Princes in Exile

YES!!!! I'M BACK! Alright, I'm writing again, but I can't promise more than the next few days. As most know (again) my son is very very ill, on a lung transplant list and I need to leave at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, without my writing to keep me busy. Also, the hospital is kind enough to give the children laptops in their rooms but obviously, this site is blocked by their damn CyberPatrol! So here's another chapter and I hope everyone leaves a review!

love,
Marti!

ps, I'm ignoring Deathly Hallows, mostly. I've never really liked Percy and could easily see him as a Death Eater. Along with that bitch Umbridge.
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The former Potions Master and Death Eater watched the children running about and wondered what he’d talked himself and his wife into. He’s lost count of all the children after reaching ten, besides his own children, of course.

“Welcome back, Professor.” Bill Weasley, holding an infant against his chest greeted the older man. The wounds on his face had healed well and now the scars were only light.

“Weasley. Still working for Gringott’s?”

“Yes. I freelance for them around the world, but I’m based here in England so I can be near the family. What have you been up to?”

“Home remedies. Americans are quite enthralled with ‘New Age’ healing, even though everything I make has been around for decades if not centuries.”

“She doesn’t look like him, does she?” Bill said softly so no one else could hear. He motioned towards Jennifer with a slight tilt of his head. Toby shook his head.

“No, thankfully. She is her mother’s daughter, and I love her as my own. I’ve told your parents and I’ll tell you: don’t come between us or you’ll never see her again. Mina and I chose to return to England and the magical community for her sake. Jenny wants to go to school here, and it’s her right, but none of you has a say in her upbringing now or ever.” His voice was so low that Bill had to lean forward to hear the other man’s words. After giving the older wizard a look, he nodded.

“I’ll relay it to the others. But we’d like to think of her as family, just as her mother was always considered part of us when she hung out with Harry and Ron.”

“As long as it doesn’t become a problem, we’ve no issue with that idea. My parents are long dead as are Mina’s; having a surrogate family would be beneficial to all the girls.”

“Good. The more the merrier. Mum seems to really get along with the little one there with her.” Bill pointed toward Molly, pushing Seri on a swing beside a Weasley boy with glasses, probably Potter’s son. Seri laughed silently as she seemed to fly higher than the little boy, her black hair streaming behind her, loose from its ponytail.

“Serendipity gets along with everyone.” Toby smiled. Maybe the girls would benefit from going to school instead of home-schooling. The twins were trying to keep up with Jenny and Emily who were in the middle of a game of tag.

“Are you going back to Hogwarts then?”

“I… need to discuss that with my wife, first.”

“Kneazle-whipped, huh? Don’t worry, we all are. Herm—Mina looks happy though. Ron and Harry have worried a lot about her, where she was, whether she was alright after the attack. We’re all glad she’s well, and that she had you to take care of her.”

“We take care of each other. And I’m not Kneazle-whipped; we discuss every decision, especially when it concerns our future or the children.”

“Right. Come along, I’ll introduce you to the new additions to the family, at least those over the age of 20. My daughter’s starting this year too. We found out Fleur was pregnant just before… the attack. She and Jenny seem to be getting along well.”

“Jennifer wasn’t sure she wanted to come here.” At Bill’s look of surprise, Toby cocked one eyebrow at his former student. “Mina and I told her what happened, obviously not all the horrific details, but Jennifer is intelligent and knew what we were telling her, that she wasn’t my natural daughter. I had to urge her to decide to visit your parents. Her and Mina, actually,” he added ruefully, eyeing his wife chattering with her childhood friends. Returning to the bosom of the Weasley family, regardless of the actions of a wayward son, had been a good idea, a healing action they’d needed.

“We’re all glad you’re back, Professor.”

“Just call me Toby.”

Knowing not many of his former students were allowed to call him by his given name, Bill nodded his head and smiled.

~~

Molly stood between the two children, pushing Seri Prince with her left hand, and Freddie Potter with her right. Freddie, like his mother, was chattering away to Seri, not minding at all that she wasn’t responding to him verbally but with her facial expressions there were eerily similar to her father’s.

“Mummy and Daddy got me a little broom for my birthday and I’m going to ride it today. We’se gonna play Quiddich with the olders and I’m gonna be on my brother’s and Daddy’s team cause my daddy’s the best Quiddich Seeker in the world!” Freddie pushed his glasses up his nose with his forefinger, gripping the chain tightly in his other hand.

“Frederick Weasley Potter, you are not going to be playing today! You’re too young and you could get hurt.”

“Bryan plays. It’s not fair, Grammy.”

“Bryan’s older than you, luv. Besides, what’s little Seri going to do while you’re flying about? She wasn’t brought up with flying broomsticks and such. You should play with her, and tell her about the game while the others play.”

Freddie turned to look at the girl beside him, who was watching him intently with her black eyes. He smiled at her and immediately changed his mind. “Okay, Grammy. But can I show Seri my broom?”

“It’s in the broom shed. Do not go flying!” Molly watched the two of them jump from the swings in mid-air, amazed the boy didn’t take flight right there. He was a natural like his mother and father, but she still worried about the little one. Freddie grabbed Seri’s hand as they raced through the adults and other children playing and milling about. He had his father’s natural agility but Seri was keeping up. Of course, Severus had been a Quiddich playing while at Hogwarts. She was her father in feminine form, Molly realized with a shake of her head. She looked around for the Prince twins, being fawned over by the wives of Bill and Charlie. The five girls, well the four younger girls, stood out in the sea of red-heads. Jennifer might not have the Weasley hair, but she certainly had highlights. It took her a minute, but she caught sight of her newest granddaughter with Bryan, Ron Jr. and Victoire. The two of them were showing her how to play Exploding Snaps. The three of them bent over the blanket, intensely watching their cards had her blinking back tears.

She felt arms wrap around her from behind and she leaned back into her husband’s embrace. They’d been together now for so long, that she knew without turning it was Arthur. He kissed her neck, ignoring the ‘ews’ from the grandchildren watching.

“It’s like the family’s back together again,” she whispered as he leaned forward and kissed her properly.

“Dear lord, can’t the two of you keep your hands off each other? Don’t you have enough children?!” George, sitting on the ground at his wife’s feet, yelled. Arthur waved his son off and embraced his wife even closer.

“Look how happy the boys are. It’s like they’ve dropped ten years and are in university again. They missed her so much.”

“They did, Molly. She had a hard time, though, after what Percy did. We all needed to heal after that.” Even after over eleven years, it still terrified Arthur that one of his sons had been so completely enthralled by the Dark Lord’s ideals. He’d raised all of his children to be tolerant and understanding of not only Muggleborn folk, but their Muggle relatives. Without them, the Wizarding world would have died out long before.

As always, the memory of her fallen son brought more tears to his mother’s eyes, but she wiped them away angrily.

Arthur hugged her tighter still and murmured his love into her ear. The one good thing that had come of their son’s loss was here with her parents and sisters joining the Weasley clan.

~~~~

“You’re going to Hogwarts, right?” Victoire flicked her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and gave the newcomer a gimlet look over the cards. Jennifer, having never played Snaps like this, didn’t take her eyes from them but nodded.

“Of course, I’ll be in Gryffindor. All the Weasleys have been sorted into Gryffindor House,” the haughty girl stated with an air of distain. Now Jenna looked up, squinted her eyes at the other girl.

“I don’t know; my daddy was the head of Slytherin and it didn’t seem so bad.”

“Slytherins are the very worst sort of wizard! You don’t want to be sorted into that House!” Ron Jr. brushed ash from his face after his cards exploded in front of him. Bryan punched his cousin in the arm hard.

“You git. We’re supposed to stop acting like any one house is better, or any sort of wizard. Geez, didn’t my dad and Granddad teach you anything?” Bryan glared at his older cousin with exasperation. “One You-Know-Who was enough.”

“I’m not saying Pure-blooded wizards are better, just Gryffindors are better than Slytherins. That’s all. Like that moron, Scorpius. Man, I can’t wait to get him on the Quiddich pitch some time. I’ll knock him on his arse.”

“Ronald Bilius Weasley Junior!” Lavender Brown Weasley’s screech resounded through the backyard. She grasped her eldest son’s right ear and led him through the backdoor of the Burrow, promising a good scouring of his mouth for his language. Jenna tilted her head to one side and watched him, only slightly sorry. He’d had it coming for disparaging her father’s House. Bryan and Victoire laughed, obviously used to scenes similar to this.

“I don’t care which house I’m sorted in. I’m just interested in learning magic.”

“You really haven’t been around it before?”

“No. Mom and Daddy left here before I was born. I didn’t even know magic was real until a few days ago. Can you do magic?”

“Oh, yes. My great-grandmother was a Veela, so I have her natural ability. But the Weasleys are a pure-blood family, and I’ve got my father’s powers too. What about you? If you’ve been accepted you must have some abilities.”

“I guess. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything magical though.” Jenna frowned and made a note to herself to ask her parents about her so called magic. She didn’t remember doing anything odd, like move things around the room, or other weird stuff.

Victoire shrugged with her. “Well, if the school says you’re eligible, then I guess we’re going to school together.

“I can’t wait.” Jennifer smiled brightly.

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Leave a review! Come on, you know y'all wanna ream me for disappearing for weeks(eek months!)! Next chapter in a few days, assuming my life isn't turned upside down AGAIN!