𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 | 𝐝.𝐦.

forty four

The Gryffindor common room is a scarlet red. Flashes of cardinal light almost blinding the pair of girls as they enter through the swinging portrait.

The Fat Lady painted magnificently on said portrait already grumbles about the noise that pollutes the entire school - an exaggeration -, despite the party barely reaching its start.

Students from other houses pile in, pushing past Luna and Betty who struggle to find their friends amongst the crowd.

Finally, as if on cue, a striking redhead - almost blending into the background of red - appears before them, jumping with fervid excitement.

Neville shadows behind slowly, his walk a little tilted due to the glass held loosely in his hand. In his other hand, though, he holds a boy.

Betty recognises that young boy from her Transfiguration class.

"Do you like it? Isn't this amazing!" Ginny yells above the thundering music, taking Betty's outfit in.

"It is amazing. You really outdid yourself tonight!" Betty exclaims, ensuing a similar beam to her own face.

"Of course," the ginger-haired girl says, nodding meaningfully. "I was determined to throw a party better than Fred and George's - they've been taunting me since last year. I can't wait to shove this in their faces!"

"Really? Is that all you're thinking?" Neville intrudes in the conversation from behind, words slurring impossibly.

"It's an epic party, Nev. The look on their faces will be hilarious."

Luna supports the enthusiastic girl, saying, "You'll have Christmas break to do so, Gin."

Betty grabs herself a shot of muggle tequila from the clothed table right beside her.

"Neville, are you already drunk?" she asks, furrowing her brows in amusement at the boy.

She takes a sip of her drink, hisses at the burn of it in her dry mouth, then passes her glass along to the other Ravenclaw girl beside her.

"No," the boy replies defensively, "Does it look it? Jake - does it look it?"

Henderson, beside him, catching a tight and safe grasp of Betty's friend, shakes his head in mock disappointment.

"It's Jack, Neville," Ginny corrects the tipsy boy. "Even we know that."

Neville gives an eyeroll, but none of his friends could decipher if it was one on purpose or he simply could not resist the alcohol rolling his eyes back.

"We're off to have some fun," the boy states simply, wrapping an arm over the other boy's shoulder. "You three can have yours standing here by the doorway."

"Blocking the others' pathway," Henderson adds teasingly.

Luna and Betty glance over their shoulders at his words, noting the harrowing lot of students from all houses - except Slytherin - marching into the common room.

They quickly hurry along, joining the closely-tied crowd as they dance along the marble tile.

"So, how'd you get all the alcohol this time?" Betty questions Ginny, finishing off her own shot of tequila.