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abidingpercy (abidingpercy) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-01 13:45:00

Entry tags:

character: percy weasley, character: sally smith

Who: Percy Weasley & Sally Smith
What: Talking entertainment, public humiliation, and interesting work stories over drinks
Where: Finnigan's, Common Room
When: September 1, 7pm
Status: Closed / Incomplete

Such days were always bittersweet for Percy. It was a day off due to Labour Day and he should be enjoying the extra time off, or even catching up on work, yet this morning he returned Lucy to her mother's home and he missed her already. The child was growing up so fast, and sometimes it felt as if the four days away from her resulted in him missing far too much of her life.

He was thankful that he had accepted Ms. Smith's invitation to drinks, however, as the Common Room at Finnigan's was pleasant, and as he was the first to arrive, he chose a small table by the fireplace where the warmth of the fire cast a glow over everything within range. He couldn't remember interacting with her much before, but the spread of Dominic Chambers' journals had made it possible to communicate regularly with people one had never known before. The possibilities were endless.

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thessalian
2014-09-02 12:06 am UTC (link)

Sally made her way quickly to Finnigan's. She was excited about talking to Percy, which was odd. If you'd asked her if she'd ever be looking forward to talking to a Weasley before the journals had come, she would have given you a look of pure derision. Percy wasn't like Fred and George had been, or Ron and Ginny. She couldn't remember him well enough from her own years at Hogwarts (calling him 'the uppity Weasley/prefect' didn't do much, as plenty - too many - prefects were uppity), but he had been a refreshing twist on Weasley, one she'd be glad to get to know more.

She spotted him immediately upon entrance, and made her way over to the table; as she slid into her seat, she picked up the wine menu in such a perfectly synchronised move it was clear Sally had done this plenty of times.

"Hello Percy," she said cordially, the wine menu limp in her hand for the moment. "It's good to meet you. Re-meet you. I can't really place you from Hogwarts. Which, in case you are worried, is a good thing, as I can place your younger siblings all too well."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-02 02:23 am UTC (link)

"It is a pleasure to speak in person," he replied with a small smile, deciding to forego the meet/re-meet debate. The young woman who sat opposite him looked pleasant and had a grace about her which was a refreshing change from the habitual Weasley clamor that he was accustomed to. She was familiar, but in a vague way which made sense as he had likely passed her by at the Ministry at some point, but as there was a lack of negative feelings, it was doubtful she had worked there during that year.

"The feeling is mutual, as had we met in school, it would likely be because I had docked you points as a prefect." Not to mention it still came as a pleasant surprise whenever anyone saw his differences from his siblings and saw that as a good thing. "I hope you had a lovely day and enjoyed the last of the summer weather. Fall will be on us soon enough, I fear."

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sorry, I fail at tagging - poke me next time!

thessalian
2014-09-05 02:03 pm UTC (link)

She liked Percy. He was very much not like a regular Weasley, and that meant she liked him even more. The whole family wasn't quite nutters. Just most of them. Sally feared the day when they started procreating.

"No point docking - I made sure not to get caught," Sally teased. She would have liked to add 'that's why Slytherin should have been House Cup winners' but didn't want to push it - or give Percy any negative feelings towards her. It was true though; Dumbledore had rigged the Cup for Gryffindor too many times.

She smiled, "Ah, does England ever really have summer weather? I'm not looking forward to the dreary weather; I like a little sun in the sky." She perused the wine menu and finally selected an item, "Since autumn is just about on us, a nice full Malbec seems perfect. Have you had a chance to place your order?"

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I almost did last night, but thought I'd give you an extra day ;)

abidingpercy
2014-09-05 03:30 pm UTC (link)

He lifted an eyebrow at the 'not get caught', but it wasn't critical in nature - more the way he would do to Oliver or anyone else he got on well with who accepted his dry and sometimes sarcastic sense of humour. "I wonder if I'm allowed to dock points several years after the fact."

As he'd arrived first, Percy had already had a chance to look at the menu. "Didn't you know that summer only lasts for two weekends in August? Perhaps you blinked and missed them by accident, quite the shame." He smirked. "I haven't ordered yet, no. I believe the server was waiting for my companion to arrive before approaching."

The server in question looked up just then and Percy nodded, inviting her to come over. He ordered his usual, a neat firewhiskey on the rocks.

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thessalian
2014-09-05 04:16 pm UTC (link)

After placing her order (she added some chips for the table to munch on), sally had to laugh at Percy's earlier comment, "Deducting points retroactively? But Percy, you don't know what to take points away for. I could have skipped class, I could have been late for curfew, I could have even organized in a group larger than three during Umbridge's tenure." That last bit was said conspiratorially. It wasn't just the DA that had been affected by that decree. She and her friends could play chess, but heaven forbid anyone watch them do it.

"Or maybe I copied someone else's homework - History was always so tedius. Maybe I snuck into Hogsmeade before I was a third-year. I'm pretty sure doing it at least once is a Hogwarts right of passage." She was having fun with it now. But eventually she shrugged. "Or maybe I really was a perfect little student, who never did anything wrong. Up to you which version you like better."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-05 05:23 pm UTC (link)

He only just held back a genuine gasp at the idea of sneaking into Hogsmeade before third year - how did one get away with such a thing? "But now you've only given me grounds to make an investigation. Perhaps I have ways of making you talk and reveal every deduction-worthy offence you've ever committed." The words may have sounded completely serious, but they were accompanied by a twinkle in Percy's eye.

"Something tells me you were far from perfect, young lady. Yes, I'm certain I would find many an infraction in your history, though I wonder if points deduction would be sufficient punishment for them all."

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thessalian
2014-09-05 06:14 pm UTC (link)

Percy was playing along, which made Sally very happy. "Ways of making me talk?" she inquired. She was pleased the chips and drinks arrived then. She took a sip of her wine, looking Percy over, over the rim of the wine glass.

"You can take all the points, give all the points, points doesn't do anything for me," Sally said. "Assuming you found an infraction, though, pray tell, what would sufficient punishment be? Does it depend on the infraction? And what of you? If you're looking into me, turnabout is fair play, innit? I find it hard to believe you were as perfect as your prefect badge was shiny."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-06 01:18 am UTC (link)

Percy was thankful for the arrival of his firewhiskey and took a quick sip. If he was going to continue to exchange delightful banter, then he needed to whet his whistle. He couldn't remember the last time someone had matched him in a battle of wits.

"You're correct in that the punishment will depend upon the infraction, but I can promise that I am a just and lenient man," he said, absently toying with the edge of his glass with his index finger. "And my school record is impeccable. Though you're welcome to the challenge of finding an infraction." His face slanted in a wickedly arrogant smirk.

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thessalian
2014-09-07 04:05 am UTC (link)

The smirk was a challenge, and one Sally would definitely take up. There were several comebacks she could make to his claim of justice and leniency, but she bit her lip and held back - at least for right now.

She studied him for a moment, her eyes twinkling as she pondered how far exactly she wanted to take his challenge. Finally, she relented. "Now Percy," she said smiling, "here I thought we were talking about job horror stories, not dredging up the distant past." She did feel the need to add, "Though you shouldn't think I am declining your challenge."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-07 04:22 am UTC (link)

"You're right, of course, we've digressed quite a bit." His smirk softened into a smile. "I'll take it as a warning, then, and we'll see how the challenge goes."

He sipped of his drink and shook his head. Oh, when it came to work horror stories, he had far to many to list. "So yes, job horror stories. Before we begin to compare, I must warn you that I worked under three Ministers who all left the post within one to two years of my working with them, so I have quite a few under my belt. But I'd like to hear some of yours first, please?"

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thessalian
2014-09-13 07:24 pm UTC (link)

Three Ministers. Sally knew Percy had been older, but three Ministers put him squarely in the war era of the Ministry. If anything, it made her appreciate Percy a bit more, that he'd be willing to stay for his career (if nothing else). Ambitious men who weren't noble about it were rare indeed.

She laughed, "Oh, goodness, where to start. Animals are the worst, of course. I think first year Transfiguration gave many people the idea that turning animals was easy. Teacups into mice, what were they thinking? There was a man who wanted to give his daughter a krup, so he thought he'd transfigure some simple bed pillows into a beloved krup for his daughter. It did not go according to plan; the krup exploded on the little girl at one point, and her uncontrolled magic tried to put fluffy back together again, which resulted in the father being stuck in the middle of a rather bloody blob. The scene was absolutely horrific and we had to modify their memories severely - I'd have liked to leave his so he could live with what he'd done, and what he'd caused his daughter to do, but protocol doesn't permit for us to be judge and jury like that. Protocol says to wipe his mind, we do it. I do think my partner tossed in a serious aversion to krups on the part of the little girl though, so she wouldn't request them again." She took a sip of wine and pondered her last thought.

"Memory is tricky like that. We haven't quite figured out how to modify it completely, and you never know what will come and trigger into remembering details of the event - though do you know how many times we tell people they must have had a bad dream, and no, their memory wasn't modified? Too many." It gave her a little shudder, just thinking about it. She was glad she didn't have to live as an obliviator.

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abidingpercy
2014-09-13 07:57 pm UTC (link)

Percy listened to the story, smirking at first until it went into what happened when the krup exploded, at which point he felt a sort of horror imagining it happening to his own daughter. He nodded, happy to hear that the girl had been obliviated at least, and like Sally, felt the father had deserved worse for what he had done.

"It's as if the emotions come from a different place than the memories, so that while the memories are obliterated, the associated emotions remain." It was something he'd experienced a couple of times when working under Pius Thickness, and to this day he wondered if he'd seen something he shouldn't have which had resulted in his being obliviated.

"My daughter, Lucy, once asked me if I could transfigure her a kneazle. I said no, of course, though my own transfiguration skills are quite refined. Your example only reminds me how right I was to say no."

He took a sip from his glass, deciding he could segue into a story of his own - one of the less personally horrifying ones. "When I was first out of Hogwarts, I worked in International Magical Coooperation. One day, we had a visit from someone who was complaining because they were trying to export items to Argentina and they kept returning. When he showed me the package, he claimed it was a high-quality cauldron, yet inside the package was a dead rat. After a little interrogation, he finally admitted that he'd been transfiguring rats into cauldrons and then selling them to unassuming buyers overseas, claiming they'd been made by British cauldron masters. No wonder the packages had been returned, for the rats had been alive when first transfigured, but must have returned to their original shapes somewhere in transit and died on the journey."

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