"Or maybe home is just
two arms wrapped
around you when you're
at your worst."

Kira left the room she had been staying since she arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place two days ago. She was dressed in a navy blue skirt, thick stockings, a white sweater and a cream coat.

Today she would be visiting her sister at Raymond Manor.

She walked downstairs, making sure to keep her gaze to the ground when she walked past the house elf heads.

Downstairs she found Regulus in the dining room drinking tea.

"Morning," she said.

Regulus looked up and smiled, "morning. Would you like some tea?"

Kira nodded and sat down across from him.  Instead of asking Kreacher to make her tea he got up and made it himself.

"Where are your parents?" She asked. She had not seen or heard them today. Walburga would usually be screaming at Kreacher at this time.

"Oh, they're out. I think they're having tea with the Avery's," he answered as he brought her tea to her.

"Thank you," she smiled and she took a sip. "I'm glad it's not peppermint," she sighed in relief.

Regulus playfully glared at her, "Peppermint tea is still better than whatever you drink."

"It really is not," she laughed.

"It is. Are you visiting your sister today?" He asked once he noticed she was all dressed up.

"Yes I am. I usually go home on the holidays so I wanted to check up on them," she explained.

"Oh okay, are you going now?" He asked.

"Yes, I want to go early so I can be back in time for dinner. What about you? Any plans for today?" She said as she got up.

"I think I'll catch up on some of my holiday work," he said, following her to the fireplace.

"Good luck with that Potions essay, I swear Professor Slughorn doesn't know that it's the holidays."

Regulus laughed and waved her goodbye as she stepped into the fireplace. She grabbed some Floo Powder and threw it down while speaking the words, "Raymond Manor."

The world around her changed as Regulus' warm smile was replaced by her sister's living room.

She dusted off her clothes and stepped out of the fireplace. She looked around to see where her sister was, or anyone really, when her sister came running into the room covered in flour.

"Merlin, Irene, what have you been doing?" Kira exclaimed, covering her mouth to conceal her laughter.

Irene grinned in return, "baking, though it seems both Rob and Tom are terrible at it."

"Muggle baking?" She asked. Irene nodded so she continued, "You have wands. Last I recalled you were old enough to use one."

Irene laughed, "I know but Tom can't so we decided to bake the muggle way."

Kira just laughed and shook her head. She pulled Irene in for a hug.

They pulled apart only for Kira to be tackled by her younger brother. Fortunately for her, she managed to remain upright as she hugged him back.

"You saw me two days ago!" She exclaimed.

Thomas pulled away and gave her a lopsided grin, "I still missed you."

Kira rolled her eyes but her smile never left her face, "I missed you too, Tommy."

Thomas hadn't noticed her use of a nickname but Irene did. She chose not to mention it but smiled as she watched the two. Kira rarely used nicknames.

Kira found herself baking cookies all morning with Irene, while Thomas and Robert went out to do some last minute Christmas shopping.

Kira gave the gifts she got for the three to Irene so she could give them to the other two on Christmas Day.

"Oh I do wish you would be staying the whole holiday," Irene sighed, putting down the tray of cookies she took out of the oven.

"Me too, but I told you, Mr. and Mrs.Black wanted me to stay for the break."

Irene turned to her sister, taking off her oven mitts as she did so. "Why did they want you there anyway?" She asked.

"I have no idea," Kira shrugged.

Irene gave her a look and she sighed, "okay, I don't know the full reason. All I know is that we're going to Malfoy Manor some time after Christmas." She really couldn't lie to Irene.

"Kira! That place is probably crawling with Death Eaters!"

"I know, but I'll be okay. They won't hurt me, I'm a pureblood," she said, trying to ease her sister's worries.

"They might try to make you a Death Eater!"

"They will accept my answer as no if I say I'm too young. Look, don't worry. I'll be fine." She took Irene by the shoulders in an attempt to calm her. "Trust me," she whispered.

"Father might be there," Irene said in a quiet voice.

"I know, but I'll be fine. Maybe Charles will be there and I can bring him home."

"Be careful, Kira." Irene put her arms around Kira in a tight hug. Kira smiled and nodded.

An hour after that the boys returned from shopping and they had lunch. They chatted for a few more hours before Kira noticed the time and thought it was best to leave.

"Goodbye Robert, Irene," she said, giving each of them a warm hug. She would only be seeing them again during Summer.

She then turned to Thomas with a grin, "I'll see you at school," she giggled, pulling him into a hug. "Behave," she said with a stern expression before grinned again. He only laughed and hugged her tighter.

She got to the fireplace and Flooed to 12 Grimmauld Place.

She stepped out of the fireplace and dusted off her clothes. She didn't hear anything. The house was always eerily quiet and it made her anxious.

She walked towards the dining room to see if she could find anyone but again, it was empty.

Walking upstairs she decided to go find Regulus. She reached his room and knocked twice. The sound echoed across the quiet house.

The door opened to reveal Regulus. "Ah, you're back," he grinned.

"What? Miss me already?" She smirked.

"Me? Miss you? Never?" He gasped in fake surprise. She only laughed and rolled her eyes. "Do you want to come in?" He asked, now noticing they had been standing by his door this whole time.

Kira nodded and he moved to let her pass. He closed the door behind them and went back to sit by his desk, where he had been doing his Potions essay.

Kira decided to sit on the end of his bed. "Your house is so quiet," she said.

"You get used to it," he replied. That was a lie. He hated the old house. It was creepy and always silent. Even when Sirius still lived there, he didn't even disturb the quiet often.

Kira hummed in response. "Are your parents still out?" She asked.

"Yes, I think they went out to dinner. I'll have Kreacher cook you a meal if you're hungry?"

"Oh no thanks, I'm good for now."

She laid back on the bed, staring at the roof. She let out a yawn, "I am tired though."

"It's only 7:00," Regulus laughed.

She threw a pillow at him and said, "Oh shut up. You'd understand if you had to deal with my family for more than a day."

"Well what are they like?" He asked. He was curious to get to know the Rose girl laying on his bed.

"Well, Irene, she's my older sister. She's like a mum. But like a really strict mum who occasionally throws flour all over you." She giggled. Oh, how Regulus loved the sound of her laughter. "And Thomas. He's a bloody nuisance I tell you! He put salt in my coffee! But I love him. I love all my siblings. And then there's Robert, my brother-in-law. He's like a big brother to me. He's the fun one who lets me get away with stuff Irene would never let me do."

"They sound wonderful," Regulus said. His family was nothing like that.

"Tell me about yours," Kira said. She was still laying on her back staring at the roof so she hadn't been able to see his sad expression.

"Well there's Sirius. We used to be really close, then he got sorted into Gryffindor. I'd never been away from him for long so I was excited to see him during Christmas. He didn't come home. He was at the Potter's." He spat. "He was a whole different person when he came back after his first year. Barely spoke to me. He was always owling his friends or getting into trouble.

"Then I got sorted into Slytherin. He distanced himself even more, so I did the same. Then he left last year. Right before his sixth year. He just left me. I hate him for it. He replaced me with James Potter of all people."

Kira sat up to see a single tear run down his face. She got up and walked to where he was sitting down. She cupped his face in her hands and made him look up at her face. Due to his height, she wasn't much taller than him when he was sitting down, even if she was standing.

She gave him a quick peck on the forehead and wrapped her arms around him. He responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her chest.

"You know who James is right?" She asked, "Not James Potter. James Rose." She took a deep breath in once she felt him nod.

"Then you'll know he's my brother. You'll know he died six years ago, when I was nine," her voice started to crack. "I watched him die. I was there. I don't know who did it, but sometimes I see his face in my dreams, begging me to help him, to make it stop. I couldn't do a damn thing. And I hate myself for it." She let out a shaky breath as she finished. She only realised then that she had started crying.

"We're both pretty fucked up, aren't we?" Regulus let out a shaky laugh, as he wiped his face.

Kira looked at him, "I guess we are."

Regulus got up and said, "You should go to sleep, it's getting late."

"Can I— can I stay with you?" She asked, refusing to meet his eyes after her ridiculous request. She could feel the heat rising on her neck and cheeks.

What she hadn't seen was Regulus grinning. "Sure," he agreed.

She looked at him and smiled, still blushing. "I'm going to go take a shower and change first," she said.

"Thank goodness, you stink." Regulus jokes.

She looked at him and hit him with a pillow, "you wanker."

"I'm kidding!" He put him hands up in surrender and laughed. She hit him one for time and left the room to go shower.

When she came back Regulus had put on a long sleeve shirt and pyjama pants. She had on a long sleeve shirt and shorts.

Regulus sat on the bed, and watched as she got in. He laid down, facing her. She looked at him and smiled. "Thank you for letting me stay with you," she whispered.

He smiled, "Thank you for staying."

That night they curled up in each other's arms. To anyone who asked however, they would simply reply that they were cold.

Though, deep down, they both knew that was not the truth.

________________________________________
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