Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

57. "I can't do this on my own."
Bill x Charlie

He was so relieved Charlie was back. He had, despite himself, missed his brother. He and Charlie had been close growing up. In some ways Charlie was his favourite brother.

It felt a bit like blasphemy to say something like that but it was true. He loved all of his family, of course he did. But if he had to pick a favourite, it would have been Charlie.

Percy was perfectly nice but a bit staid for his tastes, you couldn't exactly go drinking with him or tell of your latest conquest (of course being a married man, one didn't have any conquests to speak of but still that was beside the point). Fred and George were just that – Fred and George, a unit, an impetrenable unit. Ron was really young when he left home. He always loved his littlest brother but he was never as close to him as he was to the older ones. It was probably because he, Bill, had left home before Ron had really gotten to be Ron, before Ron had turned into the person he would be. Bill had never really gotten a chance to get to know who Ron really was. Ginny was a girl - the only girl. Technically this meant she didn't qualify for the position of favourite brother but in terms of favourite sibling Ginny came a close second. She was feisty and brave and pretty much hero worshipped him, which did wonders for a guy's ego he had found.

When Ginny was born he had all these protective instincts which kind of caught him off guard. He'd always taken his big brother role seriously. As oldest it was his job to look out for them all. But when Ginny was born...she was just a girl, a little girl. And there were things out there, nasty things, that would get her, things he needed to protect her from because she obviously couldn't do it by herself – things like hormonal teenage boys hell bent on getting far too close. He should know - he had been a hormonal teenage boy himself once upon a time.

He had told her this once and she had been so mad he had been a little frightened. She had told him, in deadly serious tones, that she did not need looking after just because she was a girl. Then she had sent a Bat-Bogey Hex at him and refused to lift it for almost half an hour and since then he had never doubted his little sister's ability to look after herself. Or at least he had never voiced the opinion again.

"I'm glad your home." He said, not quite meeting his brother's eyes.

Charlie smirked. "Aww shucks big bro, you missed me?"

"Shut up you idiot." Bill said good-naturedly.

"Righto captain." Charlie gave a mock salute.

"Seriously though, I am glad your back. I can't do this on my own, I need your help."

"Help with what?"

"Looking after them all." He gave his brother a serious look, this was perhaps the most serious, and meaningful, moment the two of them would ever share. "There's a war coming and we're pretty tangled up in it. They're all gonna want to fight and...we're the oldest. It's always been my job to look after them but I think I need a lieutenant." He'd always prided himself on being able to take care of himself. Bill Weasley did not ask for help.

But he needed it. His pride was not about to get in the way of his family's well being. He needed Charlie to help him out here, to take care of them and to make sure that they were all okay. Because, dear Merlin, they had to all be okay. They had to get through this. He'd never be able to forgive himself if one of them got hurt...or worse...oh Merlin, please let them be okay.

Charlie nodded. "Lieutenant Weasley at your service, Major."

He hadn't meant to but Charlie's words were too amusing not to laugh at. He threw his head back and laughed and Charlie did the same.

We'll be okay, he thought, we have to be.