"I knew you were much more capable than that – not that there's anything wrong with arranging flowers, of course," Percy said, and frowned a little. He knew Penelope could be doing so much more. She was a brilliant witch. That's what had attracted him to her in the first place. She was a kindred spirit, equal to him in academics and dedication toward responsibilities.
But before he could ask why Penelope didn't want a job that would keep her in the wizarding world, the waitress was back.
He gave a grateful nod to the waitress when she set down their drinks. His long fingers wrapped around the mug, letting the warm seep in and take the chill out of his bones.
"I resigned a while ago. During the battle, actually," he said with a thin, rather forced smile.
His resignation was delivered as a joke only moments before Fred was killed, laughter still in his eyes.
"I.. didn't want to go back to the Ministry. Even with Kingsley in charge." Percy shook his head, shaking away the catches of a memory he didn't want to remember. "I've had enough of that."