A/N: Wow! Last chapter got a good many reviews within 24 hours.
finkles89: I don't know why you want to high-five Arthur, but I'm glad not everyone is totally against him.
PhoenixRising: I really didn't realize his brothers were encouraging him until you pointed that out. Even though you don't like Arthur anymore, I hope you will still read.
Remustonkslupin: Thank you. I didn't really think about how out of character people can be when they are drunk. Glad you are enjoying the story.
DarkNoct: I'm sorry. Thank you for pointing out that it is becoming a bit cliché. Overall, I am not going for that but there will be parts where it can seem that way. And if the last chapter felt like The Hangover, I did not mean to. I didn't realize that until we watched it in my Theatre 101 class the other day. I do hope you will stick with it though.
Alright. So, I wanted to post today because it has been TWO YEARS since I started this story! Woah! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with it. I'm glad y'all are all still enjoying it and there are many more chapters to go. And I think each chapter is getting to be longer than the last.
Thank you everyone for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Please keep it up. I'm not sure if I'm happy with the Arthur and Bill part of this chapter, but it says what needs to be said and gives Bill his moment.
Without further ado…
Bill's Rant
Molly stood, completely and utterly shocked, as she watched her husband disapparate. Unlike every other time he left or tried to leave, she couldn't bring herself to try and stop him. The exact opposite had happened that she had hoped would, and his words stung, worse than anything else he had ever said to her. Apparently, there was no trust left in their relationship; she had been finding it harder and harder to trust him, and clearly, Arthur didn't trust her anymore.
She leaned on the door after gently shutting it. A flood of emotions washed over her. Molly wasn't sure how she should feel: disappointed because they hadn't made up like she hoped, angry because Arthur immediately assumed the worst again, sad and upset because he told her he didn't love her anymore, or happy and relieved because the monster who used to be her husband was gone.
Unable to stand any longer, she slid down to the floor, tears overcoming her. Everything since the end of the war had her emotionally drained. Her son was dead. Two of her kids didn't want anything to do with her. And her husband, the man she loved, had turned her life into this living hell.
The next thing she realized, she was crying into a man's shoulder. In that moment, she didn't know who it could be. Could Charlie or Ron have gotten back already? Could Bill have stopped by to visit? Did Arthur rethink what he had said and come back? Her mind skipped right over the Irishman she had left in the kitchen.
Finally, she had let all her emotions out. Pulling back from whoever was holding her, she wiped at her tear-stained cheeks while the man smoothed her hair. When she saw who the mystery person was, she began apologizing profusely. Of course, she had been telling Conner all of her feelings over the past couple weeks, but there had only been one other time she completely broke down. Conner told her there was no reason for her to apologize and that he was glad he could be there for her. Molly couldn't help wondering why this man who she barely knew wanted to help her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her son's cheerful exclamation, "Mum, great news!" as he entered through the back door. Upon seeing his mother on the floor, Charlie's demeanor immediately changed and he rushed to her side, ignoring the other man in the room. "Mum, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked, concern written all over his face as he helped his mother up.
Sniffing, Molly patted her son's cheek, thankful for having such a caring child. "You needn't worry about it," she answered, knowing it would only upset Charlie. "You're in a much better mood than when you left this morning."
Charlie furrowed his eyebrows. "Mum, the state you're in only proves that I need to worry about it."
Molly took a seat on the couch, closely followed by Charlie, before she was ready to answer. Just as she was about to start, the fireplace roared in the kitchen and Bill and Fleur came into the sitting room. They had been coming over on Sundays to see how everything was. Unsurprisingly, Bill's reaction was much like his brother's. Her two oldest boys took a seat on either side of her while Conner and Fleur made themselves scarce, not wanting to intrude.
"Mum?" Bill prompted.
"Your father came by," she started quietly before Charlie interrupted.
"What was that good-for-nothing - !"
Bill cut him off with a stern glare and a warning, "Charlie."
"He was going to tell me something," Molly continued, "but then he saw Conner…" She let out a shaky breath.
As she watched her sons anxiously, she could tell Charlie was taking this information the way she expected, but Bill was unreadable. Finally, Bill said, "Do you want me to talk to him? I was planning on seeing him tonight anyway because there is something else I need to talk to him about as well."
Molly merely nodded. She was tired of fighting this never-ending battle, but she wasn't ready to quit just yet.
"Mum," Charlie said as he stood, "are you going to be okay for a few minutes?"
"I think so. I need to check on Conner anyway. And say hi to Fleur."
Charlie nodded. "Bill, can I see you in the garden?"
Once they were safely out of earshot, Charlie turned to his older brother. He figured Bill knew about the picture, but he needed to talk to him about it anyway. He wasn't going to confront their father about it, and he sure as hell wasn't going to break the news to their mum.
"Did you see the paper today?" he asked.
Bill adopted a grim expression and nodded. "That's what I was gonna talk to him about."
"Well, find out what he was thinking," Charlie said as he began to pace angrily. "You know, when I thought he could sink no lower, he goes and does something like this."
Putting out a hand to stop his brother, Bill became extremely serious. "Look, I am furious about it too, but you need to act natural so Mum doesn't find out – Wait, she doesn't know, does she?"
Charlie shook his head.
"And what about Ron?"
The former dragon trainer shook his head again.
"Good. Get rid of that newspaper and don't say anything. I'm sure that's what Dad was going to tell Mum, and if I have anything to do with it, that is the only way she is going to find out."
Once they reentered the house, they found their mum, Conner, and Fleur back in the kitchen. Conner shook Charlie and Bill's hands in turn, reintroducing himself to Charlie and introducing himself to Bill. Out of all eight remaining Weasleys, he had only met Molly and Charlie, but had no doubt heard about all of them.
When everyone took a seat, Molly recalled Charlie had something to say earlier. "Oh, Charlie dear, what was your great news?"
"Oh, yeah," Charlie remembered, scratching his head. Recently, he hadn't felt guilty about moving out and leaving his mum more alone than she already was, but now he was second guessing himself. He watched his mother closely as he told her he had found a house and he would be moving into it at the end of the month. If she was upset, she didn't show it. In fact, she seemed overjoyed.
Charlie animatedly described the house until Ron and Hermione came in a little while later.
Upon seeing the stranger at the table, Ron shook his hand. "Are you Conner?" he asked.
"I am."
"Ron. And this is Hermione. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Conner reciprocated, shaking Hermione's hand next.
Ron wanted to say how much he liked him more than his father already, but refrained, knowing it would only upset his mum. Instead, Ron kissed her on the cheek and greeted his brothers and sister-in-law before taking a seat by Hermione.
After Charlie finished and Bill and Fleur gave an overview of their week, Hermione nudged Ron. The couple had news of their own, but now Ron felt bad that he would be leaving just before Charlie moved out. He knew how much this meant to his girlfriend and right now she needed him more than his mother did. Molly had his other brothers to help out after all.
Clearing his throat, Ron gained the attention of the room. "Er – Hermione and I are going to Australia," he blurted. He had never been good at breaking news gently. "She wants to find her parents before school starts back." Staring at his mother, he waited for her disapproval…but it never came.
"I think that is very sweet of you, Ron, but we don't have the money," she said regretfully, patting his hand.
"I know…Harry has lent us the money," Ron explained. "And we'll be leaving later this week."
Molly's face fell. Of course, she wasn't against her son helping Hermione find her parents, but did they have to leave so soon? And there was no telling how long they would be gone. Then Charlie would be moving out in a matter of weeks. Soon, she would be left all alone. Not a day in her life, had she been completely alone.
"Mum?" Ron's concerned voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "You're okay with me doing this, aren't you?"
She forced a smile and cheerful tone. "Of course, I am. Hermione may be the brightest witch of her age, but she can't go all by herself."
"You and Harry made up then?" Bill asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah. I realized I can't make him choose between me and Ginny. He can't voice his true opinion either, you know?"
Sensing the tension this comment created, Fleur began asking Conner about what he did for a living. This lightened the mood tremendously because it turned out he worked at the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He worked out in the field for the most part, which explained his physique and caused an almost-instant bond between him and Charlie. However, he was bombarded with questions about where he stood on house elves and werewolves from Hermione. Even though his views on werewolves matched Hermione's, his opinion on house elves did not.
Despite the earlier events, the rest of the afternoon went by pleasantly. Everyone got to know Conner and Conner learned a lot about them. No one wanted the day to end they were having such a good time.
oOoOo
Days went by and no one saw or heard from Arthur. Despite the various attempts to speak with his father, it was Wednesday before Bill finally contacted him.
After knocking on his dad's door for what seemed like the tenth time in three days, his dad came to the door with a half empty bottle in his hand. "Are you happy now?" Arthur grumbled. "I've opened the door, so you can stop the incessant knocking. I thought you'd have stopped after the first day."
Bill put his foot out to stop the door from closing and followed his dad inside. "You mean you've been here the whole time?" he asked incredulously.
"Not entirely." Turning to face his oldest son, Arthur said, "Let's skip the pleasantries. Cut to the chase, so you can leave. You're here to defend that slut, aren't you?"
"That's alright. I don't have anything pleasant to say to you anyway. Dad, Mum hasn't been cheating on you. She would never do that," Bill tried explaining to an already inebriated Arthur, ignoring the low jab at his mum. It was only five-fifteen on a Wednesday and he knew Arthur never got off before five. According to Percy though, he hadn't shown up for work all week.
"How naive are you? How stupid do you think I am?" Arthur questioned, taking another pull from the bottle.
"Dad, you know she would never do something like that!" Bill hollered. "Any excuse for you to shut people out and get plastered! Why don't you take a Sober Up potion and we can discuss this civilly."
"No, I'm perfectly capable of having a conversation," Arthur slurred.
Not believing this one bit, Bill continued, "She's told him everything that has happened between you two. All she wants is to understand, so things can go back to how they were."
"Fine, suppose she is telling the truth. I still don't appreciate her telling a complete stranger about my personal life."
"She doesn't know what else to do! None of us do!" Bill paused then calmly stated, "We just want you back."
"Cheating isn't going to bring me back!" Arthur shot.
"She hasn't cheated on you!" Bill repeated. "But you sure do have some explaining to do. Charlie and I saw the picture in The Daily Prophet. Tell me what that's about!"
Clenching his jaw, Arthur glared at Bill. "That was nothing."
"Nothing? Nothing! I saw you dancing with another woman. I saw you kissing another fucking woman! Maybe you automatically think Mum is cheating on you because you are cheating on her. I'm not making any assumptions right now. I'm going to let you explain yourself because this is not something to be taken lightly or misinterpreted."
"You're mistaken –"
"No, I'm not. I know what my own father looks like even if his face is hidden because it's too busy sucking someone else's. And don't say she's just a friend, because she isn't. I've never seen her. I've met your work colleagues. She wasn't in the Order. I don't know who she is. The picture I saw clearly showed me that she is not just a friend. So I would like for you to explain yourself now," Bill ordered.
"Bill, this has nothing to do with me! This has everything to do with that whore! She is cheating on me. I've been to the Burrow twice and both of those times that man was in the house, alone with her. How am I supposed to believe that she isn't cheating on me? How am I supposed to believe the story that she told me? I'm not falling for it a second time!"
"Yeah, well maybe you immediately jump to that conclusion because that is exactly what you're doing to her!" Bill shouted an inch from his father's face, jamming a finger into his chest.
Arthur was struck dumb. Bill took after him. He had always been level-headed and had a slow-burning fuse. He supposed this was the lycanthropic side of his son showing through.
Calming himself, Bill took a few paces before continuing. "Well, are you going to tell her or should I?"
"I was going to tell her, but that's when I found that bastard there."
"That's it. I'm not talking to you when you're like this," he said while reaching into his pocket and bringing out a Sober Up potion. With how frequently Arthur was drunk nowadays, almost all of the Weasley kids would have one on hand. There was no telling what state their father would be in even if he had plans. "Besides, Harry will be here in forty minutes."
Damn, that was tonight? Arthur had lost track of what day it was, seeing as he had only left the flat for food and liquor when he deemed it necessary. "It's nothing that can't wait a day," Arthur replied, pushing the vial back towards Bill.
"You can't keep going back on your commitments. George gave him the night off. Harry already talked Mum 'round to it at their dinner, but your answer mean more to him." Bill had been at the Burrow when Harry brought Molly home from their dinner, so he knew the reason for the occasion. This didn't only affect the raven-haired boy, but the youngest Weasley as well. "Take the potion, shower, shave, and get dressed. I'll go with you to talk to Mum afterward."
In response, Arthur put the bottle to his lips again. Before any liquid reached his tongue, it was snatched from his hand and slammed on the cluttered coffee table which contained take away boxes and two empty bottles, Bill noticed. His dad hadn't been living here a week and he had gone through at least two and a half fifths of firewhisky.
"Dad, this has to stop. You have responsibilities as a husband and as a father. You have shirked those responsibilities for your own selfish reasons. It is clear that you love yourself and booze more than your family. Otherwise, you'd be at home, happy with Mum. The past three days, you haven't been at work. No one has seen or heard from you. You can't keep disappearing like that! There are still people that care about you. And you can't afford to lose your job. Even though you don't live there anymore, Mum still depends on you." Bill shoved the purple potion into Arthur's hands, giving his dad a stern look that made it impossible to refuse this time.
"I don't know what's happened. I don't know what is going on with you. You won't talk to anyone about it. You won't face up to these issues yourself. The way you have been acting is completely inexcusable. I don't know why you are doing any of these things. I don't know why you have been the polar opposite of yourself! You need to figure it out, alright? Because Charlie and Ron stopped giving a shit about you the day at the shed. I've almost given up on you. I'm giving you one more chance before I finally just stop caring. I'm not going to turn my back on you like Charlie and Ron have, but I'll be done. And I don't know what Percy, George, and Ginny think they could do to help you because you don't want anyone's help. You don't even want to help your-fucking-self!" Bill paused and took a deep breath while running a hand down his face. He had only meant to address the issue of the woman, but he couldn't stop himself. This was his chance to get everything off his chest. He had been thinking these things for weeks and had only voiced a few of his concerns to Fleur. Now, he could tell his father what he thought, and, hopefully, knock some sense into him.
"Ginny is Daddy's little girl. She's always been your little girl. She looks up to you – We all look up to you, but her moreso than the rest of us because she is your daughter and daughters have a different relationship with their fathers than sons do. So I don't think she's ever going to give up on you. I know she is never going to turn her back on you, but she needs to. Otherwise you're just going to break her heart over, and over, and over again, just like you did with Mum. And - and George, he lost his brother – his twin – his best friend. H-He – None of us needed to lose any more siblings or parents but you have ripped this family down the middle, have torn it to shreds."
The potion not having kicked in yet, Arthur made to protest. He had barely gotten a word in edgewise since Bill arrived. He had had enough of his son's rant. He didn't have to stand here and take this.
Bill held up a hand to stop Arthur from interrupting. "That is all on you. That is all because of your actions and things that you have said." He began pacing again, the lack of furniture making it easy to do so. "I don't know why George sided with you, but he has lost two more brothers and has turned his back on his mother. He could've remained neutral like me and Percy, but he sided with you and that is a horrible mistake he has made because he isn't only suffering the loss of Fred, but of Charlie, Ron, and Mum. He doesn't show it. He doesn't talk about it. But I know, as his older brother, that he is torn up about what has happened. He wasn't ready to move out of the Burrow. He moved back to his flat because of all this shit that you've put your family through. He didn't want to stay there with two brothers who disowned him. I'm just glad that Mum finally got talked around to letting Ginny and Harry move in with him. Otherwise, I don't even want to think of what could've happened, or what could happen.
"And then there's Percy. Percy finally made amends with his family. He wanted to come back to a family that was whole – or as whole as it could be." Halting, he faced his father again. "That lasted all of what? A week? Two? At most. And then that all fell apart. Ron and Charlie didn't want anything to do with him. You saw they didn't show up to his engagement party. He says that he didn't care if they came or not – that he preferred they didn't. But he wanted them there. He told me that he had been waiting to propose and get married until he made up with his family. He has tried to help you. He let you live with him for a week. He would've let you live with him for as long as you needed to. Then he laid down that ultimatum; quit drinking or leave. You didn't give him the chance to enact that rule. You went out that afternoon and found somewhere else to live. He wouldn't have enforced that rule because he did not want to lose his father again. Percy's not going to give up on you.' At a loss for words, Bill let out a deep breath. "I don't know what else to say. I can't – I can't say anything else, because you would have listened a long time ago. This has been going on for two months now. And you don't even care, so why should any of us?"
Arthur scratched at his beard while comprehending everything Bill had said. He knew how he had ruined everything, but he didn't know why any of his kids were sticking by him. In his opinion, none of them should even care; hell, he didn't even care about himself anymore. What he wanted was to be left alone, so he could try to figure things out on his own. He didn't want his family anywhere near him until that was taken care of. As much as he would like to, he couldn't control what any of his kids did. He would much rather Bill, Percy, George, and Ginny turn their backs on him like Ron and Charlie had. If they did that, then he would be left to drink himself to death, because he didn't want to live with himself anymore, with what he had done, with what had happened throughout the course of the war, with how he felt nearly every day for the past few months, but he couldn't do that if his kids didn't leave him alone. Arthur knew that he didn't deserve help or for anyone to stick by him. Having sobered up, Arthur knew better than to voice what he was thinking, so all he said was, "None of you should. I don't deserve help."
Realizing that his father wasn't going to say anything else, Bill continued, "You know, I agree with you, alright? I don't know what my brothers and sister are thinking, but they need to stay out of it. You are going to hurt them - maybe not physically, but emotionally, mentally. You know, Mum – Mum is – I don't know how far away she is, how much longer you have until she gives up on you, before she turns her back on you. But she loves you with all of her heart, even after everything that has happened. After everything you've done. And, honestly, I don't know how she still loves you or why she is still trying. I don't know what you and Mum talked about at Percy's engagement party. That's between you and her, but she isn't ready to give up on you yet. She doesn't want to lose the one thing she loves above all others. So, this is what's going to happen. Harry will be here in a few minutes, so you are going to get ready. You aren't going to drink anything else tonight because you are not going to ruin this for him. I'll wait until he gets here and I'll be here when you get back to go talk to Mum."
Being of sound mind, Arthur agreed. He didn't like being bossed around, especially by his son, but he allowed it this one time. This was apparently a major deal and he wasn't going to be the one to mess it up like he had everything else. He had just finished getting ready when Harry knocked on the door.
oOoOo
Harry had made reservations at a fancy muggle restaurant in London. He had chosen a muggle establishment to avoid unwanted attention from the press and fans. Arthur noticed it didn't look much different from a wizarding establishment.
Dinner went by with friendly conversation and Harry hadn't revealed the reason for the occasion. The waiter brought out their desert when Arthur finally brought up the subject. "So, Harry, to what do I owe this honor?"
"Oh! Umm…" Harry hesitated, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Apparently this caught the boy by surprise. Perhaps, he had temporarily forgotten why he had planned this dinner. "I-I would like…" he trailed off and suddenly became extremely interested in his fork.
"Harry? What is it?" Arthur gently prompted, giving his full attention to the young man in front of him.
Emerald green eyes met light blue as he clearly plucked up all the courage he had. "Mr. Weasley, I'd like your blessing."
His blessing? Arthur wasn't sure what blessing Harry wanted. Bill said Harry had talked Molly around to it, – whatever it was - and whenever someone asked his girlfriend's parents for a blessing, it was – No. It couldn't be. "Ginny?" he whispered, eyebrows furrowed.
Harry nodded. "I want to ask Ginny to marry me. And I would like your permission."
Before giving an answer, Arthur voiced his concerns. "I don't think that's a good idea, Harry. You know I see you as a son and I am overjoyed that you and Ginny are dating, but you are both too young and haven't been dating very long. Ginny still has a year left at school. Do you even have a clue what you want to do as a career? Unless you're happy at the joke shop? I'm sorry, Harry, but my answer is no; however, I will let you try to convince me otherwise," he finished, leaning back in his chair, waiting for Harry to prove him wrong. There was no doubt in his mind that his daughter's boyfriend had thought this through, but he wanted to hear the boy's plans.
Clearing his throat, Harry sat up straighter. He had prepared for this and since he already talked to Mrs. Weasley, he had an idea of other questions Mr. Weasley might ask. "Actually, Ginny and I have dated longer than you think."
"Oh?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes sir. We dated during her fifth year, and I only broke up with her to keep her safe while Ron, Hermione, and I were out hunting Voldemort. If they knew she was my girlfriend, I'm sure they'd have gone after her first. Not a day went by that I didn't think about her," Harry admitted.
This revelation made the Weasley patriarch both disappointed and thankful. Disappointed because his little girl hadn't told him about that milestone in her life, and thankful that Harry cared about her so much he didn't want her getting hurt. There was more to this boy than he originally thought. "I appreciate that, Harry. I really do.."
"Of course, Mr. Weasley. I didn't want any of you getting hurt. You're like family to me. But, hear me out. Ginny and I are both mature for our age. We both played major roles in the war, so there wasn't much choice but to grow up."
Arthur had to admit that all of his kids had grown up tremendously, more than they should have over the past two years alone,. Even his prankster twins matured more than he thought they ever would. It was truly heartbreaking how so many kids lost their carefree childhoods so quickly. That's what war does though – ends childhoods, destroys families, causes more funerals than necessary – and all for nothing really.
"As for the career," Harry continued, "Ron and I will be going to auror training when he gets back from Australia."
Sitting up, Arthur stopped him there. "Australia?" he questioned. Even if he wasn't on speaking terms with two of his children, someone would have told him that his youngest was travelling halfway across the world. For a moment, he wondered if Molly knew. Surely, she wouldn't have approved.
Harry began fidgeting again. He knew what names to avoid around which Weasleys and he normally did good about it, but this time it slipped. The dinner had gone well thus far and now he thought he blew it. "Yes sir," he said timidly. "He and Hermione are leaving Friday. They've gone to find her parents."
It was a minute before Arthur responded. "Ok then." This was not the time or place to discuss this. Later, he would ask Bill if anyone planned on informing him of Ron's journey. Going back to the task at hand, he prompted, "So, you are going to be an auror. That is a dangerous job. Is Ginny okay with that?"
"She is. We have actually talked extensively about what we want out of life. There aren't any major differences. And we will wait to get married until after she's graduated," he ensured, having had that as a question from Mrs. Weasley. "Mr. Weasley, please, can I ask your daughter to marry me?"
Hearing all of this impressed Arthur. Most young couples don't think things all the way through. Hell, he and Molly just up and eloped one day. Harry had changed his mind several minutes ago and this was the icing on the cake. He fixed Harry with a stern look nonetheless, knowing he would intimidate him despite the years they knew each other. "Don't hurt her," he warned. "And I don't want her busy planning a wedding while she is supposed to be studying. I still think you are moving too fast, but…" Now Arthur broke into a grin. "You have my blessing."
Relieved, Harry leaned back in his chair. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I promise I won't hurt her." As he dug into his desert, he couldn't help but think that Mr. Weasley should listen to what had just come out of his own mouth. Honestly, Harry hadn't taken a side between the Weasley parents, but he wished they would work it out. After all, this was the only family he had.
The two spent the next hour chatting and talking more about Harry's imminent proposal. This dinner served as a welcome distraction from reality for Arthur.
A/N: I just realized two years is the eighteenth, but I won't have time to work on this this weekend and it's ready so.
Hope y'all enjoyed!
