James stood up on a table on the Gryffindor common room with Fred and the room immediately hushed, "Welcome back," James bellowed, all smiles, "to our start-of-year party. You all know the drill, unless you're a first year in which case you'd best be going to bed," he paused to listen to the crowd laugh jubilantly, "Drinks are over there," he gestured towards a corner, "food is over there, all professionally nicked from the kitchens by my dear companion and me," he slung an arm around Fred's shoulders and they both raised their glasses, "So without further ado, my fellow students, here's to a new year full of Quidditch wins and decent marks." They raised clinked glasses and there was a commotion of other students knocking glasses and gulping down alcohol.

James grinned, surveying his party. He considered it his finest accomplishment at Hogwarts. He and Fred had, of course, been appalled as second years to find out there was no cool party to go to when school began. Knowing a few second years tossing together a party wouldn't go over well, they'd gone about it anonymously. They'd written unsigned invitations and simply waited for people to gather. Not to their surprise, people had indeed gathered. The two loved to take credit for it now. In their minds, who wouldn't want to be the youngest party-starters in Hogwarts history?

Rose rolled her eyes and curled into the corner of a plush sofa, her butterbeer cradled against her, "They're a couple of pricks," she mumbled.

Scorpius grinned from where he was sprawled out on a chair beside her, "Mm," he hummed lazily, "maybe but they sure know how to bring in good refreshments."

Alice had her legs kicked up over the back of Rose's sofa, her head dangling off the edge, "I second that," she said, attempting to drink her own butterbeer whilst upside-down.

Rose sighed and took the beer from Alice. She righted Alice and handed the beer back, hoping to avoid any alcohol-in-eye situations that upside-down drinking might impose.

Scorpius pulled out a cigarette, "You think they'd mind?" he asked.

Rose shook her head, "It's likely they're already too drunk to remember if you do."

Scorpius nodded his agreement and lit the cigarette, taking a long drag before perching it between his lips.

Albus came over then and situated himself between Rose and Alice, "Hello, my fellow Gryffindors," he fumbled.

Rose shoved his arm off her, "I'm in Ravenclaw, Albus, and you're in Hufflepuff."

"That does sound accurate," Albus relented and Rose noticed the half-empty bottle of firewhiskey in his hand.

"Oi," Scorpius called out gesturing for the firewhiskey bottle, "Pass that here, mate, don't keep it all for yourself."

Albus tossed it over and Rose froze for a moment, anticipating broken glass, but relaxed when Scorpius caught the bottle. "Now," Albus said, tugging Alice close by her shoulders, "I've come over to invite my dear friend here," Alice groaned and glared at Albus, "over for a game of Never Have I Ever and you two can come as well, if you'd like."

"You're not my dear friend, Albus," Alice said but it was half-hearted, "but I'd love to join the game. Come on then, you two, come have a little fun."

Scorpius stood and stretched, following Albus and Alice towards the semi-constructed circle in a corner of the room. Rose, reluctantly, followed as well. She didn't normally enjoy this type of thing. She preferred the quiet of Ravenclaw's common room and the soothing blues and whites that covered the room. Lately, however, looking at Scorpius was making her breath catch and she was willing to drink enough to forget about that for now.

She pushed between Alice and Scorpius and took a seat, finishing off her butterbeer and setting it behind her.

"Another?" someone asked and she accepted it gladly.

"Right," came a rather loud voice from in the circle. It was Ian Mackey, Rose noticed, a muggleborn boy in her own year, "so for those of you who don't know, the game goes as such; everyone starts with ten fingers up," he waited for everyone to put up ten fingers, "we go around in a circle and when it's your turn, you say something you've never done. If anyone else has done it, you put a finger down and take a shot. Now if you're lying, that shot glass is gonna glow blue and we'll all know. So don't lie." Rose watched a shot magically appear in front of her. She didn't have to think very hard to guess it would be refilled every time she downed it. "First person with all ten fingers down loses."

"I'll start," Ian said, "Never have I ever… Gone skinny-dipping. In the Black Lake."

Begrudgingly, Scorpius put a finger down and took a shot. Honestly, Ian hadn't expected anyone to put a finger down.

"When the hell'd you do that, Malfoy?" Ian asked, slightly surprised.

Scorpius shrugged, taking a drag of his cigarette, "Fifth year. I think after one of these parties."

Ian barked a laugh out, "That was only last year!"

Scorpius held up his hands in mock defense, "I know, I know. I may have let the liquor get the best of me."

"Alright, alright," Albus said, "I'm next. Never have I ever had sex outside of the dormitories."

Rose scoffed. She barely believed Albus had had sex at all. A few people took a drink including a girl in Rose's dorms named Felicity Clearwater.

"Anyone care to elaborate?" Albus suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

A boy from Gryffindor spoke up, "In the forbidden forest," he said, smirking.

"That's a load of shit," Scorpius called out.

"Swear it on my great-aunt's grave," the boy said. People watched his shot glass, predicting it to glow blue at what had to be a lie. It didn't glow. Someone whistled appreciatively and some girl muttered an astounded 'wow'.

"My turn!" Alice said excitedly, "Never have I ever gone streaking."

Rose glared at Alice, who smiled oh-so-innocently, and took a blushing shot.

Albus hooted with laughter, "How the hell did you end up doing that?"

"Oh, piss off, Albus," Rose quipped, "it was in third year because these assholes," Rose jabbed Scorpius and Alice with her elbows, "made me do it on a magically-binding dare. Honestly the worst game of 'truth or dare' I've ever played."

"Well, Rosie," Scorpius said, grinning, "It's your turn now."

"Never have I ever…," Rose thought for a moment. Of course, there were many things she hadn't done but right now she seemed at a loss. Until she remembered a way to get back at Alice. "walked in on my parents going at it."

To Rose's surprise, quite a few people took a shot. She didn't care so much about them, what she did care about was Alice's shot.

Alice groaned, "Merlin, Rose, you had to remind me? I'll never get that out of my mind."

"Your turn, Scor," Rose said happily, forgetting how it felt to look him in the eye. She ignored the fluttering in her stomach and quickly trained her eyes back on the floor.

"Never have I ever flashed someone," he said, putting out his cigarette against the neck of a bottle. Images of Scorpius like that flickered across Rose's mind. She pushed them out. They were imaginary anyway, she thought sadly.

Albus, to Rose's surprise, took a shot. Noticing Rose's surprised face, he relented, "Look, I may have been a bit tipsy and it may have been my drunken mind's idea of how to seduce someone. Just bum, I promise. It didn't work though."

Rose stifled laughter, "Oh, Albus, when will you learn?"

He shrugged good-naturedly and took another swig of butterbeer.

"Never have I ever…," piped up a boy, Rose wasn't sure what house he was from, "fantasized about my best mate."

Rose and Scorpius took a shot.