"It will all work out in the end, mate," Noah assured his friend.
"I don't think I can do this," admitted Draco, his hair messy and his eyes looking rather bloodshot. The boy hadn't slept in days. "It's too much pressure."
"I won't sugarcoat it, alright? The situation you're in sucks, but maybe you shouldn't focus on it right now. Take your mind off of everything and come to the party tonight. Get wasted and hook up with Pansy or something," Noah suggested.
Draco scoffed, objecting, "No way. Anyone but Pansy. She's so clingy that I swear my arm is about to fall off."
The two boys laughed in the Slytherin dormitory, which was lit by a few candles and lanterns as the sun began to set. The light danced across the dark green curtains and bedsheets.
"So, you and Parker?" Draco asked after a few minutes, an eyebrow raised.
Noah simply nodded, trying to keep the corners of his lips from tugging upward.
"You have to be careful," Draco warned. "You know that, right?"
Noah sighed, running a hand through his hair, tugging roughly on the roots of it. "Yeah, I know that, alright?"
"You haven't told her yet, have you?"
"There's a lot I haven't told her," Noah sighed, looking down at his shoes.
"That's probably for the best."
Noah stood up, walking over to the dresser on the opposite side of the room to gaze in the mirror. "I hate lying to her."
"Everyone lies, Dolohov. You need to get used to sneaking around and lying without hesitation," Draco explained.
"Can we not talk about this right now?" Noah asked, turning back around to look at the boy, no longer wanting to stare at his own reflection. "Are you coming to the party or not?"
"I was thinking about staying in bed and sulking all alone with a bottle of firewhiskey, actually."
"Here's an idea," Noah started, reaching under his bed and feeling around for a moment before pulling out a large bottle and tossing it toward Draco. The boy caught it and looked down at the label. "Bring the firewhiskey to the party and sulk around other people instead."
"Alright, alright," Draco replied, twisting it open and taking a sip. It burned his throat but his expression never faltered.
"I have to go meet Grace, but I'll see you in the Room of Requirement later."
"I'll be too far gone by then to see much, but sure, see you later," Draco mumbled, raising the bottle as his friend left the dormitory shaking his head.
Noah made his way out of the Slytherin common room. He was supposed to meet Grace outside the library, but when he arrived, she was nowhere to be found. He walked through the entrance of the library, nearly crashing into Grace as she rounded the corner of a bookshelf.
"There you are," Noah said, slightly startled.
"Sorry, we were studying and lost track of time."
"We?" Noah asked, his forehead wrinkling.
Grace looked over her shoulder for the girl she was referring to. It only took a moment for Rachel to appear from behind the bookshelf.
"Hello, Noah," she said in a sickly sweet voice. "Grace and I were just doing some homework. She's such a great study partner."
"It was nothing, really. I'm glad I could help," Grace responded with a small smile.
"No, it was great. I would have failed the next Care of Magical Creatures exam if it wasn't for you," Rachel insisted, a grin on her face. "Hey, we should hang out at the party later!"
"Definitely," Grace replied, trying to sound enthusiastic, although she really just wanted to be alone with Noah. "I'll see you then."
"Bye, Grace," Rachel said, walking past the couple. She turned her head to look back, her blonde hair flying over her shoulder. "Bye, Noah," she added with a smirk, strutting out of the library.
As soon as Rachel had stepped into the corridor, Noah looked down at Grace with great confusion. "What on earth are you doing with Rachel of all people?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure," answered Grace with a shrug. "She came up to me after class today and asked if I could help her with homework and studying. She's actually really nice, despite the fact that I've called her a bitch in my head many, many times while you two were dating."
"I don't want you around her," Noah stated firmly.
"Why not?" Grace shot a puzzled gaze up at him.
"Just-" He clenched his jaw. "Please. Not her, okay? Not because she's my ex, but because she's a shitty person and I know she has a motive."
Grace looked back and forth between Noah's eyes. Was there something he wasn't telling her? What did he know that she didn't? Trust was so hard for her, but in this moment, she had to trust Noah.
"Fine," she said finally. "I'll try to stay away from her."
"Thank you," Noah sighed in relief, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Are you ready to go?"
"Sorry, I just have to run up to Gryffindor tower to change my clothes. I didn't have time after class since I agreed to come to the library. I'll be quick," Grace explained, giving his hand a squeeze. "I'll meet you there?"
"Sure," Noah replied with a nod, watching Grace exit the library. He started toward the Room of Requirement, his mind occupied as he tried to figure out what Rachel Avery was plotting. Rachel and Noah's whole relationship was a lie. Another liar around Grace was the last thing she needed.
You're a liar, too, Noah, he thought to himself.
He pushed away the voice inside his head as he reached the Room of Requirement. He had been there many times before with Draco this year, but the inside would look a lot different than what the two Slytherins had been going there for. Noah closed his eyes with great concentration. After a moment, a door appeared on the wall that had previously been completely blank. He pushed it open and was immediately bombarded with loud music.
The boy darted his eyes around the room. Couches were scattered to his left, a giant fireplace behind them. To his right, a long counter that stretched wall-to-wall had so many drinks lined up on it that it could have lasted the students the rest of the school year. By the boozy smell in the air, however, the teenagers were well on their way to finishing them.
Noah looked toward the center of the room where there was space for people to dance and chat. That was where he heard his name being called from.
"Hey, Dolohov, you made it!" Blaise Zabini yelled over the music, walking toward Noah with a drink in his hand.
"Good to see you, mate," he replied, looking around at his drunk classmates. "Already kind of crazy in here, isn't it?"
"The way it should be! Go get a drink, man," Blaise urged, nodding towards the table. "I'll see you around."
Noah shot his eyes over to the counter. He noticed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley pouring two glasses of Wizard's Brew. The muggleborns around the castle swore by the fact it tasted like Muggle beer. Whatever that was.
Malfoy sure would be pleased to see Potter. Noah snorted at the thought of the two enemies bickering.
Once the boy and his red-haired friend walked away, Noah poured himself a generous glass of firewhiskey, bringing it to his lips and chugging the entire thing. After seeing Rachel tonight, he needed a drink. Just as he finished filling up another glass, the door slammed open, a blond boy stumbling in.
"Dolohov, you son of a bitch!" Draco pointed at Noah with a goofy grin on his face, walking over to his friend by the counter. A few heads turned at his abrupt entrance, but no one's gaze lingered. "You were so right. I needed to take my mind off things. This stuff is great." He raised the almost-empty bottle he had started back in Slytherin house. "It's like magic. We need more magic in our shitty lives, you know?" he slurred.
Noah tried to stifle his laughter. Merlin, Draco was beyond wasted. "For fuck's sake, Malfoy, we go to school in an enchanted castle. We're fucking magical wizards, you dipshit."
Draco seemed to think about his statement for a moment, his brows pinching together as he stared off into space. "Oh, fuck. You're right!" The boy finished the rest of the bottle, tossing it behind the counter with a loud smash. "You have to get on my level, man. I know you have shit on your mind, too. Let me tell you, drink it all away. This stuff works."
"Yeah, I'm trying," Noah responded, taking a shot of whatever green liquid Draco had just handed him.
"Look at Scarhead over there," Draco spat, glaring across the room. "Walking around like he owns the place. My father-"
"Yeah, I'm going to let you talk to yourself, now," Noah said with a grin, grabbing another drink and heading toward the door where Grace had just entered. "You look amazing," he told her, his heart skipping a beat. His gaze traveled up her jeans, lingering around the skin of her stomach that was peeking out the bottom of her shirt. His eyes shifted over to her exposed forearm, her faded scar blinding his eyes. His stomach turned uncomfortably in anger, or potentially just from the alcohol.
"Thank you," Grace replied with a smile, standing on her toes and pressing her lips to his. She pulled away after a moment, her face scrunched up. "Merlin, how much did you drink already?"
"Not much," Noah lied with a shake of his head. He wrapped his arm around Grace, his fingers brushing up against the warm skin of her slightly-exposed waist. Her heart fluttered in her chest at his touch. He led them over to one of the couches. "I'll grab you a drink. Be right back," he stated as Grace sat down.
Noah paced across the room, feeling lighter than he had all day. Rachel was far from his mind, which was rather dazed from him already feeling a bit buzzed. He poured Grace a glass of spiked punch, weaving in and out of people dancing in the center of the room.
"Hey, man." Noah felt the boy in front of him embrace and clap him on the back. Once he pulled away from the greeting, he met eyes with Jake O'Connor. If only Noah's eyes had caught the Gryffindor boy quickly pouring a small vial of liquid into the drink Noah was holding. "How's it going?"
The two boys weren't really friends. They used to hang around the same crowd, but they were very different people, drifting their separate ways. "I'm fine, but are you? Your face is a little black and blue."
"Yeah, nothing to worry about," Jake uttered, rubbing his jaw. "I really hope you enjoy the rest of your night." The boy smirked. "Enjoy it while you can," he mumbled under his breath, only loud enough for Jake himself to hear.
Noah stared at Jake's bruised face. Damn, Grace had a great right hook. "You too. Maybe put some ice on that."
The Slytherin boy pushed through a few more people who were dancing until he finally reached Grace, handing her the drink. "For you."
"Thanks," she said in return, bringing the cup to her lips. She took a small sip, letting the liquid rush down her throat.
"I have to teach you how to punch," Noah explained, sitting down next to her as he looked at her bruised knuckles. They were finally starting to heal. "Although, I have to say, his face was a nice purple color. That was a great sight to see." He nodded toward O'Connor, who was holding a cold glass to his eye while he talked to his friends.
Grace took a generous gulp, laughing. "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."