Lucy crept on her tiptoes, avoiding the creaking spots on the floor as she made her way down the hallway. Molly was in front of their dad's bedroom door, which was cracked open just a smidgen. She peeked in, tilting her head. They needed to ensure he was sound to sleep and wouldn't wake up just yet. Although, they had a suspicion he wasn't going to, after working late last night and not getting to bed until well past midnight. It was a few minutes after seven now; not an ideal time to be awake on a Saturday during the summer holidays-Molly was a bugger to wake up and slightly cranky, too-but Lucy was determined to do something special for him.
Not that Dad thought they needed to be. He was super cliche and said he loved all of the others and that there was no reason to make a big fuss about it. He was way too modest; Lucy-and Molly, even if her enthusiasm wasn't always so...apparent-felt he definitely deserved it after all he'd done for them over the years. She and Molly came up with a great day planned for him and a present that they knew he would love.
Now it was time to put the plan into action.
"Is he asleep?" She hissed.
Molly glanced in one last time. "Yeah," she whispered and nodded her head.
They got downstairs to the kitchen, muscles in their arms tensing as they ever so quietly pulled out the necessary pots and pans to cook up Dad's favorite breakfast: a poached egg, two sausages and a piece of toast cut in half with one side buttered and the other not buttered alongside a cup of steaming black coffee. Lucy took over the kitchen duties while Molly stood guard in the doorway, turned to the right where the end of the staircase was. Unlike her namesake, she did not inherit her wondrous skill for cooking and baking, nor did she show any interest no matter how hard their Grandmum or one of their aunt's tried to help with that.
Lucy was turning the sausages, stomach rumbling at the aroma that came from them. "You wrapped the gift, right?" she pressed her sister. Molly had a horrible habit of procrastinating right until the very last possible second.
Molly rolled her eyes, having heard the question for the past two weeks. " Yes, Lucy. Just like I told you yesterday." That last part was mumbled under her breath but her younger sister heard it anyway. Molly was also not the greatest whisperer, hence why Dad had to harp on her about her smart mouth.
Lucy had been a little more than hesitant to give Molly the job of wrapping Dad's gift. For one, her idea of 'wrapping' was to use a bag from the local muggle market they often shopped from, using far too much tape and giving it that way. That would simply not do for this; it had to be perfect.
"Quit being so spacey," Molly lazily called. "You're gonna burn them."
Lucy yelped when she realized that they were, indeed, starting to burn on one side.
Molly watched her and snorted.
Lucy glared at her. "Could you be helpful for like one minute?"
"I am! I'm standing guard," Molly said.
"Shh! Not so loud! He'll hear you!"
"You worry too much. Everything will be fine. Dad snores anyway. He's worse than Uncle Ron sometimes. He won't hear anything over that."
"You don't know that," Lucy muttered. "He can when he wants to. Like when you talk under your breath."
Molly rolled her eyes. "That's different."
"Not really."
"Oh whatever ! Who cares?" Molly said snippily.
Lucy rolled her eyes, refocusing her attention back on the food. "I hope he likes the gift."
"He will."
"Maybe," Lucy said.
"Why would he hate it? It's-"
"Shhh!" Lucy hissed. "What if he hears you?"
"Well then we know he's not losing his hearing," Molly joked.
Lucy wasn't amused.
"What's your problem anyway? You've been tense for a week."
"I just want this to be perfect," Lucy was now rummaging through the cabinets for a container to put the food in to keep it warm before she started on the eggs. "Dad deserves this, you know."
"I know," Molly said. "Pretty he said not to make a big fuss out of it, though."
Lucy gave her sister a look. " Now you want to listen to him?"
Molly opened her mouth but the two sisters stilled when they heard thudding from upstairs. Lucy's eyes widened in horror. "Merlin! He's awake!"
"Huh," Molly said, looking up at the stairs.
"Do something!" Lucy said frantically. "I'm not done yet!"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Anything!"
Molly blew out a puff of air from her lips. "Fine. Since I have to do everything around here..."
Lucy spluttered in indignation, but Molly didn't hear anything she said because she bounded up the stairs to where their dad's room was, not even bothering to knock as she opened the door wide. Thankfully, he'd just come out of the loo and was still in his pajamas and not naked or something.
"Molly," Dad said disapprovingly. She knew what was coming next. She could recite it. "You know you're supposed to knock."
"Okay, I'll remember that next time," she grinned. He rolled his eyes. "So, uh, what are you doing?"
He raised his eyebrows.
"I love that color on you," Molly exclaimed, gesturing with her hands at the sky blue shirt he wore. "It just brings out your eyes. Definitely your color." She nodded her head, her grin widening.
He gave her a strange look.
She fluttered her eyelashes innocently.
" Molly ."
"What?"
"What did you do?" he folded his arms across his chest.
"Nothing."
"That I find hard to believe," He snorted.
"I didn't," she insisted, mildly offended. "I haven't done anything this time."
"Mhm," he eyed her as if he was staring right through her. He tried to go past her to get out of the room but Molly stopped right in the way, still keeping her smile. He moved to the side and so did she. This went on a couple more times before he got visibly exasperated.
"Sorry," she laughed a bit.
"I don't know what you broke but you'd have better cleaned it up," he told her. "I'm tired and I have a headache."
"Why don't you lay back down then, Dad? Sleep it off. You'll feel better," Molly suggested.
"No," he shook his head. "Maybe later. I need some coffee and a headache potion."
"Wait!" Molly burst out. Dad winced at the noise. "Why don't you stay here and I'll get your coffee and potion?"
She was about to go but he blocked her by putting his arm out in front of her. "Because last time you made a huge mess." Dad had gotten a muggle coffee maker from Uncle Oliver for his birthday and one of the first things Molly did was try to make some for him for breakfast one day. Only it didn't go very well and ever since then, she'd been forbidden from touching it.
"On accident ."
"Nevertheless," Dad said dryly. "I think I'll be alright getting it for myself."
Molly stepped in front of him again, rather abruptly. He nearly fell over and glared at her for that. "But it's Father's Day! You should let me get it for you. Just go sit down and I'll be right back-"
" Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to hide something?"
"Because you're too suspicious of me?" Molly tried.
It didn't work.
Dad rubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Whatever you've done, clean it up."
"I haven't done anything!"
"Now if you'll just let me through-"
"No! Just wait a-" Molly paused when she heard a poor attempt at whistling. It was Lucy. That was the signal they agreed on. Course, they probably should have chosen something both of them could do. Still, it worked. She beamed up at her Dad and started yanking him down. He yelped, not expecting it. "Come on, Dad!"
" Margaret Grace Weasley! " Dad's voice trailed off when he finally got to the kitchen. Molly and Lucy beamed, presenting him with his favorite breakfast. He was totally taken aback. "Oh. What's all this?"
"Happy Father's Day!" They cried and embraced him at each side, kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh, girls," he hugged them back, kissing them on the tops of their heads. "Thank you."
"Eat up!" Molly urged him. "We wanna give you your present!"
"You girls didn't need to get me anything, you know that."
They rolled their eyes. He told them that every father's day, every Christmas.
"I'm happy just to have you both with me."
Molly latched herself on his arm, batting her eyelashes and giving him that supposed innocent look again. Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'd be happy if I had a new broom, Daddy."
"I'm sure you would be," he smirked. "And you can have one."
She brightened up.
"When you save up enough money for one."
She deflated. "There's always a catch," she muttered.
They waited an agonizing long time for Dad to finish. He was so bloody slow! Something about basking in the moment or whatever. Both of them sat beside him, staring right at him until he finished. He was mildly aware of that and raised his eyebrows at them.
Then finally, finally the time came!
"Don't look Dad," for good measure, Lucy put her hands over his eyes. He sighed.
"Is this really necessary?"
"Yeah," Lucy said and then called to her sister, "Hurry up!"
"I'm trying! It's- ow!" the sound of something heavy knocking over and glass shattering had Lucy wincing.
"I don't even want to know," Dad muttered.
Molly carefully moved his plate and placed it in front of him.
"Okay, you can look now!" Lucy pulled her hands away, anxiously stepping over beside Molly.
He unwrapped the paper from it, folding it neatly instead of just ripping it off and tossing it to the side. He was that way during Christmastime as well. And when he was done, he inhaled sharply. He said nothing. His expression was unreadable.
"Well?" Molly spoke up, eyes darting from the gift to his face. "Do you like it?"
Dad touched it gingerly. His eyes were wide and suspiciously bright, like he was on the verge of bursting into tears which was something he never did. He swallowed thickly.
Lucy and Molly had put together a collage of pictures of Dad and Uncle Fred from when their uncle was born and Dad was holding him to the last picture that was taken of them together, back when Dad was Head-Boy and Grandmum had wanted a picture of him, Uncle Fred, Uncle George, Uncle Ron and Aunt Ginny before the school year began.
"Dad?" Lucy said unsurely.
Had they upset him? Perhaps they should've stuck with something safer, like a homemade craft.
"Girls," Dad's voice was thick with emotion. The two sisters glanced at each other. "Girls, come here." They did and Dad pulled them into a fiercely tight hug. "I love you. I love you both so much," he kept mumbling.
"We love you too, Dad," Molly had her face buried in his shoulder.
"Guess you like your gift then," Lucy's smile was a bit watery.
"I love it," Dad was so touched, so happy. "More than you'll ever know."