Chapter Seven

Parental Discussions

"Bahhh," Arthur Weasley muttered, crashing through the front door of the Burrow. He hung up his coat and hat on the peg, shaking the leaves from the coat onto the floor. He reached for his wand, forehead furrowed as he tried to remember a suitable cleaning spell.

"Oh, Arthur!" Molly Weasley stood in the hallway, hands on her hips as she surveyed the mess. "Here I was all ready to give you a welcome home kiss and you've soiled my nice clean carpet!"

Arthur gave Molly a sheepish grin. "I didn't mean to, Molly."

Molly approached him and kissed him on the cheek. She smelt of apples and cinnamon. Arthur brightened.

"You've been making something to do with apples!"

"Yes," Molly said, peering down at the leaves on the floor. "Apple crumble. Now look at this, Arthur. This leaf is from that old tree in the front yard! That one never sheds its leaves until Autumn!"

"Ah well, Molly," Arthur said, his mind on the apple crumble. "It's nearly September, no surprise, really."

"Good gracious, is it?" Molly blinked up at Arthur, startled. "Goodness me! It's August twenty-fourth!"

"Sure is!" Arthur agreed cheerily. "Been a busy week at the Ministry, it has, Molly. A few students enchanting Muggle things in their excitement of heading back to school... awfully tiresome business, reprimanding students, Molly." Arthur put his wand away in his pocket, meaning to head toward the kitchen.

"You can take that look off your face, Arthur, that apple crumble is definitely for dessert," Molly said, taking out her own wand. "Oh, blow it, it can wait. Arthur, I need to have a word with you in the office." Molly looked up at him, smiling sweetly.

Arthur felt his appetite diminish at the prospect of a discussion. "Surely it's not that time of year again already?"

"No, not the finance talk, Arthur – I need to talk about Ginny!" Molly turned her head to check that they were alone. "In your office, Arthur!" She hurried him towards the door.

"What's the rush?" Arthur grumbled, taking her hand. He shut the door behind them and led her over to the couch, sitting down with a thud. He winced as all his Muggle trinkets shook with the force of it. "Oops."

Molly sat beside him, straightening her apron. "Well, Arthur," Molly stopped, casting a Silencing Charm on the room quickly. "Silencio. Right. Well, Arthur, it's about the communication between Ginny and Harry lately."

"Harry Potter?" Arthur said absently, his mind on the computer in front of him. "What is its purpose?" he mused.

"Arthur. This requires your full attention," Molly snapped, taking back her hand.

Arthur glanced at her in surprise. "Surely a little harmless letter-writing won't go awry?"

"Arthur," Molly said evenly, "She lives for the post. When it arrives, she spends all afternoon and all evening in her room, doing Merlin knows what. It's not healthy. I've asked her if anyone's upset her lately or anything like that, but she just smiled and said that 'no, life was pretty perfect'. Pretty perfect, Arthur! I want to know what's been going on between those two, and I want to know now." Molly crossed her arms.

"Awww..." Arthur smiled. "Doesn't it remind you of our courting days, Molly?"

Molly squinted at him, confused. "Um... no, Arthur, it doesn't. Not at all."

"Well, no, not the letter writing part," Arthur conceded, "but the rapturous romance of it all, Molly!"

"You felt rapturous about me?" Molly asked, somewhat wistfully. How time flies past.

"Of course!" Arthur said, looking down at her in surprise. "Didn't you feel that way about me?"

"Yes." Molly snuggled against him. "You should say things like that to me more often, Arthur."

"Of course, Molly," Arthur said, his mind already on the shiny magnetic box on the desk in front of him. Fascinating things, magnets! Arthur thought.

"So you don't think we should worry about Ginny, then?" Molly asked after awhile.

"No, not in the least. Harry's a good boy with honourable intentions, I'm sure," Arthur said, picking up the magnet and drawing it slowly away from the box. "Feel the magnetic pull, Molly!"

Molly viewed his play with distaste. "Alright. Well, moving right along, I think it might be time to discuss the finances for this year's Diagon Alley trip. It'll only be Ron and Ginny this year, so shouldn't be too bad."

"Yes, quite," Arthur agreed. After a moment, he looked back at Molly. "That was the whole discussion?"

"Yes." Molly sat back on the couch, content. Cheap school costs, a loving husband and apple crumble for dessert. Life can't improve much more than this. Molly smiled at Arthur, who gave her a baffled look and continued playing with his magnets.