"Thank you," ground out Percy, torn between anger and guilt. Somehow he doubted that his father would be looking forward to his attendance, particularly since they saw each other semi-regularly at the Ministry. His mother was an entirely different story, and one that didn't bear thinking about at the moment.
"I'll try." The words sounded hollow and he nodded as Bill brushed him off. It was no surprise, particularly since his family had never been proud of his accomplishments. They made fun of his cauldron bottoms and accused him of being promoted for something other than skill. He worked so hard to make a name for himself, to garner a little pride, only to have it dismissed within the blink of an eye. His dignity was certainly no excuse for not being present during important family events, but if he didn't have that, what did he have?
He sometimes wondered if they realized how difficult it was to maintain dignity when his own family members were too busy taking the piss at his expense.