Ray yawned. This trip was NOT supposed to go this way. Jamie was still hiding in her room, Aidan was zoning while playing his guitar... and Ray? She'd read every book she'd brought with her. Including text books. So now, she was sitting here on the couch with her legs tucked up under her watching the flames. This totally bit ass.

Severus hadn't even recognized them. At all. Not that she remembered all that much of him. What she missed was her opportunity. She hadn't had any choice. She had barely known her big brother. She definitely didn't know him now. Seriously. Greasy-Git-Batty-Boy? He was her brother? Aidan remembered him better than her, because he'd hero-worshiped him. And Jamie. Whoa was Jamie upset. And she didn't understand this any better than the they did.

Ray slouched down and chewed her lip some more. How freakin' weird. And that old lady? Mutts? Sheesh. All Americans are rude... Well, the so called rude Americans were nothing compared to that... shrew.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts and she almost jumped for joy. No more thoughts that she didn't want to deal with right now.

She stood and made her way over, knowing Aidan wouldn't hear and Jamie was... doing whatever Jamie was doing. Stretching, she pulled it open, not knowing who to expect.

She didn't expect a tall red headed boy along with a just barely shorter messy black-haired one. And they were both good looking. Very. "Hi."

They seemed to be gaping at her and Ray looked down to make sure she hadn't fallen out of her top or anything. Nope. The strings were still firmly laced, and her fly was fully zipped. "Can... I help you?"

The boys snapped their mouths shut and the red haired one turned about the color of a tomato. The dark hair one swallowed and thrust his hand out. "I'm Harry Potter, and this is Ron Weasley. We're here because..."

His voice trailed off. "Ay? Really? Hmm... I heard you went to Hogwarts. I'm Ray...Nice to meet you." Ray stuck out her hand and leaned towards him, whispering, "Is your friend mute or something?"

Ron snapped himself out of it and shook her hand. "Sorry. I was thinking about... Potions. Yeah. We have a test tomorrow." Ray noticed his gaze kept drifting back to her top.

"Potions? Hmm... can you tell me Mr. Weasley what I would get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other and took a step back.

"Sorry. I'm a potions freak. My best subject. I actually helped teach it at USAWW."

Harry laughed. "Snape....er... Severus Snape? He asked me that the first day of classes."

Ray realized they were still standing in the hall and blushed. "Come on in... Sorry. You had a purpose in coming here?"

"Yeah. Professor Dumbledore wanted you guys to come to his office to be sorted... We're your guides..." Ron looked around. "This is a lot different from our dorms."

"Yeah? Our school wouldn't let us come unless we stayed with my sis..." She motioned to the couch. "Have a seat. I'll grab Aid and Jamie."

The girl turned and walked to a door, which she knocked on loudly. The boys could tell why when the dude she'd been with when they interrupted potions opened it. Music poured through the door, loud and angry. He was shirtless and wearing black silk pajama pants low on his hips.

Ron looked at Harry. "Remind me not to piss him off. He looks more built than Charlie!"

"Aid, this is Ron, and that's Harry. Dumbledore sent them to take us to his office so we could get sorted." She leaned against the door frame.

Aidan stretched and scratched his abdomen, bringing notice to the tattoo there. A red dragon was blowing a ring of fire around his navel. "Oh? Hi." He turned his dark eyes to them. "Which houses are you two in?"

Ron swallowed. "We're both in Gryffindor."

Aidan yawned. "Godric Gryffindor founded that one right? Well duh. That was stupid. Gryffindor... Gryffindor. My only excuse is I've been zoning since dinner."

Harry nodded. "Understandable."

Ray smiled. "But it is nice to know he isn't dead... we buried an empty coffin with his name on it two weeks before coming here."

Aidan threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "Yeah. But Jamie... Whew. I've never seen her like that."

"We'll talk later Aid. The Headmaster is waiting on us. Get dressed while I grab Jamie." Ray pushed him back into his room and winked at the boys. "Isn't he just a big pussy cat?"

The boys laughed. And watched as she went to the door on the other side of the room. "He looks like a beater." said Harry.

"Yup. Aid and I kick some bludger butt!" She knocked on the door.

Ron sat forward. "But you're a girl!"

Harry winced and sat back in his seat.

"Yeah, I have the required female body parts, however, I could still kick your ass." She glared. If looks could kill, Ron would be a steaming pile of Ron ooze on the floor.

Jamie finally opened the door. Her eyes were red and her nose was puffy. And she was wearing one of Aidan's old t-shirts. That's it. "Yeah?"

Ray blocked her sister's body with her own. "We have company."

Jamie looked around Ray and blushed. "Whoops. Sorry boys." She stepped back and pulled her sister into the room. Then she shut the door. "Okay what'd you need?"

Ray smiled. "Harry and Ron came here. They're supposed to take us to be sorted. I thought you might like to come..."

Jamie cupped her sister's face. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

Ray grinned, and looked pointedly at her sister's attire. "Perhaps you should change."

"What, you don't think the headmaster would like this?" The girls laughed. Jamie flicked her sister on her shoulder and turned Ray until she was facing the door. "Now go and flirt with those two... just don't let Aid see, or he'll have them up a tree."

Ray turned bright pink, knowing they had to have heard through the door. "Shut up!"

Jamie just grinned while she opened the door and pushed her out.

Ray stood there looking at the floor. When she looked up, Ron and Harry were grinning like idiots.

She shrugged. "Sorry guys, I think she has selective Tourettes."

Ron looked puzzled, but Harry chuckled.

Aidan opened his door and gave a rather evil grin. "Yeah? The main reason Ray wanted to come here was all the, and this is a direct quote, "Yummy Accents."

He ducked as Ray threw a couch pillow at his head. "Bite me Aidan."

"Nah, You'd give me food poisoning." He held out his arms and spun around. "How do I look?"

Ripped jeans, a black t-shirt, and his leather jacket. "Normal." She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Aidan pulled a leather strip out and began to tie his hair back. "I didn't want to look too dressed up."

Jamie opened the door to her room and stepped out wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She waved at the to boys she didn't know. "Sorry about that. I didn't know anyone was here."

Harry stood. "That's fine. We'd better go. The Headmaster will be expecting us."

Ray yawned. "Sorry. Okay, let's hit the road Jack."

Ron looked puzzled. "But his name is Harry."

Aidan smirked. "It's a saying. It means let's get going."

Ron blushed. "Oh."

**********

Dumbledore sat at his desk, stroking Fawkes, who was perched on the arm of his chair.

The heads of the houses were present, seated off to one side of the room.

Snape was looking even more pale than usual. Augusta had confessed to erasing his siblings from his memory, then lying. Severus was understandably angry. Augusta had been the main reason Severus had become a death eater. She'd pushed him, manipulated him into her beliefs. The woman herself had been an un-official death eater.

Dumbledore had told him he did have to come to this sorting, but Severus was here none the less.

A knock on the door made them all jump, and Prof. Sprout quickly opened it.

Draco Malfoy stepped in followed by Ginny Weasley.

Draco looked around and raised an eyebrow. "Professors, sorry to interrupt, but my father sent me an owl to give to you Prof. Dumbledore."

The Headmaster motioned them forward." Quite alright. We're just waiting. We're going to be sorting the exchange students when they show.

Draco set the owl on the desk where it hopped over to Dumbledore and extended its scaly leg. The Headmaster to the letter and broke the traditional Malfoy seal.

Ginny twitched as she watched the Headmaster read. She was the only one in the room that was moving and that bugged her. Then she noticed the look on the headmasters face. He slowly lowered the letter. Shock, confusion, and anger warred to be expressed.

Draco paled. "Sir, whatever my father has done this time, I apologize."

Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't be sorry. Draco, Ginny, I'd like to talk to you after the sorting. Will you please sit?" He conjured up two chairs near the table where the other professors were sitting.

Draco looked at Ginny, who tried to smiled and nodded. As they took their seats, there was another knock at the door.

Again Prof. Sprout opened it and this time Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and the rest of the Snapes came in.

Jamie, Ray, and Aidan hovered near the door, taking in the scene.

When Ray saw Draco she nudged her brother. "Hey Aid, look who it is." She looked at Draco and shook her head. "Thanks for the directions, but we still got lost."

Draco stood and shook her hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy, and this is my girlfriend, Ginny." He nodded at Ron. "That git's sister."

Ron glared. "Watch it Malfoy."

Snape stood, slamming his chair back against the wall. "It occurs to me that you are ignoring the purpose of this meeting. To be sorted, not to stand around and exchange pleasantries."

Aidan went to step forward but Jamie's arm stopped him. "It occurs to me," She paused and drawled in a mock sweet voice, "my dear Severus, that you need to take two Midol and get over it!" She yelled the last bit and a glass of water in front of him shattered.

"Now, please calm down. Really." Dumbledore stood and motioned to the chairs causing Fawkes to fly to his perch. "Now will everyone." He looked Severus straight in the eye. "Please sit down, and we'll discuss some things."

Jamie, Ray, and Aidan sat down in unison and stared straight into the headmasters eyes.

Ron and Harry stood quietly looking at each other, silently asking if they should leave.

"Ron, Harry, please sit next to Ginny and Draco." Dumbledore took the sorting hat down from a shelf behind his desk. "This is the hat of Godric Gryffindor. The sorting hat."

Ray looked confused. "We aren't taking some sort of test?"

"No, no my dear." Dumbledore noticed Snape sulking from the corner of his eye. "We simply place the sorting hat on your head and it will place you in one of the four houses."

Mcgonagal stood. "Gryffindor."

Sprout stood. "Hufflepuff."

Severus stayed seated and glared. "Slytherin."

Professor Flitwick stood (on his seat) and glared down his nose at him. "And Ravenclaw."

They sat and Snape yawned insolently.

Dumbledore looked at Ray. "Would you like to go first?"

She shrugged. "What the he... era."

"Does that mean yes?" Dumbledore eyes twinkled.

Ray smiled at the headmaster. "Yes it does." She motioned to her head. "Put're on me."

Dumbledore placed the hat on her head and sat back behind his desk. The first time the hat moved to speak, Ray shrieked. "What the hell?!"

She went to yank it off but stopped when a voice spoke into her ear. "Calm down. I suppose they didn't mention that I talk? You're a 6th year?"

She nodded. "Yup."

"Ah. And a Snape as well. Well, I say you'll do well in the house of your brother. Slytherin!" The hat finished and Dumbledore removed it. Draco cheered and glared when Snape didn't even bat a lash at his sister's placement.

"Sorry, but next time, mention that the friggin' thing moves! I almost pissed myself." She gave Draco a thumbs up.

Jamie hugged her sister. "Congratulations."

Aidan poked her in the side. "Brat! You just liked the colors!"

Ray stuck her tongue out at him. "Did not!"

Dumbledore chuckled and placed the hat on Aidan's head, then went to sit down, but he stopped. "Oh, by the way, the hat talks."

Aidan winked at his sisters. The hat moved and Ray could tell it was talking with him, but the only word she heard was "Gryffindor!"

All the Gryffindors in the room clapped. Aidan took the hat off and bowed deeply.

Snape glared at Mcgonagal. "Did I forget to mention that I took twenty points from him earlier today for rudely interrupting my class?"

Ray snorted and waved. "Hola? Senor de los Cranky Pants? You took twenty points off me too."

Snape glared at her. "Don't think that because you might be my sister that I won't take points from you."

Jamie glared at him. "Might? Hmm... let's talk about the birthmark on your as... butt then. Huh? The one that's shaped like a teddy bear? Or about the scar on your knee where I pushed you. Or wait! Even better, the tattoo you got at fifteen with the fake ID over summer break. You know, the fancy SS between you shoulder blades?"

Snape stared at her, his hand rising to his back. He swallowed hard.

Jamie swallowed too. "you may not remember me...us... But I remember you, and I shared all that I could recall with them. And whether you want to believe or not, Aidan, Ray, and I are your siblings." She sat back down.

Dumbledore was at a loss for words. He cleared his throat. "Well, I think we're done here. Your houses will be announced tomorrow at breakfast." He turned to Draco. "Now, the letter you father sent me..."

*Fade to black*