Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes, tutting at them and barking orders. It was not until all the children were safely back inside the dreary Grimmauld Place that she began ranting. She had taken the lead, Apparating with Ginny while Bill Apparated with Ron and Hermione, Sirius with Holly. The latter two were just entering the house, door firmly shut and protective Charms in place, when Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice began to echo from the kitchen.

"How dare you deliberately disobey me in matters of your safety. We go through all the trouble to keep you safe, to keep you hidden, and you act as if this is some kind of game. Your father and eldest brother are out there risking their lives to aid the Wizarding World and their own family goes looking for trouble!"

"Mum," Bill's voice sounded weary, "Don't bring me into this."

"We don't go looking for trouble, Mum!" Ron growled loudly, "It comes looking for us because of Holly. Don't know how you haven't realized that yet."

Holly flinched, her feet grinding to a halt. She whirled around, away from the big wooden door she was about to cautiously walk through. Instead, she planted her face against a set of gray robes that smelled like bourbon and spice. Her tired body leaned against her Godfather.

Sirius sighed, putting his arms around her thin shoulders and holding her close. He whispered sadly, "War brings out the worst in people. Ron is angry and worried. And so is his mother."

"Don't give me cheek, Ronald Billius Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked. Her voice was high-pitched and thin. "You disappeared into the night again after all the times I've begged you, no, ordered you, to stay put. You put yourself in danger, but what's worse is you dragged your sister into this mess now. Your job is to protect her. Instead of doing so, you allowed her to participate in this farce."

"He didn't make-" Ginny's voice rang out heatedly, but Ron's deep voice cut her off quickly. He retorted, "You have it wrong, Mum. Dead wrong."

"Mrs. Weasley…" Hermione's trembling voice could be heard almost stuttering. "I-I was the one who woke to find Holly leaving. She needed to see Professor Dumbledore rather urgently. I didn't want her alone. Ginny woke when we argued and I wouldn't leave her behind. I-I was the one who suggested waking Ron, too."

There was a stunned silence and then Mrs. Weasley's voice quivered with suppressed emotion. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I can't tell you," Hermione cleared her throat, "No matter how much I want to, or Ron wants to, we can't explain our actions to you or anyone else. It's a matter of great importance. Sometimes, Holly needs our help and as her friends we have to stick with her. I'm sorry if we worried you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Well," Mrs. Weasley spoke quietly, "We will see what Albus Dumbledore has to say once I'm through with him. All three of you eat your food and head to the third-floor bathroom. I want it scrubbed by hand. Cleaning solutions are under the sink."

There was shuffling and then she added, "Ron. Ginny. Your father will be home to speak to you at dinner time. Now, where did Holly get to?"

Holly's fists tightened in the fabric of Sirius's robes. She took a shuddering breath and Sirius called out, "I'm speaking with her myself, Molly. She will meet the kids on the third-floor later."

With a gentle tug, Holly followed Sirius to the nearest sitting room. It was a bit stuffy and dark, but somebody had Charmed the furniture deep maroon, which somehow made Holly feel better even though it clashed horribly with the walls. Sirius sat on the edge of a sofa and Holly plopped down beside him. She stared at the floor and sighed. "I didn't want them there with me."

"I know," Sirius said quietly, "but one thing I learned in life is that true friends won't ever leave you, Holly. They would follow you to Hell and back. Ron and Hermione are those type of friends. Ginny, too. The entire Weasley family, really."

Holly slowly asked, "What if I don't want them to follow me?"

Sirius leaned forward, softly touching her forearm. He replied, "When it comes to love, we don't have a choice in how we feel. We only have choices in how we act. Am I wrong in assuming you tried to keep your friends from harm tonight and all the other times you found yourselves in trouble?"

She looked at the floor and shook her head mutely.

"Then, they see that you care. They see that you want them safe, but they also want you safe. It's a frustrating thing for all involved, Holly, but what neither you nor your friends realize is that there is no safety in war. Only fighting and survival and death."

She frowned, arms tensing beneath his touch. He patted her arm once and moved back, settling deeply into the sofa. Sirius sighed, long and hard. "I'm no good at pep-talks. Your dad used to tell me so all the time, but I'm trying for you."

Holly glanced his way, a ghost of a smile passing across her lips. His lips twitched upward into a grin that made him look years younger. Holly asked, "Did you two ever, you know, argue over each other's safety?"

His smile faded. He whispered, "Sure. It wasn't quite like your situation, but we disagreed, especially during the middle of the previous war. Lily never did like us becoming Aurors on top of our active Order business. I suppose we were considered high-profile resisters, your dad and I. We were young. James and I were proud to be labeled as such. We lost so many friends and family. Mentors and co-workers. We were angry. We were hurt and scared and vengeful, Holly."

She frowned and asked, "So, you and Mum fought about your and Dad's job?"

Sirius shrugged and gave another sad smile. "She would fuss at times. It's like Mrs. Weasley right now. See, Lily knew what we were doing was important, but she was just as scared as the rest of us. She didn't want your dad or me hurt."

They lapsed into silence until Holly questioned, "Were they worried about me?"

"Yes," He slowly said, "When you were born, I had never seen Lily prouder or more terrified. Your dad, too. Everything changed when Lily found out she was pregnant."

Holly turned, scooting her knees closer until they nearly brushed with Sirius's pant leg. The pain and irritation and confusion boiling inside of her was settling. She eagerly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Everything became personal, even more personal than before. Not just for your parents, but for me as well. I never got along with my family, particularly my parents and younger brother. Most of the time, I felt as if I had no family. Your father, and his parents, took me in when no one else gave a damn. James was…" He looked away quickly, swallowing heavily before turning to face Holly once more. He repeated, "James is, and will always be, my brother. He wasn't just a best friend. It's difficult to explain, Holly."

She glanced at her knees and whispered, "No. I know exactly what you mean."

Sirius offered a twist of his lips as Holly mumbled, "My dad was your Ron."

He nodded slowly, dark gray eyes looking suspiciously shiny. He blinked and the glisten was gone. He cleared his throat and said, "We were protective of you. Lily, James, and I were focused on trying to end the war as quickly as possible. We didn't want you to have to see or deal with any of this mess. Your dad came to me when Lily told him about the pregnancy. He was scared. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He didn't know what to do, so he came to me in a panic. I will never forget that night as long as I live. James Potter, confident and sure always, was suddenly panicking."

Sirius chuckled and Holly smiled wobbly. "When did they ask you to be my Godfather?"

"About halfway through Lily's pregnancy." Sirius replied, "We all lived together straight out of Hogwarts up until a month before your birth. I tried not to put my nose in your parents' business, but James and Lily both included me. I helped Lily paint your nursery and ready the old cottage with James. I picked up extra yarn when your Mum was crazily knitting booties all day long. A time or two, I took Lily to her Mediwitch appointments when James was busy with the Order."

Holly let out a breathless laugh. "You were my Godfather from the start."

Sirius's face softened in a way she had never witnessed before. He whispered, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I was."

They stared at one another a moment longer before Sirius said, "I miss them every day. Life is too short to fight with people you love. I wish somebody had told me that when I was your age."

She smiled slowly and stood up. The echoing grumbles and stomps from upstairs told her exactly where her friends could be found. She said, "Thanks, Siri."

His answering smile wasn't sad now. He said, "Anytime, kid."

AN: I hope you enjoyed. Merry Christmas to any who celebrate.