Ok folks, it has been far long since I wrote fanfiction and this is my first time posting. Feel free to flame, I'll feel free to use my skills at arson. I read a story a long time ago where Orihime discovered she was related to the Weasly's. How could I resist? Don't own. Sue me and you'll get a big headache.
Arthur Weasley was a man of simple values. Eating with his family, for example. Things such as putting in a hard days work or tinkering with a muggle device left him feeling pleased and relaxed. Arthur Weasley was currently feeling neither pleased nor relaxed.
He was sitting at his kitchen table staring at the letter he had received earlier. To say the contents shocked him was an understatement. He rubbed the sleep out of his tired eyes and glanced at his watch, a muggle item the boys had given him last father's day. The numbers seemed to glare at him, as if even they knew it was no time to be awake. Molly had gone to bed before he even arrived home, him having to pull yet another late night at the office. The house seemed empty with all the children at school. He would need to explain things to them before they got home for break, he thought absently.
Then again how do you explain something like this? Molly and he had broken ties with his brother before Charlie was born. It had been a result of mutual dislike. Though the two had never been close, they had never hated each other. They hadn't spoken in years. Still, things had definitely changed. Apparently Joseph had changed his name, moved to Japan of all places, gotten married, and had two children.
Why Arthur wasn't informed earlier, he didn't know. However the letter had arrived informing him that it didn't really matter. Arthur took a sip of his long cold tea. His brother was dead. His sister in law he had never met was dead. And he was the closest living relation to his niece and nephew. His muggle niece and nephew.
He would need to talk to Molly tomorrow. Then go to the Ministry and try and get the paperwork sorted out. After all, it was hard to become the legal guardian of a human when your entire world didn't exist. He'd need a fake job, address, school history, anything and everything to make things look as if he had been living in the muggle world his entire life. He stood up stiffly and placed his empty cup in the sink with a sigh. Tomorrow was going to be an incredibly tiring day.
Arthur climbed downstairs the next morning to find Molly scurrying around in a panic. Breakfast was cooking itself while the dishes washed themselves in the sink and half a dozen other chores simultaneously worked towards completion.
"Hurry up or you'll be late for work! I have breakfast going right now and your lunch is almost done. Just give me one minute and-" Molly stopped when she caught sight of Arthur's face. "Why dear, what's the matter? You look horrid, are you feeling well?"
Arthur shook his head and tried to pull himself together, he needed to be calm to have this conversation. "I'm fine honey. And don't worry about lunch, I took the day off."
He caught sight of Molly's shocked face and couldn't resist smiling. He was famous for going to work no matter what and announcing a random personal day was about as unexpected as if he had come down stairs and announced he was bored with muggle technology and wanted to become a juggler.
"Take a seat dear, I need to tell you something."
Arthur watched as Molly slowly sat down watching him nervously. He sat across from her and let out a loud sigh.
"Do you remember my brother Joseph?"
The effect was immediate. Molly's eyes flashed and the room seemed to drop several degrees. When she spoke her voice was cold.
"What about him? Has he called to send insults? Or maybe ask for some cash?"
Arthur couldn't really oppose his wife's words. While he and his brother shared mutual dislike Molly and Joseph loathed each other.
"He's dead Molly."
Molly's hand flew to her mouth. She stared at her husband then rushed to his side and enveloped him in a hug. "Oh, Arthur. I'm so sorry," she breathed.
Arthur let out a sigh and began stroking her hair. "It's all right Molly. It doesn't really hurt like losing a brother should. I hadn't thought of him in years until yesterday. But that's not what I need to talk to you about. He left behind two children Molly, his wife
died as well. The letter didn't give details, only asked for a meeting, but they asked if we could become the child's guardian."
Molly tightened her hold on her husband. "Of course Arthur. How could we do anything else? I won't leave any family of mine out in the cold, poor little mites." She stood up and began bustling around again. "Just let me get cleaned up and we can go to the lawyers' office, what was the name? Oh and we should stop at the Ministry while were out to get the proper forms. Now where's my shawl?"
Arthur smiled at his love as she hurried to get ready. Only his love could be so open hearted. She could be brash and was prone to scolding him, but that only increased his love. Who else besides his Molly would agree to take in the children of an old adversary without a second thought? Only his Molly.
Arthur and Molly sat in the waiting room of Smith&Hardings Lawyer Offices. When Arthur had shown up at the posh offices he had been shocked to say the least. The receptionist had immediately told them to take a seat and that Mr. Smith would be with them momentarily. Despite not having an appointment. (Arthur had a sneaking suspicion several clients had been bumped for them, but as for why he had no clue. It was a simple case of guardianship, right?) Now, surrounded by lush carpets and ornate lamps, Arthur was beginning to think things might not be so simple. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasly? Mr. Smith will see you now."
Arthur stood up quickly, Molly firmly at his side, and nodded to the receptionist before entering the office. If possible this room was even moor ornate then the last, a large mahogany desk sat in front of a wall of framed certificates and awards, and the far wall was made completely out of glass overlooking, not the city street below, but a serene lake. Behind the desk sat a man. He rose to his feet immediately and walked around his desk to greet the two in front of him.
"My name is Harold Smith and I must apologize for requesting you on such short notice." The man shook Arthur's hand before lifting Molly's hand to his lips gently. "I am glad you were able to make it."
Arthur and Molly exchanged glances above Smith's head. What was all this. Smith dropped Molly's hand and moved to seat behind his desk motioning for them to be seated. They quickly sat themselves and Mr. Smith smiled at them before letting his gaze become serious. "I called you here on such short notice because it is important that you take custody of the child immediately."
"Child? There are two children sir. It said so in the letter you sent."
Mr. Smith sighed and looked sadly at Arthur. Again he felt a twinge of unease.
"This is very complicated Mr. Weasly."
Molly took this as an opportunity to speak up.
"We are well aware the children live overseas and were raised as muggles but-"
Mr. Smith raised his hand. "Mrs. Weasly, I'm sorry but if that were the case a lawyer of my caliber would not have been assigned this case."
Molly opened her mouth to protest but froze as his words sunk in. A frown settled on her features and she leaned back in her chair slowly.
"What exactly is the problem, Mr. Smith?" asked Arthur.
The feeling in his stomach intensified and was now clenching threateningly.
"That is why I have called you here."
Arthur and Molly sat in the kitchen in silence. They had not spoken since they left the lawyers office and apparated directly home. The thoughts of both centered on the lawyers' appointment earlier that day.
"The case is extremely complicated. Apparently neither of the children has lived with the parents for years."
"What?!"
Arthur stared at the man, mouth hanging open.
"Your nephew ran away with the little girl when she was a toddler. We are almost certain there was some sort of abuse going on. Apparently both your brother and his wife had a severe drinking problem, and both had expressed desires for a second son. We believe that the son ran away out of fear for his sisters' safety. He was twelve at the time and dropped out of school to support his sister."
Molly's hands covered her mouth in shock, and Arthur continued to stare at the man, not quite believing what he was hearing. Sure Joe was a real bastard, but he would never hurt a child. Right?
"This continued for seven years. Then, and I'm sorry to inform you of this, but your nephew was killed in an accident. Your niece has lived on her own since then."
Arthur continued to stare at the man. A shout broke the silence.
"How could this happen?! Two children can't just raise themselves! Even muggles must have SOMETHING, something to prevent the abuse, or prevent children from living on their own!"
Molly's voice broke at the end and she furiously wiped her eyes. Arthur wrapped his arm around her and nodded in agreement. "Surely something could have been done before now?" He practically growled out. Mr. Smith simply shook his head.
"It seems they slipped through the cracks. The important thing is we discovered it at all. Any item that appears in the newspapers or such concerning former witches or wizards is always reported. We followed up on your brothers' death and were led to discover his children. I am terribly sorry for what has happened but now we can only prevent future damage."
The remainder of the meeting was spent going over details.
Arthur glanced over at his wife. Her face was twisted into a soft frown and she was slowly drumming her fingers on the table top.
"It'll be all right love."
Molly softly smiled at her husband, her gaze still far away. The smile vanished quickly though.
"He was younger then Ron when he dropped out of school. Younger then Charlie when he died."
Arthur sat in silence, knowing her words were true.
"She's around Ron's age. And she's been all alone for so long."
Arthur stood and pulled Molly into a gentle hug.
"She won't be anymore, love. Mr. Smith is going to sort everything out, and we'll have her in our care by the time the kids get home from Hogworts."
Arthur shifted through the papers he had received at the lawyers' office and picked up a photo. It was the muggle kind, and neither moved nor anything else for that matter. The picture was a mug shot, a 'yearbook photo' he had called it, of a young teenager. The girl had long red hair and was grinning happily at the camera. Her blue-gray eyes focused at the camera. They were bright, even in the picture and seemed to radiate kindness.
"Orihime Inoue." he whispered. His niece.