A/N – This was written for the "Slash the Rainbow" challenge by OCDdegrassi.
There are quite a few things that Molly Weasley doesn't like about herself. She doesn't like that she's skinny and doesn't have much of a figure. She doesn't like that everyone knows her because Percy Weasley is her dad and she's got famous uncles and aunts. She doesn't like that she's so shy she even gets flustered when Professor Longbottom calls on her in class and she doesn't like the way she looks.
But the thing that Molly Weasley likes least of all is the way she looks at other girls.
She's not sure exactly when it started. Of course she isn't, because, now that she thinks about it, there wasn't one moment. It was more like – more like a process. That's Percy coming out in her, though, trying to explain it. Maybe it doesn't need to be explained. Maybe it just is what it is.
That's what she thinks sometimes, but other times she just isn't sure if she's making it all up or not. Sometimes she's sure she's just wanting attention, or something, because she can't be a lesbian. She's got long hair, and she doesn't look like a boy, and she liked dolls when she was little, and she doesn't even play sports.
Everyone says that's what lesbians are like. Not in a homophobic, abusive kind of way (or not purposefully like that in any case) but more like… more like they think it's true. Maybe it is. Maybe the feeling that Molly gets in the pit of her stomach when she sees Keira Knightley in a film is just because she likes her as an actress.
She knows that it's not, though, really. She knows that she is – well, she doesn't like the word lesbian, but she certainly would like to shag a girl. That's remarkably course for Molly, actually, and she chuckles to herself when she says it in her head. It's so silly, in so many ways.
What Molly worries about, though, is that other people are going to think the same thing. That it's ridiculous. That she doesn't know what she's talking about. That they're going to laugh about.
That's more of a worry than being rejected. She knows that Percy won't chuck her out, and she knows that Audrey won't disown her. She even knows that Lucy would be thrilled to have a cool, lesbian older sister. But she still can't shake the feeling that maybe they're not going to believe her.
So, she doesn't want to tell her family, or at least not first – but the problem is that she doesn't know who else to tell. Despite the shyness, she considers going to have a chat with a teacher. She'd like to talk to Professor Barnes. She's a lesbian, it's well known, and she's completely lovely. Molly's sure that Professor Barnes would be happy to chat to her.
But then she remembers that she's so shy in front of Professor Barnes that she cried the last time Professor Barnes asked her a question in class. She can't go to her and have a conversation. It's too difficult.
There's no other teacher she can even think about going to, except maybe Professor Longbottom, but even he's difficult. Not that she's too shy – well, not exactly. She knows Professor Longbottom really well, and she's not shy around him, when it's just him. But he's a teacher, and she knows that teachers talk. She's well-used to hearing gossip from Hogwarts from him through the various Weasley chains. She can't bear the thought of the other teachers knowing before her parents.
Then Molly thinks about her friends, but she's not sure about that. Even though she's in Hufflepuff and they're all the most accepting and kind people, she's not sure how the girls would be about having her in the dorm, and they might go and see a teacher about having her moved. Maybe it's unlikely, but it could happen, and that all goes back to everyone knowing. Molly maybe won't admit it, but she's terrified of being outed.
The only other person she can consider is a girl who's been almost like her mentor, and that's Poppy Longbottom. Professor Longbottom's daughter, of course, two years above her – and she's always looked out for Molly. Of course she has. They've been friends since they were babies. She's always been brilliant in Molly's eyes – she even once taught her how to get Professor Longbottom to stop asking her questions in class.
The Longbottoms and Percy's Weasleys have always been good friends. James and Molly's other cousins are mostly grown-up, except maybe Roxanne, and so the companions of Molly and Lucy were always the Longbottom girls and the Lovegood boys. Molly likes that. It's nice to have people at Hogwarts that she knows that well.
She thinks of Daisy, then, the second oldest Longbottom daughter. She's in the same year as Molly, but a Gryffindor –and she's gorgeous.
Molly doesn't really want to think that, but she can't help it. She's just so – there's not even words. She's not hot, exactly, not like Keira Knightley, or beautiful like she's always thought Luna Lovegood is. She's just gorgeous, and Molly wants nothing more than to be with her.
And she hates it, because it makes her awkward around Daisy, and she doesn't want to be awkward around Daisy. She wants to be dashing, and brilliant and all of those things that you see in films.
But she isn't, and that has become the thing that Molly likes least about herself. She wants to be normal, desperately – but, oh, she's started to just want Daisy Longbottom more. She wants her so badly, and not even just sex – she wants to love her and be loved by her. It's silly, though, because she can't have Daisy Longbottom.
Well, that's what Molly thinks.
It's winter when she bumps into Daisy in the corridor. That's not an expression – she literally crashes right into her and, though she doesn't want to, she can feel her face turn red, even as Daisy looks so amused.
"What's with you?" she asks, her face so brilliantly amused. "What's with the – blushing, and stuff?"
Molly laughs in a way that's supposed to answer her question, but Daisy continues to look at her like that, and it's then that Molly notices that neither Daisy nor her have moved away, and she's still practically pressed up against her. Molly looks up at Daisy – their lips so close – and she notices that she's so close. She continues to stare and notices that Daisy's wearing black mascara again, after her phase of wearing the brightest colours she could find as make-up. She looks up at Daisy's hair and can tell that it's freshly air-dried, in that short, choppy style.
Then, the looks at Daisy's whole face, and realises that she's got the exact same expression as Molly on her face.
It's then that the kiss happens, and it's so… She can't describe it, and she doesn't want to. She wants it to last, and last, the feel of Daisy's tongue against her lips and the warmth of another person next to her – for Molly doesn't let people hug her – oh, but she lets Daisy.
Molly doesn't want it to end, but just as she's thinking this, she hears a strangulated cry of panic, and then a shout that sounds like "?"
Molly jumps away from Daisy, but Professor Longbottom, who has uttered the cry, isn't interested in her. In fact, he's already stormed away, yelling at Daisy to follow him to his office.
She's pretty sure that he doesn't know it's her. Molly's even pretty sure that he doesn't know it was a girl. Probably, he's just so freaked out by the thought of Daisy kissing anyone.
But, rolling her eyes, Daisy heeds him (a rare event) and follows him around the corner. She pauses before she goes, though, to smile and Molly and to gently squeeze her hand, and this is the moment that, for the first time, Molly realises that she's grown to like the way that she looks at Daisy. Not all girls, maybe, not yet – but Daisy, for certain.
She knows, seeing Professor Longbottom next lesson, that Daisy hasn't told him it was her, which is exactly what Daisy had insisted. Seeing him confirms it, though – not even Professor Longbottom is that good an actor.
And though it might sound strange – and though she doesn't really want him to know – she kind of wishes in a way that Daisy had told him. She knows, she knows, she knows that he would be the perfect person to talk to about it – but she can't go and see him. That's not Molly, and it never will be.
Anyway, though, and this sounds strange even to Molly – it's nice to think that, if something does go wrong and she does need someone to talk to about it – that Professor Longbottom's there. Just… just as a safety net.
A/N – This might sound strange, but if you feel the need to flame a fic, can you go and flame another one? This one is kind of personal to me, as weird as that sounds, apart from the ending. Sadly I don't know Professor Longbottom =[ But I really welcome feedback, so come on, hit that review button! I might consider continuing this pairing, as well, if I have support, so tell me if you want more chapters. Finally, some of you might recognise the ending from Some Random Boy, another of my fics. I love Daisy, so when I decided to do the slash challenge, I thought I could elaborate on that event.