The Houses Competition
House: Hufflepuff
Class: Head of House
Drabble/Standard: Drabble
Theme: Celebrating a holiday
Prompt: (pairing) Arthur/Molly
Word Count: 981
Warning for an extreme amount of sugary tooth-rotting Weasley family fluff. I would like to take this time to thank everyone who beta read this story for me. It truly means a lot that you would take the time out to help me like this. So, thank you all very much! I hope you enjoy The Tradition of the Weasley Sweaters
Molly knew that the perfect affordable present had to be here somewhere in Diagon Alley. It was for their first Christmas as a married couple, she'd even enlisted the help of her mother –who she would never usually go to for advice – on shopping for gifts.
"Molly, dear, where are you going now?" her mother asked, trailing behind her plump daughter. "We've been to almost every store."
"Then we'll just have to revisit them all," Molly said, stopping and taking a deep breath. "This has to be the perfect Christmas, Mum. Everything has to be perfect or…"
"Are you afraid Arthur will leave you if your first Christmas together isn't absolutely perfect, my dear?" her mother asked, hitting the heart of the matter without even having to try.
"I am, Mum."
"That's absolutely ridiculous," her mother said, shaking her head and sending a loose piece of stray gray hair in a wild frenzy at her shoulder. "Arthur is absolutely and indefinitely in love with you. He's not going to leave if something isn't perfect."
"Are you sure about that, Mum?"
"I'm positive."
"But I still want to find the perfect present for Arthur. I have to at least do that."
"What exactly does Arthur enjoy the most? What are his hobbies? His favorite things to do? Does he like to read?"
Molly's eyes widened in realization. This time her mother's questioning list of things that could help pick a present out actually did help. She knew exactly what she would get Arthur for Christmas and she was sure that he would love it. Absolutely sure of it.
Molly rolled her eyes as she ushered her mother towards The Leaky Cauldron and heard her mother muttering about just giving suggestions and how she hadn't mentioned going to Muggle world. She stopped at the bar and asked Tom the barkeeper where she might find her desired object. He told her about a shop a little down the way owned by a wizard that sold Muggle objects.
Meanwhile, Arthur was working hard on his Christmas present for Molly. He knew they didn't have a lot of money this year. But he also knew what his mother had told him. A handmade gift is always the best way to show your love for someone, and that was what he wanted to do for Molly. He'd gone to his mother at the beginning of the year and asked for lessons on knitting, which had confused his mother at first, before he'd explained what he was doing. She thought the idea a perfect one and was willing to help him in his endeavor.
"Do you think she'll like it, Mum?" he asked, holding up the rather lumpy-looking purple sweater with what looked like an M in the middle of it.
"She'll love it because it came from you," his mother told him, hugging her son. "Now come and help me with these cookies, will you?"
"Of course, Mum," Arthur said, laying the sweater in the box he'd chosen for it. He would wrap the present later when Molly went to sleep. For now, he had cookies to make and decorations to put up.
Later that night, Molly went to bed early, claiming that she was worn out from Christmas shopping with her mother. He couldn't blame her. Molly's mother was quite a handful. She also wasn't known for being the best gift giver. But she at least tried and that was what mattered. Arthur quickly but quietly wrapped his present for Molly, sticking it under the tree.
He finally walked upstairs, yawning a bit. Decorating for the holiday was much more tiring than he thought it would be. He saw Molly turning over as he walked in the door. Probably trying to get comfortable. He slipped his shoes off and plunked down into the bed.
Molly cracked her eye open a bit to see if Arthur was asleep yet. When she was sure he was, she quietly snuck out of bed and went downstairs to place her present for Arthur under the tree. She smiled, pleased with herself and her present, even though Arthur seemed to have gotten her something bigger than she had gotten him. She trekked back to bed, hoping that Arthur was going to love his present.
The days seemed to fly by in a whirl of decorating, baking, and family events. But finally, the big day arrived. Christmas day was finally here, and Molly would see if Arthur loved her gift or not. She didn't know that Arthur was worried about the same thing in regards to his present for her.
"You open yours first," Arthur told her, grinning from ear to ear. "I made it with my own hands. Mum helped a little."
Molly tore into the paper that surrounded the gift to find a box. Arthur looked at her expectantly as she opened the box to find a rather lumpy sweater. But Arthur had made it, so she smiled and told him she loved it.
Arthur then tore into the paper around his own present and looked down in shock. A yellow bird was smiling up at him in a friendly manner. How had Molly known he'd wanted one of these?
"How did you know that I wanted one of these?" he asked, holding up the rubber ducky.
"I remembered you saying something about it back when we first started dating," she said, blushing and holding the sweater up to her. "This sweater is absolutely perfect. How did you know that purple was one of my favorite colors?"
"I kind of asked your mum," he said, grinning cheekily at her. "So in a way both of our Mums helped out with your Christmas gift."
"I think it's a lovely tradition that we should keep going," Molly said, grinning.
That very first Christmas was how the Weasley sweater tradition officially began.
I hope you all enjoyed The Tradition of the Weasley Sweaters much as I enjoyed writing it.