A/N – Eeks! Seemed I messed up a bit. I read my reviews, I really do. I am so excited whenever I see a new one up. Just the writing bug hit me and I ignored everyone telling me that Bill is two years older than Charlie. I'm sorry! I hope you can forgive me and keep on reading. All the other births will be correct. Promise!
Chapter Eight – The Burrow – Child Two
"Molly, if we don't leave now, we're going to be late," Arthur said, frustrated.
Molly waved her hand, "Just a minute, Arthur." She turned her attention to the Marlene, Maddox' wife, who was standing in front of her. "Charlie needs to be fed every few hours. He's almost sleeping through the night now. Be careful of Bill. If there's any money about, he'll pocket it. He doesn't think it's stealing, I think he just likes looking at it."
Marlene laughed, "Molly, I have four of my own. Watching your two overnight won't be a problem."
Molly frowned, "I know, this is just the first time we're leaving them somewhere. I'm nervous," she pleaded, hoping Marlene would understand.
Marlene laughed again. "Molly, been there, done that! After tonight, it will be much easier, I promise. And besides, Betsy will help me, right, hon?"
Besty nodded, "I'm a good helper!"
Molly patted Betsy on the head, "I know you are," she smiled as Arthur coughed.
She turned and looked at him. "I'm ready."
"Good. It's not like Michael and Aelecia can get married without us!"
Aelecia had been qualified as a healer last month. Not wanting to waste anytime, they planned a very simple ceremony. Molly was the matron of honor and Arthur, best man. They were taking the opportunity to use the wedding as a mini-break. After the dinner that was planned, they would stay in a small bed and breakfast Molly had found a half off coupon for.
The dinner turned into drinks at the Leaky Cauldron. Arthur and Molly were thoroughly enjoying their evening out on the town. After Michael and Aelecia left for their honeymoon, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Molly and Arthur decided to close out the bar, something they hadn't done since before they were married.
"To us, Molly Weasley. To almost three years of martial bliss. To our wonderful sons, and the five more that are on the way," Arthur said, hiccupping halfway through his little speech.
"You didn't leave me anything to toast," Molly pouted. Her head was pounding. Arthur didn't answer, but instead kissed her gently. She could taste the firewhiskey on his lips.
Molly grabbed his hand and stood up. "No more drinks for us!" she giggled, "I think it's time for us to go straight to bed."
A month later, Molly didn't even need to perform the spell to know she was pregnant.
In Molly's first two pregnancies, she always enjoyed the fourth month the most. She wasn't sure why. Her third pregnancy was no different. She ran her hands down her stomach, and could feel a slight bump. She never really showed until her sixth month. As her mother reminded her, it was because she now had fifteen pounds to lose.
Molly was collecting eggs one morning, in July. Bill was almost two years old and loved to run around. Molly had made an invisible fence around the Burrow. Bill would be unable to run through it, that way Molly didn't have to worry.
Charlie was on her back. He had just learned how to stand up and keep his balance. He was still a little too young to be walking though. The hens were producing more than enough eggs for the four of them this summer. Molly decided that she would try to sell some for a little extra money.
As she reached up to collect the eggs from the highest shelf, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She stopped, but then heard Bill cry and decided to ignore the pain. She walked outside and saw that one of the garden gnomes had bitten Bill.
She laughed, "Bill, I told you not to touch those."
Bill lifted his arms, wanting to be picked up. Molly set down her basket and leaned down to pick him up. Again, the pain was there. She walked the kids into the house. It was time for their naps. After she both had them settled in their cribs, she sat down on the couch. Immediately she jumped up, knowing something was wrong.
Molly hurried into the bathroom. She took down her underpants and left out a scream. There was blood. Molly ran and lit a fire, needing to talk to Arthur. She scattered the floo powder and put her head in.
Through the green flames she saw a bored secretary at her desk. "I need to speak to Arthur Weasley, please. It's an emergency," she told the witch.
"One moment."
A minute later, Molly saw Arthur walk in the room. "Arthur, I need you to come home now."
Molly had never asked him to come home in the middle of the day, so Arthur knew something was wrong. "I'll be home in five minutes," he told her.
Molly spent the time pacing up and down the kitchen floor. Then Arthur appeared with a loud crack. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
"I have to go to St. Mungos right now. I don't want to bring the children. Will you try to get one of our in-laws to hold down the fort so that you can join me?" she asked, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"Is it the-"Arthur couldn't finish the sentence.
Molly nodded. "I need to go now," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
An hour later, from her hospital bed, Molly heard Arthur ask which room she was in. She brought her knees to her chest. Her tears had stopped.
"Molly, love. I'm here," he said, sitting down in a chair next to her.
"We lost the baby, Arthur," Molly whispered.
Arthur closed his eyes and reached for her hand. "How?" he asked simply.
"The Healers are calling it nature's way. I didn't do any strenuous exercise and I had carried two healthy babies to term. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess," Molly said, the tears starting to fall again.
Arthur stood up and laid next to Molly in her hospital bed. "I'm so sorry, love," he told her.
She put her arm around him. "I know. I'm sorry, too." She let a silence fall between them. "So many people can't imagine having a child after having this happen to them. It's hard to believe that I know we're going to have four more."
"Five," Arthur corrected her.
Molly shook her head. "Only four more now, Arthur. Part of the curse is that the woman is only pregnant seven times. No more, no less. We'll only have six children now."
She heard Arthur strangle a sob, "I had gotten used to the idea of seven."
The next day, Molly returned home from the hospital. Arthur took the day off from work to be with her. She didn't want his company. She wanted to be alone in her bed, thinking about the son that was now lost to her forever.
She heard Arthur trying to calm Bill and Charlie, who were crying downstairs. She knew she should go and help, they were crying for "Mummy." Molly took her pillow and held it over her ears to drown out the sound.
The next day when Arthur realized Molly wasn't going to get out of bed, he called in help. They couldn't afford for him to take another day off of work.
There was a knock at her door. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get up, Margaret. Don't punish your children," her mother told her in a stern voice.
"What do you know about it, Mum? Have you ever lost a child?" Molly said in monotone. She was lying down, staring out the window. She could see the apple tree they had.
Molly felt her mother sit down on her bed. Molly turned over to look at her mother. "Dear, I'm not good at sympathy," Mrs. MacKenzie said as she pushed some hair out of Molly's face. "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now. I will help you get through this in any way I can."
Molly took her mother's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks Mum. That means a lot. Really." She looked at the apple tree again. Soon there would be apples to pick. As she threw the covers off of her body she said, "I have work to do."
When Arthur came home that evening, he found Molly in her dressing gown, feeding Bill and Charlie. He walked over to her, unsure of how she was. "May I kiss you, Molly?" he asked timidly.
Molly threw her arms around him. "I'm so sorry Arthur. I can't believe how selfish I've been the last few days," she kissed him on the cheek. "Once we get these two to bed, we'll talk."
Arthur nodded and started eating the dinner that was on the table. Two hours later, Bill and Charlie had been bathed and told their bedtime story. Molly was ready to talk.
She heard Arthur washing his face in the bathroom. Sadly, she ran her hands over her stomach. It was hard to believe that just three days ago, there was a new life forming inside her. Now, there was nothing. She choked back the tears she could feel forming.
Arthur took her hand, "Molly, we're going to get through this."
She looked at her husband, and smiled her first smile since she lost the baby. "I know we will," putting her arms around him. "I'm sorry that I wouldn't talk to you, that I acted like only my feelings mattered."
He hugged her tighter. "Don't be sorry. You were upset, I understand."
They held each other without speaking for a few minutes until Charlie's cry broke them up. "I'm going to focus on the present now, Arthur," Molly said. "And I do believe the present needs to be changed."
"Molly, you're getting paranoid," Arthur said exasperated. It was a few years later. The war had taken turn for the worst. There were reports of muggle killings everyday. You-know-who had even brought in the giants.
"Mum, we want to go outside!" Bill pouted. Bill just turned five years old.
"You both can go outside, as long as there is supervision," Molly said.
"Mum!" Charlie howled, "Out now!"
"I have housework to do," Molly snapped.
"That's the point, dear. They want to play. We always said when they finished their chores, they can go outside," Arthur pointed out.
"Arthur, what if something happens to them? I'd never forgive myself!" Molly cried.
"We have the fence. They can't get beyond our property. Molly, they'll be fine," Arthur said.
Molly was wavering. All she wanted was to make sure no harm came to her family. She made a quick decision. "Fine. Charlie, you can go outside. Bill, it's time for your lesson."
"But I want to go outside!" Bill yelled. Charlie hadn't said a word, he just ran outside as quick as he could.
Molly and Arthur had made the decision to home school their children. There were no wizarding day schools in the area. Molly took pride that she would be teaching her children.
"You'll go outside when the lesson is over, Bill," Molly told him. Half of her wanted to go outside as well. It was a beautiful day out.
"I'm going to work now," Arthur gave Molly a quick kiss.
Three hours later, Bill ran outside into the sunshine yelling, "Charlie!"
Molly took her basket and walked out to the henhouse. She heard Bill still yelling for Charlie and smiled. Charlie had the habit of hiding from Bill. He was the shyer one of the two. As she opened the henhouse door she heard a cry and felt her heart start racing.
Charlie was sitting in the middle of the floor, holding one of the chickens. "Charlie you frightened me!" she cried.
"Mummy, wake the chicken up!" Charlie demanded.
Molly kneeled down next to her son and looked at the hen he was holding. The hen was dead.
"Mummy, why won't the chicken get up?" Charlie asked, a few tears falling down his freckled cheeks.
"Charlie, the hen has passed on," Molly said quietly.
"It's dead?" Charlie asked in horror.
Molly nodded. She took the hen from Charlie. Seeing a box, she laid the chicken inside. "Charlie, go find your brother and get a shovel."
An hour later, Molly was standing over the small grave Charlie and Bill had dug. Molly was devastated that she had to teach her two small sons about death this early in life.
"Charlie, would you like to say a few words?" Molly asked.
Charlie nodded. "I really like eggs. Thank you for giving us so many eggs, chicken. Please tell Mummy not to make the scrambled eggs so runny. Good-bye, chicken."
"Good-bye," Bill and Molly said at the same time.
Christmas was wonderful, as always. Bill and Charlie took pride in hanging their ornaments on the tree. Bill with his unicorn and Charlie with his dragon. Over the years, the Weasleys had started to add more ornaments to their collection. They hadn't bought any, but they made more and more every Christmas.
This year Molly had the family trace their hands on a piece of parchment. She cut the handprint out and then had the boys paint them. Bill and Charlie delighted in throwing paint at each other until Molly warned them that Christmas would be cancelled if they didn't stop. They both quieted immediately.
Christmas dinner was another spectacular family affair. Thirty-Six people all-together. There were now nineteen grandchildren. Molly and Arthur had a surprise for them all. Molly announced that she had just started her fifth month of pregnancy. Molly was adamant that she would not tell anyone until the fifth month. Now that she had entered it, she was ready to share the world.
Arthur and Molly decided to use Molly's grandfather's name on her father's side. Four months later, a month earlier than expected, Percival Weasley was born. Percival, having only one way to shorten, was called Percy right away.