For the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Season Eight
Round Four: We're Going On An Adventure!
Seeker
Chudley Cannons
Prompt: (quest) An expedition or trip undertaken by one or more characters to achieve a particular goal.
Word Count: 1421
*.*.*
SAY IT WITH FLOWERS
*.*.*
"Ow - "
"Ron, keep it down!"
"It's not me, it's Ginny - "
"Alright, kids, if you want to wake your mother up, then all this getting up early is for nothing," Arthur Weasley says, appearing in front of the stairs. His voice is raspy, and he rubs his eyes blearily.
"Sorry, Dad," the children utter in unison.
"Come on, now, then," Arthur says, his face splitting into a smile. "We have a surprise to prepare for, don't we?"
The four children sport identical grins as they bounce down the rickety staircase. Then they all look up into their father's face, eager for the next instruction.
"I've made tea. We'll sit outside and have that, and then we'll set off, OK?" Arthur says, bringing his hands together and smiling down at the children, who nod enthusiastically.
He walks over to the small kitchen, pours the tea into five cups and levitates them out of the house. The children follow him and the floating crockery outside.
The sun has only just risen half, and there's a pink tinge to the sky. The few last stars are still there, but barely visible against the slowly brightening background. Seven-year-old Ginny "oohs" at the breathtaking sight, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
The early morning air bites into their skin, but it takes away any residual ounce of drowsiness from them. So by the time their cups are empty and Arthur has returned them to the kitchen, they are all jumping with energy and wearing massive grins that give away their excitement.
"I have to lock the chicken coop," Arthur remembers suddenly. "Be back in a minute."
He then walks off and disappears around the corner of the house.
"I haven't ever woken up this early before," says Ron, looking up at the cloudless sky.
"Neither have I, it's exciting!" chimes Ginny, her bright red hair tied into two little braids that hang by her freckled ears. She watches as Fred and George chase the tiny, squealing garden gnomes in and out of the hedge.
"Come on, everyone," Arthur says, grinning widely at his children. He holds Ginny and Ron, the youngest two, by the hand and lets Fred and George walk ahead of them.
"We go up the hill, alright?" Arthur tells the twins, who nod and start walking in the right direction.
"I wish Bill and Charlie and Percy were here, too," sighs Ginny after a while. Arthur smiles sadly.
"I know, darling," he smooths down the top of Ginny's head, "but they were here for Easter, weren't they?"
"Yeah," Ginny says wistfully.
"What flowers are we looking for, again?" Fred asks, looking behind his shoulder at his father.
"It's called the Mountain Avens," Arthur says, and Ron and Ginny grin once again when they remember the picture their father had shown them yesterday. Ginny had loved the flowers the very first time she saw their picture. The Mountain Avens was a small white eight-petaled wildflower, looking very much like a daisy, but smaller.
"It's a very pretty flower," Arthur continues, "and the only one that doesn't make your mum sneeze."
The children giggle at this, continuing their walk. The sun has only just risen fully, and its rays are intense and almost blindingly bright.
"How much longer?" Ron says around fifteen minutes later as they near the Lovegoods' tall castle-like house.
"Not very," Arthur replies, smiling a little at his son's restlessness.
"Daddy." Ginny pulls on her father's hand. "I can't walk anymore. It's too steep." Her lower lip trembles slightly as she looks at Arthur.
"Come here, then," Arthur says, taking the girl into his arms. He lifts her onto his shoulders and looks at her.
"Is this good, sweetheart?"
Ginny giggles and nods eagerly. Then once again the little group resumes their journey, Arthur pointing at various flowers they'd never seen before along the way and teaching the children their names.
Arthur lets Ginny down when they've reached the top of the hill.
"Where to now?" George asks.
Arthur smiles knowingly. "Look in front of you," he tells the children. Ron and Ginny join their brothers.
The children gasp in unison at the sight of the several thousand white flowers dotting the foot of the hill, creating something akin to a halo. The May sun falls on them, making the whole flower bed look almost golden.
"Wow - "
"Merlin's - "
"Fred!"
"Sorry, Dad!"
"This is so beautiful!"
Ginny squeals in delight, doing a little dance on the spot. "Mum's going to love this," she says, smiling wide. She grabs Fred's hand and pulls him along, crying. "Come on, everyone - we're going to have to get back before Mum wakes up!"
Fred lets himself be dragged along by his sister, and Ron, George and Arthur follow.
The flowers are absolutely tiny, barely reaching the edge of Ginny's socks, and Fred has to hold his sister back because she looks ready to throw herself at them.
Arthur conjures four baskets, handing one to each child and letting them collect the flowers. Ginny fills hers in no time, holding each one up before her eyes to examine it.
"These look like a duck's feathers, Dad," George says, pointing at the petals of the Mountain Avens, making the others laugh.
Fifteen minutes later, the children assemble around their father.
"We're Disapparating back home," he says. Fred and George grin at each other.
"Ron, Ginny, hold my hands," Arthur instructs, "and Fred - "
"Honestly, Dad, I'm George - "
"Fred, I'm your father, I know who you are. You hold Ron's arm."
Fred grins sheepishly.
"George, you hold Ginny's. And don't let the flowers drop."
When they have all done as they were told, Arthur looks around for Muggles.
"Hold tight," he says, and the next second, the five have disappeared with a distinct crack piercing the silence.
*.*.*
Ginny's legs give out under her when they land, but Ron grabs her arm to keep her steady.
"I'm never Apparating again," Ron whispers, letting go of Ginny's arm to wrap his own around his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"You said the same thing the last time we Apparated to Auntie Muriel's, Ron," George says. Fred and Ginny snort.
The sound of cutlery floats to their ears.
"Oh dear," Fred utters, "Mum's awake."
The children's faces fall.
"No matter, you four," Arthur says, trying to cheer them up. "We can still surprise her."
The five of them trot indoors quietly. They can see Molly cooking breakfast, humming a peppy Celestina Warbeck number to herself, her back to them.
"I'm going to go say good morning; you surprise her after that," Arthur whispers before striding into the kitchen.
"Good morning, dear," he says brightly, wrapping an arm around Molly's shoulders.
She smiles and lets him kiss her cheek. "Good morning. Where were you? I didn't see you when I woke up?"
"Who, me? Er, I was in the er, backyard, feeding the chickens," Arthur says nervously. Molly raises an eyebrow, but does not say anything.
Arthur heaves a quiet sigh, then looks at the children, who're standing near the door. At the same time, Molly turns around, intending to go out.
"I'll go wake up the - Merlin!"
"Er - " Arthur begins.
"SURPRISE!" the children shout together, bringing up their baskets. Molly's eyes widen.
"Happy Mother's Day, Mum!"
"What day?" Molly asks.
"Mother's Day," Fred repeats. "It's a Muggle thing."
"It's a day to celebrate all the mothers in the world," Arthur explains further.
"Oh, darlings - " Molly dabs at the corner of her eye with her paisley-patterned handkerchief. "Thank you so much! This is so sweet of you."
"We got you flowers, Mummy," Ginny says. "The ones that don't make you sneeze, the Mountain A-Avis - "
"Avens," hisses George.
Molly pulls her children to herself before they can say anything more and presses kisses to their cheeks.
"Mum, the flowers - you're crushing them - "
"Thank you so much, loves," she says. "Oh, I'm such a lucky Mum."
The children grin proudly, but their smiles morph into looks of confusion when Molly quickly covers her nose with her handkerchief.
"A - achoo!"
The children and their father exchange sheepish looks.
"Whoops!" Fred mutters, looking distastefully at the flowers, which are now scattered on the kitchen floor.
Molly bursts into laughter when she regains her composure, making the others even more confused.
"Ah, well, it's the thought that counts, I guess," Arthur says.
"It's not the flowers," Molly says finally.
"Then what is it?"
"I was sitting outside knitting for too long last night. I've got a cold."
*.*.*
Many thanks to Hannah (hannahsoapy), Ashleigh (Fire the Canon) and Queenie (Queen Bookworm the First) for betaing.
Also, happy mother's day to all the mothers out there! You guys rock!