Ron, Warspite and Duke 31 Mothers Talk
darthcourt10
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Ron, Duke and Warspite 10
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Molly Weasley walked next to Dreadnought as the pair let the four others get ahead of them by a good distance. Enough that they were still following along but each group had their own bit of privacy. It certainly helped that Summer, the dear, had placed herself behind the other three. The large abyssal was very attached to Ron and she was glad they'd already had plans to purchase the manor, as she wouldn't have fit in the Burrow.
As her thoughts wandered she turned to look at her companion, who was also sizing her up. Molly couldn't help but notice the similarities between them, such as their height and general build (short and plump, she could be honest with herself) but also the differences. Whatever Arthur might have said, she'd never had skin quite as perfect as the battleships. Yet the most important thing about her was that Molly felt a similar soul, that of a mother doing her best for her children.
It seemed that Dreadnought at least had thoughts along a similar line and the mother of all battleships let a small grin pass by her face before turning back to look at the four in front of them.
"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time Mrs. Weasley." Dreadnought's voice was smooth as a calm sea, worthy of any Edwardian Matron.
"My feelings are much the same Lady Dreadnought." Molly matched the other woman, with both of them gliding along behind their brood in a manner that wouldn't have been out of place in a period play. Provided of course that the period play involved giants and restoring destitute properties.
"I think we can dispense with the formalities." Dreadnought let that smile come back onto her face for a split second. "If I'm not mistaken we'll be related at some point and I don't believe in standing on ceremony when it's unnecessary. So if you would, please just call me Dreadnought."
"Then I'd ask you to just call me Molly." Mrs. Weasley let a bit more of her natural good humor into her face. "I agree with you, especially since you're the only in law I'll be getting. That I know of."
Dreadnought nodded. "You're speaking of your other son… Percy? I believe it is. The one involved with Ms. Ooyodo from Japan and Supply Princess."
"And Amisi, yes." Molly nodded. "None of them have parents in the same manner that Warspite and Duke tend to treat you."
"I suppose not. Most ships don't have a direct mother, just a number of sisters." Dreadnought's eyes looked on ahead, as if searching something out. "Which puts me in a rather unique position of watching over them when most others think they perhaps don't need it. I'm sure you understand."
Molly held back a snort, her mind on her oldest two.
"Bill and Charlie are the last people anyone would think need looking after if you put aside their jobs. I'm still their mother and they both know it."
They could both smile at that, a mutual understanding of women who still cared and watched over those who were more than capable in their own right. As they passed the gatehouse, the quartet in front would stop as Ron briefly pointed his wand at the door, fixing what appeared to be a broken lock on the door. Though it was a small change, sitting in the frame properly instead of dangling slightly made the building look much more like it merely needed cleaning than it did a full renovation. Not that either would be out of the question.
"But I would be remiss if I didn't get to what was actually on my mind." Dreadnought's feet began to move again once the group in front of them did, Molly matching her pace.
"My son and not one but two of your daughters." Molly had of course known this was coming and she'd even meant to bring it up herself if for some reason Dreadnought hadn't.
"Yes. Your young son and two of my daughters." Dreadnought's wording had been deliberate and she looked over to see Molly's reaction.
Molly merely let the ghost of a smile cross over her face and nod in agreement. "Yes, that is true. You'll forgive me for thinking that Ron is much more mature than he might otherwise be."
"There's no doubt that he is mature for his age." Dreadnought's voice held no tone to begrudge that statement. "It is simply his age in general that still has me holding some concerns. Fewer than I had to start with mind but..." Dreadnought's sentence trailed off. It wasn't that she couldn't enunciate. It was that it was simply easier for Molly to understand they were natural worries for any mother than to try and list them out like a briefing.
Molly nodded, her mind drifting back a few years. In it there was an undoubtedly much younger Ron, coming home for the first time with a big smile on his face and a trophy in hand.
"I understand where you're coming from Dreadnought. I would be lying if I said I hadn't had some concerns of my own about the age difference when this all started. Even now I nourish one or two, simply because it's natural as a mother to do so but overall I'm not worried."
Dreadnought's eyebrow quirked upward. "Oh? Would you share why?"
Molly nodded. "Four years ago my son was for lack of a better term, at a loss. His brothers all set high bars to clear and Ginny is the youngest as well as being the only girl." Her face went melancholy for a split second. "I regret I didn't notice at the time, even with Arthur's work picking up we were still in rough straits." She smiled. "Warspite changed all that. Whatever she saw during their chess matches she nurtured and now Ron is blooming because of it."
Molly went silent for a few moments, with Dreadnought letting her catch her thoughts.
"My lack of worry isn't simply from his maturity. Nor is it from the way that he absolutely adores both of your daughters. No it's the fact that he's determined to be worthy of both of them."
"Worthy of them?" Dreadnought interjected, causing Molly to look over to her and smile briefly once more.
"Yes. He knows they both love him and he loves them as well. At the same time he can see all the effort they put in. All the time they're away fighting the Abyssals. Never doing less than the best they can for everyone. It's a hard example to live up to but Weasleys have never been quitters. So he's putting in the same amount of effort to be worthy of them because he's stubborn like that. So he reads up on naval architecture after he works on his normal studies and memorizes blueprints after doing the same with spells. He's even starting to exercise now, to get himself in proper shape. I think that one is because of his friend Harry." Molly felt herself smiling, even though she hadn't meant to. "He's pushed himself so much farther than I thought he'd ever go four years ago and he's only reaching higher with time. Even if something terrible were to happen, he couldn't stop because it's part of who he is now."
"I see." Dreadnought's voice wasn't as easy going as Molly's but she wasn't disapproving. If anything her face seemed somewhat lighter than before.
They'd reached the front door of the manor house proper by that point and the pair paused as Ron turned the key in the lock of the door. It was a bit of work given the age of the mechanism but it turned and they all entered. The interior was, frankly put, a mess. Dust was very evident and there was almost no furniture inside, at least visible from the entrance. What there was looked ancient and was equally dust covered.
Molly immediately pulled at her wand, with Ron doing the same.
"Scourgify!"
Waves of magic flowed outwards, caked on dust being blasted away to reveal aged wood and plaster beneath. Of course that was only the entrance and it required several spells from both of them before it was even comfortable to breathe in. Dust was still hanging in the air, light from the windows somewhat dirty from the age but illuminating an aged but worthy structure.
"Ron, why don't you go to the right and we'll go to the left." Molly pointed with her wand and he nodded.
"Sounds good Mum. Meet back here?"
Molly nodded and the two groups separated back out.
The rooms were all in a similar condition, dust layered over everything and mostly lacking in any sort of ornamentation. Molly continued to cast cleaning spells, getting rid of the worst of the dust. A thorough cleaning would need to be done later to get everything.
"Do you mind if I continue our conversation?" Dreadnought walked behind Molly now, looking around at the manor house as it was slowly cleaned.
"Feel free. Just don't mind the cleaning." Dreadnought nodded when Molly glanced back at her.
"You spoke earlier of how your son had changed. My daughters have done the same."
"I'd seen some of that." Molly spoke between cleaning spells, letting Dreadnought lead the conversation.
"I'm sure you have, they both have met you more than I've seen your son. I don't think you know the full extent of it though. Warspite is happy, truly happy, when she's with him. Even before he repaired her she smiled more. Now? I can't truly speak of how much it lightens my heart to see her be free of pain we all thought she'd never lose."
Molly could hear subdued emotion in Dreadnought's voice, hidden behind proper decorum and the still growing relationship between them.
"Duke is more self confidant than she's ever been, in a good way. She's speaking with her peers more and she's branching out from only her sister and Warspite being close."
Dreadnought's voice carried only approval in that.
"It is all thanks to your son and I'd approve of him in a second if only he were of age. I can't help but think of all that might happen between then and now. Then my daughters spring the plan to buy this house on all of us and..." Dreadnought's head shook. "I don't disapprove necessarily. It's all just very quick."
Molly was quiet for a moment as she finished up with the last bit of dusting in the room, revealing a sagging sofa with a faded red color and mahogany accents from under ages of dust.
"I think it's the war." She gestured outwards, towards the ocean that surrounded Britain. "Everyone knows anything could happen. Even with the abyssals held at bay there's so much going on elsewhere that every moment is precious. Otherwise I think they might be content to wait."
Dreadnought couldn't help but let out the tiniest snort.
"I suppose you're right. I can still remember my boys pining after loves left behind, even though we were merely out to sea. It's simply different when it's your family involved."
Molly smiled. "Everything is."
Dreadnought allowed herself a small grin as well. "That's true enough."
There was a pause and then Dreadnought spoke once more.
"I do hope I haven't come across as overbearing Molly. As I said I don't disapprove but..."
"But you're worried about your daughters." Molly nodded to Dreadnought. "I understand Dreadnought. I think we'll both be watching over them for a while more. I'm not quite ready to have grand-babies from Ron after all."
Dreadnought allowed another small smile and nodded.
"Thank you for understanding. I look forward to the day when we can both want and be happy for that."
Molly smiled in turn and nodded.
"I think this will be the start of a wonderful relationship."
"I do too."
Dreadnought then tilted her head as she remembered something.
"Do you happen to have a cousin of some sort named Donald Weasley?"
Molly paused, thinking for a moment.
"Why I believe I do, on my Grandmother's side. Why?"
"Well he served on me during the war and now he's reminding me to tell you about some jam..."
The two matrons continued on, oblivious to the concealed set of eyes and ears that had tracked them since their entrance. As well as the thoughts slowly churning behind them.
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Hope you all enjoy my latest contribution. Comments very welcome as always.
Ron, Duke and Warspite 10
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Molly Weasley walked next to Dreadnought as the pair let the four others get ahead of them by a good distance. Enough that they were still following along but each group had their own bit of privacy. It certainly helped that Summer, the dear, had placed herself behind the other three. The large abyssal was very attached to Ron and she was glad they'd already had plans to purchase the manor, as she wouldn't have fit in the Burrow.
As her thoughts wandered she turned to look at her companion, who was also sizing her up. Molly couldn't help but notice the similarities between them, such as their height and general build (short and plump, she could be honest with herself) but also the differences. Whatever Arthur might have said, she'd never had skin quite as perfect as the battleships. Yet the most important thing about her was that Molly felt a similar soul, that of a mother doing her best for her children.
It seemed that Dreadnought at least had thoughts along a similar line and the mother of all battleships let a small grin pass by her face before turning back to look at the four in front of them.
"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time Mrs. Weasley." Dreadnought's voice was smooth as a calm sea, worthy of any Edwardian Matron.
"My feelings are much the same Lady Dreadnought." Molly matched the other woman, with both of them gliding along behind their brood in a manner that wouldn't have been out of place in a period play. Provided of course that the period play involved giants and restoring destitute properties.
"I think we can dispense with the formalities." Dreadnought let that smile come back onto her face for a split second. "If I'm not mistaken we'll be related at some point and I don't believe in standing on ceremony when it's unnecessary. So if you would, please just call me Dreadnought."
"Then I'd ask you to just call me Molly." Mrs. Weasley let a bit more of her natural good humor into her face. "I agree with you, especially since you're the only in law I'll be getting. That I know of."
Dreadnought nodded. "You're speaking of your other son… Percy? I believe it is. The one involved with Ms. Ooyodo from Japan and Supply Princess."
"And Amisi, yes." Molly nodded. "None of them have parents in the same manner that Warspite and Duke tend to treat you."
"I suppose not. Most ships don't have a direct mother, just a number of sisters." Dreadnought's eyes looked on ahead, as if searching something out. "Which puts me in a rather unique position of watching over them when most others think they perhaps don't need it. I'm sure you understand."
Molly held back a snort, her mind on her oldest two.
"Bill and Charlie are the last people anyone would think need looking after if you put aside their jobs. I'm still their mother and they both know it."
They could both smile at that, a mutual understanding of women who still cared and watched over those who were more than capable in their own right. As they passed the gatehouse, the quartet in front would stop as Ron briefly pointed his wand at the door, fixing what appeared to be a broken lock on the door. Though it was a small change, sitting in the frame properly instead of dangling slightly made the building look much more like it merely needed cleaning than it did a full renovation. Not that either would be out of the question.
"But I would be remiss if I didn't get to what was actually on my mind." Dreadnought's feet began to move again once the group in front of them did, Molly matching her pace.
"My son and not one but two of your daughters." Molly had of course known this was coming and she'd even meant to bring it up herself if for some reason Dreadnought hadn't.
"Yes. Your young son and two of my daughters." Dreadnought's wording had been deliberate and she looked over to see Molly's reaction.
Molly merely let the ghost of a smile cross over her face and nod in agreement. "Yes, that is true. You'll forgive me for thinking that Ron is much more mature than he might otherwise be."
"There's no doubt that he is mature for his age." Dreadnought's voice held no tone to begrudge that statement. "It is simply his age in general that still has me holding some concerns. Fewer than I had to start with mind but..." Dreadnought's sentence trailed off. It wasn't that she couldn't enunciate. It was that it was simply easier for Molly to understand they were natural worries for any mother than to try and list them out like a briefing.
Molly nodded, her mind drifting back a few years. In it there was an undoubtedly much younger Ron, coming home for the first time with a big smile on his face and a trophy in hand.
"I understand where you're coming from Dreadnought. I would be lying if I said I hadn't had some concerns of my own about the age difference when this all started. Even now I nourish one or two, simply because it's natural as a mother to do so but overall I'm not worried."
Dreadnought's eyebrow quirked upward. "Oh? Would you share why?"
Molly nodded. "Four years ago my son was for lack of a better term, at a loss. His brothers all set high bars to clear and Ginny is the youngest as well as being the only girl." Her face went melancholy for a split second. "I regret I didn't notice at the time, even with Arthur's work picking up we were still in rough straits." She smiled. "Warspite changed all that. Whatever she saw during their chess matches she nurtured and now Ron is blooming because of it."
Molly went silent for a few moments, with Dreadnought letting her catch her thoughts.
"My lack of worry isn't simply from his maturity. Nor is it from the way that he absolutely adores both of your daughters. No it's the fact that he's determined to be worthy of both of them."
"Worthy of them?" Dreadnought interjected, causing Molly to look over to her and smile briefly once more.
"Yes. He knows they both love him and he loves them as well. At the same time he can see all the effort they put in. All the time they're away fighting the Abyssals. Never doing less than the best they can for everyone. It's a hard example to live up to but Weasleys have never been quitters. So he's putting in the same amount of effort to be worthy of them because he's stubborn like that. So he reads up on naval architecture after he works on his normal studies and memorizes blueprints after doing the same with spells. He's even starting to exercise now, to get himself in proper shape. I think that one is because of his friend Harry." Molly felt herself smiling, even though she hadn't meant to. "He's pushed himself so much farther than I thought he'd ever go four years ago and he's only reaching higher with time. Even if something terrible were to happen, he couldn't stop because it's part of who he is now."
"I see." Dreadnought's voice wasn't as easy going as Molly's but she wasn't disapproving. If anything her face seemed somewhat lighter than before.
They'd reached the front door of the manor house proper by that point and the pair paused as Ron turned the key in the lock of the door. It was a bit of work given the age of the mechanism but it turned and they all entered. The interior was, frankly put, a mess. Dust was very evident and there was almost no furniture inside, at least visible from the entrance. What there was looked ancient and was equally dust covered.
Molly immediately pulled at her wand, with Ron doing the same.
"Scourgify!"
Waves of magic flowed outwards, caked on dust being blasted away to reveal aged wood and plaster beneath. Of course that was only the entrance and it required several spells from both of them before it was even comfortable to breathe in. Dust was still hanging in the air, light from the windows somewhat dirty from the age but illuminating an aged but worthy structure.
"Ron, why don't you go to the right and we'll go to the left." Molly pointed with her wand and he nodded.
"Sounds good Mum. Meet back here?"
Molly nodded and the two groups separated back out.
The rooms were all in a similar condition, dust layered over everything and mostly lacking in any sort of ornamentation. Molly continued to cast cleaning spells, getting rid of the worst of the dust. A thorough cleaning would need to be done later to get everything.
"Do you mind if I continue our conversation?" Dreadnought walked behind Molly now, looking around at the manor house as it was slowly cleaned.
"Feel free. Just don't mind the cleaning." Dreadnought nodded when Molly glanced back at her.
"You spoke earlier of how your son had changed. My daughters have done the same."
"I'd seen some of that." Molly spoke between cleaning spells, letting Dreadnought lead the conversation.
"I'm sure you have, they both have met you more than I've seen your son. I don't think you know the full extent of it though. Warspite is happy, truly happy, when she's with him. Even before he repaired her she smiled more. Now? I can't truly speak of how much it lightens my heart to see her be free of pain we all thought she'd never lose."
Molly could hear subdued emotion in Dreadnought's voice, hidden behind proper decorum and the still growing relationship between them.
"Duke is more self confidant than she's ever been, in a good way. She's speaking with her peers more and she's branching out from only her sister and Warspite being close."
Dreadnought's voice carried only approval in that.
"It is all thanks to your son and I'd approve of him in a second if only he were of age. I can't help but think of all that might happen between then and now. Then my daughters spring the plan to buy this house on all of us and..." Dreadnought's head shook. "I don't disapprove necessarily. It's all just very quick."
Molly was quiet for a moment as she finished up with the last bit of dusting in the room, revealing a sagging sofa with a faded red color and mahogany accents from under ages of dust.
"I think it's the war." She gestured outwards, towards the ocean that surrounded Britain. "Everyone knows anything could happen. Even with the abyssals held at bay there's so much going on elsewhere that every moment is precious. Otherwise I think they might be content to wait."
Dreadnought couldn't help but let out the tiniest snort.
"I suppose you're right. I can still remember my boys pining after loves left behind, even though we were merely out to sea. It's simply different when it's your family involved."
Molly smiled. "Everything is."
Dreadnought allowed herself a small grin as well. "That's true enough."
There was a pause and then Dreadnought spoke once more.
"I do hope I haven't come across as overbearing Molly. As I said I don't disapprove but..."
"But you're worried about your daughters." Molly nodded to Dreadnought. "I understand Dreadnought. I think we'll both be watching over them for a while more. I'm not quite ready to have grand-babies from Ron after all."
Dreadnought allowed another small smile and nodded.
"Thank you for understanding. I look forward to the day when we can both want and be happy for that."
Molly smiled in turn and nodded.
"I think this will be the start of a wonderful relationship."
"I do too."
Dreadnought then tilted her head as she remembered something.
"Do you happen to have a cousin of some sort named Donald Weasley?"
Molly paused, thinking for a moment.
"Why I believe I do, on my Grandmother's side. Why?"
"Well he served on me during the war and now he's reminding me to tell you about some jam..."
The two matrons continued on, oblivious to the concealed set of eyes and ears that had tracked them since their entrance. As well as the thoughts slowly churning behind them.
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Hope you all enjoy my latest contribution. Comments very welcome as always.