Return of the Unicorns, Chapter 24
Note: I live! Sorry I've been too busy to post – there's been a lot going on (basically, finals and then graduation and then Christmas break and then moving to a new city), but I fully intend to finish this story! Someday! This chapter will be from the POVs of Hope Marshall and Percy Weasley.
Another note: The New Year's Eve Gala scene at the beginning of this chapter contains a great deal of workplace sexism. Just so you know what you're about to read. What can I say, the Ministry of Magic is a toxic workplace and Fudge is a misogynist twat-waffle.
Exhausted from their Christmas Day adventures, the Diggorys stumbled back into their home at Diggory Hollow and brushed all the snow off their coats in the entryway. Hope had an absolute blast introducing her human family to her unicorn family. Judging by the happy neighing of the unicorns and the grins plastered onto her parents' faces, they'd enjoyed it just as much.
"THAT. WAS. AMAZING," Amos breathed, helping Natalie out of her coat before shrugging off his own.
"I knowwww!" squealed Natalie. "With unicorns being such isolationists, how did you even persuade them to let us visit?"
"Well, when I brought along a few humans to help me fend off the invading giants, they figured that SOME humans aren't all bad," explained Hope. "And then I told them about you two and how you raised me and took such great care of my past life – and now in this one – and they figured you'd be all right. You do need to keep that vow of secrecy they swore you to, though."
She gave a heavy stare to both her parents as she said this, but directed a particularly meaningful stare at Amos, who would normally be raving about having gotten to have such an experience. Her father's effusiveness (especially where his former son, now daughter was concerned) was at once a blessing and a curse to live with.
Amos nodded. "Understood. Can't go blowing something that special by divulging the secret."
"Very good," said Hope and Natalie at once.
"Well, I, for one, am starving. What are we going to do for dinner?" asked Natalie. The three of them had been gone so long that they hadn't any time to plan or prepare Christmas dinner.
"Homemade truffle pasta? And then German Chocolate Cake for dessert?" suggested Amos.
"Uh, YES PLEASE!" replied Hope. Her dad's homemade pasta was the best. "Can I help out in the kitchen?"
"Ooh, I can help in the kitchen too!" chimed in Natalie.
Amos and Hope raised their eyebrows skeptically at one another.
"You can help us out by standing back, watching, and drinking wine," said Hope politely.
"Well, you put that a little more diplomatically than I would," laughed Amos.
Natalie huffed and summoned a bottle of champagne from their wine cabinet. "Honestly, Amos, you act like you don't even want me to share this champagne with you."
"Of course, I do," he huffed.
"Me too, please! I like champagne!" chimed in Hope.
"Oh, Merlin. Our child drinks now," groaned Natalie.
"Not all that often and not very much!" protested Hope. "Come to think of it, I can abstain if that'd make you more comfortable!"
"Of course, you get champagne!" scoffed Amos. "We have so much to celebrate – we're all back together as a family thanks to you returning from the dead, we still haven't fully celebrated your win in the Triwizard Tournament, it's Christmas, and we just spent the day among unicorns. You get to celebrate absolutely any way you please!"
"I want to celebrate, but I can skip out on the alcohol! Mom said-"
"Hang what I said," Natalie said soothingly, proffering a glass of champagne to Hope. "It's just… you've grown up so much." A few tears came to her eyes as she said this.
Hope took the champagne and set it down. "I really am sorry for what I put you through by dying."
"Oh, sweetheart, it isn't your fault!" protested Natalie.
"Not at all," affirmed Amos.
"Thanks, guys," said Hope. She thought, momentarily, of mentioning her other parents – David and Cristina Marshall – and the way she'd ended up abandoning them. But the mood in the house seemed too festive for her to bring up such a melancholy topic.
"Now, let's get cooking so we can have Christmas dinner!" Amos insisted. He was already using his wand to bounce a ball of pasta dough all around the kitchen as he spoke.
XXXXX
A couple of hours later, the Diggorys were finishing opening the presents under the Christmas tree. Amos's home-made truffle pasta and German Chocolate cake had long-since been devoured.
Hope felt sort of guilty that most or the presents were for her. Her parents had taken her Christmas shopping at Diagon Alley on December 23, but Hope had only managed to pick up a few items for them, like scarves and notebooks and a shiny Gobstones game set. By contrast, they had gotten her several sets of new robes that fit her to perfection, a set of Quidditch balls (a Quaffle, two Bludgers, and a Snitch – so she could host Quidditch games whenever she pleased), several books on Auror history and defensive magic, a book of unicorn legends (which Hope had once borrowed, but was glad to have permanently in her possession), and even a set of magical intrusion detection equipment that included sneakoscopes and a spy glass. In short, they'd spoiled her completely.
"Thank you so much for all of this! You should've let me get you more things, though!"
"Nonsense, your needs are greater than ours," insisted Natalie.
"Well, thanks," said Hope. "And I'm about ready for bed!"
"All that running must've been exhausting. We're shocked you didn't fall asleep sooner!"
"Hey! I run marathons in this lifetime, you know! A few hours of running isn't enough to tire me out."
"You're allowed to be tired, Ced. No, Hope! I meant to say Hope!" her dad stumbled.
"It's okay, I know you didn't mean to," said Hope, in an attempt to diffuse the tension. There'd been a couple of times in the past few days where members of the Order had called her Cedric and it really didn't bother her, but Hope still preferred they use the name she went by in this lifetime. "And I may not be tired from running, but I think we are all tired from playing with the baby unicorns."
Her parents laughed. "You can say that again!"
A knock sounded on the door. Natalie checked the peephole and answered it, opening up for Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kingsley brushed the snow off his shoulders but didn't bother to remove his cloak as he entered. "Why is your house surrounded by a giant snow sculpture depicting the fictional monster Godzilla stomping on the Ministry of Magic?" he inquired.
"Uh… no reason?" suggested Natalie. She wasn't about to go into detail about the Diggory tradition of magically building a giant snow fort/sculpture every year around Christmas time. Last year's had featured the dragon from the First Task and the mermaids that Cedric had known would be a part of the Second Task.
"Please destroy it, you need to maintain the Ministry's favor if you want to continue helping the Order of the Phoenix," sighed Kingsley, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"He's no fun," Amos muttered into Hope's ear.
"Hey, Daaad! That's my mentor you're making fun of!"
"Delightful as your Christmas decorations and your family squabbles may be, I'm here with something for Hope." Kingsley proffered a folded and sealed letter which Hope opened.
It read:
The Ministry of Magic requests your presence at the annual New Year's Eve gala.
Dress robes and other formal attire shall be worn.
Dinner shall be served prior to an evening of music and dancing.
Festivities will begin at 7pm on December 31 and will end at 1am on New Year's Day.
We look forward to having you at our celebration.
At the mention of bringing a date, Hope immediately thought of Cho. Then, she remembered that Cho was frightened of her presence and probably wouldn't want to attend a New Year's Eve gala with her anyway. "I'm invited to attend?" she asked.
"Yes, most people who work at the Ministry of Magic are invited to attend," clarified Kingsley.
"Including you guys?" Hope asked her parents.
"Yep!" replied Amos. "Before you came back to us, your mother and I weren't sure if we wanted to attend, but we can come with you!"
"Actually, we at the Order of the Phoenix would prefer that you didn't attend," interjected Kingsley. "We need to keep the information of Hope's identity a secret and having you there might blow her cover."
"Well, then I can stay at home with my parents on New Year's Eve, too!" said Hope.
"Actually, Hope, your attendance is practically mandatory," explained Kingsley, "The Minister and his cabinet like to meet new Auror trainees and if you don't attend, they will either find you suspicious or think you have snubbed them – probably both. If you wish to proceed with your training, you ought to come."
"But-"
"Don't worry, Amos, she'll be with all of us at the Auror Office the entire time."
Amos nodded as Hope said, "Okay. Okay, I can go. I even have something to wear."
"What will you wear?" asked Natalie.
"I'll go in a floor-length red dress that I wore to a couple of formal dances at Wellesley College. It's silky and it's strapless and it fits great and it… oh, bugger, I left it in Vermont. Is there any possibility that I could go and get it? Oh wait, I can't, can I?" said Hope, answering her own question.
"Not to worry, Kingsley, I'll take her shopping for something. We'll be discreet."
"Thank you, Natalie," said Kingsley. "All eyes will be on her, as she's the first trainee that the Auror Office has taken in since Nymphadora Tonks."
"Not to worry. Our Cedric was an absolute stunner and so is our Hope. I'm sure everything we come across will look amazing on her and she'll have no want of admirers! Oh, Hope, are you going to bring a date?" asked Natalie.
"It would be better if she did not," said Kingsley.
Hope pointed to Kingsley. "What he said." She didn't mind her parents knowing how decidedly single she was, she supposed. But what she really wanted to avoid was the possibility of Cho Chang's name coming into the conversation in any way, shape, or form. Her parents were the only ones – besides Cho – who knew she'd told Cho about her reincarnation. She didn't think the Order of the Phoenix would be too pleased if they found out about what Cho knew.
"Very good," said Kingsley. "I will be here at 6:30pm on New Year's Eve to pick up my mentee. Please do enjoy your holidays until then."
"What about my shifts guarding the Hall of Prophecy? I haven't been called in for even one. I should at least pitch in!" said Hope.
"Wait! She shouldn't go…" Amos interjected.
"She is a fully-fledged member of the Order of the Phoenix, and we rely on her a great deal already, and on top of that, she is to be an Auror. She will fulfill her duties," Kingsley countered. "Hope, I will let you know when your next shifts will occur."
"Thanks, Kingsley."
"But she shouldn't be there alone!" protested Amos. "Arthur Weasley got bitten by You-Know-Who's snake in there! Who knows what could attack someone who's all alone?"
"Everyone guarding the Hall of Prophecy will have a partner. She shan't be alone."
"Well, then, can I be her partner? It's too soon since-" Amos faltered and Natalie just nodded along, knowing what her husband meant.
Kingsley just nodded and Hope gripped her parents' hands.
"I shall let you know the times of Hope's assignments, so that you may accompany her," said Kingsley. "I see no reason to part such a loving family any more than necessary."
"Thanks," choked Hope.
And with that, Kingsley was gone.
"So… if Kingsley hadn't forbade it, is there anyone you would've brought along as your date?" asked Natalie expectantly. "I mean, you're not technically involved with Cho at the moment, so…"
"I'm as single as it's possible to be, so don't get your hopes up," scoffed Hope. She supposed she could take the opportunity to tell her parents about her past relationship with Andrew, but she really didn't care to.
"Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of available candidates if you ever want a relationship. In fact, if you ever want information on anyone, your father has friends at the Ministry and I know plenty of people who pass through Gringotts!"
"Hard pass," moaned Hope.
"Well, the offer still stands, kiddo. Are you feeling all right? Ready for bed?" asked Amos.
"Yeah, just tired. Are you sure you don't want my help tidying up?"
Amos and Natalie shook their heads.
"Is anything else on your mind?" asked Natalie.
"I'm still feeling conflicted about not having gotten Cho a present," Hope admitted.
"Cho is all right, I made sure of it," assured Natalie. "When she's ready to get back in touch with you, you could always get her a late Christmas present?"
"Sounds good," Hope replied half-heartedly before she plodded sleepily up to bed.
XXXXX
Six days later, Hope Marshall was at a party, but she wasn't feeling particularly celebratory. Something about the Ministry's New Years Eve Gala was just making her feel off.
Still, as Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody and Rufus Scrimgeour had assured her, this party wasn't about enjoying oneself, it was about making a good impression on the Ministry of Magic. She was the first person to be accepted into the Auror Trainee program in years, so there would be lots of attention on her and she had a lot of people to please.
So, that was how she'd ended up at the Ministry on the evening of December 31 in an evening dress of sunshine yellow silk that her mother said looked fantastic on her. It was true that she felt gorgeous in the dress, but at the moment, she was also feeling like a show pony being judged as it got paraded through the fair grounds.
To be fair, the proverbial fair grounds were very nice. The party took place in the Ministry of Magic's entry hall, which had the Fountain of the Magical Brethren at its center. The golden statue shone at the center while enchanted golden streamers floated around in the air, circling on the sides. Trays of champagne and appetizers floated their way gently between partygoers.
Hope glanced nervously around. If she'd gone to this party by herself – if she hadn't been mentioned in The Daily Prophet yesterday as the Auror Office's newest recruit – then she might've been inconspicuous here. But no, she was being escorted by a group of some of the most renowned Aurors in Wizarding history, so she stood out like a sore thumb.
And the first one that noticed them was a Cornelius Fudge. He wore a black cape over fancy tuxedo dress robes, and a black top hat on his head instead of the lime green bowler hat he usually went for.
"Ah, Scrimgeour!" he exclaimed loudly before patting the other man on the back enthusiastically. "How are you?"
Hope wasn't sure how he did it, but Rufus Scrimgeour, who was the head of the Auror Office, managed to not flinch when Fudge slapped his back. "Doing well, Minister, doing well," he replied.
"Ah, and here you are with Moody and Shacklebolt and of course, young Nymphadora Tonks! Gather round, all of you! Have a drink – we're here to celebrate!" Fudge tossed the rest of the champagne in his glass back in a single swig and reached for a tray to grab another. The redness of his face was indicated that he'd had quite a lot to drink before he'd met them.
All the Aurors – and Hope – took flutes of champagne off a nearby tray to be polite.
"A toast, all of you! To peace and prosperity!" At this, all the Aurors raised their glasses, though they seemed more than a little reluctant. Hope joined in with them because it seemed like the polite thing to do.
She had received a few instructions from Tonks and the others on how to survive this party:
Mind your manners! (A given.)
Smile. (Tonks hated that this one applied to her, too, as it got in the way of some of her best Metamorphmagus party tricks.)
Speak only when spoken to. (She wasn't feeling particularly chatty at the moment anyway.)
Don't reveal too many details about your past and stick to the back-story we have planned for you. (She was too nerve-racked to say anything, so this wouldn't be hard.)
Don't express any extreme opinions and don't ruffle anyone's feathers. (Oh, dear. She was about to encounter lots of offensive people and their offensive opinions, wasn't she?)
Be wary of who you make friends with. (Would she even be relaxed enough to make new friends? She wasn't quite sure.)
Don't stray from the group of Aurors for too long. If you are asked to dance, that is fine, but return to the group as soon as the dance is over so that we can keep an eye on you. (Who would even want to dance with her when she looked so timid amidst such an intimidating gathering? She normally would feel more relaxed, but the notion of having to keep her cover amongst people who were so inquisitive made her too nervous to socialize properly.)
Hope could follow directions. Even if they – and the situation that necessitated them – sucked.
"So, Rufus, old chap, you've surprised me by taking on a new trainee into the Auror Office. Tell me, who is this promising young lad? I want to meet him!"
"Well, as yesterday's Daily Prophet article mentioned, SHE will be starting training with us in January. We're looking forward to having her." Scrimgeour gestured for Hope to come to the front of the group to be introduced to Fudge.
"Well, who has time to keep up with every last article in the Daily Prophet, anyway?" blustered Fudge. "Step closer, Child, I want a look at you."
Hope nodded and gulped, taking a couple steps ahead of Rufus Scrimgeour so that the Minister could properly stare at her. Hope nervously flicked her eyes downward, but the Minister resisted her efforts not to look at him by putting a finger under her chin and raising her head to the point where she had to look at him. When his gaze darted down her body and then up to her neck and face again, Hope twitched uncomfortably.
She couldn't think of what she should say, so this was clearly where the "speak only when spoken to" bit came in.
Besides, Fudge apparently wasn't going to speak to her. "Why, Rufus… I never expected you to go ahead and recruit one so unexpectedly young and attractive! She's positively enchanting! I daresay your pretty subordinate Nymphadora Tonks is feeling the competition, eh?"
He then started laughing at his own joke before turning his attention back to Hope. "Don't be so nervous, child – give us a smile!"
Oh, right. Smile. That was one of the instructions. Hope wasn't sure if she could manage a full-on, teeth-baring smile, so she just tried to turn the corners of her mouth in an upward direction while she bit her bottom lip nervously.
"Now tell me, what is your name?"
"Hope. Hope Anastasia Marshall."
"Ah, Anastasia, like the lost Russian princess? What an undiscovered beauty you are!"
Commenting on her looks. How unoriginal. Well, at least he hadn't commented that her initials spelled "ham." Though honestly, she'd been less lucky in her past life when her initials – Cedric Amos Diggory – had spelled "cad."
"Hope is one of the most accomplished applicants we've had in quite some time. Her looks, as astonishing as they are, have nothing on her talents," clarified Kingsley. Sensing that she was nervous, he took her hand and pulled her a few steps back from Fudge.
"Ah, well. Good to hear, good to hear," grumbled Fudge, already looking around for someone else to talk at. "Ah, Percy Weasley! Lucius Malfoy! And your lovely wife Narcissa! Come over here and meet the Auror Office's new trainee, the lovely Hope!"
Percy and the Malfoys approached from different directions. Percy nervously straightened his horn-rimmed glasses and adjusted the jacket of his tuxedo. "Minister, such a pleasure to see you, as always!" he eagerly greeted Fudge.
But Fudge was looking the opposite way: at the approaching Malfoys. They looked elegant and imposing in their lavish dress robes – the paragon of Pureblood high society.
"Well, has the Auror Office finally found someone worthy of joining its ranks?" Lucius drawled languidly as his gaze shifted to Hope. "So, what is your name? Where did you come from?"
"I'm Hope. I'm from the United States of America, but I'm very much looking forward to starting work here."
"And what is your last name?"
"Marshall, sir," Hope replied.
"I don't recognize that one – are you muggle-born?"
"Yes," winced Hope, while trying not to sink through the floor. She reminded herself that even other Purebloods considered the Malfoys to be overly supercilious twats. It didn't help.
"Oh."
A short, toad-like witch dressed in an outfit of excessively frilly pink silk and lace approached the gathering. "Ah, Minister, Mister and Mrs. Malfoy," she simpered in a voice that seemed too high to be coming from such a fat neck, "How are you?"
"We were just meeting the new Auror trainee," explained Lucius," a mudblood."
"Oh, dear," winced the witch. "Surely you couldn't find better amongst the pureblood ranks?"
"Sometimes, the Ministry can have such poor taste," Narcissa glowered at the other witch.
"Isn't she so pretty, though, Dolores?" blustered Fudge. "Truly, she has a charming appearance! I hope that her splendid looks aren't damaged by dueling or any other such unsavory occupation."
"Well, what need have we for dueling, Minister, in such times of peace?" simpered Umbridge.
Oh, if only that bitch had some idea of the duels Hope had already taken part in. Like the one where she'd fought off Gorgomath.
Cornelius Fudge carried on his conversation with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and Dolores Umbridge, while Percy Weasley listened in and waited (futilely) for an opportunity to chime in.
Umbridge was just as Hope remembered her from when she'd been head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures – and Amos Diggory's boss. She'd met Cedric Diggory on Bring Your Child To Work Day, and had NOT left a good impression. Hope wasn't one to judge people based on their looks either, but the woman looked like a toad wrapped in the most excessively frilly pink gowns Hope had ever seen. The incongruous combination made her already terrible appearance that much worse.
"Minister, can I tell you about the latest developments at Hogwarts?" asked Umbridge.
"Ah, of course! Hope, I'm not sure if you know this, but Dolores Umbridge is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she is absolutely reforming the teaching of the subject! We at the Ministry are so very lucky to have her there," gushed Fudge.
"It's quite a shame you haven't had the opportunity to learn from me!" the toad-like woman tittered.
"Well, I am looking forward to learning from some of the best Aurors in the world, so I'll have to take that as a consolation prize," Hope replied with a sweet little smile. Kingsley, Scrimgeour, Mad-Eye, and Tonks had warned her that being sassy was a bad idea at this party, but they nonetheless glowed with pride.
Score one for the Order of the Phoenix.
"Percy, I need to discuss matters at Hogwarts with Dolores Umbridge. Kingsley, Scrimgeour, Moody, Tonks, I'll be asking you about the hunt for Sirius Black later. So, Percy, since the ever-so-lovely Hope clearly won't want to talk strategy with any of us old folk, why don't you ask her to dance? Why – maybe you'll even get a date!" proclaimed Fudge.
"Ah – of course, Minister! Hope, you look absolutely lovely tonight. Would you care to dance?" Percy asked, extending his hand.
Since it would be rude to refuse, Hope took his hand and let him lead her onto the dance floor. Fortunately, that rule about not straying from the group of Aurors for too long would probably save her from saying something odd or blowing her cover.
XXXXX
To Percy Weasley, the Ministry of Magic's New Year's Eve Gala was an amazing opportunity. He got to socialize with the highest-ranking people at the Ministry of Magic and form all sorts of important work connections.
For his whole life, he'd wanted to work at the Ministry of Magic, and now that he was finally in a high-up position there – as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister himself! – he was determined to learn everything about the place, while simultaneously making the best impression he possibly could.
Earlier on, the Minister had advised Percy that he should keep an eye on the Auror Office's newest recruit. Fudge had noted that she seemed suspicious. Percy could do that. He would do such a good job of gathering intel on her.
So, he'd asked her dance and had awkwardly placed an arm on her waist while ushering her to the dance floor. "You look absolutely bewitching tonight," he murmured as he held her in his arms. He'd learned lots of synonyms for the word "beautiful" in case he ever needed to charm a woman for… whatever reason.
For a while, he'd even managed to charm Penelope Clearwater. Perhaps it would be a good idea to charm another girl. The idea sounded pointless, but it was what you did.
"Thanks," said Hope.
"So…" said Percy awkwardly, "would you fancy going on a date with me later?" Maybe if he got her on a date, he could get this dance over with and get back to networking. Not like this Hope was awful to be around, but he had priorities, for crying out loud!
"Oh, Lord…" she sighed. "Can we get some air?"
Women liked to go outside at parties to "get some air." Percy had never quite understood why, but he led her to the Ministry's guest elevator, which took them to a London telephone box on the street.
"I'm not going on a date with you," she replied when they got to the street.
"Is there someone else?" he asked delicately.
"Oh, no. There isn't. I just came up here so I didn't have to refuse you in front of the entire Ministry of Magic. But anyway. I'm not going out with you because I would never date a man who leaves his own injured father in the hospital and never pays him a visit."
"What? How do you…?" scoffed Percy.
"Just see him," insisted Hope. "I don't know what kind of issues you have with your family and I'm certainly not telling you to resolve anything between the two of you if that's too much to ask. But you should see him and let him know you love him and let him know you're worried for him. He loves you and misses you. Good night." Then, she took the elevator back down to the Ministry left Percy shivering and confused on a random London street.
XXXXX
Percy waited and shivered for about 30 seconds before he decided that this whole situation was ridiculous. He was NOT going to go see his father – the father who implied that the Minister only wanted to hire him to the position of Senior Undersecretary in order to spy on him – no matter what the situation. Deep down, Percy loved his father dearly, but a man had to have boundaries.
All his life, Percy had always suffered from a want of boundaries. Growing up as one of the 7 children in the Weasley household, constant pandemonium reigned everywhere. Yes, he had his own bedroom, but what good was that when Fred and George were always setting up pranks there while Bill and Charlie remained too aloof to help him out, even a little. Then, there were the family Quidditch matches – pure torture at its finest. Percy was actually a pretty good flier, but his eyesight was nonexistent when he didn't have his glasses on and his reflexes were laughable. He was the last pick whenever the family divided themselves into teams for Quidditch games and his humiliation while they played was constant. The only reason he'd show up to play was that they'd torment him even worse if he sat the family matches out.
For Merlin's sake, couldn't somebody, just for once, impose a few RULES?! Maybe that was why he'd always been so fascinated with the Ministry of Magic and the work that it did. It brought order. To be able to control and regulate magic, the most erratic source of power in the world… well, that was the most impressive thing he'd ever heard of.
He enjoyed working at the Ministry. He did NOT enjoy having his mother incessantly demand when he was going to bring a nice girl home (uh, never) or being the victim of Fred and George's constant pranks.
So, he took the now-free visitor elevator down to the Ministry again and re-entered the ballroom to find Hope waltzing cordially in the arms of another pretty young lady he'd seen when he was visiting the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's main offices.
Hope was lesbian?! Well, maybe that was the real reason she'd refused him.
Percy was about to reassure himself that if she was lesbian, then he'd have a perfect excuse for walking away from her in a huff, except… people weren't shocked out of their minds at the sight of her dancing with a woman. And that gave Percy ideas. Ideas like: maybe he didn't have to pretend anymore.
The dance ended and Hope kissed the back of her partner's hand before they politely went their separate ways.
How long had he BEEN outside shivering by himself anyway? Judging by the way his body was shivering without him wanting it to, quite a while. He wondered if this party had any drinks that were warmer than the chilled champagne. He could go for a hot buttered rum, because that would warm him up like nothing else. Well, nothing except- NO.
You. Cannot. Have. Him. Percy reminded himself for the umpteenth time. What would people think?!
He was so oblivious that he nearly bonked into Hope Marshall on his way back through the crowds.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm sorry if I was rude out there."
Percy cleared his throat. "It's okay. I won't fault you for speaking your mind."
"I'd never say things like that about you if anyone else was listening. I'd never want to humiliate you."
"I believe you." For some reason, he really did. He'd barely met the woman and he already saw that honor and respect were of the utmost importance to her. "Is there anything else you want to say to me?"
She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You know… if you're not going to visit your father tonight, you may as well at least pay a visit to Oliver Wood."
He started. "How do you know about that?!"
She rolled her eyes. "What my gaydar could not discover, the Hogwarts gossip mill was happy to fill in for me."
Percy sighed helplessly. "I don't even know if he'd have me at this point."
"Can you fix it?" asked Hope.
"I-"
"Try. When you're feeling up to it, you should try." She gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze and went back to the group of Aurors she'd come with.
Percy looked around the Atrium in search of a bar where someone could get him that hot buttered rum he wanted. Then, he accidentally ran smack into his boss, Cornelius Fudge.
"Ah, Percy!" A red-faced Fudge turned in his direction. "Did you get a date with the absolutely ravishing Hope Marshall? Why, if I was a younger man…"
Fudge trailed off, but that was okay because Percy absolutely didn't want to hear the rest of that thought. He blinked and collected himself. "Anyway, I need to speak to you for a minute in private."
Percy just nodded.
Fudge looked around furtively. His posture got sharper, his eyes took on a sense of urgency, and he suddenly seemed less inebriated. "In my office." Before Percy could object, the Minister had apparated the both of them to his office.
"Percy… have you heard anything about what your father is up to?"
"No, Minister. To be honest, he and I aren't speaking much right now. He said that I was only promoted to the position of Senior Undersecretary so quickly because you wanted me to spy on him! Can you believe that?!"
"HA! Of course, you got this new job on your own merit! We're thrilled to have you!" laughed Fudge. But his laugh and his dismissive cheer seemed forced. "But, tell me… I could use other lines of inquiry, of course, but is your father up to some effort to subvert me?"
Percy's heart sank. He had NOT gotten this position on his own merit. He'd always assumed he had, but no. He was probably the laughingstock of the Ministry – the idiot promoted to a position he didn't deserve so the Minister could use him shamelessly.
Just… FUCK.
"Oh, come now, Percy. It's no pressure. Just a little harmless inquiry from the easiest source! You wouldn't deny me, would you?"
Percy had to get out of here before he literally broke down and cried. "Well, why don't I… pay him a lovely New Year's visit to make up with him and see what he's up to?" he stammered.
"Attaboy, Percy Weasley," said Fudge, clapping him on the back.
"You know, I think I'd best get on with my inquiry," said Percy.
"Of course, of course," murmured Fudge, oblivious to Percy's distress.
Before he could betray his own emotions, Percy Weasley disapparated from the Minister's office.
XXXXX
Percy apparated onto the Apparition Zone adjoining the Ministry's lobby. He didn't know why he was here. Wait, he did know why he was here. He was here because he didn't want to go back to the London studio apartment he kept by himself, but he couldn't be in the midst of the party. The Apparition zone was the in-between: solitary, but not his apartment; not away from the party, but close to it.
What was he even doing?!
He saw the Aurors Shacklebolt, Moody, and Tonks, accompanied by their trainee Hope Marshall, leaving the party.
The three Aurors glanced his way with questioning looks. They were probably wondering why someone so eager to network at the Ministry would be leaving its New Year's party so early. Well, he had no decent answer for them. But when he saw Hope's face, he noticed her brows were knitted together and her eyes were wet with… sorrow and compassion?
Percy knew he would come to regret his antics tonight. But nonetheless, he decided to throw himself into the arms of Hope Marshall as he burst into tears.
XXXXX
"Why don't you give us some time?" Hope asked as she held onto the crying Percy.
"Will you be all right?" asked Tonks.
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll join you guys in a bit."
The other Aurors gave her skeptical looks, but they all disapparated.
"What's wrong, Percy?" asked Hope.
"Can we… not here?" Percy managed to say, propping himself up so that he wasn't physically leaning on her.
"Of course." Hope held out her hand. When Percy grasped it, they were seated on a bench by the Thames. Percy was shivering, so Hope duplicated her androgynous black cloak so that its copy could cover him and protect him from the snow.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I'm a fraud. I thought the Minister of Magic wanted me to be his Undersecretary because I'm brilliant. Turns out, he just wants me to be his Undersecretary so he can spy on my family."
Hope wrapped a comforting arm around Percy's shoulders. "You ARE brilliant, Percy Weasley," she said.
"My family said the Minister just wanted to spy on them. They were ri-i-i-ight!" he sobbed, burying his face in his hands.
Hope wrapped him in a comforting embrace, as Percy somehow knew she would. She'd rejected his advances at the Ministry because of her standards. But those standards had been based on the value of compassion, so he wasn't terribly surprised when she was compassionate towards him.
She patted his back while he cried until he finally mustered up the fortitude to prop himself up and look her in the face.
"Do you want to know what I think of all this?"
Percy winced. "Do I?"
She grinned mischievously. "You're acting like either your family or the Ministry have the power to decide your worth. The thing is, they don't. You decide what you're worth and what you're capable of. So, you know what? Hang how you got your position working for the Minister. The question is, what are you going to do with your newfound power?"
XXXXX
It was well after midnight when a tuxedo-clad and shivering Percy Weasley apparated himself to the reception room at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
He approached the Welcome Witches' desk, which was staffed with a sole sleepy, disgruntled occupant. "I'd like to visit a patient here. Arthur Weasley?"
"And who are you?" she asked, stifling a yawn and trying to straighten her lime-green robes that were the St. Mungo's uniform.
"I'm his son, Percy Weasley."
"Come on back." She escorted him through a number of hallways and to his father's room.
When she opened the door and Percy got a look at the state his father was in, he could feel his stomach plummet. He was pale – way too pale – and he had bruises all over his face and probably in plenty of places (Percy assumed) what were presently covered by his blankets. His breathing was labored. How close had he even come to dying?!
"He's been tucked in for the night," the Welcome Witch explained, "but he's apt to wake up a few times before morning if you don't mind waiting."
Percy nodded and gulped, taking a seat at his father's bedside. "I don't mind."