Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: I know it's been a long time since my last update! My apologies! Work and Christmas preparations have kept me quite without computer time! However, with vacation here, I hope to get out a couple chapters for you!
Chapter Nine: A Day in the Life of Jack Weasley
Jack Weasley lay on a blanket in his backyard, looking up at the white fluffy clouds. Around him, he could hear the rest of his family talking and running around, getting ready for a picnic.
Despite the fact that Jack was the only boy out of four children, he considered himself a pretty happy five-year-old. He may have been outnumbered by three sisters, but his parents never made him feel as though he wasn't part of the crowd. His father took him out on outings once a week, so they could have their "man time," as Hermione called it. Sometimes, if they could, they caught up with Harry and James at Hogwarts and spent the afternoon practicing Quidditch. This then became something Jack could make his older sisters jealous with when he got back home.
Jack led the typical life of a five-year-old boy during the summer months. He slept late in the mornings, and fell into bed at what seemed so much later than normal, when in reality it was really just an hour past his usual bedtime. He spent his days running around the backyard, usually with his sisters or one of the creatures he happened to come across back there.
"What are you doing, Jack?" came a sudden voice to his left, and Jack turned his head to see that his oldest sister, ten-year-old Emma, had joined him on the blanket and was looking up at the sky.
"Watching clouds," Jack said simply. He pointed. "See, that one's an apple."
"I don't know, Jack," Emma said, squinting. "It looks more like a peach to me."
"Apples and peaches look the same," came a third voice, this time to Jack's right, and he saw seven-year-old Olivia had also joined them. "I think it looks like a Quaffle."
"You would," said Emma, referring to Olivia's very obvious obsession with Quidditch (in fact, she was wearing a Chudley Canons t-shirt - her favorite - that had been a gift from her father).
Suddenly, Jack heard giggling near his feet and he moved his foot quickly as he felt two-year-old Charlotte's hand come in contact with his toes, tickling them. "Charlie!" he exclaimed, laughing. "That tickles."
"Tickle Jack!" Charlotte exclaimed, and she clapped her hands, laughing. She had been in an excellent mood the past few days (not that she wasn't a good-natured toddler anyway) because of her recent birthday celebration. She turned her head. "Mummy! Tickle Jack!"
"I think I can take care of that!" came the voice of the other man in the house, and Ron descended upon the area where his children were lounging, and tickled Jack in the ribs, purposely misinterpreting Charlotte's words.
"Dad!" the boy squealed as he tried to wiggle his way out of his father's grasp. "Dad! She meant SHE tickled me! Not you!" His words came in gasps as he tried to catch his breath.
"I know what she meant!" Ron exclaimed, continued to send Jack into fits of laughter. "I just thought you needed a laugh!"
"Stop!" Jack exclaimed, even though he was still laughing furiously. He managed to point a finger towards Olivia. "Tickle HER!"
Another laugh joined the group as Ron stretched out his hand and did as Jack said. "Hermione!" he called out. "I could use a hand here!" Hermione looked over at her family, two of the children rolling on the ground with laughter, and the other (non-tickle participants) laughing in spite of themselves, and she joined the group.
"Come on, Ron, you're going to make them throw up," she said, but she was only half-serious, relishing her children's laughter.
Ron stopped tickling Jack and Olivia. "Well, we can't have that, can we?" he said. "I certainly don't want to clean THAT up."
Hermione reached for Charlotte, who seemed ready to toddle away and pulled her into her lap. "Did you start all this, Charlotte?" she asked, and Charlotte giggled.
"She did!" Jack exclaimed, still smiling.
"Can we eat now?" Olivia suddenly asked.
"Sure thing," said Hermione, and she pointed her wand towards the house and summoned the food towards them. It landed gently on the blanket, shortly followed by the plates and silverware.
* * *
Later that evening, Jack was sitting in the living room, looking at a book, when it was suddenly knocked out of his hands. He looked up to see Charlotte standing next to him. "Charlie!" he exclaimed. "I was reading that!"
Charlotte smiled at her brother, and picked up the book. "Read it?" she asked, and she handed him the book.
"I don't know all the words," said Jack. He was just learning how to read, and he was able to make out some words, but not all of them.
"Read it," Charlotte said again, now as a statement and not a question.
"I guess I could try," said Jack. "Sit down." He patted the floor next to him, and Charlotte sat down, and leaned on his leg to look at the book.
"Okay," said Jack, and he opened to the first page. "Once upon a time, there was a big troll. He lived in the land of - I don't know this word - of Elevators!" Charlotte laughed, and Jack smiled. He continued to read, though he stopped reading the words and began telling his own made up story about the Land of Elevators, making Charlotte giggle.
"Read it?" she asked when he had closed the book and pronounced that they had reached the end.
"Again?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Again!" Charlotte confirmed.
"I don't know if I can remember it," Jack said. "Okay, I'll try." He began to recount his story, changing parts when he couldn't remember and adding parts when he thought of something new, making Charlotte giggle all the way through.
* * *
Dinner that night took place in the house, with the family gathered around the table. Generally, they spoke about their day, and their ups and downs. Jack was usually the listener during this conversation, as Emma generally dominated, and tonight was no exception. "I wish I was going to Hogwarts this year," he heard her say, and his ears perked up.
"How come?" he asked her.
"I can't wait to go learn all the spells and things!" she said. "And I hope I'm in Gryffindor!"
"I wouldn't doubt it!" said Ron, proudly, and Emma smiled at him.
"Only one more year!" she exclaimed happily.
* * *
Later that night, Ron checked on Jack just as he was getting ready for bed. "Won't it be weird when Emma goes to Hogwarts next year?" Jack asked.
"Really weird," Ron agreed.
"We won't get to see her everyday," Jack commented.
"No, we won't," Ron confirmed. "Not until Christmastime, I bet."
"We can visit," Jack said. "We always visit James, and Uncle Harry!"
"That's true," Ron said, thinking. "We could visit Emma. But you know what?"
"What?"
"I bet she wants to have some time to herself at school," Ron said. "She doesn't want her mum and dad around all the time!"
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"Well, because it will be a new place, and she'll have new friends, and she'll want to have a new life," said Ron.
"Without us?" Jack asked in disbelief. "Why?"
Ron smiled at his son. "Well, she won't always be without us. Just at school. That's the way it should be. But she'll still love us, and want to see us."
"Are you sure?" Jack asked, not feeling so sure himself.
"Of course," said Ron. "She'll always be your sister."
"But she won't be here," said Jack again.
"Jack, I don't think you have anything to worry about," said Ron. "I know you'll miss her, but it's not like you'll never see her again. I missed my older brothers - well, maybe not Percy so much - when they went to Hogwarts, but it was always really great when they came home for holidays, because they told me all about school."
Jack smiled again. "I want to know what its like," said Jack. "James doesn't say too much about it."
"I'm sure Emma will," said Ron. "She loves to talk!"
"Yup!" said Jack, and he laughed.
"You ready for bed?" Ron asked, and Jack nodded. He climbed into his bed, and pulled the covers around him.
"Good-night dad," he said.
"Good-night, Jack."
Author's Note: I know it's been a long time since my last update! My apologies! Work and Christmas preparations have kept me quite without computer time! However, with vacation here, I hope to get out a couple chapters for you!
Chapter Nine: A Day in the Life of Jack Weasley
Jack Weasley lay on a blanket in his backyard, looking up at the white fluffy clouds. Around him, he could hear the rest of his family talking and running around, getting ready for a picnic.
Despite the fact that Jack was the only boy out of four children, he considered himself a pretty happy five-year-old. He may have been outnumbered by three sisters, but his parents never made him feel as though he wasn't part of the crowd. His father took him out on outings once a week, so they could have their "man time," as Hermione called it. Sometimes, if they could, they caught up with Harry and James at Hogwarts and spent the afternoon practicing Quidditch. This then became something Jack could make his older sisters jealous with when he got back home.
Jack led the typical life of a five-year-old boy during the summer months. He slept late in the mornings, and fell into bed at what seemed so much later than normal, when in reality it was really just an hour past his usual bedtime. He spent his days running around the backyard, usually with his sisters or one of the creatures he happened to come across back there.
"What are you doing, Jack?" came a sudden voice to his left, and Jack turned his head to see that his oldest sister, ten-year-old Emma, had joined him on the blanket and was looking up at the sky.
"Watching clouds," Jack said simply. He pointed. "See, that one's an apple."
"I don't know, Jack," Emma said, squinting. "It looks more like a peach to me."
"Apples and peaches look the same," came a third voice, this time to Jack's right, and he saw seven-year-old Olivia had also joined them. "I think it looks like a Quaffle."
"You would," said Emma, referring to Olivia's very obvious obsession with Quidditch (in fact, she was wearing a Chudley Canons t-shirt - her favorite - that had been a gift from her father).
Suddenly, Jack heard giggling near his feet and he moved his foot quickly as he felt two-year-old Charlotte's hand come in contact with his toes, tickling them. "Charlie!" he exclaimed, laughing. "That tickles."
"Tickle Jack!" Charlotte exclaimed, and she clapped her hands, laughing. She had been in an excellent mood the past few days (not that she wasn't a good-natured toddler anyway) because of her recent birthday celebration. She turned her head. "Mummy! Tickle Jack!"
"I think I can take care of that!" came the voice of the other man in the house, and Ron descended upon the area where his children were lounging, and tickled Jack in the ribs, purposely misinterpreting Charlotte's words.
"Dad!" the boy squealed as he tried to wiggle his way out of his father's grasp. "Dad! She meant SHE tickled me! Not you!" His words came in gasps as he tried to catch his breath.
"I know what she meant!" Ron exclaimed, continued to send Jack into fits of laughter. "I just thought you needed a laugh!"
"Stop!" Jack exclaimed, even though he was still laughing furiously. He managed to point a finger towards Olivia. "Tickle HER!"
Another laugh joined the group as Ron stretched out his hand and did as Jack said. "Hermione!" he called out. "I could use a hand here!" Hermione looked over at her family, two of the children rolling on the ground with laughter, and the other (non-tickle participants) laughing in spite of themselves, and she joined the group.
"Come on, Ron, you're going to make them throw up," she said, but she was only half-serious, relishing her children's laughter.
Ron stopped tickling Jack and Olivia. "Well, we can't have that, can we?" he said. "I certainly don't want to clean THAT up."
Hermione reached for Charlotte, who seemed ready to toddle away and pulled her into her lap. "Did you start all this, Charlotte?" she asked, and Charlotte giggled.
"She did!" Jack exclaimed, still smiling.
"Can we eat now?" Olivia suddenly asked.
"Sure thing," said Hermione, and she pointed her wand towards the house and summoned the food towards them. It landed gently on the blanket, shortly followed by the plates and silverware.
* * *
Later that evening, Jack was sitting in the living room, looking at a book, when it was suddenly knocked out of his hands. He looked up to see Charlotte standing next to him. "Charlie!" he exclaimed. "I was reading that!"
Charlotte smiled at her brother, and picked up the book. "Read it?" she asked, and she handed him the book.
"I don't know all the words," said Jack. He was just learning how to read, and he was able to make out some words, but not all of them.
"Read it," Charlotte said again, now as a statement and not a question.
"I guess I could try," said Jack. "Sit down." He patted the floor next to him, and Charlotte sat down, and leaned on his leg to look at the book.
"Okay," said Jack, and he opened to the first page. "Once upon a time, there was a big troll. He lived in the land of - I don't know this word - of Elevators!" Charlotte laughed, and Jack smiled. He continued to read, though he stopped reading the words and began telling his own made up story about the Land of Elevators, making Charlotte giggle.
"Read it?" she asked when he had closed the book and pronounced that they had reached the end.
"Again?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Again!" Charlotte confirmed.
"I don't know if I can remember it," Jack said. "Okay, I'll try." He began to recount his story, changing parts when he couldn't remember and adding parts when he thought of something new, making Charlotte giggle all the way through.
* * *
Dinner that night took place in the house, with the family gathered around the table. Generally, they spoke about their day, and their ups and downs. Jack was usually the listener during this conversation, as Emma generally dominated, and tonight was no exception. "I wish I was going to Hogwarts this year," he heard her say, and his ears perked up.
"How come?" he asked her.
"I can't wait to go learn all the spells and things!" she said. "And I hope I'm in Gryffindor!"
"I wouldn't doubt it!" said Ron, proudly, and Emma smiled at him.
"Only one more year!" she exclaimed happily.
* * *
Later that night, Ron checked on Jack just as he was getting ready for bed. "Won't it be weird when Emma goes to Hogwarts next year?" Jack asked.
"Really weird," Ron agreed.
"We won't get to see her everyday," Jack commented.
"No, we won't," Ron confirmed. "Not until Christmastime, I bet."
"We can visit," Jack said. "We always visit James, and Uncle Harry!"
"That's true," Ron said, thinking. "We could visit Emma. But you know what?"
"What?"
"I bet she wants to have some time to herself at school," Ron said. "She doesn't want her mum and dad around all the time!"
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"Well, because it will be a new place, and she'll have new friends, and she'll want to have a new life," said Ron.
"Without us?" Jack asked in disbelief. "Why?"
Ron smiled at his son. "Well, she won't always be without us. Just at school. That's the way it should be. But she'll still love us, and want to see us."
"Are you sure?" Jack asked, not feeling so sure himself.
"Of course," said Ron. "She'll always be your sister."
"But she won't be here," said Jack again.
"Jack, I don't think you have anything to worry about," said Ron. "I know you'll miss her, but it's not like you'll never see her again. I missed my older brothers - well, maybe not Percy so much - when they went to Hogwarts, but it was always really great when they came home for holidays, because they told me all about school."
Jack smiled again. "I want to know what its like," said Jack. "James doesn't say too much about it."
"I'm sure Emma will," said Ron. "She loves to talk!"
"Yup!" said Jack, and he laughed.
"You ready for bed?" Ron asked, and Jack nodded. He climbed into his bed, and pulled the covers around him.
"Good-night dad," he said.
"Good-night, Jack."