FICLET: Daring Rescue (Percy/Rufus)

[amor-remanet.livejournal.com]

Title: Daring Rescue
Character Pairing: Percy Weasley/Rufus Scrimgeour
Prompt: "knight in shining whatever"
Rating: PG
Word Count: 630
Summary: "Never before in his life has Percy been more certain that he wasn’t ever meant to be a Gryffindor..."
Author's Notes: The only real advisory warning here is for a little bit of colorful language.
Link to Prompt Table: Aqui!


Oh, Merlin. Oh, Godric. Oh, sweet, merciful Rowena. Oh, Merlin’s balls.

Never before in his life has Percy been more certain that he wasn’t ever meant to be a Gryffindor, that he’d just wound up in the lions’ den because he had freckles, red hair, and the surname Weasley. Brilliant, he ran after the Death Eaters with Charlie and Bill, but he also lost Charlie and Bill, and then he lost himself, and now he’s just trying to dodge hexes and keep up the hope that he’ll get out of this alive. Or, failing that outcome, that Charlie, Bill, and Dad, and the Twins, and Ron and Ginny, and Harry and Hermione will get out of this alive. The kids should be safe, if they’re not doing anything reckless – but only Ginny and Hermione can really be counted on to do so.

“Charlie!” he calls out in no particular direction. “Bill!”

No answer. Typical. Just like the owls he was always told to send them in Egypt and Romania, but that they never bothered to answer. Just like all the times when they were younger and the two of them took him out to play, lost him on purpose, and forced Mrs. Lovegood or Mrs. Diggory to help him get home.

“Charlie! Bill!”

Percy hates the desperation in his voice. All the effort he’s put into not being weak, not being dependent, and now he’s losing his head because he got separated from his older brothers. But, so help him, he isn’t going to call for-

“DAD!”

A Stunning Spell shoots right past Percy’s ear and, suddenly, the truth occurs to him: there’s no way he’s getting out of this alive. He’s going to die, and he never even came close to being Minister for Magic. He hasn’t even given Mister Crouch his report on cauldron bottom thickness yet.

He whips around in the direction from which the spell came, wand drawn and pointed out towards whatever might come. But the person who steps into the light isn’t a Death Eater. Rather, he’s a face that Percy’s seen around the Ministry, especially around the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and especially around Dad. Meeting him for the first time directly challenged Percy’s assumption that no one important at the Ministry liked his father.

But, he has to be sure. Countless professors would be horrifically upset with him if he didn’t make sure of whom he was looking at.

“M-M-Mister Scrimgeour?”
Scrimgeour nods gruffly, but retorts with his usual, “Told you before, son: you’re an adult, you’re working at the Ministry now, and you can call me Rufus.”
“I-I’d prefer not to, sir.”

Scrimgeour’s next expression is an uncommon one for him: concern. He frowns and knots his brow in a way that Percy never thought he’d see on the other man, and, without asking for permission, he advances towards Percy, puts the back of his hand on Percy’s forehead.

“S-sir?”
“Feeling alright, son? You look awful.”
“Aw-awful, sir?”
“Pale as death, like you’re expecting to die – things along those lines.”
“Well, there – there are Death Eaters, sir-”
“Don’t worry,” he said. For once, his voice isn’t gruff. It’s oddly soothing, actually. “You’re with me now.”

He wraps an arm around Percy’s shoulder and everything feels safe again. They make it into the woods safely, and Percy doesn’t have time to complain before Scrimgeour takes his free hand.

“Stay here,” he commands gently. “I’ll come find you when we’ve handled them.”
“But, I-I – they’re out there, and I-I should be helping. My brothers and my dad-”
“Some people are fighters, Percy, and others aren’t. You’ve done well enough for tonight.”

Percy’s not surprised to watch Scrimgeour go, but, later on, he must admit: his expectations shatter when the man comes back.