A/N: Hey! Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews, it's really great to know that people are enjoying the story and liking the characters and everything, thanks so much! Please review more guys :)

You're stuck on me and my laughing eyes
I can't pretend though I try to hide
I like you, I like you

I think I felt my heart skip a beat
I'm standing here and I can hardly breathe
You got me yeah, you got me

The way you take my hand is just so sweet
And that crooked smile of yours
It knocks me off my feet -You Got Me, Colbie Caillat.

A few weeks before the second task came Viria's birthday, falling at the very end of January. She had tried to keep it quiet – but, of course, Ginny had told Fred.

"We'll throw you a party" Fred said happily as the two of them watched Gabrielle. She had grown oddly fond of the giant squid that had once frightened Viria, and was throwing pebbles for it to bat back to her with its tentacles, shrieking with unveiled glee.

Viria shivered, pulling down the sleeves of her jumper to cover her hands and huddling closer to Fred for warmth, always keeping a watchful eye on Gabrielle.

"Oh no, you mustn't do that! Anyway, none of the Gryffindors will want their common room taken over by someone they hardly know"

"You'd be surprised" Fred grinned, eyes crinkling in the way that always made Viria smile with him, "A lot of them are quite fond of you now, you know"

"It's still a bit presumptuous, really" Viria murmured, trying to hide her delight at the thought, "I don't mind just coming up for a game of chess this evening, as usual"

"No, I insist we're going to do something special! Everyone'll be up for it. Come up and bring Gabrielle – she doesn't let you out of her sight nowadays anyway"

"You're sure?" Viria still looked sceptical.

"Yep. I'm so sure, in fact, that George is already rallying the troops as we speak"

"Oh, Fred!" Viria couldn't help beaming, "Oh, thank you, thank you so much"

Fred ruffled her hair, "Don't get all soppy on me, Vi. If I want soppiness, I'll go to my mother"

Vi? Strange. He'd never called her that before.

She giggled, "I mean it, though. Thank you"

"Will Madame Maxime be angry?" Gabrielle asked anxiously.

"I've been doing this every night for weeks, Gabrielle, you know that, and I'm not in trouble"

"Madame Maxime doesn't like you"

"Oh, I wouldn't say – no, you're right, she doesn't. Oh, and you mustn't tell Fleur about us sneaking out, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because then she might put you in a room with someone else and get them to look after you. Someone like…like Justine Yves!"

Gabrielle's mouth opened in a little 'o' of horror, "But I don't want Justine to look after me!"

"Exactly. So you won't tell Fleur?"

"No, I won't tell Fleur" Gabrielle promised, sounding a little forlorn. She soon perked up, however, when Viria threw off the Invisibility Cloak and pulled her to a halt in front of the portrait hole. The Fat Lady looked at them disdainfully.

"Oh, it's you again. Password?"

"Bathilda Bagshot"

"Very good. In you go – I think you're in for a surprise"

Taking Gabrielle's hand, Viria entered the common room somewhat warily, and was met with a loud chorus of;

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Colourful streamers erupted and engulfed both Viria and Gabrielle; once these had cleared, Viria was amazed to see that at least forty people had stayed up to celebrate her birthday.

"Butterbeer?" George popped up beside her, grinning, "And a pumpkin juice for Mademoiselle Delacour, of course"

Gabrielle giggled.

"George, I don't – " Viria was half-laughing, half-tearful, "How did you – you really shouldn't ha-Fred!"

Without stopping to think for even a moment, she threw herself at him and hugged him. Laughing, Fred caught her.

"Told you people here like you" he whispered in her ear, smiling somewhat smugly as she pulled out of the embrace, beaming at him.

"Thank you. I never had any friends before I came here, and now…well, look at me now! Seriously, Fred, I can't thank you enough – "

"Enough of that" said Ginny sharply, though she was smiling, "If you start crying we'll send you straight to bed"

Viria laughed, "Okay, okay, I won't! Promise. Where's Gabrielle?"

"She's fine, don't look so worried! Hermione's with her"

"Yep" Fred grabbed Viria's hands, "And I remember how well you can dance"

Lee Jordan turned up the radio, igniting several yells of protest from the upstairs dormitories, and Fred pulled Viria close for a dance. She laughed in delight, swaying with his hands on her waist; Ginny had joined in with an enthusiastic jig, but Viria could not even take in how funny she was being – because the realisation that she was completely and utterly in love with Fred Weasley had slammed into her so forcefully that she almost felt breathless. Fred had an odd expression on his face too, as if he knew, or as if he understood….or as if he felt it too.

She looked up at him, lips parted slightly in shock as she tried to decide what to say, how to say it –

And Gabrielle's small body slammed into her side and grabbed her around the waist, determined to dance with her.

Viria took a couple of steps back from Fred, her heart sinking, and he looked at her forlornly, knowing as well as she did that the moment was gone and the two of them would continue to deny their feelings rather than risk their friendship; the same game they had played for the past four months.

"Happy Birthday" said Fred, voice barely audible over the music and laughter and Gabrielle's delighted squeals as Viria twirled her around.

"Not quite" Viria murmured in reply, but he had already turned away.