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Age: 119
Sign: Aquarius
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February 12, 2020

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05/28/2020 09:10 PM 

Leaving the Burrow

23 June 1995

“Can you not just listen to me!” Percy’s voice rang through the small room, his face glowing in a shade that mimicked his hair, agitation growing at his father who stood just on the opposite side of the room.

Tension had been high in the Burrow, pulsed and filled every momentary silence that crept through the many walls. Red heads scattered from the kitchen the moment Arthur Weasley returned from work, a face of thunder locked on one person only. Percy shrunk in on himself in that moment, Arthur’s cold demand for answers. Earlier that day, Percy had been offered Junior Assistant to Fudge, a massive leap up to where he wanted to be one day in the Ministry. It was something that would make him stand out against the rest, someone so young promoted to a position so high. And to be asked by the Minister himself? Percy should have been on cloud nine, should have been gloating about it and screaming in joy from the top of his lungs but the grim reality of the offer hung over him. He kept the news to himself after seeking advice from his mother, no plans on taking the position despite the career suicide he was committing. Arthur didn’t see it, couldn’t look past the rumor he heard and see that Percy wasn’t excited by the opportunity, instead accusing his son of betraying them all, thinking only of himself and nothing more.

It was all down to distrust of the Ministry, blind faith in a teenager’s word and Dumbledore who allowed the events the previous year to happen. The claim that Voldemort was back was brash and something that caused a lot of fear and needed to be thoroughly investigated instead of taken at face value. And if he was back, how could Percy or anyone for that matter, side with Dumbledore when he did nothing to protect Harry? Percy had been there, he witnessed Dumbledore throwing him into the tournament when his name was picked, he could have stopped it, forbidden it to happen but he did nothing and let it play out like a game.

Percy stepped forward, trying to reason with his father, implore him to see reason. What started off as Percy trying to explain he didn’t take the position morphed into him having to defend himself, his very character. “Have you not - just for one-second thought that Harry got it wrong?”

Arthur puffed his chest up in annoyance. “You think Harry is lying? C’mon, you’re smarter than that.”

Percy glared at the remark. “Not lying, but just trying to cope after seeing Diggory die. It’s not uncommon, I’ve been reading about - ”

“Because you read it in a book doesn’t change the facts.”

“What facts!” The theory of Percy’s wasn’t far off, and it wasn’t based on one small thing he read or something someone else told him. He had spent hours reading about it, formulating his own opinion. “Why are you so determined for you-know-who to be back? Dad, you know what will follow that.”

“And we know what comes from burying our heads in the sand.” Arthur took a step forward, Percy standing a bit taller to show he wasn’t going to back down. “You weren’t raised to be so pigheaded.”

There was a rush of snickers from the stairs, and Percy’s face twisted in rage. While his father often chuckled at the names Percy was called by his siblings, he never once called Percy any and it stung now worse than anything Percy had ever been called. 

“Pigheaded?” There was mockery in Percy’s tone, the level-headedness he maintained throughout his life gone. Percy should have left it, should have walked away and taken a moment to clear his head but he couldn’t. It was his life, everything he strived and worked for slipping through his fingers. “You want to know what pigheaded is . . . staying in the same dead-end position while you keep having kids that you can’t properly care for! What’s pigheaded is stupidly siding with a teenager and Dumbledore and not caring if it directly impacts your family!”

There was momentary hurt that flashed over his father’s face, Percy striking where he knew it would hurt the most. “This is about more than your job!”

“My career” Percy corrected sharply. “And you’re right, this is about mum and Ginny. It’s about Fred, George and Ron! What will happen when they fire you? What will happen if you’re right and you-know-who is back?” Percy’s chest rose and fell as the voiced the thing he feared, the thing his father should have feared. His own job was already on the line, Fudge’s subtle threat lingering heavily in him but Percy was willing to give it all up, or so he thought he was. “You will make us all targets, Dad. Did you ever once think about that, or does only precious f***in’ Potter matter to you?!”

Arthur’s eyes bulged at the language, surprised that of all people he heard it come from was Percy. “Harry is -” Arthur started, his voice calm despite the expression on his face.

“Just like a son to you . . . I know.” Percy cut him off, the words were laced with resentment, a jealousy he could no longer contain. “I mean, you did go with him to his trial. You stood next to him, defended him like he was one of your own. The funny thing is, when one of your actual children was on trial you were nowhere to be seen. I needed some support - anything, and I was left on my own. Dammit dad, I need you!”

The hurt showed itself, bled through his words no matter how much Percy tried to hold it back. He needed his father to know, to see the pain he inflicted the moment he walked into the trial room beside Harry, proudly stood next to him as Percy sat there in his scribe seat to witness it all. It had only been a few months prior that Percy was in the same position as Harry and needed his family.

Arthur stood for a moment, clearly perplexed by his son’s accusation. “Is that what you’ve been mad about? That was different, Percy. You made a mistake and needed to take the consequences. You weren’t a child they were trying to -”

“They were trying to pin me for murder!” Percy’s voice rose a few octaves, a wild look behind his horn-rimmed glasses in disbelief to what he was hearing. “I would have been sent to Azkaban!”

“And whose fault is that?” The demand wasn’t meant to be answered, Arthur following up with his words before Percy could get even a breath in. “And you still didn’t learn from it. Look at you, you’re running right back to the Ministry, letting yourself be used like some pathetic puppet! When will you get it into that stubborn mind of yours that they don’t care about you, you’re just there to be used and discarded. You are nothing!”

Percy shrunk back at the attack, felt the cut of each word at his heart’s center. Arthur never yelled, rarely raised his voice at his children and as it grew in grew in strength feet rushed the stairs, scattering as the Weasley children hurried into their own floors and rooms to hide. Percy’s fuse simmered at the end of its wick, snuffed out by the words and his fight was gone like that. There was a rise of emotion that he didn’t want to be seen, a fracture in himself that as he tried to bottle overflowed and overpowered him.

Percy’s feet hit the staits heavily as he stormed away from the kitchen, taking two at a time, his head low as he threw open the door to his room. His chest ached, burned alongside the tears that stung his eyes, stubborn like him and refusing to go away no matter how many times he blinked. Breaths came in sharp, quick intakes, uneven and never fulfilling. Nothing went accordingly, Percy trying to figure out where it all went so wrong, his fingers locked in his hair as he pulled at the roots. He tried being honest, tried explaining what Fudge was planning and that he wasn’t going to be a part of it - tried admitting to his father that his actions before didn’t just hurt him, it devastated Percy. And still it wasn’t seen, wasn’t taken seriously, the blame was put back on him.

“Percy, dear?”

He swallowed hard, a lump lodged painfully in his throat as his mother knocked again. The earlier conversation he had with her came flooding back, the way she tried to assure him that he was mistaken about his father. He should have kept his emotions buried, let the betrayal ferment until it became a thing of the past. All his father’s words boiled up while simultaneously crushing and smothering him until there was no one left to blame but himself.

Percy darted for his work bag, charming it as he quickly moved around his room and grabbed anything he could think he’d possibly need and shoved it into the depths of the bag. In an instant he was retreating from the only solitary place in the Burrow, the one place he was able to be himself. 

“What are you doing?” His mother’s voice reached his ears, following him as he tore down the steps. Percy dodged her desperate grab for him as he made for the stairs, the twins’ faces peering out from their own room with wide eyes. He could feel the panic in her, even if Percy didn’t dare face his mother. It was in her tone, the way she began to plead with him while trying to grab his bag. “Percy, stop! We can talk about this, just unpack your things, please don’t do this!”

His face remained hidden as the first tear escaped, the door to the Burrow violently flying open.

“No! Percy. . . Arthur! Arthur do something!”

Percy vanished in a sharp crack the moment he set foot outside the Burrow, his mother’s cries still ringing in his ears as the Leaky Cauldron came into view. There was a moment of hesitation before he stepped inside, Percy second guessing himself and what he had just done.

“Room for one.” He didn’t look up as he threw the galleons on the counter.

“How long?”

Percy paused, his heart stopping with him. If he wanted to go back, there was a chance that he wouldn’t be allowed to return. His father’s words weighed down on him, a harsh reminder and finally Percy looked up, emotion masked over in a boring smile. He tossed down the last remaining galleons he had. “How long will this get me?”

 

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Dragon Seeker

 

Aug 11th 2020 - 11:33 PM

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Live commentary
- I'm not ready for this.
And if he was back, how could Percy or anyone for that matter, side with Dumbledore when he did nothing to protect Potter? Percy had been there, he witnessed Dumbledore throwing him into the tournament when his name was picked, he could have stopped it, forbidden it to happen but he did nothing and let it play out like a game. < That is a very valid point. And now I'm rethinking everything I know.
- Both Arthur and Percy have points. The fear that comes with Voldemort being back and the danger it puts them all in. But also, ignoring it doesn't stop it.
- Percy! How could he say that to his father?
- It's all coming out now -buckles self in- 
- 'Dammit dad, I needed you!' < This broke my heart and Arthur's reaction to Percy saying that is just horrible. He ignores it like he ignores Percy.
- I hate Arthur. Percy lashed out which was wrong but Arthur, his father, should have been better than this. He should have seen and heard Percy instead of hurting him more. 
- Molly trying to stop him and then calling for Arthur to stop Percy is so devastating! 

The moment that turned a fandom against Percy and you took it and made me understand his actions and support them. That is pure talent. A moment where Percy was so proud of what he accomplished was destroyed by the very people who were supposed to support him. Sure, Arthur probably didn't like it but Percy was his son and should have put his own issues aside and stood by his son's decision. And the end between PErcy and Molly. I'll never be ok. 

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