The Adopted Weasley

10~ Explanations

Timothy pulled away from Sirius and immediately went to Grace holding her close to him. Grace stood there, her world spinning out of control.

He was dead, he had to be dead. She had watched it happen. Screw Dumbledore and "not the right green color."

"You're dead!" Grace shouted, yanking away. "You're dead, I watched... I watched it... you..." angry tears were running down her face.

"No, no, Gracie I'm really here." Timothy said, wringing his hands and refraining from hugging her again. "I'm sorry."

"You... you've been disguised as that cat, for... for who knows how long! You left me!"

"Gracie please... it wasn't my choice!"

"Then who's choice was it?!"

"Enough!" Sirius interrupted. "Timothy, sit down, Grace, you too. Severus, out of my house."

Grace obeyed slowly, and so did Timothy. Snape stormed out and Addy looked at her brother in shock.

"Sirius... how...?"

"We're about to find out. Can you get the twins, and Molly?"

Adhara nodded and left, then came back with them, Molly gasped and nearly collapsed in a chair, while George made a beeline for Grace, and Fred went to Timothy, hugging him and talking quietly.

"Gigi, are you okay?" George asked, sitting next to her.

"What do you think?"

When everyone was seated, Sirius looked at Timothy.

"Take your time, but explain."

Timothy took a deep breath.

"That night... I wasn't hit with the killing curse. I wasn't even there. It was Christmas break, remember? I... I wasn't there. This 7th year muggleborn....I don't know how he knew... but they knew that dad was planning to kill us and he took my place with Polyjuice potion. Went to our house, and since he was killed in my body, never changed back."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't come home and explain." Sirius said quietly.

"Because... I was afraid, and they trapped me in Crookshanks form... I didn't even know I could change back."

"But if Dumbledore is correct... that kid is still alive somewhere." Sirius mused.

"Are You done?" Grace interrupted, and Timothy nodded. "Great. I'm going to bed."

She stood up, pushing the chair back and left the room, running into Remus and Tonks on the way out, who appeared to be getting a little too friendly on the couch.

"Hey!" Grace interrupted, not caring at this point. "Might want to go in the kitchen."

Remus hastily stood up, looking embarrassed and helping Tonks.

"W-what?"

"Evidently my brother wasn't dead. He's in the kitchen and you probably want to see him."

Tonks was looking at her with frustration and possibly anger, but Grace just stormed up the stairs and slammed her door before collapsing on the bed. She expected to burst into tears, but she didn't. She felt numb, like after Cedric's funeral last summer, but worse.

She pulled her necklace from Lee out to look at it, it vibrated a bit, indicating that he was thinking of her and she smiled, only for it to quickly fade when it turned a stormy blue in worry or panic.

Something started buzzing in George's bed and Grace jumped up and started looking in the covers and something clunked onto the floor, a mirror, but when she picked it up, it wasn't her reflection that she saw, and she almost dropped it in shock.

"Lee?! How are you... oh, is this a two way mirror?"

"Grace! Baby are you okay?"

"I didn't know you guys had these." Grace murmured.

"Grace!"

"What? I'm fine. How'd you find out so fast? There's no way."

"Find out what? My necklace turned black, I panicked."

"Find out that Timothy... is alive."

"WHAT?!"

Lee and Grace talked late into the night. She explained everything that had evidently happened, and he talked about his family, she waved at his parents and exchanged pleasantries.

At nearly one in the morning, Grace propped up the mirror where she could still see it while laying down and curled up under the covers with a yawn. Kayda came over and laid down on her side.

"You need to get some sleep." Lee said with a smile, looking at her with a smile.

"I want to talk to you." Grace said through a yawn.

"Sweetheart, I am going to see you in less than ten hours. Get some sleep."

"Fine, but can we talk until I fall asleep?"

"No, but I'll stay on until you do."

Kayda was already making her sleepy and it didn't take long for her eyes to close.

Lee stayed on, listening to her breathing with a small smile until Fred and George came in, Fred picked up the mirror.

"Thanks Lee." He whispered. "She needed that."

"Of course, she's my girl. I'll always be there for her, you know that."

"Yeah... see you in a few hours." George said.

"Goodnight."

"Night." The twins said together.

George nudged Grace over gently and she rolled over, causing an agitated Kayda to fly back to his hammock in a huff.

George pulled the covers over the three of them and pulled Grace close. She mumbled something into his chest and then nuzzled him. Fred kissed her head and put an arm around her and George.

. . .

"Gracie." Timothy grabbed her arm before she got onto the night bus. "Please, talk to me."

"Why should I?"

Grace hadn't even looked at him all morning, even when he came in and started helping her pack.

"You left me. You left me all alone. You could've at least tried to find the Weasleys where you knew I would end up, and get taken in by them in your cat form."

"This wasn't easy on me either! Do you think I wanted to leave you?!"

"It seems like it!"

"I wouldn't have done that if I had a choice!"

"Just leave me alone!" Grace shouted. "Why is that so hard?"

Remus came over suddenly, and put a hand on Timothy's shoulder.

"Give her time."

Grace shook her head and got onto the bus without looking back.