A strange sound invaded Harry’s ears as he woke up the next morning. It took a few seconds for him to place it, but when he did, he smiled into his pillow. It was the sound of Ron’s snores that assailed him. The sound gave him comfort. That sound made him know that he was safe in the Burrow.
A quick glance at the window, and another at his watch, told him it was still early. As he lay there, he heard Molly walk down the stairs to start her day. He knew it was her from the humming that accompanied the creaks on the floorboards. A few minutes later, Mr. Weasley walked down as well.
Harry took this opportunity to get up, get dressed, and visit the loo. Once he had cleaned up, he went down stairs to begin the day. As he was walking down, he saw Ginny coming out of her room on her way to the loo.
“Good Morning, Harry.”
“Morning,” was all he could say. He tried hard not to be to obvious as he looked at her with her hair messed up from sleeping. He decided that, even first thing in the morning, she looked beautiful. Of course, he had to force himself not blush as he thought this.
“I hope Ron’s snoring didn’t keep you awake,” she said with a smile.
“Nah, I’m used to it after spending the last five years sharing a dorm with him. It makes me feel at home.”
Ginny giggled a little at this. When she did her face lit up. It made it him stop breathing for a second or two.
“Ginny?” He started hesitantly. “Are you going to be around later today? I want to talk to you about something.”
“What is it, Harry?”
“Nothing bad, at least, I hope not. I’m going to talk to everyone else, too.”
“All right, I’m helping Fred and George this morning, but should be back mid-afternoon.”
“That sounds great. I’ll talk to you then.”
With that he went on down to the kitchen. As he got there, he heard the shower start, knowing Ginny was starting to get cleaned up.
“Good morning, Mr. Weasley. Good Morning Mrs. Wea…er…Molly,” he corrected as she shot him a look then smiled as he changed it.
Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. “Harry, I think you can call me Arthur, as well.”
“Okay, sir.” He just couldn’t help being polite to them.
“Have a seat, dear. I’ll whip up some more eggs and ham. I wasn’t expecting anyone else to come down for a while. Ginny always cleans up first, and Ron likes to sleep late. The twins already left for their shop.” Molly said.
“I know,” Harry said with a smile. “We have to practically push Ron out of bed at school to get him up for classes.”
They all chuckled at this. None of the Weasleys could resist a good joke about one of their own.
While Molly started to pull out the ingredients, he and Arthur chatted for a few minutes. Finally Harry screwed up his courage.
“Molly, Arthur? Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”
They looked at each other then back at him. Molly walked over, sat a plate of eggs and ham in front of him then sat down next to him.
“What is it, Harry? Is something wrong? Are you in trouble, or something? Are you having dreams again?” she started to ramble nervously.
Arthur put his hand on her arm, “Now, Molly. Let him speak.”
Harry looked at him gratefully.
“It’s nothing bad, actually it’s kinda…I don’t know…good in a way. It’s sort of a continuation of a talk I had with the twins last night.” He was having a hard time looking them in the eye.
Arthur put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Son, whatever it is, you can talk to us about it. Whatever it is, we can probably help.”
“Well…Ever since what happened at the Ministry, I have had something nagging at my mind. With Sirius dying, I was in a right state. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. All I wanted to do was give up. Does that make sense?”
They nodded, looking at him somberly.
“Then something happened. The weight of it hit me one night, and I broke down. That was the first night my Aunt Petunia and I talked. The next day, she invited me down for breakfast. We talked some more. She made me see some things in a new light. It was a couple of days after that when I wrote back to everyone.”
“I think my problem was I never got to tell Sirius how much I cared for him. I never got to tell him that…that…I…loved him.” With this, a lump formed in his throat and ears formed in his eyes. Molly leaned over and gave him a hug. Finding strength from that he pressed on.
“I decided I would not let that happen again. I want everyone to know how much I care for them.”
“Harry,” Molly interrupted him. “I think everyone knows how much you think of them.”
“Maybe, but I don’t want there to be any doubt.” She nodded.
“Molly, do you remember the first time we met?” Again, she nodded. “You were so kind to me even though you didn’t know me from Merlin. And then, you sent me a jumper for Christmas. I was the first present I had ever gotten from an adult, did you know that?”
“No, I just remember Ron saying you didn’t expect anything from the Dursleys.”
“Then the next summer, you welcomed me into your home and thought nothing of it. I can never thank you enough for that.”
Arthur spoke up, “Harry, we were happy to do that for you. There are no thanks needed for that.”
“That is exactly what I mean. The two of you have cared for me like one of your own. Arthur, you were the one to warn me about Sirius the next year. Even against the advice of everyone else. You wanted me to be safe, and you knew that the only way I could be was for me to know what was going on.”
“I just wanted you to be safe.”
“I know, but you didn’t try to keep me in the dark at the same time. You have no idea how much that touched me. What I am trying to say is you treated me like I was one of you children. You have cared for me like I was your own flesh and blood. Even though Sirius was my godfather, I think of you, I love both of you, like second parents. I really just want you to know that I couldn’t ask for better role-models in my life. I am so glad you are in my life.”
With that he looked up at them. Molly was openly crying and Arthur was looking like he was holding back tears at this. It was a few minutes before either one of them could compose themselves.
Finally, Arthur was able to speak, “Harry, What you have just said was one of the most touching things I have ever heard. I am honored that you think of us as parents. I don’t think you could have given us a better compliment. And just so it is all out in the open, we love you like a son as well, even without the red hair.”
Molly had not yet stopped crying. She did, however, jump to her feet and pull Harry into yet another mighty hug. Harry returned it with all of the feeling he could. After what seemed like an hour, they finally parted. Molly wiped her eyes, and turned back to the kitchen to begin preparing more food for the rest of the family.
Arthur smiled at Harry as he sat back down and started to eat. The message in that smile was worth more than anything in the world. They really did think of him as one of their own.
After few minute of eating in silence, Harry was about to take a bite of eggs when Arthur spoke quietly, “So, Harry, Molly tells me you fancy Ginny.”
Harry froze with the fork halfway to his mouth. He faced turned bright red, and the eggs fell off the fork. He slowly looked up to see a look of pure humor on Arthur’s face.
“I…I…um…I…”
“Harry, don’t worry, it’s not me you have to convince. It’s Ginny. Just take it slow, okay?”
Harry could only nod. With that, Arthur got up said his goodbyes and left for work. Harry could swear he heard Arthur bust out laughing as he flooed away.
* * *
As Harry was finishing breakfast, Ginny ran downstairs. She grabbed some toast, ham and some eggs and threw them together in a quick sandwich. Then with a hasty goodbye to Harry and Molly she ran for the fireplace and flooed to the twins’ shop. As she did this Molly muttered under her breath about her “…dainty, little princess…” and “…as bad as Ron…” Harry just chuckled and shook his head.
Harry sat at the table for a while just chatting with Molly. She asked him again if he would pick some vegetables for dinner that night. He agreed, and went to do his “chore”. It was different doing chores here than it was at the Dursley’s. Even though he and Petunia had started getting along, there was a part of him that had not liked doing his chores on Privet Drive. The past angst and hurt had made him resent it still. Here, though, he felt like it was truly appreciated. He hadn’t been kidding when he had told Molly she could ask him to do anything. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for this family if it was in his power.
Around ten o’clock, he re-appeared in the kitchen with a basket full of parsnips, carrots, onions, lettuce, and the first tomatoes of the year, he saw Ron coming down the stairs. His eyes were still full of sleep, and he had the same grouchy look that he always had in the morning at school.
“Morning, Sunshine,” Harry said as Ron plopped into a chair at the table.
Ron just glared back at him and grunted.
After Ron had eaten a few bites of food, and had some juice, he started to wake up a little bit. He and Harry began to chat about everything and nothing.
“Hey, Ron. After you get cleaned up, you want to go flying for a little bit?”
“Sounds good to me,” he replied as he stuffed the last of the ham into his mouth.
After Ron went back upstairs, Harry looked around the kitchen. Molly was kneading some bread, and on the counter was a large roast that looked like it was getting ready to go in the oven. Harry remembered that he had asked Molly if he could invite Professors Lupin and Dumbledore to dinner. He felt a twinge of guilt that Molly was buying such a large piece of meat for the dinner.
“Molly?” he started slowly.
“Yes, Harry,” she looked up from the dough.
“I don’t know how to say this, and I don’t want to sound insulting or anything, but if I could help pay for dinner tonight…since it was my idea…I would appreciate it.”
She looked at him with some humor and a touch of pink in her cheeks.
“Harry,” She said gently. “That is sweet of you, and I know you mean in the most sincere way, but you don’t have to worry. We have never had much money, especially with seven kids around the house, but that has changed a little. Along with the fact that most of the kids are out of the house, and Arthur got a small raise, the twins have insisted on paying us a room and board fee even though the don’t stay here most nights. We are actually doing much better financially. We are even going to start fixing the place up a little.”
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. First because she had not gotten mad at him for suggesting it, and second because he was happy that they were doing better. He knew how tough it had been for them.
“That’s great. Be sure to let me know if you need help with the projects. After growing up like I did, I am pretty handy around the house and don’t mind doing just about anything.” It was a way he saw that he could, in part, re-pay them for their kindness and love.
Molly laughed at this. “Harry, like I said before, be careful volunteering like that, I will hold you to it.”
Harry just beamed back, “Anytime.”
Not long after, Ron came bounding down the stairs with both his and Harry’s brooms in his hands.
“Let’s go!” The boys both rushed out the door and mounting their brooms, raced off to the grove that served as a makeshift Quidditch pitch. They played tag for a little bit, then practiced some keeper drills. Ron had definitely improved over the past year. Harry felt that if he continued to play like this, they would have a great team this year even if his ban was not lifted.
After an hour or so of doing this, they took a little break and settled to the ground to rest under the shade of a tree. As they let the cool breeze wash over them, Harry tried to think of how to say what he was going to say to his best friend.
‘Hey Ron…I wanted to talk to you about something, something important.”
Ron opened one eye and looked over at Harry. “Let me guess, you want to tell me how that even though you were depressed at the beginning of the year, you came around and wanted to let everyone know how much you mean to them. And now, it’s my turn, and you love me. Am I right?”
For the second time in the last two days, Harry did a passing impersonation of a fish out of water.
“How…what…when…how did you know that?” Ron was holding his sides as he laughed hard at his best friend.
After he had settled back down, Ron started in again. “The twins told last night what you had said to them. You were in the loo, and they thought I should be forewarned. Harry, you don’t have to do this, everyone who is your friend knows how you feel about them.”
“I know they do. But…it’s like this…I feel…I don’t know…like I need to tell them and you. Does that make sense? I mean, I never told Sirius, and I feel bad that I didn’t. I just want to make sure everyone knows. So now, you get to be quiet and listen.”
Ron just chuckled at his friend lack of composure, but he nodded and kept quiet.
“I don’t know if you realize this, but you were the first real friend I ever had. When I met you on the train five years ago, I was so scared that I wouldn’t fit in. You made me feel comfortable, and helped me in more ways than you can know. You have always been there for me. Even when we weren’t speaking during fourth year, you still found a way to warn me about the dragons.”
Harry stopped and took a deep breath before he continued. “You have been more than a friend to me, more than a best friend, you have been a brother to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better one, if I could have ordered from a catalog. I love you, mate, there’s no other way of putting it.”
While Harry spoke, Ron’s expression had turned more somber. “Bloody hell, Harry. The twins told me it was rough, but this…I mean…I don’t know what to say. You know that I feel the same way, right? I may have five brothers already, but you became my sixth. I still say one of the luckiest days of my life was that day on the train.”
They both looked at each other, both of them more than a little choked up. Slowly Harry extended his hand for a shake. Ron reached up grabbed his hand, then without warning, pulled Harry into a brotherly hug. It was the kind of hug that only brothers and teammates could give.
As they parted, both a little embarrassed, they could hear Molly calling them. Ron wiped his eyes and said, “Come on Harry, I race you to the house.” They jumped on their brooms and sped away, laughing as they went.
His Greatest Power by deej
Chapter Notes: Harry has conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys and with Ron.
Once again, Mrs. Rowling owns it all, I am just playing in her back yard.
Thanks again to Laura (horsegirl_2) for Beta-ing for me. You’re the best.