The party set to take place in mere one hour is the most anticipated event of every year since my third year here. The girls have taken it upon themselves to give me a surprise party of catastrophic proportions in our third year at Hogwarts and I think more than half a school ended up there? Even teachers were there at some point during the night. I'm still grateful they let students stay up late on some nights.

Today I dressed to impress. I could almost feel Will's eyes on me as he contemplated me from the door while I was doing some final touches to my makeup. This is the only time of the year I wear makeup or, at least, this much make up. I've never been fond of it, but I don't resent it. It helps me feel normal, integrated, accepted. Gives me the ability to socialise better and be less self-conscious. Maybe everyone is like that or maybe I'm just more broken than other people. But when you think about it we all have skeletons in our closet.

That dress is cutting my breath short. Am I sweating? I'm sweating amn't I? An elegant black shift dress? Really? Is she trying to give someone a heart attack? I'm catching my breath from having to fasten her concealed back zip. She looks like some sort of dark angel fallen from heaven. I presume she's always been like that tho when I think about it.

I put on my favorite golden bracelets. One on my left and the other on my right. Again, accessories I only use on occasions like this one. Jane gifted both of them to me the first time we celebrated my birthday. There's a charm placed on the to resize to the owners wrist. Quite convenient. And, if one trusted anything Jane says, I think there's some sort of protective enchantment of a certain type placed on one of them.

One last look in the silver mirror. This should do it, we're almost late so we'd better hurry.

"You ready in there?"

Will was waiting for me downstairs, impatient to leave as he was.

"On my way, keep your pants on"

"No promises"

I found myself smiling at the thought. NO! Bad Kathy, bad!

Carefully, I make my way down the stairwell. High heels are another unique aspect of this night. I throw a glimpse the clock. It's half past seven.

"You look.."

Dazzling, unbelievable, truly beautiful, breath taking, speechless….

"Thanks. You cleaned up nicely yourself, sharp-dressed and all"

We closed the door securely behind us and Will made sure the wards were up before Sirius returned to side-Apparate us just outside the Apparition wards of Hogwarts. We had to walk a few good minutes, the go all the way up to the Room of Requirements. No one else knew that we had left so Sirius threw an Invisibility Cloak over us. Even after we left the next day, Order members will drink Polyjuice potion everyday and replace us for a while. We left them a considerable supply of hair strands. I heard something about trying to trap those Death Eater.

The sun was almost gone, the grounds surrendering to the darkness. Groups of fireflies were roaming around the place. One collided with our Invisibility Cloak making a magnificent show of light for us. The night already felt magical and it had barely started.

The corridors were silent. However, the closest we got to the Seventh Floor through the moving staircase the more voices we heard. The floor of the hallway leading to the Come and go Room also know as the Room of Requirements was covered by a luxurious red carpet and what looked like more than a hundred people, all dressed up to party. And many were still joining the queue. I have no idea how many students are in my year or all years, but all the people I've ever known were here. Only people over sixteen are allowed to attend to the presence of alcoholic drinks and we wouldn't want the school to have parent problems.

I looked around for Cedric to no end.

Remembering we were still under the protection of the cloak, I continued walking to the door and looked at the time. As planned the door opened slightly at ten to eight so that we could sneak in, then closed right after us.

"Careful, Cedric is here"

Anne whispered to where she hoped I would be. Cedric was doing something at the drinks table and had his back to us so we packed away the cloak.

"Good you made it. Big boy over there offered to help so we made him carry the booze here and prepared the drinks." Jane answered by silent question.

Awaken as from a trance I inspected the place. Un-Merlin-believable. It must've been bigger and the Great Hall itself!

"Girls, this is fabulous"

""Always the tone of surprise""

"You've outdone yourselves. I mean, seriously, look at this place"

"You called for me?"

A young handsome black haired man showed up to my left out of thin air. I had never seen him before in my entire life, but it must be him… who else would make that insinuative joke?

"Is that you?" Will asked.

"Yeah, it's me, Alexander," the boy responded, making a low bow and winking discretely at Will.

"He said he knows you guys so we let him in. Not to mention how handsome he is, not that I noticed or anything," Jane added, visibly drooling. 'Alexander' smiled and offered his hand to her, leading them away, to the empty dance floor.

"Ugh," Anne reacted disapprovingly.

Those two are the worst of the best of sisters. What am I going to do without them..

Five minutes, Cedric finishes setting up the drinks, four minutes the music starts, three minutes, all lights at the ready, two minutes, a few teachers and Order member, who will stay hidden, come in to look over us, one minute, people impatiently knock on the door. I feel like my heart is going to explode of nervousness. I'd rather face a Death Eater right now.

And then the long awaited moment arrives. Will opens the door and students come barging in. Thankfully they mind their attire so they do so in a slightly mannered way. I greet everyone of them. We exchange a few words, gifts are placed on the huge gift table as the tradition call and I move one to the next couple or individual. We do that for that seems like hours. Will come and goes, sensing he's not needed right now.

"It's her night. She should enjoy it. Might be the last time she gets to do all of this. Her friends worked so hard for this, I wish I had friends like that"

"Fred, George, what a surprise seeing you here"

"Really?"

"Is it.."

"Now… Don't you owe us.."

"One for helping you with our.."

"Common acquaintance?"

They talked in perfect sync as if rehearsed. As he finished, George nodded towards Will.

"I believe I do. Thanks for coming. Common in, Anne will show you to you drinks"

"Fred, I think this is the perfect occasion for.."

"Might as well, brother"

Their chatter faded away. I admit their gibberish made me shiver at the thought of what they might be onto now. But I decided to push in in the corner of my mind, a sort of out of sight out of mind concept I liked to do.

"You know, I've been to your birthday every year"

As Will plotted something in a corner of the room with Fred and George, Cedric brought two glasses of champagne to me. It took me just over an hour to greet everyone and I felt exhausted. The sweetness of the bubbly liquid was music to my body.

"Thanks"

"You looked like you needed a drink. Was it so much work in the past?"

"It's never been such a big room or so many people. I appreciate you helping the girls, especially after.."

"Nevermind that. What happened wasn't your fault"

If only he knew.

"Yeah…" I suddenly remembered I was naked then and began feeling ashamed.

"Hey, listen, did you see something then?" When have I gotten so soft? I guess the past few days changed be.. I've gotten mushier as some have blatantly pointed out.

"Do you want me to have seen something?"

I punch him in the shoulder, slightly harder than I initially planned. I sometimes don't know my own strength.

I take another sip of the contents of my glass, just to find my glass emptied out. I don't recall finishing my drink.

"Need a refill?"

"Uhm.. I guess I do," I reply shily handing my glass over to him. Our hands touch for the slightest of moments and I feel adrenaline pumping through my blood and a strange feeling in my stomach, a good one, nevertheless.

We danced for a while then finished our drinks and went for a walk outside as I was starting to feel quite warm.

Just as we left the room, a brilliant show of fireworks and light began. Fred and George looked quite proud of themselves in the furthest left corner of the room and Will looked just as happy in the right corner, where the source of the act seemed to be.

I, however, couldn't stand the air or the noise any longer.

We made our way to the nearest window and caught an outstanding view of the mountains and the Great Lake in the moon light.

"You look so beautiful tonight"

He moved a strand of white hair from my cheek. It was such a cliche and yet it felt magical to me. I touched his hand and he held mine in his. The feeling in my stomach got stronger and stronger by the second. I wanted… him.. more than I've wanted anyone my entire life. But it wasn't love as much as it was something else.

We kept staring at one another for an eternity and then he moved closer and my body did the same with a mind of his own. Closer and closer. My eyes closed. I could feel his warm breath softly on my face. And then our lips made contact. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but a carnal one and wishful one, full of desire as if driven my animal instincts and not by human nature.

I recall only bits and pieces after that, walking, going down so many stairs, the painting that gives access to the kitchen and then many barrels and a humming. The next thing I knew, we were settling on a soft white and cold surface. He was on top of me and we were still kissing. One thing lead to another and I found myself only in my lingerie while he had only his boxers left. Then blur. I'm sure we had sex, I remember images, sensations, pleasure like I've never felt before. But I don't want to remember. And blackness.

I woke up without knowing where I was. I was in a fairly simple room. It was dark so I couldn't make out too much of it. My head hurt like hell and I felt sick to my stomach. And the dizziness I got when I tried to get out of the bed I found myself in was outstanding. I was shocked to find I was wearing only my dark green lace bra, my clothes thrown all over the place, mixed with someone else's.

And then I saw him, naked, face down in the bed I had just escaped from.

"Cedric.." I whispered, covering my mouth with both hands. "What have I done?"

I tiptoed around the bed, trying not to cry, picking up my clothes and dressing back up.

"How did we get here?" I kept asking myself.

I almost lost control again, I felt the warm blood liquid dripping from my nose, but I managed to steady myself, barely.

"Those drinks he kept offering me. I shouldn't have left my guard down around him. He must've laced it with some sort of illegal drugs I've heard boys have been using lately to get girls"

I soon found out we were in the Hufflepuff common room's dormitories. Apparently, the Quidditch Captain had his own private quarters or something. In any case, I wanted out of there, fast.

I ran.. as fast as I could, trying to make my way out of the basement and go back upstairs. I didn't even know what time it was. Most likely someone was panicking.

And then, CRASH!

"Siri.. Alexander.."

He caught me before I almost fell on the floor at his feet.

"What's wrong kido? I've been.. we've been searching for you all over the place for over an hour. I had to interrogate a few youngsters who saw you with the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain? You don't waste your time do you now?"

"Do you… (I try catching my breath).. know how to Obliviate someone?"

"I've done my fair share of deeds." He watched me intrigued. It was so weird to look at this new young face of his.

"Cedric Diggory. He's in the Ravenclaw tower. I need you to make last night disappear"

"Wow there! Not until you tell me what ha…"

"Please? I beg of you." I started crying. So broken.. so broken. He held me tight. Had he not, I'd have surely fallen to the floor and stayed there.

"Cedric Diggory, you say?"

"Promise me, Sirius"

"Can you make it back to the Room of Requirements? Everyone's there, your friends and the teachers will take care of you"

"Promise me!"

Sighing, he nodded and ran on the way I came through.

I leaned on the cold surface of the stone brick wall for one more minute, enjoying the chilly calming sensation. After gaining my composure I walked back to the party. Everyone was still there. If anything, more people had showed up.

Jane was sitting alone at the closest table, holding her head in hands.

I walked their hastily, trying not to draw too much attention. I saw Anne dancing with a Gryffindor in the center of the dance floor. At least they had fun.

She heard me approaching

"Kathy, I've been so worried. I thought something had happened to you and it would've been because of me, I insisted we had this party. It'd be all my fault. I'm so glad you're ok. Where have you been? Alexander is looking all over for you, is he some kind of relative? Have you been crying?"

"You remember these bracelets? That you gave me on my birthday?"

I frantically showed both my hands to present her the shining accessories, shaking them in front of her face like a crazy person.

"Yeah, Kath, I do. What's wrong?"

"You told me about a charm you had paid to be put on them"

Merlin, please, make this right, please. Jane smiled all knowingly.

"Yea.. I figured you might want to.. you know... have some fun in your third year.. you were getting along with that boy and.."

"Is that charm still on?"

Tell me you paid him a million galleons and the charm lasts forever, please Jane, PLEASE!

"What? Uhm..I don't think so… it was meant to last for a year, two tops… why?"

"Holy shit"

"Katherine?"