Mischief Managed || Fred Weasley

34

Cherry was pretty sure that teachers weren't allowed to help sneak out students in the middle of the night for bonfire gatherings in the quidditch pitch.

But under the circumstances, she was also pretty sure that Dumbledore was clued in on the events on tonight, and was closely monitoring it from afar to make sure that nothing went wrong that night, and help the students get away with it.

So that night, she'd met with the twins, Hermione, Ron, and Harry in the Gryffindor at midnight, after everyone had gone to bed, and leave by the side of the castle to head to the quidditch pitch, where Remus already was.

Cherry was wearing one of the black pleated pants she'd gotten from Hot topic that time they went to a muggle mall in New York, and a black trench coat over the black dress shirt, and everyone else also wore rather dark monochrome colors.

The twins usual fun expression had been replaced with a solemn look for the night, as the six of them sat around the bonfire with Remus, staring into the fiery flames of the fire, watching it crack and pop into the cool January air.

All the snow inside the quidditch pitch had miraculously melted, giving the group a place to work with.

They stayed there for a few moments, before Remus broke the silence, and said, "Tha- thank you all for coming."

Harry was already crying, and he choked out a sob as Hermione reassured the both of them, saying, "Of course," the twins and Cherry nodding.

There was a thick layer of tension and sorrow covering them, but it was okay, because they were all grieving the death of Sirius, especially Remus and Harry, Sirius being Remus's last friend of the marauders, and him being the closest thing Harry had ever had to family.

"Sirius- he was my best friend-," Remus choked out, putting his face in his hands, and by this point it seemed like almost everyone was crying, Cherry wiping the tears off her face and Harry full out sobbing into his hands, being comforted by Hermione.

"He was the only family I had," Harry said between sobs, crying into Hermione's shoulder, Ron looking solemn.

"I wish I could've done something," Cherry said softly, leaning into Fred's side, who welcomed her in, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

The seven of them stayed there for nearly an hour, warming themselves in front of the fire as it slowly faded out, occasionally talking about Sirius, but couldn't seem to say anything without bursting in tears, and then they just sit there, crying together.

As the fire started dying, they started heading back up to the castle. Shortly after Hermione and Ron left, Cherry and the twins also headed back, leaving Harry and Remus to grieve one of the most important people in their lives together.

"I feel terrible," Cherry said on the way up.

"And why is that?" Fred asked, his arm around her shoulders.

"Because I never really got to know him. I don't really know what he was like," Cherry said, looking up at him with her glassy eyes.

"Don't feel bad, it's not your fault," Fred softly said into her hair.

"I know," she whispered, but still couldn't help but feel responsible.

As the three entered the common rooms again, they each said goodnight, before heading back to their dorms to what they all knew was going to be a sleepless night.

~~

The next morning, Cherry woke up, for what seemed like the first time in ages besides when she was hungover, with a headache. She couldn't remember the last time she'd woken up like that, the migraine pounding in her forehead.

Every since her and Fred had started dating, Cherry had been happy. So, much happier than she'd ever been with anyone in her life.

Getting up from her bed, she put on a pair of sweatpants and a black crop top and looked outside her window. The snow was starting to fall again, lightly, gently, fluttering down and landing on the grass, the sun hidden by the clouds.

It was beautiful, and some people might go as far as calling it poetic, but sad, as the sixteen year old girl was reminded of the person she was grieving the previous night before. But at the same time, it was calm. It put her mind back into the present, the bells of Christmas still ringing lightly in the back of her head.

Maybe the next year would be better; though this year itself was quite eventful. She loved every minute of it.

A little white later, Fred came up to her dorm, and they stayed quiet, laying with each other on her bed.

Fred had lay his head on her chest, listening to the slow thudding of her heartbeat, as the two carried on and enjoyed this small piece of their never ending bliss.

~~