Draco’s pov
Draco found himself sandwiched between Pansy and Blaise and on his way to the first Griffindor party of the year. He didn't want to go and he’s sure they weren’t wanted. Yet he was shoved along.
“We’re prefects, Pansy! We shouldn’t be doing this at all.”
“Oh, hush. One: we were invited. And two: don’t you at least wonder what goes on in one? After all, we’ve seen the aftermath.”
The latter was certainly true. You knew when Gryfindor had a party because the entire house, and half of the other two houses, sported shaky legs, goofy grins, and deep eyebags. There were many rumors of what happens during one, but all participating parties seemed sworn to secrecy. Some of Draco’s favorites included; strip shows done by the Weasley twins, flaming beers, and muggle drinking games.
There also happened to be a rumor that a certain someone turned into a completely person when he was drunk…
Draco ignored that one.
“Who would invite us to a Gryffindor party.” Draco scowled.
“Apparently, the weasel twins themselves… right Blaise?” Pansy leaned over to look around Draco at Zabini, who unsurprisingly hadn’t said a word since they left the dungeons.
“Yeah.” Blaise mumbles, looking away from Pansy’s scrutinizing gaze.
They shrug, and continue their way up the stairs to the third floor, and Draco spares a moment of thanks that he only has to navigate them for a few classes. It was exhausting to imagine going up the moving platforms when he was tired, especially after prefect duties and his afterschool charms work.
“Butterscotch.” Blaise spoke to the portrait of a rotund woman.
She complained something about infernal students and their blasted shenenagings, but they were already pushing past her frame into the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. They were hit with a wave of sound. Merlin, the strength of those silencing charms.
The whole room reeked of a strange pumpkin-cinnamon blend. The typical dorm decor had been covered up by a number of bright decorations and a table was set up opposite the large hearth with snacks, individual bottles of butterbeer, and a fizzing punch bowl. Honestly it was pretty much exactly what Draco expected. What actually caught his eye was the way the entrances to two staircases, he assumed led up to the dorms, seemed to shimmer, as if a layer of glittering film covered them.
“What’s going on with those staircases-“
”Silencing charms and wards.”
A sudden voice behind their trio had him jumping. He turned to find the Weasley twins. One of them was in tight black trousers and a navy button-up he had open all the way down before conjoining at the very bottom clasp and tucked into his trousers. The other one was wearing baggy-style khaki green cargos and a tight black turtleneck, but Draco really couldn’t tell them apart otherwise. Both of them had positioned themselves behind Blaise, on either side. A ways back but just enough you could see it. Tight pants Weasley, the one on Blaise’s right, was the one that spoke.
“We placed extra precautions to keep the younger kiddos safe from the parties. They won’t hear anything that goes on, and if they wake up, they’ll be deterred from coming down here.”
They must’ve been rather strong to block out the overwhelming sounds of the party. It was still early but Draco was already feeling like he wanted to leave. Maybe that was just because he didn’t want to be here in the first place.
“Well, little snakes, welcome to the lion’s den. We bring the alcohol out about 1:00 a.m. and the punch will be spiked around that time too, so if you want anything non alcoholic you’ll have to get it before then,” The right side Weasley.
“Don’t fret too much now. There’ll be a water jug available the whole night and it's under very strict charms to keep it from being tampered with. So will all the cups.” The left Weasley.
Pansy scoffed, because of course she did. “That’s awfully safe and regulated considering you two’s history of wild and reckless behavior.”
“With all due respect miss Parkinson, parties are entirely different from pranks.”
With that the two Weasley twins wandered off to do different hosting duties and mingle, to really get the party going. The trio found themselves in a corner on couches with cups of punch, listening to gossip. Apparently the twins put all the regulations in place when a second year had accidentally wandered into the party, had their punch drugged and almost taken somewhere. George and Fred cracked down on safety after that.
Draco looked around the room. While their little gossip session had kicked off, the party had too, and he recognized many of the faces here. The room had transformed from a cozy commons to a den of debauchery. Lights were dimmed and the music was barely heard over chatter and other… sounds. The punch is quite good, made by mixing orange pop and strawberry sherbet and something else Draco couldn’t quite place. Pansy is working her charms on anyone who’s been showing interest and is currently sitting on the lap of some androgynous Ravenclaw individual. Blaise had disappeared shortly before, and Draco wanted to leave now more than ever.
The party had started at twelve, though the trio had arrived a few minutes later than that. It was getting close to one now so Draco went up to get one last cup of punch before it was spiked, he wasn’t entirely sure about being intoxicated so soon. As the coral fizzing drink was poured into his glass he finally spotted the people he’d been trying to avoid.
Potter, Granger and Weasel boy were all chatting amicably in a corner with other students. Well, Potter wasn’t. He was doing what he always did. Did no one else see the way the chosen one shrunk into the shadows. He kept his shoulders tucked and his head down. Or he kept behind the weasel boy, trusting his friend’s stature to provide cover.
Harry James Potter did not want to be seen.