18 December 2000
"She looks a bit different, all right?" said Bill nervously, helping Fleur with her cloak. "She—"
"Bill, she eez my muzzer-in-law, and I love 'er. Nothing eez going to change zat," Fleur said gently, pulling her cape over Victoire, who was bundled against her chest. "You know we weel be fine."
"She's just…not quite herself," Bill told her. "You haven't seen her, I don't want you to be surprised."
Molly Weasley had just spent the last month in St. Mungo's with a terrible case of dragon pox. While this was hardly a serious affliction to wizarding children, it had terrible, even life-threatening effects on adults. After several nerve-wracking weeks for the entire family, Molly had only just arrived back at the Burrow a few days ago.
"Don't worry, Bill," Fleur insisted, kissing his cheek. "I weel just be 'appy to see 'er." Bill nodded and opened the front door onto the frozen, snow-dusted lawn.
Bill tapped the doorknob and followed Fleur out past the gate. "I'll go first," he said, and she nodded. "Be careful."
"Don't worry," Fleur said. A moment later, Bill had vanished with a tiny pop. Fleur took a breath of cold sea air, clutched Victoire close to her chest, and Disapparated. When the intense pressure had disappeared and she could see again, she was standing in the snowy lane that led to the Burrow.
Victoire gave a disgruntled whimper—she did not like Apparition. Fleur kissed her forehead. "Good girl, ma petite," she murmured. Bill grinned and took Victoire up in his arms. She looked like a large pink snowball, wrapped in fluff and warm winter clothing. Only her chubby pink cheeks and bright blue eyes peered out from her fluffy white hood.
"Let's go," said Bill, offering his arm to Fleur, who drew her cloak about her shoulders. Nearly five years she had lived in England, and she still bitterly detested the winter months. Her daughter, however, had a different idea—Victoire was reaching up to the cloudy sky, trying to snatch snowflakes in her chubby fists.
Bill seemed to know what Fleur was thinking and put an arm around her. She smiled as they walked to the Burrow's garden gate, which creaked loudly.
"Hello!"
Arthur appeared in the kitchen doorway, wearing his ugliest Christmas sweater vest and an enormous grin. He trotted out to greet them, kissing Fleur's cheek and snatching playfully at Victoire, who giggled madly.
"'Ow is she?" Fleur asked, as Arthur took Victoire from Bill.
"Oh, she's brilliant, can't wait to see you," Arthur said distractedly. "Yes, Victoire, yes she is! You want to see your Gran? Do you?" He started walking back to the house, leaving Bill and Fleur behind.
Bill shook his head and followed him, Victoire's hand in his.
The house was stiflingly warm, presumably for Molly's sake. Fleur immediately removed her cloak and passed it to Bill before helping Arthur remove Victoire's many layers.
"Bill? Fleur?"
Fleur looked at Bill, who nodded encouragingly, and went to the living room. Molly sat in Arthur's armchair, wrapped in blankets and positively beaming.
"Molly," Fleur said happily, hurrying to hug her. "'Ow are you?"
"Oh, I'm fine," Molly said softly—her voice was a bit hoarse. "How are you? I've missed you so much!"
"We 'ave missed you—I am sorry I could not come to ze 'ospital," Fleur said regretfully, kneeling next to Molly and taking her hands.
"Nonsense, I wouldn't have let you near me, with a baby to go home to," Molly said in scandalized tones. Fleur smiled. "Oh, there she is!"
Arthur and Bill had walked in, carrying Victoire. Bill bent and kissed his mother's pale cheek while Fleur got up and took Victoire from Arthur.
"You look good, Mum," Bill said happily, sitting down on the hearth.
"I feel wonderful," said Molly lightly.
"Victoire, say, bonjour," Fleur cooed, placing her in Molly's arms. "Bonjour, grandmere."
"She's getting big," Arthur said appreciatively, sitting down beside Molly. "And so beautiful."
"Like her mother," said Bill, kissing Fleur's temple.
Molly was settling back in her chair, holding Victoire, and Fleur had the chance to see just how worn she appeared; she was pale and had a distinct air of exhaustion about her. The weight she had lost was quite apparent in the firelight. She seemed to feel Fleur's eyes on her and looked up.
"What has she been doing?" she asked Fleur.
"Oh—well—she can 'old 'erself up," Fleur said, reaching forward and patting Victoire's belly. "And she eez trying to crawl, now."
"Oh, just wait," Molly laughed, her eyes back on Victoire. "She'll have you chasing her everywhere before long."
"Bill once tried to escape his crib in the middle of the night," Arthur told Victoire. "I walked in and there he was, one leg on either side of the railing, and he was so surprised when I walked in, he flipped right over the side onto his back. Didn't make a sound. I thought he'd hit his head, but no—he was just so startled, he didn't know what he'd done."
Fleur laughed, rubbing Bill's shoulder. "Zat explains so much!" she said.
Bill rolled his eyes. "Victoire's a lady, she waits for us to come and get her," he explained.
"Oh, she does that now," Molly said, shifting Victoire to her shoulder. "Just wait—if she's anything like you were, you'll both be quite busy for the next couple of years."
"Bill?"
Everyone looked up the spiral staircase, where a great deal of brilliant red hair was just visible on the fourth-floor landing.
"Hey, Gin!" he called, standing up. "I didn't know you were home."
Ginny was bounding down the stairs, three at a time, and rushed into Bill's arms. "I've been here since Mum got home," she said brightly. "Hi, Fleur!"
Fleur kissed her cheek, and then Ginny got on her knees beside Molly's chair. "Oh, she's even prettier," she sighed, tickling Victoire's cheek. She glared up at Fleur. "Leave it to you to have a baby that gets more beautiful every time I look away."
Molly stroked Ginny's hair. "You did a pretty good job of that, too," she said.
"Mum," Ginny flushed scarlet.
"You were kind of cute," Bill said, pinching her cheek.
"Ow—get off me," she growled, batting his hand away and standing up. "D'you want tea, Mum?"
"Thank you, dear," Molly said absently, still cradling Victoire; Fleur got the distinct impression that she was drawing more healing from holding the baby than anything else. This was something Fleur understood—nothing ever made her happier than Victoire.
"Bill, tell me about this situation at Gringotts, with that old vault," Arthur said, getting up and gesturing for Bill to follow him to the kitchen, presumably to find some firewhisky. "My office is getting all sorts of requests to come down and examine the things you're finding."
Bill shook his head. "Well, it's one of those old pureblood family vaults—can't remember the name, but they've finally died out and now we've got all their possessions. Most of it needs to go through the Ministry…"
Fleur, now alone with Molly and Victoire, got up from the hearth and drew the rocking chair from the corner closer to Molly's seat. She beamed down at Victoire, who was squirming slightly.
"I'll just never get over her," Molly said quietly, stroking the baby's cheek.
Fleur swallowed and looked at Molly's profile. "I—I know you do not like to 'ear zis, but…I do not know what Bill and I would 'ave done eef—" she broke off when Molly blushed and adjusted her position. "Molly, I do not say zis to you often, but—I love you vairy much—like my own muzzer, almost."
Molly turned and looked at her. "Oh, Fleur," she said softly.
"I am so glad you are all right," Fleur said suddenly, embracing her tightly. She sat back again. "And I am sorry to say all zis now, when you are jus' getting better, but I 'ave been so worried—"
Molly blinked several times and smoothed Fleur's hair gently. "I understand, dear. I'm glad I'm all right, too," she joked. Fleur gave a laugh and felt her tears spill over.
She wiped them away hurriedly as Ginny came back into the room bearing a tea tray. "'Ere, ma belle," she said gently to Victoire, picking her up. "Give your grandmuzzer a moment to rest, non?" She propped Victoire up in her lap, kissing the top of her head.
Ginny poured a cup of tea for Molly, who sat up and accepted it. "You know," she said to Fleur, "I think I see a bit more red in her hair."
Ginny rolled her eyes and shared a knowing look with Fleur. "Victoire is blonde, Mum, there's no getting around it," she said. "Although you'll have to do better next time, Fleur."
Fleur laughed. "And 'oo says zere will be a next time?" she asked.
There was a sound of clattering glass in the kitchen, and then Bill's voice shouted, "What?"
Ginny fell off the hearth, she was laughing so hard.
"Nothing, dear," Molly called, shaking her head. Ginny still lay sprawled on the floor, wheezing with laughter. Victoire leaned forward, reaching for her and babbling excitedly.
"What?" Ginny asked her playfully, sitting up. "You want to see me? You want to see Ginny?" Fleur handed Victoire over, and Ginny leaned against her mother's chair, holding the baby on her lap. Victoire immediately seized a hank of Ginny's hair, entranced.
"You were right," Fleur said to Molly. "She 'as red 'air!"
"You're hilarious," Ginny said, wincing and disentangling herself from Victoire's grip.
Molly chuckled, sipping her tea, and set her cup aside. "Here, Victoire, you come to me," she said, taking her up again. "Leave your poor auntie alone."
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "That sounds weird," she said to Fleur. "She can just call me Ginny, all right?"
Fleur winked at her.
"All right, Weasley women, get together," said Arthur. He and Bill had reappeared in the kitchen doorway.
"Weasley women?" Ginny demanded indignantly, as Fleur and Molly laughed.
Arthur was carrying a large, old-fashioned Muggle camera. "Yes, all of you, now! I've finally gotten this to work, and I want to test it out."
"Oh, Arthur, not now," Molly said. "I don't look—"
"Come on, Mum," said Ginny. "It's just us."
"And we are celebrating your 'omecoming—we should 'ave a peecture," Fleur insisted. She got out of her chair and knelt beside Molly's, putting an arm around her. Ginny tucked herself in front of her mother's knees and beamed.
Molly seemed to recognize that she was not being given a choice and adjusted Victoire to a more comfortable position in her arms. "All right," she said. "Go on, then." She smiled gamely, cheek to cheek with Fleur.
"Victoire," Bill said, trying to get her attention. "Victoire, where's Daddy?"
Victoire turned her big blue eyes on her father just as Arthur took the photograph.
Teehee. Molly's fine! YAY GRANDMA MOLLY! :D