Jessica flinched and drew a sharp breath as her dress clasped against her back, Pansy having just sewn it shut with her wand. Having zippers was a sign of cheapness according to Pansy, so her clothes didn't have any, they were all made to measure. Jessica felt like she was in some historical film, wearing a corset that hardly allowed her to breathe. Except this wasn't an elegant ballgown...it was a slinky red cocktail dress with a low back, a hanging neckline, and a slit up its leg. She felt that the slit needn't be there, it was already short enough.
"Finally, some shape," said Pansy, satisfied with her creation. She had opted for a strapless black satin dress, a thin velvet choker clinging to her neck. She walked around Jessica slowly in a circle, admiring her handiwork, "Those Hogwarts robes are an abomination to the female kind I swear."
The girl's chamber was empty except for them both, and you could just about hear the clashing of the Black Lake's tide against the stone walls. It would have been mildly comforting if she was just about to sleep, with the dark green drapes softening the interior, but Jessica was already nervous and the waves only made her feel seasick.
"And you're sure the other girls will put in this much effort?" Jessica asked her, staring at herself in the oval mirror she was in front of. She flicked her dark curled hair to reveal the necklace on her upper chest. She must admit she looked good, but it wasn't something she would usually pick for a party in a dorm.
Pansy strutted over to her trunk and pulled out two pairs of stilettos, one black and one nude coloured. "Oh they'll put in all the effort in the world," she replied charmingly, "and still only look half as good as us."
She handed Jessica the nude heels to match her red dress. As Jessica saw them both in the mirror, she realised how much she stood out, even in this room. "Don't you think red is a bit on the nose?" she asked, "like it's one of the Gryffindor colours, shouldn't I be wearing black like you?"
Pansy sat down on her bed and rolled her eyes at her, slipping her right foot into a shoe. "See this is why you need me, Clarke," she sighed, "we need you to stand out so you can't wear black. Red will trigger the guy's Lion Pride instinct, plus none of those plain goody Gryffindor girls would even dare wear that colour, they'll all be wearing light pink or something so boring it won't worth paying attention to. Basic Bitches."
Jessica wanted to remind Pansy of her irony as she was wearing black and came from a house that had generally been labelled as 'the bad one', but thought better of it. "Lion Pride?" she asked instead, bending down to slip the heels on her feet, "what's that?"
"The mascot of Gryffindor is a lion, and it's not a coincidence," Pansy explained, "Gryffindors are so prideful, it's one of their many downfalls. It's like a literal lion pride over there, and just like every pride, there are alpha males who will constantly battle for dominance. You come in looking all hot and dressed in tribal colours, the guys will all want to claim ownership immediately. Even if they're doing it subconsciously. Once whoever you're crushing on sees he has competition, he'll fight for what he thinks is his. You'll have your test of jealousy."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Jessica chuckled, walking up and down the chamber to let her feet get used to the shoes, "boys aren't that animalistic."
"Then you're more naive than I thought," Pansy exhaled, "we'll see what happens tonight. I know I'm right."
Jessica turned back to the mirror and met her reflection. Her eyelids were a shimmering mocha, her cheeks were carved higher than she ever thought possible, and her lips were wet with light caramel gloss. She felt bronzed all over, like a statue of a Greek goddess she had once seen in London. Pansy had worked her magic with her and she hadn't felt this pretty in ages.
Pansy walked over, her wand dragging two diamond earrings through the air. She directed them up to Jessica's ears and they clasped themselves shut. "I think we're all done," she said, wrapping her arm over Jessica's shoulder "Are you sure you don't want me to change that necklace, it doesn't really fit in."
"No I want to wear it," said Jessica, touching her necklace to cover it up. She hadn't found a way to get it off yet and she prayed that it didn't burn her or light up during the party. She supposed that she could always pass it off as a party trick if it did, it was a magic school after all.
"Well we're now fashionably late, so let's leave," Pansy said and she linked her arms with Jessica, "here's to a night of possibilities."
Arm in arm, though it was more Pansy dragging Jessica than them walking together, the girls made their way down to the Slytherin common room. It was 9pm, and the common room was empty due to most of the other students either studying or being somewhere they weren't supposed to be. The fifth-year boys were by the fireplace, and they all turned as the two girls came down the stairs.
"I didn't realize she was going," said Theo as Jessica and Pansy walked across the room to them, "where's my invite?"
"Sorry, girls night out," Pansy replied teasingly, "an initiation."
Jessica slyly pulled her dress down when she saw Theo staring.
"You've got Quidditch trials tomorrow," Blaise told Jessica, "you're going to be hungover."
"I won't drink," she replied. It felt like being back home with her parents.
"Calm down boys," Draco spoke out, stepping out of his armchair in the group's centre. He slowly made his way over to them, and he pulled out a dark navy tin from his pocket. "They're going to be good, aren't you?"
Pansy nodded, and to Jessica's disgust, Draco reached for the back of her neck and kissed her seductively in the candlelight. Jessica looked away awkwardly as she saw something purple and bean-shaped transfer from his mouth into Pansy's. She was sure it was some sort of pill.
"A little treat for the first plug of the term," Draco smirked at her as he pulled away. He then dumped the navy tin in her hand, the contents rattling against each other. Draco then turned to Jessica, eyeing her up and down in approval, "Do you want one too?"
The thought of him kissing her the way he just did with Pansy made her feel physically sick.
"No thanks," Jessica refused, "so you deal drugs? I thought you went to parties to get information?"
"We do...this is just a side gig," said Pansy and she shrunk the tin to the size of a penny with her wand and tucked it in her bra.
"Don't have a problem with that do you, Clarke?" Draco asked as he stepped in front of her. With his tall overpowering stature, Jessica couldn't help but feel intimidated. "Because if you did, we'd have to tell McGonagall that some of your little friends are our top customers."
Under his glacial glare, she looked straight forward, staring into his polar neck. She couldn't believe Hermione, Harry, or anyone would purchase substances from Slytherins, especially given their history. However, her protectiveness instincts kicked in, and she backed down against her better judgment. "No, I don't have a problem," she whispered reluctantly. His handsome face bent down and he kissed her right cheek, causing her whole body to shiver out of fight or flight. He smelt like expensive cigars.
"Good," he whispered against her skin, "now, a present for the hosts."
He snapped his fingers and Blaise lifted the lid on a large trunk in the corner of the common room. He pulled out a large glass bottle and brought it to them, handing it to Jessica. She took the bottle and examined the packaging. There was a snake detail on the bottleneck, and the word 'firewhisky' was written in gold lettering.
"Let me guess, you make this yourself too?" she asked Blaise. Theo grinned, giving it away.
"No, the pills we get given, but we make this using stuff we can nick from Snape's office," Blaise explained.
"We're hoping to start selling it," Draco told her, and to her surprise he reached out and placed his hand on her hip, massaging the material gently, "so work that dress Clarke, you've got a pull with the Gryffindors so might as well not waste it. Off you go, and put your cloaks on so you don't look like you're slutting about the castle. I'll expect you back late."
Jessica had never been treated like that by a boy in her life. As he removed his touch for her body she felt her hip burn from where his hand had been. It was a brand new world. They weren't school kids, they were a society, and Draco was the all-mighty leader. It was so strange to her that she didn't retaliate, she just froze and walked away with Pansy in silence. One thing was for sure, she was not going to let Draco Malfoy have the same hold over her as he did Pansy. She wasn't going to whore herself out just to be part of the group. She couldn't understand how someone as strong as Pansy let herself be treated like that either. It was a dark yet fascinating situation.
"I'm not selling that shit Pansy," Jessica hissed as the pair of them walked up the last flight of stairs to the Gryffindor common room, their cloaks scraping the floor. "You're not turning me into some drug mule."
"Fine, but tell Draco that yourself," Pansy huffed and she hid behind a pillar near the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"And you're fine with him kissing me on the cheek like that?" she asked, "when you're together?"
"It's complicated," Pansy snapped stiffly, "now get off my dick and do something useful, I'll wait here whilst you distract them."
She didn't want to push Pansy, but she certainly wasn't going to let it go. Something wasn't right. She stepped away from her and walked down the main corridor to Gryffindor Tower. It was empty and she couldn't hear any music. Had she gotten the time wrong?
"Password?" asked the Fat Lady as she approached. Fred and George must have bribed her to keep quiet, as she had a bottle of red liquid next to her half-drunk.
"Mimbulus Mimbletonia," Jessica answered quietly. The portrait swung open to reveal a tunnel to the Gryffindor Common room, drenched in a dark red light. Everything was so misty that she could barely make out any of the seventy-odd students that were packed inside the space. There was a big group in the middle, dancing to something, but that sound was inaudible. It looked like they were miming a scene.
"Step in, it's a charm you idiot," Pansy hissed loudly from behind the pillar, "makes sure none of the teachers hear the music! Get your arse in there before someone comes!"
Jessica followed Pansy's orders and stepped inside and the pounding music pushed into her ears as she entered over the threshold. The vibration of the bass line pumped straight through her body, and her throat became evaporatingly dry from the heat in the air. It felt just like a nightclub. She could hear glasses clinking from the bottles by the bar table, and the smell of smoke wafted past her nose as two sixth-year girls wobbled across her, clutching to each other to stand up straight. Fred and Lee Jordan were standing on a platform, enchanting sparks into the air as floating bottles poured drinks into the onlooking crowd. It was utter madness.
"Look who finally decided to stop by!" shouted George merrily as he greeted her at the end of the tunnel, "Welcome to the party!"
"Hey," she said as he bent down and hugged her, "this is unreal!"
"Thanks, we planned it ourselves," he told her, leaning down into her ear so she could hear him. The collars of his crisp white shirt tickled her cheek. "Everything is free of course - Food, Drink, Weasley products by yours truly, have whatever you want. There's only one rule tonight and that's have fun, and also Fred and I did the playlist so if I don't see you on that dance floor within five minutes I am going to take it as a personal offence."
"Well, then you better get this thing off me then," said Jessica as she pointed to the bottle in her hands, "couldn't come without a present for the host can I?"
George smiled as he took the bottle from her, although he did look displeased when he saw the detailing on the packaging.
"Here she is!" shouted Ron as he approached them with a drink in each hand, "did you hear the news?!"
As he pulled her in for a bear hug she was engulfed by the smell of alcohol. He had clearly started celebrating earlier than everyone else.
"Ron, I was there, I congratulated you already!" Jessica wheezed as Ron gripped her tightly. She and Hermione had run to the bottom of the pitch after missing Ron's final catch, and they all celebrated with him back to the changing rooms.
"Yeah easy up little bro, don't want a repeat of last time do we, the house elves never got the stain out of that rug," George warned Ron, steadying Ron off of her and taking a drink out of his hand to pass to her. She didn't have the heart to tell them she couldn't get drunk, so she just smiled and accepted it.
"YES JESS!" shouted Harry as he spotted her from the crowd and he pointed at her with both hands. He ran over eagerly and slapped her on the arm, causing her to bump into George and spill her drink on the floor. Well, that was one way to get rid of it. "Didn't think you were going to make it J, brilliant isn't it!"
"Well I had a few issues sneaking out," she shouted, "but yeah...all good now I'm here."
"Well you're here now, come on, I want to play you at fire pong!" Harry said enthusiastically and he grabbed her hand to lead her away.
"Guys let her breathe, she hasn't even taken off her cloak yet," said Fred as he jovially approached the huddle and pushed Harry aside, breaking the link. He didn't appear as drunk as the others, although compared to Ron anyone would look sober. A ring hung from his neck on a silver chain against the opening of his black skirt, and as he put his arm around Jessica's shoulders, she suddenly felt so small. A mixture of substances poured off him, however, this was overpowered by his musky cologne. There was no hint of the bonfire smoke she usually smelt around him.
"I'll show her the cloakroom whilst you guys bugger off alright," he said, his hand cupping her upper arm. He then pulled her in towards him as he leaned over to talk to George, "By the way Cormac has gotten a bit high-spirited again and stuffed his broomstick in the toilet, it's flowing everywhere, sort him out will you."
"Say no more," said George and he pulled out his wand from his back pocket, running into the crowd. Harry and Ron put their arms around each other and went back to dance with Neville and Dean. It was good to see them having fun.
Jessica was pulled to the left by Fred who guided her to a small closet just off the main common room. It was packed full of cloaks that students had worn to disguise their outfits whilst walking around the castle, and each of them had a little ticket attached with a number. "Right, put your stuff in here and I'll say you've got a 60% chance of leaving with the same cloak," he said and he lifted his arm off her, placing it against the doorframe instead. His t-shirt sleeves exposed his arms, and they flexed as he stretched up.
"Well I look forward to fighting someone in here later on then," Jessica jokingly told him. She was happy to take the cloak off as the heat was already affecting her, and she whipped it off, hanging it up on the closest hanger. A breeze hit her chest, and she felt ten times more comfortable. "Right, where do I get one of those tags then?" she asked to no response. She looked to Fred, who was eyeing her up, pressing in against his arm.
Thanks, Pansy, she thought.
"Fred?"
"Oh um yeah," he stuttered, pulling out his wand from the back pocket and waving it at her cloak. A little tag with the number '37' appeared around the end of the hook. He pointed at her dress, his eye-line resting between her chest and hips. "That wasn't something from us was it?"
"Oh yeah, I was going to bring that up when I found it packed in my trunk," she said sarcastically, purposely wiping the dress down to accentuate her curves, "it had the name Percy stitched on the inside. I can't wait to go shopping with him, he's got great taste."
Fred laughed at her joke and rubbed his chin with his hand, his ringed thumb stroking once over his bottom lip. "Well I'm not getting that image out of my head, but you look good."
She looked him up and down, trying to maintain her breezy appearance. She still would've found him ridiculously attractive if she had seen him at a club in the muggle world. There was an element of troublesome danger about him, enhanced by the dark shirt ribbed against his body. It was a danger that enticed her, unlike the fear she felt towards Draco Malfoy.
"...so do you."
"Omg, you're here!" shouted Ginny as her head popped around the corner, "wow your figure looks great."
She was wearing a teal floaty dress that complimented her red hair perfectly. Fred sipped his drink against the wall and Jessica thought he may have been annoyed by his sister's sudden appearance. "Hermione!...Hermione!....HERMIONE!" Ginny shouted repeatedly to the common room, "Stop helping Neville, he'll just fall again anyway, JESS IS HERE!"
A few seconds later, the pounding music filling the silence, Hermione turned up. Jessica thought she looked pretty in a pink playsuit with her hair up, but it did confirm Pansy's theory on the Gryffindor girls. "Jess! Looking fab!" she told her warmly as she went to her for a hug, "Come on let's dance, we need to introduce you to everyone!"
Hermione grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her out of the closet. Fred saluted her as she briefly went past him, watching her leave. As she walked to the dance floor Jessica saw Pansy enter the party alongside two fifth-year Hufflepuff girls and a sixth-year Ravenclaw boy. Pansy winked at her as she pulled out the tin from her bra, instantly returning it to normal size. She led the group to an enclosed corner and then disappeared behind them. Jessica knew that she was already opening up for business.
Jessica danced in the crowd for hours, Hermione and Ginny by her side. As the songs played on, the hours whirling away at a lightning pace, she realized just how little difference there was between teenage muggles and wizards. They all liked to get drunk and dance, with the odd rebellion against authority if need be, and the only difference was that wizards had the advantage of magic to help them keep it a secret. She finally felt a part of something to which she could belong, away from the coldness of the Slytherins and the judging eyes of adults.
Harry and Ron joined them often, creating a dance circle between the group, and she met Dean Thomas properly for the first time as he danced next to her during Ron and Ginny's three-song dance-off. She also got to speak to a lot more of her new classmates, as Lavender Brown and the Patil twins bonded with her over complaining about the line for the toilets, and two Hufflepuffs by the name of Hannah Abbott and Ernie McMillan became her teammates at fire pong against Fred, George, and Ginny. It was quite like the beer pong she knew, except the cups were charmed to be on fire. Somehow they were able to touch them without getting burned.
"Now that makes it FOUR-ONE!" Yelled Lee, who had so far been keeping score. It was a natural use for his talent of holding a crowd together, and he took joy in it.
"They're killing us!" said Ernie as Ginny high-fived her older brothers after scoring another hole-in-one shot.
"WEASLEEYYYYS!" Cheered Ginny, Fred, and George in chorus, the crowd repeating it after them.
"They've only got one of ours left and we've got four! Come on Hannah you have to hit one!" Jessica shouted in Hannah's ear as she pointed at their cups, "If you throw it at a slight angle you'll be able to hit that one there."
Luckily, she had scored every one of hers to keep her sober.
"Come on hurry up!" Fred jeered.
"Yeah, come on, we'll even help move things along!" George shouted across the table with a grin and he picked up two of their cups to give one to his brother, "Ready Fred?"
"Ready George," Fred replied and they both downed their drinks to the clapping beat of the watching audience. There was a loud cheer when they finished five seconds later.
"Right come on Abbott," said Fred as he slammed the cup down and placed both hands on the table. He was giving her the challenging eye that made Jessica feel funny in her stomach. "We've made it easy for you, now hit us with your best shot."
"You needn't have bothered," Hannah shouted back sassily as she scooped her golden hair back and picked up one of the flaming pong balls. The golden flames rose through her hand like chilled air. Jessica watched as Hannah aimed up the shot and threw it, landing it in the centre cup.
"And we are down to the last two cups!" Lee announced, rolling up the sleeves of his dark purple shirt. "Teams, pick your players to face sudden death. Two balls fired at the same time, the first to land in a cup wins."
"Go on Fred, bring it home," George said as he patted his brother on the back. This was an obvious choice for their team as Fred was the only player that hadn't missed a shot the whole game.
"I think Jess should do it," Ernie said to Hannah as their team huddled up, "she's got the best track record."
"Yeah I agree, she's the best chance we've got," Hannah consented.
"Okay, competitors, state the stakes to each other and shake!" said Lee.
Fred and Jessica walked to the left of the playing table so that they were alone in front of the wall. The music was still pounding, the sound of Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas's karaoke carrying the airwaves, so no one in earshot was able to hear what they were saying.
"So, what's your prize, Clarke?" Fred asked.
Jessica thought and looked back at her team. There was not a lot Fred could give up that would mean much, but there was something he could do that Ernie and Hannah would appreciate. "I just want you to admit that we were better than you, out loud, for everyone to hear," she told him.
Fred clutched at his chest and leaned into her, the smell of firewhisky light on his breath, "Ouch Jess, hitting it where it hurts, my pride."
There's that Gryffindor pride Pansy warned about, she said in her mind. "What about you?"
"If we win, well...when we win," he said smugly and Jessica huffed in fondness. In the spirit of the party, Jessica had paused her anger with him for the night. "I've got two, but the first one is a bit out there so if you don't pick it you have to go with the second one. Do you agree?"
"A bit worrying but, yes, I agree."
"Okay when we win..." he said, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "I want you to tell me what you're doing for the Order."
Jessica looked up at him, he couldn't be serious. She still didn't know herself, and he knew she couldn't tell him from when he'd asked before. "Fred, I told you, I can't say. I'll have to go with your second option."
"Yeah, funnily enough, I thought you might say that..." said Fred, and his bleak expression evaporated into a big grin, "in that case I want you to dance with me. The first song that comes on after I win."
"That's it?" she asked, laughing as she hadn't expected such a random answer, "Fred, you could've done that anyway, we were dancing together earlier with Hermione and Harry weren't we? I don't think George and Ginny-"
"Excuse me, that is my request," said Fred, placing both hands in the air, "Are you denying it? Or will we be going with scenario number one?"
"Fine," Jessica shrugged. She had expected something worse from him, like daring her to attack the Whomping Willow. "I guess there's no point arguing, you won't get it anyway."
They shook hands and walked back to their teams, two captains with their eyes on the prize.
"Right guys have you decided the stakes?" asked Lee and Jessica and Fred nodded, "Okay I'll give you a minute to prepare."
Whilst Fred bent down to arrange his eye line with Jessica's cup, Lee came over to Jessica's side.
"I know I'm their friend, but nobody's ever beat them before and I'd love it if you were the one who did," he said in her ear. He stood behind her and picked up the flaming ball, placing it in her hand. "Fred's got quick muscle reactions, so he'll end up releasing before you to gain the advantage," he explained, placing his arm around her and touching her hand with his, "his weak point...which you can't even call a weak point if I'm being honest, is his aim. If you aim it right you could knock his ball out of the way to get it in yourself."
Lee guided her hand back at a slight angle and pretended to flick it, showing her how to do it. She laughed as he then exaggerated, swinging her arm like she was using a golfing club.
"I didn't realize you were so skilled at shooting Lee," Fred shouted across the table. He had seen Lee helping her. "If you're that good why haven't you tried out for the team?"
Jessica's smile disappeared. Was Fred getting...jealous?
"Couldn't do a disservice like that to the art of commentating I'm afraid," Lee shouted back, "plenty of people get on the team, but there's only one microphone isn't there, and I'm irreplaceable."
Lion Pride...she could sense it rising.
"Well you don't need to share skills with that one, she knows what she's doing," said George as he joined his brother's side, "she should be the one giving you tips."
"I see," said Lee and he slid his hands away, walking back to the center of the table. "Are we ready?"
Jessica and Fred faced each other across the table, flaming pong balls in hand. As Jessica looked into Fred's eyes, a figure came in close behind him, and a debate arose in her head. On one hand, she did want to see the look on Fred and George's face if she beat them, and to get that victory for her Hufflepuff teammates. However, as she glanced at Pansy Parkinson standing behind Fred in the crowd, Fred's choice of prize sounded quite the appealing option. She had to keep playing the game, the lion pride was already showing itself.
"Ready!" she and Fred told Lee in unison.
The crowd around them started to animate, either chanting 'Weasley' or 'Clarke' depending on what side they were on. Pansy stood there, quietly observing the chaos. The two players gripped the flaming ball and got in position...Jessica finally making up her mind.
"Fire!" Lee shouted.
As Lee had told her, Fred's reactions were quicker than hers. He launched it quickly and fast, with near-perfect direction. It didn't matter though, Jessica knew what she was doing. Fred's ball landed in her cup and Jessica's landed about 10 cm off his side. The ball landed at Ginny's feet.
The crowd erupted.
"YEEEEAHHH!" shouted George and Ginny, bundling drunkenly onto Fred's back and bringing half of the Gryffindor students watching with them.
"Still undefeated!"George yelled proudly.
"Unlucky, Jess," Hannah said as she touched Jessica's shoulder consolingly.
"Yeah, still better than what I would've done," said Ernie, nudging her arm and walking away with Hannah to the dance floor.
She smiled at them as they walked away, but didn't need their sympathy for losing. She had made sure that it was the case after all. Pansy Parkinson caught her eye, smirking at her, reading into what had happened. She now knew it was Fred. Jessica felt a glimmer of regret, hoping Pansy was the type to keep a secret.
Something told her though that her silence would come at a price.
"Come on Clarke, over here," said Fred as soon as he was free of the bundle, beckoning her to him. Two new teams were now starting to play at the table, Luna Lovegood leading a team of Neville and Padma Patil. She walked towards him, glancing at Pansy as she did so, more than willing to honour their agreement.
"What was that?" he whispered down as she approached him, "Jess that was the worst I've ever seen you aim."
"Oops," she smiled teasingly, shrugging her shoulders.
He processed her reaction, a little confused at first at why she was being so airy about it. He then slowly realized that she had thrown the shot and his mouth fell open.
"Did you let me win?"
"Don't know what you're talking about," she smirked.
Fred shook his head and ran his hand through his hair as he exhaled. He was impressed.
"You're so- oh just get your butt over here I'm still counting it as a win."
She smiled as he placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her deep into the dancing crowd. They fell in the centre of the party, most of the students now on the dance floor and moving to the flow of the music. The Creevy brothers were on karaoke and the alcohol consumed was now certainly taking its effect on people, everyone moving freely of all inhibitions. As the only one sober, Jessica felt increasingly self-aware as the atmosphere heightened. They fell into the crowd, letting the rhythm control their movements. As the music was fast, the pair of them could jump around and sing the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and it wasn't long before his presence relaxed her. They were having their own private party in the middle of the crowd. This should've been the best outcome for her, as it was so relaxed with no pressure, but she wanted more. It might have been the only chance to get him alone. As soon as she was about to accept that this wasn't the moment, Fred decided to talk.
"I don't understand you," he shouted to her over the music.
"Meaning?" she asked back.
"You act pissed at me then suddenly you're purposely losing a game to dance with me."
She wanted to give in to him a little and make him feel comfortable, so she placed her arms around his shoulders to come in closer. "So a girl can't forgive?"
"You didn't seem in a forgiving mood earlier," he said, amazed that she had touched him, "I want to talk about it."
"Nothing to talk about, we're on the same page."
"No, I don't think we are."
He was responding well to her being friendly. She wanted him to admit the jealousy so pressed into him a little further, her eyes turning doe-like in flirtation. "Is that why you asked me to dance? There's gotta be a better reason than interrogation."
"No I asked you to get away from Lee," he answered simply, "he was going to ask you next."
She laughed, expecting him to be joking, but then she saw that his face was dead straight.
"Wait are you serious?"
"Look if you're gonna be here, in that dress, you're not spending the night with my best mate," he told her with a smile.
She pulled away slightly in shock at his bluntness. However, she liked where this was going.
"That's not your decision," she said.
He leaned in closer, and placed his hands on her waist, lessening the gap between them. "Are you telling me you'd rather be dancing with him more than me right now?"
This was a test. She couldn't say yes, she couldn't give into him that easily. She still knew the type of guy he was. "I don't know..." she said, teasing him as she pretended to think, "...I'm keeping my options open."
Fred laughed to himself. "Oh and Lee is one of them?"
"Well he's unattached at least," she shrugged. She meant this as a dig.
"Yeah, and there's a reason for that," said Fred, "he's trouble."
"I might like trouble."
"Then find it elsewhere, he's off limits."
"Why...are you jealous?" she asked. She felt like it was the right time to test it.
His face tipped down towards her, "What if I was?"
She tried to not let her happiness show. She took a breath in through her nose and maintained her casual expression. "Then I would say that was your problem."
He stepped forward to close the gap between them, his eyes steadily staring down at her lips. She could smell the bonfire smoke now. "Don't lie and tell me you haven't thought about that night since."
"Never."
"Liar."
"Hey guys," said George, bumping into Fred from nowhere and causing Jessica to stumble over. They both immediately drew their hands away from the other.
"Oh hey, Jess I was just looking for you!" Hermione added as she popped up, appearing at George's side. The two of them had obviously decided to come over as a duo, they sounded too staged and upbeat. The question for Jessica was why.
"Are you free to just come with me a sec?" George asked Fred energetically, as if time was of the essence.
"Kind of in the middle of something," Fred muttered through his teeth, "is it urgent?"
"Yes," George answered instantly.
"The line for the loos is finally short," Hermione told Jessica, "wanna take advantage?"
"I guess?" Jessica replied. The whole situation had her very bewildered.
"Ah I love this song!" squealed a girl's voice behind George. A martini glass of red liquid appeared first and then an arm extended itself through the gap between him and Hermione. Angelina Johnson, in a strappy pastel peach dress, emerged through the pair of them. It was now clear why they had made an effort to distract Fred and herself. She had forgotten about Angelina.
She clambered onto Fred and wrapped her arms around him, claiming her territory. He stumbled as he tried to steady her. He looked at Jessica, but she wouldn't dare make eye contact with him. "Come on, this is my favourite, I feel like I haven't seen you all night! Dance with me?" she whined to him excitedly. Jessica could smell the wine on her from a meter away.
"Sure," he replied as he took a breath, "but I was talking to George and-"
"Surely you won't mind me taking him for a minute would you guys?" Angelina asked the group. George and Hermione quickly shook their heads, like two kids hiding a secret from their mother.
"No not at all," Jessica said to avoid looking suspicious, "Hermione and I were about to go to the bathroom anyway."
Seeing Angelina so happy with him made her feel enormous amounts of jealousy. She hated that Fred had charmed his way into her head once again, and she didn't know if Angelina had seen them together and wanted her out of the way. Lion pride could also work for girls too.
"Amazing!" said Angelina, "Oh, and Jess could you be an angel and put this down for me somewhere?"
She handed her the red martini she was holding. Jessica strained a smile as she took it from Angelina, trying to cover up how devastated she was in the last few minutes' rollercoaster of events. A minute ago she was in Fred's arms, and now she was a butler.
"Sure."
When she turned around to walk away Jessica refused to look anywhere but the floor in front of her. She had tried to play the game, she had gambled with the dice, and still, reality came to hit her that she was still in the same place. As long as Angelina was around, there would be no room for her.
There was one positive thing though...Fred had been jealous. Only time would tell if it had been the alcohol talking or not. In the meantime, she was just as unattached as he was, and if he wasn't going to tell Angelina the truth, she was free to do what she liked.
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Hey guys! I know this is slightly longer than most of my other chapters but this is so long I've had to write it in two parts!
The second part is already written and should be coming out in the next couple of days, as usual, I will read all your comments - I love hearing your thoughts :)
Katie xx