Percy was not quite well again when it happened. He had gained back most of the weight he'd lost, though he was still a bit slender, and he'd begun catching up on his sleep, though his face still had a gaunt look. He was looking less and less like a skeleton, and work had become normal again. He'd stopped looking for Joselyn at night. There was really no point. He'd found no new leads, nothing but dead ends. He kept her file though. Somehow he just couldn't bring himself to pitch it.

And he still had the ribbon in his desk. And he still brought it out now and then to smell it and touch it and make sure that Joselyn hadn't been a dream after all, but a real person whom he'd known and loved. The ends of the ribbon had become frayed, but somehow her scent remained, and now and then at night Percy would allow himself to hold it and cry for a bit. In grief…frustration… rage…. All sorts of different emotions that he sobbed into his pillow in the darkness.

At least he was sleeping.

"Mr. Weasley?" the department manager stuck her head into his office.

"Yes?" he looked up, caught off guard by her entrance. He wasn't supposed to have any meetings today. He had quite a lot of paperwork to catch up on.

"There's a mediwitch here to see you. It's something about an accident that happened on a train this morning.

"Send her in," Percy sighed. The hospital had been after the department to fix a design flaw on the train that continued to cause injury on occasion. He shuffled the paper on his desk, trying to figure out what he'd tell the mediwitch.

He heard the door close, and then an audible gasp. He looked up.

Joselyn was standing before him, looking like some sort of angel in the white uniform robes of the mediwitches. He felt himself get hot, and then cold, and then hot again.

"I just came to ask you about the design flaw on the trains," she said slowly, as though trying to convince herself that he was someone else. "We've had two more injuries this week. Passengers who've had their hands stuck to the railing on the train."

"Well," Percy cleared his throat, attempting to speak normally, "we aren't really sure what charm went amiss to produce such results. We've sent the appropriate requests to research and development, as well as the accidental reversal squad and we've been assured that it's their top priority."

"Well, alright." Said Joselyn.

Here there was a silence. What was there to be said. Percy, of course, wanted very much for her to give him an explanation, but had no idea how to ask for one.

"Percy I'm so sorry," she said suddenly. "I just…. After that day I couldn't stay where I was anymore. I had to do something. I left the tavern and I went to Saint Mungo's and got a job as a mediwitch in training. It's… Percy I wanted to make you proud of me." Her voice was shaky and quiet, as though she wasn't capable of speaking above a whisper.

"Why?" he tried to keep the rising anger out of his voice. "Why didn't you say anything." He closed his eyes, gripping the desk.

"I don't know." She said pitifully, and her lips trembled.

"You don't know?" he said, his voice rising. "A month and no word and you don't know?" he was nearly yelling now. A voice inside him… reason he supposed, told him to sit down. He did.

"Thank you Ms. Attache, I can assure you that the ministry is doing everything we can to solve the problem." He took his last report off of the stack, thinking that if he just begun writing he could forget she was there.

"Percy don't do this," she pleaded, her voice darkening.

"Do what!" He snarled, sweeping his arm across the desk angrily. Paper went flying everywhere. Joselyn jumped back, frightened at his outburst. He ripped open the desk drawer and took out the ribbon.

"Take it back," he advanced on her, holding the ribbon before him. "Take it back."

"Percy, what is this?" she seemed confused.

"You took it out of your hair that night." He said quietly. "Now take it back, I don't want it anymore."

"But Percy, it doesn't matter, it's just…"

"Take it back, please Joselyn, just take it back I beg you."

"Percy, no… Why?"

"TAKE IT BACK!" he cried, white knuckled. He was gulping and rasping inside, trying to keep the tears in his eyes where they belonged.

Her hand crept up to his, slowly, as though she were afraid he'd attack her. She reached out to take the ribbon, and her hand touched his. Percy felt a jolt at her touch, his heart raced, and his already ragged breathing intensified. She tugged a bit, slowly, detaching the ribbon from his grip. He felt her hand slide across his fingers as the ribbon wound it's way out of his fingers.

Abruptly, he felt something in him break, and in a moment he'd grasped her hand, and swept forward, covering her mouth with his. She gasped, nearly cried out at this sudden fright, but her gasp turned into a soft moan so quiet it was nearly inaudible. His lips moved so fast that it was difficult for her to keep up. She returned the kiss with all the enthusiasm he could have wished for. His hands were everywhere, finally coming to rest behind her head, his fingers entangled in her hair.

There was a sudden rapt knock at the door, and Percy and Joselyn immediately disengaged, both smoothing down their hair and trying very hard to look as though they hadn't just been snogging senselessly in Percy's office.

"Come in," said Percy stiffly, his lips thinning in embarrassment.

"Good afternoon Mr. Weasley, Ms. Attache," Albus Dumbledore entered the office, his eyes twinkling infuriatingly.

"Sir," Percy acknowledged Professor Dumbledore and strode shakily behind his desk.

Joselyn seized the moment of silence and left abruptly, her face a bit scarlet and her head bent to her feet. Dumbledore seemed amused by this, but not in a cruel way. His eyes twinkled merrily as she closed the door behind her, and his gaze turned to Percy, who seemed, all in all, to be a bit flustered. He took a sip of water, and promptly choked on it.

"Mr. Weasley, I just came to schedule a meeting about the promised Hogwarts express inspection. It needs to be handled a bit differently this year." Dumbledore gave Percy a slight opportunity to compose himself.

"Yes, of course headmaster," said Percy, who was quickly recovering. "I'm free to meet at any time for the next two days."

"Well then," said Dumbledore cheerfully, "I'll meet you at two o'clock tomorrow."

"Perfect," said Percy unenthusiastically, writing the meeting down on a memo. He froze, watching Dumbledore pick up the ribbon that he'd left carelessly on the floor.

"In the future, Mr. Weasley, I would suggest that you be a little more careful with the possessions you value the most," Dumbledore placed the ribbon delicately in Percy's hand. "And, in addition, a good silencing charm and a door lock the next time Ms. Attache comes to call. Good day," he said cheerfully, his eyes twinkling so brightly that Percy wanted to stab them out.

The door closed behind Dumbledore, and Percy collapsed in his chair. He snatched the ribbon off the desk and shoved it into the desk drawer, leaning back in his chair and trying to remember when he'd felt this flummoxed.