A/N: To leaf, who reviewed my last chapter: no, I didn't get the QUIDDITCH thing from another fic, it's just something of an inside joke that's sprung up in our SOB group on Fiction Alley – although the fact that someone else came up with the same idea doesn't surprise me. And to everyone who reviewed my last chapter – and, well, any chapters: thank you! I love you all! Your reviews keep me going, really…

~ Chapter 6: Red and Green ~

The moon rose high over a party that had spilled out onto the Malfoys' veranda. This was probably a good thing, as the party had deteriorated into a decadent revelry of dancing, drinking, and laughter. Meaningless innuendo was battered about the room, and faces were illuminated in the eerie Slytherin green of the enchanted fire.

All in all, it was starting to look like Saturday night in the Slytherin common room. Or, well, any other night of the week…

Draco was looking impulsively about for the Weasley twins, who had quickly disappeared into the crowd after presenting their gift. He no doubt would have been more successful if the gift in question had not been quite so distracting. Either the twins had slipped the ferret a bit of love potion before giving it to Draco, or, as Ravyn so kindly pointed out, perhaps he just recognized a kindred spirit in the blonde boy. Whatever it was, the animal seemed determined to trail behind Draco wherever he went, often attempting to jump up on his shoulder whenever the boy paused. On these occasions, Draco would yell, "Get off!" usually followed by a curse and Draco flailing around in a most un-Malfoy-like manner until the desperately clinging ferret finally fell to the ground.

The rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team was spread throughout the room, all up to their own mischief. Flint and Akasha were cuddled on a couch near the fire, talking dreamily; Morrigun and Montague had evidently found the Malfoys' library and were reading to each other from old volumes; and in one corner, Malice, Calypso, and Xanne were watching Adrian Pucey, who'd launched into what could most accurately be labeled a stand up comedy routine.

"So, any Hufflepuffs here tonight? There are? Damn, never thought you'd show up at a Slytherin party…"

Several of the Slytherins smirked as Pucey tormented his small Hufflepuff audience (also not unlike their days at school). Xanne, however, was preoccupied with another member of a different house: Harry Potter, who'd come with his Quidditch team and some other Gryffindors with the nerve to show up uninvited at a Slytherin party. He was sitting near Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. He'd obviously only come with some convincing from Fred or George. While his best friend, Ron Weasley, seemed to have found amusement with a small group of Ravenclaw girls, Harry looked quite uncomfortable in this company. He didn't seem to know that she'd noticed him looking up at her occasionally, and continued to glance at her, looking away quickly to restlessly adjust his glasses or run a hand through his dark hair. Xanne wondered when he would get up the nerve to talk to her.

From her vantage point across the room, Ravyn grinned delightedly, holding out her arms to take the rather hurt-looking ferret (if in fact it's possible for ferrets to look hurt) that Draco handed her impatiently. "Draco, isn't it cute?" she asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. "First of all, the word 'cute' is not in a Malfoy's vocabulary. And second, no, it's not cute, it's annoying, it's shedding all over me, and it's probably got fleas. It did come from the Weasleys, after all…"

While Little Draco sneezed distastefully at its namesake, Ravyn let his comment drop. "He's adorable, but that's not what I meant. I was talking about them," she said, nodding to where Harry and Xanne sat a little ways apart.

"Who?" asked Draco, not even bothering to look in the direction she indicated.

Ravyn gave him a longsuffering look. "Xanne and Harry!" she replied impatiently.

"Xanne and – Harry Potter? Potter's in my house?"

"That's hardly the point I was trying to make, and besides, Fred and George told you that their whole team was here –" But Draco wasn't listening; he was shoving through the crowd toward the boy who had been his rival since their first year at Hogwarts. He came to a stop in front of the Gryffindor, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Harry his best glare – which, for Draco, was saying a lot.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" he spat the icy dagger of a question at the boy.

"Erm… crashing your party?"

"Crashing – good lord, Potter, this is what you call crashing a party? Leaving your arse print in my couch? Let's hope you don't get really wild, I'd hate to see your feet on the coffee table… In fact, I'd hate to see your feet anywhere in my house. Why don't you kindly sod off? And while you're being so helpful, take this with you." Draco turned, taking the squirming white ferret from Ravyn's arms and depositing it in Harry's lap.

Confronted with his nemesis, Harry suddenly seemed more confident; while dealing with a house full of Slytherins was enough to make Godric Gryffindor himself think twice, dealing with Draco was quite a different issue. He'd been doing that since their first year, and he'd become quite good at it by now.

"Wow, Malfoy, even for you, it's a bit irresponsible to be having kids this early, isn't it?" he retorted, brandishing the ferret as evidence to support his case.

Malfoy's cheeks were tinged with pink. Being insulted by Ravyn or his teammates was acceptable because he knew that (for the most part) they were only joking. However, for Harry to insult him – and in his own home – was simply unacceptable. His eyes narrowed, and his voice became dangerously quiet. "Look, Potter," he said ominously, "if you and your filthy, disease-ridden little housemates have grown attached to what few brain cells you possess among you, I suggest you leave now before I hex them onto that wall behind you and have to tell my mother that the house elves decided to redecorate."

By now, a large crowd had gathered around the two, watching them with a carnal eagerness – or, because, as many of the girls agreed, Draco and Harry were "so cute when they're angry." Ron sprang up to defend his friend, saying harshly, "Keep your empty threats, Malfoy. Harry's not afraid of you, right, Harry?" he clapped his friend on the back, shoving him in Malfoy's direction.

He was right; Harry wasn't particularly afraid of Malfoy. In all their years of bickering, neither of them had been seriously injured by the other. However, this was not Hogwarts; Harry didn't have the protection of school rules, a fussy Professor McGonagall, or a kindly old Dumbledore. Here, he had only a handful of Gryffindors behind him against a crowd of Slytherins that seemed to be growing right along with the size of their evil smirks. "Er, right…" He glanced nervously about, his eyes stopping at a single sight: Xanne Malloy, smiling. Not cruelly, as if she expected him to be lying on the ground covered in hex marks in the next second, and not smirking like her housemates. She was simply smiling at him. He smiled back, adjusting his glasses once again, and turned back to Draco, fully expecting to be mocked for the very un-Slytherin moment.

He was spared, however, when Kate Le Fay pressed through the crowd to find her friends. She saw Ravyn first and quickly whispered something in her ear. "Really?" the dark-haired girl asked, a delighted smile springing up on her face. Kate nodded, and suddenly Ravyn had disappeared into the crowd. With her vanishing, Draco seemed to be distracted, and the others surrounding the pair were now preoccupied with whatever it was that had several Slytherin girls squeeing and rushing for the door. Apparently, the fight had quickly lost its appeal.

"What's going on?" Xanne questioned when Kate had reached her, Calypso, and Malice.

"Oliver's just arrived," Kate informed them.

"Oh?" the three chorused, with varying degrees of interest in that simple fact.

"Yes," Kate replied, eyes gleaming. "He and Persephone taking a walk around the garden as we speak."

"Ooo, walk in the moonlight, out under the stars, very romantic…" Calypso commented, her eyes taking on the same mischievous glimmer.

"I don't see how that concerns us," Malice said dryly. When Kate looked almost offended, she added, "I mean, I'm happy for Persephone and all. I'll give her the contraceptive potion myself. But I don't see why everyone you tell jumps up and heads for the door."

In fact, while she'd been speaking, Calypso and Xanne had also risen and were now making their way outside.

"Why? It's Oliver Wood!"

"Yes…"

"And Persephone!"

"So?"

Kate let out an exasperated sigh. "So he's shown up in a kilt, and if I'm not mistaken, it's quite windy out tonight."

Malice was up in a second, and the two of them rushed to catch up with their friends.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, Puddlemere United, huh?"

"Well, the reserve team." While the statement was humble, Oliver still wore a very charming smile. The silvery light of the moon softened the lines of his face, but the eyes that held Persephone's captive were still distinct and bright.

"Still, that must be so exciting for you."

"Oh, it's great," he said enthusiastically. "I mean, it's a whole different game, professional Quidditch. There aren't just the three other teams, you know? There's hundreds of players to analyze and understand, different teams, different tactics…"

Awkward silences would obviously never be a problem as long as Oliver was around. One needed only to mention Quidditch, and he could fill any gap talking about it. He was rambling, but Persephone found it adorable. She was content merely to sit on the bench in the soft night breeze (While there was snow on the ground around the Manor, this particular part of the gardens was charmed to be a constantly warm, summer night.) and listen to him talk about something he loved.

Well… perhaps that was enough about the something he loved.

She laid her hand gently on his arm, saying, "I'm sure you'll be brilliant." He jumped, almost as if he'd been woken from a light sleep, but upon seeing her sweet smile, he did nothing but grin down at her in return.

"So what about you? I know you play the piano."

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," she replied modestly.

"What do you mean? I've heard you play, it's…"

Her eyes fell shyly to the moon-bleached grass at her feet before meeting his gaze once more. "It's what?"

"It's… magical. Everything you do is magical."

She felt a faint flush growing in her cheeks, hidden from him by the night. "Me? I'm surprised you'd even notice. I'm the quiet one, you know…"

"Quiet?" he asked gently. "That's a shame. I'd love to get to know you better."

"What do you want to know?" she asked shyly, almost as though she was afraid of the answer. The couple had moved closer together without quite realizing it, and the proximity only served to make the night's faint chill disappear.

"Anything," he replied casually, followed by a more sober, "Everything…"

She turned to look up at him; he was so close that this only put her lips near his. She hesitated for a mere instant before deciding that this wasn't a bad thing, and leaned in slowly, deliberately…

"Are you actually spying on them?"

The loud voice from behind the hedges shattered the quiet moment, the fragments of their kiss now strewn about the ground at their feet as both pairs of eyes flew to the hedges. It was unmistakably Draco Malfoy, and the voices that not-so-politely informed him to shut up were no doubt the other cheerchics.

"Draco, you've ruined it!" Ravyn hissed, and she soon she was seen shoving him back towards the door. She paused to peer around the hedge at the pair seated on the bench, flashing them a kind smile. "Carry on, please, don't mind us." And with that, she drug Draco back in doors.

Persephone looked back at Oliver, who seemed a little uneasy with the thought of having witnesses to the moment. She smiled apologetically, and he rose, offering his arm. "Care for a drink?"

She grinned, accepting readily. "I'd love that."