Penelope felt Percy wrap his arm behind her head and pull her body close
along his. It was magic how they fit together. She loved the touch of
their skin, the feel of his gentle hands across her body. She wondered
sometimes if other women had husbands like this. Did other women feel this
pure, this free after they made love?
"Pen?"
"Hmm."
"There's something we need to talk about."
"What love?"
Percy starred at the ceiling but softly ran his fingers through her hair.
"I want to talk to you about what you would do if, if something happened to me."
Penelope tried to raise up on her elbow but he firmly held her down next to his head.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, Percy. We're about to have a baby, a beautiful red-headed Weasley baby and you are going to be a great Daddy and get up in the middle of the night so I can sleep and before you know it we'll outgrow this flat and look for a house and everything will be perfect."
Percy turned to kiss her forehead. "Of course it will, darling. But just in case something should happen to me there are some things we need to talk about."
Penelope felt hot tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. "OK," she whispered.
"Well first, you'd have to work Pen. My Mum would help you with the baby. She's the best. I know that it would be really hard, but you would need to let my family help you."
Penny nodded silently as the tears now poured down her cheeks.
"Secondly, do you think, if you needed extra money you could go to your grandmother?"
"Stop Percy, please stop."
"Oh darling, I'm not planning on going anywhere. But it's important to me to talk about these things. It will help me sleep."
"OK, yes. Grandmother would help me and she'll leave me in her will."
"That's good. I always liked your grandmother."
"Alright, now to the matter of dating." Percy turned and lifted her wet chin with a small smile.
"What?"
"Dating. You should definitely date and find some other lucky guy. But no dating any of my brothers."
Penelope sobbed and laughed all at the same time. "You don't think after your gone I'd go run off with Fred and George, do you?"
"Absolutely not. I'd come back and haunt you. Bill or Charlie would be OK, I guess. But not the twins."
"And Ron?" "I don't think that's going to be an issue."
"You are crazy. Can we please stop this game now?"
"One more thing." Percy rolled over and looked her straight in the eyes. "No matter what, no matter how hard it gets. Don't ever, ever forget how beautiful and brilliant you are and how much I love you."
Penelope felt her breath leave and in that moment she lived as if he was gone. "Oh God, Percy. I love you so much. I don't think I could live without you."
"Yes you could Pen. You would have to and you could."
He held her until her jerking sobs calmed and she wiped her wet face across his chest.
"OK, you, turn about is fair play. You know the muggle-born wife of a Weasley is a pretty big Death Eater target. So what if it was me? What if you were the one left alone and behind."
Percy pulled her close and thought quietly as he ran his cheek across the top of her head. "Well I'd be very lonely. And I probably wouldn't stick around too long."
"Lonely, my foot. They'd be lining up." Penelope paused as she stoked his back, "Besides, there's a baby, remember. Your baby, Percy."
"Our baby, my love."
"Yes, darling, our baby. Always our baby."
They lay in silence for a while feeling each other breath and listening to the sounds of their hearts beating. It was hard to feel sad for too long when it was so safe and warm in each other's arms.
"I love you Percy."
"I love you too, Penelope. More than you can dream."
"We're really lucky, you know."
Percy smiled as he closed his eyes. "Yes, my love, I think we really are."
"Pen?"
"Hmm."
"There's something we need to talk about."
"What love?"
Percy starred at the ceiling but softly ran his fingers through her hair.
"I want to talk to you about what you would do if, if something happened to me."
Penelope tried to raise up on her elbow but he firmly held her down next to his head.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, Percy. We're about to have a baby, a beautiful red-headed Weasley baby and you are going to be a great Daddy and get up in the middle of the night so I can sleep and before you know it we'll outgrow this flat and look for a house and everything will be perfect."
Percy turned to kiss her forehead. "Of course it will, darling. But just in case something should happen to me there are some things we need to talk about."
Penelope felt hot tears pooling at the corner of her eyes. "OK," she whispered.
"Well first, you'd have to work Pen. My Mum would help you with the baby. She's the best. I know that it would be really hard, but you would need to let my family help you."
Penny nodded silently as the tears now poured down her cheeks.
"Secondly, do you think, if you needed extra money you could go to your grandmother?"
"Stop Percy, please stop."
"Oh darling, I'm not planning on going anywhere. But it's important to me to talk about these things. It will help me sleep."
"OK, yes. Grandmother would help me and she'll leave me in her will."
"That's good. I always liked your grandmother."
"Alright, now to the matter of dating." Percy turned and lifted her wet chin with a small smile.
"What?"
"Dating. You should definitely date and find some other lucky guy. But no dating any of my brothers."
Penelope sobbed and laughed all at the same time. "You don't think after your gone I'd go run off with Fred and George, do you?"
"Absolutely not. I'd come back and haunt you. Bill or Charlie would be OK, I guess. But not the twins."
"And Ron?" "I don't think that's going to be an issue."
"You are crazy. Can we please stop this game now?"
"One more thing." Percy rolled over and looked her straight in the eyes. "No matter what, no matter how hard it gets. Don't ever, ever forget how beautiful and brilliant you are and how much I love you."
Penelope felt her breath leave and in that moment she lived as if he was gone. "Oh God, Percy. I love you so much. I don't think I could live without you."
"Yes you could Pen. You would have to and you could."
He held her until her jerking sobs calmed and she wiped her wet face across his chest.
"OK, you, turn about is fair play. You know the muggle-born wife of a Weasley is a pretty big Death Eater target. So what if it was me? What if you were the one left alone and behind."
Percy pulled her close and thought quietly as he ran his cheek across the top of her head. "Well I'd be very lonely. And I probably wouldn't stick around too long."
"Lonely, my foot. They'd be lining up." Penelope paused as she stoked his back, "Besides, there's a baby, remember. Your baby, Percy."
"Our baby, my love."
"Yes, darling, our baby. Always our baby."
They lay in silence for a while feeling each other breath and listening to the sounds of their hearts beating. It was hard to feel sad for too long when it was so safe and warm in each other's arms.
"I love you Percy."
"I love you too, Penelope. More than you can dream."
"We're really lucky, you know."
Percy smiled as he closed his eyes. "Yes, my love, I think we really are."