InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "how'd you get so desperate?"

WEASLEY, ron b. (pigwidgeoned) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2012-01-03 21:14:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: november 10 2003, character: percy weasley, character: ron weasley

Characters: Percy Weasley & Ron Weasley
Setting: Percy's flat, Kinnerton Court, 10 November 2003, 5:03pm
Rating: PG for language and freakouts
Summary: Ron comes to tell Percy about Penelope's death.

Ron felt completely drained and overly exhausted already. His day had been too bloody eventful for his liking. It started out with the prank of embarrassing proportions that he knew he'd be hearing about around the office for too many sodding weeks to come that George claimed he had nothing to do with. Even on a normal day this would have been enough to send Ron home. But he still had his planned meeting with Penelope that he couldn't bunk off, especially if it was true that her brother had been killed by a witch and it fit into the patterns of the murders. But when Penelope did not show up for their meeting and the lady at Obscurus Books told him that was not a normal occurrence he began to get worried and asked for the address to her flat so he could check for her there. Ron did find Penelope at Dittany Heights, but he was already too late to save her. She was drawing her last breaths by the time he arrived and he was busy trying not to be killed by her attacker as well. She let him live and he was able to see a lot of helpful information, but he did not capture Penelope's killer and worst of all, Penelope did not live through the ordeal.

Ron then had to report all of this to Gaskin which took at least an hour, after which he was released for the rest of the day once he went by St. Mungo's to have his leg properly healed. This was his next stop and while it did not take that long, it was all the hustle and bustle that tired him out and the dread that he was getting closer to the errand he didn't want to make but knew that he had to. It was only one day ago that his brother had asked him to speak to Penelope and now she was dead and Ron had to let him know about it. It seemed to Ron like yesterday was the first time he had heard Percy mention his ex-girlfriend since the time they had still been dating. He didn't know what that meant exactly, but if he had only recently begun speaking to her again only to lose her now - well Ron hated to think of it.

He apparated to Kinnerton Court, Devon outside of his brother's flat. Ron had not come here very often and his appearance was certainly not going to forebode anything good to Percy. He saw the pieces on his mental chessboard moving - his brother jumping to the conclusion that someone in the family had been harmed. He shook his head, trying to get that off his board because that wasn't true and he didn't need it cluttering his checkered spaces or making him worry too much. Everyone in the family was fine. But what if Percy wasn't because of his nightmare connection to Penelope?

Ron hurriedly moved up the landing and knocked heavily on Percy's door. "Perce? Open up already, it's Ron!" He fidgeted and pulled out his wand, worry creasing his brow. He banged on the door again. "Percy, are you alright?" Ron was two seconds away from trying to break through Percy's wards now.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

pigwidgeoned
2012-01-06 04:03 am UTC (link)

Ron nodded when Percy finished his sentence for him. She would do more than worry, she would show up at his flat and terrorize him for not coming to her the moment it was over. But, 'worry' was an acceptable enough word for the time being.

But then Percy kept talking and he kept talking and suddenly Ron realised that he wasn't talking about Ron at all, but himself and his relationship with Penny. Ron was about to ask Percy if he was alright but then his brother addressed him more directly. He felt his throat tighten up and he didn't really know what to say to him. It was a terrible thing to think of, losing Hermione, and if Percy still loved Penelope like Ron loved Hermione he couldn't even begin to think of how his brother was feeling right now. He had thought it was an ex-girlfriend, not a current love.

"Perce-" Ron croaked, his throat hoarse, "I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know. You never - I thought it was finished with the two of you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

youngestmformev
2012-01-06 04:28 am UTC (link)

"It was," he admitted it aloud for the first time, as there had been nobody to talk to when it had happened. "Years ago. But... we'd been together over four years, and I loved her more than-" More than his job? More than his family? He honestly didn't know anymore, but he'd loved her more than anyone else before or since.

"But she left me. Something similar to what happened with the family. Just before Christmas, too." Which in retrospect had been one of the reasons he'd been so enraged by the arrival of his mother's jumper, and had sent it back unopened. He gave a sad, pathetic excuse for a laugh. "It's funny how clueless I was then. I'd even been looking at rings..."

He gasped as the pain started returning anew, and he fought to push it back down where he could barely feel it, or anything else. "I'm just saying not to be the fool I was, and let slip away the most wonderful thing you have in your life."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pigwidgeoned
2012-01-06 05:22 am UTC (link)

Ron felt terrible for bringing it up now. He shouldn't have mentioned it at all. He was so shite at this comfort thing. And it was awful that Percy had gone through all this on his own, but then again it wasn't like they could do much since he had basically chosen to ostracize himself from the rest of them.

When Percy mentioned that he'd been looking at rings, Ron's eyebrows shot up his forehead. He'd never once suspected that his brother would have been close to considering marriage to someone. It was so odd how much he didn't know bout his brother and also made him feel quite sad when he thought about it now. He really needed to get to know Percy better. And learn how to talk to him, because he was so lost as to what to say.

"Percy, you're not a fool. Everybody makes mistakes... you couldn't have known..."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

youngestmformev
2012-01-07 01:07 am UTC (link)

"But I was a fool, and everyone knows it," he corrected, shaking his head.

He picked up his cup of tea and lifted it to his nose, inhaling deeply. The aroma steadied him, as it often had. Sense was beginning to seep back into his conscious mind, but with it came thoughts of what had happened, and how he had reacted. Merlin, in the time since Ron's arrival, his emotions had gone up and down so often that it was beginning to make him queasy. He was torn between shutting away his memories to better deal with the situation, and actually talking about them.

Penelope deserved to be remembered, though. She was so beautiful, and full of life, and promise, and her mind had challenged him ever so often. She had deserved so much better than him, than what he had put her through.

She deserved so much better than to die such a needless death.

He took a long drink of his too hot tea, the burning distracting him from the ache inside.

"Did I ever tell you what the best part of being a prefect was?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pigwidgeoned
2012-01-07 10:59 pm UTC (link)

Percy may have made some mistakes, but it wasn't like they were all innocent of such a thing. They'd all made them in the past, including Ron. He had been quite furious with his brother when he'd left his family for the Ministry and he'd said a lot of stupid things about him, but in the end he loved him and Percy had chose to come back and that was all that mattered.

Ron looked over at Percy, finding the question a bit odd and unsure how to place it. "Er, I guess not? I always assumed you liked bossing us about to be honest." Ron picked up his tea cup, not really because he wanted to drink it but to have something to hold.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

youngestmformev
2012-01-08 02:03 am UTC (link)

He nodded, the first traces of the merest of smiles coming upon his face. "That was certainly a bonus. But when you're a prefect, you know the rounds, know the rules, and know how to get around them when you need to. And if the person you wish to spend time with is a fellow Prefect, then... it can be quite enjoyable to do rounds at night together. Or to not do rounds when doing rounds together."

He took another drink, this one less scorching but still nice and hot. "She'd tease me about being a 'typical Gryffindor' by breaking the rules. Would say if I didn't behave myself, she'd tell you lot all about it, and ruin my 'stick-up-my-arse' reputation forever. We, however, couldn't have that."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pigwidgeoned
2012-01-08 02:28 am UTC (link)

Ron hadn't ever really thought about it that way. He'd always felt like his Prefect duties were a chore and never once thought of them as an opportunity to spend time with Hermione. Not to mention Hermione never would have bunked off rounds just to spend time with him, but he didn't mind that so much. And if he hadn't spent so much of sixth year with Lavender he supposed it may have gone a bit differently with Hermione, but all that didn't really matter now.

What did matter was that Percy Weasley was telling him that he had shirked his own duties to spend time with a girl. Of all the things in the world, this was the most shocking thing Ron had ever heard about his brother. It had been hard enough to believe that Percy had had a girlfriend to begin with, but to hear that he would really neglect his Prefect duties to spend time with her was nigh on unbelievable. "You didn't. You wouldn't. I don't think I can believe that of you, mate. You're - well... you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	youngestmformev 2012-01-08 02:39 am UTC (link)
	"I am me," he replied with a shrug. "But then, she knew me better than most, save Mum of course. With you lot, I had to be your older brother. With her, I was just Percy." With a sigh, he nudged the other cup toward Ron. "Come, drink up. The fast we're done, the faster I can go to the Burrow and relieve you of your babysitting duty." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pigwidgeoned
2012-01-08 03:08 am UTC (link)

Ron took a long drink of his tea, considering what Percy said. It seemed like it had always been Percy's choice to keep up this image of a man who did no wrong and didn't ever not walk the straight line. It didn't seem to make a lot of sense to Ron that if Percy was a different person he didn't feel comfortable showing that to any of his siblings. "We never asked you to be anyone other than yourself, Perce. Being our older brother didn't mean being a prat, y'know."

Ron sighed. "It's not babysitting, mate. I came to make sure you'd be alright and I don't mind it either. Look Percy, I'm going to ask Gaskin to have a couple of hit wizards on you for the next few days just in case." He knew that it wasn't a favourable thing, but he wasn't going to take no for an answer. If their nightmares were connected, there could be a chance that Percy was next and Ron wasn't taking that chance. He'd have Percy watched 24/7 for the next few days until he knew that he was safe for the time being.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

youngestmformev
2012-01-08 03:23 am UTC (link)

Percy sighed, not wanting to get into a discussion over his choices in life, if there had really been any. Molly had imparted on Percy from a very young age how important it had been to watch out for his younger siblings, from the first war to Bill and Charlie's departures for Hogwarts, to Ron and Ginny going themselves as Percy was left the eldest sibling left home after the eldest two had escaped for Romania and Egypt. There had been times he'd been tempted to escape as well, but he hadn't, feeling stronger than ever that he was needed at home. It was a lot of pressure to put upon someone, especially when his siblings didn't care at all for it. But then, that had been a long time ago, and Percy had no wish to talk about it now, not yet anyhow.

He looked up in shock and confusion when Ron started talking about hit wizards. "What do you mean, just in case?" He narrowed his eyes, the Senior Undersecretary again coming out to make a point. "There is no reason to think whoever did this is coming after me next. That would simply be a waste of resources, keeping them from being available to save whoever is the next target. And besides, I spend most of my time at the Ministry. Security has improved since the other week. I'll be fine there."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

pigwidgeoned
2012-01-08 03:47 am UTC (link)

Ron shifted his weight back and forth, wondering how he was supposed to approach this. Percy may have been used to Hermione, Ron and Harry sticking their noses into things that didn't necessarily concern them, but he didn't know about the entirety of the DA or the fact that Lavender had shared Penelope's dream connection with the lot of them. How was he supposed to convey his concern without giving that information away? Especially when Lavender had not even given out Percy's name to the DA, only said that it had been a previous boyfriend of hers. It was Ron who had finally made the connection at the Burrow when they were informed that Percy was having the nightmares too.

Maybe Ron should have thought this through better. He should have just had the hit wizards set on Percy in secret and not told him at all. But Percy wasn't stupid, he'd have noticed them and he'd be asking questions. Ron decided to play a card he normally didn't play that often with his family just to get around telling the truth because he didn't want to divulge any information about the DA. It wasn't that he didn't trust Percy, but they had made no agreements about letting any new people know about them so he couldn't betray their trust.

"I can't really comment to you about the investigation, Perce, seeing as how it's newly open and the official investigators haven't even been chosen yet, but I can promise you that I wouldn't be requesting this if I didn't think it was warranted. I just wanted you to know beforehand." Ron took a sip of his tea then to hide the fact that he really hated saying that sort of thing. It sounded so ridiculous to him, but it was the only way he could get himself out of this hole.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

youngestmformev
2012-01-08 04:11 am UTC (link)

Percy took umbrage at the mere idea of his younger brother using his job against him. Not that Percy wouldn't have done the same had their positions been reversed, but that was besides the point.

"Is that so?" he huffed. "Well, I'll have a talk with Gaskin tomorrow and explain to him how it is absolutely unnecessary. Protective escort, I think not! Even if I were in danger, I fought in the Battle myself, you know, and I handled myself rather well, for your information."

So well that he'd killed two Death Eaters who'd gotten in his way on his chase after Rookwood, something he'd tried to forget over the years, as it simply added two more to the death toll he'd been responsible for over the years.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -