Hello! I thought I'd mix it up this chapter and have two things going on at once, hope you like! xx
Key for this chapter: Italics = Flashback
At some point in your life, have you ever felt like you could just fall sleep anywhere? I mean anywhere, like a potions classroom when your professor is trying to tell you how to pass your end of year exams? For me, this wooden desk was probably the most comfortable thing I have ever touched. If you're wondering why I'm so tired, it's because I didn't have a wink of sleep last night. Parties do that to you, especially if you've had zero experience with them before hand.
I heard, as well as felt, the loud thud of heavy books on the table, breaking me from my nap. I bolted upright and darted my eyes around the room only to be met by Slughorn's blazing eyes directly in front of me.
"Disturbing your nap time, am I, Miss Weasley?" He boomed.
Scorching heat flushed throughout my body. How could I have fallen asleep in class? My mother would be so disappointed if she found out. A hum of laughter filled the room as Slughorn hauled the books to his desk, leaving me wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole.
I tried concentrating for the remainder of the lesson, I really did, but my eyes were just too stubborn to stay open.
The moment I stepped into the Slytherin common room, I had never felt so rebellious. Despite the fact that one of my best friends was home to this house, I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was breaking some kind of rule by just being here. As I scanned through the crowd, I noticed Gryffindors, like myself, a few Ravenclaws and even the odd Hufflepuff amongst the crowd of Slytherins. The party was already in full swing and people were dancing, drinking and shouting above the booming music. I wondered how it couldn't be heard by the rest of the castle but soon realised there was such a thing as a Silencing charm. The walls were covered in plastic bats, some charmed to fly around the room, and fiery orange pumpkins that perfectly set the mood of Halloween. There were various costumes and outfits that people wore, some were adventurous and quirky, whereas others were highly ambiguous and left little to the imagination. I had decided on wearing a simple black dress, and now that I had seen some of the other girls' attires, made me realise how ridiculous I was being about worrying whether my dress was too short. I also managed to tame my hair into curls. I didn't think anyone would enjoy being attacked by fuzz in the middle of the dance floor.
Some said that celebrating Halloween at Hogwarts was completely ironic and stereotypical but I always thought it was funny, like Hogwarts had its own little inside joke.
It was a completely different atmosphere from when I was in a classroom with Slytherins. They were entirely dissimilar people to when they were learning in a classroom. Right now, I could almost smell the joy radiating off them, like adolescence and alcohol.
Of course, Alex wanted to dance and 'mingle', as she put it, as soon as we heard the music. She tugged me behind her into the middle of the room and began dancing to the beat of the song. I had never thought myself to be an awful dancer, just not so much a good dancer. I could 'party' dance like I was now, but make me ballroom dance and you may as well say goodbye to your toes.
I spotted a cluster of Slytherins near the makeshift dance floor, Malfoy amongst them sipping from a silver flask. It glinted in the sparks of light as he raised it to his mouth and ignited my curiosity. The group were in amiable conversation and bellowing laughs erupted from their direction every so often that could be heard above the blares of sounds that were called music.
"I'm going to go and mingle." I shouted to Alex. She would be so proud that I was voluntarily going off on my own to talk to other guys.
"Okay, me too!" From what I heard, she sounded pleased as I watched her hair bounce around the dance floor in search of someone to get her a drink.
I pushed my way through the crowd, tripping up a few times in the process but eventually got to the other side of the common room. A snake-covered drape hung to the right of a window, which shockingly made the place look all the more warm and comfortable just like the Gryffindor common room, despite the fact that it displayed my rivalled house's colours. Under the drape stood the huddle, which I bravely approached. It seemed I had interrupted whatever conversation they were having.
"Hey, what's that?" I motioned towards Malfoy's flask. He was dressed casually in a black shirt and jeans that contrasted wildly with his bright hair that could easily be spotted, even in the dark. He clearly hadn't bothered to dress up.
"I doubt you could stomach this, Weasley." He wasn't fazed by my disruption, as smugness was highly apparent in his voice.
He was about to take a swig when I boldly snatched the flask from his hand and brought it to my lips, glaring him in the eye the entire time. There was a buzz of amusement from the few people surrounding us. Suddenly, a powerful and potent taste struck my taste buds, making me splutter and break eye contact. Taking the flask away from my mouth, I hit my chest and made a very unattractive face to imitate just how grotesque that drink tasted. The group of Slytherins laughed and some even clapped me on the back.
"Are you trying to get my cousin drunk, Malfoy?" Albus interjected jokily. By this point, I had thrown the flask back at Malfoy in disgust.
"She insisted." He said defensively, looking surprisingly impressed by my flamboyancy.
Albus turned to me. "Maybe you should start with the weak stuff." He handed me a butterbeer.
Even as I took the plastic cup, I still felt as if I needed to prove myself. "I can handle it." Shrugging as if it was nothing, I thought; I really couldn't, it was a mystery how these boys could even keep it down.
"Sure you can." Malfoy's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Bouncing awake for the second time, it seemed that no one had noticed my absence. Glancing across at Malfoy, he was already looking at me with an unimpressed expression on his face, and then shaking his head, he focussed back on his work. The classroom was now quiet as students were skipping through textbooks, scribbling down answers and actually doing some work.
"How are you awake?" I whispered to Malfoy incredulously and rubbed my eyes to emphasise my point.
He shrugged, not taking his eyes away from his parchment. "I'm used to it."
"I'm sure you are with that bloody flask of yours." Just thinking about it gave me a headache but it also made me wonder.
Then something struck me. "Where did you get that booze from anyway?" I realised butterbeer could be collected from the kitchens but what I drank from that flask was clearly some kind of spirit.
"Your cousin." He answered freely. He seemed to be distracted by his work.
"Albus? Where would he have gotten it from?" I demanded.
"Slughorn's looking." He blatantly avoided my question. His expression was tight and anxious.
"I don't care. Where did-" I was cut off. Again.
"Miss Weasley!" Slughorn shouted from his desk. I immediately grabbed my quill and pretended to write something down. I was determined to figure out where Al got that drink. Hogsmeade was the closest place that sold alcohol but how would he have gotten all the way there without being noticed? A simple solution would be to presume that he had just taken it from home but Al wouldn't steal form his parents. Even so, it felt like there was more to it than that. It felt like Malfoy was hiding something.
Glancing about the crowded room, I noticed a particular Halloween costume that reminded me of a few nights ago. A boy was wearing a sheer black cloak with a hood covering his face exactly like the ones the mysterious couple were wearing nights before. Of course, the events that occurred were all a dream, figments of my imagination and since Scorpius, who I had bumped into on that same night, had never brought the subject up subsequently; I had more reason to presume nothing.
"Hey. Rose, right?" It was a guy from the 'Slytherin huddle' as I now liked to call it. "Do you want to dance?"
I was taken aback for a second and wondered if he was talking to me. "Sure." I said eventually. I was surprised that I, of all people, was being asked to dance at a party. My heart hammered with anticipation and the boy led me to the dance floor where I swayed to the music once more.
"You're Will, right?" I tried yelling above the music. He had to lean in close to hear what I was saying.
"Yeah," His dark hair glinted in the strobe and emerald eyes reminded me of just how Slytherin he was. "You look really great tonight by the way."
"Thanks." I laughed but really my insides were buzzing. I sipped from the cup in my hand, trying to keep it steady from my moving body, and decided I was a lightweight.
The Slytherin huddle still hadn't moved from their position in the room. I suspected it was to do with their overflow of dignity, or, to put it simpler, were too stuck up their own arses. Malfoy especially.
For the rest of the night, I danced. I couldn't remember anything else so that's what I presumed. It was my first party and the experience was incredible. I had always thought that party animals were just reckless teenagers who were wasting their lives away but now I realised they did it for sport, for fun, just like I did with Quidditch.
By now, it was too late to even attempt to start working since I had missed the majority of Slughorn's presentation. Sitting back and glancing around the classroom in boredom, I came across Will, sitting a few seats in front of my desk, smiling back at me. I grinned in response and made a small gesture with my hand. I was surprised that he even remembered last night, let alone was still acting interested in me.
"So, you and Will looked like you enjoyed yourselves the other night." A snide voice from my right interrupted my thoughts. I noticed how he addressed Will by his first name, like he did with Albus. They must have known each other well, unlike how he knew me.
"I don't see what that has to do with you." His questioning was beginning to irritate me.
"I don't see why anyone would want to get involved with a guy like him."
"Oh. So, now you're giving me relationship advice?" I questioned.
He didn't have time to reply. "Okay, class. Your homework is to write an essay on Everlasting Elixirs. Good luck." Slughorn sounded very cryptic when he said this, as if he knew how haunting the homework was going to be and gave us it purposely, which was very likely to be the case.
Stumbling out the classroom along with everybody else, I realised that if I wanted to pass potions, I really needed to get a grip. That party really pushed me off course, the mystifying ring, freaky nightmares and queries from Hugo were distracting me and I couldn't let anything get in the way of my education. Who knows, maybe once I calm the hell down I'll stop thinking about the ring, and the nightmares will cease. Of course, this meant having a thirty second melt down.
"Great. Now I'm never going to pass potions and my mum is going to be beyond pissed off with me and I'll never find a decent job if I don't have enough NEWTS." I then started muttering to myself like a crazy person. "I'll be lucky to get a P in my final exam and-" I was on the edge of hysterics and I could have gone on forever if Malfoy hadn't cut me off.
"Weasley! You missed one class, you'll catch up." He sounded like he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of my ventilation and he probably didn't deserve it either. He was just in the wrong place at the right time.
I turned on him. "See that's where you're wrong. Once I miss one class, I'll be in an endless cycle that never stops and all of a sudden I'll be behind in everything and I can't cope with stress like that. How am I supposed to catch up anyway? Everyone thinks I'm the next 'Hermione Granger'. I can't ask anyone for help. That would be social suicide. I can't-" All my words were rushed and jumbled together, I was surprised he could actually understand.
"Just take my notes." He interjected as if he would do anything to be rid of my wrath.
"What?" I was taken aback by his sudden interruption and had to think about what he was saying for a minute to fully comprehend.
"Take my notes." He repeated impatiently.
"No, I can't do that." I barely knew him and we weren't even that good of friends. Why would he offer anyway? Plus, if I did take them, I'd then owe him something and I most certainly did not want to be in debt to Malfoy in any way.
"I will not take no for an answer." He insisted. "You can copy them out tonight just make sure I have them back by tomorrow." He shoved the paper into my hands. It wasn't the most gentlemanly gesture but at least he was kind enough to give up his notes. I didn't look up from my hands at first but he was already marching down the hall to get to next period when I did. I was too late to say thank you or even say anything. I was just left staring, open mouthed, down the hall, getting in everyone's way.
I heard laughing approach me. "I can't believe you fell asleep in class." It was Alex, someone who most definitely would not let me live this down. "I mean, you. Rose, outstanding-grades-in-every-subject, Weasley. Ha!" She teased me relentlessly all the way to Hagrid's Hut, and stopped just in time for our Care of Magical Creatures lesson.
Throughout Hagrid's introduction, I kept pondering about Malfoy's notes or maybe it was just his rush to get away? Whatever it was, I couldn't stop thinking about it. As much as I despise to admit it, he was actually pretty nice to me today considering. What was with his weird warning about Will, though? I thought they were friends. Maybe it was a 'bro' thing? Malfoy just didn't want Will getting any female attention whatsoever, meaning it was nothing personal or anything to do with me.
Who knows what goes through a guy's mind?
Thank you! Have an awesome day/night!
And don't get drunk.
Srsly.
xx