"...and that was when we first met June." George finished. He and Fred were
in the Gryffindor common room, with three other students surrounding them;
a boy that had bright red hair and freckles that looked like them, another
boy with jet black hair, wore glasses over his emerald eyes, and had a
lighting bolt scar on his forehead, and a girl with long, wild brown hair
and deep brown eyes.
Fred grinned and shook his head. "I can't believe that was five years ago! It seems like only yesterday that she showed us how to slide on the newly- waxed floors in the Great Hall."
"Or when we borrowed Filch's dungbomb stash and threw them all into the girl's bathroom."
"You can't forget the time she snuck a black dog into the castle and put it in Professor Trelawney's attic."
George chuckled, reminiscing. "Yeah, Trelawney was muttering about Grims for months!"
The girl shook her head. "That's a great story, but it can't be true. A girl growing up in the Dark Forest with centaurs? And then she becomes a servant at Hogwarts? Other than Filch, no one cleans the school other than the house elves, poor things!"
Fred shrugged. "She was getting into trouble in the dark forest, so the centaurs sent her to Dumbledore to do something to keep her busy. We told you that, Hermione!"
"How does-"the red headed boy started to ask before a glare from Hermione made him change what he was saying. "I mean, how would she get her lessons? You say that she knows magic, and even had a wand!"
George sighed. "Oh Ron of little faith! The teachers know about her- she hides in the classroom and turns in the homework and tests to them after the other students leave."
"That's crazy, George! Really, you two could get an award for telling stories, but it's not true. It' not possible. Who are her parents?
Fred shrugged. "I dunno. She's never talked about them, other than when Delthian- the centaur who raised her- found her, she was wrapped up in a green blanket. No names on it though."
"I'm going to bed." Hermione announced. "Harry, Ron, I really hope you don't believe this crazy story of theirs."
George held up his hands. "Fine, don't listen to us. But I believe she's going to your class for Transfiguration tomorrow. You may want to look a little more carefully at your surroundings." He winked, walked over to the portrait hole. "I believe a late-night snack is in order. Fred?"
He walked over. "Don't mind if I do. See you chaps later." They disappeared through the hole, and after the Pink Lady had swung back in place Ron turned to Harry, eyes wide.
"Do you really think that what they're saying's true?"
The black haired boy shrugged. "I dunno. You can never tell with those two." They climbed up the stairs to their dormitory, still thinking about what George and Fred had told them.
-------------------------------------- -----
"Gits!" June thundered. They were in the kitchen, and house elves scurried around them as the girl fumed. She was older now, and her body had matured and developed more. Her rich, ash blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her stone gray eyes flashed. "Why'd you go and tell them? I don't need the entire school to know I'm here."
George leaned back in his chair. "Ah, don't worry. They won't tell a soul. Hermione doesn't believe us, and Ron and Harry don't really care. Don't you trust us?" He asked, eyes sparkling wickedly.
She snorted and grinned ruefully. "I guess I do, if it's even possible to trust you two. I just don' want kids to find out about me. Dumbledore warned me he might have to put me in a House, and I would hate that! I like all the Houses."
Fred raised his eyebrows and paused from eating a roll. "Even Slytherin?"
"Even Slytherin." She said firmly. "They all have their good qualities and their bad. Slytherin just has a lot more bad than good."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, June."
She sighed. "I can't hate Slytherin. It's like... never mind. Anyway, you say that Harry Potter is Ron's best friend?" She had never met the Boy Who Lived, but she had seen him in the corridors and the Griffindor common room and the library. She had heard and wondered about him. Her feelings about how truly special Harry was were the same as her feelings on how evil Lord Voldemort really was. "You've never really mentioned it before. I mean, you've said Harry, but never Harry Potter."
"Why, are you going to start stalking him like those second year Ravenclaws have been?" George teased, grabbing a biscuit from a bowing house elf.
She rolled her eyes. "Just because I like the shadows doesn't mean I'm a stalker."
"Like? Like?? The first time we went to Hogsmead with you, people didn't even see you. It's like you have a permanent invisibility cloak on." Fred argued.
"Yush! They tshout ah wush-"
"Chew and swallow, George."
He swallowed. "Yeah, they thought I was calling Fred a 'she'." He finished the muffin. "So, do y' think Dumbledore's found out about us?"
June snorted in an un-ladylike way. With an expert's hand, she flicked her wand, and her towel began drying dishes in the giant sink next to them. "He's old, not stupid. Of course he knows!" She twirled her wand; the dry dishes put themselves away while the towel continued to dry. "He's just being nice enough to let me have friends, that's all. I don't know why he keeps me away from everyone el-"
"JUNE!!!" An old, fragile-looking house elf with big green eyes stormed over to the girl. "Petri told June to dry the dishes, not to converse with the students!" His voice lowered and became fearful, and he wrung his hands. "If the Headmaster found out, he would be most displeased at Petri."
June frowned. "June is doing dishes, Petri," she told him in traditional house elf-talk. "And Headmaster knows that June has friends, that he does. June knows Headmaster is not stupid."
Petri shook his finger at her. "Petri does not approve of this," he warned her. Turning to the boys, he frowned. He was not an ordinary house elf, and after five years of the twins he treated them the same way he did the other house elves and June. "Young masters should not be here! Young masters should be in the young master's common rooms. Petri will give the young masters their food, and then the young masters must go!"
Fred sighed. "Sheesh, alright already." He grabbed a bag of food, and then winked at June. "See you in Potions tomorrow!"
"Or at least, see your shadow in Potions tomorrow," George added, grabbing another bag of food.
She grinned. "You probably won't even see my shadow!" Right as they were climbing out, she called after them, "Oh, and I overheard that Snape's gonna have a pop quiz." Her grin widened at their audible groans,, and she continued to dry the dishes, humming to herself.
Fred grinned and shook his head. "I can't believe that was five years ago! It seems like only yesterday that she showed us how to slide on the newly- waxed floors in the Great Hall."
"Or when we borrowed Filch's dungbomb stash and threw them all into the girl's bathroom."
"You can't forget the time she snuck a black dog into the castle and put it in Professor Trelawney's attic."
George chuckled, reminiscing. "Yeah, Trelawney was muttering about Grims for months!"
The girl shook her head. "That's a great story, but it can't be true. A girl growing up in the Dark Forest with centaurs? And then she becomes a servant at Hogwarts? Other than Filch, no one cleans the school other than the house elves, poor things!"
Fred shrugged. "She was getting into trouble in the dark forest, so the centaurs sent her to Dumbledore to do something to keep her busy. We told you that, Hermione!"
"How does-"the red headed boy started to ask before a glare from Hermione made him change what he was saying. "I mean, how would she get her lessons? You say that she knows magic, and even had a wand!"
George sighed. "Oh Ron of little faith! The teachers know about her- she hides in the classroom and turns in the homework and tests to them after the other students leave."
"That's crazy, George! Really, you two could get an award for telling stories, but it's not true. It' not possible. Who are her parents?
Fred shrugged. "I dunno. She's never talked about them, other than when Delthian- the centaur who raised her- found her, she was wrapped up in a green blanket. No names on it though."
"I'm going to bed." Hermione announced. "Harry, Ron, I really hope you don't believe this crazy story of theirs."
George held up his hands. "Fine, don't listen to us. But I believe she's going to your class for Transfiguration tomorrow. You may want to look a little more carefully at your surroundings." He winked, walked over to the portrait hole. "I believe a late-night snack is in order. Fred?"
He walked over. "Don't mind if I do. See you chaps later." They disappeared through the hole, and after the Pink Lady had swung back in place Ron turned to Harry, eyes wide.
"Do you really think that what they're saying's true?"
The black haired boy shrugged. "I dunno. You can never tell with those two." They climbed up the stairs to their dormitory, still thinking about what George and Fred had told them.
-------------------------------------- -----
"Gits!" June thundered. They were in the kitchen, and house elves scurried around them as the girl fumed. She was older now, and her body had matured and developed more. Her rich, ash blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her stone gray eyes flashed. "Why'd you go and tell them? I don't need the entire school to know I'm here."
George leaned back in his chair. "Ah, don't worry. They won't tell a soul. Hermione doesn't believe us, and Ron and Harry don't really care. Don't you trust us?" He asked, eyes sparkling wickedly.
She snorted and grinned ruefully. "I guess I do, if it's even possible to trust you two. I just don' want kids to find out about me. Dumbledore warned me he might have to put me in a House, and I would hate that! I like all the Houses."
Fred raised his eyebrows and paused from eating a roll. "Even Slytherin?"
"Even Slytherin." She said firmly. "They all have their good qualities and their bad. Slytherin just has a lot more bad than good."
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, June."
She sighed. "I can't hate Slytherin. It's like... never mind. Anyway, you say that Harry Potter is Ron's best friend?" She had never met the Boy Who Lived, but she had seen him in the corridors and the Griffindor common room and the library. She had heard and wondered about him. Her feelings about how truly special Harry was were the same as her feelings on how evil Lord Voldemort really was. "You've never really mentioned it before. I mean, you've said Harry, but never Harry Potter."
"Why, are you going to start stalking him like those second year Ravenclaws have been?" George teased, grabbing a biscuit from a bowing house elf.
She rolled her eyes. "Just because I like the shadows doesn't mean I'm a stalker."
"Like? Like?? The first time we went to Hogsmead with you, people didn't even see you. It's like you have a permanent invisibility cloak on." Fred argued.
"Yush! They tshout ah wush-"
"Chew and swallow, George."
He swallowed. "Yeah, they thought I was calling Fred a 'she'." He finished the muffin. "So, do y' think Dumbledore's found out about us?"
June snorted in an un-ladylike way. With an expert's hand, she flicked her wand, and her towel began drying dishes in the giant sink next to them. "He's old, not stupid. Of course he knows!" She twirled her wand; the dry dishes put themselves away while the towel continued to dry. "He's just being nice enough to let me have friends, that's all. I don't know why he keeps me away from everyone el-"
"JUNE!!!" An old, fragile-looking house elf with big green eyes stormed over to the girl. "Petri told June to dry the dishes, not to converse with the students!" His voice lowered and became fearful, and he wrung his hands. "If the Headmaster found out, he would be most displeased at Petri."
June frowned. "June is doing dishes, Petri," she told him in traditional house elf-talk. "And Headmaster knows that June has friends, that he does. June knows Headmaster is not stupid."
Petri shook his finger at her. "Petri does not approve of this," he warned her. Turning to the boys, he frowned. He was not an ordinary house elf, and after five years of the twins he treated them the same way he did the other house elves and June. "Young masters should not be here! Young masters should be in the young master's common rooms. Petri will give the young masters their food, and then the young masters must go!"
Fred sighed. "Sheesh, alright already." He grabbed a bag of food, and then winked at June. "See you in Potions tomorrow!"
"Or at least, see your shadow in Potions tomorrow," George added, grabbing another bag of food.
She grinned. "You probably won't even see my shadow!" Right as they were climbing out, she called after them, "Oh, and I overheard that Snape's gonna have a pop quiz." Her grin widened at their audible groans,, and she continued to dry the dishes, humming to herself.