Title: To let them be children

Summary: Molly Weasley must realise that she can't always protect the children.

Timeline: Summer between fourth and fifth summer

Notes: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters in this story. All belongs to JK Rowling

"But, Mum, you let George and Fred go all the time!" Ron said. "All we want to do is get out and go to Diagon ourselves to pick up our school supplies. You haven't let us out of the house since we got here."

"Ronald Weasley," Mrs. Weasley said, "you know I can't stop Fred and George anymore now that they can Apparate. Half the time, I don't know where they are. No, you three should stay here, where it's safe."

Ron was about to protest again, but Hermione stepped up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Mrs. Weasley, I know you're just worried about anything happening to us with You-Know-Who on the lose, but he hasn't done anything since the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Not to mention, it's Diagon Alley. We'll be surrounded by witches and wizards. You-Know-Who wouldn't dare try anything there."

"It's not him I'm worried about, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, "I'm worried about his supporters. You saw what they did at the World Cup last year. You were there."

Hermione shuddered involuntarily as the memories of that awful night flashed through her head. She knew Mrs. Weasley was probably right, but that didn't stop her from saying, "Yes, but as far we know, they weren't exactly doing his orders. They were probably very drunk and thought to have fun at the Muggles expense. The only one using the attack to their advantage was Barty Jr."

"That may be, but think about what could happen if a Death Eater is getting drunk at the Leaky Cauldron, and sees you three. What could happen to you? You, Hermione, have to be especially careful. With the dark times ahead, your heritage will make you a target," Mrs. Weasley said, not understanding why these children could not comprehend the danger that existed out there with that monster on the loose.

"Mum," Ginny spoke up for the first time, "If you let me, Ron and Hermione go to Diagon Alley for one day, I'll tell you where Fred and George hid all the Extendable Ears." Hermione and Ron tried to wave her off as Mrs. Weasley wheeled on the youngest child. But Ginny held her ground. "Fred and George hid a couple extra ones that you don't know about, and I know where they are."

"Ginerva Weasley! You will tell me where those are right now!" Mrs. Weasley's face turned a shade red bordering on purple as she loomed over her youngest child.

Ginny didn't flinch, but simply asked, "May we go to Diagon Alley?"

"No, you may certainly not!"

Ginny shrugged. "Then I guess the Extendable Ears stay hidden." She headed back up the stairs. Ron and Hermione followed quickly, not wanting to be caught in the wrath of Molly Weasley, or to be anywhere in the hallway when the Black Matriarch started screaming. At first, as they raced quietly up the stairs, they didn't hear anything coming from Mrs. Weasley, but as they reached the second floor, the angry sputtering had started, and if they didn't reach a room soon, they would be caught in the hallway when the covered portrait at the end of the hall would start screaming its own mad rantings. Ron's room was the closest, and they dashed inside just as his mother found her voice.

"GINERVA MOLLY WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley roared, waking up every portrait in the house, "GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! And you WILL tell me where those Ears are!" When it was clear that Ginny was not coming back downstairs, Molly stomped off into the kicthen. "How dare she talk to me like that. I don't know what's gotten into that child."

Sirius Black was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up as Molly stormed in and sat down at the table. "You woke up the portraits again," he said, turning back to the paper.

Molly gave a wearied sigh. "Yes, I know, but those children are starting frazzle my nerves. Don't they see it's in their best interest to remain here? At least here, I know You-Know-Who can't find them."

Sirius closed his paper. "Molly," he said, "you've had them couped up here since the end of the school term. They're young, and they're not used to staying in one place for too long. They can't even go outside, really. And Ron really wants to try out for the Quidditch team this year. How can he do that if he can't practice?"

"But it's not SAFE! He could attacking any time now, Sirius."

Sirius shook his head. "I don't think so, Molly. We would know. There would be clues, sudden disappearances. The Ministry couldn't keep it all quiet and out the papers. Prominent people who opposed him before would be gone without a trace. His followers would be quietly dropping out of site, to prepare. There would some news. If not in the paper, then Snivilous would have reported it."

"First of all, it's Severus. You promised Dumbledore, remember? And secondly, I don't know what the Ministry will keep quiet. It didn't come out for a while that Bertha was even missing."

"That's because she went missing all the time," Sirius replied, "Besides, don't you think Arthur would have noticed something?"

Molly sighed again. "I'm not sure of anything anymore, Sirius. Nothing has been the same since that last task of the Tournament. And poor Harry. Why must he stay with those awful Muggles? He should be here, with us, where we could protect him."

"On that point, I heartily agree with you, but Molly, you're stifling the children. They need to get out, they need to...to see the sky every now and then, and not through the window. It's not like they want to go out into the woods. They just want to go to Diagon Alley. Voldemort is not very likely to attack Diagon Alley, not this soon after returning. He's a patient man. He's waited this long, he knows he wait longer until no one believes in Harry or Albus. And once that happens, that's when he will start his attack."

Molly got up and began puttering around the kitchen, making tea. She set the pot on the stove and turned back to Sirius. "Are you sure about that? I mean, really sure?" There was silence now. Someone must have finally quieted the portraits upstairs. The only sound now was the sound of the tea kettle rattling as the water started to come to a boil.

Sirius thought for while before he finally answered, "As sure as anyone can be during these dark times. Besides, it's not like they would be allowed to go alone. That's dangerous, Dark Lord or no. Remus is planning to go there for information and supplies, why not let them tag along?"

"What about the full moon?"

"Molly, that's not for another two weeks, first off, and second off, they would be out during the day, not at night. They couldn't be safer if they went with Mad Eye. I can promise you that. Remus would rather die than let anything happen to those children." Sirius was a little sharp with his reply, but it was always the same when it came to his last remaining childhood friend. Suddenly, he looked hopeful. "But, if you really don't feel comfortable with Remus watching the children, they could always take their old friend Snuffles with them. Nobody is going to question three children with a big black dog."

"Except that You-Know-Who is bound to know that your Animagus form is a black dog, and will be looking for that. It's not safe for you to leave this house, Sirius. Dumbledore has already told you that."

Sirius slumped back down again. "Yes, you're right. I'm a prisoner yet again, but this time people are saying it's for my own good. As though Semantics are going to make any difference. A prison is a prison, this one just doesn't have dementors or bars on the windows. I daresay, though, I still think Azkaban has the better interior decorator."

"Sirius, I'm sorry," Molly said, pouring them both cups of tea now that the water had finally come to boil, "I know you want to be free, but until all this over, I don't think it will safe for you. At least, not until they find Pettigrew." She sat down again, and sighed for the third time that afternoon. She seemed to have been doing a lot of that since the school term had ended, more so when her own son...but no, she couldn't think about that particular betrayal right now. It was still too fresh and painful. "Oh, you're probably right, Sirius. It's just one day. What could it hurt?"

"That's the spirit, Molly, dear. Let them be children while they still can. Who knows how long that will last."

Molly got up from the table and headed up the stairs to find the children. They were in Ron's room, playing a game of Exploding Snap. They looked when Mrs. Weasley walked in. Ron and Hermione looked distinctly uncomfortable, but Ginny just looked up at their mother calmly, waiting for whatever decision she had come to. "Ron, Hermione, yo two can relax, I'm not angry with you," she said, glancing at the younger children briefly before returning her stern gaze at the youngest of her children. "Mr. Lupin will be going to Diagon Alley tomorrow. If he agrees, the three of you may go with him, which, knowing you three, you have already approached him about this, and he told you to ask me." From the slight red tinge to Ron's face, and the sheepish look on Hermione's, Mrs. Weasley knew she had guessed correctly. Ginny simply stood up and headed out, most likely to the room she was sharing with Hermione. "And where do you think you are going, young lady?"

Ginny calmly turned around, and smiled sweetly at her mother. "I was just going to my room to make sure I everything in order to go to the Diagon Alley tomorrow with Mr. Lupin. And to maybe write a letter to Harry. I'm sure he would want to hear something than 'loads happening here, but we're forbidden from telling you anything.' I know it would be very frustrating for me to be at the middle of all this, and yet, kept completely in the dark." She turned back and continued to head to her room.

"Not so fast, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, stepping out of Ron's room, "I think we still have something to discuss. Those Extendable Ears, perhaps?"

"Oh, those. I really don't know where Fred and George hid them. I was just hoping it would take you longer to agree to let us go, so I could find them. I'm not even sure if there are anymore of them around."

Mrs. Weasley barely registered the door behind her close as she began sputtering again.

In the kitchen, Sirius looked up from his paper again. "There go those portraits again. This is the last time we use this as a hideout." This time, he got up to see what he could do about those portraits.