Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Family Matters (Percy Weasley)

This was requested by booklover311921. I kind of ran with your request and it turned out ... angsty to say the least. So a quick warning, this isn't my usual level of fluff and it's certianly more grown up than some of the others (in an emotional/situational sense) but I hope you all like it nonetheless ~

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Maybe everyone had been right. I hated to admit when I was wrong, I loathed it so much that my own stubbornness would stop me from ever saying the words aloud, but everyone had been right. When I'd left school, freshly engaged and looking to get married within the year, everyone said to wait. They said that the years outside of Hogwarts made or broke a couple and that I was rushing headfirst into a decision that I would regret. Did I regret it now?

Ten years on and with two beautiful children – did I regret it? I didn't regret them; Rowena, I could never regret them. But the truth was, deep down – as deep inside me as I could go – I did regret marrying Percy so soon. At the end of the day, I had been wrong and everyone else had been right.

My pride, always my worst enemy, stopped me from reaching out to anyone with the truth of my marriage. I'd wanted, more than anything, to prove to everyone else that I knew what I'd gotten myself into but good Merlin, what did a 19 year old know about marriage? I'd stuck through Percy's side regardless during those rough early years as he struggled with work and with his family problems. For a short couple of years, with the birth of our daughters, it seemed like life was finally beginning to work out – everything was as easy as it had been whilst we dated at school, even if there were now two other more important people involved in our relationship. But that peace had been short-lived.

I loved my daughters, more than I loved myself and more than I loved my husband but they made this a lot harder. Knowing that their listening ears – especially Molly's listening ears were around – made having an honest conversation too difficult. I just wanted someone I could talk to about all of this.

"Mum!" Molly, my eldest, called out from the dining room where I'd left my daughters to finish their dinner whilst I lost myself in my thoughts.

Left with no more reprieve, I walked out of the kitchen to the dining table where both girls were sat, partway through their dinner. Approaching the table, I cast a glance at the clock before taking my seat. Looking curiously at Molly, my eyes skimmed right past the chair that hadn't been filled even once during dinner this week. We'd promised, the moment the first pregnancy test had come back positive that work would never become more important than family and that dinner at least would be a meal we all shared. Did Percy even remember? Or had his work overtaken our daughters in importance? Merlin knew his work had long become more important to him than I was.

"I was thinking about my birthday," Molly started eagerly, spearing a carrot with her fork and putting it into her mouth. I listened half-heartedly as she rattled off a long list of things she wanted to do for her upcoming seventh birthday as I cut Lucy's sausages into more manageable sized chunks. Silently, I looked once more back to the clock, barely about to hold back my sigh.

"Your birthday's in six months," I reminded Molly steadily, as both girls finally finished their dinner. They jumped off from their chairs with Molly helping her younger sister down as I collated their empty plates. Frowning, but trailing obediently after me, Molly listened as I rationalised, "We both know you're going to change your mind about what you want. So why don't we talk about this closer to the time?"

"Ok," she said, frowning still.

But, when I summoned the step stool in front of the sink, she slipped right out of sulking and into older sister mode. Helping Lucy up onto the step, Molly kept a close eye on her sister as she washed her hands and face. Then, grabbing a tea towel, she helped Lucy dry herself before finally washing her own hands and face. Watching them both with a proud smile, I knew then without a trace of doubt that they were the reason for it all, the reason I was still here in this house.