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By Moonlight and Sunrises: Chapter 8 - Vengeful

Story Title - By Moonlight and Sunrises (ffn link)

Story Description - There was no awkwardness. No need to fill the empty space with words because the space wasn’t empty. There was something - inaudible, invisible, of course, but there was something there anyways. “How can I possibly want to kiss a woman whose name I don’t even know?” Percy finally asked, breaking the silence.

Story Rating - teen (T)

Story Characters - Percy Weasley, Audrey Shacklebolt, George Weasley, Keegan Shacklebolt (OMC), Sabina Kopitar (OFC), Oliver Wood, Kingsely Shacklebolt, Zhara Shacklebolt (OFC), Kristopher Shacklebolt (OMC), Kelsey Rowle (OFC), Thorfinn Rowle, Molly Weasley I, Arthur Weasley

Story Pairings - Percy/Audrey

Chapter - 8) Vengeful

5 September 1999

Audrey carefully walked on the grassy grounds of the cemetery, the heel of her shoe just slightly sinking into the damp ground. Her grandmother gripped her arm a little tighter as the two women made their way together along the uneven soil. The older woman was much shorter than Audrey, just a mere half inch above the younger woman's shoulders in height, but she walked with a perfectly straight back and her chin held high - just as she walked on any other occasion. Still, even with her perfect posture and stoic demeanour, Audrey could see the tears running down Lucinda Shacklebolt's face.

This had been their Sunday morning tradition ever since the war had ended: wake up early, go to the cemetery to visit Grandpa Dion, have breakfast together in Hogsmeade. Audrey had always been incredibly close with her grandmother, who she greatly admired. A strong woman and a skilled wandmaker, Lucinda Shacklebolt, born Fawley, was the youngest of five children, the other four of which were all boys. While the Fawley name was widely recognized in England, Audrey's grandmother had been raised in a wizarding town in South Africa. There, the only reason anyone respected her grandmother's family had been because of their wandmaking skills. The pureblood hierarchy there had been a whole different playing field.

Audrey slowly came to a stop once they reached her grandfather's grave and, like every single Sunday, Lucinda's head immediately dropped and she let out a sob. Audrey sighed heavily and tightly embraced her grandmother. It was one thing for your husband to die in a war - but a whole other thing when he was killed by his only daughter. Just thinking about Kelsey's betrayal made Audrey angry.

Lucinda pulled away and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, then swished her wand to create a bouquet of flowers for her husband's grave. She took a step back and smiled sadly. "'Do not go gentle into that good night,'" Lucinda read off of the gravestone. Looking up at her granddaughter, she added, "He would've liked that. Where is that from again, dear?"

Lucinda always asked that question, not because she truly forgot, but because it gave her something nice to think about. "A muggle poet," Audrey replied with a small smile, her eyes fixed on the gravestone. "I picked it out."

"You always were the poetic one," Lucinda admitted. She looped her arm with her granddaughter's once more and turned away from the gravestone, "let's leave him with his poetry, then."

"And his very beautiful flowers," Audrey added as she turned away as well.

"Ah yes, the most useful spell for any pureblood housewife," her grandmother said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

Audrey laughed. For her time, Lucinda had always been considered an anomaly. An unnaturally ambitious, untameable woman. People had called Dion Shacklebolt mad for marrying her, but as he had always told Audrey and Keegan: "the heart wants what it wants."

"Now, Kris tells me you have quite the special dinner guest tonight," Lucinda started, giving Audrey a knowing glance.

"Did he really use the word 'special?'" Audrey questioned with some disbelief in her tone.

Lucinda shrugged, a sly smile on her face. "Well, I consider him special," she admitted. "Both Kingsley and Dion always spoke highly of him - and Merlin knows he's a proper man, unlike that silly boy you dated when you were at Hogwarts."

"I'm never living that down, am I?" Audrey muttered.

"A Pucey, you really should've known better, dear," Lucinda chided. "Nonetheless, we can't be held responsible for adolescent mistakes, I suppose."

"Ah, well Keegan will be glad to hear that," Audrey joked.

Lucinda laughed at her granddaughter's comment. "I sure hope that Greengrass girl is making him a proper man now," she replied, "Merlin knows he was stuck at the maturity of a fifteen year-old for a worryingly long time."

"Hush, Gran, you're not supposed to know that information," Audrey scolded. "You would've made a terrible Slytherin, you know?"

"So your grandfather would always tell me," Lucinda replied with a shrug. After a pause, she added, "You know, no matter what mistakes the two of you have made or will make, I am proud to call you my grandchildren."

"Thank you, Gran," Audrey replied, smiling at her grandmother.

"Although, Merlin's beard, was I thrilled to hear you're seeing a Weasley!"

"All right, moment's over," Audrey muttered to herself as she shook her head at her grandmother in amusement.

Percy had spent yet another night at the Burrow. This was starting to turn into a repetitive pattern that Molly had most certainly taken note of, although Percy only realized it when his mother 'jokingly' (read: almost completely seriously) asked if he was moving back home. As much as Percy loved his family, he also loved his independence and his own personal space... and not waking up to a wet finger stuck in his ear, courtesy of George. Over the last few days, however, he would be the first to admit that he had missed being so physically close with his family, which was why he was probably sleeping over so much. There was a certain coziness to the messy atmosphere of the Burrow. It was a comfort that helped him cope with the craziness of the last couple weeks.

Now, however, as Percy furiously searched for his one good pair of cufflinks, he was not at all appreciating that coziness.

"Where the bloody hell are they..." he muttered to himself as he searched through the living room.

"Looking for these?"

Percy turned at the sound of George's voice to see his younger brother standing in the living room with the cufflinks in his palm. Percy rolled his eyes and strode over to George, "Oy, come on, mate, these don't come cheap," he scolded as he grabbed the cufflinks from George's hand.

"Lookin' mighty fancy, Perce," George stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Got an important dinner," Percy replied with a shrug as he put on his cufflinks. He avoided George's piercing gaze.

"Yeah, I heard - with the Shacklebolts," George said, "the pureblood side."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Percy demanded, frowning at his brother.

"Just that her aunt is one of the most wanted Death Eaters - "

"Her aunt who has literally tried to kill her on several ocassions?" Percy interrupted. He could feel his temper slowly getting the better of him. "Just get to the point, George."

His younger brother scoffed. "Ya know, you were a prat before, but now you're in a whole other realm," George bit back. "Just like you to not give a shit about what the Death Eaters are doing."

"Do you bloody hear yourself right now?" Percy exclaimed. He scoffed and threw his hands up. "You know what - fuck it. I don't have to defend myself to you." How could George be so blinded? Everyone had ties they regretted, but Audrey had been in the Order, right alongside Fred and George.

"Oh, is that right? Are you forgetting the last five years - "

"No, I'm not!" Percy shouted. "I never forget the last five years, so shut your damn mouth because you have no idea what you're talking about!"

"I have no idea what I'm talking about?"

"If you even knew half the shit I - "

"Boys!"

Percy and George suddenly stopped their shouting match, their gazes turning to their father and mother, who had just entered the living room. Arthur, the source of the voice, appeared to be a mix of angry and sad, while Molly almost looked terrified. Percy sighed and rubbed his temple as George looked away from him with his arms crossed. It had been a while since there had been so much shouting in the living room of the Burrow.

"What in Merlin's name is going on down here?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing," Percy replied, before George could open his mouth. "I'm late for a dinner," he added, before quickly making his way out of the living room and heading for their Floo.

Audrey quickly stood up from her armchair as the Floo in her father's study lit up and Percy stumbled out. She strode over to him with a smile, the sound of her heels echoing throughout the large room, as she swept the soot off of his shoulders with a wave of her wand.

"Thanks," Percy replied with a small, forced smile.

"Of course, but it will cost you," Audrey said. "You can pay now, or with interest later."

"With interest sounds promising," Percy decided.

Audrey paused for a moment as she looked him over. He seemed tense - or at least more so than usual. "Are you all right?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah, I'm..." Percy trailed off and sighed. He really didn't have the heart to lie when Audrey's gaze literally bore through his soul. She was a living, breathing lie detector. He gently placed his hands on her arms and smiled. She was beautiful, and even with that concerned frown on her face, Percy felt himself relaxing around her. "No, but it can wait - I need the distraction," he answered

Audrey's smile widened. "All right, then buckle up - you're in for the distraction of your life."

Audrey took hold of his hand and started to lead Percy out of the grand study. The place was filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the walls and a large, mahogany desk directly by the massive bay windows that faced the garden outside. Percy almost felt like staying in the majestic room, but he followed along with Audrey's tug at his arm as they made their way to the dining room. With Audrey right in front of him, leading the way, Percy noted how her forest green dress left her back entirely bare, leaving her new scar completely visible. It was healing well, but seeing it still made Percy feel a little sick to his stomach just thinking about that horrible day.

With a sharp turn around a corner, Percy suddenly found himself face-to-face with the rest of the Shacklebolt family waiting patiently by the long dining table. He cleared his throat and, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious, nervously fiddled with his cufflinks.

"Mr. Weasley, just in the nick of time," Kristopher stated plainly, his gaze fixed on Percy.

Audrey shook her head lightly. Leave it to her father to actually time him.

"Well, the food's ready when we are," Zhara said breezily. "Drinks, anyone?" With the swish of her hand, some bourbon appeared in two of the glasses - one at the head of the table and one just another seat over.

"Pour another for Mr. Weasley," Kristopher said, "I'm sure he'll be a bourbon man for the night."

"Dad, don't - "

"No, that's perfect," Percy intervened with a small smile, "and please, call me Percy."

With a shrug, Zhara filled another glass with bourbon, and conjured another two glasses of wine, one for her and one for Keegan. As everyone moved to take their seats, Audrey leaned in closer to Percy for a bit and quietly said, "Don't feel like you have to do everything he says - I never do."

"I have a feeling we're not held to the same standard," Percy whispered back with a small laugh.

Unsurprisingly, Kristopher sat at the end of the table. Zhara and Keegan took the seats right next to him, while Audrey sat down next to her mother and Percy right across from Audrey, next to Keegan. As soon as they had all taken their seats, Zhara waved her wand again and several dishes filled with steaming food came floating into the dining room and gently landed on the table. Percy took in all of the food before him pot roast, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, Yorkshire pudding, and fresh dinner rolls. It was practically a feast.

"I hope you like a good Sunday roast," Kristopher said. "Welcome to our home, Percy."

"Oh here's one of Audrey learning to swim."

"Mum - no!" Audrey quickly reached towards Zhara, her hand grasping for the photo, but her mother held the photo just out of her daughter's reach and quickly passed it to Percy.

Percy laughed at the photo - a young Audrey, clearly frustrated, kicking water toys into the pool with her arms crossed - but he quickly let out a groan of pain as Audrey reached across the table and smacked his hand to get the photo back.

"Bloody hell, didn't know I'd be so targeted tonight," Audrey grumbled.

"Well we certainly can't do this to Keegan, he was far too photogenic as a child," Zhara reasoned.

"Perfect, thank you, that really makes me feel better," Audrey said sarcastically. She met Percy's gaze, and he gave her a wide smile and a wink. It melted Audrey's annoyance away instantly.

"Ah, here's a good one to make up for it," Kristopher declared, pulling a photo out of an album. "First day of Auror training."

Kirstopher slid the photo over to Percy. Audrey stood proudly by the main gates of the Shacklebolt Estate, dressed in perfectly pristine Auror robes and a wide smile on her face. She looked younger in that photo and her hair was pulled back in a perfect ponytail, a sight which vaguely reminded Percy of Audrey as a prefect.

"Those Auror robes look like they were made for you," Percy remarked as he handed the photo back to Kristopher.

"Interesting," Kristopher voiced, a small smile finally breaking through his stoic expression, "that's exactly what I had said that day."

"You know how the saying goes - great minds think alike," Audrey commented with a grin.

"Let's not push it, Audrey," Kristopher replied, but the smile stayed on his face as his gaze turned back to Percy. Audrey's grin didn't even falter.

She couldn't have imagined any way this dinner could have gone better. Her mum and dad liked Percy. They had a tough way of showing it, but that was how they were raised - keep your emotions to yourself. Still, Audrey knew them well enough to know that the main reason they kept pulling out embarrassing photos of her was because they didn't want him to leave. They liked his company, and just thinking about that made Audrey happy.

I'm glad this is going so well, Percy's voice echoed in Audrey's mind and she had to stop herself from jumping up in her seat. She would never get used to him being a Legilimens, although it was bloody convenient. She looked over at him with a smile. Frankly, she shouldn't have been surprised this was going so well.

As the laughter died down, Audrey glanced over at her mother to see the older woman frowning as she looked toward the entrance of the dining room. Audrey gently touched Zhara's arm. "Mum, you all right?" she asked

"Something's off," Zhara muttered in reply. "I thought... I thought I heard the Floo."

Audrey stood up slowly, her grip tightening on her wand. Keegan followed her lead and asked, "Are you sure, Mum?"

Zhara shook her head lightly, "Well, no, but I swear - "

Suddenly, Audrey's and Keegan's wands jumped out of their hand as the familiar scarlet Charm zoomed into the room. Without hesitation, Percy, Kristopher, and Zhara were on their feet and drawing their wands, but they were disarmed just as quickly. A tense silence filled the room as they all looked around helplessly, trying to find the source of the Disarming Charm.

Suddenly, the bay windows in the dining room shattered and Audrey's vision was obstructed by pure darkness. She frantically looked around, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening, as she heard wood and glass cracking and breaking and the loud whistle of wind. With a loud swoosh, Audrey suddenly regained her vision and found herself standing back-to-back with Percy and the rest of her family. The dining table had been pushed towards the windows of the dining room and blown to smithereens, leaving the dining area completely open. It took her only another second to realize that they were surrounded. Audrey felt sick as her eyes took in the ominous Death Eater masks before her.

One of the Death Eaters reached up and pushed back the hood of the outfit, revealing her smirking face. Audrey felt her heart stop as she recognized the woman before her.

"Now, is that any way to greet your dear auntie?"

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