Hello all! I hope I've got readers left after my much longer than anticipated delay...this life business is getting in the way of my stories... Anyway, I've split chapter three in half because it really should be two chapters with the same song. Next chapter to come shortly. ~~T.G.

Chapter Three:

The next day Percy returned to work sporting dark sunglasses and a magnificent hangover. He stopped in to the café across from the hidden Ministry for a much needed pot of black coffee. It was unlike him, but so was being overhung in the first place. He sat at the counter with his head pillowed on his arms as the smirking waitress poured his coffee.

He groaned at the sound of chimes as the café doors opened, bringing in with them a breeze that ruffled his hair. He looked up after the pleasant sensation and saw, seated beside him, a bubbly young woman he recognized as the only witch in a room full of muggles.

I've just seen a face, I can't forget the time or place where we just met. She's just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we've met.

"Good morning, Weasley," the young witch smiled at him, amusement playing in bright blue eyes as she watched the disheveled young Ministry official try and shake of the previous night's distractions.

"How do you know who I am?" Percy asked, downing the full contents of his cup in one gulp and lifting his sunglasses to face his present company properly. She was a little wisp of a thing, tiny and perched on the stool beside him, with an elegant bob of shining black hair and a calculating look on her pretty face. Her dress was stylish and simple, black pinstriped slacks and a black cashmere rollneck sweater with expensive and rather deadly looking high heeled shoes. She smiled at him again as he looked back to her face and he blushed, realizing his assessment of her features could not have been very discreet.

"Anyone from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley can spot a Weasley," she answered jovially, ignoring his grimace of dismay. She wasn't sure whether it was her comment or the bitter black brew he continued to pour down his throat unmercifully, so she continued, "But you, in particular, I know because we've worked in the same department for almost three years."

Percy wandered through his muddled thoughts, trying to place a name to the face in front of him. He knew she'd looked familiar. If he was recalling correctly, he'd used to see her flittering around Fudge. "Lisle...Leighton...Lennox. Are you Lennox?"

"Indeed I am," she smiled again, "and I'm charged by the Minister to be your new partner. He said I'd probably find you here, though I must say I didn't expect to find the prompt and tidy Percy Weasley so...indisposed. Are you well?"

"In a manner of speaking, I'm quite well," Percy gave the smallest of laughs, reluctant to aggravate his pounding head, "I just need to remember that no matter what it tells me, firewhiskey is not my friend."

"Didn't expect you to be funny, either," she laughed, "but it's a pleasant surprise. Take this," she said, pulling out a small blue phial from a little black pouch she wore at her waist, "It's a hangover remedy."

He eyed the little phial suspiciously, but reckoned it worth the risk. He expected a nasty taste, plugging his nose against it, but found it surprisingly tasteless, only very cold and a little sharp. "What is that?" he asked, feeling much better already.

"Just a little potion I whipped up a few years ago after too many weekend common room parties. It's water concentrate, for immediate hydration, along with a couple of herbs and spells for breaking down alcohol. Nifty, huh?"

Percy just nodded his head and smiled.

Had it been another day, I might have looked the other way and I'd have never been aware, but as it is I'll dream of her tonight

They sat together in the little café and ate breakfast, chatting about this or that project and the new direction in which the Ministry was headed. They agreed on several major policies and he was surprised to learn that she didn't think his ideas were too orderly or wholly unnecessary, as most people did.

"Regulation of little things, for instance this thing about cauldron bottom thickness you mentioned, helps the bigger things run more effectively. It's just like learning, you start with what's easy and work your way up until it's all easy. Order and control are the surest ways to achievement," she said with a definitive nod.

"That's all I ever tried to say," came Percy's baffled reply.

She smiled at him again. "We should get to work," she said, "It's nearly ten and I suspect they'll be expecting us."

"Quite right," he agreed, "don't want to be tardy."

She gave a little tinkling giggle. "There's the proper Percy I was expecting." She was pleased when he had the grace to smile.

Together, they walked to work and continued to chat all the way to Percy's office, where they were awaited by Minister Shacklebolt.

"Good morning Weasley, Lennox, I'm glad to find you here together. I came to deliver your first team assignment. I've decided that with Ms. Lennox' experience in Public Relations and Mr. Weasley's in-depth knowledge of the goings-on here at the Ministry, that the two of you will act as goodwill ambassadors for the new Ministry to the public. This will consist of meetings, interviews, and social functions as well as inter-departmental team building and working to build a mor transparent Ministry."

Percy felt the blood drain from his face at the first mention of PR, but tried to remain composed. He knew Shacklebolt wouldn't assign him anything he truly didn't believe he could handle, and it seemed to be Lennox's area of expertise. He wondered if he'd done such a bad job as Jr. Undersecretary to the Minister that he was being replaced and let down gently. He wondered if he'd ever become Minister of Magic, and if this was a good segue. He tortured himself with doubt until he felt a tug on his shoulder. He felt himself being led to his chair, not really conscious of what was happening. Interviews. Social functions. He felt sick.

"Ms. Lennox, Mr. Weasley doesn't take change well. Will you see to it that he doesn't faint? I'll leave your assignment file here with you, but I have to be at a meeting in fifteen. Good luck."

Audrey smiled at the shell-shocked man seated to her left.

"Percy? Are you breathing?" asked Audrey, craning her face around to his with an uncanny resemblance to his owl Hermes.

"I'm...I'll be fine in a moment, just processing," he said in a faint little voice.

"Can you process and floo at the same time there, Weatherby? We've got an interview with the Quibbler that we need to be getting to and I don't really fancy being late on our very first team assignment."

"Weatherby?" He asked in the same faint voice.

"Yes, well, I worked for Fudge too, remember? I should have introduced myself to you as 'Alice, I mean Esther, Miss Lawrence.' You'd definitely have remembered me then."

Falling, yes I am falling ...
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song credit "I've just seen a face" by The Beatles