DISCLAIMER: THE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER BELONGS TO JK ROWLING.

" I want to go swimming."

" Uhh..Stephanie, we haven't got a pool inside the house…" said Laura at breakfast. It was two days before they all had to go back to Hogwarts, and spirits were high. Well, except Sirius, who seemed more moody lately.

" I haven't gone swimming all summer. Heck, I haven't hardly seen any sun all summer, been cooped up here! I say we go swimming!"

" Hear! Hear!" chimed in George as he came into the kitchen wearing his boxers and a t-shirt.

" See! I have an accomplice!"

" Where exactly are we going to go swimming Stephanie?" asked Fred as he came up next to here.

" Let me see…we can't go to the beach because there's too many people, we can't go to the pool, because I don't want chlorine… we need a lake, or a pond or something.."

" Like the one behind our house?" asked George.

" Yeah, I am sure mom would let us go to the Burrow, I mean it's our house right? And the pond is just about 20 minutes away from the house." Said Fred

" yeah nice idea mates, but we forgot one thing-"

" no make that two…" said Laura looking defeated.

" Yeah, what's the second one?" asked George.

" Well first we have to get past your mom, then Sirius won't want to let us go. You know, says it's dangerous."

" Well, what he doesn't know can't hurt him," smirked George, totally ready for some sneaking around," besides, you two can just use floo to get to the Burrow, and me and Fred will just apparate there. We'll only be gone for a couple hours, and mom is away shopping for our school supplies, and Sirius stays upstairs a lot lately. I say we meet back in the kitchen in a half hour, that way we have the day ahead of us."

They all stood up to fetch their swimming apparels, but once Laura and Stephanie reached their room, they weren't really convinced they should go.

" I don't know…well it can't hurt, and I haven't felt the sun for ages…I just hope Sirius doesn't find out…" said Stephanie who really wanted to go, but couldn't forget her responsibilities.

" This is a bad idea. A bad idea." Said Laura shaking her head.

" It's not like you to not be up for a little adventure. Oh come on! let's just go, I long for a little sneaking around."

" Sometimes Stephanie, I swear you and George are like—related! Both big on pranks, and both bloody weirdoes.."

" I' ll take that as a compliment…just like everything else." Laughed Stephanie.

They met up with the twins downstairs, who already had towels on their shoulders, taking all of this in good fun.

" Ok, the last one there is a dirty rotten scoundrel!" said George as he apparated away with a 'pop'

Fred went next, then the girls with a guilty look at each other popped into the fireplace.

The Burrow looked odd when no one lived in it. The couple of times Stephanie had been there, she had noticed that the house was always busy with something. Either the sound of Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen, or the magical knitting getting done on the sofa, or odd noises from the chicken coops, but now—silence.

" Ok mates, the pond is this way." said George as he opened the back door of the house out to the garden.

The pond in question was a little bit further than the garden wall, and they ran and enjoyed the feeling of the grass between their toes as they made their way there.

" I didn't know it would be so hot out. Perfect day to go swimming." Said Stephanie brushing a strand of hair of her sweaty forehead, ( because she had been running after George.)

" So who shall do the honors?" asked Fred as they came around the side of the pond.

At that moment, Stephanie got a wicked smirk on her face, and jumped on Fred's back, making him stagger forward, as they both splashed into the refreshing waters.

" Ha! So that's how we're gonna play!" smirked Fred as he came up for air, catching Stephanie before she could get away.

George and Laura looked at each other, and took this time to go into the water at their own leisure.

" No Fred! Haha, stop, I can't breathe. Let go." Said Stephanie trying to break free.

" Nope. Not until you admit I am dead sexy."

" Never!" screamed Stephanie going under the water and grabbing his foot as he fell backwards.

She then swam away as fast as she could, swimming behind George so Fred would not get her. Just then, she got a little idea to repay George for his balding joke. She wrapped her legs around his waist from the back, as he said, "Stephanie what are you doing?" and she whispered in his ear, " Too bad Tonks isn't here huh?"

And before he could reply she sunk him under as Laura was coming to splash her.

They spent about two hours just playing in the water and laughing, until they were getting a bit tired, and decided to lay out in the sun on the warm grass.

" Hey Fred, did we bring anything to eat?" asked Laura.

" Nope, forgot to."

" Hey Fred, did we bring anything to drink?"

" Uhh, there's water back at the Burrow."

" Hey Fred.."

" What!"

" nothing…hehe.."

Laura was trying to not give away Stephanie who had taken Laura's distraction as a moment to take Fred's clothes and find a place to hide them. George having seen her, decided to help out.

" Fred?"

" What George?"

" You think I'm fat?"

" What!"

" You do don't you!"

" No George I do not think you're fat."

" People always say that to not offend you, so you do, just admit it, you think I'm fat and ugly!"

Stephanie was tiptoeing back to the little circle as Fred turned to look at George exasperated, " What's the matter with you George?"

George who had been doing faces behind his brother's back to make Laura laugh was caught in between a grimace, " I—uhh, what were you saying?"

George and Laura got up and ran into the water cackling madly, as Stephanie giggled and sat next to Fred.

" They're plotting something. I' m certain." Said Fred looking at his brother.

" Aww Fred, have more faith." Said Stephanie kissing him on the cheek.

" I declare a game!" announced George from the pond.

" Ok, what's this game going to involve…" said Stephanie eyeing him suspiciously.

" Well, Laura and I against you and Fred. Ok, so at the bottom of this pond there's Fred's old broomstick. I know because we used to fly above the pond then let ourselves drop in, until the broom fell with us. Ok so the first team to get it wins."

" Yeah, and what do we win?"

" I solemnly swear I will not pull any pranks for a week."

" Wait, I have a better idea, Me and Laura against you and Fred, because that way when you two lose we'll be free."

"And how do you know WE are gonna lose?"

"Simple, common sense." Smirked Stephanie.

They all lined up on opposite sides of the pond.

" Ok, 1, 2, 3.GO!" yelled Fred as he dived in.

Laura and Stephanie were just about to jump, when they felt a certain coldness sweep over them. A feeling all too familiar for their liking. They looked horrorstruck, looked behind them, and saw four dememtors a little way off, gliding slowly towards them.

" Laura, Dememtors! Run! I'll get Fred and George!"

" NO, I'm not leaving you three!"

" Just go Laura! Use the floo powder inside the house next to the chimney! Fred and George will just apparate me! GO RUN!"

Laura looked at her friend, and understood that Stephanie was just doing it for her well-being. Laura gave Stephanie a ' I'll see you soon' look and started sprinting in her bathing suit.

Shit! Shit! Come on Fred, come out of the water! Thought Stephanie desperately as she dove in to motion them to come up. The water suddenly felt icy, and she could feel sharp needles prickle her flesh and her air getting scarce in her throat.

She couldn't see them. She had to come up for air. As her head broke the surface, she saw George holding the toy broomstick in one hand on the shore, yelling, " I got it! Ha! You lose!"

" George, Dementors! Get back!"

George turned slowly around, and his facial expression suddenly dropped.

" Apparate Damn it! GO!"

George dropped everything, and looked back at Stephanie all of a sudden very serious in this crucial situation.

" What about you and Fred! I can't just leave you!"

" George, where is Fred!"

At that moment, Fred came up behind Stephanie gasping for air, as George saw that his brother was safe and apparated away.

" Fred! Apparate us away from here, dementors…now." Said Stephanie, terrified, and shivering in the water.

Fred saw the edge of the pond freezing over, and his own teeth chattering madly. He took Stephanie in his arms and with a loud ' POP' they found themselves in the twin's bedroom at the Order.

Stephanie was shaking like mad, half frozen. She didn't stay put however, she stood up and ran in the hallway to make sure George and Laura were all right and safe in the house. Fred followed.

Sirius collided with Laura as she was running up the stairs dripping wet, trying to get to her friends and see if they were all right.

" Ow! Oh sorry Sirius, didn't see you there." She stood up quickly before he had a chance to lend her a hand, and sprinted up the stairs.

She met with Fred and Stephanie in the hallway, all of them looking disheveled and on edge.

" Have you seen George?" asked Fred.

" No, I thought he was coming with you."

A door slammed open at the end of the hallway, from Laura's room, and out came George panting.

" Whew! That was close. Good thing we're out of there." Said George.

" Frederick, come down here this instant!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, apparently just having come back.

" Yeah, George, you were saying?" grunted Fred as he made his way down the stairs.

" Wait, put on some clothes!" said Stephanie throwing him pants and a shirt as she ran into their room. " It would look weird if we all went downstairs in our bathing stuff. Quick lets all get dressed."

In a matter of seconds they all made their way down stairs as Mrs. Weasley was fuming at the kitchen table, with an open letter on the table.

" What is it mom?" asked Fred looking innocent.

"You've just gotten a letter from the ministry, both you and Stephanie! Says you apparated her! Stephanie dear, I'm very disappointed! You know how dangerous that is!"

Stephanie had the feeling that's now all Mrs. Weasley meant by 'dangerous.'

" I only apparated her from her room to mine…uhh...because…"

" I don't want excuses! It better not happen again, or you two will face the ministry!" she was visibly upset, but apparently something else was on her mind, because she could usually go on for hours, but she just turned around after giving the girls a look.

Laura felt horrible, she knew Mrs. Weasley probably had and inkling they had left the house, and she was just worried.

After going back upstairs in the twin's room, they all looked at one another, still rather shaken.

" Can't believe we got out of there." Said George.

" That was the closest I've ever been to—I don't even want to think about what might have happened." Said Stephanie.

" And to think, no one knows." Said Fred.

They couldn't tell anyone, because technically they weren't supposed to sneak out of the house. And if they told anyone about the dementors, they would have to go into detail on how they put themselves in danger in the first place, regardless of how the Order members were trying hard to keep everyone safe.

To Stephanie and Laura however, it came as a realization of how real everything had become. Their training this summer. What they would be facing. The horror they had felt. The thought that now lingered on their minds: with them, their friends would be in danger.

Needless to say, that night at dinner the four of them were unusually quiet.