percy weasley

Percy didn’t know what to say or do to anyone at his boss’ memorial service. It was an awful incident that had happened and he knew what strings were being pulled behind the scenes. He knew the New Order had been involved that night at the bank or at least that’s what the reports said. If they were, that meant his family was as well which didn’t change his wariness. Percy wondered what would happen but that didn’t make him any different than the others in the room. Kingsley had been more than a boss to him. He had been the first respected figure that actually saw Percy as a person. What did this mean? Did he still have a job? 

There was some gatherings afterwards and Percy felt like drinks were appropriate though he rarely encouraged such behaviors at a place like this. He took a drink and when he heard someone approach him, the words felt like they were underwater at first but then he snapped his gaze up. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

It was a strange greeting but fitting for a man he had heard a lot about. Daphne had mentioned Percy here and there when she did talk about her job. It was more often that Theo heard about her desk decor than the older Weasley though. The thought took him out of the present for a moment, stilling him before he realized the man was still speaking to him. “You’ll have to give me a moment to look.” 

With a strained smile, Theo compared the list to the log resting on the counter. “We may have all of them but one. I’ll have to check the stacks as well as the back. Our…inventory manager position has changed hands.” He said after flipping for some time. The books weren’t the rarest ever requested but the timeline was incredibly short. “There is a charge for a rush order. Will that be alright? We also offer personal delivery to the Ministry free of charge.” 

Percy enjoyed doing tasks for his job as it gave him a time to see how well appreciated and trusted he was by those more higher ranking. He barely ever came through this way and he sparred a glance at the rest of the store that seemed an organized mess. “Of course,” he said simply even though he was impatient. He began pacing the small space, glancing at the titles and tapping his finger against his arm. 

“But one?” He echoed in question, his smile faltering. “Well, when would you know? This is for my boss...obviously these are required readings that he needs.” Percy felt like he was grasping at straws and was hoping to return with all the books. “Yes, just-it’s fine, here,” Percy said, giving Theodore money that was handed to him by Kingsley. “And when would that be? How fast is this rush hour?”

Harriet knew that coming to his office to talk would lead to a confrontation of sorts. She hadn’t expected it to go so poorly, however. At least, she hoped that they would be able to come to some sort of understanding. She loved Charlie. She wasn’t going anywhere. But it was disheartening when there were certain members of the Weasley family who still had their reservations. “I should have known that this would be a waste of time,” Harriet muttered, running a hand through her hair in frustration. Every time they tried to have a conversation, it felt like Percy closed himself off, despite his insistence that he was an open book. The conversation quickly changed, however, when Harriet began to have the labor pains. The ones that she’d feared from the moment that she found out she was pregnant. 

The brunette could barely focus upon what she was saying, let alone what Percy was saying to her. Wincing, she took a few deep breaths, knowing it would only get worse. A panicked expression on her face, Harriet replied through gritted teeth, “Floo. It’s safer. I can’t apparate while pregnant.” Looking at the door, she winced again, taking a few steps in the direction, “I know where it is. I can… I’ll go.” 

The moment that he was introduced to the idea of Harriet, Percy was already against her. It seemed dangerous of Charlie to invite some threat into the family. Even if Harriet wasn’t directly one, it meant that she might know others who might want to harm her and by extension the Weasley clan. It wouldn’t be the first time the Weasley family faced something similar, knowing that each of his siblings had been through a lot. The protectiveness came out but Percy knew that as his older brother, Charlie seemed to have more direction. It was the direction that Percy wished he could trust blindly. “You did come at an inconvenient time. Perhaps try an owl next time or schedule an appointment if you would like to discuss during the day...” Percy’s voice was calm and blunt but it was true. This was his work. 

Percy was at her side hesitantly but nodded at what she was saying. Never had he been close to someone giving birth except his mother but it was when he was a child. “Floo then-we will have to take the lift down and then...it’s fine-it’ll be fine. Um.” He looked around frantically before ushering her to the door, grabbing his coat on the way out. He doubted he would be returning. “You shouldn’t go alone-I’ll go with you.”

The true reason that Irene was in Percy Weasley’s office was to see if he had any suspicions about the breach at the Ministry. It was his information that had helped and she wanted to make sure that he didn’t suspect a thing. On any other occasion, she would have steered clear. Percy was far too boring for her tastes. She preferred a man with a backbone. Someone like Cassius Selwyn. Someone who wasn’t afraid of his own shadow. 

“I do have an appointment,” Irene lied, a false look of concern crossing upon her face. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.” She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest as she gazed at Percy. Suddenly, her expression changed into one of faux-concern. “The Ministry breach. It’s all over the papers. I was wondering if you knew whom had a hand in it.”

It was indeed a surprise to see Irene just as much of a surprise it had been that they even talked to each other in the first place. It was even more of a surprise that Irene remembered him and cared to return. Percy was working now and not the same position as he was in the bar. Now, he was sober and had clear focus and his thoughts were not rammed with alcohol. Percy observed her with a curious gaze, barely making eye contact across his desk. 

“I...I apologize. I wasn’t told nor did I see it on my calendar. Though, I do have some time now...” He answered hesitantly, giving a feigned smile. His nerves were disputable but being in a work environment anchored him and reminded him of his tasks. “That’s...classified information Miss Rosier. I will tell you what I told the Daily Prophet and that is we are doing our best to investigate the problem as well as move forward with better practices. And that is all I can say at thisd time as I’m sure you understand.”

@percyweasley-arc​

Katie was finally at the point in her pregnancy when she was feeling good enough to finally get out of the house. At some point she had to because she was beginning to go stir crazy. The doctor had told her that she couldn’t play quidditch and she followed the orders. However, she was beginning to get bored. She’d already organized the apartment the best that she could. She cleaned. She put away a lot of the stuff that Oliver had bought. What else was she supposed to do? Today, she decided to make a trip to Flourish and Blotts to see if she was able to find a couple of books. Maybe she’d get into reading. 

Flipping through a book, Katie decided that she’d buy it. She was searching another shelf when she ran into Percy. “Hi, Percy!” Katie exclaimed happily when she saw him. “Are you all right?” She asked. “I suppose that Oliver has told you the news already? He’s told everyone.” 

It was a rare day off at the Ministry as Kingsley had schedules with some departments that didn’t need his presence. Percy didn’t question it and spent the day catching up on some idle tasks. He entered Florish and Blotts in search for a list of books that was requested a week ago by the department. He caught a glance of Katie and smiled, approaching her. When Percy had heard the news about one of his best friends and Katie, he couldn’t be more than happy. It had been years since he and Oliver became friends since they shared space in the dormitory at school. They had both changed over the years and there was a period where both of their careers caused their schedules to be tethered. Percy had a feeling there was more than friendship between Katie and Oliver for a while, but seeing them together and being happy was incredible. 

“Of course, yes, and congratulations to you both. I did send an owl once I heard the news but I’m sure both of you are swamped with work and life,” Percy assured, smiling broadly. “How are you feeling? Do you need help finding anything perhaps? I would love to be of some assistance.”

Ernie rolled his eyes and attempted to help Percy pick up his papers. He couldn’t help himself and glanced a few of them as he did, a smirk appearing on his face as he did so. “Why, Percy! You really ought to be much more careful. To think anyone could have seen these.” If it had been a different member of the Minister’s Office, Ernie would have attempted to take care to not let his voice carry but he hadn’t forgotten how Ron’s brother hadn’t even recognized him. He insinuated that Ernie’s own position wasn’t essential. Like the Ministry would function without the Department of Magical Law. “Are you feeling alright? Perhaps you should take it easier.”

There was viable information hidden in the pages that escaped him and Percy’s thoughts were racing faster than his hands should. “Yeah, alright,” he mumbled, barring his jaw at the unhelpful tone from Ernie as he picked up as many things as he could. It was just his luck, but at least he had a couple of minutes to spare before the meeting. Percy liked to be there fifteen minutes early to make sure he was punctual but now that necessary time would be spent clambering around looking inept at his job. “I’m doing-I’m fine-thank you,” he said promptly, taking the papers from Ernie. “Are you going to the meeting downstairs as well?”

Over the months that she’d been working at the Leaky Cauldron, Hannah had grown to love it more and more as the time passed. She loved the patrons who she had conversations with. The stories that she heard. The gossip that she often passed to Ernie. The blonde smiled when she saw Percy Weasley. She remembered him from Hogwarts. “It’s been a bit slow, actually,” Hannah replied with a polite smile. “How is the Ministry?” She shook her head, “No, you’re just in time. Let me get that for you.” 

It was a more stressful time more than ever for Percy as he could notice the slight anxious ridden face on Kingsley with each passing day. Percy knew that as an assistant he was also expected to provide incredible insight or even a supporting role in Kingsley’ life but there was also a line of mixing conflict and life. Percy knew that Kingsley was in the New Order, but other than that his knowledge was limited. There was no judgement placed but Percy wondered if there was more going on at the Ministry that wasn’t being confided in him. An answer to his plee was usually a drink in his hand to nurse any worrying thoughts before taking himself home. “The Ministry is alright,” he answered vaguely, giving a short enough answer. “Thank you. I would have expected the place to be crawling with drunken fools at this point in the evening.”

If she were being completely honest, Percy’s coldness hadn’t made her want to attempt to get to know him. From the beginning most of the Weasley family had made it clear that they didn’t trust her. Her pregnancy was the one thing that had made most of them change their minds. Would they change their mind again once the babies were born? Would their feelings towards her go back to being cold? “How am I supposed to try to get to know you when you turn your nose up at every single interaction? How are we supposed to talk when you’re so close minded?” Harriet asked, the exasperation clear in her voice. She didn’t understand what Percy wanted from her. She was trying, but it wasn’t easy. If it were, they wouldn’t be having this argument. The brunette didn’t satisfy his comment with a remark. In fact, she looked away in annoyance when he rolled his eyes. “What do you want me to do? I don’t understand what you want from me!” 

The brunette caught the panic on Percy’s face and she wished that she could tell him that she was joking. That she wasn’t going into labor, but a contraction hit and she couldn’t deny what was happening. “Labor,” she repeated through gritted teeth, trying to take a deep breath as she willed away the pain that she was in. Harriet felt panic raise in her chest and she snapped softly at Percy, tears in her eyes, “I need…” She paused to take another deep breath, her hand on her belly, “I need you not to pretend that you’re worried right now. I need to go to St. Mungo’s.” She paused, another breath. “Charlie. I need Charlie.” 

Percy flailed a hand to the side as she talked, pacing by his desk impatiently as he knew that his actions were being deceived. “When have you asked a single interest about me? I’m sure Charlie has insisted there isn’t much to tell-and he’s probably right. I don’t lead an exciting life like you or him. I’m an open book if you actually wanted to know more,” he argued, not aware that he was wagging a finger as he talked. “I don’t want anything from you-I mean I want to be close but we haven’t had the best success and of course we can change that, but it’s a push and pull for some reason and-” Percy’s hand scratched at his chin as he paced and stopped once he saw Harriet seemed distressed. “What are you-” He was confused as to what was happening until she began to explain and he nodded immediately. Fuck, this wasn’t what he wanted to do and not in a million years did he think he would be put in this position. 

“Not to pretend-?” he asked, but nodded as he went silent. “Yeah, of course-um,” he said hastily, looking around before throwing the door open. “Can someone get water?” Water always seemed to help. He sent a patronus to Charlie with instructions to meet at the hospital because Harriet was in labor. “Can you-do you think you can apparate or would you rather the floo or-I don’t want you to get hurt...or more hurt.”

It was very obvious to Irene that Percy Weasley wasn’t pleased about their interaction. He was terrified of it coming out to the public and that amused her. It was quite clear that he had someone he was worried about. A girlfriend perhaps that might find the situation less than ideal. For Irene, she didn’t really care if people knew. She had no one to impress. Plus, she hadn’t given Percy Weasley a second thought since she’d left his bedroom. At least when it came to those acts. Disturbing his workday, however, was a different matter. 

“Oh? You weren’t expecting me, Mister Weasley? This is highly unprofessional as I had an appointment. Did your secretary forget to tell you?” Irene asked Percy, her expression deadly serious. She wasn’t serious. She didn’t have an appointment. “Business, of course.” 

Percy didn’t know when the next time he would see Irene Rosier and he hoped not ever. The two couldn’t have less in common and she was already intimidating to him and it only made it more so when she was around. Shortly after sleeping with her, something happened similar to a breach in the Minister’s office and he waved it off as being an irony. Irene wouldn’t be capable of such a thing, he thought. He still glanced around when she entered and cleared his throat, messing with some papers on his desk as a distraction.

“You have-you have an appointment with me?” he asked, folding his hands together on his desk and dwindling his thumbs together. “No...I don’t believe I was told...or perhaps I forgot. It’s possible. Please,” he said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. “Sit. I uh...I wasn’t expecting...what business exactly?”

If there was a protocol for running into your ex-boyfriend shirtless while trying to rekindle your friendship, Penelope certainly didn’t know it. She stood in stunned silence while her brain flashed through different scenarios on how to react,  flushing bright red and ducking her head as Percy searched for a shirt. A tiny part of her brain whispered that he looked good, but she stamped it down ruthlessly and simply tried not to die of embarrassment. 

“I’m so sorry, I thought she would have told you,” Pen said, feeling awkward and out of her depth. “We ran into each other the other day and she invited me, I would have said something but we had those meeting conflicts for lunch yesterday,” she trailed off. Honestly, eating dinner with her ex’s family was a little out of Penelope’s comfort zone, but it was suddenly a lot harder to stomach knowing that Percy hadn’t known, and possibly didn’t want her there. 

“I’m sorry,” she said again, “I can go. Maybe this is just bad timing, I can create an excuse for your mum.” 

There had been some communication between Percy and Penelope but enough apparently for him to question what she was doing there. Mummy had told him to go change before dinner as wearing a tie wasn’t suitable for familial dinner. He hadn’t put up too much of a disagreement but did so anyway. Nowhere had his mother mentioned anything about Penelope coming over or he had kept the tie on to look professional still. 

“No-she didn’t-it’s fine though, just-” he said as he tugged the shirt over his head in haste. “Oh, right that...that was my fault. A meeting ran over-I barely got here. I’m sure she would have...said something sooner.” There seemed to be a rough trail of miscommunication but it wasn’t Penelope’s fault. It was good that she was here and though Percy didn’t know, he was looking forward to dinner now. 

“No-! Don’t. Don’t go I mean. You can stay. You were invited and I-well, I would like you to stay...”

there was never a dull moment working in the minister’s office and sometimes percy thought it might be the job that he was the most appreciated in. kingsley had always liked him and percy had always respected his boss. some days it didn’t feel like working for the minister of magic but instead a decent man that knew what he was doing. other days, it felt like he was an assistant doing busy work for the minsiter of magic. percy loathed the days that made it feel like there were more hours in the day than there were. 

percy got off the lift but a moment later realized he left his briefcase in the lift, turning around and grabbing it. he wasn’t looking where he turned and was faced with the busy foot traffic of a crowd. “i’m so sorry-” percy apologized immediately and to make the situation worse, the briefcase seal released and papers scattered themselves around the scene. this was one of percy’s literal nightmares and he scrambled to secure the government papers as it was critical nothing was shared with anyone. 

where: the leaky cauldron  status: open to all !

When Hannah left Hogwarts, she had dreams of being a healer. However, she didn’t have the confidence to go along with it. She had the debts left to her after her mother’s death and chose to go into work instead of training. The job that she secured at the Leaky Cauldron was purely by chance. The innkeeper took one look at her, more than likely took pity upon her, and immediately gave her the job as a barmaiden. It was a learning curve at first. The patrons of the Leaky Cauldron liked things a certain way and it took her a little while to learn that. Now, a couple of years later, Hannah was still on the job, but she excelled at what she did. 

“Evening,” Hannah greeted the latest person who had sat down at the bar with a smile. “What can I get for you?” 

Percy enjoyed living alone and after work, enjoyed having a small drink before going to bed. Sometimes he preferred company but the Leaky Cauldron never failed to have possible interactions with people. He slipped into a stool at the bar and made some conversation with someone beside him. Percy only turned when he saw Hannah, a smile returning to his features as he remembered the girl quite well. “Evening, Hannah. Busy night for you?” Percy asked, glancing behind her at the menu. “Am I too late for the Tuesday double deal?”

location: obscurus’ books

status: open

It was as if no time at all had passed. He couldn’t even be sure he had left the country. If not for the cold welcome he had received at his flat, he would say no one had even noticed he had been gone. That would have been preferable to being on the end of one of Draco’s poor moods. Sometimes Theo wondered if keeping his friendship with Draco, one of his last remaining ones left, was even worth it, but the thought of being utterly forgotten about did border on maudlin. At least the many events and parties he had tried to make himself suffer through on Daphne’s account were over. One friendship he could do. Two? Not in the slightest.

The chimes of the doors broke Theo from his thoughts and the feigned show of looking over the inventory books. Seeing just exactly how well Mr. Worme could cope without him was heartwarming. He wasn’t going to be out of a job just yet. “Obscurus’. Nothing is too obscure for us to have.” His mouth didn’t manage the smile he had been instructed upon to include with the shop’s new greeting. Not that his quiet and dry tone had made the sentence very much of a welcomed hello by any means. 

Percy was always tasked with things to do for the minister. Sometimes it was busy work or grunt work, but Percy was fine with doing both. It made no sense to send an assistant to do when he was perfectly capable of doing it. Sometimes the assistance came back with nothing or the wrong thing and it saved time by Percy doing it himself. The bookstore was one on his last after going to Flourish and Blotts and not finding what he needed. He needed to make haste in order to be back at work, shuffling other parcels into his arm when he opened the door to Obscurus. Already, Percy felt out of place but ignored the feeling and paced the bookstore.

@percyweasley-arc​

Irene had grown bored with her work for the day and chose to do something else instead. The Redeemers were quite honestly a mess and she decided to leave it in Martin’s hands for once. It was him that had gotten them into this mess. Why should she clean up all of his messes? Instead, Irene met with one of her sources at the Ministry, promised a lunch in a couple of days, and then was on her way out when she spotted Percy Weasley’s office. Why not cause a little bit of chaos? She was bored after all. 

Walking past the secretary, Irene knocked at his door, before entering his office and closing the door behind her. “Mister Weasley,” she greeted with an innocent grin, “What a pleasure. I was hoping that I’d see you today.” 

There were many things to do at work always and even more so as the season progressed and movements inched forward. Percy had come back from downstairs, collecting himself with a tea and scone before diving into his work again. He had barely been in the office, typing up a report for the Minister when Irene walked in. It had been months since he saw Irene and slept with her, thinking that without contact after, it could have all been a dream. It obviously wasn’t if she knew who he was and where to find him. 

“Miss Rosier,” he replied after a beat of pause. “What-how-what are you doing here?” he asked, glancing hastily around the office to make sure no one saw them together. Penelope was finally in his life again and being seen with Rosier would not make anything better. 

The only member of the Weasley family that had truly invited her in and shown her warmth was Arthur and for that she was thankful. She knew that it would take some time before the Weasley family accepted her, but she was trying her hardest. The Redeemers were a blip in her past. A mistake. Something that she’d followed because it seemed like the best decision for her at the time. Now, she regretted it, but she couldn’t take it back. She knew that she was in danger. That they were something that loomed over her head since she’d stopped showing up at meetings, but she had no choice but to move on with her life. To do everything in her power to protect her children and her boyfriend. 

“I’m not asking you to ignore it. I’m asking you to hear me out. To get to know me before deciding that your mind is made up,” Harriet argued, keeping her voice low so that the various people passing by his door wouldn’t hear their argument. The brunette was supposed to avoid stress and yet - she was heading straight into it. She shot Percy a exasperated look, ignoring the tears of anger that were forming in her eyes. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t think about that at every waking hour? If I could take back what I’ve done, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I live in fear every minute that they’re going to hurt these babies or Charlie. That I’m going to find my apartment burned down or worse.” He didn’t need to lecture her about how she was putting everyone in danger. She was already quite aware of that fact. Harriet informed Charlie of the risks. She offered him an out. “I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m just asking you to give me a goddamn chance.” 

Running a hand through her hair, Harriet took a deep breath as she tried to calm down. She tried to ignore the pain that she’d begun to feel. She was silent for a long moment, before wincing and placing a hand on her belly. “I…” She trailed off for a moment as she tried to assess what was going on. “My water just broke, I think I’m in labour.” 

Percy was all about first impressions, both giving and receiving. It might be his fault for being cold at first because of something Charlie had said but Harriet did little in return to show that she wanted to get to know him. There was nothing to trust about someone who used to be a Redeemer or still was. For all Percy knew, Harriet could be spying on Percy’s family and be using Charlie. He had never seen his brother fall in love so easily. There was no denying Harriet was beautiful, but there was a lot of layers to go through about her to try and understand her or her past. She was right that Percy didn’t know anything about her and for some reason, he had thought that he wouldn’t have to. It was an ill request but Charlie seemed invested and Percy had been anything but. “What is there to say? You haven’t really taken a liking or wanted to know about me either,” Percy defended, pinning the argument back on Harriet. His gaze hardened as she talked about the Redeemers and he knew what they were capable of but it didn’t satisfy what Percy thought. He knew the possibility of what could happen and had thought about the future children first and foremost. “So you agree,” Percy said finally with a roll of his eyes, not liking the tone of the conversation. “That’s how I trust people, I can’t simply blindly trust you when I don’t-”

Almost at once, Percy’s face fell and he watched her carefully. “Wha...” he began, not knowing what to do and stilling. “What do you-labor?” he asked with a panicked tone, trying to think of what to do in this situation. Of course his mother gave him the talk, but never what comes after the actual coitus. “What do you need? Tell me.”

She knew that Percy wasn’t a fan of her. Normally, Harriet wouldn’t care about that fact. There were a lot of people who passed judgement onto her. Whether it be because of the veela in her blood or the fact that she’d followed the Redeemers. Both weren’t facts readily available, but they were the main things she was judged upon. Being that she was pregnant, however, she wanted to make an effort with Charlie’s family. She wanted the best for her children and a tense environment would never be conducive. That was why she’d chosen to track down Percy at work. Why she was saying anything at all. 

“Oh? What do you want then?” Harriet asked, just as impatiently. The stress that the situation was placing upon her shoulders wasn’t good. It was why she wanted to clear the air. Either they’d have an understanding or he wouldn’t be in her children’s lives. “Every time I attempt to talk to you, you brush me off. You wrinkle your nose at me because you know of what I’ve done in the past. The moment I had something more important to protect, I left that behind.” The brunette took a deep breath and ran her hands over her baby bump, her gaze still focused upon Percy. “They’re my children. I’m going to be their mother and I get to decide who will and will not be in their lives. It’s my job to protect them. Charlie will support my decision.” 

Percy had a deep kinship with his family even though at times it seemed the opposite. He still had unconditional love for every member of his family and they were all important to him. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for them. His relationship was almost stagment, something that wasn’t constant and perhaps he was closest to his parents the most. It was something he was still trying to work on and while his relationship with Charlie could be better, he wasn’t expecting Charlie to have someone like Harriet. Percy wasn’t there for Bill and Fleur when they started dating but he was now and he couldn’t leave Victoire. It was hard to imagine that with Harriet when she already seemed cold. 

“I don’t-well, it’s not exactly something that can be ignored,” he said more quietly, glancing at the door to make sure it was closed. Percy sunk against his desk and put his head in his hands as he tried to structure his words. “It’s not that easy-you leaving them. They could find you or worse-they could hurt someone. If they know who you are then they obviously know about my family and you being around us is not being careful. We’ve had enough hurt as it is.” Percy didn’t trust Harriet and he didn’t mind saying that aloud. It wasn’t something he could look pass as easily as Charlie might have. “And it’s my job to protect Charlie as best as I can-we want the same things, but I don’t-how am I supposed to trust you so blindly?”

@percyweasley-arc​

Harriet knew that the things she’d done to Charlie would make the Weasley family skeptical of welcoming her with open arms. However, she’d renounced her old ways. Since finding out about her pregnancy, she stopped going to Redeemer meetings. She stopped answering their owls. Before that, she’d stopped giving them useful information when she learned of her feelings for Charlie. She tried her best to be kind. She complimented Mrs. Weasley’s food. She attempted to speak with his siblings. Some of the Weasley family had come around, but there was one whom she couldn’t break. After seeing him at the party, Percy had left a bad taste in Harriet’s mouth and she wanted to clear the air between them. 

Naturally, that was why she’d showed up to his office at the Ministry. She knocked on the door politely, before entering, her gaze meeting his. “I was hoping that we could clear the air,” Harriet murmured, her gaze hardening slightly. “Whether you like it or not, my children will arrive in a few weeks time. Charlie would like you to be in their lives, but if you continue with your behaviour, I’ll have no choice but to keep you out of their lives.” 

Percy had been minding his work when he heard Harriet come in. It was unexpected considering the two hadn’t made effort to get along and it seemed neither wanted to. The party at the Burrow had proved just as much and Percy had put it off his mind. “Harriet,” he greeted formally, his brow raising. “The air?” Percy was trying to play innocent to her accusation. He wasn’t expecting Harriet nor what the conversation was about. He had paused for a moment before standing to close the door. There was no reason for others to listen in on the conversation as he wouldn’t want to be humiliated further. 

“That’s...that’s not what I want,” Percy snapped impatiently, thinking he barely had to get a word in. “Harriet, I don’t think that should happen.” This time the words seemed less intense and he breathed out. Since his conversation with Charlie on the train he had incredible doubts about Harriet. “We have barely had a chance to talk-Charlie didn’t really set you up for a good first impression he...it doesn’t matter. But you can’t reject me. Charlie wouldn’t want that. You would be depriving me of family and he would never forgive you...there has to be another answer.”