And a Minute
a Harry Potter story
by tarotgal
Dating was a foreign concept in England. This is not to say people did not go out to dinner or the movies. But that was going out, not dating. The idea of having a special date with a person or- worse- dating multiple people was as confusing and strange to wizarding Britain as it was to Britain's muggles. When going out, half the fun was to guess at what it meant- whether it was simply friendship or something more. Eventually, feelings were discussed and things were sorted out. But until then, things were light and confusing and adventurous.
So when Percy Weasley looked up from his paperwork one day to find Oliver Wood hovering over his desk, he was filled with excitement and intrigue. "Oliver? You're here."
"Aye. Glad you noticed," Oliver nodded, chuckling. "Just came by to say hello. And to see if you were free this evening after work."
Percy, as usual, was both one step behind and one ahead at the same time. "Oliver, I'm supposed to be working right now," he said. He was not quite certain himself whether he was annoyed to be bothered at work or whether he was flirting. Most likely, a bit of both.
"Perce, it's... I can call you Perce, right?" Oliver said, his voice suddenly softer and more cautious. Percy shrugged and nodded. His voice perked back up. "Perce, it's twelve..." he glanced at his wristwatch, "Twelve thirty-eight. Everyone in your whole office is at lunch. Even your boss is out. You can take three minutes to talk with me when you should be eating, right?"
This was something Percy couldn't fight. He sighed, setting his quill down and moving his papers to the side to give Oliver his full attention.
His palms against the desk, Oliver leaned forward, smiling. "So... are you free later? The United are having a practice session and I'm always so hungry afterwards. Do you want to come along?" Oliver leaned forward even more, his face only centimeters from Percy's face.
Percy gave him an encouraging smile. He did not make any move to kiss or even look like he expected a kiss. "It will be another four hours and twenty-two minutes until I can leave the office."
"I'll pick you up here in four hours and twenty-three minutes, then." He slapped his hand against the desktop to seal the deal and the sound made Percy jump. He hoped Oliver hadn't noticed.
With a punctuality Percy greatly admired, Oliver showed up in the courtyard of the Ministry of Magic just after five o'clock. He was casually leaning against the wall, his legs crossed. But when he spotted Percy he smiled and waved. "Ready for some fun?" he asked.
Percy nodded and apparated away with him to just outside the pitch. Over the stands, Percy could see blurs of navy high up in the sky. "Shouldn't you be practicing with them?" Percy asked, falling into step beside Oliver as they walked into the stadium.
Oliver shrugged. "The other reserve players and I practiced with the first and second string players this morning. But they don't need me for the game tomorrow."
He sounded slightly disappointed at this, and Percy understood. The same passion he had for his work Oliver had for Quidditch. And just as Percy hoped to move up and become someone of importance, he knew Oliver dreamed of not only being the first string keeper but maybe moving on to worlds as well as professionals. So Percy patted Oliver's arm sympathetically, and Oliver smiled back at him.
They took seats about halfway up the stands, getting a good view of the players from there. The evening was cold, and the fact that the sun was setting did not help matters much. Though it had not been very sunny before anyway, due to thick grey clouds which covered the sky. The wind made things much worse, though, blowing crisply against them and stinging their faces.
Percy used it as an excuse to sit right up against Oliver's side, even though there was no shortage of seating there. Apart from the coaches who stayed mostly to the ground and a few other reserve players who'd come to watch, Percy and Oliver had the scene to themselves.
They watched as the players zoomed around, showcasing impressive ball-handling skills. Quite used to playing with his brothers, Percy definitely had an appreciation for the sport. It was impossible to resist a love of Quidditch with an older brother like Charlie Weasley. But that did not mean he understood everything that was going on. Every so often, one of the players would make a move that Oliver gasped at.
After hearing a small number of these gasps, Percy started watching Oliver more than the players. He loved the blissful expression on Oliver's face as he studied every move so carefully. Oliver knew special plays and which defensive moves to make in certain circumstances. Percy only wished Oliver's love of this could rub off more upon him.
As it began to drizzle lightly, Percy began to slightly regret the idea of accepting the invitation. In addition to the cold and the wind, rain was all they needed. Wishing he had a hat, Percy made do with keeping the weather from bothering him by slouching and digging his chin into his scarf and by tugging his black gloves up his arm as far as they would go.
Because he knew Oliver was watching him, Percy tried his best to look interested. And though it looked to him like only half a game, with players flying about and throwing balls at each other, he did smile when the keeper blocked a fast quaffle flying right at his forehead. Oliver gasped and applauded the catch. "That was good, yeah?" Percy said and Oliver nodded emphatically.
Percy continued to watch the practice session, shivering slightly. He lifted his hands and rubbed them together. Then he cupped them together and puffed warm breath into his hands. Even with the gloves on, he felt the warmth against his hands. However, he held his hands so close to his face that the breath fogged up the bottom of his glasses. He blinked repeatedly until he could see clearly again. Then he pulled the ends of his gloves again and tucked them between his legs to keep them warm.
He continued to watch the players zooming about. But he couldn't help also noticing that the drizzle was not quite so light and was, in fact, growing steady and strong. Percy tried to concentrate on the Quidditch but he seemed restless.
The seventh time he tugged at his gloves, flexing his fingers and stretching the gloves to cover as much as possible, Oliver coughed to get Percy's attention. "You're really hating this, aren't you?" he asked.
Percy laughed and shook his head. "It's nice, Oliver. I'm just really cold. And I don't really understand all the specifics well enough to appreciate them. And..." He closed his eyes and lifted a hand to his face. His breath caught and he waited, but nothing came of it. He sniffed and shook off the feeling. His nose was running terribly from the cold. "And I'm just really cold."
Oliver wrapped an arm around Percy's shoulders, hugging him close. He rubbed his hand up and down Percy's upper arm to warm him. Percy could not tell if it was genuine affection or just a way to warm him. Percy closed his eyes and hoped for a little of both. He was feeling much better now, though.
"You know," Oliver said, still watching his fellow teammates. "I'm suddenly not feeling much like having a big dinner in a restaurant. What do you say we get some take away and then go back to mine?"
Sighing deeply with relief, Percy nodded. "Thanks, Oliver. That would be great. I'm not feeling all that hungry, anyway."
Still watching the players, Oliver stood and stretched. Percy looked up in surprise. "What, you want to leave now?" he asked. Oliver replied with a shrug and nod. Relieved again, Percy jumped to his feet. Laughing, Oliver led him back down the stands.
"So, do you have anything in mind? Fish and chips, Italian, Chinese?" he asked, still watching the field as he walked down.
"Surprise me," Percy replied, shoving his hands into his pockets as they walked. He shivered a little more and found himself following Oliver closely because he knew already how warm Oliver felt to be beside. Oliver seemed to notice this but not mind.
Chinese was what Oliver decided upon. They came away with a bag containing no fewer than ten cartons of various foods. Oliver declared that Chinese made the best leftovers so there was no pressure to eat it all. And, besides, this way there was more of a possibility for there to be a few things they each really liked.
Percy had seen Oliver's place before, but Oliver had acquired a few more Quidditch posters this time, making the walls a little less sparse and a little more colorful. They plopped down on the rug, using the coffee table as though it were a regular table. And though Oliver was quite content to eat out of the cartons and pass them back and forth to share them, Percy insisted they have their own plates and dish out helpings. Oliver gave in without much argument, agreeing to Percy's statement about how they would be able to eat the same thing at the same time without any conflict. Having come from a large family, Percy knew a thing or two about sharing take away.
"ehh-Chooo!" Percy sneezed into his shoulder. He shivered and sniffed and was glad when Oliver said nothing about it. "Excuse me," Percy said politely.
Then, quickly Oliver said, "Have you tried these dumplings yet? They're fantastic." He passed over the carton and Percy took a few bites of one, nodding his agreement about their appeal. And even though the food was still warm, he shivered. When he'd swallowed, he cupped his hands to his face and blew on his hands again. And, again, his glasses fogged up partially. This time he took them off and cleaned them off with his thumb and forefinger stretching out from beneath the bottom hem of his robes. He rubbed them clean of fog and replaced the glasses.
"You're not cold still, are you?" Oliver asked.
Percy nodded. "Yeah. Why? You're not?"
Oliver shook his head. "It's pretty warm in here, actually." He stripped off his sweatshirt and handed it to Percy, who immediately pulled it on with a thank you. It smelled of Oliver and had Oliver's warmth on it, and he smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest to keep the warmth to himself. "You don't look so good, Perce," Oliver said softly. "You feeling all right?"
Percy shrugged. Now that Oliver mentioned it, he wasn't too sure. His nose and head did feel a bit stuffed up.
"I mean, I've noticed a few things. You're shivering. You've sneezed a couple times. And I've practically had to force you to eat anything. Not coming down with something, are you?"
Percy shrugged again. Oliver's observations were hard to refute. "Maybe," he admitted softly.
Oliver leaned over and pressed the back of his hand to Percy's forehead. His eyes widened in shock. "You're burning up with fever!"
"I am?" Percy looked concerned. Oliver's hand dropped away and Percy's own replaced it. He held it against his forehead for a moment, then touched it to Oliver's to compare. Oliver definitely didn't feel overly warm, but he didn't think he did, either. "You can't feel your own fever, can you?" Percy asked rhetorically. He sighed. "But if you say I have a fever, I believe you." Percy's breath caught. "Especially as I believe I need to... sneeze again..."
Oliver started to search his pockets for a handkerchief but Percy held a hand up, stopping him.
Percy pulled one from his own pocket and unfolded it in one shake. He always carried a handkerchief or two on his person, just in case. "ehhh-Shooo! hehShooo! Oh... sniff! I'm sorry, Oliver."
Oliver groaned. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I should have thought of something better to do than to go watch my teammates practice. It's just that I don't get paid very well as only a reserve player and what I do have goes straight to rent. I thought it'd be sort of a treat, since only team members are allowed in to watch practices."
"What are you going on about, Oliver?"
With a sigh, "I just mean of all the places we could have gone, I had you sitting out in the cold and the rain and you caught a cold." His face was stricken. "I really am so sorry."
Chuckling, Percy dabbed the handkerchief at his nose then tucked it away. "Actually, you can't catch cold from rain. A cold is a virus. Rain might make one more susceptible, but I must have already been sick by that time."
Oliver groaned again. "But that's even worse, then. Making you sit out there when you were already sick!" He sounded terribly regretful about it.
Percy shook his head and yawned. "It's not your fault, Olly. I didn't realize I was sick. And, in truth, I don't yet feel too bad. But maybe I should make this an early night." He pushed the remainder of his food aside.
Oliver agreed. But when Percy stood, he put a hand to his forehead and swayed unsteadily. Oliver was there in a second, grabbing hold of Percy. Percy leaned into him, resting his head on Oliver's shoulder even as they sat down on the couch together. "Sorry," Percy whispered. He rubbed at his nose and tried to sniffle but his nose was too stuffy to get much air in through it. "I don't think I can apparate home."
"Do you want to go on the Knight Bus or..." Oliver paused a moment, then gently petted the back of Percy's head. "You're welcome to crash here for the night."
"Yeah?" Percy pulled back and looked up at him. "You don't mind? I mean, I'm sick. That's kind of icky. And we haven't really talked about... well, you know..."
"Us?" Oliver replied.
"There's an us?" asked Percy quickly. Quicker, in fact, for his oncoming sneeze. He turned his head and sneezed into his shoulder. "hehhShoo! hahhChoo!" He pulled his handkerchief out again, fumbling to get it open.
Oliver took it from him and unfolded it. He rubbed it against Percy's nose, then eased it into Percy's hand. "Aye, there's an us. If you want there to be, that is. And I don't mind you being sick. But if you want me to call the bus over-"
Percy shook his head. "I'd just as soon not go home. Mother always fusses so much and I just like to curl up and sleep it off when I'm feeling sick."
Oliver chuckled. "I do that, too. Come on, I'll find you something warm to sleep in and you can go curl up."
"What about the fortune cookies?" Percy asked as Oliver stood him up and walked him over to the bedroom area of the efficiency flat.
"We don't need those," Oliver assured Percy rather charmingly. First he pulled down the covers of the bed and then dug a warm nightshirt and socks for Percy out the trunk he still used to hold his clothes. He left Percy to change in private while he cleaned up the dinner and stuck the cartons back in the fridge for leftovers. Then he returned with a tall glass of water for Percy and sat down on the bed. "You all right, Perce?" he asked, noticing Percy's slack face and vacant expression.
Percy blinked and his nose twitched. He sniffed hard, but barely any air got through at all. "Just need a tissue," he said softly, realizing he'd left his handkerchief in his pocket and that wasn't going to do him much good folded on the floor on top of his shoes.
Oliver took a tissue box out from one of the drawers of his nightstand and placed it on top, just within reach. "There you go. Now, I'm going to-"
But Percy held his finger up, motioning for Oliver to stop. "And a minute," he said. He took a tissue, folded it in half, then cupped it to his face. "ehhhh-Shifffff! hehhhChuffffff!" He blew his nose though that was equally as helpful as sniffling had been. Then he gave a soft sigh and relaxed.
"All right. Not you've got water and tissues," Oliver said, setting the glass down on the nightstand and gesturing. "But I don't have any Pepper-Up at the moment so I'm going to go out to the market and get some. Will you be all right here alone?"
Percy nodded without really thinking about it. But after Oliver waved goodbye and left him, Percy wished he hadn't agreed. It was cold in Oliver's flat. It wasn't too late yet, but just late enough for the room to grow dark as grey rain clouds blotted out half the sky. Percy tried not to pay attention to the strange shadows on the walls of a place he'd only been a few times before. Though the covers were warm, the bed was strange and unfamiliar.
"hehhChoo! HehShoo! K'Choo!" Percy reached out from beneath the blankets to get a few tissues. Then he cupped them to his face as one more sneeze struck him. "ehhhChoo!" He blew his nose and shivered so much afterwards that he had to make an effort to stop. But blowing his nose did little to help. No matter how much he blew it, it still felt all stuffed up.
Percy crossed his arms over his chest and hugged himself to try to get warm. And he closed his eyes to keep himself from getting scared as the shadows moved strangely around him. Not that they were anything to get scared about, he knew, but somehow he was, no matter how much he tried to talk himself out of it. "Got to be the... the fever... hahhhShooo!" he told himself, though he didn't feel very reassured. For all he knew, there was something lurking in the room somewhere, just waiting for him to fall asleep so it could jump out and attack him. Percy pulled the covers up to his ears, closing his eyes even tighter. He heard an especially loud crack of thunder and pulled the pillow over his head.
He shivered when he heard footsteps and the odd creak of the door opening. "Percy?" Oliver charmed the oil lamps to turn on around the room. "Perce?"
Percy burrowed out from beneath the covers. His face was flushed with the heat of being beneath them so long and his nose was running from his cold. He immediately reached for a tissue and blew his nose. "Sorry," he whispered. "I got a little..."
"Cold?" Oliver finished. Percy was going to say something more to the extent of jumpy or paranoid, but cold certainly worked as well. He nodded. "Well, don't worry about that. I've got some Pepper-Up potion for you to take and you'll have a long night in a warm bed to get rid of any leftover symptoms." He motioned for Percy to sit up, then handed over a goblet full of steaming potion he'd just poured from a bottle.
Percy drank, and blushed at the copious amounts of steam flowing out of his ears. The potion made him feel much warmer and he could feel the stuffiness of his nose just disappear into nothingness. But his nose, which had always been a bit too sensitive for its own good, was still running and a little tickly. "hehhhh- hahhShoo! hehhChoo!" He retrieved another tissue and blew his nose, feeling self conscious at the terrible sound.
Oliver noticed how uncomfortable Percy looked. He stood up, taking the now empty goblet back. "I'll let you get some sleep. You don't need me here staring at you while you sniffle." Percy smiled and lay back down, letting Oliver cover him with the blankets again. "I'll just be over on the couch. Not that I can do much of anything else... but if you need me just give a holler, all right?"
Nodding, Percy closed his eyes and snuggled into the pillows once again. But he couldn't fall asleep right away. He listened to the sounds of Oliver moving around, putting items away, then getting settled on the couch. Oliver wasn't really that far away. Certainly not that much further than the distance between the beds in Hogwarts. But once the lamps were again extinguished and the darkness filled the room again, those nervous feelings returned.
Every sniffle echoed throughout the room, sounding much louder than he would have liked. He was sure he was keeping Oliver awake with them. But his nose just wouldn't stop running. A flash of lightning illuminated the room, making him hug the blankets tightly to his chest. And a rumble of thunder made him shiver.
"hehhh..." Percy reached to the box then clamped several layers of tissues over nose and mouth to try to muffle the sound. His nose ran as it tickled, and he scrubbed at it through the tissues in a fruitless attempt to calm it. "hehhh-Chfffff! hahhShffff!"
The Pepper-Up Potion, which had undoubtedly helped lower his fever and break up congestion, only seemed to decrease his other symptoms and allow his body to fight them normally. After a good long sleep, they'd be gone. It was the getting of that sleep that Percy was finding difficult at the moment.
"Oliver?" he called, cringing at his need to resort to this. "You asleep already?"
Oliver grunted and got up from the couch. He headed over to the bed, rubbing his face. "No, no. I'm awake. What it is?"
"I... ehhh-Shufff!" He flushed and rubbed at his nose. "I think I need you here staring at me while I sniffle."
Oliver reached down and pressed his palm to Percy's forehead. He sat down on the bed and pulled the tissue box over, onto his lap. He pulled out a few tissues and handed them over to Percy.
Percy rubbed at then blew his nose, finding it much easier to do so now than before he took the potion. He crumpled the tissues up in his palm, but Oliver reached for them and pried them out. He tossed them over the side of the bed and smiled. "I'll cast a cleaning spell later." Percy nodded. "So, are you feeling any better now?" As an afterthought he added, "Now that I'm here?"
The room still looked dark, felt cold, and seemed unfamiliar. But somehow, where Oliver was, it was brighter, warmer, and more familiar. Percy nodded again and smiled shyly back at Oliver.
"Good," Oliver said softly. "Then I want you to relax and try to get some sleep, Perce." He reached down and slid Percy's glasses off. He set them down carefully on the nightstand. When he looked back at Percy, Percy was screwing his face up a little. Oliver pulled out a few more tissues and handed them to Percy.
"hehhh-KShfffff! ehhhChffff! hehhhChuffff!" He blew his nose again and, hesitating for a moment first, tossed the tissues over the side of the bed. "At this rate, it may be another hour before I get to sleep."
"I'll be here for an hour and a minute then." He dropped his hand and set it down on Percy's thigh beneath the blanket. Percy jumped at the touch and Oliver noticed but smiled as Percy scooted closer and closed his eyes, slipping into sleep far sooner than he'd anticipated.
So not my boys. Just playing.
This fic was inspired by my trying to warm my hands while wearing glasses. Strange what little things can inspire, huh? I couldn't resist writing some sexy-glasses-wearing-boy ficcage. The beginning paragraph content, however, is heavily based on a talk show interview I saw in the beginning of March or late Feb (2005). I believe the guest was Rachel Weisz (but I might be wrong)