Riddikulusly Unfaithful

A/N: This story is an inspirational canon “what if?” story, as in, I found a cute little scene from the book, in this case Order of the Phoenix, and turned it into a smut piece that built out of that scene. I don’t know why these scenes strike me, but they do. Hope you enjoy. He first bit is actually quoted from the book, as most of you should be familiar with.


“Mrs. Weasley?” Harry croaked.

“R— r— riddikulus!” Mrs. Weasley sobbed, pointing her shaking wand at Ron’s body. Crack. Ron’s body turned into Bill’s, spread-eagled on his back, his eyes wide open and empty. Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever. “R— riddikulus!” she sobbed again. Crack. Mr. Weasley’s body replaced Bill’s, his glasses askew, a trickle of blood running down his face. “No!” Mrs. Weasley moaned. “No…riddikulus. Riddikulus. RID— DIKULUS!” Crack. Dead twins. Crack. Dead Percy. Crack. Dead Harry.

“Mrs. Weasley, just get out of here!” shouted Harry, staring down at his own dead body on the floor. “Let someone else—”

“What’s going on?” Lupin had come running into the room, closely followed by Sirius, with Moody stumping along behind them. Lupin looked from Mrs. Weasley to the dead Harry on the floor and seemed to understand in an instant. Pulling out his own wand, he said, very firmly and clearly, “Riddikulus!” Harry’s body vanished. A silvery orb hung in the air over the spot where it had lain. Lupin waved his wand once more and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Oh— oh— oh!” gulped Mrs. Weasley, and she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.

“Molly,” said Lupin bleakly, walking over to her. “Molly don’t…” Next second, she was sobbing her heart out on Lupin’s shoulder. “Molly, it was just a Boggart,” he said soothingly, patting her on the head, “just a stupid Boggart…”

“I see them d—d—dead all the time!” Mrs. Weasley moaned into his shoulder. “All the t—t—time! I d—d—dream about it…”

Sirius was staring at the patch of carpet where the Boggart, pretending to be Harry’s body, had lain. Moody was looking at Harry, who avoided his gaze. He had a funny feeling Moody’s magical eye had followed him all the way out of the kitchen.

~*~

Molly was seated at the kitchen table, still sniffling, a steaming cup of tea placed before her. She could hear the hushed whispers of Moody and Sirius coming from the hallway. “Don’t talk about me like I can’t hear you!” she snapped and then sniffed again. Remus frowned, placing the kettle back on the stovetop. Walking quickly over to the door he pushed it shut and sighed.

“You can’t let them upset you too, you’ve had enough upset for one day…” he said, trying to give her a smile, but it was weak at best.

“Thank you, Remus,” she said and sniffed again into her tea, dabbing at her eyes.

“They’re all going to be fine, you know.” He added.

“I’d like to believe that,” she said. “But I just don’t know anymore. He’s back. We haven’t heard from Percy in months—”

“Percy is a horrid git, and forgive my language, Molly, for saying so, but no mother should have to go through all the trouble and worry that you are because he’s being a right prat about things.”

“I know…” she turned her gaze down into her mug. “But I love him, Remus. He’s my son, regardless of whether he’s chosen the ministry over the family…” This stirred forth a fresh round of tears from the witch, who practically hunched over into her lap.

“There, there, Molly,” he said coming behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder, stroking carefully down her back. “Nothing bad is going to happen to Percy, other than the twins taking several fists to his face when he decides to show it again…”

She let slip a tiny laugh into her tears. “Remus, I just…half the bloody family, why can’t we just…”

“You know very well why, Molly,” he said and took the seat beside her. The Order is back, and we need it stronger than ever. You’d better believe if they could your other three sons would.”

“I’m glad they can’t,” she said. “I know that’s terrible, but I can’t imagine life without any one of them…”

Remus leaned forward and took both of her hands in his. “Molly, you’ve raised good, strong children. They will be fine, all of them. Christ, I mean, the twins alone should be enough to make You-Know-Who go running for the hills.”

She smiled, but it was faded. “You are sweet, Remus.” And she stifled the after effect shudder from her tears that ran through her. “I think I’m tired…” she said.

“Let me walk you upstairs,” he nodded and rose, banishing the teacup to the sink, and setting it to wash itself. “Arthur isn’t back yet.”

Molly’s face fell. “Why not? He should have been home hours ago…”

“I know, I’m sure he’s fine, he’s just not back yet, is all.” Remus said, trying to sound sure of his own words. Molly trembled and he could see that she looked ready to cry again. “Come on let’s get you up to bed.” Taking her by the hand, he led her from the kitchen and into the corridor, Moody and Sirius long gone from it. The house was quiet, even the portrait of Mrs. Black was silent as they passed it on their way to the stairs. Opening the door to the room, Remus helped her inside and then gave her a hug before setting off down the corridor to his own room. It was going to be a long night, most certainly.

It was not but an hour later, as Remus was heading down the corridor in search of the loo that he heard a soft sobbing coming behind her bedroom door. Dressed in his night robe, he came to the door and knocked softly. “Molly?” Only the sobbing met his knock. “Molly?” he tried again, but still just the sobbing. He pushed the door open carefully and stepped in, pushing it shut. “Molly,” he said and frowned.

She was on her knees at the foot of the bed, sobbing, arms on the mattress, head buried in her hands. She wore a long, faded flannel gown, her toes peaking out from beneath her legs where she sat. Her whole body shook with sobs, the room dimly lit with just a candle on the nightstand.

“Molly,” Remus at once went to his knees beside her, pulling her back into his arms. She turned her sobbing face into his shoulders. “Molly, shh, it’s alright, they’re fine…”

“No!” she cried. “They’re not fine! All my boys are not here under one roof and I just know something terrible has happened to Arthur! I can feel it!” she sobbed, and sniffed, her arms trembling as they were flung over his shoulders. “I don’t know where my middle boy is tonight, and I haven’t seen Bill or Charlie in days!”

“Shh, Molly, they’re fine…” he repeated and stroked her hair, fingers gently tugging at her frizzy curls. She was as bright a redhead as any Weasley could be, but upon closer inspection the thin streaks of gray could be seen blended and mostly hidden in her locks. It was stress, he knew, and Molly Weasley was not one to fuss with glamour charms, or products of the like. “Molly, it’s going to be alright, they are fine. I promise.”

“And what if they’re not fine? What are you going to promise me then?” she sobbed, pushing her head harder against his shoulder. “What is something happens to Percy? And he’ll never know that I loved him and forgave him for abandoning his family!”

“Nothing is going to happen to Percy,” Remus said. It was highly unlikely that the Dark Lord would launch a direct attack at the ministry so soon, and he was certain that the Order would know about it, thanks to Severus’ spying. And although he’d never tell Molly, he was certainly sure that Percy ranked low enough and was unimportant enough not to be anywhere meaningful that might be targeted for an attack.

“But you don’t know that!” she continued to weep, her eyes turning redder than her hair.

“You have to believe, Molly.” He took her chin firmly in his hand and tilted her eyes up so that he could look into hers. “You have got to believe that there is hope in this world, for all of us, and that your boys are strong, level-headed young men who can take care of themselves.” She leaned her face forward and rested her forehead against his. “You have to believe me when I say all will be well,” he added.

Molly closed her eyes. “I can’t stop picturing them dead,” she whispered.

“Well that Boggart certainly didn’t help,” he muttered, and wrapped his arms around her once more.

“I thought that if I could banish it…that I might be able to get over it…”

Remus turned his eyes up for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Yes, well, good as an intention it was…I think perhaps a more controlled environment and perhaps a more—”

“Teach me.”

“What?”

“Teach me, Remus. You taught Harry, and Ron, you taught them. Teach me.”

He was quiet. “Molly I don’t think exposing yourself to—”

“It’s the only way I’m going to get over it.”

“Molly…” he trailed off but found himself staring into her eyes, those weeping, mother-like eyes, and closed his own for a moment. “I suppose I could help you, if you’re certain that’s the only way, but you’re getting a good night’s rest first.” He insisted.

She nodded her head slowly, trying to put a stopper in her sniffles. “Th-thank you, Remus,” she said and moved to kiss his cheek. Only he’d tilted his head and her lips caught his mouth instead, and he blushed. “Thank you,” she said, seeming to think nothing of it.

“Yes, well, don’t thank me just yet.” He said and hugged her close. “Up into bed with you, I’m sure you’ve got loads of chores you intend to have everyone going at tomorrow, and you’ll need rest if you’re going to be dealing with a Boggart…” he insisted and then helped her to her feet. “Goodnight, Molly.”

“Goodnight, Remus,” she said and watched him leave the room. He sighed once outside of her door, and closed his eyes. It had felt all too strange to have the woman’s lips on his, but he tossed the thought from his mind and moved back down the corridor to his own room. Facing a Boggart, and a room full of dead family members was going to be quite difficult.