Part 3 - Mangy Mutt

I completely avoided the twins until Christmas, and it was pure hell. I hadn't realized just how few friends I had until I lost the only two that I did. I was lonely, and depressed, and just feeling down in general.

It was also unbelievably hard to avoid the two of them. For some reason, they turned up everywhere I went. It was freaky sometimes, like they were reading my mind. Just not talking to them was exhausting.

But then Uncle Remus picked me up from the train station during holiday, and all that unpleasant tension lifted immediately. "Stella!" He laughed, immediately closing me in a tight hug, picking me up off the ground, and spinning me in circles, "I missed you so much, darling little hellion!"

"I missed you, too, Uncle Remus," I whispered hotly, burying my face against his chest and struggling not to cry from the sheer wonderfulness of him.

"OY! STELLA! WAIT UP!" The sound of the voice of a twin ripped me prematurely from enjoying Remus' hug, and I groaned as I demanded, "We have to go. Quick."

Before he could even ask why, Fred and George were suddenly blocking our path. "Stella," George whined, a bit out of breath, pouting at me in that way he knew I had a hard time resisting, "Come on, don't be mad at us anymore! We're sorry!" I glared at Fred, but he remained silent, staring down at his feet. He was the twin I was really mad at, and I suppose that George didn't deserve the vicarious anger, but I was irrational, and he looked far too much like Fred for me to be able to be near him.

"We don't have time for this," I snapped, prissily grabbing Uncle Remus' hand, "We have a floo connection to catch."

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friends, love?" Remus inquired with a laugh, prompting me to roll my eyes. "No," I grunted, seeing both the twins' freckled faces fall before I dragged Remus away, "Let's go."

He's a sneaky fellow, that godfather of mine, and he waited until we were back at his tiny flat in Budapest, Hungary, snuggled down in front of the fire with steaming cups of hot chocolate, far too deliriously comfortable to even think about moving to ask me about the twins.

"So," He began, clearly trying to fight a smirk, "Those boys at the train station seemed rather attached to you."

I snorted, pulling my blanket over my head before stating, "That's just Fred and George. I don't like them anymore. Fred's mean, and George looks just like him."

After he was through with his gales and gales of hysterical laugher, during which I glared hotly at the old man, he finally choked, "Oh, and I suppose these are the same two boys who you've been playing pranks with, and who burned all your hair off with that bomb in your trunk over the summer?"

"Yes," I answered simply, not really feeling like going into detail on the complicated relationship I had with each twin.

A far away, speculative look came over Remus' scarred face, tipping me off to the unavoidable fact that he was about to bestow some great wisdom upon me. Oh goodie. "You know," He finally said, not even bothering to fight the smirk this time, "When little boys pick on you, it means that they really like you."

"What?" I gaped, making scowling in confusion, "Why would they be mean to me if they liked me? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!"

"Well, maybe," He countered, smiling wistfully as he sipped his drink, "But little boys, and a lot of men as well, aren't exactly the most rational creatures on the planet. Sometimes picking on a girl is the only way they can think of to get that girl's attention."

I wrinkled my nose at the very idea, stating flatly, "That's stupid... and it's not even what happened..." Slinging an arm around my shoulders, my godfather pulled me to snuggle against his side, and asked very sagely, "Well, then what did happen?" I've never had a problem talking to Remus about anything, but the story was a little hard to get out. And I did omit a few things. Well, really just one thing... a certain thing that happened on the roof of the astronomy tower...

"Hmmm," He finally hummed, thinking very hard and down to the bottom of his hot chocolate, "It sounds like this Fred fellow cares about you a lot if he was so worried about you being safe."

"They why did he say those mean things about me?" I demanded, half-asleep against his chest, "I thought he cared about me before I heard what he said. I thought he was my friend."

Again, Remus got quiet, thinking more before stating wisely, "It wasn't a very nice thing for him to do, but it sounds to me like he doesn't really believe what he said. If he did, then why would he still care about you so much? And why would he keep trying to apologize?"

"I guess," I mumbled, yawning, fighting to stay conscious, suddenly feeling very horrible about ignoring the twins for so long. "Come on, love," Remus chuckled, lifting me up and carrying me off towards my small room, "Off to bed with you. And, you know, it's not really fair to be angry with someone and not tell them why. Even if you don't want to be friends with those boys any longer, you should at least let them know what they did, and give them a chance to make it up to you."

"Yes, Uncle Remus," I murmured, hugging him around the neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek as he tucked me in, "Thank you, love you, good night."

"Love you, too, darling little hellion," He responded, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead before turning the light off, calling softly back into the darkened room, "Sleep sweet."

xxXxx

On Christmas morning, in between thawing my feet dangerously close to the fire and devouring Remus' unbelievably wonderful breakfast spread, my presents arrived by owl. From Remus himself, I got lots of books, and from my Auntie Andromeda and Uncle Ted, I got some new clothes. My cousin Tonks sent me a little baby turtle that she'd bought in China, where she was on her first real assignment as an auror. The Tonks' were my only living relatives, and, just after my mom died, I was given the choice to either live with them or with Remus. I chose Remus, but it had nothing to do with not loving them. In fact, they were great people who I couldn't get enough of. The reasoning behind my choice was... well, I believe my exact words were, "But then who will take care of Remus?" I know, I'm adorable, right?

Harry sent me a very cute card, along with some chocolate, and I had a very, very good time telling Remus all about him over breakfast. After we were finished eating, I was getting ready to go play in the fresh snow when a ragged owl suddenly showed up in the window.

"REMUS!" I shouted, fighting a losing battle with a pair of bulky snow pants my butt was refusing to fit into, "POST!"

"Got it, love," He replied, chuckling as he wrapped a lopsided scarf Tonks knitted for him, which was far too neon against the rest of his drab attire yet nevertheless endearing, around his neck, "And you might have better luck with those pants if you unzip them first."

I blinked down at the closed fly, blushed, and then mumbled, "Right. I knew that."

"More presents for you," He stated, setting two packages beside me on the couch before moving to the kitchen to get some food to give the wheezing, half-frozen owl. Confused, I investigated.

The first package was lumpy and oddly-shaped, poorly-wrapped in sparkly pink paper, and tied with a messy fuschia bow. A cute little snowman card was attached, and I opened it to read:

Dear, dear Stella,
Miss you talking dirty to me.
Sorry for whatever bonehead thing Fred did to make you mad.
Merry Christmas.
Love,
George.

"Aw," I whispered to myself, feeling three times worse about ignoring him as I ripped open the present. When I saw what he'd given me, I started laughing. It was a George doll! A cuddly, utterly adorable plush toy that had tomato-colored yarn for hair, and shiny blue buttons for eyes! It had freckles, and a big dopey grin, and a knitted sweater with a 'G' on it. It was just about the cutest thing I'd ever seen, and I immediately gave it a cuddle, which made it screech in George's unmistakable voice, "OUCH! I know I'm irresistible, but not so hard!" Far too classic, and oh so very George.

Next was, of course, Fred's gift. I was a bit reluctant to open it, but have never been able to resist a present. With dolly George singing Christmas carols on my lap, I picked up the square, red package. It looked plain, and was small enough to fit into my hand, and the card attached was completely blank except for the words:

Stella,
Sorry.
Fred.

Not sure whether to be touched or disappointed by the simplicity of the statement, I slowly unwrapped the paper. Inside, was a simple, dark wood box, which I opened as well.

And, as soon as I did, a blinding ball of white light shot right up into my face. At first, I thought maybe it was a prank, and nearly took cover behind the couch, vowing to kill Fred when I saw him. But then the light stopped in midair, just hanging there harmlessly as it threw off brilliant showers of white and silver sparks. I was confused. I mean, it was pretty, but what the hell was it?

As I stared, the center of the ball of light started to materialize into a picture, and I couldn't help laughing again. It was a photograph that had been taken at the joint birthday party I'd had with the twins the year before. Turns out, they were born on April Fool's day, too, so they threw us a big shindig in the common room. In the picture, Fred and I have our arms around each other's necks, and we're both smiling, and laughing, and poking each other hard in the ribs, and we look so happy. A nostalgic little grin came over my face just in time for picture-me to shove a handful of cake into picture-Fred's face, and for him to retaliate, still covered in hot pink frosting, by drenching picture-me with a large cup of red fruit punch.

"Aw, Freddie," I cooed, reaching up to hold the beautiful, amazing picture frame in my hand. "Impressive," I heard Remus state behind me, leaning over the back of the couch to more closely examine my present, "That is an extremely complex bit of magic."

"Ya..." I mused, carefully guiding the ball of light back into the box, and shutting the lid, "Fred's really smart, and he's great at charms."

At the teasing smirk that came over Remus' face, I glared, seething in silence over how right he'd been.

"Uncle Remus," I finally inquired sweetly, leaning back to look up and give him my best cute face, "Can you take me to find presents for Fred and George?"

"Of course, darling little hellion," He agreed, his amber eyes sparkling mischievously, "Once you conquer the rest of your snow gear."

xxXxx

I sent George a snazzy purple top hat, and Fred a wonderful book entitled The Irritable Male Syndrome, which I was hoping would help him diagnose his male PMS, and take the first steps towards not being such a bastard. Hehe.

The remainder of holiday went wonderfully. I spent a lot of time playing in the snow with Remus, and annoying the people in his office. I went and visited my Auntie Andromeda and Uncle Ted for a day or two, and Tonks herself even popped in for a bit just to make sure she got to gush about how awesome her job was. Damn Ravenclaw show-off was trying to make me jealous... and it kind of worked. Auror didn't sound like too bad of a profession...

Anyways, when it was time to go back to school, I flooed with Remus to the train station, and, as usual, we were late, so I had to give him a hug and kiss goodbye while running frantically to jump onboard the moving engine.

"BYE! I LOVE YOU! WRITE ME!" I shouted out the window as soon as I was securely inside a car. Leaving my old uncle standing on the platform was always the worst part of going back to school.

But then he zipped out of sight, and I went on a mission to find the twins. It wasn't very hard. I came across the infamous pair crouching down behind one of the compartment doors, giggling madly to themselves over, no doubt, another prank on the poor abused trolley lady.

They didn't notice me, so I leaned against the doorjamb, my arms folded across my chest and a smirk on my face.

"Ahem," I finally interrupted, making them jump, and then tumble into each other, which was great fun to watch, as it always is. I was laughing too hard to notice them get to their feet, and stand in front of me, staring hopefully.

"Hey, Stella," George greeted pleasantly, "How were your hols?"

I returned a sweet smile as I answered, "Just great. And yours?"

Cheekily adjusting the clashing purple top hat on his mass of shaggy red hair, he replied, "Can't complain." And then we lapsed into a rather uncomfortable silence.

Eventually, I broke it, taking the first step towards mending our relationship by smiling up at George, and stating sincerely, "I'm sorry. I was horrible to you, and you really didn't deserve it. Forgive me?"

He grinned, and held his arms out wide, responding, "Of course! You're far too cute to stay mad at." And I laughed, and jumped into his grasp, and we shared a big ole hug, during which my feet completely left the ground. I hated that he was taller than me... "I loved my Christmas present," I told him, pulling away but not able to escape the tight hold he had on my waist.

"Made it me'self," The redhead reported, a proud grin splitting his features before he bent down close, wiggling his bushy ginger eyebrows and giving an innuendo-laden whisper of, "Anatomically correct, you know?"

"Bad!" I giggled, giving him a light smack on the chest, "Down boy! Don't make me get you fixed!"

Laughing heartily, he finally set me on the ground, adjusting his top hat once more as he said, "Love this, too. How'd you know I always wanted one?"

"Because I remember you saying that you always wanted one," I teased, smirking as I reached up to fiddle with the hat's placement, "Besides, it suits you." He grinned broadly, his blue eyes sparkling just like the buttons on the doll. It felt good to have my friend back.

But there was still the matter of Fred, who was standing silently off to the side, looking awkwardly at his feet and compulsively biting his lip (a habit I knew him to only indulge in when feeling extremely nervous).

"Hello," I stated, cool, but not quite hostile, "How are you, Fred?"

"Fine," He mumbled, still not making eye contact, "And you?"

I shrugged, "Alright, I suppose. Thank you very much for the Christmas present. It was sweet, and Uncle Remus says to tell you that it was a very impressive charm."

That made his whole face turn bright red. "Aw," I cooed, smirking viciously, "I made you blush! What happened to that ego of yours, Freddie? Has our prolonged separation actually humbled you?"

The blush got worse. "No," He grunted, threading his fingers through his hair before making a sour face, and correcting, "I mean, yes... or... I don't know..." It is very hard to stay mad at someone who's so entertainingly flustered.

But, I remained silent, giving the boy a very pointed look, staring him down until he crumbled. "I'm sorry," He said quietly, looking up for a split second, and then back down again, "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I'm not mad at you for yelling at me," I reported, putting my hands on my slight, pre-pubescent hips in a very stand-offish manner, "I'm mad at you for calling me ugly and annoying."

"I didn't..." He began to argue vehemently, only to cut himself off, his eyes going wide before he gasped, "You heard that?"

"Yes," I replied calmly, "Yes, I did, and it really hurt my feelings. The only reason I'm talking to you now is because Uncle Remus convinced me that you probably didn't mean it, and to give you a chance to apologize."

"I'm sorry!" He shouted immediately, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! George was making fun of me, and I just said that, and it's not what I really think!"

I looked him over carefully, satisfied by that point with his apology, but enjoying making him sweat for just a little longer. What can I say? I'm a cruel bitch sometimes. Finally, I smiled sweetly, and said, "Ok. You're forgiven. Wanna see my new pet turtle?"

The confused look on his face was utterly precious, and then he sputtered, "Um, ok."

"I named him Michelangelo, like the ninja turtle, you know?" I stated brightly, pulling my adorable little baby turtle out from the warm little nest I'd made him inside my coat pocket, "Well, I guess you two wouldn't know... it's this muggle cartoon show, that is, like, totally my favorite."

xxXxx

The rest of my second year was fairly uneventful. I nearly killed Harry for being so stupid with the whole Sorcerer's Stone thing, but, other than that, it was just a great deal of causing trouble with the twins.

Turns out, when they were serving the detention they got for trying to sneak out to find me during Halloween, they found a very special piece of parchment in Filch's office. At first, they thought it was just a cool bit of magic, insulting everyone like it did. But, by some lucky coincidence, they came across some graffiti deep within the network of secret passageways, and it said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Underneath were signed the names Padfoot, Prongs, Moony, and Wormtail. The twins recognized the names from the parchment, and tried the phrase, and the Marauders' Map came to life before their eyes.

For those two months we weren't speaking, the map is how they kept tracking me down, why they kept turning up everywhere I went. After we reconciled, they showed it to me and Hogwarts was never safe again. Oh, the havoc we wreaked...

That summer, Remus' job took us to Sao Joao, Portugal, and I learned to surf. I came back for my third year with a golden brown tan, and sun-lightened hair. The twins teased me well into winter about being a beach bum.

There was that whole raucous about Harry being the heir of Slytherin, but I never bought into it, and stuck by him throughout the whole ordeal, as did the twins. They quite enjoyed making light of the situation, too.

Ginny, opened the Chamber of Secrets, and I was there when the twins got the news. They were terrified, and each grabbed one of my hands, and did not let go until we got word that she was safe again.

Harry saved her, and I chewed him out for several long hours for being so stupidly brave again. He'd promised me he wouldn't, twice, and he'd broken that promise, twice, and I was furious that he'd put himself in danger, again. At the end of my tirade, I burst into tears, and hugged my little god-brother, and just kept saying over and over that I was so glad he was alright.

Another year was over, and that summer found my godfather and me in a rural Scottish city just north of Aberdeen. We had a small cottage near the coast, and Remus was working in the city as a clerk, and the job was horrible. He had long hours, and they often kept him over night. So, to make sure I wouldn't get too lonely, or into too much trouble, he arranged for my cousin Tonks to come stay with us.

A few other things of note happened during that summer. I grew boobs, for starters, and it was about damn time. I was the only flat-chested fourteen-year-old I knew. Being a late bloomer sucks...

Well, I suppose being behind my peers wasn't too bad because when I finally caught up, I caught up and then shot past them. That's right, I got stacked. It seemed like I was a 5'9" C-cup practically over night. Tonks took me shopping for my first bra (Remus would have, but she kept insisting that it was a girlie thing and he wasn't allowed to come), and the whole time we were in the store she kept pouting about me having bigger boobs than her. I had to remind her over and over that she was a metamorphamagus and could have any size boobs she wanted. She's an absentminded little thing, but I love her anyways.

Another event of mention is that the twins agreed to come visit me for two weeks. It was going to be so awesome, and I was so excited. I spent days absolutely bursting with anticipation.

Oh, and, also, my dad broke out of prison.

His escape was a week before the twins were set to arrive at our cottage, and I had absolutely no idea he'd done it. I hate the Prophet. Actually, it's more like a blood feud over how they treated my family, and I never read that particular publication, so was a bit out of the loop. Tonks and Remus didn't tell me because they didn't want me doing something stupid, like trying to get in touch with him. I would have, so I guess I really shouldn't blame them... not that that stops me...

The day that the twins were supposed to show up, I slept in late, until almost ten, because Tonks and I had been up until well past midnight just talking and being silly (which was usually what we did whenever we got together). She was still out cold, and Remus was still at work, and I wasn't expecting him home any time soon. He said he'd been put on an important project. He lied. In actuality, he was being questioned by the Ministry. Also, I think he just didn't want to face me because I would know that something was going on. He was hoping my dad would be caught quickly, so his plan was to keep my isolated and hopefully not have to tell me what had happened. It probably would have worked had he not forgotten that he'd already said the twins could visit.

The day was sunny, and warm, and beautiful, so I decided I'd go lay outside. I was wearing a really cute white bikini with red and yellow polka dots on it, and a pair of blue, oversized shades to protect my deep blue-gray eyes.

I'd been just laying in the sun for several hours, quite comfortably sprawled in the grass while I reread Zola's Germinal (a tragic story, but a favorite of mine), when I suddenly heard a low whine from just inside the trees to my right. I sat up, and glanced over, and saw that a miserable-looking dog was limping out of the woods.

He was covered in dirty, matted black fur, and probably would've been humungous if he hadn't been so painfully scrawny. "Aw, puppy," I cooed, offering my hand as he continued to limp slowly towards me, "Where did you come from?"

He whined again, rubbing his nose against my palm as a prompt for me to pet him. I did. I've always loved animals, dogs especially. And even though he was a mangy mutt, I was immediately enamored with him.

But he was just so starved and exhausted that his legs suddenly gave out, and he collapsed into the grass at my side. "Poor thing," I soothed, giving him a few more scratches behind his ears before I got to my feet, and reported, "Don't go anywhere. I'll find you something to eat." The pitiful animal barely had the strength to whine in displeasure over me leaving.

I raced inside, immediately setting a bowl in the sink to fill with water while I went through the icebox. Luckily, we had a large plate of leftover chicken, and I commandeered it, sprinting with all my supplies back to the dog.

He hadn't moved at all from where I left him, and the unfortunate creature looked like he was struggling just to remain breathing. "Here you go, boy," I cooed gently as I sat by his side, presented him with the water, and began picking the chicken into smaller pieces. He lapped greedily at the bowl, and ate the meat right out of my hand.

Ten minutes later, it was all gone. He'd devoured everything and thoroughly licked the plate and my fingers clean. He was looking much happier and more alert than he had before, though still sick and skinny. His tail was wagging, his long, bright pink tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted contentedly.

"Much better," I stated, very pleased as I went back to scratching his neck, "You're so sweet and adorable. I bet if I cleaned you up, Uncle Remus would let me keep you. As long as you don't eat my turtle, that is. What do you say, puppy?"

In reply, he gave a happy bark, bouncing up and down tiredly before tackling me to the ground, and slobbering all over me. For such a scrawny bugger, he sure was heavy. "Ha ha! I'll take that as a yes!" I laughed, wrestling my way out from the doggie hug, and getting to my feet. "Come on, boy," I called, waving him to follow me, "I'll give you a bath, and feed you some more." My new dog walked along behind me, still limping, but seeming absolutely ecstatic in that hyperactive way that excited animals have.

At the house, I told him to wait outside, and went in to get supplies, which included some smoked ham, strawberry-scented soap, and my wand. Back outdoors, I fed the dog, and led him to the garden hose, where I spelled the water to come out warm, and then set to work giving my filthy puppy a nice bath. It was great fun, and I got all wet and sudsy, my shaggy blonde hair repeatedly falling into my eyes. I remember Uncle Remus teasing me once that I got the blonde from my mum, and the shaggy from my dad. It was nice to think that I had parts of both of them so close.

I'm not sure how much later I heard, "OY! Stella, you home?" It was Fred, and that meant that the twins had arrived through the floo. I was practically giddy with happiness as I shouted, "Outside, mates!"

"Couldn't even be arsed to come greet us properly?" George teased, his voice far deeper than I remembered, "I think we might be insulted, eh, Fred?"

In reply, Fred gave a hearty laugh, also sounding huskier and more grownup as he defended, "Of course not! We both know she's probably out there planning some either devious or wonderfully surprising for her two bestest friends in the world."

"Don't flatter yourself, Freddie. Not everything I do somehow involves the two of you," I chuckled, hearing the back door bang open. Unfortunately, the sound startled the dog, and he jumped in fright, knocking me into the spray of warm water and splattering me with soap suds. He barked, sounding slightly like he would've been laughing if he'd been human, and then shook all the water and bubbles out of his coat, drenching me once again.

I shrieked loudly, giggling and hiding behind my hands, though it did little good. The twins came running, but by the time they got there the dog was limping clumsily off towards the woods again.

I pouted that he was going to leave, but did feel slightly better when he stopped at the edge of the trees, watching me with interest.

"You got a dog?" George laughed from behind me, "Is he as vicious as that evil turtle of yours?"

"Michelangelo is not evil!" I asserted loudly, turning and standing to my full height as I planted my hands on my newly filled out hips, "You were teasing him! I'm glad he bit you, prat! He should've peed on you, too!"

The first thing I noticed when I came to fully face the twins, was that I was taller than both of them! Sure, they had grown up a bit since last I saw them, sporting broader chests, and squarer jaws, which were covered sparsely with some russet stubble, but I was taller! Finally, no more being the shrimp of the group! I was feeling giddy again...

But next I noticed that they were totally checking me out! Upon seeing me, both sets of clear blue eyes had gone wide, gazes slowly scanning up and down my scantily clad body a few times, and then the boys gasped in unison, "Holy melons..."

They immediately blushed in tandem to horrible shades of purplish-crimson, and corrected with perfectly timed screams, "MERLIN! I mean MERLIN!"

I probably should have found those kinds of outbursts insulting, or, at the very least, embarrassing, but, instead, I just thought they were hilarious, and laughed right in the Weasley twins' shocked, utterly mortified faces. "Should I have given warning in my last letter?" I teased, still giggling as I jokingly poked one of the bouncy mounds of flesh now situated on my chest, "Sorry, boys. Didn't realize they had this kind of power over you."

With the color still not entirely drained out of either of their faces, they both gave a heavy sigh, seeming relieved that I wasn't angry with them. I also should add that they didn't see fit to take their eyes off my cleavage... or my stomach... or my hips... or my legs...

"Done yet?" I inquired flatly, smirking and arching an eyebrow at them, too brave to squirm under the scrutiny of their stares despite the fact that I was a tiny bit uncomfortable. I still saw myself as skinny, goofy little Stella, not the kind of babe that would elicit the kind of looks I was getting from the twins.

"Sorry," George apologized, finally making eye contact, "I just didn't expect you to be so... hot."

I grinned, singing sweetly, "Flattery will get you nowhere, dear boy. If you really want to score some points, help me catch my dog. You and your lovely brother seem to have frightened him away."

"Where'd you get him?" Fred questioned, still slightly pink, although he was specifically trying not to look at me, staring at the dog instead.

Shrugging, I answered, "I don't know. I was reading in the grass this morning, and he just came out of the woods. He's cute though, and I think he's a stray, so I want to keep him."

"I'm surprised you're allowed out of the house!" George reported distractedly, not even trying to hide that he was staring at my boobs, "I would've thought you'd be under an armed guard!"

The fact that he was ogling my body didn't even faze me. It was George, you know? Such behavior was almost expected. Anyways, I was more concerned with the confusing comment he made. "What are you talking about?" I asked, quite puzzled.

"You mean you don't know?" Fred gaped, looking some combination of shocked and outraged. I returned another look of confusion, "Obviously not. Are you two planning on filling me in any time soon?"

"Um..." They both drawled, sharing significant glances, giving me the eerie feeling that they were somehow communicating. I hate it when they do that. Finally, Fred stepped forward, gently taking my hand before reporting, "It's... your dad..."

This awful foreboding sensation prickled over my whole body, and I suddenly felt sick and cold deep inside my gut. "Oh god!" I shouted, already about two seconds away from crying, "What happened? Is he ok?"

"He escaped," George stated, slinging an arm around my bare shoulders, and squeezing me tight against his side, "Last week already. There's been no real trace of him since."

It took a few moments for me to actually process what I'd been told, but, when I did, I... I don't remember. I know I felt something, and I know it was completely overwhelming because my knees buckled. The twins caught me before I could fall, and then I was on the ground, and my lips were parted just the tiniest bit as my breathing began to come in shallow gasps that weren't providing nearly enough oxygen. I was hyperventilating, having a panic attack. My brain failed me, and that had never, ever happened before in my entire life.

There was so much to think about that I couldn't think. My dad was free, but in so much danger! If he was caught, he'd get the Kiss! Would he come looking for me? Would he remember me? Would I remember him? And why the fuck hadn't anyone told me sooner?

"Stella, calm down!" Fred shouted, sounding frightened as he rubbed my back. "Really, love!" George added, shaking me by the shoulders, "Breathe!"

"What's all this racket?" A sleepy voice inquired as I heard the door bang open and closed, "Some of us were kept up half the night by our hyperactive little cousins, you know?"

"HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?" I shrieked, leaping to my feet and rounding on Tonks, who was still in her leprechaun-covered pajamas, her hair green to match. Halfway through a yawn, she nearly fell over when I got right in her face, practically jumping down her throat as I demanded hysterically, "HOW COULD YOU SPEND A WHOLE FUCKING WEEK JUST PRETENDING NOTHING WAS WRONG? LYING TO MY FACE?"

And then she really did fall over, stumbling backwards over the garden hose and plopping right onto her arse into a muddy spot in the grass. "OY!" She groaned, looking some combination of scared and pissed off, "What are you on about, you nutter? I'm nowhere near caffeinated enough interpret you right now!"

"MY DAD!" I screamed, nearly sobbing, stomping my feet as I advanced on her. She scrambled backwards until she hit the side of the house, paling and muttering, "Oh... that..."

"AAAARRRRRGGGG!" I shrieked, so furious that I couldn't see straight any longer, "I CAN'T EVEN BE HERE RIGHT NOW!" I had to get out of there or else I was going to end up attacking Tonks.

So I decided I would leave, storming right past the still startled metamorph and into the house. As quickly as I could, I threw on a tight white t-shirt and one of my school skirts, which was a bit small now that I'd had my growth spurt. It was too short and tight, but I really didn't have the time or mental capacity to be worried about how much it clung to my flat stomach, or how much leg I was showing. Finally dressed, I stomped back outside, and pushed past Tonks again.

"Where do you think you're going?" She demanded, running to catch up and stand in my way again, the twins trailing behind, "Stella, look, I'm sorry. Please, just calm down, and let's talk about this."

Before I even knew what I was doing, I'd pulled my wand on her. I'll never forget the hurt and shock that passed over her features. I regretted it almost instantly. But I couldn't turn back.

"Move," I hissed, my voice low and eerie, not even sounding like it belonged to me. I was scared, and angry, and hating myself quite a lot by that point.

And Tonks was unarmed, so she had little choice but to step aside and let me pass.

I stormed off down the road, vaguely aware of the twins following a few steps behind.

xxXxx

My drinking problem was not my fault. The universe didn't have to make me able to pass for twenty-one when I was only fourteen. Fate didn't have to deliver the exact means for my downfall directly into my hands. But it did, and who am I to ignore that?

After two hours of walking along a rural dirt road in silence, the twins and I finally made it to Aberdeen, where we spent the next few hours aimlessly wandering the streets in silence. I could hear the two redheads arguing behind me, and every once in awhile one would step forward with a determined look on his face, like he was going to miraculously pull some profound words of wisdom out of his arse and I would see some sense.

Ya, right...

Neither came up with anything, and they always ended up stepping back in defeat after just one pointed glare.

It was already starting to get dark when I looked down and suddenly noticed a twenty pound note on the pavement in front of me. Slightly confused by the odd stroke of luck, I bent down, and picked it up.

And then I saw that I was stopped directly in front of a rundown liquor store.

The universe was trying to tell me something, and that something was apparently that I needed a drink. I had to agree.

"Wait here," I commanded, not even bothering to spare a glance at the twins as I sauntered into the building.

I hadn't realized just how hot it was outside or how much I'd been sweating until a cold blast of air conditioning hit me square in the face. I shivered, my soaked shirt clinging awkwardly to my flushed and fevered skin.

A bell rang as I entered the store, and the cashier, a blonde, weedy, pock-marked little fellow, immediately looked up from his magazine. His mouth dropped. Call me a bitch, but I liked having that kind of power, and sent him a sweet little smile as I went up to a shelf and grabbed the largest bottle of liquor I could afford. It was dark glass, with a white label, but I didn't bother looking at what it was. I didn't particularly care.

"Hi," I greeted flirtatiously, handing the bill and bottle over to the cashier, holding my breath that he wouldn't ask for ID. It was definitely my lucky day, because he was far too distracted by my boobs, and rang me up as he replied dumbly, "Hullo."

And then, as he was handing back my meager change, he paused for a moment, seeming to gain some sense of propriety. But, before he could ask how old I was, I ran my hand slowly up my shirt, over my damp stomach, licking my lips before asking breathily, "Hot today, huh?"

"Ya..." He gaped, unable to take his eyes off my bared skin as I slid my shirt up to expose my abdomen. Still in that complete daze, he gave me the change, put my bottle, which I finally saw was rum, into a brown paper bag, and held it out to me. I took it with another coy smile, and turned around in a way I knew would make my short skirt flip up a little to reveal a flash of my polka dotted bathing suit, and called, "Thanks, stud." I was already out the door when I heard his stunned yell of, "You're welcome... uh, come again!" I really couldn't believe how naturally the whole flirt thing came to me.

When I walked back onto the street, both twins were staring like I'd gone completely mental. "How'd you do that?" George gaped, seeming unsure whether to be impressed or horrified by the feat I'd just accomplished. I laughed, unscrewing the cap of the bottle and taking a ginger sniff of its contents as I replied, "Boobs, Georgie-boy. I've discovered the awesome might of boobs."

Before either could respond to that statement, I put the bottle to my lips, and tipped it back, letting a flood of the bittersweet liquid burn straight down my throat. I was so hot already, and the alcohol fire deep in my gut just made it worse. I felt like my insides were melting.

And I was also completely a virgin as far as drinking went, never having ingested alcohol at all before that day. It tasted kind of harsh, and made me start coughing as soon as I downed the last mouthful.

"Blech," I couldn't help the outburst, looking between the utterly shocked and speechless twins, "Didn't think it would taste that bad."

They still just gawked, which made me giggle as the alcohol began to give me kind of a foggy, floaty feeling. Happy, relaxing as my senses dulled, I offered the bottle out to the shocked redheads, and inquired, "Want some?"

"Uh..." George drawled, cautiously taking the bottle as he shared a significant look with Fred, "Sure. I guess a little couldn't hurt..."

xxXxx

We got completely pissed. Well, George and me did. Fred only took a few sips, then seeming to naturally appoint himself as The Sober One. So bloody typical...

But I was too drunk to care much at the time, though I do recall teasing him a bit as we all stumbled slowly along the rural roads that would take us home.

"Such a girl, Freddie," I mumbled drunkenly, only half aware that the boy I was insulting was in fact the only thing keeping me standing. For some reason, I was irrationally angry that he'd been refusing more rum, and tried to shove the bottle in his face as I ordered, "C'mon! Join the party!"

The jerk laughed me off, taking the bottle out of my hands, but giving it over to his stumbling brother as he stated condescendingly, "If I get drunk, then who's gonna keep an eye on you? Don't want you getting hurt, you know? Besides, it's late. I'm sure your uncle and cousin are worried by now, so we should get back."

"OY!" George broke in quite loudly, nearly tripping as he held the bottle upside-down and glared up into the spout, "Stella! Ya drunk it all! Drunk! Now we need more!"

I giggled, thrusting my chest out as I shouted, "Right-o! Just find me a horny male selling liquor, and my holy melons will do the rest!" Then there was a lot more giggling, and George joined in for a bit before he tumbled noisily and clumsily into the dirt, landing with a large plume of dust and a pained, "OOF!" Seeming annoyed, Fred swore under his breath, then let go of me to help his twin get back on his feet.

I swayed on the spot, peering around into the dark trees surrounding the road. I was bored, and those feelings of betrayal, and anger, and fear were starting to worm their way back to the forefront of my thinking. I really didn't want that. Anything would do for a distraction. Luckily, I found one in the form of a set of big, blue-gray eyes shining from just inside the woods.

"PUPPY!" I screamed happily, weaving an inept path to the stray dog from that morning, "There you are! I'm so glad you came back!"

He limped sheepishly towards me, his head down and his tail between his legs as he whined pitifully. He seemed... sad. And that made me sad.

"Aw, puppy," I cooed, suddenly on the brink of tears as I plopped rather ungracefully into the dirt and waved the dog closer, "Don't cry. I-It'll be ok."

But he kept whining, limping over until he was close enough to lick my face, and that's when I lost it. I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and burying my face into his shaggy fur as I suddenly started bawling. He still smelled like strawberry soap.

What the hell was wrong with me? This wasn't right. I shouldn't be so upset.

"Stella?" Fred asked cautiously, kneeling by my side and placing a hand softly on my shaking back, "Stella, don't cry. Everything will be alright."

"You always say that," I sobbed brokenly, still squeezing the dog as he wound his head around my neck to pull me closer, "You always say everything's gonna be alright, but nothing ever is. Remus and Tonks still lied to me. My mum was still murdered. My dad is still a fugitive... my dad... they're going to kill him now. It's not enough that they took him from me, but now they're going to kill him because he took the freedom he always deserved."

Aside from the low whines of the dog, everything was completely silent. Even George, who was far too wasted to know what was going on, kept his mouth shut, seeming to somehow sense that right then was not the moment to report that he could see up my skirt... don't worry, he made sure to tell me later...

My tears blurred the darkness, and I started to get very dizzy, like I could feel the world spinning out of control beneath me. I got this sudden, profound feeling that something big was about to happen, and that there was no way to stop it. I would have no choice but to go along for the ride...

"Come on, love," Fred stated, gently picking me up from the ground, holding my body against his chest with an amount of tenderness and care that probably would've been suspicious to me had I been sober, "Let's get you home."

"No. I don't want to go back there," I whimpered, clinging desperately to his broad, stocky shoulders, "Please."

He paused, and I was afraid he wasn't going to listen, that he was going to take me straight back to Remus and Tonks, to make me deal with the fear, betrayal, and even shame that I was feeling. However, he didn't. He held me tighter, and finally whispered, "Ok, I'll think of something."

"Thank you, Fred," I muttered, already half passed out, resting my face against his chest, breathing in the clean scent of cotton from his worn t-shirt, "Thank you. I love you."

And that's all I remember. That's where the world goes black.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'd appreciate any feedback you can give. I'm still not so sure I like this one as much as the others...