Molly was in the kitchen fixing dinner when she heard the distinct "poof"
of someone flooing into their grate.
"Great, you made it." Ron was saying as Molly wiped off her hands on a dishtowel and went to see what all the fuss was about. There, covered in soot from head to toe was, Harry Potter. Ron had said he might try to make it to the Leaky Caldron while he was in London with those terrible relatives of his.
"They'll be worried sick about you," she said aloud.
"Actually, they probably won't," Harry answered her smiling.
Molly laughed. "You're probably right. Well, come give us a hug." She held him a bit longer than was necessary for a friend of her son but she really thought of him as her very own. "I'm glad you're here. Arthur will go for your things later. Why don't you go and say hello to the others? They're just out de-gnoming the garden, have to earn their keep if they're going to stick around here after they've graduated."
Molly watched as the two boys, both sixteen years old now, went out to see the twins. She wiped a tear from her eye and headed back into the kitchen, nearly being knocked over by Ginny as she ran full speed down the stairs.
"Oh sorry, Mum. Did I just hear that Harry is here?" asked Ginny.
"Yes, yes, he's out in the garden with your brothers," Molly replied and then called after her as Ginny ran out the door, "Slow down girl. He's only just flooed in, and you know how that upsets him." She continued to watch her daughter out the still open kitchen door.
"Harry!" Ginny yelled running to him.
Harry picked her up and swung her around, "How are you, Gin?"
"Wonderful. I'm so glad you're here."
What was that? Molly thought, as Harry gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek that seemed to be a little more than brotherly. Molly shook her head. "After all these years," she said out loud to herself. "They need to know." But she didn't want to tell them. She didn't know how. She had kept it a secret for so long.
Hermione arrived shortly after Harry. Such a nice girl, Molly thought as she and the two girls set the table. Molly went to get one more thing and heard the girls giggling behind her.
"I have something I've got to tell you," Ginny was whispering to Hermione, "but not here, after supper, in my room."
"Okay," Hermione answered and they both giggled again.
How nice it was to have more girls in the house. If only, but no she wouldn't think about that.
Dinner went wonderfully and when it was over Molly got the usual complements on her cooking, which she brushed off humbly. And when they were excused the girls ran up to Ginny's room just as they had said. Molly was terribly curious as to what her daughter was so excited to tell Hermione that she couldn't say with her mother in the room. So she told the boys to clean up and headed up the stairs. She didn't mean to eavesdrop; she just really wanted to know. She stopped at Ginny's door and listened.
" . . . And then," Ginny was saying, "He kissed me. But it was weird, you know. It was like I was kissing . . ."
Molly couldn't help it she burst into the room without thinking.
" . . . My brother," Ginny finished and then both girls just looked at Molly, shocked.
Molly looked back at them trying to think of something to say.
"Did you need something, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione finally asked.
"Laundry," Molly said, "I was just wondering if you girls had anything that you wanted me to wash." Of course they don't Molly thought after she had spoken. She had done Ginny's things yesterday and Hermione had only just arrived with her trunk full of clean clothes.
The girls looked at each other and back and Molly. "Er no," Hermione said, "but thank you for asking."
"Right," Molly said but she didn't go from the room.
"Was there something else you needed?" Hermione asked again.
"No, well yes, Ginny dear your father and I well we . . . we don't think it's a good idea for you to . . ." here Molly stopped and took a deep breath, " . . . to see Harry." Both Ginny and Hermione stared at Molly, eyes wide with disbelief. "He's Ron's friend, after all." Molly continued, "And it could make things awkward for all of you at school. And here. I'd hate for him to have to fend off six overprotective brothers."
"Mother," Ginny spat, "Harry and I aren't doing anything."
Molly sighed and said, "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that."
The girls looked at her strangely.
"It's just that, your father and I worry about you, Ginny. Harry's a fine young man, but well, trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. We'd hate to see you mixed up in that. Again."
Hermione looked at her as if she were reading something deeper, "That's not the whole reason is it Mrs. Weasley?"
"Why, Hermione, what ever do you mean?" Molly's voice came out a bit too high.
"Is there something you wanted to tell us?" Hermione asked.
Molly took a breath to calm down and looked at her daughter and the girl who was dating her youngest son. Then she looked up at the ceiling, thinking, "Where do I begin? Have you girls ever come across a ghost named Moaning Myrtle?"
They both nodded.
"Good then you'll know what I mean when I say she's not the most sympathetic of souls." And with that Molly began her story.
Molly Doherty was in the girls lavatory crying. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. The test had to be wrong. She couldn't be pregnant. She had only just turned 13.
Moaning Myrtle took a brake from her own wailing to see what all the fuss was about, "Well, what's wrong then?"
Molly told the ghost about the test she'd just taken.
"Oooo, that's bad," Myrtle whistled.
"I love Arthur. I really do. But, I know I'm not ready to be anybody's mum. I really don't think I ever want to have any children."
"Well it's kind of late for that." Myrtle wasn't the most sympathetic soul. "Have you told anyone? I mean like a teacher or someone."
"No" Molly blew her nose on a handkerchief.
"Well, Headmaster Dippet would probably expel you if he found out, so it's probably better not to tell him."
This didn't help Molly out a bit.
"Maybe Dumbledore though," Myrtle thought out loud, "Yeah, go talk to Prof. Dumbledore."
"Okay," Molly wiped her eyes, "Dumbledore, I'll talk to Dumbledore."
Molly washed her face and brushed her tangled red hair. She looked in the mirror. She still thought she looked like she'd been crying but maybe no one would notice. The halls weren't that busy today. The weather hadn't gotten cold yet so most people were outside enjoying the sunshine. She wished she could be out with them, carefree like she used to be. Molly avoided the eyes of everyone she happed to pass on the way to Prof. Dumbledore's office. But she reached it without any confrontation.
Molly knocked on the door and prayed he was alone.
"What a surprise, Miss Doherty." His smile faded when he saw how close she was to tears, "Come in. Tell me what's troubling you."
At first she didn't know how to begin and then the whole story came spilling out. She told him how she had fallen in love with the 5th year Arthur Weasley and how he loved her, too. He had come to visit her over the summer holiday and they had gotten a little carried away. "Professor, what am I going to do?" she pleaded as she came to the end of the story. "My parents are going to kill me and - and Arthur. This could really ruin his life. He wants to go to work for the Ministry when he finishes school."
She was silent waiting for an answer.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, "This is a problem."
Yes I know that. Tell me something I don't know she thought to herself.
"Will you allow me to think about it?"
"Yes, but please don't tell anyone," she burst out.
"Now, Molly, I can't promise that. I may very well have to tell someone for your own good."
"I just don't want Arthur to get into trouble," she barely whispered.
"I will do everything in my power to see to it that neither you or Mr. Weasley are expelled."
"Thank you," she breathed but it still wasn't very reassuring.
Over the next couple of weeks she lived in fear that a howler would come from her parents, the whole school would find out and she'd be expelled. She had a story planned out in her head about a muggle boy and a night of passion, just in case. Arthur would hate her for it but at least he wouldn't loose his place at Hogwarts and his whole future.
But no howler came and no word from Dumbledore. As the first Hogsmeade weekend approached, she was afraid he had forgotten and she was on her own again for an answer. She had to at least tell Arthur. He had the right to know. How exactly to tell him was the problem.
"Great, you made it." Ron was saying as Molly wiped off her hands on a dishtowel and went to see what all the fuss was about. There, covered in soot from head to toe was, Harry Potter. Ron had said he might try to make it to the Leaky Caldron while he was in London with those terrible relatives of his.
"They'll be worried sick about you," she said aloud.
"Actually, they probably won't," Harry answered her smiling.
Molly laughed. "You're probably right. Well, come give us a hug." She held him a bit longer than was necessary for a friend of her son but she really thought of him as her very own. "I'm glad you're here. Arthur will go for your things later. Why don't you go and say hello to the others? They're just out de-gnoming the garden, have to earn their keep if they're going to stick around here after they've graduated."
Molly watched as the two boys, both sixteen years old now, went out to see the twins. She wiped a tear from her eye and headed back into the kitchen, nearly being knocked over by Ginny as she ran full speed down the stairs.
"Oh sorry, Mum. Did I just hear that Harry is here?" asked Ginny.
"Yes, yes, he's out in the garden with your brothers," Molly replied and then called after her as Ginny ran out the door, "Slow down girl. He's only just flooed in, and you know how that upsets him." She continued to watch her daughter out the still open kitchen door.
"Harry!" Ginny yelled running to him.
Harry picked her up and swung her around, "How are you, Gin?"
"Wonderful. I'm so glad you're here."
What was that? Molly thought, as Harry gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek that seemed to be a little more than brotherly. Molly shook her head. "After all these years," she said out loud to herself. "They need to know." But she didn't want to tell them. She didn't know how. She had kept it a secret for so long.
Hermione arrived shortly after Harry. Such a nice girl, Molly thought as she and the two girls set the table. Molly went to get one more thing and heard the girls giggling behind her.
"I have something I've got to tell you," Ginny was whispering to Hermione, "but not here, after supper, in my room."
"Okay," Hermione answered and they both giggled again.
How nice it was to have more girls in the house. If only, but no she wouldn't think about that.
Dinner went wonderfully and when it was over Molly got the usual complements on her cooking, which she brushed off humbly. And when they were excused the girls ran up to Ginny's room just as they had said. Molly was terribly curious as to what her daughter was so excited to tell Hermione that she couldn't say with her mother in the room. So she told the boys to clean up and headed up the stairs. She didn't mean to eavesdrop; she just really wanted to know. She stopped at Ginny's door and listened.
" . . . And then," Ginny was saying, "He kissed me. But it was weird, you know. It was like I was kissing . . ."
Molly couldn't help it she burst into the room without thinking.
" . . . My brother," Ginny finished and then both girls just looked at Molly, shocked.
Molly looked back at them trying to think of something to say.
"Did you need something, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione finally asked.
"Laundry," Molly said, "I was just wondering if you girls had anything that you wanted me to wash." Of course they don't Molly thought after she had spoken. She had done Ginny's things yesterday and Hermione had only just arrived with her trunk full of clean clothes.
The girls looked at each other and back and Molly. "Er no," Hermione said, "but thank you for asking."
"Right," Molly said but she didn't go from the room.
"Was there something else you needed?" Hermione asked again.
"No, well yes, Ginny dear your father and I well we . . . we don't think it's a good idea for you to . . ." here Molly stopped and took a deep breath, " . . . to see Harry." Both Ginny and Hermione stared at Molly, eyes wide with disbelief. "He's Ron's friend, after all." Molly continued, "And it could make things awkward for all of you at school. And here. I'd hate for him to have to fend off six overprotective brothers."
"Mother," Ginny spat, "Harry and I aren't doing anything."
Molly sighed and said, "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that."
The girls looked at her strangely.
"It's just that, your father and I worry about you, Ginny. Harry's a fine young man, but well, trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. We'd hate to see you mixed up in that. Again."
Hermione looked at her as if she were reading something deeper, "That's not the whole reason is it Mrs. Weasley?"
"Why, Hermione, what ever do you mean?" Molly's voice came out a bit too high.
"Is there something you wanted to tell us?" Hermione asked.
Molly took a breath to calm down and looked at her daughter and the girl who was dating her youngest son. Then she looked up at the ceiling, thinking, "Where do I begin? Have you girls ever come across a ghost named Moaning Myrtle?"
They both nodded.
"Good then you'll know what I mean when I say she's not the most sympathetic of souls." And with that Molly began her story.
Molly Doherty was in the girls lavatory crying. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. The test had to be wrong. She couldn't be pregnant. She had only just turned 13.
Moaning Myrtle took a brake from her own wailing to see what all the fuss was about, "Well, what's wrong then?"
Molly told the ghost about the test she'd just taken.
"Oooo, that's bad," Myrtle whistled.
"I love Arthur. I really do. But, I know I'm not ready to be anybody's mum. I really don't think I ever want to have any children."
"Well it's kind of late for that." Myrtle wasn't the most sympathetic soul. "Have you told anyone? I mean like a teacher or someone."
"No" Molly blew her nose on a handkerchief.
"Well, Headmaster Dippet would probably expel you if he found out, so it's probably better not to tell him."
This didn't help Molly out a bit.
"Maybe Dumbledore though," Myrtle thought out loud, "Yeah, go talk to Prof. Dumbledore."
"Okay," Molly wiped her eyes, "Dumbledore, I'll talk to Dumbledore."
Molly washed her face and brushed her tangled red hair. She looked in the mirror. She still thought she looked like she'd been crying but maybe no one would notice. The halls weren't that busy today. The weather hadn't gotten cold yet so most people were outside enjoying the sunshine. She wished she could be out with them, carefree like she used to be. Molly avoided the eyes of everyone she happed to pass on the way to Prof. Dumbledore's office. But she reached it without any confrontation.
Molly knocked on the door and prayed he was alone.
"What a surprise, Miss Doherty." His smile faded when he saw how close she was to tears, "Come in. Tell me what's troubling you."
At first she didn't know how to begin and then the whole story came spilling out. She told him how she had fallen in love with the 5th year Arthur Weasley and how he loved her, too. He had come to visit her over the summer holiday and they had gotten a little carried away. "Professor, what am I going to do?" she pleaded as she came to the end of the story. "My parents are going to kill me and - and Arthur. This could really ruin his life. He wants to go to work for the Ministry when he finishes school."
She was silent waiting for an answer.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, "This is a problem."
Yes I know that. Tell me something I don't know she thought to herself.
"Will you allow me to think about it?"
"Yes, but please don't tell anyone," she burst out.
"Now, Molly, I can't promise that. I may very well have to tell someone for your own good."
"I just don't want Arthur to get into trouble," she barely whispered.
"I will do everything in my power to see to it that neither you or Mr. Weasley are expelled."
"Thank you," she breathed but it still wasn't very reassuring.
Over the next couple of weeks she lived in fear that a howler would come from her parents, the whole school would find out and she'd be expelled. She had a story planned out in her head about a muggle boy and a night of passion, just in case. Arthur would hate her for it but at least he wouldn't loose his place at Hogwarts and his whole future.
But no howler came and no word from Dumbledore. As the first Hogsmeade weekend approached, she was afraid he had forgotten and she was on her own again for an answer. She had to at least tell Arthur. He had the right to know. How exactly to tell him was the problem.