Prologue
Things were relatively quiet in the Burrow that summer day, with Arthur getting some work done at in his storage shed, his wife tidying up in the house, and their collection of children entertaining themselves out in the sunshine.
So, it came as a surprise when the second eldest Weasley child came seeking his father.
“Hey, Dad?” Arthur looked up as Charlie poked his head in. “You remember my friend Tonks, right? Nymphadora Tonks?”
“More or less, yeah. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I got a letter from her this morning, and the thing is, her mum’s caught something nasty and has to go stay in St. Mungo’s for a week or two, and since he needs to work her dad has to leave Tonks and her little brother at home during the day. Do you think we could have them over, instead?”
“That’s awful nice of you, Charlie. I’m sure we can work something out. I didn’t know Andromeda and Ted had another child, though - how old is he?”
“Ron’s age, I’m pretty sure. And he’s actually something like a distant cousin, I think, that they took in when his parents died in the war.”
Arthur paused, considering the possibilities contained within that statement. He shook it off after a moment, to smile reassuringly at the fourteen year old. “Like I said, I think we can arrange it. I’ll shoot a letter off to Ted tonight, alright?”
“Brilliant! Thanks, Dad!”