Disclaimer: Okay folks, I only own Beth so far, the rest are J.K.R.'s. You know this. I know this. Every ones happy. Or at least knowledgeable. Or something.

A/n- Okay guys, I miscalculated and just caught my mistake. I said it had been 6 years, and that Beth was 21. Well, I had to change it, so it's been 8 years, and she is now 22. I fixed this in all of my chapters (I think so, if you happen to spot a place that I missed, lemme know, will you?) so enjoy my story, and I am sorry any confusion.

~*~

Beth melted into the plush red chair in front of the fire in her suit of rooms. Her eyes drifted shut on a sigh as her body relaxed, welcoming the silence and the opportunity to rest her feet.

Severus was as hard on her as he was on his classes. If a student was having trouble, she was sent to help. If the potion was still a failure, she was at fault. She spent a lot of time at Longbottom's table, but she couldn't stop the explosion. Poor boy. When Harry couldn't answer the dozens of questions Severus presented him with (all the while ignoring the brunette next to him raised hand), Beth was forced to answer. At odd moments, when she was running across the room to stop Ron from adding ground fly wings, or when she was ducking from Neville's cauldron (which did NOT melt, but burst into pieces), Severus would turn and yell out a question, expecting her to answer in the same military fashion. He insulted her mind, and made flippant remarks regarding her skills. But she never once let her smile drop, and she never gave into the urge to break his nose. She figured that alone illustrated her outstanding restraint.

But that's over; until tomorrow. But, never own to dwell on the mishaps of life, Beth let loose one long windy sigh, and settled in for a nap.

When the door opened and footsteps pounded, she didn't move, she didn't open her eyes; she just groaned.

"Beth? Is that you under there?" She opened her eyes to stare balefully up at Charlie. "Huh?"

Charlie chuckled and sat down in the chair across from her. "So, how was your day? Oh, by the way, there's a orange glob on her nose." She just glared at him, while scrubbing at her nose. "Neville Longbottom's cauldron exploded." She glowered at him. "Was that a snicker I just heard?"

"Damn straight." Now he laughed full out, and ducked the pillow she threw at him. "If it makes you fell better, mine wasn't much better." He winced. "Hagrid is . . . very stubborn." He said carefully.

Beth laughed and let her eyes fall shut again. This was what she had dreamed about, wished for, hoped and prayed for, since she was thirteen. Just to sit here, comfortable and safe in her twins company.

"Can you tell me about it?"

Her eyes flew open at his soft words. Tell him about it? Those seven---no, eight, years? Could she? She stared at him, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. His calm and endless as the sky, and hers dark and deep as the sea. Could she tell him? Her hands were damp, nervous. She was afraid to tell him, she realized. She had overcome the most unimaginable fears, risked the most unfavorable odds just to be free of her fears. And yet . . .no, she couldn't tell him. She didn't like this fear. She had to work it out for herself first.

He saw the decision in her eyes, and nodded a little. "So," He said lightly. "Are you a virgin?"

She stared at him for minute, eyes wide, before she collapsed into wild giggles. He joined her, and they reached for each other the same moment, and ended up sitting on the couch, holding hands, both needing the contact. When she finally calmed herself down a bit, she managed, "Thank you," She giggled. "Not what I was expecting. . ." She trailed off into another fit of laughter.

"No, no," He chuckled. "I'm serious! We're twins. I think I'm entitled to some details here." That set both of them off again. She poked him in the stomach and gasped out, "Only if you tell me first!"

They quieted down after a few minutes, and Charlie looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Are you?"

They studied each other for a beat, and then both nodded. "Okay," Charlie chuckled, and she giggled. "First times?" She agreed and he nodded. "Okay. My first time was with Allison Creighton."

Beth let out a peal of laughter. "The Ravenclaw!? Oh, that's rich!" She leaned forward with a wicked smile on her face. "So? Details?"

"You're my sister!"

"I'm your twin." She said matter-of-factly. "That's different. Just one detail. That's all." She grinned wickedly at him. "And make it a good one."

He considered a moment, then snickered. "She elbowed me in the nose mid- orgasm."

Beth howled with laugher. He threw the pillow at her, which only made her laugh more. Finally, she calmed down enough to make an elbowing motion, then collapsed gleefully into laughter again.

"Come on! It's your turn!" When she showed no signs of stopping, he wiggled his fingers towards he stomach. She squealed, and hopped of the couch to stand, ready to run if the need arose.

"Okay, okay, it's my turn." She sat back down, cautiously. "Well . . .okay, my first time was with a guy named James. I joined up with a muggle circus for a while, and he was a Magician."

Charlie peered at her curiously. "He was a muggle?" She nodded, "He thought I was one, too, obviously." Her eyes went to a dreamy blue. "We stayed together for a few months . . .until they caught me again."

Sensing her mood, he asked teasingly, "Okay, come on, you gotta give one juicy detail."

She gave a light laugh, "Okay." She paused to think about it. Then she nodded, wearing a smug smile. "During a show one night, on stage, in a box that we were supposed to escape from in twenty minutes. He got out in five minutes, but, um . . .I stayed chained until the last second." She looked at the ceiling, her face red. Charlie stared at her, his mouth open. "You did it on stage, chained in a box!?" He asked, with more then just a hint of admiration apparent in his voice.

Her face was even redder then her hair, and she wouldn't look him in the eye. "Yes, well. . ."

"Damn!"

Now she looked at him, grinning. "Very damn." She said, winking at him.

He laughed, and reached over to hug her. This was what he had dreamed about, wished for, hoped and prayed for, since the day she disappeared. Just to be able to touch her, hug her, and share laughter with her. His twin.

When he was gone, Beth sat where she was, staring into the fire and only seeing his dark eyes, and long black hair. Seeing only his careless grin, and him in his dashing black tuxedo and cape, and his tall hat, making him look like a little boy. Seeing him at night, all man, and remembering the way his rough hands would run over her body, the way he looked at her, the way he touched her. The fire leaped and twisted, filling the room with its warmth, but not touching her chilled skin.

~*~

In his dreams, Severus lay in the Forbidden Forest, but he wasn't alone. She was there, her body shuddering, her blue eyes clouded with pleasure that he brought her. She leaned forward to nibble along his jaw line, and her thick red curls fell over them both, sliding like silk as it brushed passed his bare-chest. Then the smooth curls turned into wavy black locks, and when she pulled up, it was green eyes that stared down at him, not blue. Her red lips were curved into a smug smile, and she ran long red nails down his chest, drawing blood. She bared her fangs with a hiss, and drew back a hand, his blood dripping from her nails, and blood dripping from her lips. Severus didn't awake, but stayed, trapped into a dream of the past.

~*~

"Professor Shamrock!" Shrieked a shrill voice.

Beth turned to see Neville franticly stirring a bubbling cauldron. She muttered a slight curse, but hurried over with a sunny smile on her face. Looking at the gurgle of dark brown liquid, her heart sank. The potion was supposed to be a light blue. Damn. He must have skipped both the crushed shells and the liquefied limestone. And this was such a simple potion, used for sore throats. How could he have messed it up this bad?

As she was leaning over and assisting Neville with fast, assured movements, Snape remarked from behind her, "Shamrock, I suggest you use this," He handed her a hair tie, smirking down at her. "You're insufferable hair can very well ruin any worth while potion." He glanced down at the brown mess and sneered at Longbottom. "Not that I would call this a worth while potion. Nonetheless."

Beth gave him a tense smile, and shoved her hair through the hair tie. She then turned her back on the Potions Master, and bent to help Neville, with a tail of red hair swinging behind her.

Severus turned to inspect Harry and Ron's potion, which, of course, was just the horrible concoction that he would except to see of such empty- headed fools.

The blonde boy called her, in a very polite voice. She gave Neville some last instructions and went to help the blonde boy. She walked across the dungeons and noted that Snape avoided Granger's cauldron. Probably can't find anything wrong with it. The thought brought a smile to her lips, and she felt slightly better as she went to help blonde.

"Sorry, but I can't quite remember your name." She smiled down at him, and his face flushed. "Draco, ma'am. Draco Malfoy."

Her hand trembled, then studied. She kept her movements' light and quick, and her smile stayed in place. But her eyes went to fog, and she couldn't stop the visions that rushed forward, or the cold hand of panic that came with the mere mention of the Malfoy name.

"There, that should do it." She beamed one last overly cheery smile, and walked back to the cabinet where ingredients were stored in a daze. Blood seemed to dominate her sight. He had a knife, but he never used it; at least she didn't think he did. All he needed was his wand. And then the blood . . .

"Hey."

She jumped and made a grab for her nonexistent wand. But it was only Severus, who looked at who with something disturbingly close to sympathy. Was she that low?

Her face set itself into grim lines. She shook her head and turned back to the cabinet. He rested a hand on her shoulder, and her body went tight and stiff.

"Go, Weasley." He murmured. "Go . . .take a nap or something. Just go." She looked at him, and this time she didn't see sympathy. She saw a kind of understanding. She didn't know which was worse. But she did know she had to get out of here.

She nodded, and ran.

"Sir?" Draco asked. "Where did Professor Shamrock go?"

Severus' lips curled up. "Longbottom's fumes mad her sick. Now get back to work, the lot of you."

~*~

Beth ran until she couldn't breath. When she stopped, she found herself kneeling under the tree by the lake. She was shivering and shaking, and her breath wheezed in and out in great shuddering gasps.

Malfoy standing over her, Malfoy aiming his wand, Malfoy smirking and speaking, Malfoy laughing through all the blood . . .

Then she was up to her knees in water, running into the lake, the cool water shocking her system. It lapped at her thighs, swirled around her stomach, and rushed over her head. Water stung her eyes, and flooded into her mouth. Her robes twisted around her, tugging her downward. She didn't struggle, not even when her chest began to hurt. Her hair floated around her, a shock of red against blue. Red, like blood. Blood. She began to yank on her hair, wanting to be rid of the blood. So much blood. Her head was feeling light, and she choked on the water. She was sobbing, and sucking in more water. She was lost, so lost, in this other world, lost and alone, surrounded by nothing by the sound of silence . . .

Something wrapped around her waist, but she didn't care, didn't even notice really. Then her head broke through the water, and she breathed in the sweet shock of air. She stayed like that for a while, crying until she felt empty. When her head cleared, and her body numbed, she realized something was holding her up. But then it---whatever it was---was gone, and she was only treading water.

Gulping in deep, deep breaths of air, she swam to the shore. Walking seemed to drain all of her energy, so she collapsed at the base of the tree. She sat there, shuddering and breathing in grateful guzzles of air, and mentally thanked the giant squid for saving her life, and letting her cool her head.