Molly walked slowly towards Ron. His pale skin, bright red hair, striking blue eyes and tall gangly body. She'd need to make his jumper a bit longer. She didn't realize how tall he was for a first year. Her eyes looked him over and noticed he had marshmallow on his nose.

Without thinking or warning she pulled out a handkerchief and began to rub Ron's nose to remove the white gooey mass. Ron struggled to get away from the stern motherly witch. Amusement came to the Weasley boys' faces. Ginny suppressed a giggle knowing it was in her mother's nature to clean messy baby faced boys who were yet to be known as prats. Once she deemed him clean, he stepped back, his nose now red from the rubbing matching the flush of embarrassement in his cheeks.

Molly didn't look one bit embarrassed. Rather, she appeared to be rather stern and perhaps a bit pleased.

"Ma'am?" Ron questioned, embarrassingly as a squeak. He instinctively rubbed his nose where she had.

"You had a little marshmallow on your nose," she stated.

"Oh uh... I could have gotten it."

"Very nice to meet you boys," Arthur said holding out his right hand practically ignoring Ron's embarrassment and Molly's seemingly out of nowhere motherly attitude towards Ron. Harry gave it a quick shake, followed by Ron still rosy cheeked but loosing color as quick as it came. He seemed to hold on a little longer to Ron's than Harry's it seemed.

"Nice to meet you too Mr. Weasley," Harry responded.

"Yes. Um. Nice to meet you," Ron added, "Sir."

"So mum-"

"-dad."

"Decided to visit us for the holidays-?"

"And Snowball fights?" The twins finished with grins on their faces.

"We are here to celebrate Christmas as a family," Molly stated with a clear conviction, pulling Bill and Charlie into her arms for a hug and kiss on the cheek, then followed by Percy and the twins.

"That's right," Arthur added, "We haven't had one with everyone in such a long time."

Ron and Harry looked at one another for a moment, neither of them really enjoying Christmas before. Ron, because it was a day where he maybe received a gift or two from the matron of the orphanage and Harry who had only experienced abysmal Christmases with the Dursleys. Christmas in a castle was already fantastic enough. With a friend was so bizarre and foreign it was scary exciting. But the fact was, it was a family holiday. They only were able to spend it together as friends because they didn't have a family worth going back to.

Suddenly this holiday thing was looking a little more depressing for Ron and Harry. Well, at least they had the apparently legendary feast to look forward to. If it was anything like the first night's feast, it was sure to be magnificent.

"Now boys, let's here about how your classes are going. Fred, George! You two are taking muggle studies, so let me ask you something. Have you learned the function of a rubber duck yet?"

"Uh. No."

"Just boring things that they do."

"Lot of paper work."

"But the talking in a box is pretty interesting," Fred enthusiastically stated to cheer up their dad who was slightly disappointed.

"Though I'm sure Ron and Harry here could tell you about the rubber duck!" George grinned grabbing Ron by the shoulders while Fred grabbed Harry.

"Ah. Well, it's nothing much-"

"It's, um, it's a-"

"It's used in the bathtub. It's a toy that squeaks when you squeeze it and sometimes squirts water," Ron stated.

"Right," Harry added.

"Fascinating," Arthur stated with more enthusiasm than any one person should have involving a rubber duck.

Ron and Harry had no idea how they ended up getting away from the Weasleys and into their room for the night. Although they were pretty sure it had something to do with a rubber duck, a telephone, and marmalade. They were thankful though as they both avoided the yelling from Mrs. Weasley at the twins for something that may have involved an explosion.

"You excited?"

"Sure. I heard that there is a grand party for Christmas dinner. I think it'll be fun," Harry answered. Ron grunted.

"I guess."

Harry didn't say anything which Ron was grateful for. Parties on Christmas were charity events for Ron. None of them were fun. They were just uncomfortable to attend. Though this wasn't a charity event. Maybe it would be fun. They'd have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

"Stockings over the fire place. Kind of missing the ghoul rattling in the attic," Charlie commented as he hung his stocking over the Gryffindor fireplace. It was joining the growing numbers as his mother sat knitting a stocking for each child staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. About twenty stockings for twenty kids outside the her own hand reared brood.

Each stocking hand stitched with gentle care, designed with moving magical creatures and animals playing for the entertainment of young witches and wizards. Their names were stitched on the upper fold and filled with small pieces of candy and homemade fudge, mittens and scarves in their house colors.

Molly was just thankful that the elves were so willing to let her know who had decided to stay for the holidays. It just didn't sit right with her to have kids not have a stocking over the fireplace for Christmas. Granted, she doubted her boys hung their stocking over the fireplace at school but she tried. And there was no way they were going to skip hanging them with her there.

"You okay mum?"

"Just fine Bill. Now please take these to the elves and tell them to hang these in the common rooms."

"You know you don't have to-"

"Come now, it's hardly Christmas without a stocking. Now quickly. Do you know how busy the elves are on Christmas?"

"Uh... No not really-"

"They're bored out of their minds!"

"Mum... How do you know this?" Charlie questioned.

"I've sure your father has told you boys about the fudge I made for him for Christmas back when we first started out as a young couple at Hogwarts," she commented with a grin, "It was packaged with some apple jam. Mind you, that wasn't what I had given him, heavens no."

"Oh, we know."

"Dad told us all about the tongue swelling Apple jam."

"Uncle Gideon's idea right?"

Molly smiled sadly. Her brother were always a topic of joy and sorrow. Usually only mentioned around their birthdays, holidays or death days.

"Oh yes. But Fabion cast the enchantment. Gideon always had trouble with them. And he never accepted any tutoring, always saying he could just get Fabion to do it."

The night went on with stories between Molly and her oldest sons while Arthur talked to Percy about his schooling.

Fred and George however were sitting with Ginny, haphazardly wrapping an old box, made of worn wood.

"You're really bad at wrapping aren't you?"

"Well... It's not like there is a good way to wrap this infernal thing!"

"Magic?" Ginny stated.

Both the twins looked at one another.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Besides, I think it's a bit late for that?"

"We're going to need to get scissors for him to open this."

"For Ron?"

"Yep."

"Thanks for bringing it along."

"It was left in my bag."

"Uh huh."

"Mum's going to kill you for giving it away."

"Just gathering dust anyway Gin."

"He'll love it."

"Just like you'll love your gift."

"Just as long as you promise not to wrap it with your feet."

"Bit late for that."

Um yeah. Tired. And writers block. So yeah. And this is something.

On another note, I'm curious as to how many of you read Son of the Archer. And those who read both, which do you prefer?

As it is, I kind of have a buzz of ideas for Archer and a lazy river for Muggle Raised.

So ah, I guess review.