"Can you hear what's going on?" A soft voice asked quietly.
"Not if you keep talking."
"But she shouldn't be here, she said that this would be his last."
"Shut up, I can't hear anything."
"Don't tell me to shut up." The other voice whispered more harshly.
"Both of you knock it off, it's really hard to hear. And besides she can't take him at least not today. Mum went shopping said he needed new clothes, the old one's weren't fitting properly."
"Well it's a good thing he's out with mum today isn't it?" The boy asked questioningly.
"I don't know guys might've been better if she was here, the way this conversations going I don't think dad's gonna last another round."
"Shush… I think they just said he's going to leave." A tall gangly boy said from beside the door.
"Well they can't make him leave, I mean he's practically part of the family, the adoption papers and all." A replica of the other boy said.
"Means absolutely nothing if what they're saying is true, the adoption papers haven't even been claimed yet, only a few months old."
"George be reasonable if they want to they can, there's no jurisdiction to stop them. They're taking him, taking him today."
"But they can't, he's a Weasley now." The second youngest of the clan stated his voice wobbling. They couldn't it was his younger brother, the younger brother he had to protect and take care of.
******************************************************************************************************************
A young boy no more than seven years old held onto the young woman's hand tightly, he didn't know what was happening just that this was going to be his eighth home within the last five years. He looked at the young lady who by now was his caseworker. She looked back at him warmth shining in her brown eyes trying to reassure the boy that this would turn out well.
"Tonks what happens now, I mean if they don't like me either?" The boy asked softly his voice barely above a whisper.
Nymphadora Tonks who preferred to be called Tonks looked down at the child who was too small for his age.
"It'll work out Harry, the other families just didn't get you, but I promise this family has to be one of the best out there. They are anxious to meet you." She said trying to convince not only the boy, but herself as well.
Harry was really a sweet boy, he was well behaved for a child of his age, and with his short stature, unruly ebony hair, and the unique green eyes, she wondered why the other families kept rejecting the boy.
When she first got assigned to this child's case she was twenty-five fresh out of university and ready to make her way in the world. She didn't realize how hard it was going to be, and what a handful little Harry Evans was. At just two years old his mother died in an attack, a man by the name of Thomas Riddle broke into the east Sussex home on a fall evening, not knowing there was anybody in the house, apparently he heard a scream and a door slamming shut, he grabbed a knife and stabbed the woman at least twenty seven times. Reading more into police files and reports Tonks figured that he didn't want to murder the young mother, but was left in a position not to kill. The room that the mother was murdered in was little Harry's room. He saw the whole thing, but a two year old would not have been able to identify the man, so Tom Riddle ran, sparing the child's life. What he did not expect was to be seen by a neighbour, Mrs. Figg heard the screaming coming from the house across the street, and when she saw the man running away, she went to check on her neighbour. From what Tonks could make out the woman phoned the Police and gathered little Harry and took him to her house where she often babysat the child when the Mother was working.
The police took a report, but because Mrs. Figg didn't get a good view of the man the police didn't have much to go by.
That's when Tonks got involved. Social Services gave her the case thinking that for a newbie it would be solved quickly and a great learning experience, what Mr. Moody forgot to mention was that the police said the boy was slightly catatonic and wasn't speaking. When Tonks arrived at the house there was the little boy sitting quietly on an elderly lady's lap, who Tonks came to realize was Mrs. Figg. With a lot of work the two women were able to convince Harry to go with Tonks.
The first house the child was taken to was by a couple of the name of Parkinson, they had a daughter, but they wanted another child. That house lasted a few months, until Mrs. Parkinson showed up at the social centre and dropped Harry off saying he was a nuisance and wouldn't stop crying and with one child the same age she realized she couldn't handle another one especially one that was a special case.
All the families that little Harry ended up staying with were like that or else he'd end up running away. Tonks was at her wit's end; the last house Harry had stayed at was with the Malfoy family, a well off family that was always willing to help out charities, a good family (or so she thought), with one son. She thought for sure that this one would be the place, but when she got a call from Narcissa Malfoy telling her Harry had run off, she knew that she either finds a stable place for Harry in the next placement or that child was going to end up in an orphanage very soon. And she couldn't stand the thought of her ward going to a horrid place, she heard many stories usually bad one's about the orphanages in the area, and she wouldn't put her boy in a place like that. After going to the Malfoy's and several hours of searching for the boy she found Harry in the park hiding in the slide. That's when she found out that the Malfoy's weren't as good as she thought they were.
"How could I make so many mistakes with this boy." She thought to herself as she carried Harry to the car. Of course all families were pre-screened before they could even consider the possibilities of fostering a child, but when she saw the bruises on the boys arms she knew this one was neither of their faults, the Malfoy's had a lot of sway, and if they thought that fostering a child would help with their social uprising they were right. Disgusted she drove away.
And that's how she found herself standing outside of the Weasley house. A well to do family just like the Malfoy's, but this time she knew that this would be a wonderful place for Harry. The Weasley family had six boys and one girl, but the mother was always had more love to go around, and Tonks had first hand experience, a close family friend, she knew Molly and Arthur would love to look after this child, they couldn't get enough.
She knew once she got Harry settled she would have to go searching once more for the boys father, who they recently just found out was alive through meticulous researching, and endless nights. They knew he was alive, but they couldn't figure out where and who he was.
As for Lily Evan's killer, Tom Riddle was caught about a week later, not for her murder, but for the murder's of Frank and Alice Longbottom, their son Neville she knew went to his grandmother's she was also assigned to the Longbottom boy's case. Riddle eventually came out and told the police officer that he was responsible for killing Lily Evans. The lawyer's plea-bargained and in the end he got a lifetime sentence without parole, otherwise it would have been a death sentence.
"Don't just stand out there Nymphadora come in, before you and the child get sick. What would your parents say?" A screeching Molly ushered her and Harry into the foyer.
With Molly's back turned Tonks winked at Harry, who suppressed a giggle behind his hand. They followed Molly into the parlour where a whole mess of people in Harry's point of view were sitting around, two were playing a game of chess, two were reading and the rest were busy amusing a little girl who seemed to be having a tea party much to the chagrin of everyone else who had to play along.
"Everyone's eyes up here." Molly shouted getting all eight people in the room to look her way. "Nymphadora is here with Harry."
The two playing chess groaned as they heard the enthusiastic voice of their mother. When their mother sounded like that they knew they had to rush for cover.
"You can bring him in Nymphadora, the child needs to be introduced to everyone."
"Sorry Molly you're absolutely right. Harry come along." She pushed Harry forward who seemed to be clinging to her, but she couldn't blame the child after everything that happened to him.
"Everyone I'd like you to meet your new foster brother, he will be staying with us for quite awhile, you will treat him like he IS your brother." Molly turned to glare at the room especially at the two who were trying to pull apart their sister's doll in half."
"Mama." The little girl screeched as the head flew into the fireplace.
"GEORGE, FRED!" Molly yelled it was just another typical day.
"It just flew off…" George exclaimed.
"We didn't do it." Fred finished for his brother.
Harry looked on amused having never witnessed this before.
"Well Harry," Molly turned to him. "That's Fred and George, as you can tell they're twins, and quite a handful at that."
"Yea but you love us." The twins cried in unison. "Hi." They waved enthusiastically atHarry.
"The two playing chess is Percy and Ron. Ron's you're age Harry so I expect you'll get along smashingly, you two will have a room right next to each other. The one with the earring and ponytail is Bill although I really wish he'd let me cut it." She sighed.
"Mum please." Charlie whined. "I like it this way."
Molly ignored him knowing it was a losing battle and continued on with the introductions as if nothing happened. "And the one with the marine biologist book is Charlie. And least, but not last is our little girl, Ginny… No that's not a real tea set Ginny don't put it in your mouth… Arthur stop her. It's filthy."
A short man with balding hair ran towards Ginny and carefully as not to make the fiery girl even more upset took away the teacup, and replaced it with a stuffed bunny who was her guest of honour at the tea party.
"Hiya Harry, I'm Arthur Weasley." Arthur smiled at the young boy, it was going to be fun another child that he can show how to take apart gadgets and put them together.
"Hi Sir." Harry said pressing himself further into Tonks. There were so many people here with red hair there was no way he was going to survive.
"Why don't you children take Harry, show him his room and then the house while me and your father talk to Nymphadora." Molly exclaimed.
Nobody missed the glances that were aimed at their new brother's head, they felt sorry for him, they recognized the signs when their mother got attached to a child and just wanted to coddle the child to death.
"Let's get him out of here, before she suffocates him with her hugs." Fred said while taking Harry's hands and pulling him out of the room.
"Don't forget his bags." Arthur yelled after his horde of children.
Percy grabbed it and they all followed Fred to Harry's new room.
As they were going up the stairs Harry took in all that he could. The house was huge with three flights of stairs and what looked to be at least twenty rooms on each floor. From what he could tell the family themselves seemed really nice, but so did the others that he had previously stayed with, he didn't know if he could trust them yet, but he did hope that this would be his new family permanently.
When the got to the second floor they walked down the hallway and passed a door that said "Ron's Room, DO NOT ENTER." After that they paused at the next one on the left hand side.
"This'll be your room, Harry." Bill who Harry recognized with the earring in his ear said to him.
"Mum was so excited when she heard you were going to stay with us she went a little crazy decorating your room, just say you like it even if you don't when she asks, and then we can fix it for you later."
They entered the room, and Harry was amazed. The room was painted in a deep blue, and the bed was bigger than anything Harry had ever seen in his life, it took up about a quarter of the room and it was in the shape of a football, there was a bookshelf lining one wall, and a television and DVD player on the other side facing the bed, but the best thing of all was the toy box filled with toys. Harry couldn't remember a time when he ever had toys of his own.
"That's not the best part Harry." Charlie said taking the boy by the hand and showing him the closet.
Harry had to blink twice making sure he wasn't seeing things, there was around 100 shirts, and pants, with ten pairs of shoes.
"Wow." Harry breathed. "This is all for me?" He asked quietly thinking that anytime soon it would just disappear.
"Yup told you mum went overboard." Percy said grinning.
"Wow…" The small boy said again, he was so speechless.
"Hey Harry." Ron said grabbing the boy's attention, "C'mon we'll show you the rest of the house." Ron grabbed Harry's other hand as he was still holding on to Charlie's and dragged them both along with him.
"Wait me come too." Ginny whined when she saw her bigger brothers leaving without her, she didn't want to get left behind.
"Of course you come to piglet." Bill exclaimed grabbing the little girl and twirling her into the air, her laughter ringing throughout the hallway.
Ron and Charlie showed Harry the entire Manor, with the other's trailing along after them.
"See Harry, here's the parlour where you first came too, then to the left is the family room, and to the right of that is the kitchen. If you go through the kitchen that'll lead to the back yard, nothing good's really out there, except for the tennis court. The basement is where we spend most of the time." Charlie said, seeing that the boy was trying to take it all in.
They showed Harry the basement, which had a basketball court inside and an indoor swimming pool.
"I..I..I.. can use this whenever I want?" Harry questioned.
"Except for the pool Harry. Mum and Dad are very strict about that you have to be here with an adult. If not that's punishment for sure." Fred exclaimed. "And trust me you won't like it either."
Harry didn't like the sound of that, he was used to sound thrashings, and even the occasional whippings, but this time he didn't want to get that from this family. He wanted to make them proud so that they would keep him forever.
"I…I..I'll be good, I promise just no beatings ok?" Harry's lips trembled and his eyes became watery and it looked like he wanted to run, and that's what his instincts told him, maybe he was mistaken and this was all just a cruel game. He had to get out of there and fast.
"Harry nobody said anything about beatings, Mum and Dad would never do that. They love us very much." George said seeing that the newest member of the family was scared, and he wanted to reassure his new brother that everything was going to be fine, he didn't know why yet, but he felt the sudden need to protect Harry, and he could see it in his siblings eyes that they felt the same way, even Ginny who was still too young to understand.
"Can I go to my room now." Harry asked them biting his lip, and not looking at anyone just at the floor, his bangs covering his forehead and the green eyes hiding away.
"Of course Harry, I'll come with you, just so you don't get lost." Bill took Harry to his room and then went to rejoin his siblings. He wanted to thrash Fred at that moment, he had no idea when to shut his big mouth and everyone could see that Harry was abused, and had low self-esteem he needed to make sure Fred understood that Harry couldn't think he was getting punished for every little misdeed. Their parents were fair people always giving them the benefit of the doubt; innocent until proven guilty was their motto. With a family the size of theirs it was the only one that would work.
Bill was not surprised when he heard shouting coming from the basketball court.
"You and you're big mouth sometimes Fred."
"I have never been more embarrassed than I am right now about being you're twin."
"Can't you see he's been abused, why scare him, and we just got him too. What happens if Tonks finds out she'll take him away from us for sure."
"We can't let Mum know, she'll kill us."
"Brilliant Fred, bloody brilliant."
"ENOUGH! All of you, do you want Mum and Dad to know." Bill said as he interrupted them.
"He's in his room?" Charlie asked.
"Yea, he went to go lie down when I dropped him off."
"I'll go and talk to him, after all it's my fault I'll explain how this family works." Fred said tears in his eyes, he was only nine after all, he didn't know better.
"We'll all go maybe play Sorry or Monopoly with him until dinner."
The six kids headed upstairs in which they saw their parents saying goodbye to Tonks.
"Bye guys." She waved her hands in the air and walked away without a response.
"Why don't you all wash up for dinner, it will be ready in ten minutes." Molly looked at her children giving them the look; she knew they were about to protest.
"Me clean Mummy, look." Ginny said waving her hands in her mum's face.
"That's why you have dirt all over isn't it Missy." Molly chuckled her daughter was very amusing. "You go with Ron and wash your hands please."
"Worth try." Ginny said as she shrugged her shoulders and followed Ron out.
"This is all your fault you two." Molly admonished her twins. "She's taking after the two of you way too much."
"Aww, mum you did your best…"
"And we went and undid it all." Fred and George gave her a mischievous grin and rushed out of the room.
"Bill, Charlie, where's Harry?" She looked around the room trying to spot her newest charge.
"Upstairs Mum sleeping, he was tired from all the drama today." Percy spoke up quickly when he saw the panicked looks on his older brother's faces. "We'll go get him."
"Please do. I can't wait to be able to meet him properly. It was such a rushed greeting Nymphadora had to go over a few things with us."
With that the boys left to go get their brother.
"It seems awfully quiet in there, was he really sleeping when you put him in his room?" Bill asked Charlie.
"Of course not you dolt Percy had to lie didn't he?"
"I guess you're right. Harry." Charlie called into the room. "Dinner's going to be ready soon, you have to wash up so we can take you down to eat."
No answer…
"Harry c'mon, Mum's cooking isn't that bad." Charlie had to laugh at his own joke. His mum liked to experiment whenever she could it was usually a hit or miss, but most days it was a miss.
Still no answer…
Charlie shrugged at Bill
"I know for a fact she made honey garlic chicken with French fries and a chocolate cake for dessert." Bill tried this time.
Once again no answer…
"Let's go in. I'm sure he's just really tired."
They knocked once, and when there was no answer they opened the door to find the room empty and no Harry inside.
They looked at each other, and started searching the room, under the bed, in the closet, and still no Harry.
"Maybe he decided to go for a walk." Charlie said hopefully. This would not be good, what would they tell their parents.
"We have to tell mum and dad, Charlie. If they find him before us, we'll be in more trouble than we have ever been in."
"Alright let's go." Charlie said bravely. They couldn't have asked for better parents, but at times they could be extremely scary.
They made their way to the kitchen where they saw everyone sitting down at the table, their mum plating the food, and their dad talking to the kids. They grinned at each other; their father was the way to go.
"Dad, can you come out here for a minute, we need to ask you something."
Arthur looked up at his two eldest children, usually when they asked to talk to him in private it was never a good sign.
"Well boys what's happened?" Arthur prayed that whatever it was they would be able to deal with it in an efficient manner before Molly found out.
"Ahhh you know how you're supposed to have eight kids now?" Bill cringed at this part.
"Yes." Arthur exclaimed suspiciously.
"Well we're kind of back down to seven."
"WHAT!!!!!!!!!" Arthur yelled. "Where's Harry? He was supposed to be with you. If your mother finds out. Oh boy. Alright where did you look last?"
The boys smiled inwardly they knew their father would help them out. "We looked in his room, we thought he went for a lie in. He seemed tuckered after we showed him the house." Bill tried to justify.
"You boys check the remaining rooms, I'll try outside."
They split up and went looking for Harry.
He didn't know how fast or how far he had run to, but he knew that he needed to get away. He had enough punishments most of his life, he knew this was all too good to be true. He was only seven, but he could take care of himself, he could. He found a bench and just went to sit down for a minute; he was so tired, the day catching up to him.
Arthur searched for what seemed like an hour, he knew he'd have to explain to Molly what happened, and pray to whatever deity that was that she didn't kill both him and her sons.
"Harry." Arthur yelled he knew the boy had to still be on their property, and Tonks did warn them that Harry had a habit of running away, especially when he felt threatened.
"Harry." Arthur tried again. "Harry, son, if you can hear me just yell." He was getting too old for this, he wasn't sure if his heart could take anymore.
He walked a few more minutes and that's when he saw the outline of a lump on the bench right beside their pond.
"Harry." Arthur exclaimed, running to the boy and scooping him up.
Harry awoke with a start as he felt arms go around him.
"No, no, no, no." He shouted trying to get away. His imagination started to get the best of him, and he kicked and screamed trying to get away. "Let me go, I'll be good, let me go, please Mister." The child begged, making Arthur's heartbreak at the sound of the terrified child.
"Shhh, Harry, it's just me." Arthur said and when he felt the boy start to relax he turned Harry around so that they were face to face.
"Harry why would you run away like that? I was so worried about you." Arthur said smoothing the boy's hair out of his face.
Harry relaxed into the feeling of reassurance that he was getting off of his new foster parent. "I don't want to get hit," Harry cried, "they always hit." Tears now streaming down Harry's face.
"Why would you think you'd be getting hit Harry?" Arthur asked bewildered.
"The others say when you're naughty you get thrashed." The child cried even harder.
"No Harry, you don't get thrashed here, I don't know what they told you, but we do set out rules that ensure everyone's safety, if you don't follow that then we do give out punishments, but never a beating, Me and Molly don't believe in hitting children, the most you get is grounded, which means certain privileges will be taken away, depending on how bad that behaviour was."
"So no hitting?" Harry asked, not ready to trust yet.
"No Harry no hitting." Arthur said firmly. "Now I believe Molly has dinner waiting and I'm certain she made this food especially for you, you hungry little man?"
"Yes Sir." Harry chirped happily.
"You don't have to call me Sir Harry, Arthur and Molly will do just fine."
"Thank you Arthur." Harry said clinging to the man tightly as Arthur picked him up and carried him in for dinner.
*****************************************************************************************************************
The kids were still huddled by the door listening in to the conversation. When they heard a quiet whisper.
"Boo." Harry knew when they were huddled like that it was never anything good going on. After almost two years with the family, he learned to pick up on the behaviours and could be just as mischievous as the twins.
"Harry! Don't do that." Charlie jumped. His heart racing, if Harry was home that wasn't a good sign. They could take him right this minute.
Harry noticed the serious looks on his brother's face, not knowing what was going on. They looked serious, even Ginny who usually was so wrapped up in her own little world that she never paid any attention to what was going on around her, some called her flighty, Harry thought of her as artsy.
"Harry remember when you first came here, and you hid from us?" Fred asked.
"Yea…" Harry said questioningly, whatever was happening he realized it had to do with him.
"Well we need you to do that right now. Don't tell us where just go, come back in like five hours or so."
"Alright guys what's the joke?" Asked Harry, they were asking him to hide for five hours; they just wanted to take the piss out of him that was it.
"No joke Harry. Just do what we say, you don't understand."
"Quickly before they come and get you."
"Guys you're scaring me." Harry was close to tears.
"Trust us Harry, go."
"Harry can you come into the kitchen please." They could hear Molly's voice over the intercom the kids froze in fear. If what they knew was true they were going to take Harry away and they would never see their baby brother again.
Harry went to the closest intercom and pressed the button. "Be right there Mum."
After living with the Weasley's for six months Harry started calling Arthur and Molly, Mum and Dad. This was his family and as far as he was concerned he was going to be staying with them forever.
"Harry run now. We'll hold them off. Tonks and Moody are here, go we'll explain later."
"If the adoption papers went through why am I going to run."
"They're not valid yet Harry. You're not officially a Weasley." George said hurriedly. If Harry didn't do either things Molly was going to go get her son.
"That means they came to take me somewhere else." Harry stated figuring out what was happening, and with that he flew out the door, running as if his life depended on it.
Molly came out a few minutes later, her eyes red, and her face flushed. Her baby boy was going away, and nothing she could do was going to stop Nymphadora and Moody from taking him.
She put on a brave face and confronted her kids. "Alright where is he?" She asked.
"No clue." The others said in unison.
"I'm not joking he used this intercom not more than two minutes ago, where did he go?" She was a little excited, if her boy took off it usually took forever to find him, which would prevent the child from leaving her presence for at least a few days.
"He said that he had to go to the washroom, and after he was going to go see what you wanted." Fred said looking at his mother with the most innocent of smiles.
"Well he didn't come, if you guys know where he is, now would be the best time to tell me, before you get into trouble."
"We don't know." Bill piped in. "Fred's telling the truth."
"Well we'll just have to go look for him. I'll go inform the others in the kitchen." Molly sighed, this had to be the worst day of her life. When she was told she couldn't have any more children, she was devastated and then when Nymphadora explained her story over little Harry, she knew this was her chance to have one last child, and she gladly told her best friend's daughter to bring Harry over. It was only recently when they decided to officially adopt Harry. They were planning it before, but there was a lot of red tape around Harry's file. Finally they got word that they could start the process. And now this, her son was going to be taken from them. That was the final straw she fell onto a couch and broke down sobbing.
************************************************************************
Disclaimer: I don't own anything; all rights belong to J.K. Rowling and Co.
A/N: first off I would like to say that sweet child of mine is still being written very, very slowly, but I needed a break, something that would get my muse going again, so I wrote this, it's going to be a short chaptered ficlet, don't know how many, but I want to get this done, before I start again on sweet child of mine.
I know characters seem ooc and ages don't add up, but this is the way i felt like writing the story, I'm sorry if anybody disagrees. Also i don't
know if it should go under this section eventually it will contain JP, but for now the weasley's are the centre of the story.
This story is loosely based off the song Oklahoma by Billy Gilman.
Please review and let me know what you think, I'm a greedy author and love to see reviews, flames I use to cuddle with at night when it gets cold.