Jamie ran past him, Marcus is sure as soon as he opened the door and walked in, that it was him.
Jamie ran past him, laughing without noticing his presence as he always did, following his path into the other room and maybe that was normal, it was Jamie, his son.
What was wrong with him running past him?
His son doesn't live in the house anymore since he joined the Kenmare Kestrel team as a beater about seven years ago, but he visits them often enough, his son loves the company, he has all that Gryffindor stuff that Marcus hates about them and at the same time loves about Oliver.
And for that very reason his eldest son never misses a summer without returning as he was now.
But here the funny thing is that the one he saw was Jamie (he has to remember that) but it couldn't be Jamie because his eldest son was twenty-six, he turns twenty-seven in October and the one he just saw running down the bloody corridor was just a kid, probably no more than three or four and that meant it would be the version of Jamie, his son, that he met probably twenty-three years ago.
Same blond hair and big blue eyes that he still had to keep an eye on so he wouldn't make an attempt on his life by laughing around the place.
Or maybe that last workout was too much and the exhaustion was making him go crazy imagining a boy very much like his son being brought into the house.
Oliver sometimes liked to say he'd love to see Jamie from when he was a kid again but that only gave Marcus nightmares not wanting to think about more kids or Oliver getting a kid that looked like one of his own and making a joke.
“Jamie!”
As if something was confirmed, as if someone had read his thoughts, another voice was heard from where the boy had come from and Marcus turned back to see George who stopped when he looked at the black-haired man.
A combination of disappointment and fear as he noticed his presence as he took a step backwards, he looked agitated as if he was actually the one who had been training all day and not Marcus.
“Why are you the first one here?! I was just practising answers for Oliver," the red-haired man complained and Marcus felt attacked at being treated like this in his own house.
This was clearly not what he imagined would happen when he got home after a long day, what the hell was George Weasley doing in his house?
To tell the truth he didn't want an answer, he wouldn't even look for one because he only needed one bad comment or treatment from any of the redheads to tell them something three times as hurtful, which he was about to do, before another voice rang through the place and Marcus turned his head again.
“Dad!" shouted a little girl with short black hair who Marcus recognised and looked even more confused at the strange situation, forgetting George for a moment.
That was Eleanore (or maybe a girl very similar to Eleanore) that unmistakable short hair from when she was three years old, above her shoulders together with that badly cut fringe.
Oliver had had the incredible idea of cutting it off, saying he didn't want to go back to struggling to style a little girl's hair after Hannah, when in fact his eldest daughter's hair was nothing like Eleanore's straight and mouldable hair, and looking at the fringe again, it had indeed been badly cut.
But back to the little girl running towards him, her cheeks streaked with tears calling for her dad, Marcus didn't even have to think about it and instinctively dropped his training bag on the ground and carried it once he was close enough as he always did when he saw one of his kids crying at that time.
Eleanore used to cry quite a lot when she was smaller and when he picked her up it was so familiar and at the same time very, very strange, it had been a while since he had carried someone in his arms, someone so small, she was the last one he had done it with, it had been if he remembered correctly about ten years and it was the same weight he remembered at that age.
Same dimensions, same feeling that squeezed his insides and he couldn't help but look worried as those big grey eyes looked up at him, full of tears and pouting their lips together, as if she was relieved to find someone familiar before she stamped her face into Marcus' neck and whimpered.
Marcus ran a hand through the girl's short hair, it was specifically the same length of hair and the same scent that looked like a combination of Oliver's shampoo with a hint of floral and chocolate.
What the hell was going on?
He rectified.
Why was he holding three-year-old Eleanore in his arms?
No, not that.
Why was he holding three-year-old Eleanore in his arms, crying?
“What the hell did you do, Weasley?!" he mumbled about to kill him with his eyes as he remembered the only person who was there.
“I swear it's temporary,” he hastened to say first, raising his hands in defence, and that didn't reassure Marcus who couldn't even raise his wand in threatening fashion towards the other.
Instead he just slammed the door shut with his foot almost stamping on it to get dangerously close to George.
It wasn't a yes or no, but it was more than clear that he was accepting that he did something.
“Oliver told me Jamie was coming,” he began to explain, "I was just going to practice an anti-aging potion on him but apparently he put it in everyone's drinks.”
Marcus sighed heavily because that definitely sounded like something he would do, he didn't need to specify which of the three of them, whether it was Oliver letting George come without real adult supervision.
Because yes, he didn't even know if he could call the person in front of him that.
George coming over at the slightest opportunity to his house to annoy him or Jamie accepting what he'd just heard, Marcus was sure that even Malfoy hadn't come up with such a stupid idea.
This was exactly why he hated having George Weasley in his house, alone, with other people who could play along with his silly games like any of his children.
The girl, who he could now confirm was Eleanore, stirred in his arms, mumbling something and rubbing her head.
“Ellie?” he asked softly trying to see her face without much success.
“But hey man you have to admit you made a good decision in not adopting the five of them together at the same age, it's really hard work,” interrupted George in a joking tone approaching Marcus and putting a hand on his shoulder.
Marcus just frowned turning to look at him and for the first blessed time in all the time they had known each other George seemed to understand the accompanying silence by pulling his hand away and stepping back a few steps.
He wondered if he could hit him even with Eleanore in his arms, at least it would make her laugh, definitely if he sent him to St. Mungos he could convince Adrian to misplace his emergency so he wouldn't be seen quickly.
Adrian would be making fun of the whole thing.
Marcus rolled his eyes just imagining what a headache this problem was as he protectively held the younger girl who was still hugging him.
He was too tired to fight and let Weasley die without medical attention, he just wanted to get home and sleep, maybe if he could find his other children he could convince them to sleep.
“Wait,” he paused, remembering something, "Did you say 'everyone'? Ethan is here?" George just nodded slowly at the question and Marcus was trying to swallow any bad words he might have at this very moment, in front of one of his sons.
And he literally has one clinging tightly to him as if he was going to disappear, he wondered what time Oliver would arrive to help him in all this or to stop a murder.
“How old are they?” Marcus didn't really care about that, because he could easily tell how old Eleanore was but he preferred to keep the redhead's mouth busy moving his gaze to where Jamie had gone.
He couldn't hear her laugh anymore, which was a bad sign, not hearing Jamie was bad enough and he couldn't hear Ethan either, that wasn't so weird but it just meant Jamie wasn't with him, why wouldn't the two of them be together.
Ugh he had to go back many, many years in attitudes to look for them and find them.
He started walking without waiting for an answer, it would be better to find one of the two or the 5 or whoever of his children, if he found at least one of them it would be a complete win.
“Three?” said George hesitantly with a grimace not really knowing, "I thought the age would vary depending on what they were drinking but I didn't know Jamie and Ethan at that age so I'm not too sure.”
Marcus let out a whimper trying to pull his arms away from Ellie who seemed to be able to cut off his breath like a boa on the prowl.
“Eleanore” He said again in a small warning and the younger girl let out a whimper to loosen her arms raising her head and leaning her chin on Marcus's shoulder looking at the red head that followed them from behind.
“Besides Ellie doesn't seem to recognise me and I've known her since she was a baby," George added at his goddaughter's recognisable hatred for him.
Marcus didn't really need to fully see what was going on behind him, he just glanced sideways and hid a smile at his daughter's attitude.
“Oh believe me Weasley she recognises you, but I'm sure she knows you did something," he said so used to this and George looked confused for a moment staring at Eleanore.
George has known Eleanore since she was a baby, if Marcus had to choose someone to look after the youngest of his children, he would have no choice but to choose the twin because he knew her best along with Johnson and if there is one thing they both know it is that Eleanore has the little power to manipulate people to turn them against someone who does something she doesn't like.
The privileges of younger siblings.
Though perhaps Marcus didn't need to be told twice by Eleanore to glare angrily at the other redhead who seemed to ignore either of their attitudes and laugh in understanding.
“Treacherous little witch.”
He spoke affectionately running a hand through to ruffle the younger girl's hair who quickly hid her face again and Marcus could feel a chuckle from where he stood.
He would choose him too because as easy as it was to make her angry, the only one who could definitely make her laugh no matter how angry she was at not getting what she wanted was him.
“Jamie!” Marcus called for his other son to come out from wherever he was, walking into the kitchen.
Lousy idea, Jamie never listened to them when they called him, even at his age he didn't seem to listen.
Try to take the fun out of a hyperactive child by calling his name, the child possibly dares to run further and further away if possible, like a dog you keep locked in the house without going out.
It would bother him if it was another child, like his sister when he was ten, Amelia never showed up when she was called making unnecessary fights with his father, but this was Jamie, he had forgotten so much of the routine of twenty three years ago that he might even say he missed doing this.
Looking for him around the house until he came out.
He looked around with no sign of his youngest and Marcus sighed.
“Where's Ethan?,” he remembered his other son asking George as they walked back the other way to the other room of the house downstairs.
Marcus doubted anyone could make it up the stairs, could they?
This place was definitely much bigger for Marcus's taste when it came to Jamie, in his first flat there weren't many options for him to hide in, maybe if he used an accio all five of them would appear in front of him, he wondered if in one accio he would make it.
“Sleeping in the living room,” George said calmly and for the first time confidently as he entered the main room.
Marcus just stopped abruptly making the red head bump into his back earning a chuckle from Eleanore.
"How lovely to know he's here asleep, Weasley" Marcus spoke sarcastically and George frowned to go ahead and search through the armchairs where he was sure he had left the second eldest FlintWood asleep.
But there was no one around, which made him despair at the sight of the blankets on the floor and he groaned as he ran his hands over his face.
George didn't remember his children being like that, well– he would have his opinions, but he only had two that were a year apart and his house was definitely not the size of this big place, now he had five children where three of them didn't know him at all running away as if he could give them dragon pox and two of them were just as unfriendly and mocking as one of their parents.
“Ugh, your Slytherin children are manipulative liars just like you.”
It was satisfying for Marcus to see that look on George's face when he found out where there were no sons who were not his.
Marcus was sure that this had happened to him once with Percy's daughters, after that he refused to look after children that weren't his because Lucy Weasley was a character with too much atmosphere for someone like Marcus and to Percy's horror his youngest daughter adored Marcus.
But clearly he wasn't going to get anywhere chasing children around this place, he needed to re-order his thoughts and mainly his children leaving George to search around the room calling Ethan as if in desperation.
There were five of them, and he was holding one.
One and four to go.
He knew he didn't have to worry about Eleanore, she was the quietest of the five when it came to looking good, she had literally run to him, so he didn't have to look for her if he left her, Ethan is somewhere in the house but he knew not far away because he liked to tease people who were looking for him by making them desperate, maybe if he paid attention he could hear him laughing hiding somewhere and Jamie....
“James!” he shouted trying something.
"It's not James," a small voice blurted through the door and made the two older boys turn to look at the place.
At least he knew Jamie was still in the house.
He looked angry and the little pout on his face made Marcus snort in amusement at the memories of that very face, they had a lot of pictures of these exact moments and Oliver would surely kill to see it right now in the flesh if he knew the situation.
Jamie seemed to realise his mistake as he saw both adults staring at him, George moved with his wand in hand about to cast a spell at Jamie if it wasn't for Marcus who managed to grab the red-headed boy's wrist tightly avoiding him and letting the boy back out the door.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” said Marcus tightening his grip still not letting go ignoring George's face as he tried to hold back any hint of pain. “I remind you that I put up with you because of Oliver but you dare to do anything to one of my children and I'm going to—”
“Hey hey take it easy, I was just going to stop his moves!” He pulled out of the grip wildly yelling in annoyance.
He was trying to help and he were treating him this way, but for Marcus it was the least the other had to do.
“Jamie has a lot of energy," Marcus couldn't deny that, he wondered how long Weasley had been looking for him before he arrived, "I haven't seen him still for a moment, at least Ethan fell asleep or at least pretended to, while Eleanore started crying after not seeing either of you two anywhere”
Yes, her three children, but there were still two he hadn't heard from all this time, Marcus narrowed his eyes, studying George.
“What about Hannah and Todd?” he asked.
There was a slight, small nervous reaction from the red-headed boy who seemed to forget all his anger by grabbing the wrist that had been grabbed earlier.
“I don't know,” he said almost under his breath as he turned away, "But how do you think I would hurt him, a colloshoo never hurt anyone.”
George spoke loudly picking up on the first point and Marcus ignored him looking around the room, Eleanore was no longer squeezing him with her arms instead she had parted her body after the hustle and bustle to look at him quietly as if trying to tell him something.
She was no longer crying but Marcus raised his free hand to wipe away the tear streaks on her cheeks which made her smile showing that gap in her front teeth.
Todd for sure cried too if he didn't see him around, he did know George but there was always one of the two of them around when there were more people and Hannah would be with him to calm him down and keep him company.
Hannah would be with him.
Of course she would.
“I think I do know where they are.” Marcus looked quietly out the window of the room remembering a place and looking at Eleanore again.
“Miss, could you stay with George?”
He pushed Eleanore away from his arms to leave her on the floor and as if it had been a personal attack or the worst thing in the world what he had just said, Ellie's smile disappeared and she twisted her head and shook it strongly.
“No!” she said in that firm, childish tone.
“I thought you liked Weasley,” he said softly, squatting down to the black-haired girl who shook her head again.
“I want Daddy,” she demanded, grabbing Marcus's arm to keep him from pulling away.
“Yes, I know sweetheart, but first I have to go get your brothers,” He hadn't used that silly tone to talk, Oliver teased him about it and Adrian seemed quite surprised whenever he saw him go easy on someone.
Even if those were his own children.
“If you promise to stay and behave yourself I'll take you to training instead of Hannah, how about that princess?,” he continued to speak running his hand through his hair.
Ellie just pressed her lips together as if she was about to cry again, she went back to see behind her George standing there looking at them both, she tightened her little grip until she finally let go of Marcus and ran towards the redhead who carried her, teasing her somewhat.
“Who knew you had feelings Flint, I never want to see that again in my life,” George scoffed at the scene he had just witnessed and Marcus ignored him.
“Ethan doesn't know you at this age and he hates strangers, that's why he hid, but he's inside the house, he never comes out,” he explained getting up.
“Oliver is the only one who will make him magically appear, if he sees him walk through the door he won't hesitate to come out of wherever he is.”
He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose trying to think of something else.
“Did you call someone else?” That was all he could think to say, and George snorted indignantly.
“Percy scolded me and told me to get on with it," he said disinterestedly, "But I'm sure he's worried, he'll turn up at any moment, that fool.
“Well, as much as I hate your brother, he's Jamie's favorite along with Adrian, so wait till he gets here, I'll get Hannah and Todd first because they're probably outside.”
He felt like he was giving orders to his team by talking like that as he walked towards the entrance, all knowledge of his body only now not Quidditch but his children.
“Why don't you go get Jamie first?”
Marcus paused in his steps, still staring at the doorway where he had seen Jamie before he ran away from him.
Yes
Why couldn't he approach Jamie first?
"Don't go."
Ugh, he didn't want to remember that, he sighed and looked at George.
“If he's three or more, that's the age I left for the war,” he said, lifting his shoulders and running his hand through his hair, “Jamie hates me for leaving them.”
He noticed it the first few days after the war ended, then the first few weeks, until it turned into months where the youngest wouldn't let him hold him or do the activities he had grown accustomed to since he was adopted.
Marcus understood and never complained, but now he doubted very much that he would ever let him come near him.
It doesn't matter if he's three-year-old Jamie or twenty-six-year-old Jamie.
“Another reason why I like that kid better,” George blurted out nonchalantly and Marcus rolled his eyes and waved his hands.
Who the hell was he looking to talk to.
“Whatever Weasley, Oliver's not going to care about this, I think it's going to be the best belated birthday present you can give him, but he's going to kill me if he doesn't see the five of in one piece and you're included in that warning,” He pointed at him and it looked like the anger he had felt from the beginning might come out right now since he didn't have Ellie in his arms.
But George was biting his lip, nervous and hesitant, as if he wanted to say something else but didn't know how, and Marcus swore that if he said something else stupid, something like "Actually Hannah and Todd disappeared off the face of the earth" he'd kill him now.
“Jamie didn't seem to recognise Ellie or the others when they turned” that answer he hadn't expected.
Marcus looked back at Eleanore as if to confirm that and the younger girl just nodded her head quickly, quite sure when in reality she had no idea what they were talking about.
“It's normal, neither Jamie nor Ethan knew the others until they were nine and six,” Marcus lifted his shoulders without seeing the problem.
Eleanore surely shouldn't have recognised Ethan and Jamie either, having a much older mental image of them, you're not going to compare the three year old Jamie to the twelve year old Jamie, which was the age difference between her oldest son and her youngest daughter.
”No, Marcus,” George stopped him again seriously, “This is different, I know I didn't know him when he was adopted but I don't know, he looked upset, confused, he didn't look like the boy I heard Percy talking about.”
Marcus frowned looking out the window again, the light outside was dimming when it was only about four thirty in the afternoon, he couldn't remember what they had said about the weather this morning.
“I don't like that—" And he didn't know what he was saying it towards, grimacing, "Look, I need to go outside first anyway, if I don't find Hannah and Todd before it gets dark there's no way I'm going to find them later.”
It wasn't a lie but he wasn't lying either when he said he was tired, he wanted to sleep, he didn't want to leave the house anymore, so it was much better to go from outside to inside, there was no more fight and Marcus prepared to leave the house looking around for any sign of the two elders but there was nothing until he went outside and closed the door.
The breeze was blowing a little stronger than when he arrived and Marcus now understood why it seemed to be getting dark, as there were dark clouds forming covering the blue sky.
Hannah sometimes hated her birthdays because it used to rain, not because of the rain but because she knew she couldn't go out.
There were a lot of times when he had to console her as a child, because she wanted to go out and couldn't, Hannah hated being cooped up somewhere for too long.
In some ways she was like him.
He walked for a while past the huge practice hoops they had for quidditch looking at the nearby grove of trees and felt a little lost trying to remember the path, it really had been a long time.
“Hannah!," he shouted hoping that maybe the same thing would happen as it had with Eleanore but it was just the sound of the leaves rustling.
He let out a gasp and walked into the grove checking a small mark on one of the trees, if he wasn't mistaken it was left from there, the twigs snapping at his footsteps, the wind and the approaching darkness didn't sit well with Marcus feeling his robes and noticing that he didn't have his wand.
“Damn it,” he said to himself looking at the manor from afar and as the light in Jamie's room flickered on.
Now he remembered where Jamie might be in the house, but he needed to find the others.
“Hannah, Todd!," he tried again without much success until he recognized something around him.
A few minutes and he finally found what looked like stacked branches and if you looked far away it was just that, huge and disorganized covering like a small dome, he turned around finding the silly misspelled sign that read.
"NO FRED”
In large print, not yet knowing why George's son had been run out of the place, he saw the gap in the entrance having to duck, probably looking pathetic, to get into such a small place being the size it is.
He definitely should have done an expanding spell when asked to do so.
Marcus could only fit part of his body in, seeing the two sleeping minors in the middle of what appeared to be a cozy den, filled with pillows and blankets, along with something else to entertain themselves and which Marcus was surprised was still there.
He couldn't help but drop his shoulders in relief at the sight of them peacefully resting, Hannah with clearly that unruly hair, so long he'd never seen it that way again, was cuddling Todd who seemed only to be clutching some of Hannah's clothes with one of his hands so he knew she was there.
Just like Eleanore traces of tears on his cheeks and apparently he wasn't entirely wrong with his assumption, that's how they always were as kids, very close, funny because now it seemed like there wasn't a second when they weren't fighting or about to kill each other.
It was because of Todd that Hannah considered herself a big sister and seemed pretty determined to do her best work, to keep doing it.
Marcus struggled a bit to get further in and grab Hannah first making her let go of Todd to carry her without waking her, the younger one just shifted restlessly in his arms frowning, as if realizing something was taken from her.
“Shhh relax, it's me,” he tried to coo and again it was so strange to come back to this same point, as he grabbed Todd's other arm and he didn't move at all unlike the other one.
“Daddy,” Hannah said sleepily, blinking slowly.
“Hi darling,” he said softly smiling at her, “I see you still like sleeping here.”
There was a small whimper as if she was about to cry but without any tears before Hannah took the place where Eleanore had been on one side, moving from one side to the other trying to get her back to sleep before putting Todd on the other side who seemed to snuggle more, hugging Marcus as tightly as Eleanore.
He'd had to carry two kids like this, with Hannah it was often enough being Molly Weasley's nap partner, Oliver or he had to carry them out of this very spot in the afternoons or when they disappeared for too long.
Just like he was doing now.
For a second he just stood there, the breathing of both minors quiet in a state of calm so full that Marcus loved it being better than quidditch, Hannah's hair tickled his cheek and he just leaned into her.
That minty scent of her shampoo that differed from Todd's that smelled like citrus.
Marcys had forgotten how small his children could look, with Jamie it felt like an eternity watching him grow up but with everyone else he felt like he just blinked and they were going into Hogwarts and wouldn't be back until the holidays.
Many repeated to him that he would feel more relieved when Eleanore entered Hogwarts as she was the last one, to have time for one again, no more kids running around and maybe it was quiet the first few days but in that huge house Marcus hated the feeling, no matter how much Oliver had done to make it feel like home, he got so used to the company that to some extent he could say he felt lonely without any of the five bothering him around.
He hated that the Weasleys were right, but he wouldn't admit it, he thought as he looked at them.
“All right, let's go back home.”
Three, two to go.
Todd seemed to move, releasing one of his arms and reaching out to take Hanna's hand in another attempt to hold onto her and Marcus sighed.
He would definitely make fun of them once everything was back to normal, he began to walk completely out of the place cursing himself again for not having his hands free and not bringing his wand as he could now admit he could barely see anything before he found the house in the distance again and the Quidditch hoops, the breeze whipping through his hair and the robes he didn't even get a chance to take off when he got there.
When he re-entered the house he found Jamie again standing almost in front of him staring at him, his gaze shifted to the two youngest boys in his arms before he looked back at Marcus, a sad reaction in his eyes almost frightened.
“You're sending me back?”
He sounded so tiny that Marcus struggled to understand as he watched him shrug.
“Jamie?”
He tried to get closer but the boy said nothing and just fled the place again running like a ghost through the house, he was tempted to chase him but stopped when he heard the fireplace giving the message that someone had arrived.
“Please be Oliver," he said quietly but gave a whimper at the sight of his mother's neat, grey-black hair.
Of all people, she's the one he wanted here the least.
“Who the hell told you,” he couldn't help but say earning an angry look from his mother who studied him up and down.
“I'm your mother, Marcus, I know everything,” she approached her son, running her hand down his cheek to lightly tap his cheek, from which Marcus only pulled away in frustration.
“And that's no way to talk to me or treat me, you ungrateful child,” he threatened passively to look at the two children that Marcus still held in his arms, a small smile appeared on his lips as if he already knew everything and couldn't believe it.
“What a surprise, all five of them?” Marcus just nodded unwillingly, turning away from his mother who followed him into the living room.
He tried to reach for his wand and his mother seemed to see his intentions, pulling out her own and lighting the fireplace that wasn't connected to the floo network and blowing up the blankets that were already there and arranging them with pillows, Marcus just mumbled a thank you to put Hannah and Todd back down and then put them back down and covered them up.
Their mother just laughed fondly.
“Who knew they hated each other now, they remind me of you and your sister.—”
“Mother,” he interrupted the other's enthusiasm, putting his hands on his hips wearily, “What are you doing here?”
“Someone told me that children are— children again,” he said, unable to hide his excitement as he clasped his hands together, “I couldn't miss this.”
“Someone?” He arched his eyebrow.
“Mrs. Flint is a lot friendlier than you are,” came a voice and Percy simply walked in with a cup of tea in his hands as if it was his own bloody house.
He would forget the previous thought, Percy bloody Weasley was the one he hated to have here with such a high-handed attitude.
“You have contact with my mother?,” he made a face of horror at this bizarre revelation, “That's completely and stupidly weird, Weasley.”
Percy just shrugged as if he hadn't heard him.
“I forbid you to talk to this pervert,” Marcus turned back to his mother, who walked past Marcus, ignoring him and over to where Hannah and Todd were.
He hated it when no one paid him the slightest bit of attention.
“Whatever,” Percy said again, “Ethan already made George fall down the stairs.”
At least something good had happened since he'd left the house, he was about to comment or congratulate Ethan out loud since he still wasn't there, maybe if he heard that he'd come out of where he was.
“That's not hating strangers!," George's voice was heard complaining and Marcus didn't even realise he was in the room. “It's committing crimes against them!, what is this?, Home Alone?!
He definitely didn't understand the reference he heard but it sounded like some muggle shit that Johnson or Bell would say with a smirk seeing that he didn't understand and everyone else did, he rolled his eyes and looked at Percy crossing his arms.
“Jamie—”
“He didn't want to go out,” he was interrupted by Percy who knew what was coming, “I've tried everything, absolutely everything, I called Adrian to see if I missed something.”
Marcus grimaced, he looked at how his mother now had Eleanore smiling in her arms while the black-haired girl seemed to be against a thousand and one things to the older one with her limited dialect for a three year old girl listening attentively.
“Your brother says Jamie doesn't seem to recognise the others,” she said once she felt Percy stop beside him, “Not even Ethan.”
“Yes I noticed, it's strange to see them apart, even more so at the age they seem to be, Ethan recognised me when he saw me but he seems more amused by making George's life miserable.”
Ethan doing that without Jamie's help, something was weird and he didn't know exactly what, Hannah and Todd seem to recognise each other, it's not like they've changed much and he hasn't seen Ellie complain about any of them simply because he knows she doesn't mind strangers.
Jamie, while at three years old he knew Ethan as a mere baby, was quite excited about another child in the house, even though it didn't last long before Ethan went home to his mother's house for the war and then came back.
He didn't know why he was getting these reactions from his eldest son.
“I still locked all the doors once you got in, Jamie can't get out.”
Marcus could thank Percy but it would be very low of him to admit a point he didn't want to, so a simple nod between the two of them was enough.
He walked around a little seeing George complaining about something and giving up, plopping down on the couch as he looked at the other two sleeping minors as if he wanted to have a nap just like theirs.
The flames from the fireplace that was connected to the floo network in the other room could be heard and Marcus walked over to see who had arrived and was halfway there when he heard the familiar voice.
“I'm home!” It was a simple announcement from Oliver, his quiet announcement when he came home from training.
Oliver used to use floo network because he refused to appear out of the house and walk, Marcus even without seeing him could imagine his smile once he would find him looking whole and energetic when he was dead tired, but something seemed to get in Oliver's way because he never got to where Marcus was but another voice was heard.
“Mummy!” Marcus recognised the childish voice and clearly heard the rumble from the other room hurrying his way over there.
Oliver was on the floor literally on his back as he looked with wide eyes at Ethan who was clinging to his chest wanting a hug back, but Oliver just looked shocked at what was in front of him.
That's probably how he looked when he saw Eleanore, heard the footsteps behind him and glancing sideways at Percy, George and his mother peeking behind him seeing what had happened turning to look at George as if to say an "I told you so."
Oliver finally seemed to notice the presence of the others in the room returning to look at the three of them ignoring any elders and only paying attention to the little girl Marcus's mother was carrying.
“E— ellie?" His voice wavered but seeing a reaction from the black-haired girl in the others arms he quickly shifted his gaze to the child in his arms.
“Ethan?!” he asked in surprise and the younger boy only looked away to see him, “Did you get kids that look like them or what the hell is going on?”
“Ask Weasley,” Marcus said, reaching over to grab Ethan from behind to hold him so he wouldn't run away again, “Hannah and Todd are in the other room.”
The younger boy only squirmed for a moment before he gave up and Oliver got up still looking at him to hold out his arms, which made Ethan react by reaching for the other one until Marcus handed it to him.
Four, one to go.
“What the hell, George, you said you were just going to say hello to Jamie,” Oliver complained, still not understanding.
“And I did,” he defended himself, “And then we were going to talk about some business,” George stopped him before Oliver could say anything again.
“I have to put my priorities first Ollie.”
Oliver didn't look like he wanted to fight about something like that and just looked down at Ethan who was smiling at him and running his hands all over Oliver's face tickling him, trying to stop him with one of his hands.
“Yes, I look older,” he replied as if that was what his son had asked until one of his son's hands reached for Oliver's hair and pulled it back with a whimper as he grabbed his hand.
He had forgotten that bad habit, heard the laughter of the others and finally turned his attention to the other three apart from Marcus who was smiling at the image.
“I never thought I'd see Ethan as a little boy again,” Marcus said and Oliver grinned rather big.
“This is giving me nightmares," Oliver scoffed but it was more than obvious from his expression that he didn't even mean it.
He looked at Ethan now he had simply wrapped his arms around him to lean on his shoulder.
“Ethan was heavy enough at this age, what is he, four?”
“I'm guessing three, but he looks older than I remember him,” he questioned, trying to figure out his age.
Ellie looked about three, Ethan looked about four, Hannah looked also about four, Todd looked about two and what he remembered of Jamie was that he looked about three, almost four.
“Oliver, your kids are demons, Merlin blessed me for not knowing them all together and taking care of them,” George said jokingly and Oliver poked his head around the side of Marcus' head laughing to look at the other people standing there.
“Mrs. Flint,” he was surprised by the older woman's presence, “What are you doing here too?”
“I've already told you not to call me like that, dear,” she made a horrified expression, “You make me feel old.”
“Eleanore,” Oliver nodded and the one who seemed to react was the other one with the same name who was still in the Major's arms.
“I'm not talking to you, young lady,” Oliver said, pushing past Marcus and approaching the younger one, “I'm talking to your grandmother.”
There was a groan from Mrs. Flint that made Marcus chuckle somewhat at her displeasure at being called that, when she clearly was.
“It's been twenty-three years mother, you have to get used to it,” Marcus whispered to his mother from the side as he leaned closer.
“Never,” she pouted at her son and smiled back at Oliver who was looking at Ellie.
“You said Todd and Hannah are in the other room, right?” And the excitement and sparkle in Oliver's eyes was palpable.
“Man, if they had let me coach all five of them at this age they would have made their own certified team.”
“Oliver, what the hell is wrong with you?,” Percy grumbled at what he heard in unbelief.
Still Marcus just nodded at the previous question and Oliver just grabbed Percy's arm and pulled him out to where the two of them were followed by George and his mother who had put Ellie down and had run off along with everyone else.
Well at least Oliver had arrived, maybe Jamie wouldn't be long in coming out if he saw him, Marcus came out last passing by the stairs hearing some hurried footsteps around and going back to look up.
He hadn't been upstairs all this time since he'd arrived because stairs were always a danger with his children.
All but two of them.
He remembered for a moment the lights in Jamie's room and turned out of his way and started up the stairs, three steps he took and again there was noise at the top of the stairs and he was still going up the stairs looking down the shaft to the upper floors in case he saw anything.
His children were very annoying that each floor should belong to each of them and clearly as Marcus wasn't about to wind up a couple of spoiled kids who were just joking around, all the rooms were on the first floor, he reached the hallway and kept quiet in case he heard anything but he didn't.
He walked slowly, this hallway had changed a lot from how he remembered it from his childhood now that he thought about it, there weren't as many portraits of his family as before, just a few that looked back at him but didn't say anything back.
The portraits stopped talking when he came back and when there started to be a couple of kids running through the corridors, Hannah always looks very dedicated to make them talk every time she passes, greeting them and he didn't know who was more fed up, the paintings or Hannah who didn't get much talk.
He looked at the doors that had a little hint of who it might belong to of the five, the ripped and old stickers all the way down on Ethan's door, the bad drawings Eleanore curses for not being able to remove from the frame of hers, the handle on Todd's door that can't be opened unless he wants or wishes to, the somewhat beat up door to Hannah's room, each and every one of them with his peculiar touch, because that's what he loved about his kids.
He did not go very far and simply stopped at the left side of the first pair of doors, the only door that could possibly be found open, always half open, it was now completely closed.
"Jamie," he spoke softly as if it was just a small warning of who it was that was in there and there was noise from inside, Marcus looked down noting how the light was fading rapidly and simply sighed opening the door.
Sure, too tall for a three/four year old to lock it.
The mess of Jamie's room was always familiar, because it was a normal room for him, things stacked badly that Marcus always swore were about to fall but never happened, the clutter of Quidditch posters and muggle bands all around, the open window, always open and that Oliver always had to get to close because of the cold that it was starting to get at night.
He put his hands in his pockets and looked around feigning disinterest as he walked to one place and opened the wardrobe door, there were still a lot of clothes hanging there but not enough as when he moved a couple of them to the corner he found Jamie hiding there without turning to look at him.
Marcus didn't need to speak because he did it first.
“You're sending me back?" the same question and he seemed to hold back the tears that welled up in his little eyes, he hadn't heard that accent from Jamie in a long time.
Marcus frowned crouching all the way down looking at the blond, he seemed to inspect for a moment the small space where Jamie clearly fit well but Marcus didn't, caring very little and moving the boxes that sat there out along with the clothes to settle next to him a little uncomfortably for space
“Why do you think that?” he asked softly, running his hand over the younger boy's cheeks who didn't seem to react, pressing his lips together until he spoke again.
“More children.”
And with that simple answer Marcus understood the problem, closing his eyes in disappointment at himself for not having noticed.
Jamie while there is not much difference in age when he was adopted, he could be categorized as the oldest, being almost three years old, not a great age but at least one where children seem to be aware of what happens a little around them, or at least things you can not forget as being returned by three families.
Jamie was adopted alone and while he seemed quite happy when Ethan arrived, it was a while after being with them that he got used to it.
This Jamie he had with him, was the Jamie of the orphanage, grumpy and annoyed, as well as scared to go through the same thing again among so many children that at this time, appeared out of nowhere.
Ethan was so much older, Jamie must have been really confused.
“Yeah, there's more, but they're your brothers, I thought you'd like the company so you don't get lonely, I work and mum's going to train,” he carried him and the blond struggled a little in his grip before he spoke again staring at Marcus.
“You left,” he said still in that small voice and Marcus really hated himself for hearing that again.
“I did,” he admitted, “And it's not something I'm proud of but I did it to protect you.”
The younger boy didn't seem to understand very well what he was saying but he didn't release his grip on Marcus's tunic again right where the mark was still on his forearm as if he wanted to believe and he did, children don't forgive easily, Marcus didn't do it to his father, no matter how much he said he did it to his mother, he was sure she herself knew how much he still hated it.
Not feeling any more of a struggle holding him Marcus finally pulled him into his lap wiping away the few traces of tears from the blond's eyes.
His sons are first rate crybabies but just the same he never complained when they did, Jamie was a sentimentalist, another quality that Marcus used to say was very Hufflepuff and for which it still felt strange to know that his eldest son was a Gryffindor.
“You're my son, Jamie,” he said, “I couldn't change you for anything, I'm sorry I left, it'll never happen again.”
Like his other two daughters the younger one just bumped into him almost knocking the air out of him in a firm hug, or what tried to be a hug in his little arms.
“Promise?” The words were muffled as he still didn't lift his head and Marcus smiled.
“Yes, it's a promise.” He ran his hand through his hair, hugging him back tightly.
Five and he's got all of them.
“You read me a story!” Jamie pulled away from Marcus and the black-haired man arched an eyebrow at the quick request and change of attitude.
“I thought Mum read you stories better than me.”
Oliver would kill him for hearing that nickname again, but somehow everyone had gotten used to calling the guardian that and it wasn't Marcus' fault.
With his hand, he tried to arrange his son's hair, which was impossible as Jamie's hair was always getting in the wrong place.
It was always fun to tease him by running his hand over his head a few times like that until the other one got fed up which he did by grabbing Marcus's hand in his little two hands and pouting.
“I don't like it,” he said in a whisper and Marcus couldn't help but let out a laugh.
“In that case, go and get one and I'll read it to you, as many as you like until you fall asleep,” he didn't have to say it twice before Jamie ran off with a big smile on his face.
Marcus thought for a moment about getting up as it was the first time he'd taken a break since he'd arrived at the house, but even if he could fall asleep in a wardrobe, it wasn't his first choice, if he was lucky he'd be the one to fall asleep to the first story Jamie gave him, so he got up from the wardrobe floor and stretched out.
He saw Jamie pacing around the room looking confused and of course he would be, this room wasn't the same as when he was that age, it wasn't even the same as it had been for five years, he heard a clatter outside opening the door to peek out and watch a rather annoyed Todd walk annoyed past him ignoring him.
What a different reaction he had from his sons walking by the house.
But of course that was Todd and he could recognise him for being the same 15 year old moody Ravenclaw with a Slytherin soul walking with long, firm strides as he heard Hannah's giggles following behind him shaking something in her hands.
“Toddy, look at your face for Merlin,” she shouted laughing trying to catch up with the other but her son never twisted his arm until he reached his room slamming the door shut in front of his other daughter's face.
Now that was normal in the house, Hannah seemed to notice Marcus' presence, coming back to look and running into the room he was in as if it were her own.
“Hi dad, you look a little tired.”
She greeted with that big smile that any Hufflepuff could probably give, clearly criticising the first thing she could about him.
“Just a little? I hadn't noticed, brat.” He raised his eyebrows in that same winning tone as his daughter walked over to the open window, leaned out to the side and walked out the side of the roof from there to somewhere.
Another clatter and then a scream was heard from Todd.
“Get the hell out of my room!”
Ah yes, that was normal to hear in the house.
Marcus looked back at Jamie noticing now how the blond looked quite confused looking at his room but unlike earlier, he was just sitting on the bed with that same twenty-six year old height and features trying to process his own room.
And possibly ignoring what had just happened with Hannah, as if he was actually used to having his window used as a bridge to other rooms, and maybe he was.
“How did I get here?, what are you doing here dad?," he suddenly asked Marcus who was about to answer before he saw Oliver and Adrian rush into the room.
“Damn it, I wanted to see Jamie as a kid,” said Oliver, rather disappointed to find Jamie here as usual, reaching over to grab the blond's face as he began to whine, talking something to his father.
Marcus shifted his gaze to Adrian who was still in his healer's robes and seemed to have run here, his hair disheveled and with stains of dubious provenance on the right side of his robes below where his name was.
“Man, I only got out of work for this, it's unfair, Weasley always gets the fun part,” he complained and Marcus just sighed, dropping his head and hitting the door frame a little.
He just wants to sleep.