Unofficial Portkey Archive

I know you guys LOVE the title. Admit it. Sorry about the ridiculous length - definitely the shortest chapter of the entire story.

Chapter 10: Tuesday With Molly

The next day Harry set about packing his things. He was not in any particular rush to leave the Burrow, but he felt it necessary to begin collecting all of his possessions that had spread themselves across the Burrow. Hermione and Ginny had gone into town to shop (Hermione for books, Ginny for everything but books), Ron and George had gone to see the condition of the shop (which Lee Jordan had been running since Fred's death), and Mr. Weasley had gone to work. The only people remaining in the house were himself and Mrs. Weasley.

Harry was just beginning to place his clothes into the trunk when said witch came walking into Ron's room. Mrs. Weasley took one glance at Harry's poor excuse of a packing job and tutted softly. "You have about as much skill as Ron when it comes to packing your things together." She then promptly brandished her wand and with a quick twirl set Harry's belongings to remove themselves from his trunk and then fall back into place neatly.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"No trouble at all," Mrs. Weasley replied, and then looked at the posters adorning the vibrant orange walls. "You know, he's had those posters since he was seven. I don't believe he'll ever get rid of them. His wife will probably have to deal with them." She proceeded to walk around the perimeter of the room, acknowledging the disorder with a smile. She picked up a pair of socks from the floor and placed them gently in Ron's dresser with a sniffle.

"I'm always telling him to clean up his things, but he never listens. I don't know why I even bother anymore. None of them had any sort of sense of neatness. Except for Ginny, of course. Even Percy's room stayed in a state of chaos. And Fred and George's room, well, you can't even imagine…"

Mrs. Weasley trailed off at the mention of Fred, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly.

Mrs. Weasley dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief that materialized out of nowhere. "There's no need for you to feel sorry, dear. None of this is your fault." She stepped towards him and cupped his face in her hands. "We're all so proud of you, Harry. You're as much a part of this family as I am, and as long as this old house is standing, there will always be a place for you here."

Harry nodded, feeling a pressure building in his throat, and looked down at his feet without responding. He only raised his head when he heard the faint click of his trunk snapping shut. Mrs. Weasley released him, and then turned to leave.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry said, and she stopped at the doorway, turning to face him. "I just…well, I just wanted to say thank you. For everything."

Mrs. Weasley's smiled brilliantly at Harry, her eyes shining, and wrapped him in a gentle hug. "You're welcome, Harry. You're so very welcome."

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