They were sitting under the tree. Percy was reading and Lee was smoking. She had restocked on cigarettes.
It was Saturday, so they didn't have any classes. They could just relax.
Lee finished her cigarette, stamping it out on the grass. She looked at Percy. His glasses were slowly slipping down his nose as he read. She moved to sit behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
She began giving him little kisses along his neck.
"What are you doing?" Percy asked.
"Nothing," she mumbled.
She continued her trail down unto his shoulder, pushing his shirt out of the way as she did so.
When she ran out of room, she pulled his face towards her and kissed his lips.
He kissed back and finally closed that book. He turned towards her and put his hands on her waist. Lee let out a yelp of surprise when he pulled her onto his lap. He had never been so dominant with her.
She liked it.
Percy brought a hand to her dark hair. Lee put a hand on his chest. The kiss slowly became more intense as Percy gained confidence. They had never kissed like this before.
He broke away from her and looked behind her. His brows were furrowed.
"Someone's coming," he told her.
Lee swirled around to see two boys trudging up the hill.
"They're my brothers," Percy whispered burying his face in her neck. "I'm sorry for whatever is about to happen."
Anticipation built up inside Lee as she waited for the boys to make it up to them. She was still in Percy's lap.
"Perfect Prefect Percy isn't so perfect after all," one of the boys mocked.
"We weren't even sure if that was you!" the other joined.
"Go away," Percy squeezed her hand.
"We were just concerned for our dear brother," they smiled innocently.
"You've gone off the rails!"
"I heard he didn't do his work the day it was assigned."
"I'm pretty sure he's falling behind in his classes."
"What has happened to our dear Percy," they said in unison.
"How the fuck do they do that?" Lee asked.
"I don't really know," Percy answered.
"We operate on one mind, obviously," they said again, in unison.
"Shit, that's creepy."
"Oh yes, I know."
The twins still hadn't gone away.
"We just might have to tell Mum how her favourite has fallen behind."
"Mum doesn't have favourites."
"That's a fuckin' lie," Lee interrupted. "All mothers have favourites. It's whoever's not being a little shit."
"Oh Gred," one of the twins cried, "We'll never be Mum's favourite!"
"Such a tragedy, Forge."
"I'm so confused."
"They do that."
Lee was starting to get annoyed with the younger boys.
"Look, I don't care why you came over here, but if you'd kindly fuck off," Lee made a shooing motion.
"She got quite the mouth on her," one of the twins said.
"She's like a sailor."
"But much prettier!"
Then they left.
"Do you ever get used to that?"
"Not really."
"Okay then."
_______
Percy and Lee sat in the library. Lee was bored out of her mind. Percy was studying, as always. She tried to be understanding, but studying was just so boring.
They had been "dating" for about a month.
They hadn't actually gone on a date, but they had kissed several times and were around each other often.
Lee had never actually dated someone before. She wondered if they were doing it right. Maybe they needed to go on an actual date. One that wasn't just smoking under a tree.
"Hey Percy," she whispered.
Percy looked to her, pushing his glasses up his nose as he did so.
"Yes?"
"Will you go on a date with me?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to."
"Okay, yes, I will go on a date with you."
Now Lee had something to do, plan a date.
"Meet me here on Saturday, noon," she stood up, kissed his cheek and left.
The date went okay. That's how Lee would describe it.
It wasn't the perfect first date, but it certainly wasn't the worst. It was a wonderful mix between a disaster and a success. Lee wouldn't have wanted it to be any different.
They only went on one other date before break. It was planned by Percy, going much better than the one Lee had planned.
She and Percy had gotten closer, feeling more like a real couple. For some reason neither felt like they deserved the other.
Lee thought she wasn't good enough for Percy. She was just a bad influence.
Percy thought that Lee was far too good for him. She was more relaxed and carefree, not to mention gorgeous.
Lee felt herself caring for Percy a lot by the time it was Christmas break. She had to go home, while he had to stay.
She promised she would write, something she rarely did.
She sent him six letters. They were all stupid, but she didn't really know how to write to him. She preferred just being there in person.
It was a painful two weeks.
Lee avoided people at all costs, trying to spend most of her time at home.
Lee hated coming home.
It always hurt.
It was like she was some sort of painful reminder to her parents. How they couldn't help one of their children and now the other seemed to be headed down the same path.
Lee wondered if she did these things on purpose.
Maybe she felt closer to her brother if she did the things he used to do.
Like forget to brush her hair sometimes.
And paint her finger nails red.
Or hang a dangle earring from her ear.
Or tap her fingers to one of his favourite songs. He loved the Ramones.
Sometimes, when she really missed him, she whispered his name.
"Nickie," Lee called to the quiet darkness of her room, "I miss you loads."
She always felt better after 'talking' to him.
Usually her conversations were of stupid trivial things or how much her parents were annoying her.
"Nickie, what am I supposed to do?" she laughed slightly at how pathetic she sounded. "I met this boy, I know shocker, and he's nice. Really nice. He's too good for me, Nickie. He's smart and sweet and a good person."
Lee flopped down onto her bed. She layed on her back and stared at her ceiling.
"He's perfect, and I'm just so far from that. I'm supposed to be this badass girl who doesn't take shit from anyone. I just do what I want, right, 'cause that's who I'm supposed to be."
Lee took a breath. She thought for a few moments before speaking again.
"I think he's changin' me. He's makin' me a better person. Not a bitch. And it's scary, because I don't think I mind it all that much."
Lee sighed and sat up again.
"Nickie, you were a shit brother. You didn't have good advice and you came home drunk half the time and you pretty much ignored me the rest of the time," Lee laughed, willing herself not to cry. "But you gave the best hugs, and that made up for all of it. And when I had nightmares you'd sing to me. Remember when Stella was being mean to me at school. You found out and you were pissed. You let me practice slapping you, so if she ever bothered me again, I would know how to do it right. Then you let me listen to your music.
"Nickie, I would probably do anything for your hug, because I feel so fuckin' lost, but maybe it'd all be okay, if you were here."
Lee wiped at her face. She usually cried during these talking sessions. She let out any pent up emotions that had accumulated since summer. Then she'd go to the garden and smoke one cigarette.
And she was always yelled at by her mother.
"Ophelia, honeslty," her mother shouted, "this is disgusting! Put it out!"
Lee looked to see her mother standing in the doorway that lead into the house.
"'S fine, I'll be okay Mum," Lee shrugged and took another drag.
"You are unbeleivable," her mother shook her head. "You have no respect for anyone. Not me, not your father and certainly not anyone else."
"I respect people who earn it."
"I'm your mother."
"Wow, didn't realize that, thanks for telling me," Lee said sarcastically. "And being my mother doesn't mean automatic respect. You still have to earn respect from ev'ry one you meet."
"Get in the house, I don't want to see you 'til dinner."
With that, Lee's mother stormed inside.
Lee used to have a good relationship with her mother. They drifted apart more when Lee was accepted into Hogwarts. Things got tense when it was obvious that Lee was changing. Her mother just seemed to give up.
Neither tried to stop it.
Sometimes it made Lee sad, but she had accepted it. That's just the way they were.
The rest of her break was spent avoiding conversation with her parents. She was ready to be rid of them. It was only another month until she was seventeen. Then she could never see them again.
Lee didn't hate her parents, not completley.
She just needed some independence. They were overbearing and constantly yelling at her for smoking, or cutting her hair or coming home drunk.
Which were probably good reasons to be mad, but Lee ignored that.
She wanted to figure out life on her own.
She did realize that she needed to stay with them for a while before seventh year. She didn't have a place to stay, or any money to get one. She would stay with them, get a job in Diagon Alley, since it was close to her home. She didn't want a muggle job mostly so she could avoid the stress of transferring money and having to do everything by hand.
With magic she could wave her hand and things would be clean.
Scrubbing toilets just didn't fit her personality.
She didn't have to worry about any of that at the moment, though.
She still had to get through sixth year.
Lee was releived when it was finally time to go back to Hogwarts. She had sat with her usual friends and smoked on the train ride.
Lee noticed she was getting more annoyed by the people she called her friends. They all seemed very immature or just completley stupid. Lee didn't know if they had changed, or if she had.
Either way, it was a relief to finally be off the train. The sharp January air whipped at her face and hands. Lee hurried to the carriages, not wanting to wait any longer.