A/N: This is the first thing I've written in a while (that was any good) so forgive me if I'm a little out of practice. This will be a multiple part story if I get any decent feedback on this. I'd give a disclaimer here but that would ruin the story (for me anyway.) Most people will probably skip this note (and the one I'm going to put at the bottom) but it is going to include plot things and previews. It will also ask questions I expect you to answer. I love to communicate with my adoring public. *smiles and looks enraptured at empty auditorium * *crickets chirp* Okay not so adoring, but I don't care. Now you may read my masterpiece (well not masterpiece but still a pretty darn good story!)
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Percy was quite proud of himself. After the debacle involving Mr. Crouch, he had been certain he would end up on the fast track to the bottom rung. Relegated to the bottom rung of the ladder. He had resigned himself to it then this golden opportunity came along. This was much better than any promotion. He was really surprised by it. He assumed he had gotten it because the Ministry wanted all reminders of Barty Crouch gone, as if his death had been something normal and not something cloaked in secrecy. Even if that was the reason he had gotten the job it was still a huge honor to serve in the Union of Magical Countries.

Percy had long admired the work done by the Union. It was a cherished position among the witches and wizards in The Department of International Magical Cooperation and much sought after. The one bad thing was that he would have to move to New York City. 'Really' he thought. 'It's silly to turn down the job because I don't feel like moving. I could use a break from my family anyway.'

* * *

Two weeks later, Percy was about to leave; his anticipation was getting the better of him. Finally getting to go somewhere he wouldn't be compared to his brothers all the time. Getting out from under that shadow was going to be a freeing experience. All he had to do now was Apparate there.

That was if he could get out the door of his soon-to-be former house. "Mum," he said for about the twelfth time. "I will write you as much as humanly possible, if I become homesick I can visit you easily, and I will visit Aunt Margaret and Uncle Richard. You can count on it."

"I guess, maybe, I have been a little overbearing. I'll let you go in peace but I'm still worried," his mother said sounding incredibly nervous. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I doubt Percy would do anything dangerous," Fred said from near their father.

"Yeah, it might be against the rules," George chimed in.

"Just because you don't follow the rules means it's bad if other people do. You should act like more like Percy," his mother said.

'Again Mum comes to my rescue. I have to get away from this house if for no other reason then to fight my own battles.' Percy thought. After looking at his watch, he said, "Well, looks like I have to go."

His mother started to cry as he went around saying good bye to everyone. After saying "Goodbye" many more times than he would like to count he was finally able to leave. He walked down to the nearest Dissaparation Point and Disapparated.

* * *

Three hours later, Percy was cursing the silence. His new apartment was perfect. It was clean and perfect. It was also empty and had a sense of lifeless feeling in it. There was furniture and everything a bachelor's pad should have but no feeling of life. Percy half wished it was messy so that he could have something to do.

His thoughts kept drifting back towards Penny. His girlfriend, 'ex-girlfriend' he gently reminded himself. In the three months since she had told him she didn't love him any more and was seeing someone else, he hadn't been able to tell his family. He had kept up the charade by doing everything exactly as he had when they were together. Three or four times a week he even went out, by himself, and then told his family how great his date with Penny was.

Now he had nothing to do. A more adventurous person would have gone to meet people. Percy wasn't that adventurous. Instead he talked to his aunt about being in New York. During the conversation she had asked him to their house for dinner. Percy wasn't sure if it was because she wanted to connect with family or if she felt sorry for him. Either way he was glad to get out of his apartment.

* * *

The dinner at his aunts was not going well. He was squeezed at the tiny kitchen table between the two smallest (and also youngest) members of the Weasley family. On one side Janine, the youngest and only girl, was talking to him about her teddy bears while yelling at all the other boys to be quiet. On his other side Matt, the youngest boy, was making explosion noises while banging his fork into a pile of mashed potatoes. While this was going on Percy was trying to answer his uncle's questions. He almost wished he were back in his apartment.

"How is your family? I haven't seen any of them in ages," Uncle Richard said.

"They're are all fine," Percy said over what was apparently a full attack on the mashed potatoes and a description of Janine's favorite tea party bears.

"Could you give me some more details."

"Of Course. Ron's best friend is Harry Potter. He's going to be in his fifth year. Ginny will be going into her fourth. Fred and George are in their seventh year. They want to start a joke shop when they get out of school." As he continued, Percy was surprised at how much he knew about his brothers and sister. It was probably more than they had ever bothered to learn about him.

"It's good you're all well."

"Yes I guess it is."

Percy was thankful when the evening was over. He accepted an invitation to come over "Almost anytime" from his aunt was on his way back to his apartment.

* * *

Percy carefully picked out the clothes he was going to wear for his first day at work. The simple white shirt and khaki look would be just fine for office work. He would have to get a nicer set of dress business robes if he was going to work at the Union in the Assembly, but his outfit was just fine for now.

"Ding, Dong," the doorbell interrupted Percy's train of thought. He ran to answer it.

"Hello!" the person on the other side of the door was almost too friendly. "I'm Martin. I'm supposed to show you around today. Your name is Percy, right?"

"Yes." Percy answered simply.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Not really."

"Oh good, I wouldn't have been able to answer them anyway. I can show you to work though." Martin's accent was very cultured. He seemed very nice and about the same age as Percy.

"Actually I do have a question. I hope you don't think it is rude, but how old are you?" Percy asked.

"I'm nineteen."

"I figured you would be about my age but I don't recognize you from Hogwarts."

"That's because I didn't go there. My parents traveled a lot and I had a private tutor. I'm always a little sad I didn't get to go to school but I learned everything and it's impossible to change the past."

Martin's laissez-faire attitude was a nice change of pace from how Percy usually felt. Martin seemed very kind and if Percy made friends with anyone he hoped it would be with Martin.

* * *

"Well, here we are," Martin said after crossing through about ten security checkpoints and arriving at a door marked "Union of Magical Countries-Great Britain Office."

"I don't think I would have been able to do all that the first time without help, thank you," Percy said as he attached his security badge to the front of his shirt.

"Don't mention it."

Martin and Percy wound their way through the hallways of the Office. Martin stopped in front of an Office that Percy Weasley was written on.

"I guess this is my office, " Percy said feeling rather dumb. 'At least they should be able to remember my name.' Percy thought cynically.

"Yes. If you need anything just tap on this inter com and someone will be here to help you. That door on the right leads to a smaller office for an assistant. There should be some resumes on the desk. Tomorrow you will be able to interview some possibilities."

"Thanks," Percy called behind Martin as he left the office and shut the door.

Percy stood there for a moment appreciating his new surroundings. Then Percy, not one to waste time, went through a box of office supplies and arranged them on his desk. He had forgotten about the picture of Penny on the bottom. 'I guess I won't put this out.' He thought as he took the picture out of the frame. He went to put it in a drawer of his desk, then changed his mind and threw it away. When he was finished doing that he started to look over the applicants for the assistant job.

* * *

Percy had spent most of the previous night out with Martin. It had been a lot of fun, but Percy kept thinking he was breaking some rule. It was a mildly exhilarating feeling.

Now Percy was sitting in his office waiting for the people he was supposed to interview.

The first woman walked into his office. She didn't look like anyone Percy would hire. Her hair was brown with several different shades of blue (none of which looked super-intelligent) streaked through it.

"Hi, I'm Jynxa," she said as she sat down in the chair across the way.

"Hello, I'm Percy Weasley. I have a few questions for you."

"Shoot."

"Are you able to do research and type fast?"

"I could tell that would be what you'd ask. A real question. Before you ask a lot of them though I should warn you that I'm almost confirmed for this same job down the hall. The answer is yes, I can research and type fast."

"That's good. Who are you possibly working for?"

"Martin, down the hall."

Percy and Jynxa kept up the Q-and-A session for a while longer.

"You asked really good questions," Jynxa said as she got ready to go.

"Thank You," Percy answered.

'One more thing, if you thought I was weird wait until you meet the other people," Jynxa said reaching the door. She made a cuckoo symbol with her finger just before she left.

The next person had normal hair and appeared quite regular and nice. She turned out to be a little, no a lot, cuckoo.

After a few normal questions she said, "I must tell Luke that Darth Vader is really his father."

Percy thought he must have misheard. He asked, "What?"

"I must tell Luke that Darth Vader is his father."
Now Percy knew he hadn't misheard. He answered, "Okay,' while secretly feeling around for a button to call security.

"I have to leave now."

As she left the room Percy put a firm check in the 'No' column for her. Finding an assistant was going to be harder than he thought.

Percy kept interviewing people all day. Most turned out to be almost normal but there was something strange about each of them.

One girl he had interviewed name was Butterfly. He had asked, "After the insect?"

She answered, "No the Ballot."

He had thought she was kidding but she was absolutely serious.

The next person had talked non-stop for almost ten minutes. He didn't know if that was better or worse than the person who hadn't talked at all. Another person who had interviewed had managed to knock over almost everything in his office.

In the end he ended hiring someone who was way overqualified for the job and acted very superior. After his second day at work he couldn't even imagine what was going to go on when he actually got work.

* * *

When Percy got to work the next day he was happy to see that some work had already been given to him.

He was shocked to discover that it was about You-Know-Who. More than that it looked like it was some sort of letter right from him.

* * *

A/N: Oo, how shocking! If anyone gives me positive reviews I'll continue this but otherwise not. I hope you liked my story and eagerly await the next part. If you don't then, I don't care. Somebody please review my story.

Disclaimer: I have to put this here because I don't own all the things you recognize. I don't own Percy or the Weasley family. I don't own New York City. I don't own Harry Potter. If I did I wouldn't be writing fanfic I would be swimming in my big vault of money. I do own Martin and the Weasleys in New York. I own all the interviewees except Jynxa and Star Wars Girl. Jynxa belongs to herself being one of my personalities. She is being uncooperative because she doesn't like Percy and had to be nice. The Star Wars Girl belongs to my good friend Holly because she is partly her. Any lawyers reading this should know I have no money and all you would get if you sued me would be a lot of ball point pens (if you could find them) and a digital watch.

One more thing before you go: Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time in between wearing digital watches?

Bye!!