They never quite forgave her for the names.

She had always loved those names, long and ancient sounding; noble, rhythmic names. Hero's names. They would be heroes, she decided, legends.

Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

She worried about them often, as it was her duty- she was always the one to look after them.

Her father had never forgiven them for killing the love of his life. He tried to love them, she had seen him try to love them, but every time he attempted a smile or a hug, he would eventually collapse into that old look of anger, disgust.

It was Molly's job to love them. It was his job to keep them fed.

Molly's job never seemed difficult to her. She adored her brothers, bright little things with wild senses of adventure, no matter how tiresome they could be.

They had always had distinct personalities.

Gideon loved being Molly's hero. He was bright and angel-faced and dreamed of being an Auror. After one day of playing, saving the damsel in distress three times in a row, he told her that he was going to defeat every dark wizard there was. He told everyone that, confident as anything.

His father laughed, but Molly had faith in him.

Gideon grinned as Molly called them her heroes.

Fabian looked away.

The day Molly Prewett left for Hogwarts, her brothers were six years old.

It was the hardest day of her life. She was a nervous wreck, more serious and motherly than any other eleven-year-old anyone had ever met. She kissed them each four times before boarding the train, hugged them until they broke away, gasping for air.

She half-smiled at her father awkwardly as he patted her shoulder, and hugged Fabian again.

She boarded the train and promptly burst into tears.

She would have liked a compartment alone but there were none left. She had wasted time on her goodbyes. She found a compartment with a quiet boy who didn't make fun of her at all and introduced himself as Arthur.

Arthur. Another hero's name. Arthur was tall and smiling and had hair just the same shade as Gideon's. He had a strange, awkward laugh and dancing blue eyes and she loved him immediately.

Arthur was sorted into Gryffindor, as she'd known he would be. Arthur would be a hero too, she decided. She was much more surprised to find herself in the house. She was never the brave one. She wouldn't grow up to be the hero. She blushed as she joined the table, feeling unworthy among the noble souls with heroic names.

Within a week, Arthur was her closest friend, and by her third year in school he was much more. She still loved Gideon and Fabian best, she assured them in her letters. She would always love them best. Somebody needed to.

She worried about her brothers, with their bright eyes and hero's spirits, shut up in that tiny house with a father that could never love them.

They started school when she was in her fifth year, and for the first time she didn't weep as she boarded the Hogwarts Express. She talked cheerfully of Hogwarts and all of the things they would do, the Prewett family of heroes. Fabian and Gideon sat in her compartment, and her friends gushed over how adorable they were, little boys who would grow into such handsome heartbreakers.

Heroes, Molly corrected them with a smile, they'll grow up to be heroes.

Gideon grinned, winking at her with his twinkling eyes, but Fabian suddenly looked unsure. Molly nodded at him slightly, wide eyes reassuring. He smiled tentatively.

They were both sorted into Gryffindor, though Fabian took longer. Was he feeling unworthy? Molly wondered. She had felt unworthy. Perhaps they weren't so different from her after all.

She shook her head, smiling at her brothers, who were eating quickly on either side of her. Impossible. Gideon and Fabian were sure to be heroes. Gideon and Fabian were better than she was.

Gideon was popular right away, attracting attention as a brilliant Quidditch player, brilliant student, always earning points and helping others. Girls loved him, handsome and sweet, nice to everyone. Molly's friends had been wrong; Gideon Prewett never broke anyone's heart.

Our hero, people would call him, once he started as the lead chaser in his second year. Molly smiled with pride everytime she heard the words.

Fabian was still quiet, often going unnoticed standing next to his twin, Gryffindor' larger than life, handsome hero. He was more introverted, but still well liked. People admired Gideon, but Fabian was respected. Fabian Prewett was smart, and honest; loyal to a fault. It wasn't until third year when someone besides Molly called him a hero, though.

He was crossing the hallway to take a shower when he saw it. An older Slytherin was harassing a first year girl; a smart, fiery Gryffindor who Fabian had developed a soft spot for, over the past months. He wasn't sure what to do, at first. Gideon would have saved her without hesitating, he knew, but he wasn't Gideon.

It was her face that convinced him, her strong, stubborn face drawn into a trembling mask. She spotted him from across the hall, navy eyes lighting with a flicker of hope, pleading towards him.

Be my hero.

A flick of his wand, and Fabian Prewett blew Lucius Malfoy across the room.

He lost thirty points for Gryffindor, but Molly was proud of him. The girl kissed him on the cheek. All in all, it wasn't too bad.

Molly's graduation came closer. She didn't sleep for weeks, before her education came to an end. Leaving her brothers, her little heroes, was terrifying. Four years seemed like an eternity, and the two weeks left before it started seemed like half a minute.

Gideon laughed when she told him that she was worried about leaving, hugged her and said that they would be all right. He and Fabian could look after themselves, now. They were practically grown-up, anyway.

Fabian was worried as much as she was, the day she packed her bags. He didn't know if he could be a hero, without her there to convince him that he was capable. He couldn't even get the girl, his best friend. The only one who he'd ever saved had chosen a new hero.

Fabian still didn't feel worthy. Fabian still worried that he'd be left behind.

Graduation came and went. Arthur proposed to her as they boarded the train for the last time, and they were married by the end of the summer. Gideon and Fabian walked her down the aisle. Their father made up some excuse, never showed up.

She pretended not to mind. Gideon and Fabian were the only family she needed, she reminded herself as she shook the tears out of her eyes.

Molly went off to live her new life, but only after she'd kissed her brothers six times each, hugged them so hard that their lungs almost burst.

She wrote to them every day, right up until she had her first child, a boy. He had a sweet face and predictably red hair and for the first time in her life, she loved someone besides her brothers the most.

William Weasley. It wasn't quite a heroic name; Gideon and Fabian had told her that they wouldn't allow her to curse her child as she had cursed them. Arthur liked William. Molly would tolerate it, at least.

William Weasley didn't need to be a hero, just yet. He was too young, too small. He was safe, so long as he had a mother to hold him.

The same couldn't be said for the rest of them.