Holey

The New Mrs. Black

Story Summary:
There is more than one hole in George Weasley, other than the one of the side of his head. Ever since Fred died he'd been different, so his often neglected fiancée Angelina suggests he adopts a child for two weeks to see how he would fare as a father. George does just that, and adopts Holley, who had also lost a twin. They both expected nothing of the experience, but soon learn truly what love is. And how to heal that hole in both their hearts.

Chapter 01

Posted:
09/22/2007
Hits:
381


George shivered; this place gave him the creeps. As he stood in the doorway, he wondered again why he was here. I need something to do , George thought bitterly, and Angie thought taking a child for a few weeks might be just what I need.

Angelina Johnson was his fiancé. She had been that since before Fred died and was still up to this day. Merlin, bless her soul for staying around. George Weasley was an emotional mess, and often neglected poor Angelina. She hadn't asked much of him in the past three years, but as the wedding date they planned kept getting pushed off, she wanted to make sure of one thing. That he would be a good father. Angelina had put up with a lot, and she wanted above everything else, a child. But if this child were to be neglected like she was, she could not marry George. So George was doing this for her, not himself. He used to love kids, but now he found it hard to love anything, even Angelina.

George looked around the place. There were voices of children, the floors were littered with toys, and everything smelled like something that had come out of an elephants bum. The foyer was the main room, and there were six doors connecting off the back wall. He assumed those were the rooms in were the children slept, and possibly a loo. He had done some research on the orphanage and discovered that they the Ministry performed bi-monthly inspections. The place looked clean enough, but was scruffy around the edges. The orphanage had nine children and was run by one woman. He felt that a lot of responsibility for one witch, but the Ministry seemed to deem it acceptable, at least that's what his father said.

He was standing idle for a few seconds, until a very frazzled looking woman came over. She was at least fifteen pounds underweight, her hair was a flyway mess, and her brown eyes seemed to lack life.

"George Weasley?" Her voice sounded strained from screaming.

George briefly thought that it was impressive that she remembered his name from the owl he sent her. He nodded.

"Are you here to adopt?" She sounded hopeful, ignoring a little child who had come up to her and was tugging on her sleeve.

George shook his head. "No, I'm only here to take a child for a few weeks, its kind of important to my fiancé."

"Oh." The woman looked disappointed and turned her attention to the little boy pulling at her wrist. "What, Clarence?"

"Bailey just threw up, Ms. Wiggins." The boy let go of Ms. Wiggins, as she let out a groan of frustration.

"Get Holley to clean it up. Merlin knows that's the only thing she's good for."

Clarence immediately took off for a blonde girl with huge grey eyes, and a cheeky grin on her face.

"That Holley has been nothing but trouble since her twin died. She used to be nice and quiet, but she's now taking on her sister's dastardly ways. Pity, she could have amounted to something." Ms. Wiggins told George solemnly.

Holley's situation sounded familiar. He registered in his state of depression that he had gone through the same. He felt a connection with her, and decided, without even meeting her, it was Holley he wanted to bring home with him.

"Can I take her?" he asked Ms. Wiggins, who looked horrified at the suggestion.

"Holley? You want to take Holley?"

George was a stubborn prat and he knew it.

"Yes."

Ms. Wiggins looked scandalized. "But you don't want her! She's nothing but trouble!"

George fished into his robes and took out a pouch filled with galleons.

"Three hundred galleons say I do." He handed the pouch to the woman and walked past her, leaving her standing in the doorway, quite confused.

Soon, she came to her senses and followed George in. Hewas right in front of Holley who was still moping up the puke.

"Bloody prat. Can't hold his beans," Holley muttered grumpily, the smile that previously occupied her face now long gone.

George, feeling sorry for the girl, said, "Scourgify" and cleaned the mess up.

Instead of thanking George, the girl glared, "I could have done it myself thank you very much!"

Ms. Wiggins looked smug. "Still want her? Stubborn little pest, she is."

"I happen to like stubborn, little pests." George studied Holley, who was studying him right back. She evoked a feeling of familarness inside of him. That was exactly what he would have said as a child.

"You're missing an ear, you know?" She told him, as if he had lettuce stuck in his teeth.

He laughed, slightly unnerved. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Holley still stared at him.

"Your brains must have fallen out."

Ms. Wiggin's scowled, and yanked Holley's long blonde hair. " Don't be rude, " she hissed. Holley winced and Ms. Wiggin's let go, but the nasty look did not disappear from her face.

Not wanting to get Holley in trouble, which George felt she did a lot, he asked, "Oh, why did my brains fall out?"

The girl giggled. "Because you would choose me." At one confused look from George, she elaborated, "Like Ms. Wiggin's always says, I'm a waste of air." The innocent expression on the girl's face that had only been there mere seconds before was now gone.

George crouched on the ground, so he was eye level with Holley. He grew up in a family with a lot of love, and he felt it unkind to tell a child that she wasn't worth anything."You're not a waste, and I want you to come home with me for a few weeks. All right?"

Holley examined him carefully, and when she decided that he was not pulling a cruel joke on her, she smiled and proclaimed quite cheerfully. "I'll go pack, but it will only be a minute because I don't have a lot of things." She skipped off to a door in the right corner of the huge playroom. Most of the children hadn't noticed Holley skip off or George's presence. They were off in their own world, playing with their old dolls and broken trains.

"Is there any forms I need to fill out?"

"Yes, a few. One to make sure we're not liable if she burns your house down."

George smiled and was glad to know that she had a bit of humor left in her, though , after a moments thought, he wasn't quite sure that ahe was kidding. She disappeared for a minute but came back with a clip board. She pointed to all the places George should sign, and he did with the old quill he handed her. When he was finished, Ms. Wiggin's went back into the office, and then to the door Holley went through. He assumed they were talking.

True to her word, Holley reappeared less than two minutes later with a small bag tucked under her arm and Ms. Wiggin's in tow..

"Do you want to say goodbye to your friends, Holley?" George asked kindly as she headed for the front entrance."

Holley gave him an incredulous look, but climbed up onto a chair and yelled, getting every single child's attention, "Oi, prats! I'm leaving for a fortnight with my temporary dad," She looked at George, "er..what's your name again?"

"George Weasley."

"I'll be leaving for a fortnight with my temporary dad, George! Have fun cleaning!" Holley smiked slightly and got down.

All the kids turned their gaze to George, making him blush.

"C'mon, Holley. Let's go," he mumbled, deliberately keeping his eyes on the floor.

He couldn't see Holley nod enthusiastically, because his eyes were on the ground, or flip a ton of children the bird as she skipped out the front door.