Harry Potter and the Rewrite of Azkaban

Chapter 7

The warmth of the Hufflepuff common room wrapped around Percy with welcoming arms, a blanket on his wiry body. He instinctively leaned into Oliver, nervousness already setting in. Oliver took his hand, smiling at him softly.
"You'll be alright, Perce. Cedric doesn't bite," he joked, and Percy felt a small smile wander across his lips. Oliver led him up to Cedric's dorm, not unhappily, and knocked on the door politely. Cedric opened it, already beaming and ready to go.
"I guess we're going, then," he said cheerily, sunshine infecting his words, warming Percy's heart as Cedric smiled at him softly.
Percy looked down, fiddling with his navy blue coat as Oliver bent on one knee to tie up his shoelaces.
"Shall we head off, then?" He asked, a shock of nervousness racing through him.
The boys set off hastily, a giggly flush having enraptured Oliver and Cedric as they light-heartedly made fun of the ginger boy, setting his eyes rolling a mile a minute.
They ended up on the gravel path to the lake, Percy admiring the falling leaves as Cedric lodged himself between the other two boys to keep warm. Percy wrapped an arm around his shoulder while Oliver attached himself to Cedric's waist as he blushed and laughed.
A tentacle stroked the undersurface of the water, careful not to break it's delicate veneer. Cedric positively glowed at seeing it, the lights dancing in his eyes.
"Say hi squid!"
"Hi squid!" Oliver yelled, waving to it with his spare hand, clearly having caught the contagion of giddiness that the Hufflepuff boy carried.
"Good evening, squid," Percy said politely, as if he and the giant squid were at an afternoon tea party, setting the other two boys off laughing like wild things.
Truth be told, Percy Weasley had come out by the lake before. He felt as if the squid was the only one that would listen to his stresses without trying to fix them or comfort him. In a way, a rather odd way, it was comforting. He didn't need to have his guard up around the squid. Besides Ginny, Ron, Charlie, and obviously the two boys next to him, the squid was the only being that knew Percy's secret, how he truly felt. He couldn't tell the rest of his family - they either wouldn't understand or they'd make fun of him. He couldn't tell the teachers, that would be a little... Weird. Going out to the lake, talking to the giant squid, it just made sense to him. It made Percy feel a little less alone in his struggles.
"Hey, Perce, you look a bit thoughtful. What's on your mind, hmm?" Cedric asked considerately, a little look of concern passing his dark eyes.
"Nothing of too much importance. Just... Next year is our last year here. The only way we'll be back here is if we're teachers," Percy replied, sighing, a wistful look glazing over his eyes. Cedric thought they held a beautiful deep colour, like a splendid fairywren. They were ones you could get lost in easily and find yourself in again later, like the sky as it settles between day and night and the stars peek out. Percy looked at a particularly interesting rock on the ground, his curly hair bouncing with his sudden movement, knowing that if he dwelled on leaving too much, it would break him.
Not much could break him. But the thought of leaving Hogwarts, the thought of not being able to contact Cedric or Oliver again, the thought of never being able to say goodbye... It scared him. He knew it was irrational, stupid, but what could he do? He was scared and already stressed with the amount of homework, and it was barely September yet. He shouldn't have to worry about losing anyone. But... It was like he couldn't stop worrying, couldn't stop thinking of every bad scenario ever. It was a problem.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around him, a chin resting on his left shoulder. Oliver grinned at him, saying nothing. He remembered. Of course he did. Percy smiled softly as Oliver gently kissed his cheek, making both of them blush. Cedric joined the hug, sandwiching Percy in the middle as they stumbled a little. Percy tripped over a rock, toppling over the other two. The three landed in a mess, flushed, arms and legs tangled up. Oliver burst out laughing, and soon all three of them were laughing as they slowly untangled themselves from each other.
"You two are the best," Percy said, not for the first time. He kissed the cheeks of both the Hufflepuff and the other Gryffindor, and they walked back huddled together, holding hands as they did so. They were going to be okay. Nothing bad would happen. Percy had a feeling about that.