[fic] Negotiations (Ginny and Percy, PG)
Title: Negotiations
Author: Thistlerose
Rating: PG (language)
Length: 1,400
Summary: Ginny's not feeling particularly forgiving, but that doesn't seem to be what Percy's here for.
A/N: This is very late, but it was written with the July Challenge (Brothers and Sisters) in mind.
Ginny hoped that her mum and Fleur were nearly done discussing ruffles and bows with Madam Malkin because she was running out of ways to keep Gabrielle entertained. She had already pantomimed the twins' more outrageous pranks and Ron's more amusing mishaps. It might help, she thought sourly, if she knew more than a few phrases in French, or if Gabrielle understood more than a smattering of English.
Feeling somewhat inadequate, Ginny watched while Gabrielle scuffed the toes of her shoes on the shop's floor, played with the end of her long blonde braid, and gazed out the window at Diagon Alley.
"Um," Ginny said. "I've got another Ron story." She didn't, but she reckoned she could invent one that the little girl would believe. "Ron," she said, when Gabrielle turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. "Ron. You know." Ginny pinched the tip of her nose and pulled it.
Gabrielle giggled. "Rrron." She mimicked Ginny's gesture. Then she turned back to the window, tapped the glass with her fingertip and said, "Also brother?"
Ginny followed Gabrielle's finger. It was a beautiful June afternoon and there were plenty of people outside, but she didn't see Fred or George - the two most likely to be passing by - or any of the others. "I don't…" she began.
Using the forefinger and thumb of each hand, Gabrielle made circles and held them over her eyes.
"Percy?" said Ginny incredulously. "You saw that great pillock? Where?"
Gabrielle pointed again and Ginny sighed.
"Well, I don't see him."
But then she saw a newspaper lower slightly, and a bright red thatch. The paper went up again a second later, and Ginny was on her feet. "Pardon, Gabrielle. Be right back, Mum - I saw someone from school," she called as she hurried out the shop's door.
Bright sunlight struck her eyes and all the sounds and smells dizzied her momentarily, but she drew a deep breath, shook her head, and looked around for Percy. She found the wrought iron bench he'd been sitting on, and the hastily folded newspaper, but not her brother.
"Damn."
Not that she'd wanted to talk to him, she told herself. Harangue and berate, yes. Talk, no. Maybe it was best for both of them that he'd scarpered.
Ginny shrugged and started back toward Madam Malkin's.
Percy stood on the front stoop.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"What're you and Mother doing here?" he asked.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You were spying. You should know."
"I just saw you go in with Fleur Delacour and her sister."
"Really?" said Ginny tartly. "If you like, you can watch me go in again." She started to go around him, but he moved and blocked her way. She glared up at him.
She had never felt close to Percy. Even when they'd been at Hogwarts together, she'd thought of him as a sort of au pair, more an extension of her parents' authority than a brother. She'd gone to him when she'd had homework questions, but for brotherly advice she'd always written to Bill or Charlie or - when she was desperate - turned to the twins and Ron.
Because he'd always been a fairly distant figure, Ginny supposed she'd taken Percy's betrayal somewhat more lightly than the rest of her family had. But that didn't make her any more forgiving.
"Let me go," she said.
"You came out looking for me," said Percy.
"I was curious, all right? And bored. You'd better go before Mum sees you and makes a scene." She tried again to shoulder past him, but he caught her by her forearms. "I can beat you," she warned. "I can't hex you, but I can kick."
Percy bent close. She recoiled, and he shook her - not hard. "Look, I just want to know how Bill is, all right? I take it the wedding is still on."
"Yes," Ginny said. "You see, some people don't mind being associated with the Weasleys." A few weeks ago, she laughed at the notion of ever defending Fleur.
"I'm not ashamed," Percy muttered.
"Oh, please."
"I'm not. Not that I need to defend myself to you, but you lot don't have to live like-"
"Like what?" Ginny interjected.
"You don't have to live in the bloody Burrow, if Dad would only-"
Ginny kicked him in the shins. Percy swore and dropped his hands.
"I'm going in now," Ginny told him. But she didn't move. "You're really a twat, you know? And don't tell me I shouldn't use words like that, because you deserve it."
"I wasn't going to say anything," said Percy, his eyes narrowing behind his wire-rimmed glasses. "I'm glad Bill's still getting married. Fleur's all right."
"You don't know her."
"I met her once. At the Tri-Wizard Tournament."
"Oh," said Ginny. "Right."
"Anyway, I didn't come here to argue. I just saw you and…" He shrugged.
"Right," Ginny said again, watching him. "And I just saw you, so…" She took a step toward the shop's door. Her legs wobbled slightly, as though she'd just come off a boat. I'm all at sea, she thought.
"Don't tell Mother you saw me," Percy said.
"I wasn't planning to tell anyone." It occurred to her just after she closed her mouth again that she might tell Bill that Percy had asked after him. Of all her brothers, he'd be the least likely to fly into a fiery rage.
Ginny took another step, put her hand out to open the door. Her palm slid unexpectedly over the cool brass; she hadn't realized she'd been sweating. Through the window, she could see Gabrielle flipping idly through bridal magazines. Her stomach did an odd little flip. She swallowed, and whirled sharply back to Percy, who hadn't moved.
"You might do something useful," she said in a low voice. "As long as you're still at the Ministry. You might help."
"By doing what?" He looked and sounded annoyed.
"By not tossing innocent bus drivers into Azkaban for one thing. By actually doing something that might help Harry. Scrimgeour wanted him to say nice things about the Ministry - to bolster morale, or whatever. What did Scrimgeour offer in return?"
"I don't-"
"You're a bad liar."
"I don't know."
Ginny combed her hair back from her face, held it down against the nape of her neck. Her stomach was moving again. She closed her eyes, willed it to stop, but it wouldn't. She bit her lip.
"I really don't know," Percy said. "Going to the Burrow at Christmas wasn't my idea."
"You might," said Ginny slowly, "do something about Sirius Black. You know he's innocent."
"I do. He's also dead."
Ginny opened her eyes. "It doesn't matter. He was Harry's godfather, and he meant a lot to him. He also kept an eye on us after Dad was attacked. He was all right. But the Ministry still hasn't done anything."
"There's going to be an inquiry," Percy said stiffly. "We're not doing nothing. It's just that with You-Know-Who back, there are other priorities."
"Harry's off hunting Voldemort," Ginny snapped. "What are you lot doing?"
"Be quiet," Percy said, though Ginny hadn't missed the fact that her use of the name had elicited shudders from several passersby.
"What are you doing?" Ginny said again.
"That’s classified," said Percy.
"I see." She turned away again.
"You really don't," Percy said without malice. "None of you do. D'you think it's easy, knowing we were wrong all those years ago, trying to keep people confident-"
"Try harder," Ginny suggested. "Instead of trying to use Harry, do something for him. It's not like it's a weapon, but I know it would help. If you did," she added as she turned the knob, "he might consider you worth saving."
"You're saying," said Percy dryly, "that he might let You-Know-Who go if-"
"You really are a twat. I could say why, but I've got to go and endure ruffles and bows."
"I suppose I ought to be glad you're underage and can't hex me. You kick hard."
"I know," Ginny said.
"I'll do what I can. You know that I can't promise anything."
"I know."
"I want Harry to win," said Percy.
It was, Ginny thought as she opened the door and went inside, a stupid thing to say. Everyone except the Death Eaters and their sympathizers wanted Harry to win. She wondered as she went to where Gabrielle now stood, looking uncomfortable in cornflower blue dress robes that were several sizes too big, if there was something Percy hadn't said. Something a bit less stupid.
"Ginny?" her mum called from behind a partition. "I've got some things for you to try. Don't worry about the style, we're just considering colors now. Come here, dear."
Gabrielle patted Ginny's arm. "All right?"
"Yes," Ginny lied.
11/02/06
Author: Thistlerose
Rating: PG (language)
Length: 1,400
Summary: Ginny's not feeling particularly forgiving, but that doesn't seem to be what Percy's here for.
A/N: This is very late, but it was written with the July Challenge (Brothers and Sisters) in mind.
Ginny hoped that her mum and Fleur were nearly done discussing ruffles and bows with Madam Malkin because she was running out of ways to keep Gabrielle entertained. She had already pantomimed the twins' more outrageous pranks and Ron's more amusing mishaps. It might help, she thought sourly, if she knew more than a few phrases in French, or if Gabrielle understood more than a smattering of English.
Feeling somewhat inadequate, Ginny watched while Gabrielle scuffed the toes of her shoes on the shop's floor, played with the end of her long blonde braid, and gazed out the window at Diagon Alley.
"Um," Ginny said. "I've got another Ron story." She didn't, but she reckoned she could invent one that the little girl would believe. "Ron," she said, when Gabrielle turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. "Ron. You know." Ginny pinched the tip of her nose and pulled it.
Gabrielle giggled. "Rrron." She mimicked Ginny's gesture. Then she turned back to the window, tapped the glass with her fingertip and said, "Also brother?"
Ginny followed Gabrielle's finger. It was a beautiful June afternoon and there were plenty of people outside, but she didn't see Fred or George - the two most likely to be passing by - or any of the others. "I don't…" she began.
Using the forefinger and thumb of each hand, Gabrielle made circles and held them over her eyes.
"Percy?" said Ginny incredulously. "You saw that great pillock? Where?"
Gabrielle pointed again and Ginny sighed.
"Well, I don't see him."
But then she saw a newspaper lower slightly, and a bright red thatch. The paper went up again a second later, and Ginny was on her feet. "Pardon, Gabrielle. Be right back, Mum - I saw someone from school," she called as she hurried out the shop's door.
Bright sunlight struck her eyes and all the sounds and smells dizzied her momentarily, but she drew a deep breath, shook her head, and looked around for Percy. She found the wrought iron bench he'd been sitting on, and the hastily folded newspaper, but not her brother.
"Damn."
Not that she'd wanted to talk to him, she told herself. Harangue and berate, yes. Talk, no. Maybe it was best for both of them that he'd scarpered.
Ginny shrugged and started back toward Madam Malkin's.
Percy stood on the front stoop.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"What're you and Mother doing here?" he asked.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You were spying. You should know."
"I just saw you go in with Fleur Delacour and her sister."
"Really?" said Ginny tartly. "If you like, you can watch me go in again." She started to go around him, but he moved and blocked her way. She glared up at him.
She had never felt close to Percy. Even when they'd been at Hogwarts together, she'd thought of him as a sort of au pair, more an extension of her parents' authority than a brother. She'd gone to him when she'd had homework questions, but for brotherly advice she'd always written to Bill or Charlie or - when she was desperate - turned to the twins and Ron.
Because he'd always been a fairly distant figure, Ginny supposed she'd taken Percy's betrayal somewhat more lightly than the rest of her family had. But that didn't make her any more forgiving.
"Let me go," she said.
"You came out looking for me," said Percy.
"I was curious, all right? And bored. You'd better go before Mum sees you and makes a scene." She tried again to shoulder past him, but he caught her by her forearms. "I can beat you," she warned. "I can't hex you, but I can kick."
Percy bent close. She recoiled, and he shook her - not hard. "Look, I just want to know how Bill is, all right? I take it the wedding is still on."
"Yes," Ginny said. "You see, some people don't mind being associated with the Weasleys." A few weeks ago, she laughed at the notion of ever defending Fleur.
"I'm not ashamed," Percy muttered.
"Oh, please."
"I'm not. Not that I need to defend myself to you, but you lot don't have to live like-"
"Like what?" Ginny interjected.
"You don't have to live in the bloody Burrow, if Dad would only-"
Ginny kicked him in the shins. Percy swore and dropped his hands.
"I'm going in now," Ginny told him. But she didn't move. "You're really a twat, you know? And don't tell me I shouldn't use words like that, because you deserve it."
"I wasn't going to say anything," said Percy, his eyes narrowing behind his wire-rimmed glasses. "I'm glad Bill's still getting married. Fleur's all right."
"You don't know her."
"I met her once. At the Tri-Wizard Tournament."
"Oh," said Ginny. "Right."
"Anyway, I didn't come here to argue. I just saw you and…" He shrugged.
"Right," Ginny said again, watching him. "And I just saw you, so…" She took a step toward the shop's door. Her legs wobbled slightly, as though she'd just come off a boat. I'm all at sea, she thought.
"Don't tell Mother you saw me," Percy said.
"I wasn't planning to tell anyone." It occurred to her just after she closed her mouth again that she might tell Bill that Percy had asked after him. Of all her brothers, he'd be the least likely to fly into a fiery rage.
Ginny took another step, put her hand out to open the door. Her palm slid unexpectedly over the cool brass; she hadn't realized she'd been sweating. Through the window, she could see Gabrielle flipping idly through bridal magazines. Her stomach did an odd little flip. She swallowed, and whirled sharply back to Percy, who hadn't moved.
"You might do something useful," she said in a low voice. "As long as you're still at the Ministry. You might help."
"By doing what?" He looked and sounded annoyed.
"By not tossing innocent bus drivers into Azkaban for one thing. By actually doing something that might help Harry. Scrimgeour wanted him to say nice things about the Ministry - to bolster morale, or whatever. What did Scrimgeour offer in return?"
"I don't-"
"You're a bad liar."
"I don't know."
Ginny combed her hair back from her face, held it down against the nape of her neck. Her stomach was moving again. She closed her eyes, willed it to stop, but it wouldn't. She bit her lip.
"I really don't know," Percy said. "Going to the Burrow at Christmas wasn't my idea."
"You might," said Ginny slowly, "do something about Sirius Black. You know he's innocent."
"I do. He's also dead."
Ginny opened her eyes. "It doesn't matter. He was Harry's godfather, and he meant a lot to him. He also kept an eye on us after Dad was attacked. He was all right. But the Ministry still hasn't done anything."
"There's going to be an inquiry," Percy said stiffly. "We're not doing nothing. It's just that with You-Know-Who back, there are other priorities."
"Harry's off hunting Voldemort," Ginny snapped. "What are you lot doing?"
"Be quiet," Percy said, though Ginny hadn't missed the fact that her use of the name had elicited shudders from several passersby.
"What are you doing?" Ginny said again.
"That’s classified," said Percy.
"I see." She turned away again.
"You really don't," Percy said without malice. "None of you do. D'you think it's easy, knowing we were wrong all those years ago, trying to keep people confident-"
"Try harder," Ginny suggested. "Instead of trying to use Harry, do something for him. It's not like it's a weapon, but I know it would help. If you did," she added as she turned the knob, "he might consider you worth saving."
"You're saying," said Percy dryly, "that he might let You-Know-Who go if-"
"You really are a twat. I could say why, but I've got to go and endure ruffles and bows."
"I suppose I ought to be glad you're underage and can't hex me. You kick hard."
"I know," Ginny said.
"I'll do what I can. You know that I can't promise anything."
"I know."
"I want Harry to win," said Percy.
It was, Ginny thought as she opened the door and went inside, a stupid thing to say. Everyone except the Death Eaters and their sympathizers wanted Harry to win. She wondered as she went to where Gabrielle now stood, looking uncomfortable in cornflower blue dress robes that were several sizes too big, if there was something Percy hadn't said. Something a bit less stupid.
"Ginny?" her mum called from behind a partition. "I've got some things for you to try. Don't worry about the style, we're just considering colors now. Come here, dear."
Gabrielle patted Ginny's arm. "All right?"
"Yes," Ginny lied.
11/02/06