MARCH CAME AND WENT IN A FLURRY, the events in the castle ultimately unremarkable. The weather was wet and cold, leaving many students to remain in the confines of the walls, rather than venture out. Tensions between the once inseparable quartet had long since fizzled, but that was not to say things were perfect. No, often times, they'd still find that they were deep in the throngs of the grieving process, trying desperately to keep their heads above the water.

After being found passed out in a corridor by McGonagall, Devora was asked to have a talk with some of her professors. They expressed their concerns with her behavior as of late, inquiring whether it was just general N.E.W.T.-level stress, or if they should be concerned about something more. Dev assured them it was the former, but they warned her if they found her asleep somewhere that wasn't her dorm once more, they'd be having her take a trip to Madam Pomfrey to be examined.

Since then, Dev forced herself to work on getting her sleep as best she could. She'd found that she had her schedule so off track that it felt nearly impossible. She'd get random spurts of energy at 2 am, ready to be awake for hours. At 9 am, she'd be ready to fall asleep, having to do everything in her power to make it through lessons. It was effecting her and her studies greatly, and the influx of letters from her nan let her know that the professors had made her aware. She was trying to get back on a normal schedule, she really was, but the anxiety of her nightmares and visions returning was making it hard.

On a trip to Hogsmeade the weekend before, Dev had bought a sleeping draught for one specific purpose; she needed to force herself to sleep the night before the twins birthday and be wide awake all day. There were two reasons for this. One, she wanted to be a good friend who could be truly present, especially for a day as special as their 17th birthday. Two, if she left her guard down, even for a moment, she knew their pranks would be unbearable. Their pranks were always bad, but ever since May revealed to them the muggle 'holiday' known as April Fools Day, which happened to be their birthday, it had only gotten worse.

Dev awoke Wednesday, April 1st, after a few light shoves from May. The girl stretched in her bed leisurely, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and adjusting to the light wafting into the room. It was a Wednesday, which meant they had classes they'd need to head to, but they planned to spend the entire night with the twins after.

"Did you actually get a full nights rest?" May questioned as she buttoned up her blouse.

"Mhm." Dev replied tiredly, swinging her legs around the side of her bed. She lazily nodded her head towards the bottle of sleeping draught on her night stand, a content smile on her face. "Works wonders."

"No nightmares?" May raised a brow.

"Nope." Dev grinned. She was ecstatic, but some part of her knew that might not always be the case. She had fallen asleep the night before anxiously awaiting the twins' birthday, so she assumed that played some part in her peaceful rest.

"Fantastic." May smiled, and it was genuine. "Get dressed, we don't want to be late for breakfast."

Dev only then realized that their other two roommates were gone, so she probably should get a move on for the day. May left the room to finish getting ready in the bathroom, and Dev forced herself up to begin getting dressed. Even with the very real prospect of multiple pranks from the twins, she couldn't help but look forward to the rest of the day.

☽

"COULD MOODY GET ANY WEIRDER?" May groaned as she slumped down for dinner. It was Dev's first time seeing the girl since the end of lessons, because Dev had spent some time finishing work in the library. She didn't want any looming thoughts of homework bothering her on the twins' birthday.

"That bad?" Dev laughed, pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice.

"The worst." May sighed dramatically.

"Really? Worse than Quirrell?" Dev quirked a brow.

"Well, no..."

"Worse than Lockhart?"

"No, I suppose not..." May trailed off. Dev giggled, somewhat at her friend's dramatics and somewhat at the absurd DADA professors Hogwarts attracted. "But, Professor Lupin was so good! He's half the reason I chose to re-take it, he made me love the course."

Dev hummed and nodded in agreement, beginning to pile food onto her plate. She had enjoyed her last year of Defense Against the Dark Arts with Lupin, finding him to be brilliant and attentive. When she found out he wouldn't be returning for their sixth year, he was partially the reason she chose not to continue on with the course. Now, as her peers told her horror stories about just how unhinged Moody seemed to be, she felt she made the right decision.

The girls ate their dinner with light conversation. Cho and Marietta joined in as well, talking about looming exams, boys, and just about anything else that popped into their heads. More than once, Cho noted how much happier—and healthier—Dev seemed than the months prior. While she certainly wasn't entirely healed, she couldn't deny things did feel better. That moment, sat amongst friends and giggling like the schoolgirls they were, gave Dev a glimmer of hope for better things to come.

When dinner finally ended, Dev could hardly contain her excitement. While she had seen the twins periodically throughout the day since breakfast, she was ready to spend the rest of the night with them. The plan was to sneak Dev and May into the Gryffindor common room, avoiding prefects, then sneak them into their dorm room to stay the night. Of course, it was risky. So many things could go wrong, including more swirls of rumors if people found out or a month of detention, but Dev couldn't find it in her to care. They all needed this.

Dev and May went back to their dorm briefly to grab their small bags, which they had charmed to be more expansive than they appeared—to accommodate all of their sleep stuff as well as books and a uniform for the next day. They also informed Margaret and Lyla that they wouldn't be returning that night, so that they wouldn't worry, while also begging them not to tell. The girls had bigger things to worry about than where Dev and May slept, so they agreed.

Fred and George met Dev and May outside of their common room, wide grins on their faces. Dev could barely contain her excitement as she bounced up to them, immediately gripping Fred's forearms and shaking them. His grin only grew wider as he began to laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners from his amusement.

"Woah there, Bee, you're so excited someone might think it was your birthday." He teased lightly.

"Oh, hush," She chided back, but her excitement didn't falter. "We haven't done anything like this in ages! I have a right to be excited."

"Think we might be rubbing off on her, Freddie. Bane's excited to break the rules." George faked a gasp. "While May here looks like she's going to piss her pants."

"Shut it, you git," May swatted at George's arm, although she kept her voice low. Her eyes travelled around, despite the fact that no one was around. It was clear she was nervous by their plans. "Can we please just go in? Standing out here is suspicious."

"Alright, alright. Let me just make sure no prefects are in the common room, then I'll signal you guys in with Fred." George replied, then turned on his heels and whispered the password to re-enter the common room.

A few moments of silence passed while the three waited. Dev bounced excitedly on her heels, earning a small laugh from Fred and a light eye roll from May. When George finally signaled that the coast was clear, they made their way in and immediately rushed towards the boy's dormitory steps.

Lee sat in their dorm, already prepared for the sleepover the two girls would be having. He gave them a beaming smile, which Dev returned before being pushed all the way in by May. Once the door closed behind them, May let out a breath of relief and dropped her bag on the floor.

"Feel better?" George teased the girl, lightly jabbing at her ribs.

"A bit." May batted his hand away. "I'll feel entirely better when we've made it out of here tomorrow without being caught."

"Oh, come on May! The night hasn't even started and you're wishing it away." Dev whined as she plopped down on Fred's bed. Fred made his way towards her, taking a seat by her. They were close enough that their thighs brushed together, despite the large amount of space he could have taken.

"I haven't seen you this happy in months." Fred noted, eyeing the girl beside him. When he spoke again, his voice was a bit softer. "It's nice."

"Thanks, I am happy." Dev replied genuinely. She found herself quickly avoiding his gaze, hoping if she turned her head he wouldn't notice the blush creeping up her cheeks. Of course, George and May noticed it, sending each other smug looks. Lee seemed entirely clueless. Truthfully, Dev was just excited to feel like a normal kid again, even if it was only for one night.

"So." George crossed the room to sit on his own bed, beckoning May over. She obliged, but sat down with a greater distance between her and George than that of Fred and Dev. Once she was sat down, George leaned forward and glanced between the two girls. "What'd you get us?"

"Who says we've gotten you anything?" May quirked a brow, a small smirk on her face.

"If you haven't, I'll gladly shout for Prickett, let him know two Ravenclaws snuck into our dorm." Fred smirked, his voice growing a bit louder as he finished his sentence. May quickly scrambled to grab George's pillow and chuck it at him, mumbling about him being a prat under her breath.

"Not a very nice way to treat a bloke on his birthday." Fred grumbled, catching the pillow in the air and tossing it back to George.

May rolled her eyes, but stood back up and went to retrieve her bag by the door. She also grabbed Dev's, handing it to the girl as she passed back by. Both girls began rummaging through, looking for the gifts they had gotten. They drew out the process, wanting to make the twins squirm in anticipation. Eventually, May declared she had found hers and handed a medium-sized box to each boy. They tore into them quickly, bright smiles on each of their faces.

"It's a... tie?" George spoke first, confusion filtering in his voice as he lifted it up.

"I figured you two will actually need to look presentable when you open your shop." May grinned. "Wait, you haven't even seen the best part. I've charmed them!"

May scrambled for her wand and tapped it to the tie in George's hand. It lit up almost immediately, going from a plain deep purple tie to one flashing with endless loops of vibrant fireworks. Towards the bottom, a bright cursive 'G' sparkled against the material. His confusion immediately dissipated and was overtaken with joy as he pulled the girl beside him into a hug.

Fred tapped his wand against his own tie in a similar fashion, watching as the orange material began to spark to life with fireworks. His very on 'F' shown at the bottom causing him to grin excitedly as he jumped up and joined in on the hug, tackling May back against the bed.

"Alright... Alright, I can't breathe." May whined beneath the weight of the two boys.

"That's too bad, I'm quite comfortable now." Fred teased, only moving when the girl began to squirm and kick at them.

"I feel like a lousy friend, all I got them was some candy from Hogsmeade." Lee spoke sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. Fred waved him off with a reassuring smile as he finally stood and returned to his previous spot. Only this time, he threw an arm around Dev's shoulder and pulled her closer into him.

"Alright Bee, I'm not sure how you'll live up, but let's see it."

She handed each of them a small box, which they tore into with equal enthusiasm as before. Again, confusion graced their features as they lifted what looked to be a smooth rock from the boxes.

"What... Is it?" George spoke, turning it over in his hand.

"A paperweight!" Dev spoke excitedly. "For all of the paperwork you'll have at the shop."

"This is a rock, Dev." George deadpanned.

"It's, er, lovely." Fred lied, a sweet smile on his face as he looked at the girl. It was clear he was using all of his might to be nice, which caused Dev to break into a fit of hysterics.

"Nah, that's not really your gift." Dev began rummaging through her bag once again, causing Fred to let out a sigh of relief.

"We really need to work on your pranking skills, Bane." George rolled his eyes.

"You believed it, didn't you?" Dev shrugged as she passed them their real gifts. They were more cautious as they opened them this time.

Both boys lifted out what looked to be picture frames, and Dev watched them excitedly. Her eyes mainly trailed on Fred, gauging his reaction.

"This was from fifth year." Fred noted, grinning down at the moving picture.

In it, Dev was on Fred's back, his hands supporting her weight by gripping her thighs, with May being held in a similar fashion by George. As they moved, Fred let go of his grip on Dev's legs and she inaudibly squealed, wrapping her legs around him from behind to support her weight. Next to them, George and May nearly tumbled forward as they both laughed wildly.

"You can both change the picture, of course, but the frame is the cool part!" She squealed. The outer frame sparkled like the night sky, an occasionally shooting star gleaming across it. "It's enchanted to always mimic what the sky looks like at the Burrow, so even when you guys aren't home, you have it."

Both boys were silent for a moment. Dev knew how much they missed home, even when they wouldn't say it. Especially in the last few months, being away from Molly's warmth had been hard. She had hoped this would bring them a small piece of home.

"I love it, Dev." Fred extended a hand to her knee, giving it a light squeeze. Even the slightest touch from him was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

"Thank you." George's voice was soft as he smiled across at the girl, who nodded in response.

"Oi, did you two take a class on gift giving?" Lee threw his arms up, effectively breaking the tension and causing the group to laugh.

Both boys placed the picture frames on their respective night stands before the group fell into normal conversations. It wasn't long before Dev and May brought out the half-empty bottle of firewhisky from earlier in the school year, and Lee provided a bottle of Elderflower Wine he nicked from Hogsmeade.

As time passed on, the group of five got progressively more drunk. At some point, Fred, George, Dev, and May had migrated to the floor, while Lee stayed tucked comfortably in his bed. They were sprawled out, limbs seen in every direction, as they stared up at the ceiling above them.

Dev wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, but it seemed as if her and Fred had been pulled together all night. Whether it be lightly brushing up against each other or just finding their way to one another's side, it hadn't ceased. Currently, Fred held one of her hands against his chest, playing with her fingers as the five joked with one another. If she were two shots less drunk, she knew she'd be reading desperately into the situation, but now she just was blissfuly content.

At some point, they had brought out the happy bubble box, occasionally releasing bubbles and giggling excitedly at the sounds they made. Fred had beamed about how brilliant Dev was for helping them figure out, causing her cheeks to burn.

Pop. A bit of the song Dev and Fred danced to the night of the ball. Pop. Bee. Pop. May's infectious laughter. Pop. George saying he could never hate her.

Their talking died down slowly, each having less to say as the need to sleep began to weigh on them. Lee was the first to go down, his soft snores filling the silence. Then, May, who George clumsily lifted and placed on top of his bed, too drunk to bother tucking her in. He paused, seeming to assess the situation, before opting to steal his pillow from her and curling on the ground beside his bed.

That left just Fred and Dev. While Dev had no plans to sleep anytime soon, she didn't intend to keep Fred up. She could tell he was growing sleepier and sleepier as his tracing on her hand became slower and lazier, and his sentences seemed to drop off before he finished them. Still, as they both lay on their backs, gazing at one another, it was clear he was willing himself to stay awake.

"You can go to sleep, Freddie." Dev whispered, a content smile gracing her features.

"Aren't you tired?" He yawned before tiredly grinning back. His words seemed to register a moment after he spoke them, and he shot up quickly. "I've just remembered!"

Before Dev could question him, he was clumsily scurrying to his feet and rummaging through his trunk. Dev shushed him with a giggle, not wanting him to wake the others, but he ignored her anyways. Soon, he seemed to find what he was looking for and was bounding back to their spot on the floor. They both sat up now, their legs criss crossed, as he handed her a vial.

"I've been trying to get it right for ages, but I've finally got it down."

"What is it?" Dev peered at the swirling liquid in the clear bottle, her brows furrowing.

"I know you haven't been sleeping well, I think this could help." Fred grinned, and the realization hit Dev. It was the sleeping draught George had told her about a month before. "I swear it's not a prank."

"I know." Dev spoke quietly, shifting her eyes from the vial to gaze softly at the boy in front of her. She looked upon him with so much adoration, as if he himself put the stars in the sky. The longer she knew Fred Weasley, the notion didn't seem so impossible. "Thank you."

"Anything for my best girl." Fred nudged her. "Take it, get some rest. We've got to be up in a few hours."

Dev agreed, popping the cork off the bottle and throwing back the liquid. In a few moments she'd be knocked out, and hopefully dreaming the best dream she'd ever had. Somehow she knew it wouldn't hold a light to how wonderful she felt in that moment.

Although Fred had already told her she could sleep in his bed, she got comfortable on the floor. This was partially due to the alcohol leaving her feeling too drunk to make it there, and partially because she wanted to stay by him. Fred chuckled as he watched her try to get comfortable on the floor before lying down next to her. They weren't cuddling, but their shoulders were bumping together, and eventually Fred found her hand once again.

"Fred..." Dev whispered sleepily, the draught beginning to catch up to her.

"Yeah, Dev?"

"Pop one more bubble." She requested.

Fred reached his free hand out and snatched the box. He fiddled with the lock on it, only having one hand to open it, before eventually succeeding and letting one bubble escape. He glanced towards Dev for a brief moment before reaching a finger out and popping it.

"What'd you hear?" She mumbled, releasing his hand so she could turn on her side and face him fully.

Fred drew in a breath before slowly opening his arm and letting her cuddle into the side of his chest. His arm tightened around her shoulder as he peered down at her, but her eyes were closed. She listened to his rhythmic heartbeat as she was pulled further under. In moments, she'd be out.

"Your laugh, Bee."

author's note !

sorry for the break between updates!

lifes a little crazy right now with my semester ending and I got some bad news related with my family. So, I did the best thing I could think of: write Fred Weasley fluff.

Hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you're thinking of their progress!

rose <3