This is indeed the answer to all of your questions about Chapter 24 of Marauders Class of 2018 as to why Alicia Spinnet was at the Weasley house on Easter. If you haven't read my other story Marauders Class of 2018, it's not required, but if you like this, you will probably like my other piece. This is a bit different from anything I've done so far. The writing style is a little more in tune with the character's emotions which makes it a little more interesting. I hope it's grammatically correct and all, hopefully only has a few spelling errors. I think it's going to be a one shot, but I could add another chapter if I get a huge response from it. I really loved the idea of this so you'll have to tell me what you think, but it's been begging me to write it in the back of my mind for a few months. Please review!
The Road to Truth
The hours turned into days and the days into weeks and before she knew it, it had been a month. For Alicia Spinnet, however, it was as if time had ceased to move, move past that fateful day when Hogwarts crashed around her, Fred Weasley died, and her world ceased to exist.
She had never truly believed it was over when they had said goodbye to each other. She and Fred had dated on and off for over three years. They had been one of those couples that were insanely attracted to each other but not quite perfect for each other, at least she had always liked to believe that was why they fought so much. It was inevitable that two such strong willed people with such vivacious personalities would clash at times, but with Alicia and Fred that had always been the best part, because after they fought, and sometimes broke up, they made up.
This time there would be no making up. Two weeks after they had broken up over another petty reason, a mere fourteen days, he had died. She hadn't even gotten to the part where she had started to miss his little jokes, the way he always could tell when something was wrong, and his comforting shoulder to cry on. Fred Weasley was dead and buried while Alicia Spinnet, his on and off girlfriend was left alone in a world that was just being pieced back together.
A door slammed, jolting Alicia, who hadn't gotten out of bed or eaten in days, out of her silent staring at the ceiling. High pitched giggling reached her ears as her flatmate returned home. If that didn't make it worse, she didn't know what did.
Angelina Johnson and George Weasley had a way of coping with the death of their loved ones in a way that caused Alicia even more pain: being hopelessly in love and attached to each other for comfort. It made it so much harder for Alicia.
She had never doubted in her mind that she and Fred wouldn't eventually get back together. They were destined for each other, they had to be, otherwise she would have wasted a whole lot of time on a boyfriend who would never be anything more than that, a boyfriend. They would never be together now, she had to watch his twin, identical twin, constantly acting lovey dovey with her best friend and flat mate practically twenty-four-seven.
George needed Angelina, the death of his brother had brought them even closer, and while George still cried and spaced out for long periods of time, Angie could make him smile even on his worst days. He would slowly recover. He would return to the prank loving George they all knew and loved, but he would be without his other half, Alicia's half of the Weasley Twins, Fred. She sniffed, not quite believing that she could still have tears left after all of the tears she had shed in the past month and how dehydrated she must be considering she hadn't left her bed in a few days.
She needed to get out of this house. She needed to get away from George and Angelina who were making grilled cheese sandwiches a room away. She needed to get away from Diagon Alley and all the places they had made memories together. She needed to get away from Fred, remember who she was without him, and figure out who she could become without him. She needed to get away from everything and recover from the past that was haunting her. She would not be staying in England.
On June 9th, Alicia Spinnet walked out of her flat for the first time since the day they had buried the man she had loved. Her face was not tear-stained, red, or puffy. Not a single light brown hair was out of place. Her make up was perfect while her clothes placed her among the fashion elite, and that was how she wanted to look when she walked into the Ministry. She had seen an opening in the paper and was ready to impress a Mr. T. Bones. As of recent, there was an abundance of job openings in the Prophet, but Alicia didn't want to think about that right now. Clutching her purse, she apparated away to the Ministry.
"Miss Spinnet, wonderful, wonderful. Your credentials are wonderful. You seem perfect for the job," said a short man with a round face. "You're the first person to apply for any of our job openings, as of recent, very few have been eager to apply for such a position. It seems as if the lure of an exotic foreign country doesn't hold the same glamour it once did. But perhaps it's just that everyone wants to keep close to family and such. I however, am happy to see that you desire a bit of adventure in your life, a Gryffindor I presume?" She nodded with a slight smile. "So, where would you like to go? Here's a map and the red dots indicate a vacancy in position."
Alicia looked at the map of Europe trying to see the position that was the farthest possible from the dot marked London. Seeing a red dot in the lower left hand corner she smiled and pointed to the dot marked Bucuresti.
She hadn't been there long when she realized how good the warmer climate, foreign surroundings, and anonymity she had found in Romania were for her. Her former self was a pale imitation of the glowing and vibrant young woman she was now, working in the English Embassy to the Romanian Ministry of Magic as Ambassador. She was young and inexperienced, but she had good references as a peacemaker and a good attitude with people.
Besides, England got along wonderfully with the wizarding community in Romania and she had barely any work to do. In fact, during the four months since she had arrived and began her road to recovery, the most she had had to do was go to Ministry parties representing the English. She was good at parties, dressing for the occasion, eating the right food, impressing the right people. It really had been her type of job to apply for.
It was the perfect job for Alicia, and soon, she realized something. It had been almost a year, and she hadn't set foot in England since the June before, but she knew it was time. Time to move on. She had come to realize that she and Fred had been holding on to something they no longer had. The constant fighting and breaking up only to get back together again in a few weeks was habit, they weren't the perfect couple they thought they were or at least tried to be.
Sure, there were things she had loved about him, his kindness, his happy manner, his good looks, his strong morals which came from a wonderful upbringing in a good family. But there had been things that drove them apart. She was too serious, he too joking, sometimes his jokes bordering on cruel towards those he disliked. He was too attached to his twin brother at times for her to handle. It didn't bother Angelina, but Alicia had also dated George at one point, and she didn't like the idea of him hearing every detail of her and Fred's relationship. She loved his family, but they were meddling sometimes, and she couldn't be as big a part of it as he wanted. She wanted to be a part of it, but she didn't think moving in next door to Molly Weasley in Ottery St. Catchpole with George Weasley living on the other side sounded too appealing. Maybe if Fred had wanted to live a few blocks away, but next door was too close. And his second option for their permanent residence had been living above the joke shop in Diagon Alley. Erm. No. She had wanted to see the world and have adventures. There was also the issue of children, Fred didn't want any except one set of identical twin boys, or just one boy, to name George and be called Forge while his brother George would have one and name it Fred to be called Gred. Alicia wanted a lot more children than one, as she had hated being an only child, and she would never consent to naming a child Forge. They had been heading in entirely different directions, and they hadn't realized it before he died which is what made it so hard.
But now, now, she was ready to move on. Now that she knew what was what, who she was, and where she was headed in life. She hadn't told Angelina in her letters, but she was ready. It was too bad that she couldn't seem to find the right Romanian Wizard to fit her standards, but at twenty one she wasn't really in a hurry. She had quite a bit of time to actually learn to speak Romanian a little better, because if she was going to eventually marry one, it might be better if she knew more than how to ask where the loo was and silly things like that.
She had been amazed when she actually had a real assignment to take care of besides attending a party in high fashion apparel. It had been almost two years since she had arrived in Romania, and she wasn't exactly sure if they had been kidding when they had informed her that she had to inspect the English facility. Apparently it was part of the reason that the Romanians and the English got along so well, the English paid to take care of Romania's dragons and the problems that came with them. The preserve was funded by the English ministry and therefore the English made sure everything was running smoothly every few years. She was actually planning the month long July visit to the Dragon Preserve on being fun.
The letter had arrived unexpectedly in early February, with the owl landing in her breakfast. She had scowled at the young owl and pulled the letter out of her coffee before too much of it could be destroyed.
To the English Ambassador,
I have recently been informed of your impending visit to the Dragon Preserve. I cannot tell you how much everyone at the reserve is looking forward to your visit. It's always nice to have someone new on the reserve, especially at such an exciting time of year. As head Dragon Keeper on the reserve, I wished to contact you in order to plan your visit as soon as possible and make your stay on the reserve comfortable. If you have any questions about accommodations, travel plans, and your visit in general, feel free to contact me. It's the off season for dragons right now, most are in hibernation, so I will have all of the free time in the world to answer any questions or qualms you might have about visiting an area teaming with dragons. In the years I've lived here, I've always found it to be exciting but safe, especially where you will be staying. I will look forward to your owl. Oh, and sorry for mine, he's new, young, and inexperienced. The only person he's really fit to deliver letters to is my mum but that's only because my brother's owl is worse.
Sincerely,
Charles *Smudge*
Alicia looked at the letter annoyed. The coffee hadn't stained the upper portion of the letter, but the entire lower part of the parchment had been soaked. Fortunately, it was a short letter and the only part of the letter that had been destroyed had been the man's last name, which she was sure would lead to some sort of embarrassing situation in the future. She could see it now, him meeting her and her not knowing his last name. She sighed in frustration. Not even a charm would restore the ink into its original form. There was only one thing to do, this man seemed so very nice. It wouldn't be hard to be very informal and friendly with the man.
Dear Charles,
I was pleasantly surprised to receive your letter this morning. I must say, it has been ages since I've talked or corresponded with a true native of England, my home country, and I must say I believe you must be one. I've yet to meet a Romanian that can spell well and write a letter with no fatal grammatical errors. If you are Romanian, I'm very sorry, but take it as a compliment on your excellent writing skills. If you are English, I'm so happy to find someone who will be able to pronounce my name entirely correct on the first time.
I too am excited about my visit to the preserve. It will be a much needed escape from the horrendous occasions they send me to as Ambassador. If I have to wear dress robes to one more occasion this month, they are going to need to send me to the St. Mungo's Insanity Ward. I always end up trying to get rid of my headache from the multiple accents by drinking too much champagne, and then I end up with a worse headache. I had one this morning, sorry for the ranting.
In any case, a good trip to the outdoors is much looked forward to, along with hopefully seeing some of my fellow Englishmen. I believe most of the travel organization will be through the Romanian Government. I hope this can be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Sincerely,
Alicia -Alicia Created Smudge- (this way they wouldn't know each other's last names, and they would be equally on the same page with each other)
Dear Alicia,
I'm sorry to say you were incorrect in guessing my heritage, as a matter of fact I'm Scottish, thank you very much. I'm a bit proud of that. In any case, I too am happy to be corresponding with an English person. Most of my colleagues are not English and I too find their accents and cultural differences hard to understand. It makes me homesick for my native land, just not enough to go back. I enjoy my job too much. There is something so wonderfully perfect about the danger of dragons combined with their unending ability to fascinate. I'm a little dragon obsessed. Sorry, it comes with a territory. In any case, I am very familiar with St. Mungo's Insanity Ward, nearly had to go there myself, but that was why I needed to get out of Scotland. Too cramped, too crazy, I needed my space. That's why I'm sure you will love the Preserve, very peaceful, like Hogwarts. I'll assume for all practical purposes you went there. On the note of the trip though, I sent your itinerary of travel with the owl, his name is Vlad.
Sincerely,
Charles
Ahh, a Scottish man, better, she always did have a thing for burly redheads, perhaps she would be lucky?
Dear Charles,
Of course I went to Hogwarts, love the place, and miss it to death. I was actually thinking about Hogwarts today, ironically. Do you remember that look, I mean the look. McGonagall's look. When she was mad, she could melt the polar ice caps with her glare. I was scared, and I was a Gryffindor. In any case, I will forever remember that look as I'm sure you do. It was the look that whenever you were mad at someone you would attempt to imitate but even if you were successful, you and whoever you were mad at would end up laughing because it was McGonagall's look and really, no one but she can do it. And it was just funny to see someone purse their lips like that.
My friends and I could never remain serious when one of us tried to use it. But today, today I learned something. In Romania, nobody knows McGonagall. No one knows that yours is simply a weak imitation of the real thing. I scared the hell out of half of my office today. I did the look, not thinking, and they were positively terrified. Oh the things that work in Romania that wouldn't work back home. Anyone who went to Hogwarts would have laughed, but all of the Durmstrang graduates shake in their dragonhide boots. I had to share that particular story with you since you brought up Hogwarts.
Sincerely,
Alicia
Dear Alicia,
Oh, the look, I remember it well. I was a bit of a, let's just say I was a bit of a troublemaker. Most Gryffindor boys are. Minnie loved me, but not nearly as much as she loved some of my relatives, one of the reasons I'm my mum's favorite. In any case, your letter made me die a thousand drowning deaths from the buckets of laughter I laughed at the thought of those Durmstrang office workers of yours shifting uneasily under your Minnie-like glare. I will want a reenactment of the look when you come in July.
However, it also inspired me to use your tactic. I had to wait a day or two to find the perfect situation to use it in. It was just as you said. The look is perfect on Romanians. I too have tried to use it ineffectively on other Hogwarts Graduates such as my brothers or my friends, but no, they always laugh. They use it on me to similar reactions, but yes, for once I got to be Minnie and see others cower under my evil glare! Thank you for sharing the secret with me. Maybe now I should try to use some of Binn's old jokes, see if people think they are funny since they aren't hearing them for the billionth time.
Sincerely,
Charles
Dear Charles,
Oh, I dearly loved Binn's jokes, they were so funny. He was a quite funny guy, and for those who could handle his monotone voice that seemed to lull some of my friends to sleep, he was quite interesting. He was actually one of my favorite teachers. He had a ton of adventures as a young man, amazing really.
History and Arithmancy were my favorite classes, besides of course lunch. Gotta love those house elves, ohh, I miss the food. I guess I was a bit of a dork. But those were just my favorite classes. I'm sure you loved Care of Magical Creatures, being a dragon keeper and all, but I took Divination and Ancient Ruins instead. Divination was a total waste of time, and I should have dropped it, but Ancient Ruins wasn't bad. Ahh, reminiscing Hogwarts. I'm actually glad I'm not there now, this is just about the time of year when studying for NEWTS and OWLS got horrid.
Sincerely,
Alicia
Dear Alicia
History and Arithmancy were my favorite classes too! Of course besides Care of Magical Creatures, but what can you expect? I spent hours with Binns helping him grade papers my last few years while I listened to stories about his past. He knew goblins, giants, and even some weird people that live in the Chinese Desert and raise firedragons. He had the most amazing stories. I will agree with you on that. I laugh when I hear about how people thought he and his class were so boring, but they must have slept through everything. History of Magic was the BEST!
However, the food at Hogwarts was nothing compared to my mum, best cook in all of the British Isles, maybe the world. Yes, definitely the world. I might have to apparate home this weekend for a bit of a home cooked meal. Hopefully my entire family isn't home, don't want to be mobbed. Oh, and ditto on hating the NEWTS, I hope they get rid of those by the time my children go to Hogwarts, don't want them to have to take something that dumb.
Charles
By the time his children went to Hogwarts. She was developing a crush on him too. He was such a nice, seemingly intelligent and funny guy too. Drat. All the good ones would end up having a wife and three kids.
Dear Charles,
I didn't know you had children! I would love to meet them. I simply adore children! I was an only child and when I eventually get married and have children, I want a good handful, or two. I love big families, like the one that you seem to come from.
That was another thing I loved about Hogwarts, all of the people around, never a lonely moment in Hogwarts. I miss some of my friends from school, we've gotten out of touch as of late. I think I'll write my bestie Lina, she's amazing. Last I heard, she was waiting on her Seventh Year Sweetheart to propose. She's not the most patient person. She would have written me if he had though.
Alicia
Dear Alicia,
I was talking about HYPOTHETICAL children. I'm not married and do not to my knowledge have any illegitimate children running about. If I did, my mum would absolutely kill me. Actually she would torture me, clean me up like a loving mother, torture me again, this time worse, and then kill me. I agree though, about the big family, coming from one, I must say, they are the best. I would say about seven, a quidditch team, is about right.
Most of my good friends that I always corresponded with died in the war, I just have you to write to now. I find myself looking forward to your letters more and more. It's nice to have someone who's also stuck in Romania and has the time to remind me of England. I love Romania, but England will always be with me.
Looking forward to your next letter,
Charles
Ohh, so he wasn't married and didn't have any children. But he wanted to get married and have lovely little babies. Maybe her babies, it seemed he liked her about as much as she liked him.
Dear Charles,
I agree, I also look forward to your letters. It made me smile that you do the same. My absolute best friend died in the war. I thought I was going to marry the man, but really looking back, we were better as friends.
We got into so much trouble, us gryffindors. Most of my other friends survived, but they all are so wrapped in their love lives right now. One of them is a professional quidditch player, while his wife, Kates, my other friend, is too busy with becoming a Healer and raising their twins Ollie and Olivia. The cutest things you'll ever see. She sends me pictures all the time. My other friend, Lina, also plays professional quidditch, but her boyfriend doesn't mind. He's so busy running his businesses which are quite successful. I think he works to cope from losses in the war. He works too much, but he's getting better from what I've heard. I'd love to hear about your dragons. Write me a letter on the Preserve, I can't wait until I can see it next month and finally meet you.
Alicia
Their correspondence continued, with letters pouring between them, and by the time Alicia finally stepped off the train to arrive at the preserve she was in love. It was the first man to ever hold her heart in the palm of his hand. He loved quidditch, History, Arithmancy, nature, family. His humor was perfect, his intelligence, wonderful. Her only fear was that he would turn out to be old and or ugly. They had never sent pictures, and they hadn't discussed age. In fact, her only indicators to his age were stories from Hogwarts, but that basically meant that he wasn't ancient as he knew all of the teachers she had known, except of course for Defense, and Hagrid hadn't been teaching Care of Magical Creatures back then, but he had been friends with the groundskeeper.
It had been totally unexpected, for him and for her. They had never met. He had never been around, and she had only heard about him and him about her. They didn't know each other, and in fact, neither had recognized the other at first. She had met him thinking, 'red heads are my type and this one is a devastatingly good looking Scottish one. He isn't old or ugly. He's bloody perfect!' and moments later as he had introduced himself as Charles, she had known that she was head over heels in love with this perfect man. Ten minutes later when someone addressed him as Weasley, she had already fallen in love with the long haired, blue-eyed, redhead with a passion for dragons,and burn marks on his arms. Her heart sunk to the ground.
He had watched as her eyes widened in shock, shooting to his hair when his coworker Philips had addressed him. Her mouth had fallen open in surprise and the beautiful woman whom he was already planning a life with in his head, backed away from him. She was perfect. She loved Romania, something he needed in a wife as he never wanted to return to England permanently. She was a quidditch player and fan, and a brave Gryffindor, something necessary on a dragon preserve. She was smart, worked for the ministry, and seemed to like somewhat difficult subjects that he had enjoyed at school, besides of course care of magical creatures. And she had a great laugh, she had cracked up with his joke about avoiding the dragon piles, and he didn't know what to think when she backed away.
She had looked at his red hair, it was different, it was a firey red, like a dragon's breath of flame, unlike the citrusy ginger red of Fred and George. His eyes were a dark purply blue, closer to her own blue, unlike the silvery grey blue of Fred and George. His hair long and wavy, unlike the twins' straight hair. He was much taller, and thinner than the shorter and stockier boys she had known from the time she was eleven. He was built like Ron and Bill. Percy and the twins were the shorter ones, built like beaters and not like seekers or keepers. She should have seen it, she knew Bill, she had been to his wedding, even if she hadn't seen Charles there-she had been pretty into Fred back then. She knew Ron, he had played on her quidditch team seventh year. She should have realized the man was a Weasley.
It had been honest to goodness love, and it was ruined.
She had mumbled her explanation. "I went to Hogwarts with your brothers."
"Which ones, I have a few."
"George, and er… Fred."
"Oh, of course you would have been one of the chasers on their quidditch team then."
"Yes, I was, I don't know if you know Angelina, but she's my best friend from Hogwarts."
"Yes, Angelina, of course I know her, I saw her at Christmas."
"Yes, she must have been with George."
"Yes, but I'm guessing that this makes you the Alicia. The one who erm… dated my brother. My brother… Fred…"
"Yes, that's me."
"And you escaped here, just like I did when the girl I loved didn't love me back."
"He died, it's different."
"Angie said you ran off, but she seemed to think you were in Turkey."
"Bucuresti is just some strange name to her, it's foreign, not Romanian or Turkish, she doesn't realize the difference. She's too in love with George to care right now."
"Did you love my brother?"
"At one point, but that was long before he died. We, we were headed in different directions when it was over, we wouldn't have made it. It just ended too soon, I wasn't ready for him to… I wasn't ready not to have a good friend when we were over. I wasn't ready to loose him."
"No one was."
"George least of all."
"You are probably right, but this doesn't change the fact that I'm insanely attracted to you."
"I don't want to move in next door to your mother or above a joke shop in a flat."
"I want to live in Romania anyways."
"I don't want to have just one son, or just one set of identical twins."
"I want a big family too, the Romanian countryside is lonely without a big family."
"I won't name any of them Forge or Gred."
"I want to name one Arthur, and I was under the impression those were made up names."
She laughed.
"I want to marry you. I have since you told me that ridiculous story about imitating McGonagall's pursed lips."
She paused. "I do too."
They had dated for almost a year, entirely in love. Charlie was a different person from Fred in every way. Charlie was the Weasley that she had been meant for all along. Their humor was perfect for each other, subtle, light. Their idea of the perfect family, house, and life were identical. They wanted the same things out of life, and they were entirely compatible when it came to arguing. They barely knew the meaning of the word anyway. They understood each other. They liked the same things, but they also had their own interests. They were the perfect couple. The only problem was that they knew what the reaction would be if the Weasley family found out.
They knew the arguments. She was replacing Fred with his older brother. They couldn't possibly be in love. It was a replacement relationship for the light brown haired woman that Charlie had lost too. It was wrong for an older brother to take his dead brother's love as a wife. It was wrong to have the children his brother had planned on having, it was wrong for her to become a Weasley when the brother who should have given her the last name had died. It was all so very wrong, but they were so very right for each other. If only Fred had lived to bless their love.
It was Charles, adventurous Charles, who had first come up with the idea. She knew that it wasn't prefect, but it was practical, and it would work. The Weasleys would see what they wanted to see, and they could be happy together. They had eloped the summer three years after the war ended. It was only a year after they met. They couldn't tell his family who had all along expected him to eventually find some beautiful Romanian witch to settle down with or eventually return to England and find a wife there. Weasleys didn't turn into old bachelors. That was a Black trait, and they weren't that closely related to the Blacks.
Alicia had decided to tell her family. They were a quiet bunch, loyal, she came from a long line of Hufflepuffs. Her mother and father also happened to be unspeakables for the ministry and wouldn't breathe a word of it to anyone else. They had been happy for her, loyal to a fault to her wishes. They had understood a bit of why the Weasley family couldn't know, but they loved Charlie. He was everything they wanted for their daughter. Love, security, and happiness.
She had moved to the village outside the Dragon Reserve. A beautiful house. She remained the ambassador, but she attended many less functions, which weren't really required anyways, and flooed to work when she was needed. She was more part time now. They were unbelievably happy in their cozy home in the breathtaking Romanian landscape with the large backyard where they often played quidditch, and the warm kitchen where they spent their time playing wizards chess in the cold Romanian winters.
But then at the penultimate of their happiness, once again, everything crashed down. Children, how could they have those in secret? First of all, Molly Weasley would not be happy if she ever found out precious grandbabies had been kept from her. Second of all, it would be impossible to keep such a thing from her when the child reached eleven, unless it was a squib, because sending their children anywhere but Hogwarts would have been unacceptable.
It wasn't until they had been married for five years that fate caught up with them. They had been ecstatic and terrified at the same time. Annika Angelicia Weasley, six pounds, seven ounces, born five days after her cousin Molly, Percy's first child. She had Alicia's light brown hair, and her purpleish eyes, but she most definitely had the Weasley grin. Her dimples were Charlie's, and her smile was all his, especially when she was up to pure mischief. Granny Spinnet and Papa Spinnet had been ecstatic.
It was a slippery slope after that. If they had one, they might as well have another, and another. When Annika was four, Alexander William Weasley was born. He was a true Weasley with his father's fiery red hair although he had his mother's purplish eyes. He was always up for adventures from the time he learned to walk. He was just like Charlie in many ways, he loved to see the dragons, he loved quidditch and flying, and when he was five, the twins had been born, identical boys.
They were trouble from the start, loving danger almost as much as they loved to laugh. They too had the firey red hair that Charlie possessed, and they were named Andrew Forge and Arthur Gred. Charlie and Alicia hadn't been able to resist and she had conceded to name one child Forge. It was only a middle name.
They had been one the year that Charlie's oldest nephew, James Sirius, had turned seventeen. Alicia had vacated Romania for a few weeks to visit her family with the children for the Easter Holidays, and Charlie had stayed in one of the empty cottages on the dragon reserve with his nephew. When they had reunited and gone home, Charlie had been excited to see his children again, and had realized that one day, they too would grow up too fast for him to handle. He didn't want Annika to go away to Hogwarts in two years, even though he knew she was a witch since she had shown many signs of magic over the years. He wasn't ready. Now he knew why his mum had cried so much when they went away on the express, especially when Bill went.
The hardest part was being apart for the holidays most of the time. He usually couldn't get out of the Weasley family Christmases, but some years he could. When he couldn't, the family would spend a week together and celebrate Christmas at a different time. As long as they celebrated, it didn't matter if it was a few days late. However, this year, Alicia's family had convinced the family to come to their house in London for Easter. Charlie had graciously declined his mother's invitation to come home for the Easter holidays, and the family had packed up.
"Mum! Alex is being a prat again!" whined Annika tossing her long light brown hair over her shoulder. She was turning into a very pretty young girl and it scared Charlie more and more every day. She was standing at the top of the stairs holding her large bag and looked ready to go. "He stole my quaffle and won't give it back!"
Alicia rolled her eyes bouncing Andy on her hip as he fidgeted with his hands occupied by a small toy dragon. She double checked to make sure that she had Arthur, Andy, and Alex's bags. "What do you need your quaffle for? Honestly Annika, we are leaving for London in five minutes! The Portkey is going to activate very soon, just come downstairs and hurry!"
"But I want to bring it to Granny and Papa Spinnet's! They haven't seen me on a broom in ages!"
"Alexander William Weasley! Come down here, and bring your sister's quaffle!" called Alicia as Charlie walked in the front door. He always was running a bit late for trips, but he was here and she didn't have to worry so much now. He had his bag with him, slung over his shoulder and immediately knew to pick up the twins' bag. Alex ran downstairs with a bright red quaffle in hand, being chased by his older sister who was hindered by her heavy bag.
"MUM! ANNIKA IS CHASING ME!"
"IF YOU WANT TO BE A CHASER THAT'S YOUR JOB!"
"BE QUIET!" shouted Alicia, more than a little frazzled with the week long visit to her parent's house. "Now, Charlie, you pick up Arthur, I have my bag and Andrew. Annika, hold tight to your bag, and Alex, you are a big boy now, hold tightly to yours as well. Bring the quaffle, you might as well. Here's the portkey, it's Granny and Papa Spinnet's old kitchen mop, but it's nice and big for all of us to touch at once. Now, everyone put a hand on tightly, it's going to leave in less than a minute. Everyone holding on?" Everyone in the family did as directed. Alicia was a commanding presence in her household. As the clock ticked to the correct time, Alicia smiled knowing they hadn't forgotten anything, and felt the familiar tug at her navel.
"MUM! ALEX LANDED ON ME!" whined Annika. "HE DID IT ON PURPOSE!"
"DID NOT! MUM!"
"Alexander, Annika! MUM! How, are you! Children, say hello to your grandmother." Alicia hated traveling sometimes. She embraced her waiting mother while Charlie began taking the bags to the guest rooms where they would be staying. She hoped that her mother had enough sense not to put Alex and Annika in the same bedroom. Annika was so good with the twins, it would be best if they were put in her room. "It's good to see you mum!"
"Alicia! You are prettier every time I see you, did you get a haircut!" exclaimed her mum, who was as always fussing over her. "Oh! And my little sweetheart! You are getting so big! Last time I saw you, you couldn't have been half this size! Which one are you?" She pulled Andy into her arms in a big hug. "Give Granny Spinnet a kiss," she said grinning when the two year old planted a wet sloppy baby kiss on her cheek.
"Andrew, that one's Andrew mum, Arthur is wearing the blue and Andrew is wearing the green. Charlie took Arthur upstairs with him. I do hope you put Annika in the same room as the twins."
"Oh, of course, and look at you, Annika! You are getting so big! Look more like your mum every time I see you! Almost ready for Hogwarts I see, next year, I'm sure you can't wait, but your mum is dreading it more each day! Oh, Alicia, she's the image of you! So, beautiful with her proud little face, a Gryffindor just like her dad and mum I'm sure. But maybe the Spinnet side will sneak you into Hufflepuff!"
"Mum! Don't remind me," laughed Alicia taking Andy from her mother as she began cooing over her little man Alex who was getting as big as his daddy. She had laughed when Alex had replied that he would soon be big enough to tame dragons just like his dad.
Alicia looked up to see her dad, watching from across the room. He always let her mum have her moment with the kids before greeting them with big hugs and some special sweets he kept in the pocket of his robes. Annika always talked about how 'Papa Spinnet has the best sweets in his pocket!' for weeks after a visit. He spoiled Alicia's children rotten, but he managed to keep them sweet as ever. Alicia smiled as Charlie came downstairs with Arthur whom he handed to her mother who cooed over his red head too.
It was Wednesday the day they arrived in London, and it seemed like Alicia's parents couldn't get enough time with the children. Alicia's father Drew was very young for his age, and was as happy as ever to play a game of quidditch with his older grandchildren in the backyard. He always played keeper while their son and daughter had to work together to score goals. Alicia always smiled when she would watch him dive exaggeratedly for a ball, only to let it slip through the hoops. Her father was a pretty good keeper if she remembered correctly from all the summers she had practiced with him while she was at Hogwarts. That was the reason she always took the penalty shots for the Gryffindor team. Somehow, Annika and Alex always beat him, and he always took them to Diagon Alley for ice cream after their games.
Anne Spinnet was always baking, cakes, pastries, biscuits, everything delicious. She occupied the children, and particularly liked to plump up the little twins. She glowed when in the presence of her grandchildren. Alicia always found it funny when her mother wanted to play with the twins on the floor, because seeing her graying figure crawling around on the floor being chased by the two little redheads was quite funny. Anne didn't even mind when Alicia snapped pictures.
The nice thing about having all of the children's attention directed toward their grandparents, was that Charlie and Alicia got a little time to themselves, and they went out on a nice date on Friday. Fish and chips at the muggle pier, and an evening at the cool seaside.
Easter morning, the Spinnet house was a commotion of excitement as the four children hunted around the house and yard for the candy filled eggs from Honeydukes that Alicia and Charlie, Anne and Drew had spent the night hiding. Andy and Arthur were just old enough to toddle around and find the more obviously placed ones while Annika and Alex raced around the house trying to find the most.
That afternoon, Anne and Drew had seemed a bit tired after the large lunch they had enjoyed with the family. Alicia had suggested they take a nap while she, Charlie, and the children took a walk to the muggle park she had enjoyed as a child. It was a perfect afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly, calling them out into the spring weather.
Alicia had carried robes for the family in the twin's stroller, in case it got cold, and the family, still dressed in their holiday dresses and jumpers, went out festively. When they got to the park, Annika and Alex had raced around on the slide and the monkeybars. Annika had fallen down and Alicia hoped that the dirt that was now on the pretty light blue dress would come out easily. Alex in his little khaki pants and light blue muggle sweater looked surprisingly innocent when he had started throwing worms at his sister, but Charlie had put a stop to that. The twins were content to swing with their mother and father pushing them gently while they talked.
Around four, after the family had spent a few hours playing at the park, relaxing, and eating a small snack that Alicia had packed, the family noticed that the sky was getting a bit darker, and that clouds were gathering. Alicia put the green hooded robes on the twins, gave Annika her pale blue one, while giving Alex his quaffle red robe. Annika was pushing the twins in their stroller with Alex trailing alongside his big sister.
Alicia decided that they should take a shortcut home and they cut through a back alleyway that she remembered using to get home on time as a child. She walked alongside the stroller while Charlie walked on the other side holding Alex's six year old hand. Alicia smiled over at Charlie who smiled back with a genuine happiness before looking over her shoulder terrified.
"Stop right there lady," said a cold voice as a dark figure stepped in front of Alicia. A muggle man in a ski mask was standing in front of her pointing something she remembered from muggle studies as a gun at her. She stopped as Annika, Charlie, and Alex froze. "Nobody else move. Give me your purse, slowly," he commanded darkly waving the gun to point toward Annika as Charlie flinched, his hands itching to reach for his wand.
Alicia did as she was told, tossing him her purse, they were being mugged, by a bloody muggle, and her wand was in the twins' diaper bag which was hanging from the stroller. She was pretty sure Charlie's was in the bag too. She shivered as gave the purse to the masked man, not being able to keep herself from being reminded of the masked death eaters of almost twenty years ago.
The man backed away a little as he opened the purse while keeping one eye on the family. The man kept the gun riveted to Annika whom he noticed was moving a bit as he investigated the purse quickly. He frowned angrily. "What the bloody hell is this!? This is some kind of joke? Well I don't think it's at all funny. No one makes fun of Joe Motane. No one, you hear me!" he exclaimed raising his voice and waving the gun in front of Alicia's face as he clicked something in it into place.
"MUM!" exclaimed Annika in a high pitched terror filled voice. Before Alicia could give a look of comfort to her only daughter who Charlie had been slowly forcing to back away with the twins' stroller and Alex, three shots rang out loudly through the hallow alley.
"DAD!" screamed Alex as Charlie had dove in front of his wife to take the three bullets instead as the muggle man shouted angrily. Alicia dove for the stroller reaching in the diaper bag for the wands as she heard the muggle cursing and trying to reload his weapon. She yelled out stupefy with the first wand she grasped, which happened to be Charlie's, causing the man to fall with a thud to the ground.
"Alicia," moaned Charlie as she raced to his side and rolled him over to find blood soaking through his cream sweater in three places, his right shoulder just below the collar bone, just above it, close to his neck, and his stomach. She switched the wand to her left hand and began wildly waving her arm in the air causing red sparks to fly out.
Balling up her blue dress in her hands she pressed her hands over the wounds as the blood was coming quickly, especially out of the one near his neck. Pressing the bundled fabric to his neck, she watched as the blue material became a purplish color and the blood spilled onto her hands in a red mess. Annika was at her side now, helping her mother. Annika's hands were covered in blood from her father's third wound. Charlie mumbled somewhat incoherently for a bit, mostly they were able to catch Annika, Alicia, Alex, Alicia, love, AndyArthur, Alicia. "CHARLES ARTHUR WEASLEY! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE ON ME! YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME HERE! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO!"
Tears were streaming down Alicia's face minutes later when the St. Mungo's Ambulance arrived, landing with a thud in the alley. Mediwitches poured out of the vehicle, magicing Charlie on a stretcher and pulling him into the car as Alicia rushed in after with the children following her. Somehow six year old Alex managed to carry both Andrew and Arthur and hold their squirming forms the entire way to the hospital where the flying ambulance landed on the roof and began wheeling Charlie out.
A mediwizard turned to Alicia, "I know Charles. I'm not sure exactly what happened back there but I assume the idiot Gryffindor tried to play the hero? I'm sure he'll be fine madame, you and your children can go home now. I'll notify the family, his brother is married to my sister. If he dies you'll hear about it in the paper."
Alicia stood shocked. Her husband, her husband and the man was blowing her off. She had a feeling he wouldn't believe her if she said they were married. He was Brian Clearwater. A stuffy Ravenclaw whom she remembered as being Penelope Weasley's older brother. He ignored her tear streaked face and blood covered hands and clothes. She looked at her children and silently let them follow her to the waiting room.
She had waited an hour when Alexander came up and placed his little hand on her arm and gently cleaned the dried brown blood off her hands as she stared ahead, no longer shedding tears, in complete shock. Suddenly a slamming door startled her, she pushed off her son almost roughly as she stood up. "WHERE IS CHARLES WEASLEY! TELL ME RIGHT NOW! I NEED TO KNOW HOW HE IS DOING!" she screamed gripping the collar of Brian Clearwater's robes. "TELL ME RIGHT NOW!" She shook the healer.
"Madame! I told you to GO HOME! Obviously I cannot tell you anything as you are not direct family. Molly Weasley has been owled and I'm sorry but I cannot tell you anything. Please, put me down."
"LIKE BLOODY HELL I WILL YOU UTTER ARSE! TELL ME WHERE THE FUCK CHARLES WEASLEY IS! TELL ME WHERE HE IS! OR AT THE VERY LEAST TELL ME IF HE'S OKAY! I NEED TO KNOW!" She said pushing him back.
"SECURITY! PLEASE REMOVE THIS WOMAN!" shouted the Healer angrily. Before Alicia could say another word, she and her four children were outside in the rainy London Street outside of St. Mungo's. Annika reached up and gently pulled her mother's black cloak around her and reached for the wand in the diaper bag. The man had taken her father's wand. She held out her wand arm like she had seen her grandfather do when they took the knight bus home from Diagon Alley when they got ice cream. She waved it and waited for the crashing of the bus. She tightened the green robes around her brothers and handed them to her stunned mother who had relapsed into silence. Her mother took the two year olds numbly and Annika grasped her brother by his hand as the purple double decker landed in the middle of the street. She ushered her stunned mother to a seat before digging through her mother's purse to pay their fare.
"Where do you want to go little girl," said the driver looking sympathetically at their mother and realizing that they were outside of St. Mungo's.
"Molly Weasley's house." Said the ten year old remembering that the healer had mentioned the woman.
"That's a bit far, but I think we can make a special stop to Ottery St. Catchpole and direct you from there." Annika nodded quietly and pulled her brother to a seat next to her mother and sat quietly until the driver called out that they had arrived in Ottery St. Catchpole. It was raining there too.
"Can you point me to Molly Weasley's house from here?" asked Annika.
"Sure can, everyone knows where that wonderful cook lives. Just up the road, look for the house that looks like a tower of blocks that's about to fall over."
"Thank you."
Annika led her brother and pulled her mother along the muddy road while the rain poured down. She had to stop a few times to pull the hood of her mother's cloak back up to prevent her mother from being further soaked by the rain. Finally the funny looking house the man had spoken of appeared, and she led her mother up to the door where she rang the bell. The commotion that followed inside was loud.
"Hello," said the red haired man who opened the door with a nervous face. "How can I help you?" Annika didn't say anything. Neither did her mother or the twins. Alex looked at Annika and she looked at the ground, hiding her face under the hood of her blue robes.
Suddenly one of the twins squirmed and the hood of her mother's cloak fell back to reveal Alicia's pale face. "Alicia Spinnet?" the man gasped out causing a surprised gasp from inside the house and a beautiful black woman danced into the doorway.
"ALICIA!" screamed the woman, Angelina Weasley. Alicia didn't react. "OH MERLIN! Something's wrong, get her inside! Somebody help me, take these little ones George." Alicia was ushered into the house, causing the Weasley family who had been congregated in the family room to spring into action. George set the twins on the floor and followed the majority of the adults into the kitchen where Alicia had been half carried half dragged to the table and a cup of tea set in front of her. Angelina was trying to talk to her while she stared off into space and most of the others looked on in curiosity and shock to see the old friend somehow reappeared.
After a few minutes of interrogation Angelina resorted to merely wrapping her strong arms around her old friend. This contact somehow pulled a response from her friend as Alicia began sobbing violently. Incoherent wails were bursting from the woman violently as tears spilled down her pale face.
Arthur and Andy toddled across the floor of the family room into the lap of the only adult not to have left the room, Bill Weasley who was sitting stunned in the armchair by the fireplace. The two boys crawled into the lap of the redhead who looked so much like their father. Bill idly coddled them, ruffling their hair absently and rubbing their backs in a calming manner. He was in shock about the letter that had arrived about two hours ago about his brother in St. Mungo's. The red cloaked Alexander curled himself into a ball at Bill's feet. Annika huddled in the empty corner behind the couch, silently rocking back and forth.
George mumbled, "I heard she went to Bucuresti, bloody Turk who broke her heart and left her with these four. How horrible for Alicia, especially today. " Fluer nodded and the woman around Alicia became if possible even more sympathetic. Her wails were turning into horse screams as she had her face buried in Angelina's shoulder. The woman didn't even seem to notice the volume of the cries. Molly Weasley was distracted enough to begin nervous cooking while she kept one eye on the clock that had been taken off the wall.
Percy Weasley had never been known for tact, and it wasn't a trait his daughter possessed either. Not many Weasleys did. His older daughter Molly who happened to be the same age as Annika went boldly to the corner holding out her hand confidently. "My name is Molly Weasley, nice to meet you. What's your name?" Annika looked at the redhead darkly and ignored her as she listened to the slowly quieting shrieks of her mother.
"How rude…. Well, do you want to play?" Annika didn't respond once again. Molly reached down and grabbed the taciturn girl's arm pulling it roughly in an attempt to get her on her feet. Annika pulled her arm away roughly swatting at the small redhead. "What is wrong with you?!" an agitated Molly exclaimed.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"COME ON!" said the stubborn girl, once again pulling Annika's arm.
"NO!" yelled Annika roughly pushing Molly off again causing Molly to give the girl an o'no'you-didn't look and shove herself on the taller girl, pulling the long honey brown perfect locks that she was jealous of. Annika fought back angrily flipping the redhead off of her and shoving her down on the ground in an all out tussle as she wrapped her hands around the girl's neck and throttled her shrieking at a volume to match her mother's. The adults were however still too busy in the other room to notice, except Bill who was preoccupied too and didn't notice either.
Roxanne had watched the beginning of the exchange with interest, she was also ten and waiting on her cousin impatiently to get the other girl to play. When a fight broke out, Roxanne would always be the first to join in. Pulling the skinny girl off Molly was easy enough but the girl had fight in her and swung her arm around to punch her in the face, causing her nose to begin bleeding. Roxanne shrieked and threw herself on the girl as Molly continued to pull the girl's hair.
"GET OFF MY SISTER!" screamed Alexander William Weasley racing across the room seeing his sister was outnumbered. She and he tousled, but that was a fair fight in his opinion. The chubby redhead had been a fair match, but now the tall black girl joining in just wasn't fair at all. He threw himself into the fight punching the girl who currently was pulling his sister's hair while the other one held her in a headlock as Annika tried to claw at them.
"AHHH!!!!" screamed the redhead who he had punched right in the face as she turned on him ready to attack him. With the joining of Alex to the fight, the twins were ready to join in and protect their siblings in what little way they could and they began crying, which was the only sound that could awaken Alicia from her state of misery.
Even Angelina had been surprised when Alicia abruptly stopped crying and snapped up from her embrace. In the silence of the kitchen, the noise from the other room was blatantly obvious. George Weasley started laughing as the adults stared in shock at the scene of Roxanne with a bloody nose pulling Alicia's daughter's hair while Molly, Percy's daughter was getting throttled by a little redhead in a pair of red robes who was obviously Alicia's son. That must have been what George was laughing at.
The rest of the adults seemed stunned as Alicia was the only one who could react to the violent scene. She marched angrily across the room, her wet robes billowing out behind her in Snape-like fashion as she pulled the red haired boy off the spitting redhead and lifted him by his collar in front of her. Directing her screams at the two children she shrieked even louder than before. "ANNIKA ANGELICIA AND ALEXANDER WILLIAM WEASLEY! I AM ASHAMED! HONESTLY! WHAT WOULD YOUR FATHER SAY? NO QUIDDITCH FOR A MONTH, SCRATCH THAT, THE REST OF YOUR LIVES! SIT DOWN!"
She directed them to the couch as Roxanne had released Annika stunned at the furious woman in front of them as the two children obeyed silently with wide eyes. "WHAT HORRIBLE HORRIBLE BEHAVIOR! ESPEICALLY TOWARD STRANGERS! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO SUCH A THING! I HAVE TAUGHT YOU TO BE BETTER THAN THIS! BE QUIET! AND AND and," she seemed to have lost some of her steam as she sunk down onto the couch. "hold me," she finished weakly breaking down into silent sobs once again pulling the two children into her while the two little boys on Bill's lap slid off and crawled over to their mother while the rest of the family watched stunned.
It was impossible not to notice the fiery red hair, the bright blue eyes, the dimpled freckled cheeks. The two little boys pulled on their mother's cloak at the same time, pulling the black cloak off her shoulders and revealing the blood stained blue dress underneath. It was obvious in a second as the members of the Weasley family silently took in the scene. The daughter, Annika was silently crying too, and Roxanne and Molly dusted themselves off and silently crossed the room away from the sad family.
"Alicia," said Angelina quietly. "Where have you been?"
"Hey, I just checked the map and guess what! Bucuresti is in Romania, isn't that something?" said George trying to lighten the mood. Molly Weasley Sr. walked slowly across the room, clutching her clock. She set it down next to the couch as she curled up on the couch and engulfed the five in a huge hug that only Molly Weasley could give. And with that, the crying group had a new member.
Most of the adults, except Bill who was still frozen in his chair went back into the kitchen where speculation took place and they basically got it right. Alicia was Charlie's 'Mrs. Weasley', and they had four children, only two of which had known names. Crying went on in the family room for another hour while the rest of the family stayed in the kitchen, drinking to pass the time and mask the pain.
Around nine o'clock there was suddenly screaming from the family room and all of those in the kitchen hurried to the doorway bleary eyed as they watched an elated Molly Weasley Sr. dancing around the room with Alicia Spinnet in her arms sobbing in relief. An exhausted Annika had fallen asleep in her little brother's arms and the twins had crawled over to comfort Bill whom they still thought looked like their daddy.
Ginny ran across the room and picked up the Weasley Family Clock holding it high above her head in elation to display the most wonderful site in the world. Charlie Weasley's golden hand had moved from it's spot at 12 o'clock reading Mortal Peril to Hospital. Everyone was happily hugging each other, tears streaming down faces.
A collective gasp sounded around the room.
"Everyone stays here tonight!" announced Molly Weasley as she caught her newly attained daughter in law who had fainted dead away, exhausted from the day and finally relieved enough to let herself slip into unconsciousness.
With the appearance of the clock that assured his brother's recovery, Bill sprang into action, nearly dumping the two children on his lap onto the floor before rushing to help his mother with the pale woman.
"Take her to you and Charlie's old room. George, bring up Annika. Alexander, would you introduce me to your brothers so I can bring you up as well. I'm Molly Weasley, but you can call me Grandma. I'm sure you're tired."
"Okay," said Alex quietly in his six year old voice while the rest of the Weasleys were watching with avid attention as he walked over to his brothers who were still unnaturally quiet, especially for them. "I think mum dressed Arthur in red today, so this is Arthur Gred and Andrew Forge is the one in blue. They are two. Their birthday is February 2nd , and mine is September 2nd, and Nika's is May 30th, Nika's 10, I'm six, and a half, and I have a pet owl named Petey. And, and, and I want my daddy!" he had been rambling to fill the nervous silence and his voice took on a faster speed as he continued.
Molly scooped up the two children tears running down her face knowing that they were her grandchildren and realizing the significance of their names. She had to smile at that. George had even laughed out loud. Arthur was at her side taking the twin in the red from her gently and helping them up the stairs to take to Charlie and Bill's old room.
Ginny directed much of what happened next, sending the girl cousin's to her old room and then conjuring up sleeping bags for the boys to stay in the family room. She and Harry would sleep on the pull out in the sitting room while everyone else could have their old rooms but Bill and his wife Fleur who would stay in the recently added guest bedroom. Everyone went to bed, ready for the nerves of the night to be over, there had been a bit much drama, even for the Weasley family.
Before going to sleep that night, after making sure everyone was safely tucked into bed, Molly Weasley made one last stop to peek in on her newly found daughter Alicia and grandbabies. Opening the door of her oldest sons' old room she scanned the two beds only to smile sadly to herself. The two small twin beds had been pushed together and five bodies were huddled together, mostly on one side, sleeping in the borrowed pajamas.
Molly didn't know how she hadn't seen or suspected it all along. She had always known that Charlie loved children and big families, had wanted to get married, settle down in Romania in a cozy crowded house. She should have realized he wouldn't be as content as he always appeared if he was destined to eternal bachelorhood. She should have known he had found someone, should have seen this coming. And possibly even seen the woman as Alicia.
She remembered the girl from when she had dated Fred. She had realized much sooner than either one of them had realized that they were not meant for each other. Alicia was a little too serious for Fred, a little too normal. Fred needed someone as wild and crazy or at least as extreme as he was. Fred wanted a small family and Alicia coming from a small family had wanted a big one to fill the void her lonely childhood had left.
While Molly had realized it, Alicia probably hadn't, but Fred was a man who would talk about getting married, but he would forever be a bachelor at heart. The only thing that would have forced him to the alter would have been a child. And as bad as that sounded, Molly Weasley had honestly hoped that would someday be the case, if indeed it was the only thing that could have motivated her wildest son to marry.
On the other hand, Molly could see why Alicia and Charlie would have ended up together. They both had similar ideas of what they wanted out of life, big families, cozy crowded houses, nature as opposed to living in a flat above a joke shop in Diagon Alley. She would NEVER have let any of her children, least of all Fred AND George move in next door. Charlie had that sense of humor that went well with Alicia's and he had that happy light about him that Alicia possessed too. They were both great people and she could see why they fell for each other.
They were obviously each other's types too. Tonks had light brown hair when she wasn't morphing it pink or some other outlandish color. Alicia was sweet, sentimental, and easily offended, something that her more considerate son Charlie would be able to deal with. Fred, like George, had been incredibly single minded and out of tune with the emotions of those around him, not noticing when something he said was offensive, and if he did, he often didn't care. His blunt nature worked well with some, but Alicia was a woman who had to be tread upon carefully, as to not upset her. Which is why Fred and Alicia had fought so much.
Yes, Alicia was a wonderful woman for Charlie, now the question was why they hadn't told her. HONESTLY, keeping her GRANDCHILDREN from MOLLY WEASLEY! That thought began to stew in her head, but she was too worried about her son who was still in the hospital with no news from the mediwizards or witches. However, she would take that as no news is good news.
The next morning, Molly Weasley woke to the smell of frying bacon from the kitchen, her kitchen. She pulled on her green dressing robe that George had given her for Christmas a few years back and marched down the stairs.
"Mummy…" whined a voice from the kitchen. "I'm hungry!"
"I haven't eaten in practically a year," whined another voice, this one older, most likely Alex.
"Honestly Alex, it was yesterday when you had Easter dinner at Granny and Papa Spinnet's. We had some food in the park too, stop whining. Besides, you haven't seen how much some of these people here eat. They all eat like daddy, and so I need to make a lot of food. Annika, thank you so much darling for your help. You were a big help to me yesterday too. I'm very sorry for putting so much responsibility on you. I'm the mum, I should have been able to do something. You're so big, and I can't believe you are going to go away to Hogwarts next year. Daddy will be very proud of you when he hears."
There was a muffled sobbing as Annika finally got to be the comforted one by her mother as Alicia hushed her crying. Molly didn't want to intrude on the intimate moment and took a step back from the door.
"MUM!" exclaimed Alex, obviously showing his displeasure at his mother's distraction from cooking. "I'm so hungry I could… I could eat the crotch off a low flying duck!"
"ALEXANDER WILLIAM WEASLEY! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID!? HONESTLY WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT HORRID PHRASE!? DO YOU NEED YOUR MOUTH WASHED OUT WITH SOAP!?"
"Erm, daddy says it all the time!" said the little boy timidly.
"CHARLES!" exclaimed Alicia exasperatedly before she realized he wouldn't be there to hear her. She let out a strangled sound before turning to her work while Annika glared at her brother. Molly took the opportunity to barge into the room and help her daughter-in-law cook.
"So, how long have you and Charlie been married?" asked Molly innocuously as she flipped pancakes.
"Fifteen years, fifteen wonderful years."
"I see, I see, and your parents know?"
"Erm, yes, they do. But we had a good reason for not telling the Weasley side of the family, which I think might have been based on unfounded fears. We thought since I dated Fred, it would seem as if I was replacing Charlie with his dead brother and then also that maybe Charlie should never have gone after his dead brother's girl. But, it really, really isn't like that. I love Charlie, so much, and, and I don't know what I'll do with myself if he doesn't come out of this, himself. There, there was so much blood Molly, from his neck, and his stomach, and I've seen dragon wounds and burns and this, this was something I couldn't handle, this was worse than the time that the Hungarian Horntail clawed him. And, oh, Molly," Alicia who had been doing fine all morning burst into tears and held to Molly's shoulders and she sobbed once again.
Molly remembered when Charlie had told them about his injury with the Horntail. She had always wondered why the hospital wouldn't have contacted her as the next of kin for medical approval when he was unconscious. Of course the Romanians would just ask his wife. They knew about her.
"What happened yesterday that you came here?" asked Molly trying to startle Alicia out of her tears.
"What, oh, well, that horridBrian Clearwater blew me off and thought I was some random person that Charlie had saved 'playing the hero', and then after I waited a while wouldn't tell me anything. I sort of attacked him and I'm pretty sure I now have a lifelong ban from St. Mungo's. "
"YEAH! MUM PICKED UP THAT PRICK AND SHOVED HIM AGAINST A WALL SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER AT THE FAGGOT!" exclaimed Alex remembering the event with humor. Alicia's eyes nearly popped out her head. "SHE WAS ALL WHERE IS CHARLES WEASLEY? AND HE ABOUT POOPED OUT ALL THE FOOD HE'S EVER EATEN IN HIS LIFE AND YELLED 'SECURITY!'"
"ALEXANDER WILLIAM WEASLEY! LANGUAGE! WHERE DOYOU PICK THIS UP!?"
"Da?" was the timid reply and Alicia was once again loosing her composure and crying. She was on the floor against the cupboards with her head in her hands while Molly tried to comfort her, and Alex looked a bit upset while Annika glared at him and tried to hush her youngest brothers who were crying due to the fact their mother was upset.
Suddenly there was a loud crash in the other room.
"ALICIA!" came the deep bellow of Charles Arthur Weasley. "Alicia! Annika, Alex, Arthur, Andrew!"
"CHARLES!" she shrieked running to the man who had appeared in the doorway with an anxious look in his eyes. He looked horrid, pale, wearing the same clothes as the day before which had been washed by the hospital due to apparent lack of bloodstains.
"Clearwater is an absolute prick, I can't believe he bloody kicked you out! THAT FAGGOT! I was insanely worried when I woke up and you and the children weren't there! I didn't know where to find you! I snuck out of the hospital. I went to your parents, who are by the way insanely worried. I didn't know where else to go! I would have gone home but then I wondered if maybe, just maybe you were here! I can't believe you are here! Are you alright? You look like you just got run over by a bloody train and had all of your organs removed and then put back in by a troll who doesn't know what the hell he's doing, and oh, I missed you so damn much!" He was hugging Alicia tightly and running his hand over her hair while she was crying into his shirt clinging to him.
"DADDY!" screamed Annika who was now running across the room and hugging him, while Alex followed quickly, trying to push in front of his sister. Charlie pulled them into his and Alicia's embrace. Molly watched in shock as the explanation poured out of her son. She wondered why Alicia even asked where Alex got it from. Suddenly Alicia pulled away from him.
"Are you okay? You said you snuck out of the hospital like a criminal! Are you all healed!?"
"I'm okay, they got the bullets out of me and did some muggle stitches on me last night, but I was very, very low on blood. If you and Annika hadn't compressed my wounds, I would have bled out in the sodding Alley. I do appreciate that quite a lot. Nikka, you were very brave for daddy, thank you. And last night, I finally managed to begin replenishing my blood supply and they knew I wouldn't die. I'm still weak and they wanted to keep me for observation, and keep me from pulling out my stitches or injuring myself."
"So, you are basically fine now?" He nodded slightly with a dimpled smile. SMACK. A red mark appeared on his face as her hand whipped into his cheek. "THAT, was for scaring the bloody shit out of me! NEVER DO THAT AGAIN CHARLES WEASLEY! OR I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL BLOODY KILL YOU!" She broke down crying again and Charlie led her to a kitchen chair and rubbed her back.
He looked up to see his mother giving him a knowing look. He winked at her and pulled her in for a hug. "I take it you met Alicia, and my four children. Sorry mum," he looked a little unsure of himself and she pulled him in for a big hug. Suddenly there was a rapping at the door. Molly turned to see shadows covering the window to the kitchen door.
"Weasleys! OPEN UP! We know Charles is in there, and right now he needs to be returned to the hospital! You can't just check yourself out and floor yourself home Charlie! Honestly! What are you thinking?" came the petulant voice of Brian Clearwater.
They all looked at the door, not wanting to answer it. Suddenly Alicia shot out of her chair and flung the door open. On the step was Brian Clearwater in his green St. Mungo's robes, flanked by two other healers.
He looked at the glaring Alicia and seemed to wince. "Not you again!... You don't happen to be Alicia? As in, 'where the bloody hell is my wife Alicia?'" Clearwater obviously knew his mistake. POW.
"THAT! Was for being an arsehole and not letting me see my husband. You're lucky I don't sue you! My sister-in-law is a lawyer and I'm sure that you broke at least some law in assuming I was nobody."
"Let's make a deal," said the healer while his eyes watered, his nose swelled and began to bleed, and his face was distorted in pain. "I'll lift your ban from the hospital and you forget my little mistake?"
"I guess that's where Annika and Alex learned to fight, huh?" said George from the doorway alerting everyone to the arrival of rest of the Weasleys. "I knew it couldn't have been Charlie, he always was a little wimp."
"Hey, give me two weeks to recover and I'll be kicking your arse across the backyard little brother. Or should I say, not-so-little brother. You seem to have gained a few pounds since the last time I saw you," quipped Charlie to his brother who laughed rubbing his stomach which was indeed a bit more rotund than it had been a few years ago. He could do with a few less of his joke sweets, but who would test his products if not him?
Alicia changed quickly into some borrowed clothes and accompanied Charlie to the hospital where the healers insisted on monitoring him for at least another day or two. Arthur and the Aunts and Uncles agreed to watch the children so that Molly could go to the hospital with them. After hugging each of his children and forcing Alicia to write a letter to her parents explaining that she was fine, Charlie finally allowed the healers to take him back to the hospital.
Once back at the hospital, everything was explained to Molly. The healers were forcing Charlie to stay in the hospital so they had nothing better than to allow her to catch up on their entire life together from the start where they became pen pals, to when they met, and then dated, were married, began their family, to the present.
"We actually live in the little village outside the preserve, it's a very nice house, unlike the one Charlie allows you to think he lives in. He was always sure you would notice the 'woman's touch' on the place if you visited our real home, so he always had you visit his old place. One of the other keepers actually lives there, but we put him up in the inn when anyone visits. We would love for you to come sometime soon and stay with us. Get to know the children, and become reacquainted with me," said Alicia after they had talked for quite a while.
"Oh, that would be wonderful. I'm going to say, it took some bravery to hide my grandbabies from me. I am still in shock. I can't believe all of this. First you were in mortal peril, then you had a wife and four children we didn't know about, and now you're going to live and I'm meeting this family I didn't know I had, and it's almost too much for an old woman like me."
"Now mum, don't be trying to make us feel guilty. We've felt guilty for sixteen years having a relationship behind your backs. First it was too soon after Fred, and his memory was too recent. We didn't want anyone condemning our relationship and it was the opposite of bravery to hide it. After that, we couldn't reveal that we had been together for so long behind your backs. We should have told you fifteen years ago."
"I understand why you didn't. But, my grandbabies, I didn't even get to see any of them when they were born," Molly said, her eyes beginning to prickle with tears. "I didn't even get news until after they were born and growing!" Alicia took Molly's hands into her own trying to comfort the woman who was obviously upset.
"Oh, Molly, don't cry, besides, you can be the first to know about this one," said placing her hands on her stomach. "Not even Charlie knew yet," she said looking at Charlie who had a bit of a shocked look on his face as he smiled. They had been planning on a few more children, but hadn't thought much about when. They had long ago decided seven was a number to shoot for.
"About October, I think. I was going to tell my parents and Charlie before we went back to Romania. I've been sure for a while, and I've gone to the doctor. I just wanted to wait until I was fairly far along. And so, you get to be the first to know. I bet we could even convince one of the healers to do an ultrasound while we are here and you can be the first to see the baby Molly. I would like nothing more," said Alicia smiling the entire time.
Molly looked like she was going to burst with happy tears. She took Alicia's face in her hands. "I would love nothing more. I haven't had a little baby grandbaby in years, not since Lucy and she's six. I thought my next ones would be great grandbabies! I'm so happy for you! Your other four children are so beautiful, this one is sure to be too! Oh, a baby! You have to let me help you shop! I will pick out the most beautiful little clothes for it. And oh, I'm so excited." She paused and gave them both a cunning look. " This almost makes up for you not telling me about your marriage and children, almost." They all grinned, knowing that she was happy for them and wouldn't be too upset about so much being kept from her for long.
Alicia and Charlie are so darling together. I absolutely love them as a pair because I just don't see him as a single guy forever! He loves big families and shes the woman that would allow him to have a family life and still work with his dragons in Romania! I really hope you liked this, and I will be continuing with Marauders Class of 2018 for now. For any new readers who haven't read that, please check it out. It's all about Charlie's nephew James S. Potter, and his friends. I like to think it's fairly good. Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW
Ellie