Chapter 2 “ Chattings about Children
Molly found Maeve in a compartment with Shane, as well with a sixth year boy with thick straw-colored hair who she recognized as one of Arthur Weasley’s friends, but did not know by name. She smiled politely at him and sat down. It had started to rain heavily, and water was lashing against the windows.
“The weather’s absolutely dreadful, isn’t it?” said Maeve.
“Yes, horrible,” said Molly inattentively; she was busy eyeing Shane with disgust.
“So how’s that darling little house elf of yours doing?” Maeve asked.
Molly threw her a glare, nodding her head in the direction of the other boy in the compartment.
“You have a house-elf, Molly? I’ve always wanted one “ it’d be great to just sit around while a little servant happily does all your chores.”
“I believe that’s called laziness…” Molly replied dryly. “And, no “ I don’t have a house-elf. Maeve here thinks she’s being funny.”
Then there was a knock on the compartment door, and Arthur popped his head in. Behind him, Molly could see a tall dark-haired boy with two small beady-eyes. Maeve tried to stifle her laugh; she did very poorly.
“Oh, hello Molly! I was “ah “ looking for Sturgis…” he looked at the blonde boy in the corner. “There you are.”
Molly heard Maeve muttering under her breath ““Sturgis “ yeah, that’s who he was looking for.”
“Come on in Arthur, Alastor. There’s plenty of room,” said Shane. Maeve’s mouth dropped open in shock“ as though Shane had done something utterly appalling.
“You’re friends with Arthur?” Molly asked Shane, surprised.
“Yeah of course, in Gryffindor together aren’t we? We’re good friends “ known him since before we came to Hogwarts. Isn’t that right Weasley?”
Arthur winked at him. After this, Molly became much warmer towards Shane.
“So, the weather’s mad, isn’t it?” Arthur said, looking at Molly.
“It hasn’t rained this bad all summer,” said the beady-eyed boy in a growl-like voice.
“You know Molly, Muggles use things called ‘umbello’s’ to stop from getting wet in the rain. They’re like fabric shields on metal sticks they hold over their heads. The rain runs off the sides.”
Molly smiled politely, wondering why on earth he was telling her this. Seeing the patronizing way Maeve was looking at Arthur though, she decided to continue the subject of ‘umbello’s as though she found it fascinating.
“That sounds quite silly, it probably looks ridiculous“ if only they knew about water-repelling charms,” she said laughing.
“Well, you have to hand it to them “ managing to live without magic all these years…”
Alastor, the beady-eyed boy just grunted, in what Molly assumed to be agreement. Sturgis just looked at Arthur, shaking his head in disbelief. He threw a meaningful glance at Shane, who seemed to catch on to whatever hint Sturgis was giving him.
“So, Molly,” he asked casually. “Seeing anyone?”
“Oh…no,” she said blushing slightly “ nothing compared to Arthur’s cheeks, which had turned bright red.
“Interested in anyone?” Shane asked.
“No, not really,” she said uncomfortably.
“How about you, Arthur “ are you interested in anyone?” Maeve asked.
Molly sighed; though she was her best friend, Maeve could be cruel sometimes.
“I might have someone in mind,” he mumbled, trying his best not to look at Molly, but unable to prevent himself to glance at her from the corner of his eye.
“So…how was everyone’s summer?” Molly asked brightly, hoping to steer everyone from the subject.
“I had a nasty Niffler attack,” Alastor grunted.
Needless to say, the conversation headed in quite the opposite direction for the rest of journey.
When they got off the train to head for the carriages, while Maeve shrieked trying to dodge the bullets of rain, Arthur offered to perform a ‘water-repelling charm’ on Molly.
“No, its fine “ I won’t bother, it’s just a bit of rain.”
“Oh, all right then.”
“Thanks, anway.”
By the time they arrived in the Great Hall, most of the student’s were near-drenched. The caretaker, Apollyon Pringle, was muttering furiously under his breath as he attempted to clean the mud stains from the floor. The students eventually settled down in their seats, anxiously awaiting the sorting so they could begin the feast.
Then, Professor Dumbledore, the Transfiguration teacher and deputy headmaster, came in to the Great Hall, followed by a line of tiny, soaked first years. He placed the sorting hat on a stool in the center of the front of the hall. Some of the younger student’s craned their necks to watch the hat; the older students “ who had grown accustomed to the singing hat and were no longer interested by it “ turned to one another to chat quietly.
“Aren’t they adorable?” said Molly, looking at the first years.
“They’re probably a group of right little snots,” said Maeve.
“I don’t know, Maeve,” said Arthur. “I love kids, think they’re great.”
Maeve threw a mischevious glance at Molly.
“Really?” she said, feigning interest. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to get married and have a whole load of kids, then…”
“Oh, yes “ definitely. I want seven.”
“Seven?” asked Maeve, astounded.
“Seven children?” asked Sturgis, trying to make sure he had heard Arthur right.
“How do you plan to afford a family that large, mate?” asked Shane.
“Money isn’t everything,” said Arthur shyly. “There are definitely things that are more important.”
Molly was impressed “ this wasn’t something you heard everyday, especially from a fifteen-year-old boy.
“You’re truly one-in-a-million, Arthur,” she said, smiling softly causing Arthur to blush; Maeve just looked at her best friend, amazed.
They sat through a rather boring sorting, ( ‘Black, Narcissa “ SLYTHERIN!’ “ all the way through ‘Vance, Emmeline “ GRYFFINDOR!’), enjoyed an excellent feast, and then, Arthur and Molly called the first years around them to show them to the common room, giving them the password (‘cherry blossom).
“Well, I’m exhausted,” said Molly. “I think I’ll go to bed “ night, Arthur!”
“Good night, Molly,” he said before going up to his own dorm and collapsing on his bed, Molly’s words echoing happily in his head:
“You’re truly one-in-a-million, Arthur…”