Story time in the Weasley house had always been a huge deal. How could it not? All seven children were eager to hear what Molly had to tell them about her time in Hogwarts; about her first Quidditch playing boyfriend before their father, about the first gnomes she encountered and how she came up with the way to removing them. They reveled in her stories about when she had played the positions of Beater years before and how she had been able to cast the most perfect Bat Bogie hex Hogwarts had ever seen (a hex that had been used particularly on the previous boyfriend that had been mentioned prior).
"Tell the one about the ghoul in your shoe!" Her eldest son Bill, who was fifteen, pleaded plopping down next to her on the sofa.
Charlie, thirteen years old, sat comfortably on the rug shaking his head, "No, tell us about the talking cat from Kent. That's my favorite!"
"Or mum…" Fred started from where he sat on the love seat across from her.
"…You could tell the one of the giant spider that used to live in Wonnie-kins' bedroom," George finished, sitting down beside his twin. Both seven year olds smiled at their younger brother.
Said Ron blanched and shook his head frantically, "No mum, I don't like that one. What about the warlock hitchhiker that dad picked up the first time he drove you around in his car? That's a good one!"
"No mummy, not any of those!" The youngest of the bunch, Ginny at only four years of age, came shuffling out of the kitchen, a stuffed rabbit in her arms. Her father was close behind, swiftly picking her up and carrying her to his wife, taking a seat on her other side as Ginny crawled into her lap.
"What one did you want to hear then Hun?"
All the boys groaned knowing that Ginny always wanted to hear the most boring, fluffy stories and she usually always got her way. All the same she stuck her tongue out at her brothers and said, "The one about how you and daddy met." One again the boys gave a heave of protest. Ron and Percy both slumped heavily against the fireplace grate, as they sat on the floor In front of the roaring fire.
Molly rolled her eyes, "I told you that one last night Gin."
"Yes, but mum, it's my favorite."
"How about a brand new story, that we've never heard?" Bill offered before his mother gave in to the little girls begging eyes. At the prospect of a totally unheard story all the children perked up.
"Yes mum a new story!" Ron cheered, a smile growing.
Ginny too jumped a little in her mother's lap, "Oh please mum, pleaaase?"
Molly looked to Arthur who shrugged and sipped his tea sheepishly. "Well Molly, I think you can think of something," he said avoiding her eyes.
She rolled her eyes, not expecting to get help from him in the first place. "Alright darlings, what do you want to hear about?"
This was a question and Molly should have known better than to ask because immediately she was bombarded with suggestions from each of her desperate children. All of them wanting to hear about something different, all of them eager to listen.
"Unicorns mummy!"
"Banshees!"
"Quidditch!"
"Muggles mum, oh please!"
"Dumbledore!"
"Aunt Mariel's-"
"-Prank book!"
"The flying motorbike!"
Yes all the Weasley children wanted to hear about everything and Molly tried desperately to shush them at every interval. Eventually all talk ended at the suggestion of the second eldest, "Tell us about You-Know-Who mum," Charlie's voice wafted over all the others.
Silence ensued amongst the chaos.
Molly shook her head, "Oh-no, no way. Pick something else kiddlets."
They all groaned, "Muuum," Ron whined.
"No mummy please!" Percy cried.
"No mummy please," the twins mimicked their older brother who glared at them ruefully.
"Boys, boys, you heard your mother. No more talk of he-who-must-not-be-named, yah hear?" At their father's command they all quieted down, he did, after all, only raise his voice when it was absolutely necessary.
All thoughts of hearing about the Dark Lord stopped.
Until...
"Who's you know who?"
The twins pumped their fists, so very thankful for their younger sisters innocence, "Oh poor Gin-Gin…" Fred said pouting.
"… Doesn't even know about the darkest wizard of our time," George too pouted. "It's alright sister dearest, I'm sure you'll hear about it sometime.."
"…when your older…"
"…you know, in Hogwarts…"
Molly groaned, hating when any of the boys played the Hogwarts card to Ginny who always fell for it, "Muuummmy," she whined, "I wanna know!"
"Ginny, you're much too young to be hearing of such things…" she trailed off at the sight of the girl's big, watering eyes. She looked to her husband who sighed in resignation.
"Well I suppose we could tell you about how it ended…" he said running a hand over his face, "It's a good thing to know…"
"I've heard a bit about this in school," Charlie announced, "But you know… it was Binns' class… and he just drones on and on…"
"Me too," Bill nodded.
"Alright, alright. All of you be quiet then and listen up," Molly said and all her children inched closer, "now Ginny dear, if it upsets you just tell me to stop, alright?"
"It's alright momma, I'm brave."
"I know darling…" she looked to Arthur who nodded her on. "Well you see not so long ago there was a dark, horrible wizard who knew nothing but the fear of those who surrounded him. He spent his days planning on how he would grow to power and take over the wizarding world, and in the midst of all this he called people to him, and they went to him. Some out of fear and others out of loyalty. It didn't matter why though, they joined him all the same and the war began."
"The war mamma?" Ginny gasped, "Did people die?"
"I'm a afraid so Ginny, many people did in fact. Including my brothers, your uncles Gideon and Fabian," she paused to take a breath, "it was dark times darling. Very dark indeed. But there was hope."
"Let me guess, Dumbledore?" Percy said with a smile.
"Of course, and with him followed the brightest wizards of the time, including the Potters, Lily and James. The nicest people you would meet, I'll tell you that much. And they had the most adorable son. You met him once Ron, but you were only a year old… anyways the Potters were right up there with Dumbledore. Which in turn made you-know-who angry. He targeted the poor, little couple and went after them."
Ginny gasped, "Oh no! Those poor people!"
"Yes Ginny dearest, it was a tragic night when the news of their deaths reached with a bittersweet story. Upon their passing… the Dark Lord had disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Ron whispered, all the boys now leaned in as close as they could.
"Vanished," Molly replied for dramatic effect and all the children gasped. "It was a big mystery, all that was known was that the young couple had been murdered in cold blood."
"And the baby?" Bill asked.
She smiled a little, "Harry Potter was found in his crib, perfectly fine except for a cut on his forehead. A cut that will forever mark him as special, as unique and powerful."
"What was it momma?"
"It was where the baby had been hit… with the killing curse."
All the kids gasped and even Arthur choked on his tea a little, "But no one can survive the killing curse! It's… it's a…" Percy lowered his voice, "… an unforgivable curse."
Molly nodded, "That's right Perce, it is. But the boy survived, and no one can tell why. But whatever it was that he did, it worked and he-who-must-not-be-named is going forever and we are all safe. No longer do I have to worry every time I send one of you off to school. Harry Potter saved us all and he was only a baby."
"Wow," Ginny said and all her brother's nodded, "I think that's my new favourite story mamma. Can you tell it again?"
"Please mum!" Ron begged as well.
Molly shook her head, "Now, now it's bed time. Come on," She placed Ginny on the floor but the girl stopped short, looking at her with inquisitive eyes.
"One question mummy."
"Oh alright, what is it darling?"
"What happened to Harry Potter?"
And at once she had seven eyes on her again, all watching her carefully. "Well, he's a famous boy Ginny, and Dumbledore thought it best that he grew up with… well someone who wouldn't gawk at him and send him into the spotlight all the time… muggles that is."
"Muggles!" Fred exclaimed.
"The greatest baby wizard of all time!" George yelped jumping up.
"Does this mean we'll never have a chance to meet him?" Ron asked sadly.
"Well no Ron, honey he is the same age as you. You will probably be going to school with him," she laughed as her son's face lit up and he whooped.
"I'm going to be in the same year as Harry Potter!"
"Sweet, we'll be there too!" The twins said and the three of them high fived.
"Me too! Me too!" Ginny squealed and she pulled Percy into a hug.
"Alright now, don't go making such a big deal out of it. The boy's going to have enough problems, he doesn't need to be a prize to be won either. Now off to bed. All of you," Mr. Weasley helped his wife half drag the children up the stairs, letting them off on the appropriate floors before heading to bed themselves.
"Do you believe it was the right thing Arthur?"
"They were bound to find out anyways Molly."
"But that poor boy is only Ron's age, and he has no idea that at every moment hundreds of witches and wizards all over are sitting around talking about his brilliance."
"He's a legend Molly, and one day he'll come to learn that."
"Still, I feel sorry for him."
"I know Molly, I know."
000000000000000000
For years after that Harry Potter was a common discussion in the Weasley household. Whenever someone did well on something one of their siblings would reply with, "You're a natural Potter!"
This often earned them a look from their mother and so the children usually only did it behind her back. There was one thing though that did not go unnoticed by Molly Weasley. A mother always knows, as they say. "Ginny dear, what are you drawing?"
She peered over her seven year old's shoulder at the moving picture the young girl was drawing with her enchanted crayons, "This is me," she pointed at the stick figure with long, billowing red hair, "This is my pony, Dribble, and that's Errol there, and that's my castle!"
"And the other person dear?"
The girl's cheeks and ears turned red when her mother pointed at the faceless stick figure, "Well I didn't know what he looked like…"
"Who is it?"
"Harry Potter," she mumbled quietly and Molly chuckled a little as Ginny scribbled the boys name next to the man.
"That's very sweet of you dear. Have a little crush on the boy who lived do you?"
Ginny shook her head frantically, "No, I just think that after all he's gone through, he deserves to live in a castle too mummy."
Molly smiled and kneeled next to her daughter, "That's very nice of you dear," she said and Ginny smiled, putting her crayons down.
"I'm gunna go play with Ron in the garden."
"Alright honey, just stay clear of the gnomes!"
Ginny nodded and scurried out the door, leaving Molly with the picture. It was pretty as far as a seven-year-old's drawings went. "I think I'll put this away…" Molly said to herself thinking how it was something Ginny may want to look back on when she was older.
Years Later
"Hey Ginny," Harry popped his head into his kitchen and peered at his newlywed wife.
"Yeah?" she looked back at him.
"What's this?" He held up a drawing that Ginny faintly remembered.
"Where'd you get that?" She squealed, trying to snatch it from him.
He lifted it out of her reach and smiled, "It was in one of your boxes. What is it?"
"It's something that I did when I was seven. Come on Harry, give it here!"
He turned from her and peered at it again, noting the pony and the owl but his eyes stuck particularly to the two stick figures in the center of the page, who stood holding hands. "Is that you and me?"
Ginny sighed, "…Yeah…"
Harry turned to her, a silly smile set on his face, "You were seven?"
"Yes, which is why it's absolutely stupid and I have no idea how it even ended up in one of my boxes I-" She was cut off by her husband's lips landing on hers.
"So," Harry said pulling back a little, "I may be okay with the pony but I'm not too certain about us living in a castle. Nasty drafts you know?"
She laughed and hit his playfully, "Oh bugger off you."
He snorted and took her hands, starring down at the golden ring that twined around her finger and smiling softly, "You were really seven?"
"Yeah… why?"
He peered up, "And even after all that time?"
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Always," she whispered and kissed him softly.
She mentally noted that this was a story to be told at the Weasley's story time.