January 1998
Christmas and New Year had been stressful. It had taken all of Percy's skill to keep his temper, his job, and a lid on his burning desire to lock the doors of the Ministry and tell them all to fuck off.
Balls, parties, and dinners. All to welcome in the Puppet. All to congratulate themselves on passing another year with their heads in the sand.
Percy had attended as he had been ordered. He had stayed to the outskirts of the ballrooms where the feckless flocked and fawned. He had participated in dinners and made polite conversation with those on his table, that like him, were there because they were support staff. Not guests.
Percy missed Christmas and New Year with Audrey. He hadn't spent a weekend with her over the entire festive season, he had barely made it home to sleep. He had apologised, begged forgiveness and promised that he would make it up to her. All the while not knowing how or when his time would become his own again.
When the Minister insisted Percy attend a small party at short notice Percy protested. It was the third of January, Percy had attended something nearly every evening for the last fortnight, and he had had enough. The Minister's diary was full for the first whole working week of January as well, and Percy was dreading it. He would be working during the day putting in long hours on top of the events in the evenings.
At his mutinous face, the Minister smiled a smile that Percy trusted not at all. "Very well Weasley. Attend this evening, and I will release you from your duties at the rest of the functions in my calendar next week. That should satisfy you, should it not?"
Percy deliberated long enough for the smile to fall away and be replaced with a slight scowl. "Thank you, Minister," Percy said with a subservient nod. "I would be grateful to accept your gracious reprieve."
The Minister smiled once more. "Marvellous. This is the floo address." Thickenesse handed over a small card. "You are to be there at six. Do wear something appropriate and try not to be late. It wouldn't do to upset the host now would it."
Percy went home on his lunch break to gather his dress robes for the evening. He wouldn't have time to come home, eat, and change. Instead, he would raid the Ministry canteen and change in his office, before making his way to the evening's event.
Percy wasn't sure where the event was, the floo address had been vague. One of those 'if you have to ask' situations, where he had declined to ask and merely lashed the floo powder into the fireplace at the prescribed time and wished himself elsewhere.
The floo room was large, exotic marble covered the floor, and Percy got the impression that this was not an 'official sponsor of the Ministry gets to entertain the Minister' event.
The main ballroom he was shown to wasn't crowded, but enough people were milling around to make it look comfortably populated without being over full. Percy ran his gaze over the crowd trying to pick out the Host the Minister had neglected to name. There were several senior Ministerial employees in attendance. Some were those that Percy knew were in league with You-Know-Who, others were neutral or on the fence according to Percy's information. The room also included some people Percy recognised as Death Eaters such as Malfoy, or those suspected of being supporters by Kingsley who had asked Percy for information on their comings and goings about the Ministry to build a picture of their allegiance.
The air of the party was not what Percy had come to expect. The Ministry people were acting like they had been let into the adult's party for the first time. There was no preening and boasting of their own achievements to a crowd of admirers. A feat all but unheard of at any sort of party where they attended, as Percy had duly witnessed in the last fortnight. Instead the tide of people centred around a man. He was nondescript, but the aura of power that radiated from him was clear from across the room to the corner Percy occupied.
The deference that was offered to this man by the obviously wealthy and connected people in the room made Percy twitch. He didn't get closer. It didn't take a genius to work out that You-Know-Who must have a public face since nose-less, red-eyed rage wasn't exactly endearing.
Percy hadn't thought he'd ever see it. He hadn't thought he'd ever be in the same room as You-Know-Who. Percy knew his Occlumency wasn't strong. He had the basics that he had taught himself on and off over the years, but the basics in this room were like saying you knew how a bicycle worked because you had seen someone ride one once.
Percy stuck to the shadows of the room. Hopefully, he was here as a show of power by the Minister. A demonstration of how things really were and what was on offer if he toed the line, or what would happen if he didn't.
A shadow loomed up by his side and Percy fought not to flinch.
"Mr Weasley you are an unexpected surprise." Severus Snape commented quietly.
"Yes," Percy said keeping his eyes fixed on a particularly ugly piece of art depicting a wizard slaying a dragon while he built up his meagre shields. Or at least that is what Percy presumed the wizard to be doing. It was hard to tell really; the composition was such that the wizard could have been trying to conduct the dragon in song. "The Minister insisted I attended the reception. I do not believe my invitation extends to dinner."
His companion hummed thoughtfully. "The Dark Lord was not expecting you, the Minister will have to explain your presence. I believe making your excuses before dinner would be satisfactory."
"Could you point out my host?" Percy asked. "I did not have the good fortune to be introduced on my arrival."
"You do not think the Dark Lord is your host? "
"I believe I thought him to be the guest of honour of the evening." Percy dared to meet Severus' eyes and hoped the fear he was feeling wasn't showing.
"You are correct, I shall introduce you to your hostess. Madame Hortensia du Barry has arranged this little soiree."
"She is French?" Percy asked quietly as they crossed the room. More than one eye was drawn to their progress, and Percy let his steps fall slightly behind that of the dark wizard, giving the impression of a subordinate following a superior.
"She's as French as English tea," Severus replied, his head tilting in approval at Percy's action. "The pretence, however, is one that is indulged."
Severus directed them towards a witch that was conversing with a pair of wizards. Her dress was elaborate, layered with tiers of fabric and lace, and she was fluttering an honest to goodness fan in her hand as she cooed at the wizards attending her.
The wizards melted away as Severus stopped by the witch. Madame du Barry frowned slightly after them before turning and fluttering her eyes and fan at equal speed at Severus.
"Oh, Monsieur! Must you always be so formidable?" she purred coquettishly, closing her fan in an attitude of rapt attention.
"Madame. Mr Weasley had the misfortune of not making your introduction upon his arrival. If you would allow me?"
"Certainly, Monsieur Snape I shall indulge anything that you wish of me."
"Madame du Barry may I present Mr Percival Weasley. Mr Weasley, this is our hostess, Madame du Barry."
Percy stepped elegantly forward and held out his hand politely.
Madame du Barry hesitated, flicking a puzzled look at Severus and Percy before she reached out with her own. Percy caught the hand twisted it expertly and performed a short half bow.
"Enchanté Madame," Percy said over her hand with a French accent Audrey would probably laugh at him for. But if his hostess were indulged in her whimsy it would be rude of him to ignore it. And he had a suspicion that it would gain him some measure of favour. He straightened up releasing her hand and observed the blush that had spread to her cheeks, her other hand rose to snap open her fan, fluttering it by her face. "Oh! Monsieur Weasley, I do not think that…."
"No, Madame the fault is mine," Percy said smoothly. "The Minister asked me to attend him, but I was unaware that it was a private function. You have my deepest apologies for intruding upon your hospitality. I do so wish not to cause you any inconvenience and shall take my leave at once."
Madame du Barry fluttered a little more, apparently overjoyed at the attention from a younger man and slightly torn at having to give it up. A quick glance around the room decided her. "Very well Monsieur Weasley you shall have my forgiveness for your transgression."
"A thousand thank yous," Percy said as charmingly as he could, offering another short bow. He straightened, backed away two paces and turned heading for the large double doors out of the ballroom.
"I shall ensure he does not get lost, Madame." Percy heard Severus say as he made his way to the edge of the crowd. Percy felt rather than saw the presence of Snape loom up behind him, clearing his path in front of him.
Once out of the ballroom and away from the prying eyes Severus stepped up next to him. "This way Mr Weasley, I will get you back over the ward line. It would not do for you to find yourself trapped."
"Merlin no," Percy muttered quietly with a small shudder.
Severus led him to a room off the main hall past the floo chamber. Stopping in the middle of the circular pattern in the marble he indicated for Percy to take his arm. "I shall take you to a street I know in London."
Percy nodded and took the proffered arm, Severus twisted them away, and they landed in a side alley off the main thoroughfare. Cars travelled down the road indicating that they were in Muggle London.
"Thank you," Percy said.
Severus scowled. "What do you think you were doing walking into that viper's nest? The Dark Lord is a skilled Legillimens."
"I am aware," Percy said. "I was only told to attend. I did not have the luxury of the details or a refusal."
"Try not to be caught out again," Severus said. "I do not attend when it can be avoided, and I will not be able to extract you again."
"I am grateful you made my exit more graceful than my own plan."
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"I was going to do a fade out of the room and run like hell back to the floo," Percy said with a deprecating shrug.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Be thankful that you managed an exit more graceful than that."
"Madame du Barry, does she have any standing?"
"No," Severus said. "A hanger-on who runs the gossip mill of the ladies' circles. She likes to brag that she can get anyone to attend her evenings. She has significant contacts in France as she spends time over there to authenticate her ancestry. If the Dark Lord is to move on from England, it is people like Madame du Barry that will get him an audience with those that matter."
Percy leant back against the stone wall, enjoying the coldness of the brick seeping through his clothes after the warmth of the ballroom. "Do you think they bought it?" he asked.
"Madame du Barry certainly did. You will feature in the discussion over petite fours and tea tomorrow, I am sure."
"Mother will be proud," Percy muttered.
Severus raised an eyebrow at the bitter tone.
Percy sighed. "Well no she won't, but I suppose there's no point in learning the elegance of courtly manners if you don't use them when the opportunity arises. Not that the Weasleys hold with that sort of thing," Percy said slightly sourly. "Should you not be heading back?"
Severus shook his head. "I despise such events. I had permission to leave least my sour mood spoil the soup."
Percy snorted a laugh then let the humour roll out of him with the stress of the evening's events. When it died away, he met the eyes of his former potions teacher. "Thank you."
Severus nodded. "Do try to take more care next time you floo into a room on the Minister's orders."
Percy nodded then offered his hand to the other wizard. The handshake was brief, the calloused hand of the potions master sliding over the smoothness of Percy's own.
Severus turned away in a flare of dark robes and vanished with a crack, leaving Percy to gather himself and prepare for his own disapparition.
After that night Percy regained his evenings and also the forgiveness of Audrey for his absence. The rest of January was less socially busy but just as fraught.
Percy began his campaign to sabotage the new Minister for Magic with the power he now wielded, in earnest, and devoted nearly as much effort into not being discovered doing it.
It was a sophisticated use of the bureaucratic nightmare that was the Ministry of Magic. Percy was exceptionally glad he had seemingly been born with an innate understanding and patience for paperwork, forms, and hoop jumping.
He was burying everything he could under a mountain of legalese, of triplicate forms, authorisations, sign off reviews, and committees. All the while he stood before the Minister for Magic and his handler explaining that the Ministry was a machine made up of many parts. Much like a Swiss clock, each one moved another. There was no waste, there was no redundancy. It was a marvel of governance that had served the Magical population of Britain for a millennium, and this was simply how things were done.
It was the biggest pile of tosh Percy had ever tried to sell.
Percy had an unforeseen advantage. His mother had an inbuilt bullshit detector that was more sensitive to lies, obfuscation and hyperbole than any other person he had met. He had grown up in a house full of mischievous siblings, and if he hadn't been one of them, he had witnessed them wiggling out of trouble enough times to have a fair idea of what would work.
And he was motivated. Oh gods, was he motivated.
The legislation repealing werewolf rights and imposing restrictions upon them turned his stomach and made him grit his teeth. 'Tom', as Fred and George called him had used the werewolves to cow the population in fear in the last war. He was using them again in this one, or so could be assumed from the number of attacks on the rise, but he clearly had no intention of rewarding their loyalty. Percy didn't want to know what 'mandatory routine monthly testing' meant, but he had an idea it wouldn't be anything particularly enjoyable for the afflicted.
Muggle-borns were, as predicted, doomed. From birth, they would be monitored. Once magic manifested they would be removed from their family homes and placed in 'welfare centres'. Percy's muggle history had been filled in in the years he had lived among them. It was plain to him that if these 'welfare centres' didn't entirely mimic the concentration camps of the past, then it would be a close-run thing. There was no way that he would allow the proposals the light of day while he could act.
Percy worked his network, collected and owed favours to feed himself with enough information so that if he needed to bury something deep enough or have something thrown out on a technicality, he could. He made a pact with himself that nothing would be put into law that trampled over the rights of those in magical Britain unless it was utterly unstoppable, and he was extremely motivated to stop whatever he could.
That didn't stop the Minister from assuming things and acting as if they were law. There was no way Percy could prevent him from acting, not without throwing away everything he was trying to achieve. Percy fortified himself that the worst wasn't getting through, and kept his head down. He presented the persona of ambitious yet meek secretary, who could answer nearly any question but had no real power or future without those above him.