The Adopted Weasley

5~ News

First the voices were muffled and strange, then Harry grabbed an extendable ear and they all crowded around it, holding their breath.

"Hermione, Grace, you're both positive all the charms are in place?" Sirius whispered.

Both the girls nodded and Sirius let out a relieved sigh. Since it was further from the full moon, Grace's smell and hearing weren't working as well as they usually did, so she really had to strain to hear anything that was being said.

"I knew they were coming for me." The voice sounded like Ted Tonks and Sirius nodded in conformation. "The death eaters were in the area and I decided I'd better run for it. I refused to register as a muggleborn years ago and I knew it was only a matter of time before they came for me. My wife should be okay, she's pureblood. Then I met Dean here, what a few days ago, son?"

"Yeah, my dad skipped town when I was a baby, considering his reaction to my mum being a witch, I assume he wasn't."

They went round and round. Grace couldn't understand most of it, but gathered it was important by the look on Harry's face.

She mostly listened for a familiar name, she was glad to hear Ted and Dean defend Harry as being the chosen one, that meant they had at least a few supporters other than the Order out there.

There was a mention of a radio show spreading updates for their side, but it was evidently coded and when they didn't volunteer the password, Grace slumped in disappointment. She knew Lee had been planning on starting it, so the news that it was still going was good since it meant he was still okay, but she desperately wanted to hear his voice and be reassured.

Her slight relief didn't last long, as the next words made her blood run cold.

"Ginny Weasley? Oh, she and her crew were punished severely for their crimes.. One of them was Neville Longbottom, and another was Luna Lovegood."

"Isn't the Longbottom boy dating that girl?" One goblin asked.

"Last I heard." The other confirmed.

"Wait, wait, wait, punished? What did they do?" Dean exclaimed, sounding concerned.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard. They tried to steal the sword of Gryffindor."

"They were alright though, weren't they?" Ted asked quickly. "The Weasley's don't need more wounded kids, or missing ones."

Grace didn't hear anything else said.

How stupid could Ginny get? How bad did severely punished mean? Who else had gotten hurt?

Head spinning, she sat on her bed, trying to focus on breathing and feeling very much like she was about to pass out.

She didn't know how long it was before everyone started yelling, but she knew they had talked to a photograph first. Ron's yelling was what brought her back to reality.

"You heard what they said! More wounded! That could be Fred, or George, Bill, maybe even Charlie! Just because Ginny was okay this time doesn't rule out next time. You know how reckless she is! And the twins have a whole line of stuff making fun of you-know-who!"

"Ron, I'm worried too-" Harry started.

"Even Hermione has admitted you don't know what you're doing!" Ron went on, getting angrier by the second.

It started to rain outside along with some quiet rumbling in the distance.

"That's not how I worded it harry!" Hermione said frantically. "I just hoped you had more of a plan but it's fine-!'

"Hermione, it's fine. I'm sorry I dragged you all into this, you should've let me go alone." Harry said.

"Yeah, you should've." Ron said darkly. "You should've left when you had the chance. You have no one to constantly worry about."

"Guys! We shouldn't be fighting!" Sirius interrupted. "This is what almost made us lose last time! Harry, Ron doesn't know what he's talking about."

Harry ignored him, he was still looking at Ron.

"Why wouldn't I be worried?"

"You don't have anyone to protect! You have no family!"

"Thanks for pointing that out, Ron, my parents are dead. I know!"

"And my parents might turn out the same way! All because I'm helping you!"

"Stop it!" Grace shouted, standing up. "Ron, if it's all so bad, just leave! All you've been doing recently is whine anyway!"

Her words seemed to hang in the air. Sirius had been frozen for some reason, but he now looked at Grace in slight shock.

Ron turned on her a second later, yanking off the locket and throwing it on the floor.

"I will! And trust me, I'll tell them all about how you'd rather risk their lives by being out here doing nothing, instead of being home keeping them safe! I wish we had never taken you in." He stopped for half a second, contemplating. Then took it a step further. "In fact, I wish David had killed you when he had the chance."

Sirius stepped in front of him, getting in his face right as there was a large crack of thunder.

"Get out, now."

Ron left, Hermione ran after him begging him to come back and apologize, and how she knew he didn't mean it.

Grace just sat there, looking at the floor. Hermione eventually came back, soaked, sobbing and collapsed on a recliner.

Without thinking about it, Grace threw her a blanket and then curled up in her own bed, after a minute Harry touched her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

"He didn't mean it. I'm so sorry I dragged you out here, I'm sorry I caused all this."

"Harry, you didn't ask You-Know-Who to kill your parents. This is not your fault. And don't you dare argue."

"Fine."

"Go get some sleep, I'll be fine, okay?"

He obliged slowly.

"And Harry? No matter what, you do have family, you've got us, and Sirius."

He nodded quickly and walked outside.

She simply shook her head at Sirius when he started walking over, and pulled her blanket over her head, listening to the rain.