Chapter Text
Then. Hogwarts era – Molly Weasley nee Prewitt
Molly was fuming as she left defense class for the day. A lock of hair constantly found its way into her eyes and she angrily brushed it away every time.
Her book bag slipped off her shoulder and she huffed loudly as she hunched it back up again.
“Come on, Molly. It’s not that bad.” Her friend Judy tried reassuring her.
“Oh, what do you know!?” She hissed.
“I was there, remember.” Judy told her sharply and Molly took a deep breath.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to take it out on you. She just gets on my last nerve.”
They all hurried out of their classes, winding through the corridors and down into the great hall for lunch.
“I know she does, but you can’t let her get to you like that.”
Molly sat heavily down by the table, finally finding a hairband to tie her hair up and away from her face.
“She deliberately tried to humiliate me! Even Arthur was laughing.” Molly shrugged miserably and watched as the food appeared.
“Come on, he was not!”
“Yes, Judy I saw it. And I don’t know why I care anyway.”
Molly picked at her food, thinking of the way Eleonore so elegantly whisked her shining black hair over her shoulder after making her point. She knew that Molly had no comeback. Of course she didn’t, what could you say when you’d misjudged the spell, standing there disarmed and idiotic. She hated herself for it.
Eleonore made it her mission to humiliate Molly, to be there and witness every little thing she did wrong. And Molly knew that she was a strong witch. There was no way Molly would let that simpering preppy upper class girl make her life miserable. Molly knew what she was doing even with the odd misjudgment. That’s why they were in school, wasn’t it?
Knowing her own worth when it came to her powers and her magic, was what kept Molly going at times. She hadn’t used to be self-conscious about her looks, not until she’d started to get feelings for that charming Weasley boy.
Arthur was friends with everyone. With his genuine smile, his stoic presence in the group he was a natural place to seek comfort for anyone. And he never turned anyone away. He was so interested in everyone, like he really wanted to get to know the person beneath the surface. Molly had been unable to look away ever since this summer ended.
They’d been friends for a long time, but something had changed and now she felt just plain and clumsy in comparison to Eleonore for instance. Her natural elegance, shiny hair and slim waist was the exact opposite of Molly. Who was curvy and had wild red hair. No, she had not been obsessed about her appearance before, and now that she felt like it mattered, she knew she came up short in that department.
That’s why her magic and power was so important to her. She was good at it and felt powerful with her wand. Not even Eleonore could take that away from her. Only, now Molly had made a mistake in class. Everyone who was present knew about it, and Eleonore had done her very best to rub it in. Molly did not need another area where that girl got the upper hand. So she sat there positively fuming in her own misery.
After Hogwarts.
Molly placed dinner on the table, looking around at five round faces. Only one had gotten his letter from Hogwarts and she couldn’t be prouder. Tired, but proud. Bill was her oldest and a responsible one. Then there was Charlie, barely inside with how busy he was digging around in the garden. Percy already knew how to read, while her twins (heavens, save her) running around wreaking havoc wherever they went.
She’d thought she was done. They were in the middle of a war after all. It was dark times and some days they struggled to put food on the table for all of their boys.
There she was, though, carrying their sixth child. It was almost the end of the year and she didn’t have too long to go now. She enjoyed it, these children were her life. She would do anything for them and as far as she could, she really did. Some day’s life was tough, with a house built on love and spells and to their best ability. Far from perfect, but their own.
Molly had vowed a long time ago that no matter what happened, no matter the things that happened around them, their children would be so loved. When money were tight, at least they had that.
Molly enjoyed her life at the Burrow. It was safe and good, never quiet with a constant bustling of life, ideas and growing.
Then she’d go to London on an errand. She’d brought Charlie and as they stopped in front of one of the stores, Molly found herself face to face with Eleonore.
The woman had married into the Parkinson family, pureblood people on both lines. She wore finely woven robes and a hat. Her hair as shiny and straight as ever and she too looked to be pregnant. Molly straightened her back and refused to let the presence of this woman affect her.
Present day.
Molly sat by her kitchen table, enjoying a cup of tea. The sun was shining, even if there still was a cool breeze in the air. Not yet summer, but winter was finally behind them.
It was still a few hours until Arthur would be home from work, and she was mostly done with the day’s chores.
Part of her struggled to accept the quiet, the freedom. In all the years where her house had been full of life and laughter and cries, she had longed for a moment like this. Quiet by her kitchen table, glancing out the window as the birds flitted from branch to branch.
She needed it, now. After Ginny had left for Hogwarts that first year, it seemed so long ago now. Back then, she had cried for so long, feeling lonely and useless. The house had been quiet, she didn’t enjoy the quiet because it was almost boring and sans meaning of any kind. Her life was the children, and suddenly all of them had left her.
Arthur had come home one day, finding her in tears by their kitchen table, and he’d held her and kissed her. Promising that it was good. That they were lucky. Look at all they’ve got. And she did. She really was proud of what they had. Even if, by other people’s standards it was nothing.
Sitting there this quiet spring afternoon Molly could barely believe her eyes as a certain Mrs. Parkinson made her way toward their front door. She absolutely was one of the peoples who did not appreciate or understand what they had there.
Molly shot out of her chair, straightening her apron, glancing around but eventually coming to the conclusion that this was hers. Making her way to the door, Molly opened just as Mrs. Parkinson knocked.
“Oh, Mrs. Weasley.” She peered at her.
“Mrs. Parkinson. To what do I owe this surprise visit?” Molly asked.
Mrs. Parkinson glared at her before she nodded once.
“I’ve some news, concerning your son. May I come inside?” She said business-like.
Molly took in the woman on her steps. Her hat looked to be a little askew, and her eyes were almost a little wild. Molly had no idea what she was talking about or which son she could mean. Taking a step back, she then guided Mrs. Parkinson into her kitchen.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Molly asked after watching the woman sit down in a chair, looking like she did not fit into this space at all.
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
Mrs. Parkinson sat quietly while Molly fixed her tea. She wondered about the urgency of the visit, and why she even came all the way there.
“Which one of my sons are you here about?” Molly placed the cup in front of this woman who had bothered her most of her school days, and honestly still rubbed her the wrong way.
“The Auror one. Ronald.” She confirmed. She looked to be a little shocked and Molly was starting to be concerned. Ron wasn’t the type to get in any sort of trouble, not after he’d grown up at least.
“Well, are you going to tell me?” She asked after a moment.
Mrs. Parkinson let out a long breath.
“I’m not entirely sure how to say it. Let me paint the picture for you.”
She then told Molly about a nice lunch with her daughter, how they had talked and done some shopping. Her daughter had left the last boutique first, as Eleonore herself just needed to buy the cutest little ornament for their parlor. And when she followed her daughter outside it was to find her standing there with Molly’s son.
“Pardon me, but your son was even touching her face in such a… a – familiar and – and gentle manner! I couldn’t believe it!” Mrs. Parkinson worked herself up again and took a moment to gather herself before turning back to look at Molly’s stunned face.
“Why was he touching her face?” Molly asked confused.
Mrs. Parkinson looked somewhere between amused and exasperated.
“Well, it looked awfully intimate, I’ll tell you that.”
Molly sank down on a chair opposite Mrs. Parkinson.
“So naturally I asked my daughter what on earth was going on. All she would tell me was that they were ‘getting to know each other’.”
Molly stared wide eyed at her.
“What does that mean?!”
“I haven’t the faintest! But I’ll tell you whatever it is, this has been going on for a little while. And they already seemed plenty knowledgeable if you ask me.” Mrs. Parkinson finished and Molly almost blushed at the implications.
The two women stared a little bewildered at each other for a long time. Then Mrs. Parkinson sighed.
“I’m sorry I came barging into your day with this. I was quite shocked to see those two in such a cozy familiarity, right there, in broad daylight.” She sighed and Molly suddenly realized this had to be very unsettling for this woman.
She seemed to genuinely want the best for her daughter, and she was clearly conflicted about her choice. And Molly didn’t even have it in her to be offended about the fact. Because she too was a little surprised about her son’s choice if she was honest.
“Not to worry, I’m glad to have been informed. However, I don’t think my place is to meddle in my children’s… affairs.” Molly said a little weaker than she would have liked.
Mrs. Parkinson gave a little smile, one different from before, almost as if it was genuine.
“Neither do I, Molly. I wished to inform you, and quite honestly I needed someone to talk to about it. My husband is not interested in this sort of thing, and my friends would… well, let’s say they wouldn’t understand.”
Molly looked at her in surprise, meeting those dark eyes she used to despise. Now she mostly just saw this grown up woman with nicer clothes, sure, but with the same concerns as a mother.
“I’ll talk to Ronald.” Molly finished.
Mrs. Parkinson let one finger follow the edge of her tea cup.
“Of course. But… I’m –“
Molly watched as the other woman took a deep breath. This was very unlikely, but she seemed nervous all of a sudden.
“I’ll admit that I am surprised, and not entirely understanding of this. But I do know my daughter, and she hasn’t been the happiest or had the easiest times lately. All I am saying is that she looked happy there. With… with your son.”
Eleonore lifted her head to meet Molly’s eyes.
“Shouldn’t we give them a chance to ‘get to know one another’, if that’s what they desire?”
Mrs. Parkinson spoke quietly and Molly eventually let out a long breath.
“I need some time to wrap my head around this, but I assume you are right.” She said stiffly.
Eleonore got up and Molly followed her to the door.
“Thank you for sharing this with me.” Molly told her.
Eleonore spared her a rare smile.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. They might be infatuated at the moment, but we all know how quickly these things change.”
And there it was, that insufferable snark. Molly wanted to slam the door in her face.
The moment Eleonore left their property Molly whirled around and rushed into their living room. With shaking hands she made an howler, ordering Ron to get there this instant to explain. She breathed heavily, telling herself she really didn’t intend to make this difficult for him, but she needed to know if this was true.
Molly had spent all of her school days with Eleonore always lurking and making things difficult. In her adult life, they rarely crossed paths, to which Molly was grateful. She was free to be herself, without being looked down on.
Somehow, fate had decided it was long enough for her to have peace of mind. Apparently childhood drama did carry on into adulthood.