S E P T E M B E R  1 9 7 7

.・。.・゜✭・.・✧・゜・。.

IT CAME ON A BRISK SEPTEMBER MORNING, the kind that would make you believe the seasons had already changed yet summer still remained. Just before the twins left their upstairs flat to help their father open up the shop below, Fabian turned to Clara from the doorway.

"Come meet the rest of my family," he said, "We're meeting for dinner at my sister's house tonight."

Mouth agape, Clara stood there for a moment before plastering a smile on her lips, "Of course."

Either ignoring her hesitation, or simply not noticing it, Fabian gave her a nod before disappearing into the hallway. Meeting the family was a big step, wasn't it? Of course she'd already known Gideon throughout their years at Hogwarts, and their father had been nothing but kind to her since she began staying upstairs. But the entire family...

To Clara, it felt as though chapters had been skipped. How serious was their relationship? Fabian hadn't told her that he loved her yet. But maybe he was waiting for her to say it first. Smart.

There's no telling how she'd react. It wasn't that Clara didn't care deeply for Fabian, of course she did. But love? Love felt like too fragile a thing to try to hold onto, given their roles in The Order. But the time to worry about that would come later. For now, she was already late for her shift at St. Mungo's.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✧・゜・。.

After a long day of rounds in the Lastwicke Whitmore Ward, Edgar pulled Clara aside, "Everything alright, Potter?"

Edgar gave her a look as if he already knew something was amiss. It wasn't the glare of a supervisor who was disappointed with their employee's performance for the day. It was a look of an elder brother, someone protective who was clearly worried. But maybe she'd been reading into it too much. Likely, Edgar was simply checking in on her so he could report back to Dumbledore that she had seemed distracted. Though, he truly didn't seem the type to go behind her back like that.

Clara decided it was best to simply tell the truth, "Fabian wants me to meet his family."

A smile grew on Edgar's face, deepening the lines around his mouth. "You say that as though you've been sentenced to life in Azkaban."

Clara rolled her eyes with a sigh before turning to walk away. She knew she should have gone to see Marlene at the Ministry during her lunch break - although, she'd probably have a similar reaction to Edgar.

Before Clara could get too far, Edgar caught her by the elbow. She spun around, half-expecting another quip at her expense but all the Healer did was smile at her and say, "There's worse things in life than caring for someone. The regret only comes when it's too late."

With that, he gave her elbow a reassuring squeeze before disappearing around a corner and back into the ward in which they worked.

There was plenty he left unsaid, but Clara understood entirely. With The Order, things could change in an instant. Instead of worrying about what it meant to Fabian for her to meet his family, she should be grateful to get the chance at all.

An uncomfortable wave of guilt rolled through her chest before she let out a long breath and headed back to their flat on Diagon Alley to prepare for dinner with the Prewetts.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✧・゜・。.

The Twins' older sister, Molly, lived in a small village named Ottery St. Catchpole with her husband Arthur and their three sons - Bill, Charlie, and Percy. The house, which Clara had learned had been affectionately named 'The Burrow', was even more incredible than even Fabian had described. It looked as though each new room was added atop the building as needed. Looking like a teetering tower of blocks, the home surely must've been held up by magic.

But even awe couldn't fully calm the butterflies in Clara's stomach. Edgar's reassurance had only helped Clara so much. Beyond her reluctance to meet the family, there was still the matter of whether they even liked her, or approved of her being with Fabian at all.

With the twins flanking each side of her, like a wall of protection, the three approached the front door.

Before knocking, Gideon glanced down at Clara, "Try not to look Molly directly in the eyes, she'll eat you alive."

Fabian scowled at Gideon as he swatted a hand to the back of his twin's head. A frown formed on Gideon's face as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry Clara, only messin' about. You'll be fine." Gideon reassured her as he wrapped his knuckles against the old oak door.

Though she knew the boys were only fooling around, Clara still worried. She'd never been a social butterfly. Never been good at first impressions. In fact, more often than not, she had relied on Marlene or James to handle introductions throughout her life. If someone much more likeable than her put in a good word, it made things much easier. She could only hope that Fabian had said plenty of nice things about her to his family in the last few months.

The door swung open to reveal a woman even shorter than Clara, holding a wailing baby in her arms. The crying infant however did nothing to deter the warmth in the woman's smile as she took in the sight of her younger brothers. It had been Christmas since the last time she saw them, she had exclaimed while fussing over the boys - squishing the baby between them as she hugged each tightly.

Then she took a step back to glance over Clara, as though sizing her up. The tight line of Molly's mouth only remained for a moment before she smiled once more, "Come in, come in. It's lovely to finally meet you Clara. I do wish Fabian would write more, but when he does, it's always about you."

A fierce blush painted Clara's cheeks as she followed the woman into the house. The immediate warmth of the home was the first thing she noticed. The hearth in the living room was alight with a glowing fire, yet each room was heated just the same. Family photos covered every inch of the hallway on the way to the kitchen, and Clara spotted at least three ongoing knitting projects that Molly had been working on. Perhaps they were scarves or jumpers for her little boys.

The Burrow wasn't just a building held up by magic, it was a home. By comparison, it almost made Potter Manor almost seem barren. Euphemia loved to keep their house tidy, but something about the clutter in Molly's home felt like a hug.

In the kitchen, an elderly woman was working at the stove. Despite the years aging her, she and Molly shared almost the exact same face. When the older woman glanced up, she dropped her wooden spoon into the pot and rushed over to embrace the twins. Her dotting on the boys was muffled as she buried her face in their jumpers. Clara couldn't help but smile at the embarrassed expression on Fabian's face as his mother cupped his cheeks and exclaimed how he needed to shave and cut his hair.

At the dining table, the twins' father sat with whom she could only assume based on what Fabian had told her, was Arthur Weasley - Molly's husband. On Arthur's lap sat one of his toddler sons. Though she didn't know whether it was Charlie or Bill. In time, she'd learn who was who.

"Care to give me a hand, Clara?" Molly asked from across the kitchen, where she took over the stove duty that had been abandoned by Fabian's mother.

Though Clara had never felt at home in the kitchen, Molly didn't seem to mind - so long as she didn't get in the way. But it was clear that Molly didn't necessarily want Clara's help, she just wanted some privacy to talk.

They discussed school and work, to which Molly had sung her praises for working as a Healer. Apparently Fabian had sent a letter to his sister the day Clara had earned her position at the hospital. Dinner had also been filled with inquiries from both Molly and their mother. Throughout the meal, Clara learned just how much Fabian loved to brag about her accomplishments. Even their father spoke highly of her and how she would help clean up the shop on days she didn't get home from the hospital too late.

As Clara helped Molly clean up after dinner, a hand laid over Clara's shoulder and she glanced up to see Fabian smiling down at her. Calm washed over Clara as she returned his smile. She had been so worried and yet, the Weasley-Prewett family had taken her in as one of their own without a second thought.

"Care to take a walk?" Fabian asked.

Fabian led them out the door and through the garden which Molly had discussed so much during dinner. At one end of the garden, bright red tomatoes hung from the vines, ready to be plucked at any moment. On the other end, pumpkins were beginning their slow take over of their own plot. The two of them walked silently for a while until Fabian interlocked his fingers in hers and led her over to a nearby pond.

The two sat below a large tree, shaded from the setting sun by its wide branches.

"You did well." Fabian said brightly.

She glanced at him and smiled, "You say that as if I aced an exam."

He raised a brow, "With Molly? That was an exam."

Clara turned back to the water, the setting sun shimmering over the calm ripples. She leaned a head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. If only every day could be this lovely. But she knew that wasn't possible. Not with The Order holding them together while also threatening to tear them apart. But for now, she could enjoy this little bit of peace.

"Clara?" Fabian said in a near whisper, as if reluctant to break the calm silence that had fallen between them.

She lifted her head and met his eyes. Before she could say anything, he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly - once, then twice. She leaned into him, into his warmth, but he pulled away. While his hand remained on her cheek, he said, "I love you."

A cold chill washed over Clara. Could she say it back? She hadn't even considered it. But, as if Fabian already knew her fears, he didn't even give her a chance to form a response. He dropped his hand from her face and stood up. Fabian held out a hand to her, a smile still on his lips. Clara took it and as he helped her up, he said, "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know."

Perhaps for now, that would be enough. In this moment, they could be happy.