by Calypso
"Here we are, two breakfast platters. Enjoy!" Bram, the waiter, set down Percy and Fleur's orders on the small, round table. He bowed at them and hurried off to serve a customer that had just walked in.
As they ate their conversation turned to work. Percy found himself telling Fleur about why he was so anxious to do well in the Ministry, finding her easy to confide in for some reason. Fleur, being part-Veela, had that natural charm.
"I just want to make something of myself, prove myself to them." Percy pushed his eggs around his plate with his fork, not looking up as he spoke. Fleur raised an eyebrow.
"Z--Them?" she said enquiringly.
Percy shrugged. "Them, Everyone. Fudge, my parents, the Ministry. Everyone." He smiled wryly. "But I'm just that insufferably uptight and pompous know-it-all."
He sank back in his seat a bit after that last bit and his mouth formed a firm line. Fleur was silent for a while, comparing what he just said with her own ambitions. Finally she spoke, feeling that Percy would understand her own purpose, being that his was so similar.
"I understand," she began slowly, "better than you would think." Percy looked up at her, his brown eyes attentive and curious. Fleur continued, "I'm part-veela. In other words, I'm just another pretty face. It doesn't matter what I do. I've always been and will be just that attractive blonde girl."
She emphasized her words with a soft, dejected sigh, and, following suit of Percy's earlier action, slumped back in her chair. Silence hung for a moment, and Fleur looked at Percy and broke it.
"You don't…" she began thoughtfully.
Percy's eyebrows knitted. "I don't what?"
"See me like that. You've never gawked at me like an idiot, or did anything that most men do when they see veela. You're different than your brothers." Fleur had seen a picture of the Weasley family on Percy's desk, and recognized a few of the red-haired children in the picture from Hogwarts.
Percy shrugged. "I'm practically not a Weasley." He said sullenly. Fleur looked surprised, having realized that she struck a nerve. She started to say something, but Percy held a hand up to silence her. "You are beautiful," he started, blunt as usual, "but I'm intelligent enough to see there's more to you. You work hard. I respect that."
The back of Fleur's neck reddened slightly, and she was thankful her hair hid her flush. She wasn't quite sure what made Percy's praise different enough from anyone else's to make her blush. Perhaps it was the difference in his mannerism, or maybe the different intent of his praise. Possibly it was the common respect she had developed for him that made her pleased at his words.
"Thank you." She said, with perfect sincerity. "You work 'ard, too. It's strange that you aren't in a higher position yet."
Percy scowled. "Fudge has a certain dislike for Weasleys. Ever since the return of You-Kn--," he stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in horror of having let information of such importance slip. Fleur's eyes also widened, having finished his sentence in her mind.
"Oh my god," she whispered, more to herself than to Percy, staring at her plate with a dazed look. She looked up and saw that Percy had his head in his hands, no doubt berating himself for his slip-up. "Percy…Don't feel guilty. It's just the veela charm…" Her voice trailed off, and she frowned remorsefully.
Percy stayed silent for a moment, a considering expression in his eyes. Finally he spoke after glancing at a wizard watch on his wrist. "Well, now you know. I suppose it'd only be fair that you know everything. Even without that veela magic, I know can trust you. We have forty minutes before we need to be back at work, time enough to explain things."
Fleur nodded, her curiosity aroused. "I'm not really 'ungry anymore, we can go now and walk. There's that park across the street from the Ministry."
"There have been all sorts of minor problems in the muggle world ever since he came back. And the trouble in our world is just beginning." Percy finished. He had just spent the last half an hour sitting in a secluded area of the park across from the Ministry explaining to Fleur exactly what had happened at the third task and since. Percy himself had only been told the whole story after the questioning about Mr. Crouch had cooled down.
Fleur already knew parts of the story he just relayed, but much of the information was new to her. Her eyes were wide with shock as she took in the information.
"Dumbledore…'E's doing something, isn't 'e?" Fleur asked in an uncertain voice, indicating that she needed an affirmative answer to be comforted.
Percy nodded. "Yes…" he paused and looked at her in bewilderment. "How'd you guess?"
Fleur shot him a haughty look. "I was a top student at Beauxbatons, you know. Do you think I'm dense?"
Percy shook his head vigorously and responded quickly. "No, of course not, I just--"
Fleur cut him off. "Thought zat I wasn't intelligent enough to figure it out! Zat I am just zee imbecile that needs everzing explained to 'er, you're jumping to conclusions about me," she snapped, her sensitive point tested.
It was Percy's turn to look annoyed. "Do you really think that I, of all people, would jump to conclusions? I think people jump to them enough about me!" He crossed his arms and frowned harshly at her.
Fleur narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as well. "Zen why did you imply zat my logic is failing?" She asked testily, her practiced accent failing with her irritation.
Percy threw his hands up in exasperation. "I wasn't implying that! If you were stupid you wouldn't have been able to last this long in our department. I wasn't trying to offend you! Why would I insult one of the few friends I have?" He crossed his arms again and scowled slightly.
Fleur's expression softened ever so slightly. "Friend? So we are friends then?" She was calming down and her speech was returning to the carefully articulate tone. Girls usually didn't like her, and guys usually just gawked at her; she didn't have many friends, to state the obvious.
Percy nodded as though this were obvious. "Of course," he said in an impatient voice. "If we weren't friends, do you think I would have wasted a whole hour that could've spent working?" His chest was puffed with indignation and his arms were still crossed as he frowned at her.
Fleur looked at him and shook her head, grinning slightly with amusement before giggling out loud. Percy hadn't meant to be funny, but Fleur couldn't help but laugh at his stern posture and frown. She continued laughing and after a moment, Percy even cracked a small smile. Soon he was chuckling, too.
Fleur stopped laughing after a few minutes and, still grinning, asked, "'ow much longer until we need to be back?"
Percy lifted his wrist to look at his watch and his expression went from cheerful to horrified. "Oh no!" He cried. "We're five minutes late! Come on, we have to hurry!"
He grabbed her arm and began to dash over the length of the field, running as if a dragon were chasing after him. Fleur lagged a few paces behind him, out of breath, but forced to run at the same rate with Percy as he was still clutching her arm. He let go as they got the large Ministry building and pushed open the door to the International Cooperation office.
They reached the area where their desks where, and saw that Theus was waiting near Fleur's. Fleur collapsed into her chair, huffing and winded as Percy hastily began apologizing to their boss. Percy did not seem at all out of breath or tired as he hurriedly spoke to Theus.
He must be in excellent shape, she thought with some irritation as she clutched a stitch in her side, still breathing irregularly.
"…And we didn't realize our tardiness until five after…" Percy finished up quickly. Theus chuckled and waved an unconcerned hand.
"Five minutes! You two skip lunch everyday to work, taking a little extra time when you do stop to eat is definitely acceptable. "Now that you're here, I need to discuss your next assignment. You two may be the youngest and most inexperienced employees in the office, but you sure as hell now what you're doing better than," he paused, startled by a loud guffaw on the other side of the large office. He looked up and saw it was Redford and turned back to Percy and Fleur. "People like Redford," he finished, looking slightly annoyed.
Fleur preened slightly and smiled her approval. Percy straightened a bit and looked smug, a pompous aura about him. Fleur caught his eye and raised her eyebrow, remembering the fit of giggles she had in the park when Percy looked self-righteous. Percy pretended not to notice and asked, "What is our assignment, sir?"
Theus witnessed the whole interaction and grinned to himself, and answered, "Step into my office and I'll explain the whole thing. I certainly hope you're both up to it."
"A few department heads have been requested to choose the best of their department to attend a special meeting. It's not…It's not a Ministry-related meeting, not directly anyway. This special meeting is called The Ra Conference, and you are advised to keep knowledge of this meeting confidential. You may, of course, inform your parents." Theus paused. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you for now. I know it seems rather vague, but I do hope you're both up to it."
Percy was ready to agree right away, but thought better of it and glanced at Fleur first. She seemed to take quite a long time to consider before nodding slightly. Percy grinned broadly and said to Theus, "We'll attend! Is there anything we need to do to prepare?"
"And when is it?" Fleur added.
Theus smiled. "The first stage of the Ra Conference, which you will attend definitely, begins Tuesday morning. You will need to leave midday on Monday, which gives you today and the weekend to pack and make any preparations you feel necessary. As for what to prepare…Well, truth be told, I'm not really certain. I'd make sure to study up a bit on everything a wizard should know. Oh, and you two will be partners in this assignment, being the only representatives from this department in this branch, so I want you to get used to each other. Either Fleur needs to spend a little time at the Burrow or Percy at the Cauldron. You work it out. Now you're both excused for the rest of today. More information will be relayed to you on Monday."
Theus smiled at them again and excused them from his office. He chuckled to himself as he watched Percy and Fleur walk uncertainly to their desks, no doubt to gather some things to study over the weekend and to discuss plans. Theus had noticed Fleur huddled in the oversized cloak belonging to Percy, and now smiled knowingly to himself. He turned from the door and walked to his desk, where a folded letter lay from Professor Albus Dumbledore.