Weasley Family Fallout

Chapter 42: It Started Out As A Good Day

On the morning of February sixth, a thin blanket of snow covered the countryside surrounding the Burrow and a fire in the fireplace warmed the couple snuggled together under a quilt on the sofa.

Molly snuggled further into her husband and looked up at him. "So, Birthday Boy, is there anything you want to do today?"

"No."

"No?"

"No," Arthur repeated.

"Are you sure? Since it's your birthday, we can do just about anything you want."

"I already have everything I could ever want. I'm home, with you, and the kids don't all hate me anymore. What more could I ask for?"

"Well, I thought we should do a little something since today is a special day."

"The kids are coming over for dinner and cake, aren't they?"

"Yes."

He smiled. "Well, there you have it."

Molly stopped asking him if there was anything he wanted to do. For the next little while, they enjoyed spending time in each other's company, Arthur relishing it more than anything.

The peaceful silence ended when Molly made a suggestion.

"I thought we might try this Muggle thing Hermione told me about over the Christmas holidays. It sounds interesting. It's like our photographs, but two hours long with sound and tells a story – a – a cine-something."

This piqued Arthur's interest. Eyebrows raised, he asked, "A cinema?"

"I believe so."

"I've wanted to go there before, but you were never interested. What changed your mind?"

"Well, the way Hermione described it – and it is your birthday, so..." she trailed off with a shrug.

She pulled out a copy of that day's Muggle London Times newspaper that Harry had brought over first thing that morning and already had it open to the page with the film listings. After browsing and reading each summary, they agreed on a midafternoon showing of Shakespeare in Love so they would be back in time for dinner with the kids.

oOoOo

Going to the cinema was an exciting experience not only for Arthur, but for Molly as well, from the amount of Muggles in the lobby and the smell of popcorn filling the air to the small, red lights lining the walkways in the auditorium and the massive screen the film was projected on. If it wasn't for the incredible Muggle technology, Arthur probably would have fallen asleep during the first half of the film though because it was a bit slow for his liking. Molly, on the other hand, was absolutely captivated by it from start to finish.

When the film was over, Arthur Apparated them into the Burrow's kitchen. The house was rather quiet, but that was expected since the kids weren't due for another hour or so. What he didn't realize was that the kids, minus Ginny and Hermione, were already there, along with other relatives and friends, or that the kitchen table and counters were covered with platters of food, pitchers of beverages, and a massive birthday cake all hidden by Disillusionment Charms.

"What did you think?" Molly asked him, standing on tiptoes and placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

His eyes lit up. "Absolutely brilliant! I have to find out what they use to make those and get one for myself so I can figure out how they managed to do that. Those Muggles, they never cease to amaze me! It's incredible what they can come up with. You know, from what I've heard, they've been making films for decades! All we have are moving photographs, and we have magic! Just how they can accomplish –" He stopped abruptly when he noticed Molly watching him with a mixture of amusement and contentedness. Usually when he went off blabbering about Muggles and Muggle technology, she would be rather annoyed. He blinked at her. "What?"