The Long Lost Weasley

Prologue

The sniffling in the kitchen is what brought me down stairs early the morning of Friday, March 1st. With curiosity surging through me I must find out the source of the silent ruckus. The noise led me to the small table along the back windows of the kitchen.

"Mum?" I place my hand gently on her shoulder and turn to face her.

"Hi baby." Her perfectly white teeth shine as she forces a smile and her crystal eyes glisten. She swiftly wipes at a falling tear and pulls me into a hug so quick it was unpredictable.

I hug her back, tightly and whisper in her ear. "What's wrong?" I make sure to keep my voice soft, trying to coat it in sugar and make it as sweet and soothing as I can, just the way she does for me when I cry.

She gives me a rough laugh and pulls away. "Your Hogwarts letter finally came." Her smile looks awkward with her tearstained cheeks but it's genuine and I love it.

"Really?" Mum's arms fall from my shoulders as I pick up the letter addressed with my name and a slightly messed up Hogwarts seal. I instantly start to bounce on my toes as I carefully pull the letter out of the priceless envelope and stare in awe that finally my letter has come.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart." She places her warm, pale palm on my cheek and I tilt my head into her touch. The smile I wear, I wear it so wide it practically hurts. "Clementine, I also have some bad news but I don't know if I should share it in front of your brothers or not."

Instantly my eyes rise from the letter and meet hers. "What is it?" Anxiety fills every part of me, every spot there was once joy there is now anxiety.

"I don't know if I should tell you. But, then again, I am the only person who could tell you. Well maybe Eric." She trails off in her thoughts but quickly shakes her head. "No, I have to be the one to tell you."

"Go on." I push with a gulp.

She pulls me into another hug, this time this one deathly tight. "Clementine, I love you, promise me you know that."
"Yes, of course I do." What's wrong? Why are you taking so long to tell me? Is it that bad?

She looks at me and bushes away a strand of red hair that had fallen in my face. "Okay," she takes a deep breath and locks her eyes to mine. "Clementine, this is going to be a hell of a story. It all started eleven years ago the day you were born. Our doctor, his name was Eric. He was your father's friend. He was also the doctor for this other family who was delivering around the same time as us. The other couple had twins and us you."

"Why are you telling me this?" I interrupt, obviously I mean I'm confused.

"Hold on and let me get to it. The other couple their babies were born first. Their son, he was perfect but their daughter, she was rushed out. My baby, she, you, um, she had problems they rushed her off. The girls, they got switched. This is why I was crying earlier. The neighbor did a freaking DNA test on you without telling me and well, it said you're not my child so I wrote Eric. That's why I was crying." I stare at the floor and watch the tears as they land on my mother's jeans.

"So I have a twin brother and you have a different daughter out there?" I look up at Mum and she laughs.

"I didn't say, did I? I told you both babies were having problems, so they were rushed off. The baby I gave birth to, she didn't make it." She chokes the end of her sentence. "I can't imagine how it was for the other couple, learning their daughter didn't make it. It would of killed me and your father. Your father, I fear, quite literally. I am very grateful I did get get the chance to raise you Clementine, you will forever be my daughter. I love you."

"I- I love you too." I find myself looking at the yellow kitchen wall, shock taking over me. "Who, who is that are my biological parents?"

"Their names are Molly and Arthur Weasley."