AN: Thank you to everyone who has waited for this chapter. I have no real excuse so I won't make any. I don't know how I feel about this, in fact, I'm worried about this chapter. If it's no good, please tell me so I can re-post and make it better and meet usual standards... thank you. :-)

- -

Pansy watched as Percy pinned a 'Ministry Official' badge onto his robe, watching his reflection in the mirror. "What do you think?" he asked, turning to face her. "Do I look like someone ready to face the whole magic community?" Pansy nodded.

"Very professional," she told him, standing up. "But," she laughed. "It's not a good idea to pin a badge whilst staring in the mirror." Percy looked down and rolled his eyes.

"Goodness sake." He took the badge off and turned it round so it was no longer upside down. "Better now?" he asked, after pinning it back on.

"Perfect," she told him. He smiled at her gently, and then sighed.

"Why won't you go Pansy? I thought you said you owed it to Malfoy and everybody else?" Pansy shrugged.

"It's not my thing, that's all... you go. Make your speech, appeal to their hearts. Make your family proud of you again."

"I can't without you there..."

"You survived without me before all this, and you went to the wedding without me. You can do anything without me there; I'm not an important fixture to this."

"No," he agreed. "But I'd like you to be there. If not for me, then for yourself."

"No Percy. They don't want someone like me there." Pansy tapped his shoulder, before turning and leaving. Percy watched the door close after her.

Someone like me she had said. Someone like who exactly? Someone who watched the death of their sister but didn't care? Someone who held a secret people would kill to hear? Someone who had gone against everything their family believed in?

Percy sighed, and turned back the mirror.

- -

Brushing down his cloak, Percy took a seat beside Ernie, fidgeting nervously. "I hate public speeches," Ernie muttered in annoyance, looking out to the people. "They all expect me to say certain things, and I never say what they want so they go home and complain about it..."

"This isn't about saying the right thing..." Percy whispered back. "This is about offering support." Ernie turned to him in surprise, staring at him cautiously.

"Yes," he agreed slowly. "It is about support and understanding. But it's also about judging me and the way I'm running the Ministry. One bad speech can make me look bad, can make the Ministry look bad. This is about the people... but it's also the people's feelings and emotions I can damage with a few words. It's tough Percy. Politics is a very tough business."

Percy nodded in agreement. "Yes," he agreed. "Everybody's willing to destroy you."

"You sound like you have personal knowledge of that," Ernie smiled, watching as his PA stood up and walked to the front of the staging. "Right..." he murmured. "I make my speech, you make yours, the men in charge of the Secret Security Office make their speech, then there's a prayer led by your father, and then... hopefully, they all go home and... right. Speech."

Percy watched as Ernie walked to the front of the staging, his face hiding any emotion, the secret panic he held about the speech. "Ladies and gentlemen. We come to the end of a tough and difficult fight..." Percy took a deep breath and began to search the audience, not really paying attention to the words Ernie spoke. He had heard them three times already that day; Ernie had been walking around repeating them all morning.

His father was seated a few chairs away, and was listening intently. At least, he looked as though he was at any rate. "And now, a few words from Mr. Weasley, my assistant." Swallowing hard, Percy stood up and walked further into the view of the public, each of them staring sceptically at him, judging him. Percy finally understood what Ernie meant; these people were expecting something.

"I'm not great at speeches, and I have never claimed to be a person of many words," Percy began, realising right away this wasn't a very positive start. "But I believe in the choices that were made, the sacrifices and fight. I believe in what people fought for and I believe that everyone one of us owe our lives to those people."

"I see remembrance, I see forgiveness and I see a world where danger has passed. And I think the time for this to happen is now, should start now. We shouldn't wait to remember, wait to forget, wait to see if the danger can return. Because we have fought it once and we can fight it again. But we are here to remember, and we shall. And now, to the men of the Secret Security Office to say thank you to people we could not have won this war without."

They were clapping, Percy realised as he sat back down. Clapping him. Clapping because he'd somehow made an impression. Smiling in amazement, Percy glanced at his father and saw him clap, before stopping and looking down at his feet. And Percy forgot everything and just saw that picture in his head over and over. He'd been waiting for that kind of recognition and finally, finally, he had it.

-- -- -- --

The hall after the memorial service itself was a sombre affair with people drinking, talking to each other civilly, but no real fun being had. Even Fred and George had turned to the occasion dressed appropriately, talking quietly to people, joining in serious discussion.

Percy sat in the corner of the room, yawning to himself. It was getting late, and he began to think of things he would much rather be doing at that moment. He rolled his eyes. Only two hours to go, and counting...

-- -- -- --

Percy left through the back door of the hall, certain that he could not face another moment in that room. He exhaled deeply, before the darkness caught him, tightening a grip around him and he felt himself falling...

-- -- -- --

"Where is it Weasley?" the man with the scar down his left cheek pressed, pressing his wand hard into Percy's temple. Percy's eyes blinked open and he glanced at the man.

"I told you," Perch whispered hoarsely. "I don't know anything about it." The bonds around his wrists were cutting into his skin, and he could feel the blood beginning to stain the ropes that bound him. The pain had caused him to faint more than once, and he was beginning to get light-headed again, and he couldn't help but wish he'd had more to drink or eat.

The man laughed. "You mean to tell me," the man continued. "That Miss. Whore Parkinson hasn't told you yet? I mean, you've played the 'I trust you so much' act with her right? Surely you got her into your bed with that? And then, she must have told you..."

"I have never slept with Pansy..." Percy told him.

"No... of course, you 'made love'. You're all good and proper, you would never treat her girl with so little respect as to shag her. It's making love with you isn't it..."

"It was a kiss..."

"A kiss! Of course!" A sudden pain hit him on the back of his neck and Percy arched forward, the ropes cutting him even deeper. "She's a stupid bitch, she has told you!" The man forced his fist hard into Percy's jaw; a third bruise to add to the others. "Don't lie to me Weasley. You know where it is. Now, tell me, and you and your precious princess won't get hurt."

"I'll... tell you... nothing," Percy spat. "Because I know nothing."

"Lies!" the man screamed, cutting a deep cut into the top of Percy's hand. Percy shook as he watched the blood pour out, running down the skin. "Scars. I'll make scars you won't believe." The man was whispering in Percy's ear now, a knife resting dangerously closed to his neck. "C'mon Percy. I know you know. When Pansy thinks she's safe, she's just going to leave you, you know?"

Percy continued to keep his emotions under control, trying his best to remain a level head. "Pansy and I... we've got through things together. But, we don't tell each other things..."

"She's using you!" the man screamed, throwing something into a wall.

"No... no she's not. You're just trying to make me..." Percy heard footsteps and looked up into the haunting black eyes of Theodore Nott.

"Percy! How you mate?" Theodore held out his hand as if waiting for Percy to shake it before snatching it back. "Ah, seems you're a bit tied up here!" He laughed to himself.

"Bet you took the last hour trying to work that out," Percy told him. He wasn't afraid, this man would not scare him.

"Now, now, a bit of politeness never hurt anyone." Percy raised his eyebrows.

"I'm going to ask you once," Theodore smiled. "Because I'm a kind man, and I think this has been enough torture for now. So, I ask you Percy, where is it?"

"I. Don't. Know," Percy replied angrily. "I don't even know what it is."

"Oh, don't kid yourself. Of course you know!"

"No! I have no idea."

"You're incredibly calm," Theodore muttered. "I don't understand that."

"Years of practice," Percy shrugged.

"Were you calm when you killed Blaise? Did he scream? Did he beg you to let him live?"

"No, he asked me to kill him." He asked me to kill him... Percy had never said that aloud, never admitted he had committed a crime, never admitted to himself other than in nightmares. Theodore snorted.

"Sounds about right. Never was strong enough to fight. Then again, neither were you. You've surprised a lot of people Percy. Big Ministry guy now aren't you? All suited and booted, dressed up to the nines... or, not as it appears. They not paying you anything Perce?"

"They're paying me enough."

"I think they're paying me more to stay on the right side of the rails, if you get my meaning. I'm being paid to be a good citizen... not doing a very good job am I? I'm paying men for your torture." Theodore looked up at the man who had been hurting Percy earlier, raised his wand and muttered the killing curse. "He didn't do a good enough job, however. Shouldn't pay bad workmen, wouldn't you agree?"

"I don't know," Percy replied. "Never been in a position of employing people to do my dirty work. Didn't you have the guts to torture me yourself?"

"Where is it?" Theodore asked suddenly.

"I don't know!" Percy shouted in response, exasperated.

"You're telling the truth..."

"Yes! Goddamit it! What do you think I've been trying to tell you?" Theodore quickly loosened the ropes, shaking his head.

"Just go Percy! Now! Go!" Percy stared at him, shocked and surprised, before quickly turning and leaving as fast as he could.

Theodore was incredibly confusing he decided, as he stepped out into the cold air, and onto a field. He looked around, trying to work out where he was before his legs gave way and he collapsed onto the dewy grass. He looked up, looking towards the trees, the gravestones, the woman kneeling down, running a hand down it...

Percy frowned, listening. He crawled along slowly, trying to hear what she was saying. Finally, words lingered on the air long enough for him to hear. "I know... you don't want me to Draco... but I need to tell him before he gets hurt... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Her body began to shake uncontrollably, as she repeated her apologies. "I'm so sorry I haven't come to visit you sooner... I'm so sorry..."

Percy pulled himself up, and walked towards her, before collapsing again, pulling her into his arms. She clung on tightly, and he ignored the pain, just let her cry. "Percy... Percy..." she whispered, burying her head into his chest. She looked up. "Oh god you're hurt... you're so hurt..." She ran her hand down his cheek. "Who did this to you?" she asked.

"Let's get you back..."

"I spoke to Draco, Percy. He understands. I want to tell you... I have to tell you... Oh god you're hurt..."

"Shh," Percy soothed. "It's okay, it's going to be okay..." He closed his eyes, kissing her forehead gently. "It's all going to be fine." Pansy whimpered, and Percy felt suddenly guilty, wishing he did truly believe it was going to be okay.