There's a story at the bottom of this bottle -- December 2016

I was packing my bags.  I was leaving England.  There was no way I could stay here anymore.  My life was at a complete standstill.  I was in my flat in London where it was pouring down an icy mixture of rain and snow.  It was nearly Christmas and I was goign to be leaving.  But I knew if I waited Nan an everyone would try to stop me.  All my cousins and younger sister looked up to me.  I was supposed to be a role model... and I could not even get my life together.  Dad had no idea I felt like I was drowning.  I could barely hold onto the two jobs I had.  But they were just given to me.  Uncle Charlie gave me a job at WHR and I had a second job at WWW from uncles Fred and George.  I wanted to find somewhere new... I sat down on my beat up couch and looked around my grungy flat.  I would miss everyone... but I was tired of going nowhere and doing nothing with my life.  I mean I just had no one... I felt like I had no one to run to.  I was the first person in my cousins ran to... but who could I go to?  I heard a knock on my door.  I opened it up to see Quinn standing there in tears.  I pulled her inside.  "quinn, what's wrong?" I asked.

I was crying because I was so tired of Dad being so overbearing.  I wiped my eyes as I looked aroun dSeth's flat.  I saw boxes of his things and it made me forget all o fmy own problems at the moment.  "Seth... where are you going?" I aske.d

I would rather not get into what I was up to.  "Quinn, why are you here?" I asked. I would keep avoiding her questions the best I could.  I could dance around a subject all day.  I was pretty good at that.

This was getting ridiculous.  I rolled my eyes at my older cousin.  "It's just Dad being ridiculous.  He think sthat I need to stay home and inside at all times.  It's just getting annoying," I admitted, going around the room and peering into boxes.  I saw dishes, clothes... things along those lines.  "Are you moving to a new flat?" I asked my cousin. I wa shoping that it was the lesser of what was going through my head.

I honestly had no idea where I was going.  I just wanted to leave.  I wanted to escape... I needed a lifeboat to keep me from drowning.  I ran a hand through my brown hair.  I had no idea what I wa sgoing to tell my cousin.  "I don't know," I answered her; honesty was always the best route.  "How'd you escape Uncle Charlie?" I asked, a smile on my lips.  I grabbed each of us a soda from my fridge and handed one to Quinn.

I grinned at Seth.  "I just snuck out," I told him.  I was sure I would get in trouble big time, but I hoped that Mum would have my back.  And Seth did not know?!  "Seth... why are you packing if you don't know what you're doing?" That just seemed entirely confusing and slightly stupid.  My chemothereapy had been finished right before going to school, so by now I had short stylish red hair -- and an appetite.  I was making up for the past couple of months of eating basically nothing.  "Do you have any snacks?  I'm starving," I told him, taking a sip of the orange pop.

I stood up and grabbed some options for Quinn.  Coming back to the living room, I sat down.  "I don't know, Quinn.  Let's just drop it, okay?" I said to her, eating some chips.  I looked over at Quinn.  She just snuck out?  What was she thinking?  Uncle Charlie will kill her.  And me for harboring the little sneak.  I could nto help but grin at her.  She was always such a good kid, always behaving herself.  It wa snice to see her acting like a normal teenager.  She deserved it.  "so you sneak out to bug your older cousin?  Where's the fun in that?" I asked her.  I had no idea why she would want to com ehere.

I shrugged.  "Well... it wasn't just to see you," I admitted honestly.  I looked at him with a grin.  "There's this party that I was invited to go to.  ana has this cousin on her Mum's side that has this party going on tonight," I explained.  "The only downfall is that everyone will mostly be in theri late teens and early twenties."  I hated asking if Seth would go, but I wanted to be sure I would be safe.  And besides, Anastasia was smitten.

I munched on more chips before saying anything to Quinn.  "So they're all going to be of age or older... except you and ana?" I questioned her.  I was quite entertained by the fact that Quinn wanted me to go help her.

I nodded at him and took a handful of chips.  Stuffing them in my mouth, I chewed on them and swallowed before saying anything to him.  "Could you come with us?  Ana said it'd be fine," I said quickly.  I knew she had a crush on him... but she was not of age yet -- she just turned sixteen.  Only a year away, though.  But I wanted Seth there more for protection than for her to flirt with him... though it would be interesting to see how they interacted with each other without the rest of the Weasleys since I had invited Ana over for one holiday get together.

I gazed at my cousin and what she was wearing.  She clearly never partied with older boys and girls... or partied at all.  I smiled at her.  "I'll gladly go on a couple conditions," I said, looking at her pointedly.

I bit my lip.  "Anything," I said.  I really hoped it would not be anything too steep, though.  It's not like I could really do a lot with or for my cousin.  I was ust a little concerned.

I smiled at her.  She seemed so nervous.  "First, ou have to promise me you'll have fun.  You could easily get carried away, so if anything would happen.... please, only snogging," I said, laughing at her face.  "Second, if that's what you're thinking of wearing, I'm taking you shopping.  And finally, we have to tell your parents you're with me for the night and staying until morning."  That way no one gets in trouble.  We, of course, would leave out the party.

I was not expecting him to be so cool about this.  "That sounds good," I said, grinning at my cousin.  "Oh and Lyla will probably be there... possibly will bring Xander along.  So you'll know someone."  Then I realized that he insulted what I was wearing.  "What's wrong with this?" I asked him.

I laughed at Quinn.  She was so naive sometimes.  Did I want her to get laid at the party, no.  But I did want her to have a good time.  Looking good helped ensure that at a party.  I shook my head.  "We're going shopping.  How long do we have?" I asked.