I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Note: I had a bit of a day and decided to do an extra update this week. Seeing all the positive comments and the encouragement has been wonderful and I am so happy y'all enjoy this story so much. I've already written so much more than I imagined I would and I still have a while to go. I finished Chapter 57 this week and the last 3 chapters are some of my favorite, ones I had in mind since I started this fanfic. I can't wait until we get there.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey.

The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 31 – Steps Forward

Harry woke, much less violently than before. Every morning was a little bit better than the one before. He no longer woke with a tight chest and pounding heart. His dreams did not become nightmares to plague him overnight, they did not wake him early. He slept better every night. He could sleep without holding his wand.

He still did not sleep late however. Years of being woken at dawn had ingrained the habit deep into him. Even when he was at school, no matter how exhausted he was, he still woke early. Sometimes he could drift back to sleep. Other times he could not no matter how hard he tried to.

At least dawn had fully broken today. The horizon was washed in reds and yellows and golds. The birds sang their morning greetings. His stuffed rabbit was soft and warm in his arms. Ron's snoring was the usual drone of strangely comforting monotony.

Harry could get used to this. He knew he should not. It would make next summer much more difficult. Comfort was insidious. You took it for granted when you had it. Its absence made things even worse when you realize what you lost.

He rolled out the camp bed, folding the quilt and arranging it neatly. He tucked his rabbit beneath it, making sure it was comfortable on the pillow. Changing out of his bed clothes he softly padded to the door and slipped out, closing it quietly behind him.

Out on the landing he could hear noise coming from downstairs. The scrape of metal on metal, the click of metal on wood, the ticking of the grandfather clock. It was a symphony of normalcy, one that quieted Harry's thoughts.

Not for the first time, and most certainly not the last time, Harry thanked anyone who was listening for Ron's friendship, for the team. He was only here because of Ron and the twins. They had rescued him from the Dursleys. He could not imagine his life without them.

He did not want to.

He had to suppress a sniffle. Ever since coming to the Burrow, ever since that wonderful day when Angelina and Katie visited, he felt his emotions closer to the surface. He had grown up hiding his feelings, his pain. He learned from an early age the less he felt, the better. The less he showed of how he felt, the better.

Any show of distress and emotion prompted Dudley to greater acts of cruelty. They encouraged Vernon to beat the weakness and freakishness out of him. They made Petunia even colder, more aloof.

Katie and Angelina encouraged him to feel, to share, to show. They wanted him to tell them how he was, to better help him. The Weasleys never showed any kind of negative reactions to his emotions. They did not try to force him to be quiet, to hide, to conceal.

Arthur spoke to him like one of his own. He treated him rationally, if asking some rather irrational questions about Muggles here and there. Percy treated him like an equal most of the time, taking his words seriously. Other times he treated him like a little brother. Harry had thought he would chafe at that but he found that he enjoyed it too much. The twins definitely treated him like a little brother. Probably a little better since they did not hold back when teasing Ron. But the twins were never mean or cruel to him. More often than not they played tricks on each other as well as everyone else equally. Their mischief was aimed at everyone and was never malicious. They also never treated Harry like he was a fragile thing either, something he was thankful for.

Ron was a solid rock. He acted like a best friend. He shared what was his. He could be a bit oblivious and though he failed sometimes in his execution, he meant well. Ginny had treated him very strangely at first. Always quiet, always staring, and oddly clumsy. However, the more Harry interacted with her, included her, she stopped acting awkwardly. Soon she was treating him like an older brother. Harry had caught the way she watched him and her brothers, how wistful she looked, how longingly.

It was how he used to look at Dudley and his friends. Back when Harry was very little. Before Dudley had become cruel and hurt him.

Harry did not want Ginny to be left out, always watching, never joining.

Molly treated Harry like he imagined a mother would. She was warm, she was strict, she was kind. She fussed over him a lot. Some might find her attitude to be over-familiar at best and downright smothering at worst. Yet Harry did not want her to stop. He craved her attention. He felt bad about it sometimes, thinking he was taking an undue amount from the other Weasley children.

When he mentioned it to the twins, they had laughed at him. They said with him there they could relax more, that their mother's attention was rightfully divided. They even thanked him for taking so much of her time and energy.

He felt better after that.

He walked down the steps towards the soothing sounds and smells emanating from the kitchen. He might as well try to enjoy the comfort as much as he could.

-0-

Molly heard someone walking down the stairs and approaching the kitchen.

After years of practice, and necessity with the twins, she had developed a skill to guess who it was based on how the footsteps sounded.

Arthur was a plodder. He put his weight down on his heels so they always sounded solid and comforting. Bill walked like his father, mimicked him from an early age. Charlie was a thumper. He liked to stomp about like a dragon, something he got into his head as a small child, and never grew out of the habit.

Percy's footsteps were as even as a metronome, precise and smooth. The twins were sneaky. They changed how they walked constantly but they spent more time on the balls of their feet for swift silent movement. Ron dragged his feet, giving him a tell-tale shuffle when he walked. Ginny always walked fast unless she was tired. Even then her footsteps were light, unburdened.

These footsteps were hesitant and quiet. They were silent like the twins', less confident than Percy's, more reluctant than Ron's. Even with the process of elimination, Molly knew who was walking.

She smiled as he appeared in the entryway to the kitchen. "Such an early riser," she said. "I wish my boys would do that sometimes. They'd spend half the day in bed if they could."

Harry smiled shyly. "I'm used to waking early." He carefully did not say why.

Molly knew why. She had heard the comments Harry makes when he does not think anyone is listening closely. She pieced together the hints from what her boys tell her. The truth made her blood boil. She silently cursed his circumstances. She silently cursed the things that prevented his circumstances from changing.

"Well I'm grateful for the company. My children only show up in the kitchen to eat, never to spend time with their mum. What would you like to eat? The early boy gets what he wants."

He hesitated. "Actually, would you like some help? It must be a lot to cook for everyone like this. I only ever had to cook for three and that took a lot of time."

She seethed internally. Cook for three when there were four of you? Merlin have mercy on you if we ever meet for I will not. She coughed, trying to dispel her feelings of mal intent. "That's very sweet of you to offer dear. But you're a guest and I wouldn't want you to do anything that you don't want to. Or force you to relive anything you've already suffered.

"I actually like to cook," Harry said shyly. "I don't mind cooking itself. It's better when I get to eat it too."

Perhaps it's best if I never meet you, she swore internally at the Dursleys. It won't do to be sent to Azkaban for Cursing the lot of you. "Well, I won't say no to an eager helper." She gave him a mock critical look. "You're a bit underdressed though." She waved her wand and an apron drifted over. She winced a little at the sight of it. It was one she had designed for Ginny in hopes that she would want to spend time with her mother in the kitchen. It was hand sewn, pale yellow fabric with flowers along the hem.

Harry put it on eagerly, tying the strings together without an ounce of hesitation. He smiled as he pulled the apron on and pulled the hem taut, smoothing out the front.

It made Molly unreasonably happy.

She watched over him carefully as he helped slice the bread. He handled a knife well, cutting the bacon into thin even slices. That made her feel better about letting him cut the fruit up as well, assured he knew what he was doing.

Of course he does. He's been cooking for a family as a child apparently. Never allowed to enjoy his labors either.

Harry watched with pure joy at how Molly controlled many things at once with her wand. "I wish I could do that," he said enviously. "I bet that makes cooking lots of things more easy."

"It certainly helps," Molly agreed. "Otherwise I'd never leave the kitchen. You've seen how the boys eat.

"That's true," Harry giggled. "At least they thank you for the meal. It makes the effort worth it."

The pot banged down on the stove a little hard, the beans leapt a little. Molly tried to control her wand movements, her emotions. "They…your aunt and uncle and cousin never thanked you properly?" She knew better than to ask. She already knew the answer. She did not want to hear it said out loud.

Harry shook his head. "No. Uncle Vernon said he did not want to give me any airs. They never said anything unless it was burned." He said it matter of fact. As if discussing the weather.

The kettle shrieked as the fire beneath it flared up. The steam came screaming out until Molly could lower the fire. She had to twist the dial by hand. Azkaban might be worth it. She smiled at Harry, hiding her thoughts and feelings. "The stove can be a bit sensitive. That happens when you use a lot of magic. Especially in magical households."

Harry accepted it without questioning it. "Oh do we have any extra butter? I can make fry bread if you like."

"Well that sounds lovely. We'll have a proper full English breakfast then, shall we?" Molly felt better seeing Harry smile widely. At least the poor thing can still smile like that. "You can grab the sausages from the box. We don't have any black pudding, but between the bacon and sausage that'll be fine. Oh, I have some ham left we can fry up."

"Do we have any mushrooms and tomatoes? I can slice them and start grilling them."

"That sounds delicious. Yes we have both, you can use the hob here."

Molly kept a careful eye on Harry as they cooked. She was ready to stop him if at any time he looked upset, at the first sign of distress. However, as they cooked, Harry simply looked happy. She knew being busy was a good way to prevent one from thinking too much, from being overwhelmed by their thoughts. Yet Harry legitimately looked fine while cooking, happy. He did look like he was enjoying himself.

He asked her questions and she was happy to answer them. She explained why she did things as she did, teaching him tips and tricks and was surprised to learn some from him as well. She still believed he was too experienced in the kitchen for someone his age, knowledge bought with a cost too high. That being said, she really did enjoy cooking with him. He brought an eager energy to the kitchen, making the normally mundane tasks seem more fun.

She was enjoying herself as much as he was enjoying himself.

The pair worked industriously as time passed, chatting pleasantly as the sun rose. The smells in the kitchen grew savory and richer, and Percy appeared in the kitchen.

"Is there a special occasion?" Percy asked, his eyes wide and impressed as he looked at the table.

"Harry had a nice idea for a fry up and since I had the help, we decided to do it." Molly said. "Otherwise it's a bit much for just one person to do in the middle of the week."

"I didn't know you could cook Harry," Percy said as he sat at the table. He saw the wince in Molly's eyes and in turn realized that he said something insensitive. He went red, ready to offer his apologies.

Harry grinned shyly, missing Percy's discomfort. "Only simple things really. Not like Mrs. Weasley. She's wonderful!"

"You're too kind," she said, her cheeks pink. "I've had a lot of practice. If you like, I'd be happy to teach you a few things while you're here."

"I'd really like that!" Harry's face was bright with enthusiasm, genuine and sincere. He looked like he was going to step to her but stopped, he looked uncertain all of a sudden.

Molly looked at Percy, confused by Harry's sudden change in demeanor. Her face twisted with understanding when her son opened his arms and made a hugging motion. He made the motion slowly, exaggerated, nodding at the boy.

Molly did as bidden, trying to smile comfortingly while opening her arms to Harry. A clear invitation.

He stepped in without his earlier hesitation, wrapping his arms around her middle.

She hugged him, hard. She tried to inject every bit of warmth and comfort into the hug, a day's worth, a lifetime's worth. All the boy deserved and more.

"You're a great hugger," he murmured softly, almost to himself. "Ron and the others are lucky."

Her heart broke.

"Anytime you need one dear," she said instead of a thousand other things she wanted to say. She wanted to curse the Dursleys for hurting him. She wanted to curse You-Know-Who for putting him there in the first place. She had a special thing to say to his magical guardian. So many things she wanted to say to so many people.

Harry released her and gave her a slightly watery smile. "Thank you." He wiped his tears away before pushing her into a chair. "Since we cooked it all, we should eat up before it gets cold or the others do."

"Indeed," Percy said. He rose and also pushed Harry into a seat beside Molly. "Way back there was something called The Hunter's Right. Those who hunted had the best cut." He picked up two cups and poured out the piping hot tea. "Not exactly applicable here but you and Mother did work very hard, you should enjoy just as much."

"I can certainly get used to this," Molly said with a smile. She dished up the first plate and gave it to Harry, making sure to load it up as she had at every meal. She made a second plate for Percy. However, when she tried to make her own Harry stopped her. She watched fondly as he made one for her and laid it before her with a flourish.

The three starting eating and the clink of silverware filled the air, followed by sounds of appreciation.

"Couldn't have done better myself," Molly said as she ate. "The tomatoes and mushrooms are perfect."

Percy nodded in agreement; mouth full of food.

Harry's cheeks were as red as the tomato.

"Look at all this!" George and Fred walked in with eyes wide.

"Smells incredible in here," Fred said.

"Looks incredible too." George rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"Ron and Ginny better wake up before we eat it all."

"There's plenty, no need to start any trouble." Molly glared at the twins. "Don't you stuff yourselves sick just to start trouble either."

Harry rose from the table, wiping his lips with a napkin. "I'll go wake them up. Ron would be really upset if he didn't any. He gets grumpy when he misses meals."

"Always has," George sniggered.

"Always did take the most tender care of his stomach," Fred said.

"I think it's a bit shameful on his part that you've noticed," Molly said with a slight frown.

Harry shrugged. "I just try to make sure he eats." As he was about to walk off, he stopped and walked back to the table. With a fork he stabbed a sausage and grabbed a napkin to catch the grease. "I'll wave this under his nose, that'll do the job."

The four Weasleys laughed at his ingenuity and he scampered away, a look of glee on his face.

Molly waited for his footsteps to fade a little before she spoke. "He's…oddly observant, isn't he?"

The three brothers looked at each other.

"Yeah, it's uncanny," Fred said seriously.

"He notices things about people. The girls reckon he had to be, to…keep out of trouble," George said uncomfortably.

"Though he is rather blind to his own needs," Percy said. A look of sadness on his face. "Not to mention what things are normal and are not."

"Not his fault," Fred protested. "He didn't ask to get mucked up by some nutters that were supposed to take care of him."

"I was not saying it was," Percy retorted.

"Boys," Molly said gently and they subsided. "I must say, I am proud to see all of you notice things and are looking out for him."

The three brothers looked embarrassed.

"Well yeah, he's a part of the team," George said.

"And I am his Prefect," Percy said.

"Doesn't mean you three aren't going beyond what others would expect." She looked at each other them. "Doesn't make me any less proud of you." She looked serious. "Promise me you'll keep looking after him while at school."

Percy spoke for the three of them. "Of course Mother. Just like we would Ron and Ginny."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "That's my boys."