Always Together

16. The Weasley Family

Another update! Damn it, I rock, don't I?

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Chapter 16 | The Weasley Family

Mrs Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket.

"So, "she said.

"Morning, Mom," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.

"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" asked Mrs Weasley.

"Sorry, Mom, but see, we had to --"

All three of Mrs Weasley's sons were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them.

"Beds empty! No note! Car gone -- could have crashed -- out of my mind with worry - did you care? -- never, as long as I've lived -- you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy --"

"Perfect Percy," muttered Fred.

"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job --"

It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Harry and Caitlyn, who backed away.

"I'm very pleased to see you,Caitlyn and Harry, dears," she said. "Come in and have some breakfast."

She turned and walked back into the house and Harry, after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her. The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around, and Caitlyn felt it was all very homey, so good.

The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like 'Time to make tea', 'Time to feed the chickens', and 'You're late'. Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts -- It's Magic!

Mrs Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Every now and then she muttered things like, "Don't know what you were thinking of," and, "Never would have believed it."

"I don't blame you, dears," she assured Caitlyn, tipping eight or nine sausages onto her plate. Then she turned to Harry. "Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really, flying an illegal car halfway across the country -- anyone could have seen you --"

She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.

"It was cloudy, Mom!" said Fred.

"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs Weasley snapped.

"They were starving him, Mom!" said George.

"And you!" said Mr. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him.

At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.

"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Caitlyn and Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer, Harry."

"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," Fred said with a grin, but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all four plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time.