DEV AWOKE FROM A SOFT NUDGING ON HER SHOULDER. Fluttering her eyes open, she found Fred looking down at her with a small smile. God, none of her dreams were ever that good. Still, she couldn't help but note that last night was the first time she didn't have a nightmare, or a small vision, in years. While she couldn't quite remember what it was she dreamed about, she knew she was happy.

"Where am I?" She murmered quietly, wiping at her eyes. When she pulled her hand back, she was confused to find a black smear across it. Mascara.

"You and May fell asleep here last night, didn't seem like you slept too well though."

Dev sat up and spotted May on the other end of the couch, their feet intertwined as they shared a blanket. Had they really fallen asleep in their gowns? If she got any makeup on hers, her nan was going to kill her. After a brief scan, she determined her dress was okay. To her surprise, a blanket and a pillow were laid out beside the couch. Had Fred slept down there?

"Merlin, I must've been exhausted," Dev yawned. "Did you sleep on the floor? Where's George?"

"Bloke went up to bed," Fred shrugged. "I wanted to be down here to wake you guys before breakfast, didn't want you getting in trouble."

Dev nodded, knowing if any prefects came down and saw the two Ravenclaws, they may get in trouble. Some part of her also knew that they probably wouldn't care, though, considering it had been the ball the night before and there were probably people in a lot worse shape than her and May. Lightly, she kicked May's leg with her foot, causing her to stir.

"5 more minutes." May groaned.

Dev shook her head and stood slowly, almost tripping over her gown as she reached out and grasped May's arm. The end of the Yule Ball also meant a short week of winter break, so they'd need to get all of their stuff prepared to go for right after breakfast. May begrudgingly let Dev pull her up, a pout on her face the entire time. Both girls stretched, the small couch hadn't exactly comfortably fit both of them. Fred shoved his hands in his pockets as the two tried to wake themselves up.

"So," He started, rocking on his heels. "How was your night? As magical as you thought it would be?"

"Better." Dev replied firmly. Although, she knew, it had nothing to do with the ball.

☽

AFTER A SOMEWHAT EMBARRASSING WALK BACK TO THEIR COMMON ROOM IN THEIR GOWNS AND A SHORT BREAKFAST, Dev and May now trudged half-awake with their trunks in tow. Church rested in May's arms, only having just calmed down after a night of no attention.

"Long night?" Cho giggled as the two hauled their trunks into the carriage she sat in.

May and Dev simply hummed a response and nodded their heads, clambering in next to her.

"I never saw you guys come back last night," Cho wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Dev simply yawned and nodded. "Come on guys, give me details! Were Ron and Harry better dates than you expected?"

"What? Ew, no." May crinkled up her nose at the thought. "We just fell asleep in the Gryffindor common room after staying up with Fred and George."

Cho's mouth formed into an 'oh.' With a slight nod of her head, the knowing smirk was back on her face as she glanced between the two across from her.

"So, do you both fancy them, then?" Cho questioned. She seemed to be in a particularly bubbly mood that morning, because she kept talking before either could answer. "I've always wondered about you guys. I mean, the boys certainly aren't hard to look at it. And you're all so close. Someone has to fancy someone, right? I would, if I was around a boy that much. Although, I don't think I'd get on well with Fred or George. No offense. There's just the problem of telling them apart, and their awful pranks all the time, and—"

"Cho," Dev cut her off, a light smile illuminating her features. "We're all just friends."

Cho smiled and nodded, although it was clear she didn't exactly believe the girl. As the carriage lurched forward, Cho peaked out the window, then at her hands. She seemed unable to stop fidgeting, her leg bouncing as they rode along.

"Do you want to talk about your night with Cedric?" May raised her brows, grinning at the girl.

"Well, since you asked," Cho leaned forward, smiling widely. "It was wonderful! He's such a gentleman, really. Good kisser, too."

The last part left all of the girls giggling. The rest of the carriage ride to the train was spent going over various details of the night. With packing and their tired state, Dev and May had yet to talk about the very close position Fred and Dev were in when May walked in. As Dev relayed a few details of her time alone with Fred, she could feel May eyeing her.

"Sounds like Fred might fancy you," Cho egged on with raised brows. Dev had only told them about their silly, music-less, slow-dancing, not quite making it to everything that happened after yet.

"What? No," Dev shook her head, her cheeks red. The carriage had come to stop and they could hear people getting out of the carriages around them, yet they all sat in place. "That's just how Freddie is. Always trying to make whatever audience he has laugh."

"Oh, Freddie," Cho repeated back the nickname, wiggling her brows with a giggle. Shifting her gaze to May, she continued. "You know, I'd be willing to bet those two will be together before graduation."

"Did we hear bet?" Fred's head popped into view, opening up the carriage door. George was right beside him, an identical grin on both of their faces.

"Fred and I are always down to make some money. What're we betting on?"

"Nothing," Dev rolled her eyes, beginning to stand to make her way out of the carriage.

Fred reached out and took her hand, helping her down. The small act was enough to only further egg on the girls behind her, forcing a few more giggles out of them. Fred shot a confused look at Dev before glancing over her shoulder at the two girls, who quickly played innocent. May stood and Fred helped her out as well, causing Dev to stick her tongue out at Cho from behind him.

When Cho clambered out, she embraced the girls tightly. While they would be on the train together, they knew they wouldn't sit in the same compartment, so this was their goodbye for the break. May and Dev returned the group hug before bidding the girl a goodbye and watching her skip off with her trunk towards Cedric.

"How're you doing little fella?" George bent down so he was eye level to Church in May's arms. The cat simply hissed in response.

"Atta boy," May petted him soothingly, sending George a joking glare.

The four walked with their trunks in tow before finding their usual compartment and loading their things in. May and Dev sat across from the twins and immediately cuddled into one another's sides, prepared to spend the entire ride asleep. May rested her head on Dev's shoulder while Dev tilted her head on top of the slightly shorter girl's head. Church stretched before getting comfortable in May's lap.

"Don't tell me you two plan to sleep the whole ride?" Fred questioned incredulously.

"Well, yeah," Dev yawned.

"We're tired," May murmured.

"And we're not? You two kept us up all bloody night," George laughed.

"Then cuddle together and get some sleep," Dev snapped, a small smile on her lips despite her words. She let her eyes flutter shut, but not even a moment later Fred was snapping his fingers in her face.

"Uh uh, wake up," He urged.

"Don't make us kick you two out," May warned, not bothering to open her eyes. Somehow, her words were more threatening that way.

"We'd like to see you try." George crossed his arms over his chest, planted firmly across from them.

"Try us." The girls lamented in unison.

Seemingly accepting defeat for the time being, Fred huffed and sat back in his seat.

Break was later than usual this year, seeing as the Yule Ball took place on Christmas. They didn't get to spend the holiday with their families, but it was no matter. They still had a week to catch up afterwards. Dev was somewhat dreading the time at home, despite her love for her nan. She knew she'd be pestered about her studies. The one saving grace was that next Friday, the weekend before their return, Dev and the twins would travel to muggle London and spend the last weekend with May and her family before returning to Hogwarts. It would be the first time for the twins, but not for Dev, and apparently May had planned to make it a trip they would never forget.

Eventually, Dev drifted to sleep. Unfortunately, her luck from the night before didn't transfer to her nap, and it wasn't long before she was plunged into her typical nightmares. The scene was blurry, but Dev was sure she was in a cemetery. Fog billowed around her, and voices spoke in the distance, but she couldn't quite make out who or what.

A flash of green in the distance drew Dev closer to the scene, but all too soon she lost her footing. Collapsing into the ground, she continued to fall beneath the Earth, as if there was no end. She tried to scream out, but no sound came. She was falling into nothingness, grasping wildly for anything to ground her, but nothing came. Above her, in the distance, the same spinning eye from so many nightmares before whirled around. Just as she expected, its line of vision fell to her, stopping immediately. Then, she woke up.

Adjusting her eyes to real life, she drew in a deep breath. May and her were no longer cuddled into one another, but she was now in front of her. May had her hands on Dev's shoulders, as if she had been shaking her. The familiar look of worry, the one Dev had seen so many times before, was etched on her face. Standing above May's crouched position was George, worriedly eyeing the girl but seeming unsure of what to do to help.

Dev's eyes then trailed to her left, where Fred was now sitting. His hand was clutching her's tightly, as if he needed some reminder that she was there, and she was okay. His expression too displayed his worry, but it was different from the other two. Instead, he looked genuinely wounded by her pain, and his hurt is what fully brought Dev back. She gently squeezed his hand, her first sign of life since re-awakening, before offering all of them a nervous smile.

"How loud was I yelling?" Dev questioned quietly, already knowing the answer by the looks on their faces.

"Don't worry about that," May shook her head, brushing Dev's sweat stained hair from her forehead and tucking it behind her ear. "I'm going to go get you something from the trolley, you probably could use something sweet and some water."

Dev nodded numbly. Of course, typically when this occurred, Dev and May would urge their roommates back to sleep then whisper about what exactly Dev had seen. But now, with the twins looming over them, that wouldn't be possible. May offered Dev one more soft smile before raising from her crouched position and making her way to the door. George glanced between Dev and his twin, his eyes lingering just a bit longer on the boy's expression, before he mumbled an 'I'll go too' and exited behind May.

"Does that happen a lot, then?" Fred spoke first, never tearing his gaze from the girl beside him. Dev, on the other hand, couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She never wanted the twins to see that side of her.

"I told you I haven't been sleeping well," Dev laughed humorlessly, hoping to ease the tension but not quite having it in her to put more effort in.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Fred removed his hand from where it grasped hers, gently placing his arm around her and pulling her into his side. Dev could feel the tears beginning to well in her eyes, but she forced herself to focus on the motion of him gently raking his hand through her hair. She let the action soothe her, steadying her breath.

"No," Dev mumbled, shaking her head slightly. "I just want you to make me laugh."

"That," Fred pulled back, coaxing the girl to finally look up at him. While he wore his signature grin, it didn't quite reach his eyes the way it normally would. "I can certainly do."

Fred plunged into a story about a time when he was younger and set off a dungbomb under the chair of his great-aunt Muriel at Christmas dinner. It was a story Dev had heard a thousand times before, both as a wonderfully triumphant tale from Fred and George, and as a horrid memory from Molly. Still, Dev found herself laughing wildly as Fred worked his way through the built up of it, tears welling in her eyes from how hard she was laughing. When May and George returned, Dev was sat with her knees drawn into her chest, facing Fred and giggling wildly. Seeing as the story wasn't finished, May and George simply slid into the booth across from them. George interrupted every so often, adding in details that Fred forgot, and soon, all four of them were doubled over in laughter.

"And now, we never have to suffer through Christmas dinner with Aunt Muriel again." Fred grinned triumphantly.

Dev wiped at her eyes, thankful that the tears that fell were from laughter rather than the horrid memory of her nightmare. Once they'd all settled down, May reached across and handed Dev the bottled water and sugar quills she had bought for her, which Dev accepted gratefully. As Dev tore into the candy, the four fell into a somewhat awkward silence. No one was sure if they should mention what had just happened, or if they should carry on as if it was nothing. Much to Dev's relief, May spoke first.

"So, for next weekend..." May plunged excitedly into the details of their arrival and sleeping arrangements, but was careful to not give too many details of what they would be doing, much to the twins' displeasure.

The rest of the ride was spent reviewing their plans and May warning the twins not to get out of hand in front of her parents. Dev smiled along and contributed some to the conversation, but the image of the bleary cemetery and eye loomed in the back of her mind. Some part of her knew she would not be escaping the images anytime soon.

author's note !

hello!

the main thing I want to note about this chapter is I know they don't go home on break in GOF, but I adjusted things for plots sake. So, they'll just be going home for the week after the yule ball.

Thanks for all of your support, I am so excited for this story it's unreal.

rose <3