alt_molly | The reception tonight

Charlotte truly is a darling!

I hope the house elf found you with that basket I sent? I did find Raising Your Witch and Raising Your Wizard to be the most helpful mothering books of all the scores that I read. I hope you find them as helpful as I did. But I'm sure you'll do splendidly.

I received it, thank you.

This might be an odd question, but do you think that sometime soon, we might sit together while you hold Charlotte? And if you can please not occlude at all while doing so... I think I can keep to the tasks of caring for a baby well enough. But I want to make sure that

Sorry. I want to know if the things I feel and think are normal, too.

I suppose I'm just worried I might have something wrong with me, or be missing something? Because of how I was raised. And I know what a good mother you are.

I already know that I love her, but if she doesn't stop crying and I feel overwhelmed and stressed, for example, is that normal?

Oh, Hydra, dear.

It's perfectly normal. Babies cries are meant to be distressing, because how could babies survive if their mothers didn't rush to soothe the baby so they stop making those awful sounds? Feeling distressed when she is distressed is a sign that you'll be an excellent mother, because you truly care to keep her happy, do you see?

And yes, I imagine that will rather different than how you were raised.

It is possible to be a good mother, even if you had a terrible one yourself, trust me. Now, I was fortunate to have a loving family, but I know woman who had to teach themselves, or turn to mentors, because they have no happy memories of being loved by their own mothers.

I would be happy to do any experiment you would like, if that would help reassure you.

The key, remember, is that if you feel overwhelmed, ask for help. Which is exactly what you doing right here, right now, with me. So you see? You are off to a very fine start.

So many people want to help. I suppose I can't really go wrong, can I?

My Aunt Narcissa and my grandmother Nanella showed me affection. So did Daddy.

But... I don't know if it can make up for not getting any from your mother.

I would never diminish the challenge and say that it would be easy, Hydra.

But dear, when we grow up, we learn that not only do we have the family we are born into, we have the families we choose. And those families we choose can teach us what we need to know, that we might not have learned in our first families.

I know, from watching the two of you, that you loved Justin. You truly did, Hydra, despite the fact that you had very little example of a loving marriage to follow from watching your own parents, isn't that right?

Forgive me for bringing it up, because (as a widow myself!) I know that thinking about what happened to him is incredibly painful. But take hope from that, from the fact that you knew how to love Justin, despite not having any example at home. Given that, you can trust that you will be able to love your baby.

It is painful.

But thank you.

I heard the news, but I have barely had a moment to draw breath to tell you 'Congratulations!' Arthur, of course, would have been so proud, but more than that, well, Severus! I can imagine him as sort of strutting around like a peacock, he'd be so proud of you. Except that unlike those albino ones (I hear they have them at the Malfoy Manor, don't they?), he'd be an all-black peacock.

I couldn't possibly imagine anyone more deserving, dear. Well done!

Thank you, Mrs Weasley.

He would have been. I miss him so much, every day.

We all do, dear.

Linus, you will be there tonight, won't you? Do come, please. You have worked as hard as anyone for this result, and I know it must be so very difficult for you right now, but please do join us.

You are the soul of kindness, Mrs W. I have located my best formal robes and shall indeed be in attendance to lift a festive glass.

I will look forward very much to seeing you.

Ron, dear,

I glanced in your quarters at the castle that you've moved out of, and I found one of your jumpers wedged down between the cushions of the sofa. The one I knit for your two--no, three Christmases ago? Maroon, of course, but the one with the cross-hatch pattern at the waistband.

Shall I bring it to the party?

Oh. Um, thanks, Mum.

You know what, though? Don't bring it to the party. (I'll just forget it at the Manor, probably, if you do. I mean, it's not like I want carry a wool jumper around all evening!)

I'll, uh, pick it up next time we come for supper, yeah?

That's fine, dear. I'll have it back at the Burrow whenever you want to pick it up.

Oh, and that reminds me, Sally-Anne...

I'm starting the jumpers for next Christmas, and you should certainly expect to see something along those lines with your packages on Christmas morning. Is there a favourite colour, or yarn you'd like me to use?

I have a cable knit pattern that looks suggestive of very graceful snakes--Slytherin, you know!--if you think that would be nice?

(And I should measure you to get your size, dear.)

Maureen told me this afternoon! Oh, Jeremy, how exciting! I am so happy for you both!

Now, I know you'll be making the announcement tonight, so I wanted to assure you I haven't breathed a word to anyone!

Ta very much.

We're asking Bill tonight if he'll be best man.

Oh, how wonderful! I'm sure he'll be chuffed as anything to be asked!

My heart is so full tonight for you both. I know you're grieving for Colin, as well as Sirius and Remus, and I know you're missing Neville and worried about Terry.

But you deserve to bask in a great deal of glory tonight, so please don't begrudge us for honouring you tonight. I just wanted you to know that I am so glad that Arthur joined forces with you to save so many children.

Albion has been so lucky to have you, leading the way from the very beginning.

That would be most helpful, Molly. We might use another two or three steady Apparators to help, as well.

Look at you, Mum.

Already working the room like a pro, and the party hasn't even started yet.

Oh, dragonfeathers.

Will Rachel be coming? Will Charlie?

I'll have to speak with Hermione about making sure there is a room set aside for people who want things to be quieter. Luna and Terry, I suppose.

I'll be apparating Rachel. And I think Charlie will come, too, but I doubt either of them will be up for much in the way of carousing.

Just to have them there, especially Charlie, will be enough!

And I won't crowd him. I promise solemnly.

Good. Making sure that you don't will make it more likely he'll stay a little bit longer.

I'll have your solemn promise tonight, you two.

No pranks!

There's a part of us that wants to say, 'Aw, Mum. People can use a bit of a laugh, now that the war's over.'

But we get the point. Too many convalescents.

And too many people grieving.

Right. We'll behave.

Not to mention the probably priceless furnishings at Malfoy Manor!

It would be a poor way to repay Draco's hospitality--the first time he's hosting us, too!--to break something that costs more than the entire value of the Burrow and all its contents. Goodness.

It's over. The war is finally over. Voldemort is dead, and Bellatrix is dead, and we are finally free to tear out what they cultivated and make the land bloom the way it was supposed to be. Although it will never be quite the same as the way as it was.

But I still hope that what comes next will be worthy of all the sacrifices made. Especially yours.

There's so much I wish I could say to all of you, both the ones we lost years ago--Gideon, Fabian, you still hover in the back of my mind practically every day--and the ones who laid down their lives just this past weekend. It has been hard, and so upsetting, but I wish with all my heart that you could see the small victories we've had. The children from Moddey Dhoo are free to live openly with their families again, and some of them will actually be arriving at Hogwarts tomorrow. More Sleepers are awakening every day, so the wounds in so many families who were torn apart are beginning to heal. Some of them.

Aurora says the last of the wards will likely fade away and disappear sometime this week. It seems just unbelievable that the prison walls are finally coming down and all of us--muggles, squibs, muggleborn, wizarding folk, and all the other free magical peoples of Albion--we'll all be able to mingle openly in the sun.

We hope you are happy. We hope you are at peace. Some of us are hurting terribly, and some of us are grieving afresh from missing you. But we will be all right.

We will be all right.

You made it possible.

We will never forget you, never.

Thank you.

[Arthur, dear man, I love you. How I wish I could feel your arms around me this day.]

The reception tonight

Private message to Hydra

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Private message to Hermione Granger

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Private message to Linus Moon

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Private message to Ron (and Sally-Anne)

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Private message to Jeremy Stretton

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Private message to Frank and Alice

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Private message to Mum

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Private message to Fred and George

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Private message to the ones we've loved and lost