Chapter 162: Chapter 162- Arthur’s life
ARTHUR'S POV
Arthur was never the most ambitious, you could see it by his current job.
He was never the smartest, Professor Slughorn made sure he knew it.
He was never even the bravest, when his two brothers-in-law joined the order he didn't, fearing for his wife and children.
But! If there was one thing he was always known for was being the most hard working person.
When all children learned how to read and write, he took twice as long, he stayed at home when others went to play, studying on his own, but he eventually was the third to know how to read.
When other children gave up understanding muggle objects, he didn't, he studied each part until he knew what it does, even if he was never the greatest with their names.
When his mother told him about the four houses, he knew he was meant for one house- Hufflepuff.
Which was why he was surprised to find himself in Gryffindor, though he didn't regret it for a moment.
Being in the house of Lions gave him the courage to pursue his life long dream, and mark the woman he love.
And even if he had to give up said dream for a boring, minimum wage work to feed his children, he still didn't regret a thing.
How could he?
He has a roof on his head.
A loving wife.
6 boys and a girl.
And he still invent and study things in his home.
What more could a man ask for?
Yet, there were a couple of times he felt true regret over the decisions he made in life.
No, non of the above.
The times he felt regret about was when his two oldest children finished school.
He always knew their mother was pushing them toward ministry jobs, but it wasn't until Bill came to them to tell he isn't going to work at the ministry, that he got excepted to work at Gringots as a curse breaker that he realized that they didn't want that.
He was honestly overwhelmed by work, and when he wasn't he was tinkering with his inventions.
He always thought he would have more time, that they have their entire life to spend with each other, only to find out his oldest was moving to Egypt to be 'closer to work'.
Arthur wasn't stupid, he knew applying to a work portkey wasn't that hard.
It took him two seconds of hearing his wife 'trying to convince' Bill to stay for him to understand why he felt he had to leave.
Bill was a lot like him, he was an explorer.
But while Arthur had a domestic soul, Bill had a free one, and his wife did her best trying to crush it.
That night he sat with his wife and explained to her that if she wants to have Bill come back to England, she had to let him go.
He honestly thought he succeeded, while she sometimes slipped, his wife hugged Bill and said she was proud of him for getting such a respectable job, while he took Bill to drink, telling his son he is proud of him for following his dream.
Two years later he found himself in the same situation, this time with his second son, Charlie.
He tried connecting with Charlie, but while he was sure the boy lived him they were too different.
Arthur was a man who liked the ground, the stable life and his inventions.
Charlie on the other hand?
Charlie love the sky, adventures and dragons.
Arthur really tried, he even prepared as a graduation gift a flying car, yet once more, when time came, Charlie left the promising, stable Seeker carrier to become a dragon handler, and when Molly took it hard, he left Britain, leaving his graduation gift behind.
Arthur at that time decided he will never let his children become anything but what they wanted.
He spent the summer trying to connect to his third son, Percy, which was easier and harder at the same time.
It felt, if the other two children of his managed to listen to their mother yet finding their own path, Percy didn't.
He became the best child a parent could ask for and the worst child Arthur never knew but hoped to never get.
He was the best, as he was what every parent wanted.
He followed all the rules, did everything asked of him, and wanted to become what his parents wanted from him.
He was the worst.
He never smiled any real smile, never had any original suggestions, never showed desires, yet Arthur could always feel a type of disdain in his eyes.
The only time he seemed to truly enjoy himself was when he was being praised, especially by his mom, especially if it comes with the 'why you can't be like your brother' lecture She seemed to have.
He wasn't proud of it, but while he loved Percy, when he saw the small smirk the boy had when his wife told him about buying Percy his owl as a gift for becoming a Perfect instead of buying Ron a wand, Arthur wanted to sucker punch him.
In the end, Arthur felt tired, he felt weak, he felt like a failure.
Just when he was about to give up, the twins truly started to shine.
The twins were the best child Arthur could ask for, and the worst children a parent could hope to never get, the exact opposite to Percy.
They were the worst
They never followed the rules, never did as expected, never let anyone tell them what they need to be.
They were the best.
Each smile was real and infectious, no thought was copied from books, every thing they wanted they said, yet never expected to get it without hard work.
He felt like while they got their humor and courage from their mother's side, everything else was him.
He saw it when they sat near him as kids, he saw it when they talked with each other about new ideas to pranks, and he saw it when they worked for a month on a spell they gave to their little sister to cheer her up after being possessed - the bugger-bat curse.
He knew that with their innovative mind and courage they would do great in the world, managing to fulfill their dreams, but he thought it will happen at least two/three years later, after they finish school, not during their fifth/sixth year.
Which is why he was surprised when his two younger children returned from Hogwarts for Christmas last year, telling about their two elder brothers' new business.
In regard to his two youngest children, he know he raise them well.
Both of them were not yet in school when Bill left the country, which meant he spent time with them the most.
There is Ron, which he spent time with in the shed, working on the flying car as he told him stories about Ron's elder siblings, making sure the boy knew he could do anything with enough effort, and that no matter what he will support him.
Then there is Ginny, his only daughter, who he spent time with the most, encouraging her to pursue her interests, hers being quidditch and stories about heroes and villains.
Those two children returned home from a year in a magic school and all they could talk about was the card game the twins created.
He had to admit, the game did sound impressive, and fun to play, but at the time he only thought of it as a way to earn quick gold to create their real business while making sure people have fun, something they did every once in a while.
He was mistaken.
While the game at Hogwarts continued, it wasn't until he saw the article in the daily prophet that he realized the size their business grew to.
They sold brooms!
Not only that, they sold high quality brooms cheep enough for people in their family's economical situation to afford, and in large quantities.
Honestly, Arthur was shocked.
Yet, the thing that shocked him even more was their mother's reaction to the situation.
Sending howlers? Telling them to stop sell things and go back to study as they need the grades to become ministry workers? Has she never talked with her children? Is she delusional? Where is the women he married? The one that encouraged him to pursue his dreams?
He sent the twins a letter of his own, telling them how proud he is with them, how he used to be like them at that age, and how he always knew they would reach far.
He thought that his letter was pretty good, yet, he didn't expect it would be so good that they will want him to do like them, offering to give him money to work on his own inventions.
Of course, he said no.
Then they sent another telling him that if he wanted, when he succeeded he could pay them back.
He might or might not sent the next letter with the words 'Fu*k the bloody hell off.'
To which the twins once again showed him they were like him, never quitting.
After a month of 'negotiating', negotiation that felt like what a house elf would do whenever one try to negotiating with him, he lowering his value while they raised it, he agreed to work them, on the condition he would mar with their two secret partners, as if he wanted to know who he is about to work for, and was curious who are the two mystery people works with, only for his children to tell him two days later that their partners didn't want to meet.
He was just about to say that that's the minimum he is willing to consider, when they brought another suggestion.
Start a sub-company the five of them, Arthur being a partner instead of a worker, the secret partners giving the starters money, with the condition of them not being revealed.
He didn't know what to think, being the owner of a store of his own inventions was always a dream to him, having his children with him? Even better.
It would also won't be them paying for him, something that he felt awkward about, instead it will be something they all build from the ground.
But still, why don't they want to be known?
When asked, the twins only said one was raised by muggles and didn't want the purebloods not buying his products, while the other was in a relationship of sorts with the first.
Arthur knew he really shouldn't work with someone he knows nothing about, but he trusted his sons, and the temptation when told they will recreate muggle products for the magical world was too hard to ignore.
Arthur agreed to it that night, quitting his job the very next day, now he only needed to find a way to tell Molly, it shouldn't be too hard right?
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