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 had died and was to this day. Merlin, bless her soul for staying around for so long. Ever since that night three years ago when George had lost his twin, George had been different. The once strong Gryffindor was now an emotional mess, never able to let go of the brother he'd cared for so dearly. As a result, he often found himself neglecting those loved ones who were still with him, even Angelina. Especially Angelina.

She hadn't asked much of him in the past three years, but as every wedding date they planned kept getting pushed off, she wanted to make sure of one thing: he would be a good father. Angelina had stayed with George over the years because she loved him and was stubborn enough not to let that love go, even the man she had fallen in love with was gone. She was determined to bring him back, but lately things hadn't been too promising. Angelina had put up with a lot, but she wanted, above everything else, a child. But if this child were to be neglected like she was, she would not—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 children's voices jumping through the air, the floors were littered with toys, and everything smelled like stale milk. 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 only one woman. He felt that was a lot of responsibility for just one witch, but the Ministry seemed to deem it acceptable. At least, that's what George's father had said.

The many kids were scattered throughout the room playing with their old toys. The foyer was the main room, and there were six doors connecting off the back wall. He assumed those were the rooms where the children slept. One was possibly a loo.

George stood 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 was confused for a moment but then remembered he had sent her a letter. He was impressed that with all the responsibilities of her hectic life she still managed to remember his name. He nodded.

"Are you here to adopt?" She seemed hopeful as she ignored 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 foster a child for a few weeks; it's 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. The girl was very skinny, with spindly legs and toothpicks for arms.

"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. Even in his state of depression, George was able to register that he had gone through the same. He felt a connection with her and decided, without even meeting her, that 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?"

"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, now quite confused.

Soon, she came to her senses and followed George in. He had stopped 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 had previously occupied her face now long gone.

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

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

Ms. Wiggins looked smug. "Still want her? She's a stubborn little pest."

"I happen to like stubborn, little pests." George studied Holley, who was studying him right back. She evoked a feeling of familiar ness 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 smiled awkwardly—the action feeling a bit strange and unnatural. "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 the older woman's face.

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

The girl giggled. "Because you would choose me." Because of the confused look that George gave her, she chose to elaborate, "Like Ms. Wiggin's always says, I'm a waste of air." The innocent expression that had been on the girl's face 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.

"Are 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 the woman had a bit of humor left in her, though, after a moment's thought, he wasn't quite sure that she 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 so with the old quill she handed him. When he was finished, Ms. Wiggin's went back into the office, and then to the door Holley had gone through. He assumed they were talking.

Holley reappeared 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 smirked slightly and got down.

All the kids turned their gaze to George, making him blush at the longing he saw in their eyes. For a second, he felt sympathy for them, knowing they had never known a family—or had a brother—as great as he had had. But he could only take one child home.

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

He kept his eyes upon the ground as he left, and because of this, he didn't see Holley flip off a ton of children as she skipped enthusiastically out the door.