A/N: This is a very clustered chapter. Don't hate me for it, please... I do realize I'm rushing the story, and yes, though no one has said anything about it, I do know that Beth is a bit of a Mary-Sue. I ask for nothing but your forgiveness. Good day and enjoy the story... Ahem. And also, this chapter leads right in from the last one. I don't know why I didn't just throw the beginning of this one into the end of the last one... It's because I'm a bitch and I like to make you remember. Yeah, so, uh, enjoy.
"Well, go on, then!" Beth heard Dean urge from behind her. At this, she became slightly more distant in her conversation with Hermione Granger on the subject of Viktor Krum. Hermione was hazily telling Beth about how sweet it was when he had asked her and how shocked she was and feelings and blah blah bollocks.
"I'd hate for her to say no, and what if she does? What then?" she heard Neville reply nervously from behind her. Beth was well aware that Neville had already asked Hermione to which she had rejected. A nasty feeling in her guy told her he was going to ask again, thinking all hoity toity that Beth wouldn't care. She herself had been asked by Seamus, to which she had politely declined. It wasn't that Seamus was a bad guy – he could be crude at times, but was never a bad person – it was just that she was intent on Neville or no one (though the only person she had actually admitted this to was Hermione, who she trusted could keep a secret).
Hermione peered over Beth's shoulder, smiled slickly, and glided off with a small "good-bye." The second she had disappeared within the ranks of students in the hallways, someone slammed into her back after someone laughed, "Just do it already!" Beth swiveled and Neville was standing there, looking nervous and rather uncomfortable even to be in Beth's presence.
"Hello," Beth greeted, excitement bouncing around in her core.
"So, uh, I was wondering if, maybe, you'd want to go to the Yule Ball with me? I mean, just as friends-"
Beth grinned and replied, almost too excitedly, "I'd love to go with you... I've got to go... I'll see you later, Neville."
Beth remembered this fondly as she passed the library, running her hand along the wall. She decided at the last minute that she certainly didn't want to go in there after what she had witnessed last time.
I wonder what Liv's been up to...Beth thought half-mindedly. Olivia, her older sister by a year, was about everything Beth was not. Liv was a beautiful Slytherin student, promiscuous before it was cool. She had the champagne-and-satin platinum locks of her father, and the bright blue eyes of her mother, whereas Beth had inherited the coarse mane of dirty blonde hair from her mother and the dull brown eyes of her mother. Liv was tall and slim; Beth was of almost average height and was slightly thickly built. However, Liv had a tendency to be cruel and snobbish, which Beth almost never was. She was usually polite and level-headed, which almost made up for her plainness.
If there was one thing that made Beth cringe, it was her own sister's promiscuous nature. There was nary a Slytherin student she wouldn't lower herself to getting intimate with. Rumor had it she had even gone to bed with Crabbe and Goyle, though it was never really a secret that her standards were depressingly low when the subject was fellow Slytherin students.
Like clockwork, her sister appeared at the end of the corrider. Some of the students swore she could have been part Veela, though the idea was seldom accepted due to Beth's traits. Liv's hair swung in a long, pale ponytail at her shoulderblades. Her mouth tightened into a frown as she spotted Beth.
They were alone in the corner save for Evan Rosier, who lay asleep at the entrance of the library. "I see you're doing well for yourself. Aunt Nancy would be proud," Liv mused. "Aunt Nancy" was her mother's strict sister who was anything but suited for a parent. She was typically referred to as "Nan" by Beth. Beth was treated (and punished) more strictly than Liv due to her tendency to not do well in classes and because she wasn't one of the beautiful people as her sister was. "Oh... but what's my inspiration to tell her you've been sober? Gosh, think of how painfully easy it would be to simply tell her you've been terrible... Hm..." her sister's voice was like wine with barbed wire in it.
"Liv, I'm kind of upset right now... Please..." Beth replied nervously. Why she had said "please" she didn't know. It was almost as though she was asking for her to just leave her alone and keep her big mouth shut.
Liv's bottom lip jutted out in a pout that seemed to be coated with sarcasm. "Aww... Did your ugly little boyfriend dump you?"
"He's not ugly and he's not my boyfriend!" Beth screeched quietly.
The tall blonde began circling her younger sister like a shark. "Aren't we sensitive? I'm not really feeling convinced to not slip in a few words about you to Aunt Nancy..."
Beth opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
"Don't you have to go sell your body for money somewhere?" a voice Beth immediately processed as Draco's voice cut in. He was standing behind Beth some five yards away, his hands at his sides but a challenging smirk on his face.
Immediately Liv shot back, "Don't you have to go be a pompous arse elsewhere?"
"I've still got time."
Liv's attention went back to Beth. "I don't know whether he's an improvement or not. Hmph." Liv flicked back her ponytail unnecessarily and walked off in the opposite direction.
"I never realized how ghastly she was until now," Draco spat at Beth as though he were talking to Crabbe or Goyle, with disgusted look on his face.
I wonder if this means we're friends now. Draco isn't exactly the type I saw myself being friendly with when I first got accepted into Hogwarts... Then again, with the way Liv and Nan looked down on me and acted as though I was a pain in the arse to have around, I suppose I really didn't expect to have any friends. Even getting Neville as a friend was quite the accomplishment... but then again, Neville wouldn't have had any friends either, Beth thought, and went to look at Draco, but found that he had left her walking alone.
Beth's eyebrows furrowed as she spotted one Luna Lovegood sitting against the wall on the floor, a copy of the Quibbler in her hands. She was spinning the magazine in circles, tilting her head this way and that.
"Luna?" Beth mumbled, approaching her with caution.
Without stopping her odd practice, she replied, "Hello, Beth!" in a cheery way. Beth saw an almost-full bottle of wine by her, though she was aware Luna didn't need it. Luna seemed drunk all the time – was she trying to drink herself sober? The notion made Beth bite back a giggle.
Beth sat next to her and asked, "How are you?"
"Delightful, thank you," she replied in her airy, almost American sounding voice.
"Um, what- what are you doing there?"
Luna paused before replying, "I'm not... sure..." and putting the magazine down. She picked up the open bottle of wine and offered Beth some. She then proceeded to set the bottle back down and she replied, "I don't want any either. I just lost the cap, so I have to either finish it or stay with the bottle."
"Why?"
Luna peered around and leaned forward. "The Nargles will take it if I leave."
With an eyebrow raised, Beth nodded. She had never really understood what Luna meant at all, but she firmly believed that there was some profound underlying meaning in everything that Luna said... though Beth had no idea what it might be.
Reopening the magazine, Luna asked casually, "Are you and Neville still fighting?"
"Yes, we- how did you know Neville and I were fighting?"
"I overheard those boys talking about it."
Beth looked at the Ravenclaw girl curiously. "What boys?"
"Oh, that Irish boy was telling Harry and Ron about it... I believe Ron replied with something about wanting to nail you."
Beth shook her head. Seamus didn't know anything about anything and he was telling people about the personal business of others... Beth felt slightly uncomfortable at Ron's response to Seamus' news, but she figured that they had either been drunk or high at the time, so she didn't take the statement as valid.
"That was delicately put, Luna. Well done," Beth chuckled.
Luna smiled lightly and replied, "Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I have to go find my shoes... Please take this with you... I don't want it." She thrust the open wine bottle into Beth's hands and glided off.
"Luna, I don't-" Beth called, but Luna was gone.
Beth looked at the bottle. It was nearly filled with a purple liquid that smelled odd, like something her grandmother might use to clean the couch. The label had been smudged out, as though someone's sweaty hand had been holding it for too long, but Beth figured Luna had gotten bored and the smudged label was the result.
I wonder what it tastes like... Beth thought, but shook her head. No. Wondering is what got us into this whole mess. Beth set the bottle back down, but seemed to be whispering her name.
"Okay..." she mumbled. "Just one sip, and we're done. Completely."
Beth lifted the bottle to her lips and let a small amount of the liquid flow over her lips. At a first taste, Beth hated it, thinking it tasted like grapes and the Draught of Living Death. After a moment, however, she decided to give it a second "one sip." She took another sip, and this time, it tasted pretty good. After a third and fourth "one sip," she pushed the bottle away from herself. Okay, I'll stop. It's not that good. Beth bit her lip and then continued, Okay, one BIG sip and we're done forever, yes? She lifted the bottle once more and let as much wine as could fit in her mouth go in and put the bottle down. She swallowed it and looked around.
"Look who's drinking now!" Peeves taunted.
Beth's eyes widened. "Peeves, no. You can't tell anyone about this. I was just... um... testing?"
"I don't really feel the motivation to keep this a secret..." Peeves replied, thrusting his hips forward and backward.
With a moan of distress, Beth replied, "What am I supposed to do for you, a ghost, to not have you tell anyone?"
Peeves smiled devilishly. "Well, being a ghost doesn't stop me from not wanting to see a good pair once in awhile."
Offended, Beth's jaw dropped and she replied, "I am not going to do that!"
"Well, I guess I'll just go tell everyone I see, then... I'm sure they'll be glad to hear that the virgin Bethie has taken to the fashion."
"Peeves..." Beth mumbled angrily.
The ghost shrugged. "Well, if you want them to find out rather than showing a ghost a harmless pair of tits, then..."
"Okay... Peeves, if I show you my breasts, will you please keep quiet?"
Peeve's translucent eyes seemed to glow with devilish satisfaction as he nodded.
Beth sighed, bit her lip, and began unbuttoning her shirt.