Mrs. Weasley was worried. Her Thirty-six year old boy was not married.

After the marriage of Bill, she had expected Charlie to follow soon after. Instead, Ginny distracted Molly for a few years, marrying the boy who lived and having a fairytale wedding that threw Fleur and Bill's to the dust. Molly Weasley was the happiest woman on the planet for months. Shortly after, the other siblings followed. Percy respectably married a stocky girl Mrs. Weasley always thought was named Austen. She was from the ministry with a pointy nose who sneezed often. George was nursed to a decent condition by a sweet quiddich teammate until they inevitability wed. Angelina and George talked too much about Fred for Molly's liking.

A few years passed before Ron and Hermione disappeared for a month. The entire family was put into an uproar. When Harry was unaware of their location, alerts were placed and the ministry was quietly ready for a serous resurgence of the Death Eaters after recent activities. The pair came back a month later, married and happy. No one was very pleased, but little Rose Weasley arrived eight months later and bound the family back together.

Of course, the last two marriages only reminded Molly of the few problems in her life, one being the unwed brother years after the others had settled into family life. When she inquired as to why her son was still single, Aurthur laughed, Ron sniggered, and Ginny blushed. After much harking and guilt trips, Mr. Weasley eventually told his wife Charlie should enlighten her, inviting Charlie for a mandatory holiday.

Molly was going to get her answer, whether Charlie liked it or not.

Upon the day of Charlie's arrival, Molly seemed to tower over her ballooned family, each member subdued into silence until the arrival of the final sibling. The entire family sat about the fireplace, crammed into the worn cushions with little children upon their laps; save for Victoire, who had folded her arms on the floor and refused to move until her mother gave her the blue bracelet Victoire so liked.

When the green flames leapt up, the red-headed gang jumped to their feet. Harry, Hermione, Fleur, Angelina and Audrey were forced backwards with Rose, Albus Severus, Lilly Luna, Hugo, Molly Jr., Lucy, Fred, and James Sirius in tow. Hugo and Lilly started to wail. Hermione gave Ron a scathing look, and Harry looked to Ginny helplessly as James rushed to join the throng, cackling wildly, and Albus stood up from Harry's lap with a hurt look in his green eyes. Fleur scooped up Victoire without hesitancy to remove her from the trampling grounds as Angelina laughed at George, two children screaming in her arms.

The Burrow had never housed so many boisterous people in one room, the floor practically shook with the trampling, rumbling roar the young children and aging parents all scurrying, shouting, screaming, and racing.

"Charlie!" the throng shouted happily before the flames had died. The stocky figure was unseen, but even those caring for the children noticed how the crowd backed away. Molly Weasey's gasped. Silence. James' voice came from somewhere in the congregation, young and lisping between new teeth.

"That's the ugliest baby I've ever seen!"

Another pause.

"That's not a baby, James." Ginny's voice pitched oddly.

"Well, no. Charlie insisted on bringing the poor thing back with him." Said an accented voice. Harry looked to Fleur, she shrugged, obviously not the source of the phrase. As Harry looked over to the crowd, they parted. Charlie was not the only one in the soot.

Out of the smoke and ash, emerged Charlie, cradling in his arms a baby dragon, and a witch trailing behind both of them.

"Merry Christmas!" the pair cheered.

Silence.

Charlie gave a broad smile, and opened his arms wide.

"Hi mum."

"Who is this?" Molly said snappily. Charlie's smile faltered.

"Erm, Marine."

Everyone stared at the witch. Marine's hair was a whiskey blonde, tied into a complicated array of knots on her head in such a way it could almost pass as a simple bun. Her green eyes peeped out at everyone underneath thick, black spectacles with what appeared to be painted talons to fasten them to her ears. Marine's sallow skin had taken a permanent blush since James' outburst, creating a doll-like effect garishly young for a woman in her thirties.

Molly's face tightened as all the other Weasleys tried to smile.

"Hello Marine." Molly's mouth was a never slack, eyes like slits that reminded Harry of over a decade ago in the Graveyard. He shuddered.

Marine's nose was much like poor Audrey Weasley's, long and pointed, and paired with Marine's vertically challenged stature she appeared haughty.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley." Her voice was high and nasal. Mrs. Weasley paused, pursed her lips, then began.

"How did you meet my son?"

"We work together."

Molly looked at the tiny witch.

"You work with big dragons?"

"Not exactly."

"Than what do you do, exactly?"

"MUM!" Charlie hollered; he waited for his mother to calm, and continued, "This is Marine McKennon, she looks after my—"

"I don't think mum wants to know, Charlie."

Charlie glared at Ron.

"She looks after this little guy." Charlie hefted the hot, scaly creature; its tongue unfurled and burped, a little spark of flame emerging. Marine and Charlie laughed to its antics. Molly frowned at the look of euphoria on her son's face, much like Ron's when he and his wife had come from the hospital with Rose. Molly's frown only deepened when Charlie continued, "We can stay for as long as you want us to, and if you want us to leave—"

"No!" everyone screeched. Ron had his hands over his face, George was openly sniggering, Angelina was staring at George in awe, Hermione looked ready to kill Ron as she held the two children, Harry was in a similar situation, Audrey and Percy looked like they were about to burst, Bill was snorting, Fleur was looking about furiously at anything to stop her from breaking composure, Arthur looked worriedly at Molly, Ginny was grinning, Molly simply looked angry.

'"You will not leave this house until Christmas is over, boy." She said shakily. "Now, would you and Marianna like your old room or the bigger—"

"No!" Charlie and Marine turned red, the dragon burped. Marine looked up at Charlie, laughing uneasily. "Marine's my friend."

Somehow, everyone knew that wasn't the whole story.

~o~

The second chapter's better; less introduction, more development. Reviews are appreciated, but if you do or don't thanks for reading!