The Ministry was unused to its employees dying off suddenly. Usually they gave their notice and oversaw the packing and cleaning of their offices themselves. So when Amelia Bones went and got herself murdered, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement found themselves without a head and an office that would need to be emptied when they did find a new leader.
Everyone was far too busy to clean the office themselves now that Lord Voldemort was back, so they sent a letter by owl post to the next-of-kin, requesting that they take care of their deceased relative’s belongings at the first convenient opportunity, please and thank you.
When the Bones family received the letter, it only took one look at her parents for Susan to see that she would be the one sent to take care of it “ she was out of school for the summer and had little better to do, while her mum and dad were at the end of their ropes at work. She didn’t mind, really “ she’d visited her auntie a few times at the Ministry and knew how it worked.
It was a little trickier than usual to get through the visitors’ entrance and security, but Susan supposed that was only natural. The suspicious glances directed at her as she stepped on the lift were to be expected too, though all those craning necks to see what purpose her visitor’s badge stated made her blush.
Amelia Bones’ office looked much the same as it always did “ perhaps a couple people had come in and riffled papers around, but it seemed to Susan that her aunt could walk in at any moment, sit down in that big leather chair, and offer her a peppermint.
Susan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Where should I start?” she murmured. After a moment’s hesitation, she began with the bookcases, glad that her mum had at least been able to arrange for several boxes to be sent to the office.
An hour and a half later, Susan was distracted from sorting her papers by a knock on the open door. She looked up and saw a tall, red-haired, bespectacled young man walk in, nimbly avoiding the stacked boxes.
“Hello,” he said, extending his hand. Susan hurriedly stood up to shake it. “Just thought I’d stop by and tell you how sorry I am for your loss. Madam Bones was a great woman, and we will miss her greatly around here.”
“Thank you,” Susan replied automatically, trying not to think about how she looked. She’d cried a little at the start (especially when she found a picture of herself and her aunt together), but had since gotten engrossed in her work. Her nose might still be red, though, and she knew her hair was unsightly.
“I’m Percy Weasley,” the young man introduced himself, and Susan remembered why he looked so familiar.
“You were Head Boy,” she remarked, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She didn’t say she also knew him in context of his brothers “ somehow, given events of the last year, she didn’t think he’d appreciate being reminded of his family.
He looked pleased that she remembered. “Ah, yes, good old Hogwarts. You’re next of kin, then?”
“Yes, I’m her niece, Susan,” she replied. “My parents couldn’t make it so I volunteered to help, since I have nothing to do with school not in session. It’s actually been quite interesting,” she added, gesturing to the four stacks of paper surrounding her.
“It’s good of you to come do this,” Percy said. “We’re all so busy here at the Ministry. You and your aunt were close?”
Her nose must still be red. “Yes, we were.”
Percy glanced at his watch then leaned casually against the desk. “So you’re still at Hogwarts?” he said. “What year are you?”
“I’ll be in my sixth year once school starts,” Susan replied.
“Ah! So you know Harry Potter?”
Susan noticed that he didn’t ask about his brother Ron. “Yes, we were “ ” she was about to say they were in the DA together, then remembered the rumors that Percy had actually been there at Dumbledore’s arrest “ “we were classmates. Are classmates, I suppose.”
“Excellent, excellent,” Percy said. “Well, I’ve got to run “ got a meeting with Scrimgeour at the moment “ but it was lovely to meet you, Susan. We shall have to keep in touch,” he said earnestly, shaking her hand once more.
“See you later,” Susan said inanely as he strode quickly out the door. She knelt back down inside her circle of papers and continued sorting, pondering on what a strange exchange that had been.
True to his word, Percy Weasley did try to keep in touch “ a few days later, Susan received a letter from him, saying how nice it had been to meet her and that he’d love to hear all the Hogwarts news if she ever got a chance.
Mindful of his role as Ministry lackey and Umbridge supporter the past year, Susan didn’t send a reply. She saw through his transparent friendliness and could tell that he was fishing for information about goings-on at Hogwarts. It annoyed her that he thought their one meeting gave him license to use her like this. She threw the letter in the fire.
We Need All the Allies We Can Get by Cinderella Angelina
Chapter Notes: Written for SPEW 007, prompt "Seven." It only took me 5 chapters to get to it...
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