A Slytherin Halloween

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 1

"Parkinson, would you care to explain why the lights just went out?" said Seamus Finnigan with a Butterbeer in hand, blurting the thoughts of the entire group.

"Because, " Pansy rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "This week's get together is a Halloween soirée." She relaxed into a more self-satisfied, smug manner. "And I've got some fun planned."

"I'm going to need another shot for this." Blaise Zabini tipped back the bottle of Firewhiskey he currently harbored before passing it to Neville.

It was a typical Saturday night in the Room of Requirement, albeit the fact that it was nearing Halloween. All of the seventh years had joined for one of many drunken get togethers, which were sparse at first but had become a solid routine in recent months.

The parties had, in fact, led to the development of several relationships, including Dean and Seamus, who'd been dared a kiss during one night's game of Spin the Bottle; Hermione and Pansy, who'd worked together to arrange the gatherings in the name of House Unity; and Neville and Hannah Abbott, who'd been too shy to speak to one another without the influence of alcohol.

Pansy lit her wand, taking a seat in the center of the circle and using it to eerily illuminate her face.

Across the group sat Harry Potter, who had incidentally ended up next to Draco Malfoy. Not that it bothered him like it once would have; the two had become more than civil after the war. In fact, if he was truly honest with himself, it wasn't Pansy's creepy facade that had his pulse accelerating.

"Did you all know that Hogwarts is haunted?"

She pouted at Ron Weasley's obnoxious laugh.

"Of course it is, Parkinson. What do you call Nearly Headless Nick?" He chuckled fearlessly.

"Not the house ghosts, you idiot! By something truly...evil." She grinned maliciously, and ready to tell her story.

"Some ghosts are friendly. But some spirits are restless, vengeful beings who want revenge on their death. In fact, there was a young Ravenclaw girl here several years ago who was murdered on this very floor by her classmates."

"Really, Pansy? Why have we never seen her before?" Draco took a shot and passed the bottle across the circle to Thomas.

"Because, morons, have any of you been anywhere on this floor OTHER than the Room of Requirement?" A silence rang throughout the group. Pleased, Pansy continued her anecdote.

"To this day, she seeks revenge on the students of Hogwarts caught roaming the halls of the 7th floor. Rumor has it that if you lay eyes on her, you die."

"I knew those Ravenclaws were savage." Piped Finnigan, and Harry spit out his butterbeer. To his right, Draco shot him a humorous grin while the rest of the party roared with laughter.

"Well if you guys are all so brave, I vote we make this interesting." Pansy spoke with intent. "Let's split up and roam the halls. We'll meet back here in 20 minutes. If we survive... you can make all the jokes you want."

"Challenge accepted." Weasley responded confidently. "I call Zabini." Blaise flashed him a grin and a nod from a few seats down.

"Fine. Granger, you're with me. The rest of you fools pick. Remember, 20 minutes!"

With Ron and Hermione spoken for, Harry glanced nervously around to see who he'd be partnered with. Unfortunately, most of the group had already paired off.

"Wanna piss Pansy off together?" The voice was soft and inviting and Harry felt his heart do flips in his chest.

He turned to face Draco with a gentle smile. "Sure, that'd be great."

They roamed the halls, determined to see nothing but hoping that Pansy would prove them wrong if just for something exciting to do.

"Come on, let's check these abandoned classrooms." Harry urged Draco into a dusty, Godforsaken room that appeared to be a potions lab at one point.

Draco ran a curious finger along the edge of a lone cauldron that was perched lifelessly upon one of the desks. It wasn't his complete lack of fascination with anything potions related that had Harry eyeing Draco, biting his lip nervously as he watched that slender hand wipe dust from the instrument. Everything Draco did was so intricate, so full of purpose and poise...

He found himself mindlessly migrate to the Slytherin, standing next to him, placing himself much too close.

Draco turned his head slightly to the left and was met by the taste of the Gryffindor's breath, a mix of toothpaste and treacle tart and something else he longed to savor.

Harry watched his eyes flutter shut and mustered that Gryffindor courage that he was infamous for, that same bravery he'd used to save the world, to give himself something he'd waited far too long to experience.

When his lips met Draco's, the sentiment was soft and sweet and for the first time since Voldemort had fallen, Harry felt free. There was the taste of peppermint, a hint of dark chocolate, and a sweetness that must've belonged solely to Draco that Harry gasped for. 

"SWEET MERLIN IT'S THE RAVENCLAW GHOST!!!!!!!"

Draco and Harry jumped apart, running to the door with a shared look of concern. Sprinting down the Hall wildly was an extremely frightened Neville, followed by a cackling Pansy removing a muggle Halloween mask.

Ron and Blaise arrived at the source of the commotion. "Come on, Neville, you gut Nagini but you're scared of a ghost?" Ron called after him facetiously.

"That's different, Weasley!" The voice echoed as he turned a corner.

"You're wrong for that, Pans." Blaise shook his head, smiling.

"I know," she said smugly and turned to Hermione, who'd rounded the corner to observe the prank. "High five, Granger, phase one and phase two are now complete!"

"Phase two? What was phase two?" Harry asked, still standing in the doorway next to a curious Draco Malfoy.

"To get you two in a room by yourselves. The rest of us are tired of the sexual tension." Pansy waved herself dramatically, as if she was going to faint.

"And it worked." Hermione winked, giving her girlfriend a quick fist-bump. Then they both ran and disappeared behind a corridor. 

Harry smiled at Draco, whose ears were burning hot pink. Thankful for his meddling friends, he leaned forward.

"Happy Halloween, Draco," He whispered with a grin before pressing a kiss to the boy he planned on never letting go of.

Just then, there was a scream. Draco and Harry ran towards the noise. There, Pansy Parkinson was lying on the floor. Hermione was screaming at the top of her lungs and pointing at her body.

 Harry turned his head and a faint eerie glow passed through one of the classroom doors and disappeared. 

The ghost of Pansy's last laugh was still etched upon her face.