The Potters and their uncles joined the Weasleys for dinner at the Burrow later that day. There were several people around the table, including Lilliana Malfoy, who was sitting next to Peter, who seemed strangely red in the face as he spoke to her.
"Do you think they are together?" Charlotte whispered to Ginny.
"I don't know." She said, just as surprised, as they stared at Peter and Lilliana.
"I like your necklace," Ginny said. Charlotte grinned as she grabbed on the charm.
"Thank you. Draco got it for me."
"It's lovely," Ginny said.
"Your dating Draco Malfoy?" George asked. Charlotte nodded.
"Yes."
"Malfoy?" George said.
"Yes."
"Malfoy?"
"Goerge!"
"I'm just surprised."
"You are not the first person who has said that to me," Charlotte said, George, shrugged.
"Oh Harry, you've got some lint on your shirt," Ginny said, leaning over the table and picking it off his chest.
"Gravy Fleur?" Ron asked, knocking over a gravy boat, sending it flying. Bill waved his wand, and it returned neatly on the table.
"You are as bad as zat Tonks," said Fleur to Ron, after she had finished kissing Bill in thanks.
"She is always knocking —"
"I invited dear Tonks to come along today," said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots so hard that some plates shook, and glared at Fleur, who did not seem fazed by the glare.
"But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"
"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much. But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?" Remus asked, avoiding Mrs. Weasley's eyes.
"Hmmm. Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually. Has she mentioned anything to you Sirius?" Mrs. Weasley said, glaring at Remus, who was pretending to listen to James, who was explaining what the Chudley cannons can do better to Ron, who was shaking his head.
"Um... I spoke to her dad a couple of days ago, and he didn't mention anything." Sirius said, glancing at Remus.
"Arthur! Arthur! It's Percy!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly yelled, cutting off several conversations.
"What!" Mr. Weasley yelled as the table scrambled to see.
"Arthur, he's — he's with the Minister!" Mrs. Weasley yelled as they watched Percy walk across the lawn with the Minister before entering the kitchen through the back door. There was a moment of painful silence before Percy spoke.
"Merry Christmas, Mother."
"Oh, Percy!" Mrs. Weasley yelled before throwing her arms around him.
"You must forgive this intrusion. Percy and I were in the vicinity — working, you know — and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all." Rufus Scrimgeour said.
"Please, come in, sit down, Minister! Have a little Purkey or some tooding... I mean —" Mrs. Weasley said.
"No, no, my dear Molly. I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly..." Rufus said, shaking his head.
"Oh, Perce!" Mrs. Weasley said with tears in her eyes. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
"...We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden... Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?" Rufus said, pointing to Harry.
Charlotte could feel the atmosphere change as everybody looked from Rufus to Harry.
"You really don't know my son's name after we worked together for so long?" James asked Rufus, pretended not to hear him.
"Yeah, all right," Harry said, awkwardly, as he stood up. Remus, Sirius, Peter, and James all stood up after Harry.
"It's fine," Harry said quietly as he passed them.
"Fine," Harry said again as James opened his mouth.
"Wonderful! We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!" Rufus said before they walked out of the kitchen.
"Well, Percy, why don't you sit down? You can have some food-" Mrs. Weasley said, as she
"I'm leaving soon," Percy said, cutting her off.
"Oh, but you can sit and have a few bites." Mrs. Weasley said Percy didn't move, but shook his head.
"Leave it, Mum, obviously he doesn't want to," Ginny muttered; Percy's jaw clenched.
"Percy's too busy kissing the Minister's ass to doing anything really," Fred said as he bit into his bread.
"I have different opinions. That's not kissing ass," Percy said, looking at his watch.
"You have the wrong opinions," George said, shrugging.
"So, everyone else kissing Dumbledore's ass is not the same thing?" Percy asked,
"At least Dumbledore's right! You were proven wrong, and you still haven't come crawling back!" Fred yelled, slamming his fist on the table so hard that the cups and plates shook slightly.
"Because Dumbledore still isn't doing anything right!" Percy yelled,
"You just don't want to admit dad was right!" Ginny yelled,
"Dad should have accepted my views!"
"You should have accepted that you were wrong!" George yelled, waving a finger at Percy.
"I'm not the one trying to kill myself by joining the order!" Percy yelled; Mrs. Weasley now had tears pouring down her face.
"You're also the one not admitting you wrong!" Fred shouted; Percy signed shaking his head.
"I don't care anymore. Join your foolish club and keep interfering with the ministry." George, Ginny, and Fred stood up, all three of them shoving their hands into the mashed parsnip and throwing it at Percy. His face, hair, glasses, and shirt were covered in parsnip.
"There, now you've gotten a couple of bites of Christmas dinner," Ginny smirked. As the door was thrown open, Harry walked casually back to his seat as the minister looked furious.
"Let's go, Percy. There's nothing here for us." Rufus said, glaring at Harry. Percy followed him out, slamming the door shut behind us.
"Lovely dinner," James muttered, as an awkward hush fell over dinner.