A Weasley Family Advent
9th December
It is cold and damp, and he dares not use warming or umbrella charms because there are still a few Muggles about. It also eleven o'clock at night, and Arthur would so much rather be at home. But he has a job to do.
Someone is bewitching the Muggle Christmas trees outside the shops in this particular Muggle street in this particular gloomy little town in south-east England so that they fight back when someone tries to pick them up to carry them home or get them into a car. The effect wears off after a few minutes, and mostly the Muggles concerned have put it down to their own clumsiness or to having drunk too much at the pub last night, but The Ministry does not find it funny. Arthur, being the most junior person in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office (which only has three staff at the moment anyway) gets the night shift, watching to catch the culprits in the act.
He doubts if they will come tonight. Surely a few laughs at the expense of a hapless Muggle or two are not worth coming out on a night like this when you could be at home in the warm and dry?
But he is wrong. Three figures are walking down the street, right past the mouth of the alley where Arthur is uncomfortably hidden behind a dustbin, with a Disillusionment Charm in place just in case someone should come down here. Two of them tall, one shorter and dark-haired with glasses slightly askew. The taller dark-haired man tosses his head back with an arrogant laugh, and the other turns so that his face falls into the beam of light from a streetlight. Arthur groans out loud as he recognises him. Perhaps he should just go home now and tell Molly, and let Gideon face her wrath. He is old enough to know better, even if Black and Potter aren't. (He knows who they are now – easy enough once he saw Gideon's distinctive profile to realise that this is the rebellious wing of the Order of the Phoenix.)
Black has his wand out, pointing at the stack of trees outside the Muggle greengrocer's shop. Potter and Gideon are both laughing. Arthur sighs. He has a job to do. He removes his Disillusionment Charm and steps out of the alley before Black has a chance to cast his spell.
"Do I call Magical Law Enforcement, or do you just go home and promise not to do this again?" he asks mildly.
The three turn round to face him, both Potter and Black laughing. Gideon at least has the grace to look slightly ashamed of himself.
"I could call M.L.E," Arthur points out. "Or I could pretend I've not seen you, and hope that The Ministry forgets all about this if it doesn't happen again this Christmas…"
"Arthur, if you call M.L.E., I'll lose my job," Gideon says. "I work for them."
Arthur raises his eyebrows, trying not to laugh. Gideon looks scarily like Charlie when he is caught doing something he shouldn't. "Perhaps you should have thought of that, earlier, Gideon," he says sternly. Come to think of it, all of this feels a bit like telling off Charlie or Bill for some misdemeanour…
Potter and Black are still laughing, and Arthur turns his attention to them. "You two might not have jobs to lose, but I don't think you'd actually enjoy a night of M.L.E's hospitality, would you?"
They stop laughing abruptly, not knowing Arthur well enough to know whether he really will turn them in or not.
"Arthur, please…" Gideon implores, and Arthur's control breaks and he laughs out loud.
"I have enough of kids' pranks at home," he says. "Get lost, the lot of you, and don't do it again, or I really will call the law."
There is definite relief on all three of their faces as they turn to leave.
Gideon turns back at the last minute. "Arthur," he begs. "Don't tell Molly."