The Contract

Chapter 59

By the time Bill and the family got back to the tent they were staying in, he was almost breathing fire like Charlie's dragons. He was absolutely furious, which drowned out his utter embarrassment of the scene his family caused. First time they'd visited him and what did they do? Humiliate him?

"Don't say something you'll regret," Charlie murmured, squeezing his brothers' shoulder in solidity and comfort. As they stood at the front of the tent, grimacing at the sight of their father twiddling with his hat clearly anxious. His poor father didn't do well with confrontation, never mind family spats.

Bill threw him an incredulous look, given all they had just heard.

When both his brother and Bill entered the tent, Molly was cleaning up the kitchen making a hot brew. Arthur was sitting patiently at the table, hat on the next chair. Ron sitting morosely in the seat next to the unlit fireplace with the twins goading him and Ginny? Ginny was whining to their mother.

"He can't marry her, can he? You won't allow it mummy, will you?" Ginny prattled on. "He's meant to marry me..."

"Meant?" Bill asked curtly, staring at his family, barely concealing his rage from them all. Percy was in his 'bedroom' clearly visible over the red see through partition, reading looking for all the world that he didn't want to be anywhere near any of them. Percy had reached the stage Bill and Charlie had...just a little earlier. "One person doesn't belong to another!"

"Oh, hush, Bill, she's got a little crush that's all," Molly said, "I do wish you'd let me cut your hair a little...it's getting too long...like your brothers..."

"Are you serious right now? You got into a scene in the middle of a market with a Sheikh! Not only that but he's number three of the list of most influential and powerful Arabs! He has more money than we will see in a lifetime!" Bill argued, unable to believe that his mother would brush it off. "Both of you!" he worked for an Arab, doing the dig, if this Sheikh wanted to, he'd be out of a bloody job. "Bloody hell I could lose my job!"

Arthur was sitting staring at the table cringing as if they were roaring at one another.

"Then you can come home," Molly said brightly, "Find a job at the Ministry with your father!" she didn't like her children being so far away from her, seeing them only when they came home or she could afford to come to them.

"Is that what you tried to do with my boss?" Charlie pointed out aghast, staring wide eyed at his mother...surely, she wouldn't.

"No, of course not," her reply was too quick, too defensive.

"Bloody hell," Charlie grappled with the realization that his mother, his own mother, had tried to ensure he lost a good, honest, hardworking, well paying job. One he had worked so very hard to get, to ensure he kept. Going hungry more days than most because the pay during his internship had been shit. He could have been knocked over with a feather.

"Dad..." Bill ground out through gritted teeth, "You got anything you want to add?" both elder Weasleys' were stunned, so very nearly speechless.

"You heard your mum, it's not what happened," Arthur tried to soothe tensions. "Come now boys, let's not ruin the holiday...hmm...it's been so long since we were all together." Begging with his eyes for them to just listen to him, he just wanted his whole family together before marriages, babies and everything else that was sure to happen soon enough. His boys were handsome, even he wasn't blind to that, just like his father actually. Septimus had been quite a looker too. His brothers as well, he'd been...the unfortunate looking one - in his opinion - with the oddest of hobbies too.

"Ruin the holiday?" Bill's voice rose incredulously. "I guess my job doesn't matter?!" so long as their bloody holiday wasn't ruined.

"I'm sure the wizard has already forgotten the confrontation," Arthur placated, "He's probably continuing to enjoy his holiday as we should. Let us not borrow or invite trouble."