Disclaimer: All to J.K. Rowlings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to all who reviewed and here's the next bit. This is between Molly and Arthur Weasley. I imagine that they're in bed, he's trying to sleep, but she talks instead, mostly about Harry. Somewhere either in OotP or soon after. First Molly, then Arthur, etc.
~~Worry~~
"I worry about him sometimes."
"I know you do."
"He's just a boy."
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean, 'not exactly'? He either is or he isn't."
"No, he's in that 'not one or the other' bit. You know the one I mean. Our son's in the same stage."
"They're still only boys."
"Partly."
"I don't want to argue with you about this anymore. They're boys."
"Right."
"Besides, even if he were a man it would be too much for him to deal with."
"It's too much for just anyone to deal with, Molly, but he's made of sterner stuff, you know."
"Not much sterner, dear."
"More than you think, I'm sure."
"You're mistaken. He's a small, angry and scared little boy."
"No. He's a strong, understandably upset and surprisingly brave young man."
"You are too optimistic of him. He is fragile. He's too young to be up against such an evil. It will destroy him if given the time."
"Here is where you and I finally agree, my dear."
"Do we?"
"Yes. It will destroy him."
"But--are you absolutely certain? I'd like to think I was overreacting."
"You're not. What he endures could destroy everyone on this measly planet. He just endures it longer."
"That's not very comforting. Or encouraging, for that matter."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
"You know, you make worrying an absolutely dreadful experience."
"I didn't think it was amusing to begin with."
"It isn't. But most people try to assure the worrier that everything will turn out right in the end. You, on the other hand, point our more worries and make me even more uneasy. It's very cruel of you."
"I'm not offering you more worries, I'm just building on the ones you've already got."
"That's not funny, Arthur."
"It wasn't meant to be."
Pause.
"I'm still worried."
"I figured you would be."
"I think I'm more worried now than I was at the beginning."
"I thought you might be."
"And now I don't think I'll get a wink of sleep tonight."
"That's too bad."
"Now all I want to do is talk with you about him. And how he's getting along. And whether he's eating enough."
"Damn. And I thought maybe I'd get to sleep without your snoring for once."
"That's not funny."
"I thought it was."
"Now I know where they all get it from"
"All who get what from?"
"Where all your sons get their attitudes from."
"So, now they're my sons, are they? Last nigh, when you'd heard that they'd actually done well on one of their school assignments, they were all your sons. Now they're my sons."
"Oh, do shut up."
"Why? You don't."
"I don't know why I married you in the first place."
"Because you love me."
"I'm starting to think loved would be a more appropriate word."
"Now I know where our boys get their tempers from."
"That was a bit too far, Arthur."
"I'm always a 'bit too far'."
"How very right you are."
"But it's good to know that at least Ginny didn't get our bad sides, right? At least she's halfway decent and always so sweet and calm."
"That's not what the boys say."
"Ah, damn the boys."
"Arthur!"
"Well, you always want to say it, I'm sure."
"Yes, but I never actually have."
"Well, you should. At least once. It's quite...refreshing."
"I won't."
"Fine. I'll say it again."
"No! Arthur!"
"Then you say it."
"If I say it once, do you promise not to say it again?"
"Yes. You promise not to say it again."
"I--what?"
"You promise not to say it again."
"Arthur..."
"All right, I promise."
"Good. Damn the boys."
"And?"
"It does make me feel better, I'll grant you that."
"I told you so."
"Arthur..."
"I hate that voice. I hope none of our children use it on their children or spouse. It's ghastly."
"That's cruel."
"For the children."
"I still don't know why I married you in the first place."
"And I still say because you love me."
"I'm seriously starting to doubt that."
"Oh, you've wounded me to the quick, dear heart."
"Go to sleep."
"But I can't."
"And why ever not?"
"Because you won't."
"And why won't I?"
"Don't you remember? You must be getting old..."
"Arthur!"
"I didn't mean it."
"I should hope not. Now, why don't I sleep?"
"Because you're worried about Harry."
"Oh, yes..."
"I'm glad that's done. Now I can get some sleep."
Pause.
"Arthur? Are you sleeping?"
"Yes..."
"Well, wake up."
"What is it now, Molly?"
"I can't sleep."
"What do you mean you can't sleep? You just said you could a minute ago."
"Well, now I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I still worry about him sometimes."
Pause.
"I'm not going to get any sleep at all tonight, am I?"
"It doesn't look like it."
"I didn't think so." Pause. "So, what are you worried about now?"
~`~`~`~`~
Okay, this one was just something that popped into my head one night while I was trying to sleep. It just seemed like something that would happen between them. I can sort of imagine it... Well, anyway, I hope you liked it.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to all who reviewed and here's the next bit. This is between Molly and Arthur Weasley. I imagine that they're in bed, he's trying to sleep, but she talks instead, mostly about Harry. Somewhere either in OotP or soon after. First Molly, then Arthur, etc.
~~Worry~~
"I worry about him sometimes."
"I know you do."
"He's just a boy."
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean, 'not exactly'? He either is or he isn't."
"No, he's in that 'not one or the other' bit. You know the one I mean. Our son's in the same stage."
"They're still only boys."
"Partly."
"I don't want to argue with you about this anymore. They're boys."
"Right."
"Besides, even if he were a man it would be too much for him to deal with."
"It's too much for just anyone to deal with, Molly, but he's made of sterner stuff, you know."
"Not much sterner, dear."
"More than you think, I'm sure."
"You're mistaken. He's a small, angry and scared little boy."
"No. He's a strong, understandably upset and surprisingly brave young man."
"You are too optimistic of him. He is fragile. He's too young to be up against such an evil. It will destroy him if given the time."
"Here is where you and I finally agree, my dear."
"Do we?"
"Yes. It will destroy him."
"But--are you absolutely certain? I'd like to think I was overreacting."
"You're not. What he endures could destroy everyone on this measly planet. He just endures it longer."
"That's not very comforting. Or encouraging, for that matter."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
"You know, you make worrying an absolutely dreadful experience."
"I didn't think it was amusing to begin with."
"It isn't. But most people try to assure the worrier that everything will turn out right in the end. You, on the other hand, point our more worries and make me even more uneasy. It's very cruel of you."
"I'm not offering you more worries, I'm just building on the ones you've already got."
"That's not funny, Arthur."
"It wasn't meant to be."
Pause.
"I'm still worried."
"I figured you would be."
"I think I'm more worried now than I was at the beginning."
"I thought you might be."
"And now I don't think I'll get a wink of sleep tonight."
"That's too bad."
"Now all I want to do is talk with you about him. And how he's getting along. And whether he's eating enough."
"Damn. And I thought maybe I'd get to sleep without your snoring for once."
"That's not funny."
"I thought it was."
"Now I know where they all get it from"
"All who get what from?"
"Where all your sons get their attitudes from."
"So, now they're my sons, are they? Last nigh, when you'd heard that they'd actually done well on one of their school assignments, they were all your sons. Now they're my sons."
"Oh, do shut up."
"Why? You don't."
"I don't know why I married you in the first place."
"Because you love me."
"I'm starting to think loved would be a more appropriate word."
"Now I know where our boys get their tempers from."
"That was a bit too far, Arthur."
"I'm always a 'bit too far'."
"How very right you are."
"But it's good to know that at least Ginny didn't get our bad sides, right? At least she's halfway decent and always so sweet and calm."
"That's not what the boys say."
"Ah, damn the boys."
"Arthur!"
"Well, you always want to say it, I'm sure."
"Yes, but I never actually have."
"Well, you should. At least once. It's quite...refreshing."
"I won't."
"Fine. I'll say it again."
"No! Arthur!"
"Then you say it."
"If I say it once, do you promise not to say it again?"
"Yes. You promise not to say it again."
"I--what?"
"You promise not to say it again."
"Arthur..."
"All right, I promise."
"Good. Damn the boys."
"And?"
"It does make me feel better, I'll grant you that."
"I told you so."
"Arthur..."
"I hate that voice. I hope none of our children use it on their children or spouse. It's ghastly."
"That's cruel."
"For the children."
"I still don't know why I married you in the first place."
"And I still say because you love me."
"I'm seriously starting to doubt that."
"Oh, you've wounded me to the quick, dear heart."
"Go to sleep."
"But I can't."
"And why ever not?"
"Because you won't."
"And why won't I?"
"Don't you remember? You must be getting old..."
"Arthur!"
"I didn't mean it."
"I should hope not. Now, why don't I sleep?"
"Because you're worried about Harry."
"Oh, yes..."
"I'm glad that's done. Now I can get some sleep."
Pause.
"Arthur? Are you sleeping?"
"Yes..."
"Well, wake up."
"What is it now, Molly?"
"I can't sleep."
"What do you mean you can't sleep? You just said you could a minute ago."
"Well, now I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I still worry about him sometimes."
Pause.
"I'm not going to get any sleep at all tonight, am I?"
"It doesn't look like it."
"I didn't think so." Pause. "So, what are you worried about now?"
~`~`~`~`~
Okay, this one was just something that popped into my head one night while I was trying to sleep. It just seemed like something that would happen between them. I can sort of imagine it... Well, anyway, I hope you liked it.