The One

It was her Uncle Ignatius who convinced Molly to accept Arthur's proposal.

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Stirring a biscuit in her tea, Molly's frustration only grew as the pale-brown liquid swirled and swirled in its porcelain cup. As she took the biscuit out, the tea continued to whirl in the confines. She chomped into her biscuit. Just like her, the tea didn't seem to know when to stop going in circles either.

It really shouldn't be this hard, Molly thought. When you loved someone, you married them. She loved Arthur. So, of course, the answer to "will you marry me?" should be yes. But when Arthur got down on one knee, Molly's tongue had turned leaden. She had wanted to say, "Yes! Yesyesyesyes…"

Yet she hadn't.

Instead, Molly told Arthur, "I need to think." Then, leaving her stunned boyfriend crouched on the ground, she had put on her cloak and slung her purse back on her wrist and left.

Now, a week later, Molly still didn't know what to do. Arthur had written her every day, begging to talk to her, but she always sent his owl back empty-clawed each time.

For the first couple days, Molly kept to herself and thought about everything. She loved Arthur. She really, really did. Yet beyond a couple dates with Timothy Abbott and that kiss she shared with Amos Diggory on a dare, Arthur was the only boy she'd ever gone steady with. Did she really know if he was who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with?

It was at times like these Molly wished she had been more like Noel. Noel had snogged almost every boy in their year (except her dear Arthur) and went out with twice as many. Molly bet Noel knew exactly what she wanted out of a man. She bet she wouldn't have any of this trouble figuring out if her answer was yes or no.

After her brooding period, Molly had told her parents. Both of them, to say the very least, were shocked and not quite pleased. Daddy never really had cared for Arthur. He thought Arthur's adorable fascination with Muggles was silly and a waste of time. While Mum, on the other hand, just worried they were a little young to be marrying.

Arthur didn't have a well-paying job yet. How were they going to afford a home? A comfortable lifestyle? Children?

Molly hadn't had an answer for her mother, which only upset her to the point of her begging Molly to say no and find an older boy who was already established in his chosen career.

Luckily for Arthur, Molly was a stubborn girl and not nearly as fearful as her mother. Even tears and threats were not enough to make Molly give up what had been and (hopefully) still was a successful, strong, three-year relationship.

Of course, her refusal to take her parents "advice" lead to an awful row. As things often did when they fought, they escalated to the point that Molly decided to pack her school trunk with a few days worth of clothes and essentials and run away to her Uncle Ignatius and Aunt Lucretia's home in London until everyone cooled off.

Even after explaining the situation to them and taking a couple more days to think things over by herself, Molly still felt she was no closer to a resolution.

Finally looking up from her teacup, she stared across the table at her aunt and uncle. "I just don't know," she said for what had to be the hundredth time. "Mum says Arthur's just a boy and I shouldn't marry him unless he matures more. Daddy thinks his fascination with Muggle things and aspirations are ridiculous and that I should break up with him and find a man who will take better care of me when we marry."

"Arthur isn't the only child, Molly. The two of you are only eighteen. I'm not surprised you're struggling so much with deciding if you should marry or not," Aunt Lucretia remarked with a sympathetic smile. Gathering up their plates and the teapot, she said, "However, if you do decide to accept Arthur's proposal, it doesn't mean you have to marry right away."

Allowing her aunt to sweep away her plate, Molly nodded. "You're right, we wouldn't have to marry next spring just because he's proposed…" she mumbled.

It was a good point, Molly admitted to herself. Just because you were engaged didn't mean you had to marry by the next year. In fact, it might be just what Molly needed. More time to decide if she really, really did want to be with Arthur for the rest of her life.

"There you are," the older woman praised. "I'll go make us some more tea," she told Molly and Uncle Ignatius.

Watching the blonde woman retreat from the room, Molly turned to her uncle. "What do you think, Uncle Ignatius?" she asked.

Bringing a hand to his beard, he stroked the coppery hair thoughtfully. "Molly," he began, "where do you imagine yourself five years from now?"

Startled by the question, Molly pursed her lips and demanded with ill-concealed irritation, "What does that matter?"

"It matters very much. Just answer me, Molly," Uncle Ignatius insisted.

Huffing in annoyance, she crossed her arms and shifted her gaze to the clutter of pictures that sat proudly on the sideboard table against the opposing wall. Many of them were of Aunt Lucretia and Uncle Ignatius. Without children using up all their time and money, the two often chose to travel to many far off places.

Uncle Ignatius was especially fascinated by South America, Peru in particular. He and Aunt Lucretia had visited the ruins of the Incas at least four times in the last ten years. Since it was a favorite destination of Uncle Ignatius's, nearly half of all the photos of him and Lucretia featured Peru and Inca ruins in the backgrounds.

Molly knew that she'd never have such a carefree life. As an older sister, it would always be her job to look out for her brothers, and given how troublesome Fabian and Gideon were, even if she never had children (which was mad to imagine, because Molly always wanted a little boy and a little girl), they would still be keeping Molly on her toes. She would forever be running after them, making sure they took care of themselves and stayed out of danger.

However, even though one might think that children had no place in her aunt and uncle's lives from the photos of them as a couple, the other third of the pictures they had proved such a theory wrong. Most of them were made up of Molly, her brothers, and Aunt Lucretia's nephews, Regulus and Sirius.

Molly didn't see much of Regulus and Sirius, but they were both a decade younger than herself. For most of their early childhood, she was away at Hogwarts. Now that they were older, the fact they were two little boys kept them from bonding with her since they were far more fascinated by Fabian and Gideon. Molly didn't blame them. Her brothers were practically living jesters in some ways. For a seven and six-year-old, they had to be the most exciting people they'd ever met. From what Molly had seen and been told, Sirius was especially fond of the duo and loved to hear stories about their antics.

As a self-professed homebody and lover of knitting, Molly knew she never stood a chance in winning the little boys' favors. However, despite the fact she truly had little in the way of feelings for Regulus and Sirius, Molly had to admit they were the cutest children she'd ever met. It was that alone which reminded her she wanted children sooner rather than later.

Even if they ended up being trouble like Fabian and Gideon, Molly would be happy.

Finally looking back to her uncle, she said, "In five years, I imagine that I will be a mother."

Nodding, Uncle Ignatius asked, "Who do you see as the father of your children?"

It was obvious to Molly. It was Arthur who was their father. She couldn't imagine another man being a father to the red-haired, freckle-faced children she'd always pictured would be hers.

"Why, Arthur, of course," she answered.

Grinning, the man said, "Now, if that's where you see yourself in five years and you're sure Arthur will be the father, don't you think you should marry him?"

Molly worried at her lip. "Is it really that simple?" she asked. "Just because I see him as the father now… It doesn't mean it will always be like that, does it?"

"Okay, if you think it's like that, try imagining someone else as their father."

Molly did. She put Timothy in the place of Arthur, but it didn't feel quite right. He'd always been a chatterbox. Somehow, with him as the father, she just couldn't imagine her children being as confident as she did with Arthur as their father. With Timothy doing all the talking, how would they learn to speak up?

Then, idly, she switched Timothy with Amos. Wen Molly did that, her little girl disappeared from her mind's eye. Amos, like her, was a pureblood, but he followed the old traditions so much more religiously than she ever had. With him as the father, all she could see was one son. It was a happy child, of course. Molly was sure he'd raise only the best boy possible. But she wanted, needed, a daughter. Maybe even another son or two.

As hectic as things tended to be with Fabian and Gideon, she would want it no other way with her own family.

Molly said as much to Uncle Ignatius.

Looking quite pleased with himself, he told Molly, "I worried a bit too, you know. Lucretia was talking marriage almost from our first anniversary together. I thought it was just one of those stuffy Black things. Her cousin, Cygnus, married even before he finished at Hogwarts, did you know?

"Then I started thinking. Did I really want to spend the rest of my life with her? I mean, I knew then that I loved her. She was the sweetest girl I'd ever had the pleasure of being with. That was something too, I thought. Given how sour her cousin Walburga is. I started daydreaming about dating some of my other friends then. I tried to picture doing all the things I wanted to in life with them beside me instead of her.

"It was never quite right. That's when I realized she was it. Lucretia was meant for me. Now, I won't lie to you, Molly. It hasn't been sunshine and roses all the time between us over the years, but whenever I get to the point where I'm ready to give up, I just begin to imagine who else I could be spending my life with and realize no one's more perfect than your aunt."

Molly felt her throat constrict. That was how she felt about Arthur, she realized. He was it. He was meant for her – just like Aunt Lucretia was meant for Uncle Ignatius.

Getting up, she said, "I-I need to go."

Uncle Ignatius only smiled.

"Let us know how it goes, okay, Molly?"

Nodding, she promised, "I will."

Wasting no more time, Molly left.

-v-v-v-v-v-

"Hello? Molly? What–"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

"Ye – Oh!"

"I'm sorry. I love you. I want to be with you forever."

"It's okay. I love you too."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

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Prewett – Weasley

Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley are pleased to announce their engagement.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Archibald and Pearl Prewett. She is a graduate of Gryffindor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and currently works at Pettichaps as a dressmaker.

The bridegroom-to-be is the son of Septimus and Cedrella Weasley. Like his to-be-wife, Arthur is a graduate of Gryffindor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is an employee of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office in the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic.

A spring wedding in March 1970 is planned in London.

Just something fun I've been working on for a while. I haven't done much with Molly since Hard Wrought Joy and now seems as good a time as any to finish and post this :)

What are your thoughts? Did you enjoy it? Feel something was off?

Thank you for reading and please review!