It was a quiet evening in the Gryffindor common room, the day before the next Hogsmeade visit. Three redheads and two dark-haired students sat in a circle before the fire.
In the center was a strange object, a gray sphere. At the moment, the smoky ball was glowing with flashing red lights.
"The name of the game is Truth or Dare, and hopefully, you all know how to play." the twins chorused.
"Hands in, guys, and let's get started." Oliver stated eagerly.
Five hands appeared on the dull gray sphere and the blinking lights turned yellow.
A blue light lit under Ella's palm, signaling her to start it off.
"First victim is," she paused, waiting for the controller to choose.
An orange bulb sparked beneath George's hand, indicating him as the chosen player.
"Alright, George, have you ever kissed a guy who isn't a member of your family?" the third year inquired, an evil smirk settling on her lips.
"No, actually. Next up," George prompted and the orange light flashed to Analese. "Lese, what is your one non-living true love?"
"Chocolate, of course." she and her sister answered. The light transferred to Oliver's hand. "Ol, most embarrassing moment."
"Well, back in first year, when you pranked us back on April Fools. And also when the Muses got me." the Keeper was unable to hide the slight blush that crept to his cheeks.
"Oh, details, please!" Ella demanded cheerfully.
"Not one of my best, really, I just made them swallow a tadpole." Analese explained modestly.
"Let me guess, did the tadpoles then instantly grow into full grown frogs?" the younger girl inquired between hysterical fits of laughter.
"They were croaking for another week as none of the professor wanted to reverse the effects." her sister also fell over in a spasm of amusement.
The tinge of pink on Oliver's cheeks deepened considerably as a bright purple light flickered under Fred's hand.
"First dare of the game!" he announced, ecstatic at his luck.
"Well, Fred, I dare you to run the corridors in a bikini right when the bell rings for lunch on Monday." Oliver challenged clearly.
"You got it, mate." the light turned orange and switched to Ella's hand. "Alright, Ella, what is your greatest fear?" Fred inquired.
"Well, since you know that if it's used in a prank that I can make you seriously regret it, so I guess I'll tell you." the Honorary Gryffindor took a deep breath and continued. "My greatest fear would be to end up like my parents."
"All parents yell at their kids. It's like some unwritten law or something. You can't really help that." George countered, missing the meaning behind her response.
"That isn't what I was talking about." the third year whispered.
Analese knew exactly what she was talking about, as Ella had told her after she had received the Howler from her 'parents'. The anger that had shot through her then was now returning.
"You're hiding something from us." Oliver interjected.
"Please, explain this, you're confusing me." Fred added.
The game was forgotten as all the guys could think about was their concern for Ella.
"You mean, I'm confusing you more than you normally are." Ella put in. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. You walked right into that one, Fred. Alright, but you can't tell anyone." she caved. "My so-called family abuses me, physically and mentally."
"Why would people do that? Especially to someone as great as you." Fred wanted to know.
"Well, I think it all started when I was eight. I was visiting my Aunt in America and my cousin and I left the house. She tool me to the Muggle town without permission and we came home with tons of Muggle candies and toys."
"What did they do to you?" George interrupted.
"First, they destroyed everything, then, they Crucio-ed me until I finally said it was wrong and that I wouldn't do it again and that I wouldn't go near anymore 'filthy' Muggles. They made me repeat it over and over again." Ella's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. A couple tears fell from her shining green eyes, but were quickly wiped away with her tastefully tattered sleeves. "After that, they gave me a gruesome scrub down to get rid of 'germs' from the Muggles."
Analese moved to wrap her sister in a hug, but Fred beat her to it. So she settled for comforting her words.
"Ella, you will never turn out like them. How could you even think that?" The older girl scolded gently.
"People always say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Ella responded.
"Sweetie, if you're parents are apple trees, then you, my little sister, are an orange tree." Analese smiled at the girl, receiving a watery smile in return.
"I will never complain about living with Percy again." George muttered, causing Ella to chuckle, resulting in hiccups.
When she had calmed down, the third year moved to rejoin the game. Fred was a little reluctant to let go, but did release her anyway.
"Next victim, please." Ella stated. The orange light under Analese's hand indicated her turn. "Since I already know about your summer life, what was your life like before Hogwarts?"
"Much like it is during the summer, really." the older girl answered mysteriously.
"Would you care to elaborate, Flame?" Oliver suggested.
"I guess it's only fair." Analese paused, removing her hand from the game sphere. She turned her gaze to the fire before continuing. "Well, my daily routine would be the easiest explanation, I suppose.
"At four-thirty every morning, I wake up and go running. That's my half hour of alone time when I can think freely. After my five mile run, I head back to H.E. to start my chores."
"H.E?" the twins interrupted.
"Hell on Earth." the red-haired girl shrugged. "My first job is to make breakfast. I must say that I make some mean waffles. But anyway, after breakfast is made, I start the laundry, and the dishes. While the dishwasher is running, I have to mop the floor and clean the windows. As soon as that is started, my aunt, uncle, and cousins come downstairs. After completing their breakfasts, my uncle and giraffe-faced cousin head off to work for the day. The remaining pair, my aunt and hippo-resembling cousin, usually stand around and tell me that I will never amount to anything, or that I am scum, things like that.
"Around noon, the inside of the H.E. is sparkling clean and it is time for the yard work. The big backyard's grass must be exactly two inches high, no taller, no shorter. Any weeds or dead flowers in the garden had to be removed from the premises and hidden in the Wilsons' yard because it was my responsibility to ensure that the Barnyard household remained the award-winning yard keepers of the neighborhood." As her fellow fifth years shot her questioning expressions, she nodded. "I thought the same thing when they first told me that little bit of information. Anyway, I also have to trim the hedges, sweep the sidewalk, scrub the furniture, polish the grill, water the plants. You name it and I have to do it."
Not one pair of widening eyes left Analese as she rambled on and on.
"At six-thirty, my uncle and giraffe-faced cousin get home from work and I have to wash, vacuum, and wax the car.
"As I complete that completely unnecessary task, my uncle examines my work. Anything not completed, and I lose food for a week. If the work is not up to the Barn's standard, I lose food for a week. And if I get two things wrong, the weeks add up.
"Any disrespect, which it's me, so that's a guarantee, I get the P-I-M-P."
"The pimp?" Ella's corrupted mind was once again at work.
"Yeah, P-I-M-P, is stands for prominently immense maker of pain." the sisters laughed.
"After I make dinner, I eat my meal of the day, that is, if I earn it." Analese went on when she had controlled herself. "Then, a few hours of alone time in my 'room' until they shut off al the power from the circuit board. Luckily, I can hide my battery-powered torch, a great Muggle invention, under the lamp shade sitting on the shelf. The remainder of the night is spent working on homework or reading a book.
"A few hours of sleep later, and the process repeats itself yet again." the redhead finished.
This time, Ella moved to hug her sister, but Oliver beat her to it.
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Flame?" he demanded, his voice muffled by her thick mass of string she referred to as hair.
"Because, you'd pity me, and that's not anything I want. If any of you guys treat me differently, you will regret it." Analese threatened sufficiently.
"Wouldn't dream of it." replied the twins in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Suddenly, a sharp elbow was jabbed in between Oliver's ribs. He immediately released his grip on the older girl.
Ella removed her bony appendage from Oliver's side and enveloped her sister in a hug.
"You had long enough, Wood." the third year exclaimed as the vice grip on Analese intensified slightly.
The Keeper threw his arms around the girls with enough force to push them to the ground.
Following suit, the identical red-haired boys leaped from their seats and joined the embrace.
Analese, being trapped on the bottom, moaned at the additional weight.
At that moment, the portrait swung open and Lee entered.
"Snape is such a bloody git." he muttered angrily, having just finished three hours of detention. His eyes fell on the mass of limbs before the fire and he stopped mid-step.
"Well, I feel loved." Lee called to his friends.
"Lee!" Fred and Ella exclaimed in unison.
George, as he was currently on top of Oliver and Analese, lifted his arm from around the red-haired girl. This opened a space for Lee to join the party.
Instead of taking up the opening, Lee's brown eyes flashed with a rare stroke of intelligence. He backed up and bounded toward the dog-pile at top speed. Five feet away, the new arrival jumped into the air.
George looked up at the wrong time and got a mouth full of dreadlocks.
Analese let out a muffled sound similar to being winded. Oliver groaned as well as he felt his arm go numb under Analese.
"Guys," the flattened redhead gasped, "I can't breathe."
"Deal with it." Ella and the twins retorted together.
Oliver, being the heroic best friend, tightened his own grip around the pan-caked girl. He began to make his way out of the huge group hug. Once capable of breathing again, Analese helped Oliver in their escape.
The now-freed auburn-haired girl tapped Lee and George. With a silent nod, the boys copied her and Oliver's example and climbed out of the embrace.
This left only two people still in the hug. Fred lay with his arms wrapped around the raven-haired girl, a goofy grin playing across his features. Ella's expression was one of matching content. Her sister couldn't help but smile at the pair.
"Hey, lovebirds, either wait until we've left the room or get one of your own." Oliver called to them.
Fred quickly released his hold on Ella and clamored to his feet. His freckles disappeared as a blush crept onto his cheeks. The mortified guy extended a hand to the smirking girl at his feet.
"It looks like we should head for bed, guys." Analese began.
"Yeah, tomorrow's gonna be a long day." Ella finished.
"Let's get you back to your house, I'm sure you have some things there that you need for tomorrow, sis." Analese smiled.
"I'll go with you." Fred volunteered. He needed to talk to Analese alone and this was the perfect opportunity.