Smoke and Shadow, james potter

001.00

It was just a simple party. It was never supposed to get this complicated.

The minute Rylie suggested it, I knew it was a bad idea. I should have listened to Clare.

Of our friend group, Clare was always the practical one, and she was always right. I've never known anyone that has bet against her and won. I guess that's why she was put in Ravenclaw.

Rylie was mischievious, the fun one in the group. Clare and I would stay in the back if it wasn't for her. I'm honestly suprised she hangs out with us. We are so boring, it makes Herbology seem fun. It least, we were boring, before all hell broke loose. Honestly, I was fine being dull and in the background, but now all of Hogwarts knows my name.

I guess I should probably get back to the story now.

The party was for the beginning of school-well, it was a couple weeks after school started, but everyone needs a distraction then because that is when it starts getting really boring. Any way, I wasn't really in a partying mood, but Rylie practically dragged me out of my bed, along with Clare.

We were in Rylie and I's shared dorm getting ready. (Sorry, I don't even know if that makes sense, but just roll with it...)

"He does not."

"Yes. He. Does! He totally does!"

Rylie and Clare were arguing over whether or not Lucius Malfoy's douchebag minion liked Clare or not. He definetly did, but Clare would never lower her standards that low.

Rylie was wearing a shimmering red dress, and even though it was Gryffindoor's main colour, was clearly not meant to represent them. It fit her quite nicely. Clare was wearing a deep blue/gray dress with a few flowers sewn on the right shoulder and neckline. In contrast to Rylie's many accesories, she was wearing a simple necklace that I believe was her mother's before she died. She never took it off, but the little silver locket looked good with just about anything anyway. I was wearing a spagetti-straped, skin right, dark green velvet dress. I had fancy black heels, jewelry, and my thick hair in a half back, curled. It was curently dyed blonde, because the rest of my family had blonde hair and for some odd reason, no one was allowed to have anything but blonde hair.

Just then, the sixth year girls burst into our dorm. They told us to hurry up,  and that we were taking for ever-which we were. In a flurry of sixth years rushing us to the common room, fourth years complimenting us, and depressed seventh years teling us to watch it, we made our way to the Room of Requirements, where the party was being held.

The Gryffindoors were throwing it, and as far as I knew, everyone who knew where to go was invited. The Slytherins naturally found out by subtly eavesdropping, the Ravenclaws found out because either their friends from other houses told them, or they just picked up on it, and I'm not really sure how the Hufflepuffs found out, but I'm not questioning it.

When we got there, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were already scattered about, but the Gryffindoors were nowhere to be found. No doubt trying to make a grand entrance. Either that or being held up by McGonagall.

Clare had somehow slipped away from us, probably to hide in the corner, but I had no such luck. I was getting dragged around by Rylie and reluctantly talking to her many boyfriends until Reese rescued me.

Reese Chadwick, my best friend since I was five, was probably my biggest supporter. People aften assumed we were dating, which my parents would absolutely love, because they want me to marry a pureblood. However, they had no such luck, because I thought of Reese like brother-and I'm sure he thought the same.

"Hey. How are you? I haven't spoken to you since the start of the year! What's up?" It was true, I hadn't spoken to him all year, and to be honest, I don't really know why. It just felt really akward now that we were both fifteen, and after all the jokes about him being my boyfriend, I didn't really know what to say.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Good I guess?" It sounded more like a question than an answer. Suddenly he asked, "Do you want a drink?"

Without waiting for an answer, he rushed off.

Well that was akward I thought.

Just then a very drunk Sirius Black came up. I guess I must have missed when they came in. "How would you like to dance, pretty lady?"

I gave him a withering glance, and without looking back, walked away. I could hear his friends laughter as I left, but disregarded them.

About 15 minutes later, Reese came back with our drinks. It was firewiskey, but I didn't spare a second before chugging it all down.

"Whoa there, slow down," Reese warned me, probably because this was his first time drinking firewhiskey. But this was not my first dance with a drink, and I was barely even affected, besides the dull burn in the back of my throat.

"Relax, Chadwick, it's not a big deal." Then I saw that he too, drank all of the contents of his red solo cup, but unlike me, he was drunk. Already. Dear God, it's going to be a long night.