AN - Hey! reviews! Thank you guys so much - smithback, muzzarae, emyschoice... I appreciate the feedback so much. I saw it on my app earlier today and i have been hanging out to get home and upload this next chapter. Emyschoice, I do think that George can come to an ok place, but definitely, he wont be and needs to be depicted as a broken person for a long time. Thanks for your comment on him, as he can be a tough one to write. I have a hard time writing Ron as s good guy. Even in this chapter towards the end my brain was saying "Make him bad, make him bad" but i'm trying my hardest to keep him nice. Although, you'll see why any girl would just go "UHHHH" at him and not in a good way.

Please be aware... THERE ARE LOADS OF SEX SCENES IN THIS CHAPTER. She gets loads of sex. All the sex. Sex sex sex! If you don't like it, probably give up now because they're adults, this is rated M and sex is part of human connection. Also is a really fun activity between two consenting adults.

A few hours later, Hermione found herself arm in arm with George, leaving the ministry via the floo network. Somehow, the two of them landed at her place rather than his, however, she didn't mind. She was drunk and felt completely carefree. George was somewhat in control of his actions and stood awkwardly in her living room.

Hermione made them both a drink in the kitchen which she was thankful to have stocked on her shopping trip earlier that day.

"I had a great time" George said, cheersing to Hermione for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

Hermione drank her drink quickly and with what was a crazy moment of courage, threw herself into Georges arms and kissed him on the lips.

He tried to push her away, and initially she let him.

"Hermione, you're drunk You don't want to do this" he said.

"George, I'm not that drunk, and I think now is as good a time as any to do this" she said, looking into his eyes. Hs eyes, which were blue like the brightest parts of the ocean.

"I just… I don't want to rush into something that we'll regret later" he said, tucking a stray piece of her hair behind her ear.

"The only choice we have in this is the when and the where. Why not do it now. We've had a fantastic night, we've been dancing, drinking and having fun. I like you George. And I think you're quite attractive" she said in a moment of bold courage.

"Is this the Gryffindor bravery I see in you?" he asked.

"Why yes, I think it may well be. Now, where's yours?" She asked.

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment before leaning forward to kiss her again. This time, however, the kiss was most definitely not one sided. George kissed Hermione with intense passion that she had most definitely not expected. George's tongue soon found its way towards Hermione's, fighting for dominance, fighting for something she wasn't aware she had to give. She fought back, kissing him with equal passion that had never reared its face before. Certainly, she had been with Ron a couple of times, but he was never this passionate. Never this eager. George seemed hesitant only moments ago, but now, he was almost desperate. His hands found the split that travelled up the length of Hermione's leg and he felt the bare flesh of her toned legs. She moved her own hands to the buttons of his shirt and made quick work of divesting him of it. As she ran her hands up the light fuzz of George's chest hair, his hands had a firm grip on her ass. He lifted her and sat her on the nearby benchtop, parting her legs so that he stood in between them. Their kissing never ceased as their hands worked their way over the body of one another. Hermione found George's belt buckle and undid it with ease, causing his pants to fall in a heap on the floor. He was now left in his boxers and she was fully clothed. As she reached down to remove her dress, he grabbed her hands, placing them to her sides before taking the dress himself and lifting it over her head. She hadn't worn a bra and was now bare chested in her kitchen in her underwear, which, quite honestly, left nothing to the imagination.

George continued kissing Hermione with desperation and pressed himself hard against her. She could feel his arousal against her thigh, and she was desperate for it. After the week she had had, she so badly needed to feel something. She pressed the heels of her feet against his backside and was rewarded when he pressed hard against her centre. She moved her body so she could grind against him and moaned when she felt his erection press against her sensitive spot.

That was all it took apparently, for George to release himself from his boxers and move her underwear to the side.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked, trailing a finger through her wet arousal.

"Absolutely. I need this so badly" she answered, looking him in the eyes, as he agonisingly slowly inserted one finger inside of her. She moaned in ecstasy, feeling a sense of relief, but also a desire, a longing for more.

Seconds later, or minutes, she wasn't sure, he withdrew his finger and aligned himself against her. He entered her slowly and tentatively, not knowing how experienced she was at this, which she appreciated. As it turned out, George was a lot bigger than Ron and the immediate sensation caught Hermione by surprise

"Are you ok?" he asked, sensing her hesitation.

"I'm good, just… go slow… for a bit" she said.

"You're not…?" the question of her virginity caught in his mouth, buried among what Hermione sensed was his fear at taking her virginity in this way.

"No, just… you're different. Bigger" she said shyly.

He pressed further inside of her and the exquisite feeling of fullness was quite enough to almost block out the slight burning that came with the stretching sensation. When he was completely buried inside of her, he stilled, kissing her once more. The kisses however, stopped being so passionate and were softer, more gentle. Hermione almost forgot where she was and what she was doing. She was completely lost in the feeling of George's tenderness. When she felt ready, she moved her hips and felt complete and utter bliss at the feeling of him moving against her.

"Merlin" she said.

"Is this ok?" he asked.

"More than ok" she answered.

He kissed her, not wanting to move much, however, Hermione was now desperate for some friction.

"Move, please, George… I need… I want…" she tried to speak but couldn't formulate words.

George did as he was asked and began moving, with his hands on her hips to hold her steady. She raked her fingers across his back, digging her nails in as he claimed her, thrust after thrust. The pain was a mere memory replaced with the bliss of George fucking her on the kitchen counter. She laid back and brushed the few scattered benchtop items onto the floor, scooting back and gesturing for George to join her up on the bench. The withdrawal of him made her whimper, however, he climbed up and held her still then rammed himself into her, causing her to cry out. His grin was worth all of the pain of the last week. He was pure joy. She could get used to this. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he continued making love to her. She found herself building, the twisting, throbbing tingling sensation that began in her abdomen and spiralled out around her body made her squeeze her eyes shut and as she came undone around him, she saw stars circling them, enveloping them and bringing them together with his own undoing.

~~OvO~~

Hermione woke the following day as the light streamed in through her window and immediately felt her head begin to pound. She rolled over and looked to the man who was sleeping soundly beside her. It felt odd to have George in her bed, especially after, only a week ago, it was Ron she awoke beside.

She carefully extracted herself from the bed and wrapped herself in her light dressing gown before making her way down to the kitchen to begin to formulate some kind of breakfast.

She paused when she saw their clothing strewn about the kitchen and the items from the bench top scattered on the floor. She felt the tingle between her thighs when she recalled their adventures the night before and found herself wondering if it had been a huge mistake.

She boiled the kettle and set about making scrambled eggs on toast as she really thought about what had transpired.

She had slept with George. Not only slept with him, but really truly slept with him. They had had an incredibly fun night together and recalled, for the first time in a long time, actually laughing effortlessly with him.

Was that why they were matched? Was he able to bring out a side to her that she had always wanted? She remembered always rousing on Fred and George in school during her reign as prefect for their inventions, tricks and pranks, however, as she became older, those things felt more necessary. The world was so serious a place, what with the war and the battle. Suddenly, pranks and laughter felt like the most necessary thing in the world.

She pushed the eggs around in the pan with a wooden spoon as she recalled brazenly throwing herself at him last night. Surely he must have known what he was there for when they arrived at her parent's house in the floo. Why else would he have accompanied her? They had flirted on and off all night, something that Hermione had not intended, however, upon seeing Ron flirt with Lavender, it felt less odd.

She poured two cups of tea and placed them on a tray, removing the toast from the toaster, swiping margarine over it and setting it down on a plate before plating up two helpings of eggs. Hopefully he likes eggs, she thought to herself, trying to recall seeing what he had eaten during breakfasts at the Burrow.

As she was about to take them up to her room, he came down the stairs with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Your uh… pants…" she looked at the clothes she had moved to a pile at the doorway. "I made breakfast" she said, unsure about how to navigate this strange situation.

George smiled a genuine smile at her as he pulled his boxer shorts on under the towel, revealing a little of himself between pulling them completely up and dropping the towel. Hermione looked away in… was it embarrassment? He was absolutely nailing her with that last night and she was loving it. Why was she so shy now?

"Breakfast looks good" he said, waking to where she stood and kissing her on the temple.

It made her feel tingly inside, so she guessed that was a good thing.

They sat at the dining table together and ate in awkward silence.

"How's your head this morning?" he asked.

"Sore" she said.

"I have some hangover potions at the flat if you like" he said.

"That would be nice" she said, knowing that she didn't have any muggle paracetamol on hand, and it wouldn't immediately cure her anyway. She also knew that George would find the muggle medication repulsive.

"Did you want to… uh, do something today?" she asked him.

"I would. Ordinarily… I have to open the shop today; I have a shipment coming in from France" he said.

"Oh, right. Of course" she said.

"Not that I wouldn't want to. It would be nice if we could organise to do something" he said.

"Definitely will get onto that" she said, wondering internally why on Godric's green earth this felt so awkward.

Hermione rushed through her breakfast and got up to take her plate to the sink. She filled the sink with hot water and was about to wash her plate when George came up behind her.

"Here" he said, swishing his wand over the washing up, causing it to begin washing itself. "Are you or are you not a witch?" he asked.

"I suppose I could have paid more attention to your mum for all these years" she said, offering him a smile of thanks.

"Breakfast was great" he said, leaning his back against the same counter they had crazy drunken sex on just hours before.

"Thanks. I'll add scrambled eggs to the list of things you enjoy for breakfast" she said.

"There aren't many foods that I dislike. I'll eat just about anything, although, not in the quantities that my youngest brother does" he said.

Hermione cringed at the reference to Ron and wondered if it would be a long-term reaction to her first love.

"I might go get changed. Probably take a shower" she said, eyeing the stairs.

"Ok, I'll wait right here" he said.

"Won't be long" she said, heading up the stairs and into the bathroom. She closed the door behind herself and headbutted the wall with her forehead. 'Why am I so awkward?' she wondered.

She stripped and showered quickly, washing her hair and using a charm for her teeth.

She wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door to the bathroom and was shocked to find George standing outside in the hallway.

"I hate how awkward this is" he said, taking hold of a wet curl of her hair.

"Merlin, me too, it's strange, isn't it?" she asked.

"Well, I think, that's why we need to do it again. Sober" he said, running a hand across her wet shoulder and down her arm where he took her hand in his.

Hermione felt tingles all over and, with an initial hesitation, she allowed him to lead her to her room.

She noticed he was still wearing his boxers and wondered if he was just that confident, she would say yes.

"What say you?" he asked.

"For research's sake. I think maybe we should explore all options to rid ourselves of the awkwardness" she said, grasping her towel in the middle and removing it from herself.

George eyed Hermione with what she could only determine was lust in his eyes.

"Why do you look at me that way?" she asked.

"You're stunning" he said, capturing her face in his hand.

"Shove off, I am skin and bones right now" she said.

"Well, that's nothing a few good meals won't fix" he said, leaning in and kissing her lips.

"Merlin, you're so good at that" she said.

"What else am I good at?" he asked, pushing her towards the bed so she could lay down upon it.

"Well, I suppose last night was pretty good" she said.

"Which part?" he asked, now laying over her resting on his elbows.

"The part in the kitchen" she answered shyly as he kissed her neck.

"Specifics?" he asked.

"No specifics. The whole… event was pretty great" she said, blushing, as he moved down her body to capture a perky nipple in his mouth.

"I have more things that I'm good at… If you want me to show them to you?" he asked.

"I… think that would be acceptable. For research sake, of course" she said, as he trailed kissed down towards her belly button.

She thought she knew what his aim was. She had read about it in her books and had heard the girls discussing it in the dormitory in years gone by. However, Hermione hadn't ever anticipated the rush of pleasure she would feel when George licked one long stroke from her entrance up her slit to the most sensitive place on her body.

Her body convulsed and she let out a moan of pleasure.

"You're incredibly good at that" she whimpered.

"I haven't even started" he said, inserting a finger into her wet core, eliciting yet again, a moan of pleasure.

Without withdrawing his long finger, he placed his tongue on her clitoris and licked, sucked, teased and ever so lightly nibbled on the sensitive bundle. All the while, his finger inside of her, curled to hit the spot she was completely unaware existed inside of her.

She could barely control herself, crying out in pleasure as he continued his sweet sweet assault, eager for her to come undone.

She arched her back when he inserted a second finger and pressed his tongue harder against her clit. With a moan that she was certain the neighbours would have heard, Hermione came undone under her future husband.

Not one to wait, George quickly freed himself from his boxers, crawled his way back up towards Hermione and thrust into her in one quick hard motion. Still reeling from the waves of her orgasm, she let out another cry of pleasure at the intrusion. He slightly withdrew and slammed into her again. It was heavenly. Her legs were trembling around his waist and his hands were in her hair as he continued the hi rhythm. She felt the familiar build of another orgasm and with another several thrusts, she came undone, yet again.

At the cries and whimpers of pleasure that erupted from Hermione, George quickened his pace and quickly followed Hermione with his own undoing.

They lay together in post orgasmic bliss for serval minutes, catching their breath before Hermione announced the need to shower again.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Sure" she answered, leaving her room with nothing but her towel in her hands.

She turned the water on and hopped in, closing her eyes as the warm water washed away the sweat. When George entered, he ran the water over his face and pulled hers to his, capturing her lips under the steady stream of water.

She did not hold back, wanting to show George just how grateful she was for the things he had just done to her. She pressed her body against his as their lips danced this now practiced arrangement and their tongues found one another like they were designed to.

Hermione could feel George's arousal brush against her leg and wondered how on earth he could be ready after what they had just done.

She raised an eyebrow at him and received a shrug in reply.

She tentatively reached down and took his length in her hand. She could just wrap her fingers all the way around, but it was much larger than the size of her hand. She moved her hand slowly up and down the length of it, intrigued by the feeling of it. It was silky and smooth, but hard at the same time. George's eyes closed and he hissed through his teeth when she picked up speed.

She could feel him pulsating in her hand and stopped when he opened his eyes and pressed against her shoulders. She initially felt rejected, however, when he pressed her body against the tiles and lifted her by her backside, she felt a spark of something new.

He lifted her high and when she came back down, she was speared by the length of his erection. Once again, the feeling of complete fullness engaged all of her senses and she was vaguely aware of the water as he pounded her against the tiles.

Her orgasm came quick, as did his and before long, he thanked her with a kiss and set her down on her feet.

~~OvO~~

Completely and thoroughly fucked and clean, Hermione and George flooed to his flat where they each downed a hangover potion. Not that Hermione really needed one any longer, as she found that orgasms were the perfect cure for a headache.

They stood in the kitchen of George's tiny flat for a few moments before he declared that his delivery was due very soon and he would have to sign for it in the shop.

"I think I'll head off anyway. I have a few things I need to take care of" she said, walking towards the fireplace she had stepped out of only moments ago.

"Right… well… I'll see you then?" he asked.

"No, not the awkwardness. I thought we shagged that away?" she asked.

"Maybe we need to do it more? I'm thinking, daily shagging in order to avoid the awkwardness" he said with a cheeky grin.

"I missed that smile" she said, taking his chin in her hand.

"I missed feeling this happy" he said.

"I'm glad I'm making you happy" she said.

"I know we didn't ask for this and I'm most likely the last person you thought you'd end up with, but I really enjoyed spending time with you Hermione" he said, looking into her eyes.

As she looked back, she noticed something she hadn't ever seen before. Where Ron's eyes were blue, like all the Weasleys, George's were a much brighter shade. She had compared them to the brightest part of the ocean before, but now, as she looked into them, there was something more. Something else she hadn't seen before. Inside that blue ocean, were flecks of green and yellow. So tiny that if you didn't take the time to notice, but they were there. They were like the sun shining on the brightest part of the ocean. And she was being completely and utterly pulled in.

"I've had a great time. I hope that we can make something of this" she said, before kissing him lightly on the lips and stepping backwards into the floo.

~~OvO~~

Hermione entered the living room of her parent's house and collapsed on the lounge.

Her mind was reeling from the events of the last 18 hours and he had no idea where her thoughts, feelings or emotions sat in relation to Ron, George or any of it.

She loved Ron so incredibly much and felt that a huge part of her always would, but the uninhibited fun that she had with George last night and the surprising passion that engulfed them was something she had no idea could exist.

She closed her eyes and thought of Ron and how he would feel if he knew that she had shagged his brother less than a week after they had been forced to break up. Suddenly, Hermione bolted upright and she felt a sickness that had nothing to do with being hungover.

"Ron and I didn't actually break up" she said out loud to herself.

She gathered her purse and stepped into the kitchen, deciding it was best to talk with Ron sooner, rather than later.

She turned on the spot and found herself coming to a stop at the gate to the Burrow. She would officially break up with Ron and remind him how much she loved him but explain how it was all for the best.

The ring he fashioned out of a vine by the river only a week ago sat comfortably in the palm of her hand and she held it tight as she walked up the dirt path to the front door of the house. The ring that the ministry provided shone in the sun light, reminding her what it was she had to do.

When she knocked, Ginny answered the door.

"Why are you knocking? You practically live her Hermione" Ginny said, pulling Hermione inside by the hand.

"I don't know, its just… Well, it's odd now, don't you think?" she asked.

"Well, no. I don't think. You're family. Actually family. You're marrying into the family in a couple of weeks" Ginny said with a smile.

"Hmm, I suppose" Hermione said.

"You ok? You seemed to be having a great time last night" Ginny said, looking tentatively at the other girl.

"I'm ok, I think. It was hard beyond belief, but George is fun" Hermione said, sitting on the couch in the living room.

"I know, it was so strange, he hasn't smiled since… well, you know… Its been hard. I think you'll be good for him Mione" Ginny said, putting her feet on the coffee table.

Hermione thought it was strange the way that no one ever said Fred's name. She would bring it up with them at some point but now was definitely not the right time.

"I just feel so bad for Ron. We have… had… something great" Hermione said.

"I suppose" Ginny said.

"You suppose?" Hermione asked, wondering if there was something she wasn't telling her.

"Well, you and Ron… Never really made a lot of sense, did it?"

"And me and George do?"

"Well, no not really"

"Is he home?" Hermione asked, hoping to have a heart to heart.

"I think he's in his room. Mum's at the market so you can go in there if you like" Ginny said.

"Ginny, I have a sparkling ring on my finger that tells me I am now property of your other older brother. Nothing's gonna happen" Hermione said, getting up from the lounge.

"Well, be sure to cast a silencio regardless" Ginny said, plucking a random book off the shelf beside her.

Hermione climbed the stairs to the top of the house and knocked tentatively on the attic door.

"Come in" came Ron's voice.

"Hey" she said.

"Oh, Hermione. Uh, hi. How are you?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck from where he sat at his desk. Hermione looked around and realised that someone must have placed an extension charm on the room, because it seemed much bigger than last time she had been in there. Harry now seemed to have a whole section of the room to himself, which included a proper bed and a desk.

"I'm ok. I think I'll be ok" she said.

"I was worried about you" he said.

"I haven't been ok Ron. This whole thing, it really got to me. I thought we'd be it" she said, sitting on the end of his bed.

"Me too, I really wanted us to be. I mean… We were going to finish school together, get a place. I had so many plans" he said.

"And now…"

"Now, they're all…"

"Gone"

"Or replaced"

"With someone else" she finished.

"We're not technically married off yet though" he said moving his chair close to where she sat.

"No, we're not. But Ron, the reason I'm here is because we need to officially break it off" she said.

Ron came closer still and placed a hand on the side of Hermione's head.

"You know, I loved you before… I loved you when you were Hermione know it all, recite from the textbook Granger. I loved you when that troll was in the dungeon with you. I loved you when Krum took you to the ball and loved you when I stupidly left during the war months. I love you still, but I think I can let you go" he said. "I just… I want to say goodbye" he said, leaning closer to Hermione's face.

Hermione sat frozen on the spot. Ron had never made such a declaration to her. His feelings were something she had only ever guessed at. She closed her tear-filled eyes as Ron leant in closer and she moaned quietly as his lips brushed against hers.

"Ron… I…" she began, but words now eluded her. She loved Ron. She missed Ron. She had sex with Ron's brother 3 times in the last 10 hours. She was engaged to Ron's brother. She was getting married in a couple of weeks.

She reached up and captured his face on her hands, deepening the kiss. Surely a goodbye kiss wouldn't hurt?

Ron leant further forward, leaning Hermione back and pressing himself against her.

She felt his arousal press against her hip as he ground himself against her.

"Ron, we shouldn't" she said, pulling her face away from him onslaught of kisses"

"I know. Its wrong. Its so wrong. I don't want to hurt you; I don't want to hurt Lavender or George... I just… I need you to know how I feel about you before this ends" he said.

"Ron, I know. You love me. I love you too, so much, but we are wearing these rings that say we belong to someone else" Hermione said.

"We're not married yet Hermione. We don't belong to anyone" he said.

Hermione looked into Ron's striking blue eyes. The eyes that were different to Georges. Very different. She saw that now. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, bringing Ron's face back to her own, kissing him again. She was sure she would regret this, but Ron was right. They needed a goodbye. They needed closure.

Ron pulled his short off over his head as Hermione did the same to her own. Ron pulled her pants and underwear down her legs in one and tossed them onto the floor and pulled the front of his own pants down as well. He kissed her as he thrust into her and groaned as she wrapped her legs around his body. His movements were not the skilled movements that George had demonstrated, but the sloppy jackhammering motions of someone who was inexperienced. She wondered briefly how George had become skilled in sex, but was dragged from her thoughts when Ron's motions became quicker and his kisses sloppier. Hermione hadn't had time to think about her own pleasure before Ron came with a shudder and a groan and fell to her side.

She lay there in shock and pulled the blankets from Ron's unmade bed over her lower half.

"You're incredible, you know that?" he asked.

She simply nodded and made to get up as tears welled in her eyes. She felt dirty and sick and like she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.

She picked up her clothes and dressed quickly, not wanting Ron to see the emotion on her face. She discreetly wiped the tears away as she put her top back on and headed for the door.

"I'll miss you" Ron said from where he sat on his bed, leaning against the bed head.

"Yeah, me too" she said.

"Let's not let it get awkward, ok?" he asked.

"That sounds like a great idea. So, we friend again?" she asked.

"I mean, I'll always love you Hermione, but yes friends" he said.

Hermione left his room in a hurry and ran down the stairs, stopping on the second floor when her tears fell too heavily for her to see.

"I told you to put silencing wards up" Ginny said from the bottom of the stairs, walking up.

"I didn't… Nothing happened. That's not what I went there for" Hermione said.

"Puh-lease Hermione. You and Ron had unresolved sexual issues. A last hurrah" Ginny said with a shrug.

"Ginny, I've done something terrible" Hermione said, not trying to hide her devastation.

"Oh shit" Ginny said.

"Shit indeed" she said as Ginny pulled her into the room, they had shared for the last several years.

"Ginny, George and I… well… we had such a great time last night and we went back to my parents house…" Hermione said.

"Oh my Good Godric, you shagged George?" Ginny asked.

"Several times, I think" she said.

"Well, it must have been alright" Ginny said. "Wait, no. Nope, he's my brother. Don't wanna know" she said.

"Well, I felt guilty when I realised that Ron and I hadn't actually officially called it off yet. I only came here to break it off, but then Ron started talking about how much he loved me and how he wanted one last goodbye…" Hermione said.

"Merlin Hermione, you got played" she said.

"Played?" she asked.

"One last hurrah? I bet it was awful. You weren't even up there for 15 minutes" she said.

"It wasn't very nice, no" Hermione said. "I feel horrible saying it. But… That seemed to be all about him. I didn't really even know what was going on before it was all over" she said.

"Well, that's good. Its not really cheating. I mean, this is a crazy time, a really awful cross over period. So no one can be angry for this" Ginny said.

"So you understand then? You're not mad?" Hermione asked.

"No way. And if you decide to tell my stupid older brother and he is mad, I'll sort him out" Ginny said.

"I don't think I'll tell him" she said.

"I wouldn't. There's no need" she said.

"I need to go" Hermione said.

"Go home, have a bath, read a book or ten. You'll be fine" Ginny said, pulling Hermione into a hug.

"I really think George and I have a chance to be good together" Hermione said.

"I hope so" Ginny said as Hermione left the room.

~~OvO~~

AN- So yep, that happened. I know what you're all going to say "Why is she so in love with Ron but jumped straight in with George?" I don't really have a solid answer for that, which is how Hermione would be feeling. She loves Ron, but knows that sooner or later, she'll need to be with George in that way, so i suppose, in her drunken state, her illogical brain decided it was a good idea. And... really, it was. They had a great time at the dinner, danced, made each other smile for the first time which was crazy. They had a good time and celebrated with a shag. Then she went and shagged Ron only a little while after George. Such a messed up young person with a traumatic background.