Weasley Family Fallout

Chapter 9: Hello, Old Friend

The next evening Molly was at the sink while Arthur finished showering. All day Arthur had avoided her, which was fairly easy since he had "work". In order to avoid hitting a nerve, she let him have his way. After nearly nineteen hours of letting him cool off, she decided it had been long enough. Besides, she hated going to bed when either of them were upset.

"So, since you're off tomorrow I was thinking we could all go down to the village. It would be nice to get out of the house for a while," Molly stated casually.

Arthur didn't answer and continued drying.

"And Percy wants us to meet his girlfriend, so they're coming over for dinner," she went on. "He said he would cook and have everyone over, but his flat is too small to hold all of us."

Still ignoring his wife, Arthur began pulling on his pajamas.

Molly, annoyed, turned to face her husband.

"Arthur Weasley, you have ignored me all day. Look, I'm sorry about last night. Is that what you wanted to hear?" she said fiercely.

"I could care less if you apologized. In all honesty, you had every right to be speculative, but it's the way you immediately assumed I was doing something I shouldn't." These were the first words he had spoken to her since the night before, and they were sharp.

"Well, that doesn't mean you can give me the silent treatment all day."

"When you interrupt something that is very important to me, I can," Arthur replied, walking into the bedroom as Molly followed him.

"You always talk to George -"

"It's not who I was talking to, it's who we were talking about." At these words, Molly's ferocity dissipated.

"Who were you talking about?" She paused briefly. "Fred?"

"No. Look, it doesn't matter anymore, Arthur said whilst climbing into bed, his wife doing the same.

"Will you at least tell me why I can't know?"

Arthur turned toward her and sat up on one elbow. "Because you don't want to talk about it."

"You don't know that."

"Yes. I do."

"How?" she countered.

"You told me a very long time ago," he answered before rolling back over and flicking his wand to turn the light off.

Arthur huffed in aggravation as the room filled with light once more.

"I may have changed my mind, but neither of us will know for sure unless you tell me."

Arthur sensed this conversation was beginning to turn into an argument, so he got out of bed and grabbed his pillow and wand.

"Where are you going?" Molly inquired.

"To sleep," he snapped. "I advise you to not follow me...Don't bother me in the morning either."

The house was silent, so Ron, Harry, George, and Ginny heard the steps creak before Arthur came into view. They watched quietly as he conjured a thin blanket. George and Harry moved into chairs when Arthur gestured for them to get off the couch.

"Uh...Dad?" Ginny spoke up.

"She won't stop badgering me," he grumbled.

"What did you do to get kicked out of the room?" Ron blurted. "Is she upstairs crying? I swear if you hurt her again..."