Rockstar

Lottie stretched out a bit the next night, settling on to the sofa as Penny came back to the living room with a new bottle of wine. She had to admit, she was enjoying being in the same city as her best friend again. Certainly needed it for those days when she wanted to talk.

It was loads better than floo or owl.

"So… you've made it through your first week at work and haven't hexed your brother yet. I'd say that's a good sign," Penny said as she sat next to Lottie and topped off her glass before replenishing her own and then putting the bottle on the table.

"And made it through meeting up with the others," Lottie added.

"I told you there was no reason to worry. No one blames you for not being here," Penny replied, rolling her eyes slightly. "Not even the Gryffindors – they're too noble for that. And Merlin, you tried to get back." Lottie sighed.

"I know. Still feel a bit guilty," she admitted. "But that's all in the past."

"Was Wood there?" Penny asked, an innocent look on her face. Lottie rolled her eyes.

"Yes," she admitted.

"And?"

"We're neighbors, apparently. He wants to meet up for dinner or coffee or something," Lottie said, suddenly rather interested in her wine. Penny squealed, causing her to wince.

"Oh, this is perfect! You had such a mad crush on him at school," Penny said.

"It's just meeting up," Lottie said, her cheeks turning red. "Not like it's a date or anything."

"It's a date," Penny stated. "And about damn time, in my opinion."

"Just because I fancied him in school doesn't mean he fancied me," Lottie scoffed.

"Yes, but how many times have I told you to just ask him out?" Penny pushed. Lottie stared at her a moment. "Ah, right, but still! You're not like that anymore!" Lottie sighed and then stiffened slightly, unsure of how her best friend would take the next bit of news.

"And well…" Lottie started. She stopped speaking as her cheeks flushed a brighter red. Penny's eyes widened.

"Charlotte Aoife Bell. Tell me now," she said, leaning towards her.

"Sorta ran into Marcus Flint on the way to the pub… he didn't recognize me," Lottie said, still staring down at her glass.

"No shit," Penny said. "What happened?"

"He asked me on a date," Lottie said.

"And?"

"I said yes," Lottie replied. Penny started cackling loudly.

"Merlin! Why?" she asked, struggling to breathe. Lottie just shrugged.

"Had a bit of fun teasing him. He was certainly flirting with me. I got curious," she replied.

"He came up with that whole Smelly Bells shite," Penny said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Though I admit, I am proud of you."

"Certainly wasn't calling me that when I ran into him," Lottie replied. "Didn't even recognize me." Her eyes then went wide in shock. "Oh god…"

"It's just now hitting you, isn't it?" Penny asked, grinning. "You're going on dates with the biggest rivals in Hogwarts since possibly Slytherin and Gryffindor themselves."

"Fuck… and they're playing on the same team now. Oh, gods. What was I thinking? I can't do this," Lottie said, sitting up on the sofa. "I've got to cancel one. Or both. I mean, really… what the hell was I thinking?"

"Oh no, you don't. It took you forever to start dating after you moved to the US. I'll not have you undo all that hard work," Penny said. Lottie looked over at her.

"I can't date two men at once!" she shouted.

"First of all, calm down. You're not dating two men at once. You're a single woman going on two dates. That happen to be with two different men. Who knows how either will work out," Penny said. "And secondly, you should have fun! That's what our 20s are for, Lottie!"

"But what if one or both of them finds out?" Lottie asked.

"Well, you be honest. But, it's just one date. You haven't committed to one or the other. And you don't have to choose one now," Penny said. "Just… go on the dates and see what happens." Lottie thought about it a moment and then nodded.

"Suppose that makes sense," she finally admitted.

"Course it does," Penny replied. "I tend to make a decent amount of sense." Lottie narrowed her eyes at her.

"Save for the two years you dated Percy Weasley," she replied, a sly smile on her face. Penny rolled her eyes.

"I was young and foolish. Besides, he was different back then," she said lightly. "At least I had a boyfriend in school." Lottie rolled her eyes again. "Seriously, Lottie. You've been so focused on your career and such. You need to have some fun while you're still young."

"I had fun in New York," Lottie retorted. Penny just stared at her. "Okay, maybe not as much as I could have, but I dated. Went out. And was certainly far more fun than I ever was at Hogwarts."

"This is true," Penny mused. "Finally got you pissed…" Lottie chuckled. "Just promise me that you won't cancel either date."

"Fine, I won't," Lottie said. Penny grinned.

"Good. Now… just when are these dates…"

"Wait, really?" Harry asked as he and Lottie walked back into the auror department after out doing some questioning on a case. "You tracked him down there?" Lottie couldn't help but be a bit proud of the look of awe on his face.

"Yea. Didn't take that much to bring him in, though. Bit anticlimactic," she replied as they walked to their desks.

"But still… he had been on the most wanted list for a good five years from what I remember hearing," Potter said. Lottie just shrugged.

"It was a group effort," she said.

"Char!"

She stopped and looked over, seeing a tall, dark-hair man rushing up to her. She smiled, though she began to mentally steel herself.

Lottie loved her brothers, really, she did. But they had always been bothersome. Bernard had taken to checking on her a few times a day her first week at the Ministry and she had hoped he'd lay off, but it appeared he was keen on keeping it up for the time being.

"You just get back?" he asked, catching up to her and Harry.

"We did," she replied. "Can I help you with something?"

"Just wanted to see how the case is going," he said, towering over her. If Lottie were being truly honest with herself, she couldn't blame her lack of dates at Hogwarts completely on herself. She was fairly sure that Bernard and Adam had some blame in that. As well as her twin Charlie, though he wasn't nearly as bad as they had been. He had at least given her some space though they were in the same house.

"Perfectly fine," she said lightly. "Don't you have your own case to worry about?" Bernard smiled down at her.

"Can you blame me for wanting to check in on my little sister?" he asked. Lottie rolled her eyes.

"This isn't Hogwarts, Bernie," she chided. "And I have been an auror for a few years. Had to run off to the US just to get away from you lot." Bernard laughed loudly.

"What can I say? I've missed having you around," he replied. He then glanced over at Harry. "You looking out for her, Potter?" Harry's eyes widened slightly as Lottie huffed.

"More like she's looking out for me," he said quickly. "I mean… I am still in my last year of training and Lottie knows loads more than I do." Bernard looked back at her as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"See? Everything is fine," she said. "Now, if you don't mind, we've got work to do. As I'm sure you do as well." When he didn't move, she shoved him, happy to see that she was finally able to make him budge. When she was younger, he would often stand and laugh as she attempted to shove, punch and kick him to no avail. Bernard chuckled and leaned towards her. "Fuck's sakes, Bernard! Shoo!"

"Bells! You best not be roughhousing in my department!" Collins, their boss, said, stepping out of his office. The two stopped and looked over at him, wide-eyed.

"Course not, sir," Lottie said, straightening up.

"Never, sir," Bernard added. The auror glowered at him and then turned and walked back into his office.

"Go," Lottie ordered. Bernard just winked and then walked over to his desk on the other side of the office. She huffed and turned back to her own, finding an amused Harry already seated at his.

"Are you two always like that?" he asked.

"No. Sometimes it's worse," Lottie said, rolling her eyes. "When all three of them are together, it's impossible."

"You've got three brothers?" Harry asked, sitting up in his chair, a stunned look on his face.

"Suppose you didn't know Adam or Bernard. They were in Gryffindor but much older than you," she said, settling at her desk. "Not as though you knew me or my twin all that well since we were in Ravenclaw."

"Right… Charlie, wasn't it? Played quidditch," Potter replied. Lottie chuckled and nodded. "Nearly forgot you had a twin brother."

"Though most definitely not like the Weasleys," she said with a sigh before falling silent, a grimace coming over her face as she thought about Fred. She had enjoyed spending time with George and was happy to see him doing well. But it was a bit of a shock to see him without Fred.

The guilt came sidling back into her heart. She should have been here.

"I miss him too," Harry said softly. She looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"Not the same, is it?" she asked, reaching for her parchment and quill.

"It's not," he admitted, though didn't say anything more.

Lottie studied him a moment. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him about those times. She could only imagine what he went through. But she knew that it wasn't her business. And she was sure that if it were her, she wouldn't want people she barely knew asking her about it.

"Right then, these reports aren't going to write themselves," she said, trying to be as cheerful as she could. "Think if we finish these, we could probably go to the records department and start looking into our suspected accomplice."

Harry smiled in relief and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

Lottie sighed in happiness as she stepped into her flat and pulled off her leather jacket, hanging it on her coat stand near the door. Part of her had been hoping she'd run into Oliver as she walked home, but she had stayed a bit later at the office than she wanted and figured he was likely already home. Or out doing whatever it was that professional quidditch players did in their downtime.

She had to admit that when she first found out she would be taking on a third-year trainee as a partner, she had been a bit disappointed. In New York, she had been lead on cases and the thought of being relegated a sort of training witch for young aurors didn't settle well with her. But then once she met Harry and realized that she would still be working actual cases, the job had grown on her.

Harry was bright and caught on to things rather quickly. He would make a fine auror, she thought. Was well on his way there as it was. He had been on a task force when he first joined to track down various dark wizards and witches just after the fall of Voldemort, which was more than she had done at his age.

Lottie made her way to the kitchen, dropping off her bag of takeout on the counter before turning to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of beer.

She then heard the floo flare up and stomping in the living room.

"Char, you here?"

She stepped out of the kitchen in time to see her twin Charlie looking around as he brushed soot off his robes. He then grinned when he saw her.

"How's work?" he asked, walking over to her.

"Well. You? Mum not driving you mad?" she asked, as she hugged him. Charlie had a talent for potions and their ingredients, joining their mother at her apothecary shop right after finishing school.

"Never," he said, his blue eyes twinkling.

Upon looking at the two, it was obvious they were brother and sister. They had the same dark, wavy hair. The same dimples. The same dark blue eyes and nose. But Charlie stood a few inches taller than Lottie. And had always been far more popular than her at school - he had been outgoing and confident. Charming.

While Lottie had been timid at best, an absolute wreck when it came around being large crowds at worst.

Granted, since living in the US, Lottie was now far more like her brother than she had been then – it had certainly taken a lot of work. And whenever they were together with their family, she had most definitely been just as loud and spoken her mind.

"Brought those potions you asked for," he said, digging into his pocket and pulling out a cloth bag. Lottie smiled as she took the bag, reaching in and pulling one bottle out to inspect it. "Not sure why you want my antidote to uncommon poisons. You're just as capable of making your own."

"You always made it better. Besides I haven't had time," she said, slipping the bottle back into the bag and putting it aside. "You eat?"

"Yea, but wouldn't mind a beer," he said. Lottie went to the kitchen and grabbed another bottle as well as her takeout. When she returned to the living room, Charlie was already settled on the sofa, his feet propped up on the table.

"Make yourself at home then," she said lightly as she held out the beer and then sat next to him, pulling out fish and chips from a greasy bag. Charlie chuckled as he shook his head.

"Can't seem to understand how you eat like that and still manage to stay thin," he said before taking a drink.

"Loads of running about at work. And you've no idea how much I've missed this. No one in New York does proper fish and chips," Lottie said before taking a large bite. She chewed and swallowed. "Ehm… and might hit the gym a few times a week." Charlie chuckled.

"Surprised you have time between your cases and baby-sitting Potter," Charlie said, raising his eyebrows at her. Lottie shoved him.

"I'm not baby-sitting. He's more my partner than he is a trainee, to be honest. Whoever he worked with before taught him well," she said. "Feel like I barely have anything to teach him."

"Sure you've got something," Charlie said. "You're eager to make your mark."

"Course," Lottie replied, grinning at him. "Already did that at MACUSA."

"Sure it won't take you long," Charlie replied. "You always were bright." Lottie nodded, going quiet as she continued to eat. "Changed a lot, hasn't it?"

She looked over at him.

"Yea," she admitted. "And I still feel bad that I wasn't here." Charlie sighed.

"Told you a thousand times, Char. You've nothing to feel guilty about," he said.

"But I do. I mean, Bernie was working in the Ministry – had to go into hiding. You all went back to Hogwarts that night. And what was I doing?" she said, slightly exasperated.

"You were fighting dark witches and wizards in the US," Charlie said.

"Yea, while you were all fighting a war," Lottie stated. "Fighting to survive." Charlie sighed again. He and Lottie have had this conversation far too often in his opinion.

"But we all made it out alive," he said.

"Fred Weasley didn't. Merlin, I didn't even come back for the funeral," she said, frowning and putting her food aside, no longer hungry.

"Be glad you didn't. It wasn't easy," Charlie said. "How did it go meeting up with everyone?"

"Good," she said. "Easier than I thought it would be. They all seem… fine…"

"Because we are fine. It's been two years. We're all moving on. Time you did as well," Charlie said, smiling slightly at her. Lottie rolled her eyes. "Was Wood there?"

Her cheeks suddenly reddened.

"Yes," she said, trying to play cool. Charlie started grinning.

"Still think he's fit?" he asked.

"Sod off," Lottie said, shoving him.

"So you do. How'd he take your new look?" Charlie asked. Lottie rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.

"We're actually meeting up soon," she admitted. Charlie started laughing.

"Finally! Little Lottie Bell gets to go on a date with her one true love, Oliver Wood," Charlie declared. Lottie launched onto her brother.

"Shut it, you toad!" she shouted as she punched him.

"Ow! Ow! Mercy! Mercy!" Charlie shouted. Lottie got off him and huffed. "Blimey. When did you start hitting so hard?"

"Got more where that came from," she replied a bit smugly.

"So," he said as he rubbed his arm. "Do I need to go have a few words with him? Make sure that he knows how to treat my sister right?" Lottie's cheeks turned bright red. She decided right then and there that she most definitely was not going to mention anything about meeting up with Flint as well.

"Absolutely not. You go near him and I will hex your bollocks off," she threatened. Charlie put his hands up.

"Fine. I'll stay away. But you might not want to mention this to Bernie and Adam. You know they will say something… or beg for Puddlemere tickets," he said.

"I am not going to ask him for free tickets," Lottie scoffed.

"But you want to," Charlie said, leaning towards her as he waggled his eyebrows. "And you want to take your favorite brother with you…" Lottie snorted.

"Maybe I was planning to take Penny," she said, her voice a big haughty.

"Penny hates quidditch. Take me instead," he begged, pouting. "Please, Char?" She just laughed and shook her head.

"Get off it, Charlie. I don't even know if it is a date. And even if it is, why do you think he would offer free tickets?" she replied, though her cheeks were still a bright red. Charlie just laughed a bit, then turned to study her.

"Really, though. It's good to have you back, Char," he said. "Missed you while you were gone." Lottie sighed and reached over, hugging him.

"Missed you too, Charlie," she said softly.

"Now… about your date-"

"Merlin! Shut it!"

Writing Lottie and her brothers is so much fun. Love it.

Aphrodite-Venus-u.k – Haha, just wait. Getting to some of it soon…

Thanks for reading and following!