Midnight Baking
A/N: I wrote this for a Live Journal community and decided to go ahead and post it.
He yawned as he stumbled downstairs. He froze, mid-stretch, when he suddenly detected the scent of chocolate chip cookies. Who would be baking at this hour of the morning? He followed the smell to the kitchen and smiled when he saw her bent over the stove, pulling a sheet of cookies out. She jumped when she turned to place the sheet on the counter and spotted him, causing the cookies to slide off the sheet. He whipped out his wand and the cookies stopped mid-air. A flick of his wrist sent them to join the rest of the cookies she'd baked.
"Oh! Arthur, I didn't realize you were there."
He smiled and tucked his wand back into his pocket. "I didn't know you would be baking at," he checked the time, "one in the morning."
She blushed and turned to set the sheet on the counter. "I couldn't sleep."
He nodded, walking over to slide his arms around her from behind. "I understand, Molly." He brushed her hair to the side and pressed a kiss to her neck. She shivered in his arms. "Besides, I can't say I mind the results."
She laughed, turning in his arms to wrap her own arms around him. "Oh, Arthur, why did he have to come back?"
He sighed, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "I don't know Molly. We can only do what we must to stop him."
"Even if it means losing one or more of our children?" she asked. He could hear the unshed tears in her voice.
He closed his eyes against the pain. "We've already lost one, Molly, but that doesn't lessen the pain when we lose another."
Her arms tightened around him. "It hurts Harry, too."
"I know, Molly," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know."
She sighed and they just held each other, taking comfort in their love and years of marriage. "I miss Michael, Arthur. He never really got a chance to live."
He nodded, feeling the tears burn behind his eyes. "Yes, Molly, but at least he doesn't have to face this."
"I'm afraid we'll lose Percy," she murmured, idly playing with the belt of his bathrobe.
"He was Sorted into Gryffindor for a reason, Molly," he told her gently. "He'll face death with the same bravery as his brothers."
"I know, Arthur," she replied, her voice slightly muffled, "but that doesn't stop me from worrying."
"Just don't let it consume you, Molly," he told her, easing her back so her brown eyes could meet his blue ones. "No matter what, we must move on with life."
She nodded, just as a buzzer went off. "Oh! The cookies!"
He chuckled as, pulling out of his arms, she turned back to the stove and pulled the next sheet of cookies out. Walking over to the rest of the cookies, she tilted the sheet enough for the cookies to slide off the sheet to join the rest. "I doubt Ron and Ginny would mind suddenly receiving a batch of cookies from home, Molly."
She laughed as she set the sheet with the others. "I know, Arthur. I've already packed four boxes of cookies to send in the morning."
"Four?" he asked, selecting one of the cookies and biting into it. Swallowing, he continued his question. "Why four?"
"One for Ron, one for Ginny, one for Harry, and one for Hermione," she explained patiently, as if it should be obvious.
"Oh, yes, of course." He smiled and polished off the last of his cookie. "Delicious, Molly."
"Thank you, Arthur."
"I love you, Molly," he told her, drawing her into his arms once more.
"I love you, too, Arthur." They stood together once more, drawing strength from each other.
A/N: I wrote this for a Live Journal community and decided to go ahead and post it.
He yawned as he stumbled downstairs. He froze, mid-stretch, when he suddenly detected the scent of chocolate chip cookies. Who would be baking at this hour of the morning? He followed the smell to the kitchen and smiled when he saw her bent over the stove, pulling a sheet of cookies out. She jumped when she turned to place the sheet on the counter and spotted him, causing the cookies to slide off the sheet. He whipped out his wand and the cookies stopped mid-air. A flick of his wrist sent them to join the rest of the cookies she'd baked.
"Oh! Arthur, I didn't realize you were there."
He smiled and tucked his wand back into his pocket. "I didn't know you would be baking at," he checked the time, "one in the morning."
She blushed and turned to set the sheet on the counter. "I couldn't sleep."
He nodded, walking over to slide his arms around her from behind. "I understand, Molly." He brushed her hair to the side and pressed a kiss to her neck. She shivered in his arms. "Besides, I can't say I mind the results."
She laughed, turning in his arms to wrap her own arms around him. "Oh, Arthur, why did he have to come back?"
He sighed, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "I don't know Molly. We can only do what we must to stop him."
"Even if it means losing one or more of our children?" she asked. He could hear the unshed tears in her voice.
He closed his eyes against the pain. "We've already lost one, Molly, but that doesn't lessen the pain when we lose another."
Her arms tightened around him. "It hurts Harry, too."
"I know, Molly," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know."
She sighed and they just held each other, taking comfort in their love and years of marriage. "I miss Michael, Arthur. He never really got a chance to live."
He nodded, feeling the tears burn behind his eyes. "Yes, Molly, but at least he doesn't have to face this."
"I'm afraid we'll lose Percy," she murmured, idly playing with the belt of his bathrobe.
"He was Sorted into Gryffindor for a reason, Molly," he told her gently. "He'll face death with the same bravery as his brothers."
"I know, Arthur," she replied, her voice slightly muffled, "but that doesn't stop me from worrying."
"Just don't let it consume you, Molly," he told her, easing her back so her brown eyes could meet his blue ones. "No matter what, we must move on with life."
She nodded, just as a buzzer went off. "Oh! The cookies!"
He chuckled as, pulling out of his arms, she turned back to the stove and pulled the next sheet of cookies out. Walking over to the rest of the cookies, she tilted the sheet enough for the cookies to slide off the sheet to join the rest. "I doubt Ron and Ginny would mind suddenly receiving a batch of cookies from home, Molly."
She laughed as she set the sheet with the others. "I know, Arthur. I've already packed four boxes of cookies to send in the morning."
"Four?" he asked, selecting one of the cookies and biting into it. Swallowing, he continued his question. "Why four?"
"One for Ron, one for Ginny, one for Harry, and one for Hermione," she explained patiently, as if it should be obvious.
"Oh, yes, of course." He smiled and polished off the last of his cookie. "Delicious, Molly."
"Thank you, Arthur."
"I love you, Molly," he told her, drawing her into his arms once more.
"I love you, too, Arthur." They stood together once more, drawing strength from each other.