Not My Affair VI
Sep. 10th, 2003 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusThe third in our series of drabbles. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
isolde9, who helped cheer me up when I was feeling low yesterday, requested Ron/Percy. Some of you may recall 'Not My Affair' series last winter. This will stand on its own, but it's probably best to read those first.
Not My Affair: Part VI
by Icarus
Percy sat behind his desk, the last person left in the office as usual. He turned towards the window, rolling up the scroll to seal it - and started slightly at the figure reflected in the glass. He hadn't heard him come in.
Ron looked different in his Auror's robes, taller, more imposing. When he'd first put them on a year ago he looked like a kid playing dress up. But now that he'd been through training....
"Hello," Percy said, dripping wax carefully onto his letter. His hand shook a little as he pressed the company logo on to seal it. "It has been a while."
Ron nodded as leaned against the wall, silently, taking in his surroundings with an Auror's alertness and caution. He measured everything with his eyes, and Percy could almost feel him scan the titles of the books on his shelves, take in the fluttering paperweight, and frown disapprovingly at the large picture window.
"None of those books are on dark magic, the umbrella stand is not going to attack," Percy commented, "and I can't do a thing about the fact my window overlooks a cemetery." He leveled a gaze at his brother over a half-finished contract for Carmichael & Stutters Reliable Remedies. "I didn't just lose my political career. I had to start over; from the bottom."
Ron blushed, and for a moment he looked like himself again. Percy's throat caught. "I'm sorry." He shrugged. "Checking just gets to be a habit. And... I - I heard. About all that shit."
The room was silent a moment.
"Why, Percy?"
Percy wondered why it had taken Ron a year to ask. Now that his life was in an upswing, the past didn't seem so bad. He sighed and cast a slight warming charm on the globe beside him. It was hard to look at Ron without a wash of memories, that strong hand pulling on him and... Percy cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the desk.
"It was better just me than both of us, Ron. If the papers had found about what really happened...." Percy set down his quill and leaned back in his chair. "Well. I did damage control and distracted them with that fling with Erich. It was rather messy but not as bad as it could have been."
"You could have explained!" Ron exploded, though his voice was more measured than Percy remembered. "It was an accident -! You were drunk, and everyone has had something like that happen at an office party -"
"Not with their brother."
"- they would have understood, and I would've vouched that you were telling the truth. They'd have to believe me. You didn't need to let them tear you apart."
"Well, it was one way to learn who my friends were." Percy's smile was wan. "And how few. It was politics, Ron. You have to be above reproach. I was a liability to Fudge and he had to let me go. Although I'll admit, his calling me a 'feckless catamite' in The Daily Prophet was a bit beyond the pale."
"Merlin's balls, Percy. I was in Basic. Solitary. I didn't even hear about it till I got out." Ron looked older; worry lines crossed his face.
"I know. At least everyone found me entertaining for a month or two." Percy couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of his voice. "On the plus side, I received quite a few love letters." In addition to those Howlers with the appalling grammar, but that was a given. He returned to writing. "I even heard from Professor Snape."
"Snape?" Ron finally sat down, turning the chair automatically so he could see the door. "Blimey, can you think of anything worse to find in your bed in the morning?"
"You mean other than rolling over and finding my little brother there?"
Ron's nervous chuckle was almost a cough. "I walked into that one, didn't I?"
"If I recall, we ran up the stairs to my flat."
"Stop. Percy."
Percy made a helpless gesture. This was the longest, most rational conversation they'd had since it happened. Ron sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Percy knew the feel of that hair, thick and wavy between his fingers. His body remembered things that his mind consciously shoved aside. This was why they didn't talk. But they'd have to sometime. He forced himself to meet Ron's eyes.
Ron asked softly as he stared at his hands, "How did they find out?"
The lowered voice wasn't necessary. He and Ron didn't work at the Ministry anymore. Ron had quit and joined the Aurors, and no one here cared. Competency, that's all this company required.
"One of my firecalls I think." That turned a knife in the wound. It had been an obsession of his for so long, figuring out who, how, and why. But he had finally accepted that he couldn't change it, so it didn't matter. "I should not have firecalled from the office. I did an Obscurus spell, or they would have tracked that it was you. But somehow, someone must have heard me. They always could smell blood in the water."
"I'm glad you're out of there."
Percy laughed a little at this. "I'm not. I was going to be Minister of Magic, didn't you know that?"
Ron cringed and stood. "Come on then." He pulled open the heavy mahogany door. "The world's not going to end if you leave before seven, is it? I'll walk you home."
"Do you think that's wise?" But he already had his cloak in hand. Ron just snorted.
They crowded into the elevator. Ron was so tall. Percy hadn't really been aware of how much taller he was until that night, when he was measured against his bare chest, this man who had been drunk enough to laugh at his worst jokes and wasn't his type but it didn't matter then. Who, as it turned out, had never slept with a man before, never even considered it, "but why not?" he'd said. He got quite an introduction. The elevator doors slid shut.
"You have to pick a floor, Percy."
Percy startled out of his reverie. "Right."
Ron's eyebrows were raised in amusement, and Percy realised Ron liked having the power to scramble his brother's brains.
"You know that mum wants me to reform you?" Ron said. "Teach you how to be manly, maybe introduce you to a nice girl."
"You're joking," Percy tittered. The elevator opened. A typical London rain pattered on the windows.
"Yeah. Here's one I'm never gonna explain." He held the door for Percy.
"How's it working out with -- who was it? -- Hepizibah?"
"Gertrude. That was months ago -- and a complete disaster. Now Loreena on the other hand..." Ron grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "I'm starving. Do you mind if I invite myself over for dinner?"
"Only if we pick it up on the way home. I've nothing in the house," Percy shrugged as they stepped out into the rain. He smiled. "But you're buying."
"You're on."
Finis.
isolde9, who helped cheer me up when I was feeling low yesterday, requested Ron/Percy. Some of you may recall 'Not My Affair' series last winter. This will stand on its own, but it's probably best to read those first.Not My Affair: Part VI
by Icarus
Percy sat behind his desk, the last person left in the office as usual. He turned towards the window, rolling up the scroll to seal it - and started slightly at the figure reflected in the glass. He hadn't heard him come in.
Ron looked different in his Auror's robes, taller, more imposing. When he'd first put them on a year ago he looked like a kid playing dress up. But now that he'd been through training....
"Hello," Percy said, dripping wax carefully onto his letter. His hand shook a little as he pressed the company logo on to seal it. "It has been a while."
Ron nodded as leaned against the wall, silently, taking in his surroundings with an Auror's alertness and caution. He measured everything with his eyes, and Percy could almost feel him scan the titles of the books on his shelves, take in the fluttering paperweight, and frown disapprovingly at the large picture window.
"None of those books are on dark magic, the umbrella stand is not going to attack," Percy commented, "and I can't do a thing about the fact my window overlooks a cemetery." He leveled a gaze at his brother over a half-finished contract for Carmichael & Stutters Reliable Remedies. "I didn't just lose my political career. I had to start over; from the bottom."
Ron blushed, and for a moment he looked like himself again. Percy's throat caught. "I'm sorry." He shrugged. "Checking just gets to be a habit. And... I - I heard. About all that shit."
The room was silent a moment.
"Why, Percy?"
Percy wondered why it had taken Ron a year to ask. Now that his life was in an upswing, the past didn't seem so bad. He sighed and cast a slight warming charm on the globe beside him. It was hard to look at Ron without a wash of memories, that strong hand pulling on him and... Percy cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the desk.
"It was better just me than both of us, Ron. If the papers had found about what really happened...." Percy set down his quill and leaned back in his chair. "Well. I did damage control and distracted them with that fling with Erich. It was rather messy but not as bad as it could have been."
"You could have explained!" Ron exploded, though his voice was more measured than Percy remembered. "It was an accident -! You were drunk, and everyone has had something like that happen at an office party -"
"Not with their brother."
"- they would have understood, and I would've vouched that you were telling the truth. They'd have to believe me. You didn't need to let them tear you apart."
"Well, it was one way to learn who my friends were." Percy's smile was wan. "And how few. It was politics, Ron. You have to be above reproach. I was a liability to Fudge and he had to let me go. Although I'll admit, his calling me a 'feckless catamite' in The Daily Prophet was a bit beyond the pale."
"Merlin's balls, Percy. I was in Basic. Solitary. I didn't even hear about it till I got out." Ron looked older; worry lines crossed his face.
"I know. At least everyone found me entertaining for a month or two." Percy couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of his voice. "On the plus side, I received quite a few love letters." In addition to those Howlers with the appalling grammar, but that was a given. He returned to writing. "I even heard from Professor Snape."
"Snape?" Ron finally sat down, turning the chair automatically so he could see the door. "Blimey, can you think of anything worse to find in your bed in the morning?"
"You mean other than rolling over and finding my little brother there?"
Ron's nervous chuckle was almost a cough. "I walked into that one, didn't I?"
"If I recall, we ran up the stairs to my flat."
"Stop. Percy."
Percy made a helpless gesture. This was the longest, most rational conversation they'd had since it happened. Ron sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Percy knew the feel of that hair, thick and wavy between his fingers. His body remembered things that his mind consciously shoved aside. This was why they didn't talk. But they'd have to sometime. He forced himself to meet Ron's eyes.
Ron asked softly as he stared at his hands, "How did they find out?"
The lowered voice wasn't necessary. He and Ron didn't work at the Ministry anymore. Ron had quit and joined the Aurors, and no one here cared. Competency, that's all this company required.
"One of my firecalls I think." That turned a knife in the wound. It had been an obsession of his for so long, figuring out who, how, and why. But he had finally accepted that he couldn't change it, so it didn't matter. "I should not have firecalled from the office. I did an Obscurus spell, or they would have tracked that it was you. But somehow, someone must have heard me. They always could smell blood in the water."
"I'm glad you're out of there."
Percy laughed a little at this. "I'm not. I was going to be Minister of Magic, didn't you know that?"
Ron cringed and stood. "Come on then." He pulled open the heavy mahogany door. "The world's not going to end if you leave before seven, is it? I'll walk you home."
"Do you think that's wise?" But he already had his cloak in hand. Ron just snorted.
They crowded into the elevator. Ron was so tall. Percy hadn't really been aware of how much taller he was until that night, when he was measured against his bare chest, this man who had been drunk enough to laugh at his worst jokes and wasn't his type but it didn't matter then. Who, as it turned out, had never slept with a man before, never even considered it, "but why not?" he'd said. He got quite an introduction. The elevator doors slid shut.
"You have to pick a floor, Percy."
Percy startled out of his reverie. "Right."
Ron's eyebrows were raised in amusement, and Percy realised Ron liked having the power to scramble his brother's brains.
"You know that mum wants me to reform you?" Ron said. "Teach you how to be manly, maybe introduce you to a nice girl."
"You're joking," Percy tittered. The elevator opened. A typical London rain pattered on the windows.
"Yeah. Here's one I'm never gonna explain." He held the door for Percy.
"How's it working out with -- who was it? -- Hepizibah?"
"Gertrude. That was months ago -- and a complete disaster. Now Loreena on the other hand..." Ron grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "I'm starving. Do you mind if I invite myself over for dinner?"
"Only if we pick it up on the way home. I've nothing in the house," Percy shrugged as they stepped out into the rain. He smiled. "But you're buying."
"You're on."
Finis.
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no subject
Date: 2003-09-11 07:04 am (UTC)I had to go back and read the series, and I like the first two and this last one the most. This one probably most of all, and not just because it was for me, but because I can really see Ron investing a huge amount in the I Am An Auror view of the world that Aurors have in canon, and yet not being taken over by it. I really believe that about him.
And Percy. I'm really interested in the question of Percy and sex, I'm never quite sure how much I'll believe it. But in the opening stories I do believe Percy with a sequence of anonymous lovers, and now... how do I feel about career-sacrificing Percy. After OotP it's a stretch, to imagine Percy would put Ron first in that way, feel pained by Ron's anger/rejection (but of course you wrote that before book 5). So if I accept that he has done that then yes I believe in this muted, disconcerted, just a little hopeful Percy, and I love how you could feel the edge of a possible desire in him - was Ron interested perhaps in something more. And I like that Ron bluntly showed no such possibility. This is a very grown up Ron, sadly (and I can't believe I just said that).
I'd love to see a sequel where they fucked again, but in some ways I wouldn't believe it as much as this. Poignant.
Thanks.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-15 11:30 pm (UTC)I agreed with you on the career-sacrificing Percy. He wouldn't do that. But, what wasn't clear in my original version (which I've changed slightly here) was that his career was screwed based on his being caught having a sexual relationship with a man. It would have been worse - much worse - if it were known that that man was actually his brother. Plus, it would have dragged Ron down with him.
My point in this story was really for them to re-establish their friendship and trust, to a level they didn't have before this happened.
As for post-OotP Percy, I still believe that he loves his family. He's just rebelling. We've got to remember, he's only 19. I haven't forgotten the second task in GoF, where Percy rushed into the water to help Harry carry his little brother out. To me that said it all.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2003-09-16 12:06 am (UTC)Well thanks, but as much as I'd like to I don't think I can claim more than prodding status.
I agree that Percy is only 19, and 19 has its certainties about how the world is that often don't last... but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's only rebelling. Most of us are not 19 now, and I think it's easy to forget how much ourselves we were then.