An Orphan's Reminder

AN: Please note that this isn't a sad one shot. I made a happy ending at the end. Enjoy. FYI: I did cry a little as I wrote this. Happy Mother's Day!

Harry was glad he was alone. No one could find him here. He sat leaning up against the wall in the Gryffindor locker room, at the Quidditch pitch, with tears running down his cheeks.

Today was Mother's Day and the reminder that he was an orphan hit him harder than it did before.

He had just left the Gryffindor common room, where Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were talking about what they had sent their mothers and of Mother's Day past. They talked about the smiles, the hugs, the kisses and the attempts of making breakfast. They hadn't really noticed the tears that gathered in their friend's eyes, but they were instantly alert and concerned when he got up from his chair and stormed out of the common room.

Mother's day and Father's Day was a sore spot for Harry because he didn't have any parents. He remembered vividly the one and only time that he made a card for Petunia. He had taken extra care picking out the paper, the crayons, the stickers, even the note he wrote on the inside. He pictured her taking the card from him and smiling so brightly as she read it. When she finished, she would give him a hug and thank him for his card.

But unfortunately, that was just a dream.

When he handed Petunia the card he had made with care, she screeched, "I AM NOT YOUR MOTHER!" Then ripping the card and throwing him in the cupboard where he cried himself to sleep that night.

Then Dudley teased him about it every year, asking him if he was going to try again. He never did, not even on Father's day.

The memory brought more tears, especially when he remembered how heartbroken he felt.

He wished all his life from the moment he realized that he didn't have a Mum or a Dad, that he could have his parents back, especially his mother.

When he would go for a walk in the neighborhood park near Privet Drive, he had to keep himself from watching the different mothers pushing their children on the swings and encouraging them as they slide down the slide. He ignored the mothers that sat on blankets teaching their children to walk, holding them with a smile or lifting them up in the air and talking to them in that motherly voice.

It didn't matter that he was sixteen, but if there was anything at this moment he wanted more, he wanted his mum.

He wanted her to hold him and tell that everything was going to be okay, that he didn't have to go everything alone. He wanted her comfort when things seemed dark. He wanted to know what it was like to have a mother's love, one that he had been so badly neglected.

Of course, he had the Weasleys, Molly was like a mother to him, but she could never take Lily Potter's place even if she tried. Harry was grateful that he met Ron that first day, but Ron has told him that he was the one who was grateful because he felt that he was the lucky one. He had saved Ginny, Arthur's, and Ron's lives and for that, they would be forever grateful.

But then again, Harry felt like he was the lucky one because Ron not only gave him his first real friend, but he also showed him what it was like to be a part of the family. With the Weasley's he felt loved, happy, safe and more importantly cared for. Sure, he would help Ron degnome the garden or whitewash the shed, but it beats being the house-elf he was at his relatives.

He would be forever thankful for the Weasleys because they alone showed him what it was like to be a part of the family.

The tears continued to fall as another memory came back to Harry. It was when he was a first year and someone had innocently asked Harry what he was sending his mother for mother's day. Harry said that he couldn't send her anything and abruptly left the table. Hermione looked at Ron in confusion, until Ron informed Seamus, the person who asked the question that Harry's parents died when he was a baby and that he didn't have anybody to give a Mother's day gift to.

That was when Ron learned about the card Harry made for his aunt that was ripped up right in front of him.

From that moment on, when Mother's Day or for that matter, Father's Day came around, Harry would find somewhere and hide. He wanted to be alone where he could cry in private.

Then when Ginny came along the next year, she too learned about how Mother's Day affected Harry. Ginny never knew about the one and only time Harry gave a Mother's Day card for Petunia after they started dating a month ago.

Harry sat in the corner of the Gryffindor locker room, letting himself succumb to the raw emotions he had been holding in for the last two years. He wanted his mother's comfort after Cedric was killed. He wished a million times over that it was his mother who was holding him that night and not Molly. Although he was grateful for her comfort, he just wished it was from his own mother. He wished that his mother had held him and told him it would be okay when Sirius died.

He wanted the comfort of her arms wrapped around him in a loving and protective embrace. He wanted to fill her fingers through his hair. At that moment, he felt an overwhelming need for his mother. But he knows that he can't because no one can bring back people from the dead. This only makes him cry harder, the only sound in the empty locker room was his shaky breath and his snuffles.

Then suddenly, he felt comforting arms wrap around him, gently hugging him. Harry looked to his right. For a moment, he thought his wish for his mother came true. Harry looked into her eyes, ready to see the emerald green he only had seen in pictures and in mirrors. But what he saw wasn't emerald green. Her eyes were brown. This wasn't his mother. No, this definitely wasn't Lily Evans Potter.

It was his girlfriend. He welcomed the tight and comforting embrace of Ginny Weasley.

She didn't say anything as he buried his face into her shoulder, letting the tears flow freely. He felt her run her fingers through his hair, in a comforting way like she did when he was sick.

Together, they sat there until Harry had released every emotion he had been holding in about Mother's Day for oh so long.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

One Year Later…..

Molly Weasley wasn't looking forward to Mother's Day this year. Mother's Day was usually a happy time for her, but this year there was grief, heartache, and yet, rejoicing.

The war was over, Voldemort had been defeated. But in the process, there had been many deaths. Her son Fred had been one of them.

Molly wanted to forget about the day, but her other six children wouldn't let her.

She woke up to find breakfast prepared by Ron, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and George. George made toast, Ron made scones while Charlie watched the sausage and the bacon. Percy gathered the jam, the honey, and marmalade and took it to the table, while Bill fried the eggs.

Ginny had been given the job of dressing the table. Molly noticed that Ginny had been outside, picking flowers when she recognized the tulips in the vase.

She hid behind the doorway, leading into the sitting room, watching her children as they prepared breakfast.

The back door opened and shut. "Thanks, sweetie, the vase is over there."

Molly watched as Harry placed the flowers in the vase, filling the vase with water and then sat the vase on the table before washing his hands in the sink.

Ginny then sat the table as Bill, Charlie, George, and Ron began transferring food to the serving plates.

Molly then sneaked back upstairs and to her bedroom. She knew that now that breakfast was ready, they would be coming up to get her.

She had just returned from under the covers when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she called.

Bill opened the door and said, "Breakfast is ready, you and Dad come on down.

Molly quickly changed into her day wear and then headed downstairs where her children were waiting.

She was greeted with a "Happy Mother's Day, Mum!"

Molly had to smile as she looked at her children and the beautiful meal they prepared.

After breakfast, Molly was given her Mother's Day gifts.

Bill, under the guidance of Fleur, had gotten Molly a new lightweight Cloak. The material was soft and light. The color, a burgundy red, made her hair pop.

She hugged her eldest son and thanked him for her gift.

From Charlie, she had gotten a new apron. Hers was old and worn from use. Charlie had joked that he could see spit-up stains from when Percy was a baby.

Percy gave her a gift certificate to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"You deserve to treat yourself, and use it to buy something that you want," he said.

Molly hugged Percy and thanked him for the thoughtful gift. She decided to use the certificate to get some new dress robes for any Ministry function that might come up.

George gave Molly a gift certificate to Gladrags, mentioning that some of the daywear Molly wore had seen better days. Molly hugged George a little tighter because she knew this was a joint gift from him and Fred and that they had this planned for a while.

Ron handed Molly a new basket for her knitting, along with new knitting needles and a book of patterns. Once again, Molly hugged her son, which now meant that Ginny's gift was all that was left.

Ginny had managed to go to Diagon Alley with Harry when he had to go and take care of business at Gringotts. They went looking for Molly's Mother's Day gifts after they were done.

"I hope you it like Mum," Ginny said, as she handed Molly the package. Molly opened it and found a new dressing gown, nightdress, and slippers.

Molly looked up at Ginny, having an idea of how she was able to afford it and then embraced her only daughter in a hug.

"You have one more gift," Ginny whispered.

Molly looked at her puzzled and then looked down at where the pile of presents once was. She then noticed the large stew pot that would large enough to make soup or stew for the whole family, plus more.

A closer look, Molly found there was a note inside, along with a set of wooden spoons. She picked up the note and read.

"You're the closest thing I have to a Mum. Love your seventh son."

Molly looked up and met eyes with Harry. She jumped up out of her chair and engulfed him a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you, Harry. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. Thanks, Molly, for everything," Harry returned.

It was in that moment that Harry realized that he wasn't an orphan. Yes, his parents were dead, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a family.

There is a saying that family isn't always blood-related, it's the people in your life who want you in theirs, the ones who accept you for what you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who would love you no matter what.

And on that day May, Harry learned what it was like to have a mother's love.