Chapter Text
Despite her failing health, the last few months at The Burrow had been some of Molly’s happiest. Charlie had taken a leave of absence to better support her, and there was an endless rotation of visits from Bill and Fleur, Percy and Audrey, George and Angelina, Ron and Hermione, and Ginny and Harry. The home hadn’t been so full since the Second Wizarding War. Even the ghoul in the attic seemed to be a bit more active lately, perhaps sensing that there were more people whose sleep could be interrupted by his commotion.
It had been a rough few years for former Order members and Hogwarts alumni. Perhaps due to his potions acumen, Slughorn had lived to a ripe old age, but he finally passed after enjoying a very long second retirement. Kingsley and McGonagall followed shortly after; the trio who had been the last to duel Lord Voldemort before the end of the war all leaving impossibly long legacies. At the start of the year, after a particularly cold winter, Arthur had gone. The decline happened quickly, and the night before was the last night Molly had cooked dinner—until tonight.
A storm was whipping loudly outside while Molly listened to the wireless. She heard Charlie start moving dishes around, and although she hadn’t had the energy for some time, Molly felt a surge within her. Standing up was the hardest part, but once she got to her feet, they seemed to carry her to the kitchen effortlessly. She waved off Charlie’s protests and sent him to the table to wait, while she prepared steak, jacket potatoes, and treacle tart like she was in her prime. People started to trickle in through the Floo, each taking a turn to look surprised as Molly bustled around the kitchen, waving her wand with one hand so she could do ten things at once.
Ginny was giving Percy a nervous look, but every time one of them protested or offered to help, she just gestured to the table. By the time she was done, everyone was seated and talking and laughing. Hermione and Ron were bickering about who had stunned whom in their DA days, and Ginny and George were ranking their late brother Fred’s funniest pranks. Hermione and Fleur were debating Bill on goblin rights, while Percy, ever the politician, tried to moderate without committing to a side. Angelina, Harry, and Charlie were trying to explain to Audrey, who had been a champion Ravenclaw Beater in her day, that their Gryffindor Quidditch teams would have mopped the floor with hers if they had gone to school at the same time.
Molly approached the head of the table but said nothing. She just stood there for a second, taking in the scene. The smell of food wafted through the air, tangling with the laughter. She smiled in a way she hadn’t done in some time.
“Come on, Mum, sit,” Ron said, as George stood and offered a hand to help her.