7
Bits & Bobs
First Signs
Molly Weasley puttered around the kitchen, humming along with the wireless as her favourite artist, Celestina Warbeck, trilled out huskily, That Old Black Magic.
As the song came to an end Molly thought back to the simpler and more peaceful time before Black Magic had acquired such a bad connotation. She began humming again as Celestina began her next song, Witchcraft.
Smiling, she turned her attention to making dinner. Tonight she wanted it to be extra special because it was one of the Wizarding World's favourite holidays, Halloween.
She was happy that it was Saturday so that Arthur was home. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was causing terror everywhere and things at the Ministry were tenuous at best.
Placing the roast into the oven, she cast a timing charm and went to check on the children who were all in the parlour.
Stopping inside the door, she took in everyone. Bill, the oldest at ten, well almost eleven now, his birthday fell at the end of November, was sitting at the small table in the corner. It was where the kids sat to draw, read or do other crafts.
She watched with a smile as he worked on a puzzle box that his grandma Prewett has given him. How he loved puzzles of all types, the harder the better. Though sometimes he got frustrated, he never gave up until he had solved whatever it was.
Eight year old Charlie sat next to him, drawing what looked like another picture of a dragon. Shaking her head, she wondered where he got his fascination with magical creatures and it seemed the more dangerous the better.
Percy, her five year old, was sitting cross-legged in a chair by the fire, a large old book in his lap. Molly knew it was way beyond his reading level, she had once asked him about what he was reading and he made up a long outrageous story about working at the Ministry. As long as it made him happy and kept him out of trouble, she let him alone. He was a fastidious child and hated to get dirty, she worried about him a little and hoped he'd grow out of it.
Sitting right below him was her twenty month old, Ron. She laughed lowly as she watched him play with his favourite toy, a stuffed pygmy puff, bright pink of all colours, but again as long as it kept him quiet and out of trouble, who was she to say anything.
Curled up asleep on the couch were her twins, Fred and George, having worn themselves out. They were the two who were going to give her premature grey hair. Even at three they were a handful, causing more trouble than any of their siblings. Not to say they were bad kids, they were just extremely rambunctious and curious, getting into everything. Somehow she knew it was only going to get worse as they got older.
Finally her eyes came to rest on her youngest, two and a half month old Ginevra, or Ginny as Arthur had started to call her. She was their little angel, the first girl born into the Weasley family in seven generations. Being the seventh child, she knew they could expect her to be an extraordinary witch.
Even at her age, she had already shown signs of how powerful she was going to be, summoning toys to her crib with accidental magic, practically unheard of from someone so young.
She was also an extremely happy baby, never crying without a reason, only when she was hungry or needed her nappy changed. Even when she was tired, she'd just fuss a little until she was put into her crib where she'd fall asleep immediately.
Deciding to get feeding Ginny out of the way before dinner was ready, she went over to the bassinet that was near the table where her two oldest were.
Ginny was gurgling happily, sucking on her toes. She fastened her eyes on her mother as she was lifted out, smiling widely.
Molly took her over to her rocking chair by the fire and began to breastfeed her baby-girl. Deftly, she exposed her breast and Ginny latched on and began to suckle hungrily.
Molly gazed on her daughter lovingly. Already her hair was growing out, a spectacular shade of red. Sighing contentedly, she began to hum a soft song, something Ginny loved so much.
Finished feeding her daughter, she lifted her up onto her shoulder, patting her on the back till she burped. She returned her to her bassinet and tucked a blanket around her. Ginny smiled happily before closing her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Molly bent down and placed a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead and with a smile she headed back out to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.
As she finished getting the food on the table, Arthur came in though the back door. Hanging up his cloak, he came over and gave his wife a quick kiss.
Molly was glad to see him smiling and relaxed. Something that was rare of late what with all the fear and turmoil that plagued the wizarding world right now. She knew he'd been out in his shed playing with his muggle things.
"Have fun, Dear?" she asked with a smile.
Arthur's face lit up. "Oh yes. I was trying to figure out this new thing Perkins brought in and gave me. A Remotely, I think he called it. It has all these buttons on it and actually uses batteries of all things. So far all it does is light up a little light on it when you push one of the buttons, but it doesn't seem to do anything else. Fascinating really, though I don't really know what muggles use them for."
Molly patted his cheek with a smile. "That sounds lovely, Dear," she said, though she really didn't have any idea what he was talking about.
She then called her children in to dinner and she was happy to see Bill carrying Ron along with him and Percy had each of the twins by a hand, leading them in. With Arthur's help dinner was taken care of, even if it was a bit of a struggle as the twins seemed to want to wear more of their food than eat it.
She was just starting to take Ron up to get his bath before putting him to bed when Ginny began to scream.
Harry + Ginny
Far away from the little village of Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon, a sinister looking man approached a small cottage. Pausing at the gate, he laughed maliciously.
"Tonight is the night that I destroy the hope of all those who oppose me," he whispered to himself with an evil smile. "After I take care of the Potter brat, I'll make sure that the other, the spawn of the Longbottom's is also eliminated just to be sure."
Somehow he knew that this half-blood, like him, would be the greatest threat.
Drawing his wand, he pushed the gate open and began to walk up toward the front door. As he got closer, he glanced through the window into the parlour where a young couple sat with a toddler.
With a malevolent sneer he thought "They're dead, they just don't know it yet."
He was slightly surprised there weren't any other wards besides the Fidelius to warn them of anyone approaching. "How stupid," he thought. "They placed their trust in the wrong person."
With one simple spell he blasted the front door open. Stepping inside he heard the man shout to his wife who unbelievably ran upstairs.
He turned his attention to Potter, surprised to see no fear in his face, just a grim defiance as he charged towards him. Laughing evilly he cast his spell and watched in satisfaction as his opponent fell. Shaking his head in disbelief, the man didn't even have his wand drawn.
His eyes darted to the stairway where the woman had disappeared with the child and he casually followed. He couldn't believe how easy things were going, he had at least expected them to put up a fight. No matter, the results would have been the same.
At the top of the stairs he paused, then hearing movement he turned and made his way towards its source. The door at the end of the hall stood open and he saw the woman standing in front of a cot.
Again he was surprised, though standing there defiantly, she didn't have her wand drawn. Though pleased, he actually found it a bit unsettling. In deference to his servant, he told the woman to stand aside, not that he really cared one way or the other.
Unsurprisingly, she refused and he disposed of her as easily as he had her husband. With an unholy light in his eyes, he stared at the boy standing in the cot. He was staring back, not making a sound. He actually found it a bit unnerving, there was something about the look in the boy's emerald eyes.
Shaking himself, he turned his wand to the boy. No matter, in seconds the boy would be dead. Laughing manically he brandished his wand "Avada Kedavra," he shouted.
His eyes widened in shock as the green light rebounded off the boy and headed straight back at him, too close to do anything, his world exploded in pain.
Harry + Ginny
Molly thrust Ron at Bill who was right behind her and she ran into he parlour to get to Ginny who continued to scream at the top of her lungs.
In an instant she was at her daughter's side and she lifted her out, cradling her to her chest, crooning softly trying to calm the frantic baby. It took a long time but finally Ginny quieted, only whimpering softly, allowing Molly to get a good look at her daughter.
Molly's eyes widened in shock, there on her baby's forehead was a red lightning bolt mark and though it faded from view eventually, once she heard the story of The-Boy-Who-Lived, she knew in her heart that they were somehow connected.
She just prayed that they'd survive.
