The Project

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

5.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲

"𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗧. 𝙒𝙃𝙔 𝘿𝙊 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙃𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙇𝙊𝙊𝙆 𝙎𝙊 𝘿𝘼𝙈𝙉 𝙂𝙊𝙊𝘿?"

𖥸

♪ 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢 - 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚗𝚍 ♪

      "Please, Alina? I promise it looks good on you!"

Alina shifted, unsure whether to trust Pansy or not. The little black dress was quite revealing, and she wasn't sure whether she liked it or hated it.

"Trust her. You look good," Daphne added from where she sat at the vanity, applying lipstick.

Alina finally gave in, and she sat down next to Daphne to work on her makeup, too. Pansy wore a similar tight black dress, except hers was longer with slits on the side to show off her legs. Daphne wore a corseted blazer and heels. The three of them would draw attention, and they all knew it.

Daphne passed her a glittery eyeshadow palette to apply, and once they were done with their hair and makeup, they readied to head to the party.

"Anyone you have your eye on for tonight?" Daphne asked her as they headed down to the common room. Theo flashed through her mind before she could help herself. But that was ludicrous, she only wanted to annoy him the way he annoyed her... though if showing off skin was the way to do that, perhaps she would...

"Nope," she replied, shaking her head, even as the memory popped into her mind of him reaching to her side to slip the parcel into her bag while he held eye contact-

She cut that train of thought off, instead opting to ask, "What about you?"

"Nobody for me, either. Though I think my younger sister has eyes for Draco."

Alina scoffed at that, the thought of someone liking him, when he was like a brother to her, was absurd. Well, not absurd, per se, but they certainly had bad taste.

"And you, Pansy?" Daphne asked, her curled blonde hair slipping behind her shoulder as she turned to look at her. "Did you ask out that Ravenclaw girl?"

Pansy merely smirked, which was as much of a 'yes' as they would get.

They set off for the party, side by side.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Soft golden light filtered down from globes enchanted to hang about. The darkness mixed with the lighting made the room look like it was doused in honey, and people were everywhere. In the background, music played from some enchantment or another, and Pansy immediately headed for the drink table. Alina and Daphne followed, considering the plush couches where their friends were at were right by the drink table. It was a quieter corner, further from the main crowd of people, and she could already feel the satisfying headache developing from the rush of it all.

Alina happily took the drink Pansy offered her, the loud music causing a low thrum throughout the room that she could feel in her body. Draco and Blaise were sitting on one couch, with Theo on the other. Mattheo was behind the one Theo was on, chatting with Enzo about something or another.

Despite herself, Alina's gaze drifted to Theo.

Damn.

He was attractive, but that didn't take away from the fact that he was a right son of a bitch. He lounged on the couch, legs spread and arm on the backrest, a cigarette in one hand that he took a slow draw from. He wore a black button up that was undone at the top, and black pants to accompany it.

When he breathed the smoke out, his gaze met hers and slid slowly down her body, looking bored with it all.

She blushed, turning away.

Damn.

Pansy made sure everyone was good before she headed off to meet up with the Ravenclaw girl she had been talking about. Daphne sat down beside Theo, leaned over, and snatched the box of cigarettes from his pocket. He merely cast her a half glare, and she took one for herself before tossing the box back onto his lap. Alina watched her friends, taking slow sips of her drink, when Enzo came over.

"Look who showed up," he teased with a grin, one arm slung over her shoulder as he swayed them with a laugh. She couldn't help but giggle, and she could've sworn she saw Theo watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"I know, what a shocker," she replied sarcastically, offering Enzo a sip of her drink. He took it, and when she added, "I unfortunately didn't have any assignments left to do," he nearly choked on his sip.

Alina burst out laughing at that, and Enzo did the same, passing her drink back.

"What scares me is that I cannot tell if you're joking," he replied with that golden retriever smile of his.

"Of course she isn't. Our Dupont is very focused on her studies," Mattheo added in a serious tone even though he was joking. He made his way to Enzo's other side as Theo and Daphne stayed on the couch together.

Enzo snickered, and Alina smacked his shoulder in response, which only made him laugh harder.

She rolled her eyes, and her gaze passed towards the middle of the party where people were dancing. She spotted Pansy and a blonde Ravenclaw girl, likely the one Pansy had been talking about these past few days.

"Let's dance," Alina declared, dragging Enzo to where Pansy was. The couch area was still in sight from where they stood. People moved around them, dancing and drinking and talking, and nearby Pansy had her arms on the other girl's shoulders, murmuring something to her that made the blonde blush and laugh at the same time. With a raised brow, Mattheo joined her and Enzo, his gaze flicking to Pansy only once. "Lucky her," Mattheo mused, crossing his arms and turning back to Alina.

This time it was her turn to laugh.

For the rest of the night, her and Enzo danced while Mattheo talked to them. She could've sworn Theo's eyes were on her the entire time.