After Party
The Slytherin common room had quieted down, the party finally dying as most students staggered back to their dorms or passed out in chairs. The once-lively music was replaced by the quiet crackling of the fireplace, and the scent of spilled drinks lingered in the air. Pansy Parkinson, along with Blaise and Draco, was left to clean up the mess. Bottles, cups, and remnants of the party were scattered everywhere, and Pansy looked visibly annoyed as she picked up empty butterbeer bottles.
"I don't understand why I'm the one cleaning up," Pansy muttered, tossing a bottle into the trash with a bit more force than necessary. "This was Juliet's idea, after all."
Blaise, who was trying to tidy up the scattered chairs, chuckled. "Come on, Pansy. You're only cleaning because you want to make sure everything is in order. We all know you like things neat."
Pansy scowled but didn't argue. "Still, she should be here helping. I haven't seen her for hours, not since she disappeared with Viktor."
Draco, sitting on one of the leather couches, sighed heavily at the mention of Juliet with Victor. rubbing his temples. "She's probably off doing whatever she does best — flirting her way out of responsibilities. You know how she is."
Pansy huffed in agreement, and for a few moments, the three of them worked in silence. After the mess was mostly cleared, Blaise flopped onto the couch next to Draco, his limbs sprawled out in exhaustion. "Well, that's enough of that. I swear, if Juliet throws another party in here, I'm going to—"
"—Ignore it like you always do?" Draco interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Blaise shrugged with a lazy grin. "What can I say? She's got a way of getting what she wants."
Pansy rolled her eyes and wiped her hands on her robe. "Well, I'm done with this. I'm going to bed." She looked at the two boys, a pointed expression on her face. "You two should probably get some sleep as well."
Draco waved her off dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, Pansy."
Blaise gave Pansy a goodnight's peck on the lips before settling deeper into the couch. "Night, Pans."
Pansy turned on her heel and headed toward the girls' dorms, muttering under her breath about how tired she was. But as she pushed open the door to her shared dorm with Juliet, she froze. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene before her.
There, sprawled on her bed, were Juliet and Viktor Krum, tangled up in each other, clearly in the middle of a very intimate moment. Juliet's blonde hair was wild, her bare back exposed as she straddled Viktor, who looked equally disheveled beneath her. The soft murmur of their voices, along with the sounds of their movements, made Pansy's skin crawl with disgust.
"What the—" Pansy's voice cracked with rage as she stormed into the room. "Are you kidding me?! On my bed?!"
Juliet barely registered the intrusion, too caught up in Viktor, but Viktor's head turned slightly in Pansy's direction, his expression somewhat smug. Pansy, beyond furious, turned on her heel and stormed out of the dormitory, slamming the door behind her with a force that shook the wall.
In the common room, Draco and Blaise immediately sat up, startled by the loud noise.
"What the hell was that?" Blaise asked, his eyebrows raised.
Pansy came storming back into the common room, her face red with fury, her hands shaking as she pointed toward the dorms. "Juliet," she spat, "is in there with Viktor—on my bed."
Draco's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Are you serious?" Blaise asked, though his tone was more amused than anything.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Pansy snapped, pacing back and forth, her anger bubbling over. "She's completely crossed the line this time. It's bad enough she ignored me the whole night, but to bring him into my dorm, my bed? She's absolutely—" Pansy let out a frustrated growl, unable to even finish her sentence.
Blaise stood up and approached her, raising his hands in an attempt to calm her down. "Alright, Pansy, relax. It's not worth getting this upset over. Just kick them out."
Pansy glared at him, her eyes fiery. "Kick them out? She shouldn't have been in there in the first place!"
Draco stood as well, his face set in a grim expression. "Juliet's always been selfish, thinking she can do whatever she wants because of her family name. It's about time someone put her in her place."
Blaise raised an eyebrow at Draco. "A little harsh, don't you think?"
"No," Draco said sharply, his voice cold. "I'm tired of her acting like she's untouchable. She does whatever she wants, and no one ever calls her out on it. Viktor's no better — just because he's famous doesn't mean he can come in here and act like he owns the place."
Pansy nodded furiously, grateful that Draco was on her side. "Exactly! And the fact that she chose my bed, of all places... it's disgusting!"
Blaise sighed, trying to mediate. "Look, I get it. It's messed up. But let's not blow this out of proportion. It's not like they were doing it to spite you."
Pansy crossed her arms, her expression unrelenting. "That's not the point, Blaise. It's about respect. And clearly, Juliet has none."
Draco shot a cold look toward the dorms. "She thinks she can get away with anything just because of who she is. And the worst part is, she's right. No one ever tells her no."
Pansy sat down next to Blaise, still fuming. "Well, I'm not letting this go. Not this time."
Draco nodded in agreement, his usual disdain for Juliet amplified by the situation. "Good. She needs to learn there are consequences."
Blaise, though sympathetic to Pansy's outrage, couldn't help but feel a little amused at how riled up the situation had made Draco. Draco would barely mention Juliet's name if not to speak about how much she bothered him since day one. Blaise always knew there was something up. But now Draco was slowly worming his way into Juliet's life and getting involved. He'd love to see how this unfolds. "Alright, alright. I'll back you up if it comes to that. But for now, let's all just cool down before you both do something rash."
Pansy huffed, glaring at the doorway to the dorms, while Draco sat back down on the couch, his mind still racing with thoughts of Juliet and Viktor. The jealousy he had been trying to ignore flared up again, but this time, it was tangled with anger.
In the back of his mind, Draco couldn't shake the image of Juliet and Viktor together — and it was driving him mad.