River's POV
I wore a long rose gold, sparkly dress, that had long sleeves that could cover my dark mark. It had ruffles on the v-neck.
I curled my hair and finished my makeup with a nude lipstick and walked down to meet Seamus, where he was waiting for me outside the common room.
"You ready?"
"Yes," I said as he offered me his arm. We walked up to Slughorns office in awkward silence.
"So, I heard you are the only girl on your quidditch team," Seamus said, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"Yeah, I am, all the Slytherin girls don't really like it, but I think it's fun."
"Really, but they are so mean, they would be perfect for it." I laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, they could be." I said, as we arrived to Slughorns office.
"Wow, it's huge," I said, looking around the room. It was now larger than the dinner parties we usually had in here. The room was filled with celebrities, and I spotted several students acting as waiters.
"Hey Neville, you're working here?" Seamus asked as he handed me a cup of butterbeer and taking one for himself.
"Yeah, I wasn't cut out for the party, but he let me serve. I better go." He said, hurrying away. I sipped quietly on my beer, looking around.
"Oh, look, there's Luna and Harry," I said, as Slughorn came up to us.
"Hello, Ms. Potter, I'm so glad you could join us. Come, I have some people I'd like to introduce you and your brother too." He said, leading me along already, Seamus followed us as I looked at him confused. Harry was standing there awkwardly with Luna, who seemed to enjoy herself.
"Harry, River, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires — and, of course, his friend Sanguini." Worple shook Harry's hand excitedly before shaking my hand.
"The Potter's! I am simply delighted!" The man said.
"I was saying to Professor Slughorn only the other day, 'Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have all been waiting?" I looked over at Worple's friend, Sanguini who was eyeing a group of girls that stared at him. I widened my eyes as he smiled at me, flaring his teeth.
"Sanguini, stay here!" Worple yelled as the vampire tried to walk closer to me.
"Would you like to dance?" Seamus asked. I nodded.
"Yes," I said, quickly. He grabbed my hand and lead us to the dance floor.
"That was a real vampire. I can't believe it," I said, as we started dancing making Seamus laugh. Five minutes later, I saw someone wave at me through the curtains seeing Hermione glancing at me nervously.
"I'll be right back, Seamus. Just one second," I said. He nodded walking over to one of the student waiters as I walked to the curtains, just as Harry reached them.
"What's happened to you?" Harry asked Hermione, who looked very annoyed.
"Oh, I've just escaped — I mean, I've just left Cormac. Under the mistletoe," she said, as we looked at her confused.
"You came with him!" I said, disgusted.
"Serves you right for coming with him," Harry said.
"I thought he'd annoy Ron most, I debated for a while about Zacharias Smith, but I thought, on the whole —"
"You considered Smith?" Harry and I said at the same time.
"Yes, I did, and I'm starting to wish I'd chosen him, McLaggen makes Grawp look a gentleman." She said, making both of us laugh.
"Grawp?" I said, confused but they both shrugged.
"Harry? Can I talk to you for a second?" I said. He nodded as Hermione looked around for McLaggen again.
"Sure, what's up?"
"I was wondering, could I spend the rest of Christmas break with you and the Weasleys?" I asked, making him grin.
"Of course, I'd love for you too! It'll be great!" I grinned.
"Great! I can't wait!"
"I think I can see him coming! He's so tall, let's go this way!" Hermione hissed, grabbing Harry's arm, and leading him away, as Luna walked over. I gave up walking over to Seamus.
"You alright?" He asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, it's just Hermione annoyed with her date."
"Who's her date?"
"McLaggen," He started laughing,
"He's horrible,"
"Horrible?"
"The worst. Why would she ask him out?" He asked as I grabbed a drink from a server.
"She's trying to make Ron jealous, if only that prat didn't make her upset," I said, shaking my head.
"Ron's never going to ask her out," Seamus said.
"I think they will,"
"Want to dance again?" He asked,
"Okay, I owe you one anyway."
—-
"Luna," I said, as walking up to her, as she swayed to the music by herself on the dance floor alone, with a drink in her hand.
"Oh, hello, River, I haven't talked to since-"
"You and Blaise broke up?" I asked. She nodded, her unusual but beautiful dress bouncing.
"Yeah! I think the nargles cause our breakup, they made him look so sad." She said, shaking her head. I glanced over her shoulder, seeing Blaise checking his watch, annoyed.
"I don't think the nargles caused our breakup, Luna."
"Why do you think so? Did they tell you that?" She asked, as I looked over seeing Blaise staring at Luna, sipping a drink every now and then.
"No, but Luna I don't want to bud in, but you should go talk to Blaise, please. He's so sad without you." I said,
"Hm, I'll think about it. Let the nargles decide." She said,
"Please do."
—-
Later that night as the party dragged on, Seamus and I stood with Slughorn and Snape talking about Potions over the years, as Filtch walked in dragging Draco n by the ear.
"Professor Slughorn, I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"
"All right, I wasn't invited! I was trying to gatecrash, happy?" Draco yelled, glaring daggers at Filch,
"No, I'm not!" Filch hissed,
"You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"
"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," Slughorn said, too drunk to care about the commotion that was happening at his party.
"It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."
"Thanks, Professor," Draco whispered,
"It's nothing, it's nothing, everyone just go back to enjoying the party. I did know your grandfather, after all. "Slughorn said,
"He always spoke very highly of you." He said, walking away. Draco glanced at me, and I looked away, annoyed, drinking my butterbeer.
"Draco, I'd like to have a word with you," Snape said,
"Didn't you date Malfoy?" Seamus asked. I nodded.
"Yeah, I did."
"Was he the jackass he really is?" Seamus asked. I pursed my lips.
"I don't really want to talk about it." I shrugged.
"Oh, alright, sorry,"
"No, it's no problem at all, just nasty breakup," I laughed. He shrugged and nodded.
---
Once the party ended, we thanked Slughorn for the invite before Seamus walked be back to the Slytherin common room.
"Thanks for asking me out to Slughorn's party." Seamus said.
"Well, technically Hermione did," I said, making him chuckle under his breath.
"Yeah, only because I kept bothering her."
"I should go to sleep. I have to leave early tomorrow to catch my train,"
"Alright, good night." Seamus grabbed my hand and kissed it, making me laugh and wished him goodnight as he walked away.
"Am I intruding on something?" Draco hissed. Stepping out of the shadows, I jumped, clutching my heart.
"Merlin's balls, Draco, you scared me." I hissed, he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall.
"Ugh, this is pathetic, you're drooling over scum,"
"He's not scum," I said, he shook his head, as he came up to me, resting his forehead against mine.
"I'm sorry for being mean," he said, twirling a strand of my ginger hair.
"Mean? You! You! Ugh!" I yelled, shaking my head.
"You make me so annoyed! You know that! Ever since we were kids- " I was cut off, as Draco slammed his lips against mine, putting a hand on my lower back pulling me closer.
"Is this your way of saying sorry?" I whispered against his lips.
"I'm sorry," he said, smiling at me.
"Fine, I'm sorry too." I said, he nodded.
"Do you want to go back to the room of requirements?" He asked, I signed and shook my head.
"I can't, I have to get to sleep, so I can catch the train tomorrow." I said. He groaned and put his head on my shoulder.
"Well, we could just sleep in my room,"
"Okay, I need to borrow one of your shirts," I said. He smiled, kissing my shoulder before standing up straight.
"Let's go," he said, lacing our fingers together as we snuck into the common room.