Molly, Spring 1971

It had all been Gideon and Fabian's idea. Funny, how many of her childhood memories started off with that very phrase.

It had started off the summer after their fourth year, before the beginning of Molly's first. The Gryffindor team had lost the Quiddich Cup to Slytherin by an infuriating 20 points. Gideon and Fabian, the team's beaters, had taken this as a direct personal challenge. After all, if they had just disrupted one more play.

So, one quiet summer day while their parents were at work, they marshaled their babysitting charges – then an 11-year-old Molly and 8-year-old cousin Alice, and set them both on brooms. The game was called Target Practice, and it only ended each day when Alice cried. But, as time passed, it evolved into what they called The Summer League, as their parents invited more and more co-worker's children to participate. It rotated houses based on the adult's day's off, so that there would always be one qualified Wizard available to give medical attention if need be, and by the time Gideon and Fabian graduated it had solved 12 Wizarding families baby sitting problems.

Arthur Weasley was one of the first to join, as their parents were long time friends, since Hogwarts Molly thought.

Arthur was actually the one who talked Molly into trying out for the Gryffindor House Team. He and Frank were going to try out as Chasers and they convinced Molly to come along and try out too. They were good, but the then Captain went with the more traditional pick of older, bigger students. Molly, however, was picked up as Seeker, to her brothers' endless pride. She was, after all, only the 4th female player on a House team at the time.

Arthur wasn't bitter about it, though he was dismayed that his rival Lucius Malfoy got to play for Slytherin. But Gideon and Fabian graduated at the end of that year, and next year Arthur and Frank replaced them as Gryffindor's beaters. Almost everyone who had been involved in the Summer League made it onto a House Team, with the exception of Alice who never tried out, having grown to hate the game by the time she joined them at Hogwarts. She did get her friend Ted involved though, and in his third year he became the first Muggleborn to make it onto a House Team.

As team members, Molly got use to Arthur as an equal rather than a younger student. They actually ended up spending a quite a lot of time together, despite the fact that they didn't have a single class together. In fact, when in her 5th year she found out her boyfriend of almost a year, Fredrick McLaggen, had cheated on her over the summer, she tearfully went straight to Arthur.

He was just such a good listener. Molly knew she was a pretty emotional person – what she'd done to McLaggen became Hogwarts legend – but Arthur was steady, constant. He had become her rock, without her even noticing.

Having recently embraced this realization, it felt natural to go find him after her Career Advising session with McGonagall.

He was sitting in one of the squishy armchairs by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room, pouring over some parchment, mumbling to himself when she called out to him.

He startled and roughly stuffed the parchment into his bag sitting down by his feet. His face turned an unfortunate shade of red that clashed horribly with his hair while Frank laughed uproariously from the chair opposite.

Molly made her way over and perched on the arm of Arthur's chair, leaning back she could feel the warmth from his arm where it was brushing against her hip, but neither of them moved away.

"Gotta run to the loo," said Frank suddenly rising. He clapped Arthur on the shoulder and wandered away. Molly didn't take his vacant seat so Arthur twisted in his chair so his back was against the other arm.

"So, how did it go with McGonagall?"

"It was really good, actually," Molly said, pleased he had asked, "She was really, really helpful. I think I've decided!"

She smiled, unable to contain her enthusiasm. She'd been pouring over the career pamphlets ever since they had appeared, and it turned her into a panicked and unsure mess.

McGonagall had been supportive and reassuring though, she had helped her soft out the confusion in her head.

"Oh yeah?" Asked Arthur, "MediWitch, right?"

Molly slapped at his chest, "No one likes an 'I told you so'!"

Arthur had called it weeks ago, claiming it would be perfect for her.

"it was just scary because there's so much to learn, I have to keep going to school for years after Hogwarts, and it's not exactly free either!" She defended herself.

"I know, but you'll figure it out. Did you ask her about the Ministry Scholarship?"

"Yeah, she said she'd recommend me after I get my OWLS."

"That's fantastic!" He exclaimed, matching her own excitement. Medi-Programs were expensive and full-time. There was no way she would be able to pull it off without the Ministry funding. Her family would support her fir the two years if she did get accepted, but the horrendous program fees were another matter entirely.

She grinned back at him, "Yeah. Now I just need to get all the OWLS" She laughed grimly. This year was going to suck. She was going to have to do just insanely well to qualify.

Arthur grimaced back at her, then suddenly looked away at the fire.

"Molly, I – I was wondering if you would like to go to Hogsmead with me next week? As a date?" Molly felt a jaw aching smile spread across her face, but he wasn't looking directly at her yet, "I understand if you don't, what with what happened last term and your OWLS and all, but I would love the opportunity to take you out." He looked up at her, finished with his little speech, hopeful and anxious.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said, beaming, and swooped over to give him a kiss on his cheek.

They both turned, startled, as cheering and clapping erupted across the common room where Frank was sitting at a table full of their friends. Arthur turned that ugly shade of red again, but Molly didn't care. Her face probably the same color.

Everything was perfect right now. Molly felt like she was flying.

{ - }

Bellatrix, Spring 1971

Bella felt as though she was drowning. She still had two and a half years to get out of the wedding, but the plans were coming along at an alarming speed. She'd been appalled to find herself being measured for her ceremonial wedding robes at the end of Winter Break. They'd had to Body-Bind her again to get the job done over her protests.

The more that got invested into this whole affair the harder it was going to be to break the thing off. But, apparently two and a half years was still considered a rush order for the Norwegian convent of blind Witches who had been commissioned to embroider the dress, not to mention the 18 foot train and veil.

That certainly sounded like a significant investment to Bella.

And it was terrifying.

That was when the drowning feeling had started. She got alarmingly short of breath when ever she dwelled on the matter for too long.

She'd left the Great Hall in a tearful rage when the morning edition of the Prophet announced, "The first Black wedding for a generation," leaving Lucius to accept uncomfortable congratulations.

Andromeda had finally given up her ill-fated attempts to console her, and she still hadn't said a single word to her intended, despite the fact that they'd been decent friends at the end of last term.

Lucius hadn't said a word against the engagement. He was so under his own Father's thumb he's marry Bulstrode if he was told to. He wouldn't help her. Her family clearly wasn't going to change their minds. There was only one remaining ray of light in her currently bleak situation.

It was a vague and insignificant hope. But, she couldn't help dwelling on it. She was sure that if she could get Slughorn to help her, use his connections somehow, then she could circumvent her family. If she could use him to get a job that took her out of the country, she wouldn't have to marry Malfoy. Sure, her family would be beyond furious, but by the time she came back, however many years later, it would have blown over. It wasn't as if she was ever going to be head of the family anyway.

Maybe then, after she'd traveled a bit, she'd be ready to marry. Stranger things had happened, after all.

{ - }

"My dear Miss Black!" Slughorn spread his arms wide as he stepped back from his office door, ushering her into his office.

"Tea?" He offered, as they settled in on either side of his desk. Various prominent Wizards were watching with interest, Bella noticed several family members. She declined the tea and the shortbread too.

"Now," he said, still smiling at her, "What can I do for you?"

Bella frowned. She was fairly certain she had the right time.

"It's my career advising appointment, isn't it? I got the time off the schedule posted in the common room."

"Oh, I am sorry for the confusion there! I tried to make it clear that these appointments are quite optional." He made to stand.

"All the same," said Bella smoothly to cover her rising anger, "I'd like to conduct the appointment."

Slughorn's smile faltered.

"My dear girl, why? A young Witch of your standing should hardly expect to need a job to support yourself."

Bella had been expecting such a response and, though it made her hand itch for her wand, she delivered her rebuttal.

"Yes, well I quite like the idea of using the opportunity to spend some time outside of Britain. Gringotts curse-breakers do a good deal of traveling, I'm told."

"Well, if it's travel you're looking for, it is customary, as I'm sure you are aware, for honeymooners to do the European tour. Paris, Vienna - "

"I am not interested in seeing Europe by flying carpet!" She snapped. And certainly not on the arm of some inbred classmate she did not add.

Slughorn laced his fingers together on the surface of the desk and leaned forwards. Bella knew from long experience that she finally had his serious attention.

"Let me be frank with you, Bellatrix. You are the eldest daughter of the House of Black. You quite simply will not be permitted to travel as a Gringotts Curse-Breaker." He delivered the last with a quiet laugh. He sat back, smiling amiably, "Take my word for it, my dear, working is no fun!"

He wasn't going to help her. He wasn't even going to take her seriously. It was over.

Some of her thoughts must have shown on her face, because he softened even further and came around to lean on the desk by her chair.

"A good family like the Malfoys – why! You'll be able to Honeymoon anywhere in the world!" He nodded excitedly at her, "I do hope to be one of the lucky few who'll receive an invitation to the Wedding!"

"There isn't going to be a Wedding."

He visibly withdrew, shifting away from her as she broke from the script. Gone was his jovial attitude as he coldly threatened, "Now, Now Miss Black. You're worrying me with that kind of talk. You don't want to make me feel like I need to share my concerns with your parents?"

It was a threat. A blatant threat.

It made her furious.

Something inside her snapped. She was so sick of people thinking that they knew her because of her parents. That they could control her through her parents. She had been obedient for years based on the threat of her parents. But all that obedience had come to naught – they were selling her out of the family anyway.

Everyone thought they could control her. Well no more. Bella Black existed under no one's control. And it was high time she stopped pretending and let everyone know it.

She rose from her chair, "Go ahead." She relished his slight flinch, "They already know. I will not marry him. I will never disappear into some Wizard. People will know my name, just you wait and see."

And she left, somehow breathing more freely than she had in weeks.

{ - }

A/N - Hi guys. So this story really isn't getting much of a response, which is kind of discouraging. I really enjoy writing it though, and I have a lot of it written out on paper already anyway. It's one of those things I can't get out of my head, so I'm going to keep going and hope other people are enjoying it too.

Interestingly, it was way harder for me to write Molly than any of the Blacks or Ted. But this chapter was really where the inspiration for the whole story came from. It was originally going to be a One-Shot, comparing Molly and Bella, and how they got on such different paths because of the support, or lack of it, that they were given from outside sources.

Anyway, as always, let me know what you think!