Percy Weasley stared at the green door knocker in front of him and tried to slow his breathing. He couldn't believe that he was here, doing this. He'd worked so hard over the last few months to be neutral in the conflict between his older brothers and his parents, but if he went through with this all that would go down the drain.

He'd never been one for conflict, always the first to slip away and hide in his room when his mum and dad were having a row. The problem with conflict was that there didn't seem to be any rules. It wasn't like books, or classes, or Ministry policy, it was wild and could go any direction without warning and he always found himself feeling stranded with no way out.

As frustrating as he found Fred and George, he had always admired them for their unflinching bravery in the face of conflict – they even seemed to go out of their way to seek out conflict. Ginny was a bit like that too, as was Ron. Bill and Charlie didn't exactly seek out conflict, but they didn't shy away from it either. It was one of the things that always left him feeling like a changeling in his family and then later his Hogwarts' House. How could he be a real Weasley, a real Gryffindor, if he wasn't brave enough to face conflict?

Working at the Ministry had been a breath of fresh air. Sure there was some conflict there, but there were actually policies on how to handle conflict in the workplace – policies that he had memorised by his first day.

Things had been going so well, especially after he'd moved out of home a few months ago, but then Bill had decided to become Lord Prewett, and Charlie had agreed to be his heir, and it seemed as though their family was falling apart. Percy had done what he did best, ignored all the conflict and hoped that it would eventually be resolved, but it had been over two months now and Mum still refused to let Bill and Charlie come home for dinner.

In all honesty, Percy thought he could probably have ignored the entire thing for years if it wasn't for Anahita Burke. He'd known of her for years, she'd been in his year at Hogwarts, but he didn't think he'd ever exchanged words with her before. She had been a traditionalist, not to mention incredibly popular and beautiful, and he had been a Weasley.

He'd almost swallowed his tongue when she had asked to sit with him at lunch on his third day at the Ministry. He didn't think he'd said much for the entire lunch, but she'd managed to carry the conversation anyway. Apparently she had just started work at the Department of Public Relations and had been worried that she wouldn't know anyone (aside from her father's friends). She'd told him that she was delighted to see a familiar face.

Percy had passed the lunch off as a fluke, but then the next day she'd chosen to sit with him again and she had just never stopped. She'd asked him out a month later and this time Percy was pretty sure that he'd swallowed his tongue and had started choking on thin air. She'd laughed kindly and told him that she would meet him at a restaurant that he'd never heard of at seven that night.

He'd gone, despite half believing that it was all a trick, and had barely believed his eyes when he'd seem how stunningly beautiful she looked in her purple dress robes. He'd felt like a scruffy, plain pauper next to her, but she hadn't seemed to share his opinion and after a while he found himself relaxing.

They'd discussed their different view on traditionalism on their third date and Percy, who had never realised that traditionalism brought with it strict rules for all interactions, had been ready convert by the end of the night. The next morning he'd gotten an owl from Bill explaining that he'd accepted the position of Lord Prewett and then the owl from his Mum denouncing Bill's actions. Suddenly, a traditionalist life didn't sound so conflict free anymore.

So he'd kept quiet on the issue. Allowing Anahita to teach him how to behave traditionally, but not willing to let anyone else know. The problem was that now that they had been dating for two months, Percy knew without a doubt that he loved her and wanted to marry her. But Lord Black had been right, as a Weasley he didn't stand a chance of convincing Lord Burke to let him. The only chance he had was to follow Lord Black's advice and ask Bill for help, but that meant choosing sides and risking being disowned with his siblings.

It had been a hard decision, he loved his parents and the idea of being on the outs with them horrified him, but he loved Anahita too.

Percy reached out a hand towards the green doorknocker, before stepping back in shock as the door swung open.

"You coming in, Percy?" Bill asked with an amused tone. "You've been standing there for ten minutes."

Percy could feel his face flushing in embarrassment as he stepped past his brother into the house. Why hadn't he remembered that Bill would have wards to inform him when someone was on the front porch?

He shrugged off his cloak and hung it on the peg, before following Bill down the hall and into the kitchen where Charlie was sitting at the table. Percy could feel his stomach twisting again in fear, he hadn't known that they would both be here. Didn't Charlie live in Romania?

"Hey, Perce." Charlie greeted him with a beaming smile, standing up and drawing him into a hug. "How are you?"

"G-good." Percy stuttered, awkwardly hugging his older brother back.

"What can I get you to drink?" Bill asked as he used his wand to light the stove under the kettle.

Percy watched enviously, he'd always struggled with wordless magic. "Tea, please."

"Still black, no sugar?" Bill asked, pulling three tea cups out of a cupboard and levitating them over to the table.

"Yes, thank you." Percy winced, remembering Fred and George chorusing that his tea was just as boring as he was.

"Have a seat." Bill instructed him, gesturing to the three empty seats around the table. "The tea won't take long."

"It's good to see you." Charlie said, as Percy stiffly took a seat across from him. "We haven't heard from you in a while."

Percy winced again, hearing the unspoken judgement. "Sorry, I…"

"I didn't mean it like that, idiot." Charlie interrupted him. "I get it, you've never picked sides before. We didn't expect you to now."

Percy let out a sigh of relief that they understood. "Still, I am sorry. Mum and Dad are being unreasonable."

"From what we can tell it's just Mum." Bill commented from where he was pouring boiling water into a teapot. "Dad seems to be trying to play it neutral too, though it's harder for him than it is for you."

"What about the others?" Percy asked cautiously.

"Ron's with Mum." Charlie grimaced. "We get almost as many threatening letters from him as we do from her."

"We haven't heard from Ginny," Bill added, carrying the teapot over to the table. "But Fred and George are probably madder at Mum than we are."

"Really?" Percy pushed his glanced up his nose. "Why?"

"No idea." Charlie shrugged. "Though I suspect their friendship with Potter's got something to do with it."

"You think he's coaching them to be angry?" Percy asked.

"No," Bill shook his head, causing his long hair to brush across his shoulders. "I doubt it. I think it's mostly just because they feel things more strongly than most of us."

"And them being mates with Potter means that they've been pro-traditionalism for longer than we have." Charlie added. "Not that any of us are actually traditional."

Percy felt his shoulders slump slightly in disappointment. "You're not?"

"Merlin, no!" Charlie exclaimed. "All that fussing around, it would drive me bloody mad!"

"But what about you accepting the Ancient and Noble House of Prewett?" Percy asked.

"You don't actually have to be traditional to be a lord, you know." Bill sounded amused. "It's just highly encouraged."

"What about you, Perce?" Charlie asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "Would you describe yourself as pro-traditionalism?"

Percy bit his lip nervously. "Uh…"

"Leave him alone, Charlie." Bill elbowed the dragontamer, before picking up the teapot and beginning to pour tea.

"No, it's alright." Percy said quickly. "It's, uh, sort of why I'm here."

Bill gave him a sharp look. "Oh?"

"I'm seeing someone." Percy blurted out.

"Someone traditional?" Charlie guessed with a smirk.

"Yes."

"Well, who is it?" Charlie prompted, as Bill slid a teacup across to him.

"Anahita Burke, Daughter of the Ancient and Noble House of Burke." Percy answered quietly.

Charlie leant back in his chair and whistled in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," Percy confirmed quickly. "She's wonderful, and she doesn't have a contract, but then Lord Black found out and he said that I should talk to you about it."

"Why?" Bill asked with a confused frown.

"Because I don't have a chance with her father as a Weasley." Percy admitted. "But if I'm a scion of the Ancient and Noble House of Prewett…"

"He's more likely to say yes." Bill finished for him. "What does your girlfriend say about all this?"

"She agrees with Lord Black." Percy answered. "And she says that I'll have to be traditional too."

"And you don't mind that?" Charlie asked with a frown.

"No." Percy answered quickly. "I like it."

Charlie huffed in laughed. "You would."

"Drink your tea." Bill instructed them both, before taking a sip at his own. "So, how exactly would this work?"

"You would accept me into the House of Prewett," Percy explained, repeating everything that Anahita had told him. "And I would change my name."

"Are you serious?" Charlie asked in disbelief. "You know we haven't even done that, right?"

Percy nodded.

"Mum's not going to like this." Bill warned him. "You won't be able to play neutral anymore, this will be you picking a side."

Percy let out a shuddering breath. "I know."

"She might disown you." Bill continued.

"I know." Percy nodded jerkily.

"Bloody hell," Charlie exclaimed. "You must really love this bint."

Percy glared at him. "Hey! Don't call her that."

Charlie rolled his eyes, but didn't argue.

"So you'd become a Prewett, then what?" Bill asked.

"Then you'd send a request to Lord Burke for a contract to be discussed." Percy answered, before quickly adding. "She has a dowry, so you would get something out of it all."

"Hey, calm down." Bill soothed. "I don't care about any of that stuff, just so long as you're sure that this is what you want. Have you really thought this through?"

"Yes." Percy nodded firmly.

Charlie snorted. "Of course he has, Bill. This isn't me you're talking about. Percy thinks everything through."

Percy felt himself wilting slightly.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing." Charlie growled. "Don't be so bloody sensitive."

Percy looked down at the table and tried to ignore the awkward silence that followed Charlie's comment. When a he looked up again he saw that his older brothers were communicating through facial expressions. It was something they had been able to do since they were kids, though not as successfully at Fred and George could. Percy had always been envious, he wished that he'd had a sibling that he was that close with.

Eventually Bill cleared his throat. "So you're going to go all traditional then, Perce? You're sure?"

"Yes." Percy nodded.

Charlie shuddered dramatically. "I can't imagine having to spend the rest of my life bowing and scraping to people."

"But it's logical." Percy protested. "There are rules about how to behave and so long as you stick to them you're fine."

Bill looked considering. "I can see how that might work for you."

Percy looked away uncomfortably. Why did he have to be so different from all of his siblings?

"Listen, Percy, I don't really want to be Bill's heir." Charlie said suddenly. "I only agreed because he didn't want to tell anyone else what was going on at the beginning, just in case Mum freaked out."

Percy frowned in confusion and pushed his glasses up his nose. What did that have to do with anything?

"We agreed that Charlie would help out, but that I'd eventually replace him." Bill said.

"I've been accepted to apprentice under Andrew Ridgebit next year." Charlie explained excitedly. "I'm going to be a Dragonologist. I want to spend my life studying dragons, not being a poncy politician."

"Thanks for that." Bill told him dryly.

"You're not a ponce, Bill." Charlie backtracked quickly. "Neither are you Percy, but you know what I mean."

"Not really," Percy had to admit. "I can't imagine anything worse than studying dragons. But congratulations on your apprenticeship – that's wonderful. Isn't Andrew Ridgebit one of the most prominent dragonologists in the world?"

Charlie barked out a laugh. "Yeah, well I can't imagine anything worse than sitting in an office all day, but thanks. And, yeah, Master Ridgebit's amazing."

"Anyway," Bill started. "How would you feel about being my heir, at least until I have a son?"

Percy stared at him, and then at Charlie. "What?"

"I want you to be my heir." Bill repeated. "You'd be better at it than Charlie anyway. Merlin, you'll be better at it than I am. It'll make you look better to Burke too."

Percy shook his head. "But Charlie…"

"Doesn't want it." Charlie interrupted him. "I hate it."

"Just talk it over with your girl." Bill suggested. "In fact, why don't the two of you come over for dinner tonight? If you're free that is."

"I won't be here." Charlie commented. "I've got to get back to the reserve, I only popped over to nag Bill about replacing me anyway. But you have my wholehearted support."

Percy found himself nodding. "What time should we come over?"

"How about six?" Bill asked. "We can even do the accepting you in the house thing tonight if you like. Sirius lent be a book with all that kind of stuff in it."

27-27-27

"So?" Anahita asked expectantly when Percy met her at a café an hour later.

"He said yes." Percy told her, still feeling a bit shell-shocked. "And he's asked me to be his heir."

"I thought your other brother was his heir?" Anahita asked with a small frown that wrinkled her nose.

"He is, but he doesn't want to be." Percy explained. "He likes dragons better than people."

"What did you say?" Anahita asked excitedly.

"I said that I would talk to you about it." Percy told her. "He's invited us over to dinner tonight to discuss it some more."

"Dinner tonight?" Anahita's eyes widened.

"Are you free?" Percy asked nervously. "We could do it another night, it was just that Bill said tonight and I…"

"Yes, tonight is fine." Anahita interrupted him calmly. "I'm just a little nervous. I haven't met any of your family before."

Percy felt awful. "I'm sorry, it's not that I'm ashamed of you, I promise. It's just that…"

"That your family has been a bit tense recently." Anahita finished for him. "And don't worry, I never considered that you might be ashamed of me."

"Merlin, I love you." Percy blurted out suddenly.

Anahita smiled in delight. "I love you too."

"So, what do you think?" Percy asked nervously. "About me being Bill's heir?"

"I think that there is no way my father will turn down a chance to marry me off to you if you're his heir." Anahita told him, still smiling.

"Even though I'll only be a presumptive heir?" Percy asked.

"I'm the youngest," Anahita explained. "So it's not all that important who I marry. It's not as though I'm Belvina or anything. Besides, there's always the chance that your brother won't have sons."

Percy raised a sceptical eyebrow. "If there is one thing that Weasleys are known for it's their ability to beget sons."

"True." Anahita looked amused at that. "I hope you won't be as desperate for a daughter as your parents were. I don't think I could handle seven children."

"Merlin, no!" Percy denied passionately. "Maybe two though?"

"An heir and a spare?" Anahita asked with an amused smile.

27-27-27

Arthur Weasley stood outside his back door enjoying the quiet, before pushing it open. "I'm home, Mollywobbles."

"Arthur?!" Molly screeched loudly from in front of the stove. "You'll never believe what your son has done!"

Arthur sighed as he shrugged his bag off his shoulder and hung it up behind the door. "What has Bill done now, dear?"

"Not Bill! Percy!" Molly corrected him, turning from the stove and brandishing a wooden spoon.

"Percy?" Arthur repeated in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Molly gestured towards the table with her spoon. "Read that!"

Arthur slowly took his seat at the head of the table and summoned the parchment toward him. It turned out that there were two different letters, one on top of the other, so he started at the one on top.

'Dear Mum and Dad,

I just wanted you to know that Charlie has resigned as my heir. He only agreed temporarily anyway. You know Charlie, he'd rather be playing with dragons than doing anything else.

Anyway, Percy has agreed to be my heir. We performed the ceremony last night. He'd pretty good at all this stuff, though I guess that shouldn't be a surprise to me. Percy always was good at being formal.

I love you both,

Bill'

Arthur sighed as he finished the letter. Bill's letters had once been filled with anecdotes about his life and job, but now they were short and business-like and Arthur couldn't really bring himself to blame his son. But what had Percy been thinking? Didn't he know that this would upset his mother? Usually he could count on Percy as being the only other family member who was willing to bend over backwards to make sure that Molly stayed happy. The idea of being the only one left was discouraging – especially given how easily angered Molly had been recently.

He looked at the next letter.

"Dear Mum and Dad,

I am sure that you are now aware that I have agreed to act as Bill's heir. I will only be a presumptive heir of course, but I am honoured that he has asked this of me. I am aware that you will not be pleased by this news and I beg your forgiveness for what I am sure you see as my defiance in this issue.

That aside though, I hope that you will be pleased to hear that I have recently become engaged to a young witch I met at work. Anahita Burke is the youngest daughter of Lord Burke and her father has agreed to allow us to marry. We have yet to set a date, though I hope that it will be within the next year. I hope you will let me know when I should bring her over to meet you both.

In order for Lord Burke to allow me to marry Anahita, I had to change my name from Weasley to Prewett. I hope that this does not offend you in anyway, or that you will not see this as me repudiating our family. I remain at heart a Weasley and hope that you will understand that this small sacrifice was worth it to me.

With love,

Percy Prewett'

Arthur frowned at the parchment, unsure what exactly he thought of it all – aside from his worry of Molly's reaction. He was delighted that Percy had found a witch that he loved, of course he was, but he couldn't help but think that it might be the end of his family as he knew it.

"Well?!" Molly demanded suddenly. "Can you believe him? When I get my hands on that boy, I'm going to give him a walloping like he's never received before."

Arthur sighed. "Percy's a grown man, Molly."

"Perhaps," Molly sounded unconvinced. "Though clearly he is lacking any kind of decency! Can you believe it? He's renounced our family! All for a title and a girl!"

"A girl who he loves." Arthur reminded her. "And he hasn't renounced our family, he's only changed his name."

"Well, if he doesn't want to be a Weasley he doesn't have to be!" Molly declared, brandishing her wooden-spoon around. "I want you to disown him, Arthur!"

"What?" Arthur asked weakly. "But, Mollywobbles, he's our son!"

"He's no son of mine!" Molly declared.

Arthur sighed, he could hardly believe that his family had come to this. He still remembered Molly's body-wrenching tears when she had received the letter from her parents announcing their intention to disown her unless she broke up with him. How had that devastated woman become someone who wanting to put her own son through the same thing?

And what was he supposed to do about it?