Authors Note: Not sure if I've managed to put this in the right catergory or not. It didn't really seem to fit anywhere, but if anyone thinks it should be somewhere else let me know. Thanks

Disclaimer - As you can probably tell characters etc aren't mine they're JKRs

"Dora, go to your room."

Her dad had been becoming more serious lately, she was young, but knew it had something to do with the way adults stopped talking whenever she came into a room unexpectedly. It had something to with the way her friend Jenny and her family had suddenly vanished and how people whispered that it was the fault of the wizard who didn't have a name. Now apparently it had something to do with Uncle Sirius.

"But…."

"Now, Dora," her mothers voice cracked slightly as the figure came along the garden path, he had people with him, they moved slowly hands in pockets and it all looked very official.

Nymphodara pouted and stamped her feet then did as she was told because whatever was happening in the world beyond the safety of the front garden it made mum use the voice she reserved for talking about her sisters. Something was very wrong, Dora thought, Uncle Sirius didn't visit often but when he did he usually bought sweets, and laughter and sometimes friends that would carry her around on their backs. With this in mind she crawled back down the landing and half way down the stairs where she could hear the voices from the kitchen.

"That's why we have to fight back," she could hear Uncle Sirius saying, he was loud and using the voice that meant this was really important, "the longer we leave it the harder it's going to become to stand up to him."

Dora leaned forward pushing her forehead against the banisters until it hurt and she knew she was going to have a bruise. Him could only be one person, it was the wizard with no name who turned up on the radio and the front of the paper every time bad things happened, and Uncle Sirius and his friends were fighting him.

"I told you no," Her mum said, "we can't endanger our daughter like that, we've seen what he can do, there's a family just down the road that have disappeared for Merlin's sake."

"They would have been killed if the Order hadn't got to them first," Uncle Sirius was angry, "honestly Andy, this is our chance to prove we aren't as Black as the rest of them."

"We aren't fighters." That was her dad, "and we aren't young like you boys," he sounded weary, "we would like to help.."

"Then help us," she recognised this voice, it was the boy with the glasses, the one who had the pretty girl with him sometimes, "I know how you feel, but that's why I'm fighting so my family will have a safer world to grow up in."

Dora was edging down the stairs now, she could see them huddled around the kitchen, Sirius pacing, James looking uncomfortable and her mum and dad together, holding hands against them. Her mum shook her head, "It's not that easy, it never has been, you know what Bella threatened when we married. I don't want her attention drawn back to us, or to Nymphadora, she deserves a better childhood than us."

They stood looking at each other across the kitchen table, both with that immovable expression that made them look more similar then they really were. Her father and James just looked uncomfortable as the minutes dragged, finally it was Sirius that moved first, part of Dora expected him to hex something but instead he just threw up his hands and scowled. "Fine," he said, "come on, Prongs," which made her let out a breath she had forgotten about.

James smiled apologetically and Dora scooted down the stairs to catch her uncle before he left, but he was already out of the door and striding down the path.

"Dora…" she heard he mother shout, but she had run out on to the gravel and was calling his name. It was only when James stopped him that he turned round, "all right, Squirt?" He said is almost angrily but it didn't stop him lowering himself on the path, "no time to stop today."

She could see he hadn't, there were others waiting for him at the end of the garden, the tall one who never said very much and the short round boy that reminded her of a rodent for some reason.

She was breathless from her run, and was very aware of her mother in the doorway looking angry, she was used to her mum being angry with her, could practically feel the frown on her back, but she knew she had to say it now or miss her chance, "I want to help," she said quickly, "I'll fight, he killed my friend, Jenny."

Sirius looked at her for a moment with one of those complicated expressions adults use when they aren't sure what they are feeling, then he grinned, much more like the Sirius she was used to, and mussed her hair, "no way, Squirt."

"I can do it," she said, "I want to help."

"I'm sure you can but…well, you can't because you see, you're the reason we're fighting, you need to grow up safe and strong so that what we're doing is worthwhile."

Dora frowned at that, "then why won't mum and dad help?"

Sirius had that expression again, he looked up over her shoulder to the house where her mum was probably glowering, "they are helping," he said after awhile, "they're going to help you grow up to be the best that you can. Will you do that for us?"

"Sure," she said, "but I'd rather fight."

He planted a kiss on her forehead, it was wet and sloppy, much like his kisses usually were, only this time she didn't shriek in disgust and try to run away, "that's because you're my cousin," he said proudly.

"Padfoot, we need to go," James was hovering in the background, running his hands through his hair, making it stand up on end so he looked like a scarecrow.

"Stay safe, Squirt," Sirius ruffled her hair again as he stood up, "and look after your mum and dad for me."

"Dora, come back now," her mum called but she followed them to the road, stopping at the edge where the grass met the wall. She flung her arms over the scratchy bricks and watched them hurry away down the street going off to make the world a better place for her. It seemed unfair that no one had been there to make it better for them in the first place.