Ember to Ember

Date: June 16
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Is Alec back from the sleepover? Ben was asking about him, seeing if he had a good weekend.

Date: June 16
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Alec had a great weekend. Lots of playing. How's Ben?

Date: June 16
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Also had a good weekend.

Date: June 20
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Ben hasn't seen his mum in a while so he's with her this weekend.

Date: June21
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Too bad. Next weekend, then?

Date: July 10
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Another birthday this weekend, for Fred's son. I'll be there for the party, and Alec will be staying the night.

Date: July 11
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Ben's with Kara this weekend anyway. Have fun at the party.

oooOOOooo

July 14

"No, it was last month that was insane," Harry laughed, and nodded thanks to Ron as Ron distributed five ice-cold Butterbeers around.

"Didn't you lose a security troll?" Fred asked, leaning against the wall behind the Burrow and taking a bottle from Ron.

"Two!" said Harry. "One cursed with nasal congestion-"

"Don't ask," Bill said quickly, grimacing. "The other with hyper-psoriasis."

"And two vaults burned to a crisp," Harry said. "Both of them belonged to descendants of this old codger who died in 1827."

"Descendants?" Ron asked, and uncorked his bottle. Merlin, what a miserably hot day. He glanced back at the blissfully cool house, where most of the adults were gathered, and wondered once more why the five of them had volunteered to stay out here and watch the kids.

"As near as we could figure, one of his business rivals cast a curse on his seventh-generation descendants," Harry answered him. "You know, standard, 'And thence shall your heirs reap the Vengeance of Flaming Galleons,' so the moment this poor woman gave birth to the seventh generation, these two vaults just burst into flames!"

"We were lucky one of the vault-owners and the new mum had the same last name," Bill added, "or we'd never have figured it out. None of them knew each other."

"And thanks, by the way," Harry said to George.

"The c-counter-curse worked?"

"Yeah - and in case Bill didn't say this already, we don't really want to know how you knew that one off the top of your head."

George smirked and took a pull of Butterbeer.

"Hell-Money Curse?" Fred asked. George grinned and nodded.

"Oh and Fred knows it too. What a shock," Bill said sourly, and Ron and the others laughed. "Anyway, we weren't even done the paperwork on that one when we discovered a defaulting client had set a really imaginative curse on his personal hoard so the goblins couldn't collect."

"Regular day at the office, then," said Ron.

"Well that's what our newest curse-breaker thought," said Harry.

"It's her first month," Bill said. "Literally right out of Hogwarts, and she goes into the vault and nearly disembowels herself and an old security troll."

"Bad month for Gringott's trolls," Ron observed.

"So we go in," Harry said, "and realize the fastest way through is to use this magical goblet that was goblin-made but wizard-owned-"

"-which is always a pleasure-" Bill put in. "We didn't try too hard to get the goblet, so the job took an three extra weeks and umpteen reports to explain. Ugh."

"You know, it's funny," Harry said. "I remember you told me once that you had goblin friends, and then you laughed and said something like, 'As far as any wizard can claim to have goblin friends.' I didn't get it at the time."

"I take it you do now?" Fred smirked.

"Too well," Harry said with feeling.

"Harry, dear," Ron's mum poked her head out the window. "Could you please give Arthur a hand in the kitchen? He's been mucking about with the Muggle dishwasher, and I'm afraid he's given it a nervous condition."

"I'll come too," said Bill, following Harry. "A curse-breakers' work is never done."

"Is Hermione done nursing the baby?" Ron asked Mum, as Bill and Harry headed inside.

"Yes, dear, and I'm so glad she went to the bedroom to do that; she's gone and fallen asleep, the poor thing."

"'Ermione 'as not 'ad sleep in a while, eet looks like," said Fleur, joining Mum at the window, her one-year-old in her arms. "She ees not lookeeng good."

"She has a very small baby," Mum said disapprovingly.

"So 'ave I, and two older ones," Fleur pointed out, flipping back her long, silvery hair and smiling at her youngest, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. Ron, Fred, and George hid smiles at their mother's irate expression, and glanced out at the yard instead, where all but the two youngest of the eleven Weasley grandchildren were playing happily, a riot of almost universal freckles and red hair. The older children seemed to be vigorously degnoming the garden, while the younger set played happily in the sandbox, staring with the rapt attention only three-year-olds can give to sand falling through a sieve. Ron smiled fondly as his own older son suddenly popped up with a gnome in his hand, and winced as the gnome bit him and Jason let out a few choice words. Good thing Hermione wasn't there to hear. Alec sat nearby on a tree stump, contentedly gazing at nothing and singing to himself. Something about being taken away somewhere, from what little Ron could hear over the yells of the gnome hunters.

George frowned. "Where's-"

"Frank? Under the hedge," Fred said, pointing as a small pair of legs poked out, followed by bits of grubby little boy as he crawled out. "I think he's trying to catch pixies."

"That's Graham."

"Frank."

"Shirt says G."

"I saw them switch."

"B-bugger." George glanced back at the house worriedly.

Fred laughed. "Demelza still threatening to write F and G on their foreheads in no-erase ink if they keep doing that?"

"I t-told Mum not to tell her about that."

"Serves you right, you know," Ron said gleefully. "Both of you. Mum and Dad are getting back for all the grief you two ever gave them."

"It's gone far beyond getting back, mate," Fred said with feeling, watching his daughter terrorizing gnomes and cousins with cheerful abandon.

"Michelle looks loads better," Ron said.

"Clean bill of health as of two days ago," said Fred, and Ron nodded. Michelle had finally recovered from a bad bout of dragonpox, but Fred and his wife were still a bit nervous about her. She didn't seem any worse for wear, though.

"I can throw the gnomes farther than you," she was bragging loudly to her cousins.

"No you can't," said Pierre, Bill's eldest.

"Can so."

"Can not. And you shouldn't throw them that way; Grandmum'll go mental if they land in her begonias."

"Not if we get rid of them before she sees them. Let's do a competition for who can throw them the farthest."

"All right, take aim and-"

"Let's do five each, then nobody can say it's a fluke."

"I don't have five."

"Remy, you and Jason dig and put them in this barrel. We'll need more help though." She looked around. "Alec, come here and help us dig up garden gnomes!"

The men looked over at Alec, and Fred sighed as Alec seemed to shrink a bit and shook his head.

"You have to! Come here!" said Michelle imperiously.

"I don't want to. I'm busy," he said, and Fred shook his head and started towards them. George put a hand out to stop him.

"She's not doing anything wrong yet," Ron pointed out. "And you know Harry wants Alec to learn to stand up for himself."

"You're not doing anything!" Michelle shouted. "Come and help!"

"I'm practicing a song."

"That's stupid."

Fred rubbed his forehead. "Is it just me, or do you ever get a real feeling of sympathy for Percy when she does this?"

"N-not just you," George said wryly. "Except Percy was n-never as cute as Alec."

"He also didn't have uncles to stand up for him if things went too far," Ron pointed out.

"He had Mum," George said.

"True enough."

"I learned a new song," Alec said to Michelle. "Do you want to hear it?"

"No," she said impatiently, and Fred winced at Alec's disappointed expression.

"Come here, Alec," Fred said encouragingly. "I'd like to hear your new song."

Alec beamed and approached his uncles, drew himself up and started to sing. Michelle marched over and broke in impatiently.

"That sounds stupid," she said scornfully.

"Michelle," Fred said warningly.

Alec was unfazed. "It's the harmony. That's the part that goes with the melody. You don't usually sing it on its own."

"So you don't even get to sing real songs? Where's the fun in that?"

"No, it's brilliant! It's loads harder to sing the alto line, and besides, Ben sings first soprano, so every time I see him we can practice together and he's got a brilliant voice-"

"Ben?" Fred frowned and Ron tensed, noting George's suddenly indrawn breath.

"Yeah! I told him to teach me that one because we're in different choirs, but then he said I could maybe sing in his choir for the next concert, and he asked his daddy and his daddy said yes even though it's a Muggle choir and it's brilliant! We're going to sing together! On stage and everything!"

Fred's lips were pressed together, and Alec suddenly stopped talking as if a switch had been turned off.

"Your friend's dad. Is that Draco?" Fred asked quietly, and Alec blinked at him nervously. "Never mind, mate," Fred said, sensing his unease. He patted Alec's arm and gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you're having fun at your choir."

"Draco's - he's - he's nice, he's changed," Alec said, his voice trembling a bit.

Fred's expression was carefully neutral. "Alec, it's all right. I'm glad you like your choir. D'you want to keep practicing your song?" Alec nodded, green eyes still wide and nervous. "Go on." He gave Alec a warm hug, bending down and murmuring, "Why don't you go practice near the chicken shed? Michelle hates chickens. You can sing your song for us later, all right?"

Alec headed off, and Fred straightened up and turned to Ron. "Harry's still in contact with Malfoy, then."

George looked away, and Ron took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Are they dating?"

"He hasn't said so." Ron paused. "We think so, though," he finished reluctantly.

Fred turned and headed towards the house without another word. Ron and George exchanged an alarmed glance and hurried after him.

"Fred-" Ron began, following Fred as he pushed through the crowd in the living room and entered the kitchen, where Dad, Bill, Harry, and Fred's wife, Anne, stood around the dishwasher, which appeared to be sobbing.

"I need to talk to you for a moment," Fred said to Harry in a low voice, and Harry's eyebrows went up, but he followed Fred to the hallway. George hastily joined the group at the weeping dishwasher and feigned great interest in it, distracting Dad and Bill. Anne narrowed her eyes and watched Harry and Fred.

Harry glanced out the window at the backyard, worried. "Are Alec and Michelle-"

"I hear you're still in contact with Malfoy," Fred said quietly.

Harry stiffened and darted a glance at Ron, who shrugged helplessly. "Yeah. I never said I wouldn't be."

"What exactly does 'contact' mean?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Fred, this is none of your business." He turned to go back to the kitchen.

"We're not done," Fred said.

"Yeah, we are," Harry said over his shoulder.

"Don't you bloody well walk away from me!" Fred exclaimed, and Dad and Bill looked up at them in surprise. George crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen wall resignedly.

"What's going on?" Dad asked.

"Are you going to tell them?" Fred asked Harry challengingly. "Or am I?"

"Fred, don't-" Ron began, glancing into the living room, where it seemed a few conversations were pausing as people noticed the raised voices in the kitchen area. "Do you want everyone else involved in this?" Ron asked, turning his back to the living room and keeping his voice down.

"Involved in what?" George's wife asked, entering the kitchen.

"Maybe we should," Fred said.

"Fred! Don't!" Ron said, his heart sinking.

"Why?" Fred asked. "You want to keep this in our little circle forever? You don't think Bill, at least, has a right to know?"

"Right to know what?" Bill asked, and Ron groaned. In living room, all other conversation had stopped.

"What ees eet?" Fleur said worriedly, coming to the kitchen. "Are you keeping someteeng from us?"

"It's none of anybody's business-" Ron began.

"Actually, I think it is," said Fred.

"What ees eet?"

"I'm dating Draco Malfoy," Harry said quietly.

There was a shocked silence.

Fleur frowned. "Ees diss a joke?" She looked at Fred and George suspiciously.

"No," said Harry.

"I'll g-go keep an eye on the k-kids," George said abruptly and headed for the back door.

Fred made an impatient sound. "You're one of the people most affected by this. Alec's spending time with Malfoy. Do you want that? Knowing what his family's done to ours? To you?"

George gave him an unreadable look and walked out the door, quickly followed by his wife.

"Fred, leave them," Anne said quietly as Fred made as though to follow them. Fred stopped.

"Good move, Fred," Ron said in disgust. "Well done."

"You're dating... Malfoy?" Percy said weakly. "Draco Malfoy?"

"No, Lucius," Fred said impatiently. "Of course Draco Malfoy."

"This is none of our business," Ron repeated.

"Excuse me?" Percy said, his eyes widening. "Harry's dating a Malfoy and you think it's none of our business?"

"What's happening?" Hermione said, entering the kitchen with Joshua in her arms. She looked around at the silent gathering: Bill and Fleur looking hurt, Dad looking a little ill, Percy and his wife gobsmacked, and Mum, Fred, Anne, Harry, and Ron rather grim.

"Harry's just told us he's dating Draco Malfoy," Percy said heavily. Hermione sighed and went to stand by Harry and Ron, putting a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, and Ron took the baby from her.

"Who knew about this already?" Bill said, his voice quiet.

Ron cleared his throat, keeping his eyes on Joshua so as to avoid the hurt look on Bill's face. "Me and Hermione. And the twins, and Anne and Demelza."

"And me," said Mum.

"And you all decided to keep it a secret?" Bill asked.

"We didn't think anybody else needed to get upset over it," Mum said.

"You don't say," Bill said softly. Harry rubbed his forehead, looking rather miserable. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since Beltane night," said Harry.

"What?! Zat ees two months!" said Fleur. "How deed zis 'appen?"

Harry rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "I had to work with him, remember, for Beltane. We got to know each other. I didn't think - I never meant to-" He stopped, took a deep breath. "He's not the same person he was before. I... he gets Alec. Alec's happy, and... and I'm happy with him, and I'm sorry for putting people in a difficult position-"

"'Putting people in a difficult position'?" Fred asked grimly. "That's what you call this?"

"It wouldn't be a difficult position if you hadn't forced Harry to tell everybody, Fred," Ron pointed out, keeping his voice down to avoid startling the baby.

"Oh, you're right," said Fred. "Much better for him to just keep dating Malfoy in secret for years until one day we all get wedding invitations and have to deal with it then."

"We couldn't hide this forever, Ron," said Mum. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to break Harry's confidence, but I have never been in favour of this relationship, and I think it's probably past time it came out into the open."

"Look, it's Harry's choice who he-" Hermione began.

"Excuse me?" Anne interrupted. "Draco Malfoy is responsible for what happened to Bill, and-"

"He was sixteen years old," Hermione said hotly. "And he was being threatened, and he didn't know Fenrir would be coming through that cabinet."

"No," said Anne, rolling her eyes. "He just thought a fat load of Death Eaters were coming through. Who could've guessed they might throw in a werewolf too?"

"I'm sorry, but 'He didn't know' is not an excuse," added Percy.

"We're not saying it's an excuse," Hermione began. "But it's-"

"And he was in prison," Mum added. "Prison. And not wrongly convicted like Sirius was, either - in prison for good reason, along with both of his parents."

"How many years ago? And for how long?" Ron countered. It briefly crossed his mind that it was completely mental, defending Malfoy to his family... but it wasn't like he and Hermione could just leave Harry to stand against the entire Weasley clan by himself. Especially since Harry looked... well, 'beyond miserable' came pretty close to describing his expression right about now.

"I looked into his background when we first heard Harry was interested in him," Hermione said, her voice firm. "He's been watched constantly and has made no trouble at all. He works with Muggles, for Heaven's sake."

Ron suppressed a totally inappropriate smile at the way his dad very visibly struggled with the impulse to derail the conversation by asking Hermione to elaborate on that.

"His father cursed George," Mum said. "It took George six months to get out of St. Mungo's. And he's still - he'll never be the same, he still stammers, he can't see well indoors without glasses-"

"You know how George feels about that, Mum," Ron protested. "He's always said he figures he got away easy. And nobody minds the stammer, and George's indoor glasses let him see through walls and he has no end of fun with them." He glanced out the window, where George and his wife appeared to have organized a gnome-throwing contest with the children. George was holding one of his twins - Graham, to judge from the clearly marked G on his forehead - and cheering as Bill's middle son threw one in a long arc over the bushes.

"Besides, Lucius Malfoy is in prison for the rest of his life, and Draco has no contact with him," Hermione was saying as Ron brought his attention back to the conversation.

"How much contact do you and Alec have with Malfoy?" Bill asked Harry.

"We see each other every weekend," said Harry. "Most of the time he comes to visit with his son. He doesn't want any publicity, so we don't go out."

"That's charming," said Anne dryly. "This is what you're teaching your son, that being part of a couple means you need to meet in secret?"

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Look... I never bring him here, I don't invite anybody to our house when he's there, none of you ever have to see him. Why does it matter that-"

"He's around Alec!" Fred said.

"He understands Alec!" Harry shot back. "He understands how Alec's mind works, understands what music means to him! Do you know how rare that is for Alec?"

Fred bit his lip, and Ron wondered if he was at that very moment remembering the scene they'd just witnessed with Michelle.

"What do you want from me?" Harry asked the room at large. "Do you want me to stop seeing him?"

"That would be a start," Percy nodded. "Or at least keep him away from Alec."

"And if he doesn't?" Hermione asked. "What will you do then?" There was an uncomfortable silence. "Shun him, maybe? Not let Harry or Alec come to the Burrow?"

"Of course not!" Dad said, looking shocked.

"Don't be ridiculous," Mum said vehemently. "This is your home as well as it's anybody's, dear," she said to Harry.

"What about you two?" Hermione turned to Fred and Percy. "Would you not want to be in the same room as Harry, then? Refuse to come if he's going to be here?"

Fred and Percy exchanged a glance, and Harry cleared his throat. "Don't make me choose between you and Draco, please," he said quietly.

"Why? Which would you choose?" Fred asked challengingly.

"Do you have to ask?" Harry said. He stared at the floor for a long moment. "You... you're all the family Alec and I have," he said slowly. "I'm not going to jeopardize that for a bloke I've been dating for a few months, no matter how I feel about-" he stopped and looked away. "Look, all of you work this out among yourselves. Alec and I'll just go-"

"Dear, don't," Mum said quickly. "Stay, please. We can talk this out."

"I don't think so. If I stay I think a lot of us are going to say things we'll regret later." Harry glanced at Fred. "I know I will, anyway."

"Then at least leave Alec here," Mum said. "Don't make him miss the birthday sleepover."

"Fine," said Harry wearily. "I'll come get him tomorrow."

"Harry..." Dad said, and Harry turned back. "You're as much of a son to us as any of our boys," he said awkwardly, and Harry gave him a small smile.

"Thanks." Harry hesitated for a moment before heading to the backyard.

"Good move, Fred," Ron said. He looked out the window. Alec appeared to be telling Harry something important, and Harry was listening patiently and nodding. He looked up as George approached, and they exchanged a look as Harry gave Alec a goodbye hug and stood up to go. Then George said something that appeared to startle Harry before taking Alec by the hand and leading him back to the gnome-throwing contest. Harry stood watching them for a moment, looking bemused, then Disapparated.

"- no harm talking to Harry about it," Mum was saying. "Maybe if he knew how bad a choice we think-"

"Mum, he knows, all right?" Ron said impatiently, switching the baby to his shoulder as he started to fuss. "Hermione and I have talked to him plenty."

"You two have been playing cupid for them almost from the beginning," said Fred angrily. "I'm not sure what good it does to have you talk to him. The rest of us-"

George opened the back door and poked his head in. "Is it over? I s-saw Harry leaving."

"No, it's not over," Percy said, and George sighed and put on his glasses, coming back inside. "And for the record, I think Fred's right," Percy continued. "I'm not sure what we can do about it, but we can't just sit by and-"

"There you go, Fred. Percy thinks you're right. Percy's behind you all the way on this." Ron was grimly amused at Fred and Percy's expressions; it was a toss-up which one looked more disturbed to find himself on the same side of an issue as the other.

"So what are you going to do?" Hermione asked again. "Demand that he stop seeing Malfoy?"

"Yes!" said Percy.

"And what if he doesn't?" Hermione asked.

"I won't be in the same room as Malfoy," Percy replied.

"Well then our work is done," Ron said dryly. "Let's tell Harry so he can break up with Malfoy immediately."

Fred cleared his throat. "Look. Harry had a long talk with me in May, where he told me he didn't want me to talk to anybody about this. Refused to answer when I asked him if he was dating Malfoy, and just told me not to tell anyone who didn't already know. So I didn't. The whole thing stayed between us - I've never even said anything to Lee or Angelina or Verity. But maybe it's time to change that."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.

"Malfoy doesn't want anybody to know about him and Harry. I happen to know Azkaban parolees are required to tell their parole officers everything, including what happens in their private lives. I doubt Malfoy's done that."

"You'd tell his parole officer?! Send him back to Azkaban?!" Hermione was incredulous, and Ron's mouth dropped open.

"I wish I could," Fred said grimly. "But as a matter of fact, I don't think that would do it. He's only required to report every six months. The last time was March, so he's not due until September. He's not technically in violation of his parole."

"You seem to know a lot about this," Bill said.

"We d-did some research," George said quietly. "L-looked up his Azkaban file."

"So why tell his parole officer then, if it won't do any good?" Hermione asked.

"His parole officer, or maybe The Prophet," said Fred. "Malfoy doesn't want publicity; if he gets it, he'll crawl back to whatever rock he's been hiding under and leave Harry and Alec alone."

Hermione was shaking her head in disbelief. "And you don't think it'll hurt Harry to be splashed across the front page of The Prophet? And what about Alec?"

"Malfoy doesn't have to know that we don't really want to do it," Fred pointed out.

"Blackmail, then," Ron said flatly.

"If you want to call it that," Fred said evenly.

"That's what it is," Hermione said, her voice cold. "And I can't believe you'd want to stoop so low."

"I can't believe Harry's stooped so low as to date Malfoy!" Percy said hotly. "He is being completely irresponsible!"

"You aren't sixteen any more!" Hermione said to Fred, ignoring Percy. "And this isn't like threatening to tell people about Ludo Bagman taking your money! This is a real person whose life you're threatening - four real people, two of them small children who haven't done anything wrong!"

"I don't want a former inmate and Death Eater near Alec!" Fred said. "Doesn't anybody else care about that?"

"Just because we don't want to resort to blackmail doesn't mean we don't care!" Hermione said.

"How is letting Harry bring Draco Malfoy into Alec's life 'caring'?" Percy asked.

"Harry's been lonely, Percy," said Ron. "Really, really lonely. You don't think that affects Alec too?"

"So he can find somebody else," Mum said, looking sorrowful but resolute. "We've all been encouraging him to date again for years-"

"And why do you think he hasn't followed up on any of the dozens of people we've thrown at him?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," said Mum, "but surely there's somebody else who-"

"Maybe, Mum, but Malfoy actually makes him happy," Ron said, feeling a bit ill even as he said it.

"That's true," Bill said suddenly. "I've noticed it, even. He's a lot more cheerful at work. I'd wondered about it, actually."

"Yes, you said 'e was 'appier," Fleur said, nodding. "But... after what zat Malfoy boy deed to you? You don't theenk Fred 'as a point?"

Bill took a deep breath. "I don't think it's any of our business," he said. "If he's not bringing Malfoy here, and he's not living with him, I don't think there's much we can do about it. Not sure there's much I want to do about it. And I'm pretty sure I don't want to have anything to do with anything resembling blackmail."

Fred and Percy exchanged looks. "So... that's it?" Fred said in disbelief. "He's free to make his choices, free to raise Ginny's son near a convict, and everybody's happy?"

"Nobody's happy," Bill said impatiently. "I'm certainly not happy that Harry and I have worked together for years and he was keeping something like this from me. Doesn't mean I'm going to do anything about it." Fleur shook her head in disagreement but remained silent.

"George? Where do you stand?" Hermione asked quietly.

George shrugged. "I d-don't honestly care," he said. "Sorry, Fred, I don't. We looked up Malfoy's records, h-he's law-abiding now, and I d-don't care-"

"How can you just accept-" Fred interrupted.

"Because it's been years," George said firmly. "And it w-wasn't Draco Malfoy who cursed me."

"I happen to know Demelza disagrees with you on this," said Anne.

"G-good for Demelza," George said shortly.

Fred shook his head. "This isn't over," he said bitterly. "It's not over. The rest of you may be fine with it, but I refuse to be."

"So do I," said Anne.

"So you're willing to jeopardize a friendship because of who Harry's dating?" Hermione asked.

"Th-that's not fair," George said quietly. "You know Fred and Anne didn't mean it like that."

There was a long silence.

"Well. This has been very pleasant," said Dad heavily. "But I think we've all had enough. It's your son's birthday party, Fred. Let's get the kids and start on the cake and presents."

Fred shook his head and went to fetch his son, lips still pressed tight, anger radiating off of him, as the rest of them brought the cake and presents outside and cast cooling charms.

Ron felt a wave of resentment at Harry, who in all likelihood was off with Malfoy right now. He rocked Joshua gently and gazed at Alec, dreamily staring at the leaves above him and humming a tune to himself before Demelza picked him up and carried him to the area of the yard where the entire family had gathered. Alec winced as the out-of-tune Happy Birthday was sung.

Ron sighed as he glanced over his huge family, where every child had two parents. Even when he was here, Harry was always alone. And if he continued to see Malfoy, he'd never be anything other than alone among the Weasleys. Alec would never know what it was like to have his whole family in one place. He would forever be unique among his cousins. Not as bad as Harry's parentless childhood by any means, but Ron couldn't help being reminded of Harry as a child nonetheless.

Damn it, Harry, Ron thought wearily. Can you really live with doing that to your son? Why the bloody hell couldn't you pick a better person to fall in love with?

ooo000ooo

Author's Note: The song Alec is singing in this chapter is Labour of Love, by Stephen Hatfield. Lyrics and a downloadable file can be found on the lyrics page, along with other songs mentioned in the story. All songs are listed on:

http://annafugazzi.livejournal.com/55489.html