Weasley By Love
A/N This is a random idea that popped into my head, and I thought, 'why not?' I know it's super-confusing at first, but it'll all make sense soon. Thanks for reading!
Custody
I was dimly aware that I was being shaken, but I didn't react to it.
"Ceara! Get up! Ceara!" My fifteen year old brother was yelling.
"Why?" I mumbled.
"Because dad is going to be here in ten minutes to pick us up. You might want to look presentable at the very least."
I threw a pillow at him, and got up. I hadn't seen my father in thirteen years. He and my mum divorced when I was four months old, and let my mum have full custody. When mum went missing three weeks ago, he asked for us back.
I straightened myself up, and packed my last odds and ends. My neighbor, who we were staying with, made breakfast, and helped me drag my stuff to the front room. There were three sharp knocks on the door, and I took a deep breath. I shoved away the queasiness as Leo, my brother, opened the door.
A tall man with red hair and a kind smile came into the room. My legs started to shake, but I ignored it, telling myself that there was no such thing as nervous. Nervousness was negative excitement.
"Hello, I'm Charlie Weasley," he introduced himself. I was oddly grateful that he had not said 'I'm your dad' or something similar.
I held out my hand, and he shook it. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Ceara."
After pleasantries were exchanged he vanished all of mine and my brothers' things. I assumed he had sent them wherever we were going. We each took one of his hands, and he apparated us away. When we popped into reality, we were in a small hotel room.
"I'm terribly sorry," Charlie apologized. "I don't get to move into my flat until January fifth, so this's what I've got." He made a face. "On the upside, we're going to the Burrow tomorrow to spend the holidays, if that's alright with you guys. So it's only for a day."
I smiled. "It looks fine to me."
The Weasleys
I knew the Weasley clan from school, but I hadn't known I was technically a part of it until two weeks ago, when my father had contacted Leo and me. They were like an exclusive club. It was harder to get in than it was to get straight O's on your N.E.W.T.'s. Every year they talked excitedly about Christmas, and I felt like an intruder, knowing that I was going to be celebrating with them. I knew Dominique Weasley, but vaguely. She was in my dormitory at Hogwarts, but we never talked. Maybe she hated me, which meant the rest of them did too. I felt sick.
We flooed to "The Burrow," as they fondly called the house. From what I gathered, they had torn down the original house, and built a sturdier one in its place a few years back. I climbed out of the fireplace, and was instantly enveloped in a comfortable hug from a lady who shared Charlie's smile.
After she let me go, I introduced myself. "I'm Ceara Cart—Weasley." I had been about to say 'Carter', which was who I was up until two weeks ago, but I caught myself.
"I'm Molly, but call me 'Grams'," she said energetically. "Come meet everybody."
Leo and I followed her into a room with a lot of couch, and even more people. I recognized some of them. Ted Lupin, who was head-boy my first year, Dominique, and her sister… whose name I could not recall. James Potter, Fred and Roxanne Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy, and of course, the heroes of our world: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
I was introduced to everybody, as was Leo. Then Grams asked "and who wants to give the tour?" Half of the hands in the room shot up. "Dom, and Fred," Grams decided.
"I'm Dom," she said as if we hadn't known each other for almost two and a half years. Then she gave both me and my brother brief hugs. "Hey, aren't you in my dorm?"
I nodded.
"I thought so. You looked familiar. Well, follow me. We'll start at the front door."
Did she really not know me? I wondered. We slept in the same room for the better part of two and a half years! Was she trying to make me feel insignificant and unnoticeable? Probably, I decided.
"This is the dining room," she showed us a room mostly full with a HUGE table, and thirty four chairs. "Bathroom, laundry room, kitchen," she continued. Fred trailed behind us, an amused expression on his face. We climbed a flight of stairs. "Adults floor. Bathroom, George and Angelina's room, Percy and Audrey's room, closet, Grams and Granddad's room, Bill and Fleur's room." We went up again, Dominique babbling the whole time. "The chill floor. Ron and 'Mione's room, library, media room, Ginny and Draco's room." Up again. "This is the man floor. Charlie, your dad's room, guest room, Teddy's room, and Harry's room." As we climbed the stairs again I started to think that this girl never took a breath. She'd done nothing but talk excitedly since we'd gotten here. "This is the 'Communal Bathroom'. It's the one we'll use. James and Fred's room—"
"Leo, you'll be rooming with us," Fred interrupted his—our—cousin.
"This is Louis and Hugo's room," Dom continued, ignoring the interruption. "Scorp, Albus, and Quentin's room, and he ladder to the attic room, where us girls sleep." We climbed the swinging ladder, through a trap-door into the cutest dorm-style room. "Ceara, you're in here."
The boys left, probably so Fred could show Leo his space, and I looked around. Each of the ten twin-sized beds had names embroidered across different colored comforters. A blue-green rug was spread across the center of the room, and there were four gigantic bean-bag type things. Each person had a desk with their initials painted across the top. There was a huge closet, and full shelves.
My covers were my favorite shade of teal-blue, with 'Ceara Ann' embroidered across in dark brown, matching my pillows. There were four beds up against each of the longer walls, and one on the short wall. Mine was kind of randomly in the center, as if it had been brought up this morning. I didn't mind. I looked around at everybody's beds. Victoire's (that was her name!) was black, her name in Gryff red, and her sheets, red, white, and black plaid. Dominique's was hot pink, with a blue and white checked sheet and pillowcase set. Dominique Marie was in dark blue. Mellony Malfoy' was pale blue with purple embroidery, and purple polka-dotted sheets. Each bed was completely unique, but they all went together. It was the cutest room I'd ever seen.
"…and everyone's here for the holidays this year, even Mellony and Scorpius, who usually spend it with Astoria…" Dom was still babbling, and I was still negatively excited.