A Family Dinner With the Weasleys

A Family Dinner With the Weasleys

Ginny smiled into her boyfriend's chest. "Blaise..." she said, looking up into eyes the color of the sky on a crisp, autumn day. "I've been thinking."

Blaise groaned, burying his head in her hair. "Whenever you start thinking, I end up in a worse position than where I started."

"But sometimes you like those positions," Ginny said, her eyes widening innocently.

Blaise smirked, flicking her on the nose. "So, what've you been thinking, my little lioness?"

Ginny smiled. She loved it when he called her that. "We've been dating for seven months, Blaise."

"And a wonderful seven months it's been."

"But we haven't told anyone! No one in my family knows about us," Ginny said, frowning.

"We told Hermione," Blaise pointed out.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Only because she stopped by and found us in a very compromising position on the couch."

He chuckled. "I don't think I'll ever forget the look on her face."

Ginny grimaced in response. "She never let me hear the end of that."

"You know, Gin, officially she's a member of your family."

"Only because she's married to Charlie," she pointed out, poking him in the chest.

"Hey, watch it!" Blaise said, holding up his hands in surrender. He sighed, putting his arms around Ginny again and leaning his forehead against hers. "Okay then, lioness. What is it you wanted to do?"

Ginny gave him a grateful smile. "Well... You see, Christmas is coming up."

"It is?" Blaise interrupted, his eyes widening.

Ginny smacked him on the arm. "Ha ha, you big--"

"Now, now," Blaise said, shaking a finger in front of her face. "No name-calling, Gin-bug."

"Stop it, Blaise!" Ginny said, crossing her arms. "I'm trying to be serious here."

"Gin," Blaise said, "We've got our whole lives to be serious. Why do we have to start now?"

"What was that?" Ginny asked, catching the 'whole lives' part with more than a little curiosity.

"I said: why do we have to start now?" Blaise repeated.

Ginny sighed. Whenever she wanted to get serious about their relationship, Blaise backed down. "I'm going to come right out and say it, and you can't back out because I've already made the arrangements. We're spending Christmas Eve with my parents at the Burrow."

There was silence for two seconds, two seconds during which Ginny could have sworn her heart beat triple-time and did a few somersaults for good measure. Blaise made a choking sound, seeming unable to speak.

She glared at him. "What's so bad about my parents?"

Finally regaining his voice, Blaise said, "Nothing, so far as I know. Just, oh, I don't know, maybe the little fact that I've been dating their daughter for seven months and they don't know about it? Maybe the fact that I was a Slytherin at Hogwarts? Maybe--"

"Blaise," Ginny said, cupping his cheek in her hand. "They're going to love you, just like I do."

"Well I hope it isn't just like you love me, because that could get awkward--"

"Blaise!"

Blaise smiled sheepishly. "I know, Ginny. I'll be a good boy, I promise." He leaned forward, hugging her tightly in his arms. He knew she didn't think he took her seriously, and in a way he didn't--but he did care about her quite a bit. He obviously cared enough to have dated her for seven months, as all of his previous relationships (there had been five of them) had lasted a grand total of four months--when added together.

But he really was nervous about meeting her parents. She might have been twenty-seven years old, but she was still their baby, and people didn't take kindly to former Slytherins dating supposedly innocent baby girls of popular Wizarding families. He knew his job at Gringotts might soften it slightly, as he'd worked with Bill Weasley before, but he was still a Slytherin, and prejudices weren't something people got over with a snap of the fingers.

***

Ginny took a deep breath, squeezing Blaise's hand before knocking on the door to the Burrow. She'd decided against using Floo powder, fearing that letting Blaise arrive in such a vulnerable state might not be good for his health. She knew her brothers, and though she loved them, she sometimes thought they loved her just a bit too much. They were very protective of her, and she only hoped Blaise would survive the night in one piece.

The door opened, and Ginny breathed in the scent of the Burrow, some of her nervousness washing away in the heavenly smell of baked bread and roasted chicken. Molly Weasley was standing in the door, looking up at her daughter with a small smile on her face. "Hi, mum," Ginny said.

"Ginny!" she cried, enveloping her youngest child in a hug that nearly squeezed the breath out of her. "Oh, Ginny, it's so wonderful to see you. I can't believe I haven't seen you in five months. I missed you so much; you have to come visit more often, dear."

"It's wonderful to see you, too, mum," Ginny smiled, blinking back the tears that had come to her eyes.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes traveled back to where Blaise was standing, his hands behind him, blue eyes smiling down at her. "And this must be your boyfriend," she said, attempting to smile welcomingly. Ginny hadn't brought a boy home in nearly ten years, and though she had doubts about this one, she didn't want to take the chance that it would be another ten years after this if they scared him away.

Ginny nodded. "Mum, this is Blaise Zabini. Blaise, Molly Weasley, my mother."

Mrs. Weasley stepped forward hesitantly, and gave the younger man a quick hug. "It's so nice to meet you." She smiled. "Won't you both come inside? It's freezing out here!"

Blaise smiled at her, placing a hand on the small of Ginny's back and following the two women into the house. It wasn't anything like what he'd grown up in, but much warmer and friendlier. Ginny glanced up at Blaise as they came inside and a little smile came to her face. "Blaise, you have snowflakes on your hair." She reached up, brushing them away with her fingertips. "There, all gone now..."

Blaise gave her a smile, his eyes twinkling, and Ginny blushed in response. Mrs. Weasley watched the entire exchange carefully, noticing they seemed very comfortable with each other. She wasn't certain if that were a point against him or for him.

"Everyone else is already in the kitchen," she said, interrupting the moment.

Ginny's head snapped up. "Are we late?"

"No," her mother said, smiling, "everyone else was just early. They are all very anxious to meet your new boyfriend, Ginny."

Ginny flushed, beginning to look nervous again. Mrs. Weasley just smiled and walked into the kitchen. Blaise placed a reassuring hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "It's all right, Ginny. Aren't I supposed to be the nervous one?"

"I suppose," she answered, squaring her shoulders. "Well, no time like the present, now is there?"

"Nope," Blaise agreed. Placing his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers, they stepped into the lions' den.

It was quiet. There was absolutely no noise in what Ginny remembered as always being a rambunctious crowd. Her parents were at the table, her mother looking nervous, her father looking...at an electronic watch. Hermione was seated in-between Mrs. Weasley and Charlie, whom Hermione had married eight years earlier. They now had two children, twins, a boy and a girl. Anna and Ben were seated across from their parents, looking bewildered at the silence in the room.

Ron was seated next to Anna and across from Bill, who was the only person not looking threateningly at Blaise. Bill actually smiled at him, his fang-earring catching the light from the fireplace. And so it continued--Fred and Angelina; George and Natalie McDonald; Fred and Angelina's daughter, Nichole.

"Mummy, why is everyone so quiet?" Anna whispered across to her mother, glancing around, her eyes wide.

It was enough to get everyone to laugh, at least, and broke some of the silence. Ginny smiled hesitantly, pulling Blaise with her to the end of the table. The only empty seats left were in between Fred and Bill, across from George and his wife. Ginny had a feeling they had done that on purpose. "So," Ginny smiled as she sat down. Searching her brain for something--anything--to say, she said, "Where's Harry?"

"He and Luna couldn't make it this year," Ron answered, glancing at Blaise. "He didn't want Luna traveling anywhere so close to the birth."

"Ginny," Fred asked, his eyes twinkling, "what's your boyfriend's name?"

Blaise turned to her, a brow raised. "I thought you told them who I was."

Ginny shifted in her seat uncomfortably, aware that almost everyone had turned to look at her. "Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Blaise Zabini. We've been dating for," she cleared her throat, "seven months."

Silence again. Then chaos. She closed her eyes, praying to whatever deity was listening that Blaise would make it out of there in one piece. She could tell Ron was shouting, Fred and George were laughing... She opened her eyes. Bill was smirking, shaking his head. Charlie was frowning at his wife, who was beet red and sinking lower in her chair by the second.

When everyone had finally calmed down again, Mrs. Weasley said, smiling brightly, "Well, why don't we eat?"

Ron, at least, seemed to agree, and began shoveling food onto his plate. Everyone else took smaller portions, still eyeing Blaise distrustfully.

After fifteen minutes of stilted conversation and questioning gazes from the children, the interrogation began.

"So, Blaise," Fred said, leaning across Ginny to speak directly to him. "Where did you go to school?"

"Hogwarts," Blaise answered, his knife continuing to butter the bread.

"Really," George said, leaning his arm on the table and setting his chin in his hand. "What house?"

Ginny swallowed.

"Why does it matter?" Blaise asked philosophically, knowing that nearly the entire table had paused in its actions to hear his response.

Bill chuckled. "He was in Slytherin."

Ron choked on the spinach-onion casserole he had been eating, washing it down quickly with a sip of pumpkin juice. "SLYTHERIN?" he demanded, glaring at his sister.

Ginny glared at him. "What does it matter what house he was in, Ron?"

"Slytherins are bloody evil, that's what! Don't you remember that every wizard that's gone bad was from Slytherin?"

"I guess you've forgotten Peter Pettigrew then, haven't you Ron?" Hermione spoke up, raising a brow at her brother-in-law.

Ron turned red.

"Now, there, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, patting her son's hand. "Calm down. Ginny wouldn't date anyone evil, now would she?"

"Besides," Bill said with a smile, "Blaise isn't evil. I've worked with him at Gringotts; he's bloody brilliant with the goblins and at his job in general."

Ginny gave a grateful smile to Bill.

"Of course," Bill added, picking up his knife to work at the chicken leg on his plate, "that doesn't mean he won't lose the ability to father children if he hurts Ginny in any way."

"I second that," Charlie said, his voice carrying from the other end of the table. Fred, George, and Ron agreed as well.

Blaise smiled uncomfortably, not sure if he should say anything. It seemed that making any move might be detrimental to his health. He accepted the mashed potatoes from Bill, taking a small portion from himself and serving Ginny as well. She smiled at him.

"Now, now, everyone," Mrs. Weasley scolded, not missing Blaise's actions, "this is Christmas Eve; we should all be nice to each other."

Desperate to get the conversation going on a different subject from her boyfriend, Ginny looked around for inspiration. Realizing that Ron was alone, she said, "Ron, where's Padma?" Ron and Padma had been married for almost two years, after having dated for six months. They had a daughter, Yacine, who was a little less than sixteen months old.

Ron mumbled something unintelligible in response.

"What was that?" Ginny asked.

"I said we're getting a divorce!"

Silence, yet again. The only thing Ginny was grateful for was that it hadn't been her fault. At least, not directly. If she hadn't asked Ron why Padma wasn't there...

"You--you're getting a divorce?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Shock was evident in her voice, and she set her silverware down abruptly. "But--why?"

Ron looked at his plate, suddenly finding spinach-onion casserole to be very interesting to examine, perhaps on the molecular level, considering how hard he was staring at it. "I know you'd like me to say something like she cheated on me or I cheated on her, or something to make it seem like this is something we have to do--but we just simply don't love each other anymore, mum. We've talked about it and we're not even sure we should have gotten married in the first place. Yacine was part of it, of course, but we shouldn't have let that influence our decision at all."

"You mean she was pregnant before you were married?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes," Ron said, looking his mother straight in the eyes.

Ginny watched the scene with amazement. Dear Gods, but this was... Wow. Ron was getting a divorce and Padma had been pregnant before their marriage. Ginny knew it was bad, but she couldn't help feel grateful that the attention was finally off herself and Blaise.

The conversation was subdued for a while, though Fred, George, and their wives made a valiant effort to keep it up.

"Do you know," Fred began, "I've always wondered at what point your arm breaks when it's twisted behind your back."

George looked thoughtful. "Yes, that would be interesting. Say, Blaise, how would you like to be a test-subject?"

"George!" Ginny scolded.

"What?" George said, attempting to look innocent and failing miserably.

Ginny just scowled at him. Blaise slipped a hand under the table, squeezing her hand reassuringly. She glanced at him, a small smile on her face. He leaned forward, but just before he touched his lips to hers, she whispered, "Not now!" He raised a brow, but kissed her on the nose instead. She blushed, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, mine eyes!" Fred howled, covering his eyes and turning away from them.

Angelina slapped his arm lightly, rolling her eyes.

Mrs. Weasley wasn't saying anything, just staring at her youngest son, frowning. "Ron," she began.

"No, mum," Ron interrupted. He stood abruptly. "It was nice to see all of you and everything, but I have to go now. I'll see you later, Ginny."

"Bye, Ron," Ginny said softly, watching her brother nearly race out of the room.

***

"Ginny," Blaise said, placing his hand on her back. "Are you all right?" Dinner had been silent after Ron left, and Ginny had left the table as soon as she finished eating; Blaise had followed directly after her after making his excuses.

She shrugged, looking out at the snow accumulating on the ground. "Ron was always the responsible one after Percy died," she said softly. "He always did everything right. It's hard to believe he would have done something so... irresponsible. Or that he would have married Padma only because she was pregnant. Even after I graduated from Hogwarts, I wanted to be like him. I considered becoming an Auror, if only because I wanted to be like him.

"I suppose it's a good thing I decided against it, as I never would have made it through the training, but I still wanted to be like him. He was my role model. I hurts when you find out your role model is just as human as everyone else." A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, and Blaise wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry.

He loved her. He really did. He'd known it before, of course, but it really hit home now. The thought of her Christmas present brought a small smile to his face, and he held her the slightest bit tighter. "Let's go inside," he suggested.

She nodded, wiping her eyes. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped out of his embrace and walked back into the Burrow. Blaise followed her as she walked back to the kitchen, where her family was still assembled. She smiled at them, pushing away her unease. "I have an announcement to make.

"I am twenty-seven years old," she said. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much, and don't need my brothers threatening the man I love with dismemberment if he so much as looks at me the wrong way. In fact," she squared her shoulders, "I fully intend to marry him as soon as possible."

Blaise gaped. He was as shocked as everyone else. "Ginny--" he began.

"Well, Blaise?" she asked, smiling. "What do you say?"

Blaise grinned. That was his little lioness. "You rather beat me to the punch, I daresay. I'd planned to ask you tomorrow."

"Did you really?" Ginny asked, her eyes shining.

"I had the ring all ready and everything."

Ginny smiled and hugged him. "So?"

"I suppose I'll have to accept. After all, it's about time I made an honest woman of you, don't you think?"

And despite the murderous looks on her brothers' faces, and the threatening way with which Charlie was looking from his knife to her fiancé, Ginny had never been happier in her life.