A couple of hours later Ayla's lip was less swollen and she was proud to say she was still sober. Nearly all of her friends had been drinking when she had arrived at Sarah's, so Ayla was less than tempted to ask one of the girls to shrink her top lip magically. Merlin only knew what they'd end up doing to her. Accidentally shrinking her entire head was top of Ayla's list of disasters. She decided for a good old muggle cure instead. Ice, and lots of it.
Ayla held her cool glass to her lips, pretending to take a sip in hope that the ice would further reduce the swelling. She was having fun. It had been months since they'd had a proper night out, with all the girls. They hadn't been together since Sarah had announced she was pregnant. But here they all were, in varying states of drunkenness. Her Hogwarts family: Sarah, Terri, Lenny, Kristina, Chloe, Penny, and Scarlet. The magnificent seven, well eight if you included Ayla too. All beautiful, all popular, all attached. All expect Ayla.
There were two hours left until midnight and the girls were dancing in a muggle club just outside Diagon Alley. Sarah, Ayla and Terri were talking instead, none of them were particularly interested in dancing. Everyone knew Ayla only danced when drunk, and Terri knowing this, was trying to convince Ayla to have a drink. She loved Ayla when she was drunk, and thought she was always the funniest person alive when dancing. Sarah on the other hand was doing her level best to convince Ayla not to listen to Terri. She was beginning to get a headache from the constant back and forth between her two friends conversation, and decided to change the subject to Terri's fiancée, Tony. Ayla had yet to meet him, but all the other girls were raving about him and how wonderful he was.
"So exactly what does the fantastic Tony do for a living? And what's he look like? And is Tony short for anything? Like Anton?"
Terri grinned sheepishly. She had only known Tony for four months but they were already engaged and had set the date for the coming summer. Terri could also tell from her tone that Ayla didn't approve of her whirlwind romance.
"He's great. Really sweet and funny and romantic. He's interning at Flourish and Blott's. He's absolutely gorgeous. Tall, thick dark hair, beautiful dark eyes. He went to Durmstrang and has the sexiest accent. And it's short for Anthony. Anthony Bartle. Just wait 'til you meet him! I know you'll love him. Just make sure you don't love him as much as me."
Ayla very much doubted she'd fall in love with this Anthony bloke, still Terri seemed happy enough.
"He sounds great. I cant wait to meet him. And I promise I'll try my hardest not to fall in love with him and steal him away on your wedding day." the girls all cackled.
"Seriously though hun, I can't wait for you to meet him. Plus he's got some very dishy mates. I'm sure we could find you a date for the wedding."
Ayla rolled her eyes, honestly it wasn't just her family setting her up anymore, now her friends were joining in.
"No thanks Ter, I don't need you to find me a dishy date, but it's nice of you to offer."
Terri grinned and chuckled. "Oh got a secret boyfriend now have you?"
"Secret shameful crush on an idiot Quidditch playing, broom monkey more like." Sarah muttered. She was cranky, tired and bored of being pregnant.
Terri's eyes lit up. "Has little Ayla finally seen the light, and discovered the wonders of buff boys on brooms? Welcome to the Dark side my friend. We may be demented at times, but the view is awfully nice."
Ayla couldn't help but laugh, dark side indeed. "Less of the little. I'm a grown woman and I'm older than you, thank you." She tried to make her tone as snippy as possible, attempting to get the same effect as McGonagall would have done.
"So it's true? Awesome! So come on tell me who he is. Is it Lynch? Or Krum? Or the keeper from the Arrows? He's well fit." a dreamy look crossed Terri's face.
"Oi! Come back to reality you! Just remember you're engaged." Sarah still didn't approve of Quidditch players, especially if they were male.
"I know, I know. Still there's nothing wrong with appreciating the human body." Terri smiled innocently.
Ayla snorted into her glass. "You don't appreciate, you drool. There's a difference."
"My dear Ayla, it seems there is still much I need to teach you. The drooling is all part of the appreciating. Silly girl. Now, which hunk is it?"
Ayla quickly reverted back to the shy school girl she had once been. She hadn't talked about crushes then, she wasn't going to start now.
"It's Wood." Sarah quite successfully kept the sneer of distaste from her face. She was determined to remain impassive, even if it killed her. Well except for the occasional slip-up of course, she was only human after all.
"Wood!" Terri practically squealed with delight. "Oh he's just perfect for you. Not too gobby, a gentleman. And you'll make such a pretty couple. Girls guess what! Guess what!" She began bouncing on the spot and signalling to the rest of the group to join them. "You'll never guess who Ayla's got a soft spot for. It's just too perfect."
"Is it Percy? Oh please Merlin, tell me it is and you're going to lure him away, so he finally leaves me alone? Oh please, please, please." Penny Clearwater grabbed Ayla by the shoulders and began to shake her.
"Nope Pen. But right house in Hogwarts and right age." Terri piped up.
"Oh honey, he's not still bothering you is he? 'Cause you know I could always get Drew to sort him out for you?" Kristina interrupted.
"Hey, that's not the point here Kris. Ayla's got a crush and I need to know who it is." Scarlet cut the other girl off. This was gossip and Scarlet loved gossip.
"So we're thinking Gryffindor male, our age. Not Percy." Lenny began.
"Oh it couldn't be. Oh Leonora you know who it is, don't you?" Chloe had now joined in. Her friends were now shouting over one another to be heard.
"Do not call me that Chloe Margo Douglas. My name is Lenny."
"I think you're all forgetting what's important here." Sarah began, trying her hardest to make herself heard. "And that's that this is a girl's night out. No men."
"It's him isn't it Terri? Mr. McQuaffle himself!"
"Oliver Wood!" the girls, except Sarah, all screamed in unison.
The attention of the rest of the club was drawn to them, and Ayla could feel herself beginning to glow red with embarrassment.
"Well that settles it then, enough of this muggle rubbish," Kristina set her glass down. "We need some Fire Whiskey to celebrate Ayla's miraculous discovery."
The other girls all cheered and swept Ayla and Sarah out the door and into the nearest wizarding bar they could find.
The Drunken Doxy bar was one of a chain of wizarding establishments that had sprung up since the defeat of He-who-must-not-be-named. It was large, and almost always full to bursting point. Tonight was no exception.
Kristina waded towards the bar and started ordering drinks for the others. Soon they were all toasting Ayla and wishing her luck in all of her (Oliver Wood related) endeavours. Even Sarah joined in, sloshing her cranberry juice over her head and soaking some wizards standing behind her. The girls all giggled and cried "To Ayla!" as loud as they possibly could.
The wizards whom Sarah had drenched turned around, about to start complaining at her. That is until they noticed she was pregnant and in the company of two witches who were very familiar to them.
"Tony!"
"Drew!"
Terri and Kristina leapt at their respective wizards, pulling them into huge hugs. Drew smiled at Ayla, showing off his perfect teeth. Kristina and Drew had been together since Hogwarts, so he was well known to the girls. Tony however, was something of a mystery.
"So much for girl's night out eh?" Sarah said nudging Ayla, who just shrugged.
"Yeah I guess-" she was stopped from finishing her sentence by a hand on her shoulder and a familiar male voice saying her name.
"Hello Ayla."
She held her breath, grateful that girl's night out had recently been abandoned. She turned slowly, gracefully. And completely forgot where she was when she saw the man now standing in front of her.
