November went by quickly. Between classes and quidditch, I hardly had the time or focus to keep shagging Malfoy, yet I managed to do it anyway.

We spent most evenings with Albus and Gen in our common room, eating whatever dessert Malfoy made most recently (I'm pretty sure this is why Ginny likes him so much), then once they've left, snogging one another's brains out to relieve the stress of schoolwork.

In addition to our NEWTs, I found out Malfoy was the other student from Cokeworth who was "homeschooled". Both of us having convinced our parents that we should probably continue our muggle education if for no other reason than it seeming suspicious to our friends at home that we went to an elite boarding school they'd never heard of, but knew nothing of Maths or Literature.

Our mothers both thought it was a grand idea, while our fathers both supported us because it meant that they would have an extra advantage in their pissing contest over us.

I was distinctly annoyed when I had noticed Malfoy's textbooks on November first, when I woke up after a wild night of shagging, because now I had one more thing I had to beat him at. It didn't quite end up like that, though. I was always having trouble with humanities-related work, and he wasn't great with STEM work, so we tutored one another.

Here at Hogwarts we were tied for top at every class, but magic was something intuitive; moreso than muggle coursework, at least. We fell into a steady rhythm of doing our Maths and Physics work on Saturday mornings, then History and Literature in the afternoons. By the evening we would be ready to either host a small party in the common room, or go to a large party in the Room of Requirement.

At one such party mid-November, we walked down together (it was convenient to do so) and bumped into Lily, who was wearing a tiny black dress that looked gorgeous on her.

Everything about Lily screamed feisty, from her head to her toes. She had a pixie cut, her red hair sticking out at all angles like her father's, and hazel eyes lined with something she called 'kajal'. Her dress was plain, black, and painted onto her body, and she wore heels with little spikes on them, as if she wasn't already deadly enough with her wand.

She sized us up, looked around, smirked, and said "Hullo, Rose. Hullo, Rose's walking dildo."

What a term for him, I was going to use that. I smirked.

But wait, how the fuck did she know? We were obscenely careful, followed all the rules, and it wasn't like our bickering was getting better anyway. We had fewer duels, none in public, because I was pretty sure McGonagall would take away our badges. Especially after the streaking thing, we were really careful of that.

Malfoy and I exchanged a glance. His face was flushed, and his neck looked splotchy. At least the concealer over his hickies was working, right?

"What are yo-" I started. Then I realized, she probably had the map. The map, why I hadn't I thought of that?

"Neither of you showed up for Albus' birthday party at midnight on the first." We had already been asleep by then, I think. "I checked it out, positive neither of you would've missed it unless you were already in the hospital wing, and to my surprise I found both of you asleep in the same bed."

"That was a one time-" I started to say, but she cut me off quickly, laughing. "No, it wasn't, and I'm going to need you to admit that at some point to Albus because I've just won the pot."

"What pot?" I knew there was a bet between Al and Gen, but I didn't know that other people had joined in. I will probably have a lot of coal to give for Christmas this year.

"About you two secretly dating." She looked between us for a reaction.

"We aren't dating. We're just shagging." I supplied, Malfoy still quiet. Why wasn't he helping with this? "I know for a fact that you understand that concept, Lils."

She snorted at that, and looked rather smug. She had her fun, but she always cut it off when boys either wanted to go public, or started waxing poetic to her. "Well, technically my money was on secretly boning, but I didn't want to offend Al's sensibilities. You know how he is."

Malfoy cut in when Al was mentioned. He looked stony as he said, "How much would it take to buy your silence?"

"Blueberry chocolate chip muffins any time I want them. Oh, and could you make me a cake with a little extra magic in it?"

"When do you want it?"

"Before Christmas break, I plan on being stoned out of my fucking mind for New Years at James'."

"No."

"I'll bring you if you feel the need to keep an eye on me."

"Fine." He said, his mouth tight.

"By the way, avoid kissing in front of anyone tonight, it'll be obvious it isn't the first time." Lily turned cheerily and walked to the party with a fairy-like air. I wondered if she would be right, but I wasn't about to test that theory.

I waited until she was out of sight, then swooped over to kiss his cheek.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on her." I said. I wasn't sure why I had done that. We were hardly friends, and of course he was going to protect his best friend's little sister, especially if she was looking to get high and then go to her older brother's infamous New Years Eve party.

"Uh, yeah, no problem." He mumbled.

After a few minutes, he quietly asked "Are you going to be there?"

"Yeah, who do you think actually keeps those things at the balance of fun and turning into a fiasco?" I've been at those parties, and as head schemer of the Weasley clan, I was usually the one to be the bouncer, hostess, and mom friend for all the drunken hooligans. I was so looking forward to pushing that responsibility on someone else this year. Probably Lucy. "Plus, I like hanging out with James and Freddie, they keep things… interesting? I don't know if that's quite the right word, but they're always around for a laugh."

"I don't suppose you would want to help me with Lily, would you?" He asked, brushing my hair aside and leaning in a little to nip my neck. It would be rather cute, him doing that, if he weren't the biggest pain in my bloody arse, who I regularly still wanted to hex, and we weren't in the bloody corridor in front of the Room of Requirement, where a party was awaiting us.

I squinted at him with a small scowl. "That's a you problem."

As we walked past the tapestry for the last time, he said "Technically it's also a you problem, it takes two to tango, red. I think you're about as ready to go public about this as I am." Fuck, he was right.

Malfoy and I had been at the party for an hour. I danced with a few boys, he danced with Lily, and he and I were now standing by the bar, about to do a shot Alice Longbottom made up called the Puttanesca.

"Longbottom, what's in here?" Malfoy said, a little apprehensive.

"It's the dredges from everything else. Like pasta puttanesca, you know?" She said, smiling at him.

Alice always had a reference and a smile. She was like a fast-talking, shit-eating, flirty, fun spirit. We had grown up together, and she was a lot of fun, but she wasn't much into books, so we were a bit distant.

When we did catch up, though, it was always one hell of a time. I reflected upon our friendship as I tried the third shot she handed me, and winced as I drank it.

"Oh, that one was every-flavor bean-infused vodka. I think you got hot sauce. Sorry Ro!"

Being in Slytherin was just fine for me. I actually really liked it. I was around people who motivated me, who challenged me. My dad was, at first, shocked at my sorting. Not angry at me, thank Merlin, but angry.

After the first Christmas back, when I pointed out that I got in because I was ambitious, and showed him my straight Os, he cooled down a bit, and when we got the letter over the summer that I was tied for top of the year, he started telling everyone that would listen about how smart and goal-oriented I was.

I think mum would've killed him if he didn't.

Hugo came when I was in third year, and he was sorted right into Gryffindor, like most of my family had been. With the exception of Teddy and Lucy in Hufflepuff, and Victoire in Ravenclaw, everyone was in Gryffindor.

I think it's a family thing, because where we are placed don't always reflect who we are. It reflects what we hold most valuable. That's why Pettigrew was in Gryffindor- he always wanted to be bold, but was too scared to do it. And why Neville was, too, he just came out of it a bit better.

So, I think the fact that my whole family has been taught that bravery is very important from a young age means that most of them would end up in Gryffindor.

It also wasn't that Gryffindor was overcrowded with Weasleys. Sure, there were one or two a year, but since the Wizarding War ended, there were a lot more wizards. We had something of a baby boom, but it hasn't stopped yet. Unlike in my parents' days, there are usually a hundred or so students per year. The population at Hogwarts is almost triple what it was then.

It wasn't hard to be a spectacle here at Hogwarts as the Slytherin heir to the Golden Trio. I measured my steps carefully, training myself that I needed to think a few steps ahead, normally. The only time I let that down was around Malfoy, the git, and it was usually to hex him.

Or to snog him nowadays, but I used to really like hexing him. It is considered rude to hex someone that makes you come almost daily, right?

And a lot of people think I dislike blondie because of the whole blood purity thing his family had rocked back in the day. I knew he and his father never believed in that shite, because we grew up in the same class, at a bloody muggle school, together.

It was just a competition between the two of us, a borderline friendly one until we got to Hogwarts, where we suddenly had the pressure of our parents' war on our backs. Maybe it was friendly again now that we had to live together, but it was never going to be more than a competition.

And that attitude, of course, is how we ended up shit-faced and snogging in the Room of Requirement surrounded by a small army of drunken party-goers.

We tried the Puttanesca, the Bean, the Leaning Tower, and two others I didn't know the name of. After the first, we decided the best way to do shots was by linking our arms together and yelling out whatever greek letters we could think of. It was a reference to an American tv show he liked, so I went along with it, secretly a little turned on by our close proximity.

It was nice to be friendly-competitive in public rather than enemy-competitive. I don't know when I made that distinction, but we definitely weren't enemies when left to our own devices.

So, we were both a little trashed, to say the least. I'm blaming him, because he said I shouldn't try every shot Alice was making because I have a lower tolerance than him and in my already tipsy mind that meant "try them all with me!", so that's what I did.

Albus came up to the bar, gave a wink to Alice, and threw his arms over our shoulders. Well, one over my shoulder, and he told Malfoy to stoop down, then threw his other arm over blondie. He ordered three pomegranate margaritas, handed one to Malfoy and I each, and lead us away.

We were placed in a circle, and Malfoy leaned over to whisper in my ear "this drink is almost as pretty as you."

I giggled and turned to take a sip, then Albus said "no, Rosie, we're playing Never Have I Ever."

I nodded, and watched the game begin. Albus charmed our glasses so we would have to tell the truth, and it took me a moment to register what exactly that might mean for me.

I'm fucked, but if I admit to being fucked, I'll have to explain why I'm fucked, and the reason why I'm fucked is that I've been fucking that fucking fuck.

"Never have I ever kissed Malfoy." Sip. Albus sipped, too, as did Vane and another girl whose name I was a bit fuzzy on.

"Rose?!" "Albus?!"

"Don't fight over me you two there's plenty to go around." Malfoy drawled, leaning back against the wall.

"Albus don't be huffy he was my first kiss in third year when we were shoved under the mistletoe. You shoved me!" Malfoy glanced up and smirked.

"Oh yeah. I was just drunk and thought he was a girl." Albus responded, a little morosely. I almost died laughing.

When I leaned back in my spot, Malfoy whispered "was I really your first kiss?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You were mine, too."

"Ooh, maybe that's why I didn't have to train you." I slurred a little, and Malfoy looked amused. The logic was off, but I'm pretty sure I just admitted he was a good kisser right off the bat, which guys almost never were.

No one was paying attention to our slurred words, but next up came "Never have I ever snogged a girl," from (thank god) my little brother.

I took a sip. Everyone but Lucy, Vane, and Gen's little brother, Luke, took a sip. Then realized my little brother was at the party. "What are you doing here, Hu?"

"What were you doing here, ho?" Clearly this was in retaliation to my now-known, singular escapade into snogging Gen.

I flipped him off and we continued.

Albus was up next. "Never have I ever snogged Gen."

Gen looked smug as every single girl, except for Vane and Lucy, took another sip. Four girls, five including her girlfriend, in this circle alone. She deserved to be smug, I suppose.

"Hot, red." Malfoy piped up.

"I think you mean red hot." I said, winking back at him before bursting into giggles.

"Never have I ever dueled the person I had my first kiss with." Gen said, watching closely as Malfoy and I took our sips.

"Never have I ever gotten up early on a Saturday to make or eat waffles" Malfoy and I sipped sheepishly at Al's second go.

Catching on, Gen said, "Never have I ever broken someone's bone on purpose."

Sip.

"Never have I ever used Polyjuice Potion to lead a group of raucous teens on a streaking mission."

Sip.

"Never have I ever had a duel in my pajamas."

Sip.

"Never have I ever had a duel in a towel."

Sip.

"Never have I ever shagged someone." Luke interjected, trying to stop the get-Malfoy-and-Rose-drunk brigade.

We both finished our drinks and stood up, ignoring the gasps of the crowd at our obvious irritation. Particularly Gen, who didn't realize I had taken my sip until after she had stopped looking so smug about drinking hers.

I hadn't told her I was shagging anyone. I'll talk to her tomorrow, but for now, I'm wandering.

I made my way to the dance floor, and before I knew it, was swinging my hips wildly to the music. It was crappy, catchy music that I sang right along to.

I caught Malfoy's eye from across the floor, and saw him start to meander towards me, looking around at the girls around him, but moving steadily to the center of the floor, to me. He leaned down to whisper in my ear when he got to me "let's get out of here."

"Not right now, I'm liking dancing." I purred back, then turned around in his arms to swing against him. He stood there, a little shocked, then wrapped his arms tight and picked me up. Carrying me to the bar, he said "I would like one water for this fine young lady and another one of those pretty drinks please."

I tried to grab the drink, but he held it away from me, handing me a water.

"Can we make waffles, please, Blondie?"

"Sure, Red. I'll let Al and Gen know we're going to stumble off." He said, standing up.

As he walked away, Alice leaned over the bar. I appreciated her tits, which were visible as she leaned. "Hullo Allie, you're very pretty tonight."

"You're a drunk slag, Roe."

"You're not wrong but your tits are staring at me."

"They stare at everyone."

"Hmm, want to snog?"

"You know, Red, if I keep finding out about you snogging girls I might think you won't want to kiss me." Malfoy drawled, having appeared from nowhere, putting his arm around my waist.

Allie looked at it skeptically, but leaned in a little further. She tasted like pineapple lip gloss, and firewhiskey. Her hand went to my hair, while mine went to her neck, rubbing little circles under her ear.

Malfoy really likes when I do that.

As I pulled away, I saw Malfoy looking at me like he might applaud or pass out from excitement.

"Goodnight Longbottom, I'm taking this drunkard back to the dorm to get some carbs into her before she turns into Mary Magdalen."

"Goodnight, Allie. Thanks for the snog!"

"My pleasure," she winked, "and tell Al to stop checking me out."

I didn't want to get home though, I just wanted to dance, so I made it decidedly hard for Malfoy to leave. I told him I would tell everyone he would like bugs for Christmas if he didn't dance with me, so he laughed a little and decided to indulge me.

Unfortunately, dancing in close proximity with very little in the way of inhibitions meant I really wanted to snog him, and I was pretty sure, based on the growing hardness that kept glancing against my abdomen, he wouldn't mind it either.

So I wrapped my arms around his neck, and caught him with a shy kiss. He tasted lovely, so I was less shy with the second kiss. We moved easily against one another, like we had forgotten we were at a party, that people could see.

Everyone was drunk and snogging anyway, so no one really noticed.