The Next Step

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize

Warnings: None

Percy ran his hands through his hair. He was struggling to see how he and the other Slytherins could get his family to see what was standing right in front of them instead of being blinded to the truth by the lens of prejudice that had been in front of them for all their life.

He couldn't blame them, though. That was what he had thought, until he had met Pansy, then Draco, then Blaise, and the rest of his Slytherin friends. He shuddered at the thought that that was who he would be if he hadn't made the deal with Parkinson.

Turning his mind back to the task before him, he shook his head. It seemed impossible to reconcile his two families. He could not think of a time when they would be able to be with each other long enough for the Slytherins to show that they weren't all that bad.

Still, Hermione would be on his side. Judging from the bandage on his younger brother's nose, he guessed that Hermione had punched him. Probably for saying something prejudiced. He could coordinate his efforts with hers, but…

A knock at the door kicked him out his thoughts. "Come in," he called, swiftly rolling off his bed and smoothing out his clothes.

Hermione's bushy head stuck into the entrance. "Hey, Percy. Could we talk for a minute?"

He smiled at her. "Of course. Why don't you take a seat?"

She smiled and did as he said, her eyes darting all over his room. She was nervous, he noted.

"How can I help you?"

She composed herself. "I know that you are friends with Slytherins, and you like them."

He nodded.

"Your family asked me to help them come to terms with this and to accept Slytherins. I was wondering if you had any ideas."

"I do, actually," he grinned. With her support, he would be able to pull off some of the things he was hoping to do.

"This is a bad idea," Draco murmured out the side of his mouth.

Percy smirked at him. "What happened to 'we'll help you get rid of the prejudice against Slytherins, Percy'?" He ended with a high-pitched falsetto.

Draco glared at him. "I do not sound like that. And when I said that, I imagine that we'd be doing things like acting like ourselves while they listened in while thinking they were being stealthy. I did not think that you'd ask us to go on an outing to Muggle London for lunch!"

Percy rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything as his family walked up, looking not too happy with the situation.

"This is a terrible idea," Ron snapped.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Hey, look, Draco. I guess you're not alone in your dislike for this… expedition."

Both of them glared at him, as he smiled blandly back at them.

He unlocked his car. "Get in," he ordered. "There's space for everyone."

Arthur's eyes widened as he saw Percy's car. "Do you know how to drive that?"

"Of course," Percy replied, getting into the drivers' seat. "I do live in a Muggle neighborhood, you know."

"You know, Percy, we've never been to your house," Molly interjected, unsubtly.

He grinned at her. "We can go there later, if you still want to."

Molly beamed at him. "I'd love to."

Draco rolled his eyes behind her.

Percy smiled at his mother. "Great." He looked past her to Draco, raising an eyebrow. Draco rolled his eyes again. Percy would have to talk to him later.

"Twelve steak-frites and jus de pommes, please," Percy asked.

The waiter bowed. "Of course, monsieur."

They were at a French restaurant, known as Le Relais de Venise. It was one of Percy's favourites. Naturally, he decided to take his family there. They had an informal atmosphere and delicious food, offering prompt service.

"So, Draco," Molly started, slightly nervously. "How has your day been?"

Draco gave a bland smile. "Very good, thank you. And as for yourself?" Percy sighed inwardly. This wasn't turning out the way Percy and Hermione had wanted it to go. There was still too much hostility between them. He supposed it was foolish to think that they could get rid of decades of prejudice in one sitting, but it had been worth a try.

Hermione smiled brightly at Pansy. "Pansy," she started. The Slytherin raised an eyebrow.

"Granger."

"Do you come here often?"

Pansy pursed her lips. "We do, yes. This is one of the places we go to the most. That, and another Muggle restaurant."

"I suppose you couldn't exactly go to the Three Broomsticks," she nodded.

Pansy nodded, her face carefully blank. She knew how hard Percy and Hermione had worked to set this up, and there was no way she would destroy all their hard work. Besides, inter-house unity had been a big long-term goal of theirs. There was nothing to gain from antagonizing them.

"Well, Granger, do you think this is a success?" Draco asked dryly.

Hermione shook her head. "Not yet. But things like this take time."

He gave her an appraising look. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."

Hermione grinned at him, refusing to be daunted. "I'm glad you think so."

They sat in a silence for the twenty minutes until the food came. It wasn't tense, but it wasn't comfortable either. Oh, well, Percy thought. One step at a time.

"Twelve steak-frites and twelve jus de pommes, monsieur," the waiter said as he laid the plates and cups on their table.

"Merci," Draco thanked.

"Of course, monsieur." With a last bow, the waiter left.

Arthur frowned. He still hadn't warmed up to the Slytherins, and would probably be the last to do so. These were Slytherins. They're supposed to be evil. Yet here they are, at a muggle restaurant, enjoying themselves and being polite.

Percy noticed. That was reasonable – his father had grown up in a pureblood family and had had bad experiences with Slytherins. It made sense that he would still be angry.

"So," Hermione said in between her bites, "Percy showed us a moving picture of you last week. You seemed to be pretty… happy."

Pansy frowned. "Are you saying that we can't be happy?"

"No, no, of course not! I was just trying to make small talk. How do you guys know each other?"

The Weasleys (with their two additions) did not miss the quick glance that went between the Slytherins and Percy.

"Percy?" Arthur asked, slightly dangerously.

Percy met his father's eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you that. Not right now."

Arthur's eyebrows drew together. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, we can't tell you that now."

"I see. So would I be mistaken in thinking that you want your Slytherin friends and your family to get to know each other?"

"Of course I do, but…"

"So you're saying, right now, that you want us to get to know each other."

"Yes."

"But you're not willing to be honest."

"I am. That's why I told you that we can't tell you, instead of simply lying to you."

"How do I know that you just said that because you knew that we would see through your lies?"

Percy stood up. "I think that I would be able to lie to you very well, since I've been doing it since I was nine and you only thought you could tell I was lying because I wanted you to think that way!"

The other customers heads turned to look at Percy.

Arthur stood up as well. "How dare you!"

"How dare I what? Tell you the truth for once in your life?"

His father gave a wordless roar. "You ungrateful boy! I raised you! I fed you! I deserve your respect!"

"Respect? Respect for what? Your inability to climb up the ladder of success? Your endless hours of work that result in barely managing to clothe and school us?"

"Percy!" Molly cried out in shock. "Apologize to your father!"

"It's true!" Percy shouted. "All those years, I waited and waited and waited for you to come home on my birthday. I would have done anything to see you, just for five minutes! But no, you were always busy with your job, you left at five, you came back at midnight, and I never saw you! But then, I was willing to forgive you. I thought you would work hard for a few years, and then you would have some time to spend. But no. You never did. And you wonder why I didn't like you? You were never there for me to get to know you!"

Arthur pointed a shaking finger at Percy. "That is the last straw! You will not come back to the Burrow until you are ready to apologize! You will not talk to me that way ever again, do I make myself clear?"

"And good riddance!"

Arthur spun to face his family. "We're going home now. I don't want anyone to have anything to do with Percy until he comes to his senses."

They nodded mutely, Molly suppressing sobs.

"Good." And with that, he led his family out the door.