Charlie's Starr – Mexican Stand Off.
So, this is a drabble continuation. Ron's stag night.
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Molly Weasley's mouth got thinner and thinner as she paced the kitchen floor, the Weasley family clock was on the table, and it had a few new additions. Bill's wife and children and Harry Potter and Percy's partner Gilbert for a start. And then there were the additions that she had added when the twins became of age to be served in bars. She almost wished she hadn't had it done now as she glared at it. All the hands that pertained to the Weasley men were now wavering between 'Merry' and 'Drunk'. Only Percy's remained the right side of drunk, in Molly's opinion anyway.
"They'll be fine mum" said Ginny, unconcerned as Harry's hand lurched to 'Drunk' "They'll be sorry in the morning"
"They'll be sorry tonight!" snapped Molly "The twins are just idiots with the booze, poor Ron and Harry. And your father, Bill and Charlie should know better by now, the amount of hangovers I've nursed them through!"
"Go to bed, the wedding is on Saturday, you don't want big circles under your eyes do you?" Ginny tried to persuade, despite her mother's tirade, she knew that Harry and Ron weren't the innocent victims of the others' high jinx. They were just as bad, if not worse.
"Sleep?" screeched Molly "I'll skin the buggers alive first!"
"Molly…." Tried Starr
"And YOU!" she pointed her finger accusingly, tears starting in her eyes "You took the last one!"
"The… what? Molly what have I done?" Starr's knees shook as she backed away, racking her brains.
"Charlie, you took Charlie" said Ginny unconcerned still as she flipped through Witch Weekly at the kitchen table "That's what this is really about isn't it Mum?" she sighed, closing the magazine "After Saturday, Charlie will be the only one left who's not married, except Percy, but then he's with Gilbert, so that's as good as"
"All my babies!" Molly wailed "Grown up, gone!"
"Well it's no good shouting at Starr, it's not her fault" Ginny said quietly "And you've gained so much more than you have lost haven't you? A son in law the Harry Potter and four daughters in law, five when Charlie gets his arse into gear! And how many grandkids? Not to mention Grovelling Gilbert!"
Starr flinched slightly as Molly hugged her, relaxing when she realised she wasn't going to get the famous Molly ear boxing.
"I'm sorry dear" said Molly wiping her eyes "Ginny is right, I'm just a little overcome. I was shocked when Charlie said he was moving into that flat with you, as you know, I don't hold with …. Shenanigans before marriage, but Charlie is well, he's different to the others, and he does things his own way" she sniffed, her eyes wandering back to the clock before continuing "And, well I already class you as my daughter in law, I'm just so relieved that he found someone who loves him the way he is, those other girls he dated just tried to change him"
"I never want him to change" Starr said
"I know dear" Molly patted her arm "It's just very hard watching someone else become the most important woman in your son's life, five times over" she faltered "Well four" she corrected remembering Percy and Gilbert.
"But that's not to say that I'm not going to kill each one of them when they roll through that door!" she announced "Pour me another glass of that wine Ginny, we're supposed to be having a hen night for Hermione and look at us!"
"Mum, Hermione's gone to bed" said Ginny flatly
"Well, that's Hermione for you!" she said, taking a mouthful of elderflower wine and moving to the sitting room "But we can have a girly chat and relax" she kicked her worn slippers off, putting her feet up on the coffee table.
Starr set the muggle stereo going, a purchase by Arthur, and low music filled the room, she sat opposite Molly, Ginny sat next to her mother, and as the bottle slowly went down, the laughter got louder as the three women recounted tales of their Weasley men, both present and past. Molly had visibly relaxed, until the front door was crashed open and they heard uncontrolled giggling that could only be Ron.
"I'm getting married in the morning!" his tuneless voice carried into the lounge as he sang.
"No you're not!" more giggles, Harry this time.
"Ok Potter, you smart arse, Saturday morning then"
Molly was on her feet and in the doorway with Ginny one side and Starr the other, there was a frantic scuffling from upstairs as Fleur and Hermione joined them.
"I'm sorry, have we stumbled upon a western muggle movie?" Bill's voice came through the door, more giggles.
"Bill?" asked Fleur "Whatever can you mean?" her French accent was sleepy
"Mexican stand off!" Harry chortled "You" he pointed to the women "And us" he looked around, evidently the others had deserted them, Starr and Ginny exchanged glances and looked away before they laughed.
"Ginny!" said Harry his face lighting up as he moved towards her. This had enabled Starr to manoeuvre around them and out of the doorway as mayhem erupted in the kitchen.
Harry and Ginny giggled to each other as Molly and Hermione took it in turns to berate a confused and swaying Ron. Fleur was whispering what didn't look all too sweet nothings in Bill's ear as Arthur tottered through the door.
"Ah my family!" he twinkled, Starr became acutely aware that she was standing right behind him and would be in the firing line of anything Molly decided to throw, she moved, catching sight of Charlie and the twins behind Arthur. They trickled into the room behind him as Molly turned on Arthur. Starr slipped behind Charlie and the twins.
"You stupid man Arthur Weasley!" she thundered "Getting these boys drunk!"
"Well, I'm gonna get this when I get home from the Mrs" whispered George to Fred who nodded in agreement, they slipped back out, not having been noticed yet by Molly, who was still yelling at Arthur. Bill had slunk away from Fleur and was now standing beside Charlie.
"Well mate" said Charlie to his brother "Mine's not here, tucked up in bed waiting for me like a good girl, I'm off" he spoke as he backed out of the door, unaware that Starr was right behind him.
"Think again" she whispered in his ear as he ferreted in his robes for his wand, she laughed as he jumped and whirled round, nearly falling over.
"You trying to kill me woman?" he demanded, his hand over his heart in mock terror.
"Why?" she asked innocently "Should I?"
"I'm a bit drunk" he said shrugging one shoulder, trying to look like he didn't care.
"Why don't you go back in there and face your mother like a man?" she asked, Charlie winced as his mothers rantings poured through the door.
"Because, brave as I am to face furious dragons every day, I'm not that brave, or stupid. Do you ever want to have kids?" he asked one eyebrow raised.
"What? Why?" Starr was confused
"Because if I go back in there, I'm quite likely to have my bollocks hexed off by my mother" he said sombrely although a smile played at his lips "No bollocks, no babies" he wrapped his arms around her "And I'd quite like to have babies one day"
She laughed as she all but supported his drunken weight "How romantic" she said.
"What?" he said in mock indignation "You have the best looking, bravest and fittest Weasley and you want romance too?"
"Modesty is not one of your qualities I see" she teased, kissing him "Yak" she said "You taste like Fire whiskey"
He shot a fearful glance over his shoulder as he heard his name screeched by his enraged mother.
"Charles Weasley get in here now!" she howled
"I may not have romance, or modesty" he said getting hold of her ready for a side along apparition "But I do have survival instincts!"
And they disappeared leaving a furiously mouthing Molly in the door way of the Burrow.
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Charlie winced as he felt like red hot pokers were searing his brain, he tried to stretch, realising he was on the sofa. He opened a blood shot eye, groaning as Starr came into focus opposite him, sitting in the chair.
"Sorry" he mumbled
"What for?" she asked a little louder than was necessary, smiling as he winced again.
"Whatever I did that made you kick me out of bed onto the sofa" he ventured.
"Oh you passed out there, I couldn't move you even with a levitation charm" she replied
He frowned as he sat up, pulling the duvet she had put over his inert form the night before with him "I'm naked" he said
"Yes" she couldn't suppress a grin "You decided, and I quote 'That you wanted babies' last night and set about trying to 'ravish' me, you didn't get very far before you passed out"
He smiled "Well, I doubt I could have done much about it anyway, state I was in"
"Oh you could" she said "You were definitely 'up for it', you stripped off and said that we had better 'get down to it', because your mum would be round here tomorrow and 'hex your bits off'!"
"Sorry" he said again, although he knew from her body language that she was more amused than annoyed.
"I think you had better save your apologies and grovelling for your mum" she said moving to the sofa and sitting on his lap "You are so funny when you are drunk" she said.
"Wish my mum thought so" he sighed, cuddling her for comfort "Although the mention of babies might calm her down a bit"
"Babies?" she asked
"Mmmm, our babies, not yet but soon" he replied, yawning.
"I thought that was just drunken rambles!" she said pulling away
"Well it was, but I do want kids with you, of course I do" he said looking at her as if she was mad "Don't you?"
"Yes!" she replied "But we're not even married, or engaged"
"We don't need to get engaged, and I just thought well, we'd get married soon" he said with a shrug "You know that I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, we only need to get married when you get pregnant"
"Charlie I had no idea!" she said shocked "I thought you just wanted to take things slowly"
"I did at first, but well I thought that moving in together was a pretty clear sign of what we both wanted, It is what you want isn't it?" his eyes worried.
"Of course!" she smiled at him, tracing the freckles on his nose with her fingers as she gazed into his eyes.
They both jumped as there was a knock, no a thundering on the front door. She stood up.
"You had better let her in" he sighed "And hope that the mention of weddings and babies means she'll let me keep my wedding tackle!"
She smiled softly at him as she turned for the front door, pausing she spoke a thought that had just occurred to her.
"But I'm warning you" she said "Get that drunk on your stag night and I'll be the one doing the hexing!"
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