21

Wes

The morning after the party was a Saturday but you wouldn't have known it. Usually there were students loitering around the halls, laughing and having fun but that Saturday was unnaturally quiet. The corridors were empty and the dorms were quiet. If you were to go down to the kitchen you would have found the most amount of kids who were awake, nursing coffees and eating chocolate. The house elves were happy to help with hangovers.

I was one of the only people that was actually being productive that morning, full of left over energy and not a drop of alcohol. In my mind, there was no better time to interview about a party the morning after it happened. I was ready for the hilarity to begin.

"Jeez, close the blinds would you?" Ian mumbled, flicking his wand to the curtains that slowly slid in front of the sunlight. He rubbed at his eyes and stumbled into the seat across from mine in the empty classroom we were inhabiting. I laughed smugly just because I could.

"How're you feeling, champ?" I asked, turning on my camera. If I decided to put outtakes at the end of this documentary, this would be the perfect opportunity.

"Exhausted." Ian sighed, massaging his temples. "I didn't even drink that much. One at most."

"It was totally worth it though, right?" I replied, the sarcasm thick. I was having a wonderful time being a good two shoes.

"I'm not so sure about that." There was something sad in Ian's eyes that reminded me of when he had confessed to me that he changed himself. But it was a different kind of sad. There was something else bothering him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, suddenly concerned. Ian closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, shaking his head to himself.

"I brought this girl to the party. My next door neighbor actually, but we haven't talked in a few years." Ian started. I immediately remembered the first time I met Evie and how she had talked about Ian like he was her stalker. It seemed all very ridiculous now.

"Lately I've been getting worse with my friends. I lose my temper whenever I'm around them and it's killing me. And now that I'm talking to my neighbor again it's like everything I used to have is coming to bite me in the ass." He paused.

"I miss her. She was a lot different when we were kids. You couldn't get her to shut up and she was loyal as all hell. She would defend me to the grave if she could. But now... There's something different. I don't want to say she's just sad because it's more than that. I'm just afraid that she hates me now."

"Do you like her?"

"I don't know. I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like dread but different. I can't explain it. All I know is that if I do like her there's no way she likes me back. I can see the loathing in her eyes every time she looks at me."

I wasn't so sure but I didn't say anything. I had a hard enough time trying to keep the interviewees apart the night before I didn't need to be telling their secrets to each other. So I just nodded and said something supportive that we both knew meant nothing but the thought was there.

"Now tell me everything you know about the closet game." I said after a minute of silence.

"Oh man." Ian grinned, rubbing his hands together. "One word. Amazing."

Wes

"I know we said 12 but I had to get away from Rhys." Olivia said as soon as she walked in, looking like a total mess. There was black smeared all around her eyes and her hair was painfully knotted. She had a mug of coffee and a couple Advil in her hand and swallowed them faster than I had seen anyone take pills. She looked like a total maniac.

"What happened?" I asked, not knowing whether I meant Rhys or her appearance. Probably both.

"I've been really busy lately and she thinks I'm hiding things from her which I am but I have good reasons but she doesn't believe that and keeps prying and I can't stand it anymore so I told her everything but I was yelling the whole time and when I was done I stormed out of the kitchen and knocked a house elf over." She took a deep breath. "So now she knows vaguely about Draco and the Potter Generation and I'm really sorry Wes but I didn't know what else to do."

"It's OK, you had to do it." I shrugged, more concerned with the rabid look in her eyes. "Did you see her reaction when you told her?"

"She was...shocked, I guess." Olivia ran a hand through her hair uselessly. "I already know that she won't understand it. Especially not Draco. I brought him to the party last night and it was..." She didn't finish.

"What happened?" I asked, starting to feel like a therapist. These people had so many problems it seemed like I had picked all the crazies.

"He seemed pretty happy at first, nervous but happy. But then I lost him and I thought it would be OK but I couldn't stop thinking about him and I went into the closet and I was kissing some guy then thought of Draco all of a sudden and I have no idea why. And then when I found him he said he was socializing and it was just so weird. We danced a little and then left but I couldn't sleep for hours. He just keep popping up."

"Olivia, I'm sure you're smart enough to know why you keep thinking about him. It's not rocket science."

"No."

"Come on."

"No way."

"Don't make me say it."

"Wes I swear-"

"You have a crush on Draco Malfoy!" I shouted, pointing at Olivia who looked both pissed and worried at the same time.

"I know!" She cried, putting her head in her hands. "I hate him! I can't believe this is happening to me!"

"What is it? The hair? The cocky grin? I bet he's a great kisser." The fact that I was talking about Draco Malfoy made a shiver go down my spine but he seemed separate from the Draco that Olivia was always talking about.

"How could I ever like someone like Draco Malfoy?" She asked like a child asking what was the meaning of life. I shrugged.

"You know the real him."

"It's not even a crush. It's chill. He's just some guy that I talk to sometimes." I rolled my eyes.

"Well if you do date him I totally support your decision. I better get to meet him though."

Olivia laughed but shook her head. How was it that people were so blind to the fact that they liked someone? It was like they refused to believe their feelings when it was so obvious. I wanted to lock them all in a room and make them confess their love.

"Anyway, tell me what the Hogwarts parties are like."