How Percy Met Audrey
Percy Weasley awoke that morning to the sound of his alarm clock blaring through his apartment. He looked down at his clock on the bedside table as he placed his glasses on his nose. It was 6:45; he was expected at the ministry in fifteen minutes. As he hurried around the apartment, making himself presentable for his meeting with the minister (the reason he was up so early on a day he would normally have allowed himself to sleep until 8) Percy noticed three notes on today's square of the calendar as he passed through the kitchen. The first was his note from last week reminding himself about the important meeting he had later that morning. The second was a lunch date his sister had insisted on making with him that he just couldn't bring himself to refuse and finally there was the reminder to go round to his mother's house around 6 that night for dinner.
Percy had spent more time with his family in these past weeks than he could remember doing in a very long time, perhaps even since he was a child. Between his work at the ministry and his many, many family get-togethers, Percy was kept extremely busy. At times it felt to Percy as though he had never left his family and things had always been this easy between them, but maybe that was just the product of having such a large, caring family. In reality Percy still felt horrible. There were frequent instances where one of his brothers or Ginny would make some joke or tell a story about the times they had shared during the war and Percy would find himself with the same feelings each time, that familiar, engulfing guilt that came over him when he looked into his father's eyes and knew that he had forsaken his family for a cause that he believed to be right, when in reality his family had had it right all along.
He had been a complete and utter GIT to them all and he knew it.
There wasn't any way that he could make it up to them, and he didn't have to. All he had to do was come back to them and be their son again, their brother. This made Percy feel even worse about how he had treated them all. For this reason he would work his hardest to restore things to the way they ought to be. He would win back his family's trust and restore the ministry to its former, pre-Voldemort glory. This was Percy's goal. After all, one requires goals in their life when aspiring to be a successful member of society.
Percy arrived at the ministry later that morning, waving to several acquaintances as he made his way to the lift, hands laden with paperwork and weeks worth of reports. He was meaning to stop by his office on his way to meet the minister, in order to clear his hands and appear more presentable for what could be the most important meeting of his career. However as the saying goes; the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. As Percy was turning the corner he slammed face first into a small dark haired woman, her face buried in a copy of the morning's daily prophet.
"Well pardon me!" said Percy with all the pomp he could muster.
"Oh!" the girl exclaimed seeming to have just noticed him. "I'm so sorry! Let me get those for you!" with a flick of her wand, the papers returned to Percy's outstretched arms.
Taken aback by the girl's obvious politeness Percy said "that's um…that's quite alright…"
"Audrey" she said, smiling at him, her teeth visible. "Percy Weasley, assistant to the minister" he said as he extended his hand for her to shake. "How very interesting" she said as she let go of his palm, eyes twinkling with laughter "I'll see you around Percy."
She was quite young looking, perhaps even a year or two younger than him, surmised Percy as Audrey walked away down the corridor to the lift. Nice girl Percy thought. Odd though.
"Late start?" asked the minister for magic Kingsley Shacklebolt as he let Percy into his office, eyeing the piles of paperwork still filling the younger man's arms.
"Not at all sir, I apologize" Percy said as he inwardly cursed himself for not arriving at the ministry early and visiting his office.
"Not a problem Weasley" replied Kingsley as he motioned for Percy to take a seat. "We're quite busy today so ill just cut straight to business. As you know there is a great many staffing changes that need to be made as well as much reorganizing around the ministry in the wake of…recent events." Started Kingsley. "I need to be able to deal with more important matters outside the ministry, which is why im asking you to do something for me Percy."
"Yes sir?" Percy asked the minister.
"I'm promoting you to undersecretary to the minister" he said "you'll be in charge of the "home base" as it were, while I tend to other matters"
"That's excellent sir! You'll be pleased you gave me the position." Percy said, unable to conceal his excitement.
"Oh I'm sure I will" said the minister with a smile. "I should offer you a drink to celebrate, after all its not every day you get a promotion." Percy thanked the minister as he accepted the drink from his boss. Percy glanced around the office as he drank the firewhiskey Kingsley had summoned for them both. Percy's eyes finally fell on a picture frame that lay on the desk in front of him, whose lone inhabitant, smiling quite goofily and waving, caught his attention.
"My daughter" explained Kingsley having noticed Percy watching the photo
"Audrey" they finished together.
"You've met?" asked Kingsley, one eyebrow raised. "Briefly" said Percy
""I see" said nodding "well congratulations again Weasley, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave my office, I have another engagement."
