Erin sat on the other side of the Shrieking Shack painfully aware that Harry probably hated her now and she felt that someone was going to die. She hated it and she looked at the bottle she had stolen from Hagrid's hut. The brandy sloshed around under the glass and she took a drink of it. It tasted horrible but she didn't think there was any other way to have a release. She took another drink and almost threw up. It was about an hour later when the bottle was empty beside her and she heard footsteps approaching and someone calling her name.

"Erin!" Hermione called. "Do you know how long I've been trying to catch up with you?" She asked not really wanting an answer as she stopped to catch her breath a bit. She had even spent some of her chase as a cat when she was sure she had been alone, but honestly it hadn't helped. "What are doing?" She asked, both disgusted and slightly horrified to see the empty bottle the other girl had sitting nearby. She looked worriedly at her friend. "You know that what he said, it wasn't meant for you. You do know that don't you?" She couldn't speak for her father's well being, but she knew, just knew Harry was not angry with Erin, he was angry with the elder Black.

Erin laughed, a sound that Hermione found truly terrifying. "Of course not, but one of these days, dear Hermione, either that scrumptious lad is going to kill my father or my wonderfully insane father is going to kill him." She laughed again. "Just a wonderful life I have. Either gonna lose dear old dad or gonna lose the only boy I've loved. Just wonderful."

Hermione shook her head. "This isn't right at all. It's freezing out here and I don't even want to KNOW where you got that bottle." She said, grabbing her friends' arm to pull her up. "Come on. We're going to walk back to castle and then I'm going to take care of you before you hurt yourself or freeze to death out here."

"Oh, all right." Erin said standing up and immediately falling against the wall of the house. She laughed again. "'We're off to see the castle...the wonderful castle of...'" She laughed as she sang. She let Hermione lead her back to the castle all the while threatening to fall right over into the snow.

Ron met them in the Entrance Hall; thankfully no one else was there. "Thank goodness, I was just about to go after you! What on earth is wrong with her?" Ron asked after noticing that Erin was acting funny.

"Oh, look at the funny red headed boy..." Erin laughed.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed at Erin while trying to keep them both from falling over. It was kind of hard with the girl hanging off her like she was. "She got a bottle of brandy or something from somewhere. I don't know where. But when I found her she was sitting in the snow reeking of it and the bottle was empty." The girl explained worriedly. "We have to get her to freshen up, no one can see her this way or she'll be in a lot of trouble."

"Should I get Harry?" Ron asked in total shock seeing one of his best friends drunk. "Or Fred and George? They can help."

"No. I think it's best not to bother Harry right now. Get Fred and George, they might be a help and they won't tell anyone."

Ron nodded and ran up the stairs. He didn't stop until he came to the Gryffindor Common Room. He was inside and he saw Harry sitting by the fire. He carefully went by hoping Harry wouldn't see him. Ron got to the table where Fred and George were. "Guys, I need your help." He whispered casting a glance at Harry. "Erin is downstairs, drunk. You have to help us."

As surprised as Fred and George were they immediately jumped up and ran after Ron out of the Tower. Ron just hoped Harry hadn't seen them. They made it down to the Entrance Hall where Hermione was hiding by the stairs.

"Thank goodness!" Hermione whispered. "I thought we were caught for sure. Help me with her! We have to take her somewhere safe, where no one will see her like this."

Fred and George nodded. Fred picked Erin up and shook his head, as he smelled her breath. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Hermione, we'll keep her where it's very safe. Follow us."

Ron glanced at Hermione and shrugged. He went after Fred and George who went through a doorway beside the stairs. They didn't stop until they came to a painting. George took his wand out and said something under his breath. The painting opened to reveal a dusty room with a few sets of footprints going here and there.

Fred set her down on a couch in the room. "She'll be safe here, don't worry. George will just nip down to the kitchen and get some coffee for her. She'll be right as rain tomorrow morning or afternoon."

Hermione nodded, still worried, but very gracious. "Thank you... What exactly is this place?" She asked, looking around the dusty, hidden room they were down in.

Fred laughed and George left. "This, Hermione, used to be a private room. You see the prefects used to have their own rooms. This is one of them. When the practice stopped the rooms were sealed. George and I found this one on the map, I am sure Harry has told you about it by now. Filch doesn't know about it so we're safe. By the way Hermione, why did Erin just decide to get herself drunk?"

"Oh um..." Hermione bit her lip. "She was terribly upset. I'm not sure why she thought it would help." She said, not knowing what to say. She didn't want to tell them about Sirius, or Erin's relationship to him, or what Harry had learned. It wasn't information that she thought should be given out. Even to the likes of Fred and George. The less they knew the better.

George returned then breaking the silence; he carried with him a tray with a coffee pot and a mug on it. "Ok, let's get this in her and then she can sleep."

Fred nodded and held Erin up. "Should we stay with her tonight or do you and Ron want to?" Fred asked while he held the mug to Erin's lips.

"I'm staying." Hermione said without a second thought. "I don't know about the rest of you." She said. "But it's probably best not too many of us go missing. Especially with everything going on."

Fred nodded. "OK, you can do this then. We'll go and see to it that no one notices you're gone. Ron, you coming?"

Ron looked from his brothers to Hermione. "Do you want me to stay?"

Hermione looked at Ron. "Only... only if you want to stay." She said. "It's okay if you don't... I'll manage." Though secretly she kind of wanted him to, but she could never tell him that.

Ron nodded to his brothers. "I'll stay with Hermione."

"OK, have fun you two." George said grinning and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Off with you." Ron said trying hard not to blush and sound a little indignant.

Hermione blushed, but luckily it was dim enough she hoped it wouldn't be noticed. "Honestly." She mumbled in a sad display of mock-exasperation as she went to Erin and coffee pot. "It was very good of them to help us though." She admitted when the twins had left. She carefully poured about half a cup full.

"Yeah, they care about her." Ron said. "They'd do anything for her. It's weird, you know. I always think of them as Fred and George and well, they have a different side when it comes to Erin. Maybe we all do." He grinned.

"Yeah, maybe so." Hermione said, sitting with Erin. "Come now, Erin, you've got to drink this." She said to the incoherent girl while holding up the mug of coffee.