Oliver apparated by the Weasley's front door, and found himself strangely reluctant to knock. Sure, Percy had invited him, but they'd never set a date or something. Maybe he wasn't even here, and then the rest of the Weasleys would think he was some sort of desperate stalker, not knowing he'd been invited.

He almost decided to leave when the door burst open and a small girl ran headlong into him before falling. He grabbed her at the last second. It was Ginny of course, and she beamed at him. The contrast between her behaviour in public and her behaviour at home never ceased to amuse him.

"Oliver! You must be here to see Percy! Are you staying a while? Fred said you got a place on the Puddlemere Reserve Team!"

Oliver laughed, relieved. "Yes, I don't know, and yes."

"Come in then," she said, graciously, showing a hint of her mother's hospitality. He blinked at the change from small hoyden to hostess, and then was amused to see the more adult behaviour vanish once they reached the foot of the stairs and she hollered at the top of her lungs, "Percy! Get down here! Oliver's here!"

There was a loud thud, and then a moment later Percy appeared at the top of the stairs, blinking, wearing the shabbiest and most ink-stained set of robes Oliver had ever seen him in. The smile on his face made the outfit fade into unimportance, however. He came down the stairs two at a time, and then, abruptly remembering his dignity, greeted Oliver solemnly.

"Hello, Oliver. It's nice to see you again," he said, holding out a hand to shake. Oliver looked at Percy in disbelief, then looked at the ink-stained hand, then back at Percy before pulling him into a hug, complete with back thumping. Oliver had come to the conclusion years ago that sometimes you just had to overlook Percy's strange behaviour. He got funny ideas about things when left to his own devices.

He heard Ginny laughing behind him as he released a red-faced Percy. "Hullo, Percy. Lovely to see you again too. Now that the formalities are over with, entertain me; I'm bored and I don't start practicing with the team for another two weeks." Suddenly it occurred to him that Percy might be busy, and he added, awkwardly, "Unless you've started work and are too busy, of course."

Percy gave up on dignity and grinned at him. "No, I don't start till August."

"Where're they putting you, then?"

"Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"Oh well, that's great…. What do they do?" Oliver knew Percy had all sorts of convoluted plans to change everything in the ministry and solve the ills of Wizard society; but nobody started in the Ministry at anything but menial tasks. And he couldn't remember this department being on Percy's short list of desired starting places.

"It's… do you really want to know this?"

"Of course I do! If I'm going to bore you with the full description and analysis of all my future team-mates, the least I can do is listen to the arcane explanation of whatever it is you're going to be doing."

Percy rolled his eyes, but started into a detailed description as they moved towards the kitchen, Ginny trailing unnoticed behind them.

~~

An hour's worth of animated conversation abruptly came to an end when an explosion of noise, arms, legs, and red hair burst into the kitchen, and Oliver was patted on the back and questioned till he was nearly deafened.

Mrs. Weasley distracted him from the baffling offer on the part of the twins to "save" him from Percy by reaching around Ron and sliding a plate of food onto the table in front of him.

"Thanks," he said, somewhat blankly.

Mrs. Weasley's answering smile was kind, and more than a little amused. "You're very welcome, Oliver, it's always nice to have one of Percy's friends over."

"Percy's friend?" burst out Fred, with an exasperated roll of his eyes.

"He's our friend too, Mum," said George with annoyance.

Ron had evidently gotten bored of Oliver, much to his relief, and was engaged in a kicking fight with Ginny under the table. He winced as a badly aimed kick on someone's part caught him in the shin. Just eating in this household was more dangerous than professional Quidditch could ever be. Oliver made a mental note to point that out to his mother, who was being ridiculously paranoid about his chances of injury in his chosen field. She still wanted him to get a job at Gringott's. How she thought he'd get a job for them with that incident involving the Snitch, the owl, and the public nudity outside Gringott's on his record from a few years ago, he'd never figure out. Mothers were strange.

Great quantities of food were consumed as Oliver lectured the twins about what they should do during Quidditch next year. Without him around, he was certain they would slack off and forever dishonour Gryffindor. If only Harry was a little older, the rest would probably vote him Captain. Since he was too young, Oliver could only pray they'd vote for Angelina, rather than either of the twins. Or the team was doomed.

Percy looked strangely amused, although Oliver couldn't imagine why. This was important business. But then, Percy thought that rat tails and flying carpet regulations were important business. He had very skewed priorities sometimes.

Both Ginny and Ron were gazing at the table with glazed expressions, however, and Oliver didn't think any further lecturing would make the twins take the situation any more seriously, so he leaned over to Percy to mutter, "So, want to go swimming?"

"Sure," Percy said, standing and grabbing Oliver by the arm. "We're going swimming," he announced to the others, before bolting towards the door, Oliver in tow.

The door crashed shut behind them, cutting off the chorus of "me too!"

"Do you have your swim trunks on, or do we need to go back in?" Percy asked, sounding like he was suggesting a terrible fate rather than a momentary delay.

"I'll just go starkers," Oliver said, to get a reaction.

He got one all right. Percy stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to him red-faced. "Not in front of my sister you won't!"

Oliver burst out laughing. "I'm JOKING, Percy. Yes, I'm wearing my trunks."

The look Percy shot him was aggrieved, as he turned with a sniff and headed towards the pond, a chuckling Oliver following and filing away the thought that Percy had no problem with a lack of swim trunks if his sister wasn't there.

~~

When they reached the pond, Oliver was amused to realize that Percy's old robes were worn over only his swim trunks. He'd obviously been planning on going swimming at some point today.

He found it difficult to look away as Percy impatiently shrugged them off and then proceeded to fold them flat, so that no creases would mar them. Only Percy, he thought, tossing his own robes on the ground next to Percy's.

"C'mon Percy, let's go! Mine don't NEED folding, " Oliver grumbled, as Percy began straightening his discarded robes.

Percy finished folding, and turned, brushing his hands in satisfaction. "There, now we can - "

He was interrupted by Ron and Ginny racing past and leaping in, splashing both of them and their neatly folded robes.

Oliver hid his smile and dove in after them. Lovely. The water was a little cooler than last year, but then, it was earlier in the summer than last year, and a colder year all around. He dove under the water and swam to the far end, determined to be out of range when the twins arrived.

He burst up for air at last, brushing his hair off his face and the water from his eyes, feeling tension he hadn't even known was there drain out of him. It was such a relief to be out of the house, and away from his mother's lectures about the instability and danger of his chosen career, away from his parents fighting over whether to accept his choice. If his father hadn't been so approving, Oliver didn't know what he would have done.

Something brushed against his side, and he nearly leapt out of the water. It was Percy, surfacing just behind him, looking far too amused. Oliver decided to let his action go uncontested, figuring it was Percy getting even for the earlier joke.

Percy flipped up into a lazy backfloat, arms outstretched. Not so many freckles this year, Oliver noticed. And his friend seemed to be finally filling out a little too… the shoulders seemed a bit broader, and lanky body a little less scrawny. It amused him, and filled him with affection, that his friend would expend the magic to keep his glasses on his face and clear of water.

Percy couldn't even take the idea of being unable to see clearly when swimming. He had to be the most compulsive person Oliver had ever met. He realized Percy had opened his eyes again and was watching Oliver staring at him. He couldn't prevent the blush from spreading across his face, so he ducked down under the water again, cursing himself for his carelessness.

He'd brought them near something they'd been dancing around and avoiding mentioning for almost a year. He was pretty sure he knew where he stood on the matter, but Percy had Penelope. Even if he broke up with her, as he'd been mumbling about near the end of school, it didn't mean he was necessarily - Oliver broke his train of thought and swam back to the surface, a couple feet away from Percy.

"Race you," he offered. Then stared in shock as Percy cast him a challenging look and took off without waiting. "You… cheat!"

Without Ginny to consider this year, Oliver swiftly caught up with Percy, even laughing. He wasn't laughing by the middle of the second lap, when Percy easily pulled ahead. Percy did Academic, he did Sports. It was a good split, it had always worked for him, and he was not about to lose to Percy Weasley!

He lost.

He grew resigned to his loss when Percy threw himself down on the grass beside him very close, gasping for breath. He slid his hands behind his back to resist the temptation to reach out and touch.

"I can't believe you beat me," he grumbled, half-heartedly.

He got a full smile in return. "I can't believe I beat you."

"Yeah, well, had to happen sometime, I guess."

"Like when you got a higher grade than I did in transfiguration that one time," Percy said, frowning faintly at the memory.

Now it was Oliver's turn to smile smugly. He'd probably just subconsciously LET Percy win, to make up for that incident. That was it.

"Did you break up with Penny?"

That was not what he'd meant to ask. It really wasn't. It wasn't like it was preying on his mind or anything, he just occasionally wondered, and it slipped out.

Percy was looking embarrassed, an almost pleading expression on his face. "Not yet."

"Oh." Oliver sat up and looked away. It wasn't like it mattered anyway.

"I AM going to, though, Oliver." Percy touched his arm hesitantly, and he turned to look into blue eyes that seemed very close. "She's just out of town till mid-august, and I don't want to break up over Owl. We are breaking up though, and I don't… I don't think she'll be all that surprised, I just. If … I want to do this RIGHT."

Oliver found his lost smile. "Percy Weasley do something wrong? Never."

Percy looked relieved.

"Well, except for the time a certain Percy Weasley raided the kitchen for snacks to keep his late night study session going. Oh, and the time Percy Weasley lied and conned passes for both him and I to go into Hogsmeade for my birthday. And the time he put the dragontongue into his potion rather than the dragoneye, and turned everything purple. And the - "

Percy slapped a hand over Oliver's mouth. "Shut it. You'll give my siblings the idea that I was something other than perfect," he grumbled. Unable to resist, Oliver licked his hand, which was snatched back with an indignant look.

A wave of water soaked them both as George leapt into the pond in front of them. "You two get stranger every year," he said with an amused look.

Fred stood beside them on the bank with a faint frown on his face. "Are you prats here to swim, or are you just going to hang out and exchange tips on how to be obsessive?" He said, sounding faintly put out.

Oliver felt his eyebrows rise. Usually the twins at least had a reason for starting on one of their fits of teasing their brother into a rage. And it was the first time they'd dared do anything similar to HIM.

"Swim, of course," Percy said, face losing animation, body stiffening. He rose to his feet stiffly, and dove into the water.

"Fred, give it a rest," George muttered. "Coming, Oliver?" He took off in the direction Percy had gone in.

Oliver got to his feet, not looking at Fred. Ron and Ginny were playing tea party and Percy was slowing down near them.

"Sorry," Fred said quietly. Oliver glanced over to see that Fred did actually look regretful now.

"You always… poke at Percy," Oliver said, "why do you do it, anyway? You know he'd do anything for you lot."

"I-"

Fred looked lost for words, so Oliver let him off the hook. "Well, I'm going swimming. If there were some way to steal this pond from you Weasleys, I'd do it in a second. I love this place." He jumped in, aiming for maximum splash, and Fred followed after a moment of spluttering laughter.

~~

Seemingly endless games of ring-toss and keep-away later, they all dragged themselves out of the water. Ron seemed less sullen this year, Oliver thought. Or maybe he was just used to Oliver enough to not mind being seen playing with his sister this year.

Whatever the case, he was cheerfully helping her gather flowers for their mother. While Oliver rather doubted that the weeds would impress Mrs. Weasley, she'd probably like them anyway. She just seemed that sort of mother.

Come to think of it, when he'd been small and brought his mother weeds, she'd always put them in her best vase and shown them off to any visitors. Impulsively, he began gathering a few for his own mother, as he ambled along beside Percy, who was arguing with the twins about their proposal to open a joke shop.

A joke shop. Wouldn't that be just perfect for the twins. They'd probably do really well at it, too, although if Percy sounded any less impressed…

When they reached the burrow, Oliver stopped Percy before he followed the rest into the kitchen.

"I'm off home now, I just wanted to say that I had a good time, Percy," Oliver said awkwardly. "Would you - If you want that is. Would you write? I mean, I'll probably see you at the World Cup, but other than that." He ran a hand through his damp hair in frustration, before looking directly at Percy.

"Every day, for most of the last seven years, I've come back to our room and talked everything over with you. And now I can't. Will you write? It won't be as good, but -"

"I'll write. As long as you write me back." Percy was smiling again.

"Okay, then. I'll be off." Oliver sketched a mock salute and moved back to apparate.

"I AM breaking up with Penny, Oliver." Percy spoke quietly, but Oliver caught it.

"Why?" he asked helplessly.

"Because I don't love her," Percy said matter-of-factly.

Oliver apparated into the kitchen, and before his mother could begin her traditional lecture about apparating into the front hall like a normal person, he caught her up in a hug and spun her around.

At her laughing protest, he set her down and presented her with the wildflowers.

"Why, thank you, Oliver!" She said, still looking surprised. "They're lovely." An elegant swish and flick of her wand later, her best vase was floating to the table, where she placed the flowers, smiling fondly.

Oliver grinned at the reaction and resolved to bribe his mother with flowers more often.

His father was already at the table, looking at Oliver with a raised eyebrow. "I take it you had a good visit, then, Oliver."

Oliver attempted to tone down his grin, but found it nearly impossible. Percy was definitely saying- or at least it seemed like he was -

"You know, we'd like to meet this Percy sometime," Oliver's mother said, mildly. "We've heard so much about him, particularly this last year."

He looked over in time to catch her lips twitching with suppressed laughter, and couldn't help blushing. It seemed he never had any secrets around here. Still… "You'll like him," Oliver said, with utter conviction. "He might come off a bit stiff at first, but he's really not."

Oliver's father looked like he was trying to suppress a smile of his own, but he said merely, "I'm sure we will," and left Oliver to gaze dreamily into space without further interruption.