Audrey shines like the wet pavement after a storm.

The first time they meet is at an interview.

She's trying out to be his new assistant, now that he's the Head of the Department of International Magic Cooperation. He's had a long day; he's tired and annoyed and feels ready to snap any moment.

He's packing up for the day and is thinking of who to take for the job. (Right now it's looking towards the least mediocre of the lot, a man named Jack Flinchy; or at least something like that, he's never been good with names-)

And then she walks in.

She, being Audrey Perkins, as he'd later find out, and it would be a rather incorrect statement to say she merely walked in, when really, she burst through the door, tripped over the threshold, and fell into his conveniently outstretched arms.

Percy, along with being an extreme killjoy and bad with names, is also a very logical man. The thing he probably disbelieves most in the whole world is love at first sight; because how could you fall in love (also a ridiculous concept; how exactly do you "fall" in love?) when you had just met the person? That belief is probably the one thing that he has always held true to.

(That doesn't mean that he doesn't feel something - a little perhaps - when she lands in his arms.)

However, the moment of realizations is quickly ended by the fact that Audrey isn't the lightest woman around, and as a result, Percy ends up awkwardly dropping her on the ground and falling to his knees.

"I am so sorry! I really didn't mean to trip, but I'm really clumsy-" Audrey is blushing a brilliant red that matches the shade of his hair. She is clearly flustered and is bubbling over in her excitement. Usually he finds girls like this quite irritating, but not with her.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Percy demands of her, in a much harsher tone than he intended. Seeing the upset look that crosses her face, he gently adds, "Are you all right?"

She nods. "I'm Audrey Perkins. I'm here for the interview. I'd like to be your assistant."

Struck dumb, he quickly gets up and shuffles through his papers.

She's not on the list.

"Are you sure you applied? You're not on my list," he tells her.

"I did apply, positive," she clarifies.'"I don't know what happened, but I did apply." She speaks with confidence; he likes that.

"We'll, you're not on here, so I know nothing about you. Plus, I was getting ready to leave when you came in," he says, running a hand through his hair.

"Please, just give me a chance," she pleads. She's still on the floor and how could he refuse someone down on their knees on the floor? He isn't heartless.

"Fine," he gives in, and the look on her face could probably run a million light bulbs.

"Thank you so much." She climbs into the seat as he sits on the other side of the desk and begins to ask her questions.

The first thing he notices is that she's actually quite pretty. She has this mousy auburn hair that falls to her shoulders, and her eyes are a pretty blue, the exact shade of the ocean on a great day.

The second thing is that she's fidgety. Some part of her is always moving - from her tapping fingers to her rotating feet. She reminds him of a sphere - constantly rolling around and bumping into things.

The third thing is that she is undeniably very smart. She talks intelligently, now that she isn't flustered, and her answers are practical and logical.

Percy can't deny that he wants her for the job.

"You're hired."

She gasps and thanks him profusely, and Percy thinks that she will be perfect.

She is.

And soon she is more than just his perfect assistant (though she's still just as perfect). She is his best friend, the person who sticks with him through everything, his better half. She probably knows him better than he knows himself.

She is something special.

She's been his assistant for what seems like forever now, and Percy now looks forward to seeing her eager smile every morning.

Thus he is surprised when she walks in one rainy morning, scowling fiercely.

She looks horrible. Her features are disfigured with unhappiness, there are bags under her eyes, and her aqua eyes are red and puffy.

"Whatever happened to you?" he asks, shocked at her condition. Who made her cry?

She shakes her head mutely.

"You know you can tell me," he presses. She shakes her head again.

"Fine then," he retorts. "Just make sure it doesn't affect your work."

He sounds like a bloody jerk, but he can't deny that he feels very rejected by her. Why couldn't she tell him?

Her work is going downhill and he has to do something.

"Audrey, what is going on? I said you didn't have to tell me if it didn't affect your work, but it is, badly." He glares at her, forcing her to talk. Her silence for the past few days has been slowly killing him.

"It's none of your business," she weakly retorts, and he rolls his eyes.

"As your boss, I demand to know."

And suddenly she bursts, like a hurricane.

"All you care about is work! Don't you have anything else in your life? I'm sorry that I haven't been as good-"

"Audrey!" he shouts, and she goes quiet, her words sinking in. Now she looks even more upset, if that was possible.

He supposes that she was right, in a way - his family always told him that too; that he should take more time off, get outside more. He never took them seriously, but if even Audrey thought so...he just didn't want to hurt her.

"As your friend, I need to know," he says, softer this time.

She stares at him and breaks down, blubbering about her father's recent death. He pulls her in for a hug and she becomes undone. One of his best shirts becomes soaked with her tears.

(It's his new favorite shirt.)

They're so close now that there are rumors.

It's wrong for a manager to be so personal with their assistant, they say. There must be something going on behind the scenes.

Percy can't really deny that he wouldn't mind having something with Audrey.

(Or maybe they already are together and they just don't know it. Their relationship is very ubiquitous, and they don't really need an official title to know they're in love.)

There's a Ministry ball coming up, and Percy's required to attend.

It's a waste of a good night, in his opinion, but Kingsley said he absolutely had to come to this one, seeing as he missed the past few.

So begrudgingly, Percy shows up on a Friday night at the Ministry, wearing his best suit and tie, with his red hair perfectly brushed back and black shoes shined.

It is August 13, 2003, and it is a day he will never forget.

He receives a few compliments, takes a drink, has a few conversations, and is rightly bored out of his mind.

Until she shows up.

Percy still can't believe that, after all this time, she still manages to take him by storm. It's as if he hasn't learned anything about her thus far, anything about how she loves muffins as a mid morning snack, about how she used to want to be a Healer when she was a little girl.

Audrey is wearing a yellow dress, the color of a canary. It is the first time he has seen her wear anything less than modest; the dress is sleeveless and shows what seems like miles of creamy skin, and her long legs shimmer through the thin fabric.

Percy can't think straight anymore.

She smiles at him and walks over.

Now he can't move either.

"Percy, you look nice tonight," she greets, and her compliment is genuine; he takes her words to heart.

But now that she's talking to him, Percy can feel the eyes if every single man in the Ministry on him; they all want her. She's still oblivious though, of her beauty, of her desirability, of her effect on him.

He can't let them have her.

But he sees them edging closer and closer, determined to snatch her away from under his nose.

He has to act; it's now or never. He summons some of that old Gryffindor courage, holds out his hand, and asks her.

"Dance with me?" He sounds like a fool and as she stares up at him, shocked, he hopes to Merlin that his face hasn't turned into a tomato.

"S-sure," she consents. Percy can tell she's flustered.

He leads her to the floor, happy that he saved her from those other male pigs. But he knows they'll only try for her again when the song is over.

He can't deny it forever. The feeling's been there for a while now, and its high time he does something about it, because Audrey is a young woman and he's only getting older.

His hand is on her slim waist, hers wrapped around his neck. Her face is tinged a delicate pink that he finds adorable. It is a slow song and Percy feels like a bumbling teenager again, with no idea on how to act around a girl.

(He still doesn't really know; girls are curious creatures.)

"Having fun?" he asks, twirling her under his arm in a perfect circle.

"Yes," she replies, sounding a little breathless.

"What's wrong?"

"I've never been asked to dance before," she mumbles, embarrassed.

"You can't be serious," Percy says. Audrey looks away, hurt. "You're beautiful."

The words leave his mouth without meaning to, but Percy has always been an honest man, and he can't regret speaking the truth.

Audrey stares at him, the pink on her face turning into a deep red. "Th-thank you," she stutters.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's just me," he tells her.

"I'm not good around boys," she admits, lowering her gaze.

"And I'm not good around girls," Percy replies.

Audrey laughs, her cheeks rosy. "You're wonderful to me, Percy."

Now it's his turn to blush. "Hardly. Otherwise, I would have done this a long time ago."

The song is ending; it's his chance to finally show her, and stop the other men from taking her.

"What-" she begins, but is quickly and effectively cut off by Percy's lips.

It is quick and fleeting like a butterfly's kiss. He breaks away much sooner than he would have liked, not believing that he was actually kissing her; but the bliss and giddiness running through his veins was enough to convince him that it had been real.

Her face is shocked and unmoving like a statue. Her mouth is open and her fingers are touching her lips.

Percy either just made it or blew it.

He's wondering I'd he should just run now and maybe not show his face around the Ministry for a few months when she snaps out of her daze, takes a step forward, and kisses him.

And this time it is not a fleeting butterfly kiss; but rather, a real kiss, that tastes like a forever.

Audrey is a lot of things to Percy; a pleasant rain shower, a tragic downpour, an ever changing tide, and a brewing hurricane.

But he supposes that in the end that she is really a tsunami, because she will always sweep him off his feet.

A/N: First time with this pairing...I am satisfied. Oh, and the phrase, "It is quick and fleeting like a butterfly's kiss" was inspired by colorful swirl's story Fleeting, which you should definitely check out.

Done for:

Summer FanFiction Olympics - Swimming

1 Pairing, 1 Prompt Challenge - Percy/Audrey, Shine.

Camp Potter - Archery

Fanfiction School of Imagination and Creativity - Math Assessment 2

Pairing Diversity Boot Camp - Prompt #25: Oblivious