alt_charlie | ORDER ONLY: News from the Reserve

So, Tonks pointed out that if I had time to owl back and forth with her I bloody well (sorry, Mum) had time to write in my journal, and the journal at least would save the poor owl some flying.

Anyway, I've got some wizard news -- we found out today that three of the eggs Maggie, our youngest Welsh Green, laid a few weeks ago are live. (Took us this long to lure Mags out of the cave long enough to check 'em; she picked a really isolated spot on the shore.) So if all goes well, Mum, come April you'll have a few more grand-dragons.

Thing is, there were eight eggs in the clutch. That's not unusual -- usually there's only one or two fertile ones, which is why we're all so excited that Mags has three. And whenever one of our ladies clutches there's a flurry of people sniffing around, because the shells and the albumen of unfertile dragon eggs are used in a few different (rare) potions, but usually the Masters are willing to wait until April for the dragons to give up on them hatching.

Since we found the nest last week, though, there's been a flurry of back-and-forth -- Director Higgs has been in his office on the Floo nonstop, and we've barely even seen him which is weird because usually he'd be right out there with us for news like this, and he told us at dinner tonight to expect visitors next week and he did not look happy. I don't know if it means anything, but -- Dad, Bill, keep an ear out at work, yeah?

Poppy, I haven't been able to lay my hands on any dragon's blood for the infirmary yet -- it's all been spoken for, and it'd be my head to try to divert any. I'm really sorry. You might want to try making another official request through proper channels -- dunno if it'd work or not, but it might work faster than waiting for me to be able to nick some.

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Oh yeah, it's my move, isn't it?

Rc1.

Interesting. I'd ask why you didn't go for castling, there, but I suspect you'd just give me that look and tell me to wait and see.

B6.

I know exactly what look you mean. It's the one that Dad gives me all the time whenever we play.

I'm glad you've unearthed your journal again, you scatterbrain. It's nice not to have to wait several days for a bloody owl to bring me your next move.

cxd5.

Yes! That look entirely. That's exactly the one I meant.

And you still might have to wait, since we're busy as all hell, but I'll try to remember to check when I've got a few minutes. And I was waiting for you to take that pawn, ha.

exd5.

Oh, don't worry. I have plenty more surprises in store.

Qa4.

Are you really sure you want to do that?

c5.

I'll remind you that the same bloke who taught you how to bluff (i.e., Dad) taught me how to do it first. Which means I've been doing it longer than you.

Qc6.

Huh.

Rb8, and if you do what I think you're going to do ...

(Also, doing it longer than me doesn't mean you're doing it better than me.)

I'll grant you that. As would anyone else who's ever watched Percy playing against Ron.

(Which is probably why Percy hardly ever plays Ron anymore, come to think of it. He does so hate to lose.)

Nxd5.

Oi. Yeah, Percy. Percy is ...

You still have lunch with him pretty regularly, don't you? Is he -- Well. I won't ask if he's all right, because I'm sure he'd say that he's fine and completely miss the other meaning. But -- Would it help for me to write him, a bit, do you think? I can lose a few chess games if it'd make him feel less like the whole world's against him.

Oh, and, Bb7.

Yeah, I have lunch with him at least once a week, usually. And I see him and Penny on Sunday evenings, of course, when we all come to the Burrow for dinner.

It's--difficult. I mean, he's family, and he always will be. But it's almost as if he's stretching the ties of family as thin as he can, just short of making them snap so that he's nothing but a stranger.

He still idolises Malfoy. It worried Dad, and it drives Mum mad. She has the worst time hiding how much she hates hearing him going on and on: Mr Malfoy always says, Mr Malfoy firmly believes, as I was telling Mr Malfoy...

Despite working for his idol, I don't think Percy's entirely happy. Malfoy is certainly treating him like a house elf, for one thing, and I'm seeing signs of stress. Percy's also hinted that his budget isn't quite making ends meet. I think being Lucius' assistant makes him aspire to something his salary can't quite match.

You can try writing to him, sure. I don't know if he'll have much interest in journal chess--he's turned me down the last three times I suggested a game--but maybe he'll open up with you about some things he won't discuss with me.

Nxe7+. Ha.

Again I say, oi. And Perce is Perce, and Merlin help you if you so much as suggest he's anything less than fully capable and in control. Have to confess I don't know what he sees in that tosser, except of course Perce's always wanted ... oh, I don't know. Halfway between security and power, or maybe not so much power as regard?

If there's anybody who relates to feeling like a bit of an outsider in the Weasley family scrum it's me, but I don't know if he'd let me work around to feeling him out on that. I'll give it a try, though, as soon's I've got a few spare hours to think out my approach.

And speaking of approach, Qxe7.

It can only help, I think. At any rate, Dad and I would appreciate it if there were another Weasley we trust, giving him little nudges every once in awhile to think about things.

Frankly, we need all the help we can get to counteract that tosser, as you put it, who has his hand firmly planted at Perce's back, urging him on toward the abyss.

Qa4.

Ugh. Today has been uglier than Merlin's sweaty nutsack and it's only lunchtime. (Not that I've managed to get lunch, yet. I'm hiding in the toolshed instead. I can't take another bloody moment of everyone yelling at everyone else over absolutely nothing. I know they say that old wives' tale about dragon moods affecting people is completely impossible, but 'they' never asked a dragonman when they decided.)

Thinking about how to reach out to Perce. It occurs to me it might start us off right if I had something I could ask his advice on, put him in the position of being the expert for once. Can't think of anything that might work, though. You have any ideas?

Also, Rbc8 and I'm starting to get the feeling this is not going to be my game.

Hmm. That's a tough one. He knows you don't have the least bit of interest in knowing the whereabouts of the best New London restaurants, for example. Nor would he believe you want his advice on how to claw your way up the bureaucracy ladder, and anyway, if you did, it'd seem bloody peculiar to him that you were asking him rather than me.

Nor do I think you should pretend you need an agony aunt for relationship advice. (And no, you know perfectly well I haven't said a thing; he's as clueless as Mum and Dad are about your situation).

I'll ponder the issue, too. Meanwhile, you can ponder your next move. Qa3.

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