Babies
Percy met Audrey rather by accident. He rarely entered muggle London, but he needed to address something with the muggle Minister. She had entered the Minister's office by mistake, looking for an Ambassador's. He had immediately been taken by the beautiful woman, with her wild hair and friendly eyes. She was soft, kind, and most-importantly, just as driven as he was. Before he knew it Percy found himself purchasing a telephone so he could call her, buying more muggle clothes so he could go out with her, and trying to outdo her with tales from his very important job. They fell into an easy rhythm, competing to see who would be promoted first. He won that, of course, but he also won Audrey's respect. It wasn't too long before he won her heart.
Their wedding was perhaps a bit stuffy, with its ornate decorations and strict seating charts, but it suited them both perfectly. They settled into a beautiful home with a wild garden just a hill away. Before Audrey got pregnant, they would run out there sometimes just to roll around in the grass, look at the flowers, and laugh. Percy thought his life was perfect.
When Audrey got pregnant, Percy got a well-timed promotion. With more time for himself thanks to his new leverage, Percy did everything he thought a supportive husband should. July 25th, beautiful bouncing Molly was born. As soon as they'd seen her, her old name had gone out the window. They'd both agreed on Guinevere in a conversation long ago, were their first child to be a girl. However, when they caught sight of the round face and the happy blue-grey eyes, they both knew. She looked just like her Nana Molly. As Bill hadn't named either of his daughters after their mother, Percy felt it was only right. And, so as not to hurt any feelings, they took Audrey's mother's name, Elaine, for her middle name.
Molly was the perfect baby. Even from very small, she almost never woke up in the middle of the night. When she fussed, it was always quiet, and matter-of-fact. She didn't make any noise that didn't serve a purpose, and stopped when she got the attention she wanted. It may have taken a while to get her to bed, but she was a sweet, if strangely well behaved, adorable child. As a baby, Molly loved it when people would read to her. Audrey read her a host of children's books, and Molly would gurgle and clap for each rhyme. Even more than books, Molly loved people. She would reach out for new people whenever she saw them. When she learned to crawl, she would crawl over to wherever someone was, and grab their leg to hoist herself up, reaching up expectantly for them to carry her.
For a year, Molly Elaine Weasley was the light of her father's life. She was beautiful, easygoing, and happy. Her hair grew in just as wild as Audrey's, although with Percy's unmistakable shade of red. Her face was always round and jolly and Percy had never seen a lovelier baby. Percy was sure that he had finally reached perfection.
Audrey's second pregnancy was a bit more complicated. She too, had earned a promotion, but the harder hours made it difficult on her as time went on. She would always wonder if this was why Lucy was born early, February 5th instead of March 2nd as was predicted. Lucy came out looking even smaller than Percy had expected, although Audrey's muggle doctor had warned that premature babies tended to be tiny. She was mostly bald, with her eyes pinched shut. When she was placed in Audrey's arms, she had curled up in a tiny little ball, and Percy thought that if she got any smaller she'd disappear.
Once her health checked out, there was the problem of naming her. The couple had been so sure they were going to have another Molly, a baby that immediately seemed to name itself, that they hadn't prepared a list of names. Lucy was not that kind of baby. Being so small, her features were difficult to discern. She didn't look like much of anything, and the couple had nothing to fall back on. It was so unlike them that the embarrassment crippled them more than the shock.
For her first few minutes, Lucy remained just the baby. Percy knew that outside the room most of his family and Audrey's would be there to meet his new baby. He wished Lucy had needed more of a check-up, giving him more time to stall. He couldn't bear the thought of saying "We haven't decided yet" and facing George's mirth, although he was happy that his brother had finally returned to himself. A young nurse, sensing the parents' discomfort, grabbed hold of the girl. She smiled as she bounced the tiny child, the baby remaining for the most part oblivious.
"Little beautiful bouncing baby. What a beautiful little baby girl." she said, cooing. At that, Audrey smiled.
"Little Lucy, Lucy Darlene" Audrey sighed, looking at Percy. "Darlene means little darling. Darling little Lucy." Percy smiled. He had no problems with the name Lucy, indeed it seemed to fit the tiny baby better than anything he could think of.
Little Lucy had the biggest set of lungs Percy had ever stood to witness. It seemed that she thought her task was to cry every time Molly wasn't. As two-year-old Molly began to speak in sentences and demand a big-girl bed, Lucy shrieked happily, sadly, or perhaps simply to hear the sound of her own voice. It always made Molly cross when her sister would cry, and she'd always try to fix it. Several times Percy had to stop her from yelling back at the crying baby, telling her she'd once been the same way. He felt bad for the lie, but that was what parents tended to say.
As the girls got older, Lucy always stayed small. Molly was never quite chubby, but she was certainly rounder than Lucy, who was a little beanpole. When Molly was three and Lucy was two, Lucy could still wear some of her onesies. She'd also gotten Audrey's wild hair, but hers kept her mother's color, kissing the line between blonde and brown. Both girls' hair grew very quickly. After foolishly betting Audrey that he could take care of keeping their hair in line, Percy almost chopped it all off when he found himself getting Lucy's third hair cut that month. He wondered if it was early magic or if her hair was just stubborn and quick to grow.
It was hard to bring oneself to cut Molly's hair. The three year old, who could already read and was trying to learn to write, had hair down to her waist all thick and red. Coworkers, family, and strangers alike commented on it. The family's favorite joke was how Molly was a miniature of her Nana. Lucy's hair possessed no such grace. The thick hair was kept firmly at her shoulder line, although that did nothing to disguise its largeness.
As the girls got older, Percy began to notice the differences in their personalities. While Molly took up reading and even writing quickly, Lucy was more of an artist. Her motor skills were good, but she'd rather color than read or write. In an odd turn of events, Lucy was also much quieter than her sister. Despite being a very loud baby, Lucy would shy away from strangers and adults she had not seen in a while. Molly's personality was very outgoing and cheerful, although Percy noted that she had a bit of the know-it-all hidden within her. Lucy, on the other hand, was demure and often a bit sullen. The two were impossible to separate.
Everywhere Molly went Lucy was sure to go, and Percy never knew if it was because Molly wanted Lucy to come or because Lucy didn't want to be left behind. They would go on adventures in the house together, Molly bossing Lucy around and Lucy racing to take care of her duties. When Bill told him to enjoy it while it lasted, he chuckled. He couldn't imagine a world where his girls didn't get along.
Percy lived for the quiet nights. He loved his family, but he especially loved being at home with his girls. Between him and Audrey they were domestic enough to get dinner sorted, and then he'd sit and listen to the radio. Molly would often come sit next to him, reading the children's section of the Daily Prophet with wide toddler eyes. Every so often she'd lean over to tell him something about what she was reading, very matter-of-factly. On the ground, Lucy would lean by his feet, happily coloring. She had more coloring books than Percy knew what do with and they were all full of her colors.
Whenever Molly would tell them something, Lucy would dutifully stop to listen, a smile stretching across her face whether she understood or not. She'd wait until Molly was finished to resume her coloring. They had many pictures of this moment. Sometimes the girls would gather around Audrey, but it was more often around Percy. Both of them, it seemed, were real daddy's girls.
Sometimes, on the rare days when both Audrey and Percy could be home with the girls at the same time, they would take the girls over the hill to the wild garden. They could tell it had once belonged to a family as none of the flowers were too unkempt and there was a lot of open space. They considered it theirs, especially Molly and Lucy. They would run all over the place picking flowers. Molly would bring the flowers to Audrey to braid into her hair, while Lucy would make herself little bracelets and make Molly little crowns.
Percy's favorite picture of all time was of them at this age. It was after one of few times cutting both girls' hair. He took them over the hill to the garden, and he and Audrey were having a marvelous time taking pictures of them. The girls were having a blast as well: throwing grass, shrieking, and making Percy scourgify their clothes several times. For once, neither adult minded. Percy wished he could lock the moment forever in his heart. He couldn't believe he and Audrey had literally made two people, and he got to keep them. He leaned over and kissed her then, getting lost in the moment. The sharp giggle from his wife distracted him, but when he looked up he saw the moment just as Audrey captured it with the camera.
The girls were walking towards their parents holding hands. Both had lost their shoes. It was very unlike Molly, but very like Lucy, who'd also lost her hat. They were completely absorbed in each other, leaning in to whisper to each other. As Audrey stood up to play with them, Percy simply smiled. In that moment, he was perfectly content. He had his girls.