A/N: I know! I'm back! I am so sorry for this unexpected, super long hiatus. School was killer last year then I was able to go on a three month backpacking trip around the UK this summer. I really hope y'all get to travel someday.
Here is a nice, long, juicy chapter for ya! 7,786 words! It might just be the longest chapter I've written.
Hopefully it doesn't take long for me to post the next chapter. It did feel great to write again.
Enjoy!
Promotion
The weekend passed without incident. Ginny and Harry worked the morning shift at the joke shop. Bill "needed" Arthur's help at Shell Cottage Saturday, and Percy invited him to breakfast Sunday. In all honesty, they were only trying to keep their father busy. George made sure Ginny and Harry only worked morning shifts during the week to ensure their dad wasn't alone in the evenings. None of the boys wanted Arthur to do something to disappoint their little sister. Hell, they might even kill two birds with one stone because Arthur always made it a point to be home right after work, no one saw him drinking, and his mood seemed to have lifted the tiniest bit.
The first few nights, the trio ended up eating out. Arthur had attempted to cook one night, but it turned out to be more like Hagrid's rock cakes. Harry took over after that. Bill, Fleur, George, Percy, and Audrey even came over for dinner one night.
The weekend had been rather enjoyable, even for Arthur. The full days and time spent with family kept everyone's minds busy. However, after Ginny and Harry went to bed was the worst for Arthur. It wasn't the sleeping on the couch. He was used to that. It was the deafening silence - the intrusive thoughts – the little voice that told him no one would find out if he drank this late. He resisted it.
On the other hand, Molly wasn't doing so well. There was practically no one at the Burrow. Ron and Hermione would not be back from Australia for a few more weeks. Charlie was working with Hagrid and preparing to move. Bill and Percy each only had a half a day to spare. She couldn't help thinking about what Arthur had told her when he left with Ginny. She wanted to make up with him, but she couldn't bring herself to. She wasn't ready to forgive him yet. If Friday night was any indication, he was still drinking. The dreadful loneliness won out. Molly invited Conner over both days.
The following weekend was similar, except that Charlie moved Saturday. Bill and Conner helped. Molly cooked a week's worth of food for her second oldest. Percy was stuck at work all weekend. Molly had thought Ginny or George would at least owl her by now. The only post she received was an update from Ron telling her it looked like he and Hermione would be gone longer than expected.
The next week and weekend passed without incident for Arthur. The kids kept coming around. As for Molly, Charlie would pop in for dinner and she would invite Conner over quite often.
Monday morning, Arthur received a letter from Kingsley requesting his presence at the end of the day. Due to the formality of the letter, Arthur couldn't help being nervous. He had only been intoxicated at work twice, and that was nearly two months ago. Maybe Kingsley would cut him some slack. Arthur wasn't sure why he would have waited this long to confront the issue, but there was no other reason he could think of that would cause this much formality. Usually, Kingsley would come to Arthur's office to chat, not the other way around.
Upon entering the Minister's outer office, Arthur looked to Percy for clarification, but Percy did not let on if he knew anything. Instead, he treated his father as another work colleague and informed the Minister of his arrival. Arthur was then let into the Minister's inner office.
Kingsley was pouring himself a drink at the small, ornate liquor cabinet in the corner of his office. He glanced over his shoulder and shot Arthur a smile. "Good evening, Arthur," he greeted.
"H-How are you, Kingsley?" Arthur stuttered, scratching the back of his neck.
Kingsley turned away from the cabinet "Busy. I've actually needed to talk to you for a while now. Other things have had to take precedence."
Shite! Arthur cursed himself, He knows. He's a good friend. He'll let you off with a warning. "Oh?"
"Yes, but we will get to that in a minute. Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?" Kingsley offered.
Arthur frowned. "Why?"
"Why not?"
"It's against Ministry Policy. You, of all people, should know that."
Kingsley looked at the clock. "It's five o'clock right…" he watched the second hand tick four times, "now. The workday is over, so it doesn't matter. Besides, being Minister has its perks"
Arthur knew this probably wasn't a good idea. It was still unclear if this was a test that could potentially cost him his job. With how busy he had been and with someone always being around him, he had not drank since Ginny and Harry moved in. So if it didn't lose him his job, it could possibly snowball and lose him his daughter. Before he knew what he was doing, Arthur said, "Sure, I'll have whatever you're drinking." The part of him that missed the way the smooth amber liquid burned his throat and the thought that he wouldn't fall back into that cycle taking control.
"Scotch it is," Kingsley said.
The two men chatted idly as Kingsley poured Arthur's drink. As he handed the glass to Arthur, Kingsley flicked his wand and sent the bottle to a small table between two arm chairs in the corner of his office. Kingsley led Arthur to sit in the cushioned leather chairs.
As soon as he sat down, Arthur took a sip, closing his eyes as he savored the sweet flavor and the smooth burn that buried itself deep within his chest. He let out an inadvertent sigh. It had been just over two weeks since his last drink, but he didn't realize to what extent he missed it – how much he craved it - how much he needed it.
Kingsley observed curiously. The whisky was palatable, but it wasn't anything special. The many times he had drank with Arthur, the older man had never had this reaction. At least, not that he remembered. This raised a flag for Kingsley.
Arthur noticed Kingsley watching him. "It's been a while." He smirked, trying to ignore the renewed feeling of guilt that quickly crept up on him.
Kingsley wasn't sure how honest Arthur was being. He took a sip from his own glass and moved on. "I'm sorry I haven't visited recently. The past several weeks have been hectic. I've been working on starting a new department. How are Molly and the kids?"
Arthur hated it whenever someone asked this question. He always tried pushing Molly, Ron, and Charlie to the back of his mind. Besides, how was he supposed to know when he hadn't seen half his family in weeks? "They're well," he snapped before finishing the rest of his drink.
"Long day?" Kingsley queried, still suspicious. He refilled Arthur's glass.
"Something like that."
"So how are you, Arthur?" he asked, trying to see if there was something Arthur wasn't telling him.
"I'm fine. So fine, in fact, that I couldn't ask for anything else," he answered, doing a remarkable job at hiding how he really was.
"Well, you don't have to ask…because I'm offering."
"What are you talking about, Kingsley?"
"This new department I've been working on: The Department of Muggle Relations." Arthur had an idea of where this was going now. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office will be expanded and moved to Level Three. Obliviator Headquarters will primarily be under the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophies, but there will also be work for the Department of Muggle Relations. The Muggle-Worthy Excuses Committee and Office of Misinformation will be moved to the Department of Muggle Relations. A few new offices, such as the Muggle Correspondence and Liaison Office and the Discrimination Against Muggles and Muggle-borns Office, will be added. This will be revolutionary! There has never been a department dealing solely with Muggles and Muggle-borns in Britain. The Ministry will gain a lot of PR from this and will gain renewed support from Wizarding Britain." He paused. "And I want you to head it."
There it was. What Arthur had been expecting since he heard the name of the new department. Two months ago, he would have been ecstatic, but now he couldn't care less. To Kingsley's surprise, Arthur declined with a simple, "No."
"Arthur, you are the best person for this job and, honestly, the only person I want to head this department. With how passionate you have always been about Muggles, I know I can trust you to do the job right. You're one of the few Pureblood families that openly stood against Voldemort and never swayed."
"I'm sorry, Kingsley. I'm just not interested."
"Look, Arthur, I understand this is a lot of work and it will take time away from your family, but after the first few months, everything should be settled and the workload will decrease immensely. Until then, you can take your work home as long as deadlines are met and, of course, you will be paid overtime. If you take this position, you will be making twice as much as you are now."
"Kingsley, you and I both know the Ministry can't afford a new department." Since the end of the First War, it was rather well-known that the Ministry was in deep debt.
The Minister took a sip from his glass. "Actually, the past four Ministers were embezzling money throughout their tenure, with the exception of Scrimengeour. Not only that, but the Ministry has received a substantial amount in fines and assets seized from Death Eaters. The wizarding community can expect a tax break soon, too."
"The answer is still 'no.'"
"Fine, triple what you're making now," Kingsley offered, grasping at straws. There really was no one better for the job. If he couldn't have Arthur heading it, he might as well cancel the whole thing "You'd be making more than any other department head, except for the Head of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Kingsley, I don't care about the money. You know that."
"Okay. Tell me what you want and it's yours," the Minister of Magic offered.
"I don't want anything. I'm just not interested," Arthur repeated.
This struck Kingsley as odd. At first, he thought Arthur was being modest, but it seemed like he really didn't want the promotion. "Is this not your dream job? You've stayed in a crappy, dead-end job and declined numerous promotions because you wanted to deal with Muggles. Now you're being asked to head a Muggle-centered department, and you are declining? That doesn't make any sense."
"It used to be, but I've lost interest. I don't care anymore. It's just another job now."
"If it's like any other job now, why don't you take it? You'll be in a higher position, have more authority, and earn three times what you do now. Take the family out to a fancy dinner, buy Molly something nice, expand the Burrow. You'll have grandkids before you know it and you'll regret not taking this job."
To this point, they had both been sipping their drinks. Kingsley had poured himself a second and Arthur a third then a fourth. In response to what he was hoping to be Kingsley's final plea, Arthur downed the rest of his drink and stood, wanting to hear no more. Kingsley quickly followed.
"Arthur, I'm begging you now. I don't trust anyone else with this position. Go home and talk it over with Molly? I'll expect a definite answer by the end of the day tomorrow."
"God, you really don't want anyone else, do you?" Arthur asked, finally coming to realize how important this was to his friend.
"No."
"Fine. I'll think about it, but I won't make any promises."
On his way out, Arthur avoided making eye contact with Percy, not wanting him to figure out he'd been drinking.
"Percy, you didn't have to stay late," Kingsley said as he saw the younger man at the desk.
Percy stood and took a few steps toward the Minister. "I wanted to make sure you didn't need anything else, sir."
"There's nothing else. Thank you," he said as he turned to reenter his office. "Oh, remember, I need those reports first thing in the morning."
"I have them right here, sir," Percy said, grabbing a stack of papers off his desk and handing them to the Minister. As he did so, he noticed a bottle and two empty glasses on the table in the Minister's office.
"Thank you, Percy. Now, go home. Get some rest," Kingsley said, taking the papers and closing the door. He couldn't stop thinking that something seemed off with Arthur this evening. Arthur's speech never became slurred and his balance was well enough. Kingsley hadn't been checking in as often as he ought to, and he knew that. In the weeks following the war, he had been invited to dinner at the Burrow numerous times. He was always too busy. Then, the invitations abruptly stopped. After this meeting, Kingsley couldn't help feeling that something was very wrong. On his way home, he would stop by the Burrow. When he arrived a couple hours later, no one would be there.
Percy quickly slipped into his traveling cloak and picked up his recently packed briefcase. If he was lucky, he could just catch his dad at the lift. Surprisingly, Arthur was still waiting for one when he got there.
"Hi, Dad. Sorry about earlier. You know I like to keep work and home separate," Percy apologized as he came to stop next to Arthur.
Arthur continued facing forward as he responded, "I know." He really had no idea why his son was apologizing for that. When Percy had been sent to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office in an official capacity, he had maintained that same demeanor.
"Remember we're all coming over for dinner tonight. Ginny wanted to try her hand at shepherd's pie with minimal help from Harry. I have to say, she has a real knack for cooking. I'm sure she got that from Mu-" he broke off into a forced cough, having realized who he had nearly brought up. Recently, Percy and his siblings had avoided talking about their mum around their dad and vice versa. That is unless the parent brought it up first, which Arthur never did and Molly actually asked about Arthur quite often.
The lift came to the rescue at that point. The two redheads stepped in. The only other occupant was the house elf that controlled it.
A few seconds of tense silence passed before Percy faced his father and asked, "Are you angry with me?"
Staring at the slow-changing numbers over the door, Arthur honestly replied, "No."
Percy narrowed his eyes. "Did you lose your job?" he ventured gently.
"No."
Percy already knew why his father wouldn't look at him, but it was a relief to have that question answered. He hadn't told Minister Shacklebolt about his dad being drunk at work that time, but he still could have found out somehow.
Percy noticed the lift was one floor away from the Atrium. "Hold the lift please, Tibby," he ordered the young house elf. The lift jolted to a halt. "Why won't you look at me then?" he asked, giving Arthur a chance to confess.
Arthur finally made complete eye contact with his son while simultaneously taking a step back. "There. Are you happy now?"
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Percy gave him one last opportunity to come clean.
"No. What Kingsley has to say to me is mine and his business alone."
Okay. He would have to call him out then. "That's not what I was talking about. I don't understand why you try to hide it. You even know we can tell when you've been drinking, I was hoping you would come out and tell me, so you wouldn't break my trust again!"
Arthur knew he should have known better. "I swear, this is the only time since Ginny moved in."
"Why should I believe that?"
"Because you know I would not risk losing her."
"You risked it just now," Percy pointed out.
"I know." Arthur put his hands up in admission. "I know. It was stupid, but I thought one drink wouldn't hurt – "
"One?" Percy raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"Okay…" Maybe if he was honest now, Percy would let it slide, "Four."
"Four?!" Percy blurted.
This reaction did not set well with Arthur. Could he talk himself out of this one? "It barely had an effect on me. Please do not tell anyone, son," he pleaded. "You don't know what I jeopardized by taking her from your mother."
Percy motioned for the young elf to continue to the Atrium as he thought about his answer. With how much time he and his siblings had been spending with their dad, someone would have noticed if he had been drinking. It did seem like he had improved since Ginny and Harry had moved in. After Charlie told Bill, Percy had heard what had happened when their dad had picked up Ginny, so he had some clue as to how that impacted his parents' relationship. Maybe he could turn a blind eye this one time.
"Percy?" Arthur asked as they stepped out of the lift.
"Is this going to become a thing again?" the bespectacled young man questioned.
Arthur looked his son in the eye. "No. This was a mistake, and I know that."
"Fine, but if you do this again, I won't ignore it."
A wave of relief washed over Arthur as the two parted ways. Percy had to change and pick up Audrey for dinner. Arthur went straight home. If he was lucky, he could just beat Ginny and Harry.
oOoOo
Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock…Tick...Tock…Tick…Tock. The seconds passed on the normal clock, loudly announcing it to the Burrow. Intermittently, the Weasley Family clock would chime as a hand moved from "Work" to "Traveling" to "Home" then back to "Traveling." Only four hands did not move. Arthur's hand, along with George's, remained on "Lost" while Molly's sat on "Home" and Ron's on "Traveling." Each time someone else's hand moved to "Home" it was their own. After all the hands stopped – most on "Traveling" – Molly realized an hour had passed.
Even though the kids who were still speaking to her had said they would not be coming over tonight, she hoped one of them would stop by for a few minutes. It would be her daughter's seventeenth birthday tomorrow. It crushed her to know that she wouldn't hear from Ginny, let alone get to celebrate this big day. Her sons knew that. One of them ought to pop in. When none did, she assumed they would be at their father's.
Tonight was the first night Molly was completely alone.
She got up from the kitchen table and straightened her dress before putting on her apron. Staring at the stove, she contemplated what to cook for dinner, or if she even should. There wasn't much motivation to cook. She would be cooking for herself, and she hadn't had much of an appetite recently.
There was a knock at the door as she was taking off her apron. Her heart lifted briefly before she realized her kids wouldn't knock.
"Coming!" she called, making her way to the front door. After opening it, a smile unconsciously graced her lips. "Conner!"
"Hi, Molly!" he greeted as she let him in.
"Oh! I must look a mess!" She started running her fingers through her hair. "I wasn't expecting company."
Conner took her hand to stop her. "You look beautiful, as always."
Molly's face reddened at his compliment.
"I'm sorry to drop in like this. I thought I would check on you since you told me that your kids had plans."
Molly blushed further. "Oh, how sweet."
"Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I haven't even cooked."
"Great! How about we get you out of the house for a while? Any restaurant you want, it's on me. Then we can goof off and get you home as late as you want."
Molly was startled. She and Conner would spend most nights together, but they had never gone out, just the two of them. She wasn't too sure how she felt about this proposition. Did Conner want something more? Was she coming across like she wanted something more?
"Conner…this sounds like a - a date," she ventured.
Conner rubbed his forehead and chuckled at himself. "Oh, God, no. I didn't mean for it to come across that way. No, just two friends escaping from our lives." He smiled.
When he put it that way, it was hard for Molly to refuse. It was always nice to be around him and getting away for a few hours would be a great distraction.
"Okay. Let me go get ready," Molly chirped, her smile returning bigger than it had been.
Conner stopped her. "You're fine. Really."
"At least let me freshen up?"
"Okay," Conner conceded and sat in Arthur's armchair..
Molly rushed upstairs. After several minutes of deliberation, she changed into a medium-length solid blue dress. It was one of her nicer dresses, but not the nicest - a comfortable, casual dress, if you will. She brushed her teeth and hair and sprinsed on some perfume then headed back downstairs.
Conner stood as he heard her footfalls on the steps. He looked her up and down. "Wow," he breathed. "Stunning."
"Thank you." Molly looked down sheepishly and tucked some hair behind an ear.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Conner decided to lighten the mood. He glanced at his watch. "And all in under ten minutes, too," he chuckled.
"Well, seven kids never gave me much time to get ready." She smirked.
"Do you know where you want to go?" Conner asked, offering his arm which Molly took.
"Surprise me."
"Near or far?" he asked.
Molly answered without hesitation, "Far."
After a second's thought, they disapparated.
oOoOo
Arthur apparated directly into his flat. It took a few seconds to adjust to his surroundings, but he could hear rustling of bags and giggling coming from the kitchen. Ginny and Harry were already home.
"Hey, Dad!"
"Hi, Mr. Weasley."
The kids greeted him, but luckily neither approached him, too busy with the groceries.
"Good evening!" Arthur boomed with a smile as he would any other day since the kids had moved in. He quickly slipped out of his traveling cloak and tossed it onto the sofa. "Let me get washed up and I can help," he offered, making his way into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him.
Arthur brushed his teeth and splashed some cool water on his face. That should be sufficient enough. He knew he ought to take a Sober-Up Potion just in case, but he really didn't want to. Percy had been wrong in the elevator. They couldn't always tell when he had been drinking. They could always tell when he was drunk. There was a big difference. He wasn't sure how his son could tell that evening. Since he had barely had any, no one else should be able to tell. If they did, Arthur would just tell them what he had told Percy and pray they would also give him a pass.
Once he was satisfied no one would smell alcohol on him, Arthur joined his daughter and Harry in the kitchen. He kissed Ginny atop the head and shook Harry's hand. "Is there anything you need me to do, sweetie?" Arthur asked Ginny.
"Not right now. When it's closer to being done, we'll need to conjure a bigger table and more chairs though," she answered. "You're home late, aren't you?"
"I had a meeting with Kingsley," he quickly answered.
There was a knock at the door before George let himself in. "Anyone miss me?" he asked.
"In the past half hour? No!" Ginny joked.
It wasn't long before Ginny kicked Harry out of the kitchen and Percy and Bill arrived with Audrey and Fleur. After offering to help and being turned down, the ladies joined the men in the living room. Everyone had gotten used to the cramped space. Three or four chairs always had to be conjured or else someone was sitting on the floor or standing.
Arthur couldn't quite pay attention to the conversation. Even though he was eighty percent sure he would accept the promotion, he was still mulling it over, making a mental list of pros and cons. However, he would never get too far because Molly would intrude on his thoughts. For some reason, he couldn't keep her pushed to the back of his mind. He couldn't help but wonder how she was and what she was doing. While Arthur was trying to wrangle these thoughts, he was also constantly thinking about another drink; he had been bothered by that thought before, but it was usually when he was alone, not with his kids. If he ignored it long enough, he thought it would eventually disappear.
"So what do you think, Dad?" he heard a distant voice ask.
"Dad?" came another voice.
Arthur blinked.
"Maybe I should set off a firecracker," George said.
Finally, Arthur came out of his trance.
Percy watched him intently. "Dad, are you alright?"
"Yeah…yeah."
"Are you sure?" George asked. "You zoned out for a while there."
Arthur nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
No one was quite convinced, but let it slide.
"So, Audrey and I have set a wedding date," Percy apparently restated for his father's sake.
"Oh? When is it?" Arthur asked.
"October the eighteenth," Audrey answered.
"That's a little soon, don't you think?"
"I suppose, but we still have about –" Percy quickly counted on his fingers "- ten weeks, and we're ready, so why not? You ended up eloping instead of having a ceremony and look how…" he trailed off. He really needed to start thinking before he spoke.
Audrey came to the rescue. "Hopefully, we'll be sending out the invitations Wednesday."
"Okay. It's your wedding. If you need any help, let me know," Arthur offered, starting a series of offers from the rest of the room.
The oven shut in the kitchen and Ginny came to join them. "And what about me?" she asked. "I'd like to go to my brother's wedding, no matter how much of a twat you used to be," she finished with a smirk.
"Don't worry, Gin. I'll break you out of school," George joked.
"I'll send Minerva a letter. It shouldn't be an issue for you to come home for a weekend," her dad assured.
The larger conversation soon broke up into smaller ones. The girls began chattering about the wedding ceremony and reception; inevitably, Percy was pulled into the discussion as well. Arthur did his best to stay involved in the conversation with George, Bill, and Harry about the weekend's Quidditch match between Italy and Germany. He could not stop thinking about Molly no matter how hard he tried. When he had had enough, he politely asked to speak with Bill and Percy in private
"What is it, Dad?" Bill asked once they were in the bedroom.
"Is something wrong?" Percy restated.
Arthur ran a hand through his hair and sat on the edge of the bed. It took a minute to get his words out. "How is she? Your mum? In all honesty."
This took both boys by surprise. Maybe since their dad was asking questions now, things would soon get better between their parents. It was obvious their mother was ready to take the next step and open up a conversation even if she wasn't ready to forgive him yet.
"Well, Dad…she's not great. She does her best to hide it around us, but she never does a very good job," Percy began.
"Yeah. She asks about you a lot - like every day. 'How's your dad? Have you seen him? Is Ginny taking care of him? Is he still on the drink?'" Bill continued with a poor impression of their mother.
"She's really lonely. Especially since Charlie moved out."
"Charlie moved out?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah, he found a house in Hogsmeade. Moved in last weekend," Bill informed.
"Where is all this coming from, Dad?" Percy asked.
"Dinner's ready!" Ginny announced.
Arthur stood. "I don't know, but maybe I can stop thinking about it now."
Oops. Perhaps this wasn't a step forward.
The table and chairs were already set up when they rejoined the others. Arthur took his seat at the head of the table and everyone else sat with their significant other while George sat at the opposite end. The bowl of Caesar salad and the shepherd's pie were passed around the table. Ginny had a surprise dessert in the oven.
"How long will we be doing this?" Arthur asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?" George responded, mouth full of food. This earned him a disapproving look from Percy which went unnoticed.
"Having large dinners like this. Will it continue when Ginny is back in school?"
"Of course!" and "Yeah," came from multiple people around the table.
"Just because she'll be at Hogwarts doesn't mean we'll stop coming 'round," Bill answered.
"We could do this once or twice a week. Then Mum's once or twice a week. And have the other days to ourselves or have smaller dinners," Percy suggested.
"Hell, I'll come over every night if it means free food," George chuckled.
"Who's going to cook?" Ginny asked. "We've all had your food at some point, and, no offense, Dad, but it is barely edible." Laughter erupted around the table.
"God, I know. I can't even eat it," Arthur admitted.
"We could take turns," Audrey said.
Arthur spent a few more moments contemplating his decision. With the raise, he could move to a larger flat and afford these family dinners. He had to admit he liked having the kids around. It was better than self-imposed isolation, he found. Whenever they were around, he usually didn't think about drinking; Arthur had no idea why that wasn't the case tonight. If he wasn't thinking about the promotion or Molly, he was thinking about alcohol. Even with the kids' confirmation, a fear lingered that the kids would stop coming over after Ginny went to school.
Everyone had finished eating and the dessert was still baking when Arthur made his final decision. He cleared his throat. The table quietened. "You've all noticed I haven't been paying much attention tonight. There are a few reasons for that. The main one being: I may not be working in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office anymore."
Percy interrupted him. "You told me you weren't fired."
"Why would you be fired?" Bill fixed his father with a steely gaze.
"You were fired?" George asked in disbelief.
"No, no, no." Arthur rubbed his forehead. "I've been offered a promotion."
"But…you may not…?" Bill ventured. "Are you thinking about declining?"
"What's the new position?" Ginny asked excitedly as she got up to take the cookies out of the oven. She had wanted a cake since it was her birthday tomorrow, but she was told she had to wait until her and Percy's combined birthday party.
"At first, I was pretty adamant about declining, but Kingsley made it clear that I am the only person he wants. He's been working on building a new department. He wants me to head it."
"The Department of Muggle Relations? Why would you not accept that?" Percy asked, astonished.
Arthur shrugged. "It's not really in my current interest. However, I've done some more thinking and it would be nice to help a friend out. Moving into a larger place wouldn't hurt either."
Everyone congratulated Arthur, but there was no further discussion. Of course, they were all concerned. Six months ago, this would be their dad's dream job and now it didn't seem like he even cared. His last statement signaled to the kids that their parents' separation was far from over.
oOoOo
When Molly opened her eyes, she and Conner were outside of a small restaurant on the coast. A sign out front read "Cara's Seafood Grill." The breeze gently blew her hair out of her face. As she looked around, she knew she had never been here before.
"Where are we?" she asked.
Conner grinned and answered, "Galway."
Awestruck, Molly couldn't help laughing. "Galway? That's a bit far, isn't it?"
"You said to surprise you. Besides, this is the best seafood restaurant I've come across," he said as he held the door open for her.
It wasn't long before the two were seated outside on the patio. The sun was beginning to sink into the water, and the blue sky was slowly changing into various shades of orange. Strings of large round lights lit up overhead as they looked over their menus.
"You should try the oysters," Conner suggested." They're best with a nice Muscadet wine if you want the full experience."
Molly looked at him warily. "Won't that bother you?"
"What?"
"You're an alcoholic –"
"- Recovering –" Conner corrected.
"Oh, sorry," Molly apologized. "Wouldn't that –"
"Molly, it's not a problem. I've been sober for two years, and if you've forgotten, your sons have drank around me before."
"Right." She sighed.
"Now, I insist you have the oysters and Muscadet. It is the best pairing and, this is the best seafood restaurant, as I've mentioned." He grinned.
Molly finally trusted that Conner knew what he was talking about. She did like oysters and enjoyed the occasional glass of wine as well. Conner ended up ordering the oysters and water.
By the time they finished, it had been dark for a good hour or so. Dinner had gone by so quickly neither of them realized how late it had gotten.
As they exited the restaurant, Molly took Conner's hand, smiled, and said, "That was wonderful. Thank you."
Conner returned the smile. He kissed the back of her hand. "My pleasure."
"I hate that it's over."
"Who said it had to be over? The night is still young. We could take a walk, go dancing, anything you want."
Molly's face lit up. "Dancing sounds fun! It's been ages since I've been." Her demeanor changed suddenly. "Oh, but you have work in the morning."
"I can take the day off. I think it's about time for me to use some personal time anyway." He held her hand as they walked down the sidewalk. "There is one place I'd like to show you first though. If you don't mind, that is."
"Lead the way!" Molly bubbled.
A few minutes later, the couple was walking around South Park. Molly loved the way it sat right on the coast. The air smelled of salt water, waves crashed against rocks, and seagulls squawked. There was only a handful of other people there.
"Wow. This is so peaceful," she whispered. "I always thought Galway was full of tourists."
"Well, it is. Most people tend to stay near the city center. Eyre Square is always full of people. When you get out to the Claddagh, there's barely anyone around, and the people you do see are locals," Conner explained. They sat on the rock wall overlooking the ocean.
"What is that? Out there." Molly asked, pointing to a dark mass about a kilometer offshore.
"Mutton Island. It's nothing special, but it is a nice little walk."
The next couple hours were spent strolling around the Claddagh. Even though she didn't live too far from the coast in Devon, Molly had never realized how much she loved it. Or, perhaps, it was the Galway coast she loved. Or maybe it was just that evening in particular. It could have been the person she was with, but she wouldn't let her mind go there.
When it had gotten later, Conner pointed out if they wanted to go dancing, now was the perfect time. It was late enough for things to be lively, but not so late that most everyone would be hammered. The rest of the night in Galway, Conner took Molly to a few of the best dancing spots. It was two in the morning when they walked out onto the sidewalk for the last time, hand in hand.
"Well," Conner sighed, "if you want, I can take you home or –"
"I really don't want to. But I don't want to keep you out,"" Molly added hastily. "If you want to go home, that's fine."
"On the contrary, I've had an amazing time tonight." He smiled. "There's one more place I want to show you unless you have somewhere in mind."
"No. Lead the way," she said, leaning into him.
A second later, they apparated on the top of a cliff. The pale moonlight lit the nearby fields and the crashing waves seven hundred feet below.
"The Cliffs of Moher, all to ourselves," Conner announced, gesturing to the landscape around them.
"Are we allowed to be here?" Molly asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"As long as we don't get caught." He grinned.
This awakened a feeling that Molly hadn't felt in decades: mischievousness. At school, she was always the one to explore Hogwarts, find the hidden passages, sneak out after hours. A handful of times, she even snuck down to Hogsmeade and the Forbidden forest. When she had kids, that mischievous spirit was replaced with protectiveness for her children.
After they had walked along the cliff side, they found a soft, grassy spot to lie on a good ways back from the edge. Conner pointed out various constellations as they lay on their backs. The lack of light pollution made it easy to spot them.
"This was nice. Everything tonight was wonderful," Molly purred.
It wasn't that her and Arthur's marriage had been unhappy or dull over the past several years. The war and being part of the Order had occupied a lot of their time. Before that, Arthur had been working overtime at the Ministry almost every day and would be exhausted by time he got home. Molly couldn't blame him for that though. He was doing what he had to to provide for his family. A night out was just what she needed, especially after the turmoil from the past few months.
oOoOo
Molly slowly blinked her eyes open in the bright morning sun. She let out a contented sigh and snuggled closer to the man beside her. Falling asleep on the hillside near the Burrow was always enjoyable. Although, the hard ground seemed to grow more uncomfortable the older she got.
She breathed in deeply, expecting the scents of the countryside and her husband. Instead, she smelled salt water and…someone else? Then she heard crashing waves and seagulls squawking.
She remembered.
She remembered where she was. She remembered being alone until Conner swept her away. She remembered this was not her husband.
Molly sat bolt upright. Conner sat up soon after.
""I'm so sorry! I didn't mean – I - Oh God! We didn't – Or did we?" she fumbled over her words. She didn't think they had done anything, but she needed confirmation.
"No, no! We just fell asleep," Conner assured. "Sorry. I didn't want to wake you."
Calming down, Molly stood and brushed herself off, Conner following. I was asleep. That doesn't mean anything. I was here. He was here. It was instinct, Molly told herself.
"Oh no!"
"What's wrong?" Conner asked.
"What time is it?"
He looked at his watch. "Half past seven."
"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" Molly began panicking again. "The kids are coming over for breakfast this morning. They're probably already at the Burrow," she explained, walking further inland.
Conner walked after her. "Molly. Mols –" he used the nickname he had given her a few weeks ago, " – Molly!" He jogged the short distance to get in front of her. Molly stopped. "What are you gonna do? Walk back to Devon?" He chuckled. "Let me take you home."
"Oh, right."
Conner apparated them back into the Burrow.
It seemed neither Bill and Fleur nor Percy were there yet.
"Thank you again for last night. I really did have a wonderful time," Molly said, hugging the Irishman. Conner pecked her on top of the head just as they heard footsteps on the stairs.
They quickly pulled apart. It was too late. Percy and George had already seen. They hadn't done anything wrong, but out of context, Molly was sure it did not look good.
"George?!" Molly exclaimed, beaming. Her middle son was one of the last people she expected to see. After not seeing him for weeks, this was a pleasant surprise.
"Are you just now getting home? With him?!" George questioned. Last night, his older brothers had convinced him to come for breakfast. Bill and Percy had reasoned that their mother really hadn't done anything to upset him. The conflict was mainly between Molly and Ginny. If the rift between mother and daughter was to be mended, a rift between George and his mum would not help. So, George decided to give it another shot.
Molly began to explain. "George, we're just –"
"Friends?" George finished for her. "You know how much this hurts dad. How many problems this has already caused between you two."
Bill and Fleur walked in.
"How could you be so inconsiderate?" George continued, ignoring the arrival of his brother and sister-in-law. Why would you do this to him? At least Dad's trying. You know, he hasn't had a drink since Ginny moved in?"
Percy held his tongue. He knew different, but had promise he wouldn't say anything this time. Besides, that tidbit of information would not make this situation any less tense.
"Can you not spend one night alone? What did you do when we were at school and Dad had to work late? Did you have a man over then as well?" George knew he had gone too far now. He knew he should have left without saying a word. Something snapped inside of him when he saw his mum with Conner. He knew full well how his dad felt about that.
"George, settle," Bill warned.
Molly opened her mouth to say something. George cut her off.
"No. I don't want to hear it…I'm done." George disapparated.
Molly heaved a heavy sigh. For a fleeting second, she thought she had her son back. Now, she resolved not to dwell on things she could not control.
"Mum, it was a surprise. I'm sure he didn't mean it," Percy said.
"I'm fine," Molly assured before the question was even asked. For once, she actually meant it. She was finished crying and getting upset. She had to do what made her happy or else she may not be happy for a very long time. "If George wants to be hard-headed like his dad, that's on him. Now, who's ready for breakfast?"
"Molly, I think I should probably go," Conner said. He didn't have anywhere to be since he owled into work, but he didn't want to be an intrusion. He didn't want to cause any more trouble either.
"At least stay for breakfast. We haven't done anything wrong." Bill and Percy shared a skeptical glance. "If George had listened, he would know that."
"Alright," Conner conceded. He found it hard to deny a request from Molly. It didn't take a lot to convince him to spend time with her either; though, he wouldn't admit it to himself or anyone else.
Bill, Fleur, and Percy sat around the kitchen table. Conner helped Molly cook breakfast. After the first few times eating at the Burrow, he always helped her cook. Molly enjoyed it. In the early years of her and Arthur's marriage, Arthur would offer to help every once in a while, but she always turned him down. As the years went by, he would watch the kids while she fixed dinner or would have to work later or would be too tired. Honestly, she couldn't blame Arthur for not helping out in the kitchen.
"Oh," Molly said exasperatedly while attempting to open the package of ham. "Do you think you could open this for me, Conner?" She asked shyly. She could very well open it with her wand or the scissors, but decided to go this route.
"Of course, Mols." Conner opened the package and went back to cracking eggs for the omelettes.
"So where did you go last night?" Bill asked from the table.
"Oh! Conner surprised me and took me to Galway," his mum answered, absolutely beaming. "We went dancing and he showed me the Cliffs of Moher! It was wonderful!" Molly began cutting up the mushrooms.
"Let me," Conner offered. He went to take the knife. His hand gently brushed against hers. "I can finish this up, Mols. Sit and talk with your kids." Their eyes briefly lingered on one another's. Conner tucked a strand of hair behind Molly's ear. "Go on." He nodded to the table with a small smile.
"Well, alright. Thank you" Molly smiled back, blushing slightly.
The boys and Fleur couldn't help but notice this exchange. That was the way their mum used to look at their dad. It had been months. This was not a good sign.
"It sounds like you had fun," Fleur stated.
"It was. I can't remember the last time I've been dancing. We would have been back earlier, but we fell asleep at the cliffs. It completely slipped my mind that you all were coming for breakfast."
"Yeah. We were worried when you weren't here," Percy said.
"I'm sorry, dear. I'll have to leave a note next time, I suppose."
Soon, Conner had finished the omelettes. He served Molly and Fleur first then the boys and himself. The kids didn't have much time to eat before going to work, but Percy told his mum about the wedding date.
Walking in on what they did concerned Percy and Bill. They wouldn't tell anyone that, but it did throw up a red flag for both of them. Up until this point, neither questioned the innocence of their mum's and Conner's relationship. Looking back, the boys noticed how the two had gradually been spending more time together. And that was only what they were aware of. They weren't sure what to think of their mum's new outlook. Was her new resolve a good thing or a bad one? It could mean she was being more positive for her own sake. Or it could mean that she was beginning to move on which would not be good for anyone. If the flirting in the kitchen was any indication, it was the latter.
