Chapter 2: - Arthur's dilemma

Ginny had cried herself to sleep whilst Molly held her tightly in her arms. When she had first found out about her daughters pregnancy Molly had struggled to hide her distress about knowing that her little girl wasn't a little girl anymore, but now as her baby girl slept soundly in her arms her small face red, puffy and tear stained Molly chastised herself for the thoughts that had previously ran through her mind. It was useless to think of the what if's, why's and how's, She had to concentrate on Ginny and the fact that at this moment another Weasley child was growing inside of her daughter.

Throughout Ginny's tearful apologises and rebukes of her actions Ginny had at least made her decision, she had decided to keep the baby and tearfully Molly had told her she had made the right choice.

"Come on, honey" Molly urged after a while, the silence in the house unbearable as she nudged Ginny gently waking her up "Your Brothers and father will be home soon and I still need to make a start on dinner" Molly saw Ginny's eyes filling once more with tears as she looked up at her mother,

"What will he say?" she squeaked her voice shaky, Molly knew instantly what was gong through Ginny's mind, it had taken great courage for Ginny to have told her that she was pregnant, but a daughter telling her mother a secret wasn't the same as a little girl telling her daddy the exact same thing. Molly's stomach turned at the thought of telling Arthur and the rest of the family, but now that a decision had been made by Ginny to keep the baby Molly had to resolved herself to the fact that it was better to tell the others sooner rather then later.

"I don't know dearest" Molly replied softly as she squeezed her daughters arm reassuringly. Despite the fact that Molly had know Arthur intimately since the tender age of seventeen and had devoted her life to him and his work his reactions to certain situations were always a surprise to her.

Molly remembered back to when she had first found out she was expecting Bill, most normal eighteen year olds would have bolted for the hills, had been shocked beyond belief or tried to have denied ever knowing what sex was, But not Arthur Weasley. Arthur had been ecstatic at the prospect of being a father, and within a week he had planned out their whole lives, where they would live, how he would provide for them and even what job the baby would later do. And despite the fact that Arthur's plans had never taken into account the amount of children he would father and the fact that all but one wanted to have different careers to his own didn't faze him, he took it all in his stride. This was one of the reasons why Molly loved him so, but Ginny's condition was something entirely different, something that Arthur hadn't been expecting for a while yet and certainly not from the youngest of his children.

"Don't you worry about your father" Molly said as she stood up and brushed Ginny's fringe back as she looked into her baby's red and puffy eyes "best you get some rest dear you look like you could do with it" Molly watched as Ginny forced a very weak smile and slowly headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to bed.

Molly breathed a huge sigh trying to release the anguish that she felt inside, but it wouldn't shift and with a terrible pain squeezing the insides of her chest Molly set her mind to making Arthur's favourite meal: Faggots, gravy, potatoes and peas.

As she set about cooking Molly ran over different scenarios in her head, how was she going to tell the rest of the family? Should she let Ginny do it? Should she discuss it with Arthur privately? Would it be better to wait until Ginny herself had fully accepted the fact that from now on her life was going to change completely?

Sighing once more to no avail, Molly decided that Ginny was in no state to tell her father anything and that it was better that the whole family knew for definite then just having them guess. Molly decided that she'd tell them all this evening after dinner.

The sky outside the burrow gradually darkened and Molly sat waiting, looking up at the clock in the living room, the three fingers denoting Ron and the twins had suddenly shifted from work to travel. The Twins had enlisted Ron as an extra pair of hands at their shop over the summer so that he could earn some extra money, and it kept him from hanging around the house all day. A loud chime from the clock coincided with two loud pops and both Fred and George appeared in the Living room, both looking terribly tired,

"It's been a hectic day mother" George said smiling at Molly through his weariness,

"We've made seventy Galleons today alone!" Fred said he too was beaming

"Very good dears" Molly said forcing her tone to sound joyful as she followed the boys into the kitchen where another loud chime from the clock coincided with a clatter and bang as Ron, who was too young to take his apparition test had just arrived by floo and had collided once more with the kitchen table leg. He too was none the less smiling.

"I made fifteen sales today!" he called to Molly as Fred and George rushed to help him up "Fifteen! That's four more then yesterday!"

The three boys chatted happily as Molly rushed to serve them dinner, Molly half listened as the twins told her their big plans of extending the shop, saying that if they had a few more days like today then they could afford new premises, closer to the busier streets of Diagon ally. But Molly's attention was distracted as the Clock chimed once more and a loud pop echoed the return of Charlie,

"It bite me!" Charlie called as he strode into the kitchen his left arm bandaged tightly and carried in a sling, Molly rushed to her son and helped him to a seat at the table, where he proceeded to tell the family how the eggs that he had been looking after in the newly opened welsh dragon preserve had hatched and the largest of the new born males had decided that Charlie's arm looked like a better meal then the whole chicken he was feeding them.

Molly tried to get a look at Charlie's arm as the pain inside her chest doubled at the thought that one of her children was hurt, but Charlie wouldn't let her,

"It's ok mum, the onsite healer said I'll live!" Charlie joked as Fred laughed too, but as Molly was about to protest the Clock chimed once more,

"Arthur?" Molly called as she heard a pop out in the garden, her guts turning summersaults by now but it was only Bill,

"Sit down mother" Bill said as he walked into the kitchen from the backdoor he quickly strode across the floor and pulled Molly into the nearest seat placing a plate in front of her "You look worn out"

Molly smiled faintly as Bill dished out Faggots and potatoes onto Molly's plate and covered them in gravy, "Eat!" he demanded as he turned to help himself to food.

Molly mostly picked at her dinner, she couldn't eat, the thought of what she had to tell them was beginning to become too much for her but shortly after the boys had finished another chime and a pop signalled that finally Arthur had arrived home. Molly rushed towards him as he was pulling off his travelling cloak,

"Sorry I'm late dear, but it's been a busy day at the office. I was called out twice this afternoon andAli Bashir is still pestering me to legalise his silly flying carpets! I keep telling him what's the point, they'll never make much of an impact here, but will he listen?" Molly didn't listen as Arthur continued his rant as she dished up his dinner and the boys all chatted about their days, Charlie once again retelling how he had been bitten and the twins and Ron saying how business was now booming, the only one that wasn't talking was Bill, and Molly soon became aware that his eyes were cast onto her.

"Is something wrong mum?" he asked as Ron told his father how many customers he had served that day,

"No dear" Molly said automatically even though she knew her expression was telling a different story, and she knew that Bill didn't believe her but she was grateful that he didn't press the issue.

That evening as the Boys and Arthur sat around the living room their bellies full and all of them tired and happy Molly finally managed to coax the strength to tell them the news that she had been holding all day. Molly had retrieved Ginny from the safety of her bed room and both female Weasley's stood facing the boys as they all relaxed in their favourite chairs or on the floor, slowly Molly cleared her voice and spoke,

"Arthur" Molly said as strongly as she could as his and all the boys eyes turned towards her "I've- We've got something to say to you all-" Molly took hold of Ginny's hand before she continued "There's going to be a new addition to the family"

Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George and Ron stared at Molly, all of them speechless; it was Bill that broke the silence.

"Dad you sly old dog!" Bill grinned as he slapped his father on the back Arthur looked very confused as a nervous smiled played on his lips,

"Congratulations!" Charlie called as he hugged Molly tightly, wincing as he banged his injured arm. And the rest of family burst into noise, through the din Molly heard snippets of conversations,

"How's that possible?" Ron said as he sat next to the twins on the carpet

"Well when a man and a women love each other-" Fred began but Molly cut him off, she couldn't let them draw the wrong conclusions it would just make things worse.

"I'm not the one who's expecting" Molly called loudly over the din as all eyes returned to her, Arthur and Bill was standing as was Charlie and George, while Ron and Fred remained seated on the carpet, Molly saw comprehension dawn on Arthur and the older boys faces as their eyes slowly shifted from Molly to Ginny,

"I don't get it?" Ron said looking very confused and still slightly in shock at the idea that it had been Molly who was pregnant,

"I'm pregnant!" Ginny yelled as she burst into fresh tears "It's me who expecting Ron!!!"

"What the…?" George said in disbelief

Molly had never seen the family in such disarray, the last time had been when Percy had left the burrow, over two years ago now. Both Charlie and the twins were ready to form a lynch mob, Ron looked even more shocked and confused. Ginny however looked to be even more traumatized then Ron, her face was all blotchy again as the tears rolled down her cheeks,

"Who's the father Ginny?" Fred demanded angrily but Ginny didn't answer instead she ran out of the room back to the security of her bed room still crying heavily.

All eyes turned back to Molly as she explained how Ginny had told her that afternoon that she thought she was pregnant.

"How could this happen?" Fred asked shaking his head

"Well when a man and a – Ow!" Ron retorted but Bill clipped him around the ear telling them all to be quiet as he ushered them all out of the room leaving Molly and Arthur alone.

Molly was really beginning to feel sick now, even though the hardest part was over and the family all knew but Arthur had remained quiet throughout.

"Arthur…?" Molly asked meekly as she moved closer to him,

"Is it definite?" Arthur said his tone cold

"Not definite, confirmed by a healer, but she's suspected it for a little while, at least since she came back from Hogwarts at the start of this summer"

"What does she intend to do?"

"She wants to keep it" Molly replied smiling slightly

"How does she intend to provide for it?" Arthur asked his question surprising Molly slightly "Does the father have any prospects? Does he know of her decision?"

"I don't know, dear" Molly said truthfully Molly hadn't really had chance to discuss the finer points of the baby's welfare with Ginny yet "She hasn't spoke of the father, but does that really matter? We'll help her, it's our first grandchild, it'll live here with us and we will all look after it!" Molly said as cheerful as she could,

"You may have set your mind to raising this baby, Molly" Arthur said his tone expressionless "but I don't think that I can live in a house with another infant in it!" and with that he was gone in a loud pop, Molly quickly turned to look at the clock standing behind her, Arthur's dial was now pointing at travel and a second later it came to rest on the gilded lettering spelling The Leaky Cauldron.

"I'll go after him, mum" Bill offered as he stood in the doorway of the living room his face showing only concern, but molly stopped him,

"Let him be" she said plainly as she still stared at the clock.