THE NEXT DAY, Dev, May, and the twins sat in a study period with various other students in their year and a few younger ones.  It was one good thing that came with becoming N.E.W.T. students, the abundance of free time they had to get work done. The boys only had 3 classes each, so they had significantly less work than Dev and May.

Dev and May sat across from the boys, who had their respective dates on either side of them. May whispered quietly to Hermione on her right while Dev did her best to ignore the way Fred would go from doing little, annoying, things to make Angelina giggle.

"Freddie," Dev sighed as the boy tapped loudly on the table, not even bothering to try and get work done. "That's so distracting."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dev," He grinned, beginning to tap a bit louder with an evil grin.

"Freddie," She warned, looking up from her parchment with a glare.

"Devie," Fred repeated back in the same tone, beginning to laugh after.

"I cannot handle you," She huffed, gathering her things and sliding down the bench a bit further away from him. Knowing she wasn't truly upset, he just shrugged and carried on whispering too Angelina.

Her attention was pulled back down to their end of the table when Ron moved and took her former seat. Harry tried squeezing in as well, causing May to huff and slide down to make room. Dev was happy to see the two boys were conversing again. Her distraction remained as she watched Fred write up a note and slide it to his younger brother. Ron's eyes scanned the parchment before he rolled his eyes.

"Who are you going with then?" Ron shoved the paper back towards Fred.

While Dev couldn't read what he had written, she could guess by Ron's whispers. Fred smirked and threw his arm around Angelina, causing her to blush. It didn't go unnoticed to Dev, the way George clenched his jaw ever-so slightly at the sight. Ron glared at his brother before glancing around, his eyes falling on Hermione. He leaned in front of May to whisper to her.

"Well, Hermione, you're a girl," Ron started, causing May to snort. When Snape eyed her angrily, she quickly cast her eyes downward.

"Oh, well spotted," Hermione rolled her eyes.

Just as Ron was seeming about to ask the girl, Snape thumped him in the back of his head with a book. When Harry began to chuckle, he hit him as well. Dev clenched her jaw at the sight, wondering what gave him the right to be so insufferable all the time. Hermione glared at Ron as he rubbed at the back of his head, seeming angry he was about to ask her in such a way.

"Come on," He pleaded once Snape rounded on a different table. "It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl it's just sad."

Everyone seemed to freeze, even Fred removing his arm from Angelina. Slowly, Dev inched her way back down the bench until she was bumping shoulders with Harry, ready to get a better listen. Certainly, Ron was about to get an earful.

"I won't be going alone because believe it or not, someone's asked me. And I said yes."

"Someone has?" May interjected. It was unclear if her voice was filled with sadness or shock, but either way, the question seemed to offend Hermione. The bushy haired brunette stood quickly and marched out of the hall.

"Way to go, Ronniekins," Fred teased, causing Ron to shoot him a glare. Once Ron seemed to recover, his eyes fell to the girl to his right.

"Well, who are you going with, May?"

May sent him an icy glare that caused him to shoot his hands up defensively. Quickly, she gathered her things and took off after Hermione out of the hall.

"You know, that's not such a bad idea," Fred leaned forward and whispered. "You and Harry could go with Dev and May."

"Sitting right here," Dev waved her hands, rolling her eyes at the way Fred brushed her off. "And as flattering and romantic as it is to be pushed off as dates to your little brother and his friend, I think I speak for both of us when I say, we're good."

Ron sighed and let his face fall forward on to the table with a groan. Harry chuckled at his friends plight, but it was clear to see he was just as nervous as Ron about obtaining a date. Dev settled her eyes on the boy next to her before cocking her head to the side.

"Who were you planning on asking, chosen one?" Harry rolled his eyes lightly at the nickname before his cheeks settled on a deep blush. Dev giggled excitedly before nudging his arm. "Come on, tell us!"

"Well, I've been meaning to ask Cho," He responded sheepishly, causing Dev's face to fall.

"Oh, Harry," She paused. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Cho's already got a date."

"She has?" Harry questioned, sounding truly devastated. Dev simply nodded her head in response, biting down on her lip. "Oh."

"Then you two should go together!" Fred suggested excitedly. Dev shot him a glare before placing a hand on Harry's shoulder comfortingly.

"You already know, May and I are going together," Dev spared a glance towards Fred.

"So, neither of you have real dates?" Ron lifted his head slowly, his eyes on the girl. Dev rolled her eyes at the question.

"Ronald, me and May are perfectly fine with just going together—"

"Oh come on, please Dev? Harry and I can't show up alone, it would be too embarrassing," Ron began to plead, bringing his hands together and staring at the girl with wide eyes.

"It could be fun," Harry suggested sheepishly as he turned to the girl. "I mean, I do have to have a date, as a champion and all."

"You two really know how to sweep a girl off her feet, you know that?" Dev sighed before rubbing her eyes with her hand, thinking over the offer. "Let me talk to May about it, alright?"

"Yes!" Ron exclaimed triumphantly, sitting up fully. Despite Dev not actually saying yes, she knew that was all the boy's needed. She also knew May was going to kill her.

"Don't get too handsy, you hear me," Fred put on a stern voice, beginning to imitate a strict father.

"I want her home by 10, Ronald," George chuckled, joining in.

"Oi, Dev," A whisper drew the attention of everyone in their group. It was coming from the other end of the table. When Dev glanced up, she was met with the hideous smirk of Cassius Warrington. "You just can't get enough of the Weasleys, can you?"

"Shove off, Warrington," Fred dropped his joking act instantly. Dev watched as Angelina placed a hand on his forearm, urging him to keep calm.

"Ooh," Cassius drew out the noise, egged on by the laughter of his peers surrounding him. "Come to stick up for your little fuck buddy, d'ya?"

Within seconds, Fred was to his feet. This drew the attention of everyone in the great hall. Snape was to the table in a flash, standing behind Dev and Harry and pointing a finger out towards Fred across from them.

"Mr. Weasley," He barked. "Take your seat."

Fred's eyes flickered from the greasy man to Dev below him, who was pleading with her eyes. He seemed to calm under her gaze, forcing himself to sit back down without breaking eye contact. She offered him a sad smile and a nod in response. She mouthed 'he's not worth it' to which Fred simply clenched his jaw and looked away.

Snape eyed him for a moment longer before seeming satisfied and beginning to saunter away. Once the teacher distracted himself with something else, the snickers from the other end of the table seemed to grow. While Dev couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, she knew they were still whispering about them.

The end of the free period came shortly after, to the relief of both Angelina and Dev. That meant one more class where Fred and George had successfully stayed out of trouble. Still, Dev wasn't sure they'd make it through many more.

As the group all gathered their things, Cassius was pushed forward by a few of his friends. With an evil glint in his eyes, he squeezed next to Fred, his chest puffed up. While maintaining eye contact with Fred, he leaned forward and place a single silver sickle in front of Dev. She furrowed her eyebrows at the sight before glancing up at the Slytherin boy.

"What's this for?" She inquired.

"Just paying you for your services this weekend," He finally broke eye contact with Fred. "You know, since the Weasleys couldn't afford to. Not sure you're worth much more than that."

Before anybody could hold him back, Fred's fist was colliding with Cassius' jaw. Dev shrieked, jumping to her feet and covering her mouth. Graham Montague, another Slytherin in their year, rushed forward and pulled Fred off of Cassius, only to hit him with a blow to the stomach. George jumped in instantly, tackling Cassius just as he reached for Fred. Both Alicia and Angelina were screaming, trying to tear the boys from each other. Dev went to crawl over the table to them, but Harry grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Boys!" McGonagall hurried forward, having just entered the room as the period ended. Snape was soon there too, both working to pull the group apart from each other.

Once the teachers had successfully pulled all of them apart, McGonagall held both twins by the necks of their robes while Snape did the same with the Slytherin boys.

"What is the meaning of this?" McGonagall demanded, her eyes looking between both boys.

"He said Dev—"

"The filthy prat hit—"

"They started it—"

All four boys were yelling over each other, causing Snape to yell and silence all of them.

"My office, now," McGonagall demanded. She glanced over at Dev, who's name had been mentioned. "You too, Miss Bane."

Dev sighed before pulling her wrist from Harry's grasp. She gathered her things before following behind the two teachers and the four students with her head held down. The walk there was entirely silent, causing students to stop and stare as they were marched through. When they finally made it to McGonagall's classroom, the door slammed shut behind them and all five students were asked to take a seat.

"Now, what happened?" She started instantly, her eyes on Dev.

"Warrington kept messing with me—"

"She's lying," Cassius interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Professor Snape saw!" Dev threw her hands into the air, shooting a glare at Cassius before looking to Snape.

"I saw no such thing," He narrowed his eyes. Dev's face fell as Cassius and Graham both grinned triumphantly.

"Well, I'm not interested in hear-say," McGonagall tutted. "What I am interested in, is what I saw. Which was the four of you grappling in a classroom!"

All of the boy's hung their heads at her words.

"Mr. Warrington and Mr. Montague, that will be 50 points from Slytherin, each. As well as a weeks detention of Professor Snape's choosing. You are dismissed." Both boys, along with Professor Snape, stood and exited the room. Once they were alone, she focused her eyes back on the twins. "You two couldn't even make it 48 hours without another outburst. You do know what this means, don't you?"

While the twins just huffed, unable to meet the professor's eyes, Dev quickly shook her head.

"Professor McGonagall, that isn't fair, Cassius started it, Fred was only—"

"Was only what, Miss Bane? Only punching another student because he couldn't keep his temper in check? I would consider that an outburst, would you not?" Professor McGonagall raised her brows.

"Yes, ma'am," Dev responded quietly, casting her eyes downward.

"I do not want to do this, but you both have forced my hand," Professor McGonagall sighed, shaking her head. "Neither of you are permitted to attend the Yule ball."

After what felt like an eternity of additional scolding and punishments, McGonagall dismissed the three. Dev wasn't in any actual trouble, seeing as she hadn't been in the fight, but that only made her feel worse. Both boys were in trouble because of her. As soon as the three left the room, Dev lightly smacked Fred's arm.

"What were you thinking?" Dev shouted.

"He deserved it," Fred sighed. His anger had long since dissipated with McGonagall's wrath, and he now just seemed sad.

"People say things about our family's money all the time, Freddie, we can't punch all of them," George placed a hand on Fred's shoulder. Of course, Dev couldn't know exactly how they were feeling in that moment. Her Nan was quite well off, so she never had to deal with the taunts they often heard about their financial situation.

"What?" Fred's head shot up, his eyebrows furrowed. "No, fuck that. I don't care. I meant what he was saying about Dev."

Dev stumbled a bit, her eyebrows furrowing before even more guilt filled her body. Had Fred really punched the guy solely because what he had said about her?

"Freddie," She whispered softly. She didn't know what else to say, so instead, she simply wrapped her arms tightly around him. At first, he froze, but then he wrapped his arms around her as well, pulling her tightly against his chest. "I'm sorry. Now you guys can't go because of me."

"Don't apologize," Fred rested his chin on top of her head for a moment before pulling back. "But, if you'd like to make it up to us, you could break the news to Angelina and Alicia for us."

Dev barked out a laugh before quickly shaking her head.

"Uh uh, I'd like to live to see the ball, thank you very much."

Fred wrapped an arm around Dev's shoulder as the three made their way down the hall, joking as if nothing had changed. Still, Dev couldn't help but feel guilty. Now, she certainly wasn't looking forward to the ball.

author's note !

I feel like it's such lazy writing to always write the Slytherins as the bad guys but Cassius and graham suck canonically so oh well lol

lemme know what you think :')

rose <3