Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter 48 - Diagon Alley

Kingsley Shacklebolt winked at Percy as he left the Minister's office and passed by the younger man's desk on the way out the door. Percy pretended not to notice. He had come to the realisation that the six requests by the Head of the DMLE to see the Minister this week was part of a ploy. It was Wednesday, nobody needed six meetings with the Minister in three days.

The Minister was, Percy knew, getting more and more annoyed about the constant disruptions and meeting requests, never mind the meetings themselves. He hadn't been able to turn Kingsley down, they had been to discuss the budget for the DMLE in light of the wave of attacks that had taken place, Percy's brother amongst them.

Auror Shacklebolt was pushing for paid over time, better equipment, and more training. In short everything the Head of the DMLE would push for in such a case, but rather than being polite about it, Auror Shacklebolt was getting up the Minister's nose. When the Minister had been unable to have the actual meeting due to his schedule, he'd come back from his lunch breaks muttering imprecations. Percy got the impression that Auror Shacklebolt had somehow managed to find the Minister at lunch, and turn the hour long leisurely meal the Minister liked to enjoy, into a half-hour meeting about budgeting.

"Weasley!" The demand came from inside the Minister's office, through the open door. Percy picked up his parchment and quill and walked through the door to stand in front of the Minister's desk.

"Yes, Minister?"

"Weasley, it cannot be borne."

"Minister?" Percy asked deferentially.

"Six meetings Weasley! Even when I say no he's finding me in the corridors and at lunch! You are to block all further requests from the Auror Department!"

"I'm sorry Minister, but Auror Shacklebolt has the right to speak to you directly," Percy said. "To block his requests would be acting against the legislation of the Minister for Magic's office and could lead to a formal complaint." The Minister's face turned an interesting shade of pink on hearing the news.

"Minister," a cold voice drawled, heavy sarcasm on the title. "What is the good of having staff if you don't use them? Have Weasley here meet with Shacklebolt. If that doesn't impinge on legislation?" Lucius Malfoy was sat in the corner of the office, his sneer firmly in place, a lazy hand resting on the head of his cane.

The Minister looked at Lucius before turning to Percy. "Well?" he snapped at Percy. "Would that work?"

Percy paused framing his response. As he did a ministerial memo folded into an aeroplane flew into the room and stopped, hovering in front of Percy. Percy plucked it out of the air and unfolded it, he glanced over it quickly. "Auror Shacklebolt requests a meeting at your convenience to further discuss implementing the new proposals you have discussed."

"That's it!" The Minister shouted, banging a fist down on the desk for emphasis. "I will not see that man anymore. Weasley, deal with it."

Percy opened his mouth to object.

"I don't want to hear it. Meet with him, take notes, write a report. I don't care! I will not have this office continuously interrupted by that man again. Just where does he expect me to find the budget?! Well? Why are you stood there? Get out!"

Percy nodded to the Minister and turned to leave, nodding to Lucius Malfoy, as little as he could without been rude. Lucius smiled a condescending smile and nodded more deeply in reply. "Good day, Mr Weasley."

Percy left the room and closed the door firmly behind him. He went to his desk and jotted a reply onto the memo setting up a meeting for that afternoon. He sent the plane whizzing from the room, Fred and George had come through. They'd found him a contact and their soon to be meetings were the idea of the Minister himself, helped along by no other than Lucius Malfoy.