Their first child was born in 1970. He was 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and 21 inches long. Molly was in labor for 10 hours; it would have been 17 without the healer's potions and special charms.

During the labor Molly had screamed a lot.

"Arthur! What were you thinking? I hate you!"

It had been her idea to have the child, not that he hadn't whole heartedly agreed.

"Oh, Merlin! Arthur!"

He'd held her hand and breathed just as heavily as her. While she shouted at him, he hit the healers with a barrage of increasingly nervous questions.

"Why is it taking so long? Is this normal?"

"Yes, Mr. Weasley."

"But why is she still in pain? You gave her a potion! Will she be alright?"

"Yes, Mr. Weasley."

He was probably annoying them but none of the healers kicked him out. They must have seen lots of shouting wives and concerned husbands before. Molly's hand felt so sweaty Arthur wondered how he could hold on for so long. She looked terrible through the labor, her hair sticking to her forehead.

When the 10 hours were over and the baby born, Arthur suddenly realized that he was a father. He and Molly had brought life into the world. This baby born was theirs.

Later, when Molly was resting, the two sat holding their baby. Arthur hovered a bright ball above the new baby's head with his wand. The little boy's eyes blinked slowly, looking up at it.

"He's so small," Arthur murmured.

"He certainly didn't feel small," Molly said, caressing the baby's arm.

Arthur let the ball drop and he touched his child's head, soft and new to the world.

"This is our baby, Molly," Arthur grinned, "ours!"

"We need to name him. I told you, you could name the first baby. So?"

Arthur looked down at the small baby nestled in Molly's arms. He was quiet, had been even when he'd just come out. His little arms were pressed together in front of his chest, content to just lie in his mother's arms. As Arthur Looked at him, small blue eyes opened and looked up at him.

"Let's call him William."

Molly smiled leaning over and kissing Arthur on the cheek. Then she turned back to the baby.

"Hello, William," She said.

Arthur was happy.

When their second child was born Arthur wanted to name the boy Charles after his father. To most people this naming would seem like a normal honoring of one's father. However, this was not entirely the case.

Molly had agreed right away. In fact she had wondered why Arthur hadn't wanted to name Bill after his father. Arthur failed to comment on that point at the time.

"Charles is such a wonderful name, Arthur," she'd said when she was five months along and he'd asked her about his idea.

"Good thing it was my father's name then."

Molly laughed. "Very good for the baby."

They both looked down at her bulging belly. Arthur smiled contently and took her currently swollen hand. As pregnant women went, Molly, so far, had borne pregnancy remarkably well. Bill had been a long birth but a very easy pregnancy as this next baby was turning out to be as well. She rarely got morning sickness and didn't often complain. Granted, during her first pregnancy and this one she always craved trout as well as sliced grapes mixed in chocolate pudding. It was rather amusing.

"You know," Molly said, waving their joined hands from side to side, "you'll have to tell your father about this. I wonder what he'll say."

Arthur nodded.

Of course he wanted to name a child after his father but that was not just it. He also wanted this child to know he was special and not just a second or middle child. Arthur and Molly both wanted to have more children after this one. If they did have a third child that would make this one, Charles, the middle child.

"Shall we owl him now?" Molly asked.

"Molly! We haven't even found out from the mediwizards if it's actually a boy for sure."

She turned with a 'huh' and walked to the kitchen, "Arthur, you know the mediwizards aren't the only ones with magic pertaining to birth."

Arthur folded his hands and stared her down.

"It's a boy, Arthur. I know."

Arthur would not allow Charles to feel second best, as if his parents love could not be spared for him. So, he would name Charles and be specially named after his grandfather. Arthur would make sure little Charlie never felt as Arthur had when he grew up.

The banquet was held for the passage of the new muggle protection laws and the new beast and being laws. Arthur had found it amusing in a cynical way to begin with that laws pertaining to muggles and beasts got put together for a banquet. Some of those in attendance would have liked to group the muggle laws under beast laws. At least, Arthur thought, he had fought hard to avoid such extremism as that.

Still the banquet was held, Molly wore her little black robe, and Arthur gave a short speech. He had been nervous about speaking at such a fancy event. Arthur knew he wasn't exactly the most glamorous man at the Ministry. He'd been a bit afraid that everyone would just talk right through his speech and pay no attention. However, Molly stroked his ego and helped him prepare just what to say.

"You're not going to mess up or embarrass yourself," she'd said to him over the kitchen table. "No one cares about muggles more than you and when you really care about something you can speak to anyone well if you just let go."

Molly always knew what to say to calm him and get him to move beyond any fear in his way. Sometimes Arthur was just taken aback about how amazing she was.

So, Arthur stood up at the silver podium and spoke about treating muggles with respect, protecting them from the harms and abuse of magic, and how thankful he was to all those who aided in the passage of the laws. All in all things had gone smoothly. He got his applause, sat down, ate his dinner, and mingled with a drink in his hand. Then Molly left his side to go speak with Andromeda Tonks and Arthur suddenly found himself standing in front of William Blake, his one and only ex-boyfriend.

"Hello, William."

"Hello, Arthur," William replied, hands clasped behind his back.

Garbed in light gray robes with a thick black pattern, William looked much more adult than when Arthur had last seen him at Hogwarts. Three buttons closed the collar of William's robe up around his neck, complete with a black boarder around the top edge. His light brown hair was slightly long, just to the bottom of his ears. In fact his black pointed hat actually forced one clump of his hair down to cover his left eye a little. Despite his somewhat unkempt hair, his dress and posture showed that William was no child anymore. The simple fact was that William looked very good.

"What are you doing here, William? I didn't think you worked for the Ministry?" Arthur asked.

"I don't but a friend of mine does in the beast division. I'm his guest for the occasion."

"Ah," Arthur nodded, shifting his feet once.

It wasn't hard to feel the tension between them. It hadn't grown too heavy yet but Arthur knew it would. Six years had passed since they had last seen each other and William hadn't really been talking to him then. Looking at William's face, Arthur thought he didn't seem angry. Really he looked a bit awkward and unsure like Arthur. Perhaps he wanted to heal the breach.

"So, uh... It's been a while, William."

William laughed. "Yeah, like 5 years… oh wow, closer to 10 isn't it?"

"Well, it's been 6. I can't believe it's been that long since Hogwarts."

The two of them started walking through the crowds of people, weaving an easy path as they spoke. Stopping at one of the drink tables they refilled on punch.

"So," Arthur started as he sipped his punch, "what are you doing these days?"

"Oh, well, I'm doing out patient work with St. Mungo's. I'm helping patients who have been seriously injured by Death Eater attacks to try and get them back to normal life; relearn simple magic if it's that severe, things like that."

Arthur blinked in surprise and grinned widely. "That's wonderful! I can't believe you're doing something like that, sounds difficult."

"Oh, well, I've had plenty of training."

Finding an empty table they sat down. Then the conversation stopped. William looked like he wanted to say something. He started to speak once then looked away, gulping down the rest of his punch.

Deciding to take the lead, Arthur asked, "So, is this friend from the bestiary just a friend?" He raised an eyebrow trying to put some humor into the conversation.

"Uh, yes," William said turning back to look at Arthur, "yes, he is." He paused. "Are you still with Molly?"

Arthur blinked again. "Yes, um, yes. We're married."

"What!" William snapped in surprise then closed his mouth quickly blanching. "I'm sorry… I just…" He looked a little shaky. "I just hadn't heard."

"Oh…" Arthur said, unsure of what to do.

"Well, I... I've been in France a lot. We… we, uh… we send a lot of patients there to… to help with recovery."

"Oh. Well, it was a rather small service, not surprising you might not have heard. We actually have two sons now," Arthur added with a note of fatherly pride in his voice.

William's eye widened, "Two sons?"

"Bill and Charlie," Arthur said, feeling the trend of the conversation starting to veer down a dangerous path.

"Bill?" William took a deep breath. "Bill as in William?"

Arthur put down his glass of punch but did not say anything. He should have known the conversation would end up like this. Let it come.

"Why is your son named William, Arthur?" His voice was very quiet.

He dodged the question. "It's a good name."

Then William smacked the table, knocking Arthur's glass over and making him jump in his chair.

"Don't even, Arthur!" Anger was now coming out of William in waves. "What am I supposed to think when I hear that from you?"

Arthur put his hands down flat against the table, speaking slowly, trying to calm William. "You don't need to think anything. It's just a name."

"The name of your son, Arthur and my name; clearly, not a coincidence!"

"William, please," Arthur stood as he spoke.

Other guests at neighboring tables were beginning to stare. William stood up too and strode away from the table. Taking a deep breath, Arthur followed William out into the hall. William was already pacing when Arthur came out.

"Will, I know you're not just upset about my son's name."

"No, Arthur." William stopped pacing and stood in front of Arthur closer than normal comfort distance. "I'm upset, I… I learn suddenly that you're married, MARRIED, to Molly Prewett and now you have two children! Arthur do you know how I- How that makes me…" He stopped speaking for a moment huffing then started pacing again.

"Will, you need to relax."

"Relax!"

"William, please!" Arthur snapped. "It's been eight years since we were together. It's not like we haven't gone on with our lives!"

William stopped pacing and made a pained sort of noise then rounded on Arthur again.

"Well, I'm sorry. It all ended rather abruptly for me. You may have been swooning after that… that girl for awhile before you broke things off with me but on my end it was a rather big surprise!"

"I think you have had time to get over it." Arthur was trying to stay calm but cutting remarks kept leaving his mouth despite his will.

"Sometimes it's not that simple, Arthur! It hurt, a lot! I was so happy with you, deliriously and then you crushed me! You just threw me away!"

"William, I wasn't in love with you anymore!"

"Well, what about your son's name then? Eight years and you name your son after me?"

"I -" Arthur hadn't expected that but he was mad now and didn't want to be the good one. "Did I say that?"

"Then why did you name your son William?"

"I told you; it's a good name."

Arthur crossed his arms.

"Bollocks!" William yelled, stepping back into Arthur's personal space.

"All right!" Arthur said, stepping backward, "I named him after you."

"But why?" William insisted.

"Because I cared about you once."

"Cared? Cared about me? You said then that you loved me." William was breathing heavily. "So… you've named your son after me because you loved me like I love you!" He gasped out then halted a shocked look on his face.

Arthur stared at him and William just stared back slowing his breathing.

"Loved," said William, quietly, "like I loved you."

Arthur did not respond. They fell silent then, neither looking at each other. Arthur couldn't believe they were arguing about his now. Six years since Hogwarts and Arthur was still haunted by the heart he broke, still swallowed by the guilt. Then, as if in answer to his thoughts, William spoke.

"You really hurt me thing Arthur. I cried myself to sleep a lot and no one could make me feel better. I couldn't think of anyone else but you. I almost got a T in charms that year. Then even when it changed to a dull ache it was still there. I couldn't believe you had done that to me like that." He looked back at Arthur now. "You didn't give me anymore reasons or anything after that one night when you dumped me."

"You walked away!" Arthur broke in.

"You could have followed! Instead you took the easy way out and let me suffer. I just had to pick up the pieces of myself while you went off into your glorious new straight relationship."

"Stop it, William. This is the past. We were just children then."

William scoffed. "Children? I wouldn't say that Arthur. I, at least, was able to fall in love then."

"Will, please…"

"It's the truth."

"An old truth long gone," Arthur's voice was flat.

"Doesn't seem to be so long gone, does it?"

Arthur had to detach himself from this. He had a new family to provide for and protect. He did not need William throwing guilt at his feet again. Arthur could not save everyone. Everyone made mistakes and this was one of his but there was no way he could fix it.

William took a few more steps away from Arthur, turning around so his back was facing him.

"I don't know why I even came over to talk to you. What was I thinking?"

Arthur didn't say anything. William turned around and looked into Arthur's eyes.

"Goodbye, Arthur."

He turned and walked away back into the banquette hall. Arthur felt the tension which had built up in his shoulders release a fraction. He let out a slow breath.

"Oh, Merlin…"

Somehow he felt like he'd just lost a war.

In 1974 Arthur and Molly had been married for six years, Percy was still just a thought in their heads, and Bill was four years old.

"Arthur, don't we have any more bread?"

"Dear, why are you asking me?" Arthur looked up at her as he twirled a muggle pencil in his hand.

The rain outside was pounding down on the windows. It sounded like the gnomes in the yard were revolting against the house.

"Because I asked you to buy more yesterday."

The pencil dropped out of Arthur's hand and he hissed.

"Shite…"

Molly heaved a sigh as she picked up two year old Charlie who was at her feet with his arms raised up at her.

"Well, all right. I'll go pick up more."

"You don't-"

"No, Arthur, I'll get it. I'll take Charlie with me, just look after Bill," She said fixing him with one of her 'you try to argue against my superior idea and you'll be sleeping outside' stares.

Grabbing her travel cloak and casting a water repelling charm on herself and Charlie she stepped over to the fireplace. Arthur stood up and handed her an umbrella.

"Uhmella!" Charlie cried grabbing for the red handle.

Molly smiled at Arthur as she took it.

"Just in case," Arthur said.

Putting it under her arm Molly stepped into the fire and yelled, "Merlin Market." Then fire engulfed her and Charlie. Turning away from the fire Arthur walked up the stairs to look for Bill.

Since he was born Bill had been a naturally inquisitive child. As soon as he could walk Bill had poked into every area of the house. The twins must have gotten that trait from him. In fact it was Bill who awakened the ghoul in the attic which had been sleeping for who knows how long before that. Years later when Bill no longer lived at the Burrow Arthur found that the ghoul was always more active when Bill was home.

Bill would occasionally come with Arthur when he tinkered with his muggle things in the shed. Bill hadn't been a big fan of Arthur's battery collection, at least at three. At four he had given Arthur a muggle game called Battleship for his birthday. Arthur put a charm on it so the water on each side was real and your ship caught fire and really sank when your opponent finished it off. Bill had been particularly fond of the explosion of the cruiser.

"Da, can we explode it again?" He said one time.

"Bill, I still have three ships you need to find."

"But the fire went out!"

"What?"

Bill pointed at his water where Arthur could not see.

"The water puts out the burning ship!"

Blinking Arthur pursed his lips. "Well... it can't burn forever, can it?"

"Bugger."

Today Bill seemed to be off hiding somewhere. No doubt he'd discovered some new cupboard. Still the way things were going out in the world Arthur thought it would probably be better to know where his son was.

"Bill!" Arthur called.

Bill wasn't in his room or in Arthur and Molly's room. Sometimes Bill got into fights with gnomes or hid in the broom shed to read books he wasn't supposed to. So, in the end the possibilities of Bill's location could go on for awhile.

"Where could he have gotten to?"

Coming back down the stairs and into the kitchen, Arthur was about to check the den when he saw a figure out the window in the rain. Stopping by the window, Arthur saw that it was Bill. Garbed in a rain robe and a pair of goulashes, Bill was riding on his toy broom a few feet above the grass then jumping off it into puddles. A smile was spread across his face. Though his clothes were dry from the charm in the fabric his hair was plastered wet against his head. Most likely rain was also dibbled down the back of his neck.

Smiling, Arthur walked to the back door and opened the top half outward.

"Bill!"

Bill looked up halfway though a jump and landed on his bum in the mud. They both burst out laughing.

"Come inside!" Arthur shouted over the rain.

"Why?" Bill asked, taking hold of his broom after getting up from the mud.

"Because you are soaking wet, you little nutter."

"So?" Bill got back on his broom and grinned at his father.

Arthur opened his mouth then laughed. Bill did have a good point. Opening the other half of the door Arthur ran out into the rain and pulled Bill up off the broom.

"Dad!" He squealed.

"I think my shoulders are a bit higher up than your broom!" Arthur said.

"Do I get to jump off?" Bill asked as he took Arthur's glasses off his face.

"No."

"Awww!" Bill whined, Arthur's glasses now on his face, "no fair."

Arthur twirled them both around, rain drops soaking through Arthur's robe. Bill certainly did have a knack for finding fun in all things, even wet ones.

When Percy was born Arthur had been a father for six years. With three children now he felt like he was his father.

"You're still in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, Arthur."

Arthur and George were sitting in his backyard that September.

"Yes."

Molly was sitting with little Percy in her lap out in the grass while Bill and Charlie chased the garden gnomes around.

"Aren't you worried about the expense?"

Arthur gave George a minor glare.

"We'll be just fine, George."

"Arthur, a third baby will put tremendous pres-"

"I said, we'll be fine." Arthur snapped.

George took a swig of his pumpkin juice, still staring at Arthur.

"So, three then."

"Aye."

"Are you going to have more?"

Arthur looked side long at him. "I don't know. We'll see how it goes."

"All right."

They fell silent again. Charlie had caught a gnome and seemed to be trying to throw it, with little success. Bill was lying in the grass giggling at his brother. In Molly's lap Percy was making upset noises. Perhaps he wanted his own garden gnome.

"Kind of reminds you of us, doesn't it?"

Arthur looked at him.

"Three children, just like you, me and Patrick."

Arthur nodded in reply and looked away. Starring off into the distance Arthur could feel George looking at him. George was always trying to figure people out and Arthur was no exception. He knew what Arthur was thinking. Somehow George could always tell when Arthur was worried no matter how hard he tried not to seem so. George could tell and he wanted to know why. Usually he figured it out on his own.

"Don't try too hard, eh Arthur?" George said after a long silence.

He looked back. "Try too hard?" He feigned ignorance.

"You won't be just like our parents."

Arthur stiffened slightly and picked up his drink. Of course George knew just what Arthur was thinking and what was bothering him.

"I haven't been so far," He replied flippantly, "at least not in the bad ways."

"Charlie loves you. Arthur." George leaned forward in his chair being serious. "They all do, or will when Percy is older, and they know you love them."

Arthur nodded again, "of course."

"You've been a good father so far with two and you will be with three."

"I'll try," Arthur said.

"You always were the most… loving of the three of us."

Arthur laughed then sighed finally giving into the conversation. "I want them all to be happy and never feel like Molly and I don't love them or that we love one more than another."

Charlie was crying to Molly now as it seemed the gnome had bitten him. Bill was trying to get revenge.

"I always feel like I'm going to bugger up somehow," Arthur confessed.

"I expect most parents feel that way."

Arthur chuckled. "Plague of the parents, continual self doubt."

They both laughed then, tension leaving with the action. Once their laughter died down they looked at each other.

"You'll do your best, just as you have been," George said.

"That I will."

Arthur would be lying if he said life with Molly had always been easy and happy.

"We can't keep having children like this…" Her voice was low and Arthur thought about how she would whisper in his ear at night when she thought he was asleep. "We can't."

Arthur looked at the wall, not at Molly. She was standing to his left from where he sat at the table trying to force him to look at her. He could see her shoulders leaning slightly forward with her arms crossed out of the corner of his eye but he would not turn his head to meet her gaze.

"It's twins this time, Arthur."

His teeth tightened and he clasped his hands together under his chin.

"I know, Molly."

She stepped closer to him but did not touch him.

"I love our children, Arthur, just as you do. I like having more but…"

Arthur closed his eyes. He could feel her stand up straight beside him, the air changed.

"Arthur, you need to get a new job."

He opened his eyes and stood up, his hands flat on the table.

"Molly, I can't." He finally looked at her. "I need to be in that office. I'm one of the few there that will fight for the muggles and their safety."

"Arthur, I understand your zeal but what about your family?"

He turned away from her again, his pulse quickening.

"This will make five, five children, Arthur. It's hard as it is with three but we do it. When we have five we'll have to buy everything second hand, add rooms to the house, and that magic costs money too, and food… I… Arthur, this is five but what about more? Can we even afford five?"

"I've always liked the idea of a big family," Arthur muttered.

"But Arthur," Molly was insistent and the table was between them, "the money. If you won't find a new job you need a promotion. Ask for a raise."

"What?" Arthur whirled around, his voice raised.

"Ask for a raise! You deserve it, don't you?"

Molly was the only person who made Arthur feel helpless. She had a way when she wanted to of making him incapable of speech and rational arguments. How could she disarm him like this?

"Yes, but you don't just ask for a raise…"

"Yes, you can!" Molly said, slapping her hands on the table.

"Molly, I can't…"

"Yes, you can, Arthur! Yes, you can!"

"You don't work there. How do you know?" Arthur snapped.

Sharply, she took his hand, as if to rattle him onto her side by it. "You have to stand up for yourself!"

"I do, Molly!" He shouted, pulling his hand away and stepping back from her. "Why do you think I haven't advanced?"

"You like your position."

"Yes, I do." He began to pace, fixing his glasses every 20 seconds.

"Then try to-"

"To what? Play ball? Succumb to their narrow animalistic view of muggles? Let them demean what I do and change the laws I helped cement?"

"They're not all against you. You sound paranoid." Molly threw her arms wide as she spoke, her frustration rising.

"Maybe, but there are certainly more of them against me than with me! Do you want me to bow my head to them?"

"You know I wouldn't ask you to go against your principles!" Molly pounded her fist on the table.

"Then don't!"

"I am not!" Molly yelled louder than all their shouting before.

It was then for a second that Arthur wondered how far their shouting could be heard.

"Then what do you want? What else can I do?" He suddenly pulled off his glasses and threw them down on the table. He heard glass break.

"Think of your family!" Molly said.

Then it was silent. Arthur heard the soft patter of feet running back up the stairs. He did not look at them just back at the wall. How long his sons had been listening Arthur did not know but then again how could they have not heard the shouting? Molly was sniffling and a pang of guilt erupted in Arthur. He walked to the table and picked up his glasses. One lens was shattered.

"I'm going to bed," Molly said and she walked to the stairs.

Arthur looked up at her back. "I'm sorry."

She paused with her hand on the banister then continued up the stairs. Arthur sat on the edge of the table cradling his glasses in his right hand.

"Shite…" he muttered.

The year the twins were born was the year that George was killed.

George worked at the Ministry as an unspeakable and never told them what he did. He was quite proud of his work and spent so much time at the ministry they often wondered why he bothered to leave it. Arthur saw him infrequently when he was at work. Their two departments were no where near each other and the unspeakables rarely went above their level anyway. When Arthur did see George they didn't speak, only nodded.

He had a small house outside of London to be close to the ministry and Arthur was the first one to see the dark mark floating over it at 6:12 on January 14th. At 6:13 a feeling fell upon Arthur which he would never feel again, even when his parents suffered a similar fate. He felt as though his entire body would crumble and should bleed because he was alive.

"Oh no…" he said, barely able to speak audibly.

He'd come for dinner. It was supposed to be a calm meal between brothers, no work involved, just dinner together with no war. Now Arthur stood in front of his brother's house alone, with a green skull staring down at him. He was terrified.

He'd been standing still, unable to move, staring at the house for five minutes. Nothing changed. Then a switch clicked, Arthur's legs turned on, and he ran to the house, wand in hand. Hope flared inside of him.

'Maybe he's alright. Maybe he fought them off. Maybe… maybe…'

But his heart did not believe it. The air was too still and silent but for the sound of his own running feet. Arthur reached the front door and finding it already cracked, slowly opened it with his palm, wand held in front of him.

"George?" he called.

There was no answer and Arthur felt his pulse quicken even more. Were the Death Eaters still there? It had to be too quiet.

"George?" Arthur called, louder this time.

Moving into the hall he saw the splinters of the table that stood by the door which always had held George's ancient book of Merlin. Arthur could only discern a leg and some tattered pages. George had loved that book. When he'd first received it for this 22nd birthday he'd read it straight through in four days, citing many passages to Arthur in his excitement.

"Arthur! Did you know that Merlin discovered the four different species of goblin and learned all four distinct dialects they spoke? And all in one year!"

Arthur felt himself choking at George's careworn book becoming shreds on the floor, as if it were confetti. Raising his eyes, Arthur saw a hole blasted in the wall, the railing of the stairs broken at the end and glass shards of George's sneakoscope on the bottom step. Walking forward, Arthur headed to the back of the house, eyes searching left and right. Books were strewn on the floor in the parlor to Arthur's right, to the left a chair was over turned and missing a leg in the dinning room.

'Had they been looking for something?'

Arthur could see drawers on the floor and books torn. George had such a passion for books, even a broken spine was a travesty. Arthur could feel tears building up.

"George, where are you?"

Did he really expect an answer now?

Turning into the parlor Arthur looked around, carefully pushing books and ripped cushions aside with his feet. He couldn't add to the destruction of his brother's house. The book shelves were practically empty and the cabinets had all been flung open. They had been looking for something. There was a spatter of blood on one chair. Arthur's chest tightened.

"Arthur! Arthur!" George's voice echoed in his head.

"George, this is stupid." Arthur threw down his book. "Charms are ridiculous. I may as well do it with my hands." He picked up the quill and held it above his head. "Look, it's floating."

George snorted and carefully picked up the book, placing it back in front of Arthur. The two other girls present in the Ravenclaw common room had stared in abject horror at Arthur's mistreatment of the book.

"Calm down, Arthur," George said, "it's your first year, of course it's going to be difficult."

"I know but-"

George cut him off, "But you're a Weasley, a wizard just like me. It's in your blood!"

"George, I'm not as good as you! You're a Ravenclaw; you're supposed to be smart."

George had laughed at him with his characteristic brushing back of his hair.

"You will be as good as you are supposed to be, little brother. I know you'll be able to do it. You don't need to compare yourself to me." He paused. "So, don't abuse the book."

For some reason Arthur always remembered George saying what he'd forever wanted to hear after that, of the two of them not having to compare to each other.

Yet now Arthur could only think of the lack of his brother's voice responding to his calls. He made the only sounds as he walked, crunching on glass and wood splinters. Turning the corner Arthur entered the library, more books than the parlor littering the floor as if they were carpet. The book shelves that normally lined the walls and were as high as the ceiling were knocked over or broken. In the corner Arthur suddenly saw a shoe attached to a leg.

"George…" he whispered, his wand arm lowering a little.

'No, no, no!' he thought, his legs shaking while he stepped closer to the form crumpled in the corner, partially obscured by a fallen book shelf.

"George?" he asked, though knowing he would get no answer.

'It can't be. No, he can't be… he's too young, too committed, too full of life! He can't be…'

Arthur stumbled over some books and fell down to one knee, his left hand catching him before he fell further down and he saw George's face. His body lay on its side, legs kicked out around the edge of the bookcase. His cheek was pressed down on the wooden floor, arms slack against his chest.

"Oh, George!"

Arthur dropped his wand and his right leg gave out sliding books across the floor. George looked pale and hard, like he was just another piece of furniture, furniture with eyes and a face. His eyes were wide open with an anguished look on his features. Hair had fallen in his face and Arthur could see his wand still cradled loosely in his hand. He almost didn't look real as if he were a wax figure some one had dropped into a sea of books and left floating around. How ironic that George was killed among the things he loved most.

Finding his wits again, Arthur crawled forwards, shoving the bookcase away from his brother, kneeling in front of him. Arthur felt himself shaking as he gently brushed back the strands of George's hair with his Fingers.

"George…" a tear trickled down his face. "What did they want with you?"

The signs of the killing curse were clear though Arthur had never seen it before in person. Why had the Death Eaters deemed George worthy for such a fate? Why was his older brother lying dead before him now? His brother was dead and silent.

Arthur's body slumped and his head hit the floor, eyes full of tears. Shaking and hyperventilating Arthur sobbed beside his brother's body. And still the house was silent but for him. Arthur's ears felt muffled but for his own sorrow, his brother, his family, lying still beside him with his eyes open. Every kind word, helpful touch, everything George had ever done for him flashed through Arthur's head. All the times George had saved Arthur in some way echoed in his head, yelling 'why were you not here now?' Why could Arthur, for once, not save his brother instead? Why was he such a failure?

Somewhere beyond the muffle over his ears and his sobs, Arthur heard the pops of apparitions. Footsteps filled the house along with the voices of wizards and witches. Arthur only felt himself cry harder. Why hadn't he been there? Hands touched his back, voices spoke to him but he couldn't understand. Someone lifted him up and pulled him back.

"George, George he's… he's my brother, George…" Arthur cried.

"It's alright Arthur, come away," someone said to him.

"George…"

Other wizards gathered around George's body, blocking him from view. A young witch handed Arthur his wand which he limply took from her. They carried Arthur away through the fallen books, supporting him by his arms. He could not protest. He hadn't been there to save George or to stop the Death Eaters searching. Though noise now filled the house, George still was silent.

Arthur never knew why the Death Eaters had murdered George. He had been 31 years old.

Three weeks later Fredericka James was killed too and 1 month, 28 days later the twins were named.

They never had four kids. In Arthur's house three went straight on to five. She hadn't told him until later but Molly had been expecting twins all along because of her brothers. Then there they were, two wriggling babies at once. It had always been one baby, one toddler. Now it was two babies, one toddler, a six year old, and an eight year old. Arthur couldn't believe Bill was eight and now these two were brand new.

Fred and George were the busiest babies Arthur had ever seen. The last three had been babies just like any other but Fred and George were a type unto themselves. They always woke up in the night at the same time, though George was louder and Fred fell back asleep first. They disliked the same baby foods but while George would spit it up, Fred would fling it across the room. As soon as they could crawl they were into everything. The two of them found cupboards and table corners and strings under large stacks of books and potions ingredients he didn't even know they owned. The terrible twos did not exist for them; it was just the terrible twins.

If you separated Fred and George you'd have to live with the guilt all day. Neither boy cried when separated from the other, it was much worse. They just stopped moving. They sat where they were and looked off in the direction the other twin was taken. Their faces appeared so confused, like the world turned over and left them alone and upright. Which ever baby was left alone would stare and stare at the last spot where they had seen their twin. Confusion and sadness would mix but they did not scream or cry. Each one just sat and sadly waited for the other to return.

The twins and little Percy seemed to be enemies from the start. It didn't appear that Percy hated the twins, just disliked their presence. It was understandable, he was no longer the attention getting baby. He seemed to understand that he could not fight against two for attention. What he really thought in his two, and then three year old brain, Arthur did not know. Percy was always quiet when the twins were first born.

Once the twins could crawl and later walk they liked to pester Percy. Bill was incapable of pestering and Charlie enjoyed playing with them. It was Percy who would yell and cry and make the most ridiculous faces. Arthur couldn't help but laugh behind his hand with them. Percy just got so riled up, even at three years old.

It was really amazing how different one's own children could be. Arthur could see little parts of himself and little parts of Molly in his children but then where did all the rest come from? Maybe that was biological magic. Magic itself manifested in each of his children a different way. Bill had hovered six inches above the floor after he slipped out of Molly's hands. Sparks emitting from his muggle toy dinosaur was Charlie's first sigh of magic. Percy made one of Molly's feather pillows burst by looking at it. The twins had a much more surprising display of first magic than their older bothers. When they were three years old one day they begged and bugged Arthur to let them try flying with Bill and Charlie. Somehow Arthur had stood firm and said no. When they broke into loud unison tears the kitchen erupted into flames.

They never had four kids. They had started with one baby, then two babies, three kids, five, and later six, ending on seven. But they never had four, two in the middle and one on each end. After only two, Bill and Charlie, there was always one middle child or three, never two. Apparently Arthur and Molly didn't do the even numbers.