"I cannot believe she called you that!" Alexia exclaimed. "She's acting like the only man she ever shagged was Harry and I KNOW that's not the truth."

"I don't want to drag her and her sex life, I just wanted Sev to defend me," I replied, taking another spoonful of the ice cream sitting between the three of us on the table. "I thought he loved me, but I guess not."

Alexia, Austyn, and I were all sitting in Lex's kitchen and it was currently a quarter past two in the morning. I spent most of the night after I left the Potter house bawling in Stef's arms, letting him sooth me and threaten Sev with things that would most definitely get him kicked out of the Auror program. It wasn't the worst way to spend a night, if my entire body hadn't felt like it was caving in on itself I would've enjoyed it even more.

I sat my spoon on the table and pulled my knees up into the chair with me, laying my head on them. I foolishly thought Sev would always have my back after I told him everything. He knew how scared I was of being abandoned yet he didn't try to help me.

"I was so stupid to think he would be any different than any other guy," I sighed, tears burning my eyes against my will. "I just thought he was different, I thought he might actually stay."

My voice broke at the end of my sentence and I started crying again. Lex and Austyn immediately scooped me up and held me tight as I started to bawl for the millionth time in two days. "He promised me he'd stay. Why does everyone always leave?"

I sounded so pathetic and broken it made me want to vomit. Austyn spoke and tried her best to make things better for me, "We're not going anywhere."

"Just try and get rid of us," Alexia agreed, brushing one of my French braids over my shoulder and rubbing my shoulders.

"I don't want to be this girl anymore. I don't want to be the wild party girl that no one wants to be with," I told them, speaking the biggest fear I refused to admit until now. "Nobody's mum wants them to be in a relationship with me. I'm just the slutty friend."

"You are so much more than that and I could kick Sev's ass for making you feel like that's all you are," Austyn argued, brushing some of my fringe out of my eyes. "You're so outgoing and friendly, I've never met anyone who can make friends like you. You're also really talented at charms and DADA, even if you don't want anyone to know that last part."

"You're the best secret keeper I've ever met," Alexia added. "I know anything I tell you goes in the vault and never goes out. And you're a great listener, you could listen to me talk for hours and tell me everything I said when I ask. Plus you're so loyal to all of you friends, you'd do anything to make us happy."

"If Sev and his dumb mum can't see those things and all the other awesome things you bring to the table, neither of them are worth your time," Austyn amended. "As for being a slut, that's just bullshit and you know it."

"I love you guys," I exclaimed, trying to make myself get some semblance of control over my emotions again.

"You need to get back at him, make him remember how amazing you are!" Alexia suggested a couple minutes after I got a hold on myself

"The best way to get back at him is to get back out there," Austyn announced, eating a spoonful of the melting ice cream after she spoke. "James is having a party to celebrate him, Freddie, and Stef moving into their new flat tomorrow. Let's all get hot and go."

"You're right, that's exactly what I need to do. I'm not this girl, not the girl that gets all depressed over a stupid boy," I agreed, sitting up straighter and wiping my eyes. "I'm going to dance with the hottest guy there and have him eating out of the palm of my hand."

"There's our Ella! I missed her!" Lex shrieked, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me. "We're going to get ready for a party together and get super wasted!"

I was going to get so drunk I forgot my name and forgot all about Albus Severus Potter and how far he was up his mum's ass. Was it healthy? No. Was I going to do it anyways? Hell yes.

Austyn, Alexia, and I all got dressed at Austyn's house so Stef wouldn't see my outfit until I was already at his flat. The last thing I needed was for him to yell at me for my outfit choices. I wanted to look hot because it made me feel good about myself and it would attract attention, two things I desperately needed tonight.

We took a couple shots of firewhisky before we all used the Floo to go to my place and then to Stef's. He was already drinking with James and Freddie, but he smiled and made his way over until he saw what shirt I was wearing. His smile instantly turned into a frown and his finger came up, getting ready to wag in my face.

"Where the hell's the rest of your shirt?" he exclaimed, gesturing to my bare torso.

"I assume back at the factory in China where this shirt was made," I replied sassily, making Alexia and Austyn giggle. "Please let me have tonight without being a parental unit, I seriously need it."

He would've had an internal struggle if he wasn't already piss drunk. Well, he wasn't totally fucked yet but well on his way. He sighed before shrugging and going back over to the table with his beer sitting on it, turning the bottle up and chugging without stopping until it was empty.

"I'm sorry my brother's such a momma's boy, come drink with me," James said, walking over to us a little while later and slinging his arm around my shoulders.

Austyn was flirting with Brynn and Alexia was sitting on Freddie's lap at this point. Since they were both distracted, I allowed James to lead me out onto their balcony with a bottle of firewhiskey in one hand and mine in the other.

"Where's Alice? I figured she'd be here celebrating," I asked before taking a drink straight from the bottle and handing it back to him.

"Yeah, that's something you'd probably expect," he winced, taking his own drink. "You'd also probably expect her to say yes when I asked her to marry me because I did, too. But she didn't."

"What? You asked her to marry you and she said no?!" I asked in disbelief. "But you guys were awesome together!"

I took another drink as he explained the realness of the situation. "We've been fighting a lot lately, she's not as supportive of me going to the Academy as I thought she'd be. I figured if we got engaged, it would reassure her that she's it for me. I guess it wasn't what she wanted or I'm not it for her or something else I'm too drunk to understand because she turned me down flat in the middle of the very crowded, very public restaurant."

"You did a public proposal and she said no? That's so messed up," I chuckled, handing him back the bottle. "I don't know which one of us needs to get drunk the most."

He made a noise of agreement before taking another drink. I looked up at the sky, they had a really nice view from their flat. It was a really nice flat in general, they must be making bank right now unless Harry helped like I figured he did. I know mum didn't have anything to contribute to the cause, maybe George and Angelina helped a bit or something…

"If it means anything, I would've fought for you," he said.

I looked over at him and saw his big brown eyes were full of honesty. "I'm really glad you're in my life, Jay."

Before I even realized what was happening, James' lips were on mine and my back was pressed against the brick wall by the sliding glass doors that led out to the balcony. No one inside the party could see us, but that didn't really matter. We were both too drunk and heartbroken to care very much about who was watching.

He hefted me up and held me against the wall with his hips as one of his hands held my bare side and the other cupped my face roughly. Our kiss was hot and intense, both of us tilting our heads to get closer to the other and find the perfect angle. His fingers slipped into the back of my jeans and brushed the top of my ass, making me moan wantonly into his mouth.

"Fuck, Ella, you're so sexy," he groaned, pulling his mouth from mine to suck on my throat. "God, I wanted to do this for so long. You're so perfect."

"Take me back to your room," I slurred, tugging on his hair when he kissed the spot under my ear. "Merlin, take me now."

He pulled out his wand and apparated us there, sober enough to not draw attention and drunk enough to not have inhibitions. Exactly like me, also wanting to forget about exes and just lose themselves in something familiar.

I felt like there was a drum being pounded in my head and my stomach was flipping over itself when I woke up the next morning. I hadn't even eaten yet, but I felt like I was going to be ill everywhere. Instead of getting up, I rolled over and curled into the heat radiating from my side to fit the chill coursing through my body.

"Fuck, El, what'd we do?"

I opened my eyes immediately and saw that I was currently naked in bed with James Potter. "This was not what I meant when I said I wanted to fuck another guy."

"Yeah, this also wasn't what I meant when I said I wanted to get over Alice," he replied, rubbing his temples. "Also, my head feels like it got beat with a broom a couple times."

I laughed and immediately groaned when it bounced around in my head. "Fuck, don't make me laugh when I'm this hungover."

"From what I remember, you were really good," he told me as he dug around for a couple potions for the two of us.

I laughed again before downing the bottle and flopping backwards against his pillows. "Judging from the pain in my thighs and the state of my hair, I'm assuming you were too."

"Wow, that's cool, Ella," he told me, laying back down beside me on the pillows. "You've got great tits, by the way."

"Merlin, that's definitely when I take my leave," I groaned, crawling out of bed to find my clothes.

"Your bum's pretty great, too."

I flipped him the bird before pulling on my panties and his t-shirt and venturing out into the flat. Austyn and Brynn were passed out together on the couch and Alexia's purse was sitting on the kitchen island. I looked around for her, hoping she didn't go somewhere without her wand –what was inside her bag.

"So you did shag James?" Austyn groaned, rolling out from under Brynn's arm and coming over to stand with me by the island.

"Yeah, he definitely wasn't on my list of things to do last night, but here we are," I replied, twisting my hair on top of my head and wrapping my elastic around it.

"You fucked your ex's big brother?" Brynn asked in disbelief, shaking his head at me. "Wow, that's definitely a way to get back at him."

I didn't think of it in those terms, but Brynn was totally right. "Holy shit, I fucked my ex's big brother."

"Shit, that was not something I even thought about. I was drunk, James is hot, and things happen," I replied, flopping down on one of the stools. "Well, I guess I'm the pierced slut now."

"Mum really called you that?" James asked, coming out of his room in just his boxers. "Damn, Ginny's got some fire left."

"Fuck off, it's not funny. I had sex with you, Sev's big brother," I told him, slapping his chest with the back of my hand.

"Did you two breakup?" Austyn asked, leaning against the counter beside me. "Like, officially?"

I thought back to our conversation at his place and replayed our conversation in my head. "Dammit to hell, no! I think we're still together and I shagged someone else. Oh Merlin's balls, I'm a cheater. Ginny's going to have a field day with that one."

"Why does mum have to know?" James asked, taking a drink from the milk carton he got from the fridge. "I'm not planning on bragging to my mum about fucking one of my best mates when I was drunk off my ass and fucked up about Alice. That's not a conversation I want to have with anyone, especially mummy dearest."

"There were a ton of hot birds here last night and you choose my sister? What the hell, man?" Stef asked, coming into the kitchen and seeing my state of undress.

James just shrugged and handed the milk to Stef who mirrored his shrug and took a drink. He sat on the stool beside me and let out a whistle, "Damn, little sis, you took most of the skin from his back."

Everyone laughed and I shook my head, figuring that was the easiest way out. Even with all the lighthearted banter being passed between us all as Austyn and Brynn started making us all breakfast, a stone of guilt sank in my stomach. I didn't mean to cheat on Sev, it just sort of happened, and especially not with his big brother. That was one of the shittiest thing I ever could've done.

Dammit, I was definitely going to hell now.

Wow, okay. Yeah, this is a thing now.