XXXXXX

One Year Ago.

The sunset was beautiful that evening. Graceful blue changed its hue again and again, slip-sliding slowly towards darkness. It blurred over Percy Weasley's smiling face just as the wind blew lightly as he continued making his way up towards the Burrow.

As Percy opened the front door to the house his heart pounded in confident excitement. He couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news, especially since they all expected the worse when he told them Fudge wanted to see him.

His parents were both in the living room as he came in and looked up when they heard the door open. Ron and Ginny were both sitting there too, apparently just as curious to see what had happened in his meeting.

"Percy, dear." Molly smiled as she got up to greet her third son. "How was the meeting? What did Fudge want to see you about?"

Percy's chest swelled up with pride.

"Well, it's good news. He offered me a new position. He wants me to be the Junior Assistant to the Minister. I'd be the youngest Junior Assistant in history."

His beaming smile continued but no one reacted, not even Molly who always reacted with jubilation when being told of his accomplishments. She slowly turned her head to look at Arthur, who was looking at his third son, stone faced.

"Well…what do you think?" Percy asked, a little confused now as to why his mother or father hadn't congratulated him.

"Percy…that's wonderful." Molly finally said as she pulled her son into an embrace.

"Percy." Arthur said as he got to his feet.

Molly looked at her husbands face and quickly said;

"Come with me, Percy. I'll fix you supper. This is very good news, I'm proud of you."

"Molly wait." Arthur said as he walked over to them. "We need to discuss this."

Percy's brows furrowed with confusion as the smile disappeared from his face.

"We can discuss it later." Molly began but Arthur shook his head.

"We need to discuss it now."

"Discuss what?" Percy asked.

"Look, Percy." Arthur began. "I don't know if it would be such a good idea for you to take the job."

"And why not?" Percy responded incredulously. He thought for sure that his father would be happy for him, he was making it on his own. Any parent would be proud.

"Son, you know with what happened just recently with Crouch did nothing to help your reputation at the Ministry. I really doubt that Fudge would hire you as his assistant without some other reason."

Swallowing a little, Percy breathed deeply through his nose as his ego was bruised a little when his father brought up his last job.

"So what reason would Fudge have?" He finally asked.

"I think he wants to use you to get information about Dumbledore. You've seen the papers, he's starting a smear campaign against him and he knows how close this family is to him. Fudge is determined to get to anyone who supports Dumbledore. What better way than to have you in his office?"

Percy bit his bottom lip, not sure of how to respond.

"Percy, I'm sorry." Arthur said, reaching out to give his son's shoulder a quick squeeze. "But you have to face the facts."

"Face the facts?" His son responded while stepping away from his touch. "How do you know? You really think I couldn't have gotten this job based on all of my hard work? The Ministry knows how ambitious I am to get ahead."

"Percy, listen," Arthur began but his son cut him off.

"So Dad, you really think that I don't deserve it, that I could never get this job without some ulterior motive?"

"I didn't say that, it's just that your reputation precedes you, and Fudge-"

"Dad, if any reputation precedes me it would be yours," Percy snarled, as months, even years of frustration began to build up him.

"What are you talking about?"

Percy had held his tongue over the years, out of respect for his parents. But at that moment, he could do it no longer and continued to release his venom on the man standing in front of him.

"Everyone thinks you're so strange, with your muggle obsession, your stupid collections and your stupid job. That's why we've never had any money, and had to live in this shack all our lives, because your obsession keeps you back. You have no idea what I've had to go through ever since I've started working at the Ministry. When people first meet me they expect me to be just like you, and I have to fight against your reputation every damn day."

Molly gasped in horror as Ron and Ginny both gave sharp intakes after hearing what their older brother just said to their father. Arthur raised his chin as his eyes narrowed, Percy could tell that his words had just wounded him.

"Excuse me?" Arthur finally said, his voice was low, trying to mask his anger with a calm tone.

"If anyone's deluded it's you!" Percy continued. "If Fudge has got it in for Dumbledore, it's because the man's running around spreading Harry Potter's lies. It's stupid of Dumbledore to back him up with no proof."

"How dare you!" Arthur spat, coming as close to a yell as he had so far. "Harry's word that the Dark Lord is back is good enough for Dumbledore, than it's good enough for me."

"Then you are absolutely pathetic. You're throwing everything away on the word of a mentally unbalanced fourteen-year-old who just wants attention!"

Ron tensed up after what Percy had just said about his best friend and Ginny quickly put her hand on his wrist, trying to help him remain calm.

"And what about following a man who refuses to even consider the Dark Lord is back, who won't even investigate the matter?" Arthur was now yelling too.

"Fudge is the Minister of Magic!" Percy snapped, "I would take his word over that crackpot Dumbledore any day!"

"You're being an idiot!" Arthur snapped. "Dumbledore is no crackpot!"

"No, it's you who's being an idiot! You're heading for big trouble if you continue to support Dumbledore's lies! And if you're going to be a traitor to the Ministry, then I'm going to make sure everyone knows that I am not a part of this family anymore!"

Once again, silence filled the room as nobody spoke. Arthur was now breathing heavily out of his nose as he glared at his son. Finally, through his anger he yelled;

"Get out! It's that's the way you feel than just get out! And don't bother coming back!"

"Don't worry, I won't."

He gave his father the best sneer he could muster before marching up the stairs, heading to his room to pack. When he was on the second floor he saw Fred and George standing in the hallway, both giving him a dirty look as he passed by, apparently hearing every word he had said.

Percy ignored them as he walked into his room and pulled out his old battered suitcase and began throwing clothes in. He was so intent on getting out of here as fast as possible he didn't realize his mother was in the doorway until she sniffed as tears trailed down her cheeks.

He tried not to feel guilty or ashamed when he saw her, tried not to feel anything at all as he gripped his bags and moved forward to walk out the door.

"Percy, you and your father are just angry." She began. "Just stay here tonight and tomorrow when you're both calm you can talk this out."

"Mum please. This is for the best."

"But dear-"

"So, Mum, do you think he's right?" He asked. "About what he said about Fudge offering me this job?"

She didn't answer, but the look in her eyes told him everything, and abruptly a great overwhelming sadness was fighting to take the place of his anger. His mother, his only real supporter over the years, didn't even believe in him now.

"Goodbye, Mum," Percy said, trying not to care about the heartbroken look on her face, but failing miserably.

He walked back down the stairs as fast as he could, not even bothering to look back at his Dad as he opened the front door and walked out of the house he grew up in, and into the real world.