A/N: Hi everyone, hope you enjoy, this is just something small that came to mind the other day after seeing the (ah-mazing) final movie. Reviews are ah-mazing as well!
Thank you very, very much to Unsuspected, who was my beta for this story.
I do not own Harry Potter. Many, many thanks to Jo Rowling, who does actually own Harry.
Molly Weasley was polishing the picture frames in the living room of her home. It was simply amazing how much tidier she was able to keep the place, now that she didn't have to worry about cleaning up and maintaining the lives of her seven children.
Admittedly the house was still as lived-in and run-down as it had ever been, but now at least she could put up a fight against the cleaning. She had time for it. She had time for lots of things now. She had taken up hobbies, finished her knitting earlier and more often, and found that she could visit friends and family more. She was even helping several other wizards she knew put together a home-living sort of guide, practical and useful spells for the home. They greatly valued her input – unassuming as it might seem to have been a housewife and mother for the last several decades of her life, Molly Weasley was a powerful witch, and had even developed a charm or two in her day. Working on this book was the first time she would be receiving a paycheck for work in- she couldn't remember how long.
She stopped what she was doing for a moment and twisted her arm to run her hand along her back. She was tired, but no more than usual. Not any less good-natured of course, but still tired.
She was always tired, she supposed – had been ever since having Percy. Two children, even two energetic and raucous little boys, she had been able to handle while her husband worked at the Ministry. Her energy could match theirs back then. But the third had made her tired, and she realized she had simply been tired ever since. Three children after that, two of which were the most troublemaking twins she had ever encountered, and she was very nearly beat down.
Though, she reasoned, by the time Ron was born, Bill had been 10 years old, and old enough to, at times, help her. But then of course the next year he was off to Hogwarts, and Charlie was never as helpful. Loving and sensitive of course, but never quite as helpful as Bill had been. Charlie was always off outside somewhere, and more often than not she would have to run around the yard with the younger children in tow to find him when he missed curfew.
Ginny's birth was a blessing in many ways – Molly was thrilled to have a girl, finally, and Arthur couldn't have been prouder, as Ginny was the first girl born into a Weasley family in decades. The boys had all had a sort of fascination about having a baby sister. For days after she was born they peered into her cradle and talked around her with hushed voices, sometimes even cooing to her sweetly, as little boys do. But their tenderness wore off in the following weeks, and as Ginny grew up she dealt with six overbearing brothers.
Molly continued polishing the picture frames. It was a silly chore really – they weren't very dirty at all – but she felt like doing it today. She moved from the ones on the wall to the ones that were propped up on the side table.
The portrait of Percy and his family in the large golden frame – a gift two Christmases ago from Percy and his wife Audrey. Percy grimaced in this particular photo, while Audrey beamed, ignoring her two daughters pulling at each others' hair.
Satisfied with the cleanliness of that frame, she moved to the next. It was a picture of the bridal party at Bill and Fleur's wedding. She remembered the day so well – it had been a beautiful ceremony, despite her reluctance to give up her eldest son, and in spite of the way it had ended. She felt a chill remembering the night's intruders. Fleur had been hysterical, but Molly's hardened heart for her first daughter-in-law had softened when she learned that Fleur was not upset at her day being ruined, but simply fearful for the welfare of the guests.
But this photo had been taken earlier in the day, after the ceremony. Before the chaos.
Molly examined the photo more closely. There was a dirt speck covering Charlie's face, and she rubbed it off. When she did, she saw her eldest two sons beaming up at her, standing side by side. On Bill's arm, Fleur was positively the most radiant bride Molly had ever seen. Fleur's sister Gabrielle was next to her, and on Gabrielle's other side, Ginny. All looking beautiful; how they'd grown since then, Ginny had only been sixteen… Fleur's mother and father were there, and Molly and Arthur mirrored them on Bill's side. Who was Bill's other groomsmen, she wondered at she stared at the strange face. How could she not remember… he had been Bill's friend at the time, and Bill did not want to choose between Fred, George and Ron to complete the bridal party, so he had chosen this man instead… was it John? Or Joe? She thought his name was John. She wondered if he and Bill kept in touch.
The next photo was of herself and three of her grandchildren on a summer picnic. She and Arthur had taken them out on one of the hills behind the house, with a proper red-checked blanket and a basket, magically enhanced to keep their lunch sandwiches and drinks cool on the warm day. Victoire and Dominique, Bill and Fleur's eldest two, had been toddlers at the time, climbing over each other and playing merrily. The infant was Molly, Percy's firstborn, named for his mother of course. In the picture, Molly smiled happily at the camera while holding the baby. The two girls played on the blanket around her. An umbrella hovered in the air next to Molly, shielding the baby from the too-bright sun. Arthur had taken the picture, and Molly now struggled to remember… she supposed the picture was taken before the girls spilled the jug of lemonade all over Grandpa Weasley.
Moving on to clean the next, she saw a candid snapshot: she knew it was taken at Christmastime, both because she remembered this instance and because of the garland-spangled walls in the photo. She turned round to look behind her: the photo had been taken right here, in this room.
In this particular photo, Ron, Harry, Remus Lupin and Arthur were sitting on the sofa – it was the same sofa she saw right now – laughing at something. She was not there, and had not taken the picture. She would probably never know what the joke was. Harry and Ron looked about sixteen in the picture, so she supposed this was the Christmas break of their last year at Hogwarts. Simpler times, Molly could not help but think. Before the Weasleys had lost so much. She put the picture down and paused.
But she had to finish her task. She was expecting company shortly. The next picture was a pleasant one –Ginny and Hermione laughing. She cleaned it quickly and went to put it back when she paused.
Molly had just thought of a memory looking at the picture. It was strange how suddenly it hit her and forced her mind to go over the details in her memory.
In the picture, the two women laughed and smiled up at her. She put down her rag and picked it up to get a better look at it. In the photo, both women stood, hands clasped, their bodies turned toward each other, but their faces turned to the camera. Each of their stomachs was bloated, showing them each in their third trimester. As she watched, Ginny leaned closer to Hermione, who stopped beaming up at Molly just long enough to listen to what Ginny whispered in her ear. Both women dissolved into laughter when Ginny was finished. She watched her daughter-in-law place her hands lovingly around her stomach. She could just make out what was probably Harry's arm in the corner of the picture, his hand clutching a goblet.
The memory triggered was a different one than was the scene in the picture, although related: she and Arthur had been expecting Ron and Hermione over for dinner. The house was quiet without her many children and their friends running in and out of it, and she enjoyed it immensely when her children and grandchildren came back to liven up the house a bit. She had cooked them a meal and Arthur had indulged her by cleaning up a bit. It was very late summer, and she planned to have them eat outside in the garden where it was cool.
She had just returned to the kitchen from setting the table in the garden when she heard a distant crack, and then the sound of Ron and Hermione's voices making their way up the drive. She turned to greet them at the door.
"Hey Mum," her youngest son grinned at her as her swung the half-door open to embrace her. She smiled widely as he took her into his arms – always would be taller than her, she thought. He had filled out slightly – where he had been long and gangly as a teenager, in his adulthood he had grown a bit more brawny and gained himself muscles. Not too different, but noticeably so from the childhood pictures she had of him.
She turned to see Hermione, beautiful and confident as ever. Her face was flushed pink a bit from the sun and heat, but she seemed happy. As she embraced her daughter-in-law, Arthur came striding into the room.
"Ron," he greeted his son with a hug and a handshake, positively beaming. As Molly let go of Hermione he smiled widely and also embraced his daughter-in-law. The Weasleys were always like this when they greeted one another – they were lucky to have each other, and they knew it. They never took one moment for granted.
Molly served the four of them dinner in the garden, and the common dinnertime pleasantries were exchanged – "How's work?" "Hear from Charlie in Romania lately?" "How are your parents, Hermione dear?" – before Ron cleared his throat over their first course, which was a cold refreshing salad.
"So Mum and Dad, there's a reason we wanted to come over tonight, really," he said, still grinning.
"Don't tell me it's to ask for your money, hmm?" Arthur joked at him good naturedly, but Molly kicked him under the table. She could see where this was going, she just knew it – she looked at Hermione expectantly, and the two women shared a moment of understanding. Hermione beamed and opened her mouth to speak.
But before she could get a word out, there was another loud crack from the entrance of the house and everyone's attention was diverted. Ginny and Harry had appeared out of nowhere at the front door, and the newcomers noticed the dinner party in the garden. Ginny came hurrying over, Harry close behind her, their infant James in his arms. The triumphant look on Ginny's face was evident from several yards away.
"Mum! Dad!" she called merrily to the group as she grew closer. "I have news! And Ron, Hermione I'm so glad you'll be able to hear it too-" she paused for a breath as she reached the table, and the smile on Harry's face behind her matched hers. "I'm pregnant! We're going to have another baby!"
In the split second it took for Ginny to break this news, Molly's eyes flashed to Hermione's face. Hermione looked stunned, then slightly put out. Ron looked the same. But as Arthur jumped up and ran around the table to embrace his daughter, Hermione looked at Ron and smiled. He still looked a little disappointed, but Hermione pulled his hand to get him to stand up as she went to give Harry a hug.
Molly regained her composure. "But that's wonderful darling!" she cried. It really was; as poor timing as Ginny had, Molly was of course still excited for her daughter.
Ron and Hermione looked a bit unsettled, but there was no denying their happiness for their family. There was much laughing and shaking of hands and clapping on the back before all had settled back into their seats, Molly having conjured up seats for Harry and Ginny, as it did not seem they had a notion to leave any time soon. Arthur now had James bouncing on his knee.
Ginny was still grinning broadly as she looked first at her baby on Arthur's knee and then around at Harry. He grinned back at her. It seemed her announcement had been an exhilarating high that they were all slowly coming down from. Well, Ron seemed to have come down already, though he said nothing, only looked at Hermione. Hermione was a good actress, but Molly could tell she was a little unnerved by this upstaging of her own news. Knowing Hermione, Molly was sure this moment had been carefully planned in her head for hours at the least. Molly said nothing as she looked around. It had always been difficult, she thought, seeing Ron's hurt feelings, to give all of her children the amount of time and attention they deserved. It always would be difficult, she supposed.
"So, like we were saying," Ron cut across as Ginny opened her mouth to speak again. "Hermione?"
Harry, Ginny and Arthur all turned to look quizzically at Hermione. Molly could only smile at the younger woman encouragingly.
"Oh, well," Hermione said quietly. Molly's heart ached for the poor girl; she knew how much this moment would have meant to her. Hermione cleared her throat, shook her head and laughed, her voice and smile returning to normal. "Ron and I were also going to say… well, we're two peas in a pod Ginny," she said, smiling first at Ginny and then addressing Molly. "I'm pregnant. Ron and I – we're going to have a baby!"
There was a stunned silence for a moment. Mrs. Weasley beamed. "That's fantastic!" she trilled. And she rose to embrace her son and daughter-in-law, just as she had only moments before to a different couple.
Arthur was surprised, she remembered, but gave a roar of joyous laughter at the situation and clapped his hand to the table, James still in the other.
Ginny and Harry looked ecstatic and grabbed Hermione and Ron out of Molly and Arthur's arms as soon as they had released them. Harry clasped Ron's hand and the two of them mock-shoved each other, friends to the last. Ginny grabbed Hermione's hands and spun her sister-in-law around, the two of them laughing like maniacs.
"I can't believe it!" Ginny sang, her voice high and girlish with excitement. "You and I having babies, Hermione, how far along are you? What if-" but then Ginny stopped, and her mouth gaped. She looked appropriately horrified.
"Oh no," she said, looking at the plates, the candles on the dinner table in the garden. Realization dawned on her face. "Harry – we've interrupted – oh no, I'm so sorry, I-"
Hermione was shushing her, but Ginny looked mortified. "I can't believe we interrupted! I'm so, so sorry, can you forgive us?"
"Of course, it's not a big deal, Ginny-" Hermione began, but Ginny was now blushing hard. Realization had just struck Harry as well, and Ron gave him a final playful shove to simultaneously reprimand him and show that all was forgiven.
Molly could not quite remember how long exactly Ginny and Harry had gone on apologizing, but she did remember that by the end of the night Ron had shouted that if they didn't stop apologizing he would not ask them to be godparents. Hermione and Ron had both graciously forgiven and forgotten, and Harry, Ginny and James joined them for dinner.
Molly smiled at the memory. Smiles – wide and laughing smiles – that was what most of her family memories consisted of. She had her fair share of tearful memories – more than her fair share, really. But the good memories were so good, and so full of life that she would always cherish them.
She replaced the picture in its spot as she heard the front door open and George's voice call, "Hello? Mum, you home?" followed immediately by the sound of children's laughter and quick footsteps, and finally, a crash.
She was tired, yes. But she could keep going for moments like this. She hurried into the kitchen to greet her son and his family, and to see what all the commotion was about.