Still, where did the lighter fluid come from? (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} emiime) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} percy_ficathon,@ 2008-07-05 10:51:00 |
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Author: ???
Giftee: The Percy Ficathon Community
Title: Haunted
Pairing/Characters: Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood, Past Percy Weasley/Cedric Diggory
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,738
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I am simply borrowing them from JK Rowling.
Summary: Percy is having a hard time dealing with Cedric's death.
Notes: This fic took me forever to write as the idea kept changing and I had to continuously go back and rewrite parts. Finally though I got it. I do hope you like it and also would like to thank our mod for being patient with me and my beta, L.
He stood in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a church was visible beyond a large tree, which he recognized as a yew tree, stood to his right. A house stood on a hill to his left and the graveyard was completely silent and slightly eerie.
Percy took in his surroundings; small, broken and cracked tombstones littered the ground around him and he got the feeling that he wasn’t alone. Looking up once more he caught sight of another person standing not too far ahead of him, in fact now that he took a better look he noticed there were two people.
The one closest to him was taller than the other and both were looking around as if they were surprised to find themselves there.
Suddenly he saw both of them pull out what appeared to be wands.
“Someone’s coming,” The shorter of the two said, breaking the eerie silence, which until that moment had covered the graveyard.
Percy looked around with the two boys and noticed a figure in a hooded cloak walking towards them between the graves. It was short and appeared to be carrying something in its arms.
As the figure stopped, perhaps six feet from them, Percy instantly realized that he’d been there before. He knew what was going to happen before it happened and he didn’t want to experience it once again.
Shaking his head, he muttered the word ‘No’ repeatedly, bringing his hands up to clutch at his red curls, head bowed and eyes closed tight behind horn-rimmed glasses, attempting to shut out his surroundings.
“Kill the spare!”
His eyes shot open only to be blinded by a bright green light.
When his vision cleared, he stood rooted to his spot as he looked in horror upon the body that lay before him.
The body of Cedric Diggory.
~*~
Percy sat bolt upright in bed, panting harshly, sweat dampened red hair clinging to his forehead.
He brought a hand to his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart as it slammed into his ribcage, almost threatening to burst through, and Percy knew he had to get himself under control.
However, his body simply refused to cooperate. Not after what he’d just experienced.
“Perce…” The rough, familiar voice beside him startled him even more and Percy jumped at the sound, “Percy, you ok?”
Slowly, Oliver sat up, rubbing at his eyes as he reached for the bedside lamp and switched it on, a low orange light illuminated the room enough for him to see the troubled redhead clearly. Instantly, Oliver knew what was wrong; there was only one reason Percy would be awake in the middle of the night.
“You had the dream again.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. The dream Oliver was referring to was the events that had led up to Cedric’s death. A dream Percy had been having on and off ever since he’d learned the true details of the younger boy’s death. Details that the Ministry were trying to keep quiet.
Percy nodded slowly, his breathing and heart rate gradually returning to normal now that Oliver was awake. Oliver always had, had that effect on him. “When….when will it stop?”
It wasn’t the possibility of Voldemort being back that unnerved Percy so much and caused these dreams, but the events that took place in the dream. The events that had actually taken place close to three months earlier.
It was Cedric’s death. Cedric, who he had, dare he say, loved.
True it had been almost a year after their break-up when Cedric had been killed and Percy was already seeing Oliver, but he simply couldn’t get over the other boy’s tragic death. It haunted him and Percy didn’t know why.
Percy had seen Cedric frequently during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, being sent to Hogwarts in place of his then boss Mr. Crouch. It had been during the Yule Ball that had been the last time the two had spoken, Percy had congratulated Cedric on his approach of the First Task a few months prior and also let slip the fact that he and Oliver had started seeing each other when asking Cedric about Cho Chang.
They might have been exes, but Percy had still wanted Cedric to be happy. Cedric however, had not taken this news lightly and had gotten quite upset, storming off while Percy attempted to calm him down.
If wasn’t until the Second Task that Percy saw the younger boy again and had, had every intention of speaking to him again, but had gotten distracted by making sure Ron wasn’t going to drown, even after being rescued, that he’d completely lost track of Cedric.
Again, Percy attempted to speak to Cedric before the Third Task, but once again had been distracted and then…and then it was too late.
Percy never had been able to find out why his dating Oliver had upset Cedric so much.
“I don’t know, Perce.” Oliver said, watching his boyfriend sadly for a moment before reaching out a hand to brush his hair off his forehead then wrapped the same arm around him, “Come here.”
Slowly, he laid down, pulling Percy down so his head rested on the Quidditch player’s firm chest, his hand combing through Percy’s hair as Percy’s hand came up to fist in Oliver’s t-shirt.
Oliver hated seeing Percy like this. Percy, who despite everything he’d endured while growing up, was usually so strong and Oliver admired him for it. He knew that most of it had to do with blocking out certain memories and refusing to speak openly about others, but he was still the stronger of the two.
“Promise me you’ll never leave me.” Percy said softly, staring at the shadows cast against the wall.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Oliver said, lifting Percy’s head in order to press his lips softly to his forehead, “Now try to get some more sleep.”
Despite being afraid to close his eyes, for fear that he’d see Cedric, Percy nodded, laying his head back down against Oliver’s chest.
Sighing softly, Oliver stared up at the ceiling as he listened to Percy’s breathing. More than anything, Oliver wished he could do something, anything, to help Percy. He wanted the Percy that he’d fallen for in Fourth Year back, the Percy with the dry sense of humor, which not many were privy to. The Percy that spouted off rules and regulations about the most nonsense things at the most random times.
All in all, he wanted Percy to be happy again.
He knew that something needed to be done and he had a pretty good idea what it was, however Percy had flat out refused every time the topic came up.
Percy needed to visit Cedric’s grave. Until then, Oliver was convinced that the other boy would be plagued with dreams of Cedric’s death until it drove him mad.
~*~
Neither of them brought up the dream the next, nor the day after. It wasn’t until that weekend that Oliver decided to bring it up, neither of them had work so he felt it the most opportune time.
He found Percy in the small room Oliver had converted into a make-shift office once Percy had moved in after leaving his parents’ house earlier that summer. He was going over some papers and didn’t seem to hear Oliver enter the room.
“What’re ya doing?” Oliver asked from his spot against the doorframe, causing Percy to finally look up at him, dark circles under his eyes, which had been present ever since Cedric’s death.
“Just going over a few reports Fudge assigned.” Percy’s recent promotion had only added to the stress he had already been under from Cedric’s death.
“Could they wait until later?” Oliver asked, stepping further into the room and perching on the edge of Percy’s desk, “I need to talk to you.”
Percy didn’t argue, something he most certainly would have done a few months earlier, and simply put the reports aside, giving Oliver his full attention.
“Perce, we have to talk about Cedric and what this is doing to you.”
“Oliver, there is nothing to talk about. I’ll be fine.” Percy said, dropping his eyes to the top of the desk, “It’ll pass on its own.”
“You said that three months ago.” Oliver shook his head, chewing on his bottom lip, “I think we both know what will make it pass though.”
Percy raised his eyes up to meet Oliver’s, expression firm as he shook his head, “No Oliver, I’ve told you before that won’t…”
“How do you know it won’t help?” Oliver cut in, “How do you know if you won’t go?”
“And how can you be so sure that it will work? That if I go to his grave the dreams will stop?” Percy asked, the look on his face no longer one of resistance, but of fear. Fear that he’ll go and the dreams won’t stop. He wanted more than anything for the dreams to stop. He wanted to be able to be there for Oliver and not dwell on the death of someone else.
Oliver shook his head, once again chewing on his bottom lip, “I don’t. But it’s worth a shot.” Slowly, he slid off the desk, kneeling down in front of Percy’s chair, “Percy, will you do this one thing for me? Please.”
For months now Percy had been visiting a cemetery in his sleep and despite knowing that the cemetery Cedric was in was nothing like the one he’d been killed in, he was still terrified of what might await him there.
Upon looking down at him, the look in Oliver’s eyes almost broke Percy’s heart and in that moment he realized that if he didn’t do something to move on, to get over Cedric’s death, then he was going to lose Oliver as well. And he didn’t think he could survive losing two people that he loved.
He’d already lost too many people he cared about. He couldn’t lose another.
Wouldn’t lose another.
“Alright.” His eyes never left Oliver’s as he spoke, “I’ll go.”
A small smile spread across Oliver’s lips and he reached up to lace his fingers with Percy’s “Thank you.” Softly, he pressed his lips to Percy’s knuckles.
~*~
The small cemetery wasn’t that far from where both The Burrow and the Diggorys’ home were located and the moment they’d arrived Percy had become noticeably jittery and Oliver knew it wasn’t simply because they were there to visit Cedric’s grave, but also because they were near Percy’s parents, whom he was currently not speaking to.
A small metal gate separated them from the cemetery and when Percy made no move to enter Oliver took the initiative, pushing the gate, which squeaked on its hinges, open and led Percy inside, stopping just past the gate.
Almost immediately, they spotted Cedric’s grave amongst the older, cracking tombstones, however Oliver didn’t force Percy towards it. He simply stood beside him, fingers laced together and waited. It was now Percy’s turn. Oliver had gotten him this far, but now it was up to Percy to do the rest.
It was almost fifteen minutes before Percy stepped forward towards the grave, Oliver moving with him.
When they finally reached the new stone, they simply stood, gazing down at the letters etched into it.
Cedric Diggory
October 15, 1977 – June 24, 1995
Seeing the stone made it all seem that much more real for the both of them; after all they’d both known Cedric, but in different ways.
Another few minutes passed by in silence before Percy finally spoke.
“I miss you, Cedric.” His voice was low and had there been any other noises nearby Oliver would have missed it.
Noticing tears beginning to well in Percy’s eyes, Oliver squeezed his hand lightly, reminding the redhead that he was there for him.
“I do wish we had gotten a chance to speak before the third task.” He continued, voice still low, “If only I’d gotten a chance to say goodbye. I regret the way we’d left things the last time we’d spoken and I wish we could have gotten the chance to speak before….” It was then that the tears began falling from his blue eyes and his voice became slightly louder, “Bloody hell, Cedric, why did it upset you so much that I was seeing Oliver? I simply don’t understand.”
Removing his hand from Oliver’s Percy removed his glasses and wiped furiously at his eyes, embarrassed that he’d begun crying, despite the fact that Oliver would never make fun of him for showing his emotions.
“Did you feel as if I’d replaced you? We both knew it wasn’t going to work once you went back to school. I thought we’d decided it was for the best? How was I to know that I would run into Oliver at the Quidditch Cup? I hadn’t planned on dating anyone so soon, but it simply happened. No matter what you may have thought though, I…I did love you, Cedric.”
Oliver watched silently, proud that Percy had put aside his fears and was finally able to move into the final stage of his mourning process for Cedric. This was the Percy he knew.
“Cedric, all I ever wanted was for you to be happy. Didn’t you want that for me as well?” Percy asked, looking down sadly at the stone, “Only wanted you to be happy. I’m sorry if I hurt you in any way and wish it could have been different.” Finally, he lifted his head, looking into Oliver’s warm brown eyes, the sad, troubled look, gone from his own eyes, “I wish you could have had what Oliver and I have.”
Oliver couldn’t help but allow a broad smile to lift his lips as he looked back at Percy and laced their fingers together again, bringing his hand up to kiss Percy’s knuckles.
Looking back down at the headstone, Percy sighed softly, “I hope wherever you are, Cedric, that you’re happy now.” He gazed down at the stone for another moment or two before bringing his attention back to the boy standing beside him. “We can go now.”
Still smiling, Oliver nodded then glanced down at the stone once more, “I’ll take care of him, Ced. You can count on that.”
~*~
“I want to thank you.” Percy said as they were getting ready for bed that evening.
Oliver tossed his shirt into the pile of clothes in the corner of the room, causing Percy to wrinkle his nose, he hated that ever present pile of dirty laundry, which never seemed to diminish no matter how much laundry they did, “Thank me? For what?”
“For being so patient with me,” Percy told him, wrapping his arms around Oliver’s waist and looking into his eyes, “Not everyone would have been as understanding as you’ve been these last few months.”
“Well I’m just an amazing bloke.” Oliver grinned smugly, wrapping his arms around Percy’s neck and resting their foreheads together.
Percy chuckled softly and pecked Oliver’s lips, “That you are, Oliver Wood.”
In that instant Oliver honestly couldn’t have been more proud of Percy. He knew it had been difficult for him, going to Cedric’s grave, but he’d done it and already he could see his Percy coming back to him and Oliver couldn’t wait until he had him back fully.
“Come on, lets go to bed. It’s been a long day.” He said, playing with the curls at the base of Percy’s skull.
Soon they were curled up together under the blankets, simply listening to one another’s breathing, until Percy spoke.
“I love you, Oliver Wood.”
If Oliver had thought he was happy a moment ago, he was even happier now, just hearing those three words made his heart swell and he leaned over to kiss Percy, “I love you too, Percy Weasley.”
Smiling up at him, Percy returned the kiss, putting into it everything he felt and ever had felt for Oliver.
Percy didn’t dream about Cedric’s death that night, nor did he dream about it the following night or any night after that. He had no reason to dwell on it any longer, whatever the reason Cedric had for being angry, Percy would never know and he was alright with that.
He had Oliver and he had a feeling that this one he wasn’t going to lose.
The End