"Hey," a tall, slender boy with dark hair almost collapsed at my feet, a lazy smirk on his face. I froze. "What're you doing?" he slurred, a corded hand slowly reaching it towards me.

I wacked it away like a fly, "Sitting."

He hummed and layed his arms on the windowsill, awfully close to my legs. "Me too."

I furrowed my brow and wracked my hazy memory for his name. Naturally, it didn't come to me. My heart started beating faster when he started idly fiddling with the hem of my skirt. I gripped the half empty hipflask in my lap so tightly my knuckles turned white instead of ripping my skirt from his twig-like fingers. We sat like that for what felt like an eternity, my face grew redder and redder with the minute yet he never looked up.

I rolled my shoulders round to try and ease the tension in my body that had grown like a weed but it was futile. Instead, I went for plan B and took the pack of cigarettes and the lighter from my bag. My fingers nimbly rolled one up with ease and had it alight. I held it between two fingers, brought it up to my lips, inhaled and moved it away. A second later, I released a long breath, smoke rolled out of my mouth and contorted and danced through the air.

"What is that?"

The sound of his voice almost made me drop the cigarette. My skirt was still between his fingers but his focus was souly on the glowing stick between my fingers. His eyes were as wide as sources and lips slightly parted. I looked before the two and remembered wizards didn't smoke.

"It's a cigarette. You breath it in like this," I demonstrated, "and breathe out smoke like this. It helps you relax."

"May I?" He gestured for the cigarette.

I nodded it, handed it over and his hands brushed mine unintentionally for a fleeting moment. I watched him bring it up to his plump pink lips, hold it in place for a second before removing it. Tendrils of smoke tumbled from his mouth. His lips curled, damped by his tongue that darted out.

"I like it." My eyes shot up to his eyes when I realised I'd been staring, my face heated. His eyes sparkled, mesmerised by the seamless movements of the smoke. I hummed in reply. We passed the cigarette between each other, taking it in turns until it was useless and I tried not to stare at him. Admittedly, it was a challenge for he was by far the easiest in the eyes. Possibly in the whole school!

"Let's go dance," He said suddenly, looking up at me from the floor with piercing steel grey eyes.

"O-okay." Don't ask why I said yes. I didn't know. Probably the alcohol. Or maybe his pretty silver eyes.

He grabbed my hands and made me stand with him. I shamefully came face to face with his white shirt for a second before he turned and dragged me into the crowd, wobbling a little.

I let him slide his fingers between my significantly shorter ones and held our hands out about our head. He moved our arms to the slow, relaxed beat and my legs moved along in time naturally. His hands were warm, he moved gently, in time with the music and like fire in slow motion. I didn't bother try avoid his fascinating eyes and he didn't shy away from staring back either. The silver moved like molten metal, shimmering gently in the dark light.

All too soon, the song drifted to an end and there was a smooth change into a far more up beat one. The crowd seemed to tighten as if someone had hurded us up. Closer together, hands still intwined, we jumped up and down to the music. The crowd moved as one in this way hands all swimming in the air, guided by the feeling of the music drowning our chests.

At some point I noticed our hands had separated and he's been swallowed up in the crowd of people. I danced for a little longer by myself until my legs started the whine. Bodies started to push against me from all angles. My whole body started to itch with sweat. My heart thundered in my chest like a horse. I shoved people out of my way until I broke free.

I gulped down the air and braced myself on the back of a chair for a moment whilst my head stopped spinning and hammering. When I looked up, I saw the dark haired boy with his head tilted back, pushed up against the wall by and even taller blonde guy, Malfoy.

Theodore Nott! Yes that's who I was dancing with and that's who's neck Malfoy is currently sucking, his hands gripping onto his black leather belt as their bodies were mushed together.

Oh Merlin, I danced with a slytherin without being murdered!

I shook my head chuckling and turned around to find the exit.

- - -

"Evangeline," a soft voice prodded my head.

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. The pillow was pried away and the feathery voice poked my brain again.

"What?" I tried to snap but it came out more of a rasp.

"It's just less than an hour until lunch. You should get a shower then come down and eat something." I pried open an eye to see Luna looking at me.

"Ivy is already up, she told me she didn't drink as much as you this morning so she brought you back to the common room with the stuff you almost left," She pointed to my cow print bag laying in the bedside table with the hipflask poking out. Groaning, I reached out an arm to shake it. The silence confirming its emptiness made my heart clench.

"Come on, you need to get up," She pressed and waved her wand, "Eat these, drink this and you should feel better." She pressed a glass of water and some green shit I didn't care to look too long at into my hands. Pushing myself up into a sitting position was harder than killing an ogre. I shoved the green stuff down my throat and downed the water in one before I handed it back to Luna.

"Thanks."

I swayed a little as if I were walking on a boat and my head felt like it had thousands of tiny builders inside, renovating it. Luna walked besides me to the bathrooms, waited outside and escorted me back. Probably making sure I didn't collapse on the journey.

- - -

The great hall, thank merlin, was quieter today despite everyone being present. I quickly located Ivy sat at the Hufflepuff table and joined her with Luna following.

"Hey girlies, how are feeling?"

"Fabulous, thank you, I have almost finished my book," Luna replied with a smile, looking up at the enchanted sky.

I shrugged, "hungover. You?"

Ivy's face have the sun a run for it's money, "Amazing. Thank you so much for going to the party with me, I'd don't know how I'll ever repay you!"

"Not by giving me a hug, thank you, but I'm sure you'll think of something," I smiled, knowing exactly what she was about to do.

"'M'kay. Did you enjoy yourself at least a little bit last night?"

I thought back, trying to remember. There was a part where I had a bit of fun dancing but I couldn't remember how I came to be there. "Yes, thank you. Maybe I'll go again?"

You know what? Ivy should be the sun, she's far brighter. Her whole face was practically glowing, the sole source being her smile. "Really?"

"No." My heart ached a little with regret when the smile fell off her face in an instant. "Okay, I might one day in the distant future. Did you have a good night?"

"Oh absolutely!" She launched into a the inticing story of how she'd danced with lots of the girls until her feet hurt. She had even kissed a few, which made her almost buzz with joy.