Hello, everyone! It's NaNoWriMo! This is what I'm working on this year, so I should be updating a lot more regularly than before. I've literally had this chapter in my docs since Nov. 1 though, so we'll see. I'm already like 3000 words behind...

Anyway, I'm going to try to finish this story by the end of this year. I've had this planned out for so freaking long and just never got around to it, but I believe in myself!

I'm gonna start writing this sort of chapter more often. This one is kind of a time skip, but the different perspectives will become essential as the story progresses.

As always, please please pleeeeaaase review, even if you have nothing but negative things to say! Much appreciated!

"My back hurts," Alicia groaned.

"My everything hurts."

"Fight me, George."

Mad Eye cleared his throat. "What did we establish about talking right now?"

Alicia's eyes widened and caught Angelina's, who mouthed "yeah, Alicia".

"Not to?" George offered quietly. Alicia pinched his thigh. "Ah, what the fuck!"

"That's twice now, George. A third, and you're off the team."

Everybody in the room knew it wasn't true, but it was enough to make George shut up. He looked sheepishly down at his feet.

Alicia was drawn towards the movement on the other side of the room. Fred and Lee were playing chopsticks. Typical. She moved to take off her sweatshirt, but immediately abandoned the endeavor as Remus stepped into the room with a box.

He was holding it as if it was precious china, breakable and priceless. Alicia cocked an eyebrow at George, who just shrugged.

"Alright, now that Remus has learned the meaning of showing up, we can get started," Mad-Eye sneered. Fred and Lee both dropped their hands, and Angelina lifted her head from where it had been buried in her hands. "As we've said before, complete obedience is required on this team. I realize this seems extreme—Frederick, is something funny?"

"No, it's just that it rhymed. Carry on."

"I hope you realize that this behaviour won't be tolerated, Mr. Weasley."

"Sorry." Alicia watched as Fred and George exchanged what seemed to be an entire conversation through their expressions alone.

"Anyway, we've got to have a way to monitor you lot, to make sure that you're not engaging in treacherous behaviour, as well as to make sure we know when you need help."

"Somebody's got his priorities straight," George muttered in Alicia's ear.

"Mr. Weasley, this is your last warning. I can and will punish you."

"But—"

George's protest was met by a slap to the face. His jaw dropped, as did Alicia's. Remus' reaction, or lack thereof, drew Alicia's eyes in.

"I assume that Remus declined to mention this, but capital punishment is what you have signed yourselves up for. Try to stay in line. And shut your mouth, Spinnet, you're not a fish."

Alicia obeyed, not really realizing she was doing so.

"Remus has so kindly brewed a potion that will allow the two of us to monitor you constantly. However, as it will probably need to last years, we will be inserting a sort of capsule into each of your arms that will keep the potion working as long as we need it to. When this is over, one of us will be able to deactivate it for you. There shouldn't be any patches, but unfortunately we've, er, lost the potions expert in the Order, haven't we?"

Alicia found herself focused on Fred's face, who seemed to be telling George that it would be alright. It gave her something to focus on other than the horror she saw on everyone else's faces. She noticed Lee doing the same.

Remus pulled a small black cube out of his box. "They aren't large, don't worry. We'll charm them so they can't be ripped out, in case you do end up in serious trouble. They won't even be detectable. A little scar will be the only reminder you have of it, I promise. Only the seven of us in this room know or will ever know they exist. Fred, you and I can discuss Matt privately after we put these in."

It was George's turn to comfort Fred, Alicia assumed, as Fred looked absolutely distraught. It clearly wouldn't be the first time they had discussed Fred's elusive boyfriend.

"I promise it will be relatively painless. Who wants to go first?"

There was a deafening silence before a quiet "I can" escaped Angelina. Alicia smiled reassuringly at her.

"Thank you, Angelina. Forearm alright?"

Angelina nodded and presented her left forearm to Remus. Alicia craned her neck to see what she had drawn on her arm, but it was just shorthand notes. She supposed that Angelina didn't have as much time on her hands to draw now that she wasn't procrastinating on homework.

The knife Remus pulled out was larger than expected. Alicia didn't even have to look to know that it was George's head that had come down on her shoulder. He started moving it repeatedly, as if he was banging his head against a wall. "What have we done?" he whispered as he sat up.

Alicia was surprised to see how well Angelina took it. The only visible sign of the pain was a tight grimace and unbroken eye contact with George. When Remus uttered a spell to seal the cut, which was much deeper than had to be healthy, Angelina turned on her heels and sat down without a word.

They went in a circle after that. Lee, then Fred. Alicia, then George. Fred tried to refuse, but Mad-Eye grabbing and twisting his wrist was all it took for him to comply.

"I want you to remember from now on that we can see and hear everything you do and say, but that doesn't mean that we want to control every aspect of your lives. It's just for safety and so that we can pick up on things you may miss while actively spying. We don't hate you, this isn't a dictatorship, and we just want you to be safe."

Somehow Alicia doubted that any of what Remus told them was true.

"Fred, I know you know what I'm going to say."

"Absolutely not."

"I understand, Fred, but it's too dangerous. He already knows too much. Think of what would happen if the Death Eaters found out that he knows what he does about our location, what we did to George, or our goals. Not only would he be tortured to death, but all five of you would be caught and tortured as well. It's too dangerous to be in a relationship right now."

"Says the man who just fucking got engaged."

"Fred, you know that's different. Dora is in the Order. For all you know, Matt could be a Death Eater spy."

"He's not."

"Those we love surprise us the most sometimes. You have to break up with him. You don't have another option. I can see whether you follow through or not."

Fred wanted to hurl profanities at Remus until he lost his breath, but he nodded. He resigned himself to the truth: he had to say goodbye to Matt.

"How'd it go?"

"Alright supper, great sex."

"Did you give it to him?"

"Left it in his underwear drawer. He fell asleep naked. First place he'll go." Fred curled into a fetal position on the bottom bunk. He pulled his eyes from George's when he felt them watering. There was a weight shift on the bed before Fred felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I say fuck it. They can't actually make you do this."

"They can. They control us now."

"No, they don't. Nobody controls you, Fred. You want to be with Matt, so be with him."

"It's too late. He's a light sleeper. He'll have noticed I'm gone by now." Fred found himself curled into George's side in one swift move on the younger's part.

"I'm so sorry, Freddie."

"Shut it, you git."

Sweat dripped down Angelina's face, but she had beaten everyone else. Not unusual. She was the only one that still ran consistently. She enjoyed it.

Fred, who had declared running the bane of his existence mere minutes ago, caught up to a panting Angelina. "Damn you."

"Slowpoke."

"Will one of you try to catch up to George? He wasn't looking too hot last lap," Oliver said, scribbling something illegible next to Fred's name on his clipboard.

Fred moved to run, but Angelina was already sprinting another lap. The park wasn't large, but the trail was substantial enough that it took her a not insignificant time to catch up to George.

He was walking, but she almost couldn't tell. He was shaking slightly, and his legs seemed to be moving automatically in increments that could barely be called steps. His eyes were blank.

"George?" No response. "George?" Still nothing. Angelina tried to keep herself calm as she realized that George was having some sort of fit. "George!" she screamed, desperate for any sign of life in those eyes.

George's eyes fluttered shut as he collapsed into Angelina's arms.

George came to in his bed, staring at Fred's bed above him.

"...totally expected. Don't worry. We have everything under control."

All George could remember was a sudden darkness, though he was sure his eyes were open. There was no sound, no feeling, just nothing. Had George not been caught so off-guard, he could have sobbed with relief. Even his memories seemed to fade. They were all back now, though. Everything was back with a vengeance.

"Are you sure?"

"Occasional episodes like that have been reported by both surviving subjects. I'm surprised it took him this long."

Not wanting to alert anyone of his consciousness, George let his eyes close.

"You're sure you're alright?"

"Frederick, if you ask me that one more time I will murder you."

Fred raised his arms in surrender. "Just making sure." He winked at George before Appariting away.

"Show off," George muttered when they appeared just outside their childhood home.

"You wish you had style like me."

George rolled his eyes before stopping. "You know I love you, right?"

Fred didn't seem remotely taken aback by the comment. "Of course. I love you, too."