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TRUST IN ME
by Tyde

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Chapter Four

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The trip to visit Hagrid hadn't really helped to lift Ron's spirits any. He was that depressed he didn't even notice when Fang left a big glob of drool on his robes. Harry was at his wits end with his friend.

"Ron, what will get you out of this gloom?"

"Borrowing your invisibility cloak and following her around and finding out exactly what she's up to"

"So once you do the creepy stalker thing you'll feel better?"

"Yes. No, it's not creepy. I'm engaged to her so I'm just observing her movements"

"It's stalking no matter how you look at it, Ron. How about I invite the boys round for a few rounds of chess and some drinks?"

"No thanks, Harry"

"Oh right, so you'd just rather go and mope at home. She did say she'd owl you tomorrow didn't she?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Thanks anyway Harry but I'm going to head off". It was a sad sounding pop that indicated his red headed friend had Disapparated back to the Burrow.

~*~

Hermione kept her hood up and scanned the crowd in the Leaky Cauldron. Percy was always easy to spot in a crowd with his bright hair but tonight they'd both agreed to keep their hoods on and their identities secret.

They couldn't meet at the Burrow cause Ron could turn up at any time and he was already getting suspicious. Meeting at Percy's flat was also a no go as his roommate had the biggest mouth he'd ever encountered. She finally located him sitting on a rickety looking chair next to the fire grate.

She slid in to a seat next to him and tapped him on the knee. "Perce, it's me"

"Good evening Hermione" he stretched a hand out to shake hers. "Now I understand you're in need of something else, something I can help you with, in an official capacity?"

"Yes. You're the only one that can help, my only link to it"

"Very well. You do understand that it could cost quite a bit"

"I understand," she whispered. "I've got some savings and Mum and Dad said they'd help out if necessary"

The constant chattering in the bar subsided as a noisy scuffle broke out at a table nearby. They hushed up to watch a drunken man being sobered up with the business end of a Magical Law Enforcement officer's wand and told to leave. Hermione noticed Fred and George enter the establishment with a girl each hanging off their arms. She fiddled nervously with her hood to make sure there was no way she could be recognised.

"Percy" she hissed.

"I can see them, it's okay, they've been escorted to a private booth on the other side of the room. Righto. There is a Ministry Ball at the end of the month. The 26th, it's a Friday night. I've had a peek at the list of invites and it appears one of the people you are wanting to contact has confirmed his attendance. Of course the only way you would be able to attend the ball is to come as my partner so I've organised another ticket"

"Brilliant idea. What time does it start?"

"Seven pm. I can pick you up from your place if you like. I do have a Ministry car at my disposal you know, that's what you get when they promote you" Although his oversized cloak hid his shape she could imagine he was puffing his chest out at that comment.

"Okay then. What shall I tell Ron?"

"Tell him you're having a girls night with Lavender and Parvati. Or better yet tell him you're working on some last minute wedding details and he'll believe that I'm sure, probably want to give you a wide berth anyway".

"Thank you Percy. I owe you one" She pressed her cloaked cheek to his and hurried out of the front door narrowly missing the raucous the twins were making in their booth with a pack of Gertie's Giggle Gum. The two girls they'd brought in with them were laughing their heads off and it had become contagious.

~*~

Ron wondered what his mother would do to him if she knew he was breaking and entering.

He tried to console himself by saying that it was Harry's place, it wasn't really breaking in and he had to do it if he was to ever sleep at night. It was Friday afternoon and Harry was still at the office. He knew for a fact that his friend kept the invisibility cloak hidden under some dull books in his old Hogwarts trunk.

Friday night was usually the time when the Weasley family (those still in Britain anyway) would all gather at the Burrow to have a family dinner. Hermione had been included in this for obvious reasons but this evening she'd had to cancel. She said she'd forgotten about the dinner and had planned a girl's night with Lavender and Parvati and if Mrs Weasley didn't mind if she could sit out this one.

Molly hadn't minded in the slightest, made some quip about Hermione getting out there and shaking her single booty before it was no longer single anymore. Ron had acted coldly towards her as he'd discovered that Percy was also not going to be able to make the dinner that night.

"Honestly, could they make it any more obvious?" he'd fumed to the mirror in the bathroom who'd just told him to stop scowling. "You think they'd be just a little more discreet. Tonight's the night then"

He opened the lock of the trunk and shifted the books aside to grab the slippery, silvery cloak.

"Righto Hermione. Let's see just what you've been up to".

Donning the cloak Ron Apparated to Hermione's apartment in West London and sat outside on the footpath, lying in wait. At 6.30pm a Ministry car pulled up outside and Percy got out to press the intercom.

"It's me, Hermione. Are you ready?"

Her voice filtered out of a box on the side of the building. "I'll be down in a moment Percy"

Ron fumed. She'd sounded happy, excited even, that his older brother was waiting downstairs to sweep her away on some magical date. Trollop he thought.

When she stepped out onto the pavement he gasped and accidentally knocked over one of the garbage bins. It made a loud clang and Hermione and Percy both looked in Ron's direction.

As luck would have it a cat appeared from behind the other garbage bins and they assumed it had made the noise. Ron scrambled backwards a bit and watched them from behind a hedge. He was too far away to hear what was being said but he thought he got the gist. He'd never seen Hermione looking so ravishing and his heart ached that it wasn't him taking her somewhere nice.

Percy bowed and lifted her hand to his lips. "Miss Granger. You look positively delightful" she giggled and strung her arm through his.

"Thank you Percy. You scrub up fairly well too"

He opened the door to the back seat and took her wrap. Ron hurried up to the back of the car and just as his brother hopped into the back seat with Hermione he hoisted himself up onto the roof of the car.

Looking through the sunroof he could see them discussing something intently and Hermione playfully slapping him as he made bad jokes. The way the car twisted this way and that he found the only way not to fall off was to bind himself to the roof with a simple charm. It was fairly effective but by the time they arrived at their destination he almost fell off the roof as the car came to an abrupt stop.

The invisible red head looked up to the building they'd pull up outside of. Ministry of Magic. There were valets and doormen and everything looked positively magical. Icicles glittered from the roof in long shards and strung along between the pillars were rows of Billywigs, glowing an iridescent blue and thankfully with their stingers removed. They'd obviously gone all out for the annual Winter Ball – importing Billywigs all the way from Australia just for a party. No doubt Percy had given the approval.

Inside the massive "banquet" hall all of the different departments had contributed to the decorations in some way that was relevant to their section. Ludo Bagman had created the most interesting though – Golden Snitches that flew around dropping little wrapped sweets into people's hands from their outstretched wings. What the Unspeakables had supplied however was a mystery. Slipping carefully down the right side of the car and narrowly missing the oncoming traffic Ron snuck around to the open door where Percy was leading her out.

"Oh Percy I'm so nervous. I've never done this before"

"You'll be fine, dear. Just hold your head up high, you're on the arm of Percy Weasley – Minister for International Magical Cooperation. No one will dare look down on you"

Ron ground his teeth and without thinking about the consequences kicked his older brother fair up the bum. A surprised Percy spun around, holding onto his bottom and searched the pavement for whatever could have done that.

"Who did that? I say, show yourself?" but no amount of threats issuing from the injured party's mouth could make anything materialise. "Do you think perhaps Peeves left the castle?" he asked Hermione conspiratorially. "My first week as a Prefect he'd sneak around the castle giving me a good kick and then cackling off to scare first years with dancing suits of armour. How odd. It's rather like him to show himself though and own up. He wouldn't want someone else to get the credit" he shrugged his shoulders.

Hermione glanced down to see if any lasting damage had been done.

"Oh Perce, you've got dirt all over your trousers. Here, let me" Ron watched in shock as Hermione started beating the dust out of Percy's trousers. The vision of his fiancé slapping his brother's arse in public with such fervour would no doubt prevent him from sleeping that night.

"That's better. Okay, let's go" she grinned excitedly as the spectacled gentleman lead her into the grand entranceway. A sound behind them that sounded just like a patented Weasley grunt of frustration pricked at her ears. Hermione looked over her shoulder nervously.

"And so you should look nervous, you scarlet woman!" Ron muttered under his breath. "Two weeks before the bloody wedding and you're flaunting your affair in the most public way possible. I was right to be suspicious. It's over Hermione. Tomorrow, you and me, we're going to have a little talk".

~*~

Author's note:  Any guesses on who it is that she wants to meet at the function? Are her and Percy really having an affair? Is Ron a total nut job and gone off his rocker? This and more in the next instalment of Trust in Me.

cosmoz – Ah, now that would be telling wouldn't it? :oP

Nikki (Trinity13131) – My sister and I used to label blokes by their pants. It was the late eighties mind you and there were way too many Fluoro Duds and not enough Sexy Slacks! :o) Glad to hear that you're enjoying it. And not that you can see it through the monitor, but I am blushing at your comments.

Li-chan – of course you're going to find out in this chapter! Oh, um, I mean no. Next chapter. Hehehe. Well you find out the 'official capacity' part that Percy is helping her with. The other thing however...much later :oP