Harry tugged at my hand, a grin half-formed on his face. "Come on," he said, and before I could answer, he was already leading me toward the stairwell.
The corridors were quieter now, the music a faint echo behind us. I followed, still light-headed, the taste of laughter and firewhisky blurring together. When we reached his dormitory, the room was dim except for the flicker of the hearth.
"Sit," he said gently, motioning to the edge of his bed as he rummaged through his trunk. I obeyed, staring absently at the glow on the curtains
I obeyed, staring absently at the glow on the curtains, the flickering light painting everything gold and hazy. My head was still spinning not unpleasantly, but enough to make my thoughts tumble out in pieces.
"I think the room's moving," I said solemnly, pointing at the wall. "Or maybe it's just trying to dance."
Harry snorted, shaking his head as he searched for something in his trunk. "Pretty sure it's you that's dancing, not the room."
"Am not," I said indignantly, then immediately laughed at myself. "Okay, maybe a little."
He looked over his shoulder, grinning. "You're talking complete nonsense, you know that?"
"I always make sense," I declared, trying to sound serious and failing miserably.
"Right," he said, chuckling
I giggled again, half from the firewhisky, half from the way his laughter filled the quiet space. There was something about the sound light and easy that made everything feel safe, even in my dazed, dizzy state.
"See?" I said, swaying slightly where I sat. "You're laughing, so I must be funny
He stepped closer then, his smile softening. The air between us shifted quiet, tense, warm. I tilted my head up to meet his eyes, the flicker of the firelight catching in them like gold.
"Careful," he murmured, voice low but teasing. "You're trouble when you smile like that."
I grinned faintly. "Maybe you like trouble."
Before I could second-guess myself, I stood up, cupped his face in my hands, and kissed him again quick, dizzy, and impulsive. When I pulled back, we were both breathless and laughing.
Then it hit me, and I pressed a hand to my mouth. "Oh, Merlin my mum would kill me if she saw that."
Harry chuckled. "Pretty sure your mum's not hiding under the bed."
I groaned dramatically. "She'd lecture me about chastity" I said, half laughing, half mortified. "You know, my mum had Turus while she was still at school That's why she's so terrified her only daughter will end up like her.""
Harry chuckled softly, then reached for something on his nightstand. "Here," he said, handing me a small vial filled with shimmering blue liquid. "Drink this, so we can actually go back down there and not do things your parents wouldn't approve of."
I blinked at him, swaying slightly. "What... is that?"
"It's a potion for alcohol intoxication," he said patiently, amusement tugging at his mouth. "Trust me, it'll help."
I stared at it for a moment before obediently taking a sip. The taste was sharp, cool, and oddly minty. Within seconds, the haze in my head began to fade.
Harry smiled approvingly. "Better?"
I nodded, a little embarrassed but grateful. He offered his hand, and I took it. Together, we made our way back down the spiral staircase to the common room, where the party was still in full swing music blaring, laughter echoing off the walls.
Orion and Draco were back at their usual antics, now surrounded by different girls, both of them clearly enjoying the attention. Cassandra was nowhere in sight, probably dancing—or plotting.
But what caught my eye was on the far right corner of the room. My brother, Arcturus, was laughing actually laughing with a blonde girl sat comfortably on his lap, chatting animatedly.
I blinked, turning to Harry in disbelief. "Is that my brother?"
He followed my gaze, then nodded, smirking. "Yup."
"Who's that girl?" I asked, squinting.
Harry laughed. "You really must still be a bit drunk if you can't recognize Fleur Delacour."
I blinked. "Fleur? As in—"
"The one everyone's been talking about since she walked in," he finished with a grin. Before I could reply, he caught my hand and tugged me toward the dance floor. "Come on. One more dance before you start analyzing your brother's love life."
I laughed, stumbling after him as the music shifted into a lively beat. The crowd pulsed around us students from every house, plus the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons visitors, all swaying under flickering candlelight. Harry's hand slid to my waist, warm and steady, and we fell into the rhythm effortlessly.
Somewhere between laughter and the thrum of bass, I lost count of how many drinks I'd had. The firewhisky burned pleasantly in my throat; the room spun like a carousel. And then, just like before, we were kissing again reckless, breathless, and entirely lost in the haze of it all.
Fred was dancing on a table. Draco and Orion were arm-wrestling over a bottle of firewhisky. And I think, at some point, Cassandra dared me to chug something blue and glowing.
Then... nothing.
When I opened my eyes again, morning light was spilling through the dorm windows. My head throbbed like I'd been hit with a Bludger.
I turned slightly and froze.
Lyra was asleep beside me, one arm thrown dramatically over her face. On my other side, Cassandra was sprawled in the middle of the bed, snoring softly, clutching a pillow like it owed her money
I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Oh, Merlin's beard," I muttered. "What happened last night?"
I blinked at the red-and-gold canopy above me, momentarily confused. The banners, the roaring lion emblem on the wall oh no. This wasn't my dorm.
I sat up quickly, groaning as the room spun for a moment. Gryffindor Tower. Of course. Lyra's dorm. Brilliant.
"Oi," I said hoarsely, shaking Cassandra's shoulder. "Cass, wake up. We're going to be late for class."
She groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes," she mumbled.
"Five more minutes and Professor McGonagall will turn you into a cat permanently," I warned, nudging Lyra next.
Lyra stirred with a soft groan, blinking blearily. "Why are you yelling? What time is it?"
"Too late," I said, glancing around for my shoes
Lyra blinked again, rubbing her temples. "What happened last night?" she muttered groggily.
I groaned, spotting one of my shoes under the bed and the other mysteriously hanging from the curtain rod. "That's what I'm trying to figure out," I said, hopping on one foot as I tried to put them on. "But whatever it was, we clearly had too much fun."
Cassandra sat up, her hair sticking out in every possible direction. "My head feels like a Bludger hit it," she grumbled, squinting at the light.
"Good," I said briskly. "That's your punishment. Now come on we need to go"
Cassandra groaned, dragging herself upright and fumbling for her shoes. "Ravenclaw Tower feels like a thousand miles away right now," she muttered, clutching her head.
"Then you'd better start walking," I said, tugging my own robes straight. "We need to fix ourselves before class McGonagall will have our heads if we show up looking like this."
I turned toward Lyra, who was still buried under her blanket. "Lyra," I said, giving her a sharp nudge. "Wake up. We have class."
She mumbled something unintelligible, then peeked out from under the covers with one bleary eye. "Tell Flitwick I died," she groaned.
I turned toward Lyra, who was still buried under her blanket. "Lyra," I said, giving her a nudge. "Wake up. We have class."
She mumbled something incoherent and rolled over. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up later."
Cassandra gave a weak laugh. "If she ever makes it out of bed."
"Let's just hope she does before lunch," I muttered, brushing my hair back and grabbing my cloak. "
As we tried to sneak out, we were suddenly blocked by none other than Harry freaking Potter himself. He didn't look like he'd had a rough night at all in fact, he was smiling.
"Sneaking out?" he asked, eyes glinting with amusement.
"Yeah," I admitted. "We're going to be late."
"Follow me," he said simply, turning toward the wall.
Before I could ask what he meant, he tapped a few bricks, and a hidden passageway opened up right before us.
I blinked. "What is this place?"
"Come on," he said with a grin. "If you go the usual way, you'll be late. This passage leads straight to Ravenclaw Tower."
We followed him, and sure enough, it really was a shortcut within minutes, we were standing right in front of our tower entrance.
"Thanks," I said, turning to him.
"No kiss?" he teased, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
I rolled my eyes but leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "There. Thanks, Potter," I said, then grabbed Cassandra by the arm and dragged her inside before he could say another word.
We managed to make it to class just in time, slipping into our seats as Professor McGonagall began taking attendance. The air in the room was thick with exhaustion; most of the students still looked half-asleep, their eyes heavy and their quills lazily scratching against parchment. The aftereffects of last night's party were obvious some were nursing headaches, others yawning uncontrollably, and a few seemed moments away from dozing off completely. Even the usually energetic ones had lost their spark, and the soft hum of conversation was replaced by the occasional groan of regret
The hours crept by painfully slow. Each class felt longer than the last, and even the professors seemed to sense the sluggish mood that hung over the day. By the time the final bell rang, I could barely keep my eyes open. The corridors were filled with shuffling feet and low murmurs as we all made our way toward the Great Hall, eager for dinner and perhaps a moment of normalcy.
When I entered, the familiar warmth and glow of the floating candles greeted me. The golden light shimmered across the long tables, reflecting off goblets and silverware. The comforting aroma of roasted chicken and pumpkin pasties filled the air, and little by little, the usual chatter returned. Laughter began to bubble up again, like the castle itself was shaking off the remnants of last night's chaos.
I slid into my seat beside my friends, the bench creaking softly beneath us. I had just reached for a piece of bread when a sudden hush rippled through the tables nearby. Then, faint but urgent whispers began to spread, like a gust of wind moving through the hall.
"Did you hear?" a girl at the next table whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Cedric Diggory's in the hospital wing."
I froze, turning slightly to listen. Another voice joined in lower, more anxious. "They say he fell some kind of accident during Quidditch practice. Madam Pomfrey said he'll probably wake up in about two weeks."
Before I could process the news, Cassandra leaned closer, her eyes wide with excitement and worry.
"I heard he fell during a practice match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," she whispered, "Looks like he won't be able to accompany you to the Yule Ball now."
I blinked. "He what?"
"Yep," she said, nodding way too eagerly. "Flat on his broom. Down he went. Like a snitch that gave up on life."
I stared at her. "You could've just said he fell."
Cassandra shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"
That night, I decided to visit Cedric in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey gave me that don't-you-dare-touch-anything look, so I behaved myself. Cedric was lying there, peaceful as ever, like Sleeping Beauty except, you know, taller and with more hair gel.
I sat beside him and whispered, "You better wake up soon, or I'm dancing with Filch at the Yule Ball. And no one wants that. Especially Filch."
He didn't move. Not even a twitch. Typical.
The next day, I was halfway down the corridor when someone stepped in front of me handsome and tall, and way too smug for this early in the morning.
Harry Potter.
He gave me a grin that could've made a mirror blush. "I heard Cedric's down for the count," he said smoothly. "So, how about I take his place at the Yule Ball?"
I blinked. "Wow. Do you always offer your services at people's worst moments?"
He chuckled. "I'm just being considerate. You shouldn't have to attend the Ball alone. Besides" he smirked, "you deserve someone who can actually stay on his broom."
I folded my arms. "You did that to Cedric, didn't you?"
He placed a hand on his chest, feigning shock. "Me? I would never. It was an accident! Poor bloke's balance must've been off. Happens to the less... talented."
I stared at him. "You are so full of yourself."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Maybe. But I'm also offering you the best night of your life. What do you say?"
I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out. "Fine," I said finally
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Author's Note:
I've decided to write this special chapter in a way that sets the direction for the future. I often change my mind about how things end while writing or reading comments, so this time, I want a clear path to follow without second-guessing myself.