Chapter 21: The Burrow

Arthur woke up with a satisfied smile on his lips. The warm morning air blew the curtains apart slightly, letting the first sunbeams of the day tickle his nose. He remembered last night and the smile on his lips broadened.

Lazily opening his eyes he rolled on his side, watching his wife as she peacefully slept next to him. The shadows of the curtain lace danced across her relaxed features, making her look even more serene than she already did.
He finally married her. He made her his wife. She lay on her back, her face turned towards him, her hand next to her face, the sheets covering her curvaceous form up to her shoulders. He watched the even rising and falling of her chest for a while, his mind fixed on the fact that she was completely naked under the covers.
A proud grin played along his lips; she had been too tired to put her pyjamas on last night. It was a miracle to him that she had found the strength to shower.
He remembered that she had crawled out of bed, kissing his chest when she pulled out of his embrace to walk over to the bathroom, telling him to go back to sleep and that she wouldn't be gone for long. Still he hadn't been able to fall asleep before he felt her head touching his shoulder and her hand above his heart again.

Arthur argued with himself whether or not to raise the blanket to look at her perfect figure, but the breeze coming from the half opened window stopped him. He didn't want her to wake up just yet. It was a rare occasion that he had the time to lie next to her for as long as he wanted. He didn't have to go to work today. Even if he had, he didn't really care about it.
Right now he felt perfectly happy, lying next to Molly, marvelling at all the little things he had missed so much. The way the sun was reflected by her hair, how porcelain-like her skin looked, how fine the features of her face were and how they had always been. He couldn't stop himself from gently brushing a strand of flaming hair out of her face, letting his fingers trace her jaw bone before brushing them across her perfect mouth.
Seeing her stir, he bent over to place a feather light kiss on her lips, feeling her smile against his lips as she slowly woke up. She turned her body towards his and sighed, "Morning."
Arthur chuckled while he brushed the tip of his nose across her cheek before bending down to kiss it gently, "Morning, sleepyhead."

Cracking her eyes open, she quickly closed them again, the morning sun way too bright for her taste. Molly grumbled and moved closer towards her husband to hide her face against his chest where the sun couldn't find it. Putting his arm around her, he propped his head up on his hand smiling down at her while she snuggled closer.
He pushed the blanket off her shoulder to kiss it, stopping when her hand snuck up to pull it back up around herself, mumbling something. Arthur chuckled, repeating his actions just to see what would happen. The mumbling got louder but he still couldn't figure out what she said. Trying once more he grinned in contentment when she turned her head and glared at him. "Are you awake now?"
His smiling eyes calmed her temper, "You're mean."
"I'm in love." He kissed her nose.
"If you'd really love me, you'd let me sleep." She tried to give him the evil eye but he kept on grinning. It was slightly frustrating that he knew which strings to pull to make sure she wouldn't stay mad for long.

They lay in comfortable silence, until a growling noise made Arthur chuckle lowly, "Hungry?"
Smiling against his chest she didn't open her eyes when she replied, "Just a little," she patted his chest, "Ignore it, it will go away."
When the sound repeated itself after a while, she huffed in frustration, "I don't want to get up." She felt his body shake as he chuckled again quietly; raising her head she playfully slapped his chest, "Hey!"
He grinned up at her, "What?"
Raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows, she scolded him, "You're not supposed to make fun of the wife."
"I apologize, dear." his eyes sparkled, "Now, shall we go and get breakfast?"

Molly smiled and pushed herself up in a sitting position, trying to get comfortable she decided to spread her legs slightly, it felt awkward sitting like this but she did feel a little sore.
Looking in the direction of the door, she sighed. How could he possibly think that she was capable of walking to it, let alone all the way downstairs? Turning her head back towards him, she met his broad grin. He read her thoughts, "I'll go and get it."
Kissing her nose, he climbed over her, stopping for a moment to press another kiss to her mouth.
Molly watched him while he put on his bathrobe, smiling at him when he turned back to her after opening the door, "Don't go away." He winked.
Her smile widening, she nodded her head, "Promised."
Closing her eyes, she pulled the covers higher up around her and leaned back against the headboard, smiling to herself.

----

All in all they spent the first three days of their marriage in their new home. But some day they had to emerge into the outside world again. Molly laughed at Arthur when observing his work around the house. He still at some minor things to take care of. The ghul in the attic refused to butch. He banged at the plumbing pipes and sometimes howled at night.

Molly on the other hand infested her time in learning to cook and testing all the charms for running a household. Poppy had shown her some very useful spells. Molly was used to having a battalion of house-elves waiting hand and foot on her. Now she had to wash the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house, sweep dust, wash windows and all the other things she never took notice of. Arthur helped her a lot. He always complemented her on the food, even though it was barely eatable, or on how clean the house was, knowing she had slaved herself doing so.

Life in their small house was a new and exciting adventure. It was like living in paradise. Every day Arthur left home to go to work and returned early in the morning. Molly learned to adjust to his hours. Normally it was hard for her to wake up early but now she was up and about hours before Arthur returned. She wanted to be there when he came home, having breakfast ready on the table. At Hogwarts she had thought that this was medieval. Enslavement of the females of the species by the male. Now she really enjoyed the look of pride and gratefulness in her husband's eyes.

About a week after their wedding Molly was just cleaning the cosy living room when a thought came to her. Turning to Arthur, who was reading the newspaper, she asked suddenly:

"Darling, what do we want to name our house?"

"What? You're not seriously considering a name for our house. I mean why for Merlin's sake would you want to name the house?"

"Because it would really make it our home. Not just the house Albus gave us for our wedding. Do you think it's a stupid idea?"

Molly watched her husband anxiously. She had thought he would support her immediately.

"Well, no. It makes sense, sort of. What name do you have in mind?"

"What about 'The Burrow'?"

Arthur considered this for a moment.

"It sounds nice. Should a get a plank and write 'The Burrow' on it? We could fasten it to the gate"

"Oh, Arthur, that would be just wonderful."

He smiled indulgingly at his young wife. After a while he asked:

"Would you like us to invite Minerva and Albus over for dinner?"

Molly flung herself into his arms and laughed. She was really excited.

"Oh, yes. I will cook something for them. A big meal. I'll send them an owl and invite them for the weekend. They could stay overnight."

Arthur smiled even brighter. Molly was buzzing with ideas.

----

The weekend came and also came Albus and Minerva. They brought news from the staff of Hogwarts and Molly's friends who were still in school.

Arthur was a little nervous. Molly had slaved away in the kitchen all day. She had cleaned the house for days and bullied Arthur into not sitting on the couch (because he could mush it), take of his shoes in the hall (because he could leave boot prints on the floor) and to get rid of the gnoms in the garden. Now he hope Albus and Minerva would appreciate Molly's efforts on cooking a four course meal. But his worries were unfounded. Minerva congratulated Molly on the food and Albus took a second helping of the main course and even a third helping of the dessert.

After the meal all of them retreated into the living room. The men dark a glass of port wine each and the lades indulged in tea. Molly seemed to have something on her mind. After a while she couldn't hold on anymore and blurted out.

"What did my parents say to the wedding? How did they react?"

Arthur and Albus exchanged worried glances. They had both feared that question.

"Well, Molly, you see," Albus began tentatively, "we told them that you died of the blood loss. All of us thought that would be best."

Molly was dumbstruck for a moment. Minerva watched her closely.

"Honey, are you alright? They would have taken you away again and tried to marry you off to Malfoy. They will never give up."

"I know, Mina, but they are my parents. They should know that I am alive and married to Arthur."

"Your parents are very influential. Arthur will lose his job at the ministry if they find out and decide to retaliate. This place is undetectable. So you are safe but Arthur is in the line of fire."

"When can I tell them?"

Albus considered this for a moment before answering.

"I think after your first child is born."

Arthur choked on his port. Coughing violently he glared at Albus, trying to say something. Minerva was also starring at Albus as if imploring him to take back his words and forget about them. Molly looked from one to the other, confused.

"What? What are you not telling me?"

Albus trembled under Molly's questioning gaze.

"Well, you see, I found a loophole in our marriage laws. It was apparent from the first but I refused to accept them as an option. A young woman can marry without her parents' consent only if the marriage is consumed in front of witnesses or by proving the consumption with a child. Until consumption is proven the marriage can be annulled."

"WHAT?"

Molly's fiery temper erupted.

"I'm sorry, Molly. These are our options. Our only options."

Albus was really sorry. Walking over to Molly, he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair gently. Molly leaned into him, needing his protection. Minerva reclined on the couch. Her big belly draw Arthur's eyes. Understandably when considering Albus revelation.

"Isn't it uncomfortable?"

Minerva opened her eyes and grimaced as a long swell arced across her stomach. She was tired and relaxed so her Scottish burr came out. Albus came over to her and started massaging her swollen feet.

"Mmm. Sometimes I feel my liver's black and blue from bein' kicked. But mostly it's a good feeling, instead. It's like ..." She hesitated, then grinned at her husband. "It's hard to describe to a man, you not having the proper parts. I don't suppose I could tell ye what carrying a child feels like, no more than you could tell me what it's like to be kicked in the bullocks."

"Oh, I could tell you that." Albus promptly doubled up, clasping himself and rolled his eyes back in his head with a hideous gurgling groan.

"Is that not right, Arthur?", he asked, turning his head toward the stool where Arthur sat laughing.

Minerva put a delicate foot on her husband's chest and pushed him upright. "All right then, clown. In that case, I'm glad I havena got any."

Albus straightened up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "No, really," he said, interested, "is it just that the parts are different? Could you describe it to Molly? After all, she's a woman, though she's not borne a child yet."

Minerva eyed Molly, who was laying on the floor in front of the fire and read a book, appraisingly.

"Mmm, perhaps." She spoke slowly, thinking. "You feel everything as though your skin is verra thin all over. You feel everything that touches you, even the rubbing of your clothes, and not just on your belly, but over your legs and flanks and breasts." Her hands went to them unconsciously, curving the lawn under the swelling rounds. "they feel heavy and full ... and they're verra sensitive just at the tips." The small, blunt thumbs slowly circled the breasts and Molly saw the nipples rise against the cloth.

"And of course you're big and you're clumsy," Minerva smiled ruefully, rubbing the spot on her hip where she had banged against the table earlier. "You take up more room than you're used to."

"Here, tough" –her hands rose protectively to the top of her stomach- "that's where you feel things most, of course."

She caressed the rounded bulge as though it were her child's skin she stroked, rather than her own. Albus' eyes followed her hands as they moved from top to bottom of the curving hillock, over and over, smoothing the fabric again and again.

"In the early days, it's a bit like belly-gas," she said, laughing. She poked a toe into her husband's midsection. "Just there – like little bubbles rippling through your belly. But then later, you feel the child move, and it's like a quick tug, but so soon past you're not sure you felt it." As though in protest at this description, her unseen companion heaved to and fro, making her stomach bulge on one side, then the other.

"I imagine you're sure, by this time," Arthur remarked, following the movement with fascination.

"Oh, aye." She placed a hand on one bulge, as though to quite it. "They sleep, ye know, for hours at a time. Sometimes ye fear they've died, when there's no movement for a long time. Then you try to wake them" – her hand pushed in sharply at the side, and was rewarded immediately by a strong push in the opposite direction – "and you're happy when they kick again. But it's not just the babe itself. You feel swollen all over, near the end. Not painful ... just so ripe you could burst. It's as though you need to be touched, verra lightly, all over." Minerva was no longer looking at Molly. Her eyes held her husband's, and Molly knew she was no longer aware of her and Arthur. There was an air of intimacy between Minerva and Albus.

Minerva's voice was lower now, and her hands rose again to her breasts, heavy and compelling under the light bodice.

"And in the last month or so, the milk begins to come in. You feel yourself filling, just a wee bit at a time, a little each time the child moves. And then suddenly, everything comes up hard and round." She cupped her stomach again. "There's no pain, then, just a breathless feeling, and then your breasts tingle as though they'll explode if they're not suckled." She closed her eyes and leaned back, stroking her massive belly, over and over, with a rhythm like the invocation of a spell.

Everyone in the room held their breath. Minerva opened her eyes, dark in the shadows, and smiled at her husband, a slow, rich curve of infinite promise.

"And late in bearing, when the child moves a lot, sometimes there's a feeling like when you've your man inside ye, when he comes to ye deep and pours himself into you. Then, then when that throbbing starts deep inside ye along with him, it's like that, but it's much bigger; it ripples all through the walls of your womb and fills all of you. The child's quiet then, and it's as though it's him you've taken inside you instead."

Suddenly she turned to Molly, and the spell was broken. "That's what they want sometimes, ye know," she said quietly, smiling into Molly's eyes. "They want to come back."

Minerva rose, floating toward the door with a glance back that pulled Albus after in an instant. She stretched, arms upward, feeling the pleasant pull of tired muscles. Albus' knuckles pressed hard along the length of her back, and ground into the base of her spine, making her groan. And then they were gone.