Author/ff.net: Azrael
Paring: Percy W./Oliver W.
Rating: GP at least for this chapter.
Disclaimer: Not mine, my idol JK Rowling owns them, I'm just playing in the
sandbox that she created.
Warning: this is **slash**, so be warned, if this ain't your thing the what are
you doing here?
Notes: This story happens before the one that I'm currently writing, but
since the idea came in mind (actually i had this written) I decided to do both,
hopefully I'll finish them at a decent pace. This happens only in the
universe that I created from the world that JK created. Please review.
****
Chapter One : Decisions and Repercussions
Percy Weasly, the third in a long line of Weasly Children was definitely not having a good day. He looked at the gold embossed parchment that he received by Hermes, his pet owl (which also serves as his owl post, he received the owl when he was made prefect on his fifth year at Hogwarts by his parents), it has been cast with glowing charm, he glared with venom at the bold letters that were blinking up at him, it was an invitation to Ginny's wedding, his sole sister.
Frowning at the piece of parchment that has mocked him for the past week, he cried in frustration. "Darn it, Ginny, why didn't you ever take a page out of the twins book." She could have just avoided convention and just eloped and have been done with it. Though as he looked at it, it wasn't as if it was possible since his sister was very meticulous, kinda took after him in that regard and since this would be the first wedding in the Weasly family, his parents had deemed it appropriate to give a big bash to celebrate the nuptials.
The other reason that Percy didn't want to attend the wedding is he had yet to come up with a date to bring to the Burrow. And there were no way that he was going back home without a date in hand. He wasn't up to the task of enduring the grilling questions from his well meaning but often irritating relatives.
"But Percy, you have broken up with Penelope for almost three years now, don't you think that it's time that you get on with your life." His mothers voice seems to say. He can also hear the Twins voice, "So Percy, You still haven't found someone who is as perfect as you." George would say. "George, maybe you meant as prissy as Percy." The other twin Fred would probably say.
With a curse, he tossed the parchment into a pile of other parchments in the kitchen table. It landed on a blue inked parchment invitation to attend a Witches and Wizards Auction at the Star Lodge hotel, that his roommate, Hermione Granger gave him this morning as she was about to leave for the ministry and egged him to find himself a date and rid himself of the black cloud that had been hanging on his head for more than a week.
He picked it up, stared at it… Stared at it a bit more, and then came to a decision. It's crazy but it might just work.
************
Percy stood outside the main ballroom rather uneasily, astonished that he had actually gone through with his decision. Well, actually he hasn't done it yet, but he was here, ain't he? That ought to count for something. He's getting braver by the minute. Okay, maybe he wasn't getting any braver but he was getting pretty desperate and time was running out. Percy thought for a moment, maybe it was better to just bear the twins ridicule, since it's only going to be the weekend.
"No." he told himself, he could do this, he was Head Boy for heaven's sakes. Still red and half-embarrassed he looked around the main corridor and when he saw that the coast was clear, he picked up the program for the "W & W Auction" from the stack of catalogues on the table by the door.
He was certain that he could afford the bidding. One reason that he allowed himself to stay at the Ministry of Magic, Department of International Cooperation was the promotion that he got, a few years after the unfortunate demise of Crouch, Percy's boss, the de-facto head, assigned Percy his boss' job and with it came higher salary. In fact, the salary was generous enough that it even allowed him to move by himself (not technically since he's sharing it with a roommate), into a great loft. Excess of money and the fact that he wanted to place as much distance between him and his family is the reason, if he was honest with himself and of course he were, he'd say that it was the latter as the only reason.
His only consolation for what he was about to do however was the fact that the money to be raised in this event would be given to charity. For the orphan witches and wizards. Somewhat calmed by that assessment, he walked over to the seats and settled himself and he carefully read through the paragraph. Each witch or wizard is to spend the weekend with the person who bid the highest. Unfortunately for the one Percy was going to bid on, the lucky person would be spending the weekend as his date for his sister's wedding. He could just imagine how thrilled that particular person would be once they hear that particular news.
Unfortunately, there wasn't any photos to go with the profiles listed in the programme. Tonight's auction was unique in a way that the men and women who would be bidding were to bid on numbers, "sights unseen" while the unidentified witches or wizards would be waiting backstage and would only come out when the bid ends and they'll be introduced to the bidder. In fact, you wouldn't even know the sex of the one your bidding on, which is no problem for Percy anyways, since it was perfectly acceptable in the wizarding world for same sexes to be dating each other, and if he's going to the wedding with a man, at least it would be entertaining for him to see the shocked faces of his family.
Taking a deep breath, Percy looked around the packed room and gathered his wits about him. He estimated that there were about fifty to a hundred people, both witches and wizards, even some muggles (non-magic folks) who knew about them. Almost everyone are chatting excited amongst themselves. Percy sized up the crowd. Most of the men and women were dressed in their best robes, with some emphasizing the jewels embroidered on the cloth as if they were trying to make a good impression or something. Which is quite ridiculous really, when you think about it, since all you need to bring was a pouch full of money.
As with keeping with the discreet nature of the auction, no media was allowed, hence no camera. Percy's only fear was if one of the person that he would be bidding on was an employee in the Ministry of Magic, and to be printed on the pages of the Daily Prophet. As the head of his department he'd be mortified if he ended up bidding for a colleague who'd spread the news that Percy was so hard up, he had to go and buy his own date. Remembering what Hermione said, that no personnel of the ministry is to be auctioned gave him some sense of relief, in fact from what he could see that he recognized some of the bidders as Ministry employees as well. Wooh, he sighed at least he wsn't the only one making an idiot of himself. Grinning, he imagined the look on Hermione's face is she finds out that he actually went thorugh with her dare.
The host came onstage and the bidding began. He browsed through his programme and wondered what number would he be bidding for, catching a glimpse of one of the wizards from backstage, he hoped the one he decided to bid on was the same person. The man wore a simple elegant black robe, the man would make a good showing at the wedding. Good looking yet classy, but on the boring side, which is a good thing.
At least at the very least he was certain that it wasn't the man who had his back turned. Even from the back the man wasn't a suitable escort to a formal wedding. The man didn't even have the manners to stand up straight. Instead he leaned on his left feet, with his other feet tapping left and right. His blonde-brown hair is in dire need of a trim. He even had the gall to leave his robes crumpled and in disarray. Beneath it, Percy can see glimpse of a grey colored turtleneck. The body was mascular in a supple and sexy way. Percy would have been dead not to notice it, and last time he checked he was still on the land of the living. Even with his back turned to the crowd, the man exudes a certain arrogance, he knew that he looked good and was showing it to his advantage. No, definitely that man wouldn't do. He wasn't boring, and Percy wanted boring.
As the host stepped up to the podium to start the auction, Percy scanned the catalogue to see if he could hazard a guess which profile belonged to that born not to be boring bachelor. Physical characteristics such as weight, hair and eye color couldn't be mentioned, but he thought he had the description pegged anyway.
**** Good looking wizard, sensual and adventurous. Interest include flying at top speed, swimming with the dolphins and frolicking with the dolphins.
The auction began. The first witch to be auctioned was a petite raven haired shopkeeper. The next one was a wizard who works at Gringotts. Wonder if the guy knows Bill, Percy thought. The next number was the was the one he decided to bid on.
**** Attractive, educated professional. Generous, romantic twenty-five year old with a variety of interests, including music, sports, literature, and the arts.
With his eyes on the wizard in the black robe, he placed the opening bid. "Twenty Galleons" (if these currency is unfamiliar to you, galleons, sickles and knuts are wizard money, one galleon is to 17 silver sickles and one sickle is to 29 bronze knuts) The bidding was competitive. A man and a woman at the row next to him stayed with him all the way to three hundred galleons. Determined, he called out. "three fifty".
The man dropped out. "three hundred and seventy", the bid coming from the woman.
Clearly frustrated, Percy called out sharply. "Four hundred galleons" Percy bid more than he planned to but he was determined to win this one for the wedding.
His worries were finally over, the woman also dropped out. But the man in the black robes didn't move forward, in fact, nobody did. Until the host went backstage and talked to the man who had his back turned and whispered something to him. He turned around then and raised his hand to acknowledge that he was the wizard that he bought with his bid.
Percy tried his best not to faint. He'd gone and done it this time. He is way over his head. He was disappointed that it wasn't the man in the simple black robe, but what he was most humiliated about was he knew the man that he won.
In fact, he went to school with the same person, they even belong in the same house and the same year.
He thought that he would never ever lay his eyes on the student that he had the least in common with, but here he is. No one in the family would fail to comment when he brings this person, but that's the least of his worries.
Look what he'd bought to escort him to the wedding.
Gryffindor sex symbol himself and famous Quidditch captain.
Oliver Wood himself!!!
Maybe he could sneak out quietly and Oliver didn't recognize him, he had changed in the last eight years. Going to the wedding alone and enduring the jokes and remarks would be preferable to showing up with this person, who was now – darn it – heading towards him, with a smile and a look of recognition in his eyes, Percy knew that it was over.
It was too late for him to run. Too late for him to hide. Too late for him to apparate. But not too late to faint.
Which of course in all actuality, he did.