This is my entry for Morning Lilie's Forgotten Family Ties Competition. My pair is Audrey and Fleur and my prompt is Dream.

But let me explain first. When I got this pair, I realize I had no idea who Audrey was. So, up until the last chapter, everything will Audrey and Percy's story. The last chapter will be my actual entry to the competition.

I don't own Harry Potter because when the first one came out, I couldn't read.

Hope you enjoy!

London - 1995

In 1995, Audrey Cain worked as a primary school teacher in a suburban town just outside of London. Audrey loved her job. Every day she went to the school with a huge smile on her face, excited to hear what the young children's imaginations had in store that day.

Audrey had no idea that a war was cooking.

She went about her life in a normal way. She went to work, she watched television, she went out to dinner with her friends, and she went grocery shopping.

There was one particular fall day that she went grocery shopping. When she looked back on this day, she always did so with a smile.

In 1995, Percy Weasley was steadily gaining power at the Ministry of Magic. Percy was enjoying this very much. Every time an elder worker complimented him or a younger one stared at him in envy, he responded with a smug smile.

Percy refused to believe that a war was cooking.

Sure, his brother's friend claimed to have seen Voldemort. Sure, the Diggory boy hadn't returned alive. But the Minister said Voldemort was dead, and so he was dead. Percy had to believe the Minister. And, so, Percy too went about his normal life.

But, you see, Percy was at the grocery store the same day that Audrey was.

They always argued about which vegetable they were shopping for. Percy always said broccoli. Audrey said cabbage. Perhaps they were both right. Maybe they were searching for different vegetables.

No matter what they were looking for. They were both in the vegetable section when they first met.

Percy was particularly distraught that day. His father had nervously attempted to confront him in the elevator at work before Percy had managed to escape. His father had shouted something about his mother as Percy stalked down the hallway.

As Percy reached for the broccoli – cabbage – Audrey reached for the cabbage – broccoli – and their hands bumped together.

"Sorry," they both blurted, fumbling to straighten themselves up.

No, it wasn't some love at first sight. Audrey would recall that her only true opinion formed about Percy that day was that she had never seen hair so bright red.

Percy, well, he obviously noticed that she was pretty. She had long, dark hair tied into a knot at the back of her head. She had a nice smile and a contagious laugh. But Percy was agitated that day.

Percy picked up some vegetables, dropped some into her bag, and then kept the rest for himself.

They smiled apologetically at each other one more time, and then they continued through the store. Percy went in search of cereal and Audrey set off to buy pasta.

Besides, Percy thought, She's just some Muggle girl.

But fate had different plans.

Percy would grumble here. He didn't believe in fate or destiny. He believed in wanting something, working for it, and achieving it.

Audrey, on the other hand, believed in fate one hundred percent. There was no doubt in her mind that it was no coincidence that she and Percy met up again.

Part of the reason she believed this was the very place where she ran into him again.

Depending on who they were telling the story to, the next scene was often changed. When telling it to children, Audrey would simply say that she happened upon the Leaky Cauldron one day when she was lost in London. When telling it to adults, the story got much darker.

She was being chased, you see.

It was dark. It was stormy. Her umbrella had flown away. And, yes, she had been lost actually. As she examined street signs in the dim lighting, she started to notice a few men walking behind her at a very slow pace. So she crossed to the other side of the street. And they crossed too. And she crossed back. And they crossed too.

This was when Audrey started to panic.

She tried to enter the nearest shop, but the bookstore she first attempted to go into was closed so she went to the second store: a small, run-down pub.

The Leaky Cauldron.

Funny, isn't it? That a Muggle would end up in the Leaky Cauldron. It doesn't happen very often. Hannah said. It does happen occasionally. Usually they just convince the Muggle to leave. Sometimes it takes more persuasion and, depending on who's in the pub at the time, a memory charm.

Perhaps Audrey would've needed a Memory Charm. Apparently there was a centaur lurking in the back of the place. But Percy Weasley had just been on his way out when he ran straight into Audrey.

"You're cabbage guy," Audrey said with a smile after recognizing his hair.

Percy didn't even remember what she was talking about at first. He just stared at her blankly.

Then something flickered, perhaps, because he immediately started pushing her out of the Leaky Cauldron. "You can't go in there," he said quickly.

"Why? Look, those guys are following me…" Audrey turned around but found that the men following her had given up when they'd seen her with Percy and were now walking away, perhaps to go prey on another girl. "Well, they were following me…"

"Some guys were doing shots and they vomited everywhere," Percy invented off the top of his mind. "Trust me. You don't want to go in there."

Audrey frowned. "Oh." She glanced back out at the street.

Now, Percy may have been in a bad place in his life at that point. He may have abandoned his family in order to gain power and prestige. But Percy had still been raised by Molly Weasley, and Molly Weasley had taught the boy some manners. "Are you going home?" he asked. "Maybe I could walk you."

Audrey looked at him, shocked that a stranger would offer to do so. Maybe in the back of her mind she wasn't sure it was such a good idea, but compared to the idea of those men following her again, walking with Percy sounded like a pretty good idea.

"That would be great," she said. "I don't live too far from here."

The pair walked through the dark, dusty streets of London, passed apartment buildings that leered at them and quaint little shops whose storefronts had been shut down. They passed groups of drunk teenagers and hobos sleeping on the side of the street. Their only source of light was the occasional streetlamp and the dim moon that was hiding behind the clouds that night.

"I'm Audrey, by the way," Audrey introduced herself. She had to tilt her head back in order to look at her tall red-headed companion.

"Percy," he grumbled in response.

"Well, Percy," Audrey sang, "What do you do?"

Percy coughed loudly. "I, um, I work for the government," he said vaguely, staring straight ahead.

"That's… nice."

Percy made a noncommittal sound from the back of his throat.

"You live in London?" she asked, fidgeting with her ponytail.

"Yes."

"Did you grow up here?"

"No."

There was silence. Percy, perhaps realizing how awkward this was becoming, asked, "What about you?"

Audrey sighed. "I've lived here my whole life."

"Oh. Erm, what do you do?"

"I'm a teacher," she told him.

Percy didn't know how to respond to this. What was he supposed to say? I've had teachers before?

They walked on in silence past streetlamp after streetlamp.

Finally Audrey just couldn't stand it. "Have you ever been to America, Percy?" Audrey asked.

Percy was surprised by her sudden question. "I… no, I haven't. Er, why?"

"I'm going in a few months," Audrey informed him. "This summer. I was wondering if you had any pointers."

"Oh, well… no. I've never been."

"Too bad," Audrey murmured.

Percy thought for a moment. "Have you ever been to Egypt?"

"Egypt?" Audrey repeated. "No, the furthest I've been is France. Have you been to Egypt?"

"Yes," Percy told her. "It's amazing there. The pyramids are so informative and beautiful." Percy left out that his brothers had trapped him in the pyramid. Percy didn't talk much about his brothers at that point.

Audrey laughed quietly. "I can't even imagine how amazing it would feel to stand under the Sphinx."

"Oh, it's incredible," he told her, pride on having visited the place filling his voice. "Just… just wondering how they did it…"

You have to wonder if Audrey heard his pompous tone. You have to wonder if she ignored it because of the wisdom and passion that mixed with the pride. You have to wonder if she was completely oblivious.

Audrey always said that it was mostly the second. She kind of liked him, so she tried to ignore his pompousness. It worked for a while.

"That's… beyond words," Audrey said, imagining herself at the base, imagining herself climbing through the desert, talking to the natives. Oh, it sent chills through her body just imagining it.

One day she would, she convinced herself. One day.

"How much farther is your house?" Percy asked. It wasn't too rudely.

"Just two more blocks," Audrey told him.

"Oh."

But though Percy hadn't intended to be rude, his question had sucked the conversation out of them. They walked the rest of the way in near silence.

"This is my building," Audrey finally said.

Percy looked at her expectantly.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you then."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

Audrey laughed. "Considering our record, I'll probably run into you sometime next week." She pushed the door open with a final bark of laughter and a call of "Bye" over her shoulder.

A ghost of a smile spread over Percy's lips, but it was the only genuine, non-smug smile that had been there in days, months, maybe even years.