A/N: Hey, readers! This is a chapter with the Weasleys! I'm pretty proud of this chapter and I think it's better than some of the other ones, but tell me what you think. I've been pretty busy lately so I hardly had time to post this, but enjoy! Congratulations to SupaSonik Hedgehog for being my 300th reviewer! Goodness! I never expected this much! I actually, thought I was going to get 50 reviews tops, cuz not a lot of people like Harry/Cho stories. Lol.
Tror Stormcryer- I'm sorry if the last chapter seemed a little off and wasn't very realistic. I've never gone through the terror of being raped (thank goodness), but here's what happened, I tried to give some comic relief after the big drama by making Ron do something funny. Cho, very shaken about what happened, didn't want to talk about it to anyone yet, and so she didn't want to report it. I've read that girls are very afraid and feel 'dirty' after being raped, and they usually go silent. Also, what happened with Cho and Mark foreshadows something that happens in one of the later chapters. When Cho reaches Harry, she expresses 'wife like concern', but being very moody and stubborn, she doesn't want to 'melt into Harry's arms' just then. Just wait and see what happens later on. I'm sorry if rape seemed to be taken too lightly in that chapter. I apologize. However, Cho will not get raped again!
Kim- You don't have to worry; as of now, I'm writing the last few chapters of my story. I'm miles and miles ahead. Here's the next chapter. : )
Harrypotter4ever- Hmm….will they make up soon? It depends. Maybe something happens to Cho and she never sees Harry again? Hmm……keep guessing.
…- Thanks for your review!
MysticalEnchantress- I sincerely hope someone took you seriously and the guy who took advantage of you did not get away. Talk to teachers, counselors, 1-800 numbers, I mean, he should not be able to get away with what he did. I'm truly sorry about what happened. I hope that you'll take things slow and one day, you'll find a guy who appreciates you for who you are and never pressure you into anything.
sakura-08- Thanks for your review!
Legolas Lover- I'm glad you like my story, enjoy this chapter. : )
wHIte-cHOcoLaTE- Oh no! Harry with a potbelly? EWWWW…gag….ahem…I like him much better with his cute messy hair and ABS from playing Quiddich. Hehe. Draco will make appearances now and then, but he's not a main character, sorry! : (
Xenith- Ginny is not going to beat up Cho or compete against her like some of the other stories. You'll see some more of Ginny in this chapter and appearances now and then in other chapters. However, this mostly focuses on Harry and Cho.
Hahe- Cho was only pregnant once, by Harry. Mark never raped her. He was about to, but Cho got rescued. Hope that clears things up.
Scarhead- I'm not telling you the answers as you requested, hehe, but keep reading. Thanks for your review.
Campiongal- Yay! Thanks for your enthusiasm : )
Brittney- Yeah, chapter 20 was one of my slower chapters, but I think this one is a lot better. : )
Amora- I never meant to make Hermione sound like a b-itch! I'm so sorry if I did! Hermione is one of my favorite characters! I like all of the HP characters, except for the Slytherins! Lol.
Vld- Sure, you can have Mark's head. *presents you with Mark's head * okay, there you go.
The-Neopet-Freak- Here you go!
Lils- Lots of cliffhangers will come, sorry! You should read the cliffhanger after this chapter. Lol.
Angel515- Here's another chapter. : )
Christie- I'm glad you enjoy my chapters! Here's another one, this one is on the Weasleys, my favorite Harry Potter family! : )
Artemis Mog- Feel free to throw Mark with anything you want, here's the next chapter : )
Rachel- Hold your breath!
Americanangel- Thanks for your review! : )
fairydust816- Here you go!
Starr Athena LiEngle- Arg! Sorry if I confused people, but Harry is the father! Read chapter 6….I think….Harry is definitely the father, but just wait until everything is explained to find out why things happened the way they did.
Jommoov- This chapter is much longer, I love the Weasleys and it's very easy to write about them.
Blondprincess- Guys don't rape girls to get them pregnant, guys rapes girls b/c they are jerks and they want sex. Mark raped Cho because he knew she wasn't a virgin, and figured if she did it with another guy, she would do it with him too. He's just a jerk. He just wanted sex, but lucky for Cho, he didn't get it.
Chibi Akuma- I'm glad you were laughing very hard, but I don't know what part you were laughing at. Hmm, well there are some funny parts in this chapter, and I hope you laugh when you read those, too. : )
Xenith- Thanks!
Calicat- Wow, your review flattered me, thanks a lot . : )
Chapter 21- Holidays at the Burrow
"Good-bye, Hagrid! Merry Christmas!" Harry called from the train window with Ron as they departed. Hagrid waved toward them and called, "See you soon!"
Hermione gave Harry and Ron their presents, as they would not be seeing each other on Christmas Day.
"Merry Christmas!" She said brightly.
Harry fished out his present for her and Ron did the same.
Harry got a large tin of double chocolate fudge and a box of ever-lasting rainbow drops. Ron gave Harry a plush Snitch.
"Maybe your son will be a Seeker," Ron grinned.
"Thanks, Ron." Harry replied.
The three friends opened their presents and ate some fudge for awhile, being quiet and watching the window. The train clanked by the rails and the snow was falling outside. They drank some hot cocoa. It was a very peaceful and comfortable way to travel.
"Hermione," Ron said suddenly. "What are your parents like?"
"They're very nice." Hermione answered. "Just don't eat too much junk food in front of them, they're dentists."
"I mean, are they, you know, like Cho's parents? Because Mr. Chang is certainly something else." Ron said.
"I don't think my father is going to scare you, we're not getting married." Hermione smiled.
"Just you know, asking." Ron hummed, his cheeks pink and nervous.
**
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie were waiting for them at the train station.
"Harry! Oh, Harry, dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked, rushing over to Harry and kissing both cheeks.
"I'm fine. Merry Christmas, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, feeling very happy to be with the Weasleys.
"Oh, and a Merry Christmas to you, too, dear! Wait until you see the decorations Arthur put up! We're going to have a nice, Christmas dinner and lots of little presents. We couldn't afford big ones this year, but I got a little something for you all." Mrs. Weasley said to all of them.
"Say, mum, when did you start embracing Harry before your own sons?" Fred joked.
"Oh, Fred." Mrs. Weasley said and reached over to hug him.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley said rushing over to her. "How are you? Has my little Ron been treating you nicely?" Mrs. Weasley glared at Ron as he stared unbelievably at his mother for calling him 'little Ron'.
"I'm fine." Hermione smiled. "Thanks for having me over, Mrs. Weasley."
"Say," Mr. Weasley came up to Hermione eagerly. He was wearing a bright red and green sweater with a Rudolph flashing on and off by magic. "Your parents put up decorations by hand, don't they? How do they manage to put lights on the roof?"
While Hermione tried to explain ladders ("Held up so high without magic? What if they fall?") and extension plugs, ("Fascinating! Truly interesting what Muggles have invented!") the whole crowd walked over to the cars Mr. Weasley borrowed from the Ministry.
"Now, Ron, you have something on your nose." Mrs. Weasley said and dug a handkerchief from somewhere in her large purse.
"Mom! Gerroff!" Ron said.
"Aww, little Ronniekins still gets dirt on his nose." Fred teased.
"Percy cannot make it home this Christmas," Mrs. Weasley announced as they walked over to the cars the Ministry borrowed to Arthur. "Says he has a lot of work to do. Fred and George, you will stay in your room, and Bill and Charlie will sleep in Percy's room. Hermione, you can share Ginny's room and Harry, you're up bunking with Ron." Mrs. Weasley smiled at Harry. "You poor little dear, managing all those responsibilities!"
"Mum, Harry's sixteen, seventeen this year." George spoke, nudging Harry with his elbows.
"Well, to Mum, we're all in great need of care." Charlie said smiling.
"Blimey, I'm starving. What's to eat, mum?" Fred said. (Harry noticed that he and George sat on opposite ends of the car.)
"You!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly said. "I've been getting reports of you causing fights with your brother!"
"What fights?" George and Fred said innocently.
"You know what fights I'm talking about!" Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "If I get anything else about you breaking tables and using magic on each other---"
"We were just kidding!" George said.
"I don't want to hear about this! Now you two better start getting on good terms and focus on your studies and taking care of your little sister—"
"OUCH!" Ten voices in the car suddenly said.
"Sorry! Ran into a pothole." Mr. Weasley apologized.
The car bumped into a large stone pigpen that was several stories high.
"We're here!" Mr. Weasley announced. "Better get things ready, Molly. Muggles are coming to visit! I want to hear all about---"
"Arthur, now we cannot bombard those nice people will questions all evening!" Mrs. Weasley said to her husband's excited face will soon fell.
"But, Molly---"
"They are coming for dinner, for Christmas! Not to explain plugs or light bulbs!" Mrs. Weasley went inside the house and called out, "And there better not be any pranks pulled while those nice people are here!"
Things were a little chaotic. Charlie tripped on a chicken carrying Ginny's trunk into the house and Fred and George suddenly set off a huge explosion.
Mrs. Weasley appeared by their side so fast that Harry wondered if she never left in the first place.
"YOU TWO!" She said. "In the house, now! And no fighting!"
Smoke was coming out of Fred's ears and George's face was covered in ashes.
In the house, red and green struck Harry in almost every angle. Red and green candles were floating here and there. Little Santas were singing and Christmas music merrily played on an old radio.
Harry settled in Ron's room, (a shocking orange), and they spent an hour playing exploding snap with Ginny and Hermione. Fred and George disappeared and Bill and Charlie were helping Mr. Weasley fix something in the garage, out of Mrs. Weasley's sight. Harry thought he saw a motorcycle, but he didn't say anything.
Mrs. Weasley was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.
At a quarter after six, the fireplace gave a big whoosh and Hermione jumped up to greet her parents. Mrs. Weasley wiped her hands on her apron and came to greet the Grangers.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Granger! Please, come into our house." She said. "Dinner is about to be served, would you like some tea?"
"Oh thank---" Mrs. Granger said but all of the sudden, a huge BOOM was heard from upstairs following by "GEORGE! Mum will hear us!" and "SHHHHHH!"
"YOU BOYS BETTER NOT BE DOING ANYTHING! I AM COMING UP THERE RIGHT NOW!" Mrs. Weasley called, her face furious.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger stopped.
Mrs. Weasley's face smiled calmly again. "Please, come in, come in. Arthur! They're here!"
A huge clank was heard from the garage and then a lot of hustle was about and Bill, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley emerged with dirty hands that smelled of engine grease. All three started humming innocently.
Mr. Weasley wiped his hands on a rag and then greeted Hermione's parents. "Good to see you! Is that a battery powered watch?" he said excitedly, pointing to Mr. Weasley's wrist. "Molly, come look! He has---"
Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat loudly.
"Oh," Mr. Weasley said. "I like batteries. Please, come in."
Mr. and Mrs. Granger looked almost scared to be inside the house, but very happy to see Hermione. Every so often, an explosion was heard from upstairs followed by Mrs. Weasley's booming voice. Harry and Ron grinned at each other.
"I brush my teeth, you know, to keep them clean. You're a dentist, aren't you?" Ron said knowledgeably to Mr. Granger.
"Oh, very good, Ron." Mr. Granger smiled.
"Dinner!" Charlie called from the backyard.
Everyone got up at once; the smell of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking wafted through the house and the backyard.
"It smells lovely." Mrs. Granger said politely.
"Oh, thank you." Mrs. Weasley answered while she glared at Fred who stopped midair holding a wand at George. Fred put the wand away and Mrs. Weasley turned to smile at Mrs. Granger.
"What lovely children you have." Mrs. Granger smiled. "All of them here at Christmas."
"Well, my son Percy couldn't make it this year." Mrs. Weasley said.
"But, then, Harry isn't yours?"
"No, Harry isn't my son." Mrs. Weasley said. "But he's family anyway. So wonderful, the poor darling. His parents passed away." Mrs. Weasley said with a heavy heart. She immediately encouraged Harry to a third helping of everything.
After dinner, Bill and Charlie offered to clean up and do the dishes and Mrs. Weasley sat on the living room couch watching Ginny and Fred compete against George and Harry in wizard's chess. Every once in a while, she'd ask Harry if he wanted anything to eat.
Ron and Hermione talked with her parents and Mr. Weasley in another room.
Ron was extremely nervous, but Hermione insisted that her parents loved him already.
"So, your houses are constructed without magic?" Mr. Weasley said excitedly. "How is that done?"
"Well, ours was built before we moved in. We have certain people who are building designers. They are called architects." Mr. Granger said.
"Really? Building designers? Arky-tects? Without magic?" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.
Mr. Weasley kept on asking and proudly showed the Grangers his collection of plugs until Mrs. Weasley called, "Ron! Get ready! It's your turn to shower next!" She got up and cleaned the living room.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger stood up. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley. We must be going now. Do we, uh, floo back to our house?"
"Yes, yes, here. Molly! The Muggles are leaving!" Mr. Weasley called.
"Oh, dear, dear!" Mrs. Weasley came to the fireplace. "Well, it was lovely having you here."
"They are dentists, Molly. They fix teeth!" Mr. Weasley beamed.
"Alright, how truly interesting." Mrs. Weasley said. "Hermione, dear, are you going with them?"
Hermione nodded. "We invited Ron for dinner the day after Christmas."
Ron beamed.
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley said. "Wait here, dear." She disappeared and then reappeared from the kitchen bearing a basket of warm bread, chicken pot pies and cake.
"It's the least we can give you, please." Mrs. Weasley said pressing the basket into Hermione's hands.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione said. Mr. and Mrs. Granger shook hands with Molly and Arthur and then Mr. Granger took a pinch of powder and the fire roared.
"The G-Grangers!" He called, coughing a bit.
Mrs. Granger went next and then Hermione with the basket. She smiled and waved at the Weasleys and then left. Ron continued waving until the flames died down.
"Well, Ron, hurry up, now." Mrs. Weasley said. "Your turn and then Ginny's turn."
Ron went upstairs to shower.
Arthur took Molly's hands into his own. "Well, Molly, that was quite an evening with the children home again."
"Yes, Arthur." Molly said quietly and smiled. They walked up the stairs to their room, which was cramped with a bed and papers all over a desk squeezed by the window. Arthur and Molly shared the smallest bedroom in the Burrow.
"It's certainly something, to have seven children at home." Mrs. Weasley said smoothing the covers on the bed and picking up some fallen papers.
"It's a full house!" Arthur said. "So many, why we could probably make up a whole Quiddich team if all of our children were present at Hogwarts!"
Molly tried to smile.
Their firstborn arrived very shortly after their marriage. Bill was completely unexpected, but received in welcome arms. They were very poor indeed, much poorer than the current circumstances. Molly and Arthur rented a one-bedroom apartment from a huge house a retired widow owned. Arthur made very little money, as he was just getting started, a fresh graduate from Hogwarts. Molly tried to make some money working in the apartment kitchen, cooking meals for everyone and nursing Bill during her breaks. Arthur once joked that Bill's name fit him, for he had cost a lot of money. Molly gave him a long, hard stare and Arthur backed down, changing his laughter into a hacking cough.
Charlie arrived a few years later, when they started saving up money for a house. Bill was walking around breaking everything when he got his hands on Arthur's wand. Charlie was rather an outdoor type and was always roaming the streets playing with animals until Molly became so worried that he might become lost, she put a spell on him that he will never be out of her eye's vision.
Percy was the easiest baby to take care of. He wasn't loud and feisty or crying, but he was very demanding. He wanted only new clothes and refused to wear Bill's hand-me-downs. Molly got in quite a few arguments with little Percy when he was small.
Fred and George arrived when they finally bought a large pigpen from an old farmer. Things were shaky, and the Dark Lord was rising steadily. Molly had to take care of her children by herself most of the time because Arthur was so busy at work. Meanwhile, their money was running lower and lower. Molly, a determined woman, grabbed Fred and George into her arms, pushed Percy in a stroller, and threatened a year's worth of grounding for Bill to keep Charlie in sight. She got a job working as a cook for a rich family who was kind enough to let her bring her children to work.
When Molly suspected she was about to have another baby, she practically swore it to be a girl. This time, the height of the Dark Lord had risen to the point that she gathered her children close by and went into the house before dark. Arthur made her promise to never leave the house at night and to not associate with strangers, and especially keep all their children together. Ron was born during the middle of the night and was delivered by a neighbor.
When Ron was a year old, the Dark Lord had vanished after Harry Potter's defeat and things were slowly coming back to happiness again. They had some money saved up to add extra rooms to the pigpen and all the happiness and love created Ginny. They had scrimped and saved every last Knut they could and made sure their children, although not always in new clothes, had clean clothes to wear and food to eat.
Molly looked down at her worn hands from years of cleaning and cooking and scolding.
She didn't have a ring; they had to sell their wedding rings for money.
"Well, Arthur, I'll go take my shower." Molly said.
"Alright, dear." Arthur kissed Molly on the cheek. A squeal came from the hallway.
"Ron Weasley!" Ginny's voice said. "Don't you ever try to tell me Harry's in the bathroom while I'm showering again!"
A roar of laughter followed this and whoops.
"I am not! It was only a joke---"
"I don't care, I don't want----why is the water so cold?"
"Because there isn't enough flames left in the spell! Hurry up! I have to go!" Ron said.
"No one wants to hear about your bathroom problems—" Fred or George said.
"Hey Charlie, c'mere."
"There, I'm finished!" Ginny said and scrambled up to her room.
"Want to play a quick game of cards before bed, Harry?" George or Fred asked. "Come on, you and Ron. Ginny? Want to play?"
"No!" Came her voice. "I'm tired of being picked on every time I lose."
"Aww, Ginny." Bill and Charlie and Fred and George and Ron said.
"Our children." Arthur gave a chuckle. "You shower first, dear."
Molly smiled and got up to shower. Immediately, she stepped on an exploding cracker.
"Fred! George!" she scolded. "Don't leave these laying around! Now go to your bedrooms! All of you! And I don't want to hear a single sound!"
There was a moment of scrambling and door closing.
"Tomorrow is Christmas and no one is getting presents unless you all behave!" Mrs. Weasley said. She spotted Harry and Ron running up the steps to Ron's room. "Harry, dear, are you hungry?"
"No, thanks Mrs. Weasley, I'm fine." Harry said, smiling.
Then Molly, tired of a long day, went to the shower; it was in the only bathroom in the house. The water was long cold already.
A/N: Next chapter is called "Christmas at the Weasleys' Review, review! : )