As Dumbledore disappeared I crawled back to my own bed not wanting my friends to see the tears that were now staining my cheeks. After everything that I had witnessed that night apparently it was too much to ask for the comforting arms of Remus Lupin. I would have even settled for the herb scented robes of Severus Snape but I knew Dumbledore needed them more than I did. My head was swimming in several different directions trying to focus on the events of the night while also trying to forget. A soft rattling noise surrounded me as someone closed the curtains that separated me from everyone else. I opened my eyes to see Fred standing a few feet away pulling at the curtain.
"Thought you might like some privacy, is it alright that I closed these?" When I didn't say anything he moved forward to open the curtain once more. "I can open them if you…"
"No, please leave it." I asked softly.
"You're supposed to drink this." Fred handed me a small bottle with another dose of dreamless sleep potion. "If you don't want it right away I won't force you." He placed the bottle on the bedside table and moved to sit beside me. I sat up in the bed wrapping my arms around my legs, staring at the floor. Fred looked at me unsure before reaching his arm across my shoulders. "It's alright Ali, I'm here. I won't ask you to talk about it or anything like that, but you just look like you needed someone." I leaned in resting my head on Fred's shoulder. Closing my eyes, I breathed in slow and even breaths. Tears were rolling down my cheeks; neither Fred nor I said anything as I violently wiped at wetness leaking from my eyes. When my silent tears began to break into violent sobs Fred pulled me in close to his chest effectively muffling the sounds from my friends and family standing just beyond the curtain. It felt as if I had cried for days but after what couldn't have been more than a few hours my tear ducts ran dry.
"Feel any better?" Fred asked me in a sentimental tone.
"No." I answered in a shaky voice.
"Then maybe some more rest is what you need?" He suggested reaching across me to grasp the small bottle I had nearly forgotten about.
"Um Alice?" Emily's tiny voice whispered as she and George Weasley poked their heads past the curtain.
"Hey Em, You and George can come in." I told them as I tried to force a smile on my face. When I had no success with it I resorted to gripping Fred's free hand.
"Well Ron and Hermione are staying the night here with Harry, but it's getting late and um…well if you don't mind I think George and I are going to head off to bed. I can stay if you'd like of course but you just seem like you'd rather be alone right now."
"It's alright Emily you're right it's getting late you should head off to bed. I'm not much company right now anyway." For a second I noticed big watery blue eyes before I was being pulled into a hug, my best friend's blonde curls tickling my face. I wrapped my arms around Emily not sure if it was more to comfort her or myself. She drew back from me with a concerned smile across her face.
"It wasn't your fault Alice." She told me in a low honest tone.
"I told him to take the cup with me." I said quietly as tears began to build in the bottom of my brown eyes. Fred gave my hand a gentle squeeze as if to remind me that he still there. Words failed me again as images of Cedric flashed before me; moving too fast to focus on a single frame for too long.
"It wasn't your fault." Emily repeated in a whisper, tears now filling her eyes.
"Emily, everything's going to be alright." I surprised even myself by the confident tone in my words. "It's been a long night I think what we all need is a good night sleep. You, George and Fred should all head off to bed. I'm sure we'll all feel much better in the morning."
"You're right." She smiled, gently drying her eyes with her shirt sleeve. "Goodnight Alice everything will be better in the morning." Emily wrapped me in another brief hug before stepping outside of the curtain.
"I'm staying here tonight Georgie." Fred told his twin brother without moving from his place on my bed.
"Course you are." George gave his brother a knowing smile. "Was just coming in to say good-night, and give this to you, Alice." George handed me the bag of coins Fudge had tossed on Harry's bed earlier. "Don't want to go losing a thousand galleons now do you?" I turned the bag over in my hands a few times.
"You take it." I said pressing the bag back in George's hand.
"What?" Fred questioned from my side.
"I mean the pair of you of course. Go on, take it."
"You're mental." George told me trying to force the bag back into my hands.
"No I'm not. You boys have been working had trying to get that joke shop of yours started up, well there's enough there to at least get you started."
"Alice we couldn't it's…"
"Don't say it's too much Fred." I interrupted him. "I don't need it, but I could do with a few laughs. We all could every now and then, 'sides I've got a feeling we're going to need them more than usual before long." Fred and George stared at each other, trying to decide what the best thing to do was. I reached over and wrapped George's fingers tighter around the bag. "Consider it…an investment. Just promise me you won't tell your mum where you got the money?"
"What money?" George smiled tucking the bag away inside his robes. "Well like I said, just came in to say night to you!"
"Goodnight George!" I called as he bounced out of the curtained off area.
"Thank you." Fred whispered before kissing my forehead.
"Just promise you'll still like me when you're a successful business man Mr. Weasley." I joked with him.
"I could never forget you Ali." He told me very seriously. "Now, I think it's about time you drink this." Once again Fred held up the small bottle containing the dose of dreamless sleep potion. "Don't worry I'll stay with you the whole night. I promise." I took the potion from Fred and drained the small bottle of its contents.