Molly Weasley sighed happily as she stroked her newest child's cheek with her finger as he nursed at her breast. She and her husband Arthur had brought him home from St. Mungo's a mere hour ago, and her first born, Billy, was upstairs taking his afternoon nap, which meant he hadn't had the honor of welcoming his baby brother and mother home from the hospital.
"You okay, Molly?"
She looked up, offering her husband of three years a gentle smile as he crossed the sitting room to join her on the settee.
"I'm fine Arthur. A little sore, but I'm fine."
He kissed her cheek and slipped his arm around her waist as he reached over to allow his son to wrap a tiny hand around his finger.
"Good. Would you like some lunch? Mum said Bill only went down a few minutes before I got there to pick him up, so he's going to be sleeping a bit."
"Let him sleep, and no, thank you, dear. Let this little one finish eating first. He's had a rough morning."
"He has. It's not easy going from a comfortable ninety-eight degrees to a climate that's noisy and colder than what you're used to."
"He'll make the adjustment. He's not as fussy as he was last night and this morning when the medi-witch was examining him."
"You didn't get much rest last night did you, hon?"
Molly shook her head. Even though Arthur had stayed overnight with her at the hospital, he didn't wake up to Charlie's constant cries.
"Between feeding this little one and the medi-witch poking and prodding me every hour, I didn't. Though I know for a fact you did. You were snoring up a storm."
"I'm sorry. I kept you awake too, didn't I?"
"A bit, but it was nice having you there anyway, I've never really fancied staying by myself in a hospital."
"Well, there was no way I was going to leave you there all by yourself, dear." Arthur commented, leaning down to rest his cheek against hers. "When he's finished," he began, gesturing to the little life at his wife's breast, "Do you want me to take him so you can get a bit of rest before our lively little two year old wakes up?"
"Would you? He's just about finished."
"Of course my love. Our children need a mum who isn't exhausted as their father is most of the time."
"They do, but you know, it's not your fault you have to work long days." She replied softly, carefully detaching Charlie from her breast and handing him to Arthur. "Here, dear. He needs to be burped and changed, then he can go down and rest."
Arthur carefully took the infant from his mother's arms, cradling him as gently against his chest as Molly had against her bosom as he nursed. "Will do, Mollywobbles. Do you need help getting to bed?"
"No, I'll be fine, but thanks for offering."
"You're welcome dear. Just be careful on the steps, hmm?"
"I will."
Molly watched as Arthur carried their son to the nursery before taking a deep breath and bracing herself to rise with as little pain as possible. Despite her efforts however, a soft moan of pain escaped her lips and she closed her eyes as she inhaled again. She gingerly made her way to her bedroom and once there; she collapsed gratefully against the pillows and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
"Mumma?"
Molly opened her eyes slightly at the voice, recognizing it as Bill's. He was standing by her bed, his eyes wide as he rested a hand on her upper arm.
"What is it, Billy?" She asked gently, ruffling his hair as she yawned.
"The baby."
"The baby's awake?" Bill fervently nodded, and Molly moved to sit up as her child's cry penetrated her ears.
"I'm hungee, Mumma."
"All right, Bill, give me a minute. I have to get the baby first."
"Why?" He asked innocently as he toddled after his mother into the nursery.
"He's small, Bill. Do you know where your father is?" She asked scooping up her infant and cradling him close trying to quiet him.
Bill shook his head, and Molly sighed. "Come with me, Billy. We'll get you something to eat in a minute."
"Now!"
"No, Bill, not right now, in a little bit, Charlie needs to eat first." She replied, opening her house gown to free her breast to allow her youngest to feed.
"Why, Mumma?"
Molly blew a stray hair out of her face, praying to Merlin for patience, even though she knew this was a sudden transition for Bill, who was used to having her undivided attention.
"Bill please, will you go sit on the sofa and wait for Mum? I'll be there in a second." Bill toddled down the stairs ahead of her, and she noticed that Arthur was in his armchair, dozing. Bill settled himself on the sofa as he was told, and after checking to make sure Charlie was still nursing happily, she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"Who's there?" He asked groggily, snapping out of his nap.
"It's just me, Arthur."
"Oh. What's wrong?"
"We need to explain some things to that little boy over there." She replied, gesturing to Bill who was patiently waiting on the settee.
"Ah…transition not going smoothly?"
"No, Arthur."
Arthur sighed and pulled Bill onto his lap to explain the changes around the house to him.
"Bill, you do understand that Charlie is littler than you, right son?"
"Yes, Daddy. But I'm hungee."
"I know. Mum will fix you something to eat as soon as Charlie is finished okay?"
"I'm hungee now, Daddy."
"Billy, sweetie," Molly began, sitting next to her husband and oldest son, still being careful of the infant at her breast. "Charlie needs Mummy first okay?"
"Okay…" he said slowly, and Molly knew he was trying hard to understand what his parents were telling him. "I'm hungee, Mumma."
"Shh…I know, but you need to listen to Mummy and Daddy for a minute, then Daddy will make you something to eat."
"I want you, Mumma."
"I know, I know." Arthur ruffled his son's hair as he began to try to explain the situation to him.
"Bill, now that Charlie's here, you're the big brother. Which means you are Charlie's role model."
"What's a role moel?"
"Charlie will look up to you, so you have to show him how to be a good brother. Can you do that?"
"Yes…I'm hungee."
"I know. For a while, Charlie is going to take up a lot of your Mum's time, okay?"
"Why Daddy? I want Mumma."
Molly sighed as she detached Charlie and moved him to her shoulder to burp him before answering Bill's question. "Bill, dear, Charlie is used to having me constantly. He has to learn how to tell Mummy what he wants, and he needs me to feed him."
"Why?"
"Because he gets his food from your mother, Bill, like you did when you were his size. He can't eat the same food from the kitchen like you can."
"Oh. So Mumma has to spend more time with Charlie than with me?" Bill spoke slowly, trying to make sure he was understood.
"Yes, Bill, but a new baby in the house doesn't mean that Mumma loves you any less Bill. In fact, that means I have more love to give you and your brother."
"But,"
"Bill, Charlie's littler than you, and he can't wait for Mum's attention like you can. So can you help Mum out a bit? She won't forget you, I promise." Arthur said, giving his son a hug.
"Promie?"
"Yes, Bill. I won't forget you. You're still my baby too." Molly said, wrapping her arm around her son to pull him close.
"Breskrit now?"
"Yes, Bill, I'll make you something to eat. How about a sandwich?" Molly asked, handing the now somewhat sleepy Charlie to his father.
"Okay, Mumma."
Molly smiled and took her son's hand, gently guiding him to the kitchen so she could keep an eye on him while she made his dinner.
Later on that evening after Molly and Arthur had turned in and the boys had been fed and put down respectively, Molly snuggled close to her husband.
"Arthur, you handled that well with Bill today. I'm proud of you."
"You did most of the talking, Molly."
"I know, but you helped make Bill somewhat understand that he's not the only child in this house now. I think you can have the task of talking to each of our children about becoming the 'older' sibling with each new addition we bring into this family."
"Mol, really. I think we work better as a team."
"I agree, but you know, when the time comes, you get the task of giving the boys the 'talk' as you're their father."
"The sex talk? Ah, Molly, do we have to worry about that right now? We've still got several years before we have to worry about that."
"I know, I just want you to be prepared, before you know it our little boys aren't going to be little boys anymore."
"Yes, but really, when I got the 'talk' from my father, I was thoroughly embarrassed."
"I understand, but someone has to tell them, and I'd rather it be their father. Besides, if we have a daughter, I'll take full responsibility of talking to her."
"Okay, deal. Now good night and sweet dreams my Mollywobbles. Charlie will be waking up soon."
"Don't I know it, Arthur. Good night and I love you."
"I love you too." He replied, drawing his wife close and planting a kiss to her forehead as she sighed happily against him. Minutes later, the couple was asleep, satisfied that their two sons were also sleeping peacefully.