How to Capture an Absent-Minded Weasley

Arthur happily grinned as he thanked his Head of House and took the small scroll that was his now finished third-year schedule. He would be taking Muggle Studies next term. He could hardly wait. He barely managed to keep from jumping for joy as he entered his common room scroll in hand.

"You look like you just caught the Golden Snitch, Weasley." Fabian Prewett smirked as he greeted the second-year.

"Whatever have you done?" Gideon, Fabian's twin brother, asked taking the scroll from Arthur. Looking at the Gryffindor wax seal affixed to it with a raised eyebrow. It just seemed like a regular schedule scroll.

"I'll be taking Muggle Studies next year."

Ah, of course. Fabian and Gideon shared a bemused look before returning the schedule scroll back to Arthur.

"Muggle Studies, you say?"

"We thought you had discovered a secret, mysterious arcane formula or artifact."

Arthur frowned slightly before shaking his head. "Why would I find something like that?"

"You never know what might pop up or pop out around the castle."

"Students lose stuff they never recover every school year -"

"And students find new objects that are years old almost every year."

Just as Arthur was about to ask more about the disappearing-and-reappearing-objects trend a feminine, yet stern voice stopped him.

"Excuse us."

It was Margaret, or was it, Maggie. He didn't know nor cared to know. He recognized an order to speak to one's brothers, alone, when he heard one. He had three brothers himself. Margaret, or whatever her name was, was a year below him, and she was Fabian and Gibeon's sister and had a fierce temper, just like her fiery hair. Arthur waved his farewell while thanking Godric that he didn't have her as a sister as he made his way up to his dorm room.

o00o

Arthur put away his notebook and quills as Professor Lane wrapped up the third class of Muggle Studies. They had been going over Muggle machines and their many moving parts. The why and how gears and cogs with pulleys and bits of string could function together as a working unit without the aid of magic was fascinating. Granted that parts would eventually rust, wear out or break without the added support of various charms; however, that appeared to be no concern to Muggles. They would either repair it, replace parts, or chunk it out and buy a new version of the machine. It was all fascinating and different from the Wizarding World. Where devices with moving parts, like clocks, could be fashioned and charmed against the ill-effects of time and last for generations afterward without the need of repair or maintenance.

"Arthur, wake up."

Arthur looked over at his classmate and fellow Gryffindor, Josh Lockwood, rubbing his arm where Josh had nudged him. "What is it?"

"Look at who's taking this corridor," he whispered pointing his head to the Prewett girl.

Arthur looked at Josh and shrugged. "So?"

"This is practically the long way to her class. Why is she always taking it?"

"Maybe she wants to avoid someone?" Arthur provided halfheartedly. He didn't want to talk about Margaret and her walking habits. "I take the library corridor to get to DADA all the time to avoid running into the Bloody Baron."

"Maybe," Josh pursed his lips before shrugging, "or that she wants to meet up with someone."

"How did your tryouts for Quidditch go?" Arthur asked, changing the subject before turning onto the side corridor that would lead them to their next class of the day.

"Not too bad. Only fell off my broom once this time."

Neither boy noticed the girl turn and watch them leave. A determined expression fixed firmly to her features. She had heard every word, thanks to a well-placed charm. She made a silent vow as she resumed her trek to Charms. Soon Arthur Weasley would notice her. Soon.

o00o

Arthur exhaustedly sat down in his usual threadbare chair by the portrait's entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. He had just finished his last final of the term, and he felt completely spent. If the OWLs were as hard as his brother Lance made them sound to be he wondered what he would do in two years time when he would be sitting for them.

"Weasley, have you seen Molly about?"

Arthur opened his eyes to see Fabian and Gibeon standing before him. "Molly who?"

"Oi, Molly Prewett. Our sister." Fabian explained.

"Oh, no I haven't. Maybe she is still taking her exams?"

"Not our Molly," Gibeon snorted, "she's a wiz at exams."

"We thought you would know where she was."

Arthur looked at Fabian perplexed. "Why would I know where she is? We aren't friends."

Fabian and Gibeon exchanged a quick look. "Nevermind. We probably can find where she went to."

Arthur shrugged as the two brothers left, briefly wondering why they thought he would know where, what was her name again, Molly was, before deciding to forget it all and enjoy the comfort of his chair. DADA exams always proved challenging and added after Potions had been doubly so.

Maybe a small nap wouldn't be so bad; he thought as sleep overtook him.

A little while later Molly found him sleeping there in his chair. She quietly, ever so gently, placed the small gift-wrapped box she had fashioned onto his lap. Inside was some Muggle toy called a slinky, a cylindrical metal contraption that was supposed to move by itself whenever you placed it on any kind of step. Molly still had her doubts about that, even with her Muggle-born dorm-mate assurance that it did work.

Not wanting to be caught giving Arthur a gift Molly went back to her dorm room. Not realizing that her brothers had seen the whole thing from the portrait entrance behind her.

"Well, I believe that means our little Molly has a crush." Fabian softly remarked ignoring the indulgent huffs from the Fat Lady for being left open.

"Here," Gibeon handed over five Galleons. "I can't believe she likes Absent-minded Weasley."

"She's always been unique." Fabian shrugged as he pocketed his winnings from his and Gibeon's bet. A bet placed months ago. "Want to sneak into Honeydukes?"

Gibeon grinned. "Of course."

"Last one there is a Slytherin Spy." Both boys dashed away from their common room. The Fat Lady huffing something about blinking time as she slowly swung back into place.

o00o

Arthur returned to his train compartment freshly changed into his school robes and a new box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in hand. It was a tradition for the Weasley boys to travel together on the Hogwarts' Express. He and his two older brothers, Lance and Robin, always rode together. This year should have been when their younger brother, Bilius, joined them in the family tradition, but sadly Bilius wouldn't be joining them this year after all. Apparently, their mother's unfounded worries about her baby boy being a Squib were not entirely unfounded since Bilius hadn't received his Hogwarts acceptance letter during the course of that summer. Bilius had taken the sad news rather well. Goofing off and telling a few of his unique jokes till everyone had laughed. Even their mother had laughed despite her tears.

Arthur paused as he opened the sliding door. There on his seat was a small wrapped box with a note attached. Memories of last June's slinky filled him with unexpected glee and excitement. Leaving the door open he hurriedly unwrapped the small parcel to find a small Muggle model kit of an automobile. Something called a Model T according to the packaging.

Arthur grinned as he hastily opened the box and began looking through the many bits and pieces and the small instruction booklet included.

It was 1/24th of the original car, and it included openable doors and bonnet. And a working horn, although Arthur didn't see any horns. He also didn't see a girl with red hair walk slowly by his compartment and grinned at seeing his unabated curiosity and excitement of the model car kit.

Begging Fabian and Gibeon to use their newly acquainted racing brooms to go to Muggle London and sneak into a Muggle toy store had been well worth it. Molly happily and silently concluded.

"Can we help you?"

Molly winced as she was caught openly staring at Arthur as he played with his new toy, but before she could reply to Robin's question, Arthur cut in. "You're Molly, Fabian and Gideon's baby sister, right?"

"I, well, yes. Yes, I am."

"I'm Arthur. That's Robin," he pointed to the tall seventh-year who had caught her, "and that's Lance, of course." he motioned to another tall boy who looked a year younger than Robin.

"Something -"

"Wrong Molly?" Fabian and Gibeon asked as they entered the compartment on their way to the Prefects compartment. Their new Prefects badges reflecting vividly even in the dim gaslight of the train as they eyed Lance and Robin suspiciously.

"No nothing," she smiled at Arthur, who quickly returned her smile with one of his own. "Nice meeting all of you. Officially." she waved as she followed her brothers out of that train car and into another.

Lance and Robin shared a questioning look before turning to ask their brother more about this Molly only to find him fully absorbed with the new little oddity in his hands.

"Not another Muggle slinky," Lance groaned as he took his seat by the window.

"Afraid so," Robin remarked as he joined Lance by the window. Both boys shaking their heads as they opened their chocolate frogs. "It's going to be a long year."

o00o

"I think that girl likes you," Josh whispered to Arthur as they left Muggle Studies on their way to Potions.

"What girl?" Arthur asked absentmindedly as he mentally turned his attention from that day's lesson about Muggle transportation methods back to his friend.

Josh turned and pointed with his head the girl slowly walking away from them towards her next class. Whatever that was.

"Molly? Don't be draft Josh. She's a third-year."

"Molly, huh? How you know her name?"

"We met in September. On the Hogwarts Express. Her brothers are Fabian and Gibeon."

Josh nodded his head as some pieces snapped into place. "Around the time you found that Model T kit?"

"Yes, actually."

"She likes you. You should talk to her. And, there isn't precisely a long queue of girls waiting to ask you out to Hogsmeade or to the Halloween Feast you know."

"She doesn't like me like that." Arthur scoffed. "and, I do talk to her. We're friends."

Josh hummed but dropped the matter, for the moment, as they entered Slughorn's class.

o00o

"Merry Christmas," Molly wished as she past Arthur on the crowded train of homeward bound students.

"Hi, Molly." Arthur returned her smile and waved. "Merry Christmas."

They had formed a fast friendship during the last four months. Besides them both being Gryffindors, enjoying Quidditch, and Charm work, Arthur found that she was quite approachable and not as standoffish as the other girls of his year were. In fact, she was surprisingly more down to earth and friendly than any girl he had ever met before. He quite liked her and was grateful for their new friendship.

He stopped at his compartment's entrance when he saw another wrapped gift box. The note was short and unsigned, like the previous ones. The note told Arthur that two, not one, items were enclosed and required a small key, thankfully tied to the note, to "wound-up".

Wound-up? What -? Oh, yes, please let it be clockwork toys. Please! Arthur mentally exclaimed in hope before wondering what shapes these particular toys would take. Would it be that peculiar monkey with the two cymbals or would it be an alligator that raced across the ground swaying its tail as it went, or would it be something altogether different than the examples mentioned in Muggle Studies?

Clockwork toys were a new obsession for Arthur ever since Professor Lane had lectured on them a fortnight ago. The mechanics and the very idea of toys being simply powered with numerous and intricate miniature clockwork mechanisms were astounding and a tad magical in their own way. But, sadly, they weren't carried in any shops in Hogsmeade, Arthur had checked each and every shop himself, they were extremely rare to find in Wizarding Britain. Apparently, they were also a rarity even in the Muggle world. Someone had to have spent a lot of coins to acquire two working toys. He would have to discover the identity of his benefactor and thanked him or her for them, and the other toys, of course.

Curiosity over the shape of the toys finally winning over curiosity of their secret sender, he began to open the box. Ripping the red and gold gift paper excitedly before lifting the lid to reveal a metal woman and man dressed in high finery. Taking the small key that had been tied to the note, he inserted it into the couple - the lady first followed by the man - and turned the key grinning as he felt the small cogs turn as they wound the spring tighter in preparation for action. His grin automatically broadened as he watched. transfixed, as the metal man bowed and the metal woman curtsied in turn before being swept into the metal man's arms and into a waltz. The two automatons swayed, swooped, and twirled across the floor. All the while their graceful and delicate movements were powered solely by their inner mechanisms.

"How do Muggles do it?" he breathed, awed as the toys slowed to a stop, frozen in mid-twirl.

He also wondered, not for the first time since Josh questioned him about the Model T if little Molly Prewett had anything to do with the mysterious gifts and if so, why?

And, more importantly, why him? He wasn't popular or wealthy or attractive he was just plain, absentminded Arthur Weasley.

o00o

"Molly, wait!" Arthur called as he hurriedly left the train running after her. The last two weeks he had been wondering if and why Molly would give him anything. The thought that she might like him more than a friend had caused him to contemplate if he liked her more than a friend, or if he could like her more than a friend. During his weeks of contemplation, he found that he did miss her company and her. Missed their small talks as they walked to and from all the Quidditch matches. That he also missed her warm, welcoming blue eyes that would shine with amusement whenever he droned on about Muggle inventions, a subject she had confessed to not knowing much about and yet, unlike his family or his other friends, she would listen to him. To his thoughts and ideas about infusing Muggle devices with magic. To help bridge both societies.

Molly turned and smiled. "Arthur?"

"I have something to ask you." he paused as he took a breath. It was going to take all of his Gryffindor courage to ask. He opened his mouth and found he couldn't speak, couldn't ask. Frustrated he closed his mouth, took another breath, and try again. "I like you. Care to go with me to Hogsmeade? On the next Hogsmeade weekend I mean, not now."

Molly grinned and nodded her head. "I like that." she paused as she allowed Arthur to take her hand in his. "I like you too."

"I know." he paused, smiling broadly. Deciding to voice his suspicions. "You've been leaving me presents."

"You knew?"

"Not till recently no."

Molly's blue eyes sparkled as she playfully slapped at his arm with her free hand. "Took you long enough."

Arthur laughed as he helped her up into the awaiting carriage. Neither he or Molly were aware of two pairs of eyes watching them from a carriage slowly rolling away from Hogsmeade headed towards Hogwarts.

"Here," Gibeon replied handing his brother five Galleons. "You were lucky. Again."

Fabian smirked. "Aren't we always lucky?"

Gibeon eyed his brother for a moment. "You sure you don't have the 'sight'?"

Fabian only laughed before popping a handful of nuts in his mouth.

Fini

Disclaimer: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does not belong to LittleTee, (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Author.") While the plot of this fanfiction, (henceforth to be referred to as the "Story,") is of The Author's creation, neither the characters nor the locations therein belong to The Author, as they belong to JK Rowling, with the exception of any characters or locations within this Story which have no representation in cannon-these original characters and locations are the property of The Author. This is a work of fiction produced for the single purpose of entertaining fans of Harry Potter, and no Copyright infringement is intended.

Submission for: Fairytales Assignment 2.

Prompts Used: (activity) dancing a waltz

Task: It takes some time and playing around until the princess and her king find each other. Write about how much it took your choosen pairing to finally get together! It should be obvious that it was a hard way.

Word Count: 2,416

Author's Note: I love Arthur & Molly. I really do but I'm afraid that like Hermione & Remus I cannot write them to save my life...

In anycase, I hope you enjoyed this take on how Arthur and Molly got together. There are many nods and winks to other fandoms if you spot them all you get a bonus cookie.