Molly: aged 12
Roxanne: aged 14
Lucy: aged 6
July 3rd, 2015
"Happy birthday dear Molly, happy birthday to you!" The chorus of voices died out, and Molly beamed at everyone seated at the table; Roxanne, smiling widely at her cousin, her mother, fussing over at the cake, and her father, adjusting the glasses perched on his nose. Lucy bounced up and down in her seat, anxiously awaiting her piece of cake. Victoire smiled softly at her younger cousins, and laughed at Lucy's enthusiasm.
"And here you go," said Audrey warmly, delivering the first piece of vanilla cake to the birthday girl. Molly delved right into her piece.
Once the cake was finished, her mother summoned the presents from the sitting room and stacked them on the table.
Molly opened Victoires first, a ornate hand mirror that seemed to shine so brightly it almost branded her eyes. She would probably never use it, but said "Thanks," to her elder cousin, who shrugged and said it was no problem.
"You probably already know what I got you," chuckled Roxanne, sliding her messily wrapped package over to Molly. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes merchandise, thought Molly immediately. Some gag-gift that Roxanne would enjoy.
Carefully unwrapping the package (who knew, it could explode; it was a Wheezes' product after all), it reveal exactly what Molly had guessed.
"Just as I expected, Roxie," said Molly, who barely had time to look through the merchandise before being passed another gift.
Molly opened the gifts quickly, thanking each person. A mother-of-pearl necklace from her mother and father, a drawing of what she thought Hogwarts looked like by Lucy, and a pair of knit socks and a book from her grandparents.
"Almost a teenager," teased Roxanne in a playful voice as she headed for the Floo, back to her own place.
The last few days of summer ended on a high note; swimming in the ocean, another trip to Diagon Alley to pick up school supplies. Almost as soon as the train pulled into the station in June, it was September 1st and Molly was prepared for another year back at Hogwarts. They would get to see the carriages for the first time!
"Got everything, Molly-bear?" her mother stressed, and Molly squirmed as her mother patted her hair down.
"You can't be forgetting anything," her father added, giving her a quick goodbye hug.
Molly, with her trunk already loaded, slipped onto the train, searching for Liz's compartment – her friend had written the night before saying she'd save them one.
"Molly!" a voice called out, and she was enveloped in a sea of light brown hair streaked with blonde. Molly could feel the Quidditch magazine Liz was holding press against her stomach uncomfortably.
"Hi, Liz," giggled Molly. "Have we really got a compartment all to ourselves?"
"All to ourselves," beamed Liz, and Molly stuck her head out of the compartment window, waving to her mother and father and Lucy, who were still on the platform. The three waved back, Lucy jumping up and down so she could see over the swarm of people. The train gave a great big lurch, and Molly plopped right back into her seat.
It was time for another year at Hogwarts.
The first week back seemed to zip by way too fast for Molly's liking. Her and Liz chatted about everything and nothing, and the other girls in their new second-year Gryffindor dorm, including Flora, made conversation about their summer and how Lorcan Scamander had hit his growth spurt before his fraternal twin – Lysander was four inches shorter now.
Halloween came and went with a splash – the Great Hall, decorated as festively as ever, had the most spectacular feast she could ever imagine. Even better than the Beginning-of-Term feast, if she did say so herself.
One particular night, however, just before Christmas, was definitely not one of Molly's happier ones.
Professor Binns had decided to give them a particularly nasty essay on the Second Goblin Revolution of 1765, and Molly, Flora and Liz had barely made it to the library when a flash of blonde hair passed them by.
"Oh, it's a Weasley," said the blonde, who Molly faintly recognized from Charms – a second-year Slytherin. Hattie. Hattie wrinkled her nose at Molly, before continuing, "wouldn't want to get the ginger germs on me."
A shot of hurt stabbed through her stomach, but the tall blonde had pranced away, followed by her other Slytherin friend before any of the three girls could say anything in response. Molly felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes – why was she so sensitive? Why did she care; it wasn't like she had done anything to them…
"Don't worry about it," assured Flora, in her usual comforting voice. "She's just immature. I, personally, think being an actual ginger would be cool. Not some half-color in between." Flora wrapped an auburn lock around her finger.
Molly gave a weak chuckle. "Thanks, Flora."
"Anything to cheer you up."
The mean comments had went on, but with Flora and Liz by her side to dull the pain, it didn't feel as bad. It still definitely hurt when the unnecessary words were spoken, but she felt slightly guilty but assured that Victoire and Roxanne were getting teased, too. Mainly by that specific pack of Slytherins.
It was kind of like tuning out the radio when it was playing a song you didn't happen to like. She got better at it.
After Christmas and Easter break, the rush of preparing for exams starting. Molly didn't think Victoire, who was preparing for her O.W.L's, ever spent time outside the library and Roxanne barely talked to Molly anymore, due to Quidditch practice (which was getting more rigorous by the day) and the immense amount of homework professors were unleasing on them.
"I do not want to take my O.W.L's," stated Liz, one May night in the common room.
"We're only in second year," pointed out Molly.
"You are going to have to take them," said Flora, "eventually."
"I know, but they look like so much woooooork," accentuated Liz, leaning back in the chair she was occupying.
"You're too lazy for your own good," laughed Molly, and Liz agreed wholeheartedly, making Flora and Molly giggle even more.
Had it really been a whole year since the three girls had sat under a tree on the last day of term, talking about nothing? It didn't feel like it to Molly. It just felt like she had barely started her second year. How did all of the time go so fast? It was almost dizzying, in a way.
"Molly!" called a slightly familiar voice, one that she didn't hear very often. She turned around in the corridor, seeing Lysander a few feet away, holding out a piece of parchment.
"What's this?"
"It's from McGonagall. She told me to give it to you," explained Lysander, and Molly took it from him, his fingertips brushing her palm. Molly felt a little cold, but that had to be due to the breeze sweeping in through the window. Yeah, that was it.
"Uh… thanks," said Molly lamely, and Lysander disappeared down the corridor silently while Molly opened the parchment. A very odd, unwelcome sense of foreboding swept over Molly. Maybe the corridor wasn't the best place to do this. Maybe her dormitory. McGonagall had no need to contact her, did she, unless something was wrong... students usually only got notes from the Headmistress when something was wrong… Molly drove herself to worry with her own thoughts while speeding back to the common room. A few older students were seated in the chairs by the fire, but Molly didn't even notice as she sped up the stairs.
She sat down on her bed. It could be good news, right? There was a possibility.
Miss Weasley,
I have been in recent contact with your father, Mr. Weasley, and he sends his greetings, and apologies profusely for not being able to owl you. He would like me to inform you that your younger sister Lucy is in St. Mungos for an unknown reason, and has been spending the last few days at her bedside unable to write along with your mother. She is in stable condition, he says, but will be in the hospital for a while longer.
You are to be picked up from Platform 9 ¾ by your aunt, Mrs. Potter.
I am sorry I could not deliver this news in person, but I have had matters to wishes to your sister.
Headmistress McGonagall
Molly took a deep breath. She had jinxed it, hadn't she? Worrying herself into something bad would happen, and alas. She collapsed onto her bed with the letter still in her hand, face in her pillow.
As always, for Uni's The Next Generation Multi-Chapter Competition. For this chapter, I used the prompt mirror. Do you have any guesses what Lucy could be in the hospital for? (Hint, it's something involving magic). Thanks for all the support!
