Say You Won't Let Go || Bill Weasley

Thirty Seven: The Calm Before

Bill and Isabelle found Molly downstairs, looking like she had been pacing around the living room while she waited for them. She rushed over to them with wide eyes and placed her hands on Isabelle's stomach gently.

"Are you pregnant?" Molly asked quickly.

Isabelle took Molly's hands in hers and pushed them away gently, shaking her head with a small frown.

"She wasn't feeling well and we just wanted to be sure, just in case." Bill said for her, rubbing Isabelle's shoulder gently.

"Oh." Molly said, her face falling a bit. "I just saw the muggle test in the bathroom and thought-"

"It was negative. I'm sorry, Molly. We didn't mean to get you excited over nothing." Isabelle said.

"It's quite alright, dear. Sit down." Molly said.

The two of them sat down on the sofa in front of the fire while Molly sent Bill into the kitchen to make her a fresh cup of tea while they talked. Molly took Isabelle's hands back in hers and squeezed them softly when Isabelle started speaking again.

"I know how badly you want grandchildren now that almost all of your kids are adults, and I'm sorry we've been putting things like the wedding on hold." Isabelle said quietly.

"Don't apologize for that." Molly said, smiling softly. "I completely understand wanting to wait until the time is right. You're both so young and have so much ahead of you, and I can only imagine how scared you must have been at the thought of having a baby right now."

"Really?"

Molly nodded. "The first war started around the time I found out I was pregnant with Bill, when I was your age, and I was terrified. But Arthur and I loved each other and we made it work, and now here I am with my grown up son and his wonderful fiancée."

"That's really sweet, Molly." Isabelle said.

"I mean it. Bill loves you so much, Isabelle, and seeing her children so happy is everything a mother can ask for." Molly said.

"He says he's fine but I know he was disappointed when I told him it was negative. I know becoming a dad would make him happy, and I hate feeling like I'm keeping him from that." Isabelle said, looking down at her lap.

"Bill understands that now isn't a good time for a baby, and that's not what you want. He would go to the end of the world to see you happy before he even thinks about himself." Molly said.

Isabelle nodded and Molly let go of her hands when she didn't say anything.

"Hold tight, I'll be right back." Molly said as she stood from the couch and left the living room.

She returned only a minute later with a photo album in her hands, similar to the one she showed her almost a year ago but much smaller.

"My family always loved to take pictures, so we had more than what could fit in the family album." Molly explained as she sat back down next to Isabelle.

"These are all of Bill?" Isabelle asked as Molly opened the album for her to see.

Molly nodded. "Everyone was quite excited when he came along so there's an excess of pictures."

Isabelle watched the moving pictures intently. They were mostly of Molly or Arthur holding him, and while most of them looked full of joy, there were a few that Isabelle noticed that managed to capture their own worry.

"He looks so small." Isabelle said.

"He was tiny. It was a bit worrying at first, actually, but he turned out alright." Molly said.