acidpop25: "Butterfly," G
Title: Butterfly
Author: acidpop25
Rating: G
Prompt Set: 50.4
Prompt: #2, "Butterfly"
Word Count: 530
Summary: "They've been trying to catch that butterfly all summer. You ought to see it up close, it's enormous."
Warnings: None.
Notes: 20% done, woohoo!
"Fred! George! Put that down!"
Harry grinned at the familiar sounds of bickering as he headed up the drive and knocked. But rather than Ron or the twins or their parents, the door swung open to reveal none other than Percy, standing in the entryway dressed in cutoff trousers and a tee shirt.
"Percy. Hi," Harry said, more than a little stunned to see him looking so, well... normal. Relaxed, almost, not quite so prim and uptight.
"Hello, Harry," Percy said, stepping aside to let him in. An explosion sounded, and Mrs. Weasley's voice hollered, "George!" Percy gave a slight, tolerantly amused smile and shook his head.
"Some things never change, huh?" Harry remarked.
"More's the pity," Percy replied dryly. "They're all out back, come on."
Harry followed him, trying to figure out if Percy Weasley had really just made a joke.
~*~*~*~
"Oi, Fred, George! Get the net!" Ginny cried, darting across the lawn. Moments later, the twins were tearing after her, armed with a butterfly net, Ron close behind them.
"What on earth-"
"See that?" Percy pointed at a bright splotch of red fluttering a little ways ahead of and above his siblings. "They've been trying to catch that butterfly all summer. You ought to see it up close, it's enormous."
"Why?"
Percy shrugged. "Got me," he replied, and hopped up to perch on the porch railing. Harry leaned against it nearby, watching the other four and listening to their distant shouts. After a while, the ragtag little hunting party wheeled around, chasing the butterfly back in the direction of the house.
They drew closer, Fred swishing the net fruitlessly at the butterfly as it headed their way, nearly taking Percy's nose off when the butterfly landed on his shoulder.
"Percy!" George hissed urgently. "Come on, now's our chance!"
Percy turned his head and looked at the butterfly, and Harry followed his gaze. It was huge, roughly the size of Harry's palm, with blood red wings edged with black.
"What are you going to do with it?" Percy asked after a moment. His siblings hesitated, looking at one another for answers and finding none.
"Just keep it, I guess," Fred put in.
"Then no," Percy answered, quietly but firmly. "it's best to leave it be."
Harry watched, a bit startled, as the other four, rather than protesting, quietly acquiesced and wandered off, talking amongst themselves. The butterfly on Percy's shoulder opened and closed its wings a few times, lazily, and then fluttered over to land on the railing between him and Harry. They both watched it for a long time as it sat on the railing, wings catching the brilliant summer light as they slowly folded and unfolded.
"Percy?"
"Hm?"
"Why'd you do it?"
Percy gave a little shrug. "Innocent things aren't there for our amusement."
Harry looked at him for a long moment, then set a finger in front of the butterfly, which crawled on to it. Perfectly trusting.
"Go on," Percy said, and Harry exhaled a very soft breath at the butterfly and watched as it unfolded its wings and took off into the heavy August air, like a fragile piece of origami in flight.
Author: acidpop25
Rating: G
Prompt Set: 50.4
Prompt: #2, "Butterfly"
Word Count: 530
Summary: "They've been trying to catch that butterfly all summer. You ought to see it up close, it's enormous."
Warnings: None.
Notes: 20% done, woohoo!
"Fred! George! Put that down!"
Harry grinned at the familiar sounds of bickering as he headed up the drive and knocked. But rather than Ron or the twins or their parents, the door swung open to reveal none other than Percy, standing in the entryway dressed in cutoff trousers and a tee shirt.
"Percy. Hi," Harry said, more than a little stunned to see him looking so, well... normal. Relaxed, almost, not quite so prim and uptight.
"Hello, Harry," Percy said, stepping aside to let him in. An explosion sounded, and Mrs. Weasley's voice hollered, "George!" Percy gave a slight, tolerantly amused smile and shook his head.
"Some things never change, huh?" Harry remarked.
"More's the pity," Percy replied dryly. "They're all out back, come on."
Harry followed him, trying to figure out if Percy Weasley had really just made a joke.
~*~*~*~
"Oi, Fred, George! Get the net!" Ginny cried, darting across the lawn. Moments later, the twins were tearing after her, armed with a butterfly net, Ron close behind them.
"What on earth-"
"See that?" Percy pointed at a bright splotch of red fluttering a little ways ahead of and above his siblings. "They've been trying to catch that butterfly all summer. You ought to see it up close, it's enormous."
"Why?"
Percy shrugged. "Got me," he replied, and hopped up to perch on the porch railing. Harry leaned against it nearby, watching the other four and listening to their distant shouts. After a while, the ragtag little hunting party wheeled around, chasing the butterfly back in the direction of the house.
They drew closer, Fred swishing the net fruitlessly at the butterfly as it headed their way, nearly taking Percy's nose off when the butterfly landed on his shoulder.
"Percy!" George hissed urgently. "Come on, now's our chance!"
Percy turned his head and looked at the butterfly, and Harry followed his gaze. It was huge, roughly the size of Harry's palm, with blood red wings edged with black.
"What are you going to do with it?" Percy asked after a moment. His siblings hesitated, looking at one another for answers and finding none.
"Just keep it, I guess," Fred put in.
"Then no," Percy answered, quietly but firmly. "it's best to leave it be."
Harry watched, a bit startled, as the other four, rather than protesting, quietly acquiesced and wandered off, talking amongst themselves. The butterfly on Percy's shoulder opened and closed its wings a few times, lazily, and then fluttered over to land on the railing between him and Harry. They both watched it for a long time as it sat on the railing, wings catching the brilliant summer light as they slowly folded and unfolded.
"Percy?"
"Hm?"
"Why'd you do it?"
Percy gave a little shrug. "Innocent things aren't there for our amusement."
Harry looked at him for a long moment, then set a finger in front of the butterfly, which crawled on to it. Perfectly trusting.
"Go on," Percy said, and Harry exhaled a very soft breath at the butterfly and watched as it unfolded its wings and took off into the heavy August air, like a fragile piece of origami in flight.