Chapter 9:
Ginny walked into the courtyard, seeing her friends were already there. As she got closer to them, she noticed a sad Amber, a consoling Astoria and a guilty-looking Pansy.
Ginny: What's wrong? Is everything okay?
Ginny sat next to Amber, concerned something terrible had happened.
Amber: We're… We're not invited to the Slytherin house party, anymore. Apparently something came up.
Ginny then started looking guilty too, sharing a look with Pansy.
Amber, too busy with feeling disappointed, did not notice this. Astoria, however, did.
Amber then started speaking very quietly. They all had to lean forward to understand what she was saying.
Amber: Draco was, apparently, hooking up with some girl yesterday evening.
Ginny had a look of sheer panic on her face.
Ginny: What? Why would you think that?
Amber: Lily told me, she heard it from Amelia and Amelia heard it from Ivy.
Nobody really knew what to say. But, after a while of trying to sheer Amber up, they knew she just needed some time. Amber left for her room, saying she needed to figure some stuff out on her own.
It was Tuesday, when Ginny and her girlfriends found themselves on their, regrettably, only free period together. As they were standing in the corridor, laughing at all the rushed first years trying to find their way to class in time., Amber suddenly got distracted by something out the window. Everyone looked at were she was staring. Obviously, Malfoy, ginny thought bitterly.
Amber: That Olivia, fifth year Ravenclaw, she could be it. Or Senna. She's totally his type.
Amber pointed to a dark haired girl, standing outside, laughing with her friends.
Pansy: What do you mean, his type?
Amber: Draco just really likes slender-build and athletic girls. Like you.
Amber turned to Ginny. Ginny laughed nervously. Amber continued, ranting.
Amber: So if Draco has a girlfriend, I'm 100% sure of the fact she's skinny. And if he really has a girlfriend, she'll obviously be there at the party this Friday and then I'll immediately know who it is.
Ginny felt the rush of panic begin to settle in again.
Pansy: Party? What party?
Amber: Just something thrown by the seventh years of Ravenclaw. Every house is welcome. And we're all going.
Amber looked the three of them, one by one, deadly in the eyes.
Ginny: Amber, I don't really think I-
Amber: C'mon, you have to join. You hardly go outside lately.
Astoria: Yeah, last week you didn't either.
Ginny: I just wasn't feeling well.
Astoria looked at her suspiciously.
Amber: Oh, it's almost time. I'm gonna go to the bathroom really quick.
Amber left the three of them when Astoria suddenly gasped.
Astoria: Oh, my God, it's you. Right? You're Malfoy's secret girlfriend?
Ginny and Pansy looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Taking their silence as a yes, Astoria started freaking out. Ginny quickly put her hand on Astoria's mouth.
Ginny: Shh.
They got weird looks from people passing in the halways, but that was the least of Ginny's worries right now. Astoria then looked at Pansy, gasping once again as Pansy did not look shocked at this new information.
Astoria: You knew? How could you not tell me? Oh, my God.
Ginny shushed Astoria again and worriedly looked around the hallway, making sure Amber wasn't anywhere near them anymore.
Ginny: Okay, listen to me. We met once and it wasn't even a date.
Astoria covered her mouth with her hand.
Ginny: I did that for Amber, okay?
Astoria: For Amber?
Ginny: You know how crazy she goes for Malfoy. So… I asked him to cancel the party last Saturday. And in return, I had to spend 30 minutes with him alone.
Astoria: And you really don't feel anything for him?
Ginny: No. No, Astoria, of course not. We're still talking about Draco bloody Malfoy.
Astria and Pansy looked at each other and then expectantly at Ginny.
Ginny: Stop looking at me like that. I really don't!
Seeing Ginny rapidly defend herself, Pansy and Astoria burst out laughing.
Ginny: Okay, but you now understand why I can't go to that part Friday? If Malfoy gives me any sort of attention there, Amber's gonna notice and she's gonna be heartbroken.
Pansy and Astoria got a bit more serious after hearing that.
Pansy: Shit.
The end of their free period came closer, so they made their way towards their classes, Pansy and Astroria still giggling.
Friday, the evening of the party, Ginny sat in one of the common room chairs, reading a book, when suddenly the portrait hole burst open and a very drunk Pansy appeared.
Pansy: Amber's crying.
Ginny: What? Why?
Pansy then mumbled something, yet ginny could make out nothing out of her drunken blabbering. Ginny sighed. She took Pansy by the hand and dragged her to the Ravenclaw tower. The blasting music grew louder, the closer they came to the Ravenclaw common room. The hallway was filled with people smoking, snogging and throwing up. Ginny entered the common room, the blue flickering lights hurting her eyes. Pansy had already taken off. Probably to go drink some more, Ginny thought. Suddenly a pair of arms surrounded her, in a weak yet powerful embrace. Ginny turned around to see an also very drunk Astoria.
Ginny: Astoria, where's Amber?
Ginny almost screamed to make herself audible above the blasting music.
Astoria leaned in to Ginny's ear.
Astoria: She's gone back, probably to bed.
Ginny could reek the alcohol from Astoria's breath.
Ginny: Why? What happened?
Astoria: Drama.
Astoria rolled her eyes. Ginny had to catch her from falling backwards.
Ginny: Did Malfoy say anything?
Astoria looked at her, not giving any kind of reaction.
Ginny: Astoria, did Malfoy say anything?
She repeated. Astoria then nodded her head aggressively. Ginny started panicking. She took Astoria by the hand and led her to the bathrooms, where the music was dimmed a bit.
Ginny: Astoria, I need you to tell me exactly what happened.
Astoria: I'm not 100% sure, uhm, but I think Malfoy went to ask Amber where you were. And then Amber asked why he needed to know that and then I just think something clicked in her head and she realized it was you. Y'know, that you're the girl Malfoy met.
Astoria, despite being hammered, looked apologetically at Ginny. She then gave Ginny an encouraging tap on the shoulder and left the bathroom, leaving Ginny. Ginny didn't know what to do. Amber knows, holy shitting fucks, Amber knows. Ginny then went after Astoria, back into the blasting common room, but could not find her. I need to know what happened to Amber, Ginny panickily thought. She searched, and searched, but could not find Astoria anymore. So she stood there, between dancing, sweating teenagers, whom were drinking and smoking. Suddenly she got a cup shoved into her hand. She looked up at Blaise Zabini.
Blaise: Hello, Ginny Weasley.
Ginny gave him a quick 'hello' back, making Blaise realize she wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to him so he just clinked his cup against hers.
Blaise: Cheers.
He then left her to go play some beer pong at the other side of the common room. Ginny felt hopeless. Amber was heartbroken and it was all her fault. Her 2 other friends were probably somewhere passed out on a couch or snogging some horny seventh year, leaving Ginny all alone. Ginny's eyes started forming tears and she ran back into the bathrooms. She quickly went into one of the stalls and locked the door. Ginny's back was against the wall as she slowly started descending to the ground. Eventually all that was left, was a heap of tears, squatting on the ground. She had done everything in her power not to get Amber hurt, yet now had hurt her more than Dracon could've. To find out your best friend had been secretly meeting your crush was a low blow. Not even the thought that she did it for Amber could console the mess of tears and snot sitting on the ground of the Ravenclaw bathroom stall. After a few minutes, Ginny finally looked up. She stared at the red, plastic cup, Blaise had shoved into her hands. Ginny could only think about drinking it. If everyone else found it so enjoyable, why couldn't she? And so with one big gulp, she swallowed down the liquor, burning in her throat. Ginny coughed and her face scrunched up in disgust. Before she knew it, though, Ginny was back out into common room, searching bottles of hard liquor. She refilled her cup, again, and again, and again. Ginny had never drunk alcohol before, knowing her mother would kill her if she found out, but having started, ginny couldn't stop. She kept filling her cup with the most bizarre and disgusting liquids she'd ever tasted. It's not like she kept drinking for the taste. God, no. But for the feeling. She'd suddenly forgot why she'd been crying in the first place, her body felt light and it was like she was swimming through the room in search for more magic liquors.
During her search for a bottle which she had not finished yet, she bumped into someone. Though the collision wasn't that hard, it was almost enough to make ginny stumble of her feet, had it not been for those 2 strong arms keeping her upright. She looked up at the stranger and through her blurry vision, could make out the platinum blond hair, piercing grey eyes and concerned look of Draco Malfoy.