Audrey was concerned. Percy was edgy, his anxiety was manifesting as an irritating twitch in his fingers. They were twitching and tapping, and the noise was grating on her nerves. Audrey understood that today was important to Percy, but she couldn't decipher if his nerves were caused by his concern of her meeting his brothers or something else.

Audrey had her own thoughts about today. It had taken nearly a month since the suggestion was raised for them to be able to find a weekend when everyone was free. She and Percy had work and commitments to Audrey's family for Sunday lunch.

Audrey was torn over how well her parents had taken to Percy. They insisted he visited regularly, while she was glad they liked him and they all got on, she was a little put out at having to share their weekends with her parents.

When Percy had told her his twin brothers had been in contact and he had met up with them, she'd been cautiously optimistic. Percy had a large family, and while as she understood he hadn't always fit in they had at least accepted him. The split was difficult. She saw it when they were at her parents, he would make every effort to get along with everyone, but she caught the odd wistful look when they were all sat around the table.

Audrey had held out hope that Percy might have attended his elder brother's wedding, but he'd stood firm and refused. Audrey presumed that the relationship between the two was strained. That, or possibly the relationship between them hadn't ever been very good before the split, or things had been said that couldn't be easily forgiven. Percy was hard headed when he set himself against something. She hadn't seen him be properly stubborn about many things, it had happened rarely. Percy was usually quite happy to go along with most things, so when they had run up against something he had stood firm against it was Audrey who acquiesced.

The twins, George and Fred, Percy spoke of with a fond if exasperated warmth. He always had a kind word for them praising either their enthusiasm or underlying cleverness. The age gap was smaller, and Percy said he'd often looked after them. Audrey supposed that their relationship had always been close. Granted Percy spoke of his family hardly at all, but in two years Audrey had gleaned bits here and there.

Then something had happened last week. So far, Audrey wasn't sure if Percy had told her everything. Bill the eldest had been hurt in an accident at work and taken to the hospital. Percy had called to say he was going to the hospital after work. When he had made it back to her flat later that evening, he had been visibly relieved. Bill would live, though with some scarring and Percy and Bill seemed to have gotten over the initial meeting with good grace.

Audrey had been delighted for him. Percy had made inroads with three of his brothers and she thought some of whatever it was that stood between them, might have been resolved.

But then just two days later, it all seemed to go horribly wrong. Again. Something else had happened to upset Percy, and it involved his family. Personally, Audrey was beginning to see Percy's point when it came to his family. They seemed to stumble from one drama to the next. Percy wouldn't tell her what had happened, and he had gone back to shutting down any conversation that broached the topic of his family, bar the proposed meeting of his twin brothers.

The events had done nothing to reassure Audrey that today was going to go well. She wanted it to for Percy's sake, but she remained apprehensive.

Audrey looped an arm around Percy's waist as they approached the vast arched door of the Museum. Percy smiled at her encouragingly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he led them closer. Audrey scanned ahead trying to see the two brothers they were to meet.

She spotted them leaning against the curved wall and nudged Percy gently. "Is that them?"

"Yes," Percy replied.

They approached, and the twins straightened off the wall standing slightly stiffly upright. Audrey got the impression that they were as nervous about this meeting as she was. Comforted somewhat that she wasn't alone in her nerves she let Percy complete the introductions

"Fred, George, this is Audrey. Audrey these are my brothers, Fred and George." Percy introduced them stiffly. They held out their hands to her, shaking hers gently, smiling broad smiles of welcome.

"How do I tell you apart?" Audrey asked glancing towards Percy.

"Well usually."

"No one can."

"However, we have recently been told,"

"We aren't actually identical. Although it takes specialist knowledge."

"Built up from years of study to be able to tell."

Audrey's glance bounced from one to the other as they spoke, finishing each other's sentences. She glanced briefly at Percy to see his reaction to the odd way of talking. Percy looked resigned and slightly quelling.

"However, since we'd like to make a good impression," one of the twins winked at her with a cheeky smile flashing over his face.

"We promise that just for today, we'll answer to our own names." The other finished triumphantly.

Percy looked startled at their words and was about to say something, but Audrey got in first. "Percy told me that you two liked to play practical jokes." She narrowed her eyes slightly considering them. "Will you tell me who is who to start with? Without knowing who is who until I speak to you, I'm not sure that your offer is as good as it sounds."

The twins said nothing but stood silently smiling at her. Audrey's own smile slowly built. "Fine!" she said laughing. "I'll take what I can get. After all, I've got Percy on my side, I'm sure between us we can work it out."

"Challenge accepted!" One of the brothers declared holding out his hand. When Audrey placed hers in his, instead of shaking it, he turned it and bowed slightly over it. Releasing her hand, he swept an arm dramatically towards the doors of the museum and the people streaming inside. "Your museum awaits milady!" he said winking at her. She eyed him, amused and tucked her arm back through Percy's.

They set off up the stairs and into the museum proper. The group paused briefly inside the door to drop their donations into the box and walked forwards. The twins halted as they glanced to the side and caught sight of the diplodocus. They stood and gawked openly, stepping closer to the towering frame.

Audrey came up beside them, Percy by her side, delighted laughter in her face at their expressions. "It's always like that the first time," she murmured to Percy. "You can always tell the new visitors to the ones that have been before."

Percy looked at her. "I'll try and get them to behave." He shot a worried glance to his brothers who were starting to amble down the length of the fossil, their identical grins blooming.

"Nonsense," Audrey said. "They are grownups, I'm sure it will be fine, and anyway, dinosaurs work for little and big kids alike. Do you think we should take them there first or promise they can go if they are on their best behaviour?" She smiled up at him mischievously, and it drew an answering smile to his face, the worried creases smoothing away.

The twins came bouncing back words tumbling out in their excitement. "How do we get to the dinosaurs? The rest of them. Is the T-Rex still here?" they asked over each other.

Audrey sent a smug look at Percy before turning back to the twins. "Dinosaurs first or last Fred?"

"First!" Fred said.

"George?"

"First!" he immediately chimed in.

She nodded. "This way then." Leading them out of the hall and into the flow of people.

Audrey liked Fred and George. She'd had no luck with their names, having not managed to guess correctly the first time she addressed one of them. She didn't mind the game though, they were polite and courteous and genuinely funny. It was clear to her, that like Percy when they first met, their experiences of life outside whatever commune they had been brought up in was limited. They did nothing overtly obvious, but some of the displays in the museum seemed to be genuinely new ideas and concepts to them. Perhaps though, Audrey admitted to herself, she was watching for these things. After all, she and Percy had been together a while, and he had finally lost the blank looks that had caught her attention in the beginning. Now she had an idea of what caused them in the first place it was simple to spot them on the faces of his brothers.

They stared at Westminister Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben like typical tourists. Audrey led them down Parliament Street filling them in with what little information she had managed to retain from her school days. As they passed the Cenopath, she explained the significance of the monument knowing that British history was something that they didn't have, thanks to their upbringing. At the gates to Downing Street, she quietly giggled as they peered through the gateway to the quiet side road in disbelief.

"I don't know why that house," Audrey replied to their inquiries. "I guess that at some point, one of the Prime Ministers lived there and bequeathed it to the government for the purpose of housing the Prime Minister or something. I honestly don't know, but all of them live there."

"Oh," they said unconcernedly. "So, are you hungry yet? Because we're hungry and I've been dying to try Chinese food."

"George?" Audrey hazarded.

"Yes," George grinned back.

"Well then George, if you aren't too fatigued then I suggest we get back on the tube and head over to China town."

"China town?"

"You'll understand when you see it," Audrey said. "Come on I know a couple of good places." She started back towards the tube station. "We'll just need to jump on the tube for ten minutes then across a few streets."

Soul searching the muggles called it. Magical folk didn't. Souls were real things in the magical world. If you didn't know what you were doing, messing around with your soul got you into the kind of trouble that St Mungo's couldn't fix. It would likely as not get you a lengthy stay in the Department of Mysteries. That's if you survived whatever you'd done of course.

Percy wasn't soul searching. He was doing the next best thing. He was reviewing his life and weighing every decision he had made. He was plotting his future. The likely outcomes, assigning variables and tracking the results through a complex arithmancy equation that was at least fifty percent complete rubbish. Drawing straws would have given him as much clarity, but the swirling numbers gave him the illusion that there was logic fuelling his thought processes.

It was time to pin his colours to the mast. It was time to sign up, stand up and be a part of fighting for the future he wanted.

It terrified him.

The consequences stared him in the face from his glowing equation. Total loss. Audrey, his family, his job, his home, his freedom.

Death in the face of that seemed simple. Percy didn't think he was worth torturing. He held no information that You-Know-Who didn't already have. At least if he were caught, it would be quick.

He noticed the curious glances of his brothers and Audrey and realised he had missed whatever was being said. He screwed up the piece of paper he had been scribbling on as they walked ahead and chatted. He had tried to keep his head together today, but seeing Fred and George treat Audrey with civility and warmth was eroding his ability to keep his worlds separate. They would want to see each other again. She liked them, and the twins seemed to like Audrey in return.

If he wanted to live in a world where that was possible, then it was time.

"Percy?"

Percy shoved the piece of paper deep into his pocket and smiled apologetically at Audrey. "Sorry I was miles away. Where are we going for lunch?"

"George wants Chinese food, so I thought The Lotus House? It's only fifteen minutes away. Or maybe The Great Wall if they are busy."

"Sounds like a good idea." Percy wrapped an arm around Audrey kissing the top of her head before tucking her against him as they continued down the street.

His brothers chatted and joked, Audrey laughed and returned their humour with her own. Percy hung his hope that this would not be the last time but the first of many.

Lunch had been followed by a walk in one of the large parks until the daylight had begun to wane and Audrey had made polite noises about getting home. Percy sent Audrey home without him, explaining he wanted a quick word with his brothers and he would meet her at her place. They walked her to the Underground station, and she vanished inside.

He led Fred and George to a side alley full of collapsed cardboard boxes rotting away into grey mush and apparated them to his flat. Coats and shoes divested he led them to the sofa and indicated for them to sit down.

"It will take Audrey half an hour or so to get home, so we've got that long," he said as he dropped into the other chair. "Not that I am not grateful for the efforts you have made," he said without preamble. "But it makes me wonder where you two learnt how to operate in the muggle world."

George looked surprised at the accusation in his tone. "We didn't want to muck it up for you Percy, and we wanted to meet her, she's nice."

Fred pulled out his notebook handing it over. "We asked some people we know for help," he explained. "We took notes, lots and lots of notes. They told us what to wear and how to get around."

Percy looked down and opened the notebook flicking through the pages. They were covered with notes; how to buy tickets, how to navigate the trains, and buses, the shops and restaurants. Notes about the money, directions, and comments about trivia, bits of history that any ordinary muggle would probably know. All scribbled in Fred's hand. He swallowed, "You did this just to meet Audrey?"

"We didn't want to look like loonies did we? And Audrey's great." Fred said nonchalantly.

Percy looked up at them both sat clearly wanting to please. "You sent me that note, about Bill." Not sure what he was asking.

"Well yeah, your family, we thought you'd want to know. We sent it as soon as we found out. Err sorry about the state it was in, we were in the workshop, and it was all we had to hand."

"Dad. Dad didn't come and see me until a day and a half later." Percy admitted quietly. He drew a hand down his face. "It didn't go well." Fred and George winced, Percy ignored it and continued. "Thank you for that. For letting me know as soon as you did." They shrugged as if it hadn't even been a consideration. Percy leant back in his chair weighing his next words. "I've been thinking. I've been able to help you with the shop, and the forms and what not—,"

"We're really grateful," George broke in.

Percy's brows drew together faintly at the interruption. "Yes," he said quelling his brothers into silence with his stare. "I was looking through the latest legislation from the Ministry that might affect you…" he trailed off again, making his mind up just to go with it. "What do you know of the new apprenticeship scheme?" he asked abruptly.

"Err," Fred said. "Well, we were sent some sort of diversity questionnaire about who we employed, then received a pack back about taking on an apprentice and some of the reasons why. But the shop work is handled by Verity, and the back end stuff?" he shook his head. "It would take too long to train someone up from scratch, and finding someone who has the knack for it is like searching for a needle in a haystack. The wand business is too small to need anyone. We're doing OK, so we have mostly ignored it."

Percy nodded. "That makes sense for you I suppose. I had a look over the paperwork in case you indicated an interest. If, if you know anyone, who wants to take one up," he said haltingly, even though he had decided to say something, he still struggled to get the words out. "Tell them to take any contract to a solicitor, a good one."

"Why?"

"The standard Ministry contract leaves the apprentice open to..." Percy paused searching. "Well it boils down to indentured labour," he said finally.

Fred looked at him a faint frown on his face, the thoughts flickering through his sharp mind. "The only people who would use a standard Ministry contract are those who wouldn't know to draw their own up, or quite what a magical contract can entail," he said.

"Solicitors are expensive," George put in. "Especially a good one."

Percy said nothing allowing them to draw the conclusions he had.

"The apprenticeships would be taken up by those without the connections, the people whose families don't have the money or position or connections to get them something," George mused, following the logic.

"The muggle-born," Fred said with a sigh. Percy nodded once, wordlessly.

"How bad are they?" George asked grimly.

"Bad," Percy said. "They could get themselves into a lot of trouble very easily, without proper guidance."

"Which wouldn't be readily available to them," Fred pointed out. "What can we do?" Fred asked George.

"To fix this? You can't," Percy interrupted. "The apprenticeships have got a lot of backing; it was approved by nearly three-quarters of the Wizengamot. You won't be able to stop them. The Order, well, there's nothing they can do except make a fuss and paint targets on themselves. I didn't tell you so you could stir up trouble."

"No," George said. "We weren't planning on doing, but we can get the word out, let Hogwarts know, and they can tell the students."

"Dumbledore voted in favour of them," Percy said. "He's not going to withdraw his support."

Fred and George exchanged a glance. "We weren't thinking of Dumbledore."

Percy looked at them with sharply narrowed eyes. "Oh?" The single word carrying more weight and questions.

"Look, Percy, you said you didn't want to be involved, and we're not going to drag you into something you don't want to be a part of, so the less said, the better?" Fred offered, no humour showing on his face.

Percy met his gaze. "I am a part of it. As much as I don't want to be, I am. Bill is in the hospital, you two are up to who knows what, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say Mum and Dad don't know?" he didn't wait for the shaking heads. "I can give you information, not much, and not a lot all at once, but maybe it will help." He took a deep breath releasing it in a heavy sigh. "If I stand to one side and do nothing they'll win. Dumbledore wants to overthrow the Ministry but not lead it, leaving a vacuum that will be filled by the person with the most clout and not the best person for the job. You-Know-Who wants to have the Ministry in his pocket to run a dictatorship over us all. The current Ministry doesn't care if Audrey is a Muggle. Unless we have children, she's to be kept in the dark about magic, and I can see why that's reasonable. If we split up and she told someone, they'd think she was crazy. The next administration, I don't believe that they'll be as forgiving. So I'll help, as much as I can. I'd still rather this was kept quiet, though."

Fred and George exchanged another long look. "What if we could find someone, someone trustworthy and dependable. Someone that you could pass the information along to, that worked in the Ministry? That way you wouldn't have to risk being spotted seeing us."

"How many people are there like that in the Ministry? That isn't in You-Know-Who's pocket or Dumbledore's?" Percy asked dispiritedly.

"Percy," George said. "Since when have we failed to deliver?" He smiled reassuringly. "We'll find someone. They'll make contact as soon as its sorted. Don't worry mate, we'll keep your secrets. No one will find out about Audrey from us."

Percy checked his watch. "I need to get moving, Audrey will be home soon, and I should probably pick up something to eat for us both."

They all stood and went to retrieve their coats and shoes from the hall. Fred and George clapped Percy confidently on the shoulder. "Thanks for today Percy, and tell Audrey thanks too. We should do it again sometime." George said.

Percy looked slightly startled but nodded. "I'll pass along your thanks." They vanished with a crack and Percy paused only a moment to centre himself. Relief at the decision he made flowing over him, along with a new host of worries. The consequences of someone catching him squirrelling information out of the Ministry to Fred and George's contact resurrected the old fear he'd buried deep within him.