Sorry for the slow update, thanks to my last two reviewers :) Enjoy~
Flying
"Gryffindor!"
Molly jumped down from the stool, glowing with pride, barely able to stop to hand the Sorting Hat back before she scurried to the Gryffindor table where her brothers could be seen cheering. She took a seat on the bench next to Gideon, who promptly stood and announced that this girl had nothing to do with him and therefore nothing she did could he be held responsible for. A few of the surrounding Gryffindors laughed, and Molly felt her cheeks begin to heat. Before she could get upset, however, Fabian, too, was on his feet, declaring that although Molly had nothing to do with Gideon, she was most certainly his sister and wouldn't it be awful for Giddikins when Fabian's sister won Gryffindor all the points they would win this year. Gideon looked mock-taken-aback, conceding the point and bowing to his sister, pleading forgiveness. It was then that a fourth year threw a rolled-up piece of paper at Gideon's head, declaring that if the two made him miss any more of the Sorting, Molly wouldn't have any brothers.
Molly thought he was teasing, but decided not to declare that she had, in fact two more brothers to be getting on with, not that she saw them often.
There were five people left now. "Urquart, Catherine" became a Ravenclaw while "Vane, Annika" was made a Slytherin. Molly was quickly learning how Gryffindor and Slytherin were expected to act towards each other, as a few of those surrounding her jeered. She didn't think it was nice - Vane hadn't done anything yet - but didn't say anything. What would she know? Perhaps this ritual dislike was required.
Molly didn't pay attention to the next two to be Sorted. She was excited and nervous at once. Never having been away from her parents for more than a weekend, could she really stay here until Christmas? Would she be good enough for Hogwarts? Perhaps Fabian felt her shaking, because he slipped a comforting arm around her.
The last boy was Gryffindor, a tall boy with bright blue eyes and red hair. He slipped into the seat on her other side. She missed his name, but was spared asking as he held out his hand. "I'm Arthur. What's your name?"
Molly smiled, shook hands and introduced herself. Before she could say another word, however, Gideon forced his way in between the two, leaving Molly squeezed between her two brothers. She looked to Fabian in outrage, but he looked solemn, saying that there would be not flirting with his baby sister.
Arthur looked taken aback by the idea - he was not yet at the age where girls were really all that much of a big deal - but Molly was deeply embarrassed. "'Deon!" she objected, "That was rude. And as for you, Fabian, don't be so mean."
"It's okay, Molly," Arthur interrupted, smiling, as he leaned around Gideon to see her. "I have two brothers too. It can be a pain." He looked bewildered as both boys burst into laughter. Even Molly smiled. "I have four brothers," she explained, "And two sisters."
Before Arthur could react, they were interrupted by the speeches, and then the feast.
"Do you really have six siblings, Molly?" Arthur asked as they sat in their new common room that night. Molly nodded, laughing at his surprise. She began to tell him about them, her amusement rising as she told him about Dorian and his wife and a huge grin appeared on his face.
"And this Patty is a Muggle? Really? What's she like? Have you been to see them?"
Molly giggled, telling him that they had been to see them last summer, going by aeroplane; Mum had said that using wizarding transport would have been impolite "Although I really do think that they just wanted to try out an aeroplane. '1961, and they're finally catching up', Dad said."
Arthur pressed for details, and Molly was happy to comply, describing how they had bought tickets and looked at the board to find out where their plane was and then went up the steps into the big metal bird-like thing. "And then when we were flying, we had these big restraining belts on our seats to keep us safe and there were lots of pretty ladies who were giving us snacks. It took forever, and Patty and Dorian had to take us straight home because we were all so tired."
"But...but..." Arthur seemed to be struggling with something, his eyes wide with innocent wonder, a wonder that made Molly feel gentle and warm and eager to answer his questions. "How do they stay up? I mean, they don't have magic..."
Molly frowned. She thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know," she said, smiling.
Arthur shook his head. "One day, I'll find out all about it," he vowed.
"Tell me when you do!" Molly giggled.
What Arthur and Molly didn't notice were the twin boys watching, one on the armchair, the other perched on the arm. "That boy is going to steal her away from us some day, Gid," Fabian said, a tinge of worry not quite hidden from his voice. "I can tell."
Gideon heard the note in his brother's voice and grinned, nudging him with his elbow. "Calm down, brother. They're only eleven, and he probably doesn't even know what a girl is yet. Not in those terms, anyway."
"Yeah, but they won't stay eleven forever."
"Well, we'll have to keep an eye on young Mr Weasley, won't we?"
Review? Please note, my wordcount is based on the unreliable site counter, because I have yet to install a word processor on this laptop and am typing directly into the document manager - an awful practice. Anyway, if it is off, my apologies.
