Title
A/N - Written for the round 5 of QLFC
Prompts- Write about a character demonstrating resilience after a personal trauma or tragedy (for example, ill health, a death, etc.)
Additional prompts - (dialogue) "I wish you had told me before I… " / "What? Before you what?"
(emotion) Lust
(word) difference)
AN: Fabian and Gideon Prewett are Molly's younger siblings for the sake of this story.
The night was cold and quiet, quieter than usual. Molly Weasley was sitting comfortably on a rocking chair, humming to herself. She was too focused on her work to notice her surroundings. Yarn was slipping from her fingers as she was hurriedly knitting . She couldn't wait to see Percy in it; Percy her youngest son, was barely two. She smiled fondly thinking of her youngest. Just then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her husband smiling at her.
"You can leave that for tomorrow," Arthur laughed, looking at his wife who was knitting at a Snitch's speed.
"Arthur!" whined Molly when her husband took the yarn- before she could snatch it back, the Floo went off and entered Moody. His face was blank, but his eyes said something else. He cautiously approached the couple, who were looking at him.
"Alastor, what a pleasant surprise," greeted Arthur, but deep down he knew something was wrong.
The way Moody's magical eye twitched - it meant the bad news. Without saying another word Moody pulled two pieces of cloth from his pocket, and gave them to Molly after returning them to their original form. When she saw what it was, she fell to the floor with shock. Lying there were two Black cloaks with F and G embroidered on it . Soon the whole room filled with the sound of loud sobes
A month later Arthur meet Moody at the Ministry.
"How's she taking all this?" asked Moody. He was taking a look at old case files before Arthur's arrival and he looked up from them now, looking Arthur in the face.
"Not well. She isn't talking to anyone, or eating properly. I sent the children to her Aunt Muriel," said Arthur without looking Moody in the eyes.
Last month had been tragic for his family. Fabian and Gideon were only twenty two; they were too young to die. He never came across someone like them. True pranksters- yes that they were and their fascinating but annoying habit of completing each other's sentences, Arthur still couldn't figure out how they used to do it.
"You should bring them back," suggested Moody..
But Arthur shook his head .
"It won't make any difference," he said with a sigh. Moody fixed the other man with glance.
"Tell me Arthur, wouldn't you feel the same if you were in her place?" asked Moody.
Arthur just shook his head, "Bilius and I were never that close," with that he left Moody alone.
At home, Molly was staring blankly at her brothers' cloaks, the same cloaks she had sewn with her own hands. She ran her fingers over the initials F and G, her mind drifting down memory lane.
"Oh, Mummy, they're so tiny," gushed four year old Molly. She looked inside the crib and saw two sleeping babies with tufts of red hair on their heads. Cautiously she touched their cheeks with her pudgy fingers.
"Aren't they beautiful, little bee?" asked Ichabod Prewett. Molly's father, unlike his wife and children, had dark hair.
Molly just nodded. She was very fascinated with her baby brothers. She never saw something this adorable.
"Mum, Dad, look at what Fabian and Gideon are doing!" shouted eleven year old Molly. She had just received her Hogwarts letter. But it seemed her happiness was short-lived seeing her brothers' antics.
"Drop those exploding snap cards now!" she ordered. The twins looked at their sister who looked like a dragon. A redheaded, cute, flame throwing dragon.
"Nope!" They said in unison, running away.
"Come back here you little-"
Before she could complete her sentence, her mother interrupted, "leave them alone, Molly."
"B-but-" she kept stuttering. Though she loved her little brothers more than her life , lately she was starting to get annoyed by their antics.
"We're going to Hogwarts. We're going to Hogwarts," sang Fabian and Gideon. They were jumping like rabbits while holding their Hogwarts letters.
"We've so much to do, dear brother of mine" said Fabian.
"Yes, we've got buy our wands—" added Gideon.
"—and cauldrons—"
"—an-and broomsticks—"
"—and a snake. We really need a pet snake."
"Boys, boys, hold your horses. Before going to Hogwarts, promise me that you won't get into trouble and you won't annoy your sister,", said Ichabod, his eyes fixed on his sons. .
"We promise dad" they said in unison.
"For Merlin's sake, someone put me down— wait is this a Muggle trap? — someone put me down!" shouted Arthur, who was hanging upside down by his toes.
This wasn't what he expected when Molly invited him to meet her family. Just then, Fabian and Gideon came out of the shadows pointing their wands at him.
"Who are you?" Fabian asked him.
"What are your intentions towards our sister?" Gideon added.
"Boys, you know me," said Arthur, but they refused to put him down.
"Fabian, Gideon what the hell are you doing?" shouted Molly. She ran straight to Arthur and attempted to bring him down.
"We're making sure that he's right for you," said the twins in unison. Molly was touched by her brothers antics, but didn't appreciate having her date hung upside down.
A tearful Molly said goodbye to her parents. She looked at her brothers who were talking to Arthur, probably telling him about their schemes—
The sound of something colliding with the window brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Errol outside the window with a letter. She opened it and started to read.
Arthur,
I wrote to inform you that your sons are alright. Bill constantly asks about Molly. It isn't as if he doesn't like it here, but he misses his mother. Charlie sometimes cries and Percy, well, that little fellow just stays quiet. It seems as though he's too mature for his age. I know, child, how you're feeling. Neglected, rejected and unwanted. Don't lose hope son, give her some time; she'll get over her grief.
Aunt Muriel
Molly's eyes widened in shock. Was she too caught up in her own miseries, that she was unable to see her husband's pain and loneliness? She listened carefully, but only silence met her ears. There was no joyful laughter or merry chattering. Only silence, painful silence.
When Arthur came home, it was late. With a huge sigh he removed his coat. Just as he was sitting down, the tempting smell of delicious food hit his nose. He abruptly got up and headed to the kitchen.
"Molly?" he called.
In the corner was his wife standing by the steaming pot, stirring it occasionally. Her hair was done and her dress was perfectly hugging her curves. She was beautiful and he was falling for her all over again.
He looked her up and down, a familiar feeling bubbling inside of him, but tried to push it aside. Just then Molly turned around and smiled at him.
"Hello darling, how was your day?" she asked.
"I-it was good dear. How was yours?"
Immediately he regretted asking. Molly pulled out the piece of paper and give it to Arthur. His eyes widened when he read the letter. He looked up sharply to see Molly's fallen face. She fixed him with a long stare and spoke.
"I wish you had told me before I… "
"What? Before you what?" asked Arthur, alarmed. He didn't like where this was going.
"Before I turned into a cold, uncaring, self absorbed bitch" she said, with a hurt filled voice, while looking away.
"That's absurd. You're not any of those words," Arthur said, his voice matter of fact. He hugged her close, feeling her warm breath on his shirt.
"Make me yours again Arthur," she said looking Arthur in the eyes, her brown eyes were clouded with lust. Immediately Arthur took a step back but Molly didn't lose her hold around him.
"Don't push me away Arthur," she pleaded.
Arthur gulped.
"Molly I-I don't think it's a good ide-"
Before he could complete his sentence, Molly kissed him. He melted under the kiss. Not needing any further encouragement, Arthur picked Molly up and took her to their room.
A few months after that night, Molly was working in the kitchen while Bill and Charlie were playing. Percy was sitting in his high chair. Molly was happy to have her babies back. Her life had finally started to get back to normal. Molly blinked. It was as if the kitchen was spinning. She clutched the table tightly to keep her balance, but darkness surrounded her eyes and she fell unconscious.
The first thing Molly saw after opening her eyes were the white walls of St. Mungo's. She sat up and looked around, just as a healer entered.
"Ah you're awake, Mrs. Weasley. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Light headed. W-what happened to me, Healer?" she asked. The healer just smiled.
"You fainted. Did you know, Mrs. Weasley, that you're three months along?" she asked Molly, who just shook her head.
"Alright, everything is perfectly fine, I'll see you in few weeks."
With that the healer left and Arthur entered. He sat on the hospital bed and took Molly's hand in his.
An exhausted Molly smiled at her children, who were standing by her bed.
"Woah, they're so small and squishy," said Charlie looking at the babies in his mother's arms. They looked exactly same.
"You were small and squishy once. So was Percy," said Bill. At this, Percy's lips wobbled.
"I wasn't small!" he whined.
"You were."
"Were not!"
"Yes."
"No!"
"Boys!" Arthur scolded, then faced his wife, who was smiling at the babies. They reminded her of Fabian and Gideon. Her brothers' words echoed in her mind. You will never get rid of us sister dearest; we'll find our way back to you. One way or another.
"Molly, Molly are you listening to me?" Arthur's voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?"
"I said have you decided on any names?" asked Arthur.
"Fred Gideon and George Fabian Weasley"