Title: Safe and Sound
Pairing: -
Prompts: "Is there something you want to tell me, sweetheart?"
Word Count: 1, 655
Characters: Bill Weasley and Molly Weasley.
Molly Weasley thought highly of her children. After carrying them and raising them from tiny babies into children she believed that she knew them from the inside and out. She knew their dreams, their nightmares and could tell the stories behind each and every scar on their pale bodies. She knew what every facial expression they could create meant and she was proud of knowing when she was needed.
Molly knew her children were individuals and that meant they were different from one another. Still, she was shocked when she realised how early those differences appeared. Charles or Charlie as he was called was her wild and powerful boy. He was the one who would put on a struggle when it was time for bed. He would put his underpants on his head and run around the house while swinging his play sword back and forth. That boy did not merely pout when he was unhappy, oh no he would shout from the bottom of his lungs and let the entire world know how displeased he was with his mother or whoever it was who acted in a way that did not suit him.
Percy was a thoughtful child who faced the world and the people that existed within it with a thoughtful and sceptical expression. When Molly proposed that he went out and played with his brothers the young boy, standing just inside the house, looked out at Bill and Charlie with an ever so present frown. He always thought about it, or so Molly believed, and then firmly said no before returning to the safety of the house. He was rarely displeased and only showed signs of irritation when the rules were broken which happened surprisingly rarely since she had six boys. Granted the youngest one couldn't do much yet but Molly sure had her hands full with the other ones.
Fred and George though only two years old were mischief-makers. Already at the age of two they managed to pull of the famous puppy-dog expression that always got her oldest son out of trouble. William 'Bill' Weasley was most of the time a cheerful child and rarely got into trouble. However, he was just ten years old and Molly was sure that could still change. He was the combination of all her children. Bill was not a force of nature such as Charlie nor was he still as Percy or mischievous as Fred and George. Bill was simply Bill. He was stable, he was social and rarely seen without a spectacular smile spreading joy to anyone who saw him. That was probably the reason Molly stopped outside his bedroom when she saw him sitting on the bed looking in front of him. Or was he really looking? Molly thought it looked more as if he had his eyes directed at a spot without any reason why. Had it been Percy sitting there then she wouldn't have worried. But this was not Percy, this was Bill.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she asked. Bill flinched when he heard her voice but that expression of fear on his face only lasted a moment or two before he forced a tired smile upon his face.
"Nothing's wrong mum." He said as he fiddled with the blanket lying at the end of his bed. "I'm fine."
"I seriously doubt that my love." She said with a soft smile. "May I come in?"
Bill always nodded his head yes, at least he had so far, but Molly always asked just in case. The Burrow couldn't really be considered big and there were few places where the children could go to be alone other than their rooms. That's why Molly made a big deal out of asking their permission. She wanted them to feel as if they had their own space to retreat to when they needed the privacy. Molly secretly dreaded the moment when her children, her babies, would tell her that she couldn't come in.
She walked over to the end of the bed, pulled up a chair, and sat down all while watching him with a careful expression. There had been no screaming or loud crashes that indicated that there had been a fight between Bill and any of his brothers. The twins and Ronald were still asleep which confirmed that nothing too loud had taken place prior to her finding her son like this. She sighed deeply but waited. This was another one of those moments when Molly knew her children. If Charlie would have been the upset one she would have asked him questions until she broke through his carefully held wall and he would tell her what was wrong. Percy rarely needed any encouragement other than being asked what was wrong and often just spoke without Molly saying anything all while fiddling with the covers on his bed and avoiding looking her in the eyes for the majority of the time. Bill on the other hand stayed quiet until he had something to say. He would only close up if she asked him questions and when he did start talking he did so without shame and looked her directly in the eyes.
"You don't have to sit with me mum." He said and leaned his head against the palm of his hand.
"Maybe I want to sit with you." She answered and gave him a smile. "You don't have to say anything."
"You would just sit there anyway?" Bill asked and when his mother nodded the young boy's eyes teared up and big tears ran down his cheeks in a rapid movement. Molly pushed the chair closer to the bed and reached for out for his hands. She didn't have to wait long until Bill reached out for her.
"What's wrong love?" she asked again and had to make an effort so that her voice wouldn't break.
"I'm scared." He spoke and looked directly into her eyes though his tears wouldn't stop falling.
"What are you scared of?" Molly could see the hesitation in his eyes. "You can tell me sweetheart."
"I'm scared of being alone." He spoke almost too quiet for Molly to hear. But she did hear and for a split of a second she had to bite her lip not to laugh out loud. This house was too small for their still growing family; being alone was the last thing Molly thought her children would be scared of. Only the heartbroken expression on Bill's face and the pouting lips kept Molly from saying that.
"Why would you be alone honey?" Molly asked and carefully stroked the wild hair on her son's head. "You have me, your father and your brothers and you always will. You'll never be alone."
"What about when you die?" Bill's question startled Molly and she backed just a little bit from her son.
He nor any of the other boys had ever asked that question before. Thought it wasn't important Molly couldn't help but wonder what brought it on. She wanted to tell him that there was no need to worry about that and was forced to bite her tongue. The horrible truth was that she didn't know and Molly couldn't find it in herself to lie to him.
"Well then", Molly sighed as she collected herself and leaned forward. "Love, you still won't be alone."
"What do you mean?"
Molly sighed again. "I mean that no matter what happens to any of us you will never be truly alone. You will always carry a part of each and every one of us inside of your heart and for as long as you shall live we will be with you and keep you safe and sound."
"But you won't be here." Bill said. He was still looking straight into her eyes. The tears were no longer running down his cheeks as quickly as before but they were falling and that was more than hurtful enough Molly decided as she fought against the growing pain in her chest.
She hated when she was unable to help her children. It was part of the reason why she hated the idea of her children growing up to teenagers and adults. The younger her babies were the less complicated their problems were and the easier it was for her to solve their problems for them. Molly wasn't expecting these kinds of issues, the hard kind, to arise when they were still this young. She didn't expect to stand before one of her children and not be able to make him feel better.
"You are right." Molly eventually spoke. "One day may come when I won't be here anymore. But I promise you Bill, you will never be alone. I will always be with you, as will your brothers and your father, and I can promise you that no matter what William Weasley you will never be truly alone. Because the people who love you never leaves. It doesn't matter where I am or what I am doing because no matter what you and your brothers will always be my top priority and I will do anything to keep you safe and sound. Do you hear me?"
Bill Weasley looked up at his mother and didn't flinch away when she dried the tears away with her thumb. He nodded and gave her a small smile. "I love you mum."
"I love you to baby." Molly pulled her son into a hug and let out a shaky breath.
There truly was nothing that mattered more to her than her children and only Molly knew how long she would go to make sure that her children were safe. In a world that guaranteed you nothing and could take things away within the blink of an eye Molly Weasley wanted nothing more than that and she would do anything she could to keep her babies safe and sound for as long as she would live.
The end