A/N: Just a little something I put together for Round Two of the Original Characters Round Competition. Enjoy!
Sarah looked around the obviously rich interior of Potter Mansion. Originally it hadn't been her intention to accept the invitation over Christmas. Unfortunately she had been ostracized by her housemates and had begged Headmaster Dumbledore to let her floo to Potter Mansion if it was still okay with James' parents.
"You must be Sarah Duhncan." Sarah jumped as Mrs. Potter appeared from another room. She suddenly felt self conscious as Sarah took in the composed and beautiful Lady Potter in front of her. Subconsciously she whipped dust off her second hand clothes and scrubbed at her face that was still red and puffed up from crying.
"Y-yes, Lady Potter." The woman in front of her frowned and Sarah looked at the floor. Embarrassingly she felt tears in her eyes again, worried she had done something wrong. "Thanks for letting me stay here."
Lady Potter opened her mouth to say something, but James' voice cut her off. "Mom! Where did you put the quiditch supplies?" It was then that he saw Sarah standing in front of the fireplace. "Sarah! What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?"
"Plans change." Sarah muttered, "Is it okay if I head to bed early Lady Potter? I'm afraid I'm tired from my trip."
"Of course, Sarah." She snapped her fingers, causing a House Elf to appear, "Twinkie will show you your room. And please, call me Ellen."
"Thank you Lad…Ellen." Silently Sarah followed Twinkie, her head still down, not noticing the concerned looks James and his mother shared behind her.
~~Let us in~~
Sarah stood in front of the mirror in her en-suit bathroom taking in all her features. Short red-orange hair that lay flat against her sickly pale freckled face. Mud brown eyes that were never as beautiful as her mother's chocolate brown ones. Short lanky build with almost no chest. She grimaced, revealing teeth that were crooked.
Sarah always knew she was ugly, but she didn't need all of the girls in Gryffindor to constantly remind her. Even in her own time, no one ever liked her. Her only friends were her triplet brothers Fred and George and their friend Lee. She was always a disappointment. Too much of a tomboy to hang out with the other girls. Too hideous to ever get asked out by a boy. Never smart enough to be recognized by teachers. Never able to keep Fred and George in line like her mother wanted. Not funny enough to be remembered as Fred and George's triplet sister.
"I'm never good enough." Sarah whispered as she clutched the sides of the sink. Tears beginning to pour out of her eyes for what felt like the millionth time in the last few days.
At first, when she had been sent back in time, due to one of Fred and George's experiments she was helping with, Sarah had tried to look at it as a little vacation. Then when Professor Dumbledore told her that there was no way to send her back, Sarah thought maybe it could be a new start. But even if she changed her name to Sarah Duhncan, she was still just Sarah Darhin Weasley. She was still a nameless face in second hand robes. She was still nothing.
Without the near constant presence of her triplet brothers Sarah felt more alone than she ever had before when she began her seventh year in the past. She dreamed of waking up and seeing Fred and George laughing and saying "Took you long enough to wake up darling sister!"
Lilly Evans had stopped the other girls in the dorm from insulting her; well at least to her face. They became, if she dared say, almost tentative friends. When Lilly started dating James Potter Sarah had found herself talking to the group of pranksters every now and then. She declined, of course, when she was invited to James' place for the holidays, thinking it was only a joke. But without Lilly there the insults came back and the mocking began. They mocked her for her clothes, her hair, her teeth, her lack of friends, her lack of a chest. Relentlessly they mocked her for everything they could think of until Sarah begged Dumbledore to see if it was still okay for her to go to the Potter's house.
She was so lost in thought Sarah didn't hear the door behind her open. "Sarah?" she jumped and spun around, spotting Lilly Evans, James, Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin in the doorway to the bathroom. If she remembered correctly Peter Pettigrew was visiting his sick mother over the break. Angry and ashamed Sarah glared.
"Get out."
"Sarah we're worried about you. You seemed really upset…" James started, taking a step forward.
"Of course I'm upset!" Sarah screamed
"Why Sarah?" asked Remus
She didn't know if it was because her emotions were shot, or the looks of confusion and pity in their eyes, but Sarah suddenly found herself saying all the thoughts that she'd kept locked up inside her entire life. "Why am I upset?! Maybe because I'm a hideous freak that nobody likes. Maybe because I will never see my family again. Who knows maybe it's because my mother never really loved me. I'm a disappointment to everyone I meet!"
"You're not hideous Sarah." Lilly whispered
Bitterly Sarah laughed, "I know I am. Everyone's told me enough times. My hair is flat and boring, my skin is so pale I look sick, my nose is crooked, my eyes are a stupid mud color, I'm short and lanky, I have basically no chest, my teeth are crooked and yellow. Need I go one?"
"Sarah, none of those things are true…" started Sirius, but Sarah was too far-gone to stop.
"If it's not true then why does everyone say it? I know I'm worthless. I always have been! Sarah Darhin Weasley, the ugly daughter. Sarah Darhin Weasley, the boring triplet. Sarah Darhin Weasley, why doesn't she just kill herself? Well I've thought about it and everyone would be a lot better off if I was never born!"
Wrapping her arms around herself Sarah sank to the floor, unable to hold back her tears.
Strong arms wrapped around her causing Sarah to jump slightly. A voice, she recognized as Remus' whispered in her ear, "I don't know what I'd do if you were never born. I've come to think of you as a friend, and I think in time those feelings could grow into something more. But you have to let me in Sarah. Let us all in so we can help you Darling."
Sarah could not remember the last time someone had ever comforted her, besides Fred and George. She held on to the strong body next to her, "I'll try."
~~Only time can tell~~
Almost twenty years in the future Fred and George stared at the spot where Sarah had stood not a second earlier. Fred was shaking his head back and forth in denial while George just stared blankly at the spot as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Fred! George!" The two jumped as Mrs. Weasley opened the door and looked around. "Oh! I thought Sarah was in here with you two. I wonder where she wandered off to. Anyway Remus has just arrived with his wife. The two of them will be staying for supper after the meeting, but she asked me to give you this." She handed them a piece of paper, leaving their bedroom. "Clean this mess up before dinner boys!"
George, with Fred looking over his shoulder, unfolded the paper and stared at the two words written on it.
Sufferin Succotash
Sarah often said those two words to Fred and George right after they did something really stupid that was going to get them in trouble. Looking at each other Fred and George opened the door to their bedroom only to find a woman standing in the hallway.
The woman had short orange-red hair that framed her face beautifully. Her skin was pale, with a pinkish tone and was covered in cute little freckles. Brown eyes twinkled with mischief; laugh lines prominent in the corners. She was short and thin, perfectly proportioned. And the smile on her face showed of her teeth that weren't sickly white like the girls who bleached their teeth. Fred and George instantly recognized this as Sarah, but she was definitely older.
"What happened darling sister?" asked Fred.
"You two dopes sent me into the past!" Sarah laughed, sounding more carefree that she had in a long time.
"Can you ever forgive us?" asked George.
Sarah looked sideways towards her husband. Remus had stuck by her side since that fateful day. She had never been happier. "I think I might be able to. But you guys are going to have to be good uncles in return." Sarah placed a hand on her stomach.
Fred and George looked between Remus and Sarah, "You're pregnant!?"
Sarah nodded as Remus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
Fred turned to George, "Did you hear that Gred?"
"Yes I did Forge."
"He got our darling sister pregnant."
"How dare he!" they yelled together.
Sarah laughed, feeling truly at piece with her husband and triplet brothers.
