Disclaimer: still don't own. sigh

I know, I know another new one, But to tell the truth, this has been sitting in a file so long I'd practically forgotten about it. The basic storyline is thus--The Weasley family was I n hiding during the first war, their safe house was attacked by Deatheater's, leaving the six Weasley brothers to make their own way to safety.

This is dedicated to the very much under appreciated Bill and Charlie Weasley (who have yet to even show up in the films--how depressing ey.)

Please enjoy, and remember to review!

London 1

"Charlie! Charlie where are you?" Bill yelled desperately, coughing as the smoke swirled around him. He kept his arms curled tightly around Ron's tiny body. When he had heard the secret alarm go off when the attack began not minutes before, he and Charlie hadn't even exchanged words as he ran to get Ron, knowing his parents would have Ginny and Percy. Charlie had raced off to get the twins. The eldest Weasley brother stumbled out of the house, staring around wildly for any sign of his parents and other brothers.

"Bill!"

His head snapped round and he saw Charlie stumble out behind him, holding onto the twins hands tightly. Bill smiled in relief. "Come on!" he said urgently, taking off towards the hidey-hole their parents had shown them when they had moved into this safe house. They dived in, Bill ushered his younger brothers to the back before turning to look out, towards the burning building that had been their home for five weeks. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of his parents, or the Deatheater's. Growing more concerned with every passing second.

"Bill," Charlie said quietly, startling him. "Where's mum and dad?"

"An' Percy?" one of the twins added.

"An' Ginny?" the other put in.

Bill glanced back at them, biting his lip. As the eldest brother, it was his job to look after all his siblings. The idea of Percy or Ginny being still inside the house was frightening. Their parents would be ok. They could look after themselves. But Percy was only five, and Ginny was only a baby, younger than Ron. He looked back at the house and swallowed thickly. "Charlie, come here." he called softly.

Charlie detangled himself from the twins and approached his brother. "Yeah?"

Bill handed him the squirming Ron. "I'm going to find Percy and Ginny." he said.

"Bill--" Charlie tried to protest.

"I have to Charlie!" Bill pulled himself out and took off at a run back to the house.

Charlie watched him go with wide eyes. "Bill… don't leave me…" he whispered, not hearing the twins hushed questions behind him.

Bill shoved his way into the burning house, not taking the time to wonder why he was doing this. Surely, his parents had already taken his little brother and sister out with them already. But that did nothing to stop him. He coughed as the smoke closed in around him, shying away from the licking flames. He tried to edge his way to his parent's room. He almost cried in fear when he saw a shadow through the flames, thinking it to be a deatheater. But the shadow became clearer as his little brother. "Percy!" he choked. He dived forward, ignoring the fire to grab hold of the younger boy. He froze though, when he saw two large, adult sized shapes on the floor through the smoke.

The tiny whimper from Percy snapped his attention back to his brother, and without further thought he lifted him up and sprinted back outside, ignoring the flames. Feeling sick to his stomach. He was lucky, he knew, to have found Percy. There was no way he could have found Ginny… he burst outside, not stopping as he sprinted towards his brothers hiding place. He slid inside, slipping to land on his butt, clutching at Percy, crushing him to him.

"Bill?" Charlie asked. "Bill…" he looked away when Bill looked at him, knowing that only the worst could bring tears to his big brothers eyes.

"Where's mummy?" Fred asked.

"An' daddy?" George asked.

"An' Ginny?" Fred finished.

Percy whimpered and clung even more tightly to Bill.

Charlie swallowed, unable to say anything.

"Ginny's with mum and dad." Bill whispered.

"Are they gonna come soon?" Fred demanded to know.

"I want mummy!" George looked about to cry.

Charlie looked to Bill desperately. "They…" he started, but he couldn't quite wrap his mind round the idea.

"We need to go--now! The Deatheater's haven't found us yet, but we need to be gone before they realise we're not in the house." Bill said, refusing to let Charlie say their parents weren't coming back, that he had failed to save his little sister. His parents had got out--they had to have. They had taken Ginny with them.

But it felt wrong to him, however much he wanted to believe it. Because they wouldn't have left Percy in the fire by himself. They wouldn't have left them out here alone. He knew about… death… his parents had explained it to him and Charlie, explaining that they would have to look after each other and the younger children if anything was to happen. That this was a war, and sometimes people… died… He was only twelve years old" he couldn't look after five younger brothers by himself! No matter what he had told his parents. He couldn't!

He tightened his hold on Percy for a moment, looking over at the twins. They were only three, how could he hope to make them behave? And Ron--Ron was still a baby. He didn't know how to look after a baby. His eyes met Charlie's, and he was glad Charlie was only a year younger than him; at least he had some help. Because he had to look after them. He had promised.

At least until mum and dad came to find them.

Because they just had to come back.

He blocked the vision of those two adult bodies on the burning floor out of his thoughts and struggled to his feet, setting Percy down. Percy blinked and looked at the ground. Bill held out his arms for Ron. Charlie handed the now semi-sleeping baby back to him, reaching to taker hold of the twin's hands once again.

"We all have to be really quiet. Nobody say anything unless you really, really have to." Bill said, forcing himself to take control, though he wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and cry. He was the big brother. It was his job to look after them.

"Where will we go?" Charlie asked, pulling the twins close.

Bill swallowed and grimaced as he thought. Around them was a forest. They could hide out in there until morning. After that… he'd think about that tomorrow. "The forest for tonight. We'll see in the morning." he said, looking at Charlie, who nodded. "You go first, be quiet and be careful." he said.

Charlie nodded, he peeked over the edge towards the house, pushing aside the urge to cry when he thought of their parents, he had realised what Bill was not saying. "I can see shadows!" he hissed urgently, spotting a number of dark shapes.

"Deatheater's?" Bill asked.

"I don't know." Charlie responded.

Bill had a look towards the house and bit back a curse that would have earned him a clip round the ear if their mum had been there. He looked to where the first of the trees started. "They aren't looking over here. Just go really quickly, wait just inside the trees and I'll be there in a minute."

Charlie nodded, pulling himself out quickly, pulling the twins out after him. With a quick look behind him to make sure the Deatheater's were indeed not looking, he grabbed the twins hands and made a dash for the trees.

Bill kept a watch on the Deatheater's. He turned round to Percy when he was sure Charlie and the twins were safe in the trees, to find his little brother standing quietly, head down, shaking. He bit his lip worriedly. "Percy?" he asked.

Percy didn't look up, just held out his hand, almost hesitantly. Bill took it, gripping it tightly. He glanced out. The Deatheater's were still oblivious to their presence. He squirmed out of the hidey-hole, pulling Percy with him and clutching Ron to him tightly.

The short run to the trees seemed to take forever. Bill waiting for the Deatheater's to notice them and for the curses to start flying. But they reached the trees without incident. Charlie gave him a strained kind of grin. Bill nodded and they headed deeper into the forest. Away from the still burning house and the shadows that surrounded it.

No, it's not over yet. There is more to come. Review please!