And then they can all fall asleep.

For a few hours until Catherine is hungry again. He debates a muffling charm and drowsily decides that'd be somehow dishonorable, leaving Rebecca all the work.

Catherine is a very hungry baby.

Babies do that. He decides to definitely look into birth control options.

Cricket grows enough that Miranda can check him for Kneazle features. She thinks he is at least three-quarters Kneazle; he might be all Kneazle but he's too fluffy for the tail tuft to be obvious.

"So that means he can understand everything we say? Or no, because he probably only speaks Italian?"

"He was a kitten when Timothy got him, I think he knows English all right now - he never seems confused when I talk to him. I'm wondering if there's a way to teach him to write, he hasn't the vocal apparatus to speak..."

"He could probably stomp on cards with phrases on them, I don't know that Kneazles have the dexterity for writing."

"They really don't. I'm getting pretty good at understanding his meows but I don't know how I'd enchant a quill to translate them. The cards thing is a good idea."

"Could at least use that to ask how annoyed he is by not being widely understood and how much he wants us to work on it. - when you interpret his meows as insults to various people is he saying that or are you..."

"I'm supplying the details but I'm pretty sure he genuinely wants to insult various people!"

"They usually pretty much earned it."

"And they can't challenge me to a duel for asserting that I'm confident all their grandparents are human."

Snort. "They can't!"

"I do worry somebody'll attack Cricket over it but unlike me he's very nimble."

"I'd suggest you tell Timothy he did good but I'm sure he knows."

"I am also sure he knows."

And before they know it they have exams to study for. Michael doesn't sleep very well at home for some reason so he mostly stays at school while preparing for his N.E.W.T.s.

Miranda has not gotten very far on convincing her roommates to each adopt a firstie next year, because of their anticipating that O.W.L.s will take up most of their time (she doesn't get anywhere with the argument that pet firsties can run errands for you), but she has all but one on board with picking up a pet firstie in sixth year instead. The current fifth years are harder to convince. She does talk two of them into it, which will be two adopted firsties, at least. She can work on the current third years next year.

Miranda's personal adopted firstie has been unharassed except by classmates who want her to demonstrate the Leviosa thing, all of whom she's been gracefully deflecting. 

N.E.W.T.s roll around. He does outrageously well on the practicals and adequately on the written bits. Minor corrects him on a couple points from Ancient Runes and is very smug about it. 

"Now I have to get a job," he complains on the train.

"...did you not anticipate this ahead of time?"

"No one ever mentioned I couldn't just sleep around and get into flashy duels and live off my parents' money forever!"

"If I realized this was something that needed mentioning I might have said something, I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," he says magnanimously.

"What are you going to do?"