'Pull me into your arms, say I'm the one you want.' - Beyoncé, Single Ladies

I spend my time above the ballroom people-watching, but I always find my gaze drawn back to that one girl in a shimmering crimson dress. She dances with James for a bit to cheer him up when Amy is chatting to another guy, then she twirls around the ballroom with Scor, and spends one song impatiently trying to teach Lysander how to dance.

But a few hours later finds me asleep on the gallery, a bottle of wine clutched in my hand.

"Drinking away your troubles?" I sit up with a start at the sound of a voice next to me and open my eyes to find Ria sitting on the floor next to me.

"You again."

"Me again." She agrees. "Thought I'd join you." She holds out her hand for the bottle but I set it down away from her.

"Back off. You've already had enough to drink."

"Potter, the only drink I had from that bar was a can of Red Bull. Which is now wearing off."

"Oh." I hand her the bottle sheepishly.

We sit in silence for a while, passing the bottle back and forth until I elbow her, pointing to something pretty unusual taking place in a corner of the dance floor. "Looks like mine and Scor's fathers are plotting something."

Dad and Mr Malfoy are huddled in a corner, speaking in low voices and looking way too serious for a New Year's Eve party.

Ria waves it away. "Uncle Drake was so happy to be invited to this party. It's like a sign that all his hard work to redeem his family name has paid off, you know? And he said he had something important to discuss with your dad."

"Want to make use of a pair of Extendable Ears?"

"Nah, mate. Leave them in peace. It's Uncle Drake's first time here."

"You don't mind that your parents weren't invited?"

"No. I think they're at home watching a film or something. Who cares?"

"Your family seem cool. No nagging you to wear fucking tuxedos or making digs at you about your future."

"Babe, the nagging clearly paid off. You can really wear a tuxedo."

I feel my cheeks heating up unexpectedly. "And you look gorgeous in that dress."

She grins, smoothing the dress over her legs. "Emma made it, along with Rose's dress. She's pretty amazing, right?"

"Yeah." I reach across to her legs and feel the soft material of the dress beneath my fingers.

She takes a swig from the bottle and passes it back to me. "James told me about the argument on Christmas Day."

I close my eyes. "Fuck him."

She rests a hand on my leg and I shiver unconsciously. "He's really trying. He wants to be a better brother to you than he's been."

I subtly place her hand back on the floor; I can't deal with that when we're having a serious discussion. "I don't want that. I'm so tired of my family. My dad's always off on his auror missions, saving the world and all that shit, while my mum's always moody because she's worried about dad, but at the same time she's on at me to be an auror. But I don't fucking want to be an auror!"

I sip the bottle and when she doesn't say anything, I carry on. "All my life I've been told I look like my dad. There's always been so much pressure on me to be like my dad, to be selfless and put everyone before myself, and I hate it. My parents were always so disappointed in me because I just can't live up to what everyone wants me to be; it's like I'm the fuck-up of the family. When my parents didn't take me to their press conferences any more, I realised the truth. They were ashamed of me. I mean, compared to straight-O student Lily and popular James, who wouldn't hate me."

Ria threads her fingers through mine. "Al, I adore your siblings, but fucking hell, I love you a whole lot more."

I shake my head, ignoring the thrill her words give me. I need to get this off my chest. "The thing is, Lily's great, but James has always made everything about himself, like he thinks he's so perfect when he's anything but. Neither my brother nor my parents give a damn about me, so fuck them."

I run a hand through my hair, clenching my fist in frustration. "Godric, I just get so angry sometimes."

"Don't want to rain on your dark parade, my friend, but at least give James a second chance."

"It's too late. I can't go back now; it's all about the principle. You…you wouldn't understand."

I shove the bottle to the side, suddenly angry, but Ria reaches out and takes it slowly.

She sips the wine for a while before leaning her head back on the wall and handing the bottle back to me. "You know that the Black family's reputation was in tatters after the War. And rightly so, all of them, with the exception of one or two rebels, were Death Eaters, at Voldemort's right hand, and they did the most horrific things in the War. A few of them were put in Azkaban, but there wasn't evidence enough to imprison all of them, so the survivors grouped together in the old Black mansion. And they still clung to their old beliefs of torturing and killing, but whatever, they never hurt any muggles living nearby so they were allowed to live in peace. But those of us descendants who had to socialise in the wizarding world had a hard job of it. Lucien and I were thrown abuse at, discriminated against, and even assaulted, simply for being part of an ill-reputed family. Scor and I have tried so damn hard to get past all those prejudices and show everyone that we're not like them. Uncle Drake worked his socks off to be respected again, and I want the Black name to be the same."

There's a lengthy silence before she continues quietly. "Lucien's alright. He's not a criminal, and he never used to be such a bastard. In fact, we used to be … well, it doesn't matter; the point is that I hate him because he's one of them. So trust me Al, I understand about the principle."

"Wow." I say finally. "I may hate my family, but yours is so fucked up it hurts."

She laughs bitterly. "That's one way to put it."

"I think you need more wine." I hand her the bottle.

"Damn right I do." She drinks slowly, relaxing against the wall, and leans her head on my shoulder. "You shouldn't listen to what they all say, Al. You're a good guy."

I frown. "Excuse me?! I've got a reputation to uphold here!"

She laughs. "Yeah, yeah. Your playboy reputation went down the drain the moment you announced you had a crush."

I scowl and push her head off my shoulder, leaning forward away from her, but something down below catches my interest. "Looks like Scor's in for an interrogation, Godric help him."

Ria crawls up next to me and peers down through the railings to where Uncle Ron has Scor cornered against the ballroom wall. "Still got those Extendable Ears?"

I grin and pull them out and we hold them to our ears, trailing the other ends down through the spiralling glitter to just above Uncle Ron's head.

"So, Scorpius Malfoy - "

"Yes sir." Scor is pulling out all the stops to charm my uncle, but Rose's dad looks annoyed at being interrupted.

"As I was saying, I hear you're dating my daughter."

"That would be correct." Credit to my best mate, he doesn't back down, even when my uncle gives him his best stare-down: Scor just looks back calmly.

"Do you intend on marrying her?"

Ria snorts.

"I would wait until at least a year after graduation before considering such a step forward." Oo, posh boy.

Uncle Ron looks reluctantly impressed. "Then what are your intentions with her?" Ah, the age-old question.

"I love Rose, and I want to make her happy." I roll my eyes.

Uncle Ron is now looking vaguely annoyed at how classy Scor is being. He wants a valid reason to dislike his daughter's boyfriend. So he just goes for it: "Are you sleeping with my daughter?"

Scor doesn't even blink. "I would never force Rose into anything she didn't want to do." Notice how he skilfully avoided the question?

Uncle Ron actually smiles and gestures to the empty table beside him. "Sit down, Master Malfoy."

After seven years of calling him Scor, Uncle Ron's now calling him 'Master Malfoy'.

Lol.

Scor sits down smoothly, back straight, and smile charming.

"What were your OWL scores?"

Oh shit. Academics is one thing Scor doesn't shine at.

"I received two Oustandings in Defence Against The Dark Arts and Potions, one Exceeds Expectations in Astronomy, and Acceptables in everything else except for Transfiguration, in which I got a Pass."

I know Scor worked fucking hard to get those marks, but Uncle Ron is looking murderous and Scor continues quickly. "I know that my OWL marks weren't satisfactory, so I intend to work harder for my NEWTs."

"Well, with marks like that, what future career are you planning on?"

There's a pause. "I hope to go into auror training." Ria sniggers next to me because Scor is lying through his teeth and we both know it. He'd never consider being an auror, because that irony is just too great.

However, Uncle Ron believes him, and frowns critically. "You need exceptional marks to get into auror training, and I just don't think you - "

"Ronald, what are you saying to the poor boy? You barely scraped the necessary marks for auror training yourself. I apologise on my husband's behalf, Scorpius. Don't let him insult you; you can do anything if you believe in yourself. It's so good to see you again." Thank Godric for Aunt Hermione. She pushes her husband away, and pulls Scor up into a warm hug.

Scor reciprocates thankfully and Rose bounds over to get him away from her parents as Aunt Hermione starts to scold Uncle Ron, who is scowling darkly. Once he is safely out of my uncle's eyesight, Scor reaches his hand up, then grabs the ends of the Extendable Ears and yanks them down, nearly toppling us over the railings. He looks up and blows us a mocking kiss, before shoving the Extendable Ears in someone's champagne flute and joining Rose for a slow dance.

Ria shoots him her middle finger before leaning back against the wall, laughing. "I can't believe he said he wants to be an auror."

"What else was he supposed to say? That he has no idea in hell what he wants to do after graduation?"

Ria's expression sobers up slightly. "Touchy subject, hey?"

I run a hand through my hair. "You can say that again."

She shakes her head, forcing me to look at her as she beams at me, eyes sparkling. "Babe, don't you see? You can be anything you want: an artist, an auror, hell even an actor. The possibilities are limitless." She extends a dramatic arm to support her point.

I just stare at her.

Ria sighs and pulls me back to sit beside her again and throws an arm around my shoulders. "Fine, screw that talk. Al, we're only in sixth year. We've got more than a year to decide what we want to be."

I shake my head. "A year goes faster than you think."

"Look, what do you like to do?"

"Have sex."

"Then be a prostitute."

I shove her. "Be serious."

"I am. Honey, you'd make a great prostitute."

I consider this. "It's a career choice I'm willing to consider. Other than the fact I might end up with some shit-ugly customers, I could give it a go. I could always charge them more."

"If you're thinking about money, what about being a stripper? They get paid a lot."

I snort. "Rose'd be a better stripper than me."

"Come on, Potter. Where's your libido gone? Imagine, people chanting your name as you step up to your pole. 'Alluring Al, show us some wood!'" She mimes chanting.

"Fuck." I choke on the wine I have started sipping again. "Where did you get 'Alluring Al' from? I sound like a perfume or something."

"Sweetie, if you were a perfume I'd wear you all day every day."

"That almost sounds like a pick up line."

She winks at me. "It is."

My eyes widen and I hear the chant starting.

Ten.

All I can see is her.

Nine.

She's still gazing at me, dark eyes smouldering.

Eight.

Why did I want to wait until her birthday?

Seven.

I remember the pub, when she was pressed against me, kissing me hard.

Six.

Godric, this girl is fucking irresistible.

Five.

My eyes land on her lips.

Four.

She licks her lips slowly. Bitch, she knows what she's doing to me.

Three.

My hand curves around her cheek.

Two.

I lean in.

One.

So close.

BOOM.

"HAPPY NEW YE – erm, did we interrupt something?"

I pull back sharply to see Emma and Lysander in front of us, eyes wide.

"No." I say quietly. "You didn't interrupt anything."

"Happy new year, besties!" Ria springs up and hugs them, trying to act casual, but I can see her face is flushed. "Let's go find Scor and Rose and then get the hell out of here."

We follow her down the steps to the ballroom, with Emma and Lysander shooting me covert glances the whole way. They stop once I glare at them.

We find Scor and Rose snogging in a corner of the room, colourful lights playing over them as fireworks go off outside. Once we manage to pull them apart, all six of us make our way down the driveway and out of the gate, Apparating away for an (extremely mature, let me tell you) sleepover at Scor's house, as has been our tradition since second year.

I only allow myself to think back to our practically sober near-kiss, when I am lying on a Transfigured mattress in Scor's living room a few hours later, unable to get to sleep.

After Apparating away from the party, Scor made a quick call to Domino's, and an extremely delicious meal of pizza and lemonade later, we got on to exchanging Christmas presents.

Ria loved the record player I agonised over getting her, Lysander rolled his eyes when he unwrapped the book I bought him, and Scor inspected the sneakers suspiciously. Rose scowled when she opened her present from me, and I just shrugged at the fluorescent pink dildo innocently. "What? I doubt Scor's dick is big enough to give you an orgasm, so I thought a dildo might help."

Surprisingly, Rose threw her head back and laughed, while Scor jumped on me and smothered me in wrapping paper, then threw an empty box at Rose for not sticking up for his dick. However, he soon forgot about that when Rose gave him his present of tickets to Egypt for the Easter holidays. Scor has never been exactly insecure about his relationship with Rose, but he recognised that the tickets represented a commitment from her that she was sure that they would still be dating in April. He pounced on her, but not to attack her like he did me, instead to snog her face off (I wouldn't have minded if he'd wanted to do that to me.)

But my own haul this year from my friends was pretty good. Emma and I have a tradition of buying each other a sketchbook every Christmas and this year was no different. However, Scor and Sander went for the soppy route, with Scor getting Lysander and me a leather friendship bracelet each ("Bros before hoes, mates." (Rose whacked him for that)), and Sander gave each of us a framed group photo. On the other hand, Ria bought me a leather jacket covered in swear words, which I put on immediately, while Rose decided to buy me a tub of lubricant.

We have similar ideas of what to get each other.

When I unwrapped it, she smirked at me. "For all the sex you're not having."

Scor and Ria then treated us to a rendition of 'Single Ladies', and once we booed them down for their awful dancing, we ended up having a competition on 'Just Dance' and once we got the surprising result of Emma being the best dancer, we accused the game of being fixed and crashed on mattresses in the living room, exhausted.

And only then does my mind float back to the near-kiss.