Weasley Family Fallout

Chapter 22: A Drunken Mistake

A Drunken Mistake

Arthur didn't have to be told which bar he and his brothers were going to. From the moment he graduated Hogwarts until he was twenty-six years old, Arthur would go out on the weekend with Trenton and Bilius to the same bar, The Paramount. At first, he only went once a month, but over the years, it gradually became more frequent until it was every weekend. It wasn't until Percy was born that he stopped going out with his older brothers. He and Molly needed the extra money and she needed help with the kids at night. Another reason he stopped was because Molly was becoming concerned with how much he was drinking. She saw how Arthur's brothers were and saw the path they were headed down and didn't want her husband going the same way. Of course, Molly was right; Bilius never settled down and practically drank himself to death in 1989, and Trenton, even though he married and had four sons, continued going to the bar with Bilius every weekend. Since Neil's divorce seven years ago, Trenton had recruited his younger brother.

As he entered The Paramount, Arthur noticed it hadn't changed much. There was a live band and a moderately-sized dance floor. The bar ran the length of the wall opposite the stage, and tables and booths were spread on the outskirts of the dance floor. It had never been like a typical bar. The proprietors wanted to appeal to a younger crowd without turning into a nightclub and losing their older clientele.

Even though he spotted his brothers right away, Arthur made his way to the single-occupant restroom first. Before starting the night, he needed to clear his head. He leaned over the small sink and splashed some cool water on his face in an attempt to reenergize himself. As he dried his face with a rough, brown paper towel, Arthur couldn't help but think about what his wife had said before he disapparated. You need to sort yourself out first, echoed through his head. How could he sort himself out if he didn't know what was wrong? And she couldn't possibly think he could do it on his own if he ever did figure out what the problem was. Right now, it looked like he would have to wait for it to blow over like it did all the other times...Little did he know that it wouldn't just blow over this time. Pulling out his wand, Arthur cast a weak Cheering Charm on himself before meeting his brothers at the bar. He knew what could happen if it was used too much, so the only times he ever used a Cheering Charm was when he couldn't keep up a façade when he needed to.

"It's about time!" Trenton exclaimed as Arthur approached. "We were about to get started without you."

"Oh no," Arthur muttered as he took his place between Trenton and Neil. Three glasses containing several ounces of green liquid sat in front of them on the counter. It had to have been twenty years since Arthur drank absinthe.

"Ohh, yes," Trenton replied with an evil grin. "Cheers, boys!" he exclaimed, clinking his glass on the other two.

"So, Arthur, what's going on with you and Molly?" Neil asked after his first sip. "I'm not stupid. The two of you hardly even looked at each other tonight."

"I'd rather not talk about it," Arthur replied. Why did it seem like his brothers always wanted to be in his business?

Not giving up, Neil guessed, "You two got a divorce recently." As an answer, Arthur showed the forty-four year old the wedding band still on his left hand. "Separated then," he stated next. The way Arthur tensed was answer enough. "Sorry to hear that, mate," he genuinely apologized, patting Arthur on the shoulder. "Can we get three shots of vodka over here?" Neil called to the bartender even though all three of them were still working on their first drink.

Over the next twenty minutes, The Paramount quickly became more lively and crowded. Arthur didn't think anything about it when Trenton disappeared to the bathroom, but then he came back with three beautiful thirty-something year olds.