WHO: Penny Clearwater and Percy Weasley WHEN: After her arrival WHERE: Percy’s flat WHAT: Penny is trying to figure out what the hell is going on WARNINGS: None, really
By the time they arrived at Percy’s flat, the slightly panicked look had started to subside from Penny’s features. A little less white was visible around her eyes; she’d stopped reaching for her wand reflexively. She clearly wasn’t happy at having her things reduced to the shoulder bag she carried, but she’d commented dryly that at least she’d been lucky enough to accidentally prep for Texas weather in her simple blue sundress. She’d looked over her shoulder for too many years now to accept it all at face value, this sudden transportation across the pond (and apparently to another version of their world), but she trusted Percy. Moreso now, with the Ministry nowhere to be found.
The current stand-in for the Ministry, the Resettlement Bureau, had earned a hard side-eye from her. She recognized no one, and their lack of familiar magic went a long way to convincing her they were not related to the wizarding governing body. Or MACUSA, for that matter; she’d asked and been told the American agency didn’t exist here. Still, some of those she’d encountered were clearly not simply Muggles, but she had to reserve judgement for now until she could research it further.
Despite the quick explanations, Penny still felt a fission of surprise when he opened the door to reveal his very familiar flat in Diagon Alley….on the other side of a Texas apartment door. “The whole flat is linked here...even though it doesn't actually exist in this world?” was the first question, Penny unable to let go of her analytical nature. Magic still worked here, but only after a fashion.
Percy hadn’t seen Penny in such a frazzled state of mind since he met up with her after the Battle of Hogwarts. Being on the run from Death Eaters after your parents were killed would do that to you, so Percy was sympathetic, albeit a little unnerved. Penny’s anxiety was rubbing off on Percy, even though he didn’t have anything to be anxious over, her mood was so infectious. The memory of his own arrival through the Portal was still fresh, the confusion and frustration so the least he could do was to help one of his closest friends (and ex-girlfriend) to adjust.
After finding out that Penny’s flat hadn’t shown up in Tumbleweed with her, Percy thought it would be a good idea to let her stay with him, at least for a little while. At least until she got her footing. His flat in Pecan Place was the one he had in Diagon Alley, a tiny studio with only a double bed, which Penny had visited many times before. “No, not linked exactly. It’s somehow been transported, the same sort of way we were, as far as I can tell. It’s probably better not to think too much about the dynamics of these details.” Percy closed the door behind Penny and locked the door for her peace of mind more than anything. “There’s a whole group of people studying the Portal at the Bureau, and haven’t been able to figure it out. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?”
Percy opened the fridge to rummage inside for something, when from the far corner of the apartment, near the windows, there came an odd squawk that sounded a bit like ”Oricorio!” From a top of a large, cage , a bird with bright yellow plumage ruffled her feathers. “Oh urm. Penny. That’s my pokemon. Her name’s Mango.”
The flat felt the same, felt like him and reminded her of many nights she and sometimes Oliver would visit, talk, commiserate about the war and what was going on in their lives. Yet it felt odd somehow, her mind protesting that it didn’t really belong here, that she should be hearing the sounds of Diagon in the distance, that it should be colder, that her place shouldn’t be too far away, only a few blocks. Penny felt a strange homesickness hit her, and she turned to look at him to reassure herself once more. They’d been essentially stolen from their own place, but Percy looked and felt like himself and she was grateful for that. “You know me, I can’t not think about the way it works,” she managed to joke, with a faint smile. “I have to ask.”
She’d set her bag down, relaxing into the familiarity, when the noise came from the cage. Immediately, she turned to it, walking over, even as she said over her shoulder, “I’ll take whatever you have to drink, but….what is a...po-kemon?” Enchanted, her eyes roamed over the creature in the cage, although she was trained enough not to put her hand within reach or crowd the animal. “Mango,” she repeated, quietly, her smile returning automatically, some of the strangeness of the place forgotten. “She’s beautiful. A new breed native to Texas? There’s been no new publications from MACUSA about anything like this..”
“I know,” Percy responded with a small, soft smile. Forever the inquisitive Ravenclaw, that was Penelope Clearwater. That was when Percy realized just how pleased he was to see her, despite her current distress. He brought over a couple of bottles of water and handed one over as he stood close beside her. “If you’re really interested in studying the Portal, maybe you can speak to the people running the Bureau about working there. They were asking for people to help, before.”
Mango cocked her head to the side to better inspect this new-comer to their home, then began swaying from side to side on the bars of her cage. Never mind the Portal, Penny’s real interest and love had always been with magical animals, and Percy was struck with the idea that she could be pleasantly distracted by learning more about pokemon. “Actually, she’s not from this world, either. Pokemon is short for pocket monster, and is known by most as a game from Japan. But a few months ago, we… by which I mean the Displaced in Tumbleweed… were taken on a cruise ship where we visited different places, including the tropical island where Mango is from. Alola. There’s a lot of other pokemon besides her, and we were each allowed to bring back one.”
As Percy explained, Mango spread her wings and shook the pompom tufts of feathers on the tips while whistling a sweet tune. “Her breed is Oricorio. There are different types of Oricorios, and they change into these types according to what type of berry they happen to eat. She’s a Pompom Style, which is pretty much self explanatory why.” Percy gestured to her wings. “Her song has a cheering effect on people.” Maybe Penny was beginning to feel the song’s effects already? Percy could tell the difference in his own mood, his heart lightening. “She has other abilities, too, but her song is the reason I choose her.”
Penny took the water with a small, murmured thank you, taking a drink. She was ill-prepared for dry, hot Texas weather, despite her dress. “You know, out of all the places I would have chosen to be summarily transported to, Texas was not even in the top ten.” She huffed a small, resigned laugh, shaking her head. Despite her apprehension of those inside the Bureau, she’d listened and remembered everything they said, cataloguing some of it to examine later. Tumbleweed, the town. An identification card, some papers, a lot of advice she would weigh later. “I think I would rather learn about the Bureau first, before I throw my lot in with anyone. I trust you, and your family, but precious few others here as yet.”
As he suspected, her mood did brighten as the pokemon started trilling, and Penny found herself listening avidly to both the song and Percy’s explanation. A whole new subset of animals she’d never heard of….it was unexpectedly exciting. “Are there books here, on the different types, the other breeds? She’s obviously magical, but so different than anything I’ve studied before.” She looked at him, smiling warmly. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be thinking about a whole new area of study when I’ve just arrived, but this is certainly new and fascinating. Is it just that her song is cheerful?” She glanced back at Mango. “You’ve always liked music, quite a bit.”
The topic of Texas brought a grimace to Percy’s face. “It wouldn’t have been my choice, either. The weather is frightfully hot, and the whole American Southwest aesthetic doesn’t attract me at all. There’s nothing from stopping any of us from leaving and living somewhere else, but there’s a certain amount of comfort in being surrounded by others who are in the same circumstances.” He lifted his water to his mouth, but just before drinking, he added, “Besides, I don’t know if I’d want to live in England without the Wizarding World.” It would be too sad. Percy would’ve felt sadder, if not for the gladdening effect of Mango’s song. “We make our own community.”
Percy nodded at Penny’s statement about trusting the Bureau, and commented, “I understand.” Shifting to the topic of pokemon, which he felt was helping Penny, he told her, “I brought a few books home with me, and I’m relatively certain others must have, also, but you’ll find a lot of information online, over the internet.” Penny was Muggleborn - she ought to know what the the internet was, right? “Of course, in this world, they think of as a game, so information is often presented in terms of game mechanics, but there’s an awful lot of useful information, too. Plus, there’s a person who comes from the pokemon world, Lily. If you have any questions, you could always ask her.
Leaving Penny’s side, he went over to sit down upon the sofa. “Given the lack of proper magical creatures around, by which I mean the ones we’re familiar with, you could always put your current studies on hold and take advantage of the circumstances?” He nodded at the bird pokemon. “Her song isuplifting, isn’t it? It’s one of the reasons why I chose to bring her home.” In regards to his love of music, Percy smiled. “I do, although just like at home, the most I ever do is listen.” Sometimes, Penny would try to get him to sing, and while he thought he had a decent voice, Percy was always a bit self conscious about it.
The realization that this world didn’t have wizards in it, that if she returned to England there would be none of their community there, caused Penny’s expression to falter. Despite the song that Mango was trilling, her face fell, a spate of sadness filling her eyes. “That’s….so hard to think about that,” she murmured, with a small shake of her head. “I can’t even imagine. No Hogwarts, no Diagon Alley, nothing.” She drew in a little breath, refocusing on the pokemon, the sounds. It helped
Books. That she could handle. “I’d love to learn more,” she agreed, summoning her smile once more. “I’ll start with books, though. My music player is difficult enough to get to work all the time. I’m worried to think what I might do to a laptop accidentally.” A joke, truly, considering how many times she had shorted out her poor music player. But the realization she would need to secure a laptop as well had her blowing out her breath in exasperation. “You aren’t wrong, though, about needing something to work on. Unless this world is vastly different, computers aren’t free, nor are any of the other Muggle items I’ll need to get by. Just...clothes alone…”
Sighing heavily, she went over and sank down into the couch next to him, a bit dejected now that she wasn’t as panicked. “I’d love to study them, although admittedly it feels a little like starting over from scratch. And how will I convince anyone here to hire me? I certainly don’t have any work history I could point to.” The idea did make her smile at the absurdity of it, and she looked over at him as she tucked loose hair behind her ear. “I suppose I can worry about that later. And you should sing more, Percy. I’ve always enjoyed listening to you.” Something else occurred to her and her eyes widened with dismay. “The date….they told me what day it was when I arrived. I missed your birthday!”
“They didn’t give you a tablet?” Percy asked, surprised. “First thing tomorrow we’ll apparate to the Bureau to get you one. It must’ve been an oversight. Then we’ll go and get you some new clothes. I can lend you some money, until you get your feet on the ground.” Although, Percy wasn’t going to be too much of a stickler about being paid back - he trusted Penny, and felt sympathetic to her plight. “The good thing about living here, either your own place that arrives with you, or the one that the Bureau assigns you, is that you live rent and utility free. That makes a big difference, when bill time comes around. And don’t forget, we’re not a lot, but there still is a fairly sized group of Wizards and Witches here - you’re not completely alone.”
The Weasleys were always known for helping others in need… it was a trait passed down from their mother and father. But the thought of his family reminded Percy of how George, Angelina, and their children disappeared only a couple days before, and his smile faltered. Penny’s arrival had temporarily held distract him from his sadness, but he had decided not to to bring it up, since he determined Penny’s need was higher. However, he did sigh heavily as he continued. “Again, the Resettlement Bureau is a great help. There are people there who are able to create a whole set of references and credentials to help you get just about any job you’re looking for. There are also a slew of Displaced-run businesses that will be sure to hire you, if you’re interested, including… ah… Weasley’s Wizard Weezes.” His expression again became sad - without George, the shop would be understaffed, but Penny working at a joke shop? “That might not be your thing.” It was his sarcastic way of telling her that he knew it really wasn’t.
“You missed it only by a couple of days,” Percy told her, but smiled at her comment about his singing. “I’m no Celestina Warbeck, but I always thought I wasn’t half bad.”
His efforts to cheer her did not go unnoticed, and Penny smiled at how he offered to take everything in hand. “No, I had a tablet, I just didn’t think about using it for research. It’s in my bag. I thought they simply used it for communication.” She leaned forward to reach for her bag, rummaging through it for the assigned tablet. “When your flat….arrives, for lack of a better word, all of your things are included? I hope they find mine soon.” She leaned back against the couch, as she added, gently, “Thankfully, your flat is nearly as familiar as mine. It helps quite a bit, to be here.” Her smile held a wistful look. “I’m simply so used to just traveling to mine, not so far away.”
There was something he wasn’t telling her, Penny could see. Some sense of grief, she could sense, that passed over his features. She’d known him for so many years, had studied his face for all that time and learned every nuance. “Percy, are you alright? Something is bothering you.” She automatically reached for his hand, so habitual was the gesture. “I can see it in your face. I’ll certainly be careful in dealing with the Bureau, but I suspect that’s not it.” She smiled, tilting her head a little, encouraging him to confide in her. “I promise I will have a belated birthday gift for you shortly, although I suspect that’s not it, either. Even if I am bothered I missed it.” She made a face, slightly petulant. “I never miss your birthday. This place has a significant mark against it for that.”
“Oh you can use the tablet for all sorts of things including access to the internet. It’s a very handy Muggle tool. And what more, our magic isn’t disturbed by all the electronic devices, like they are at home! It’s really quite remarkable!” Percy then realized that he started to sound like his father, gushing over Muggle artifacts, and that shut him up about that line of conversation, quickly. Eager to change the subject, he began answering Penny’s questions about apartments. “Everything’s included.” He gestured to their surroundings. “Clothing, food in the icebox, my briefcase with the reports that I had due the next day at the Ministry, my broomstick stored in my closet. The only difference that with the absence of a Floo Network, it’s impossible to travel that way. Though, I sometimes wonder what it would take to create one, here.”
When Penny smiled, so did Percy. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. It’s a bit cramped, but you’re more than welcome. This sofa can still be transfigured into a bed, so I can sleep on it while you take my bed.”
The topic changed again, and his expression changed to one of guilt at being caught. Should he tell her the truth? What was the value in lying? Especially since she’d find out anyway. Percy paused to breathe in and out, then said, “People arrive, but they also disappear without any warning. George and Angelina were here with their two children, Roxanne and Fred. Just before you arrived, I mean I’m talking about only a day before, the Portal took them all away at once. It’s been particularly hard, especially for Fred. My brother.” He paused and looked at Penny to gauge her reaction. “He’s alive here. He was brought just a few days before the Battle of Hogwarts took place.”
The idea that she could at least have her things was encouraging, but Penny knew she could do without for the time being. She smiled in gratitude at the offer to let her stay. “I’m used to your place,” she answered, with a thread of affection in her tone. Things had not always been good, but she felt like they’d started to recover from the war and the fights they had before it all came to a head. And as he’d told her, the two years she hadn’t yet experienced showed they remained at least good friends still. She didn’t want the war to have taken that away.
“Fred is alive? Here?” That floored her, her eyes opening wide in shock and wonder. “He….oh, Merlin. You….that’s wonderful.” Her heart squeezed almost painfully, and her fingers did the same to his hand. “I can’t believe it…..and now George is gone.” Her free hand covered her mouth, over a small hitch of breath. To be together and then pulled apart again. It was exhilarating and heartbreaking all at once. If she could have her parents back, even for a short time, she knew it would mean the world. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that George is gone now. And I’m grateful that you have Fred again, for however long. That’s quite the gamut of emotions, isn’t it?” Her eyes roamed over his face. “How is Fred doing? How are you doing, Percy?”
“When I first arrived, this flat hadn’t shown up, and I ended up living with one of my brothers for several months.” He didn’t feel like he ought to bring up how that brother was a Charlie from an alternative universe, since Penny had a lot to process already. He’d bring up that bit of information later, or maybe she even knew about since she said she’d been reading the journals while in quarantine at the Bureau?
The thought that Penny might be hoping that her dead parents might show up in town didn’t occur to Percy, immediately, he was so wrapped up in answering her questions. “Fred is…. understandably upset. Perhaps that’s an understatement. Because not only has he lost his twin, he’s faced with the knowledge that if the Portal ever sends him away, he’s got his death waiting for him, and no future to look forward it. I can’t even imagine how that must feel.” A sudden idea struck him. “Remus Lupin is here, too, but from before he became Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. I wonder if it might help Fred for him to speak to Lupin about… well… you know.”
As for himself? “Maybe it’s very selfish of me, I’m glad you’re here, Penny,” he told her with the same amount of affection. “It’s always good to see a friendly face show up.” This was just what he needed to help mitigate the sadness that came with the disappearance of his family members. Purely out of reflex, Percy placed his hand over hers in a comforting manner, smiling at the contact. “If there’s anything you need, let me know.”
For all that this place was upsettingly new (and she didn’t like being out of control of her own path), the idea of what Fred faced was infinitely worse. “It’s…” she started to say, before deciding on different words, swallowing what came before with a small shake of her head. “I don’t think any of us could assure him in a way that matters. But Lupin may. That’s a good idea, Percy. You...or we….could see if Lupin would be willing.” She’d been around the rest of the Weasleys many times over the years, but she wasn’t quite family, and she didn’t want to interfere with Fred and his brothers, no matter how empathetic she was to his plight. “But,” she spoke the next thought aloud, “I would love to see him. He was so missed. Just as Lupin was, although I didn’t know him as well. And….others, of course.” she wouldn’t bring up her family. A small, rueful smile crossed her lips. “Fred likely got a lot of the same reaction already, of those happy to see him alive and well, so I’m hoping he’ll endure it one more time for my sake.”
At that moment, she didn’t care if it was selfish. If she had to be stuck in an unfamiliar place and survive, she had Percy and that made it bearable. “Trust me, I would be much worse off without you,” she said, with the same relief. “I can’t imagine….” She curled her fingers around his. “Really, the only thing that would make it better is having Oliver here, too. But we’ll do, for now.” She sighed, the familiar touch helping her relax. “Quite a few people reached out to me on this...network, when I was stuck in the quarantine. Some who said they were friends of yours, too? I recall Zelda was one. Oh, and Julia Wicker. She apparently teaches wandless magic here, but not the same as we have learned. The prospect of learning something new, that is interesting.”
Percy smiled. “Maybe we can reach out to them tomorrow morning. Right now, I think what you need is some rest and something to eat.” In truth, Percy felt like monopolizing Penny’s company, he didn’t want to share her with anybody else. “There’s not much in the fridge, but we can order something? Or would you rather go out? There’s a few nice restaurants in town.” His pattern of speech started speeding up as he became excited to please Penny and make her feel comfortable, and having her reciprocate by holding his hand.
“You’ll like Zelda. She has a love for learning new things, just like you. That’s how we met, actually.” The crucial detail Percy neglected to leave out was how he and Zelda were dating one another for several months. “Julia is very nice, too. We haven’t chatted as much, recently, but I know you two will get along.”
“I think we will, too.” She liked Julia, even from the small chat, and she trusted her instincts here. She was eager to get started, but as soon as he suggested they go out to eat, Penny felt anxiety rising.
“Let’s stay in. If you don’t mind….I’m just not ready to go back out there.” She frowned, a little distantly, before letting out a small breath. “Right now, I can pretend that we’re in your flat in Diagon for a bit. Let me get used to the idea.” She tried to lessen the frown, changing to a small smile. “Ignorance is never bliss for me normally, but I’ll take a small reprieve.”
If there was ever a time that Percy wanted to kiss Penny, it was now. He wanted nothing more to take care and protect her, and his eyes lingered upon her lips for a fraction longer than they should’ve before he broke out of the spell he was under. “How does Thai sound?” He squeezed her hand and abruptly stood up to go over to the kitchen area where several take-out menus were attached to his fridge with magnets. “They don’t deliver, but it won’t take me long to apparate there and back after I call in our order.”
Whether it was a credit towards her or a drawback, Penny didn’t notice his look, but she was likewise feeling closer to him than she had in some time. But then, perspective could do that. Back in their world, lingering feelings from the war still made her too stiff and unwilling to look at the past. Now, she wished she hadn’t clung to those old resentments.
“Thai sounds great.” She leaned her head against the couch. “And I’m sure things will look better in the morning.”