Chapter 1: Percival's room- Soulmates not allowed
Chapter Text
Percival's childhood was not particularly remarkable but had somehow resulted in a constant and often rather pessimistic mind-set. He had always thought of himself as rather sensible, though his mother had other words for it, and it was for this reason that he decided, at the tender age of 12, that the addition of a soulmate to his already rather busy and complicated life would merely be an unnecessary annoyance. He reasoned that if he thought this way then surely the Universe would understand and would therefore not give him a soulmate.
(Much later he would reflect upon this reasoning with a kind of despairing wonder at the hopeful logic of a young boy whose future had somehow always been set in a direction opposite to the one he had so carefully planned.)
This line of reasoning did noticeably separate him from many of his classmates, most of whom were too taken in by the whole romantic ideal of soulmates to truly understand the impact a soulmate could have on an already well ordered lifestyle. Most were also hesitant to acknowledge the strain of having to stay together purely because so many believed that you should. Percival however understood this all too well, having witnessed his parents failed attempts to keep their marriage together for his sake. Eventually their faith in their soulmate bond lost out and the two separated ways on terrible terms.
Seraphina Picquery therefore was a welcome breath of fresh air from the dull mind-set of others. She too was from an early age very career focused and being only two years older than Percival had taken the talented young boy under her wing.
Percival did at times wonder if his ambitious views and his obstinacy in writing off the idea of a soulmate was a mistake and perhaps he could have succeeded where his parents had failed. However he later realised the futility of thinking like this as such a thing would likely never happen. His mother, despite her own lost love, despaired at the thought of her little boy growing up with such a pessimistic view of the world, having given up on romance so early. Percival told her that he knew he would someday be an Auror, and despite the coldness of it, the mateless were often given greater consideration for such a dangerous job. This did not reassure his mother, only serving to worry her further but Percival had made up his mind and she knew that the chances of anyone overturning his decision were less then slim.
As Percival grew up throughout his years at Ilvermony most of his classmates continued to scorn him but as his magical talent became obvious their teasing lessened, his career path became a certainty and thoughts of a soulmate were forgotten. His view was only solidified further when at sixteen Seraphina received no indication of a soulmate. Despite views that her soulmate could be younger than her and so unable to reply back for a number of years, the two had even held a small celebration to the shock and disgust of many students who were (in their minds) disappointedly mateless.
Two years later and even with many reassurances from Seraphina and his own stubborn certainty, Percival still felt an unusual nervousness at the prospect of his upcoming sixteenth birthday. He despite his own beliefs did, because it was proper, write a simple greeting on his skin with the gilded ink pen all sixteen year olds customarily received from their closest family member. Twenty-four hours later with no reply and a large amount of relief (and perhaps deep down the tiniest hint of disappointment) Percival sent his early application to MACUSA with the good wishes of Seraphina, who had already been promised a minor position in government. His anticipation of the reply was, as expected, greater even than his anticipation of a possible soulmate so when the returning message was positive, Percival was more pleased then he had ever been. Due to his likely mateless status and extremely high grades Percivial was told he would still have to participate in an entrance exam at eighteen but he was pretty much guaranteed a place within the revered Auror ranks.
Therefore with a certain future and few close, stable relationships (noticeably Seraphina) Percival removed the last vestiges of uncertainty and dedicated his whole being to achieving that which he believed he was born to do.
Later on though, after his exams, at his graduation and upon his acceptance as an Auror, though he admitted it to no-one, not even truly to himself Percival did perhaps wonder if the whole experience would have been more joyful or easier or maybe in someway better if he had had someone else to share his delight with. However as he had done when he was younger and as he would continue to do so he buried his doubts in amongst the knowledge of a career in which he could make a difference, a future as bright as it could be. To him his lack of a soulmate was not a weakness as many liked to believe, but a strength he could draw upon.