I rewrote last chappie to make it more reader-friendly. Woot.
As Fred slowly drifted awake, he felt himself lying on some sort of bed in a very dark, but warm room. He noted a cold, wet cloth being pressed lightly to his forehead. He felt exhausted. Maybe he should just go back to sleep again... his eyes were closed, but no, something was nagging at his mind.
He jolted awake, his eyes opening abruptly. The sight of a strange face above him compelled Fred to sit up fast, enhancing the throbbing pain in his head. Where was he? Was he in the hospital wing? No... Hogwarts was no longer his home...
Then the thought struck him– his attacker. He had been knocked out cold... but...George! Where was George?! A hand from behind him pulled him back down hard onto the bed.
"You're not nearly well enough to sit up yet." murmured the golden-brown haired girl sitting at his head. Not quite listening, as if in a trance, he watched her lips move... they were very nicely shaped... her pink, round lips... everything was upside down... wait a minute!
"Where am I?" Fred asked. "Where's George? Who are you?"
She remained silent.
"Relax, Fred." said George calmly, now standing in the doorway.
"It was the only way..." the girl sighed, gearing up for what appeared to be a long story.
"My name is Talia. I... live here alone, and am not accustomed to intruders. When I heard you approaching, I became nervous and took-" she gestured at George's black eye-"some necessary precautions."
Fred guffawed loudly. "Necessary precautions? You can take your necessary precautions and shove them up your-"
"Fred," George said sharply, then mouthed conspicuously, "She's a girl."
Talia ignored him, and continued, apparently unperturbed. "I didn't really mean to give you a shiner," she said apologetically to George, as he sniffed and gave her a mock hurt look.
"Oh, come now." Talia scoffed, "You two are the cretins who broke into... my house, and you expect a heartfelt apology from me?"
Fred winked at her and looked at George, "She catches on quick."
"So, Talia," Fred continued with a twinkle in his eye, "Did you show George the same... ah... generous hospitality you showed me?"
The hint of a smile danced across her face, then fleeted abruptly as memories of her past shattered her dreamy stance. Talia was too hardened to laugh.
"No." said George, then "Budge up," moving to sit near Fred's feet on the bed. "I, obviously the less socially challenged of the pair of us," he said, looking at Fred, "somehow managed to communicate our innocence to her, even while (being) held at wandpoint the entire time." he finished, poking fun.
"I told you, I really am sorry." said Talia diplomatically. "It's not my fault you two were breaking and entering."
"Then she shouldn't have left the door unlocked!" muttered George, as Fred kicked him.
"So where are your parents?" continued Fred eagerly.
"Er... away." Talia faltered, pulling her sweater sleeve down to cover her forearm. "They're... on assignment. In Egypt. Researchers, you know." she continued somewhat quickly.
"Then why aren't you at wizarding school?" George said, curious.
Why aren't you? she thought, but withheld, as she considered it rude. "I was tutored, taught everything I'd need to know by the..." she stopped abruptly, having almost completely let her guard down, "the... nearest local priest or um.... scholar near where my parents worked. I used to travel with them." she said, lies flowing more freely now.
"What about the rest of your family? Brothers? Sisters?" George asked.
Not anymore, she thought grimly, then realized she had spoken out loud. Talia faltered, her mind racing. "Er... they were killed in a floo powder accident," she said lamely, trying to appear innocent and sad while holding her emotions together and searching for acceptance of her story on their faces.
"Don't you have any other family? Even Fred and I have got some Squib relative somewhere."
Don't press it, thought George, shooting daggers at Fred.
"So you're living here.... alone?" finished Fred doubtfully.
"I can take care of myself!" she spat out defensively.
"Right." murmured Fred to George, so only he could hear, "and looking anorexic and sleep deprived means her life's just peachy keen, right?" George snickered, though a slight uneasiness settled on his mind.
Talia looked at the two of them. "This house is not safe past this morning. Do you have travel plans?" she asked.
"Of course. We're headed toward Di-" started Fred, cut off by George sitting on his feet. Hard.
"Why do you ask?" queried George. Who was she, really? he thought. He's not about to pour out his life story to a stranger just because she was attractive. Not like he thought about that...
"I need to leave this place. I've no specific destination in mind... I'd be very much obliged if- if you wouldn't mind me tagging along?"
Fred looked at George skeptically.
"Even if she slows us down," muttered George, grinning, "we're not due in the Alley for another week."
"Well... " said Fred. "I guess that one more in our party couldn't hurt, but I warn you, we're a wild pair." He said, winking.
How pathetically corny, thought Talia. As if I would fall for his charm. Not that he's charming...
"Oh, I think I can handle two redheads." she responded, her spirits lifting immensely at the twins' generosity.
"Excellent." said Fred, getting up with renewed energy. "I'll just fetch our brooms, then."
George followed him into the narrow hall.
"Oy, George-" Talia heard Fred hiss quietly as the walked. She next to the door frame, waiting with baited breath.
"Yeah?" George responded
"You do realize what we're getting into?"
Talia's throat swelled up, and she got a tremendously sick feeling in her stomach. If only they knew.
The outskirts of London had just become visible on the glowing, orange horizon to the three travelers.
Talia was keeping a steady pace, but found herself more than slightly annoyed at Fred and George's not-so-subtle attempts to talk about her behind her back.
"So... do you reckon her parents have bit the dust?" said George in a not-so-undertone.
Talia shivered, a wrenching feeling in her stomach as she listened.
"Yeah, probably." said Fred, pensive. "I bet that's why she's living alone. I wonder how old she is."
"Can't be any older than we are, I suppose." said George, pensive. They both stared ahead.
George broke the silence, "Why do you suppose she lied about her family?"
A searing pain suddenly ripped across Talia's forearm, completely taking her by surprise. She let go of her broom handle to grab her arm, then regripped the broom as she began a steep dive downward. Talia pulled out of it, but looked at her forearm with fury and disgust, the burning black mark a source of painful and sickening memories.
"Are you all right?" asked a genuinely concerned Fred, now completely distracted from the former topic of discussion.
"Yes, I'm fine," said Talia, pulling down her sleeve and fighting back a grimace with a neutral expression. "My arm just gave out. Muscle spasm."
"All right. You're sure now?" said George.
"Yes, I'll be perfectly f-" Talia broke off, looking ahead.
"Look out!" she cried, pointing ahead and dodging a jet of orange light sent at her. "Duck!" she bellowed.
While they had been preoccupied with her arm, Death Eaters had closed in from the ground. She grimaced, grabbing her wand out of her back pocket with her burning arm and shooting a spell at the nearest masked figure.
"Stupefy!" she yelled, and then "Protego!" as it was deflected back towards her.
"Impedimentia!" bellowed the twins in unison at a pair of Death Eaters sneaking up from behind them.
By this time the trio were casting, dodging, diving, and ducking spells as shouts and loud explosions permeated the air.
"Reducto!" Talia screamed, as Fred bellowed "Diffindo!"
"Petrificus Totalus!" "Obliviate!" "Deletrius!"
"Crucio!" bellowed Talia.
Fred gaped at Talia with surprise, but turned his attention back to the situation at hand after being hit with the Furnuculus hex in an inconvenient place.
By this time, though the trio had fought valiantly, more hooded figures had joined the advancing group of attackers. They were trapped.
Talia circled on her broom, surveying the situation.
'There's no way." she panted. "We have to land."
"Incendio!" someone yelled from below, catching Talia's attention, but it was too late to dodge it. The jet of light seared her broomstick, consuming it in wicked flames. She screamed, falling from the air.
"NO!" bellowed George, swooping below her and barely managing to keep hold of his broom and catch her.
He managed a grin, though they were by no means safe. Fred was alongside them as they attempted to land amidst the curses being thrown at the trio.
"I'm what they want!" she panted at the twins, now firmly on the ground. "You two go; I'll be fine!"
"No." echoed Fred grimly, as they jogged and then sprinted away from the mob of Death Eaters.
"You guys!" Talia screamed, frustrated.
"PRIORI AETUS!" bellowed the Death Eaters in unison behind them.
They turned around in time to see a massive wave of red light moving towards them from the mob.
As if in slow motion, the powerful spell knocked them on the ground. All went dark.