Brown Eyes
a Harry Potter story
by midnight_angel_girl
Ginny and Percy Weasley sat on a couch in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny had a history of magic test the next day, and Percy was lecturing her on the Vampire revolt of 1932. Or at least trying to, but he had a bad head cold, and kept coughing, sneezing and forgetting where he was.
"Adyway, id thirdeed-didey, Ivad cabe to power id Hudgary ad joid forces wihh...ihschoo, itschoo, huhuckshoo, ihtshmphh." Percy caught the last one in his handkerchief and blew his nose, then coughed harshly.
Ginny pushed his glass of water to him. "Bless."
"Thags, Giddy. Dow, where did I leab off?"
"You were on your way to bed." a Scottish brogue said. Oliver Wood had come into the common room from Quidditch practice and had witnessed Percy's display "You need your rest. You were up half the night coughing and sneezing. And you don't sound any better today."
"But Giddy has a test toborrow. I told heh..herschoo, hetschoo, hayehtchoo, tode her I'd help her study. Huhchushoo."
"Bless you. I can help her study. You go to bed."
"But I'b her brother. It's by responsibility. Huckshoo."
"Percy, we're not getting much done with the way you keep sneezing."
"It's jusd a tickle id by dose. I'b fide." Percy blew his nose loudly.
"You sound worse." Oliver told him.
"I'b fihh...fide. Ihshoo, hihhkshoo. Dow, where did I leave off?"
"In 1930, Ivan came to power and joined forces with..." Ginny reminded him as Oliver sat on the couch next to Percy.
"He joid with Peter of Robadiahh...ahshchoo, hayaschoo, atschoo."
Oliver took the book from Percy. "Bless you. Go to bed."
"Oliver, I cad do dis. Besides, I habed't ebed dode by owd hobeworg yet."
"Go do yours. I'll help Ginny. Take a hot shower before you go to bed, too. It might help clear out your head a bit. Then you won't keep me up all night."
"But I wad to help Giddy."
"Percy. You're so stuffed up, I can barely understand you. Let Oliver help me."
"Fide. Ehtschoo, hetschoo, erschoo." Blowing his nose into his well used handkerchief, he headed to his room.
Oliver took Percy's spot on the couch and went over the vampire revolt with Ginny. "Understand it?" he asked when they were done.
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Oliver. Is something bugging you? You seem sort of out of it."
"Just stuff." He sighed and decided to open up to Ginny. "I'm 16; I have brown eyes, and I'm in love with a boy that if you asked him, probably wouldn't know what color my eyes are." He paused as his nose crinkled. "Hehtschuhh." He brought his hands to his nose in time to catch a powerful sneeze. "'Scuse me." he sniffled.
"Bless you. You should probably go to bed too. Don't want you catching Percy's cold."
"Hehchuhh, huhchoo. I thindk it's too late. I'm starting to feel it. I'll go get some pepper-up in the mornding." He transfigured a spare bit of parchment into a tissue and blew his nose. "I'll go to bed. Night, Ginny."
"Make Percy go too. By the way, maybe you should ask that guy."
"Maybe I will." Oliver left the common room and went to the room he shared with Percy. Percy's books were stacked neatly on his trunk, but Percy was nowhere to be found. Assuming Percy had gone to take a shower, Oliver changed into his pajamas and curled up on his bed with his homework and a box of tissues. He was working when Percy came in from his shower.
"Did you fidish with Giddy?"
"Yeah. She's ready for the test. Got your homework done?"
"Bost of it. I cad't do transfiguration. I tried, but I cad't speak clearly edough. Huptschoo, uhchushoo. Ad I've beed sdeezig sids I got out of the shower. Huhkushoo." He pulled his handkerchief from his bathrobe pocket and blew his nose.
"Get into bed, Percy. You need some sleep."
"I dow. Huh-hutchschoo." Rubbing his nose again, he crawled beneath his blankets, propping himself up on his pillows and elbows. "I'b sorry I kept you awake last dight."
"It's okay, Perce. You're sick. Everyone gets sick, and it's not your fault. And I know you're too stubborn to go to Madame Pomfrey to get something else."
"I was just there a few weeks ago. I cad't believe I'b sick agaid." "Hetchuhh" Oliver turned his head and sneezed. "We just keep passing colds back and forth this year since neither of us wants to go to the infirmary."
"I gave you dis?"
"I'll go get some pepper-up in the morning. I'm too tired tonight. You're coming with me."
Percy coughed. "I dod't wadda. Ahschuhh."
"You need a decongestant potion. You can't do any spells because you can't talk clearly enough. You are coughing, sniffling, sneezing or blowing your nose every five minutes. You got almost no sleep last night. And neither did I. If we want to get better, we need sleep, Percy." He paused to sneeze. "Hehchushoo. I think at least one of us has been sick since probably November. Let's go to bed."
"I'b still cold, Oliver. Heshoo."
"Do you have a fever?"
"I dod't dow. I cad't say the spell."
Oliver walked over to Percy and used his wand to check Percy's temperature. "It's a bit above normal, but no fever. Hehtschuhhh."
"Bless you. I cad't get warb."
"Hold on." Oliver pulled his blankets off his bed and laid them on top of Percy's.
"But now you'll be cold." Percy protested.
Oliver picked up his pillows. "Shove over. I'm cold too." Percy made room for Oliver in his bed - the two of them shared a bed from time to time when they were both sick. Oliver lay next to Percy. "You'll be warm soon" He promised.
"I dow." Percy leaned against Oliver and closed his eyes.
"Say, Perce?"
"Uh-huh?"
"What color are my eyes?"
Percy yawned. "They're...huhchushshoo. They're browd, aren't they?"
"Yeah." Oliver smiled, pressing against Percy. Maybe it was just being next to Percy, or maybe it was the fact that Percy had noticed him, despite the cold that was building in his sinuses and Percy's snores, sniffles, coughs and sneezes, he slept better that night than he had in a long time.
Not mine, just playing