Shots to a "Merry" Christmas

Percival Graves x Reader : Broken

—Grief and grievances—

In a flurry of black robes and a slam of a door, you could already picture who the perpetrator who entered your office was. And he wasn't going to be happy, not about your current situation, no he wasn't.

In flew a very calm and composed Graves, or what seemed like it. You knew he was a bundle of nerves at this point as he pointed his wand at you without a moment's hesitation.

"Accio!" The razor blade you had been holding flew into his open grasp and he pocketed it before approaching you. You were seated on the ground, hidden behind your desk as the weight of the day weighed upon your being.

The indispensable and inseparable twin aurors. You were proud to say that you were one of them at some point in time but now...

Now, you were the only one left. Alive but broken.

Long story short, you didn't really take bad news all that well. Especially not when you witnessed it first-hand.

You had witnessed your twin's blood curdling screams as they were tortured under the cruel hands of Grindelwald's fanatics, witnessed their death. You could remember, it was forever burned into your eyes. You could always remember how the light left their eyes whenever you closed your eyelids, mouth gaping open in a silent plea. 

Not that you were safe from the same treatment either but thankfully, the other aurors in the department had busted you out of there before you meet the same fate. You wished you did.

Percival looked at you in exasperation, furrowing his eyebrows in concern when his sharp eyes caught on to the traces of blood on the blade.

"Please tell me you didn't."

Your lack of response only proved his suspicions to be right.

"(Y/n), (Y/n), (Y/n)...You promised you wouldn't." He sighed, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. A strand came loose, falling onto his forehead but he made no move to put it back into place.

He gestured for you to come closer before he picked up your arm and pushed back the sleeve to revel whatever you had done to mar yourself. Slowly shaking his head, as if in disapproval, he brushed his thumb across the expense of bare skin.

Following the trail of his thumb, clear, unmarked skin turned to reveal multiple cuts and faint scars.

You let out a hiss as he accidentally thumbed over one of the more recent cuts that was still barely closed.

He had undone your quick disillusionment charm with non-verbal magic, much to your dismay.

"Episky." He muttered, smoothing his palm over the collection of wounds and old scars alike.

You watched as the skin knitted itself together and the scars faded back into nothing. Somehow, the sight of it healing angered you.

Silently gripping your wand with your free hand, you whipped it forward. "Incend—" You were all but ready to hex the guy into oblivion in your grief at his unwelcome disturbance. Until, of course, he just had to render your wand useless as well. You snarled at him as he knocked the offending piece of wood out of your hand after wrestling the limb down and well away from his being.

"I don't think it's all that great of an idea to be attacking your department head, (y/n)." He warned lowly.

"Why do you care, Mr. Graves? It's just another achievement down under your name, isn't it, recovering one of the two assets lost to darkness!?" You lashed out at him for a while before you felt the tears finally well up.

"Shhh, I'm sorry about your loss, I really am."

He muttered softly, moving up to brush the tears off your cheeks.

"We've lost a great auror and he'd be honored as such."

His touch calmed your frazzled nerves somewhat and you leaned into him as he held you in a comforting hold. Percival's lips quirked up a little when he felt you leaning into him, thankful that you weren't about to push him away in your about of grief.

"I want revenge, Percy." You grit out between muffled sobs. He ran his hands up and down your back as you sniffled before reaching up to make you face him.

"Look at me,"

Your teary gaze flickered up to meet his dark eyes.

"We have them locked up in the cells down below. I can put in a word with the president but first you'll have to pick yourself up. Understand?" You swallowed, nodding as you understood the implications of his words.

"Good." He stood up and pulled you back on your feet along with him.

"And no more cutting. Promise me." He held up the razor blade he had confiscated from your grasp earlier.

You hesitated, staring up at him for some time before he prompted you again, placing his hand on your shoulders.

"Promise me, please."

Percival breathed a sigh of relief when you nodded, begrudgingly.

He couldn't lose you again, not when he had finally gotten you back under the safety of his wing.

Safe, broken...but alive and breathing.

That was all that mattered.

It wasn't the first time that he had a captured auror return from Grindelwald's grasp after a period of time. The head of magical security didn't normally pay much heed to them other than to send them back home to pick up their broken pieces and piece themselves together. Or dismissing them from the job when they proved that they could no longer be useful in this field of work. But when the person in question happens to be someone close to him however...

That's when he gets a personal grudge in place and he won't stop at anything to see it through.

He pressed his lips to your temple.

"Everything will be okay, (y/n)."

He'd piece you back together himself, no matter how long it takes.