THC, Final, Slytherin, HoH, Standard.

Theme: HoH; Family.

Prompt: (Main) [Pairing] Arthur/Molly Weasley, (Additional) [Dialogue] "Well, well, what do we have here?"

Word Count: 1315

Beta(s): Glowstar826, CupCakeyyy, Butterflies765, Aya Diefair, Red Rose Aurora, ShynGr8.

Arthur clasped the bed covers with one hand and slowly peeled them off of himself. As carefully as he could, he slid out of bed and tried to remain as silent as possible. He glanced towards his sleeping wife to ensure he hadn't disturbed her. Relief filled him as he heard the gentle snores and observed the peaceful expression on her face. The sight still made butterflies flutter in his stomach.

Feeling satisfied that Molly would remain asleep, he gently stepped out of the room before making his way downstairs. Today was going to be a great day! Arthur had recently retired from the Ministry of Magic and was finding all of the free time exhilarating.

He hadn't gotten out of the habit of waking up early in the morning, though. Even without an alarm, he would wake up around the same time he usually did for work. Molly, however, was getting up later than she used to when the children had been living at home, clearly enjoying being allowed to lie in. It was something that crossed Arthur's mind daily; would he, too, find mornings were more for relaxing instead of being productive? Would he one day not wake up the second the sunlight shone through the curtains? He'd find out once that day came, that was certain.

A tap pulled his attention to the mildly dirty window in the kitchen. Arthur wandered towards it, picking up a few treats on the way to see what was in store for him.

"What do we have here?" he muttered to himself as he collected the letter. He held out the owl treats and examined the handwriting while the unfamiliar owl pecked at his hand.

It was addressed to 'Mum and Dad', therefore, he could only presume it was from one of his seven children. A sharp pain penetrated his heart. No, it couldn't have been one of his seven—only one of his six. Fred couldn't write to them anymore.

Dispelling the unpleasant thought from his head, he stepped away from the cold air blowing through the window and opened the letter.

Hi Mum and Dad!

How are you both?

Sorry to do this but I can't make Mum's birthday celebration tomorrow or this week, something's come up with Harry's mission and he'll be away.

Let me know when the next meet-up takes place and we'll be there.

Love, Gin.

Arthur brought a hand to his face, unable to read the words again to ensure he had read it correctly. Ginny had cancelled, meaning she, Harry, and their three kids wouldn't be coming. George wasn't coming as he was running the store. Charlie was stuck in Romania.

A creak made him turn around to see Molly descending the staircase, a letter in her hand. "Percy is working tomorrow, but he'll try to come afterward. Audrey and the girls will be here, though."

"Ginny and her lot won't be here either," he told her.

The expression on his wife's face almost broke his heart. It had been nearly impossible to get all of their children in the same room for the past few years. Arthur couldn't entirely blame them. They were busy and had their own lives, but it sure didn't mean that it hurt any less. The quiet dinners were deafening. The washing took minutes to sort out instead of hours. And slowly, he and Molly had less and less to talk about.

"Well then," Molly started, folding the letter in her hand and placing it on the dining room table. "We won't have to cook as much, that'll save preparation time."

Unable to formulate words, Arthur watched his wife walk off, looking deflated. There was a slouch in her shoulders that hadn't been there before. It had become more prominent with the latest cancellation.

Having a big family had been their choice, they wanted to be busy, constantly talking over one another, and overall, never being alone. But all of their children had flown from the nest, and they weren't coming back as much as either of the two of them would have liked, something they'd never imagined. In the last week, not a single visitor had come; perhaps it was to be sure they'd be free for Molly's birthday, as it could be difficult to get them all free at the same time. But there had been a steady stream of apology letters, the last ones coming just this morning.

Ron and Harry worked together so it was only a matter of time until his letter also came, meaning that Arthur could count how many guests would be arriving on both of his hands. That should have been impossible. They should've had to hastily extend the table and transfigure a chair or two just to be able to fit everyone in. Instead, the large table would seem almost empty.

Audrey, Molly, Lucy, Bill, Fleur, Victoire, and Dominique, and Louis. Maybe Hermione would come with their children.

He felt the air release from his lungs. This birthday was going to be a quiet one. However, that didn't mean that it wouldn't be a great one.

Confidence in himself bubbled up in Arthur as he thought about his wife. He knew his wife well enough to know exactly what to do. His thoughts turned to her luscious curls, feisty personality, and willingness to do anything for others.

With a sly grin, he realised that he knew just what to do to make Molly's birthday simply amazing. And it started by sending several letters!

Arthur continued to sneak around as he finished the final arrangements of his plan. He waved his wand, creating sparkling purple lights across the entire ceiling, lighting the flying candles he had just spelled around the edges—he needed to keep the children safe from potential burning.

He glanced at the time and smiled. Everybody would be here in about fifteen minutes. Molly would be down any minute now.

Quickly, he grabbed the present he had been hiding and placed it in the middle of the table. Then, he summoned the birthday cards, which he had sent out to all of their friends and family, asking them all to sign them. He had gotten them back just yesterday. Just as he turned to check on the food on the counters, the stairs creaked with the footsteps Arthur knew to be his wife's.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Molly asked with awe. Her eyes were bright with surprise, and her smile was edging wider across her face as she stepped down and took in everything. "This… this is…"

Arthur grinned at her loss of words. "It's all for you, my love."

Molly's eyes shone with tears as the purple lights reflected in them. She looked at Arthur with unadulterated joy. "Oh, Arthur! You did all of this?"

He nodded, grinning.

"I love you so much, darling!" she exclaimed.

The two of them met in the middle of the living room, their lips catching each other in a loving kiss. Arthur pulled back as he said softly, "Happy birthday."

"This is incredible! Did you pull it off alone?"

Arthur grinned. "Not quite, my darling."

Greenlight filled the room as the floo opened.

A pop was heard.

Then another.

And another.

The pops continued until the room was filled with every single member of the Weasley clan and their loved ones as well as friends of them and friends of their family. The downstairs was filled with at least thirty people.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they all chorused, a few of them offbeat.

"The gazebo is set up outside," Hagrid informed the guests, who began to migrate outside.

"You did this?" Molly asked, her voice loud.

Arthur grinned. "I wrote a few letters, reminding everybody what was really important in life."

"And what would that be, my sweet?"

Arthur's answer was simple.

"Family."