XXXXXX
The following morning, the sun was bright and hot as Bill sat in the kitchen of his home, drinking coffee and reading the Daily Prophet as his fiancée Fleur walked in. The two smiled when they saw each other.
"Good morning." He greeted.
"What's for breakfast?" She asked.
He shrugged.
"I don't know."
"How about pancakes?"
"Okay."
She then handed him a list.
"I need eggs, milk, flour, and pancake mix. We're going to need to run to market soon."
Bill looked down at the list.
"I'll have cereal."
She gave him a look as he smiled at her before the sound of their owl at the window got their attention. Fleur opened it up and took the letter off its leg.
"Were you expecting something?" Bill asked.
She looked it over and bit her bottom lip as she saw what it was.
"What is it?"
Fleur handed it over to Bill. He looked down at it and saw it was an invitation to his wedding with the words 'Return to Sender' on it. He then remembered how Percy sent back their mother's sweater on Christmas.
"Who sent it back?" She asked.
Bill swallowed before speaking.
"Percy. I wrote him and Charlie this weekend to let them know we're getting married this Friday and asked them to be there. Percy sent it back."
His limbs suddenly felt heavy as he reached up and rubbed the side of his face. He swallowed again as he tapped his finger on the table as he could even feel his heart rate begin to quicken. Bill couldn't even describe what he was feeling right now.
"He isn't going to be at our wedding." He finally said.
It wasn't going to be a big wedding. They both decided that with what was going on with the Dark Lord just to keep it small, their families would be there, a few friends. But nonetheless, it was going to be the biggest day of his life. And Percy wasn't going to be there.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
But he didn't respond.
Fleur continued to stare at him but didn't say another word as Bill slowly got up from his chair and walked out of the room.
XXXXXX
A week later, Percy walked through the gates and up to the Malfoy Manor. He was prepared to start his new career today…whatever that might be. He hadn't resigned from his job at the Ministry just yet, but he probably would soon enough after Mr. Malfoy told him just what his job was going to be.
He was nervous, but he had made his choice. He couldn't turn back now.
When he was let into the house, Percy was told by a house elf that Lucius would meet him in his office. As soon as he walked into the room, the door behind him swung back and closed on its own, and then locked.
"Hey!" He shouted as he grabbed the doorknob and tried to open it but couldn't. "Hello!" He yelled while banging on the door.
Just then, the chair at the desk turned around and a man in a black robe and mask was sitting there.
Yelling in surprise, Percy quickly pulled out his wand but he was disarmed before he could so much as utter a spell. Falling backwards, he crawled backwards until he his back was against the wall.
"Relax, Percy."
The younger man then looked on in shock as the Death Eater stood up, removed his mask and Percy was now looking at the face on Lucius Malfoy himself.
"You are a Death Eater!" He gasped.
"Yes."
"What do you want?"
"You know what I want. Join us…serve the Dark Lord."
"Why me?"
"You want power, you want respect. Things you've never had before."
"What about your son?" Percy asked. "I would have thought for sure that he'd want to follow in your footsteps."
"I'm afraid that Draco is not ready for such an important job. You however, are more than ready. You're young, you're strong…you're angry. Perfect assets for this kind of work."
"I don't want to kill people!" It was supposed to sound emphatic and final but instead sounded tired and empty.
"You'll end up doing that whatever side you're on. This is war, Percy. People kill and people die, that's just the way it goes. And only one side wins."
Percy shook his head in disagreement as he got back to his feet.
"No one truly wins in war, some just lose less than others."
Lucius laughed.
"This is reality, Percy. Or maybe you just need to be reminded of how painful reality is."
Lucius then pulled a newspaper out of the pocket of his robe and tossed it into Percy's hands. When he caught it, Percy turned it over and looked at the headline.
'Bill Weasley weds Fleur Delacour.'
Percy's jaw dropped when he saw the headline. He then started reading the rest of the story.
The wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour took place on August 1, 1997 at Bill's family home of the Burrow in Devon, England. The bride and groom's younger sisters, Gabrielle Delacour and Ginny Weasley served as bridesmaids, and Bill's younger brother Charlie served as the best man.
"Did your brother not even invite you?" Lucius asked. "You see Percy? There is no where for you to go but here."
"And what is there for me if I join you?" The words left the young man's mouth before he could quite believe he would ever say them.
Lucius laughed, sensing victory.
"Power, money, respect. The things you want most, show your family what you are truly capable of. It is well known that you have long wished to be thought of as more than 'just another worthless Weasley'."
Crumbling up the paper, Percy tossed it away, not wanting to read anymore of it. He then looked up into Lucius' smiling face and nodded.
"Okay." He said quietly.
"Okay what?"
"I'll join you."
