Bill Weasley

Epilogue: July 2010

2006-10-28T15:19:44Z

My life has been full of blessings and they all lead up to my wife and children. Fleur and I have had our ups and downs, it is true. One can hardly expect to come out unscathed after having been married to a pregnant, part-Veela, but on the whole I have come out relatively unharmed. My wife is beautiful, powerful, intelligent, and… did I mention drop dead gorgeous? It wasn’t her looks that first attracted me but it doesn’t ever fade! She is as beautiful today as she was when we first met.

I am one lucky bastard.

Charlie and Matt came home and we began our life together as a family. Fleur eventually went back to work, although she took the boys with her, and I continued to work with Ginny when she wasn’t staying home with the girls. After the war though, it a lot slower in our line of work and eventually I branched out to protecting businesses and even a few Ministry owned buildings. It was steady work and less dangerous than climbing through tombs. Fleur appreciated that.

When the twins were a year old, we found out that Fleur was pregnant again but this time I was prepared! I knew that she was pregnant even before she did.

I do believe it was the plate that went flying past my head that tipped me off.

However Christopher was adorable, and well worth the bruises. He’s a fighter, just like his uncles, and he didn’t let his older brother’s boss him around. We were very happy with our three boys and content to stop right there.

But fate decided that we weren’t done yet and not long afterwards, we found out that Fleur was pregnant with another boy, who we named Alexander. Alex came into the world not long after his cousin, Bryan, and the two of them were best friends from the word ‘go’. Ginny and I often marvel at how alike the two are, appearances not withstanding, and I can only compare it to my twin sons. They share a bond that is very unique.

Last, but never to be least, is my baby girl. I can remember vividly when Ginny was born and how she was the baby of the family… for about a minute. Then she was her own spitfire and Madeline is just the same. She’s her mother’s daughter and she is so amazingly beautiful, with her bright red hair and clear blue eyes, that I can’t get enough of holding her. Her brothers are very protective of her and Maddie screams her head off when they hover. She knows how to get her way and twist each of us around her little finger. Fleur is the only one who can deal with her because none of her ‘tricks’ work on her mother. All I can do is grin like an idiot and let my wife handle her.

I’m pretty sure that life couldn’t be more perfect.

…until I get another plate thrown at my head and then I shall reevaluate.

My Sons

2006-10-05T01:29:45Z

I am exhausted. I haven’t showered today and I know that I smell of baby puke but it really doesn’t matter.

It was my baby that spit up on me. Actually, I am pretty sure that both of them spit up a bit on me. It was a struggle to get the boys to eat the first few times and Fleur struggled a bit with getting them latched on but both of our mothers helped her through the night and this morning she is a pro.

I am so proud of my wife that I could burst. I spent about an hour just holding baby Charlie and now I have baby Matt in my arms. Fleur rolled her eyes and grinned at me when I used their nicknames but she has continued to use their full names. I think she probably always will.

Maybe it will just be a father and sons experience. They are beautiful, and I didn’t expect any less with Fleur as their mother, but it is also a kick to see all of that red hair. They are still pretty bald but the hair they have is red. My mum and dad have cooed over them, Fred and George have already dropped off boxes that I am afraid to open. Ron and Hermione stopped by to hold them, followed quickly by Ginny, Harry, Tina, Penny, Rachel and baby Andrew.

Fleur’s family has been in and out too.

Despite my lack of hygiene, my obvious mental lapses from being so tired, and my goofy smile, all I have heard is congratulations.

The best was having my dad tell me that he’s proud of me and he knows I’m going to be an amazing father.

Matt is now completely asleep so I lay him down next to his brother and cover him with a blanket. He snuggles up to his brother, as close as he can get and falls into a deep sleep. I imagine that this is where he will always be comfortable and I can understand more fully why my twin brothers are the way they are. Fleur is exhausted as well and sleeping soundly. I take this opportunity to take a picture of my boys… not of their mother, though. She would murder me if I took a picture of her right now.

It’s like I said… they’re just beautiful and they get all of it from their mother.

Attack On Fortune Square

2006-07-12T02:05:37Z

When the alert for the attack on Fortune Square comes in I know it is time for my team to respond. I give Ginny a worrisome look and fiercely kiss my wife pouring all my passion and words I don’t have time for into the act.

I hurry outside knowing that Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and my wife are alerting the others on my team with their Patronus Charms. I concentrate and make a pair of Apparations and land in Fortune Square.

I glance around and quickly spot Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle among the crowd that is fleeing in panic. Last month Lucius’s followers hit the square, launched a volley of spells that detonated in the businesses on the ground level then fled. This month they seem to be taking a different tact.

There is smoke coming from one block to the south on Beltry Lane. This time they are hitting the residential section. I motion for the others to follow me and scramble down Fortune Lane. What I find is absolute chaos. To my right several of the buildings are in flames. To my shock there are already Ministry personnel on the scene battling the Inferi. Of course they are mostly in shock at seeing their foes shrug off spells that should incapacitate or kill.

The next thirty minutes are a blur of casting curses and hexes and blocking them. Watching innocent bystanders cut down and culminating with Hestia and I frantically digging Dedalus out of a pile of flaming debris that buries him when #7 Beltry Lane collapses in upon itself.

Everything is still confusion, but the Death Eaters finally flee when the last of their Inferi are destroyed by a Relasho Curse. I hastily return to Hestia who has been doing her best to tend to Dedalus and together we Side-Along Apparate him to The Phoenix House where hopefully Penny and Susan can patch him up.

I hope the other teams had better luck than we did tonight.

An End To My Lifestyle

2006-04-03T18:38:48Z

The past few days have been a series of surprises that have managed to turn my life upside down.

I found out I’m having twins.

One kid I was prepared for... but two??? And its twin boys. After seeing my mother nearly lose her sanity trying to raise Fred and George I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first. But I have slowly come to get used to the idea. And I really can’t wait for my boys to be born.

And besides... maybe twin girls wouldn’t have been such a great idea... not if they inherited Veela genes. I have seen and heard horror stories about Fleur and Gabrielle growing up and the raging hormones and tantrums. I think it’s probably best not to have two kids who might set the house on fire every time they are upset. Though if Fred and George have any influence over them the boys might do that too...

Hmm... I must remember to keep them away from Fred and George. Perhaps only allow them monitored visits.

Today I heard more news that has forced me into making some hard choices. Gringotts is sending me to Mexico for six months on another high profile dig. The impression I got was that they couldn’t afford to waste one of their best cursebreakers on a desk job.

The thought does excite me, sets my blood racing. Somewhere inside me a part of me will always want to go off on the next adventure. It’s too deep in my blood, like an addiction.

And I know that Fleur won’t stop me. Not if I decide to go.

But I can’t do this to her, won’t do this to her. I need to be with her, need to support her through this. And perhaps it is time I stopped my glory hunting ways and settled down. I am getting too old to risk my neck. I have some responsibilities towards my family now, and I will fulfill them.

Turning down the Mexico trip would mean losing my job. But it’s a price I’m prepared to pay. I will find another job. My reputation will assure that at least.

Joyful contemplation

2006-03-06T00:02:57Z

It is late at night, Fleur is sleeping soundly, but I can’t get any sleep… I keep thinking over what happened earlier.

My mind has still not wrapped itself around the idea.

I’m going to be a Dad!!!

Even thinking of it makes tremors of joy rush through me. I have this restless feeling inside me. I feel like going out to the rooftops and screaming out the news. I want to tell all my family and everybody I know about it. I just need to share it with someone before I burst.

I also badly want to go to a bar and get pissed drunk to celebrate the occasion. I know if Charlie were alive today we would be doing exactly that.

When Fleur told me… I was so stunned for a few moments that I could only stare at her in bewilderment. It just seemed so… so unreal. And for those first few moments I couldn’t help but think that this was the wrong time for it to happen. Ron was still in the hospital, Ginny was still so fragile. It just didn’t seem right. There would be time for babies later… when everything was back to normal.

And then it hit me… things would never be back to normal. There would always be one thing or another happening that would ensure that I was never ready. I had put so many things on hold in my life. For years I had wanted to spend more time with Fleur, to devote more time to my family. I had always thought that someday I would take time to get to know Ron better. But that someday never came and I almost lost the chance forever.

I looked up to see Fleur’s soft eyes staring into mine, so full of love and anxiousness. And for the first time I realized that she was carrying my baby. A baby made we made in love, a baby that is part of me… a part of her

I doubt mere words will never explain the feeling that passed through me at that moment. I felt this burst of pure joy shoot through me and I had never loved my wife as much as I did at that moment. She has given me such an incredible gift.

I pulled her to me gently, hardly being able to see her for the tears in my eyes and kissed her fiercely, even as my hand roamed gently over her still flat stomach.

I sensed she was tired from her day and so I lifted her up into my arms and began to carry her to our bedroom. On the way I bent down to capture her lips again. “I love you, Fleur, thank you so much.”

As I watch her sleep right now she looks like the most beautiful woman in the world to me. And I know she will look even more beautiful in a few months.

I can’t wait.

Fate's strange games.

2006-03-05T00:53:59Z

It’s been a rollercoaster of a few days.

When I had got the Death Owl that day I felt that the nightmare that I had never really recovered from was happening all over again. Charlie was already gone… and now Ron… No, it couldn’t be possible.

This would tear apart our family.

Percy had died for me the day he betrayed us for his greed for power. And Charlie was gone too. With Ginny in the condition she was in and now this… It was hard to imagine life ever going back to the way it was.

At first the shock was so great that I felt no pain. I was just numb with shock. But then the reality crashed down on me like a tidal wave. Ron was dead. My youngest brother was dead.

The tears came then, and it seemed they would never stop. I don’t even remember most of it. I just remember Fleur holding me tightly and letting me cry.

And then we heard that it was all a mistake… that Ron was actually alive. At first it felt like some horrid joke, but a part of me so badly wanted to believe it. I can’t ever tell you how it felt when the news was confirmed. It felt like he was born all over again.

I had gone to visit him on Friday. I almost didn’t recognize him. His body was so battered and broken and it seemed like he was fighting for every breath he took.

But he was alive! And that’s all that mattered.

I have never really been a major part of Ron’s life. Whenever he has needed me I have mostly never been there. When the news came that he had died I had so many regrets. I knew that I would never be able to forgive myself for my actions.

I don’t plan to ever make this mistake again. I will do what is needed to improve my relationship with him.

Maybe this is a new beginning… maybe this miracle is what was needed to make everything better. I can only hope that’s so.

On other topics, my services as Curse Breaker had recently been requested by a Miss Brown, apparently an old classmate of Harry’s. She had been having trouble with her ex-husband who was making a nuisance of himself and dropping into her flat uninvited. She wanted me to set up wards around her flat to keep him out.

It wasn’t a very difficult job and I had the new wards set up pretty quickly. No uninvited guests will be giving her any trouble now, and if they do they will get a few very nasty surprises.

A Valentines I Don't Want To Remember

2006-02-15T03:36:58Z

This has been a day that I wouldn’t relive for anything. It started out with Fleur and I leaving for a Valentines lunch early. Ginny stayed in my office to work on paperwork and told me that she would meet me there to discuss several accounts when I got back. I left with Fleur for a relaxing meal at my Mum’s restaurant. Fleur has been a little off lately and I had hoped that this would cheer her up. It seemed to have done the trick as she ate everything in front of her, including some of my food.

We get back to the bank and Ginny is not in my office, just a broken cup on the floor. I examine the cup to find that there had been tea in it, along with another substance that I cannot identify. I quickly notify security and the bank is searched, but she can’t be found. I floo Harry and let him know what is going on. He reacts better than I expect, but still asks me to start a search for her.

I alert the family, Hermione and floo several of Ginny’s friends, even scribbling a note to Padma Patil when I remember that she doesn’t have a fireplace. I need to make sure that they haven’t seen her and are on the lookout for her. Then I go to comfort my crying wife… and wait.

I hate waiting. Fleur seems to have made herself sick from worry and I ask her if she wants to go home. She’s pale and agrees for which I am glad. I assure her that as soon as I have news, that I would let her know.

Finally Ron Apparates to the bank and I instantly remove him to my office. His face is full of rage. "Ginny's been attacked..." he says. His voice strains on the word 'attacked'.

“By who?” I ask, trying to remain calm.

His face goes a shade redder, "If I knew do you think I'd bloody well be standing here? Effing Hopkins sat me out of going to apprehend the bloody wanker!” His expression gives away how worried he is as he continues to pace my office.

“Is she… okay?” My nerves are just about shot and I don’t want to lose while my youngest brother is obviously ready to explode.

He stops pacing in his tracks, "I don't know," he says in a low voice. His moment of being scared passes as he starts pacing again. Ron's voice resumes with that edge that I'm just not used to, "Why can't they let me do something? They wouldn't even let me see her. All I know is that she is at St. Mungo's."

That doesn’t sound good. “How badly was she injured?”

"I. Don't. Know." He says, making every word clear.

I slam my fist into my desk, hating this feeling of helplessness. “Was Harry with her? Where did they find her? Do we know why she was taken?”

"Harry is with her, she showed up at the Ministry once she got away from the freak who tried to rape her," he bites out.

My heart freezes and I see red, more angry than I have been in my life. “Bugger it all!” I yell as I turn around and punch the wall of my wall, denting it effectively. I can’t even comprehend someone wanting to hurt my baby sister in that way!

Ron stops dead in his tracks again. His voice is icy when he says, "So what'll we do? Hopkins sat me out of the team to find her attacker, but I have a few friends still. I could find out where they think he is..." his voice trails off as his hand reaches into his robe pocket. I know he's holding his wand.

It is more than tempting… “If they know who he is then he’ll go to Azkaban. It doesn’t seem enough but we can’t risk him getting off because we went after him.” I give my brother a hard look. “But if he walks free for this then all bets are off. We’ll make sure the bastard is never found.”

Ron leaves to tell the twins of what happened, something I don’t envy him for, as I let the other supervisors know what Ron has told me.

After alerting Ginny’s friends of the situation, and I’m not sure I remembered them all because my mind is a jumble, I floo to break the news to my beautiful wife. I hold her while she cries more and I shed tears with her as well. I can’t imagine how much pain Ginny is right now, but I feel helpless in the situation and wish I could do something… anything. Realizing I can’t, I try to sleep but it doesn’t come.

Call To The Ministry

2006-01-22T22:17:42Z

“The Ministry is clambering for answers and we’re right in the middle of it,” I tell my sister as she strides towards me. We were both summoned to the Ministry to answer questions.

In response to my statement, Ginny throws a wadded up ball of parchment at my chest and I catch it easily. I unfold it to reveal her own summons. “I assume you let them know about Padma,” she asks as she plops down in an uncomfortable wooden chair. The very one I vacated when I saw her walking to me.

“Of course, as soon as I got Harry’s note. How is your friend?” I ask as I study her drawn and tired face.

She starts to answer and then shrugs, “she’s surviving. Sometimes I think she’ll be okay but other times I can see her just ending it all to get away from… well, she’s had a rough life already. Mum did help though. She came this morning and Amy seemed to do well while being mothered.”

I nod and squat down next to her, putting my hands on her knees until she looks up at me. “What else happened?”

“Harry and I had a fight,” she admits hollowly and I am forced back to the times when Fleur and I have fought. It was always draining on us but in the end, we’ve always come out stronger for it. “We resolved it,” Ginny assures me, “but what he told me has me afraid.”

Now that isn’t something I expect to hear. What could he have said and am I going to have to hex him for it? “What did he say, Gin-Gin?” I ask and I deliberately use my pet name for her. She always opens up more when I do.

“He… he… told me that without me he wouldn’t be able to go without me!” She’s whispering and she glances around nervously before casting Muffliato so that we can’t be overheard. “He also said that he wouldn’t have been able to defeat Voldemort without me and…” shock fills me at these words and I have to resist the urge to contradict her. “…and he told me that he’s got a bad feeling about the tomb. He wants to go to Egypt with us because he’s afraid that something might happen to me and… oh Bill,” she throws her arms around my neck and I hug her fiercely. “I can’t help but think he’s right. Something was off with that tomb! You knew it and when I was thinking straight, I did too. You were always worried about it and now they’ve all disappeared.”

She pulls away, sitting back in the seat again. I expect to see tears but instead her eyes tell me that she is close to panic. “What is it?”

“What if something is really wrong, and what if… what if something does happen to me… everyone, they all count on Harry! He’s their hero and,” she pauses to run her hands through her long hair, messing it up. “He’s a hero, Bill! He’s important but if he needs me like that and I fail, what will they do? What will he do?!” She lets out a bitter laugh before adding, “I really wish that I didn’t make him vulnerable!”

I turn her face to look into my eyes, “I am the same way with Fleur.”

Her mouth drops open in surprise, “oh.”

I give her a small smile, “maybe you’ll understand now why I married her, hm?” and she nods. “You’re right, you do love an important man but Ginny, as with all other powerful men, there is always a more powerful woman behind them keeping their butt in line.”

She lets out a giggle and shakes her head. “You’re impossible.”

“No, I’m serious. I wouldn’t be half the man that I am without Fleur and I am smart enough to know that I need her as much as I do. Harry is the same way, Gin-Gin and you can’t hold it against him.”

“I don’t hold it against him but I don’t want to be his liability,” she says and she sounds completely miserable.

“No, that isn’t how he sees you!” I assure her, “he needs you like you need him and there isn’t anything wrong with that.”

She sighs and glances up at the ceiling, her eyes look suspiciously bright. “But he matters to people Bill! If something else happens then they will turn to him, like they turned to Dumbledore, and he will need to be strong for them. That’s just who he is and he doesn’t need me hanging like an anchor around his neck.”

I rock back on my heels, horrified by what she’s said. “I’m sure it isn’t like that Ginny and I hope you have told him that this is how you feel.”

She shrugs, “I haven’t and I’m not sure he needs to hear about my stupid fears.”

“They aren’t stupid and I expect you to tell him how you are feeling,” I say in a stern voice. “Take this as an order from your boss.”

Her eyes are hollow as she gazes back at me but turns as movement catches our eyes from down the hall. A man that I had seen earlier comes over and hands me a list without a word. I glance down at it, blinking in surprise as one name on the missing list catches my eye. I hand it to Ginny without saying anything and she reads it over. I know she is shocked by what she reads and whispers, “oh no. Poor Padma… she’s got to be devastated. I didn’t know that Diego had returned to Egypt.”

I take the list back and fold it carefully, placing it in an inside pocket. “All we can do is be there for her and I hope that helping to solve the mystery helps her cope with the loss.”

“Some how I doubt it will,” she says quietly to me as she stands and look down the hall where the other man had disappeared. I look around and see Padma Patil walking towards us.

Being The Big Brother

2006-01-12T03:20:43Z

I’ve been home for several weeks now and at work for three days. As yet I have managed to avoid most of my family, Ginny doesn’t count as I work with her, and concentrate solely on the love of my life.

It is good to be me

And it isn’t that I don’t want to see my family, but my wife puts up with a lot and I feel that it is a waste to not repay her kindness. So I devote most of my attention to her while I am home. Now that I am on vault duty here in London I feel that I can seek out my siblings. I’ve decided to track down the twins first, so at lunch I leave and wander down to their shop. I find them both there, and in good spirits. We chat for a bit and I notice a seriousness about George that was not there when I left. He seems pale and as if he’s lost some weight. If I had to hazard a guess, I would suspect girl troubles but I do not feel that the situation requires my intervention. I’m not good with those sorts of things anyway. I know that if I wait long enough, Ginny will do it for me and in a much better fashion.

Fred, on the other hand, goes on about a Muggle contractor that is giving him hell for being himself. I have to try not to smile as it is clear to me that he has met the match of our mum in temper and now has to work with her. Overall though, Fred seems to be in good spirits and health.

It’s George that has me concerned, but I trust that if he needs to talk, he will seek me out. More than likely, he’ll go to Ginny though.

Next I am off to see my baby brother, Ron who has managed in the last year to top me in height. It is disconcerting, to say the least, that I have to look up to meet his eyes when I can clearly remember holding him as a baby. We exchange the usual insults that flow naturally between brothers and I ask him how he’s recovering from being attacked. He says he is recovered and I ask about how work is going.

Ron winks at me before complaining loudly that he’s been stuck on nightshift and that the hours are horrible. I then see a middle aged man, portly and with a straight mustache walk by, giving Ron a malicious look.

Ron grins and explains, "He's sending Justin to the Phoenix House for the Douglas Kids first transformation, I haven't been assigned it... yet."

I can help but chuckle at that. “So if you complain about the work, you’ll get the crummy jobs as well?”

"The crummy jobs I want, yeah.”

I nod and clap him on the back. “I’m proud of you, Ron. You’ve come a long way and I know that Susan would want you and Justin there, since she can trust you.”

“ And at least we won't be some idiots who'll hex them the first chance they get.”

We continued on in this vein, discussing werewolf rights and the prejudices that still plague the country until I have to return to work. I tell Ron that I will see him around and that he should stop into Gringotts to have lunch with Fleur, Ginny and I some time. I then mention that Fleur only works part time so he would have to check. Ron looks a little weary but I don’t press him since I saw him flinch at the mention of Ginny’s name. It seems my sister has been making her rounds. But at least Ron looks sober, so she seems to have done some good.

I Apparate back to Gringotts and head to my office to find Ginny in shock while looking over Harry’s bank records. I reason with her that the money isn’t important and push her back off to work. A few minutes later, Fleur arrives to say hello and fifteen minutes later we both get back to work. Being a top-level curse breaker has its advantages, ones that I am fully coming to appreciate. I grin down at my beautiful bride and kiss the tip of her nose. Oh yes, it is good to be me.

Rememberance

2005-12-13T03:35:28Z

Tonight Ginny and I took a break to sit and talk about Charlie. We laughed as we remembered his life and we cried for his loss. He was my closest brother and I'm thankful that I have Ginny here with me to remember him. I don't think I could do this alone. The only blessing is that she and I have the tomb to occupy us and I know that Charlie would have understood that. I hope Mum is doing all right tonight, but I'm sure she isn't. I pray that I never have to lose another sibling this way again.

The Longest Week

2005-12-11T04:46:11Z

I've made it through and we still haven't gotten into the center chamber of the tomb! Ginny got us through two sets of doors in less than a week and I got us through another but we only run into more problems.

Harry came, as I expected he would. He went into her tent, where she lay broken and exhausted, and within two days I had my sister back. That is truly love. I couldn't say "no" when he wanted to take her off and propose, although I did have a few issues with a former curse breaker, Ryan. He quit again. Actually, I told him it was quit or be fired. I won't put up with a team mate that doesn't look out for the others on the team. Ginny said we should throw a party to celebrate his exit but all we had time for was a game of darts with this article of the Daily Prophet. I am very proud of my sister. She held it together, temper wise, after she and Harry's reputations were defaced. She muttered on about how this would affect Hermione, had a perfect score at darts if hitting the picture of the writer counted, and went back to work. I have mixed feelings about how to react, but I do know one thing; Harry is going to be pissed.

Ginny said she was sending Hedwig out and offered to have her deliver a letter to Fleur, so I dashed off a small note telling her how much I miss her. It doesn't do justice to my feelings but I'm not sure anything could.

I have to get back to work, my break is almost over. I hope we get into this tomb soon, the suspense is killing me. I know it is going to be bad, whatever we find, so I'd rather find it now and get it over with.

I also pray fervently that Ginny isn't the one to discover the key to getting into the center of that tomb. The rules we go by say that she gets the first crack at opening it if she does find it, but I don't want her to be in front when all hell breaks lose from there.

Time Runs Short

2005-12-08T13:58:41Z

These last two days without Ginny on the job have been horrendous. I had to floo Ryan about coming back and it took every ounce of bribery I possessed and it still wasn’t enough. No, the prick only came back when he learned that Ginny had been hurt and taken off of work. I swear that man gets pleasure out of her failures. He isn’t much more than a body as far as his skills, but he does tend to stumble across curses and hexes that need to be dealt with by us.

In the mean time I have been working overtime, just to keep the other curse breakers out of the hospital. I always knew that I was the more experienced curse breaker on the site but it has become obvious that he can’t protect them. If we want to get into this tomb before the hols then we have to keep working these hours. I am looking forward to going home, to my wife’s arms, and sleeping 30 hours straight. I have been sleeping fine, for the most part. I don’t have nightmares and I can sleep the requisite 8 hours that we all need but when I am awake, I am always on my guard and working. So I sleep; work; eat. I need to write to Fleur soon.

I spoke with Ginny and Harry briefly when they emerged for showers and food this morning but as far as I can tell, they are sticking to her work/sleep schedule of sleeping during the day and being up at night. I’ve seen them walking around the camp but I haven’t spoken to them much. They are so wrapped up into each other that they don’t really notice anything else going on around them. It’s cute and reminds me of Fleur and me when we were first engaged.

I need to get to sleep now. I have to be up and working again after I’m rested. Hopefully Ginny won’t notice that Ryan is back before Harry leaves. That is an explosion that I can do without.

Moving Forward

2005-12-04T19:18:37Z

I watch Ginny fall asleep again and I’m glad that I sent Harry that owl about Ginny’s dreams. They aren’t getting any worse, but they aren’t getting any better. I go back to my own tent to try and sleep but I know I won’t get any.

Fleur left a few days ago and I have been missing her terribly but I am sorry to admit that work has completely consumed me in a way that it hasn’t in a long time. I’m very thankful that she was here when she was, because it was before all hell broke loose and I now have many great memories to get me through the grueling nights of work. After she left, I switched back to nights with the other head curse breaker and I kept Ginny with me. I’m glad I did. She was hit with a curse a few days ago that nearly killed her and I am the only one on the dig who knows the counter curse.

I have not ever seen a tomb that is as dangerous as the one we are working in right now. At least three people have been hurt each day for the past few days and one day the entire crew, myself included, were driven out by an explosion that Anubis left for us. I would be impressed if I were a researcher but as I am a curse breaker, I’m pissed at the whole situation. Ginny and I went back in after the explosion and fought back the flames that were burning the walls, which are brick and not flammable, but they burned. We tried a few methods before Ginny thought to shoot fire at them and that did the trick, it extinguished the flames instantly and we were able to get in, air out the smoke and keep working.

We’ve even lost one of the apprentices, not that I didn’t see it coming. The git that has been on Ginny’s case for months has quit and left hours later. I’m not sad that he’s gone, he was a liability with less sense than God gave a frog, but that does leave us one short for our shifts and we each had to take on working an extra two hours. Fortunately no one has said anything about Ginny and I working together constantly. My gut had been telling me to keep her close and it has saved her twice now and also, she kept me from getting hexed as well. She shielded me from two of six curses that were coming straight for me as I got rid of the other four. She constantly impresses me with how gifted she is as a curse breaker, despite her injuries.

Injuries are part of the job… I got hurt just yesterday. I have a nice bruise on my shin to attest to it. Either my reflexes are slipping or we’re being inundated with too many spells for us to handle. Part of me, mainly my ego, wants to think it is the tomb but another part of me hopes that it is me who is losing my nerve. If this tomb is as bad as my instincts are telling me then I’m not sure I want to find whatever it is that Anubis worked so hard to hide. But that is not part of my job. My job is to get into that tomb as quickly as I can and secure the treasure. All I can hope is that it doesn’t kill one of us while we attempt it.

I run my hand over my chin, feeling the stubble scrape my hand and I look longingly at my bed, where my wife was recently. I’m getting too old for this job, but in my mind I can see that I’m really just getting into my stride and fully realizing my potential as a curse breaker. I couldn’t leave now, anyway; I just wrote Harry to tell him that I was watching Ginny and I’m not about to go back on that. I’m just glad that we will be heading home on the 16th of this month. How much trouble can we get into before then?

Fleur's Visit and The Tomb

2005-11-27T02:02:33Z

I am away from my warm bed and my beautiful wife when all I want is to be back with her and sleeping a dreamless sleep but our latest tomb has kept me awake more nights than any other. I have been into other pyramids that have kept me on my guard constantly and I do not have to be in this one. The charms and curses have been simple to the point of mind-numbing at points but in numbers so great that we’ve had to take double shifts just to sort through them. I’ve taken the day shift for the time that Fleur is here visiting and my counterpart takes over with the other peons like Ginny. They’ve been troupers though, working twelve-hour shifts with minimal breaks. The energy is high for this project and we’ve all been working hard to figure out what Anubis hid behind all of these enchantments. It had to have taken him months to set up all of these traps to keep us out but we will break through, I can feel it.

And yet- that doesn’t bring me any comfort; I have been at this job too long and have done too well in my job to ignore what my instincts are screaming at me. I can’t shake the feeling that I am going to regret doing my job on this one. But as yet I can’t find any reason to not open the tomb. Padma Patil gave us a better understanding of Anubis and was instrumental in getting the tomb open; I trust her judgment in this area. She wasn’t concerned by what we were doing and I let her watch as the newer curse breakers started on the very outer levels of the tomb. I am glad that I let Ginny contact her and I am sure that she will be useful in the future. We can always use an Anubis expert on our side. If only she wasn’t leaving Egypt in the very near future!

But these are not the thoughts that keep me awake when I should be passed out with my wonderful wife, exhausted from lack of sleep, too much work, good food and… well… other things. I have certainly missed being with my wife and having her take care of me and remind me of home. Sometimes I get a flash of insight into the fact that I am too old to be doing this job; those flashes of brilliance into my own stupidity are coming more and more often. I have to keep reminding myself why I am here but then I look at the excitement on my baby sister’s face and I know that I wouldn’t want anyone else training her. I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone else with her education and she is certainly above the rest in her skills and sheer nerve. In a few short years Ginny will be able to take over for me completely and I even have plans to introduce her to the right people here so that she has connections that can help her with the politics of the area. Now if she would only learn to hold her tongue.

Ginny has it in for one of the other curse breakers, Ryan is his name, I believe. But to be fair, the idiot can’t seem to keep his mouth shut around her. She’s already broken his nose once and I wouldn’t put it past her to set WWW traps for him. I think he was infatuated with her when he first got here… that was until he learned she is with Harry. That tends to intimidate the hell out of most men. There is one thing I can truly appreciate about Harry: he keeps other men away except for those few who like a challenge when dating. My sister has this stare that could wither a man in his tracks and I’ve seen her use it quite effectively on many men who’ve tried to hit on her. I don’t even think she realizes that she is doing it and I would be laughing over an incident that happened to today with this French bloke if I weren’t still miffed at her for putting itching powder in my bed a few days ago. I confronted her with it but as I can’t prove she did it, I can’t take any action. I did mention to her that Mum would hear about it if it happened again and I think I got the message across. Fleur was very unhappy about it as well and having a pissed off Veela on my hands was not how I had planned to spend my evening.

I have been enjoying Fleur’s fabulous cooking, as has Ginny, and the enforced breaks that my wife is making us all take. She’s even brought drinks and biscuits for us to the dig site. The men drool over her and her cooking and Ginny glares while she tries to pretend that she hasn’t missed decent cooking. Neither Ginny nor I can cook worth a damn. I’m fortunate to have married a marvelous cook and Ginny assures me that Harry can do more than boil water so we are both taken care of. I am going to enjoy going home for Christmas though. I’ll have the comforts of home, my wife whom I love to distraction and my mother’s cooking. What more could a man ask for?

It is almost my birthday and I’ve received several gifts and letters from my family. This included a subscription to a magazine that will end my life if Fleur locates it from Fred and George, some money from Ron to spend on going out for a night. I’m going to use it to take Fleur out tomorrow. I also got a letter and gift from Mum and Dad which have already worked well for a hike that Fleur and I took up one of the pyramids and a hat from Harry that I quite like. I do have to say that the hat looks best on Fleur particularly when that is all she is wearing… but I am getting distracted. Ginny promised to surprise me with something on my birthday so I have to wait for that one.

I took Fleur to the coffee shop that I like, the one in Cairo and she did enjoy the coffee and sesame cakes but I could tell immediately that she only put up with the place for my sake; since she had men falling all over her while we were there, I can’t say that I blame her. There are times when that kind of attention bothers her. The one exception has to be her amusement at seeing my fellow senior curse breaker fall into a drooling puddle at her feet. She smiles imperiously down at him and told him that he was going to take the night shift while she was there so that I could spent time with her and he agreed readily. I can’t remember when I have laughed so hard and she just smiled regally and went on as if it weren’t anything special. Merlin, I love that woman. Speaking of her, I should get back to bed before she misses me. I may not be able to sleep but then again, one can argue that sleeping, when one has a beautiful woman in your arms, wastes the night.

New Discoveries

2005-11-17T21:35:23Z

Work has kept me on my toes this past week. As I predicted before, Ginny wanted to dive straight into the work once I told her about the possibility of a new tomb but permits had to be obtained and forms had to be filled out with the local officials. There was also the small matter of convincing the Muggles that they didn’t want to be involved at that dig site any longer but finally, on Friday, we were able get in there and get our hands dirty. If only curse breaking was always this simple. As a seasoned veteran from years ago, I have a few connections here in Egypt and expediting the paperwork has become the rule, rather than the exception. Gringotts, of course, appreciates that about me. It was previously unheard of for us to get onsite in less than two months. But when one goes drinking with the sons of elected officials and saved the life of one of them, one will make a few friends, who introduce you to more important people. It got the point that I had to be careful or I would have ended up a paper pusher, instead of a curse breaker.

After two days of intense searching, we finally located the entrance to the tomb and we are, at the moment, attempting to work out how to get into the tomb. My hunch is that it is a word-activated door and if it is, that will mean doing the research to figure out what word combination the ancient wizard or witch would have used. Ginny is adamant that Anubis sealed the tomb and according to her, the "proof" is in one hieroglyph next to the entrance that might or might not signify him. I just can’t be certain yet until we have studied the matter further and both she and I need a break for the afternoon. Neither of us has slept well and we don’t want to try to crack open the tomb while exhausted. That is not only dangerous but also pointless. I need to be alert if we’re going to get into it.

Ginny mentioned to me that one of Harry’s classmates was working here in Egypt and at first, I completely dismissed my sister’s recommendation to write to her for assistance. As a rule I don’t usually bring in outside people for work for Gringotts. We aren’t in this business purely for the academics and it tends to get some of the scholars up in arms that we have to go in first, breaking through all of the ancient spells until it is safe. But then I asked one of the other senior curse breakers about Padma Patil, that’s the name that Ginny gave me, and I was informed that she works for Melinda Roberts who is the foremost expert on Anubis and if anyone could tell us about whether this tomb belonging to him, it would be her. I’m starting to relent on letting Ginny contact her, but if I do let her bring in Ms. Patil, it certainly won’t be through owl post. At least we’re in the same country at the moment. That makes it all a bit simpler. On a not so amusing side note, the other senior curse breaker was interested in having Ms. Patil here for the simple reason, in his words, that she is “stunning”. I have to laugh and pity the poor fellow. He hasn’t met Fleur yet.

Ah my lovely wife who will be here in just a few short days. That is another reason for us to push ahead with this new tomb. Yes, now that I have reflected on it, I will send Ginny to meet with Padma Patil in the next day or two. If we’ve made the break-through into the tomb then Ginny can do a lot of the grunt work, I’m sorry, the apprentice’s work, and I will be able to devote a few days to Fleur. In truth though I am sure that Ginny will appreciate my keeping Fleur away from her. I love my sister and I love my wife and I am smart enough to know that the two of them mix about as well as oil and water. Which is to say that they don’t. Fleur means well but they are two very opposite people and I doubt they’ll ever get along. At least they pretend, for my sake.

I saw in the Daily Prophet yesterday that Hermione Granger is supposedly dating the Bulgarian Seeker, Krum but from Ginny’s reaction to the news, I have to come to understand that Hermione would not date Krum. I hope Ron realizes it or my little bro is going to be hurting and unfortunately I am not there to take him drinking and pass along my sage advice. It will be nice to get home for Christmas. I miss my family.

Meetings and Contacts

2005-11-11T14:28:13Z

Any time to write is the right time, or rather a rare occasion as I hardly ever have spare time here. It has always been this way, even when I was first starting out. I never have free time when I am on assignment in Egypt. I have it now though, as I am waiting for a contact of mine to meet me and I was a few minutes early for our meeting time.

I am sitting in this small café that I often frequent when I am here. It is always crowded, a bit seedy and full of flies but the coffee is decent and the food is even better. I can’t seem to get enough of the small sesame cakes that they sell. Actually, I shouldn’t say that the coffee is decent. It would be more appropriate to say that the very sweet and strong concoction is an experience that one shouldn’t miss. It is served in these very small glasses and I think that if I stuck my fork in it, it would stand up straight. I think I’ll have to bring Fleur here. She won’t like the ambience but she might enjoy the food. The French have very different tastes, for which I am thankful.

Fleur will be here in Egypt with me in just under two weeks and I have never been more anxious to see her. These trips keep getting harder for us to be apart. I love my wife more than anything in this world and not being with her has started to wear on me. She makes my life richer and when we are apart it seems as if I am only getting by. I must pause here. My contact has arrived.

………

Well, that was an interesting meeting and one that I think I will probably need a stiff drink before I can begin to process with Ginny.

I had heard recently of a hidden tomb but no more than that. There are always rumors floating around on the hot breeze of undiscovered treasures beyond your wildest dreams but never have I heard of such a thing from the man I just met with.

I have been meeting with him since I first got here as an apprentice curse breaker. I met him in this very café quite by chance when I was looking for a break from the camp’s normal fare. We had this cook who liked to experiment and did not always serve edible meals. Thankfully, that cook has long since retired, but back to the present. I came in and there were no free tables. I was about to leave when this gentleman offered me a seat. I was very surprised to hear English from him, as this place caters mostly to locals, but we chatted and found out quickly that we were both wizards. Actually, he figured out I was a wizard because of my dragon hide boots, for which he commented on. Soon afterwards he became my best source of information on the rumors in Cairo.

What he told me today, though, has me on the edge in a way that I have not been in several years. He told me that a Muggle was injured down in Saqqara, which is just south of Cairo and west of the ancient city of Memphis. That is the location of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which is considered to be the first pyramid made entirely of stone. What disturbed me about this report is that the Muggle was injured while alone, studying hieroglyphs in the tomb. The Muggle officials don’t know what caused the accident but we, of course, do.

The Muggle apparently ran across a magical part of the tomb and ended up breaking out into boils. This is a common occurrence when the non-magical archeologists end up where they aren’t supposed to be. Boils, lesions, hexes, plagues etc are all normal and easily preventable curses that are found at the entrances of magical strongholds. When I go into a tomb, I easily disarm the first traps, which are set to keep Muggles out, and then move on to the others that require a lot more skill and finesse. The ancients did not have the magical knowledge that we have today and could not keep the Muggles out by making a place unplottable or casting Muggle Repelling Charms that are harmless. Instead, the wizards of old used nasty curses to keep people away and that method, on the whole, was successful.

The problem with this news is that this particular pyramid was thought to be free of magical influence and purely a Muggle temple. The ancient wizards were concentrated mostly in the Valley of the Kings because they were better protected naturally from the prying eyes of the Muggles. The landscape of the area was enough to keep most people out. If this report is true then we’re looking at a new discovery for the magical world. Wait until I tell Ginny. She’ll want to be out there poking around in a heartbeat.

My First Entry

2005-11-02T03:24:54Z

When one sits down to pen the pertinent details of their life, it is not usually for the simple reason that ‘my sister made me do it’ but in fact, that is my reason. My name is Bill Weasley, William if one wants to get technical, but no one calls me that… except my wife and that too only if she is very upset with me. I am, for the most part, a private man. I keep my problems to myself, unless talking them over with Fleur, my wife, and I can’t say that I am demonstrative in any area of my life. I am, what most would call, reserved. I am also methodical in thinking and as that is the case, I shall start from the beginning and ‘get it over with’; those are Ginny’s words, not mine.

As the oldest of seven children I have always been placed in the position of ‘leader’. It has been impressed upon me that I must keep order, protect my baby sister, Ginny and make sure that Fred and George don’t blow anything up. For the most part, except for the twins, I have succeeded. I went away to school, fell in love with the idea of becoming a Curse Breaker and went straight into training after Hogwarts. After training came Egypt. I had achieved my goal and was sent to the premier place for an adventure seeking Curse Breaker. The only downfall was moving away from my family but after nineteen years of responsibility, I must admit that the daring life of a Curse Breaker was a nice change of pace. That illusion lasted for almost two years when my family came to see me in Egypt. It was the summer of 1993 and my sister still bore the scars of having been possessed for nearly a year. Oh, please don’t misunderstand me, she was physically fine thanks to Harry but emotionally… well let me just say that her eyes would show that she wouldn’t ever be the same again.

After that my perspective started to change. I realized that I was taking risks in my job without necessarily thinking through what it would mean to my family if I was hurt. Those old lessons from childhood reared their ugly heads again and I came to understand, with a little prodding from Dad, what life really meant. My father has always been good for those sorts of things. If there is a man that I respect above all others in this world, Arthur Weasley is it. He has been my rock through growing and my role model of what a good husband and father would do for his family. I have learned that money is not as important as love because of him. We never had much but he would always bat for me when Mum caught me doing something I shouldn’t have been. Yes, I must admit that my father has been a huge influence in my life and I’m grateful to have known him.

This, of course, leads me to my mother. I love my mother with all of my heart but, and you know there would be a ‘but’, I knew from the off that I wouldn’t want to marry a woman just like her. I am afraid, you see, that I am too like her in temperament to suit well with someone similar to myself. I know what you’re thinking! You’re thinking that I’ve already called myself reserved and Molly Weasley is anything but reserved, especially when it comes to her children. You might also be thinking that my Mum really dislikes my wife and I, I assure you, most definitely love Fleur to distraction. So where, one might ask do I see myself in her? Actually, the answer is very simple. I like to be in control, just as my mother does. Mostly this comes out as control over myself since I promise that Fleur rules the roost, as it were. I will speak more on her and our marriage, later.

Now, I really should tell you about my brothers. I miss Charlie like the devil. He was my closest brother in age and a man after my own heart. His death very nearly took the life from me and if it weren’t for my wife, I doubt I would have made it through. I looked out for Charlie at school, taught him all the dirty words I knew, showed him how to fight and helped him practice so that he could make the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I was even the first person to take him to a bar to get drunk. I thought that we would grow old together, have several boys each, who we could teach to fight like we did. It is still hard to imagine that it’s over but each day I remember the good things more.

It seems a shame to discuss Percy next, but as he was next, I’m afraid it must be done. If I could erase him from my mind completely, it would be done but the imbecile is still a part of my family so he is to be suffered… and ignored. Percy is deep into the Ministry’s pocket and so far up Scrimgeour’s arse that he can’t… I should stop there. Let’s just leave it as I won’t forgive him for hurting Dad or my family, ever.

Fred and George are inseparable. I can’t discuss one without the other and I don’t think I’d have it any other way. I’ve helped them a bit, through the years, especially with difficult charms and financial aid when they first got started. Mostly though, we aren’t close. I’ve taken them down a notch or two from time to time but on the whole, I leave them alone and enjoy them for the pranksters that they are.

Next comes my baby brother Ron. I would like to say that I know my little brother well, but it’s not true. He was born the year before I left for Hogwarts and I’ve never been that close to him. I love him and I’ve certainly protected him from our other brothers a few times but on the whole, I wanted him to be able to hold his own. From what I can see now, he’s barely making that happen. We’ll see how that goes in the coming years. I’ve never been one to force my advice on anyone but a few times Ron has asked my opinion and I’ve given it. I respect him for what he did with Harry but right now I feel like he’s letting his life slip right past him.

Then, at long last, I arrive at my Gin-Gin, the apple of my eye. I have spoiled her from day one and it hasn’t stopped into the present. My baby sister has made me so proud by following in my footsteps to become a Curse Breaker and I was able to pull enough strings to get her placed under me. It has been a privilege to teach her, as she is bright and capable… that and she won’t give me any crap; Ginny’s as honest and blunt as they come. Ginny, or Gin-Gin as I like to call her, is one of two people with whom I am openly affectionate. I’ve been babying her since day one and thankfully she hasn’t gotten tired of it yet. I should add in here that she wouldn’t let me do that at work and rightfully so. Ginny is a very competent Curse Breaker and one of the brightest witches I know. She’s always been that way, right from the start, when I taught her the Bat-Bogey Hex at the age of ten. She has truly made me proud.

I can’t talk about Ginny without commenting on Harry as my baby sister is in love with him. I must admit that she couldn’t have picked a better man for herself even though my darling wife feels like their relationship isn’t going anywhere. I know better, however, although I was asked to keep it to myself. A month ago Harry came to me and informed me that he was going to ask Ginny to marry him. One might ask why he would come to me and I have to own up to the fact that I have been glaring at Harry more often as of late, simply because I can see my sister is unhappy with the stagnation of their relationship. As I have already stated, I respect Harry. With that respect comes the knowledge that I couldn’t ever beat him in a duel (although I am certainly good in my own right) and that if anyone could protect my Gin-Gin, it is he. However, I was starting to feel like Harry had his feet stuck in cement and that he needed a small nudge towards committing further. I am glad that I didn’t have to push him hard as it would have required all of my brothers, minus the git Percy, for my threat to be credible. I know my limits, after all.

That leaves only my newest sister, Gabrielle who is charming, beautiful and quite spoiled although I certainly don’t say that too loudly. My wife’s baby sister, who is sixteen, is headstrong and has perfected what I have coined the “Veela Tantrum” down to an art form. I have always handled Fleur’s outburst calmly and the same works well with Gabrielle. I think it irks her that she can’t get a rise out of me but on the whole, she has come to respect me. She is also no longer jealous of my relationship with Fleur, as she was when we were first married. Fleur thinks that has to do a lot with the loss of their father and wanting to have a man to look up to. The only part of Gabrielle that I wish I could change is her crush on Harry. It is quite tiresome trying to keep Ginny from hexing her and not letting Gabrielle get her hopes crushed. I hope to be closer to my sister-in-law in the coming years but not at the expense of Ginny.

I really want to save the best for last, so I please beg of you to be patient while I talk about my job. I promise to go on and on about Fleur but my job came first. Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones? Probably not, as it is an American Muggle flick but one of my fellow Curse Breakers in Egypt likened me to the star of it and after watching the film, I have to admit that I am flattered… and I see why he would say that. By the way, if you haven’t ever seen a Muggle film, I highly recommend them. They are vastly entertaining and great for dates; but back to the original topic. I mentioned early on that I escaped responsibility and the organizational skills that marched towards being Head Boy at Hogwarts. I did this marvelously in my first few years in Egypt and I took a chance that landed me with a reputation and an innate knowledge of what wouldn’t get me killed. There were a few close calls at points but those stories are in the past. I’ve moved on towards a sort of management position.

The Goblins like me because I am polite and I perform consistently. Whether I was bringing home huge amounts of treasure or walking into my office with my black attaché case that was a birthday gift from my wife, I’m always on the job. I got into the business for the risky job of a Curse Breaker but when I took the desk job in London, I found out that I had the business sense that was needed to work at the bank. It was nice taking the risks but I am certainly not getting any younger and as soon as Ginny is fully trained, I am going to stop traveling as much. I miss Fleur and my family when I’m gone so much. It will be nice to slow down a bit.

I did say that I would save the best for last, and certainly Fleur is the best. The first time I saw her was at the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I had gone to see Harry compete and that night changed everything. I have to admit that I noticed her but she was several years my junior so I didn’t pay as much attention to her as I would have when I was at Hogwarts. It was also quite obvious to me that she was used to the boys falling all over her. She is a beautiful woman but her beauty did not keep my attention. It was not until she began working at Gringotts that we really got to know one another. I could see that she was unhappy without her family and I understand that feeling, having spent several years in Egypt, so I started helping her with her English.

One Friday we were working on her English and she began to stumble over some simple words and it hit me, she was nervous around me! I tilted her chin up (she’d been staring down at this book of love poetry that I had bought for her to read from) and I saw her emotions in her eyes. I leaned in and kissed her. I remember she tasted like chocolate and champagne and at that moment I realized that she would be the woman for me. I got suddenly scared that she wouldn’t return my feelings but she gave me this dazzling smile and from that point on it was forever for us. Fleur is eccentric and quirky; both of those traits are so endearing to me and I often have to hold off my laughter as I watch men drop at her feet when she turns up the charm. Fleur is an enigma that I am still working out.

We got engaged and a year later I was hurt by Fenrir Greyback in the fight at Hogwarts. I would discuss this further but I don’t really see it as that big of a change to my life. Apparently my mother doubted that Fleur would stick with me but I knew better. Fleur is not only beautiful but she is fiercely loyal and very loving. Family means everything to her and that really came home to me after I was hurt. Fleur is the best wife I could ever ask for. She is nurturing, caring and loves to cook (what man would complain about that?) but aside from those qualities, she is protective and she brings me out of my own shell. I did say before that I am a private man but the exception (besides Ginny) is with Fleur. She is demonstrative and wants to be affectionate in public. I would never have thought that kissing in front of someone would be acceptable but with Fleur, I can’t seem to keep my hands off of her. Don’t get me wrong, we waited until we were married before, well you get the idea. I do believe that was one of the toughest struggles in my life. Yes, I really don’t want to dwell on that part. In my opinion we could have gotten married a lot sooner.

Despite my mother’s pushing, Fleur and I have put off having children and we will not be having them for another few years. We are still in the “honeymoon” period of our lives and I am not quite ready for that to end. Besides that, we are dealing with the lingering scars on my face that I’ve covered (so far) with glamour charms. My lovely wife has also decided that we need a house for her to raise our children in. As I have said before, whatever Fleur decrees, so shall it be done. It isn’t like my mother but I find that my life is more comfortable and relaxing when I go with the flow and let her rule the roost. She is still trying to convince her mother to move to England so that they can be together but we’ll see if that happens. Her mother is very sentimental and attached to her life in France. All in all, I can’t complain about my life. I do believe that I have a good life and I am thankful for every day that I have.