Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. No copyright infringement is intended. Dialogue towards the end is reproduced from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The title of this ficlet is taken from the song of the same name from Disney's Peter Pan.

MC4A Challenges: LL; ToS; BAON; FPC; SHoE; In a Flash; Claimed; Gryffindor MC 2; Slicing Life; New Fandom Smell
Representations: Molly Weasley; Weasley Family; Hogwarts; Motherhood
Bonus Challenges: Second Verse (Brood, Terse, Misshapen Pods, Not a Lamp)
Word Count: 916

Gift!fic for pixileanin, written for the MC4A Secret Santa 2018.

Your Mother and Mine

"Turn around, boys, let's try one more time."

"But Mum, you're going to make us late," Percy complained. "I've got to go meet up with the other Prefects—"

"Oh, really, Perce, you're a Prefect?" said Fred peevishly. "We'd no idea—"

"Stop your fussing," Molly cut in. "We'll get you all onto the platform in plenty of time." She took another glance back at the scrawny, wild-haired child standing forlornly between platforms nine and ten. Poor thing, he looked so frightened and confused; Muggle-born, no doubt, that would explain why he didn't know how to get onto the platform. Though one would think his parents would at least have stayed with him till he found out, instead of leaving him stranded in the middle of King's Cross Station.

"Not the most observant bloke, is he?" said George.

"He's just feeling overwhelmed, poor dear," Molly said. "Let's walk past him just once more; I'm sure he'll notice us this time."

"You said that the last two times," said Fred, rolling his eyes.

"Now you just watch your tone with me, Fred Weasley, or you can go wait in the car and I'll drive you up to the school myself!"

"But Mum," said Ron, anxiously glancing up at the clock, "why can't we just go and tell him how to get onto the platform?"

"Because, darling, we don't want to scare the poor boy even worse by descending on him all at once. Much better to let him come to us." Molly looked at the boy again. She did want to give him a chance to come over to them on his own—she knew better than anybody how overwhelming her brood could be when taken all at once—but it was getting perilously close to eleven o'clock, and if he didn't hear them on this pass, she might need to be a bit more direct. Still, it was worth one more try.

"Come on, then," she said, and the six of them started back in the boy's direction. As they got close, she began talking loudly. "Station's positively packed with Muggles, of course—"

She saw with satisfaction that she'd gotten the boy's attention at last. As he swung round to look at them, she noticed again how painfully thin he was. His clothing hung off him in bags, worse even than Percy in Charlie's old robes before she'd taken them in his first year. He looked in desperate need of a good meal, and maybe some pumpkin pasty to follow. A few meals in the Great Hall would take care of him soon enough, but that didn't stop her wishing she could take him home and feed him up a bit herself.

The boy started pushing his trolley toward them, and she stopped her family in front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "Now, what's the platform number?"

"Nine and three-quarters!" Ginny piped up. "Mum, can't I go?"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first." She nodded to let her son know it was okay to go ahead. They had the boy's attention; now to show him what to do.

Percy gave a little huff of relief and began pushing his trolley toward the barrier. Molly kept an eye on the boy to make sure he was watching, but just before Percy vanished through the wall, a crowd of Muggle tourists passed between her family and the boy. The look of alarmed confusion on his face when he came back into view wrung her heart. As if she wouldn't send her entire brood back and forth through the barrier fifty times if that was what it took for the poor thing to figure it out.

"Fred, you next." She turned around to see that Fred and George had switched trolleys and were winking and grinning at each other as if they thought they were terribly clever.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said Fred from behind his twin's trolley. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

Molly shook her head in amusement. She might have been distracted by helping the poor child, but she wasn't that distracted. Still, she played along. "Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred!" He took off for the barrier, looking very pleased with himself, and George followed close behind.

"Excuse me."

Molly's heart thrilled when she heard the soft, timid voice behind her. She turned around and smiled warmly at him. "Hello, dear. First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too." She pointed at her youngest son.

"Yes. The thing is—" the boy stammered, "the thing is, I don't know how to—"

"How to get onto the platform?" Molly finished for him gently.

He nodded.

"Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

"Er—okay," he said uncertainly. She smiled at him encouragingly, and he started off, walking more and more quickly as he got closer to the barrier. She took several steps forward, ready to help if he should lose his nerve or if the trolley should get out of hand, but he made it through without incident. Brave little soul, she thought fondly as he vanished out of sight. I'll make a son of you yet.

A/N: The idea for this ficlet came from something I found on Pinterest. The entire post is reproduced below (profanity removed):

scaredpotter: "tbh the most unrealistic thing in harry potter is when mrs weasley in the first book asks 'now what's the platform number?' like this woman has been going to that school for seven years and then dropped kids off on the same place for nearly ten like why on earth would she forget the platform number"

marauders4evr: "I still have the headcanon that Molly Weasley saw a scrawny underfed child with an owl who had no idea where he was going and looked lost and confused and was like 'Ah, yep, new son.' but didn't want to scare him by outright approaching and asking if he needed help so she was just like, 'MUGGLES, MUGGLES EVERYWHERE! DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE PLATFORM NUMBER TO WIZARD SCHOOL IS? WHAT'S THAT? NINE AND THREE QUARTERS? OH, YES, THAT'S RIGHT. THE PLATFORM NUMBER IS NINE AND THREE QUARTERS!' Of course, seeing as how Harry isn't the most observant bloke, she probably ushered her kids past him fifty times as different ones screamed the platform number until they finally got his attention."