Realizations
a Harry Potter story
by midnight_angel_girl
Shivering slightly, Percy fumbled with his house key a minute before unlocking the front door. Slipping his cloak off and hanging it up, he used the hem of his shirt to unfog his glasses. Squinting around the kitchen, he noticed the grocery sacks on the kitchen table. Upon f urther inspection once he had slipped his glasses back on, he noticed the dirty dishes and empty soup tins on the counter. Irked at the mess and confused at why Oliver had gone shopping right before he left to go to Scotland for the holidays, he made a mental note to discuss this upon his lover's return.
Setting his overnight bag in the laundry room, he proceeded to the bedroom for a change of clothes when a harsh cough caught his attention. Pushing open the bedroom door, he saw Oliver, sitting up in bed, slowly sipping a glass of water. "You're home early."
Clearing his throat, Oliver nodded. "Aye. Jus' a wee bit of a sdiffle, but I did't wadt to give it to the kids."
Percy nodded. Oliver's family had met at his sister's, and she had 4 children, all under the age of 5. "When did you get back?"
"Christbas day. I felt a bit word out od Christbas eve, but I figured chasig her twids aroud all day had dode it. Woke up Christbas bordig soudig like this. I stayed for presedts ad breakfast; thed caught the bus back here. Why are you back so early?"
"I'm exhausted." Percy complained. "My brother and Harry all had colds, which didn't help Charlie's cat allergy. I swear so meone was sneezing or coughing every ten minutes. And every time I was almost asleep, someone would start sneezing or the twins would blow something up and the ghoul would wake up. I guess I'm used to it being quieter when I sleep. And I think I'm allergic to cats; my throat's been scratchy and I've been stuffed up. Been sneezing a bit, too." He began to get clean clothes out of his dresser and set them on the bed.
Turning the lamp on, Oliver scrutinized Percy. For Oliver to say he'd been sneezy was nothing, but Percy was known to go for days without a single sneeze. He knew that Percy's dust allergy would cause him to awake stuffy and occasionally with a sore throat, but unless Percy was cleaning or exposed to large amounts, it rarely made him sneeze.
"Anyway, I'm going to shower and then come take a nap."
"You bight wadt to sleep id the spare ro-roob." Oliver suggested before succumbing to a trio of violent sneezes. "Huh-ruhshoo, ushoo, harahshoo. I dod't wadt you gettig this." He explained, burying his nose in tissues.
"Bless you." Percy waited until Oliver could blow his nose. "I think I'll take my chances; I sleep better with you. I'm goi ng to take an allergy potion too so hopefully I'll sleep better." He pulled his handkerchief out of his back pocket and blew his nose.
"That should help." Oliver nodded, running the back of his hand across his nose. "I'll be here."
"Try to fall back to sleep." Percy s uggested as Oliver leaned back against the pillows.
After Percy left, Oliver tried to lie back down and sleep but gave up after 10 minutes. Anyway, he reasoned, he should at least show Percy the consideration of brushing his teeth. Wrapping his robe around him for warmth rather than any modesty, he proceeded to the bathroom where he wiped the steam off the mirror so he could see to brush his hair and teeth. Oliver had just put his toothbrush in his mouth when the shower door opened, and he caught sight of his lover in the mirror. "Cad I get you to stay like that?" he asked around the toothbrush.
Getting no response, he turned to see Percy struggling to hold back a sneeze. Plucking a few tissues from the box on the counter and pressing them into Percy's hand, he grabbed the robe off the door, slipping it around Percy and picking up the dropped towel from the floor.
"Hihtschihh, ihtschehh, hitchff, ahtchifff, ihhktschh, hitschuff, ihtschehhshoo." Blowing his nose, he sighed and looked at Oliver who was drying him off.
"Bless ye. Take yer potion yet?"
Percy nodded reaching for more tissues. "I did. Thaks." Half a dozen forceful blows cleared his nose out so he could speak clearly. "Right now, I just want to get dressed and take a nap." Inwardly, he sighed as he felt his nose begin to stuff up again. He nodded his appreciation as Oliver handed him his glasses from the counter.
"Aye. Ye do look tired." Oliver commented. "A dap should set you right agaid. The potiod will have kicked id by the time ye wake." Opening the bathroom door, he led the way to their bedroom.
Taking his cue from a patented Percy Weasley look, he crawled back into bed, sitting against the pillows as he watched Percy slip out of the robe and reach for his shorts. "What? Is watching me dress a spectator sport now?"
"Always beed ode of by favorites."
"Second only to Quidditch, I suppose."
"Dot right dow, it's dot." Olive r watched as the much more modest and easily embarrassed Percy flushed a deep shade of red. "Perce, you've got a great body. Show it off bore." Ducking his head into his arm, he sneezed roughly. "Ahcheshh, hehchushh, uhchushhoo, herahschoo."
"Bless." Percy waited for Oliver to blow his nose. "Sounds like a bit more than a ‘wee bit of a sniffle' to me." He gave another pointed look in Oliver's direction.
"I've beed worse, Percy. A week should set be right."
"I know. I just worry is all." He said, buttoning his trousers and reaching for his sweater. Unfolding it, he turned his head, bringing his spare hand to his mouth for a series of rough, deep coughs. "Just great." He muttered. "Now the cat hair's triggered my asthma."
"That didn't sound like how you cough whed your asthba's bad to be."
Percy gave Oliver a quizzical look. "There's a difference? A cough's a cough, Ol."
"They soud differedt. Whed your sick, it's harsher and deeper; it sounds like your trying to get fluid ad stuff out. Whed it's asthba, its dot so wet ad heavy. Ask your bub; she'll probably say the sabe thig."
Percy shrugged, rubbing his nose. "Okay. I wasn't aware you spent all this time analyzing the way I cough."
"You pick it up after tibe. How l og have we lived together? It's like how you dow dot to worry whed I sdeeze 20 tibes id a day." Oliver bit back a laugh as Percy's head emerged from his turtleneck, glasses askew across his face. "Yer supposed to take those off first." He reminded as Percy set them properly on his face again. "Hetchirrhhshh. Ad why are you wearig such a heavy sweater adyway sids you're just goig to get id bed ad sleep."
"I'm cold. I know you've probably been in bed since you came home, but you could have turned the heat back up."
"I did. Ad it's higher thad dormal sids I was freezig half the tibe. Ad you're shower should have warbed you up."
"Well, it's very cold outside."
"Ad yer sick."
"I'm fine, Ol. The potion and getting away from all the stuff covered with cat hair will have me feeling better anytime now."
"Oy, you. Get id bed thed." Oliver pulled aside the duvet so Percy could crawl in, noticing that the redhead was still shivering slightly.
"Say, Olly, where's Gus?"
Oliver sniffled and rubbed his nose. "At Charlotte's. She wadted be to rest so she said she'd take care of hib. Plus he was having fud with her dogs ad the cat ad the kids. Herahshoo, uhsheshh, hehtschishh.
""Bless. Did she give you anything for your cold?"
"Buggle stuff. She still doesd't wadt be to take pepper-up. Dot for at least adother six bodths. She thought baybe by thed, it'd work agaid." Percy nodded. It was common practice for Quidditch coaches to douse everyone with a dose of pepper-up whenever a member of the team caught cold. The downside to this was players, like Oliver, built up at tolerance to the potion. She had forbidden him from taking it for a year, in hopes that his tolerance would dissipate. "She brought a budch of cold bedicide ad cough syrup ad food up od Boxig day so I would't have to go out. I'b sorry the kitched is a wee bess. I haved't felt up to buch."
Percy pulled the covers on his side of the bed over him and stretched out on his back. "'S'alright, love." He murmured, kissing Oliver's stubbled cheek gently. "I was wondering about the mess, but it's all cleared up now." Pulling away from Oliver, he plucked a few tissues from the box on his nightstand. Sitting up, he held the tissues in preparation and sighed.
"Dose still itchy?"
Percy nodded. "I can feel them coming, but they don't want to come out," he complained.
Oliver watched as Percy's face scrunched, then relaxed. "Just be patiedt. It'll cobe. Have you warbed up at all yet?"
"No, not quihhh..." Percy brought the tissues back to his nose only to sigh again when the tickles receded. "Maybe the potion is finally starting to kick in. Now if I could get rid of the sneezes since I won't be able to sleep until ihh-hih..." Oliver bit back a chuckle as Percy prepared himself for the series of sneezes only to have the urge pull away again. "I just want to snuggle next to you and get warm." Percy complained.
Oliver scrutinized his lover once more, noting that the pale skin under his freckles was more pronounced. "Throat ady better?"
Percy shook his head. "No, and my head's throbbing too. I juuhhh...just want to sleehh...ehkishh, heckshhh, ickshuhh, ihhkishh, kisshuhh, hetchishh, hetchhh, ehhkchushh." Tightening the tissues over his nose, he began a long series of blows, rendering the tissues useless. "Findally." He sniffled, noticing that the congestion returned to his cleared out nose almost instantaneously.
"Better?" Came a gentle question from beside him.
Coughing slightly, Percy shook his head, reaching for another tissue. "I'll get you sobe water." Oliver offered, slipping out of bed. Moments later, he set the glass on Percy's nightstand, he, once again, slipped in beside him, sighing as he caught a glimpse of Percy's frustrated expression and the tissues clenched in his hand. "Still sdeezy?"
"Yes." Percy grumbled, rubbing at his nose. "Just dot endough to actually sndeeze."
"Poor Percy." Oliver murmured, leaning closer to him and sliding Percy's spectacles off his freckled, reddening nose, following the move up with a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Perce, you're really warb."
"No, I'mb not. I'mb still freezig."
Oliver sighed again as he heard the increasing congestion in his lover's gentle voice. "Yer sick, babe."
"It's allergies. I'll be finde ondce I cand sleep."
"You're soudig worse thad whed you cabe id. If it was a cat allergy, you should soud better; there's do cats here ad you showered ad chaged. Why dod't I get your teberature?"
"I'mb not sick."
"Hubor be." And as Percy opened his mouth to protest, Oliver stuck the thermometer in. "Dow close your bouth." Knowing Oliver wouldn't give up, he closed his mouth around the thermometer, glaring at Oliver as he did so. As it beeped, Oliver pulled it out and glanced at the numbers. "Aye, you've a fever." He reported gently as Percy itched at his nose again.
"I do not." Percy protested uselessly.
Oliver handed him the thermometer, turning his head to avoid dousing Percy with a harsh wet sneeze. "Hehr-ruhshhuhh."
"Bless you. And I can't read it without my glasses." He half reminded, half whined. Oliver blew his nose before handing them over. Percy sniffled as he perched the horn-rims on his nose and gazed at the thermometer. With a frustrated groan, he flopped back against the pillows. "Olly." He whined.
Oliver understood the whine. "I dow , but it happeds, Perce. You spedt the holidays at hobe with 6 sick people. Ad I could have beed codtagious before I left. So it bakes sedse that you'd be sick."
"But Ginny and my parents aren't sick" came Percy's weak argument.
"They cad take pepper-up to prevedt it, ad that's whed it works the best."
"But I don't want to be sick."
"I don't think you get a choice there, babe." Oliver tousled Percy's curls, trying not to laugh as they instantly sprung back into place. Illness and his hair were two aspects of his life Percy couldn't control, despite his constant efforts to the contrary. Once again, sliding off the glasses, he gently caressed his cheek. "Just rest hod. Do ye wadt sobe cold bedicide?"
Percy shook his head. "Jus' sleep once I cand get rid of these sneezes."
Oliver tried not to smile at Percy's petulant attitude. "Why dod't ye lie back ad dot thik about it?" he suggested, pulling the covers up over Percy before settling back himself.
Percy sighed, deeply annoyed at his stubbornly tickling nose. "I dond't have much of a choice about it, do I?" he grumbled darkly, scrunching his nose again.
"Do, ye dod't." He chided gently, trying not to smile at his lover's antics. "Yer dose has a mide of it's owd right dow." He uttered rapidly, ducking his head away. "Eh-chuishhhh, uhhschuhhh. Dow what?" He asked Percy's dark scowl as he helped himself to the tissues.
"How come you get to sneeze when I can't?" Percy was clearly whining now.
This time, Oliver couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Because by dose always has a bide of its owd, by little grubpus." He gently pushed Percy back against the pillows.
"I am not a grumpus." Percy protested indignantly, body stiffening as the sneezes he'd been fighting with came faster than he expected. "Uhh-kisshhh, hihkshh." Percy barely managed to clap his hands over his nose to catch the first one before the rest came. Inhaling quickly, he readied himself for the rest. "Hih-chesshhh, chuhhshhh, Hihhishhh, ihhshh, ihhkshhh, ihhkishhh, iihhkshehh, Ihkshh, hetchh, ehhkutchhh ihhkshh. Olly, dissues. Ihsheshh." Removing his hand to take the proffered tissues, an uncovered sneeze crept out. "Eh-chusshhooo," Percy flushing scarlet with it. Pressing the tissues around his nose he squished the last "Ihkshh" before blowing his nose insistently. Sighing, he slid back down against the pillows.
"Bless. Better?"
Percy nodded, catching his breath. "A bit dizzy now." He admitted.
"I reckod so. Odce they started cobing they didn't give you buch of a chadce. Thik you could sleep dow?"
Percy nodded, feeling the long denied fatigue wash over his body. "I dod't thindk I cand stay awake." He admitted snuggling closer to Oliver's body heat. "Gus is really okay at your sisters?"
"He...heehh-chuhhh. He's having the tibe of hi s life. We really should thik of expandig our little fabily." He suggested.
In spite of his fever, growing congestion and achyness, Percy smiled. Wizarding laws as well as Muggle laws made marriage impossible for them, but it felt good to hear Oliver voice what he had thought all along. "We are a family." He agreed. "What did you have in mind? Another puppy?"
"Ode dog's edough sids we're id ad out so buch. I was hopig, baybe, a kitted?"
"Since I'mb sick and not allergic, I dond't see why not. I wouldn't mind the extra combpandy whend you're on the road."
"Or whed you cad barely pull yourself away frob the office for a shower. Whed we're better, we'll pick ode out." He sniffled. "But for now, let's sleep." He yawned.
Percy returned the yawn and snuffled closer. "Sleep is good. Whend we're better, we add to our ‘childrend.'" He gently kissed Oliver's ear and closed his eyes. "A kittend would be good, but right now, sleep would be better."
"Aye." Olive agreed softly, drifting off, head on Percy's shoulder.
Gift fic for tg