"A party?" Rose asked incredulously. "You're throwing a party?"
"Well why not Rosie?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And I would've thought you'd be more enthusiastic. Plenty of opportunity for dancing on tables."
"I'm a reformed soul," Rose said primly.
"Ah of course," James said. "When you want to be Mrs. Minister you have to keep your pants on at all times."
"Mrs. Minister?" Rose said, her tone rather dangerous.
"Aw Rosie, you know I'm only teasing," he said with a happy sort of smile, that Rose couldn't help but return.
"Though that is something to consider," she said with a sigh. "Skeeter's honestly become worse since the announcement."
"Yeah she sneaked in after you," James said, subtly gesturing toward the vicious blonde journalist sitting in the corner of the restaurant.
"See," she said. "It's only one o'clock. Does she really think I'll be doing something scandalous in broad daylight?"
"She lives in hope," James said, waving to Skeeter who looked rather put out that she had been discovered.
"I just had a shift from hell," Rose said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And I have Scorpius' fundraising lunch tomorrow. I highly doubt I can get to your party."
"Come on Rose," he cajoled. "You like my parties. They're always fun. And bring Malfoy along. He could do with a bit of fun. He's been running around kissing babies for the last week, which couldn't have been easy on his nerves."
"Fundraising tomorrow," Rose said. "Do you not listen to a word I say?"
"I have to come to that too," James pointed out. "Just shove a few hangover potions down his throat and he'll be fine."
"And you've literally given me no time to even think about it," Rose said. "I mean you could've owled."
"Can you even hear yourself speak?" James asked. "You basically just said you couldn't come to a party because I didn't tell you in advance. What happened to you Rosie? You used to be able to throw a dress on and get going in five minutes flat."
"Well now I have a job from hell," she said, snappily. "And a boyfriend who wants to be the Minister for Magic."
"Details details," James said dismissively. "I'll tell you what. Sleep off that last shift and shower, because you smell like dead people and then come home by eight."
"It's starting at eight?" Rose asked skeptically.
"Well family should be there early," James said. "Rose I swear if you don't come I'll tell everyone about that time you got into Uncle Ron's Firewhiskey stash, threw up all over the kitchen floor and blamed it on Hugo."
"You're resorting to blackmail?" Rose asked. "Really?"
"I just don't want you to turn into Molly," James said.
Rose gasped. "You take that back," she said. "At least I still shave my legs."
"Just you wait," James said, shaking his head with mock sadness. "In a couple of months you too will be a hairy, friendless loner with several nifflers in her backyard."
"Fine," Rose said, glaring at him. "I'll come to your stupid party and I'll drag Scorpius along."
"That's all I needed to hear," James said, sounding far too satisfied with himself.
"But when Lorcan Scamander starts blowing his top the next morning because Scorpius looks more like a homeless felon than a ministerial candidate I will send him to yell at you," Rose warned.
"Oh Scamander's going to be there," James said nonchalantly. "I've invited everyone."
Rose was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Scorpius came up behind her, spun her around and kissed her.
"Now you've made me ruin my eyeliner," she remonstrated.
He laughed and kissed her on the cheek.
"You seem far too happy," she said, wiping off the uneven black line above her eye."
"Do you know how long its been since I've gone to an actual party?" Scorpius said.
"Hey I've been party deprived for much longer than you," Rose said. "And you don't see me giggling like a twelve year old."
"Well that's your fault," Scorpius said. "No one said Healer training was easy."
"Well since you're so eager we had better get there quickly," Rose said, smoothening down her electric blue dress.
"You look beautiful by the way," Scorpius said, kissing her on the cheek again.
"I know," she said with a smirk.
They flooed to James and Sophie's huge house.
"I should become a professional Quidditch player," Rose said, looking at the elaborate living room appreciatively.
"You made it," Sophie said, sounding distinctly unenthusiastic. "I'll go call James."
"Well its nice to see she's as awful as ever," Rose said, after their hostess had left the room.
"Rose!" James said, walking in with a large drink in his hand.
"What is that?" Rose asked, riveted by the odd colour the alcohol.
"This is rum, vodka, tequila and gin," he said triumphantly. "It's brilliant."
"It sounds disgusting," Rose said.
"Well Muggles created it," James said. "It's called Long Island Iced Tea."
"Does it have any tea in it?" Scorpius asked curiously.
"Nope," James said. "I never get these Muggles. They do figure out cool ways to get drunk though."
"Oyehh Potter!" a cry came from the fireplace as several large men tumbled out.
"I assume this is your Quidditch team," Rose said, as the large men jumped on to her cousin displaying general animal spirits.
"You guessed right Rosie," James said with a laugh. "Now who wants a Long Island Iced Tea?"
The Quidditch team all hollered in general assent and went to the makeshift bar that James had set up at the corner of the room, which was being staffed by several extremely professional looking house-elves.
"Come on Rose," James said. "I'll get you a drink."
Very soon the entire room was packed with people and to Rose's annoyance Lorcan Scamander had turned up as well.
"Look Scamander," she said, when she found himself standing next to him. " I know you don't think this is a good idea but we'll be at the lunch tomorrow looking like Merlin's gift to man so don't worry about it."
"When did I say this was a bad idea?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just here to enjoy myself. As long as you two don't pull something stupid I can't see why we all can't have fun."
Rose glared at him suspiciously while he smiled at her winningly.
"Now if you'll excuse me," he said. "I think I'm going to try one of those Long Island Iced Teas that your cousin has been going on about."
"It's your funeral," Rose muttered under her breath as he made his way to the bar.
"One Long Island Iced Tea," Lorcan said to the diminutive house-elf.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," someone said.
He turned around to find Lily Potter sipping on a dark-ish beverage.
"I'll have what you're having then," he said, with a grin. "It's been a while hasn't it baby Potter."
"Oh I can have a Long Island Iced Tea," she said. "But you're far too much of a lightweight to even think about it."
"And how would you know?" he asked.
"I can just tell," she said.
"I see you're as hostile as ever baby Potter," he said.
"Here's sir's Iced Tea," the house-elf squeaked, thrusting a tall glass into his hand.
"And you're still a dick," she said.
"Guilty," he said, raising his glass to her.
To Lily Potter's horror she found herself observing that despite his obvious dick-ish-ness, Lorcan Scamander was undoubtedly a rather good looking specimen of the male variety. Maybe it was his rather wicked, elfin features, or maybe it was the fact that despite the fact he was entirely clothed it was blatantly obvious that he had what could only be described as a rather hunky body. Whatever it was Lily suddenly felt the urge to find one of James' spare bedrooms and rip the clothes off of the man smirking in front of her. She quickly set aside her drink. Screwing Scamander would definitely not be a good step.
"Done already?" Lorcan asked, amused. "I guess you're the lightweight."
"Taking a break," Lily said. "This is my second. I know how to be sensible Scamander."
"If that's how you want to play it," he said with a shrug.
"Ah fuck off," she said, thankful that her brief attraction to him had disappeared.
"I think I quite like it here," he said meditatively taking a sip of his drink. "I think I'll stay."
"You're the single biggest annoyance I have ever met," Lily said bitingly.
"And you're a lightweight," he replied.
She let out a huff, grabbed her drink off the bar counter and downed a good portion of it.
"Just try me Scamander," she said.
He laughed delightedly. "It'd be my pleasure."
"A round of tequila shots please," Lily said, glaring at Scamander.
"Tequila already Potter?" Lorcan asked. "I haven't even finished my Iced Tea."
"Well then I guess you had better get started," Lily said. "Instead of sipping it like it's your morning coffee."
Lorcan obliged, finishing his drink much faster than was advisable.
"Are you ready?" Lily asked, holding up a tequila shot which he took from her with an amused expression.
He had always known that Lily Potter was beautiful but all of a sudden she seemed far more interesting. There was a hint of recklessness in her behavior that was a definite turn on.
They clinked glasses and downed the shot, not bothering with salt or lime.
"Another round," Lily said.
"Take it easy Potter," Lorcan said with a laugh. "You wouldn't want to do something you might regret."
"I've done plenty that I regret already," Lily said. "It really doesn't matter anymore."
"Its all up to you," Lorcan shrugged as the house-elf served up two more shots. "I'd much rather we get salt and lime though."
Lily just nodded and asked the house-elf for a bowl of salt. She put salt between her thumb and forefinger while Lorcan got a plate of lime wedges from the obliging house-elves.
"Ready?" she asked as he put salt on his hand.
He nodded and she licked the salt off her hand in one practiced sweep of her tongue and threw back the shot.
Lorcan grinned and followed suit. The sight of Lily Potter's tongue licking something off anything would undoubtedly cause anyone attracted to the female sex a certain amount of pleasure.
"Ready for round three?" she asked, challengingly.
"Slow down cowboy," he said, laughingly. "Give that at least a second to settle in."
"Lightweight," she scoffed.
He supposed that was true. He could already feel himself getting slightly lightheaded. The speed at which he had consumed his iced tea, not to mention the two shots he had in quick succession had made him feel rather uninhibited.
"Alright," he said, knowing he was going to regret it in the morning. "Bring it on."
As the effect of the third shot began to settle in Lily realized that she was feeling less and less annoyed with Lorcan Scamander by the minute.
"Oof," a rather large Quidditch player careered into Lily.
"If anymore people arrive this place'll explode," Lorcan said.
"We could always take this upstairs," Lily said, well aware that by inviting Scamander into a bedroom alone she was making a decision that couldn't be unmade. But a sort of recklessness had overtaken her. If her brothers could sleep with totally inappropriate people so could she. And Scamander was definitely totally and entirely inappropriate.
"Can we have a bottle of tequila?" she asked the house-elf, who looked rather shocked by her request but handed her one nonetheless.
"I'll take the shot glasses and the tequila and you get the salt and lime," she said authoritatively.
"Yes ma'am," he said, mock saluting her.
They walked upstairs, the tension between them growing with every step.
Lily opened the door of a bedroom and finding it unoccupied settled herself on the floor. Lorcan sat next to her, his side just about touching hers but not quite. She slowly opened the bottle of alcohol and poured it into the glasses. She turned around to face him and gently took hold of his wrist.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice suddenly a few octaves lower.
She just smiled wickedly and put salt on his wrist. She bent her head down and slowly licked it off. He breathed deeply as her tongue lingered on his skin. She straightened up, picked up the shot glass and downed it. She bit down on the lime.
"Your turn," she said, holding out her arm.
But instead of taking it he gently pushed her down and brushed her hair away from her neck. He sprinkled some salt just below her collarbone and licked it off. He drank the shot and bit down on the lime as she sat up.
"You're up again Potter," he said but instead of reaching for the salt Lily pulled him towards her. She pressed a rather chaste kiss to his lips and moved away.
"Take off your shirt," she said, her voice rasping slightly.
He pulled it off as quickly as possible and it was now her turn to push him down on the carpet and she straddled him. The salt was sprinkled on his well-defined abdomen and he could feel himself stiffen as she licked it off. After she finished her shot he flipped her over so she was now on the bottom.
"I think I've had enough," he murmured and he kissed her, pressing his whole body on to her.
"Lightweight," she whispered, when he let her up for air.
"Shut up," he said, effectively silencing her with another kiss.
a/n: I know its been an age and I really do suck but I promise I'll be better. Its just been an extraordinarily busy summer but all my friends are heading off to uni but since I'm going to the UK I start a month later. I hope it hasn't been so long that people don't remember what happened. Anyway please tell me what you think and thank you to everyone who reviewed :)