Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Twenty-One: Coming Home
James was chasing Emma around the backyard at the Burrow while Mrs. Weasley watched from the kitchen doorway. She breathed a sigh of relief as the children were occupying themselves for the first time that day, and the younger girls were upstairs napping away. "What are you thinking about?" came a voice from behind her.
"Nothing," she said to her husband. "I'm just a little relieved."
"Not the same as it used to be, now is it?" he asked. "Having all these little ones around."
Mrs. Weasley smiled and laughed. "No, it certainly isn't," she said. "I'm not as young as I used to be, you know."
Mr. Weasley looked at her in mock disbelief. "You aren't?" he asked, making Mrs. Weasley blush and smile wide. "I could have sworn you're the very same girl who agreed to marry this old fool forty years ago."
"Arthur, you know I'm not the same," she said, but she was still smiling, happy about the compliment. "And you know you're not either. We've grown up, I guess you could say."
"I guess you could say," Mr. Weasley repeated. "Still, we've got some kick left, don't we?"
This caused Mrs. Weasley to laugh again, and she looked out at Emma and James, now sitting on a log together. Emma was whispering something in James' ear, and whatever it was make James giggle and start to chase his cousin again. "It's been nice to have all these little voices around again," Mrs. Weasley said as she watched them. "I knew I missed all the children, but when they're around for a few days I really remember what it used to be like."
"It's almost like before Ron and Ginny came along," Mr. Weasley agreed. "The two older kids, the two babies. Minus the Percy, of course."
"Of course," said Mrs. Weasley. "None of these children are as serious as Percy was when he was a child."
"I was always trying to get him to have a little fun. But he was always reading or getting into some other studious adventure," Mr. Weasley said.
"And look at him now," said Mrs. Weasley proudly. "He may have been very dedicated to academics when he was younger, and now he's quite successful."
"I know," said Mr. Weasley, "and I'm so proud of him. But I still think he needs to loosen up sometimes."
Mrs. Weasley smiled and, laughing softly again, agreed with her husband. "I'll miss them when they go home today," she said. "But it will be nice to have some piece and quiet around here again!"
With that, James and Emma came storming into the house, suddenly angry with each other. As they were fighting it out, two cries sounded from upstairs, letting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley that the younger children had heard and woken prematurely from their naps. "I'll take care of it," said Mr. Weasley. "You stay here with these two."
Mrs. Weasley laughed and sat herself down in a chair, preparing to speak to Emma and James individually. It had certainly be a wild weekend at the Burrow, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have traded it for anything.
* * *
Harry and Ginny woke up late the next morning, after not returning to the hotel until close to three o'clock. They both opened their eyes with a groan when they heard the loud banging on their door, and Ron's voice saying, "Come on you two! It's nearly twelve o'clock!" followed by Hermione's gentler voice saying, "Ron, really, this is a vacation. Let them sleep."
Harry called out, "It's all right! We're awake! You can call off the armed guard!"
"Do you realize we're supposed to meet Neville and Luna for lunch in about thirty minutes?" Ron called through the door.
Harry looked at Ginny. It was apparent that they had both forgotten. "Give us fifteen minutes!" Ginny called out. "We'll meet you downstairs!"
"Suit yourself!" Ron called out. He turned to Hermione. "You ready?"
She looked at him in shock. "Are you really THAT anxious to have lunch with Neville and Luna? I mean, I'd like to spend time with them, but to force Harry and Ginny up like that?" She then noticed that Ron was smiling. "Honestly, Ron, do you have to irritate people like that?"
"Who am I irritating?" Ron asked. "They had to get up, so I got them up. Besides, I don't bug YOU do I?"
"You sound pretty sure of yourself," Hermione said, knowing how to play the teasing game with him.
"Are you saying that I DO bug you?" Ron asked.
"Of course," said Hermione. "All the time."
"Hermione!" Ron said, and now it sounded as though he was no longer joining in the game, but hurt by her words. Hermione, however, was not fooled.
"Ronald Weasley, you KNOW you bug me all the time," she said. "And it's for those very reasons that I love you. Now don't give me that look because I know that I didn't insult you. We've been together far too long." She smiled at him. "I know all your tricks."
Ron raised an eyebrow at her, as if accepting a challenge. "ALL of them?"
Hermione nodded and murmured, "Uh-huh," as she pressed the down button on the lift. Her back was now to Ron, and he reached out and tickled her right on the ribs, catching her off guard and causing her to squirm and laugh.
"Ron!" she exclaimed. "Stop it!" He let go of her as the lift arrived and some passengers got out. The two of them got it and stood side by side, both of them trying not to smile. The elevator doors closed, and they were encased in silence.
It was Ron who broke it. "So you know all my tricks huh?"
* * *
Ron and Hermione were sitting in the hotel lobby with Neville and Luna when Harry and Ginny finally came downstairs. "What took you so long?" Ron continued his game from earlier.
"Shut up, mate," Harry said, and he yawned. "We didn't get back here until late last night."
"Ron, give us a break," Ginny said.
"Are you ready to go?" Hermione asked before the conversation could continue. "I know I'm ready to eat something. We skipped breakfast this morning."
This seemed to spark something new in Ron. "I'm starving!" he announced, and taking Hermione's hand he followed Harry, Ginny, Neville and Luna out of the hotel.
* * *
When lunch ended an hour and half later, Neville and Luna were off to catch a Portkey that would take them to Luna's father's house. "Have a nice time!" Ginny called out as the couple rushed off with waves to their old friends. Ginny turned back to Hermione, Ron and Harry. "Suppose we should be getting back ourselves."
"I hope mum's doing all right with the kids," said Ron. "They can be a handful." Hermione, Harry and Ginny all looked at Ron. "What?" he asked.
"Do you not remember how many siblings you had? Your mother took care of seven of you at once. I think she can handle four," Hermione said.
"I know," said Ron. "But you and I both know what Emma can be like sometimes, and if you pair that with James, Lily AND Olivia, you're asking for trouble."
"No more trouble than Fred and George ever were!" Ginny exclaimed, causing the friends to laugh.
"Still, it's getting late," said Ron. "We should probably relieve mum and dad of their baby-sitting duties."
"I agree," said Hermione. "As great as this has been, I'm anxious to see the girls."
"So let's head back to the hotel, get our stuff and meet back here before we apparate back to the Burrow," Harry suggested, and they set off in the direction of the hotel.
* * *
James and Emma now sat happily eating sandwiches for their lunch. The argument had been settled. Each child wanted to keep a frog that they had found in the yard, for different reasons (James wanted to experiment; Emma wanted to kiss it and turn it into a prince - mostly because the prince would have a horse). Mrs. Weasley explained to them that the frog belonged outside, where it could roam around, eating flies and playing with it's other frog friends. Emma immediately wanted to see where all these said frog friends lived, but Mrs. Weasley convinced her to stay inside and have lunch. James seemed to accept that the frog should be with other frogs like himself, but he made a mental note to ask his parents if he could have a frog.
"Are mummy and daddy going to be back soon?" Emma asked Mrs. Weasley, who was spooning some food into Olivia's mouth.
"I should imagine any moment," said Mrs. Weasley. "Though they didn't tell me what time to expect them."
"Can we make them dinner?" Emma asked.
Mrs. Weasley thought a moment. "Well, making dinner for so many people is a tough job. I will need more than one helper. Can you think of anyone?"
Emma looked over at James, who looked back at his cousin, horrified. "I'm not gonna cook!" he exclaimed. "That's for girls!"
"Now, now, James," came Mr. Weasley's voice as he walked into the room. "You know that's not true. Doesn't your dad cook at home."
"No," said James.
"Well, I'll have you know that I cook," said Mr. Weasley. "Sometimes."
"I've never seen you," said James, refusing to believe it.
"But I do," said Mr. Weasley. "In fact, if you won't volunteer, I would be happy to be a second helper for grandma and Emma."
"You can do it then," said James, and he seemed relieved that he was let off the hook from cooking. Mr. Weasley winked at his wife. "Would cake be on the menu tonight then?" he asked. Mrs. Weasley remembered well what Mr. Weasley intended to do, as he had often tried the same technique on his sons when they claimed cooking was something only their mother and Ginny should do.
"I think we can arrange that," she said. "As a matter of fact, the cake should be prepared now, if we want to have it iced by dinnertime. Why don't you help Emma with it, and I'll keep an eye on the little ones here."
"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley decided to clear out of the kitchen with the younger children, as she knew the kitchen was about to become quite messy.
"OKAY!" Mr. Weasley said loudly. "Emma, are you ready?"
"Yup!" Emma said, excited. "I know what we need, grandpa!"
"And what's that?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"Sugar!"
Mr. Weasley laughed. "Anything else?" he asked.
"Ummm.. maybe... Flowers?"
"Do you mean flour?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Yeah!" said Emma.
"You're right, Emma," Mr. Weasley said. "Let's get the flour out." He walked to the cabinet and pulled out the flour and set it on the counter. Using his wand, he forced a measuring cup to scoop flour out of the sack and into a bowl. He stood back and surveyed his work.
"What's wrong grandpa?" Emma asked.
"Something's missing," he said, and he looked at her. "I think I know what the problem is. You, my dear, are WAY too clean." He put his finger into the bowl and wiped some flour on Emma's nose, causing the little girl to giggle. Mr. Weasley continued, noticing that James had already started to watch intently. "What about me? How do I look?"
"Not messy enough," said Emma, and Mr. Weasley held the bowl lower so she could reach it. Emma dipped both of her hands in and then placed one hand on each of Mr. Weasley's cheeks, leaving flour prints behind.
"That's much better," said Mr. Weasley. "Now what about this table?"
"Is it supposed to be messy too?" This time it was James who asked the question.
"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. "Cooking is a dirty job, James. But somebody's got to do it."
"Can I get the table messy?" Emma asked.
"I want to!" James called out.
"No me!" Emma cried.
"Hold on, hold on!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "There is plenty of flour for ALL of us to get the table messy." With that, chaos ensued as the three of them coated the kitchen with flour. An all out flour fight started when James tossed a handful of it al Emma, which prompted her to throw one back. This continued until both children - and their grandfather - had turned nearly completely white under the powder.
"Cooking is fun!" James exclaimed.
* * *
Mrs. Weasley listened to the giggles and squeals coming from her grandchildren in the kitchen, and remembered fondly when Mr. Weasley used to do the same activity with the boys. It always managed to get them to help her cook, even though she made Mr. Weasley clean up after them because they made such a mess. He always did, and she knew he would continue too today, after the kids had had their fill of the flour fight.
Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Lily and Olivia, sitting on the floor next to each other. They weren't really playing together, but they seemed to be aware of each other. "Dada?" Olivia looked up and asked her grandmother.
"He'll be home soon, love," said Mrs. Weasley. "Any minute I should think." In truth, it was twenty minutes later when Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry appeared in the living room. Mrs. Weasley stood immediately and hugged all her children. "Did you have a nice time?"
"It was wonderful," said Hermione.
"Really nice," said Ron.
"Dada!" Olivia exclaimed when she heard his voice, and she lifted her arms up. Ron smiled and lifted her off of the floor, kissed her cheek before she settled in his arms. Hermione leaned over and kissed Olivia's cheek as well. "Mama," she said, though she stayed with Ron.
Lily was greeting her parents in a similar way, laughing when she saw them. "Were they okay this weekend?" Ginny asked. "Not too much trouble?"
"No, not at all," said Mrs. Weasley. "In fact, they're helping Arthur in the kitchen right now."
"Dad's cooking?" Ron asked in disbelief, clearly not remembering the activity he had once participated in with his brothers.
"Sort of," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Mummy!" came a small voice, and Emma came bounding into the living room and crashed into her mother's legs, hugging them tightly.
"Hi love!" Hermione said, and she bent lower to kiss Emma's cheek and hug her. "What have you been doing?" she asked as she found the flour that was all over Emma rub off onto herself.
"Making cake with grandpa," said Emma. "James is helping too. It's almost done. Want to see?"
"Of course," said Hermione, and Emma took her hand and pulled her into the kitchen where James and Mr. Weasley were still tossing flower around.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked suddenly, causing the two of them to turn around.
"We're cooking!" James said happily.
"James didn't think cooking was a boy's job, until I showed him how fun it is," said Mr. Weasley.
"Gee, thanks dad," Ginny said sarcastically, thinking of all the messes she would now have to clean up in her kitchen.
* * *
The two families stayed for dinner that night, and regaled Mr. and Mrs. Weasley with the news. "I had no idea that Albus was retiring," said Mr. Weasley.
"Neither did we," said Harry. "Came as quite a shock."
"Hogwarts will be in good hands with Professor McGonagall, though," said Hermione and everyone agreed. "She's harsh sometimes, but you need to be to work with kids."
"Speaking of which," said Harry, "I have been offered a teaching position at Hogwarts. Defense Against the Dark Arts. I've decided to take the job."
"That's wonderful, Harry!" said Mrs. Weasley. "It's the perfect position for you!"
"Of course, this means that after the Quidditch season ends in August I will be retiring," said Harry.
"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. "No other way around it. Are you prepared?"
"I think so," said Harry. "I know some will be disappointed, but it's my life, and I need to do what's best for me."
"And think of how excited the students at Hogwarts will be," said Ginny. "And you can do some real good teaching them Defense."
"I know," said Harry. "I look forward to it."
Mr. Weasley raised his glass. "I think this occasion deserves a toast!" he exclaimed. "To Harry. Congratulations on this wonderful new job, and the chance to make a difference in young minds. And to family in general, because we always love it when you surround us. Cheers."
"Cheers," repeated the group.
When dinner was over, the families said good-bye, with the ever present promise to return very soon, and headed home. They fell into bed right away, exhausted and well-fed from their trip.
Chapter Twenty-One: Coming Home
James was chasing Emma around the backyard at the Burrow while Mrs. Weasley watched from the kitchen doorway. She breathed a sigh of relief as the children were occupying themselves for the first time that day, and the younger girls were upstairs napping away. "What are you thinking about?" came a voice from behind her.
"Nothing," she said to her husband. "I'm just a little relieved."
"Not the same as it used to be, now is it?" he asked. "Having all these little ones around."
Mrs. Weasley smiled and laughed. "No, it certainly isn't," she said. "I'm not as young as I used to be, you know."
Mr. Weasley looked at her in mock disbelief. "You aren't?" he asked, making Mrs. Weasley blush and smile wide. "I could have sworn you're the very same girl who agreed to marry this old fool forty years ago."
"Arthur, you know I'm not the same," she said, but she was still smiling, happy about the compliment. "And you know you're not either. We've grown up, I guess you could say."
"I guess you could say," Mr. Weasley repeated. "Still, we've got some kick left, don't we?"
This caused Mrs. Weasley to laugh again, and she looked out at Emma and James, now sitting on a log together. Emma was whispering something in James' ear, and whatever it was make James giggle and start to chase his cousin again. "It's been nice to have all these little voices around again," Mrs. Weasley said as she watched them. "I knew I missed all the children, but when they're around for a few days I really remember what it used to be like."
"It's almost like before Ron and Ginny came along," Mr. Weasley agreed. "The two older kids, the two babies. Minus the Percy, of course."
"Of course," said Mrs. Weasley. "None of these children are as serious as Percy was when he was a child."
"I was always trying to get him to have a little fun. But he was always reading or getting into some other studious adventure," Mr. Weasley said.
"And look at him now," said Mrs. Weasley proudly. "He may have been very dedicated to academics when he was younger, and now he's quite successful."
"I know," said Mr. Weasley, "and I'm so proud of him. But I still think he needs to loosen up sometimes."
Mrs. Weasley smiled and, laughing softly again, agreed with her husband. "I'll miss them when they go home today," she said. "But it will be nice to have some piece and quiet around here again!"
With that, James and Emma came storming into the house, suddenly angry with each other. As they were fighting it out, two cries sounded from upstairs, letting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley that the younger children had heard and woken prematurely from their naps. "I'll take care of it," said Mr. Weasley. "You stay here with these two."
Mrs. Weasley laughed and sat herself down in a chair, preparing to speak to Emma and James individually. It had certainly be a wild weekend at the Burrow, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have traded it for anything.
* * *
Harry and Ginny woke up late the next morning, after not returning to the hotel until close to three o'clock. They both opened their eyes with a groan when they heard the loud banging on their door, and Ron's voice saying, "Come on you two! It's nearly twelve o'clock!" followed by Hermione's gentler voice saying, "Ron, really, this is a vacation. Let them sleep."
Harry called out, "It's all right! We're awake! You can call off the armed guard!"
"Do you realize we're supposed to meet Neville and Luna for lunch in about thirty minutes?" Ron called through the door.
Harry looked at Ginny. It was apparent that they had both forgotten. "Give us fifteen minutes!" Ginny called out. "We'll meet you downstairs!"
"Suit yourself!" Ron called out. He turned to Hermione. "You ready?"
She looked at him in shock. "Are you really THAT anxious to have lunch with Neville and Luna? I mean, I'd like to spend time with them, but to force Harry and Ginny up like that?" She then noticed that Ron was smiling. "Honestly, Ron, do you have to irritate people like that?"
"Who am I irritating?" Ron asked. "They had to get up, so I got them up. Besides, I don't bug YOU do I?"
"You sound pretty sure of yourself," Hermione said, knowing how to play the teasing game with him.
"Are you saying that I DO bug you?" Ron asked.
"Of course," said Hermione. "All the time."
"Hermione!" Ron said, and now it sounded as though he was no longer joining in the game, but hurt by her words. Hermione, however, was not fooled.
"Ronald Weasley, you KNOW you bug me all the time," she said. "And it's for those very reasons that I love you. Now don't give me that look because I know that I didn't insult you. We've been together far too long." She smiled at him. "I know all your tricks."
Ron raised an eyebrow at her, as if accepting a challenge. "ALL of them?"
Hermione nodded and murmured, "Uh-huh," as she pressed the down button on the lift. Her back was now to Ron, and he reached out and tickled her right on the ribs, catching her off guard and causing her to squirm and laugh.
"Ron!" she exclaimed. "Stop it!" He let go of her as the lift arrived and some passengers got out. The two of them got it and stood side by side, both of them trying not to smile. The elevator doors closed, and they were encased in silence.
It was Ron who broke it. "So you know all my tricks huh?"
* * *
Ron and Hermione were sitting in the hotel lobby with Neville and Luna when Harry and Ginny finally came downstairs. "What took you so long?" Ron continued his game from earlier.
"Shut up, mate," Harry said, and he yawned. "We didn't get back here until late last night."
"Ron, give us a break," Ginny said.
"Are you ready to go?" Hermione asked before the conversation could continue. "I know I'm ready to eat something. We skipped breakfast this morning."
This seemed to spark something new in Ron. "I'm starving!" he announced, and taking Hermione's hand he followed Harry, Ginny, Neville and Luna out of the hotel.
* * *
When lunch ended an hour and half later, Neville and Luna were off to catch a Portkey that would take them to Luna's father's house. "Have a nice time!" Ginny called out as the couple rushed off with waves to their old friends. Ginny turned back to Hermione, Ron and Harry. "Suppose we should be getting back ourselves."
"I hope mum's doing all right with the kids," said Ron. "They can be a handful." Hermione, Harry and Ginny all looked at Ron. "What?" he asked.
"Do you not remember how many siblings you had? Your mother took care of seven of you at once. I think she can handle four," Hermione said.
"I know," said Ron. "But you and I both know what Emma can be like sometimes, and if you pair that with James, Lily AND Olivia, you're asking for trouble."
"No more trouble than Fred and George ever were!" Ginny exclaimed, causing the friends to laugh.
"Still, it's getting late," said Ron. "We should probably relieve mum and dad of their baby-sitting duties."
"I agree," said Hermione. "As great as this has been, I'm anxious to see the girls."
"So let's head back to the hotel, get our stuff and meet back here before we apparate back to the Burrow," Harry suggested, and they set off in the direction of the hotel.
* * *
James and Emma now sat happily eating sandwiches for their lunch. The argument had been settled. Each child wanted to keep a frog that they had found in the yard, for different reasons (James wanted to experiment; Emma wanted to kiss it and turn it into a prince - mostly because the prince would have a horse). Mrs. Weasley explained to them that the frog belonged outside, where it could roam around, eating flies and playing with it's other frog friends. Emma immediately wanted to see where all these said frog friends lived, but Mrs. Weasley convinced her to stay inside and have lunch. James seemed to accept that the frog should be with other frogs like himself, but he made a mental note to ask his parents if he could have a frog.
"Are mummy and daddy going to be back soon?" Emma asked Mrs. Weasley, who was spooning some food into Olivia's mouth.
"I should imagine any moment," said Mrs. Weasley. "Though they didn't tell me what time to expect them."
"Can we make them dinner?" Emma asked.
Mrs. Weasley thought a moment. "Well, making dinner for so many people is a tough job. I will need more than one helper. Can you think of anyone?"
Emma looked over at James, who looked back at his cousin, horrified. "I'm not gonna cook!" he exclaimed. "That's for girls!"
"Now, now, James," came Mr. Weasley's voice as he walked into the room. "You know that's not true. Doesn't your dad cook at home."
"No," said James.
"Well, I'll have you know that I cook," said Mr. Weasley. "Sometimes."
"I've never seen you," said James, refusing to believe it.
"But I do," said Mr. Weasley. "In fact, if you won't volunteer, I would be happy to be a second helper for grandma and Emma."
"You can do it then," said James, and he seemed relieved that he was let off the hook from cooking. Mr. Weasley winked at his wife. "Would cake be on the menu tonight then?" he asked. Mrs. Weasley remembered well what Mr. Weasley intended to do, as he had often tried the same technique on his sons when they claimed cooking was something only their mother and Ginny should do.
"I think we can arrange that," she said. "As a matter of fact, the cake should be prepared now, if we want to have it iced by dinnertime. Why don't you help Emma with it, and I'll keep an eye on the little ones here."
"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley decided to clear out of the kitchen with the younger children, as she knew the kitchen was about to become quite messy.
"OKAY!" Mr. Weasley said loudly. "Emma, are you ready?"
"Yup!" Emma said, excited. "I know what we need, grandpa!"
"And what's that?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"Sugar!"
Mr. Weasley laughed. "Anything else?" he asked.
"Ummm.. maybe... Flowers?"
"Do you mean flour?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Yeah!" said Emma.
"You're right, Emma," Mr. Weasley said. "Let's get the flour out." He walked to the cabinet and pulled out the flour and set it on the counter. Using his wand, he forced a measuring cup to scoop flour out of the sack and into a bowl. He stood back and surveyed his work.
"What's wrong grandpa?" Emma asked.
"Something's missing," he said, and he looked at her. "I think I know what the problem is. You, my dear, are WAY too clean." He put his finger into the bowl and wiped some flour on Emma's nose, causing the little girl to giggle. Mr. Weasley continued, noticing that James had already started to watch intently. "What about me? How do I look?"
"Not messy enough," said Emma, and Mr. Weasley held the bowl lower so she could reach it. Emma dipped both of her hands in and then placed one hand on each of Mr. Weasley's cheeks, leaving flour prints behind.
"That's much better," said Mr. Weasley. "Now what about this table?"
"Is it supposed to be messy too?" This time it was James who asked the question.
"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. "Cooking is a dirty job, James. But somebody's got to do it."
"Can I get the table messy?" Emma asked.
"I want to!" James called out.
"No me!" Emma cried.
"Hold on, hold on!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "There is plenty of flour for ALL of us to get the table messy." With that, chaos ensued as the three of them coated the kitchen with flour. An all out flour fight started when James tossed a handful of it al Emma, which prompted her to throw one back. This continued until both children - and their grandfather - had turned nearly completely white under the powder.
"Cooking is fun!" James exclaimed.
* * *
Mrs. Weasley listened to the giggles and squeals coming from her grandchildren in the kitchen, and remembered fondly when Mr. Weasley used to do the same activity with the boys. It always managed to get them to help her cook, even though she made Mr. Weasley clean up after them because they made such a mess. He always did, and she knew he would continue too today, after the kids had had their fill of the flour fight.
Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Lily and Olivia, sitting on the floor next to each other. They weren't really playing together, but they seemed to be aware of each other. "Dada?" Olivia looked up and asked her grandmother.
"He'll be home soon, love," said Mrs. Weasley. "Any minute I should think." In truth, it was twenty minutes later when Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry appeared in the living room. Mrs. Weasley stood immediately and hugged all her children. "Did you have a nice time?"
"It was wonderful," said Hermione.
"Really nice," said Ron.
"Dada!" Olivia exclaimed when she heard his voice, and she lifted her arms up. Ron smiled and lifted her off of the floor, kissed her cheek before she settled in his arms. Hermione leaned over and kissed Olivia's cheek as well. "Mama," she said, though she stayed with Ron.
Lily was greeting her parents in a similar way, laughing when she saw them. "Were they okay this weekend?" Ginny asked. "Not too much trouble?"
"No, not at all," said Mrs. Weasley. "In fact, they're helping Arthur in the kitchen right now."
"Dad's cooking?" Ron asked in disbelief, clearly not remembering the activity he had once participated in with his brothers.
"Sort of," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Mummy!" came a small voice, and Emma came bounding into the living room and crashed into her mother's legs, hugging them tightly.
"Hi love!" Hermione said, and she bent lower to kiss Emma's cheek and hug her. "What have you been doing?" she asked as she found the flour that was all over Emma rub off onto herself.
"Making cake with grandpa," said Emma. "James is helping too. It's almost done. Want to see?"
"Of course," said Hermione, and Emma took her hand and pulled her into the kitchen where James and Mr. Weasley were still tossing flower around.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked suddenly, causing the two of them to turn around.
"We're cooking!" James said happily.
"James didn't think cooking was a boy's job, until I showed him how fun it is," said Mr. Weasley.
"Gee, thanks dad," Ginny said sarcastically, thinking of all the messes she would now have to clean up in her kitchen.
* * *
The two families stayed for dinner that night, and regaled Mr. and Mrs. Weasley with the news. "I had no idea that Albus was retiring," said Mr. Weasley.
"Neither did we," said Harry. "Came as quite a shock."
"Hogwarts will be in good hands with Professor McGonagall, though," said Hermione and everyone agreed. "She's harsh sometimes, but you need to be to work with kids."
"Speaking of which," said Harry, "I have been offered a teaching position at Hogwarts. Defense Against the Dark Arts. I've decided to take the job."
"That's wonderful, Harry!" said Mrs. Weasley. "It's the perfect position for you!"
"Of course, this means that after the Quidditch season ends in August I will be retiring," said Harry.
"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. "No other way around it. Are you prepared?"
"I think so," said Harry. "I know some will be disappointed, but it's my life, and I need to do what's best for me."
"And think of how excited the students at Hogwarts will be," said Ginny. "And you can do some real good teaching them Defense."
"I know," said Harry. "I look forward to it."
Mr. Weasley raised his glass. "I think this occasion deserves a toast!" he exclaimed. "To Harry. Congratulations on this wonderful new job, and the chance to make a difference in young minds. And to family in general, because we always love it when you surround us. Cheers."
"Cheers," repeated the group.
When dinner was over, the families said good-bye, with the ever present promise to return very soon, and headed home. They fell into bed right away, exhausted and well-fed from their trip.