Thanks so much for reading, guys! It means the world that you're so supportive of the story.

I also hint at some stuff from Ella's past and changed the summary of the story, but I don't actually have any details.

Despite Alexia's disbelief, I knew where the library was and had been in it a couple times. The hard part was finding Sev Potter in the huge, sprawling room. I figured he'd be somewhere that was private, somewhere away from other people. Granted, I didn't know the kid, he just seemed like the type from what Stef had said. I also figured it was easier to get work done when you were alone in the quiet.

I checked all the corners to no avail, this boy was seriously hidden in the shelves. I was about to call it quits when I saw a shock of white blonde hair beside inky black swoop: Sev and Scorpius. I adjusted my skirt and robes before making my way over to them.

Scorpius was facing me and I saw his jaw go slack for a second before his eyes flashed back to Sev's. A look was exchanged, well, I assume it was exchanged, before Sev turned to look at me. I saw his cheeks turn a violent red as the tips of his ears quickly followed, I guess he didn't think Scorpius was telling the truth about my presence.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" I asked, perching on the edge of the table by Sev's hands.

Sev just stared at me without speaking so Scorpius quickly took the slack. "Studying for exams. What can we help you with, Ella?"

"I'm sure you've seen the flyers on the walls, but I wanted to personally invite the two of you to my party tomorrow night," I said, flipping my hair over my shoulder and biting my bottom lip demurely as I looked at Sev and asked, "You're coming, right?"

"Uh, probably not…" Scorpius said, Sev still speechless and staring. "Right, Sev?"

He nodded jerkily and managed to make it look like he wasn't on the border of a panic attack. "Yeah, we have a parchment over gillyweed due we haven't finished yet."

"I know, I have the same parchment due before we leave for Christmas," I replied, pushing his arm playfully. "That's more than enough time for you to finish it, you're brilliant, Sev."

His face had just calmed down but was flaming once again at my praise. "I don't know if I'm brilliant or anything. I just want to be finished so I can do my Head duties without worrying about it."

"Have you been to a party before? Drank alcohol?" I asked, pushing him a little bit further to see what happened.

"Uhm, I had champagne at my cousin Vic's wedding…" he trailed off, looking down at his parchment instead of me.

"You're James Potter's little brother! How have you never drank?" I asked, grinning when he tried to splutter out a response but came up blank. "Relax, Sev, I'm only kidding. I just think you should come to at least one party before we leave Hogwarts. It would mean an awful lot if I was your first."

Before he could start spluttering once again, I stood up and winked at him before turning and leaving the library. I could usually manipulate anyone into doing anything I wanted, and I'm pretty sure Sev was no exception. I saw the look on his face, just a little innuendo made him putty in my hands.

See? I told you I belonged in Slytherin -muggleborn or not.

"I've never seen this much alcohol in my entire life."

That was a very accurate statement, I don't think any of us had. Austyn's dad sent the alcohol to the basement of Honeydukes where we used the secret passage from the good ole Marauder's Map to sneak it to the Room. There were seven cases of Firewhisky with ten bottle in each case. So, in all, we had seventy bottles of liquor. Bryn took it upon himself to mix up some punch with a punch, his terrible pun not mine.

The party itself was close enough to the holidays that everyone was chomping at the bit for it. Classes got a bit tense toward the end of the semester and a rager was what everyone really needed to release some stress. I had a feeling there would be very little whisky left by the Saturday afternoon.

I shook myself and went back to charming the room to my liking. Alexia was responsible for music, Austyn definitely had alcohol covered, and after Bryn finished the punch he was going to help me soundproof the walls. Even if the Room was already soundproof, a little extra precaution wouldn't hurt. The professors usually ignored the sounds when they passed the room, and I wanted things to stay that way.

"B, you're going to also make sure no one below fifth year gets in, right?" I asked, charming the floor to repel any spills and never be slippery or sticky.

"I'm going to need your help with that charm, Ellie. I'm not quite at your level of expertise yet," he replied, winking in my direction and making Austyn howl in delight.

"You two are gonna shag again before we leave Hogwarts and I know it!" she shouted, making Alexia nod her head in agreement. "See, even Lexi agrees!"

I just ignored both of them and finished charming the couches to be stain resistant. Bryn and I got together an hour or so later to soundproof the Room. Then I closed my eyes and reopened them to see a fridge in the room. Bryn caught onto my idea quickly and put his punch inside. The last thing we needed was for it to go bad overnight and poison half of Hogwarts tomorrow. I don't think Headmistress McGonagall would over look that.

"It's almost curfew, we'd better head back to the common room," Alexia said, looking at the clock hanging on the wall.

Even if I wanted to argue, I knew she was right. I would come back after classes tomorrow and put the finishing touches on the Room. Everything was coming together so well, I was impressed with myself.

Class drug by Friday and I could tell the others thought so, too. Everyone was wound so tightly the room felt like a champagne bottle before it popped its top. A couple professors even dismissed class early because they couldn't handle the tension. I guess everyone wanted the party this year to be as good as the years before, myself included.

I was in my element, i.e. charms class, when an unfamiliar textbook sat on the table beside me. This was an advanced class so none of my friends were in here, there was actually only a handful of kids. With that being said, I figured I knew all the kid in the class –with the exception of Sev Potter it seems.

"My brother informed me that he put you up to inviting me to your party tonight," he said, completely ignoring pleasantries. "I'm not a charity case that needs the popular, unattainable, wildfire brunette to pay attention to me so I feel better about myself."

"Excuse me?" I asked, my jaw hanging slack without my permission. "What are you on about, Potter?"

"James sent me a letter saying I'd better go to the party you were throwing or I'd be a pussy for the rest of my life," he told me, anger making his eyes hard emeralds. "Where do you get off making me your pity case? I like being in the library, I like being Head Boy."

"I never said there was anything wrong with either of those things. I just wanted you to come to the party because I want everyone to be there," I explained timidly, my insides quivering at his loud voice. "Our big brothers are best mates, why can't we at least be friends?"

"Because I don't want to be your friend, Ella. I don't want to be one of the guys you drink with and then don't talk to the next morning. I don't want to be you and your shitty friends' charity case," he seethed before slamming his hands on the table, making me jump, and storming off.

I just sat there in shock for a couple minutes, fear coursing through me. Sev Potter never struck me as the shouting type, I figured he was always calm and reserved. I wasn't making him a charity case, I just wanted him to come and have fun. I also wanted him to tell James how fun the party was so he would brag to my brother about it…

The second I walked into the common room, my friends were all over me. I guess I looked as torn up on the outside as I did on the inside. I hated being yelled because of things I don't like to talk about. Sev's voice reminded me way too much of them and it made hysterical tears burn my eyes.

"Ellie, what's wrong? You look like you're about to start crying," Alexia cried, rushing forward and touching my shaking shoulders.

"Uhm, I don't think Sev's coming to the party tonight," I forced out past my quivering bottom lip. "I'm going to go take a shower and then go finish decorating the Room for tonight."

The last thing I wanted was to have a meltdown in the common room, there were way too many prying eyes. People were supposed to think I was the fun wild child without a care in the world, not a broken doll. That wasn't something I really wanted to talk about right now, it would be too hard to avoid a complete meltdown.

I stayed in the shower until my bottom lip stopped quivering and my eyes stopped burning. As soon as I got out, I took two shots of whisky back to back to calm my frazzled nerves. I went back into the dorm with Alexia in the middle of curling her hair and Austyn applying eyeshadow as Justin Bieber played. I was really thankful they didn't ask too many questions, it would make my life more complicated than it already was.

"Are you feeling better now?" Alexia asked, spelling her hair into place. "You look rough. I would recommend makeup and more liquor."

I flicked her off before doing as she instructed because she wasn't lying, I did look pretty bad. I guess having a minor breakdown in a shower with a silencing charm around it didn't make wasn't the secret to being beautiful. All that mattered was I was better now and makeup could fix even the ugliest of faces.

Forty-five minutes later we were finished getting ready and headed to the Room of Requirement for final touches. There was a little over twenty minutes before the party started and I still had to sit out cups of whisky.

"You look hot, Ella," Bryn said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist as I poured the final ones. "Fuck, you smell good, too."

"You look like you've already started drinking," I remarked, sliding out of his grip easily and putting some space between us. "And you smell like it, too."

He jutted out his bottom lip in a pout but ended up laughing and ruining it. Drunk Bryn ALWAYS tried to sleep with me, every single time. We were both sober my first time and there hasn't been a second. The last thing I wanted was to have sex with someone who was drunk, it would probably just add to my long list of baggage. I was well on my way to being able to supply a bloody luggage store already, I didn't need anymore.

"I see guests coming!" Alexia exclaimed, using the looking glass we'd installed earlier to see the hall outside the Room.

"Showtime, ladies and gentlemen!" I shrieked, lowering the lights and starting the music. "Let this end of the semester party begin!"

Thanks so much for reading again, I really appreciate it!