Weasley's the Name
Epilogue- Twenty Years Later
He strolled down the busy streets of New York City, his hands in his pockets in a futile attempt at keeping warm. The tall redheaded man felt as if his nose was going to fall right off, and he thanked his wife silently for the earmuffs she madehim buy (though he had forgotten his gloves on their dresser).
No one noticed that he wore deep crimson cloaks instead of the latest fashion trends, not that he would, being a grown man in his late-thirties. No one noticed that a long slender piece of wood stuck out from his pocket, ready to be used at any moment. When in the Big Apple, no one would care to notice the man.
You wouldn't of course, if you weren't looking for him. It was easy for him to mingle between his crowd and the Muggles. His mother was Muggle-born, and she made sure that he and his siblings knew the Muggle world as well as they did their own, just in case something should happen, not that anything ever did.
Well, except that time he shot, but really, that wasn't his fault.
He stumbled into his apartment complex as the wind blew a nasty breeze. The snow had just started to fall and Jacob Arthur Weasley was glad that he didn't get stuck in it. He and his family had already had their share of New England blizzards.
The thought made him chuckle, nothing was like good ol' England.
The redhead nodded at someone he recognized from the building as they checked their mail. The woman was a Muggle, a rather young looking one, and she had no problem making 'eyes' at him. If she had been a witch, she would've known that he was married to the world-renowned Healer, Soledad Diego.
The woman had long blonde hair with sparkling blue eyes that batted their long eyelashes at him. Jacob couldn't help but blush slightly as he tapped his foot while he waited for the elevator.
"So, what floor do you live on?" the woman asked, obviously trying to get catch his attention. He turned his eyes to her, smiling oddly.
"Er…thirteenth," Jacob answered slowly. Her eyes widened slightly, but she shrugged and swaggered towards him, taking a spot next to him in front of the elevator.
"Do you?" she said simply. "Never seen anyone come down those stairs…my name's Jocelyn, by the way."
Jacob had to hold back a snicker at her name, and he turned to her, smiling,
"Is that so? I had a girlfriend name Jocelyn once, bit of a weirdo, she was."
Jocelyn seemed to be interested, so as the elevator doors opened, Jacob continued his story.
"She used to make potions and levitate objects with the flick of her wand." He watched as the blonde seemed to stare at him differently.
Maybe she was beginning to think she was insane.
"Oh, and there was this one time she turned a needle into a match! That was kind of cool, but since I was able to do it so much better…"
"You?" Jocelyn interrupted. She put her hands on her hips as the elevator doors slid open. "Ugh, you're lucky you're cute, those pick up lines are horrible!" And she stormed out and onto her floor.
Jacob doubled over in laughter as the doors shut and the elevator continued up to the last floor. He loved teasing Muggles (playfully, of course), but he knew his mother would kill him if she found out. Which is one of the reasons he had moved to New York in the first place.
The doors opened and Jacob stepped out. The lofts on the thirteenth floor were invisible to Muggles, explaining why Jocelyn had never seen people come down the stairs or elevator. She didn't want to seem stupid, because to Muggles, there was no thirteenth floor. If they pushed the button for thirteen, it simply wouldn't glow.
The door to his family's loft was painted a bright red, with five pairs of handprints in yellow paint splattered over it. This was done with a little help from magic (okay, a lot of help) because the handprints grew with the children. Two yellow hearts on either side of the peephole were the only other designs on the door.
He placed a charm on his shoulder so the aching pain that was starting to throb would disappear for at least the night. He didn't need his wife to worry about an old injury, especially with the kids.
Taking a deep breath, Jacob strode into his house, his arms wide as if he expected something to jump into them.
"Papa's home!" he screamed, closing his eyes and rooting his feet to the spot.
"Papa!" a little voice screamed, and Jacob opened his eyes just in time to see his youngest son running towards him at top speed.
Joaquin Weasley jumped into his father's arms, his hazel eyes shining and his curly brown hair bouncing around his head. Jacob spun around with his three year old and smiled.
"What's up, little man?" he asked, carrying Joaquin on his hip and heading towards the kitchen to check out the mail that the owl post left on the table. The little boy shrugged softly, leaning his head on his father's shoulder.
"Nut-ing. Matt yelled at me."
Jacob smirked softly as he flipped through a Quidditch magazine that had come in the post.
Matthew was his oldest son. He looked like an older version of Joaquin, but his personality was anything but bubbly. He had quite a mouth on him, and was reprimanded daily for being rude to his siblings.
In the magazine he saw a picture of himself, and Joaquin giggled and pointed. He looked at his son and poked the boy's forehead with his nose.
"Think it's funny, huh?"
"It is funny," a female voice said, and Jacob saw a pair of hazel eyes peeking up from across the table. He smiled, and beckoned with his other hand for his daughter to come over. The five-year-old Caitlyn happily obliged, hugging her father tightly around the waist.
"How's my favorite redhead doing?" he asked, messing up her tight ringlets of red hair. Caitlyn pushed her father's hands away and tried to fix up her hair (it was pointless though, it was frizzy to no ends).
"I'm fine Papa, I was helping Mama with the packing." Jacob looked up from the magazine to his daughter,
"Packing?"
Caitlyn nodded happily,
"Yep! We're going to England! Mama got a letter from Nana!" She smiled brightly, her eyes dazzling. "We're going for Christmas!" Joaquin screamed excitedly in Jacob's ear and hugged his father tightly around the neck.
"Caitlyn, you're 'orrible at keeping secrets," the woman of the house said from across the living room. Soledad leaned on the doorway of the master bedroom, smiling widely as she took in the sight of her husband.
Caitlyn covered her mouth in horror; she hadn't known it was going to be a secret. Soledad laughed at her daughter's expression and shook her head softly.
"Eets not eh problem, I 'ave an even beegger secret."
She strolled over in form fitting blue jeans and a light blue sweater. Her hair was tied up in a very frizzy bun, but Jacob was more than happy to supply her with a kiss.
"Ew…" Joaquin moaned, sliding out of his father's grasp. With free arms, Jacob pulled his wife into his arms and held her close, leaning his head on hers.
"What's the other surprise?" he murmured into her curls. Soledad sighed and squeezed him close,
"Everyone's going to be dere," she almost whispered. Jacob's eyes widened and he looked down at his wife in disbelief.
"No way! The whole family hasn't been together in ten years!"
Anthony Remus Weasley was tired. His last case had gone on much longer than he had thought it would, but at least the Wizengamot seemed to be pleased. He wondered when his boss, Amelia Bones, was going to announce her retirement; that could earn him a few days of relaxation.
Finally, he was able to lie peacefully on the couch of his two-story house. Their dog, a small beagle named Pig, circled on the rug in front of the couch and went to sleep seemingly with him.
"Shh…" a little voice whispered.
Anthony held in a sigh as the footsteps of his youngest crept towards him and past Pig. He felt the movement of something centimeters from his face, and cracked one eye open.
A little boy with bright blue eyes and light blonde hair was looking down at him, a wide grin on his face.
"Hullo Will," Anthony whispered, pulling William Weasley into a lying position next to him. The four-year-old giggled happily, and snuggled under his father's arm.
"Nana waiting for you to say you hea. She in the fire."
Raising a hand and waving it, Anthony heard a slight huff and the flare of the fire. He loved that his mother still knew when he was too tired to move.
It was an hour or two before the slamming of the front door and the swishing of bags and skirts stirred the two on the couch awake. Will sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking towards the front door.
"Mummy!" he shrieked, his sleepiness disappearing immediately, and he jumped off the couch and raced towards his mother. Anthony propped himself up on his elbows and turned around to look at the scene.
Taylor dropped her belongings a second before Will jumped into her arms and hugged him tightly, motioning for another blonde to move the bags.
Cordelia Weasley picked up the bags, her long swishy hair loose around her head. She sent a smile towards her father, and then the twelve-year-old disappeared down the hallway.
Anthony sat up and stretched as Taylor and Will plopped onto the couch besides him, talking about their day. Apparently it had been a girls' day out, and little Will was sent to his grandparents' house. It was good for Taylor to be home, her latest play, To Kill a Unicorn, had been a great success and was now selling out every show.
"Were my boys sleeping?" the blonde asked, tossing her shoulder length hair out of her face. Will nodded, wiggling off of his mother's lap and in between his parents. He leaned over Taylor and found Anthony's glasses on the side table,
"Hea, Daddy," he said politely, putting them on his father's face. Anthony grinned and mussed up his son's blonde hair.
"Thanks Will. How was Nana and Pop-pop's house?" he asked, wrapping an arm around the little boy and Taylor. Will shrugged and began smacking his sneakers,
"Fine. Nana gave me books. They in my room. I like weeding."
Anthony and Taylor shared a grin over the boy's head. It excited them that their son was exceptionally bright in academics.
"Mum! Nana left something in my room!" Cordelia screamed, though she didn't sound frightened. Anthony, Taylor, and Will were used to such screams; the second-year Gryffindor didn't have any problems expressing her feelings.
"Come on, let's go see what the Banshee is shrieking about," Anthony said under his breath. Taylor glared at him, but she couldn't help the smirk that was creeping onto her face.
The lone redhead of the house lifted Will up onto his shoulders and the three headed towards Cordelia's room.
When they reached the girl's room, Anthony noticed she was wearing something different from what she had been when she entered the house.
Her wispy blue skirt was barely visible under the enormous Weasley jumper she now had on (it was pink with a yellow 'C' outlined in black).
Taylor immediately headed to the pile of sweaters on her daughters bed, and it looked to Anthony to be more than four. His wife tossed him his and Will's (Will's had a yellow 'W' on green, while Anthony's had a yellow 'A' on a red background).
"You think she had a lot of yellow yarn?" Taylor said sarcastically, revealing her sweater to be yellow with a dark blue 'T'.
"Apparently. Why d'you think she sent these? And what are those others?"
Taylor grinned and lifted up another red sweater. Anthony's jaw dropped as his eyes fell upon the 'J' that was imprinted on it.
"Wh-wha-what? Is she implying that we're housing those Yankees? And your brother's family?" he said with fake anger. Although he was a bit worried, that was a lot of people.
Taylor shrugged and picked up a piece of parchment that was lying beside the pile of sweaters (four more were piled up).
"Looks like it. I bet she didn't know about Malcolm and the girls. She says that Emily and Delaney are staying with them. Delaney's so far along now that she's ready to burst, and Emily's boys…well, you know how they are." Taylor grinned and threw the paper up in the air.
"Let's start arranging this," Anthony moaned, putting Will on the ground. The little boy tugged his sweater on over his head and looked in the mirror Cordelia was admiring herself in.
Will giggled, and his sister darted her eyes towards him. He pointed towards her reflection and said,
"That's what a Banshee looks like."
"Oh I'm so excited!" Hermione Granger-Weasley squealed, stringing garland around the banister of her house. Her youngest, Delaney O'Keefe, stood with her hands on her back, her huge stomach protruding under her blue dress. Her husband, Marcus, would be out until after dinner that night, and he was a bit nervous at meeting her entire family in one sitting.
Delaney was already a bit of an oddball in the family; she was the first Weasley in four generations to be Sorted into a House other than Gryffindor. She was the perfect example of a Ravenclaw and she used her wits to become Head Girl and a prominent journalist for The Daily Prophet.
Her husband, who added to her eccentricity, was a Slytherin a year above her, but he made up for it by being Head Boy and captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. He was now a photographer for The Daily Prophet, which is where the two fell in love.
"When are they arriving?" she asked, tossing her brown curls over her shoulders.
Delaney waddled over to the couch and plopped down, praying that her pregnancy would be over soon. Hermione pushed some hair out of her face and sent a plate of carrots and celery to the coffee table.
"Anthony and everyone should be here already, but maybe Will's being fussy. The Yanks' Portkey is set for--"
There was an explosion of chatter from down the hall, and Hermione's eyes widened as she raced out of the room.
("Ron, did you change the time like I told you to?!" "Er…sorry.")
Delaney smirked; she was not standing up after just sitting down, so, she waited patiently for the guests.
Because of Jacob and Soledad's hectic schedule, it had been almost ten years since they had been able to visit England, and although she didn't look it, Delaney was excited about having more kids around the house.
She and her parents had visited them, as did Anthony and Emily, but it wasn't quite the same. Out of the New York Weasleys, only Jacob had been able to attend her wedding, so it was quite a shock to see the family walk in.
"Laney!" Jacob exclaimed, dropping his bag on a chair and sliding on his knees in front of his littlest sister…well, not physically, anyway. She smiled brightly and hugged him the best she could, and giggled at the way he ogled her stomach. "Bloody hell, when's this bugger gonna pop?"
"Your accent comes back so quickly," Soledad said, leaning in and kissing Delaney on the cheeks, "You look radiant." She smiled, looking almost misty. Then, Hermione and Ron came into the room with the children following cautiously.
Hermione seemed to glow as she picked up Joaquin, and he didn't know whether to tremble or giggle at her gaze. Caitlyn seemed very interested in fairies floating around in the branches of the Christmas tree, and Ron bent down to catch one for her.
"Oy, I hate Portkeys," Jacob groaned, leaning back into the couch and swinging his arms around his sister and wife. "Can't you invent something, Mum? Some sort of Charm that'll like, poof, and we're here?"
"Like Apparating?" a voice dripping with sarcasm said.
Jacob rolled his eyes, but the other adults in the room turned to see Matthew leaning against the doorframe, looking somber.
Hermione didn't seem to notice his foul mood and she walked over and pulled him into a hug, with Joaquin still in her arms.
"Goodness, you're so big! You were just a little first year last time I saw you!" Her eyes grew watery and she wiped at them. "I'm feeling terribly old right now." She turned to Joaquin, forcing a smile, "Would you like to play with your dad's old toy brooms? They float around and everything!"
Joaquin's eyes grew wide at the prospect, and he nodded enthusiastically.
Soledad smirked slightly; she didn't allow her children to have such toys because of the position of their house. She did trust Hermione…but still,
"I'm going to go watch them," she said suddenly, standing up and speeding out of the room. Matthew rolled his eyes as his mother brushed by him and dropped himself into a chair by the door.
The teen looked miserable and rather out of place in the bubbly atmosphere. Jacob wanted his son to enjoy this vacation, but it was rather hard when the boy hated everything he suggested.
It was then that a roaring voice came from the stairway,
"NICOLAS RONALD FINNEGAN!"
Caitlyn covered her ears and fell into Ron's arms. The grandfather rolled his eyes at the scream and picked up his granddaughter.
"Three…two…one…" he counted down, and the sound of thundering feet came racing through the living room.
The oldest son of Emily and Ewan Finnegan tumbled into the room, his short blonde hair spiked up at various angles. Nicolas looked up and smiled at the crowd that was staring at him oddly.
"Oh, hullo there," he said. The second year Gryffindor stood up and straightened out his shirt. He noticed the new arrivals, and he rushed towards his uncle, "Did you bring your broom?" he asked quickly, after Jacob released him from his hug.
Before he could answer, Emily burst into the room, her red hair messy around her face
Her eyes narrowed as she saw her son standing in the middle of the living room, and she strode over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Nicolas," she said through gritted teeth. "Where is your brother?"
Jacob chuckled slightly as his sister clearly reminded him of their mother. Emily turned her glare on him, but when she realized whom it was, her eyes softened and she smiled.
"Fancy seeing you here, Yankee," she said, letting go of her son to embrace her brother.
Nicolas took this as an opportunity to escape his mother's wrath, so he tried to sneak by Matthew and through to the kitchen, but nine-year old Brandon came in, tears streaming out of his eyes.
The boy's hair was a bright sky blue that matched his eyes perfectly. Nicolas tried to keep his laughter inside, but his little brother noticed and began to silently tear more. Brandon was furious at his brother, but he didn't dare rat him out.
Matthew eyed his cousins with amusement as Nicolas tried to quiet Brandon before his mother loss interest with her brother.
Brandon looked up at his older cousin, and his tears seemed to stop, he suddenly looked very interested. Matthew grew immediately worried; he wasn't very good with children.
"Can you change it back?" the little boy whispered, touching his hair tentatively.
Matthew bit his tongue and he squirmed uncomfortably under the gaze of the two boys. He wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school…but that was in New York…across an ocean…surely they couldn't tell from that far?
Quickly, the teen pulled out his wand, and tapped his cousin's head twice ("Finite Incantatem."), turning the hair back to its bright red color.
"Thanks!" Brandon shrieked, throwing his arms around Matthew's neck. The teen looked terrified, but he hugged the boy back nonetheless. The little redhead took this as an invitation, and he clambered onto Matthew's lap, smiling happily at the family around the room.
"Aw! Look who has a new playmate!" Jacob joked, making his son sneer at him.
"Weeeeeee!" a high-pitched voice screeched, and soon, Joaquin came zooming in the room. He wasn't going very fast, and was about two feet off the ground, but the little boy was absolutely thrilled to be riding on a broom by himself. Soledad, on the other hand, looked as if she was going to throw up.
"Not so fast! ¡Espera!" she called, rushing to catch up with him.
"Jacob, your wife needs to relax a little!" Hermione appeared seconds later, giggling at the sight. He just rolled his eyes and shrugged,
"Nah, it's just that they're your grandchildren and you want to spoil them! Don't you remember how you used to hate it when Grandma Weasley would give us stuff like that?"
"Very true," Ron said, standing up with Caitlyn in his arms; she was still very busy trying to catch a fairy. "She and my mother had such a row one Easter, you remember?"
By the redness of Hermione's face, she did, and Emily took this as a hint to change the subject,
"Where is Grandma Weasley, anyway?"
"Oh, she and Dad went to Hawaii for the winter," Ron said with a huge grin, "Can you imagine? After all these years, they finallyget to go on a vacation alone!"
It was then that the doorbell rang, and Hermione rushed to the door (Everyone had to come through the front door because Hermione refused to have all the ash from the fire place floating around the house with Delaney pregnant).
"Happy Christmas!" a lot of cheery voices screamed, and in walked Harry and Ginny Potter, with their youngest son and his fiancée in tow.
Benjamin Jeffery Potter was extremely tall and skinny with red hair and bright green eyes. He was also Sorted into Gryffindor and was the first Potter since James to become Head Boy (or Head anything, Rose Potter did not become Head Girl).
Behind him, holding his hand tightly, was a short blonde girl with perfect curls falling around her face. Her name was Theresa Creevey, youngest daughter of Dennis Creevey; it had excited the hell out of her father and uncle when she brought a Potter home.
"Hullo Weasleys!" Harry exclaimed, pointing his wand towards the tree. With a spark, a tower of presents appeared, causing all of the children to race excitedly towards the pile.
"Not yet!" Emily yelled, grabbing her two boys' by their collars. Nicolas and Brandon groaned, but trudged to the couch with their mother.
"Benjamin!" Jacob exclaimed, standing up to shake the young man's hand. "Long time no see!" He looked behind the tall man (who was slightly taller than him) to the petite girl that was smiling shyly. "And hello to you!"
Theresa blushed furiously and shook Jacob's hand, looking extremely nervous to be spending dinner with her future family.
"It's a damn full house, isn't it?" Harry said, taking the cloaks of his family and sending them over to a chair in the library.
"Half the party's not here yet!" Hermione squealed, looking absolutely elated that her house was going to become something close to an asylum in a few minutes. Ron didn't look quite as pleased, but Caitlyn bouncing in his arms was enough to keep his mind off of all the guests.
"Oh, Delaney!" Ginny cooed, sitting by her youngest niece, "When are you due, darling?"
The pregnant woman rolled her eyes, tapping her stomach with impatient hands.
"Five days ago, I'm bloody ready to start pushing now if this little bugger doesn't get a move on," she snarled, glaring at the bulge under her dress.
"Solely was just as nasty," Jacob said in a whisper to Harry, who nodded his head towards Ginny with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Wooooooooooooo!" Joaquin screamed as he raced through the room again, an immense look of glee in his eyes.
Soledad was rushing behind him, but Jacob grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto the couch beside him. He kissed her fiercely on the lips, much to their children's dismay, and when they parted, Soledad didn't look as worried about her son as she had.
Hermione dragged Emily and Ginny into the kitchen while Nicolas and Brandon stayed under the watchful eye of their great uncle Harry. Benjamin and Theresa took a seat next to Jacob and Soledad, admiring what their family might look like some day.
Ron and Caitlyn had bounced to the window, and with a wild wave of her arms, everyone in the room knew that some new guests were approaching.
"They're here!" she shrieked, wiggling out of her grandfather's arms and racing to the front door.
Jacob stood up, peering out towards the entrance of the house, looking like he was trying to hold back his excitement; it had been a long time since he saw his brother. Soledad took his hand, and he looked down at his wife, a tiny grin on his face.
When Caitlyn opened the door, she was swept up into the arms of another grandparent, though not her own. Draco Malfoy held the little girl over his head, looking very pleased to have made her giggle.
"Why if it isn't our little Kate! How are you doing?" he asked in a voice that Ron and Harry would never get used to.
Caitlyn laughed again and hugged him, remembering the elaborate dollhouse he had sent her. Even though Jacob's children were not directly blood, they were still spoiled by their wealthy relative.
As Draco handed Caitlyn over to her mother, Malcolm Malfoy and his two daughters came in, brushing the snow off of their cloaks.
Alisa and Katie Malfoy stood prettily at the foot of the stairs, looking around the new house. At the ages of fifteen and twelve, they were pretty shocked to be inside a Professor's house. The Ravenclaw and Slytherin seemed very nervous about behaving in front of one of their strictest teachers.
"I'm sorry Rachel couldn't make it," Malcolm apologized, shaking Jacob's hand fiercely. "There was some business at the Ministry she had to take care of." His wife worked with Sarah Lee Weasley in the Committee On Experimental Charms. "She sends lots of love and presents!"
Just like Harry, Malcolm pointed his wand towards the tree, and another tower of presents appeared. All the children in the room twitched at the sight of the glittery gifts, but they were aware of the eyes that were watching them.
It was then that the door swung open again, and a little blonde boy ran in, screaming at the top of his lungs. A man the same age as Delaney, who also had the light blonde hair, was chasing him. Michael Malfoy paused a second to wave at everyone in the living room, then went back to his pursuit of William Weasley.
"So many blondes!" Harry laughed as Cordelia strolled in, her fluffy cloak burying the petite girl. She smiled at her great uncle and dramatically slipped her cloak off, tossing it onto a hanger.
Pansy Parkinson caught the cloak as it slipped off the hanger, and waved at everyone before she rushed into the kitchen (she was supposed to be helping Hermione with the dinner and was already late).
As William made his way through the many people in the living room, Jacob hooked him around the waist, swinging the tiny boy up into his arms. Will shrieked in surprise, and hugged his uncle tightly around the neck.
Jacob was so overwhelmed by the fact that he was holding Anthony's son that he didn't even notice that his brother and Taylor had entered and were already saying their hellos.
"Can I have my son back?" Anthony said with a grin as he approached his brother. Jacob's eyes shot open and he laughed, all of his teeth showing in his smile. William jumped into his father's arms, and began to retell the tale of his race with Michael.
"And he almost caught me!" Will finished with a large wave of his arms. Anthony's eyes were wide with excitement from his son's story, and Jacob was very happy with the fact that his twin had a boy.
"That's amazing!" Anthony answered, kissing Will affectionately on the forehead. "Why don't you go find Uncle Michael and chase him?"
The little boy looked as if that was the most intelligent thing ever said, and wiggled out of his father's arms in search of his uncle. Anthony watched his son run off with a large smile on his face, and then turned back to his brother, pushing up his glasses.
"Would you look at this? A real life Yankee," he joked, grabbing Jacob's hand and pulling him into a brotherly embrace.
"Nah," Jacob said, laughing as they pulled apart. "A lot of the guys are from Europe. We're the ones making fun of the natives," he said with a grin.
Anthony laughed and grabbed his brother's arm, pulling him through the crowd and into the quiet library; he wanted some time to chat alone.
"It's good to see you," Anthony began. "I'm surrounded by women most of the time, especially with Brian gone most of the year, can't believe that boy is at Hogwarts!"
Brian Weasley, after suffering a career ending injury (a Bludger to the head), took the position of Transfiguration teacher when Professor McGonagall moved up to Headmistress. He had been there for about fourteen years now, and he was happily married to the former Head Girl, Sarah Lee.
"Has he managed to turn any of the little buggers into teapots yet?" Jacob asked, sitting down and ruffling Joaquin's head as he zoomed in and out of the room.
"Course not," Anthony said as he conjured two cups and summoned a teapot from the kitchen; he hoped that it didn't hit anyone on the way. It entered the room, and Jacob quickly reached up for it, but he missed and fortunately, Anthony caught it.
"You rusty?" he laughed, pouring some tea into the cups. "When was your last match--Jacob?"
He watched as his brother held his left shoulder in his hand, grimacing greatly at the pain shooting up and down his arm. Anthony rushed around the table, but Jacob pulled away, smiling dismally.
"It's nothing," he said through gritted teeth. "It's the weather…makes my arm do crazy things."
Anthony smirked and shook his head in an unbelieving way. He flipped his wand out and pointed it at the shoulder, muttering an incantation. Jacob's face immediately relaxed, but his eyes avoided his brother's.
"How long has this been happening?" Anthony asked, stating that he didn't believe his twin's lie. Jacob sighed and sunk into his chair.
"Since the match I played after the accident," he muttered, ignoring Anthony's shocked face.
"And you've kept on playing?" he exclaimed, shutting the door with a flick of his wand. "Are you mad? You could have permanently injured yourself!"
"I'm already permanently injured," Jacob interjected, smirking. "I just put on this charm that stops the pain before the game, makes it all go away."
"Your wife is a Healer, why the hell haven't you had her fix it?" Anthony asked as if was the most obvious thing on the planet. Jacob rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"She'd want me to quit--"
"Why don't you?" Anthony interrupted, agitated with his brother. "Do you know how much worse this could get? Jake, you've done all you can with Quidditch, your team has won four championships, you're the bloody captain, and all of America loves you!"
Jacob sat silently, staring at the table in front of him. He seemed angry, but Anthony did not want to see his brother ruin his career because of something that happened years ago.
"Athletes do this all the time," he continued, pushing up his glasses. "You're successful, the money you're making will support your family for more than enough time, and Soledad's working, so you don't need to be. Wouldn't you like to spend some more time with the little ones?"
He watched as his brother's face paled, and finally, Jacob looked up with sad eyes.
"It hurts more and more after each match," he said softly, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. Anthony could almost feel the anguish going through his brother's head. "How do I tell Solely?"
"Just tell her the truth, she'll understand," Anthony answered. "She'll be worried as hell, but she'll understand."
Jacob smiled softly, and they talked about anything and everything until their mother called them for dinner, with her patented teacher voice.
"C'mon," Anthony said, putting his hand out for his brother, who took it with a roll of his eyes. "It's Christmas Eve, let's not worry, just have a good time!"
The dinner table was almost as packed as the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall. All together, there were twenty-four people at having a celebration. Ewan and Marcus had arrived at the same time, and when everyone was seated, the food magically appeared on the table, much to the delight of Hermione ("Oh I'm so happy that worked! Thanks Jacob, for the idea!")
All of the grandparents sat on one end, then came the second generation, and the children sat on the other, all chattering about various things, from Quidditch to schoolwork.
"You know Jacob," Taylor said, after swallowing her turkey. "Sarah and Rachel would love to see some of those charms you come up with, being in the Committee of Experimental Charms, and all."
Jacob's eyes lit up at the mention of this, and he shared a secret look with Anthony, who smiled as he took a drink. Soledad nodded in agreement, waggling a fork at Taylor,
"I've been telling him dat for years, but doz 'e listen to me?" She nudged him in the shoulders to show that she was being playful. "Instead of reesking his neck every day playing Quidditch, 'e could be 'elping deh Wizarding commoonity."
"You all could come back and live here," Malcolm interjected, sending an obvious wink towards Jacob and Soledad. "Don't you miss being close to home?"
The Quidditch player nodded softly, staring intently at his mashed potatoes. His wife put a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to look into his eyes.
"We're just joking, Jake," she said soothingly, rubbing her hand up and down. "We aren't trying to force you to do anyting."
"But what if I want to?" he asked suddenly, turning to her quickly and making the whole table grow quite. He grew red, but he continued to stare at Soledad's bewildered face.
"Y-you want to?" she repeated, her eyes never leaving Jacob's. When he nodded, she choked out a laugh. "You'd quit Quidditch and…and come back hea?"
He nodded again, a small smile growing on his face as he watched the same thing happen to his wife.
"I woodn't mind it, could probably get a transfer to St. Mungo's…" she whispered, looking at Anthony and Taylor, who looked equally as excited.
"Yay!" Caitlyn screamed, throwing his peas up into the air. "We're movin' to England!"
Joaquin began to clap as well, but Matthew stared at his father with wide, angry eyes. Jacob opened his mouth to say something to his eldest, but the boy had already pushed his chair away from the table and stormed out the room.
"Oh dear…" Hermione said, getting ready to stand up. Ron put a firm hand on her shoulder though, and she sat back down.
Jacob sighed and bit his lip, standing up as well.
"'Scuse me for a second," he said softly, and he followed his son out of the room.
Jacob found Matthew sitting on the curb of the front lawn, his head in his hand and his knees pulled up to his chest. The redhead held in a chuckle as he remembered the many times he had sat out here doing the same thing.
"You gonna listen before you bite my head off?" he asked, sitting down next to his son. Matthew's dark curls fell in front of his eyes, and he grunted something incomprehensible.
"I'll take that as a yes…listen Matt, if you don't want to move, we won't, it's no big deal…"
"You all want to," Matthew spat, still not looking at his father. His accent was odd; it was a mix of his father's, mother's, and the city he lived in. "Why should I stand in the way of what makes everyone else happy?"
"Staying in New York wouldn't be horrible, Matt. Everyone is fine with either way, the little ones would forget after a few days…" He stretched his legs out in front of him, kicking some pebbles towards the middle of the street.
His parents had chosen to live in a Muggle area so his Muggle relatives would have no trouble finding them. They also had a car, which Ron had loads of fun driving.
"I don't want to be in New York or here," Matthew mumbled, scooting away from his father. Jacob smirked and sighed deeply.
"And why not?" he asked, not bothering to avoid the obvious. His son sighed and combed his hand through his hair with a discouraged impression on his face.
"You wouldn't understand…"
"Try me."
Matthew turned to stare straight into his father's eyes. Jacob, examining his son intensely for the first time in months, noticed that he was beginning to look remarkably like he did at fifteen, except for the darker skin and hair. Matt was the only child of Jacob's that had inherited his light blue eyes, and now they were staring at him with contempt.
"Do you know how it feels to be known as 'Jacob Weasley's son'?" Matthew finally said, looking down at the snow as he wiped some away. "That's all I am in school! I can't play Quodpot, my grades aren't that good, I'm not in any clubs, and…" his voice died off and he swatted angrily at his eyes.
"And what?" Jacob asked, growing more concerned at his son's sudden revelation.
"And…" he coughed, rubbing his nose. Matthew looked up at the half moon, his shoulders slumping. "Dad, you're going to hate me, I don't know why I'm telling you any of this."
"Now why would I hate you?" Jacob asked, twisting his head to look at Matthew. His son continued to stare up at the sky, and he shrugged, digging his hands into the snow beneath him.
"Cause…I hate not being the only child," he blurted, squinting his eyes and biting his tongue. Jacob's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything for his son opened his mouth again,
"Not that I hate Kat or Joaquin," Matthew added quickly. "It's just…Dad, for ten years I was all alone with just you and Mom…how do you think I felt when you just decided to have another kid, the same year I was going off to school?"
"Caitlyn wasn't exactly planned," Jacob began, but he was cut off as Matthew waved his arms around.
"I know, I know, but with all the spells and potions we have today, you two couldn't have…prevented accidents?" he said this as his ears burned red. Jacob snorted softly, but tried not to show his amusement at his son's accusation.
"Sorry, Matt--"
"That's not what you have to be sorry for," he interrupted, keeping his eyes away from his father.
"Then what? Why are you bouncing around the real problem?" Jacob asked, growing annoyed.
"Dad, what grade am I in?" Matthew asked softly, staring down at his sneakers.
"You're in Fifth Year," his father answered immediately, wondering why he would ask such a question.
His son turned to him, his eyes watering and the glare that was shooting out was full of anger. Jacob's mind raced--had he gotten the wrong year?
"I'm in tenth grade, Dad," Matthew hissed, his breath shooting out of his mouth like dragon smoke. "I'm not at Hogwarts, I go to The Salem Witches' Institute; we don't go by years. We go by grades. I'm in tenth grade. I'm not in Gryffindor or Huffleypuff, I'm just Matthew Anthony Weasley, a tenth grader who sits alone in the cafeteria and is only known for having a famous father."
The boy's breathing was ragged as he stared down at the ground, wiping furiously at his eyes. Jacob stared on in shock, not being able to comprehend that his son was so unhappy and that he and Soledad hadn't been able to see it.
"Matt…" he began, rubbing the back of his head. "Why didn't you tell us you were feeling this way?"
"You were too busy with the kids," he mumbled, burying his face in his knees.
Jacob sighed, and, realizing that the only way to communicate with his son would be the complete and honest truth. The redhead laid back onto the two inches of snow, staring up at the brightest star in the sky, Sirius.
"Did you know that your mother and I had tried to have children before you, Matthew?" Jacob said softly, his eyes stinging at he found the star of his friend's namesake, Rigel.
His son's sniffling stopped, and even though he didn't see him, Jacob knew that Matthew was staring at him.
"We started two years after we got married, twenty years old and just shooting off on our separate careers." He grinned softly. "I know you don't want to hear about us trying to have a kid, you know, the whole making the kid thing (Matthew gagged)."
Rubbing his nose, the redhead continued, the bad memories surfacing to his head; he hadn't thought about these events since Matthew was born.
"Your mother was pregnant twice before you, Matt," Jacob continued, his voice painfully soft.
"Everyone was excited as hell the first time, because it would have been the first grandchild." He paused as he tried to regain a calm voice, his watery eyes betraying him. "We lost her, just three months in."
He heard his son release a sad sigh, and in the next second Matthew was lying on his back, next to his father.
"After about a year, we were pregnant again. Everyone was a bit wary this time, and it was good that they were." He sighed. "This took only two months."
Matthew sniffled beside him, and Jacob reached out to run his hand through his son's curls, remembering the day he was born and the emotions that had been spurred.
"When you were born, Matt," he continued, his voice wavering. "It was probably the happiest and scariest day of my life. You were premature, no one knew if you were going to survive…how cruel of a joke would that be to let us hold you and then have you taken away so quickly?
"But…you weren't, Matt. You're here, you're my boy." He turned his head towards his son, not caring about the snow that was freezing his cheeks. "You're not just Jacob Weasley's son, you're an amazing gift to this family, and I hope you realize that now."
Matthew continued to look up at the sky, but he nodded slightly, his eyes shining in the moonlight. Jacob's gaze turned up to the half moon, thinking for a second that Rigel's father was lucky to have that type of moon on Christmas Eve.
"I want to go to Hogwarts," his son's small voice said as he sat up, wiping his eyes.
Jacob sat up as well, not bothering to wipe the snow or tears away. Matthew sent a small smile towards his father, and rolled his eyes playfully. Jacob stretched out his arm and pulled his son towards him, around his shoulders.
"It'll be fun, you'll get to take your O.W.L.s…don't worry, Nana will help."
Before he could explain what O.W.L.s were, he was cut off when the front door slammed open, Ron Weasley in the lead with a pair of keys jangling in his hand.
Behind him came Anthony and Delaney's husband, and they were both supporting his littlest sister as she cringed in pain. Hermione rushed out behind them, waving towards the two,
"She's going in to labor! We're heading to St. Mungo's by car! Meet us there!"
Anthony stood by the door of what St. Mungo's had dubbed, The Weasley Ward. It was the largest waiting area in the hospital, built especially for large families, though everyone was aware that it was because of the Weasley's habit of bringing everyone when a new baby was being born.
It was crowded in the room, but everyone was comfortable in a seat of their own. He watched as Joaquin and Will tried to play a hand game Caitlyn was teaching them, but the two boys found it much more entertaining to hit each other in the face, softly, of course.
Pansy was fussing over her granddaughter's hair, much to the dismay of the girl. Taylor watched on with a grimace, and Draco laughed, nudging his daughter in an attempt to keep her calm.
Brian had arrived with his two children, six year old Nathan and four year old Li Ming and he and Jacob were now talking Quidditch, like always. The children were playing Exploding Snap, as others watched anxiously for their turn.
Anthony's sleeves were rolled up as he leaned his head against the doorway, extremely tired because of the busy week that had followed the announcement of Amelia Bones' retirement (much to his dismay, instead of giving him the vacation they promised, he was sent to complete all of the court details she had left behind).
Just as his eyes were drooping shut, a familiar voice called out his name. Anthony's weary glance found Rigel Lupin trotting towards the Weasley Ward, a large smile on his face.
He worked with Anthony in the Ministry, as one of the founders of the P.A.D.F.O.O.T. (Protecting All Domesticated Fauna Of Our Terrain). Rigel's cheeks were flushed, and a giddy smile was playing on his lips as he grabbed the redhead's forearm and dragged him away to a quieter area.
"What's up, Rigel?" Anthony asked, clearly perplexed with the odd smile on his friend's face.
"Amelia retired, right?" Rigel began, gripping his former roommate's upper arms tightly. Anthony nodded, wondering if Rigel had been living under a rock for the past week. "She retired from a high position, right?"
"What are you getting at?" Anthony groaned, his eyes widening with confusion. Rigel's grin just grew, and he gave the redhead's arms a bigger squeeze.
"People in high positions have power, Anthony, they have the power to change things."
"Like what? What are you getting at, Rigel?" the redhead exclaimed, exasperated with his friend's dubiousness.
"Anthony, she chose you to be her replacement! You're the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!" Rigel explained with an excited voice, jumping with excitement.
Anthony's knees wobbled slightly and he was thankful that his friend had such a strong grip on his arms. Head of…the HEAD OF one of the biggest departments in the ministry, if not the biggest…this is tremendous, life changing, all of my hard work…
"You know what this means, don't you?" Rigel asked, letting go of Anthony so the redhead could slide down into a chair. The spectacle wearing man shook his head, staring at his shaking hands. "You're a shoe-in for Minister."
"What?" the redhead shouted, then quickly covering his mouth because of a glare a passing Healer sent him. Anthony grabbed Rigel's wrist and pulled him down into a seat next to him. "Wha-why would you think that?"
"All the Heads are automatically nominated for the job," Rigel began, sounding as if he had memorized all of these facts. "Your grandfather has already announced that this was his last term, so in four years, you'll be experienced enough for the others to see you as strong competition. Amelia Bones, a highly praised and respected official hand picked you to be her replacement! Anthony, no one has done that in years, polls are already showing that you have a considerable lead--"
"Wait a minute, polls? They're already starting elections?"
"Not officially, but yeah, Anthony, as long as you don't kill anyone, you have a ton of support behind you!"
The redhead stared at his friend with eyes that could not seem to comprehend all of this new information. Me? The Minister of Magic? I haven't been working here that long…but hell; I have done a lot…oh…bloody hell…
His mind drifted off to the many times he had played in his grandfather's office, watching and listening to all the work he had to do and wanting to be just like him.
"You sure know a lot about this," Anthony said softly, still in awe. Rigel grinned and clapped his friend in the shoulder,
"Hell, someone has to be your campaign manager!"
The two shared a laugh and were about to divulge into the deeper bit of politics, when a flustered Marcus O'Keefe rushed towards them, his face red and eyes wide. Anthony and Rigel knew what his expression meant, and stood up to greet the new father.
It was a little more than an hour later when the Weasleys were finally able to see the newest edition to their family. Delaney had fallen right to sleep, and Marcus, from either excitement or exhaustion, dozed off in an awkward position on the couch in his wife's room.
Immediate family had the first row as some nurses carried in babies, and Taylor kept cooing with each new one, reminding Anthony with every detail of their two pregnancies.
"Remember Delia? And our bet? I knew she was going to be blonde, I just knew it!" Taylor said with a giggle, nudging her husband in the ribs.
"Yeah well, we're the only ones without a redhead, driving me a bit mad," Anthony joked, wrapping an arm around her.
"Well…I bet the next one will have your hair," she whispered, looking up at him with shining eyes. Anthony nodded, but it took him a second to notice how his wife was looking at him. When he did, a silly grin slid onto his face,
"We're…?"
She nodded and threw her arms around his waist, embracing him tightly."Oh look!" Jacob exclaimed, earning a 'hush' from a passing Healer, "Here they come!"
"They?" the rest of the family asked, and with a collective gasp, they noticed the set of redheaded twins that were wheeled in.
Robin and Ronan O'Keefe slept peacefully in the little baskets the Healers brought them in. In pink and blue, they looked absolutely gorgeous, and all the Weasleys in the hall could do was 'coo' and 'aww'.
Jacob swung his arm around Anthony, grinning wildly,
"World, say hello to the new Weasley twins."
A/N If you are reading this: THANK YOU! Some of you have been following this story since the beginning, and all I want to do is thank you for the support, the reviews, and the critique! I started this story the September of my 11th grade year in high school, and now I'm finishing it two days before I graduate
It was all worth it, thank you for making Jacob and Anthony and all of their friends part of your lives. They mean the world to me, they are just as real as Harry and the rest of JK Rowling's world.
I've revised this story a few times, and you can catch new scenes and a better story over at Schnoogle. Thank you for reading this far, I hope you've enjoyed the twins' journey as much as I have.