~*~
Tuesday Afternoon: Percy
~*~
"Did you read the speech?" Alicia Spinnet asked when we sat down together in the cafeteria.
"It was good," I replied distractedly. I wasn't really listening to what she was saying but as Alicia always liked to talk about the speeches she wrote, all I had to say was 'it was good' and she was happy.
"..help.country." I couldn't get my mind off Padma saying I loved her.
"It was good."
"..flying." Why would Padma say I loved her?
"It was good."
"..running.hall." Did that mean she loved me? It didn't make sense.
"It was good."
".. laid." I mean, she couldn't love me. It just wasn't possible.
"It was good." Did she think I loved her? I didn't. Just because I sabotaged all her dates and hated when she went home early didn't mean I loved her.
"Percy! Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" Alicia asked, cutting into my thoughts.
"Yes." She raised an eyebrow before asking,
"Okay. Then what did I just say?"
"You were asking me what I thought about your speech."
"Then I lost you way back there, didn't I? What has you so distracted today?"
"Oh, you know, the China crises. The wizards and oracles are at each other's throats again."
"Oh," she replied knowingly, instantly setting me on edge.
"Oh? What do you mean 'oh'?"
"You're in love with Padma."
"Oh I've known that ever since she started working here," Colin cut in as he came in and sat down with us.
"I'm not in love with Padma!" I replied hotly.
"He's in denial," Alicia said to Colin while he nodded seriously.
"I'm not in denial!".
"It's only a matter of time before they open their eyes and realize they were meant to be together," Colin told Alicia, both of them not paying attention to what I had said.
"You two are so aggravating!" I said, giving up and leaving the cafeteria.
"Accept it, Percy! Accepting it is the first step!" Alicia called to me. I didn't reply as I stormed out into the hall. Those two! Implying that I was in love with Padma! Why the very idea was so. impossible. The Deputy Chief of Staff having a romantic relationship with his assistant? The press would have a field day.
"What's your problem?" Someone asked when I marched into Greg King's, the Chief of Staff's, empty office.
"Colin and Alicia," I muttered. Minister of Magic Jonathan Harrison chuckled and asked,
"What're they doing now?"
"Where's Greg?" I asked, noticing Harrison was sitting by himself with a chessboard.
"He had to run and do something. I'm twelve moves away from taking his king. Now, how have Colin and Alicia been aggravating you?"
"Just saying silly, stupid things. What did Greg have to do?" I asked, trying to get away from the subject of what Colin and Alicia were saying.
"Things. Let me guess. They mentioned Padma."
"How did you know?"
"Because I was just talking to Alicia and Greg about it. We think you're in denial."
"I'm not in denial! Why does everyone think I'm in denial?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air.
"Because you are."
"Sir, do I have you're permission to talk to you as if you weren't Minister and instead were just some guy sitting here playing chess with himself?"
"I'm not playing chess with myself. I'm playing with Greg. But you know you always are allowed to speak your feelings, Percy."
"Thank you. Then you're a jackass. And a pompous one at that!" Harrison roared with laughter. He actually roared. When he finally stopped, he wiped his eye and said,
"Percy, remind me to make you angry if I'm ever depressed. You're so funny when you're angry." I fumed inwardly. I wasn't funny. I also wasn't in love with Padma.
"Mad. You're all mad. Especially you," I snapped as Harrison started laughing again.
"That's telling him, Percy. I've been trying to convince him of that for years," Greg said, coming back into his office.
"He's funny when he's angry," Harrison said as he stopped laughing.
"I've always known that."
"You've always known everything haven't you, Greg?"
"What can I say? I'm a genius."
"I'm not going to stand here any longer and let my dignity be insulted," I said coolly.
"Accepting-" Harrison began.
"Accepting it is the first step. I know already," I cut in, leaving the office as the Minister started laughing all over again. It was not funny!
Tuesday Afternoon: Percy
~*~
"Did you read the speech?" Alicia Spinnet asked when we sat down together in the cafeteria.
"It was good," I replied distractedly. I wasn't really listening to what she was saying but as Alicia always liked to talk about the speeches she wrote, all I had to say was 'it was good' and she was happy.
"..help.country." I couldn't get my mind off Padma saying I loved her.
"It was good."
"..flying." Why would Padma say I loved her?
"It was good."
"..running.hall." Did that mean she loved me? It didn't make sense.
"It was good."
".. laid." I mean, she couldn't love me. It just wasn't possible.
"It was good." Did she think I loved her? I didn't. Just because I sabotaged all her dates and hated when she went home early didn't mean I loved her.
"Percy! Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" Alicia asked, cutting into my thoughts.
"Yes." She raised an eyebrow before asking,
"Okay. Then what did I just say?"
"You were asking me what I thought about your speech."
"Then I lost you way back there, didn't I? What has you so distracted today?"
"Oh, you know, the China crises. The wizards and oracles are at each other's throats again."
"Oh," she replied knowingly, instantly setting me on edge.
"Oh? What do you mean 'oh'?"
"You're in love with Padma."
"Oh I've known that ever since she started working here," Colin cut in as he came in and sat down with us.
"I'm not in love with Padma!" I replied hotly.
"He's in denial," Alicia said to Colin while he nodded seriously.
"I'm not in denial!".
"It's only a matter of time before they open their eyes and realize they were meant to be together," Colin told Alicia, both of them not paying attention to what I had said.
"You two are so aggravating!" I said, giving up and leaving the cafeteria.
"Accept it, Percy! Accepting it is the first step!" Alicia called to me. I didn't reply as I stormed out into the hall. Those two! Implying that I was in love with Padma! Why the very idea was so. impossible. The Deputy Chief of Staff having a romantic relationship with his assistant? The press would have a field day.
"What's your problem?" Someone asked when I marched into Greg King's, the Chief of Staff's, empty office.
"Colin and Alicia," I muttered. Minister of Magic Jonathan Harrison chuckled and asked,
"What're they doing now?"
"Where's Greg?" I asked, noticing Harrison was sitting by himself with a chessboard.
"He had to run and do something. I'm twelve moves away from taking his king. Now, how have Colin and Alicia been aggravating you?"
"Just saying silly, stupid things. What did Greg have to do?" I asked, trying to get away from the subject of what Colin and Alicia were saying.
"Things. Let me guess. They mentioned Padma."
"How did you know?"
"Because I was just talking to Alicia and Greg about it. We think you're in denial."
"I'm not in denial! Why does everyone think I'm in denial?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air.
"Because you are."
"Sir, do I have you're permission to talk to you as if you weren't Minister and instead were just some guy sitting here playing chess with himself?"
"I'm not playing chess with myself. I'm playing with Greg. But you know you always are allowed to speak your feelings, Percy."
"Thank you. Then you're a jackass. And a pompous one at that!" Harrison roared with laughter. He actually roared. When he finally stopped, he wiped his eye and said,
"Percy, remind me to make you angry if I'm ever depressed. You're so funny when you're angry." I fumed inwardly. I wasn't funny. I also wasn't in love with Padma.
"Mad. You're all mad. Especially you," I snapped as Harrison started laughing again.
"That's telling him, Percy. I've been trying to convince him of that for years," Greg said, coming back into his office.
"He's funny when he's angry," Harrison said as he stopped laughing.
"I've always known that."
"You've always known everything haven't you, Greg?"
"What can I say? I'm a genius."
"I'm not going to stand here any longer and let my dignity be insulted," I said coolly.
"Accepting-" Harrison began.
"Accepting it is the first step. I know already," I cut in, leaving the office as the Minister started laughing all over again. It was not funny!
