Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

All My Inhibitions (Percy Weasley)

I spent a ridiculous amount of time tweaking this one shot to try and get it to a standard that I was satisfied with. It's still not there yet but I honestly think I'll go mad if I continue to look at it for any longer so here it is. Hopefully it's alright ~

I always looked forward to coming into work on a Friday because it meant that I was one shift away from the weekend and I could fully release all of the stress that had built up within me. Just the thought of having the entire weekend off to do what I wanted had me walking with a spring in my step. Of course, most people didn't manage to get every weekend off from work but when you were one of the favourites of the department, it was just a little perk. One that made up for having longer shifts, earlier starts and later finishes than most of the other people in the department. Of course, that was because I was working as an assistant to one of the senior members of the staff.

Looking to the clock, I realised it was almost time for my meeting and gathered all the papers on my desk into one single neat pile. Gathering a quill and an inkwell and adding it to the top of the pile, I magicked them to levitate after me with a single wave of my wand on my way out of the office. They followed effortlessly after me as I made my way towards the lift to go up a floor to one of the meeting rooms.

The lift was unnecessarily packed and even as I found myself squeezed into a corner, I reminded myself that I was only squashed in here because I was going up one floor. It would be over in a flash. And quite literally within a matter of seconds I arrived at my destination and forced my way though the crowd. Adjusting my robes and casting a look over my shoulder to check that the documents were still following after me, I hurried down the corridor towards the meeting room. I could not afford to be late.

Finally catching sight of the room, I forced my feet to slow when I recognised my direct superior who was already waiting for me in front of the door. At first, I had assumed that he would be like the other more experienced members of staff, ready to chew me out for daring to make him wait, but it didn't take long for me to realise that he wasn't like it. Percy Weasley understood that it was natural for people to get held up with other things and he had been in my position a while ago. He tuned in to the sound of my heels against the laminated floor, straightening up to his full height and glancing towards me.

Even as I continued to walk, now at a much more leisurely pace towards him, he didn't so much as rush me. Instead he continued to wait patiently until I stopped beside him.

"Good morning," he greeted with a small smile that was slightly more relaxed than the one I knew he would give the people that were waiting inside to hear from us.

"Good morning," I returned, turning to look at the documents that were still floating behind me. Holding them safely in one arm and making sure that the quill and inkwell would continue to trail after us, I looked expectantly towards him. "Ready to head in?"

"In a minute," he said and allowing for a single moment for me to see how nervous he became before these meetings. I of course understood why he was feeling this way; it wasn't easy to have to face off against corporations that made world famous brooms as well as members of Department of Games and Sport. It was going to be uphill battle but we'd have to fight it together.

"Rowena this isn't going to be easy," I said after a moment, filling the anxious silence that stretched out between us. "How in Merlin's name are we going to get them to agree to follow the new regulations that the Head of department wants to place?"

"We'll have to," he was resolute. Rolling his shoulders slightly, he straightened out his robes and after throwing me one final reassuring smile, he was all business, "Did you organise what I asked you to, Norton?"