Author's notes:

Sorry this one took a while, it was hard to get into a flow.

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

It seemed to be the appropriate thing to do, to sift through every piece of post that came to the burrow while Harry was in their care. Albus Dumbledore and Arthur had not yet made the necessary arrangements to put the Fidelius charm into place, (there were a few things that needed to be taken care of first), and there were some safety measures that the Weasleys would have to take until that time. One of those measures included checking post that came and left their home. That was unfortunately why Ronald Bilius Weasley and Harry James Potter were in a heap of trouble.

A letter had come for them just forty five minutes prior, and Arthur had opened it. It may have been a harmless letter from a school friend, but there was also the possibility of it being a letter that might draw Harry out and into danger, or the ink may have been concealing some sort of curse. Arthur Weasley was not willing to take that risk. So despite it going against his children's right to privacy, he opened the letter and read through it. What the letter contained…did not make for a very happy Papa Weasel.

Harry and Ron approached the battered, cheap wooden table in the middle of the kitchen and their eyes scanned the opened letter in unison,

Dear Harry and Ron,

I hope your Christmas holidays are going well? Mum says we're going to be spending Christmas in Germany this year. I'm so excited! Harry, did you know the black-forest broomstick company, Ellerby and Spudmore, originated in Germany? Abel Spudmore's son actually went on to create the firebolt! I can't believe I'm going to get to see the first ever Firebolt in history! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of course, I wish you were coming with me. Mum and Dad don't really know too much about Quidditch…which is to be expected I suppose. It'd be nice to swap facts with you though. I'm not very interested in the sport myself, but who could pass up an opportunity to marvel at something so historical?!

Harry couldn't help the jealousy swelling up inside him after reading that, and he exchanged looks with Ron before continuing to read,

Oh before I forget, I took some books home with me from the library, I even managed to take one of the books from the restricted section (thanks to your cloak of course) and I've been perfecting the boomslang skin measurements. Guess what else? It will be a full moon the week we return to school. We'll be able to pick some fluxweed at last! The polyjuice potion should be ready within a few weeks of going back. Can you believe we may finally be on the verge of finding out who the heir of Slytherin is once and for all?

I've sent your presents by Owl order and I hope they get there in time for Christmas eve, tell Ron he's going to love what I got for him!

Merry Christmas and a Happy new year,

Hermione x

"Something tells me you're not mad about the fact we don't get to go to Germany to see the first Firebolt…" Harry muttered, avoiding Arthur's eye. Oh no, he knew why the man was furious with them. He knew why his face was pink with rage. Polyjuice potion was something second years ought not to be dabbling in. In fact, it was against school rules to be brewing it, not to mention Hermione had had to steal a few ingredients from Professor Snape's private stores.

"Polyjuice potion? Polyjuice?!" Arthur had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "You're both far too young to be playing around with polyjuice."

Harry felt a small surge of fury rise up under his skin, and he scowled.

"We're not playing around. We know what we're doing. We're not little kids!" He hated the way Arthur had said it, as though they were too young to handle something so complex, so advance.

"Watch your tone, Harry James." Arthur was quick to rebuke the young man before he got way out of line. "This is the very thing the both…no, the three of you don't seem to understand. You're all kids and it's not on you to find out who the heir of Slytherin is. You're too young to be messing around with polyjuice potion. I'm sure you know how many school rules you've broken just by attempting it?"

"But Dad…" Ron started to whine, looking as though he might burst into tears. He seemed to know the severity of the trouble he and his best friend were in.

"You had no right opening that letter!" Harry barked suddenly, his hands clenched into fists and his jaw set. "That was a letter for us, not you!"

Arthur closed the distance between himself and the bespectacled boy rather quickly after that, and before Harry could dart off like he usually would, he was turned to the side and Arthur applied three firm smacks to his bottom.

"Strike two Harry James. You're on thin ice so I suggest you keep yourself in check." the Weasley Father scolded after releasing the twelve year old. He hated to smack the boy, but he had to realize the way he spoke to the man was completely out of order, and Mr Weasley wouldn't stand for it. "As for the letter, normally I would agree with you. However there are certain measures that need to be taken now that you're away from your family's home and staying here."

"What, someone's going to send over an unfriendly spell in a letter, are they?" The boy huffed, furiously rubbing at his bottom and glaring at Ron's father "Seal Voldemort in the parchment?" Normally Harry wouldn't be so disrespectful, but he wasn't used to someone telling him that he could and couldn't do something. He wasn't used to being treated like the child he was, and he wasn't adjusting to this new change very well.

"Don't say his name. Curses and charms can be concealed in certain inks and quills, Harry. Not only that but someone could have written a letter intending to draw you out and toward them." Arthur countered carefully, eyeing Harry with a look of warning.

"You think I'm that stupid?" Harry growled, glaring pure hatred down at the floorboards as if they'd just insulted his mother or something.

BANG!

Arthur lost his temper and slammed his fist furiously down on the table causing poor Ron, who was already a bundle of nerves, to jump about a foot in the air.

"Of course I don't! You're not stupid Harry but you have been known to act impulsively. I swore to myself, Albus Dumbledore and your parents, I swore I would keep you safe and I intend to make good on that promise. There are people out there who want you dead, Harry James and they will use any means necessary to bring you harm. I'm not going to let anything happen to you!"

Harry lost his scowl and lifted his gaze from the floorboards to Arthur's face.

"You can kick and scream all you want but I'm not going to step back and allow you to be harmed. You haven't really had to conform to anyone's rules and expectations before but that's going to change from here on out."

"What does that mean?" Harry frowned.

"For a start there will be a set of rules that you will need to follow. There will be certain things expected of you, however Molly and I plan on going over that with you tonight, before supper."

Harry dropped his gaze again, that certainly didn't sound good.

"As of right now, you're both in trouble for meddling with polyjuice potion, I also have no doubt that you didn't find the ingredients yourselves?"

"Well…Professor Snape has a large supply…" Ron answered softly, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"So you stole from him?" Arthur's voice was hard, and made Ron wince.

"No! Hermione did." Ron squeaked, and then looked down at his feet, ashamed of himself for throwing his friend under the proverbial bus so quickly.

"But you knew about her stealing them? You also knew about her taking a book from the restricted section of the library, correct?"

"Daaaad I'm not Hermione's keeper. Why don't you tell her off instead?" Ron huffed.

"Watch the attitude, Ronald, and believe me, I will be sending an Owl to Hermione's parents once Christmas is through." Arthur made sure to let both boys know. Hermione deserved to be in trouble too, the three of them together had broken the school rules, not just one or the other. Still, it was Christmas and he didn't want to spoil the Granger's festivities with an unpleasant letter. So, he would wait. "I want you both to tell me honestly each rule you have broken, or intend to break."

"Why? We're gonna get smacked anyway…" Harry scowled.

"If you're truthful with me, the consequences won't be too harsh." Arthur countered quickly. "So, brewing polyjuice potion and stealing…or rather, using stolen ingredients, that's two. Any others?"

"Well uh…we've been brewing the polyjuice in the…girl's bathroom." Ron admitted. Both boys had known that was against school rules, even if the bathroom they had been making use of had been abandoned because of a certain irritating ghost.

"All right thank you Ron, that's three."

"We plan to…break into the Slytherin common room." Ron continued.

"Four. Good boy Ron." Arthur managed a small smile, proud of his son for being so honest. He turned an expectant look onto Harry and rose a brow, "Harry?"

"I dunno." The boy answered, shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"Harry James," the warning in Arthur's voice was clear and the twelve year old released a heavy sigh.

"We uh… plan to knock Crabbe and Goyle out with a sleeping draught." He answered quietly, "…To get the hairs." Harry supposed if Ron was going to run his mouth, there was no point in hiding anything.

Arthur felt the fury bubbling under his skin like hot lava when Harry basically told him that he, Ron and Hermione planned to drug a pair of Slytherin students. That was quite a serious matter, though he couldn't be too upset about it, considering the boys hadn't actually gone through with it…yet.

"...Okay, thank you Harry. That's five so far. Any others?"

Harry and Ron exchanged glances and pondered over whether or not to tell Arthur about the explosion Harry had caused in the Potions classroom.

"Boys?" Arthur prompted.

"I may or may not have set off a Filibuster's firework in Snape's classroom." Harry mumbled.

"Harry!"

Arthur couldn't contain his sudden burst of shock and rage this time. He could have seriously injured someone, he could have injured himself! This infraction would need to be met with a much firmer approach.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how dangerous that is!?" Arthur frowned. After all, he expected that sort of behaviour from Fred and George, not Harry.

"No sir…" Harry answered.

The man sighed heavily and brought a free hand through his thinning red locks as he processed everything the boys had told him.

"Okay…so," he straightened up, crossed his arms over his chest and eyed both boys sternly. "Making an advanced potion, taking books from the restricted section of the library, using stolen ingredients belonging to a Hogwarts professor, entering the girls bathroom, breaking into another House's common room, drugging fellow Hogwarts students, Impersonating those students, and setting off dangerous fireworks in a confined classroom. " he listed off slowly.

"Half of which we haven't even done yet." Harry frowned.

"Having the intention to do something is just as bad as doing it, Harry James." Arthur scolded.

"I guess."

"I'm sure you both know you're going to be punished for this?" Arthur asked, resignation in his voice. He hated doling out the discipline. "For everything you were honest about, you're both grounded for a week." he made clear. "If you hadn't been honest with me, you would have both been smacked with my slipper, because believe me, I would have found out."

"Yes sir…" Harry sighed.

"Yes Dad." Ron agreed, both boys hanging their heads a bit. It wasn't good news, but it was certainly a bit of sugar on the pill, as it were.

"Grounded for a week means no Wizards chess, no exploding snap, no leaving the burrow …and no swapping wizards cards." Arthur specified and felt his heart ache when Ron lifted his head and whined like a kicked puppy.

"So basically, a week of imprisonment where we'll be expected to die of boredom." Harry huffed.

"Do you want your bottom smacked with a slipper instead?" Arthur returned, a scowl of his own crossing his features.

"N-No thank you." Harry answered, ears and cheeks burning red at the thought of it.

"I didn't think so." Arthur frowned, "Keep up this foul attitude of yours Harry James, and you will not like the consequences." his patience with Harry was holding together by a few threads at this point. It was clear to Arthur that Harry was in dire need of an attitude adjustment and if he gave him one more instance of bad attitude, he would make sure he got one.

"Yes sir…" Harry answered a little more respectfully.

"As for brewing the polyjuice in the first place, you can both expect a trip over my knee. Not only is the transformation excruciating, but things can go horribly wrong. People have been known to be turned completely inside out because their polyjuice was poorly brewed." Arthur continued. "Brewing polyjuice should have never crossed your minds, either of you."

"Well…it was Hermione's idea." Ron mumbled.

"But you didn't discourage her."

"Well…no." the red head admitted.

"And Harry, you and I will be having a separate discussion about the firework you set off in the classroom." Arthur turned his attention to the dark haired boy and fixed him with a dangerous look. "You could have hurt someone, you could have injured yourself. Despite the string of luck you seem to have whenever you face peril, you are not invincible young man."

"Yes sir. Wait, separate discussion? What does that mean?" Harry asked tentatively.

"It means that, while Ron will be getting his punishment over his boxers…yours will be coming down." Arthur explained.

Ron winced and shot his best friend a look of sympathy. He knew how rubbish it was to have your bare bum smacked for something. Harry's soft green eyes widened exponentially during that explanation and he shook his shaggy mopped head from side to side, stepping back a few inches across the wooden floorboards (which creaked their displeasure beneath his feet).

"No! No you can't!" he found himself whining like a five year old, though he hadn't intended his plea to come across so childishly. "You can't Mr Weasley! I-I'm not even your kid!" even the thought of being bare bottomed across this man's lap (his best friend's Dad no less!) caused his face to explode with colour.

"I can Harry, and I will." Arthur answered simply. "You might not be my flesh and blood, but I'm your guardian now, and I intend to treat you as one of my own."

Harry would have thought that sentiment was rather sweet, touching even, had it not entailed the fact Arthur Weasley was entitled to smack his bare bottom that was. Getting smacked over his trousers the other day, that had been bad enough, but to have those and his underwear tugged down? That was beyond humiliating and daunting.

"It's not so bad mate, just hurts a bit more." Ron tried to reassure his friend,

"Ron, I want you to go and wait upstairs in your bedroom please, while I deal with Harry." Arthur said after a moment, a small smile on his face at his son's attempt to try and make Harry feel better.

Ron's eyebrows knit together in a confused frown. That was a bit odd, his Father had always said if he made mischief with a sibling then they would be punished together. Harry was now living with them, and his parents were taking care of him, so Ron considered him a sibling too. Still, he knew better than to argue and just nodded his head.

"Okay Dad." the boy turned slowly on his heel, put a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze before disappearing up the creaky, wooden staircase and to their shared bedroom.

Harry was feeling nervous now. Why had Arthur suddenly sent his friend away? Why was it suddenly just the two of them? Was Arthur wanting privacy to make this easier…or was this some evil attempt to really hurt him? Would Arthur give him a bruise or two? Smack him in the mouth like his Uncle Vernon had? The boy felt his heart hammering against his rib cage, blood pounding in his ears. It really set him on edge that Arthur had gotten rid of the only 'witness' he had, and now it was just the two of them, alone in the kitchen. Harry hadn't exactly been respectful, he'd snapped and gotten short with the man. What if Arthur wanted to make him really, really sorry for that?

"All right, Harry,"

The gentle voice pulled the boy from the depths of his anxiety, though the emotions still warred inside him as he looked into the man's calm, blue gaze. He watched, holding his breath as Arthur pulled out a chair from beneath the kitchen table and brought it to the centre of the room. Cold sweats ran over every inch of his body and he felt his hands begin to tremble. Should he run? He momentarily glanced to the door of the burrow. Where would he go? Who would take him in? No, he couldn't run. Maybe he could fight Mr Weasley off? Harry eyed him carefully from head to toe. He had a thin but strong build and Harry was scrawny with noodles for limbs. No, that wasn't an option either. He could shout for help? The Weasley kits were all buried away in their rooms, would they even hear him?

"Come here please." Arthur had seated himself and was now patting his lap meaningfully.

Harry shook his head, frozen, rooted to the spot. He couldn't move his feet even if he tried. His limp noodle legs felt like jelly, his knobbly knees were wobbling with fear. His feet felt as heavy as lead, like trying to walk with two sturdy anvils tied to his ankles. Harry hadn't been so afraid the first time, the other day, because he had Ron nearby and the bespectacled boy knew Arthur wouldn't have tried to hurt him with his son present, with a witness present.

"I can't…"

"Don't you trust me, Harry?"

"I don't know..." Harry admitted, biting his lip.

"This isn't the first time…" Arthur couldn't keep the concern from his voice.

"...Ron was there then."

Arthur's heart broke as realization dawned upon him. Did Harry think just because they were alone he was going to hurt him? Had the abuse he'd suffered at the Dursley's hands played a bigger part in Harry's life than he thought? Was he incapable of trusting people? It would make sense of course. He had known abuse victims, how everything they'd suffered had seriously warped their view of people. How they had the inability to trust people, even those who were closest to them.

"Harry, I would never, ever hurt you the way your Aunt and Uncle did." The man quickly reassured, his tone level and firm so that Harry would know he was being sincere.

"You're mad at me though, you got mad at me and hit the table." Harry couldn't help saying.

"The table Harry, not you." Arthur reminded him quickly.

"You hit me too…three times."

"I smacked your bottom, Harry." Arthur sighed. "I gave you a fair warning to mind your attitude and you continued to speak to me with a level of disrespect that I won't tolerate."

"It still hurt…" Harry couldn't keep the indignation from his voice.

"It was supposed to." Arthur sighed again for what felt like the thousandth time and leaned forward a little in the chair, "But I didn't smack you in anger, Harry. I gave you three controlled smacks in hopes it would get your attention." he paused. "Do you understand why I'm going to give you a spanking?"

"Because I set off a firework in the potions lab and played-er, meddled with polyjuice potion." Harry sighed glumly.

"And why was that naughty?"

Harry's cheeks burned at the use of the word, he felt like a child no taller than Arthur's knee. He dropped his gaze to his feet and willed the temperature in his face to drop.

"Uh…um, cause it was against the rules?"

"Yes, what else?" Arthur prompted.

"Cause um…uh…coulda…been hurt…?" Harry found it hard to own up to that fact. It still baffled him that there was someone in his life who would care if something happened to him.

"Yes Harry, you could have been hurt and you could have hurt someone else. I will not tolerate that." Arthur affirmed. "You are essentially one of my kits now and—"

"—Don't you mean kids?"

"Pardon?"

"You uh, you said…kits?"

A small smile spread onto Arthur's thin lips and his cheeks tinged the slightest shade of pink.

"Ah, well that's a term of affection I adopted early on. A kit is another name for a baby Weasel, and I suppose I still see my rabble as my babies." Arthur's patronus was a Weasel after all, and they called their home 'The Burrow' so of course he was going to feel a sort of attachment and likeness to that particular animal.

"Oh." Harry answered, not really sure how else to respond. He did think it was nice though, that Arthur held so much affection toward his 'kits'.

"All right, I think that's enough talk." Arthur said softly, the resignation returning to his voice, "Come and lay over my knee, please."

"Only if I can keep my underwear up."

Arthur's usually patient expression hardened just a bit and he shook his head,

"You don't get to dictate or compromise anything regarding your punishments, Harry James." he warned, "Come here, now." he crooked a finger at the boy, everything from his expression to his posture warned the child that it would be in his best interests to obey.

Harry willed himself to move, but it was as if someone had cast Petrificus Totalus on him, he just couldn't. He felt frozen to the spot, like the heavy feeling in his gut was an anchor weighing him down. He had never really let down his defences with anyone before, and he had never allowed himself to be vulnerable in any situation. Having his bottom bared and relinquishing control to Arthur Weasley was something that he didn't think he could do. How could he put that much trust into someone after what he'd been through at the Dursleys? His soft green orbs began filling with tears and he sniffed back the moisture forming in his nostrils.

"I can't…I just…I can't." he stammered.

Arthur felt his heart sink when the boy got himself worked up, and he realized that he was going to have to earn Harry's trust before taking certain steps. He hadn't given much thought to how being smacked on his bare bottom would affect the boy emotionally and psychologically. Harry hadn't been raised among his litter, he hadn't known love, security and guidance from two loving parents. It would take some time for him to adjust to his new surroundings and Arthur understood that, he just wished he had realized it sooner.

"All right." He said after a moment, "Don't cry Harry, come here." he said gently, rising to his feet and approaching the boy slowly, arms open.

Harry walked slowly too, until the distance between him and Arthur closed and he found himself in the man's arms, being held lovingly and firmly to the man's chest. The boy wrapped his limp arms around him and hid his face, moisture and all, into the comfort of Arthur's beige sweater-vest. Arthur's gentle hand carded through each unruly strand of hair, cradling his head close and he felt safe there. Harry listened to Arthur's gentle beating heart and shut his eyes. Was this really how it felt to have a loving parent? To feel so safe and secure? So warm and loved?

All too soon for Harry's liking, the hug broke apart and Arthur retrieved a handkerchief from his breast pocket. The boy stood still and let Arthur gently mop away all the moisture from his damp face, knowing it would be soaked again anyway once his punishment was over.

"Harry, I want you to feel as though you can trust me," Arthur started saying as he took a seat and looked into those watery green eyes, "So I'm not going to take down your underpants, this time anyway. It wasn't fair of me to expect you to trust me to that extent. After all, I forget how little time we've actually known one another, it feels as though you've always been in my life." he smiled a little sheepishly.

"I-I appreciate that, Mr Weasley." Harry answered, grateful for the fact the man was willing to accommodate him. "And…I'm sorry."

Arthur smiled and gave Harry's hand a gentle squeeze. He knew the boy was being sincere and he appreciated the apology even if it wouldn't prevent him from giving him a good smacked bottom.

"Thank you, Harry. Are you ready?" Arthur asked gently.

Harry felt his heart begin to hammer again but somehow he made himself nod. He had to trust that Arthur wouldn't hurt him beyond a sore bottom. Would it be like last time? Would Arthur hold him after it was over? He hoped so.

"Once your punishment's over you'll be forgiven and this incident wont be mentioned again…" The man paused, "Well, actually there is something we need to talk about when this is over regarding the polyjuice potion, but other than that it won't be mentioned again." with that said, the Weasley Patriarch brought Harry to lay face down across his lap.

He planned on starting out over his trousers and ending over the seat of his boxers. Arthur was going to be making this smacking quite memorable because he needed to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. He didn't want any serious harm to come to his son or his new ward. Without saying a word, Mr Weasley rose his hand and delivered the first stinging smack to the boy's left cheek, and he repeated the action on his right cheek.

"Ah!" Harry emitted a small gasp of pain and shifted his position a bit.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Another four smacks came hammering down, Arthur's palm alternating from his left cheek to his right cheek. This time, the man didn't lecture the young boy, he let his hand do the talking because Harry knew why he was being punished. There was nothing left to say.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

A sharp flurry of swats descended across the boy's upper thighs, the man's hand dancing from left to right again before moving to those sensitive under curves.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"Oww! Ah! M-Mr Weasley!" Harry yelped, shifting his position a little more and kicking his feet a bit as the sting settled from the middle of his bottom to the tops of his thighs. The man definitely had a hard hand that knew exactly how to administer a decent spanking.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Four crisp smacks to the seat of his bottom caused the boy to elicit a louder cry of pain and kick his feet with more vigour. Arthur wrapped his arm around the boy's middle to keep him in place and went back to applying sharp swats to the top of his thighs.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"Owww! No more! Ah! It hurts!" Harry whined, as though that wasn't obvious to his punisher.

"It's supposed to, young man." Arthur answered, unsympathetically. He couldn't feel too badly for the child, he had earned every single smack he got (though he had to admit hearing the boy's pained cries did tug at his heart strings). "That's the point of this punishment."

SMACK! SMACK!

After two harsh smacks to either buttock, Arthur relinquished his wand from his pocket and, using a charm, caused Harry's trousers to shoot down quickly and bunch around the back of his knees. The man put away his wand and started to gently rub the child's back when he gave a small whimper of protest.

"You're all right." he soothed, tone gentle.

"No I'm not…" Harry pouted which made Arthur smile a little. Resigned, he moved his palm back to the seat of the boy's bottom, now only protected by the thin fabric of his maroon coloured boxers. Unfortunately for Harry, his upper thighs were a little exposed and Arthur could see they were edging on a dark pink hue.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Two swats came crashing down to either cheek, and a harder one to the middle of his bottom which caused tears to burn in Harry's eyes.

"Owww! Ahhhowww! Noooo!" Harry yelled, bucking with more determination and trying to wiggle his bottom out of the line of fire. He wouldn't sit down for days, weeks…months! The tears that burned in his eyes threatened to spill but Harry refused to let them fall, he couldn't cry this early on! He wouldn't allow himself such indignity.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Unfortunately, those last four to his exposed upper thighs (where the skin was much more sensitive) broke Harry's resolve and the silvery tears began cascading down his pink, slightly heated cheeks. He sniffed back the moisture forming in his nostrils to no real avail. No matter how much he sniffed or wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his face just seemed to get wetter and wetter.

"Argh! Nooo!" Harry pleaded, his voice cracking as Arthur tipped him just a little further over his knee. He knew why he'd done that, he knew the purpose of this sudden change of position. Arthur was going to smack those very sensitive under curves. "P-Please! Please…I learned my lesson M-Mr Weasley…" he whimpered, a sob catching in his throat.

"We're almost done now Harry, last six." Arthur promised.

"B-But—!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Three swift, sharp smacks thundered across his left under curve and caused the poor skinny boy to break down into sobs.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

A final three to his right under curve only elicited a louder sob from the child as he laid limply across the man's lap, his bottom and thighs ablaze. It was over. Harry felt the sobs shudder through his skinny frame, causing his shoulders to tremble and his hands to shake. Crying so openly and sincerely was something he wasn't quite used to, he didn't know how to just succumb to a natural cry. It helped tremendously though, when Arthur scooped him up and hugged him tightly to his chest, arms wrapped lovingly and securely around him. Harry buried his narrow, damp face against Arthur's chest and his sobbing started to become a little more natural.

"Good boy Harry, you cry as much as you need to." Arthur cooed gently, rubbing the boy's back and rocking him from side to side simultaneously to try and soothe him. "I've got you, it's all right now. You're forgiven." he promised, pressing his jaw gently against the side of Harry's head, and to his surprise the boy nuzzled against him, like a kitten nuzzling close to it's parent for warmth.

They stayed there like that together for a good three minutes until Harry had calmed himself down to the occasional sniff and hiccup.

"Harry?"

"Y-Yeah?" The boy looked up so that he was meeting Arthur's eye, and the man gently wiped the tears from beneath his glasses with his thumbs,

"I want you to promise me, that when you go back to school you won't go through with your polyjuice plan." The firmness in Arthur's voice was not to be ignored, and with a sore, heated bum, he knew arguing would do him no good.

"O-Okay…"

"Promise me, Harry."

"I-I promise." Harry answered and reached back to rub his sore behind through the thin fabric of his underwear. "Can I get up now, sir?"

"Thank you Harry." Mr Weasley answered, giving the boy a loving squeeze, "Of course you can, and you don't have to call me sir." he smiled.

Harry got up from the man's knee and his hands flew to his well punished bottom, rubbing furiously at a sting that could not be doused with anything but time. He tugged up his trousers and winced, wishing he hadn't when the fabric only irritated his smacked skin.

"I'll never sit again." he pouted.

Arthur threw his head back, an amused laugh escaping him.

"Believe me, that was a love tap compared to some of the punishments I've given my kits over the years." the man smirked and got to his feet, his smile fading when he realized he still had Ron to deal with. It was going to be a long day.