DH: Aftermath-Wood and Weasley

Percy Weasley and Oliver Wood, aftermath of the Great Hogwarts Battle at the end of Book 7.

(there are spoilers here, please do not read if you've not finished Deathly Hallows!)

I like drawing blood and bruises and cuts and torn up shirts! It's fun!! 45 minutes in Photoshop 7, references for both faces attempted.

0o_____little storylet to go along_____o0
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Oliver had only seen his friend Percy buttoned-up, clean and perfectly pressed. Even as kids the redhead had somehow managed to wake up every morning and roll from bed clean as a whistle and completely tucked-in. Despite every cleaning and pressing charm his Mum had forced upon him, Oliver never managed to look anything but barely presentable. It only made it more wrong that he and Percy matched now, were both filthy, clothes torn, smelling of blood and spent charms and the desperate smell of those who have faced death, and been saved by sheer willpower alone. Somehow seeing Percy filthy and broken made things seem all the bleaker.

Harry was ok, everything was supposed to be ok--but so many had died--so much had been sacrificed. Percy's cheeks were painted with startling lines of clean skin against the dirt where his tears still tracked, washing away the filth. They both had bruises, cuts, blood on every bit of exposed skin--both bled from nose and mouth, twin trails of crimson, dried stiff and cakey trailed from both of their ears, the remnants of a particularly vicious deafening charm. Oliver could only hear out of his left ear, and he wondered if Percy heard anything at all.

"hey....Percy.." he whispered as he approached, limping slightly, not enough to concern the mediwitches with just yet. Percy didn't look up, just kept his head down, hands clenched tightly together in front of him. "Perce..." he repeated softly, bending a bit to see into Percy's bruised face.

"He's gone...." Percy whispered back, though Oliver couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or not. "He's gone, and why...why would they break them up like that? How's George going to get on without..." he swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, shoulders moving restlessly as he held back sobs. "I'm so stupid, so stupid, I could have been with--with them all this time...could have...have had more...more time..."

Oliver pulled Percy into a fierce hug and patted his back with bloodied, bruised hands.

"..and now I'll never see Fred again."

(( I own nothing except my intuos pad and a very cheeky drawing mannequin. All characters copyright JK Rowling ))