Midnight Aspirations
As Ash descended the stairs towards the Slytherin dungeons, the dim moonlight filtering through the windows cast ethereal shadows on the silent halls. With each step, she felt a mix of excitement and trepidation. Natty, Poppy, and Cressida had gone ahead— She needed this moment alone before immersing herself in the pulsating energy of the party. To be surrounded by so many bodies again, after months of self isolation, she was prepared to bolt at the first hint of her magic screaming for release.
Approaching the massive door of the Slytherin common room, Ash whispered the password she had obtained from Natty, who had obtained it from Garreth who had gotten it from a slytherin at breakfast. It would honestly be a miracle if the damned thing worked.
"Aspiration."
Her voice was barely audible in the hushed atmosphere. In response, the intricately carved serpent lock slithered upwards, revealing the gateway to a world of revelry. She pushed the door open and was immediately engulfed in a wave of beating drums and the sounds of string instruments that seemed to emanate from within the room. She descended the spiral stairs into the heart of the chamber, each footstep mirroring a drum beat that reminded her of Samhain. She wondered if she'd find people jumping over bonfires at the bottom of her trek.
As she reached the bottom, her eyes were transfixed on the scene in front of her. The Slytherin common room was transformed into a spectacle of enchantment. The walls adorned with emerald tapestries depicted twisting serpents, their scales gleaming under the gentle flicker of bewitched torches. The ceiling mimicked a starlit night sky, with clusters of enchanted gems casting a shimmering radiance upon the revelers below.
The room pulsated with a vibrant energy that transcended the ordinary, as if the very air was charged with an enchantment of its own. The soft glow of ambient lighting bathed the space, casting elongated shadows that danced to the rhythm of the music. She couldn't place eyes on the instruments playing the alluring music, and it felt as if the chamber itself was singing to them.
Her gaze swept across the sea of writhing bodies, drawn first to the corner where a table displayed an assortment of colorful drinks. Her feet ached to take her towards the table that would likely have her head swimming, but she needed to find her friends. Her eyes scanned the room looking for Natty or Poppy—but her attention was quickly captured by the sight of Sebastian against the wall, goblet in hand, and Imelda Reyes draped against his side, whispering seductively in his ear. He was wearing all black, his dress shirt unbuttoned at the top. His hair was swept back, though messy enough for her to know his— or someone else's— hands had been through it.
She couldn't tear her eyes away, and when she saw the small smirk he gave Imelda, her heart panged. God how long had it been since he had smiled at her, really smiled? She was pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. This was a mistake, she shouldn't have come to this blasted—
His eyes met hers.
In that moment, everything else faded into the background, and the world seemed to hold its breath. The tumultuous emotions that had been suppressed for so long resurfaced, crashing against the walls of her heart.
She sucked in a breath as she stared at him, watching as Imelda pressed a hand against his chest. Despite the touch, he didn't tear his eyes from hers.
"You look incredible." Garreth's voice was barely a murmur next to her ear and she blinked in surprise. She hadn't even heard him come up. She tore her gaze from Sebastian and met Garreth's green eyes. She watched those eyes roam up and down her body before meeting her gaze again.
The leg slits were tantalizing— she didn't think she'd ever shown so much skin in her life. It was a dress that would scandalize both muggle and wizarding crones alike. The bodice hugged her chest, with a neckline that hinted at the path of skin beneath. Her legs were accentuated from the low court heels Natty gave her, and for the first time in weeks, her long blonde hair draped down her back in loose, untangled waves. Though he wasn't the only girl dressed to the nines in fantasy wear, her dorm mates had looked straight out of the pages of Alice and Wonderland. And Ash had Imelda's dress burned into her retinas— a velvet dress of deep blue, with stars embroidered along the material. Had Sebastian traced those stars with his fingers yet?
Ash didn't respond to Garreth's comment and the first words from her mouth were barely audible over the music.
"I need a drink."
He smirked at her and swept his hand towards the table in the far corner covered in drinks.
"I'd stay away from the punch, unless you don't want to remember tonight." His smile was wide as he spoke in a giddy voice, "Made it myself."
That should've been all the warning she needed to stay the hell away from it but as she glanced back towards the wall and saw Imelda on her tip toes pressing her lips against Sebastian's neck...
She headed straight for the table, Garreth following close behind her as she wove through the dancing bodies. She reached it and poured herself a goblet of punch before swallowing the entire thing. Her breathing was heavy as she turned back to Garreth, his eyes wide as he looked between her and the punch.
"Dance with me." She spoke in a low voice, and his wide eyed stare turned into something more devious as he took her hand and turned to lead her into the crowd. She grabbed a small vial from the table, something midnight blue and swirling, and downed it as well before letting him pull her into the mass of bodies.
It didn't take long for the drinks to hit. Whatever they were, there were much stronger than firewhiskey. She felt the room press into her, like she was enveloped in the lights and music as Garreth pressed his body against her, his eyes gleaming as he stared down at her. She titled her head up and gave him a loose smile, her concerns melting away with the swirling liquid she drank. His hands gripped her hips as he danced with her to the music. It was hedonistic, the beat of the drums. The rhythm seemed to echo in her blood, and the hum of fiddle made her feet move without abandon. She felt aflight, like a faerie flying through the forest.
He flipped her around so her back was pressed up against him and she relished in the contact. She ran a hand up to touch the back of his neck as she danced against him. Her heavy eyes flickered around the spinning room in front of her. She looked for that wall again, her eyes roaming across the dancing bodies and—
There.
He was still there, Imelda pressed up against him so similarly to how she was pressed against Garreth. He had one hand gripping her hip and the other on her chin, pulling her neck to the side as he lazily kissed down it. But his eyes—
His eyes were locked on hers.
She should look away, should turn her attention to the ginger boy behind her but those drinks were making her head fuzzy and her body warm in the best way. She felt like fire, no longer a reveled jumping high over the flames on the night of Samhain, but the flickering flames themselves.
She guided one of Garreth's hands to her face as she tilted her head to the side allowing him access to her neck. She felt his lips press to her hot skin but her eyes stayed locked on Sebastian's across the room. She could pretend for a moment, with Garreth's movements mimicking Sebastian's, that she was with someone else.
Her eyes were locked on Sebastian's as her breathing increased. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and to her surprise that was all she could feel. No magic roiling under her skin, no screams in her head, just her heart beating to the music. She might have to get her hands on more of Garreth's concoction in the future.
As the music pulsed through her veins, Ash found herself swept away by the intoxicating rhythm of the dance floor. Their bodies moved in sync, swaying to the seductive melody that filled the room.
Garreth kissed a spot under where her jaw met her neck and she sucked in a breath, her head tilting back further. She saw Sebastian's body tense—
And then someone was blocking her view.
Her eyes darted up to the tall slytherin boy standing in front of her now. His blue eyes were roaming up and down her body and as his eyes met Garreth's over her shoulder he smirked.
Garreth leaned down and whispered in her ear, her eyes still on the guy in front of her.
"Asha, this is Oliver, he's been dying to meet you."
The words were barely audible over the music and her pounding heartbeat. The dark haired boy, Oliver, smirked down at her and stepped even closer, his body pressing against hers as he spoke in a low voice.
"It's a pleasure. Garreth has told me so much about you." His eyes gleamed as he stared at her. She could feel his breath on her face as he spoke.
The music was flowing through her, the potions and alcohol making her body feel euphoric, lighter than air. She gave him a loose smile.
"Pleasure."
Her voice was a whisper, but he read the words on her lips and he smirked back. She felt herself begin to dance again, pressed between the two boys without a care in the world. Garreth continued his attack down her neck with his lips while Oliver gripped her hips with his hands, their bodies moving together.
However, even in the midst of the attention she was receiving, her eyes involuntarily wandered to Sebastian once again. He wasn't looking at her this time. This time, his attention was consumed by Imelda Reyes, their bodies pressed against the wall. She could only see his back now and the side of Imelda's face as she leaned up to whisper in his ear.
She watched as Sebastian pushed off the wall, Imelda in tow as he headed towards the stairs at the back of the common room towards what she could only assume was the dorms.
Her stomach dropped. It was none of her business-absolutely none but... but this is why she had stayed away from these parties last year. Her gaze followed them as they weaved through the crowd and as they began to climb the steps, Imelda wrapped around his arm, Sebastian turned his gaze momentarily.
To her.
His gaze was unreadable and almost as soon as they locked eyes it was over. His attention back to Imelda and they disappeared up the stairs.
It was in that moment that Ash made a decision—she had nothing to lose, and the veil of inhibition was lifted by the intoxicating effects of the alcohol or potion or whatever it was coursing through her veins. She hoped Garreth was right earlier—
she didn't want to remember this night.
Seizing the opportunity, Ash turned her attention back to the slytherin in front of her as she pressed her body back against Garreth. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips hard against Oliver's, her lips seeking solace and distraction. Oliver wasted no time kissing her back, he chuckled against her lips at her sudden desperation.
Garreth's voice tickled her ear as he spoke. "Do you want to go somewhere more private?"
She turned her body around at his words, Oliver pulling her back tightly against him, his mouth now grazing against her neck. She ran her hands up into Garreth's hair.
"Yes." Her voice was low, breathless, needy for the distraction. Garreth smirked as he leaned in to kiss her, Oliver whispered against her neck as he left sloppy kisses on her hot skin, "My room is just up those stairs."
Maybe it should've have bothered her how nonchalant the boys were, how giddy. But Sebastian had left and— Fine. That was fine. She didn't care at this point, the potion was beginning to blur the lights in the room, and her heartbeat was louder than the music so she was fine with that. She wasn't sure she could've made it back to Gryffindor Tower anyway.
She nodded quickly, and Oliver, his eyes filled with anticipation, smirked and took her hand, leading the way up the stairs to his secluded dorm room. Garreth followed closely behind, his touch lingering on her back, igniting a fire of desire within her. She was wanted by someone, at least.
They stumbled through the dimly lit hallway at the top of the stairs, her hand now closed over Oliver's bicep, Garreth's hand grazing up and down her back. At the sound of hushed voices, Ash's gaze flickered from the back of Oliver's head to a closing bedroom door and she caught a fleeting glimpse of Sebastian and Imelda disappearing into his own bedroom.
She swallowed hard. She should've grabbed another vial of that swirling blue liquid downstairs.
Oliver quickly led them to his own bedroom confirming his roommate was, as he said "busy elsewhere," and pushed open the door— pulling her with him. As the door closed behind the three of them, the tumultuous whirlwind of the night swallowed her whole, drowning out the echoes of her past and granting her a respite, however fleeting, from the ache within her soul.