The Adopted Weasley

8~ Longbottoms

Grace held back as the rest of her family went into Arthur's room, she leaned against the wall, breathing slowly. Mungos was not her favorite place. And they deserved a minute alone. She stood there until she heard Arthur ask where she was, and so she peaked in.

"Gracie, sweetheart what are you doing out there?" Arthur asked gently, suspecting he already knew the answer.

"I... I was letting you guys be alone for a bit... family time and all that."

"No ma'am, that's enough. You're family as much as the others. Get over here." He opened his arms for a hug.

Grace ran to him, hugging him and burying her face in his shoulder.

The doctors said he couldn't come home until the new year, and they hadn't let the kids in until that day, and only because it was Christmas.

"Do you feel better?" Grace asked, pulling away.

"A bit."

Molly came over with some food and Arthur kissed her. "Hello again my love."

The kids all groaned and then Ginny giggled, causing everyone to start laughing. The tense atmosphere immediately disappeared.

After about an hour of talking and exchanging gifts, Fred spoke up.

"Mum, dad? I need to talk to you guys. All of you really need to know, so you might as well stay."

"If this is something about the joke shop-" Molly started warningly.

"It's not. I... I kinda... we didn't mean to... but..."

"Well, spit it out son." Arthur said, looking concerned.

"Angelina, my girlfriend, she's pregnant." Fred said, looking down. Everyone was silent in shock, then Ron spoke up.

"You are the dad, right?"

"Ronald!" Grace exclaimed, smacking him in the back of the head. "Of course he's the dad!"

"I was just asking! Don't hit me!"

"Don't ask stupid questions!"

"Enough!" Arthur snapped. "Ron, think before you speak, Grace, don't hit your brother."

"Yes sir." They said together.

"Now, I want the rest of you out, go down to the cafeteria and find something to eat, your Mum and I need to talk to Fred."

The kids slipped out of the room, but Fred grabbed George's hand and he sat back down.

"You knew, didn't you?" Hermione asked, looking at Grace who nodded.

"Yes... he told me the night dad was attacked."

After a bit of walking around, Grace had zoned out until Ron exclaimed.

"Neville! What are you doing here?"

Grace looked up and saw Neville and his grandmother coming out of a room labeled 'Mental'

"Ah, Grace, it's nice to see you again!" Mrs. Longbottom exclaimed. "And you, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione."

"Who are you visiting?" Ron asked, looking past them, he didn't notice Harry's warning look, but Grace did, what did Harry know?

"His parents of course, who else?" Mrs. Longbottom said.

Neville looked like he wanted to disappear, and wouldn't let Grace catch his eye.

"Your parents are down there??" Ron said, looking surprised.

Grace felt her stomach drop. Was this why Neville had been so worked up at school?

"Of course his parents!" Mrs. Longbottom snapped. "Neville, have you not told your friends?"

"No Gran..."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of! You should be proud! Your parents didn't sacrifice their health and sanity for their only son to be ashamed of them!"

"I'm not ashamed of them." Neville said faintly, finally catching Grace's eye.

"Well you have a funny way of showing it!" She turned to the other teens. "His parents were tortured into insanity by you-know-who's followers."

At her words, Grace stifled a gasp, Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, Ginny's eyes widened, Ron stopped trying to get a peek at the man and woman in the room and looked properly horrified. Harry looked extremely sorry and Grace got the feeling that he had known.

"They were Aurors, and greatly respected. They- yes, Alice dear, what is it?"

The woman who had come up looked old and stressed, her face was hallowed and her hair was white.

She timidly held something out to Neville, and he took it immediately, it was an empty candy wrapper, but he smiled.

"Thanks mum."

"Alright, we'll see you soon darling. Come Neville." Mrs. Longbottom marched off.

After a stunned second, Grace ran after them, catching them just after Mrs. Longbottom had flooed away.

"Nev!"

Neville stopped and turned to her.

"Grace... I..."

"Don't." Grace hugged him. "I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"That wasn't your fault, and I am sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Maybe..."

Neville glanced back. "I need to go, we'll talk at school. Bye Grace, I hope your dad gets better soon." He smiled a little and left.

. . .

They got 'home' late that night, Grace had bundled up in her sweater that Molly had made (blue this year, with a yellow G) and was feeling pretty exhausted.

"How is he?" Sirius asked as soon as they walked in.

"Better, he's trying this muggle thing called stitches," Molly admitted. "I was skeptical at first, but it seems to have worked."

"Good." He looked relieved. "Oh, a few packages came today, everyone got at least one thing from friends. I put them on your beds."

"Thanks Siri." Grace said, hugging him.

"No problem, go get some sleep." He kissed her forehead and then she went upstairs.

She was bunking in the twin's room, and they all went to their beds.

There were two packages for her, one from Neville, and one from Lee. She picked up Neville's first.

Grace,

I am sorry about what happened... I shouldn't have snapped at you. Want to sit together on the way home?

I'll see you soon. Thanks for the plant book, I didn't have that one yet!

Neville

Grace smiled, and carefully opened the package.

Inside, was a notebook and something Neville had described before as 'pens' after examining them for a moment, she excitedly discovered that the didn't need quill ink, and they wrote on the paper without smudging.

She carefully put them back in her box, and then got Lee's gift, looking at her necklace as she did so.

It was a peaceful gray, indicating that he was asleep. She smile softly and then pulled the paper off the gift.

Inside was a stuffed Hippogriff toy, Grace smiled, hugging it, then dropped it in shock as it started talking with Lee's voice.

"I love you Gracie, always."

She laid her head on it, being careful not to press the button again. He had obviously cuddled with it beforehand because it smelled like him, and it brought her a sense of comfort.

Accidentally in love...