A/n: Thank you for everyone who takes the time to review. Sorry it has taken so long to update, but it's taking me a while to get back into the process of writing. I hope the chapter is up to snuff, or at the very least, not terribly disappointing. I'm going to try to update this more often, because I really want to get through Chamber of Secrets and possibly Prisoner of Azkaban fairly quickly.

September 1992

Violet wasn't entirely sure what happened as she cradled her smarting wrist to her chest as she sat still on the floor, only half watching as Harry got up and started to straighten out their overturned trolleys, which had fallen over along with the twins.

For her part, Violet was too blinded by the pain in her wrist, to think about getting up and helping Harry, or to panic about not being able to get onto the platform.

"The barrier! It's closed!" Harry marveled in panic as went over to the barrier and tried to push his hand through the solid, brick wall.

But Violet was barely able to concentrate, with the painful throbbing of her wrist.

I hope it's not broken, Violet thought as she tried to look up to pay attention to Harry, who seemed to realize then that Violet wasn't moving from where she sat.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked with concern, for the moment completely forgetting about the closed barrier as he came to kneel near to his sister.

"My wrist," Violet spoke, biting on her lip to keep from yelping in pain or from crying. "It hurts a lot."

"Let me see," Harry insisted, even though they both knew that there was nothing he could do to help her. Nonetheless, Violet pushed at the sleeve of her Weasley sweater and showed it to her brother, trying not to move it too much.

The skin around her wrist looked a bit swollen, and Harry could just make out the tinges of lavender bruising that were darkening.

"That doesn't look good," Harry said with a frown as Violet cradled her wrist back to her chest and continue to bite her lip and try breathe through the pain.

"Vi... what are we going to do?" Harry asked after a few moments of silence. "Your wrist looks bad... and if we can't get on the platform, we'll miss the..."

At that exact moment, they could hear the sound of the clock striking the hour and they both looked up to the clock... reporting that it was now eleven.

"We've missed it!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up in panic.

Violet and Harry both looked at each other, their identical eyes both wide with fear.

They'd both been so looking forward to getting to go back to school, even in spite of how fun and different it had been to stay with the Weasley's. And they were both frightened that... if they missed the train... that they would be unable to go to school for the year and be stuck with the Dursleys.

"It's okay, Harry," Violet spoke, her voice shaking slightly as she ignored the pain in her wrist and pushed herself to her feet. If Harry was afraid and panicking... Violet needed to be calm and reassuring. Even though she was in pain. "We just have to think of something... surely Ron would've noticed we're not with them... maybe the Weasley's can apparate us to Hogwarts when-"

"But what if they can't get back through?" Harry asked, his voice still strained with anxiety, even as he too got to his feet and tried to emulate his sister's sudden calm.

"Well... they might be able to get back somehow... and it's not like they're going to leave their car. We'll just wait for them there-"

And suddenly... there came a spark to Harry's eyes, though he moments later seemed to chew on his lip out of either guilt or reticence.

"What?" Violet asked warily... recognizing the look on Harry's face. It was the same look he got, whenever he thought it would be a good idea to drag Violet Mr. Garrison's yard when Dudley and his goons were Potter-hunting. Mr. Garrison... who had an old, half-blind and ill-tempered German Shepard the size of a bear.

"You're not going to like it..."

XxX

"This is a really bad idea," Violet spoke, voicing her opinion for what had to have been the millionth time after making sure that they were both strapped in by the seat-belts and the doors were fully shut and locked.

Because there were a million ways she could think in the span of a second of exactly why this was such a bad idea. Not the least of which being that they could fall out of the sky.

"How do you even know how to make this thing fly?" Violet asked, even as her brother activated what he'd said was an invisibility booster as the blue card started to float into the air. For the time being, all the pain from her wrist was shoved to the back of her mind as her body was surely flooded with adrenaline with the incredibly dangerous and very stupid idea her brother had come up with.

"Fred, George, Ron and me... well Fred and George thought it would be a good idea to joy-ride one night, and they let Ron and me come with," Harry responded, even as they started to rise even higher.

Violet desperately wanted to grip the handle of her door, but being as her wrist was badly injured, she could do nothing but grit her teeth against the pain and the terrorizing fear she felt.

Shoving aside the left-out feeling she suddenly got... to know that she had been left out of the night-time excursion, Violet started to run through her mind all the other things that could go wrong.

"How are we even supposed to find the way to Hogwarts or even the train to follow it? What if the car doesn't hold out for the entire trip? Do you realize how much trouble we'll be in when we even get to Hogwarts? We might even be expelled and then it would have all be for nothing! And what are the Weasley's even going to say about us stealing their car?!"

"Why are you freaking out now?" Harry asked, his voice raised to match his sister's increasingly loud and panicked tone. His cheeks flushed with momentary guilt as he thought of the Weasley's. "Why'd you get in the car if you thought this was so stupid?"

"I've told you it was stupid since you first told me!" Violet shouted back, brushing hair and sweat off her forehead with her good hand, turning to glare at Harry as best she could, even as he started to search for the Hogwarts Express.

"Well you weren't coming up with any bright ideas! All you wanted to do was wait!"

"We could have sent Hedwig with an OWL to Hogwarts! Even if no one noticed we were missing, even if the Weasley's hadn't come back for their car... someone could've come for us- like Hagrid!" Violet retorted, becoming increasingly annoyed with herself that she had gone along with her brother and this hare-brained scheme.

"You know why we couldn't do that! You don't trust anymore than I do that our letter would have been delivered!"

Violet didn't have an immediate rejoinder to that and merely shut her mouth and turned to scowl out the window.

It was true... that was the reason why she hadn't voiced the option before. It had become immediately apparent after they'd first arrived at the Burrow... that none of Ron's apparently numerous letters, had been delivered to Harry. Something Ron thought highly strange, especially when they found that Hermione's hadn't either During their trip to Diagon Alley.

Violet had been desperate since the previous night to get aboard the Hogwarts Express to find Tracey, who she assumed had also attempted to send her letters, which had not been delivered.

"Look, it's the Hogwarts express," Harry pointed out, his tone slowly becoming level as he brushed aside the hurt and irritation he felt at the argument with his twin.

Peering out the window, Violet felt herself relax somewhat to see the train, as Harry maneuvered the car to follow.

Sinking into the seat, Violet continued to sulk, even as she knew that she could probably apologize to Harry. Because in truth... she was as desperate to get back to Hogwarts as he was- even if that meant borrowing a flying car without permission; an incredibly hare-brained scheme.

"Harry..."

"I know, Vi," Harry sighed... before turning to look at his sister and flashing her a smile, before his eyes became worried. "You should try to rest... you don't look so good. And don't worry... I'll take all the blame."

Violet looked at her brother, before reaching over and grabbing his shoulder with her good hand.

"I don't care about that... just don't get us killed."

Harry half-heartedly glared at her. "Just go to sleep, jynx."

"If I didn't point out all the bad things to you... I doubt you would have made it out of the womb."

"Ha ha," Harry retorted, though he could help the corner of his lips turning up slightly.

XxX

Violet wasn't sure how it was possible for her to fall asleep with her pain addled- mind and her near constant worry that she and Harry would suddenly drop out of the sky. But she guessed that once the adrenaline had left her system, that she really had been exhausted. She couldn't even remember falling asleep.

The rather rude awakening they received upon arrival rather spectacularly had woken her up. And as she lay on Hogwarts grounds, holding her now- further injured- hand to her chest, Violet briefly considered that they were lucky to be alive... and that the car had been possibly the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.

"Bloody... freaking... tree," Violet panted, even as she wondered why on earth anyone would plant something that could beat the crap out of you, much less keep it around a school full of children. But then... Violet was starting to consider that Wizards had a very different sense of self-preservation than muggles.

"Vi... are you okay?" Harry asked, crossing the space that the car had previously occupied and kneeling down next to Violet.

"I think..." Violet panted, trying to form her thoughts into words and not howl in pain. "If my wrist wasn't broken before... it is now."

"Stay here... I'll run and get help!"

Violet didn't get a chance to argue with that- what with not liking the idea of being left alone, injured and weak on the grounds... though she supposed there was nothing else for it. The pain had gotten so intense, that the idea of pulling herself to her feet and trekking all the way to the school to get medical attention, seemed like a Herculean task. Especially when she was using all her concentration on not moving her arm too much.

Groaning and burying her face in the grass, still hugging her wounded arm to herself, Violet sincerely hoped that she would never break anything else ever again. Or at least not get into magical cars ever again- especially not with an inexperienced driver behind the wheel.

XxX

There were simply no words to describe what Severus felt, when he saw the mess of jet-black hair, bouncing as the small child came running towards him. After having no less than three OWLs, stating that that Potter twins had gone missing at King's Cross, and had not been seen or heard from for hours, Severus thought that the ball of tension that had built in his stomach was probably the size of polaris, as it tried desperately not to picture all the worst-case scenarios running through his head.

The only thing stopping him from thinking that they had not been kidnapped was the fact that the Weasley's car had conspicuously gone missing as well. Though, Severus couldn't imagine that the Potter children were so stupid as to think it was a good idea to joy ride on the day they were supposed to return to Hogwarts. And it seemed impossible that they should be so stupid to think they could drive to Hogwarts!

"Potter!" he snarled, even in spite of the relief he felt. Somehow, rage was always so near the surface when the male Potter brat was around, managing to shove aside all other emotions and intentions.

"Violet!" the boy was barely able to pant, making a motion to point behind him. And suddenly, the relief and anger that had flooded him evaporated and was replaced, as if by apparation, by pure dread as Severus noted that the female Potter was not with her twin as he thought - hoped- she would be.

"Where is she?!"

Instead of responding, the boy rounded and started to sprint back the way he'd come with Severus hot on his heels. Before long, they were both running across the grounds, Severus trying not to picture the million and one ways the girl could be hurt.

In spite of the dark that was spread like a cloak across the green grounds, Severus soon spotted a small, little lump of darkness on the ground and started to pump his legs harder, easily outstripping the pint-sized and winded twelve-year-old boy.

Sliding the last few feet, Severus dropped to his knees, ignoring his thundering heart. His wand was in hand before his knees touched down.

"Miss Potter," he called, hoping the girl was conscious.

The twelve-year-old prone on the ground, groaned and turned her shaggy head. Her eyes, bleary with obvious pain as Severus looked her over, made his heart seemed to stutter.

"I think... I think my wrist is broken," she spoke, sounding surprisingly level, even as she was panting slightly from pain, and sweating profusely.

Severus felt himself relax somewhat to know it was nothing worse, though he still hated to see the young girl in pain. Hated to see those emerald eyes, fixed on him with a film of delirious agony.

"Let me see," Snape spoke, his voice happily coming out perfectly controlled and neutral just as the Potter boy came screeching to a stop, hunching over and panting, his hands on his knees.

Miss Potter merely clenched her jaw and moved her arm, which had previously been resting on the ground, very near her chest. As if she had been trying to shield the limb with the rest of her body.

It wasn't difficult for Severus to see that the wrist had been broken, or to heal the the broken bones in a matter of seconds as he held her cold hand firmly. Unfortunately, as he concentrated on the tiny, thin, bony wrist and hands… Severus found that it wasn't so easy to wipe the panic from his heart and mind.

"How does it feel?" he asked, as the girl slowly sat up and looked down at her hand in awe, slowly retracting the cold little hand from his grasp.

"Better, much better," she said, turning to look at him with a small smile. "Thanks."

Severus merely nodded curtly as he swiftly got to his feet, now turning his glare to the Potter Boy.

"Well… would either of you care to explain why you weren't on the train? Or how you, Miss Potter, managed to break your wrist?" he asked, looking between the Potter twins.

The twins briefly exchanged looks, both looking like startled little rabbits. The boy then dropping his gaze to his feet while the girl looked at him. And somehow, as Severus waited for the girl to formulate a response, his patiences fraying bit by bit, he had a feeling that even if the brats could tell him anything near the truth, that he'd surely have some grey hairs by the end of the night.

XxX

"Harry," Violet whispered questioningly once they'd finally been released from Snape's office, both of them having received detention for the week with Snape, even though neither one of them had admitted to anything having to do with a missing (flying) car.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, far too relieved to not have been expelled to care that they had a week's worth detention with Snape.

Violet stopped walking, turning to look at Harry as he too stopped. For a moment, she felt her stomach twist and her cheeks turn pink with embarrassment at what she wanted to ask. For a moment, as she stare into Harry's green eyes as he looked at her openly and curiously, she felt her heart twist.

She had to ask, no matter how painfully embarrassing it was to expose herself to any form of laughter. Even though she knew, Harry would never laugh at her.

"It's just… I'm glad we're both back at Hogwarts…. and that we weren't expelled," she started slowly, causing Harry to grin. "But I'm afraid. I don't want us to- to stop talking like we did last year. Or for you to keep life-threatening secrets. So I want you to promise me, Harry. Promise me you won't stop talking to me, or keep those kinds of secrets."

"Okay, Vi, I promise," Harry agreed, not taking too much time to think of it. And though Violet was unsure whether Harry would or wouldn't keep his promise, she could see by the sincerity in his eyes, and how he'd become quite serious, that he was at least going to try to keep it. And that was good enough.

"Thanks, Harry," Violet responded, throwing her arms around her brother and hugging him tight. Harry smiled, returning the hug as well.

"By the way…" Violet spoke once she was pulling away and moving towards another corridor. "Don't forget to write to the Weasley's and apologize for taking their car, and promise to make it up to them. And remember to tell them it was all your idea."

"Hey!" Harry called indignantly.

Violet grinned, continuing to back away. "You said you would take all the blame," she said with a shrug before turning around and skipping away. "See you later baby brother!"

"You're not older than me!" Harry called, sounding both angry and amused.

"You don't know that!" Violet responded in sing-song, somehow feeling a million times lighter without impending expulsion on the horizon.

TBC…

A/n: Please review!