Percy stared at Fleur for a full five seconds, surprised by her audacity and stung by the truth of her words. When he finally spoke, his tone reflected that.
"That may be true, but as a Weasley, and one who has carried the name for a significantly longer period of time, I think I can speak with some authority on the matter. I have been the butt of family jokes for a long time - a very long time. I used to think it was because my brothers didn't understand me, but two years ago, it became quite clear that no one did. I was the only one with faith in my abilities to make a difference, even if they didn't fall along the Weasley norm."
He paused then, taking off his glasses to polish the lenses. "It's not that I don't think I've made a mistake, or that I'm not sorry for hurting my mother. I'm not blind or ignorant, and I truly regret some of the choices I've made in the past." He plopped his glasses back on his nose and gave Fleur a long look.
"My position in the Ministry is fortunate. They may not see it that way, but if I'm alienated from my family, it's better for them. I see the Minister and Delores Umbridge every day. I've been questioned numerous times and am grateful to be ignorant about my family's allegiances, particularly regarding Harry. If I'm going to leak information, Miss...Fleur...I want to be leaking information to the right side."
By the time he was done with his speech, and it had turned out to be a rather passionate one for standing in the middle of Madam Malkins, his face was flushed and expression earnest.