'When you move like that, I've got a one track mind.' - Enrique Iglesias feat Pitbull, I'm A Freak
Rose and I make our way back up to Gryffindor Tower and sneak into the seventh year boys' dorm to 'borrow' the Marauder's Map from under James' mattress. We also accidentally pull out a dozen torn love letters addressed to Amy.
My brother needs to get a life. And find a better hiding place for his shit.
We pore over the Map and finally locate the two dots belonging to Scor and Ria on the fifth floor.
Five minutes later and we are in the corridor leading to the Room of Requirement again, looking out for our absent best friends.
The corridor is deserted now, with all the party goers safely inside the Room.
"Scor? Ri?" Rose calls weakly.
There is no answer and her voice echoes eerily in the empty space.
We slowly move along the corridor, and into the adjoining one, where two figures are just visible at the end.
"Scorpius? Ria?" Rose calls again, louder now.
The two people at the end of the corridor spin around, and as we walk closer, I can discern the features of the two we are looking for.
We hurry towards them, and when I can see them clearly (I have shit eyesight, but I won't wear glasses. I refuse to give people even more ammunition to say I look like my dad.), I stop in my tracks.
Godric, why do this to me again? I admit I fancy the pants off her! No need to make her look so effin' seductive!
Ria's soft black hair falls in loose waves around her shoulders, and her eyes shine, outlined in black. She's wearing a tiny glittery tight black mini-dress that shows off all the curves she has no business having, that I have never seen before in her customary loose clothes. Her long, smooth legs seem to go on forever and I realise I am staring when Rose jabs me sharply.
Not that Rose can talk. I definitely saw her checking Scor out. Once I get used to the idea of him not wearing a collared shirt, I can see that he still looks smoking hot in a green-and-silver Quidditch jersey, ripped jeans and Doc Martins.
Why is it that these two can wear anything and still look like models? Fuck their lucky genes.
"Where the hell were you?" Rose shoves Scor roughly.
What happened to apologising?
Scor looks annoyed and steps away from her smartly. "Fuck off, Rose."
She looks affronted. "Excuse me?"
"I said just fuck off and leave me alone, all right? You've had your fun, so get lost."
Now she just looks shocked. Hell, even I'm shocked.
I step in before Rose can anger him even more.
Scor hardly ever gets angry, but when he does, its cold fury that I do not want to be witness to.
"Where are you guys going?"
Scor and Ria glance at each other before seemingly making a mutual decision to tell the truth. "It's Muggle Music Night in the Hog's Head. We're going to get smashed." Ria says icily, and then they turn away from us and continue to the statue of Gregory the Smarmy.
I make a split-second decision.
"Wait up!" I call after them.
Scor ducks behind the statue as Ria faces me again, eyes cold. "Well fucking hurry up then, if you're insisting on coming."
I blanch and look at Rose. She seems just as uncomfortable as me, but she shrugs and pushes me towards the statue.
I follow Scor and Ria through the cramped passageway, with Rose clutching the back of my shirt tightly.
We surface in a dirty alleyway next to the Hog's Head, and Scor and Ria don't wait for us before entering the pub.
I help Rose out of the passageway. She looks close to tears. "We shouldn't be here."
"I know it's against the rules, but – "
"No, Al. They don't want us here. I've ruined my friendship with Scor by going on that stupid date and saying that horrible stuff to him!" she sobs.
I bite my lip and pull her into a hug. I may hate Rose sometimes, but she's family, and goddammit, I know how she feels right now.
She sobs into my shirt as I rub her back slowly. "They may not want us here, but they need us to help them get back into the castle if they're going to get smashed."
I don't comment on what she said about Scor, because I don't want to lie. I know now for certain that asking Ria on a date would be a mistake.
Once Rose's crying has slowed to the occasional sniff, we separate and I follow her into the pub.
Shit.
In the two minutes it took me to comfort my distressed cousin, Scor and Ria have drunk half a bottle of firewhiskey between them, judging by the empty glasses next to them.
I place a cautious hand on Ria's back, ready to guide her away from the bar, but she whirls around, eyes hard, and pushes me away firmly.
Rose shakes her head and we slide into a nearby booth to leave Scor and Ria to get drunk like it's going out of fashion.
Hey, we may not be the most responsible friends, but we're ready to carry (or levitate, more likely) our best friends back to the castle when they inevitably start throwing up.
The bartender fiddles with an old radio for a while before a muggle song starts blasting out of the speakers.
We watch Scor and Ria tip back glass after glass of firewhiskey before Rose sighs and leans back on the stained cushions of her seat. "I love him, you know."
My gaze snaps round to her, and I watch her as she gazes at Scor almost sadly.
Normally I would ignore her or mock her, but somehow I know that this time she's serious.
"How do you know?" I ask quietly.
She smiles slightly. "When he smiles, I want to smile too. When he hurts, it bloody hurts me too. I just want him to be happy, Al, even if I'm not in the equation for that to happen. I know I've said I'm in love so many times before, but now I know it's real. It's Scor."
"Rose, you haven't even slept with him. Godric, you've only gone on one date with him. And that didn't exactly turn out well, did it?" Today I'm not trying to rain on her parade, I just want to know.
The sound of cheering arises from the bar, as the dodgy pub regulars whoop when Scor and Ria down another glass each.
Rose laughs quietly. "It's not about the sex or how many dates you've been on. I've known Scor for 6 years. I've just realised I'm in love with him."
I don't know what to say to that, so I just go with the truth. "You're perfect together."
She grins at me. "Thanks, cuz. You know, you're not too intolerable when you're being nice."
"Tough shit, 'cos you're still the worst."
She snorts and waves me away.
The pub gets rowdier, probably due to the bad yet compelling example set by the two extremely persuasive and charismatic seventeen year olds drinking their problems away.
A couple of people clear the tables away from the middle of the pub to form a makeshift dance floor and soon there are a few people gyrating to the music.
I rub my hands over my eyes. "Fuck. I can't believe I left the Halloween rave to come to this shitty party."
My hands are yanked away and someone pulls me roughly onto the dance floor. I look down into Ria's hazy brown eyes as she spins me around the pub.
"Come on Al, dance!" she exclaims when I don't cooperate.
"Ri, you know I'm not the dancing type." I try to slide back into the booth, but Ria won't let me.
I try one last time to evade her clutch. "Go dance with Scor."
She laughs loudly and points to the centre of the dance floor, where Scor is happily doing the running man to the cheers of the other dancers.
As the music is turned up, Ria turns her back to me and places my hands on her hips, wrapping my arms around her waist. All I can smell is raspberries and sandalwood and I fucking love it. Then she starts singing loudly to the song and moving.
Godric, no.
"Day and night I just imagine how you put your love on me,
Baby, come and give it to me."
She turns around and threads her arms around my neck, pulling me into her so that I could almost kiss her. She winks, locking eyes with me, and suddenly all I can see is her. It's like it's just the two of us in the room as she sways in my arms to the music.
Her eyes are darkened with lust and fuck, I'm so ridiculously turned on it hurts, and I know she can feel it. Every sway of her hips, the way her lips move around the lyrics, and how her gaze slides down to my mouth is so tantalising.
'I've ruined my friendship with Scor by going on that stupid date.' Rose's words echo in my head and it takes all of my willpower to pull back from Ria and not look back as I escape back to the booth.
I avoid my cousin's gaze as I sink into the soiled cushions opposite her.
"You two looked kinda beautiful out there." Rose comments softly.
I'm thankful that she doesn't ask why I ran.
I finally give in to temptation and look back to the dance floor to see Ria and Scor dancing together, whirling each other around the other dancers, and laughing their heads off.
"That's true love." I say quietly.
"I know. I could never imagine them apart." She replies, following my gaze. "Sometimes I get jealous. I want someone like that; someone who's always there for me."
"We're not always close, but I'm here if you need me."
What's happening to me? Since when do I say cheesy shit like that to my cousin?
She seems surprised too, but smiles at me. "That means a lot."
"Good. Now I'm getting us butterbeers before this gets any more soppy and I lose my machoness altogether."
I make my way to the bar, careful to avoid Scor and Ria, and quickly collect two butterbeers, to keep Rose and I going through the night.
When I get back to the booth, Rose has a determined look on her face that I don't like.
"What?" I ask suspiciously, sliding her butterbeer across the table.
"Lysander made me read a muggle psychology book the other day, and I want to talk."
This isn't going to lead to anything good.
"What's up, Al? Why do you feel the need to date so many girls and break their hearts? Are you hurt? Are you lonely?"
No way.
"Hate to break it to you, Rose, but there is no fucking way I'm having a heart-to-heart with you."
She looks put out. "But – "
"No."
"The book – "
"No."
"Ria said – "
"N – wait, what?"
She smirks at me. "Do you want to talk about Ria?"
Fuck my clever cousin.
"What about me?" Ria slides in next to me.
Fuck this.
"You know what? I think I need the loo." Rose leaves.
Fuck everything.
"Hey, Al." Ria stares at me, eyes bright.
And I don't know quite how, but suddenly I'm lying on the seat, with her on top of me. My hands are in her hair, on her back, around her waist, and lower. Her hands are cupping my face, holding my neck, clutching my hair. And her lips –
Godric, her lips.
Her lips are on mine and I'm kissing her hard. I don't know who started it, and quite frankly I don't care. My worries about dating her and ruining our friendship go out the window in a blaze of lust and hormones. All that matters now is kissing her, and it's hot and passionate and so fucking perfect.
I don't know how long it lasts, but all too soon she is yanked away from me sharply. I look up, blinking, to see Scor holding Ria away with a firm arm around her shoulders. She is grinning at me, her lips swollen from kissing me and her hair mussed up from my roaming hands, and damn it that just makes me want her more.
"Save it for when you're sober." Scor mutters in her ear and she hesitantly nods, looking away from me.
I sit up slowly and Rose slides in opposite me again. "Have a good time?" she winks at me.
I ignore her and run a hand through my messy hair.
"I wish Rose loved me like I love her." Scor is now sitting on the booth table, next to Ria, backs to us, legs swinging over the side.
"I think she does. Hopefully." Ria replies, drunkenly patting Scor on the back.
Ah. The melancholy stage of Scor-and-Ria-drunkenness.
"You think so?" Scor beams at Ria.
"Yeah, I - " Ria suddenly turns around and spots Rose, "Oh, look, Scor. There she is." She points at Rose, and Rose swats her hand away.
Scor turns around and his grin widens when he too spots Rose.
"ROSIE!" he yells and stands up on the table.
"Everybody, quiet!" Ria over-dramatically hushes the pub.
Scor smiles soppily at Rose and begins to sing.
But Rose stops him, and Scor stares down at her, his eyes impossibly wide. Then Rose steps onto the table next to Scor, and to the astonishment of everyone, launches into the only muggle song she actually knows from too many viewings of The Titanic.
"Every night in my dreams…"
After a while I cup my hands over my ears discreetly, because fucking hell, Rose can't sing to save her life. But Scor just beams at her throughout the song.
When she's done, no one claps because of her goddam awful singing, but she doesn't seem to notice and cups Scor's face. "Scor, I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have said those awful things to you and I didn't mean them. To be honest, it was the best date ever … because it was with you. I love you, Scorpius Malfoy."
Scor's grin somehow grows even wider. "Babe, I forgave you hours ago." And he bends her back and kisses her in front of the whole pub.
That was so cheesy I nearly threw up.
After a ridiculously long snog, they finally separate and Scor jumps off the table. "Come on bestie, let's leave this shin-dig." He pulls Ria up and gestures to Rose and I to follow, and they leave the pub, waving to the locals who seem sad to see them go.
They're probably only sad because they wanted a gang-bang with the drunk seventeen year olds. Well, tough shit, rapists, 'cos we're taking the alcoholics back to school.
We slip into the secret passageway back to Hogwarts, and Rose widens it so that two can walk side by side with space spare.
Scor and Ria are ahead of us, with their arms around each other, slowly making their way up the passage in a drunk zig-zag, singing loudly.
"Tonight, we are young,
So let's set the world on fire,
We can burn brighter than the sun."
By the time we get back to Gryffindor Tower, it is 2 am, and stragglers from the Halloween party are making their way to bed. We stop in the common room, where Scor and Ria are hugging each other tightly in front of the dorm stairs.
After a while, Rose and I separate them carefully, and I help Scor up into our dorm, where he drops right on the edge of his bed, and falls asleep immediately.
I take longer to get to sleep, and when I do, I dream about long black and silvery-white hair and the irresistible smell of raspberries and sandalwood.
