Title: Leaving For The Tea Room
Author: quietliban
Summary: This is Percy's life. This is what he does.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe, characters and concepts contained therein belong to JK Rowling and her associated publishers. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Thanks to DanieChagnon23456 from FAP for the beta.

October 1999

9:38am Friday, 1st of October, 1999

Adrian is in a bad mood. Percy can see that written on his co-worker's face, but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't want Adrian's ire to be transferred to him.

He picks up his wand, once again glad that he is only charged with replying to concerned housewives, irate grumpy bachelors, as well as the occasional opinionated teenager. He knows that this work is not nearly as interesting but the moral questions and implications that plagued him during the Hemlock Sentence proposal are non-existent. He is very relieved at that.

Adrian asks him if he minds leaving the office early for his lunch break. Percy looks at his co-worker.

"Why?"

The other wizard shifts uncomfortably. "Draco Malfoy's coming in."

He nods and agrees to leave. He doesn't want to cause a scene, and those grey eyes of the young Malfoy disturb him.

1:42pm Friday, 1st of October, 1999

Percy returns to his office and is surprised to see that the blonde man is still there. The other man is sitting in the chair in front of Adrian's desk with his left legs resting on his other knee, tapping his ankle impatiently. Percy falters, he was sure that the young Malfoy would be gone by now.

"Don't you have a home to go to?" he asks.

The blonde man glances up at him, and there is no trace of malice, instead the expression on his pointed face reminds Percy of an amused feline. "Oh, it's you."

He takes his seat behind his desk, meeting the grey eyes that are continuing to look at him. Neither of them speaks, and the air in the small office is suddenly tense.

"Adrian said that you've been doing a stack of stuff on Azkaban and the attempted Hemlock Reforms."

Percy nods, more surprised that the young Malfoy is even speaking to him, than he is surprised that he and Adrian have discussed his work. "Yes, that's right," he answers.

There is silence again, but this time it is more cordially and Percy is less tense. He begins to catch up on his lost paper work, but every now and then he looks up and meets the young Malfoy's grey eyes. He always looks down again quickly and re-focuses on his paperwork, but he can't help the small smile that creeps across his lips each time.

He hears a sigh and he looks up again, disappointed to see the blonde man tapping his ankle again.

Adrian walks in and Percy glances at him; there is a surprised look on his co-worker's face.

"I got you an appointment with Bole," Adrian tells the young Malfoy who is nodding solemnly. "She's not happy with me but she agreed to see you."

"When?" Percy can hear the urgency in the blonde man's voice.

"Not until the twenty-eighth," Adrian tells him.

"The twenty eighth? But that's three weeks away," the younger man exclaims.

"It's the best I can do," Adrian shrugs, returning to his desk.

"Thanks," the young Malfoy says resolutely as he stands and leaves the small office.

7:15pm Friday, 29th of October, 1999

The Crossed Wands is a pub that Percy feels is more cultured than The Leaky Cauldron, and the atmosphere where he sits alone in a booth is less likely to give him an infection. He has never understood why so many wizards and witches frequent The Leaky Cauldron with its bad lighting, uncomfortable seating and creaky floorboards.

He takes a sip f his beer, absently staring at the bar. He ordered his meal forty-five minutes ago and is usually impressed with the speed and quality of the food here, but not tonight. He sighs as he takes off his glasses for a moment, staring at the lenses which have a fine layer of dust over them. It has been a strained week for him, as the Council of Magical Law was meant to deliver the verdict for the Hemlock Sentence proposal. They haven't released it yet, and the news has been sprayed over the pages of the Daily Prophet. Percy doesn't think that this is a good sign to him; a simple dismissal of the report is the only good sign.

A shadow falls over him, and he looks up as the waitress places the plate onto his table. "Sorry Percy," the young witch smiles. "There's a function being held upstairs, but the cook promises that it's warm."

He gives a shallow laugh. "As long as it's warm, Susan," he smiles up at the witch. "What's the function upstairs?"

"Oh, it's a birthday celebration," she replies before turning way.

Percy stares at his chicken parmigiana and takes in its delicious aroma, before cutting through the meat.

"Weasley," the young Malfoy remarks and Percy looks up to stare into his grey eyes.

"Malfoy," he replies, unsure of why the blonde man has approached him. "Why are you here?"

The young Malfoy smiles, he notices that it is a dazzling smile, a winning smile and overall, a fake smile. Percy becomes wary.

"Can't a boy talk to an acquaintance without having his motives questioned?" the reply seems to be in good humour, but Percy doesn't like it.

"That depends," Percy's eyes narrow as the young Malfoy slides into the booth without invitation, "on whether the boy actually likes the acquaintance in question."

The young Malfoy shrugs. "Actually I'm here for Blaise's birthday, but you were here, and I couldn't resist." Amusement glitters the blonde man's eyes. "So what are you doing here, sitting alone in a pub?"

"I'm having dinner," Percy replies shortly. He is suspicious of the pointy-faced man's apparent good nature. It's not something he's ever seen. Especially not directed at a Weasley such as himself and he is still a Weasley despite the distance he has placed between himself and those that bore him. His red hair marks him so.

"Alone?" the blonde man raises an eyebrow, and there is a smirk on his face. Percy almost growls, but instead cuts through the meat on his plate forcefully.

"Yes, until you sat down, uninvited."

The blonde man leans back, and studies him. "Touchy, are we?"

Percy doesn't reply, and instead keeps on eating his meal. He doesn't trust the good humoured Malfoy, especially since he hasn't seen him for weeks. Not since that day he had come back to find the Malfoy waiting in front of Adrian's desk.

The blonde man sighs, and pinches a chip as he gets up from the booth. Percy glares at him, but is glad that he is leaving.

The Malfoy looks down on him again, his grey eyes indifferent. "Goodbye Weasley." Percy watches as the blonde man turns and walks away.