Title: Harry Potter Advent Challenge: Family Pt. 8/24

Author: Deathangelgw

Disclaimer: They aren't mine, but damned if I didn't wish that they were.

Warnings: AU, sap, angst

Pairings: Percy centric

Rating: PG

Summary: Day Eight of the Advent Challenge-> Percy reflects on Christmas

Beta: none since I want to get this posted right away, so any mistakes are all MINE!

A/N: This is for an Advent Challenge that I had posted/taken up. Each day will be a different person/pairing from Harry Potter. I'd like to thank Iniquity for keeping this up and wish everyone a blessed Christmas! Enjoy! Please review!

‘thoughts’

The candle flame guttered in the breeze that ran through the frigid apartment as Percy stared at his book that he was researching. He had been staring as such for the past hour, lost in thought as the clock chimed its nearness to Christmas, echoing in his vacant flat dully. The sound of a dripping faucet mingled with the clock's ticking, but Percy had long lost any interest in either noisemaker.

He refocused on his book and realized what had stopped him. A simple passage, one that would not have crossed anyone's mind in its insignificance, but it had snared Percy's heart and conscious in a heartbeat.

…and in all things, love of the family is foremost to the raising of a grand wizard…

The words were pretentious, absurd, and biased, but Percy's mind couldn't seem to break through the emotions that roiled and confused the young Weasley. This was the third year that he was 'avoiding' his family, his stubbornness and pride overwhelming any longing or common sense at this time of the year. Voldemort had yet to make his move and the entire wizarding world was fraught with tension for the holiday season, but it had still continued.

Percy himself had avoided his family like they were the plague. He didn't want to hear their taunts and jeers at having chosen so poorly on who he should follow, knowing deep inside that they were right. He *had* chosen very wrongly and had reacted incorrectly in trying to get his brother, Ron, to drop Harry Potter as well as avoiding his family and arguing with his father about 'the rightness of Fudge in taking over Hogwarts'. If he had truly thought about it, he would have been as adamant about Fudge's judgment calls as any sane minded person, but he, again, had allowed his pride and naïveté destroy any credibility he might have had with his family.

And another Christmas had arrived and he was home alone. Christmas used to be a special time of the year for Percy, but since he had shunned his family, it had been a lonely and despised time of the year. But, he couldn’t help but stare at the picture of their last Christmas together. He caressed a finger lightly over his bustling mother’s image, feeling a tear slide down his face as he looked down. He didn’t want to admit it…but he missed everyone.

The doorbell rang and he wiped his face, standing slowly to head to the door. He blinked numbly as he stared at the wizard deliveryman, and then accepted the package that was handed to him haphazardly. He closed the door and turned the package around before opening it. He stopped once more, staring sorrowfully at the maroon sweater that held a large ‘P’ in the center. He took it from the box and held the sweater close to him, breathing deeply. ‘Home…I want to go home…’ he thought sadly as he sat down on his broken down couch. He sniffled softly and fought the tears that threatened. He couldn’t go home. There was nothing there for him…no matter what they said.

Silence fell over him once more as he hugged the cherished piece of wool. He missed his family, but that was it. There was nothing more he would do…could do…and he just had to live with that.

~Fin