Harry Potter Characters X Reader

28: Nerd

TW: Death. Rating: Fred's special jokes at George's expense.

I struggled to breathe on the cold linoleum floor; blood was blocking my nose and falling into my mouth. I tried to push myself up, thinking of how just a few weeks ago I laid on the kitchen floor doing Calculus 201 homework. My life is over; I'm never going to catch up—stop. I don't have the energy to worry.

I forced my way to a wavering stance. My fingers felt like they were frozen, and my nose was on fire. I found my way in the dark to a desk. I supported myself and dug into my jacket pocket. My trusty lighter was still there. I pulled it out with fumbling fingers and lit it. The room was an office, big and professional-looking. It reminded me of dad's, yet it was still somehow colder. Loftier, more distant...something like that. Whatever synonym had the right connotation, I felt like I wasn't meant to be here.

I started looking over the top of the desk when the padding of footsteps echoed just outside. I got down and hid under the desk.

"Are you here?" a nervous man asked.

I trembled as I tried not to make a sound, not even breathe. He came closer and crouched, probably where I had been lying on the floor.

"I...I want to get us both away. It's okay. My dad loves muggles; he finds 'em fascinating and whatnot." He waited for a response. "It's okay," he promised again. "I'll get you out. You're a kid, at least to me you are. See, I have twin brothers your age, and...I don't know what I'd think or feel or do if they... Come with me. It'll all be okay; you just have to come with me so we can both get out of here."

I sighed. "Fine."

I rose behind the desk, fully prepared to kick him hard and run. I saw an average-heighted, slim 20-something with curly red hair. He wore grey pinstripe clothes and cherry horned-rim glasses. He looked like a right dork, and coming from me, that says a lot. He held a wand that glowed like an LED bulb was on the end.

"And you are?"

"Percy Weasley. Now, can we leave? Or would you rather play 30 questions?"

"It's 20 questions, but fine."

He looked around nervously one last time before pointing his wand at me. My heart stopped as I winced. I opened my eyes after feeling nothing and saw my arms weren't visible.

"Invisibility spell," he pointed out.

"Duh. Woulda been nice to know before but whatever."

"Why am I doing this?" He asked as he turned and walked out. I followed behind as closely as possible.

Finally, we were in a parking garage. He led me up and up some more until he stopped at a beat up Mustang. He opened the passenger door, threw his partially unlatched briefcase in the seat, and stooped down to clean the resulting mess. I hopped in as he did, and after a second, he slammed the door. He started the car and drove out of the car park in silence.

After a while, I asked, "Do you have any clue who I am?"

"Vaguely," he answered. "Your father is some all-important government official, right?"

"Yeah, we'll go with that. Close enough."

"What are you then?" he asked, holding the steering wheel the way one would to throttle a person.

"I'm supposed to be a child prodigy and all that."

"So you're the government official's perfect little trophy child?" I shrugged, forgetting I wasn't visible but not caring enough to vocalize the gesture. "Ha," he muttered dryly. "Been there, done that."