TW - UNDERAGE DRINKING, ALCOHOL ABUSE

Chapter 14

School had been back in session for two weeks, which was just long enough for every single professor at Hogwarts to assign a mountain of homework and upcoming exams that Vivian was struggling to stay on top of.

Okay, admittedly she wasn't trying that hard to stay on top of anything. Though she was doing her best to hide it, her motivation had yet to return to her and most of her "study sessions" in the library consisted of her staring into space for an hour or two then returning to Gryffindor with the hopes that Alicia or Angelina had already completed the assignment and would let her copy. Lucky for her, her friends still felt bad enough for her that they always handed it over with no complaints–silver linings right?

She was leaning back in her chair, gazing out the darkening library window and twirling her quill between her fingers when someone sliding into the chair across from her pulled her from her reverie with a jump.

"I thought you guys had quidditch tonight," she blinked in surprise at George who grinned at her from across the table.

"Wood let us out early. Think he's got a date or something," he answered with an unconcerned shrug as he eyed the nearly empty paper in front of her. "Ready to give up on homework and come join the party that Fred is putting on in the common room to celebrate?"

Vivian groaned, glancing at the clock and down to her unfinished Transfiguration homework.

"I have to at least pretend to try to get this done tonight…" she started, scowling down at her parchment.

"Oh please," George rolled his eyes as he stood up, shuffling her books and papers back into her bag, despite her halfhearted protests before slinging her bag over his shoulder and offering his hand for her to take.

She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't fight the smile that tugged on the corners of her mouth as she laced her fingers with his and allowed herself to be walked out of the library and pulled through the sparsely populated halls. Truthfully, she had been practically looking for an excuse to give up on her homework for the night, so it wasn't going to take much convincing to get her out of there.

They were rounding the corner that would have led them to the Gryffindor stairs when she suddenly felt herself being tugged in the opposite direction and pulled into a nearby broom closet.

"Kind of an odd place for a Gryffindor party no?" she joked aloud as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, allowing her to see the tall ginger in front of her.

"You're so funny," George deadpanned, pressing their lips together before Vivian could come up with an equally sarcastic retort. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down closer to her while he tilted her head back to deepen the kiss, a silent request she happily obliged.

Wrapped in George's arms and shuttered away from the rest of the world, her brain finally turned off, shuttling all her anxious, ugly thoughts out of the picture, if only temporarily. He had a real knack for completely derailing her brain–whenever he was around, the only thoughts she seemed to be capable of having revolved around him.

They had naturally been spending an increasing amount of time together since returning to Hogwarts several weeks ago and while she had been worried that adding a romantic element to their relationship would make things awkward, the two of them just clicked in a way that threw all her fears out the window. And though they had yet to put an official label on anything, or even discuss the matter really, it was clear to Vivian that George had already managed to root himself in her heart. There was no going back to being Just Friends now.

By the time they made it out of the broom closet and back to Gryffindor, the party that Fred had put together in an hour was already in full swing and absolutely packed. Music blared while students from all houses were crammed into the common room, many of them clearly having already taken full advantage of the well stocked drink table in the corner of the room.

"Can I get you a drink?" George asked, crouching down to speak in her ear so she could hear him over the party noise.

"Yes please," she said, grabbing her school bag from him so she could drop it off in her dorm before rejoining the party.

Once she got back downstairs, she found George standing with the rest of their group near the drink table, holding both of their drinks in front of him. Greeting her friends, she took her place standing next to George, taking a big gulp of the mixed drink he handed her, grimacing slightly at the burn of the liquor.

"And what exactly took you two so long to join us?" Alicia asked her, nudging Angelina as the two slyly glanced at George who was distracted in conversation with Fred and Lee.

"Nothing," she replied, failing to suppress her grin despite the blush that took over her face.

The other two girls looked like they were both about to demand more information when they were interrupted by Fred, who abruptly began corralling their group towards their usual seats near the fire, insisting they all play a drinking game.

"Truth or Dare: an ancient game that's been played by the drunk and bored for a millenia," Fred began, standing in the middle of their seated circle as though about to make a grand speech. "Some say it was the first game ever invented-"

"That can't be true," Vivian interrupted, giggling when she received a glare from Fred.

"Whatever the case may be," Fred continued, choosing to act as though Vivian hadn't spoken. "It's the perfect game for us to play now, on this magical night," he finished, taking his seat in between Angelina and Lee.

"Oh-kay. Fred, truth or dare," Angelina asked, getting the ball rolling.

Fred's eyes lit up, a mischievous glint taking over his face as he grinned at her.

"Dare, obviously."

"Dare you to write a letter to McGonagall telling her how much you adore her class and send it," Angelina grinned at him, while the rest of the group winced at the painful dare.

"Pssh, easy," Fred said, before running up to his room to retrieve a piece of parchment and quill. "Minnie already knows how much I love her," he said seriously once he returned. "Now let's see. Dear Professor McGonagall, your class is the highlight of my day. I lay awake at night counting down the minutes until Transfiguration starts again. Monday morning can't come soon enough! Love, Fred Weasley."

The others crowded around Fred watching as he wrote to see if he was actually writing what he read out loud, earning scoffs of disbelief at his intimate sign off. Borrowing Alicia's owl, he quickly sealed the letter and sent the owl off on its delivery. Returning to the group, Fred had a massively smug smile at their still incredulous faces.

"Class should be interesting on Monday. Right okay," Fred said, rubbing his hands together as a devilish grin grew on his face. "Georgie, truth or dare?"

George narrowed his eyes at his brother, not liking the glint in his eyes one bit.

"Truth," he said finally, though his confidence came crashing right down when Fred's grin grew wider, apparently having hoped that his twin would pick truth from the start.

"Are you and Vivian officially an item?" Fred asked immediately, seeming to have already had the question locked and loaded before George even picked truth.

All eyes quickly darted between George and Vivian who felt her face redden at the sudden ambush, though she turned to George, who had turned a shade of red she had never seen on a human being before, curious to hear his answer to the question.

"I- Well we- I mean we haven't really…talked about-" George continued to stammer, turning to Vivian for help when everyone continued looking at him expectantly for a real answer. She only smirked at him in response, enjoying watching him flounder just slightly. "You know what, I think I pass," he said finally, sending Vivian a defeated look, much to the amusement of the group.

"You can't pass!" Fred yelled, outraged. "That defeats the whole purpose of the game!"

"I think he should be allowed to pass but he has to take a drink," Vivian stated as she leaned her chin on her knuckles.

"What! That's not a rule," Fred shook his head, determined to get an answer out of his twin.

"I'm pretty sure I've heard of that rule," Angelina commented, ignoring the daggers Fred sent her in response.

"Then it's settled," George said before tipping his cup back and taking a big gulp from his drink.

"Okay fine," Fred finally conceded once it was clear the others were fine with the new rules, though his tone made it clear that he was less than pleased with the outcome. "But that means I get another turn asking sooooo V, truth or dare?"

Vivian rolled her eyes at his cocky grin, having seen that one coming from a mile away.

"Dare," she said in her most self-assured voice, happy to avoid Fred's questions just like George had. Fred, however, did not seem hindered in the slightest.

"Okay, I dare you to tell us what your intentions are with my dear, sensitive twin brother," Fred demanded, arrogant grin nearly popping off his face.

"That's cheating!" she cried, pointing at the older Weasley twin accusingly.

"It is not, it's a legitimate dare!" Fred insisted, earning the mumbled support of the rest of the group who Vivian silently cursed.

"Then I pass," she said, casually shrugging her shoulders as she took her required gulp of her mixed drink and smiling innocently at their disappointed grumbles.

It wasn't that she particularly cared if their friends knew that she and George were more than friends now–she was pretty sure they had all figured it out anyway. They weren't being subtle after all. But she did think it would be nice if her and George could have a real conversation about it before making any declarations about the state of their relationship to the rest of the group.

The game of truth or dare continued on for several more rounds and, irritatingly, it seemed to become the collective goal of the group to get her and George to spill the beans on what was going on between the two of them. By the time the game ended with Alicia and Angelina excusing themselves to use the bathroom, and Fred and Lee jumping up to get a refill from the drink table, Vivian had gotten a significant buzz going from all the pass drinks she'd had to take.

"Do you want to dance?" George's voice was suddenly in her ear, the ginger having moved himself over so the sides of their thighs were touching. He reached out a hand to trace shapes on her knee with his finger while he waited for her answer.

"Yes," she nodded, returning his grin and taking the hand he offered her to pull her up from her seat. Together they pushed their way through the crowded dance floor, stopping once they had reached the middle. He wrapped his hand around her hip, pulling her closer to him so that her back was flush against his chest, the alcohol in her blood and the pulse of the music making it easy to join the rhythm of the crowd as the two swayed together to the current fast paced song that blasted throughout the common room.

The fast song ended, fading into a slower song. Vivian turned around so that she was now facing George who grinned as she looped her arms around his neck, pulling the two of them closer together. With him so close, she truly couldn't help herself, capturing his lips with her own and tugging him further down to her height. His surprise only lasted for a moment before he was returning the kiss, running his hands up her sides while his tongue traced her bottom lip.

The sounds of wolf whistles tore them apart. Whipping their heads to the side, they were greeted with Angelina and Alicia, both of them sporting knowing grins on their faces. A stern glare from Vivian was enough to send them away, both in a fit of giggles as they looked back at the newly forming couple.

"You know if I didn't know any better, I'd say you fancied me, Mento," George teased once they had gone, though the obvious flush that had filled his features and the way his eyes presently gleamed as he gazed down at her didn't make him seem all that more innocent in terms of fancying.

"Maybe a little bit," she shrugged, feigning nonchalance as she struggled to keep her composure, feeling like the butterflies in her stomach were going to make her explode when he was looking at her with such tenderness. The two of them stayed that way through the next three songs, not caring when they turned back to fast paced, when they were lost in the music between them.

"I'll be right back," George pulled away after another song ended and grinning softly at the pout she gave him in response. "Need to use the loo. Do you need anything, love?"

She smiled at him, instantly losing the pout at the use of the nickname–which certainly had been his intention. Shaking her head and letting him plant a quick kiss on her cheek before pushing his way through the crowd towards the restrooms.

Rather than stand in the middle of the dance floor by herself, she decided to go hunt for Alicia and Angelina. She'd be generous and give them a couple scraps of gossip that she knew they were dying for. Not that it would have been hard for them to draw their own conclusions, seeing as the two girls had caught her and George in a very friendly embrace.

She wasn't watching where she was going, splitting her focus between scanning the crowd for her apparently very allusive friends and taking a sip from her cup when her shoulder collided with another girl who was trying to pass by.

"Gosh, I'm so-oh hey Vivian!"

"Hey Rena, sorry I didn't even see you there," the girl's shared a laugh together, moving closer to the wall so they would be less in the way of the other passing partygoers. Vivian and Rena met in their shared Care of Magical Creatures class and since most fifth years neither needed nor wanted to take the class, having grown tired of the constant wounds one would collect during the lesson, and for lack of much other option, the two girls had quickly become casual friends. They weren't going to hang out outside of class or anything like that, but they were perfectly content chatting together during class and helping each other out on assignments.

"How have you been?" Rena asked, practically shouting so she could be heard over the music. Based on the way she was swaying slightly against the wall, Vivian had a hunch that the drink in her hand was not Rena's first of the night.

"Fine," Vivian shrugged as she glanced around, hunting for any sign of red hair in the sea of students. "You?"

"Oh I'm good. Hey I wanted to say I was really sorry to hear about your parents," Rena yelled back, halting Vivian in her tracks and distracting her completely from her hunt for her group.

"Oh, um, thanks. I didn't know everyone knew about that," she said carefully, an innate sense of panic immediately settling in her stomach at the statement.

"I heard some other Slytherins talking about it at breakfast the other day," Rena casually informed her, completely unaware of the distress her words were causing the Gryffindor. "I guess they overheard Dumbledore talking about it to Snape or something?"

Vivian clenched her jaw slightly, her panic being momentarily overcome with her annoyance for the school's headmaster. The Slytherins must have overheard him excusing her from Snape's end of term potions exam. A kind favor from the old man, but one would think that at his age he would have mastered the art of discretion or, at the very least, had the good sense to not spread student's personal matters throughout the school.

It was no secret by now that Vivian was a rather private person, always keeping things close to the vest. Sure at this point that was mostly out of habit from her exceedingly secretive upbringing, and sure there was really no reason that her parent's deaths would need to be a secret here at Hogwarts seeing as none of the students or faculty here would have any connection to any of the American families, but it unnerved her to think that an unknown number of students were discussing her and her family life without her having any idea, not to mention discussing information that even she hadn't fully processed yet.

She still wasn't totally used to how quickly the gossip mill turned at a school the size of Hogwarts. At her old school back home, the five hundred-something students per graduating class made it nearly impossible for any one person to have the whole school talking about them in even the most gossip-worthy situations. But even so, the unexplained deaths of a family member, let alone two family members at the same time–that's information that would be kept under a tight lock and key. Back home, having a bunch of random teenagers knowing any kind of family information would have been a huge problem. Back home she would have had to explain to the Elders just how she let their secrets get out into the world and let them decide how to handle it (and her).

She shook her head slightly, reminding herself where she was. She wasn't back home and there was no reason that her perfectly nice friend knowing about her parents should be filling her with the amount of dread she was currently experiencing.

"Right, yeah just one of those things I guess," Vivian said finally after a moment of silence, downing the rest of her drink in desperation for any kind of distraction from the suddenly awkward conversation she found herself stuck in.

"I mean I don't know WHAT I'd do if something happened to either of my parents-," Rena continued, her words coming out slightly slurred in her inebriated state.

"Mmhmm," Vivian hummed in response, now darting her eyes quickly around the rest of the common room, hoping her friends had moved to someplace in her line of sight. How the hell were two 6'2, red headed quidditch beaters so hard to spot?

"I would probably just die, like I couldn't handle it-," Rena babbled on, tears now prickling in the brunette girl's eyes, the liquor clearly having an emotional effect on the girl.

"Sorry Rena I actually see someone I needed to talk to, I'll see you later okay?" Vivian finally interrupted, not wanting to hear any more of the girl's ramble and slipped away from her as quickly as possible. Rena's words were stressing her out and despite her reassuring herself over and over that she didn't have anything to worry about, her anxious brain couldn't let go of the idea that the elders were about to burst in here any second, screaming at her for not being careful enough, for letting privileged information leave the confines of the family.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. This was not the emotional vibe she had been hoping for when she stepped foot into this party. She had been trying to forget her troubles for god's sake. And if the rest of the world was going to try to fight her on that goal, she knew a terrific way to get a leg up in the game.

Despite her telling Rena that she had spotted a friend (she had not) she made a quick beeline back to the drink table, filling her cup with a shot's worth of vodka before quickly downing the drink and repeating the action twice, already feeling the effects of the alcohol clouding her troubled brain.

"Woah what's the hurry," a voice laughed in her ear as she felt a warm arm snake around her waist. She turned to face George who was grinning down at her, a beer bottle in his unoccupied hand.

"Rena told me she would die if she were me," Vivian blurted, pouring herself another mixed drink before leading George away from the drink table.

"What the fuck? Who's Rena?" George asked, his brow furrowing before he pulled her to a stop in the crowd so he could look at her face. Maybe it was the inappropriately personal conversation she had just had with Rena, maybe it was the three shots of vodka she had just taken in quick succession, but she suddenly found the entire situation incredibly funny and was unable to contain the giggles that started bubbling out of her and turned into full on laughter when she caught sight of George's slightly concerned expression.

"I'm- god- I'm sorry," she finally managed to choke out between giggles once her manic laughter had mostly died down. "It's just so dumb. She wanted to talk about my parents or something. Apparently Dumbledore's been running his mouth all over school!" she took another sip from her drink, feeling the flush on her cheeks from the long bout of laughter.

"Oh," George's brow furrowed further in worry as he looked at her now unconcerned face while she glanced around the party. "Do you- I mean we can talk about that if you want-"

"I really, really don't," she interrupted quickly, pulling him towards the rest of their friends whom she finally spotted sitting on the couches surrounding the fireplace before he could protest. She took the empty seat in between Angelina and Alicia, immediately joining the conversation in an effort to ignore George who continued to frown at her from his seat in the armchair across from her.

As the night progressed, Rena's words kept popping back into her mind, stirring up the same anxieties about the Elders and their commitment to so-called family loyalty. Despite trying to distract herself with the group's conversation, she could practically hear her heart beating out of her chest as her anxious brain refused to listen to her logical reassurances that she wasn't in trouble.

She needed to relax. Desperately. Or else she was almost positive she was going to literally puke up her heart.

It was perhaps a stupid method she chose. It certainly wasn't a smart one. In her defense, it definitely worked, at least for a little while. But in the moment, the only thing she could think to do to calm herself down was by drinking. So that's what she did–keeping a drink in hand at all times and ignoring any time George suggested she slow down a little bit.

By midnight, the party was still in full swing and Vivian had had more than enough drinks to make her forget about whatever had been making her so upset earlier. She was back on the dance floor, drunkenly screaming the lyrics to some rock song with Alicia and Angelina while the boys jumped around them, pumping their fists in the air to the beat.

As the song ended and a new one began, she took a breath, struggling to get enough oxygen in the stuffy and overcrowded common room. She felt overheated and claustrophobic, the constant pressure on all sides from other partygoers making her feel distinctly like a nuclear tank that was about to explode. She needed fresh air.

Without her friends noticing her unsteady departure from the dance floor, she shoved her way through the crowd, ignoring the dirty looks she received from the people she was moving past, her only objective being to break free from the dense cluster of partygoers as quickly as possible. A huge sigh of relief escaped her when she could finally move around without being pressed against someone, feeling like she had just escaped from a tight captivity.

Getting outside quickly became her main goal, easily slipping out of the Gryffindor portrait door and into the silent hallway without drawing the attention of anyone else at the party. Not thinking too much about the decision, and not particularly caring if she got caught by any professors or prefects given the intoxicated state she was currently in, she quickly made her way down the stairs of Gryffindor Tower, heading towards the exit that would bring her to the Hogwarts grounds.

The cold January air hitting her face was more than a relief, letting her breathe like she had been deprived of oxygen all night. She felt her shoulders relax as the icy wind blew past her neck as she walked, feeling the invisible objects that were suffocating her blow away with it.

Finding herself approaching the Black Lake, she sighed, slumping slightly against one of the large rocks that lined the lake's shore while she watched the calm water lap near her ankles. She had been spacing out, gazing at the water for several minutes when it suddenly occurred to her to notice that the lake itself wasn't frozen, despite the cold weather. Global warming for you she thought to herself.

She stared at the water, suddenly being taken back to several years earlier, back when her parents and brother were still alive and her father had gotten the horrendous idea that all four of them would participate in Chicago's annual polar plunge, a local event in which participants raise money and are generously rewarded by getting to jump into the ice cold Lake Michigan– in late January, she might add. It was a "super fun" activity that Vivian participated in one time and then vowed to never again, nearly getting frostbite despite the warm parka she had bundled herself in afterwards.

Even though the rest of the family had hated it, her dad had absolutely loved it, signing up and participating in the plunge every year until her parents disappeared, loving the dopamine rush that he claimed made the experience totally worth it, and every year he tried his hardest to convince his kids to join it with him again, a prospect they both fought off heavily.

A lump suddenly formed in her throat at the realization that she would never have the opportunity to do it with him again now. She squeezed her eyes shut as the tears started to fall, slamming her with the unexpected intensity of the emotion that suddenly overcame her. Was this just how life was going to be now? Was every little thing always going to remind her of all that she's lost? All that she regrets not saying or doing?

"Well we can do it together now," she half shouted to the air, pulling off her shoes and jacket, tossing them to the side and running towards the water before she could change her mind.

Her teeth locked in place as the frigid water came into contact with her skin. Squealing from the shock of the temperature, she rushed forward, going deeper into the lake until she was at a point where she could actually swim. Taking a big breath she ducked her head under the water, clenching as the ice cold water flowed over her scalp and through her hair. She stayed under the water as long as she could, counting almost a minute before her lungs were screaming at her to return to the surface.

When she did she was shocked by the unexpected sense of euphoria that suddenly filled her senses, pulling a quiet laugh out of her as she floated on her back looking up at the stars. Apparently her father had been correct about that dopamine rush from cold water, as she could barely feel the freezing temperature at that point.

She didn't have time to get too content, however, before she was being pulled upwards out of the water by a hand wrapped firmly around her bicep. Looking up she found herself being pulled towards the shore by, of course, George, who's expression seemed to be caught somewhere in the middle of terrified and furious. They were shallow enough that George was quickly able to stand, and as soon as he did he pulled her again towards him so that he was practically carrying her out of the water.

"What are you doing?!" he nearly yelled, giving her shoulders a shake as he walked them back to the shore where she finally noticed Fred and Lee waiting at the beach, both sporting worried looks on their faces. Now that half of her body was out of the water and still soaking wet, the cold winds weren't as comforting. By the time they had reached land, her teeth were chattering and she was fairly certain her bare toes were beginning to turn blue.

"Vivian!" he exclaimed, his frustration evident when she didn't answer him, instead focusing on slipping into her jacket that Fred had retrieved and handed her. "What were you thinking?! You could have been hurt!"

"I was just swimming," she smiled at him sheepishly through her chattering teeth.

"In late January? In your clothes?" Lee asked quietly, reaching out to steady her as she stumbled attempting to slip her shoes back on.

"It's a polar plunge! And I don't have a bathing suit here," she insisted, allowing George to wrap her in his jacket on top of hers and usher her back towards the castle.

"You're drunk and you could have drowned," George said, a note of hysteria creeping into his voice as he looked down at her, the anger that was once there replaced by concern.

"I'm not that drunk and I know how to swim," she snapped back, though her insistence was immediately nullified when she stumbled again as they walked her back into the castle, slamming her shoulder into the nearby stone wall. She groaned, rubbing her aching shoulder, knowing she was definitely going to have a massive bruise in the morning.

"Merlin, Vivian be careful!" George's voice rose as he steadied her again, his frustration with the situation making it difficult for him to keep his composure. "Can you guys give us a minute?" he asked, looking up at Fred and Lee. The two quickly nodded and fled back towards Gryffindor, wanting to escape the likely argument as soon as possible. Once they were out of sight, George pulled her into a nearby abandoned classroom, his jaw clenched as he shut the door behind them. She had been prepared for his anger, but when he turned back to face her, he looked like he was about to cry, a possibility she had not been prepared for in the slightest. She had never meant to scare anyone and the last thing she wanted was for George to be hurt by her actions. The possibility that she had failed in both of those things felt like a punch to the stomach.

"What happened tonight, Viv?" he asked, his voice softened to nearly a whisper and his own chill forgotten while he looked at the still shivering girl in front of him.

"I just needed some air," she insisted, "And I dunno I guess I just thought about this polar plunge thing they do around this time of year in Chicago and thought fuck it," she shrugged, not having a totally solid explanation for her actions either. Not one that she was willing to voice aloud anyway.

He stared at her, as if debating something for several moments before he spoke, working hard to keep his voice level.

"You know you can talk to me?" he asked, his words coming out almost pleading. "What did that girl-Lena? What did she say to you because I know that's what started all this," he said, gesturing to her dripping hair and clothes.

"Rena," she corrected. "And nothing, she was just drunk and I wasn't expecting to talk about my parents with her so it caught me off guard. But I'm- you know I'm fine now. Really I was just swimming," she did her best to push her anxieties to the side and tried to reassure him, though based on the look on his face she wasn't doing a very good job of it.

George was silent for a long time, his eyes darting over every feature on her face while he seemed deep in thought.

"Okay," he said finally with a long sigh. He frowned down at her before pulling her into a tight hug, pressing his face into her still wet hair and trying not to think about what might have happened had he not noticed she'd disappeared from the party. He could tell she wasn't being completely truthful–something was obviously still weighing on her and he wasn't 100% buying her story of a polar plunge (whatever that means), but at least for now, they were both okay and he would do everything in his power to make sure it stayed that way.

"I'm sorry I freaked you out. Again," her voice was muffled from her face being pressed against his chest but she tilted her head up so that he could see her eyes. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, running his thumb over her cheek as he did so.

"Just no more midnight dives into the lake okay? Give me a little peace of mind."

"Okay," she agreed, smiling when he stooped down to kiss her red nose and leaning into him when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led them out of the classroom again towards Gryffindor.

"You've yet to comment on how attractively heroic it was of me to jump into the lake to save you, you know?" he informed her after a couple feet of walking in silence.

She laughed, eyes glimmering up at him while she pulled his jacket tighter around herself to fight off the chill of the castle.

"Well I'll remind you that I didn't need saving, but yes it was very, very attractively heroic. Thank you," she stood on her toes, still needing to pull him down slightly to place a kiss on his cheek, smiling to herself when she saw the red flush her action had given him.

"Anything for you, love," he whispered in her ear, giving her her own red tint as they walked back to Gryffindor.

I hope it's obvious that I don't condone underage drinking or alcohol abuse but just want to throw that disclaimer out that this is just a story and the actions of characters aren't always going to be the best

Also for anyone that cares I know the chicago polar plunge didnt officially start until the early 2000s but for the convenience of my plot, we're just gonna pretend it's been going on since before the early 90's please and thank you