In the Palm of My Hand
by
Rating: PG
Characters: Arthur & Molly Weasley
Word Count: 1,070
Disclaimer: All the characters are Rowling's. The situations they're in are mine. No profit was made.
Summary: A sudden memory troubles Molly Weasley.
A/N: A moment from the movie struck me and I had to pen it.
"May I help, dear?"
Molly Weasley smiled at her husband when he entered the Burrow. She was hip deep in preparations for the children to come home for the summer holidays. With four teenage boys and a young girl, all healthy and full of spirits and the joy of being free from the responsibilities of school for two months, trapped in their ramshackle house... She knew they'd be lucky for something not to be broken within moments of their arrival.
"I've got it under control. But you can read to me."
"All right. What am I reading?"
"The boys' letters. Well, Percy and Ron's at any rate. They just arrived before you came home and I haven't had time to open them."
"Very well. Let's see what they've got to say."
Arthur unrolled the scroll and peered at it before saying, "This one's from Ronald. Oh, dear."
"What?"
"It seems he's lost Scabbers. No, wait, he says he's not dead exactly."
"Exactly? What does he mean not exactly dead?"
"Well... oh... oh, my."
"What? For goodness sake, Arthur, tell me!"
"Well, dear... this is going to be something of a shock but apparently Scabbers was an animagus."
Molly frowned, then scoffed. "Ron is teasing us."
"No, dear. He said if we don't believe him to ask Professor Dumbledore."
"Well--"
Arthur picked up a parchment envelope with a familiar green wax stamp and waved it at her. "This one is from Dumbledore, dear."
Molly sat down. "What does he say?"
He opened the letter and perused it. "He confirms what Ron says. The rat was an unregistered animagus. Oh, my..."
"Arthur?"
"Dear," he looked to her in shock. "Scabbers was really Peter Pettigrew."
"But-- that can't be right. Peter died 12 years ago defending Lily and Ja--"
"No. Albus indicates we've had it all wrong. Peter cut off his own finger and transformed, leaving Sirius Black to take the blame."
"His finger. Dear me, Scabbers was missing a toe."
"Just so." Arthur drew in a deep breath and continued, "anyway, Pettigrew got away. So there's no proof of Black's innocence except... except the word of Harry, Ron and Hermione."
"Oh, that three! Always in some monkeyworks. When will they grow up?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if this knowledge and all didn't help in that regard."
He sighed.
"That's all right, dear. Here," she extended her hands over the table, holding a basket full of warm rolls from the oven to Arthur... and froze.
Arthur frowned at the expression on her face. It was shocked, pained, and horror-stricken.
He grew worried when she dropped basket on the table, the rolls falling out, heedless of where they landed. "Molly? What's wrong?"
"I... I held that... that *thing* in the palm of my hand, Arthur!"
He frowned again, wondering what she was talking about, but she reached over to take his hands in hers and the self-loathing on her face made his stomach clench.
"He was an animagus. I didn't know. I thought he was Scabbers. I held him against me, Arthur. And I handed him over to Ron. The creature that killed Lily and James... he might have done horrible things to Ron, to Percy..."
"You didn't know, dearest." He let go of her now ice-cold hands and came around the table to hold her close to him. "You'd no idea. None of us did."
"Twelve years, Arthur! He's been... around our house, eating our food... twelve years!"
Arthur crouched before her, his earnest blue eyes entreating her and she calmed as she looked at his beloved face. He kissed her hands, breathed warmth into them, and when she gave him a hesitant smile in return, he cleared his throat to speak.
"Our boys are fine, Molly. Nothing has happened to any of us in twelve years. He was a rat, and he thought like a rat. He likely intended to remain that way except Sirius recognized him. He was harmless. Now he's gone. Far gone from hereabouts and from our children. No harm has come to any of them."
Molly's lip quivered. "Ginny... just last year she--"
"That was a bloody book owned by You Know Who himself."
"And Pettigrew was his follower!"
"But he's not here now. Neither of them are. Ginny is safe, thanks to Harry. Ron is safe and Percy and we're all just fine. Molly. Are you listening to me?"
She drew in a shaky breath, then a firmer one and looked at him and finally nodded.
"That's my girl."
"I just can't quite believe it, Arthur. That... Death Eater. And I held him in my hands so carefully, so as not to drop him, to give him to Ron."
At her last words a sob broke loose and she began to softly cry and Arthur drew her to him and held her.
An angry look of steely determination shone in his eyes, but his words remained soothing and gentle.
"It's all right, Molly. You didn't know. How could you? And he's gone now. Out of our lives. Probably gone back to his foul master."
Molly pulled back from him to stare with a tear-stained face.
"Oh, Arthur! Can it be true? Is... is He coming back?"
Arthur sighed, looking grim. "Albus always said it would be. I trust Albus Dumbledore."
She nodded.
"And he's been preparing ever since. Don't you worry. Albus has plans within plans. I sleep better knowing he's ready."
Molly smiled. "Dear Albus. Oh, and poor Harry. Marked as he is. What do you suppose it would mean if... if He returned?"
"Nothing good, of that I'm sure. Everything else is far too nebulous for me to even guess. Or you. Don't borrow trouble, there's a good girl. Let's just get ready for dinner, eh? Bill and Charlie promised to come by Floo for a proper family dinner."
"You're right, Arthur. Oh, and you didn't finish the boys letters. Read me Percy's."
"Yes, dear." He sat at the scrubbed wooden table and picked up the envelope, breaking the red wax seal. "All right, let's see. 'Dear Father & Mother'... that boy gets more rarefied each year."
"Oh, Arthur. Just read."
He smiled at her imperious tone, watching her bustling about the stove. With a glance at the clock, which indicated all their children were perfectly safe and "traveling", he finished reading her the letter as Molly prepared for their family to come home once again.
~ FINIS ~
begun 5 July 2004, stuck in a file and forgotten, found again and finished in November of 2006
~ FIN ~