At the Burrow

[thecoolone]

They walk down the lane leading to the house; it's always amused Bill so very highly that Muggles don't know the place is there. After all, it's a four-storey building with a very loud ghoul in the attic. Fleur's hand held tightly in his, he pushes open the front door.

A virtual marketplace of smells hits him, and he knows Mum's been cooking. They step in, into the kitchen with its overflowing shelves. A knife is busy dicing potatoes in one corner and a brush scrubs a pot in another. The oven is hot; some sort of roast is cooking there and it smells simply divine: spicy and succulent and Bill realises that no matter how excellent the food at the bar, the emotional component of the phrase eating at home is one he always underestimates. He gives Fleur's hand a squeeze, smiling.

"Mum, Dad, surprise..."

He feels Fleur move behind him just a little bit as the door opens and Molly bustles in, a cooking rag in her hands and an apron over her clothing. "Bill! I saw the clock hands change... it's been so long!" She hugs him fiercely before standing back and taking in the situation.

"...and Fleur. How lovely to see you."

Air kisses all around.

As mums worldwide are wont to do, she brushes the hair back from her son's face and Bill knows she's doing a mental calculation on how much of his hair she can cut, or ask him to cut, before she treads into dangerous territory. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming! Arthur's out in the shed disassembling a Muggle alarm clock... oh, dear, it's good to see you!"

Bill just grins and takes Fleur's hand into his again. He knows he only wants to make the announcement once. "Shall I go let Dad know we're here?"

Comments

[leplusbeau]

*Fleur is clutching at his hand.*

Please.

*She wants to be anywhere else but with the Weasleys right now. Maybe it would be better if she went to the bathroom and Bill told them? Yes, that would work. She could go upstairs and listen for the yelling to stop. They won't kill Bill; he's the eldest! It would be bad luck on their house.*

*She turns her head and gives Bill a look meant to convey exactly all her thoughts though the power of marriage telepathy.*

[thecoolone]

Is that... desperation in your eyes, my love? He moves his hand to her thigh and gives a small squeeze, hopefully a gesture of reassurance.

It will be fine.

He pours Fleur a glass of lemonade first, then one for his mum, his dad, and finally, himself. He lifts his glass, hand still on Fleur's leg

(no, she's not going anywhere)

and smiles. "Here's to family. Mum, Dad... we have something to share with you."

Sometimes, things happen out of turn, or in a blur, and memory doesn't do justice to the sequence. Other times, things are just laughable in their absurdity.

With a synchronicity born from years and years of marriage, both his parents speak at the same time. Arthur, looking hopeful, asks "You're coming back to stay?" and Molly blurts out "Bill, you've not got her into... well, trouble, have you?"

Setting down his lemonade, Bill laughs; his arm moves from Fleur's thigh to her shoulder.

"No, neither of those. We're married, Mum, Dad. We got married. We wanted to let you know straight away."

(Silence.)

[leplusbeau]

*Fleur bites down on her comment to Molly. Being rude to your mother-in-law in less then ten seconds after that little announcement will not start things on a good foot.*

...surprise?

*She smiles as brightly as she can.*

*Molly stares at Bill for a long moment. Her eyes swing over to Fleur, and she lets out a little choked sound. Arthur hands her a handkerchief, and Molly quickly covers her mouth and scrubs at her damp cheeks.*

*Fleur turns her head to watch the wall. And pretends not to be upset.*

[thecoolone]

Bill waits for a little bit, just watching and listening, before he bursts into laughter.

That might just be nerves.

"So, Mum, Dad. Do you want to hear about it?" He lets his arm tighten around Fleur's shoulder, holding her close, stroking her hair. "Or not, either way's fine. Thought you might want to know."

There's another moment where Molly simply sniffles into the hankie and Arthur watches her indulgently.

"It's a bit of a surprise," Bill's dad says, finally, but his eyes are a bit shinier than usual. "First in the family and all, Bill. Congratulations to the both of you."

Bill watches as his father digs his elbow into Mum's side and hears him whisper, "Right, Molly?"

Molly, however, is still buried in the handkerchief.

Bill shrugs. "I think we should have a party. Let me and Fleur plan it, Mum?"

It's a statement designed to distract Molly and it was done with the purest of intention... and it works.

"Party?" Her voice is a little bit higher than normal. Well, a lot higher, actually. "Party? To celebrate the engagement?"

"Their marriage," Arthurs nudges quietly, but Molly's having none of it; she shoots him one of her most dangerous looks. "Let's hear all about this... wedding of yours."

Bill can hear what she's left unsaid so very clearly: to which we were not invited.

[leplusbeau]

*Fleur has decided to look at her lap instead of the wall.*

My family was not invited. It waz not planned. Very sudden, you see. He gave me thiz. *She offers her hand to both parents to try and show them her lovely wedding band. Arthur looks and smiles. Molly pulses her lips.*





...I am not pregnant. *She tries to be helpful.*

[thecoolone]

He's not trying to step on any toes and he's certainly not trying to be macho about it, but Bill sits up now and takes over simply because this is his home and these are his parents and this is his element and he's more comfortable here than Fleur.

The first thing he does is turn to the side, kissing Fleur on the cheek. "Of course you're not. And remember, Fleur: I love you."

He looks next at his parents and launches into explanation: about how they'd got engaged and were on their way to the Burrow to share the news when they found themselves in Las Vegas instead ("it's magic, don't ask") and how Fleur had hit the jackpot, and how, on the spur of the moment, they'd decided to get married and how right it felt. He reaches into their travel sack and pulls out the book of photos, turning it upside down to show them. He turns first to the picture of Fleur in her most beautiful gown.

"Isn't she so lovely, Mum, Dad? Now, how could I resist that?" Bill grins over at his parents and, much to his relief, there's a little softening in his mum's expression; Molly runs her fingers over the photograph, turning the page.

She dabs her eyes again with the handkerchief. "Oh, Bill: who helped you pick that tuxedo? You look so handsome!" Molly glances over at Fleur, her face a question.

[leplusbeau]

*Fleur...really wants a cigarette right now. But she is sure Molly still thinks she is P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T, and that would make her look even worse then a son stealing french whatsit.*

...non, he really picked it out himself. He iz not juste a pretty face, you know.

*A light touch to Bill's cheek.*

He iz good at almost everything he doez. Well, except pick furniture. He nevah haz been good at that.

*When she remembers that she is in the middle of her husband's mother's kitchen and talking about the furniture they bought together and thinking of bedsheets and things and...She smiles ever so slightly. Arthur seems amused. Molly--er. Fleur smiles a little more.*

[thecoolone]

With a laugh, Bill rests his arm around Fleur's shoulder. "So, Mum. Dad. Want to hear about the rest of our trip there?" He's very sketchy on some details, like where they've been living and staying before the lure of Nevada, although he's relatively sure that Dumbledore sent word to his parents that he was safe. But since Molly doesn't object and he knows his dad is enchanted to pieces by all things Muggle, so he launches into rather a lot of detail about the casinos in general and the slot machines in particular.

"You'd like them, Dad. Very fascinating."

There are pictures of their suite at Caesar's Palace, too, and he does show all that off.

There's a method to this madness: the more he tells the story, the more everybody in the room relaxes. After all, it's hard to be suspicious of a son and new daughter-in-law when there's an engaging story going on.

Then again, he doesn't talk about the lap dances or Fleur's pole dance, or the orange thigh-high boots or deciding to frame the underpants. There are some things that parents don't need to know.

When he's done regaling them, he leans over and kisses Fleur on the cheek.

"So. Here we are, and we're married, and we wanted to tell you, and..."

And that's that. The lemonade glasses are all empty.

"...and I'm going to take my very lovely bride for a little walk round outside, if that's all right with you."

It's not a bad idea: it will give his parents a chance to talk.

And it will give Fleur a chance to smoke. Without waiting, he stands and takes her hand in his, leading her towards the door. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

The last thing he sees is his mother giving a look of something -- excitement? despair? disgust? -- to his dad, but they'll work it out.

[leplusbeau]

*Fleur is already out the door and taking frantic drags on her first smoke. Down to the filter. Her hands are only shaking a little.*

*She looks up at Bill and grins. Very small grin, but a grin none the less.*

...that waz fun. We should do it more often.

[thecoolone]

He kisses both sides of her grin. "It was loads of fun, Fleur." Bill really does try to imagine how his mum has to be feeling, but that pales in comparison to the way Fleur was shaking beneath his hands when they first made their way outside. "Still, my love, I wouldn't have done this any other way. I love you, I'm thrilled we're married, and I don't give a dragon's fang what anybody else thinks, my parents included."

He means it, too.

Steal you away with me in the middle of the night. Take you somewhere without judgment, without worries, without stress.

They wander to the base of an old oak tree; Bill sits beneath and and motions for Fleur to join him. "I always feel like a child when I come back home, Fleur. We used to use this tree as a base playing tag, and growing up here was wonderful." He lets out a small sigh. "But we need a place to call our own. While we're here, we should start to look. After we tell your mum, of course."

[leplusbeau]

*helpful*

We can start tomorrow! We can go out and look! ...and spend time with your family. *That is most mumbled against her fingers as she takes her cigarette and puts it out in the grass.*

*And buries her face in his chest.* Love you.

...that would be nice. A little place with a big bed.

[thecoolone]

"Perfect."

He wraps his arms around her and looks up at the stars in the sky. It's peaceful here, and it smells like home and it feels like home, but it doesn't feel like their home. And they need their own place and he knows that as pleasant as it is at the bar, they need a place out here. They can't hide at the end of the universe forever.

"Tomorrow."

For tonight he's content to be here, to have got this announcement over with, to hold her in his arms. He knows they'll go back in eventually and be steered to separate rooms; it's his mum's way. He also knows his dad will give him an apologetic glance and shrug of his shoulders; that's his dad's way. And it's fine.

It's fine.

News like this takes a little while to sink in, and they don't need to stay here for as long as that takes. They can go to London, start looking for flats, go to Paris, tell Fleur's mum, go back to Milliways, gather up their things, and... see where life takes them.

It can't help but happen.