A Virtue of Necessity

Two weeks after the events of the Department of Mysteries, Percy comes to Penelope's flat with some news, but Penelope has a shocking revelation of her own to share - one which causes them to part ways. But a few weeks later, Penelope receives a letter from the Ministry telling her of Percy's death. How will she break the news to his family? And how will she hide the fact that's she's carrying their prodigal son's child?

"But if he’d had to pay for his sins of abandonment – of which there were many – he had paid them all with his awful death. I couldn’t hate a dead man, couldn’t even blame him. All I had left of the confused tangle of feelings labelled [i]Percy Weasley[i/] was the withered love that had once bloomed like daffodils, and the knowledge that the father of my child was gone forever." Penelope deals with a crushing blow.

Sobering, I said, “Anyway, society’s opinion of me is no reason to change my actions. That’s no way to live life, ignoring your own beliefs to get approval from stuck-up establishment types.” “You mean like Percy?” he asked levelly, his ears red at the tips.

Penelope bites the bullet and confesses her secret.

The funeral, and some awkward encounters.