July 2nd, 1888 - Ministry of Magic, London

Percy cursed the day he’d chased that troll down high street. The limp and cane that he hoped wasn’t permanent looked more and more like it would be there to stay. At least for now. He’d taken a few days off of work, reasonable given that a house had fallen on him, but by the end of June he’d had enough of the pitying looks and his own annoyance. Yes, he’d likely only be on paper duty, but with most of his office leaving for Irvingly someone had to man the situation on the Ministry front. Percy determined it would be him.

Monday he’d come into the office, it was Eugene and Clinton’s last day in the office and he figured he’d need to be debriefed and caught up on paperwork. Having returned for a few days at the end of the previous week. He had hardly moved from his chair - his leg and knee aching, his eyes glazing over at the reports in front of him - as he worked the morning through. It was almost the lunch hour when summons from the head of the department interrupted him.

This was when she’d tell him he was unfit for duty. Percy just knew it, as he begrudgingly grabbed his cane and hobbled to Mrs. Skeeter’s office. He didn’t intend to take this lying down though, with Clinton and Eugene out of the office even a limping employee was better than no employee at all. He nodded to her assistant who waved him over and entered Morwenna Skeeter’s office, keeping the doomed look off his face.

“Good morning, Mrs. Skeeter.” Percy greeted from the doorway.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

The full moon had come and gone and for the first time in a year Morwenna had been there to see it. Prepared for the change as usual, swaddled in chains and cold underneath the blankets she kept down there so she didn’t have to ruin clothing, she had waited. And waited. And then read nine chapters of Dickens to occupy her mind – unsuccessfully – before coming upstairs at dawn, panic overwhelming her until she felt just as sick and rattled as she did after a transformation.

The following week had been just as bad. No explanation, nothing forthcoming from any department, and now Mason and half her staff had gone and signed up for a fool’s errand. She trusted the Minister, truly she did, and she had tried to understand his reasoning but she simply couldn’t. Although she did grudgingly admit that she might see it a little clearer if her son was not volunteering.

Honestly, he taught schoolchildren about plants! This needed Mulciber to get off his high-horse and do something, not her son and reckless, brave fools like him to get hurt, or worse.

“Hmm?” She looked up distractedly, head bent over a map of Irvingly she had bullied out of one of the archivists, trying to see something, anything that might make a difference and end this madness before it started. “Oh Mr Adlard, apologies, I was quite distracted,” she gestured to the chair opposite her. “Take a seat, I have something to discuss with you.”

  

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat

Mrs. Skeeter didn’t even seem to notice him for a moment as she poured over a map he vaguely recognized at this distance as Ivingly. Then she looked up at him.

“Thank you.” Percy smiled, glad he was able to school his features well and pretend this was just a normal meeting despite the jolt in him stomach and the knots it had become since he had been summoned. Something to discuss. He hoped it wasn’t bad, but he supposed he should steal himself for the inevitable. He made his way to the chair, attempting to look as sturdy as possible, his cane less awkward. He wasn’t quite sure how successful the attempt was, but it was healing, it would get better, and he didn’t fall or do anything else mildly embarrassing. Just a small hobble, that was all.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

He looked calm enough as he sat but Morwenna noticed the slight awkwardness in manoeuvring his cane. Being quite well-acquainted with the feeling herself she sympathised with the young man’s plight, though was rather grateful for it at the moment: at least she could rely on one member of her staff to have only a lightly maimed body. Between the two of them they just about had a working pair of legs which might be more than the others hand after their fool’s errand.

“I won’t beat about the bush Mr Adlard, I’m sure you’ve heard about the Minister’s plan to send volunteers into Irvingly to find the source of the fog?”

Of course he had. Everybody had heard about it and everybody seemed to have an opinion: Morwenna’s was quite firmly that she did not want her son to go. But barring locking him in her heavily sealed cellar she could see nothing else to do other than distract her mind.

“Mr Podmore and Mr Scamander have both signed themselves up so your department is set to be rather thin on the ground for the time being.”

  

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat

Percy nodded, it was all anyone seemed to talk about these days. Percy was rather bitter that be couldn't join Mason in the fog, at least Quin hadnt joined up as well.

He was also aware of Eugene and Clinton's own plans. It chafed at him and his sudden predicament almost as much as Mason volunteering did. The way Mrs. Skeeter phrased it however did relieve Percy, so perhaps this wasn't about desk duty. "Yes, ma'am."

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

She had hoped he would catch her meaning rather quicker but at least she did not have to fill him in on too many details. At the moment she was far too likely to be bitter about the whole thing and it wouldn’t do for her to express herself too freely in front of an underling (apart possibly from Elinor, who had a terrible habit of reading her like a book anyway).

“In their absence I was hoping you might take on the mantle of Division Head,” truthfully she would rather he did it full time but the implications of that were a little too dark even for her. “There’s rather a lot of work to be getting on with as I’m sure you are well aware.”

  

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat

If Percy hadn’t been caught up in his own personal worries he might have caught on faster. He’d known they’d been short staffed, but he’d been worried about not joining the venturers or desk duty he’d neglected to realize that there would be no one at the helm in Clint’s absence. “Of course, ma’am, I’d be honored.” He nodded his head politely.

"Yes. Is there a particular area you would like me to focus on for the moment?” Percy was feeling oddly out of place with this turn of events and was finding his floundering in his mind rather well. His mind was already cataloging what was open on his desk and how to take on the additional load with it all.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

“Well it hardly needs saying that fear is rife amongst the community when it comes to vampires at the moment,” and Morwenna had every belief that it would get worse in due course. Unless they could combat this fog then Merlin only knew what was going to go on out there.

Which did rather sound like an argument for the Minister’s expedition. She scowled – hating that it all seemed perfectly reasonable until she factored her child in, but hating more than she was obliged to keep that thought to herself. None of the men had complained about their sons volunteering and to do so would be a sure sign of weakness in her that she refused to give them the opportunity to comment upon.

“And of course nobody quite knows what’s going to happen with the werewolves come the full moon.”

When it rained it really did bloody well pour.

  

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat

“Of course. I shall make them my utmost priority.” Percy nodded, that and everything else even remotely related to the fog. “I shall speak with Mr. Podmore as well before he leaves and have him debrief me on the measures planned and in place.” Now that it was sinking in Percy was more than ready to jump in to the work ahead of him. It seemed that he had at last found his silver lining in this whole situation.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

“Best of luck with that,” Morwenna snorted unprofessionally, feeling rather less herself than usual though she hardly made a secret of her opinion of Mr Podmore. Perhaps he would be with Mason though and save his life?

If that happened she would give him the Assistant Head’s job on the spot.

“It’s a tricky time Mr Adlard but I couldn’t think of anybody I’d rather have fulfill Mr Podmore’s duties for the time being:” which was true as long as one assumed Elinor, coming down with a terrible summer cold, was entirely out of the question. “And who knows, perhaps he’ll come into riches on his adventures and never return to us again.”

  

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat

“Thank you ma’am. I appreciate your confidence in me and I shall endeavor to live up to such expectations.” That was the right thing to say wasn’t it. Mrs. Skeeter caught him off guard with her comment and for a moment he was left wondering just what she really thought of this endeavor, especially with her son going off into the thick of it. He allowed himself a half smile though, “I think it may take more than treasures for Mr. Podmore to leave us.” But that left the lingering and unsaid hanging over them. Now Percy felt awkward again.

“I am sure you are very busy and need to get back to work. Thank you again Mrs. Skeeter.” He bowed and excused himself, moving stiffly with his cane. He was sure she wouldn’t think him terribly rude excusing himself, but she was right, he’d need some luck to catch Podmore before he left on this venture.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3