The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 23: Perspectives

People were giving Percy a wide berth and he was perfectly fine with that.

He knew he was hardly the most approachable person.  He lacked the easy-going nature of Bill, the natural charisma of Charlie and Fred and George.  Ron was shy but he had a gentle obliviousness that made him good company.  Ginny was a bundle of smiles that could crack the dourest of temperaments.  His mother generally bulldozed her way past most barriers and became friendly through force.  His father was one of the kindest and most patient men he had ever met.

Everyone but Percy had an easy time making acquaintances it seemed.

For a while he lamented it.  He wanted to be well liked, to have people want to be around him.  After trying, and failing, for a few years he decided to lean into his dubious strength and be that pillar of propriety that he liked.  He became a stickler for rules.  Doing what must be done despite being disliked for it.

It was lonely sometimes but for moments like now, it paid off.

With O.W.L.s coming up, Percy had become more terse and strict.  Fast to lecture and faster to punish if need be.  It seemed like he was the only one in the tower that took it seriously.  That was not completely fair.  Oliver took his seriously but he knew his future did not depend on his academics as much so he was not overly worried.  Vega had a large family business to rely upon and join so he could not care less about the tests.

Without substantial family coffers or any other kind of job prospects, Percy had to do exceptionally well to have any sort of chance.  His family name would be a boon and a bane at the same time.  A pure-blood wizarding family with a long history, a long history of being poor and a "quaint" tolerance for Muggles and Muggle-borns.

So he sat alone at a table in a fairly quiet common room.  The other students, even the older ones knew better now than to try and be disruptive.  No one had approached him in some time, even his brothers had left him alone.

Which surprised him when Harry stood by him.

"Hi Percy," Harry said.  "May I join you?"

Percy was more than a little surprised.  Normally Harry did his work with either Ron and Hermione or with any of the Quidditch team.  He usually did not ask to join Percy for any reason.  The younger boy's usual work mates were all missing from the common room.

As if reading his thoughts, Harry spoke, "Hermione is in the library and it's a little too stuffy in there for me right now.  Ron is off doing something with Seamus and Dean.  The girls are doing other things too."  He smiled weakly.  "I'm so used to working near someone it's a little hard to do it alone.  I promise I won't make too much noise."

Percy nodded slowly.  "Yes of course you may join me but I won't be able to help you.  I have to study myself."

Harry nodded and sat down.  "I know.  I'll be quiet.  I just wanted to work by someone."

Percy knew what Harry meant.  The common room had other students in it.  Most were reading or studying, some doing other things quietly under his strict eye.  However no one that Harry was comfortable with was there.  Aside from Percy that is.

True to his word, Harry remained mostly quiet.  He worked slowly but steadily, careful to not take too much space of the table.  Every so often Harry would stick the end of his quill in his mouth, something Percy found odd, until Harry pulled out a fresh sugar quill and stuck it to the end of his regular quill.  That made Percy snort with amusement.

Harry looked up at the sound.  "Is everything okay?  How's the studying?"

"Fine and fine," Percy replied.  "At this point I am reviewing everything again."