"Ah yes…" Barty Crouch had just stepped into Percy's cubicle. He looked quite haggard indeed, and Percy wondered whether or not he was going to have to take Mr. Crouch to St. Mungo's. "Mr. Weasley," Percy's head snapped up. It was the first time since Mr. Crouch hired him that he'd actually referred to Percy by his actual name.

"Yes Mr. Crouch," Percy stood up, wondering what it was that Mr. Crouch remembered his name for.

"Mr. Weasley, I am here to request that you remove your things from this cubicle no later than Friday." There was a pause.

"Sir… I'm being sacked?" Percy didn't understand, the reports had been turned in weeks ahead of schedule, which was more due to Percy's paranoia, having the reports lying helpless in his room with Fred and George down the hall.

"Sacked? Goodness no," said Crouch, who almost looked cheerful. "It seems as though the Department of International Magical Cooperation is in need of your perseverance. The head of the International Magical Trading Standards Body has requested you, as a ministry official in the field. You will of course have your own office, for meetings and such. You'll be a representative of sorts, right after you complete about two weeks of training for such an important position."

Percy was frozen in air. He couldn't believe his luck. Promoted. He was being promoted? HE HAD MANAGED TO BE PROMOTED! He hadn't known there was an opening in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. A field official. Goodness, that meant he'd be able to travel! To leave England and go to other countries. What an opportunity!

"Well," said Mr. Crouch, smirking at Percy's obvious shock, "I'll just leave you to it then." And he shut the door and walked away.

Percy leaped into the air, and immediately started clearing his desk. He felt obligated to finish his last reports. It would be a waste to start them and not finish them. By the time 3:30 rolled around he had only a few reports left, and a half cleared desk. Feeling even more excited at the prospect of seeing Joselyn again, he reminded himself that he had one more day to finish his move and snatched his cloak from the stand by the door.

He made it to the leaky cauldron in under four minutes, and was just finishing stacking tea cakes on the spindly wooden table when Joselyn walked through the door.

"Joselyn!" He ran to her from across the room. She smiled widely, but seemed a little unnerved by his enthusiasm. "I've been promoted!" He laughed and jumped into the air again.

"Promoted!" she said, just as happily. "Percy that's wonderful!"

"Oh, I know!" he grinned widely. "Have some tea then." He pulled out a chair for her.

"Thank you," and she sat down. He poured the tea and sat opposite her, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Keep grinning like that and your face will stick that way," she said teasingly.

"What?" Percy said in mock indignation, "You don't think I'd look attractive with a big fat grin on my face for the rest of my life?"

Joselyn threw a cake at him.

Percy came home a little bit later feeling a bit under the weather. He was still a little in shock when he finally came home, not quite late for dinner, but cutting it close. He and Joselyn had shared a lovely tea. Had he embarrassed her at the end? Was she angry with him? Was he just being a coward?

There was a pause in conversation, and… heart beating fast, that it was odd seeing her out of the costume she had to wear where she worked, but that she still looked quite fetching… maybe even more so.

She'd stood up, and slid her tunic over her shoulders, slowly, letting it fall to the ground.

Percy panicked, and immediately turned round, leapt out of his seat.

"Joselyn?" he trembled, gripping the chair with white knuckles. "What are you doing?"

"I thought that this was what you wanted…" she seemed confused, and a little embarrassed. Percy could only stand for a moment, and then violently shake his head, utterly terrified to turn round.

She appeared a few moments later, fully clothed, at his side.

"Percy?" she said softly, and she touched his trembling shoulder. "It's alright. Everything will be fine now."

"I know." Percy choked out, trying very much for his voice not to turn into a squeak.

She wrapped her arms around him, and put her head on his shoulders. His hand, shaking, went to her head, and he stroked her hair, running his fingers through its golden waves.

He'd never felt quite like that before. Though, he conceded, no woman had ever disrobed in front of him before either.

The whole ordeal was on his mind when he walked into his house. He walked into the kitchen to find his whole family waiting for him, with an enormous cake and dinner laid out… on the cake were the words "Congradulations Perce," written over a faded "Mr. Boring." Percy almost chuckled. Fred and George had tried to engrave his cake.

"What's the matter Perce?" said Bill, almost worriedly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nothing… oh I'm fine… Did Crouch tell you?" he said, in an effort to change the subject.

"Well of course he didn't," said Mrs. Weasley.

"That's right.." said Mr. Weasley, putting an arm around his wife… "heard it through the grapevine at work."

"Surprised Fred and me," said George, smiling, "we always thought your overeager nature would have you shuffling paperwork no one else wants to touch for the rest of your life." Fred nodded.

"Congradulations Percy," said Charlie happily, raising his glass of punch. Bill clapped him on the back.

"Come now Percy," said Fred. "What's the matter, you look as though your mental train has derailed."

"No," said Percy, starting to refocus… "it's just… thank you." He smiled widely and sat down.

"That's right Perce," said Fred, "a night of no pranks just for you." And the table broke out in chatter and congradulations. Percy was surprised at this sudden burst of attention, and secretly hoped he got promoted more often. This was better than his birthday. Everyone in the family, even Fred and George, kept asking him questions about his new job.

"How much are you getting paid now," asked Ron with his mouth full. A typical question from Ron, but a question none the less.

"What does your new office look like?" said Ginny, no doubt wanting to shower it in African violets and pictures of family.

Tucking himself into bed that night, it occurred to Percy that he could remember such a wonderful night with his family.

And then a firecracker exploded as he put his head upon the pillow.

"FRED!"