When Orbits Collide

On the first day of the term, each 6th year student met with their Head of House to determine which classes we could take. Thankfully my hard work had paid off and I was able to get O's on all of my O.W.L.'s last year, leaving me to take whatever N.E.W.T. level courses I desired. Since today was Monday, I had Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts in the morning, and Potions in the afternoon. On Tuesdays I had Charms in the evening, and Astronomy even later that night. On Thursdays I had Ancient Runes, and on Friday mornings I had Transfiguration.

Herbology was nothing out of the ordinary, it was interesting seeing Professor Snape as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and lastly, we had a competition in Potions. It was our first time meeting Professor Slughorn, the first new Potions teacher in ages. He introduced us to three new potions, Amortentia being the most exciting of the bunch. He offered a vial of Liquid Luck to the student who could produce the best Draught of Living Death. Harry ended up winning by a landslide, it was unexpected, but I was happy for him.

I slept in late on Tuesday, trying to get as much sleep as I could to stay awake and alert during Astronomy in the late evening. I had a slow day, and when the time came I finally made my way through the castle for Charms.

Arriving only a few minutes before class started, I noticed there was only one seat left in the class - beside Draco Malfoy of course. I had a few N.E.W.T. classes with him this semester already, and I was slightly impressed that he was such an intelligent student, but I couldn't help but feel like I kept running into him, not even a week into the semester. I placed my bag on the desk and gave him a small grin before sitting down in my seat. Professor Flitwick started his lecture and told us we would be focusing on non-verbal charms this year, which worried me a bit.

I was an excellent witch, but I knew I was weak at non-verbal charms, having attempted it a few times already. We were to practice the Blue Sparks spell - although harmless and quite fun during our lesson; this spell, when cast in large quantities, made it difficult to see or breathe when in the vicinity.

I felt quite shy and embarrassed to start practicing the spell while sitting next to Draco, knowing how proficient he was. Draco waves his wand and I watched him, having achieved a very satisfactory result within a few attempts.

"Oh, wonderful!" I chimed, impressed with his proficiency.

"Alright then your turn, let's see it." He waited smugly, knowing how impressive he was.

I turned forward and tried to ignore the pressure he put on me, and focused on my wand and intention. Nothing happened after a few flicks of my wand, until finally, on the 5th attempt, I was able to cast a single blue spark from my wand.

"Oh Merlin, that was a little pathetic" I laughed at the single spark, embarrassed of my lack of natural skill.

"Ahhhh, must be that muggle half of yours holding you back" he teased.

"Oh, shut it" I replied, amused at his tone, while still rolling my eyes at his stupid remark.

Being reminded that I was part muggle and referred to as a Half-Blood never bothered me, really. I knew how intensely some praised and respected blood-purity but I thought it was a bit outrageous. I loved my muggle father more than anything and I knew I was luckier than most to have such a wonderful dad. I wasn't sure if Draco had used that remark to belittle me, but I could only laugh it off since my abilities had nothing to do with being half-blooded. Other than non-verbal spells, I was a top student in most of my classes.

Before I knew it, our class had ended and I made my way to the Great Hall for dinner. I walked in, searching the Hufflepuff table for Eden.

Once I had found her I sat on the bench in front of her, and we chatted about our days. Padma came over from the Ravenclaw table to chat, confessing that she had sat beside Blaise Zabini in a couple classes today and was obsessed with how attractive he was.

As if on cue, Blaise came over to the Hufflepuff table, stopping beside Padma.

"Padma, party on Friday night in the Slytherin Common Room. I better see you there." He said, confidence rolling off his words so naturally.

"I wouldn't dare miss it" Padma replied, and I almost blushed from her flirty tone.

Blaise looked up and saw me and Eden looking at the two of them. "I hope I'll be seeing you ladies there as well."

After he walked away the three of us silently freaked out, stoked for this budding spark between him and Padma. We had heard how amazing the Slytherin parties had been, and we knew how big of a deal it was for Blaise to personally invite Padma. This was amazing news.

I had Astronomy late in the evening, and of course, Draco was in another one of my classes. We didn't sit next to each other this time, although I couldn't stop myself from looking his way whenever I could. I was still on a slight high from our small interaction in Charms class earlier; how playful our little banter was regardless of how little we knew each other. That was actually the first time we've ever talked to each other, and I couldn't stop replaying that moment in my head. Seeing how I was a half-blood and a Hufflepuff I would have expected him to just ignore me, but he ended up playfully remarking on my muggle half without seemingly insulting me. I'm a little ashamed to admit how validating it felt to have his approval based on his history of bullying and status in the wizarding world.

Professor Sinistra didn't go too in depth with our class this week, but informed us that she would be assigning a long-term project next week. When she dismissed our class early, most students were visibly happy and sighed breaths of relief, chatting with their friends and heading back to their dorms together. I looked over at Draco who was packing up his bag and seemed lost in his thoughts. I studied him, analyzing how much his facial features had matured since we danced together at the Yule Ball two years ago. He was a beautiful man and you would have to be truly blind not to acknowledge it.

I think he could sense someone staring at him so he looked up, but I quickly averted my eyes before he could see it was me and turned to Eden as we packed our bags.

Eden and I slowly made our way back to the Common Room, enjoying our walk and appreciating the views throughout the castle. It was actually nice having Astronomy so late in the evening - not only did I love observing the stars, but I loved the walk back as well. It was past curfew so there were no other students out anywhere, making the entire journey so quiet and peaceful. An introspective walk back to your common room after a class full of learning about the stars seemed so perfectly appropriate.

When we arrived in the Hufflepuff common room, we saw a few students sitting by the fireplace and decided to sit with them to unwind. It was Cedric and four of his other 7th year friends.

"Ladies! How have your classes been so far?" Cedric asked us as we sat.

"Entirely average!" Eden responded. "Well, except for Defense Against the Dark Arts of course. It's a bit creepy seeing Snape teaching that class now..."

The group laughed at Eden's remark as we all agreed with her.

While the group chatted, I curled my legs into my chest and stared at the fire as I listened along. Although these were my friends, I still found myself to be quite reserved in larger group conversations. I loved listening to them chat and preferred to hear what they all had to say, rather than focusing the conversation on me.

The topic of conversation slowly drifted to love interests, as they all teased Rhys about his crush on a girl from Gryffindor.

"Are you and Wesley still a thing, Nicole?" Amina asked.

"Ah, yes" I replied.

Cedric let out a slight sound of disapproval and the group laughed.

"What's this, are you jealous Diggory?" I poked, intrigued at his response.

"It's not that!" He chuckled. "There's just... something about him, Roberts. I don't know. He's a decent guy, but I just don't trust him with you."

"Well, he has been more than decent thus far" I teased.

"At the very least, you have to admit they make one attractive ass couple" Eden joked, standing up for me. "Imagine being with the most sought after girl at Hogwarts. Literally any other person Wesley could date after Nicole would be a downgrade!"

"Oh my goodness, Eden, not at all!" I yelled, highly embarrassed at the unofficial title she just gave me.

"Well Eden, you're not wrong" Cedric remarked, enjoying how torturous this conversation was for me.

I groaned and hid my face in my knees while everyone laughed at my response.

Eden switched the topic for my sake and focused on Cedric next. Although he was extraordinarily handsome, he hadn't dated anyone since he and Cho broke up two years ago. He was the quiet type which made it harder for him, but drove the girls even more head over heels.

His friends started teasing him and his cheeks flushed furiously while Eden sat back and revelled in the moment. She's had a little crush on Cedric for a while now and I was actually rooting for them to get together. Cedric was so reserved sometimes though so it was hard to tell what his feelings were at all, and I feared they were both too far deep into what you may call the "friend-zone".

As the fire started to die down and more yawns started to appear, the group decided it was time we all headed to sleep. As I tucked myself in bed I thought about Cedric's immediate disapproval of Wesley and how he didn't trust him. It was true, Wesley did have a history of romancing multiple girls at a time, but he had been exclusive and faithful with me in the few months we've been dating thus far. On the other hand, I still didn't feel like our relationship had gotten any bit more serious in few months that we've been dating, nor had we made our relationship official.

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The rest of the week had been fairly uneventful, and after we finished class on Friday, Eden, Padma and I strolled around the campus enjoying the warm weather. There was buzz around some of the students stemming from the Slytherin party later this evening, and we couldn't help but fantasize about what events might take place.

When I walked into the Great Hall later in the evening for dinner I saw Wesley motion me over to come sit with him and his friends. I told Eden I'd see her soon and walked to the Ravenclaw table.

"Hello, boys" I greeted him and his friends.

"How lovely of you to join us Nicole" one of his friends chimed.

"Oh, I dream about this moment all day long" I teased back.

"You have to come sit with us more often" Wesley cooed in my ears, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close.

He planted a kiss on my cheek and then we began to dig into our food.

Wesley's friends brought out a fun part of me, I found myself to be extra charming and clever when I was around them, poking fun at them all. They were a bit rowdy at times, but I generally did enjoy the time I spent around them.

After dinner, I told Wesley I'd see him later as I had planned to get ready with Eden and Padma.

Somehow I lucked out this year and had a dorm room entirely by myself, so the three of us chose to get ready there together. I could see the three of us using my room as our main hangout spot this year, and truthfully, I was more than excited about it. As nice as it was to have complete privacy and all of this extra space, I was finding it to be a little bit lonely already, and was spending more time in the common room than my room thus far.

Padma spent what felt like hours changing her outfit until finally deciding to keep it simple - black jeans with a tight black tank top tucked in to it, and a blue satin button up shirt over top that fell off of one shoulder.

Eden also kept it simple, wearing an oversized sweater overtop of a brown skirt.

Not wanting to stick out too much at the party, I decided on an outfit that I thought would help me blend in with the Slytherins. I was wearing a black off-the-shoulder shirt tucked into a green plaid skirt, with my curly hair down.

As I looked in the mirror after getting changed, I couldn't help but notice.

"Merlin, I look like a Slytherin...." I remarked, shocked at my appearance.

"You look hot, Nicole! Blimey, green suits you" Padma reflected.

We made our way through the castle, trying our best to be quiet and avoid any prefects and professors on the way there. As we stood in front of the Slytherin common room, Padma spoke the password that Blaise had given her, and the door opened up.

We walked in and were hit with a wave of loud music, smokey air, and the smell of booze. I reckoned Eden and I were the only Hufflepuffs in here, and I was suddenly feeling nervous.

Instead of meeting up beforehand, Wesley wanted to "pre-game" with his friends in the Ravenclaw common room and just meet me here. I swear, sometimes I think he fancied his friends more than he fancied me. I was anxiously waiting his arrival so I could stay near him for the night to feel at ease. He was charming and well liked among all of the houses, and was friends with some 7th year Slytherins. Padma would surely be spending her time with Blaise tonight, and even though Eden was shy, once she got a few drinks in her she would have no trouble making new friends and even finding a boy for the night. I was more anxious than the two of them, and I knew that I if clung to Wesley's arm, none of the other Slytherins would bother me.

We made our way to the tables and poured ourselves some drinks to loosen up a little bit. Since we didn't have any other friends at this party, we were looking around for any sign of Blaise.

We spotted him sitting by the fireplace with Draco and Theodore Nott, the three of them engaged in a conversation. We each took one more shot before making our way around the dancing crowd over to them.

"Well well, what do we have here" Blaise said while eyeing the three of us, his eyes lingering on Padma the longest.

He stood up and grabbed Padma's arm. "Come, get a drink with me" he said before he lead her back to the table full of drinks.

"You two, come sit!" Theo shouted over the music, while patting the space on the couch beside him.

Eden sat beside him while Draco was sitting on the other side of Theo, close to the fireplace. I chose to sit in an armchair by myself, that was closer to Eden. 

"So Roberts, I don't see Morgan around here anywhere." Theo inquired. 

"He should be coming soon" I responded. 

"Tsk tsk, a he's playing a dangerous game leaving his girl at a Slytherin party unattended" he said in a mischievous tone. He then turned to Eden, "So, tell me darling, what is your name?" 

"Eden Dubois" she answered. 

"I am delighted to make your acquaintance, Ms. Dubois." he held out his hand, waiting for Eden to place her hand in his.

She gave him her hand and he brought it up to his face, giving her a polite kiss on the top. "Pleasure" she smirked. 

Blaise and Padma came back over and sat on the couch that was opposite of the others. 

The six of us chatted over the music for a while but I was still waiting for the effects of the drinks to wear in on me to let my guards down and join in on the conversation a bit more. I noticed that Draco was also as fairly quiet as I was, and we didn't interact at all.

Pansy walked over to the fireplace where we sat, and looked over at me. "Who invited you, Half-blood?" She sneered. 

My eyes darted over to her, and I felt my cheeks starting to flush from embarrassment. I realized that not only was I one of the few Hufflepuffs here, I was definitely the only half-blood Hufflepuff. I was dreading getting any sort of attention tonight, and this felt like the worst thing that could've happened.

"Oh sod off, Pansy" Blaise retorted. "Don't you dare insult my guest."

"Your guest? Are you that desperate for friends, Zabini?" Pansy and her friends laughed.

"Pansy?" I piped up, feeling a bit brave from my earlier drinks. 

"What do you want, Roberts" she snapped back at me.

"You um... you have something, in your teeth" I said, cautiously pointing to the spot on my own mouth.

She immediately whipped her hand up to cover her mouth and looked absolutely mortified. She turned to her friends and screeched at them "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"

She shoved her friends to the side and rushed off to the bathroom. Her friends, looking even more mortified than Pansy, ran after her.

I heard laughter and I turned back to see the group cracking up. Although Draco wasn't laughing, he had a satisfied grin on his face, as if he took great pleasure seeing Pansy so embarrassed while trying to impress him. They had broken up last year, although I wasn't sure what had happened between them.

"Merlin Roberts, she will not be forgetting this!" Blaise exclaimed. He was right. As I thought about what I just did to her, I was now sitting drenched with regret. Who knew what hatred she might spew my way this year for being responsible for embarrassing her in front of Draco.

After we all settled down, Padma decided that us girls needed more drinks so we could start dancing. After throwing back a couple shots of firewhiskey, Padma dragged Eden and I by the arm to the crowd so we could dance, carefully placing us in eyesight of Blaise so she could show off in front of him.

I was still feeling a little reserved, but I held Padma's hands and two stepped my way to feeling comfortable, giggling along with each other. I eventually let go of her hands, swaying my body to the beat of the music. I closed my eyes and tilted my head up to the ceiling, feeling the alcohol affecting my system and my shyness disappear. I felt good. 

Unable to resist the temptation any longer, Blaise came over to Padma and the two of them disappear in the crowd. Theo came over to Eden and I and danced with us, but I could see his eyes were on Eden. A song or two later, I felt someone come up behind me, running their hands down my arms, their head coming down beside my face. Recognizing his smell, I leaned my head back on his chest and let Wesley kiss my neck as I grinded on him. I looked over to Eden who had closed the distance between her and Theo and were dancing face to face. 

Wesley and I continued to dance in our own little world, surrounded by other couples who focused only on their partners. A slowed version of "Slumber Party" by Ashnikko started playing and Padma suddenly reappeared, pulling me away from Wesley and Eden away from Theo. We started singing and acting the lyrics together, laughing, dancing, even grinding on each other. There was just something about this song that brought out our inner vixens and we enjoyed making the boys watch, but not touch. 

When the song was ending, Wesley grabbed me back and pulled me close to his body. "You're coming back with me tonight" he growled in my ear, with an urgency that made my body heat up. 

As I continued dancing with Wesley I thought about Draco, and why he hadn't come join his friends while we danced. I looked over to the couch area where we had been before, and I saw him with a girl sitting on his lap, whispering in his ear while his hand was on her thigh. 

I had heard and seen first hand all of the girls that threw themselves at Draco, but seeing him with a girl tonight left me feeling... disappointed. I didn't want him to hook up with a girl, I wanted him to be dancing with us over here, even though I was with Wesley. 

He felt my eyes on him and looked my way, seeing me move my body against Wesley's. The beat dropped as I whipped my hair around and bent over, grinding my body to the beat of the music. Draco quickly looked away, trying to find something else to focus on, no longer paying attention to the girl that was on his lap. 

Unsure of my boldness of looking at Draco while I danced like that, I turned my attention back to Wesley and enjoyed dancing with the others from our group. 

After a while, a hype song came on that had the boys jumping and screaming along to the lyrics, so I took that moment to take a break and get some water. I found an empty wall and leaned back, taking a big gulp of water and catching my breath. 

Someone had come up and leaned on the wall beside me, their shoulders touching mine. I looked from the side of my eyes and saw that it was Draco, and he was looking forward into the crowd.

He leaned his head closer to me, and without removing his focus from the crowd in front of us, he spoke. "Don't see too many Hufflepuffs like you around here."

I looked up at his face as he moved from the wall and stood in front of me with a drink in his hand. He looked down at my skirt and back up at my face. "You're sure you're not a Slytherin?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. 

A cunning smirk made its way to my face as I realized he was referring to not only my dancing but my outfit with a green skirt that looked exactly like what a Slytherin would wear. 

Eden had run over to where we were both standing and interrupted our moment, not that I had anything to say back to him. She looked shocked for a second, her gaze going from mine to Draco's face, wondering what sort of conversation she was intruding on.

She paused for a second and took my wrist and said "Nicole come dance, I've been looking for you!!" and off we went into the crowd, leaving Draco standing there alone with his drink. 

 We danced a little longer before our feet started to hurt and decided it was time we all headed back. We said goodbye to Blaise and Theo, thanking them for inviting us, and departed ways. I didn't see Draco around anywhere, and I assumed he either went to to bed or was with a girl. Padma, Wesley and I walked a very drunk and happy Eden to the Hufflepuff common room before the three of us headed back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Wesley picked me up when we reached the stairs and carried me on his back since I was being a drunk and tired baby. 

"Blimey Nicole, you have no idea how envious I am of you right now" Padma whined as she climbed the stairs, and Wesley laughed. 

"Padma, you could've surely stayed in a certain someone's bed tonight, could you not?" I poked. 

"Ah but Nicole, you forget the subtle art of playing hard to get. I don't want to just rush into it!" Padma explained.

"I don't know Padma, after seeing you two dancing tonight, I'm not sure that was playing hard to get" I retorted, laughing. 

Padma brought a hand up to cover her mouth and let out a little mischievous giggle. We made it into the Ravenclaw Common Room and parted ways with Padma as Wesley brought me to his room.