1After the day spent together in Hogsmeade, the couple was rarely apart. A few times they had sneaked out after everyone else was asleep and strolled the grounds of Hogwarts. Although, after they got caught one night by the groundskeeper their midnight strolls stopped. Molly was sure Arthur would have the scars from his punishment for years.
Before they knew it graduation day was upon them. After the ceremony, Molly was talking to her parents and two older brothers. Arthur had slipped away from his own family and was content to just watch her. She felt him watching her and looked up.
"Arthur," she called to him and waved him over to her. "I want you to meet my family."
When he reached her side she tucked her hand into his. "Mum, dad, this is Arthur Weasly, the guy I told you about."
"Pleased to meet you," Mr. Prewett shook Arthur's hand.
Mrs. Prewett surprised Arthur by hugging him, "Hello, dear. Molly has told me so much about you I feel like I already know you."
Molly blushed. "Mum," she groaned. Turning to Arthur, she asked, "Do you remember my brothers, Gideon and Fabian? They were Gryffindors and graduated four years ago."
"Yeah, I remember them," he responded. "It's nice to see you again. You were the same year as my brother, Charles, and probably played Qidditch with my other brother, Percy. They're both Aurors now."
"Hello, Arthur," the Prewett twins greeted him simultanesly.
"Now, you seem like a nice guy," Fabian began.
"But if you hurt our baby sister," Gideon finished for his brother.
"We will not be happy," Fabian took a turn.
"And we would have to hurt you."
"So, now that you've been warned."
"We're sure we'll be great friends."
"Just as long as you're nice to Molly."
Arthur was starting to feel like he was watching a tennis game as he turned his head back and forth as the twins took turns talking. He thought to himself that it could get really irritating to have a full conversation with the two of them.
"Stop it you two," Molly grumbled at her brothers.
They gave her identical lopsided grins then reached over and shook Arthur's hand heartily. "Say, are your brothers here?"
"Yeah, they're over with my parents talking to Professor Dumbledore," he indicated over his shoulder where the group was gathered.
The two young men ran off to greet their old classmates. Molly's parents had spotted some old friends of theirs and were talking to them. Arthur smiled down at Molly, "Do you want to take a walk?"
"Sure," she grinned at him in a way that made his ears turn red.
As they made their way towards the lake, he noticed Gin and Will watching them. Will winked at him and Gin gave a small wave. When she waved the sunlight glistened off of the new diamond on her finger. A few weeks ago, the two of them had gotten engaged.
Arthur suddenly felt there were thousands of pixies in his stomach. He stuck a hand in his pocket and felt the small box. He tripped over his own feet and almost fell headfirst into the lake. Molly giggled and helped him to regain his balance.
After grinning sheepishly at her he led her to one of the shade trees lining the shore. He took both of her hands in his, "Molly, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and I have been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you." He let go of one of her hands and pulled the velvet box out of his pocket.
She let out a small gasp as he got on one knee. Her heart was beating fast and tears were beginning to blur her vision.
"Molly, will you marry me?"
"Oh, Arthur, I love you," she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. "Yes! Yes!"
Grinning, he slipped the ring on her finger. She gave an excited squeal and hurled herself at him again. She knocked him off his feet and they both ended up in the lake. After a shocked moment, they both laughed and began to splash each other.
"So, I assume that means she said yes," an amused voice asked.
The soaked couple looked up to see Will, Gin, and both their families smiling at them. Arthur stood up and reached out a hand to help Molly up.
Molly tried to run to show Gin her ring but her wet robes were heavy and she struggled slightly. Finally, she performed a quick drying charm. When she showed the other woman her ring, the two friends hugged each other and squealed.
Arthur shook some of the water from his bright hair. Soon he was receiving pats on the back from the other males. His father gave him a back-slapping hug. Then his mum hugged him. He was surprised to hear her sniffle.
"Mum, are you okay?" he asked with concern when he saw she was crying. He thought she liked Molly. "Why are you crying?"
"Oh, sweetie, I'm fine," she reassured him. "It's just my baby's leaving me. And don't give me that look, you will always be my baby."
After receiving congratulations from many of their classmates and teachers, the couple left to have a celebratory dinner with their families. Once dinner was over, the newly engaged pair took a walk in the moonlight.
"So when do you want to have the wedding," Arthur asked.
"Soon," Molly told him. "Like yesterday," she laughed.
"Well, I'm not really up on my time travel skills so yesterday may be out of the question," he teased her. "But how about next week?"
"Next week?" she looked at him slightly shocked. "I can't plan a wedding in a week, besides we have to file paperwork with the Ministry and I think that takes a couple weeks."
"What if we have a really simple wedding? You know just family and Will and Gin. My parents have a lot of land, I'm sure we could have it there," he looked at her hopefully. "And my dad works at the Ministry, he could push our paperwork through quick."
"Wow, when you decide you want something, you want it now," she looked up at her beloved. "Okay, lets do it."
"Really?"
To answer his question she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.
The wedding was indeed small but everyone important to the couple was there. Arthur thought Molly was the most beautiful bride there had ever been and told her this often on their wedding day and night. After a short honeymoon, the couple settled into a small flat in Hogsmeade and Arthur began working in a small department at the Ministry.
It was not long before they were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child. They knew they wanted at least one more. Both of them had two brothers and did not want their child to miss out on having a sibling. They agreed that it would be a very lonely childhood to be an only child.
Molly quietly hummed to herself as she placed the tiny baby clothes into the dresser. She could not help but think that she was a very lucky girl. She was married to the only man she had ever loved and was soon going to be having his baby. The baby gave a sharp kick and she placed her hand over her very swollen belly.
"Hey, little one," she said aloud. "It feels like you're getting antsy in there. Why don't you come join us?"
The 'crack' that signaled her husband was home came from the kitchen. She glanced at her watch and saw it was still early afternoon. That's odd, she thought, Arthur's never home this early. As quickly as her eight months pregnant body would allow her, she went to tell him hello and find out why he was home so early.
"Hi, honey," she smiled warmly at the sight of his broad back. He was leaning on the counter with both hands on it. She walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, "You're home early."
He turned to face her and her smile faded. His jaw muscles were clenched and tears were in his eyes. Panic filled her, she had never seen him cry before.
"Baby, what is it," she gently inquired. "What's wrong?" A thousand different possibilities raced through her mind, each worse than the one before.
He led her to one of the kitchen chairs and guided her down onto it. Before answering her, he sat down on the chair next to her.
"Oh, Molly," he struggled to find the words to tell her what had happened. He knew it was going to break her heart. "There were some attacks on Muggle born witches and wizards this morning." He had to stop for a moment in order to gain control of his emotions.
"No," she whispered. Gin was a Muggle born witch, but she had to be fine. They were going to raise their babies together. Gin was due a few weeks after Molly.
Arthur slowly nodded his head, "Gin was one of the ones attacked. Will tried to protect her but they got him too." He put his head in his hands and his shoulders shook with his sobs.
Looking up, he saw the tears streaming silently down his wife's pale face. He pulled her over to sit on his lap. They sat in the kitchen and held each other and cried for their lost friends and their friends' unborn child.
After a while, Molly exhausted herself with her tears and Arthur realized she was sleeping against his chest. Gently, he rose with her and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and covered her with a light blanket. Not wanting to be alone, he lay down next to her and placed a hand on her belly. He felt the baby kick and smiled for the first time since hearing about the senseless deaths.
A few hours later, Molly awoke to a sharp pain and realized the sheets under her were wet. It took her minute to realize what was happening. She quickly woke up her husband, "Arthur, wake up! It's time, the baby's coming!"
He sat straight up, "What? Now?" His hair was sticking out every way possible and his glasses were crooked. He straightened his glasses and jumped to his feet. "Where's your bag? We have to get to the hospital." Frantically he began putting his shoes on.
"Arthur, calm down," she laughed softly at her husband. "We have plenty of time, my bag is in the closet."
He grabbed the bag and rushed to her side. When he saw her flinch with pain when the next contraction came, he began to panic. "Is that normal? I should owl your mum or my mum."
Molly slowly started to stand up and Arthur quickly reached to help her, "I'm fine, let's go."
Despite Arthur's protests Molly apparated to St. Mungo's Maternity Ward. She was speaking to one of the Healers on duty when he appeared behind her.
The Healer smiled at him, "You must be the father."
"Yes, I am. Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine. There some papers for you to fill out at the desk. I'm going to take your wife on in to a room and we'll keep you updated." She indicated the room to his left, "You can wait in there with the other fathers."
He nervously looked at Molly, "Are you going to be okay?"
"Yes, now go sit down. Oh, and let everyone else know."
He watched as the Healer wheeled his wife away, then he went to send owls to both of their families. Before he went back to the waiting room, he stopped in the gift shop and bought the biggest teddy bear they had.
Family members soon started showing up and kept Arthur company while he waited impatiently. Finally, a Healer came into the room and just like every time one did all of the expectant fathers hoped he was the one they were coming for.
"Weasley, is there a Mr. Weasley?" the plump witch asked.
"Yes, I'm him," Arthur jumped up and hurried to her with the giant teddy bear in his arm.
"This is your first isn't it?" she asked and looked at him with twinkling brown eyes.
"Yes, is Molly okay? And the baby, is the baby all right?"
"Come with me and see for yourself"
He followed her down the hall to Molly's room. She was sitting up in bed holding a tiny bundle.
"Hi," she smiled when she saw him. "Come meet your son."
"Hey, little fella," he stroked the baby's tiny tuft of red hair. "You look like your mummy."
Molly held the baby out to him, "Here, you can hold him."
"Are you sure?" he asked nervously. "He's so little, I don't want to hurt him."
"You won't," she reassured him.
He sat on the side of her bed and cuddled his new son, "What are we going to name him?"
"I was thinking, William Arthur Weasley."
Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat, "I like that. And if we ever have a girl, we'll call her Ginerva."
After a few minutes, Arthur walked back out to where their families were waiting. His chest puffed out as he announced the arrival of his son, William.