A/N: Here's another one for you lovely people! Enjoy!

Chapter 4

The full bottle of firewhiskey taunted him.

Percy was disgusted at how tempted he was to down the whole thing. What was he, some common drunkard? Wasn't he better than that? Didn't he have principles? He had signed his name at the bottom of the checklist, just like George had, so he couldn't back out on his promise now, right?

Spill the booze unless you're willing to share.

It wouldn't be the first time he had broken a promise.

Percy sighed and leaned back into the couch. This was so pointless…

Suddenly, his fireplace flared into life and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Rushing to regain composure, he grabbed the bottle and stuffed it between the cushions before straightening his glasses.

A woman's head appeared in the flames, looking prim beneath spectacles and hair tightly wrapped into a bun. She smiled politely (though it was a bit forced) at Percy.

"Mr. Percy Ignatius Weasley?" she sang out in a nasally voice.

"Uhh…yes. This is he."

The woman pursed her lips but nodded. "I have a request for a visit from the office of the Minister of Magic. Do current conditions permit your consent?"

Percy stared at her for a second as his brain sped to catch up, but then his Ministry training kicked in.

He straightened. "Yes, my present conditions are agreeable and available to the Minister whenever he so desires to call upon me."

"Well, Mr. Weasley, he desires to call upon you right now. Are you able to accept?"

Percy hesitated to respond. He had cleaned up a little bit since the day before, and hadn't had another drop of whiskey since George had left. His flat was still clean, except for the study, and he was otherwise wearing acceptable clothing.

He nodded stiffly. "Yes, I accept."

"Please wait for a moment as the Minister steps into the Floo Network. Good day, Mr. Weasley."

"Thank you, Ma'am. And you."

He bowed his head slightly as she disappeared. It was only then that the situation fully dawned on him.

The new Minister of Magic was paying him a visit? Perhaps he was being arrested for committing crimes against the community. He staggered into the wall, the blood draining from his face. Would he be sent to Azkaban?

A few moments later, the fireplace flared again, and there appeared Minister Shacklebolt, resplendent in bizarrely verdant green robes.

"Minister Shacklebolt," he greeted stoically, bowing deeply. Shacklebolt just grinned at him, chuckling.

"Those Ministry dogs certainly trained people well. That's all I've been getting these days – formal bows. Makes me feel all important!"

Percy opened his mouth, but found that he didn't know what to say to such an odd remark.

"Ah, don't listen to me," Shacklebolt continued, waving his hand dismissively. "Come, now let's sit."

He sat back on the couch and stretched languidly. Percy's eyes widened imperceptibly as he thought of the whiskey bottle Shacklebolt had nearly crushed. Trying to cover his rudeness, he rushed forward to sit beside the Minister. He willed himself not to move as he carefully folded his hands onto his lap, hoping that his voice wouldn't tremble when he spoke.

"Minister, how can I assist you today? I must admit that it is rare to receive such an honorary visit—"

"Do drop the pleasantries, Mr. Weasley," Shacklebolt interrupted. "I'd prefer to just get straight down to business, if you don't mind. I don't have all the time in the world, here."

Percy blinked, tripping over his tongue. "O-Of course, Minister."

Shacklebolt sighed deeply and then glanced up at Percy, his dark eyes staring into Percy's.

"Mr. Weasley, I'm here to offer you a job back at the Ministry." When Percy opened his mouth to object, Shacklebolt held up a hand. "I am aware of your former position, Mr. Weasley, but the fact is, there aren't many good employees left to re-hire, especially now that I've fired most of the corrupt ones. Unfortunately, the half that wasn't corrupt has mostly fled the country by now, or worse. Right now, I need employees that have experience, skills and knowledge of the Ministry and its functions, and most importantly, I need those that I can trust."

Percy inhaled a shaky breath. "With all due respect, Minister, I must ask if you are aware of my familial situation—"

"I am. Arthur's a good friend of mine. I trust the Weasley name, even on those who may have made a few mistakes."

"A few mistakes?" Percy blurted out before he could stop himself. His eyes widened in horror before he shook his head. "I am sorry, sir, but I am afraid that I will not be able to accept your offer—"

"Listen to me, kid," Shacklebolt cut in. "Everyone makes mistakes. Things happen, people get hurt. I'm the Minister now so I can try to help stop that, and make things right with the world again. I know you've had a rough time, but the very fact that you feel remorse about what you did proves to me that I can trust you. Believe me, I was an Auror for a long time, and I can read people. You're being too hard on yourself. And, well, to be frank, I need you. I'm about to embark on a mission to completely overhaul the Ministry from the ground up, and I need people with your expertise at the forefront." He paused for a moment. "Besides, what else are you going to do, Mr. Weasley? Or can I call you Percy?"

"Percy's fine," Percy breathed weakly. "I…I am honored, sir, though, despite my adverse thoughts on the subject, I have a feeling that I do not really have a choice in the matter."

"No, you always have a choice, son, but my gut tells me you're going to choose the right one and accept this job. Now what do you say?"

Percy swallowed heavily, thinking about it quickly. "Alright, sir. I will…accept your offer."

Shacklebolt beamed. "Excellent! I mean, I could've given you some time to think it over…"

Percy smiled feebly. "I suppose, yes, but you made some valid points. It is only logical for me to accept. Might I ask what the job will entail?"

"Well, Percy," Shacklebolt began, "It won't be the same job you had before. Instead, I would like to put you in charge of a new department I'm creating. The work won't be easy, and will mostly involve sifting through documents pre-dating Voldemort's first rise to power." Percy flinched at the name as Shacklebolt continued, undeterred, "I would like you, and the other employees I have hand-selected, to analyze and sift through all the documents involved, from employment listings to court proceedings, with an unbiased, trained eye. My goal is to sort out and resolve the corrupted materials you find, so I can start eradicating prejudiced laws inherent in the system. Do you understand?"

Percy was speechless. He was supposed to analyze all the documents from nearly four decades ago? He had already been worked to the bone these past few years, staying up sometimes all night to keep up with the sheer amount of papers, and he had only been employed there for a few years. Imagine four decades of documents! That would take centuries to get through!

A wry expression was on Shacklebolt's face when Percy returned from his inner musings.

"I did say that it wouldn't be easy, right? Well, now that you understand the magnitude of your task, I will assure you that you won't be alone. Like I said, you'll be the head of the department, so I'll let you organize the process any way you would like. The employees I've chosen are also some of the best out there, so I know they are willing to work hard to accomplish this. It will be challenging, but I have faith in you, Percy. Welcome to the team." He stuck out a hand and Percy shook it awkwardly, feeling faint.

"Don't worry, son. You're in good hands." Shacklebolt grinned at his joke and rose from the couch, but not before bending to remove the bottle of firewhiskey hastily stowed between the cushions. Percy opened his mouth but Shacklebolt just admired the bottle, turning it over in his hands. "Ah, Odgen's Old, huh? Good stuff. Mind if I borrow this, Percy?"

Percy just closed his mouth and nodded feebly.

"Many thanks. I could definitely use a drink. I'll repay you later!" Shacklebolt promised as he headed toward the fireplace. Over his shoulder, he called, "I expect to see you outside my office Monday at 8 a.m. sharp. My assistant, Edna, will help you adjust. Have a good rest of the weekend, Percy!" With a wave, he removed some Floo Powder from a pocket in his robes and, with a deep booming voice, uttered, "The Ministry of Magic, Minister's private chambers," and promptly vanished in a burst of green flames.

Perhaps it was the shock still wearing on him, or maybe it was the fact that he had barely eaten these past few days, but when Percy tried to stand, he suddenly found himself facing a dark tunnel surrounded by flickering green and purple lights. The next thing he knew, he was passed out on the floor.

Percy groaned and began to stir when someone shook him gently. A whispered spell caused him to open his eyes as he winced and held the back of his head, where he felt a large bump throbbing painfully.

"Are you alright?" asked a familiar voice.

Sitting up, Percy tried to shake off his lightheadedness before swallowing dryly.

"I…" he started, coughing, before the person handed him a cup of water.

"Here, drink this."

Percy complied and let the cool liquid soothe his throat. Closing his eyes, he sighed and tried to brace himself for what was coming.

"Thank you…Father."

His father appeared slightly uncomfortable when Percy handed him the empty cup, but even Percy couldn't ignore the sincere worry in his eyes.

"Do you need more?"

Percy shook his head, and cringed when the motion made his aching head worse.

"That's some bump there," Arthur commented idly as he poured more water into the cup and gave it to Percy, who drank it with a grimace. "And you've got cuts on your arms."

Percy stilled as he inspected them. Just that morning, he had managed to remove the last shards of glass in his arm from the episode the day before. He hadn't gotten around to concealing them yet, and wondered in horror if the Minister had noticed.

He chose to say nothing as he felt his father's intense gaze on him.

"What are you, Mum, now?" Percy muttered bitterly, trying and failing to stand up as a wave of dizziness assaulted him. His father gently pushed him down.

"Don't try to move. I'm going to try to make the swelling go down." He waved his wand and murmured a few spells. Percy involuntarily sighed in relief as the throbbing died down and coolness rushed over him.

"When was the last time you had anything to eat?" Arthur continued, his perceptive gaze sweeping over Percy's body and making him feel uncomfortable.

"I…it doesn't matter," Percy answered stiffly.

His father's gaze was penetrating, and Percy felt himself growing annoyed.

"What do you want?" he demanded testily.

Arthur was quiet for a moment as he went into the kitchen and began enchanting some food to cook. A moment later, the smell of eggs, bacon and sausage filled Percy's nose and his mouth began to salivate despite himself.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," his father replied at last, returning to the living room with another cup of water, which he gave to Percy, who drank it grudgingly. "When George came back home yesterday, he told us he had come to see you."

"Piqued your curiosity, did it?" Percy said haughtily.

Arthur met his eyes steadily. "I saw your study."

Percy's face of drained of color, as he wondered desperately how long he had been unconscious.

"You had no right to invade my privacy like that!" he snapped furiously.

His father refused to acknowledge his rise. "Your front door was open, Percy…as if you were waiting for someone. I just let myself in."

Percy felt frustrated tears stab his eyes, and he swiftly swiped them away with the heel of his hand.

"What are you really doing here?" he hissed.

Arthur sighed heavily. "I came here because I was worried about you. I know that these last few years have been…difficult…between us, but for both our sakes, and the rest of the family's, I wanted to try to make amends. Now is a time when we should be together."

"You're here to apologize?" Percy repeated laughingly.

Arthur leveled his gaze. "I am. I'm so sorry, Percy."

Staring at his father, noting the extra wrinkles that hadn't been there before, Percy was suddenly struck with emotion. Angrily blinking back tears, he had to turn away, but his father put a hand on his shoulder.

"This hasn't been easy for any of us," he said softly.

"And I suppose you want me to come home, too?"

Arthur smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "I would love for you to come home, Percy."

Something snapped inside him, and Percy's shoulders began to shake.

"Why are you the one apologizing?" he cried pitifully. "I'm the one that wouldn't listen… I'm the one who refused to believe! I'm the one who—" His words were cut off as his father abruptly pulled him into a hug, and that was the last straw. The dam broke, and Percy wept into his father's chest, feeling like he was a child again but not really minding, as the protective arms that enveloped him were strong and comforting and full of love and forgiveness. It had been so long since anyone had cared about him other than himself. Percy fought the urge to tell his father everything as he clung there and wept until no more tears would fall.

It was then that Arthur slowly extricated himself, and Percy saw that his eyes, too, were moist. Clapping a hand on Percy's shoulder, he smiled.

"I think the bacon's burning."

The rest of the day was spent together in relative silence, though as Percy chomped on his slightly over-cooked eggs, he told his father about the Minister's impromptu visit.

"I'm not surprised he came to you," Arthur admitted, helping himself to some tea. "The Ministry's really not doing so well at the moment. It's going to take a long time to get back to full capacity."

"Are you returning as well?" Percy asked him.

His father nodded. "Yes, though I expect I'll be more of a floater, helping the most important departments first. I'm not sure the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office will be up and running anytime soon."

Percy nodded at that and slurped up some sausage. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was.

"So…how is everything at home?" he asked awkwardly.

Arthur leaned against the counter. "Not so good. I don't think anyone's quite got a handle on their grief yet. There've been lots of close calls in the past, but nothing as serious as this. No one knows how to deal with it."

Percy was silent for a moment. "I…I'm sorry for not attending the funeral. And…for everything, really."

"It's not your fault, Percy."

"But it is!" Percy cried out brokenly, lowering his fork. "I was there when it happened! I should've saved him from the blast!"

"We have no idea what could've happened if things turned out differently. Ron, Harry and Hermione were there, too, maybe one of them could've gotten hurt, or worse, instead. There's no way of knowing, and it's wrong to blame yourself." He paused for a moment. "Though I'm pretty sure we all blame ourselves anyways."

A silence fell between them as Percy finished his meal.

"Thank you for the food."

"Make sure you eat enough. Molly would never forgive me," his father replied, smiling.

"So, what now? Are you…going home?"

Arthur shrugged. "I thought I might stay to help you clean things up a bit, if you don't mind."

Percy blinked. "Oh, of course. You're welcome to."

"Shall we tackle the study first?"

Percy nodded. "Sure. Let me just get my wand."

A/N: Oh boy, senior year is going to be a killer! Hopefully I will have time at SOME point to keep writing this! Believe me, I definitely want to finish it – I just beg for your patience!

Thank you for your reviews!