DRACO'S P.O.V:

There it stood, looming over me, making me feel small and powerless. I reached out and laid a gentle hand on the metal overlay, running my fingers along the curved patterns, taking in the grandeur of the cabinet standing before me. At first glance, the thing just seemed old and faded, yet at the same time it was one of the most magnificent things I had ever seen. Such an ordinary object, containing so much power. It was beautiful. And it terrified me.

I reached into my pocket and took out the apple I had put there at breakfast. I tossed it lightly in the air, then opened the cabinet and placed it in the center. I stared at it for a moment. Just the other day, I had tried for hours to get the damn thing to vanish, only to walk out with yet another failure adding to the weight on my shoulders. But this time would be different. I knew it. It had to be.

I shut the door and quickly reached for my wand. My eyes shut as I lowered my head and focused all my energy on my next few words.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus" I muttered.

Nothing.

My grip on my wand tightened as I took a deep breath.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus!"I spoke louder this time, forcing every ounce of energy I had into the spell.

And there it was. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as I heard a faint swish from inside the cabinet. I opened the door and felt a smile creep onto my face for the first time in a while. It was empty. I quickly shut it again, licked my lips and recited the spell once more.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus!"

And there it was again.

I hurriedly reached for the door and smiled yet again at what I saw. The same apple, with a single bite taken out of it. I picked it up and examined the bite. My smile grew into a large smirk as I held the apple to my chest and closed my eyes.

This is going to work. I can make this thing functional again. It will just take time.

After another hour of working on the cabinet, I was feeling confident enough to stop for the day. It was still far from being able to properly teleport a human, especially since some of the objects I had tried to send over came back with rather large pieces missing. Imagine a person having the same problem... Disgusting.

Before leaving, I threw the tattered fabric back over the cabinet, creating a cloud of dust and sending me into a coughing fit. Of course, this was nothing new. The entire place had a good half-inch of dust covering everything. "I hate this bloody room," I grumbled between coughs.

When I returned to the Common Room, I found it to be surprisingly empty. Of course, I much preferred it this way.

I slouched down on one of the aged leather sofas besides the fireplace, crossed my arms tight over my chest, and closed my eyes. The only sounds were of the crackling fire and the faint scratching of several quills against parchment, paired with the whispers of students working together. As I allowed my body to relax, the sounds seemed to fade away to nothing and I slowly slipped out of consciousness.

I opened my eyes to find myself at the foot of a long and slender table. The eyes of the wizards sitting along each side seemed to all burn into me. I immediately knew where I was.

I was home.

Or, more specifically, I was in the meeting hall where the Death Eaters held their meetings, interrogations, and the like. It was also where I had been welcomed into the group and given my orders. The hall had a certain coldness to it tonight. Not a chilled cold, but an icy darkness that pierced through your very being. A heavy shiver ran down my spine as I made eye contact with my parents sitting at the opposite end, on either side of the Dark Lord himself, who was staring down the elongated table, straight at me.

Why was I here? Nothing was making any sense as I stood there, waiting for someone to speak.

"Draco," Voldemort's raspy voice was the one to finally break the silence. Though after hearing my name come from his mouth, I was already missing the quiet. "So nice for you to join us tonight."

"My Lord," I said with a slight bow. I had trouble keeping my voice calm. "It's an honor."

"Yes, yes." The old man replied, almost mockingly. By now I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. "An honor indeed. However, the terms on which we are meeting tonight are not the best, I'm afraid." The words were dripping with fake sympathy. "It appears you are having some… how should I put it, troubles, with the task I have bestowed upon you." The man shook his head, making a subtle 'tsk-tsk' as he did so.

"But My Lord, I've been working on the cabinet! It's going well! At this rate I'll have it done in time… I'm positive."

I was abruptly cut off by a loud, "No, no! Your work on the cabinet is not what's been concerning me. It is, rather, your lack of confidence. I have watched many men kill, and, in return, have killed many men. The first, I admit, does always seem to be the hardest. But it's always those with a lack of confidence, who hesitate… yes… those are the ones who fail. Don't think I don't have eyes around that castle, young Draco. From what I've heard, you've been displaying just that. Hesitation. Weakness. This is a very important task I have awarded you. I cannot risk any mistakes."

I felt dizzy. The entire room seemed to spin as I processed exactly what Voldemort was telling me. I had seen this happen before with others who had let him down. Not one ever made it out of this room alive.

"My Lord…" My words came out shaky. Exactly what Voldemort wanted to hear. "The old man has to die, and I'm honored to be the one to do it! I can do this, I swear to it!" My voice grew louder as I spoke though gritted teeth. As scared as I was, I couldn't deny how highly insulting the entire situation was.

Voldemort just laughed, crushing what was left of my pride. "Oh Draco, so young. It's a pity, really it is. You did have so much potential. How proud you could have made your mother and father."

I looked to them, hoping one of them would do something to stop it. But neither of my parents did anything. Both sat there, scowling at me, as if I had deeply betrayed them. So much that they no longer viewed me as their son.

"Mum," I choked out. She was always the one there for me… and now it was as though I meant nothing.

"I am so sorry to do this Draco, really I am." Sarcasm rolled off the man's tongue as he stood, reaching into his robes for his wand. "Such wasted talent…"

My lip quivered as I held out my chest and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Ava-"

Before I could even hear him finish the words there was a hard thump on my chest.

"Draco!"

Was I dead? Or had someone saved me?

"Draco!" said the voice again.

"Draco, you lazy wanker, get up!"

My eyes shot open as I took in a sharp breath.

"Bloody hell." There stood Blaise, eyebrows raised with a rather confused expression upon his face, accompanied by Crabbe who was holding several rather large bottles of various alcohols.

Without a second thought, I grabbed one of the bottles, not bothering to look at what it was, opened the cap, and chugged down a few mouthfuls. I winced as the substance burned its way down my throat, sending a surge of warmth through my body.

"That's the spirit, I suppose..." Blaise said after a moment in a somewhat questioning tone.

Crabbe only scowled and roughly grabbed back the bottle I had taken from his stubby little arms.

"Anyway… I'm having a party, as you can see." He motioned to the bottles in a rather flamboyant pose. "And it would make me ever so happy if you would accompany me in handing out these invitations I made for that lucky, select few I've chosen from the other houses to join us. Crabbe, go get the rest and put them on the table, would you?"

Crabbe scurried away, after which Blaise sighed in what appeared to be relief. "I know he's our friend, but he's a downright idiot." He moaned, slumping down beside me and sliding his hands over his face. "You, I can take. Even while you're PMSing or whatever it is you're going through right now."

I groaned, but let the comment slide. I was still trying to get the memory of that nightmare out of my thoughts.

"Fine. I guess I'll go with you. I need some fresh air anyway…" I grumbled as I stood up.

Blaise stood up right after me "Great! I'd put on something warmer if I were you. It's a bit nippy out there."

"I still can't believe you made invitations. Isn't a verbal invite good enough?" I grabbed one of the cards from his hand and looked it over. It was so typical Blaise. Curly, perfect handwriting lay across the parchment. I couldn't help but cough up a laugh.

Blaise, who looked slightly insulted, snatched the paper from my hand to put it back with the others.

"If I don't give them invitations, how will we know who to let in? Hmm? Of course, once word gets out, some people will make fakes, but it's easy enough to sort them out." He smiled to himself. Always so cocky.

"I never thought it was possible for someone to love themselves as much as you do…"

Blaise snickered to himself as we walked into the courtyard, "Confidence is key, Malfoy." He stopped and looked at something in the distance, a smirk spreading across his face. I followed his gaze over to a girl sitting ahead from us.

"Watch as I win over this lovely lady with my charming good looks and character," he said with a wink. He pulled out one invitation from his small pile and handed the rest to me.

CLARA'S P.O.V:

With October came cool, brisk air, along with new colors of vibrant orange and burgundy to dust the grounds of the courtyard in crunchy heaps of leaves. I found myself where I usually was this time of year- huddled against a pillar, with a thick book in my hands, enjoying the crisp autumn air. It was mid-day and the courtyard was fairly busy at this time. Students walked by in groups, taking time to socialize and mingle about. A group of boys not far from me were running through the piles of leaves and shouting crude jokes among themselves, and seated to my right was a rather large group of girls chatting nonstop gossip.

I sighed, trying to block out all the noise so that I could focus on my book.

This probably wasn't the best place to come read, I thought irritably to myself. I felt a sick sense of satisfaction as I silently imagined myself turning to whack the nearest girl with my book and telling her to shut up. The courtyard seemed more busy than usual, and it definitely wasn't an ideal location for finding peace and quiet.

I let out a smull huff of annoyance, a cloud of fog passing through my lips. I drew my knees up to my chest and huddled half of my face into the warmth of my scarf as I rested my book against my legs and continued to read. Captivated by an especially intriguing part of my book, I finally managed to block out the hustle and fuss that surrounded me and lost myself in the words before me.

Hands tightly gripping the corners of my book and eyes fixedly glued to the pages, I didn't even see the pair of brown boots that had come to a stop in front of me. A sudden clearing of the throat sounded above me and tore me from my moment of literary bliss. I slammed my book back against my legs and sighed, "Bloody hell- what now-" I started, looking up from my place on the ground. I stopped midsentence, however, as I saw the tall, smirking Slytherin gazing down at me.

Blaise Zabini stood in front of me, only inches away, his gleaming dark eyes locked fixedly on mine. "Forgive me for my interruption," he spoke in a low but smooth, velvety tone. His lip curved up to one side, allowing for a quirky dimple to appear. His hands held a small piece of paper, and I felt myself tense slightly as he outstretched his arm and handed it to me.

I took the paper from him and flipped it over in my hands. Neat, black cursive read: "You are cordially to a Slytherin event.

Tonight.

In the Slytherin Common Rooms.

Consider yourself special.

Yours truly,

B.Z."

I raised a brow and looked back up at him. "B.Z?"

Blaise beamed. "Thought I'd try it out. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? "

I wasn't even paying attention to him. I looked back down at the invitation and found myself feeling utterly confused.

Why in the bloody hell was Blaise Zabini inviting me to a "Slytherin event", which we all knew was synonymous for "party."?

When had I ever even spoken to Blaise up until this point? I was pretty sure the answer was never.

And since when did I become someone who was invited to parties?

I wasn't really one to attend parties, let alone Slytherin parties. Everyone knew about the Slytherin parties, yet not many from the other houses were actually invited. They were picky about who they wanted at their events, and they didn't invite just anybody.

"So you need a fancy letter to invite people to your parties?" I asked him.

Blaise flashed a brilliant grin, revealing perfectly pearly white teeth. "Of course. My parties are no casual thing, love. I take these things very seriously."

I raised my brows and looked him up and down. From what I could tell, his parties weren't the only things he took seriously. His boots seemed perfectly polished, and the material of his black coat looked awfully expensive. He was very well put together, and from his perfectly poised stance I could tell that confidence was one thing he was certainly not lacking.

"Do you even know my name?" I asked skeptically.

This seemed to take him aback. His brows furrowed together and he paused for a second, tapping a finger to his lip, "Your name… let's see…." He studied my face and squinted at me as if he was trying to remember who I was. For a moment, his eyes lingered over my chest and I realized a button of my coat had snapped open. Feeling suddenly exposed, I quickly buttoned myself back up and shot him an irritated glare.

"Nope. No idea," he finally heaved a dramatic sigh, shrugging his shoulders. "But-" he said brightly, holding up a hand, "It doesn't matter! Your name could be Bertha for all I care. What does matter, is that I am feeling awfully generous this fine day, and have decided to extend my invitations to some strangers. I quite enjoy expanding my social circle, and it would be such a shame not to invite a ravishing girl such as yourself to my party," his words slurred easily out of his mouth, and when he finished, he gave me a lazy, yet winning smile.

I stared at him in disbelief and couldn't help but choke out a short laugh. "Do you use that line on every girl you want at your parties?" I rolled my eyes and shook my head, "Well, Zabini, you can call me Clara, not Bertha. And as much as I am honored to be invited, I'm afraid I must politely decline. I have other things to attend to," I attempted a regretful smile and held the invitation towards him.

"Clara, you have deeply offended me," he gasped, dramatically holding a hand to his heart. He broke into a smirk a moment later and crossed his arms, "What's a little Ravenclaw like you got to do that's worth refusing my party? Studying? Reading?"

I opened my mouth to say something, then closed it, feeling frustrated.

Was I really that predictable?

Damn. He made me sound incredibly lame.

"It's none of your business what I plan to do with my night," I held my chin up and crossed my arms.

Wonderful comeback.

He didn't look convinced in the slightest. "Well," he said, his dark eyes held my gaze and he reached down to cup my extended hand and close my fingers back over the invitation with his own. "The invitation remains open." He straightened himself and turned to walk away, turning and giving me a wink after a few steps. He then carried on as if nothing happened, walking down through the courtyard with confident strides.

I looked back at the invitation and rolled my eyes, crumpling it up and stuffing it on my pocket.

DRACO'S P.O.V:

I watched as the slender man straightened out his suit and made his way towards a small Ravenclaw girl who was curled up against a pillar, clutching her book. She wasn't too bad looking. Nothing special, but attractive nonetheless. Though the moment Blaise tore her from that book-induced trance she seemed to be in, I felt a little scared for him. Her eyes screamed murder. And it was hilarious.

A small smile tugged at my lips as I scoffed at the scene before me. There stood Blaise, trying, and ultimately failing, to charm this girl who was obviously having none of it.

I recognized her from somewhere. Was it charms class? Whoever she was, Blaise seemed to have set out a goal to get her attention in any way possible. Thinking about it, it was completely possible that Blaise was having this entire party just to "get to know her." Who knew? I really couldn't care less.

A couple minutes later, Blaise started his way back towards me, giving me an over-exaggerated wink.

"You seem to think that went a lot better than it did, Zabini."

The boy snorted. "Maybe too amateur. She just didn't want to seem too excited. It wouldn't have looked good if she lost her cool in front of me. But, I know for a fact that she'll be running off to her dorm and screaming about it to her friends." Blaise looked disgustingly pleased with himself.

"Did she at least say she'll go?"

He paused for a moment, his smile dropping a bit. "Well not exactly in words, no. But mark my words, Malfoy, she'll be throwing herself at me by nights end." The idiot clapped me on the shoulder and walked on through the courtyard. "Next stop, Hogsmeade. I have a little deal with one of the pub owners. Specifics aren't important, but we have a pretty good thing going on. On my part anyway."

On our way down, I was told to wait several times as Blaise came across those whom he was "giving the honor" of being invited to his party. By the time we got to the pub, Zabini's ego was out of fucking control. It was disgusting.

The pub owner did nothing to help it. "Oh, Mr. Zabini! Back again I see, what can I get for ye today, laddie?" The man's thick Irish accent rung out throughout the small pub.

Many of the older patrons looked over, most likely wondering what the hell these students were doing in a pub.

"Best we do our business in the back, isn't it?" Blaise gave him a smile as he patted the old man's shoulder and led him through an aged black door. The small man gave him a toothy grin (with the teeth he had remaining, that is), and quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, I suppose yer right." he trailed off.

The back of the pub was even more disgusting than the front. Dusty caskets lined the walls, all connected by cobwebs.

Then there was the smell. It was as though twenty dung bombs had gone off at once. I crinkled my nose and stood in the center of the room to avoid touching anything. However, the moment I took a step forward, there was a loud snarl coming from

beneath a table.

"Careful there, lad, she don't like strangers getting' too close to 'er" the pub owner warned.

Startled, I leapt back, bumping into a case of bottles. "She? And what exactly is she?" my eyes darted down to where my feet had once been, and where a small, nasty cat-like creature now stood. It's matted, soot colored fur stood on edge.

The plump wizard just laughed, reaching down to scratch the ugly animals head and returned to what he had been doing. "So what'll it be this time, Mr. Zabini?"

I caught Blaise glaring down at the creature with the same disgust. "Same as earlier. Rum, fire whisky, vodka, and maybe throw in some of that Dragon's Blood this time, for the more adventurous folk. That'll spice things up a bit..." he lingered off, snickering to himself. "Oh, and some of that good ale we were talking about. Gotta have some of that. As well as some butterbeer for the boring ones. Every party's got them, better keep them happy as well I suppose."

The owner nodded vigorously as Blaise gave his list. "Good, good, I'll get that right up for yah." And with that he waddled away into the next room, whistling to himself.

"Could you not find a more disgusting place to drag me to?" I spat out, still glaring down at the cat thing.

"Oh, quit it you whiny bastard. Don't make me regret bringing you instead of Crabbe. And yes, you should be highly insulted by that."

I shot him daggers as I crossed my arms tighter against my chest.

He only laughed.

Moments later, the old man returned with a small, satchel like bag. It looked nearly empty.. "Alrighty, boys, I got yer goods."

"Are you daft? That bag isn't big enough to hold more than one bottle…" I couldn't help but comment on the deflated thing the man handed over to Blaise. The two paused to look over at me and the pub owner chuckled to himself. Which was rather insulting.

"Oh really? You wanna carry it then?" Blaise shook his head at me, lugging the bag over his shoulder. "Ever heard of an undetectable expansion charm?" his voice trailed off as he began muttering to himself about my study habits. "Thanks again Bert!" he called over his shoulder as we left the pub.

Once we heard the door creak shut behind us, Blaise took a quick peek into the bag. I paid more attention to the crisp smell of fresh air after having my nose abused by that pigsty.

"Good 'ol Bertie never disappoints. Even threw in a couple extra. Good man, good man!"Blaise smiled widely down at the bag and then to me. "And now for the fun part."

By this time, the entire Slytherin house was either in their dormitories getting ready, or getting a head start on tomorrow's terrible hangover. A little later, I would head down, sit back with a drink, and watch the insanity unfold. Though, inanity might not be the right word for it. Slytherin parties, or more specifically, Blaise's parties, had a tendency to hold a high level of class. There was of course the normal music and dancing, but miraculously, nothing has ever seemed to get majorly out of hand. Which, considering it's a deadly combination of alcohol, teenagers, and bad choices, was quite the feat in and of itself.

"You have to dress down, while still being dressed up." Blaise had been standing in front of the mirror for about five minutes, lecturing me, along with two other very uninterested Slytherin boys, on how to properly dress for such an occasion. "Simple black dress shirt, skinny purple tie. Classic lady killing combo."

As bored as I was, it would have been an absolute lie to say he didn't look damn good. How this man wasn't gay was a mystery all on its own.

"You know as much as I love hearing you go on about your ravishing good looks, I think I'd much rather have a drink in my hand at the moment." I started towards the hallway, grabbing one of my nicer suit jackets on the way out

"Mhm," Blaise seemed to be too distracted with fixing his own tie. "While you're down there, how about you tell Crabbe and Goyle to be our "bouncers". Last time they got drunk, Goyle tried to fuck the armchair and Crabbe puked all over the cauldron cakes. Fucking pigs..."

I cringed at the thought, trying to decide which I was more disgusted by. "Yeah, fine."

As I approached the common room, the sound of music and laughs filled the halls. Now to find our new Slytherin bouncers.

I stood at the top of the stairs and took in the scene. Not many people had arrived yet, making it easy to spot them. Then again, all I really had to do was look over to the food table.

"Goyle, Crabbe!" I called out over the noise. The two looked up, like two little kids who got caught stealing sweets. "I have a very important task for you."

And just like that they came clambering up. Like faithful dogs, they were. Dumb as a post yet always willing to do what I said.

"You two are our bouncers. Go outside, stand on either side of the door, and stay there. When people from other houses show up, check their invitation. If it's real, go ahead and let them in. But quick, we don't want any wandering professors hearing anything. If it's a fake, I don't really care what you do, just get them to leave. Maybe cast a lip-locking hex on them to keep them from blabbering their heads off to professors. Like I said- I don't give a shit."

Crabbe seemed to puff out his chest, as though he was proud of his new position and was making a sad attempt to look the part. However, all that fat didn't look very menacing.

Goyle just furrowed his brow and stared off into nothing. "But Draco… how will we know if it's a fake or not?"

Good Merlin... I grabbed his wand from his pocket and held it in front of his face; "You've been studying magic for six years. Figure it out."

Still looking extremely confused, he grabbed his wand back and started towards the door.

My work was done.

CLARA'S P.O.V:

When I entered the Ravenclaw Tower, I found Gavin and Nina sitting in two armchairs. They were in mid-conversation when I walked in- or, more like Gavin was babbling nonstop while Nina looked bored.

"It's not that I don't respect your personal preference," Gavin was saying, "I understand that black is your favorite color. I'm only saying that I think wearing a little color now and then would be good for you. Lavender, for instance, would contrast wonderfully with your eyes-"

"Lavender?" I cut in as I stopped before the armchairs.

"Clara, thank Merlin you're here. Save me from this dreadful person," Nina groaned and stretched her arms towards me.

"Ouch," Gavin winced, "I think you meant to say brilliant."

I rolled my eyes, "Gavin, did you really think for one second that you would have an influence over Nina's fashion choices? We all know she can't be swayed."

Nina grinned at this.

"You know, I'm usually quite good at swaying people," Gavin smirked and gave a wink.

I let out a short laugh, "Unfortunately, I don't think I can disagree with you on that one."

Gavin grinned at me and caught my arm, dragging me over to him and proceeding to crush his arms around me in a tight hug. "Where have you been all day pipsqueak? You don't spend enough time with us," he whined and ruffled my hair with his hands.

"Gavin- ugh- no- why do you always have to destroy my hair?" I grunted, trying to squeeze me way out.

At this, he simply let out a devious laugh and continued to ruffle my hair, only to then stand up and toss me over his shoulder, spinning around rapidly in circles and making my head whirl.

"Gavin!" I yelled in between laughing, "Stop! Put me down you idiot!"

I heard Nina cracking up along with Gavin. "Something dropped from your pocket!" she suddenly said.

Gavin stopped spinning, still laughing, and I groaned as my head continued to whirl. "You're such an arse!" I laughed, hitting him in the back of the head. Though my vision was still blurry, I saw Nina bend down to pick up whatever it was that had apparently fallen out of my pocket.

"Why do you keep smashed up paper in your pockets?" she smirked at me, holding a crumpled ball of paper in her hands. She began to unravel it.

It was Blaise's party invitation, I realized.

"Oh right, that," I sighed. "Long story. Actually, quite a short story-"

"Slytherin event? B.Z.?" Nina read curiously. She wrinkled her brows together and looked back up at us, "Who the fuck is B.Z?"

"Blaise Zabini!" Gavin shrilled excitedly, practically dropping me to the floor.

I cursed as I stumbled into a chair and had to straighten myself.

Nina frowned. "Clara why are you stealing other people's party invitations?"

"Actually, for your information-" I placed my hands on my hips, "The invitation is mine."

Gavin shrilled again, "Clarabelle Paisley! Why the bloody hell didn't you tell me you were invited to the party tonight? This is fantastic!" his bright eyes were wide with excitement.

"Wait, you're invited too?" I crossed my arms at him, and then paused.

Wait, why was I surprised that Gavin was invited to the party?

He was invited to every party.

He was a social butterfly.

When was there are a party he wasn't invited to?

"Nevermind, that shouldn't even be a question," I sighed. "Well anyway, don't get too excited. I wasn't planning on going."

"Shocker," Nina drawled sarcastically. She crossed her arms and raised a brow at me, "How in the hell did you manage to get invited? What exactly did you do to him?" she grinned deviously.

"Do to him?" I scoffed, "What- I didn't do anything!"

"You're telling me he just invited you because he felt like it?" Gavin's grin had not faded, and he looked nearly ready to burst with excitement. He grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me towards him, "Clara. You don't have a choice. You're going to the party. Nina will come with us. It's happening."

I rolled my eyes, "Gavin, no. I'm not really in the mood, okay? You can go and I'll-"

"I will physically drag you there if I have to," he threatened lightheartedly. His lips then formed into a pout, "Please? For me? I'll even help you decide what to wear."

"Hmm… that does sound awfully tempting…" I trailed off, slowly starting to smile.

"Let's go," Nina stated, sounding strangely cheery. "It will be fun!"

Gavin and I both looked at her and exchanged confused glances.

Cheerful outbursts from Nina did not occur often.

"What?" Nina snapped, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "A few drinks sound pretty good right now," she shrugged.

"Okay- okay- fine!" I threw up my hands, "I'll go."

Gavin began to cheer but I quickly covered his mouth with my hand, "But-" I said, "You two won't peer pressure me into getting drunk, and if it's lame I leave."

I drew my hand back from Gavin's mouth and he smirked.

"We'll see about that," was all he said.

By the time I had finally agreed to attend the party, the sky had already darkened outside, signaling that we had little time to get ready. Nina and I headed of to our room, and Gavin to his, agreeing to meet back in the common room in half an hour.

"I better see you looking cute, Paisley," Gavin had threatened me before we parted. "Pick something I would pick. If you're capable of that."

I'd never seen any problem with my wardrobe.

However, Gavin seemed to have made it his personal duty to continually comment on outfit selections.

I didn't take offense to it, though. He did the same thing to almost everyone.

I sat on my bed and began pulling on a pair of jeans when suddenly Nina turned and stopped to look at me.

She looked down at my jeans and shook her head, her eyes rolling, "No."

I froze, my pants half on, looking confused. "No…?"

I watched as she hastily proceeded to shuffle threw her drawers of clothes, only to toss something at me a moment later.

Soft fabric hit me in the face and I caught the piece of clothing with my hand.

"Put that on," Nina grinned, and I wasn't sure whether or not I liked the mischievous glint in her eyes.

I held out the clothing before me, scrunching my eyebrows together.

It was a short- very short- tight, black pencil skirt.

The kind of thing I would never be caught dead in.

"Wow. Okay," I mused. I looked down at my jeans, then back at the skirt.

By no means was I a prude, but I wasn't exactly risqué either…

Tonight, though… it wasn't like I was attending a game of chess.

I was going to a party.

A Slytherin party.

Bloody hell, why not?

I tossed my jeans to the side and yanked on the skirt instead. After throwing on one of my own tops, I walked over to my mirror and gazed at my appearance.

I found myself slightly, yet pleasantly, surprised. The skirt, though much too short for my usual liking, hugged my hips and thighs, emphasizing what little curves I had. The top I had chosen was made of a dark, velvety green that matched my eyes quite nicely. The sleeves were long, and the neckline ended right beneath the pale skin of my collarbone. I had decided to wear my hair down, letting it fall over my shoulders rather than in the ponytail I usually wore.

My hand suddenly flew to my neck, feeling it's bareness and realizing that I was missing something. Quickly, I went to the desk beside my bed and picked up a small, purple box that sat upon its wooden surface. From the box, I pulled out a simple, silver chained necklace.

I fastened the necklace around my neck, and held my hand over it. I felt the base of the small, silver circle that hung off the chain lying against the beat of my heart, and I instantly felt more relaxed.

The necklace was something that rarely ever left my neck, and when it did, I felt uneasy.

I wasn't used to being without it.

After all, it was the one thing that had been with me the longest throughout my life.

The night that my parents discovered me on the side of that street, I had been left with nothing but the small purple box with the necklace inside of it, tucked into a crevice of the blanket that wrapped around my small body.

It was the only thing I had that held any part of whoever I was supposed to be before my birth parents abandoned me.

It was the only sign that I had true birth parents at all.

For whatever reason, it was the only thing that they had bothered to leave me with.

Just the thought of my real parents having once touched the piece of silver that lay against my skin was enough to send a shiver through my body.

I would never know why two people had decided to abandon their child. It was not something I would ever understand, nor forgive- if by some miracle, or misfortunate, I happened to meet them one day.

Yet regardless of what I thought, the necklace was important to me. Regardless of the fact that I was perfectly happy with a life that did not include the parents who had abandoned me, the necklace still symbolized a part of who I was - and it would forever be mine.

I looked down at the silver circle that hung from its chain, and ran a finger over the words that were carefully etched into its surface.

"Mihi Parta Tueri" the words read.

It was Latin. The words meant: I will always fight for what is mine.

I knew the translation, yet I had no clue as to why they were on my necklace.

To be honest, part of me never really wanted to try and find out.

"Looking good," Nina cut through my thoughts, and I quickly snapped back into reality. I spun around to see Nina looking me up and down with a satisfied smirk laying on her face, "Told you the skirt was a good idea."

Nina, herself, looked amazing. She wore a fitted, black dress, with a small black cardigan draped over her shoulders. The tight form of the dress emphasized her hourglass figure, and was striking against the color of her pale skin. Her hair, as usual, was in its two quirky pigtails, and her lips, bright with red lipstick, popped against the rest of her dark attire.

"Bloody hell, Nixon. You're on fire," I breathed, a grin spreading across my face.

Nina smirked and gave a small shrug, as if to say, "I know."

The two of us finally made our way back into the Common Room, where we found Gavin waiting for us, his tall, lanky form lounged back against a sofa.

Gavin looked absolutely dapper, as always.

He was dressed in a dark blue button-up that was flattering to his slim and fit figure, matched nicely with a pair of black trousers. His dark brown shoes were perched up against a footrest, looking perfectly polished.

Of course they are, I thought.

Only Gavin would spend so much time polishing his shoes.

"Why hello, ladies," he called out with a grin, his eyebrows rising as we approached him. He swiftly stood up from the couch and ran a hand through his ruffled, chestnut brown hair. "Don't you two look enchanting?" he remarked, casually draping his arms around us and beginning to lead us out of the Common Room. "I am one lucky man," he sighed.

Nina and I both rolled our eyes.

"And who knew Clara had such a cute little bum!" he added brightly.

"Oh, shut up you twat!" I snapped. "And… don't sound so surprised," I added.

The three of us broke into laughter and made our way down to the Slytherin Dungeon together, arm in arm.

We walked through the dark tunnel leading to Common Room's entrance. Our footsteps echoed against the cold, stone floors. The walls were hung with small lanterns, creating green orbs of light that gave off a faint and somewhat eerie glow. Every now and then we would pass a window where you could see the murky, dark lake water lurking behind it.

"Who the hell would want to live down here?" I mused, wrinkling my nose distastefully at the cold atmosphere.

"Not me," Nina grumbled, her face seeming to match my look of discomfort.

"I guess we know now why they put us all the way up in the bloody tower. Ravenclaws weren't meant for dungeons," said Gavin.

I laughed a little at his remark and soon enough we had approached the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Two Slytherin boys stood before a tall, stone wall. Both had brown hair, one with broad shoulders and dull eyes, and the other quite pudgy and short. Both looked miserable.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"Ello, there," Gavin gave them a lazy grin. "We're here to party."

"Invitation?" Goyle muttered, sounding quite bored.

I handed them my crumpled invitation and Crabbe took it, raising a brow. He squinted his eyes as he read it, his pudgy face scrunching up. "Alright," he grunted, "Let em in."

Goyle nodded and turned to whisper the password to the entrance.

"Why aren't you two in there having some fun, eh?" Gavin asked.

Crabbe glared and shifted his eyes uncomfortably, "Draco told us to," he muttered incoherently.

Before Gavin could open his mouth again, the stone wall before us rumbled slightly and I watched as it parted down the middle, separating into two doors. The two heavy doors began to slowly slide away, revealing a whole new scene before us.

"That's what I'm talking about," Gavin breathed, a huge grin spreading across his face.

DRACO'S P.O.V:

As the minutes went by, the room became much louder, much busier, and I had become much tipsier.

After pouring myself a yet another drink, I took a seat beside Theodore Nott, who I found a lot easier to handle than Blaise in his "I'm a party god" frame of mind.

The moment I sat down, Theo snickered and nudged my side. "Hey Draco," the boy attempted to point at something with his lanky arm, but it swayed in several directions. "'Ow much you wanna bet I can get that redhead chick naked by the end of the night?"

I recognized the girl as one of the Hufflepuff beaters. She did happen to be quite the party animal, but also not one to mess with. Being a beater, she had ridiculous upper body strength, which she was not afraid to use. So, of course, with this knowledge, I had to encourage my rather drunk friend to go at it.

My lips curled into a smirk, "Bet you fifty galleons she'll punch you right across the face."

Theo loved a good bet. And so did I, when there was no doubt in my mind I would win.

"You got yourself a deal, Malfoy. Fifty galleons. Plus another fifty if I get 'er to bed." He held out his bony hand, which I shook, but not before snorting out a laugh. I just made an easy 100 galleons.

Theo stood, taking a moment to regain his balance. "Oi, freckleface!" he called out, though his words slurred together so much that it instead sounded like 'oifebleface'

I watched my friend stumbled over to the girl, who was giggling over a drink with Astoria Greengrass.

"Hey babe." He started fiddling with her hair and I could already see the disgust forming on her face as she looked him up and down.

"I've been watching you all night, love. How about we go up to my room and Slytherin to bed together." He chuckled obnoxiously at his own joke, which was accompanied by loud groans from people around him. Astoria's face went blank as she blinked a few times at him in disbelief. Even I couldn't believe those words just left his mouth.

As for the Hufflepuff girl, her eyes grew wide. Theo stood there, stumbling around as he continued to chuckle to himself. Then, seemingly in slow motion, the girl tilted her head, drew back her fist, and decked him right in the face.

Theo screamed out and collapsed to the ground, clutching his nose, which was now bleeding profusely. The girl looked back to Astoria, who just like everyone else at this point, was laughing her head off. And with that, the two walked away.

Meanwhile, the poor kid remained on the floor, rolling about and swearing in a rather whiny tone.

I stood up, which I may have done a bit too fast since my entire head began to spin. Did I really have that much already?

Who cares? I thought.

I was feeling the best I had in ages.

Once the room stopped twirling, I walked towards my friend and crouched down beside him. "Maybe I shoulda mentioned she's a beater. A bloody good one at that." As I laughed, a couple tears fell from Theodore's face. "Don't forget about that one hundred galleons you promised," I added.

And with that, I gave him a pat on the back and continued on my way to the drink table. I could hear him moaning behind me, "You did this, this is your fault!"

His voice, however, was soon drowned out by the music blasting throughout the room. By this time, the party was in full swing. The alcohol was almost half gone, cleavage was everywhere, and my personal favorite- drunk boys were playing a game of chess. Pieces flew about the table as they shouted out moves, cheering as two knights destroyed each other.

I grabbed myself a glass and took a moment to choose which drink I felt like indulging myself in. There was one particular fascinating drink which glowed green. That bottle had remained, for the most part, untouched. I recognized it as one of the alcohols Blaise had bought earlier from the pub owner. Nasty stuff that was. Delicious, but one sip and you'd be drunk beyond belief. And it was a different kind of drunk. If anything, it was more of a high, and also something I didn't feel like experiencing at the moment.

I settled on making myself a nice spiced butterbeer. Mixing a drink while already drunk was a skill I used to have down perfectly. Though, it seemed that through lack of practice, those skills seemed to have been lost. As I was pouring the spiced rum and vodka over my butterbeer, I suddenly lost balance and stumbled back a few steps, pouring alcohol all over the floor and table. I may have gotten it on some girl's shoes as well, for there was a sudden shriek beside me.

Fuck it, I was too out of it to care.

The moment the drink touched my lips, I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth that seemed to fill my entire body. In that same moment, I felt small hands gently grab my shoulder from behind. Eyes still closed, I relaxed my muscles and shrugged my shoulders back as the hands squeezed on a particularly tense part of my neck. Even drunk, I could recognize that grip.

"Pansy Parkinson. I was wondering where you were." I grunted as her grip tightened.

"You know I never miss a party." Her breath hit my neck with every soft-spoken word, giving me goose bumps.

She let go of my shoulders and trailed a finger down my spine. "Pour me a drink, will you? Vodka. Just vodka."

I grabbed one of the smaller glasses and poured her a shot. In that time, she had moved over beside me, leaning against the table with one hand on her hip.

And damn. She looked sexy as hell.

Her incredibly short dress had long, tight sleeves made of black lace that fell off her shoulders, and a scooped neck, which was made of the same sheer fabric. The rest was deep purple, with another sheer band at her waist. The damned thing seemed to hug every curve on her body.

The girl chuckled, knowing exactly what she was doing to me. She grabbed the drink from my hand and threw it back without showing any sign of its foul taste. She must have been nearly as drunk as I was.

"Do you like my dress, Draco?" She smiled up at me and placed a hand on my chest, toying with one of my buttons.

I'd like to tear it off you…

She didn't even wait for me to reply.

Her hand slid down my side and under my shirt. "This party's rather boring isn't it?"

I gave her a drunken smile before chugging down the rest of my drink.

"I was thinking the same thing," I spoke slowly as I moved closer and grabbed her by the hips. "How about…" I tightened my grip and held her tight against me, until my lips were hovering against her neck, "we go make our own fun."

Her hands gripped tight around my arms as I deeply kissed her neck. A small moan escaped her just as the girl grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked my head back. "Then what the hell are you waiting for, Malfoy?" Her blood red lips pulled up into a mischievous smirk. She began leading us away from the tables in what I could only assume was the direction of the dormitories.

We bumped into several people, even knocking one girl over to the floor. "Get a fucking room!" the girl yelled over her shoulder.

"I'm trying, you cunt!" I called back, Pansy helping the cause by flipping her off.

After many stumbles we managed to make it up the stairs and into the tight hall, where we bounced back and forth off the walls until we reached my room near the end. I pushed her hard against the door, pausing for a moment to look her over, then grabbing her bottom lip between my teeth. Her hands flew up to my chest, fiercely kissing me back as she began yanking my shirt open. A few buttons could be heard hitting the floor of the hall as she pulled on the fabric, not taking the time to be careful.

Pansy pulled away and looked at my now bare chest, giving me a dazed smile as she ran a single finger down the base of my neck. She moved lower and lower, until she reached the waist of my pants, which were already growing tighter. She bit her lip and smiled as she slipped her finger in them, and pulled my hips to hers. Slowly, she started moving against me, driving me even crazier than I already was. I roughly grabbed her by the back of the neck and pressed my forehead against hers, looking her in the eyes as my other hand grabbed her breast. She giggled, kissing my collarbone and slowly began lifting up her dress. Inch by inch, she exposed more of her ivory skin, along with the lacy black lingerie she had on beneath. She knew exactly how to move her body, and exactly how to make me want her like mad.

I couldn't take it. I threw open the door, grabbed her by the thighs and lifted her up so she was straddling my hips. I brought her into my room, making sure to kick the door closed behind me, and tossed her onto my bed.

Pansy let out a small squeak as she landed on the plush mattress.

"Do you even know, how fucking sexy you are?" I growled, crawling over her.

She smirked, grabbing one of my hands and gliding it down her stomach. I toyed with the lace of her underwear, pulling it down little by little as I left a trail of deep kisses down her chest.

CLARA'S P.O.V:

Before us, the room was packed with people. Music that was only moments ago silent to our ears, blasted within the Common Room.

"Get in. We need to close the doors before the sound travels," Goyle grumbled, him and Crabbe both moving to shove us through the doors.

"Ow- get your hands off-" I started, but before I could finish we were already inside and the stone doors had shut behind us. Inside, I was able to fully take in the scenery of the Slytherin Common room.

The room was quite grand, yet like the tunnel leading up to it, it felt a bit cold. The walls were stone, lined with giant pillars circling the entire room. Green lanterns hung from the walls and the ceiling, giving the dark room a slightly green tinge of lighting. The furniture was of the darkest colored wood, and all around the room were velvet-cushioned armchairs and sofas made of dark green and black leather. At the far end of the room was a large, roaring fireplace. Two small tables set up with games of chess sat near the fire, and to my surprise, I saw two very drunk looking guys attempting to play a game.

The music pulsated through the room, and all around me were people moving- dancing, talking, laughing, kissing. I assumed most were Slytherins, yet through the crowd I could spot some familiar faces that I knew from other houses.

"Time to party!" I heard Gavin call out over the music, grinning down at me. "Let's go get some alcohol!" he added, grabbing my arm.

"I'm okay! You go ahead," I told him, shooing him off.

Gavin pouted at me, but Nina grabbed his arm instead, "I need a drink," she said.

"We'll be right back. Don't get too crazy with out us!" Gavin winked at me, and I watched as the two of them wandered off into the crowd.

Once they had disappeared, I was left to face the crowd alone.

The crowd seemed to be growing bigger, and tighter, closing in around me. Everyone seemed to have a similar, clouded look to their eyes- grins spread across their faces, laughter pouring from their mouths, their bodies moving to the beat of the music.

I frowned and found myself just standing there, staring.

For the first time in my life, I felt incredibly sober.

Not wanting to wait around, standing frozen like an idiot any longer, I decided to go find Gavin and Nina myself.

Alright, I thought in exasperation, where did those two fools go?

I started moving in the direction that I had seen them go, and tried to search for wherever all the alcohol was- since, clearly, that was where they would be. Finally, my eyes found a long table splayed with all sorts of bottles and cups. It was the most alcohol I had ever seen in my life. Bottles of all different shapes and sizes covered the entire table. Yet, I did not see Gavin or Nina anywhere nearby.

I sighed in frustrated and leaned against the table, looking around as if I would miraculously find them in the crowd.

Of course, I knew I wouldn't.

They were probably doing the same thing- searching for me.

Or maybe they are too drunk to remember they left you and are off having fun like everyone else, I realized.

Well, I certainly wasn't having fun standing around, not doing anything.

I gazed at the laughing and smiling people around me, then at the table of drinks. I seemed to continue doing this- slowly looking back and forth- about a million times before I finally fully faced the table and grabbed the nearest bottle. "Bloody hell, screw it," I mumbled under my breath.

Why not let loose for a night?

That way, at least I would know whether or not I like it.

And hey, maybe I would!

One shot wouldn't hurt.

"I'm not giving into peer pressure, I am making my own, sensible decision," I told myself assuredly, earning a strange look from a guy pouring himself a drink near me.

I held the bottle up in front of me curiously. It was probably the most interesting looking alcohol I had ever laid my eyes upon. It was in a small, round bottle, and the liquid was bright green. And not only was it green, it was glowing!

I squinted my eyes, trying to make sense of the bright, glowing substance. Eventually, though, I gave up and shrugged. I took off the cap, poured it into a cup and took a big swig of it.

I scrunched up my nose, prepared for a foul taste. However, the taste that occurred was anything but foul. It was sweet, like…. like rasberries. Or… maybe more like strawberries. And sugar. And caramel. And vanilla. And… and minty too! It left a cool, airy feel against my tongue. It was like a million wonderful flavors all at once.

Apparently, alcohol didn't always taste bad.

"Well done, Slytherins," I said under my breathe.

I took another swig from my cup and set it back down on the table.

There. Only two swigs of alcohol.

I won't even get drunk. Just a little tipsy, perhaps.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up."

A familiar, low and velvety voice sounded behind me and I whirled around.

Blaise stood before me, a dazzling smile spread across his face. He looked incredibly smug- which, I'm sure, came from his immense satisfaction in seeing that I decided to attend his party despite everything I had said earlier today.

I crossed my arms. "A friend managed to convince me," I told him, sticking my chin up ever so slightly.

"Was I not convincing enough?" he faked a surprised look, then dropped it for a smirk. His brows rose as he took in my appearance and he shook his head with a sharp sigh, "Clara, you've outdone yourself. You know, if I had only known I would have such a breathtaking girl attending my party, I would have put in a little more effort." He straightened his skinny, dark purple tie for emphasis, cocking his brows in an arrogant fashion.

I had to admit, Blaise looked sharp.

He wore black trousers, with a black button up. The tie was the only pop of color against his dark outfit.

Somehow, though, he seemed to pull it off effortlessly.

Was there anything about this guy that wasn't spot on?

I sighed and let myself smile slightly at him, "Do you ever get tired of maintaining that charm of yours?"

Blaise grinned smoothly in response. "Tired? Pfft. Never," he winked. "Then again, it all comes naturally for me, really. What can I say? I'm a charming lad," he sighed and gave a shrug, taking a sip of his drink.

"And ever so humble," I added.

"That, too!" he agreed, his dark eyes brightening.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. As I shook my head, I noticed the room began to sway ever so slightly, and my knees felt suddenly very jelly-like. My brows furrowed in confusion and I blinked repeatedly, trying to regain my vision.

"Oh no, something stuck in your eye?" I heard Blaise saying. "Damn, that's the worst. Here, open your eyes and tilt your head back and I'll see if I can see anything!"

Why did his voice sound so far away?

Through my blinking and swaying of the room, I saw Blaise move closer to me. His hand moved to cup my cheek and he leaned in towards my face.

His face was blurry in front of mine, and it seemed to sway back and forth as if in slow motion.

I let out a surprised squeak and quickly swatted his hand away.

He stopped, his hand halted next to my face. "What- …oh. Oh! No, did you think I was going to- no! I wasn't going to- " he fumbled around his words, "I was just going to check your eyes. Here, let me help!" he stepped closer once again.

"No!" I accidentally snapped, far more loud and aggressive than I had intended. I felt heat rise to my cheeks, "Sorry. I mean no. Blaise. I'm f-fine, my eyes are f-fine. I'm just…." I felt myself begin to lose sense of what I was saying. My head had grown incredibly fuzzy, my thoughts whirling around all at once. I started to grow incredibly anxious as everything around me became more and more out of focus. "I'm fine," I mumbled, my own voice sounding far away to my ears.

Though his face still appeared blurry, I could make out a look of confusion flash over his features. His brows furrowed together, his dark eyes set on mine, "Funny. You don't look fine. In fact, you look completely wasted," he let out a short laugh. "You know, I never would have guessed you'd have a wild side. What a surprise! You are just full of mysteries, aren't you?"

I quickly shook my head, "No! I'm not drunk!" I protested.

But if I'm not drunk, then why is everything spinning?

Blaise laughed and shook his head, "Oh, Clara. What a little comedian you are. But seriously- fess up, how many shots did you have exactly?" he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

"N-no. You don't understand! I only had two swigs of a drink!" I told him, feeling suddenly very frustrated and very dizzy at the same time.

"What?" Blaise said, looking confused, "And you're this wasted? How is that even possib-" he stopped. Suddenly, he froze, his eyes hardening as if something important had just occurred to him. "Clara…." He spoke slowly. His tone of voice had suddenly changed to a much gentler tone, and he rested both hands carefully on my shoulders as he said his next words, "What kind of alcohol do you remember drinking?"

What kind?

I could hardly focus on what he was saying.

I tried racking my brain for the answer.

What kind of alcohol? I repeated in my head, my thoughts slowly starting to process.

Suddenly, memories of a miraculously sweet taste filled my mind, along with the image of a mysterious, green substance.

"It was…. green. Very green. And… and glowing!" I breathed, my eyes widening. "Oh…. And it tasted soooo goooood!," I smiled giddily in remembrance.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Why do I feel so giddy all of the sudden?

"Fuck," Blaise swore, stepping back from me. He continued to curse under his breathe and held his head with both hands, "Bloody hell, I knew buying that stuff was a bad idea…"

My giddy feeling disappeared and I frowned as I heard him swear.

"What? What's wrong?" I slurred, trying to step forward and nearly knocking into a table in the process.

My head seemed to pulse with the vibration of the music. My surroundings became increasingly blurry, my stance on the ground seeming to grow less and less secure. Suddenly, I was hit with a wave of nausea and I clutched my stomach with both hands.

"Clara, listen to me. You may or may not have had some very, very strong alcohol," Blaise was telling me, his hands resting on my shoulders once again. "It's something called Dragon Blood," he said.

"Dragon Blood?" I felt a sense of fear strike through me. "B-blood?" I stammered, my eyes growing huge.

I suddenly felt even more queasy.

"No, no, no!" Blaise sighed. "Not like real blood. At least… well…. I don't think so."

I no longer was paying attention to what he was saying. The sickening feeling that was crawling through my stomach had grown unbearable, making my head whirl. The voices and music in the room became one large buzz to my ears. The tall, stone walls surrounding me continually swayed from side to side. Blaise seemed to be talking to me, his mouth forming words that I could not hear.

"Move," I groaned pushing his hands off of my shoulders. When he didn't budge, I shoved him off of me harder, "I need to go! I can't be here!" I heard myself say.

And suddenly, I was running.

Or… at least… I felt like I was running.

I couldn't really tell. Everything was moving so fast.

I felt myself shoving my way through the crowd of bodies, trying desperately to find somewhere that wasn't packed with people.

I just need to get out, was all I could think.

I needed to find a restroom. An empty room, even, would do.

After what felt like ages, I finally managed to reach the other side of the Common Room, where a wall of doors stood before me. Without thinking, I hastily opened the closest door and flung myself through it, shutting it behind me. From what I could tell, I was in a tight, skinny corridor, leading down to another wall of doors. I quickly ran down the corridor and threw open the first door I laid my eyes upon.

The room I found myself entering was most definitely not a restroom.

Nor an empty room.

In fact, it was not empty at all.

In front of me, I saw two entangled bodies of pale, ivory skin, wrapped within bedsheets. A boy and a girl. To my horror, I realized that they were… well, they were naked, and they were… engaging in an extremely intimate activity.

Oh Merlin save me now.

My eyes grew wide in terror and I quickly stumbled backwards, hastily making for the door, only to nearly to trip over a pile of clothes. My back slammed into the door and suddenly the room began to sway, the fuzziness of my head taking over. The sickening feeling in my gut heightened, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. The sense of horror of what I had walked in on combined with the overwhelming waves of nausea that were rolling through me caused me to break. My hand gripped the doorknob tightly, my other hand gripping my stomach as I leaned over and let the nausea take over.

DRACO'S P.O.V:

My mind was completely blank.

Nothing to worry me. Nothing to stress over. Nothing.

Sex had successfully blocked out anything that the alcohol had left behind. All that existed in the world was Pansy's naked body, the sound of moans mixed with the squeaking of the mattress, and pleasure. Especially pleasure. I held my arms tighter around the girl beneath me, licking up her neck, when I heard the door creak open.

Of course, it didn't register at first. I had my mind on… more important things.

Pansy, however, was definitely more alert than me. Her head shot up, and she began swearing loudly at something unknown to me.

Had I done something? Wait… were those footsteps?

I twisted my body to see a small girl standing wide eyed in the doorway. I was suddenly filled with rage. "Who the hell are you?" I yelled. "What makes you think you can just walk into my room while I'm using it?" I hid my manhood with my hands the best I could (which was difficult considering its current state) and rushed to throw on my boxers.

The terrified girl spun around, though the dumb thing lost her footing and slammed straight into the door. All the while, Pansy kept shrieking out insults, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at the intruder, not seeming to care that her body was completely exposed.

It seemed this girl was a lot dumber than she looked. Instead of leaving, she just grabbed the doorknob and stood there. Then, without any warning, she doubled over and puked right on the floor. Right on my fucking bedroom floor.

"What the hell?!" I couldn't help but shriek at the current situation. I felt the anger build up inside of me as the girl turned and ran back out the door.

I was at a loss for words. This fucking dumb slut walked in, puked on my floor, and ran off without saying a single word. I didn't even know who the bitch was.

I rolled off the bed in a very ungraceful manner and stumbled to the door, trying the best I could to avoid the disgusting gift the girl had left us.

"I'm sooo soooory!"she yelled behind her, her words sounding slurred. She was moving as fast as she could down the hall, using the wall for support. "I'm so sorry! Oh merlin, I didn't mean it, 'm sorry!" she continued to call over her shoulder.

A sudden rush of dizziness hit me. The whole thing was making me feel nauseous at well. With a loud groan, I leaned forward until my head hit against the doorway.

I realized that Pansy was still cursing and yelling, either to me or herself. I didn't care which. All I knew was that I didn't want to fucking hear it anymore.

"Shut the FUCK up Pansy!" I growled, walking towards my dresser. I yanked open the top drawer and dug through piles of socks and shirts until I found what I was looking for.

A rather large bottle of very potent alcohol.

Eyelids half open, I lugged myself over to one of the armchairs and plopped down. The smell of alcohol burnt my nose the moment I opened the bottle.

It was time for this night to be over.

"Draco?" Pansy laid herself out in a seductive pose and ran one of her hands over her own body. "Come back to bed Draco. We have to finish what we started."

It was tempting.

But I'd had enough.

I looked her in the eye and took a drink straight out of the bottle."Y'wanna know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna drink this until I pass right the fuck out in this chair. That's what 'm gonna do." I cringed as I took another drink, hoping sleep would come soon.

CLARA'S P.O.V:

"You what?" Nina gasped, her blue eyes growing wide.

"Wait a second," Gavin sighed, putting a hand against his head in exasperation, "I'm not sure what's worse- you seeing Malfoy and Parkinson doing it, or you barfing on his bedroom floor."

"Gavin you're not helping," I groaned, stuffing my face into a pillow. We were back in the Ravenclaw Tower, and I was lying on my stomach on one of the Common Room sofas. After I had fled Malfoy's room, Gavin and Nina had somehow managed to find me and bring me back to the Common Room. They were now sitting on the edge of the sofa beside me, patting my hair and attempting to comfort me. But it didn't matter what they said- after what happened tonight, I was completely mortified.

And, to top it all off, I was still drunk.

What the hell was in that stuff?

Next time I see Blaise, I am going to kill him, I thought darkly.

"Honestly, Clara, they were probably so shitfaced that they won't even remember!" Gavin assured me brightly, continuing to gently stroke my hair.

"I doubt that," Nina stated.

"Shhhhh," Gavin hissed at her.

"I feel awful," I grumbled. "And my head is still spinning. Remind me to never drink mysterious, green glowing alcohol ever again."

"I'm sorry you've had such a shit night, love," Gavin sighed, softly tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. He paused, "Did Malfoy have a nice bum, at least?"

"Gavin!" I whacked his arm.

"Disgusting," said Nina, wrinkling her nose.

"You didn't answer my question," he grinned, eyes glinting mischievously.

"You are absolutely ridiculous," I laughed.

"Ridiculous enough to get you to smile," Gavin chimed.

"How about we agree to never attend a Slytherin party ever again, and to go and get some bloody sleep. I'm exhausted," Nina yawned.

We all agreed that we were in need of some sleep after our crazy night. Nina and I said goodnight to Gavin, returned to our room, and I eagerly stripped myself of my tight, uncomfortable clothing. The sheets of my bed were warm and welcoming, and as I closed my eyes and let myself drift off into slumber, I made a mental note with myself to never acknowledge the happenings off this night ever again. Ever. Again.

A/N:

Oh dear Merlin! So much drama ;) That was a LONG chapter! Thank-you SO much for reading it, and we hope that you enjoyed it! If you did, we would LOVE and really appreciate if you would leave a comment letting us know what you think!

Xoxo,
Anna & Lola