Weasley Family Fallout

Chapter 33: Halloween

The Burrow had been decorated for Halloween as it usually was this time of year. Pumpkins sat around the house and garden, some waiting to be carved into jack-o-lanterns. Spider webs were strewn about, minus the spiders since Ron was home. Fake bones protruded from the ground. Dozens of bats flew overhead outside. Vibrant reds and oranges filled the usually-green countryside.

Molly hadn't felt much like decorating, but it gave her something to do and was a good way to occupy her mind. Not to mention, the Burrow had quite the reputation for the most frightening house within miles of Ottery St. Catchpole on Halloween. Its normal lopsided appearance added to the "haunted house" look. Some well-placed lighting and the ghoul moved into the garden only increased the scare factor. Kids from the nearby village and other outlying houses always made sure to come by on Halloween night.

Not only were the kids excited it was Halloween, but Molly was especially glad it was Halloween. Well, she would have been glad if it was any other day, just as long as October 30th was over. The previous day had been her birthday, but it didn't feel right without Arthur.

That Friday morning, Molly had woken to the alarm ringing and wondered why it was going off when Arthur always woke up early, turned her alarm off, and brought up a special breakfast on her birthday. (Arthur never could cook a thing to save his life, but breakfast was the one thing he could manage, seeing as he had taken up the responsibility during each of Molly's pregnancies.) After breakfast in bed, Arthur would sweep her away for a day filled with adventure and surprises.

Molly looked over at Arthur's untouched side of the bed. It only took her a second to remember why he wasn't there. Not ready to get up yet, she pulled the long sleeves of Arthur's shirt she had commandeered over her hands and hugged his pillow tightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in her husband's scent and imagining for a moment that he was right there next to her. Sure, she was still upset with him and didn't really want to see him until he had gotten serious, but that didn't mean she didn't miss him terribly.

Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open. Her sons, plus Harry, carried in a breakfast buffet while singing "Happy Birthday." The boys sat around with Molly while she ate, but it wasn't long before they each departed for their jobs and Auror training. Charlie, however, had taken the day off to spend with her.

Even though Charlie was there, Molly wished Arthur would send her something or perhaps show up out of nowhere and surprise her, finally ready to make things right. She knew that was wishful thinking; it had only been wo weeks since the catastrophe of Percy's wedding and her being overly harsh on Arthur, but she thought that might be what would finally set him straight.

After much procrastination from Molly, Charlie got her out of the house and took her to lunch. George met them in Diagon Alley that afternoon and let Molly buy whatever she wanted. Then, that night when they returned to the Burrow, the boys had invited some close friends and bought their mum a cake. While it was a nice gesture, Molly wasn't much in the mood for a birthday party. With her family and friends around, she felt obligated to be happy, so she pretended.

That was why Molly was glad her birthday was over. With it being Saturday and Halloween, it was that much better because that meant it would be easier to distract herself and she would have plenty of company.

It was mid-morning and Molly was busy baking fresh Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes for trick-or-treaters when Conner came in through the back door. He had been coming over so much they had agreed several weeks ago that he didn't have to knock anymore if Molly was expecting him. Since the revelation brought on by Arthur, they had cut down on the time they spent together substantially, but figured once or twice a week wouldn't hurt.