Trying to make Percy fall in love with her was not the easiest way to punish Bill and Percy. The easiest way was just to tell everybody about their forbidden relationship. But by this time, Fleur was not interested in an easy way. Bill needed to feel the same way she had felt. Exactly the same way!
What did she know about Percy? It wasn't very much. Fleur searched for a piece of parchment and a quill, and sat down on the table in the house she temporarily lived in, the house of her friend Amy Prewett, one of Bill's - and also Percy's - nieces. She titled the blank piece of parchment: 'All The Current Information About The Personality Of Percival Ignatius Weasley'.
She laughed loudly. Now, she better needed to make the list long and elaborate. She scribbled down:
Percival Ignitius Weasley, hereafter referred to as just Percy, is Head of the Department of Magical Transportation at the British Ministry of Magic. He protects his function like a lioness defends her cubs. It is unknown if Percy's career is the center around which his life revolves, or if Percy sees career and life as synonyms. It is also still unknown how my ex-husband Bill, who still does not know what he definitively wants to do with his life, fits in this picture.
According to a thorough, still ongoing research led by the other Weasley siblings and late Fred Weasley, Percy may have a sense of humor.
Percy appears so different from all the other members of his family that if it wasn't for his flame red hair, most observers would have considered him an adoptive.
Percy views solemnness as the Holy Grail. He rarely smiles. His life seems drained from things that are usually considered enjoyable, such as games and hobbies, but there is one exception: Quidditch.
Fleur sighed. Bill had never talked about Percy, and of course, afterwards, that made sense. Her desperate musings were interrupted by the doorbell. Curiously, Fleur walked towards the door and opened it, wondering who had taken the chance to visit her on this afternoon. Immediately, a bright pink, squeaking ball bounced past Fleur into the room, and a red-haired girl desperately ran after it.
"ARNOLD!" the red-haired girl screeched. It was Ginny Weasley. Fleur did not know whether to be relieved or bothered. Bill's sister had never seemed to particularly like her. Why had she decided to visit all of sudden, and without her boyfriend Harry Potter? Still, Fleur considered her as family, and to family she was always hospitable. She even bit back the advice that Ginny would look better if she wouldn't wear such unflattering Muggle clothes.
Ginny eventually succeeded in catching her Pygmy Puff, but was now looking at the table with a suspicious interest.
"'All The Current Information About The Personality Of Percival Ignatius Weasley'?" she chuckled.
"Zat eez a joke." Fleur said. She tried a tinkling laugh, but unfortunately, it did not sound too convincing.
"'It is also still unknown how my ex-husband Bill, who still does not know what he definitively wants to do with his life, fits in this picture.' ?!" Ginny gasped, turning to look at Fleur with a surprised expression in her brown eyes. "What does that sentence mean?"
Because Fleur suddenly felt quite alone and wanted to confide in Ginny, she said: "I know you are probably not going to believe zis at first, but Bill 'as betrayed me with Percy. Percy Weasley. 'Ees brother."
At first, Ginny just looked back at her like she had seen extraterrestrial life, her eyes wide from shock. When she had finally found back her voice, she croacked: "Yes I know, he's my brother, too, remember?! But you can't be serious, Fleur!"
"I am serious." Fleur said sadly.
Then, Ginny got angry. She automatically crumbled the piece of paper. "I think you're lying, Phlegm!" she shouted. "Maybe Bill doesn't want you anymore, because he finally realizes how superficial you are, and then you are trying to get back at him with such a low, mean -"
"C'EST LA VÉRITÉ!" Fleur shouted back, trembling like a leaf.
The color disappeared from Ginny's face completely. It turned into a white mask of shock. "R... r-really?"
Fleur walked towards Ginny and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Look, you shouldn't zeenk bad about Bill because of 'is sexual preference." she hushed. "Or about Percy, for zat matter. Zey are still the same ones you 'ave known and loved eenside."
"It's not that I care that they are gay! They could have loved a bloody Hippogriff as far as I'm concerned! Just not each other!" Ginny shouted indignantly. "This is crazy! I'm going to tell them to stop with this madness right away..." She shook Fleur's hands off her and walked towards the door.
"NO!" Fleur screamed. Ginny looked confused.
"You weell mess up my plan!" Fleur explained. She immediately turned red and already regretted what she had said.
"Plan?" Ginny suddenly grinned mischievously. "What kind of plan? I'd love to hear it."
Fleur cleared her throat. "I weell only tell zat if you promeese not to tell it to anyone else."
Ginny seemed to consider this, and eventually nodded. "It can't be anything worse than the love life of my brothers, I hope." she said miserably.
"I am going to try to steal Percy from Bill." Fleur whispered, although she wasn't sure why she was whispering, since neither of them was around.
Ginny raised an orange eyebrow. "I thought this was enough of a soap already. What are you gonna do if this ludicrous plan succeeds?"
"I don't know yet." Fleur said. "Dump 'im. 'E deserves it."
"Well, I wasn't really looking forward to telling Mum and Dad anyway.." Ginny began. "And I agree they should pay for it. When will you begin with your, ahem, mission?"
"After I 'ave gazered enough eenformation." Fleur said.
"Excuse me? I thought you'd just seduce him with your Veela looks, end of story." Ginny said.
"Ees 'e susceptible for Veela charms?" Fleur asked.
Ginny looked at her as if she was mad and threw her arms in the air. "Of course! Especially Boring Percy!"
Fleur sighed from relief and was glad she could quit her investigation already.
"I have an idea!" Ginny said, gloating. "I'll bake an applepie and you can bring it, saying that I was too busy and asked you a favour."
Fleur smiled. "Zanks, Ginny!" she said and kissed Ginny on the cheek.
Fleur felt kind of ridiculous, standing with an applepie in her hand in front of the of door Percy's big, formal-looking apartment building, located in a Muggle neighbourhood. It hadn't been easy to shake off several desperate Muggle men.
After she had pressed the bell, the door opened, and Percy stood in the doorway, gangly, pale and fiery-haired as ever, although he had bought himself a new pair of glasses. He was wearing a Muggle suit, although it was slightly too wide for him and not well-tailored. Fleur remembered again why she had rarely smiled at Percy. He was a very guarded wizard, and his facial expression was hard to read.
Yet, Fleur saw from the dark circles under his eyes and his thinning hair that he was quite stressed, and he sounded undoubtly surprised when he asked: "Fleur Isabelle Weasley? What is the topic of your visit?" Then his eyes drifted towards the pie, and he asked:"On whose orders are you delivering this applepie to me? Mother's?"
"No, Ginny's." Fleur said, smiling. "Can I come een?"
"Er.. Alright, yes." Percy said chaotically. Fleur walked past him into the spacious, orderly livingroom that was fortunately very unlike the messy Burrow.
"What would be the drink of your choice?" Percy asked, putting the applepie away.
"Do you 'ave fruit juice? Not wiz too much banana... Zat are too much calories." Fleur said.
If possible, Percy seemed to look even more tired after hearing her request, but he quickly Conjured a glass with fresh-looking fruit juice. "Strawberries and blueberries." he said, placing the glass on the table.
"Zanks so much." Fleur said dramatically. "I can be a beet peecky sometimes, don't I?" She laughed heartily and put a lock of silver hair behind one of her pointy, jewel-covered ears.
"Oh no, it was no trouble." Percy said uncharacteristically jovially and to Fleur's delight, he turned kind of red. She also noticed that he suddenly seemed to be unable to tear his gaze away from her, just like most men.
"What are you going to do... I mean, what are you doing... How are you doing?" he jabbered.
"I'm fine, zanks." Fleur said, glad that her Veela charm seemed to be working on Percy as well, and smiled broadly to reveal her perfectly right-angled, pristine white teeth. "I 'ave some troubles with Bill zough.. 'As 'e already told you about it?" She widened her already large eyes innocently.
"Incidents with Bill?" Percy sounded really tense at once. "What did he say? I mean... what was the cause of the incidents?"
So Bill hasn't even told Percy about the breakup? Fleur thought angrily. Trying to stay calm, she answered: "Oh, lots of leetle zeengs.. 'E neglected teedying up 'ees closet,'e zought we 'ad too leetle een common, e started supporting another Quidditch team... "
Percy cleared his throat. "I see." he said.
"What ees your opinion about Bill?" Fleur asked.
Percy suddenly turned beet red, even his ears got a hint of color. Fleur thought it looked surprisingly adorable, as she hadn't often seen a grown wizard blush.
"W-w-what can I say... We are brothers..." stuttered Percy uncomfortably.
"Is 'e a nice brother? 'E never talks about you." Fleur complained. "I zeenk 'eet 'as to do wiz ze fact zat you did not attend our wedding. Why not?" She already knew the answer of course, but she wanted to hear it from Percy.
"I am ashamed of it." Percy said, looking the other way. "I had.. well.. disowned my family...but I'm glad I'm back in contact with them, now." He swallowed.
Fleur tried to smile sympathetically. "I understand. I often 'ave... arguments wiz my leetle seester, too."
"This was not just a simple argument!" Percy said indignantly. "It was about important matters! But I was mistaken."
"Zat can 'appen." Fleur said, examining her nails.
There was a long silence. Normally, this would have been the moment where she would have left immediately. But this time, she had to come up with a subject.
"Do you 'ave a new pair of glasses?" she asked.
Percy nodded proudly. "I got them as a present from my boss, for exceeding expectations."
"I zeenk your boss 'as a great taste in glasses." Fleur stated.