Black
Disclaimer: If it was mine, Sirius would still be alive and he would forever be sporting a dog collar around his neck.
Chapter One
Tears filled Molly Weasley's motherly eyes as she took in the picture on the front page of the evening Edition of the Daily Prophet. She stared into the pale grey eyes of the toddler, who was looking up at her pleadingly, begging her to take her home and love her and keep her safe from the evils of the world.
Molly reached up and brushed the tears away as she reread the headline.
"Bidding War for Black Child Continues"
They, they being the Malfoys and the LeStranges, were literally bidding on who could pay off the Wizengamot and bypass all of the adoption laws and red tape and gain custody over the child.
Like the little girl was the latest broomstick model and not a human being.
It made Molly feel ill.
She glanced over at her husband, who was eating stew and reading a book titled, 'Muggles and the Fools Who Love Them'.
"I want to adopt her, Arthur."
"Who dear?" Arthur asked, turning a page distractedly as he took another bite of the stew.
"Cassidy Black."
Arthur choked on his stew and after he was certain that he would no longer be in danger of suffocation, he stared at his wife as though she had gone quite mad.
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
Arthur ran a hand over his face, under his glasses. "We already have seven children, Molly. Four of whom are under the age of five. And the money, dear. We can't outbid the LeStranges and we most certainly can't outbid the Malfoys."
Molly shook her head. Arthur was right. She had more than enough to deal with, what with her children and even...
She stopped.
"Arthur, what about the inheritance?" she asked, her voice quiet. She knew that the inheritance was meant for the children, to take care of them, should something happen to both her and Arthur, but she felt in her gut that she had to give it up to save this child.
Now, if only she could get Arthur to agree.
Arthur shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. That money is not to be touched. I won't allow it. Not for some murderer's-"
"Stop right there, Arthur Amadeus Weasley!" Molly growled, her blue eyes snapping fire and glaring at her husband as if he'd let fly some foul swear word.
And he very well may have.
Molly continued. "Cassidy is not a murderer's daughter! She is a little girl who's got no one to love her. She was dealt a cruel hand in life. There is nothing wrong with her! All she needs is a loving home and a family who doesn't look down on her for being born to a less than respectable family. If she goes to one of those people, she'll be raised to be a mini-Death Eater and it will be a wasted life."
She shoved the newspaper at her husband. "Look at her, Arthur. Look at her and tell me that you don't see a little girl who has so much potential, if only she had the right family to love her and hold her and encourage her."
Arthur glanced down at the paper. As he did so, the little girl in the photo smiled up at him hopefully.
His heart melted.
He sighed. "How are we going to tell the others?"
"We'll just explain to them that they are going to have another little sister. Bill, Charlie and Percy will understand adoption, but I'm not sure about the others."
Arthur nodded as the backdoor burst open and all the children, Billy, Charlie, and Percy were carrying the others, Fred, George, and Ron. The youngest, Ginny, was already in bed, being only a baby.
"Mummy!" Ron squealed, giggling happily and Fred and George snickered.
Molly shook her head, taking the little boy from Billy and hugging him close. She looked over at Arthur.
He smiled and shrugged. "I'll talk to Beats first thing tomorrow."
Molly's smile widened and her eyes filled with tears again.
Only this time, they were tears of happiness.
Six long months after Arthur had first gone to the Wizengamot to plead his case and petition for the adoption of one Cassidy Kalliope Black, the Weasleys, once one of the most respected pureblood families in the wizarding world, were broke, having spend all their gold on the best lawyers.
As Molly cuddled her new daughter to her and brushed ebony bangs out of the slate eyes, she was convinced that it was worth it.
The other children were happy, and Cassidy was on her way to having a good, loving childhood.
Arthur signed the adoption papers, and the Wizengamot declared Cassidy theirs.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word..." Molly sang, all but dancing around the sitting room of the Burrow, a squalling infant in her arms. "... Mama's gonna buy you a racing br-.."
She was cut off as jaw cracking yawn caught her off guard.
Cassidy wailed louder.
"Please, Cassi, sleep." Molly pleaded, leaning against the wall in exhaustion. She hadn't gotten sleep in a week.
Cassi ignored the plea and continued to sob. Molly, feeling like she could cry herself, pushed off the wall and began pacing again. She only made it a few steps, however, when she stumbled and fell against the back of the sofa.
"Mum?"
Molly's head turned to look at the source of the voice.
Billy was standing on the landing, his shaggy crimson hair tousled with sleep. His eyes, however, were awake and alert and full of worry for his mother.
"Go back to bed, Billy." Molly said, forcing herself to her feet.
"No."
"Billy...."
The youth didn't reply. He walked down the steps to stand in front of his mother. He reached out and took the baby from her and cuddled her against his chest.
"Go to bed, Mum." he said, in a tone that brooked no arguments.
Molly opened her mouth to tell the boy that he was the one who was going to go to bed, and that she would be the one tending the baby, but she wanted so much just to sleep that she closed her mouth and made her way up the stairs without a sound.
Billy waited until she was gone before he turned to the still crying little girl he was holding.
"Those teeth are no fun, hey?" he asked her, leaning down to pick up the stuffed rabbit that was lying, forgotten on the floor. He tickled the end of Cassi's nose with the ear of it and the little girl let out a half laugh/half cry type sound. "See? It's not so bad."
Cassidy looked up at the boy, her eyes still teary, but she'd stopped crying. She reached for the rabbit and Billy handed it to her.
He walked over to the rocking chair and sat down, rocking slowly and cradling Cassi against his chest, singing a David Bowie song quietly.
Cassi quieted down and buried her face into the rabbit's soft fluff.
Within minutes, both the baby and the boy were sound asleep.
Later that same morning, Molly, refreshed after a few hours of sleep, came down the stairs with Ginny in her arms to feed her and make breakfast for the rest of her family.
She looked around the living room and her eyes softened.
Billy was still in the rocking chair, though now, his right foot was resting on the coffee table and he was sprawled in the chair. Molly was certain that if his foot hadn't been on the coffee table, Billy would have fallen out of the chair.
Cassidy was lying across the boy's chest, her thumb in her mouth and his arms were wrapped around her protectively.
As Molly watched, Cassidy whimpered and started to fuss. Billy shifted the infant higher up on his chest and brushed his fingers over her downy hair. The baby settled instantly.
Molly shook her head.
Things, it seemed, were finally looking up.
Thanks for reading! Please RR.