Let's Try Again

Chapter 17: 2001

The Burrow - January 6, 2001

Bill Weasley slowly walked up the cobble stone path on his way up to his childhood home. He had been working weekends so that he would be able to finish out his contract a little early. He had wanted to be able to come home and visit with his brothers before they had to go back to school at the end of the weekend. Knocking on the door, he heard his father call out that the door was open and to come on in.

"Bill! You're home?" The twins and Percy all shouted happily when he walked through the door. Getting up, they all ran over to hug him.

"Bill. What brings you home early. I thought your apprenticeship didn't finish up till next weekend?" Arthur asked, hugging his son once the younger boys were out of the way.

"He must have finally come to his senses and realized that that was no type of life for him." Molly was excited that Bill had left the bank early, it would break his contract.

"No, mother." It took everything Bill had to call the harpy mother, he hated this woman for what she had done to his fathers. "I worked a few weekends so that I could finish up my contract a little early so I could be here before the boys went back to school."

"So, how have you liked the past 2 years with the bank? Do you like the job?" Arthur asked as the twins and Percy made room so that Bill could sit down for lunch.

"I love it. It's been completely amazing." Bill said, his eyes shining with joy as he thought of everything that he had done in the past two years. "I can't even begin to describe what it's been like."

Before Bill could continue, Ron and Ginny shuffled into the kitchen, sat down, and started eating. Bill raised an eyebrow at the fact it was lunch time and they had just gotten up. They didn't even notice that their elder brother was home.

"Just getting up?" Bill asked. Ron and Ginny looked up and were surprised to see him there.

"What are you doing here?" Ron questioned.

"Did you bring me presents?" Ginny wanted to know.

"They're still young Bill, they need there sleep. You remember what it's like." Molly was fussing around the youngest children.

"I remember that I was expected to be up at a decent time starting by the age of 7. Ron will be starting at Hogwarts in the fall. He is going to have to get up for morning classes, or he will fail." Bill said. He knew from everything he had heard from Charlie and the letters from the twins and Percy that it was a losing battle, but he had to try. Molly just waved him away.

"So." Arthur said. He frowned at Molly for continuing to baby the kids. "What will you be doing now. Or can you not tell us?"

"It's fine. I am currently between contracts so I can talk, just not in specifics. I've actually been offered the chance to lead my own team at a new dig site in Egypt."

"Lead your own team, already? Shouldn't it take longer." Arthur asked.

"Normally, it would. But Remus and the rest of our team gave me some great reviews, so I'm being given a chance sooner than normal." Bill said with a smile.

"How is Remus doing? I heard about some knew potion that could help him?" Arthur was glad that Bill was so happy. He had known that Remus would do well with Bill.

Bill grabbed another sandwich. "Remus is great. That potion that Professor Snape created has worked wonders." Bill knew that he had to refer to Severus impersonally, they didn't want anyone to know that he Remus, Sirius, and Sebastian were on the same team. "He told me that he has never felt better. There isn't any pain in his shifting, and he can even change at will. I've been around when he's shifted. Charlie made him do it while he was visiting so that he could get a good look at him. Remus thought Charlie's obsession with creatures was funny so he allowed himself to be examined for over an hour.