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Author: Grandma Kate Story: The Early Years Rating: Everyone Setting: Pre-OotP Status: Completed Reviews: 7 Words: 16,838
The Harry Potter Universe belongs to J. K. Rowling. I’m just borrowing the characters for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended. Molly was flustered. Her whole family had been invited to James and Lily Potter's New Year's Open House and she didn't think all of them were presentable enough. She'd done her best to keep the twins clean while she dressed Ronnie in the robes that Bill and Charlie and Percy had worn for their first birthdays. She cast a lengthening charm on them since he was longer at ten months than either of them had been at a year. Then she turned to the rest of the family. "Bill, you carry Fred. Charlie, pick up George." She handed Ronnie, a box of biscuits, and a bag of nappies to Arthur. Then she took Percy firmly by the hand. "I'll go first. Hold tight, Percy! James and Lily Potter's!" She threw some floo powder into the fire. She and Percy stepped into the fireplace and were whirled away by the green flames. Molly stepped briskly out of the biggest fireplace she had seen outside of the Ministry. "Ah, you must be Arthur's Molly," said a black haired man with glasses as he offered his hand to Molly and Percy. "And which of your sons is this?" "My name is Percival but most people call me Percy. I am five and a half," replied the little red headed boy with Molly. "Oh Molly, I'm so glad you got here. We’re delighted to meet you Percy, but where is the rest of your family?" asked Lily as she came into the room. Just then four red headed boys, two big and two small, all piled out of the fireplace at the same time. "Charlie, I told you to go first," said the taller of the two big boys. "I couldn't get George to let go of Fred. I'm just glad we didn't wind up somewhere else. We are certainly lucky that the Potters have an enormous fireplace." Charlie put his toddler down and George immediately ran toward a mound of toys in the corner of the lounge. Lily smiled at the two older Weasley boys. " My, you certainly are a help with the twins! You both look like you are nearly ready for Hogwarts." Charlie stood up very straight and gave Lily a big grin. "I'm Charlie and I just turned eight, but I guess I am big for my age." "And I am Bill. I was ten last month so I can't go to Hogwarts for two years," said the older boy, putting down Fred who immediately joined his twin. Bill shook hands with James. "Fred and George are twins and will be three in April. Thank you for inviting us, Mr and Mrs Potter." Arthur, carrying Ronnie and assorted bags and boxes, suddenly appeared in the fireplace. "James, Lily, thank you for inviting us. New Years is a special time to visit with friends. Molly made some special biscuits for you." "Thank you. I'll just go put these on the buffet table." Lily went through a door at the other end of the room. She came back almost immediately, took Ronnie from Arthur's arms, and lifted him up in the air. "Oh, he has grown so much since I last saw him." She held him out for James to hold as she said, " See what a difference just four months makes. Ronnie is huge compared to Harry. Can he crawl already?" James put Ronnie down on the floor. He immediately took off on all fours toward his brothers and the toys. "Arthur, we have food and drink in the next room. Maybe you and your older sons would like something to eat and drink while Lily and Molly visit. " James led Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and a satisfied looking Percy out of the room. Molly beamed at Lily and said, "They grow up so fast. Harry will be crawling before you know it. But where is he? I haven't seen him yet." Lily laughed and pointed to the toys. Molly realized there was a dark haired baby propped up with pillows in the corner laughing and waving his hands as the twins played with his toys. "For a little boy with no grandparents, no uncles, and an aunt who does not have any contact with him, Harry got a lot of Christmas presents. Half of them are from our old schoolmates. They spoil him so." Ronnie crawled over to Harry. "Bae-by!" He announced as he took Harry's hand and tried to pull him toward the toys. Harry rolled away from the pillows propping him up, landed on his tummy, and laughed at Ronnie. He moved his arms and legs like he was trying to crawl but stayed in the same place. Lily picked Harry up and said, "Harry, love, you have to get your middle off the ground before you can crawl." Harry struggled to get down with the other boys. "Look Molly, no chorus girl after all. He's all boy." Molly examined the auburn haired witch holding the dark haired baby. "Lily, he has exactly the same shape eyes as you do. Do you think they will eventually be green, too?" "James has hazel eyes so they probably won't stay blue, but we can't tell yet what color they will be. He has the same messy mop of hair that all the Potter men have. I do wish his grandparents had lived to see him." Lily sat Harry back down in the corner and propped him up with the pillows while he watched Fred and George run about chasing a large snitch hovering just above them. Ronnie sat near Harry and chewed on the tail of a small rubber dragon. Molly and Lily sat near the boys enjoying their antics. "it looks like Ronnie is teething. That must make it difficult for nursing," commented Lily with a slight frown. Molly smiled. "Ronnie took to drinking from a cup easily. He almost weaned himself." Lily nodded her approval. Molly leaned in closer to Lilly and said in a low, but excited voice, "I have something exciting to tell you. I haven't even told Mary Margaret yet. Arthur and I just found out we are expecting another baby in August. We've had six boys in a row. The Weasleys haven't had a female child born for over a hundred years, not since great Aunt Martha and her twin Mary. But I have a strong feeling this baby will be the girl I have always wanted." Lily squealed with joy. "Oh Molly, I am so happy for you. James and I are beginning to talk about a brother or sister for Harry but not for a year or so. We wonder if we should have another child in such perilous times. Voldemort and his Death Eaters have caused so much pain and sorrow." Molly shivered. "Yes, both of my brothers were killed by them. "But the spirits of Fabian and Gideon live on in Fred and George. I know they will be as strong as their uncles were." Molly felt her familiar worry about something terrible happening to her children but smiled bravely at Lily. "We have to have hope for the future." Lilly put her arm around Molly. “James and I knew and respected your brothers. We admired them both. We mourned a great loss.” Fred toddled over to where the mothers were sitting, pulled at Molly's robes, and asked, "Do dey have duce..." George came over and finished, "at dis pahty?" Lily picked up Harry and Molly picked up Ronnie and they said in unison, "Juice and biscuits, too." They and the twins joined the older boys and Arthur and James in the room with the food and a big Christmas tree. Each Mum handed a baby son to his father. Lily poured two small cups of pumpkin juice and put them on a small table with two chairs. "I'll chose your biscuits," added Molly with a smile. "Come on Fred and George... Here is a little table just your size." Lily and Molly sat down by their husbands. "We wanted to invite all of our friends with children but Andromeda and Ted Tonks had to go to his parents. Muggles celebrate New Years about the same way we do. I think their little Nymphadora is about Charlie's age." James helped himself to some mead and poured a glass for Lily. "Would you like mead, Molly?" "No thank you, James. I'll just share some pumpkin juice with Ronnie," replied Molly with a wink at Lily. "Arthur and I have a bun in the oven." Arthur grinned from ear to ear as James smiled at the news and poured her a pumpkin juice. "Alice and Frank Longbottom have a boy just a day older than Harry and we hoped they would be able to come as well but Augusta Longbottom always has her New Year Open House in the afternoon, so they had to be there," remarked James to Arthur. "Neville will be in the same class as Ronnie and Harry at Hogwarts so we want to get all three of them together soon." Fred and George suddenly appeared by Arthur. "Aw done!" said Fred. "Doe pay toys!" said George and disappeared through the door. Lily called out, "Binky, could you watch George and his brother?" A house elf in a white uniform appeared and said, "Yes Miz Lily." She popped into the room with the toys. Molly was impressed. "Of course you'd need a house elf with such a big house." Lily looked a bit embarrassed. "This is where the Potters have always lived. We call this the Big House since there are all sorts of outbuildings. The first Potter really was a maker of pots and dishes. We still have very fine clay on the property and have a studio and kiln. The house elves make many of the dishes and vases we use. It took me a while to get used to five house elves. Remember, I am Muggle-born." "May we go help Binky with the twins?" asked Bill. "And show them the proper way to use some of Harry's toys," added Charlie. " Maybe I can find some books to read," chimed in Percy. The three older boys went back into the lounge. "What a lovely family you have," said James with a smile at Lily. "Two or three years between each child, except the twins, of course. Lily and I have been thinking of adding to our family in another year." Lily smiled back at him and said, "Molly is hoping for a girl this time, but the Weasleys are almost always boys." "Maybe the seventh child will be our lucky one," commented Molly with a thoughtful expression. " She'll be a year behind Ronnie and Harry but will be with them at Hogwarts for six years. I hope they will all be close." "No matchmaking before she's even born, Mollywobbles!" said Arthur, only half in jest. James and Lily both laughed at Molly's blush. "Our Harry may already have a girlfriend before he has a tooth in his head. He’s quite the ladies' man already. Just like his father before him," said Lily winking at James. Harry began to fuss and she said, " I'd better feed him before he gets louder." Molly looked at Ronnie with a practiced eye. "And I'd better change this young man. Juice goes right straight through him." Arthur and James both rose and headed for the door to the lounge while Lily and Molly took their babies to feed and change them. . "We'll see you when the boys are fed and dry. I would like a look at those toys myself," Arthur said as he rubbed his hands together. "Are any of them Muggle toys, maybe a rubber ducky?" Harry nursed vigorously while Molly changed Ronnie's nappie. "I suppose that Ronnie will be toilet trained by the time your little girl comes. I'll bet you are already thinking of names for her. As I recall, you fancied romantic names." mused Lily. "Yes," nodded Molly. " I have a book of baby names. I thought Guinevere sounded nice with Weasley before Ronnie was born but Bill and Charlie teased me that they would call her 'Gwen, the hen', so I dropped that name. My book says that Guinevere in Italian is Ginevra. That goes well with Weasley, doesn't it? Oh, listen to me nattering on about names when I'm only six weeks along. This has been such a treat visiting with you but we'd better get started home before our youngest three fall asleep." "Just let me burp and change Harry and put him in his cot. I'll be right along to say good-bye," said Lily holding a sleeping Harry over her shoulder. "Go join the men. I'll be there soon." Molly carried Ronnie into the lounge where he immediately wiggled to be put down by his brothers and Harry's toys. Arthur joined her and whispered in her ear. "James wants each of the boys to take one of the toys his mates gave Harry for Christmas. What do you think?" Molly thought for a minute and finally said, "I guess this one time, but I don't want them to expect new toys every time we visit here." Arthur nodded to James who immediately said, "Listen boys, Harry is far too young for some of the books and toys that his honorary uncles gave him, so I want each of you to chose one to take home with you." Ronnie was cuddling a teddy bear so Arthur picked him up to get him out of the way of his five brothers. The twins both tried to grab the hovering oversized snitch so James found two more still in the packaging, explaining that Harry had gotten three of them. Percy chose a book of fairly tales and Charlie clutched a dragon that breathed fire when his tail was pushed down. James noticed Bill looking a little confused and said gently, "Maybe you'd like a book of puzzles that I already have a copy of. You seem ready for the kind of things you'll learn at Hogwarts." Bill thanked him effusively and all the rest of the boys except a dozing Ronnie chimed in. Lily arrived without Harry and said, "He has never had so many boys to play with before. Promise that you'll all come the end of July for his first birthday. I hope we will see you often before then. Be safe going home." She kissed Molly and Arthur and ruffled the red hair of each of the boys except the sleeping Ronnie. "Thank you for the presents. Next time we'll bring presents instead of taking them," said Bill as he picked up Fred. The rest of the boys chorused their thanks again. Charlie held George as Molly and Percy entered the big fireplace and said, "The Burrow." Molly welcomed each of her older sons and dear Arthur holding the sleeping Ronnie clutching his teddy bear. "Oh, that was nice at the Potters, but I could use a nap myself," she said yawning widely. "Come on Arthur. We can drop Ronnie off in his room. All the rest of you nap or play quietly. Dinner will be at six." Arthur smiled broadly. “Your wish is my command, beautiful Molly.”
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