Disclaimer: No, despite rumors I do not own Harry Potter
Organized Chaos
Seven children with flaming red hair between the ages of one and ten, two parents fighting for control, and one lopsided house in the country. It could only be the Weasleys.
Molly Weasley, the mother of seven children and husband to one Arthur Weasley, pulled her hair back into a bun and placed her hands on her hips, surveying the mess. At six 'o clock in the morning she shouldn't have to be cleaning up the aftermath of a flour war, but here she was. Sighing Molly reached for the broom and her wand.
Hopefully she could get this cleaned up before the children came downstairs to make another mess.
While Molly was busy downstairs cleaning up the chaos left behind by Fred and George, two flights of stairs up, one hallway to the left, and through the den, Arthur Weasley was rummaging through his wardrobe looking for his blue and white striped tie.
Emptying the contents of his sock drawer onto his bed Arthur frowned and looked away, scratching his chin in confusion. What had happened to his tie? Arthur fell to his hands and knees to look underneath the bed and straightened again empty handed. He couldn't go to work without a tie and his other one (a nice purple tie with silver spots) was in the laundry.
Suddenly, inspiration struck. Yesterday Arthur's oldest son, Bill, had organized the kids into a war game with Bill himself starring as the hero. Arthur faintly remembered coming home from work and all the children, save for Ginny who was still too young, were all outside running and screaming, decked in full war garb. Arthur smiled to himself and walked to Bill and Charlie's bedroom.
Pushing the door slightly ajar, Arthur peered into the dark room. Light spilled across the face of Charlie, the second oldest, whose bed was closest to the door.
Arthur opened the door slowly, careful of the squeaky hinges, and entered the room on tiptoe.
When he reached Bill's bed he stopped and smiled again. Wrapped around Bill's head was his blue and white striped tie. Pulling his wand from his pocket, Arthur carefully removed the tie from his ten-year-old son's head.
Arthur left the room knotting the tie around his neck and headed for the bathroom.
Ron awoke with a start, sitting upright in bed wailing loudly. The second youngest Weasley child was almost beside himself with terror before Ron realized he was no longer sleeping and the horrible clown from his dream had gone.
Percy groaned from across the room and pulled the blankets tighter around his lanky six-year-old form, muttering to Ron to shut up. Ron frowned and got out of bed, no longer sleepy and left his room, bathrobe trailing behind him as he jumped down the stairs.
Molly looked up from the floor as she heard footsteps on the stairs. It was Ron, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning loudly. Molly smiled and stood up, taking the little boy into her arms and seating him at the table.
"What would you like for breakfast Ronniekins?" Molly asked, immediately turning around to see what there was to eat in the pantry.
Ron swung his feet back and forth and returned his mother's grin. "Pa'cakes!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his hands down onto the table in childish exuberance.
Molly wiped her hands on her apron and pulled a bowl from the cupboard. Watching the batter stir itself with one eye, Molly resumed cleaning the kitchen. Ron busied himself by tapping out a rhythm onto the tabletop with his knuckles and kicking his chair, waiting patiently for breakfast.
Arthur was the next one down the staircase, cleaning his glasses and smoothing down his shirtfront. Molly waved her wand and the finished pancakes flew onto nine waiting plates, one landed in front of Arthur who was just sitting down at the head of the table.
"Smells wonderful my dear." Arthur inhaled the delightful scent of fresh pancakes and leant over to help Ron cut his food.
"Thank you Arthur, are Bill and Charlie up yet? They promised to de-gnome the garden this morning." Molly floated some sausages over to her husband.
"Again?" Arthur asked around a mouthful of pancake.
"Don't speak with your mouth full dear and yes, again. Those darn things won't keep away." Molly answered, removing her apron and sitting at the opposite end of the table.
A loud wailing broke through the breakfast conversation as the baby awoke from her sleep. Molly sighed and made to get up but Arthur stopped her. "I'll get Ginny dear, enjoy your breakfast. You look exhausted."
Molly smiled and watched Arthur's back as he scaled the stairs.
Ginny was standing in her crib with her hands held out when Arthur opened the nursery door. The carpet and walls of the room had been worn down by its six previous occupants but Arthur had repainted the room a bright yellow when his one and only daughter, Ginny, had been born.
Arthur grinned and swooped his daughter out of the crib and into the air. Ginny squealed with delight as her father caught her, making Arthur chuckle. The nursery door opened again and the twins, dressed in the same pajamas but with an 'F' or 'G' on the front, stood there grinning.
"Mornin' Dad!" Fred said brightly.
"Good morning Fred." Arthur answered; glad to have at least two morning children out of seven.
"Is mum making breakfast?" George asked, seating himself on the rocking chair in the corner.
"Yes. She made pancakes this morning." Arthur said, rocking Ginny into silence.
Before his father protest, Fred tipped the chair back with one slippered foot, causing George to spill out onto the floor.
"Fred! Don't…!" Arthur tried to scold his son but the two had already raced from the room, giggling to themselves. Arthur shook his head in confusion.
By the time Arthur had returned downstairs, the whole family was seated at the table eating their breakfasts. Percy was eating his usual orange, Bill and Charlie had pancakes with butter, Fred and George had constructed two massive pancake sandwiches with bacon and eggs, and Ron was eating his pancakes and syrup quietly.
Arthur placed Ginny in her high chair and placed a few meticulously cut pieces of pancake before her. Ginny wasted no time in reaching for the food with both hands, shoving all the bits into her mouth at once.
Bill made a face at Ginny, who laughed at her oldest brother. Bill seemed to be her favorite brother, although Fred and George loudly protested otherwise.
Charlie started arguing with Percy for the jam and Fred and George stole Ron's cutlery, inciting a small ruckus.
Ron got down from his chair to look under the table for his missing fork while Fred and George sniggered behind their hands. Molly pulled the fork and plastic knife from behind George's back and put them back on Ron's plate.
"Bill, Charlie. I need you two to de-gnome the garden." The two boys stopped eating and immediately looked aghast, flinging excuses at their mother.
"Mum, I promised to show Fred and George how to use a beater's bat today."
"But Mum…I was going to go to the Towlers'!"
Molly held up her hand for silence. "All of that can wait until the gnomes are gone. It won't take all ay if you work hard. Now get to it."
Placing their dishes in the sink, Bill and Charlie reluctantly slunk from the house, slamming the door not so discreetly behind them.
Percy excused himself and went back up to his room while Fred and George had a funny face contest to see who could make Ginny laugh first. It didn't take too long as Ginny was always quick to laugh or smile.
Molly took the plates from Fred, George, Arthur, and Ron and put them in the sink with the others. Arthur pushed back his chair and headed for the door, kissing his wife on the cheek as he did so.
"I'll see you tonight love." Arthur called over his shoulder as he swung the door open. The squeals of gnomes hurtling through the air carried over the crisp morning air. Molly waved her husband goodbye and shut the door behind him.
Spinning around at the sound of cries, Molly scolded Fred for making Ginny cry and sent the twins back to their room to make their beds. Ron quickly excused himself and ran for the door to join Bill and Charlie outside.
Left with her youngest child, who was gurgling happily with dried tears on her cheeks, Molly bent over the sink to wash the dishes and listen to the sounds of her boys playing outside.
Arthur's Note:
Just a quick little thing to fill time in between chapters for my other story. What I imagine the early years of Ron's childhood to be like. Organized chaos. Bill and Charlie are two of my favorite characters and I wish they got more notice in the books but that's what fanfiction is for!
PLEASE REVIEW! I love feedback, good or bad. Sorry if the story was a little bland but it was an idea that was bouncing around in my head.