protected protector

“Arthur?!” He exclaimed with a harsh whisper on the verge of being a full out yell. He wanted to abort breakfast now and find his friend. He wasn’t sure he considered him his friend right now keeping such a thing. “But you’re broken up. You know what no. Let’s go straighten this out. Let’s go find Arthur.” Fabian speaks quickly already partly up from his chair.

Molly inhaled sharply, very nearly reaching across the table to clap her hand over his mouth but holding on to the instinct. “We... Fabian!” She stood up after her brother, and shook her head. “I can explain this to you, just calm down.” She said glancing around them. “We were broken up, for a while. We’ve been seeing each other secretly again, sort of. I still need to keep a clear head so the ring is my promise to him that I still love him and I will be ready to be with him again eventually.”

Fabian’s overbearing protective brother glare didn’t shift at all with her words. “Of course it matters.Look at it. Has Giddy seen it?” The boy asks as he arches a curious brow down to the ring, and brings his bottom lip between his teeth to gnaw on it. “It looks romantic. Was it for that purpose? Who the blimey hell gave you that ring?”

Molly glanced around them and sighed. “Keep your voice down.” She muttered. “Fine.” She said through gritted teeth. “Yes, the ring is romantic, and no nobody has seen it. Only you. And Arthur, because it’s from him... It’ s a promise ring.”

“Hate is such a strong word. You wound me.” Fabian teased while positioning his hand on the opposite side of where his heart was just to further give her grief.  The pure jovial set in his grin took a turn however as she almost tried to hide the trinket from him .”Nothing.  Sure doesn’t –“ Fabian pursed his lips feeling his older brother protectiveness of the situation kick in. The boy teeters from side to side in contemplation. “Where did that ring come from? Doesn’t look like it was mum’s..” Already starting the interrogation of trying to figure out who put a ring on his sister’s hand without consulting him.

Molly chuckled at her brothers reaction to her use of the word hate, he was ver over dramatic. As the focus switched her face became more nervous, and serious, she wasn’t ready for her brother to find out about Arthur but it looked like it would be happening soon. “Does it really matter where I got it from? It’s just a ring Fabian, you’re over reacting.”

Nicolas felt like he could relax and let out a soft breath of air. At least she had gotten there safe. Still he wasn’t exactly sure what to do as far as if he should hug her or not. So instead he stays seated smiling up to her until she’s at his level. “There’s always that one time.” He offered up softly. “I mean I do share the owl with someone else. So I always hope they don’t deliver your message to him instead.” 

He tilts his head to the side thoughtfully, “I’ve been alright. Just dealing with.. relationship issues. How did you.. Do you ever stop thinking about Arthur?” He needed advice to figure out how he could stop pestering Lucius, but he didn’t really want to. “What are your plans for the Holidays? I think I might stay here over Winter break. Don’t want to go home, I’d just be stuck with them and Elizabeth.

Molly nodded, still smiling softly. “Okay, I’ve missed an owl once, but that one wasn’t my fault.” She laughed, she had forgotten he shared an owl with someone, she used to do that with her brothers before she got her own, they sent too many weird things back and forth. 

When he mentioned Arthur she let out a small sigh, everyone still thought they were broken up and it was getting harder to keep it a secret. “I never really stop no, he’s always somewhere in the back of my mind.” She admitted. “It’s the worst on weekends, when I get dressed sometimes I look at my wardrobe and wonder if he would think I look nice in what I’m wearing.” She said slowly. “I’m going home, Christmas with the Prewett’s is always a big affair.” 

Fabian tried to hold his laughter long enough to bark out a retorted, “Yes! That hurt!”  Afterwards he laughed thought rubbing the spot and taking another bite from his breakfast.It amused him to push Molly’s buttons almost all the times since they were children and probably until one of them passed on. A cocky grin formed while he held a finger in the air. “You do not hate me. Everyone loves me.” He scrunched his nose when she hit him again, but something caught his eye. “Speaking of surprises..” He gawked a moment and took it as a challenge to duck his head under the table. “What’s that?” Momentarily forgetting the fact he was going to invite the Carrows or the Avery over for breakfast.

Molly stuck her tongue out at her brother as he complained that her little smack had hurt him. While her brothers drove her crazy, she did love them more than anything else in the world. “Everyone else may love you, I currently hate you.” She said simply, fidgeting with her fingers under the able. When he ducked his head under the table she pulled her hands back up. “Nothing!” She was going to try to remove the ring and slip it into her pocket but it was too late, Fabian had seen it. “It’s um... A ring.”

“It’s better than having green hair. Besides if you get grey hair maybe it’ll become a trend right?” Fabian couldn’t help but giggle at his comments until she leaned over and swatted his hand. “Hey! ow” He draws his hand back rubbing the knuckle and scowling in her direction. “Yeah they do. Warts and Cankles. Why do you think the Slytherins never get them?” He teased still on this silly liescapade. He laughed along with her and paused to take a bite from his plate. Peering over to her he lifted both brows and swallowed, “If I told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Maybe it’s…” He glances around to look extra skeptical and leans forward before whispering. “Gideon” 

Molly rolled her eyes, and when he complained she smirked. “That didn’t hurt.” She said taking a bite of her toast and sighing. “They do not, I’m not as stupid or gullible as I was when we were little.” She crossed her arms. When he made it seem like he hand a real surprise she leaned forward but when he said their brothers name she groaned. “I hate you, that’s not a surprise!” She reached across the table and smacked lightly again. As she pulled back she glanced at her hands, realizing she was still wearing Arthurs promise ring, which she usually took off when spending time with her brothers. So she quickly hid her hands under the table.

     “Only the best for you!” He replied, still smiling at her. It was difficult for him to not be happy in her presence. Even if they were keeping things quiet right now, he would take every second he could with her. “And I still mean what I said when I gave you the ring. You’re the only one for me, from now until the end of time. I don’t care how long you take, I’ll be here.”

Molly glanced around the corridor and when she realized they were practically alone she let herself take his hand. “I won’t take forever, I promise.” She meant it too, she just wanted to make sure her brothers were alright before she let herself give in fully again. She knew Arthur was the person she was meant to be with, she’d always known.

     Arthur gave her a crooked smile. “I mean… yeah. If you don’t want to, that’s okay too… I understand…” He started walking with her. He thought about taking her hand for a moment before deciding that he shouldn’t. He didn’t think she would like that. “I… um… noticed you’re wearing the ring. Have you given it anymore thought? Us, I mean?”

“No, I would like too.” She said softly, when he mentioned the ring she looked down at it on her finger, a smile forming on her lips. “I still mean what I said when we broke up, you distract me... But- I’ve come to learn that maybe that’s not a bad thing. Besides, it’s a beautiful ring.”

@molly–prewett

     “Molly!” Arthur called to her. He had waited outside the door after class. Usually she ran off before he could see her, but not today. Today he was determined to catch her. “I… uh… I was hoping we could go to lunch together… or if you’re busy now, maybe we could sit together for dinner later…” He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

Molly was usually quick to get out of class, but today she’d been so focused on her notes that she hadn’t realized the period had ended. Of course Arthur caught her as soon as she left the room and she stopped, it was cute how he still got nervous around her. “Isn’t that a little... Public?” She teased lightly. “Though I suppose I wouldn’t mind the company.”

Mulciber seemed strangely shady. Being secrete in his movements, checking over his shoulders as he power walked down the hallways. Weaving through the corridors to lose anyone possibly following him. His paranoia was always on a setting of high, especially when he was doing something he considered to be a secret. Just like Lucius Malfoy, this was another secret. Though not romantic in nature, it was still a secret he kept. He had hoped his owl he shared with Lucius sent the OWL out for her to meet him.

He planted himself taking a seat on one of the vacant wing staircases to wait for the other familiar lock of red hair. Once he saw it he smiled softly, a genuine one if there was any doubt. “Molly. I’m glad you got the OWL. How have you been?”

@molly–prewett

Molly was the only one who still really spoke to her cousin, and she knew her brothers would likely be mad if they knew she was seeing him here but she was a benefit of the doubt kind of girl. When she got the OWL she was sure to hide the note though she didn’t have the time to reply. She made up some excuse to not be with her friends and she made her way to their meeting spot. She saw the smile on his face as she rounded the corner and she smiled in return.

“I never miss an OWL, you should know this about me by now.” She teased sitting next to him. “I’ve been good, busy with school but the Hollidays are coming up.” She said with a shrug. “How have you been?”

“It’s our duty to switch, we have the same face.” Fabian playfully retorts with a soft smile. They knew all the buttons to press for Molly or their father it seemed. With their pranks they had almost managed to get a rouse out of every person in the school besides Potter. Potter was unspoiled territory, but they couldn’t do that with Potter being petrified in the hospital.  “Ok good. Worrying gives you warts.” Fabian fabricated off the top of his head, hoping that would fix Molly’s permanent worried or mom look when she glanced at him. “Oh you know.. surprises. Things you don’t expect. But not bad things persay.” More like bad people, but he was being still vague about it. “Surprise guests maybe?”

“You two are going to give me grey hair.” She muttered shaking her head, but smiling nonetheless. It was hard to be the youngest in the family, especially when her brothers were practically wild animals. “Worrying does not give you warts!” She said, reaching across the table and slapping his hand. “Don’t ever say that!” She laughed brightly. “A surprise guest? Who?” She asked, they did know how to get her excited, Molly loved surprises.

No normal person was cheerful in the morning, but Fabian wasn’t really a normal person anyway.  He entered the Great Hall barely keeping his eyes open, tightening the red boa around is neck. One leg slung over the bench as he gave her a beaming mischievous grin. “We switched yesterday, so he’s catching up on his assignments. No need to worry.” A solitary finger wagged at her in the air disapprovingly. “I can still see the worried look on your face, Molly.”  How were the Carrows at the crack of dawn? He wondered silently, before he glanced at his sister thoughtfully. “Do you.. like surprises?” Of course he didn’t mean presents, he meant …people.

Molly probably had a permanent worried expression because of her brothers, she loved them very dearly but nobody knew how to get a rise out of her like they did. “You guys need to stop switching, you’re going to get in trouble one day.” She stated, when he commented on the look on her face she relaxed slightly and smiled. “Okay fine, no more worry.” Not that she meant that, she’d always worry about the boys. “What kind of surprise?” She asked, a grin forming on her face as she leaned forward slightly.