Molded Joy

Epilogue

"Language!" Molly chided as Mimi fell into step beside her. Giving the young woman's arm a sharp pinch, she said, "There are scores of children present!"

Wincing, Mimi rubbed at her arm and muttered, "Sorry!"

"Mimi!" Junior greeted with a laugh. "I thought I'd have to get on the Express without saying goodbye!" Which would have been a true (if unlikely) tragedy for Junior. Mimi was very good about saying goodbye to her brothers and others she cared for. Even when all odds pointed against her being able to do so, she always appeared to find a way.

Molly knew that was all in thanks to her father. Benjy, while a loving father, was by no means a perfect one and had made his children many promises he could (or perhaps never intended to) keep. In response to all the lies she'd been fed in her childhood, Mimi had vowed to herself to be honest with all those she loved and to keep every promise she made. It meant she could come off as caustic and pig-headed sometimes, but Molly tried not to hold it against her adoptive daughter. It was the result of good intentions, after all.

As for Junior, all he wanted these days was to say goodbye. He had not gotten the chance to exchange farewells with his father before he died and since then, Junior did not like to part without a goodbye. When he was smaller, he used to throw big fits when he'd not gotten to say goodbye to those he loved. He didn't do that anymore, but Molly suspected he still felt the same anger and sorrow when he missed his chance to trade farewells. Molly was sure Mimi held the same suspicions as her.

The young woman smiled at her brother. "Nope! I'd never do that to you, Junior!"

As Junior grinned, Arthur, eyes sharp, but lips curved in amusement asked, "Just how did you managed to get away from the office, Mimi? With how short-staffed the Werewolf Registry is, I'd think they'd not let you off for something like this so early in the day."

"They might think I just went to the loo," Mimi admitted as she carefully looked away from them to scan the whispering crowds. "Wow, there are a lot of people here today, aren't there? More than last year, wouldn't you say?"

Molly rolled her eyes. Of course there were more people milling around the Platform than last year, Harry was here. Witches and wizards of all ages were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Wizarding World's savior before he left for his first year at Hogwarts. She didn't say this, however. Harry didn't need to know that he had drawn a crowd yet again. So, instead, Molly narrowed her eyes at Mimi.

"I hope you're planning to hurry back to work in the next few minutes, Mimi. It wouldn't do for you to lose your job over something like this," she said.

Mimi laughed. "Oh Molly, I won't. They don't get nearly enough applicants as it is. They aren't going to fire the newest blood they've gotten into the office in almost eight years."

"Smugness is a rather unbecoming trait in a young woman," Molly scolded lightly as she grabbed hold of Harry before he was run over by an overeager child and their trolley of luggage.

She laughed again and swung an arm around Junior, then Harry, and said, "You better watch out for our little brother, Junior. Harry's such an ickle boy and no doubt others will be looking to take advantage of that."

"That's what you think others are going to try and take advantage of?" Junior asked, eyebrow raised.

Mimi sighed and Molly almost did the same. Their family didn't talk about Harry's fame openly, the same way they didn't talk about how Molly and Arthur gained guardianship over the Fenwicks. No one liked to dredge up the fact Harry had survived an attack on his life by the Darkest Wizard of the century anymore than how Molly and Arthur had to make the Fenwick's grandfather cry before he signed over guardianship of Junior and Mimi to the Weasleys.