lungs. Percy’s face was so pale, his breathing quickened, his hands fidgeting as if he couldn’t stand still, something very weird indeed, since it was always Percy begging Oliver to stop moving for just a damn second.

Oliver stopped swimming altogether for a second, then swam to the shore, getting out of the water and closer to Percy as he asked, “A truth and a lie, Weasley. You are afraid of the water and I’m smarter than you”, he said, the usual smile on his lips, yet if Percy looked close enough he would see the way Oliver was looking at him, almost apologetic.

“You’re not smarter than me, Wood. Not even in your dreams”, that was the answer Oliver needed to stop pressing Percy. Goddammit, he felt so stupid and so bad for forcing Percy to admit that.

He should have let it go, he should not have insisted when Percy clearly told him “no”.

Oliver intended to do the only thing he could think of, keep the joke going, not mention what Percy had admitted just then, he smiled and for a second he swore he saw Percy blush. It must have been the light or the lack of thereof.

Oliver Wood didn’t apologize, yet for the first time, he wanted to. Of course, he said “I’m sorry” once in a while, however, he didn’t actually mean it most of the time, he liked to think he didn’t do a lot of things he really needed to apologize for. However, that was one of them. Percy was scared enough to not be able to move very well, his hands kept tugging his shirt and Oh, my God, somebody makes him stop!

“I’m-”, Oliver started to say but Percy didn’t let him finish.

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry, Wood. I came because I wanted to, this is not your fault”

Oliver smiled, even more, when he replied, “Bold of you to assume I was going to apologize. I was going to say I was cold and you should help me find my clothes”, he added when he saw Percy’s expression, “Please. Oh, please, Perce my beloved, help me find my clothes so I don’t perish of hypothermia right here and now. I promise to be forever grateful for your assistance, my lord. Oh, I must beg you, please, please my dear Percy, I don’t see another way out of this, no other than death. But if death if what you desire I shall deliver to you…”, he only stopped because Percy threw what Oliver was almost sure of was his trousers at him, making the speech finish off with laughter.

“You’re an idiot”, Percy said, Oliver promptly nodded, agreeing.

“Yeah, mate, I am. Could you forgive me? For being an idiot, that is.”

And of course, Percy had to answer with, “I could, yes. Will I? Probably not”.

By that time, Oliver was already properly dressed, and he threw an arm around Percy’s shoulders as they walked back to the castle together.

“I hate you”, Percy claimed when Oliver shook his head, splashing water at the other boy’s face.

“Nah, you don’t”, and of course, Percy didn’t.