A/N: Apologies once again for the gap in updates, but thank you so much for the overwhelming number of reviews and favourites and follows, I've never had such an amazing reaction for one of my fics before and I really appreciate it! Thank you so much. Please continue to review, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

So this is love, hmm
So this is love
So this is what makes life divine

I'm all aglow, hmm
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine

My heart has wings, hmm
And I can fly
I'll touch every star in the sky
So this is the miracle
That I've been dreaming of

Hmm, hmm
So this is love – Walt Disney's 'Cinderella'

Dearest Papa,

Don't worry, I've written Maman a letter too so she can't accuse me of favouritism. I miss you so much, as always, and dear Gabrielle - thank you for forwarding on her letters to me, it sounds like she's doing well.

Things are going well here at the moment. Fred and I have made up since the last time I wrote to you, and I'm getting really good at producing Patronuses now! I might even be able to send you a message using mine soon…

I'm sending this with the Weasley owl, so it may be a little slow, but Umbridge seems to be reading all of our letters. There's no way that woman should be working for the Ministry, she's a fully paid up member of the Voldemort fan club. And I don't even care if she reads this letter and sees that.

I hope you and Maman are well and that she finds a house that she likes in London by the summer! I miss you, and I can't wait to have a new home here with you both.

All my love,

Viria


"Ginny, that's it!" Viria exclaimed as Ginny staggered under the effort of producing her Patronus. Her eyes had been closed tight in concentration, and she had obviously been focusing really hard on her chosen memory. The silver vapour of her Patronus had shaped itself into a beautiful horse, which leapt and galloped through the air. Ginny gasped as Viria beamed, their eyes fixed on the horse.

And then they heard it. The first noise, just a slight tap on the wall that made the room tremble. Everyone froze.

"What was that?" Hermione asked, voice slightly shriller than usual. Although she fixed her eyes on almost everyone in the room, no-one could answer her. The sound came again, slightly louder.

"Oh shit" Ginny breathed, her Patronus disappearing into thin air. Several others faded away too – Hermione's Otter, Cho's swan, Ron's terrier.

"Bloody Hell" Ron murmured. Without noticing it the entire DA had moved into a knot, clustered together and looking around them warily, wands held aloft. Viria felt lost without the fox Patronus that seemed to have already become part of her, and sought the warmth of Fred's body as she stood beside him.

Then there was a crash, the loudest they could have imagined, almost like an explosion, and nearly all of them jumped backwards in fright. Viria shrieked and grabbed Fred so hard he could feel her nails digging in through his jumper.

Umbridge, Filch, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing before the hole they had blown in the wall. Umbridge was quivering with excitement, and as one everyone lowered their wands in defeat. Even if they hadn't already known it, the look on her face told them that there was nothing left they could do.

"Know what I think, Fred?" George muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

"What's that, George?"

"I think we've been busted"

"I think you're right, mate"


Dumbledore was gone. The DA was finished. There were more decrees than ever. Exams were coming up. And Dolores Jane Umbridge had been made Headmistress of Hogwarts. In Viria's books – and pretty much everyone else's – the situation couldn't get much worse.

The entire DA had scars on their hands - "I must not disobey the orders of the Headmistress" – and Viria was almost certain that there couldn't possibly be any murtlap essence left in the whole country, they had all used so much. It was rare to see a student without red, raw skin and scabby marks, and Viria felt like she was in some sort of medieval nightmare. Sometimes, it made her wish that she'd stayed at Beauxbatons – but she knew that that had never really been an option. Not after meeting Fred and Ginny and the others.

Fred and Viria had escaped the gloom of the common room, full of frantic revisers and students who had nowhere else to go now that all the different societies had disbanded, to sit outside in the sunshine by the river. There was a weeping willow that made the perfect hiding place, as well as providing a screen from prying eyes. They didn't have many opportunities to be alone together these days.

"Vi, I need to tell you something"

She was sitting beside him, plaiting her hair. The action had mesmerised him for some time, but there were things that needed to be said. She turned, eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Go on"

"George and I are leaving Hogwarts" it came out more bluntly than he had intended, but she didn't look particularly surprised. She did not yell, or cry, or gasp as he had expected her to. She just looked steadily at him. And this made him ramble.

"Well we wouldn't be leaving the team in the lurch, now we've been kicked off, and we've got our OWLs, we don't really need NEWTs, and Umbridge is making our lives a misery…and we have those premises on Diagon Alley that I showed you pictures of, and we've tested all the stock…and I think…I think we can be a success if we make our move now, I really do, people need a laugh, and – "

"Okay" she cut him off, her voice slow and wary, "Okay. I understand, I think. It's a great opportunity for you. And you should take it"

He stared at her, "Seriously? I thought you'd want me to stay"

"I do, of course I do! But I know that this isn't the right place for you anymore – well, it isn't really the right place for any of us anymore – and I want you to be happy and do what you love and show everyone how amazing you and George are. And it's not that long until the summer now…we can write…" she hesitated, and he saw the first signs of emotion on her face, "When are you planning on leaving?"

"As soon as we've formulated a spectacular exit strategy"

Viria grinned then, though her eyes showed less amusement, "That's exactly what I expected of you"

"You have no idea how much I'll miss you"

"I'll miss you, too"

Seconds later she was on his lap, legs wrapped around his waist and fingers tousling his hair as they kissed. The kiss deepened as Fred ran his fingers through her curls, loosening the braid she had worked so hard on. Fred slipped his hand underneath her shirt to cup her breast and Viria, after looking around to make sure that no-one was watching them, swiftly undid the buttons and slipped his hand beneath her bra so he could feel the bare flesh instead. They both moaned softly at the contact.

She pulled her lips away from his in a movement that both startled and disappointed him. Her hands undid the button of his shirt, too, ran over the planes of his chest.

"I have something to tell you, too"

"You do?" Fred couldn't help looking wary, "This isn't going to be some kind of horrible confession, is it?"

She laughed, and he was relieved to see that she looked pleased and eager about whatever it was she wanted to tell him. She planted a light kiss on his forehead.

"No, not at all" she smiled at him, and he noticed that her eyes were twinkling, "I'm ready, Fred"

He was confused, "Then tell me whatever it is"

She laughed again, smile stretching into a grin, "No, I mean I'm…ready" her thighs tightened their grip around him and her hands slid lower down his body to illustrate her point. Fred froze as he grasped her meaning, mouth gaping slightly.

"You…Vi, are you sure? You're not just doing this because I'm leaving, are you? Because like you said, that doesn't change anything – "

"No, that isn't why. Though it is quite convenient timing" she placed another light kiss upon his forehead, "I really do feel ready. I love you, and I want us to be together in every way we possibly can. And, of course, I know that's what you want, too"

Once again illustrating her point, her eyes slid towards where his erection pressed against her, and she raised her eyebrows. Fred coloured slightly.

"Sorry" he mumbled, "Can't help it, you're too…tempting"

"I understand. You think I don't want you that badly too?" her lips moved to his ear, kissed the tender flesh, "So you need to meet me outside the Room of Requirement at about 1am, tonight. Okay?"

He struggled to think with any clarity, speak with any coherence, "But does the Room…I mean, Umbridge blew a dirty great hole in it, does it even…work?"

Viria drew back to look at him again, grinning and clearly amused, "You think I haven't already checked that?"

Fred chuckled, "I guess I should have known you would. Okay. I'll be there"

"You better be" they shared one more lingering kiss until she stood swiftly upright, straightening her skirt and buttoning her shirt, "You were right. We've waited long enough"


Fred met Viria just after 1am, as she'd asked. She'd hidden behind a statue, and emerged only when she saw him approaching. The night was balmy and warm, but she was shivering, huddled in a fluffy dressing gown. Fred drew her to him in concern.

"You okay? Are you shaking because you're nervous? There's no pressure –"

She grinned, rolling her eyes, "Fred. Seriously? I'm just cold. I'm not wearing much under here"

She winked as she said it, and Fred's knees did a strange little shuddering dance that made him feel close to collapse. He watched in stunned silence as she paced in front of the wall, a look of intense concentration on her face. When the door appeared, she beckoned him towards it with a smile, and he followed her with a few wary glances over his shoulder. He was pretty sure that, had Filch popped up to ruin the moment, he would have ended up with one of the new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fireworks stuck up his arse.

The Room had become a bedroom, quite small but cosy and inviting, complete with double bed and roaring fire. Viria looked shy for the first time as she tried to gage Fred's reaction.

"Is this okay? I didn't pick, as such, it just kind of happens this way every time I ask the room to make a place for us"

"It's perfect"

She shrugged out of the dressing gown and flung it to the floor, standing there in the blue silk nightgown that Beauxbatons had once issued her. It was short and she wore nothing else – no wonder she was freezing. Fred couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"What about this?" she queried innocently, eyes sparkling with amusement, "Is this okay?"

Fred kissed her in response.