As Cosette sat at the edge of the mattress, adjusting the strap around her ankle, she looked over towards where George stood at the end of the bed, redressing himself. He slid on his briefs and Cosette noticed the faint indent on his thigh that she made with her nails.
"Do you have a pain kink?" She blurted out, thinking about how he finished almost as soon as she clawed into his skin.
"Excuse me?" George asked with a chuckle as he slid the sleeves of his shirt over his arms. He heard her, but he wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.
"Pain kink," Cosette repeated. "Do you have one?"
George stepped around the bed and made his way over to where Cosette sat. Her eyes trailed up his body as she stood up, reaching for the buttons of his shirt to do them up herself. His smirk indicated that he seemed to be rather amused with this topic.
"Do you?" He asked, turning the question around on her. "You don't seem to complain when I pull your hair or choke you."
"I asked you first," Cosette retorted as his hands found her hips.
George nodded slowly, sliding his tongue across his lips as he thought about his answer. "Pain and pleasure receptors react similarly, Setty. The endorphins released in your body in response to pain or pleasure, especially during sex, are very strong."
Cosette was expecting a yes or no type of answer and was pleasantly surprised to hear that George was more educated on this subject than she assumed. He really was a lot smarter than she gave him credit for.
"Pain can also be extremely tantalizing," he continued. "Wherever it's inflicted, blood will rise to the surface of the skin and make it more receptive to touch."
While he didn't necessarily answer Cosette's question, she still managed to follow along, "So when I dug my nails into your thigh..."
"While you were riding me?" He raised his eyebrows and finished with another laugh, "Yeah, that set something off."
Cosette finished buttoning up his shirt and flicked her gaze back up. His hair was disheveled and she could only imagine what hers looked like. She adjusted his collar to sit properly as she inhaled sharply.
"So that's a yes to the pain kink, got it. Good to know."
George sensed the sudden uneasiness in her tone and he raised his hand to cup the side of her face, rubbing his thumb lightly over her cheek, "Setty I'd never hurt you or put you in an uncomfortable position. You know that, right?"
"No, no, I know," Cosette nodded and flashed him a quick but assuring smile. "I just want to know what I'm getting myself into, that's all. Are there any other kinks you feel like sharing?"
"Well I don't want to scare you away."
Cosette's lips parted and her eyes widened in surprise which was the exact reaction George was hoping for. Laughter escaped his mouth as he pulled her closer against his body.
"I'm kidding, love, don't worry," George leaned forward and kissed the top of her head as she let out a breath of relief. He chuckled softly against her hair, "But unless you want to go for round two, I suggest we table this discussion for another day."
Cosette glanced down and saw an outline of his growing erection against the material of his briefs and her heart rate started to pick up. She knew that they had to go back to the party but she did contemplate his offer for a second.
She tilted her chin up and smiled at George before pressing her lips against his for a short kiss, "Zip me up?" Cosette asked before turning around.
Just like before, George collected all of Cosette's hair and pushed it to one side over her shoulder. He ran his fingers along the straps but before he fixed her dress, he dipped his head down to gently kiss her neck. The soft touch sent a chill down Cosette's spine which only spread over her body when he finally zipped her up slowly.
"George," she whispered when his lips continued to trail over her neck. He hummed against her skin and Cosette sucked in a breath as she turned around in his grasp, "We can't spend all night in here."
"We could," he suggested as his eyes landed on her lips.
"We can't," Cosette repeated. The idea of someone coming looking for her was starting to send her into a panic. Nick was probably wondering where she was and there was a good chance that Alice was trying to find her. The longer she stayed hidden in this room with George the more questions there would be.
And this was exactly what caused her and George to fight in the first place.
Cosette had a plan when she arrived at the manor. She was supposed to apologize for everything she said. She needed George to know that she wanted to be with him and she didn't want to let anyone's opinions get in her way.
But the look of concern on Cosette's face reminded George of what he was supposed to tell Cosette when he saw her. He didn't want to rush her into anything and as long as he finally had Cosette, he wasn't going to complain.
"Hey," he whispered as he tilted her chin up, wanting her full attention. "Cosette I don't want you to feel pressured into jumping into anything you aren't ready for. I get it, okay? I get why you're anxious about people finding out about us and if you want to keep this just between us for now, I'm okay with that."
Cosette felt a weight lifted off her shoulders and in lack of finding the right words, she draped her arms over George's shoulders and connected their lips in a spirited kiss. George smiled against her lips and held her face firmly as he kissed her for what he hoped wouldn't be the last time tonight.
"Thank you," Cosette's voice was shaky as they parted, but George's gentle smile was the assurance that she needed. She nodded her head slightly, "I know that no one else matters when it comes to us, I just don't want to drop this on everyone out of nowhere."
"I'm fine with keeping this a secret," George told her again. "It'll be hard not to kiss you everytime I see you, but I'll survive."
"Will you?" She teased and before he could lean down to kiss her again, Cosette pushed on his chest. "George Weasley, if you don't finish getting dressed-"
"Okay, okay," he sighed and reluctantly backed up. He reached for his pants that were crumbled up at the end of the bed and slid them on before looking for his belt and one of his shoes that somehow ended up getting lost.
Cosette, for the most part, was dressed. Her dress was on and zipped up and her heels weren't lost, but she couldn't find her underwear. Granted, she didn't really need any with this dress. The material was thick enough and dark enough where nothing was visible through it, but she couldn't necessarily leave it in this room.
She lifted up the covers under the bed, seeing if it somehow fell under the frame but there was nothing. She glanced over the floor but this room wasn't messy and a black thong shouldn't have been hard to find.
In fact, George found it within seconds and he wasn't even trying to.
He cleared his throat and Cosette turned to face him, watching as he twirled it around his finger. She rolled her eyes and stepped forward to grab it but he pulled it back and out of reach.
"Oh, sorry," George smirked, "Did you want these?"
"Kind of, yes," Cosette responded, trying to grab it again but this time he held it up high. Cosette raised her hand, but the height difference between them made it impossible to take the thong back. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed loudly, "George, come on."
With a mischievous look, George took a step back and kept one of his hands outstretched to ensure she didn't try to follow. He slowly lowered his raised hand and slid the underwear into the front pocket of his pants.
"That's risky," Cosette warned.
"That's half of the fun of keeping us a secret," George winked and Cosette rolled her eyes again. She adjusted her dress, pulling it down as low as it would go as she pointed towards the ensuite in the far corner of the bedroom.
"I'm going to go fix my hair," she told him. "And make sure that I'm not going to leak as soon as I step out of this bedroom."
"Hot."
"Not hot," Cosette shook her head, but she couldn't stifle her laughter. "You head out there and join everyone. I'll be out in a few minutes."
"Are you going to talk to me out there?" George asked, reaching for her hand. He played with her fingertips delicately, desperate to get any more contact out of her before they had to separate.
"Maybe," she shrugged her shoulders. George extended his arm as far as it would go, holding onto Cosette's hand until he couldn't any longer as she walked towards the bathroom. She glanced at him one more time and nodded her head towards the bedroom door, urging him to rejoin the party.
George took a second to run his hands through his hair and make himself as presentable as possible before finally reaching for the handle. As soon as it unlocked, he pulled it open slowly and stuck his head out into the corridor.
No one was nearby so he stepped out and shut the door behind him. George turned the corner and saw a few people in that hallway but no one that he knew personally so they didn't pay him any attention as he walked by. The closer he got to the ballroom, the louder the music and various conversations grew to be. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the bedroom with Cosette, but in that time it seemed like the crowd of people doubled.
Which made it a lot easier for him to sneak back into the party without being questioned.
It took him a minute to find someone that he came here with, but towards the back corner of the ballroom there was a section of couches and benches formed in a U-shape for people to sit on and that's where everyone was.
And everyone wasn't an exaggeration.
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione took up one of the couches but with them was Neville and Luna who were standing up and chatting with champagne glasses in hand. On one of the benches sat Dean and Seamus, laughing over what was probably an inside joke from their Hogwarts years.
Alice sat with Lee on a seperate bench but as soon as Lee noticed George arrive, he stood up and attacked him in a hug.
"Lee Jordan!" George laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder, "It's good to see you, mate. How are you? What have you been getting up to?"
If George was being honest, he'd lost touch with a lot of his friends from Hogwarts. Including Lee, who was his and Fred's best friend throughout all seven years. They never had a falling out, they just didn't speak as often anymore. The last time they saw each other was nearly eight months ago.
"I'm great," Lee grinned. "You are looking at Saeclums' Stadium's newest Quidditch anchor."
George was beyond excited for Lee. He loved commentating during the Quidditch matches at Hogwarts so this job was perfect for him, "That's wicked, I'll be listening for you."
"Don't hold your breath Weasley, I'm just starting out so I reckon I won't get that much air time."
"It's still very exciting," George nodded, "Good for you, Lee. You deserve this."
"Thank you, thank you," Lee was still smiling. George could tell that this was something he was clearly proud of and he had every right to be. "What about you? How's the shop? Do you still talk to Angelina or has that completely fizzled out?"
George snorted, "No that fizzled out. It never worked with her but I think we both sort of knew it would never work."
"So are you seeing anyone else then?" He asked and George had to fight the urge to say Cosette's name. He sucked in a breath and raised his eyebrows before glancing around the circle of friends, expecting to see Lottie somewhere but she wasn't with them.
As much as he liked that she wasn't there, George didn't want Lottie to run away again and leave him for another week. He had to make sure that Lottie went home with him after the party so he could end things with her.
"Yeah, I don't know where she is at the moment though," George answered honestly. He turned over his shoulder, acting as though he was looking for Lottie but was more than happy to see Cosette walking in their direction.
She met his eyes for barely a second before turning towards Lee. George's heart fluttered at the way her smile grew when she recognized an old friend and he stepped out of the way so she could hug him.
"Oh my gosh," She sighed loudly, clinging her arms around his neck. "Lee you don't know how nice it is to see you."
"And look at you," Lee took a step back, but kept his hand in hers and he wasn't at all subtle about the way he checked her out. George knew that Lee didn't have any intentions and that he was always a charmer in school, but he hated that he wasn't able to admire Cosette publicly like Lee could.
Cosette laughed as Lee shook his head at her, in mock disbelief that she was actually making an appearance after three years.
"Damn O'Connor, you're like fine wine," he sucked in a breath, "You only get better with age."
Cosette rolled her eyes at him, "Oh shut up, it's only been three years."
"I mean it!" Lee laughed, "You look good. You have a little something on your face there though," he jokingly tapped on the side of his own face, mimicking where Cosette's scar was but she didn't take any offense to it. Lee was the type of person to turn absolutely everything into a joke.
"Would you like a matching one?" She challenged him, but before he could answer back with something just as witty, Luna called Cosette's name and grabbed her attention. Cosette looked at Lee,then at George quickly, and then back to Lee, "I'll catch up with you in a bit, yeah?"
Cosette squeezed his hand as she stepped past him and headed towards Luna and Neville. Neither George nor Lee couldn't stop themselves as she walked away from them, but it was Lee who said something first.
"So she's-" Lee rubbed his fingers over his lips, trying to figure out if he should reword his sentence. "She's off limits, right?"
"Who?" George asked, furrowing his eyebrows. He watched as Alice stood up and grabbed Cosette's hand before she could join a new conversation, and as soon as Alice glanced at George, he turned back to Lee. "You're talking about Setty?"
"Who else would I be talking about?" Lee chuckled again, but George's expression wasn't readable. Lee hit his arm lightly, "Oh come on, every guy had a thing for her back at Hogwarts, but Fred beat us all to it. You can't blame me for asking about her now."
He really couldn't.
As far as everyone knew, Cosette was single and here she was now, looking more beautiful than ever.
But considering he currently had her thong in his pocket, he wasn't about to give Lee any idea that he had a chance with her.
"Yeah, she's off limits," George finally answered and Lee exhaled hopelessly.
"I guess I couldn't do that to Freddie," Lee nodded, patting George on the shoulder again before glancing towards a bar stand. "I'm going to get a drink, you want something?"
But George was replaying the comment about Fred in his mind and it took him a second to respond. He looked towards the bar and nodded, "Sure, yeah. Surprise me."
Lee took off and George turned towards the group again, hoping to make eye contact with Cosette but she was too occupied in her conversation with Alice to even look up so he decided to go join Ron and Harry.
He had barely taken a step when he felt someone slip their arm around his. George turned to the side, already knowing that it was Lottie next to him.
"I've been looking for you," she told him, but she didn't sound upset. She had a drink in her hands and a bright smile on her face and it seemed like she was having a pretty good time. "I leave to find the ladies room and you're gone. Where'd you sneak off too?"
"I ran into some old Qudditch friends," George answered, continuing to walk over towards Ron. The two of them sat down on a cushioned bench opposite of everyone else and listened in on the conversation before trying to join in.
"Oh," Lottie's grip on George's arm tightened again. "Cosette's here."
"Lottie, you knew she was coming," George muttered.
At that moment, he glanced up to where Alice and Cosette were standing, only to see Alice staring at him coldly. Which again, wasn't at all like her. George sat up a bit straighter, wanting to show Alice that he wasn't about to let this staredown get to him and then he realized what was happening.
Alice knew about him and Cosette.
Either that, or she was suspicious.
Which explained why she left so suddenly when he introduced her to Lottie and it would explain the harsh looks he was getting now.
But if Alice was wanting to say anything to George, she changed her mind the second that Cosette's brother stepped up to them. He had a drink in his hands and without any hesitation, Cosette grabbed it and finished the rest of it off. George tried to hide his laughter when Cosette handed him back the empty glass before he made his way over towards the bar.
George leaned forward and nudged Harry's arm, nodding towards where Nick was now alone, "If you want to figure out how to get on Setty's good side, go talk to him."
Of course, George had no knowledge about how Nick was trying to hit on Ginny, but Ginny was too preoccupied in her own conversation with Hermione to even hear what George was suggesting.
But Harry was already past that incident and all he wanted now was to fix the friendship between him and Cosette. He told Ron he'd be right back as he stood up from the couch and walked over to Nick.
Nick had barely taken a sip of his new drink when he spotted Harry approaching. His eyes widened and he started to turn around, thinking that Harry was going to mention something about Ginny and he wasn't wanting to start an altercation with him tonight.
"Nick, hold up," Harry called out and Nick stopped in his tracks.
He inhaled a deep breath before turning back around, wanting to get this conversation over with, "Look, mate, I'm sorry about Ginny. I swear, nothing happened-"
"That's not why I wanted to talk to you," Harry cut him off quickly. He glanced over his shoulder at where Cosette was still standing with Alice. "I need some help actually."
"Help with what?" Nick asked him, voice full of caution. He had heard all about what Harry and his friends had gotten up to in his years at Hogwarts and Nick wanted no part in any of those types of adventures.
"With Setty."
"Setty?" He repeated back. "What about Setty?"
"She hates me," Harry answered with a dry laugh. "And I know she wanted nothing to do with you for the last few years but now you two seem fine. I just need help trying to get on her good side again."
Nick nodded slowly. He understood what Harry was asking of him, but his relationship with his sister was completely different. What worked for him and Cosette wouldn't necessarily work with anyone else.
"Sets and I always had issues," Nick admitted to him. "I was never the older brother that I should have been and over the years at Hogwarts, we drifted apart. I can't speak on behalf of anyone else, but I couldn't show up at the battle that night and choose a side. I couldn't fight my family and I couldn't fight my friends either because most of them didn't even have a choice. A lot of Slytherins had to stand alongside their families and I didn't think it was right to fight against them."
Harry and Nick started to walk back over to the lounging area, but they stayed a few feet away from the couches to continue their conversation.
"So you told her that then?" Harry asked.
Nick nodded his head, "I explained to her my thoughts at the time and I told her that I did try to be there for her after Fred's death. But because of my absence during that night, she wanted nothing to do with me. After three years, I had to force her into a conversation so she would finally listen to me. I told her I wanted my sister back. I told her that I wanted to be there for her."
"By force you mean-"
"We yelled at each other," Nick chuckled, remembering how he tricked Cosette into thinking their dad was sick so she'd come with him. "Yeah, a lot of fighting that night, but I think that's what she needs. She had so much built up anger and once we were finally done screaming at each other, she calmed down enough to listen to my side of things."
"That's what George suggested," Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He said to just let her yell at me and get it all out so we can start over."
"Wise words," Nick nodded his head, and averted his gaze towards Cosette, "She may seem fine, Harry, but she's still going through a lot. There's still a lot of pent up aggression and guilt and she hasn't really found a healthy way of dealing with it. You might just have to suck it up and let her lash out on you."
"Has anyone ever tried to suggest therapy?"
After the battle, there were tons of resources available for those who had lost loved ones or who were struggling to go on after what had happened. It took a toll on a lot of people, but everyone knew how stubborn Cosette was. It was unlikely that she ever seeked councling.
"She didn't talk to anyone for three years, mate," Nick stifled a laugh as he brought the glass up to his lips. "You really think she's going to talk to a stranger about her problems?"
"It would benefit her," Harry shrugged her shoulders.
"Try telling her that."
They both looked back towards Cosette but when they did, they noticed someone else approaching this corner.
"Well, well!"
Draco Malfoy's recognizable voice brought all conversions to a halt. On either side of him stood his friends, Blaise and Theo. These were people that Nick hadn't seen in years and he knew that Cosette also hadn't seen them since the battle either.
"If it isn't the 'ol Gryffindor gang back together," Draco continued, but there was no spite in his voice. He sounded genuinely impressed to see everyone chatting.
"Oh, no, I was in Ravenclaw," Luna softly spoke up, earning muffled laughter from everyone nearby.
Draco also chuckled at her comment, but his attention quickly went to Cosette, "Mind if I talk to you for a minute?"
"Me?"
Nick and Harry were able to hear the surprise in her voice from where they were standing and out of the corner of his eye, Nick was able to see George flinch in his spot, like he was ready to stand up and assist her in case Draco crossed a line.
But he stayed seated and Nick stayed behind the couch. Both of them watched intensely as her and Draco took a few steps away from the group.
"She'll talk to the guy who was a literal death eater, but she'll barely look at me," Harry muttered under his breath, furrowing his eyebrows at this situation.
"Yeah, but look how defensive her stance is," Nick pointed out. He noticed her arms crossed over her chest and she had a death grip around the glass she was clutching onto. Nick wasn't sure who had even given her another drink but he had a feeling it should probably be her last one.
"You don't think she wants to talk to him?" Harry asked and Nick shook his head slowly.
Cosette, like most of her friends, couldn't stand Draco during their time at Hogwarts. Even though there was an age difference, Cosette still hated him. She hated how he treated the Weasley's. She couldn't stand his cocky and arrogant behavior and Draco was the one who let death eaters into the school grounds. It had been three years, but she was most likely still holding onto every grudge she could.
"I doubt it," he answered. "Ten sickles she throws that drink on him."
"She wouldn't-" but Harry cut himself off when he noticed one of her fingers tapping against the side of the glass. "She totally would, wouldn't she?"
Hearing someone clear their throat next to them, Nick glanced over and saw that Ron had gotten up. Ron nodded his head towards Cosette and Draco.
"You think she'll punch him?" Ron asked.
"Nick thinks she's going to throw the drink on him," Harry mentioned.
"Ooh," Ron nodded, "Yeah that's definitely something she would do."
As much as the three of them tried to listen in on their conversation, they were slightly out of earshot and couldn't make out anything past their expressions.
Cosette wasn't entirely sure what Draco wanted to talk to her about, but when he asked to speak to her, she wasn't going to say no. This was his manor, this was his party and as much as she didn't like the guy, she couldn't be disrespectful.
At least, not right away.
Draco's eyes flashed over the scar on Cosette's face and he inhaled sharply. It reminded him of that night and the choices he made.
"If you're going to apologize," Cosette started off bitterly as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Just save it. I'm not blaming you for his death but that doesn't mean I can look past what you did that night."
"Setty, I didn't have a choice."
"Don't fucking call me that," Cosette shook her head as she forced herself to smile.
"I didn't," Draco said again, this time a little louder. "I never wanted for people to die that night."
"Yeah and I never wanted to bury Fred six feet under ground but it happened." Cosette tapped her fingers against the rim of her glass as she pressed her lips together firmly and waited for his response.
For what was probably the first time Cosette had ever seen, Draco looked nervous. He looked guilty. There was pity and remorse painted all over his face.
"I know you don't want to hear it, but I am sorry," Draco's pain filled eyes darted all over his face. As much as this was a party, he only threw it as an attempt to fix any bridges that he had burnt.
Cosette nodded her head. She didn't want to start a fight with him but she also wasn't about to forgive him for anything he had done over the years. Other people were quick to accept him and his family back into society but Cosette wasn't one of those people.
"Look I can tell that you've really taken the time to grow and reflect on everything and that's great. I encourage you to keep doing that," she started off, "But I am not about to form a friendship with you. You tormented Fred and his siblings for years, Draco, and what you did that night, regardless if it was your choice or not, ruined lives. Others may have moved on, but I know how to hold a grudge so it'll take a little more than an apology and a party to change my opinion of you."
Cosette started to back up slowly, done with this conversation and as she did, she raised her glass. Behind her, Nick, Ron and Harry all held their breaths, thinking that she was going to throw the contents of the glass at Draco. But she merely tilted her head and cheered him.
"It is a fun party though" she told him. "Good choice on the open bar."
Cosette turned around and rejoined everyone sitting down. She sat on the bench next to Alice that was placed in between both couches. One one side of them was the couch that Hermione and Ginny sat on and on the other side was the couch where Lottie and George were.
Cosette chose to give her attention to Hermione and Ginny.
"Where have you been? 'Mione and I tried looking for you." Ginny asked, her eyes darting up to where Draco was now walking away. "Also, what did Malfoy say to you?"
"He mostly wanted to apologize," Cosette answered only one of Ginny's questions with a shrug as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. She noticed Ginny's eyes widened as her gaze narrowed in on her neck.
"Oh so that's where you've been all night."
Cosette felt all eyes on her suddenly and although she couldn't see the hickey, or hickies, on her neck, she knew they were there. She quickly flipped her hair back to cover them but it was already too late.
"So who exactly did you catch up with, Setty?" Ginny asked through laughter. Behind her, the rest of the boys were making their way back to the couch, but they stayed behind it instead of sitting back down.
She so desperately wanted to look at George but she knew that the second she did that, someone would catch it and this conversation would only spiral out of control.
And George actively tried to look away as well. He glanced at the walls, he looked at his hands, really anywhere but Cosette. He also couldn't bring himself to look at Lottie because he could feel the cold glare she was sending him.
Lottie, at this point, was putting two and two together. George's sudden disappearance combined with the marks on Cosette's neck was all of the information she needed.
But she didn't say anything.
"No, Ginny, it's from my straightening iron," Cosette quickly lied, wanting to move past this as soon as possible.
"Setty your hair is curled," Hermione wasted no time in pointing out Cosette's mistake.
"You are absolutely right," Cosette smiled, but internally she was starting to panic. She heard Alice suck in a breath from beside her, expecting all of this to finally be brought out in the open, but Cosette managed to keep the lie going. "I use my straightening iron to curl my hair, it's so much faster. I can show you next time we hang out if you want. It'll save you like twenty minutes, honestly."
Hermione nodded, but Cosette could tell that she wasn't quite convinced. Regardless, Cosette wasn't about to dwell on this topic any longer.
Alice had just questioned her for the last five minutes about where she had been and all Cosette wanted now was to drink and enjoy the rest of her night.
However when she glanced up and met Nick's eyes from where he stood, she recognized the stress induced lines that had formed above his brows. His vision darted up and past Cosette and curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what had grabbed his attention and caused this sudden reaction.
So Cosette turned around as well.
But she wished she hadn't.
At a high table, surrounded by his friends from Slytherin, Cosette locked eyes with the one and only Benjamin Nott.
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