Bound by secrets

Chapter 3

This was going to be a wild night, to say the least...

An hour in, the common room was buzzing with chaotic energy. We were still sprawled across the same couches, laughing and joking around like idiots. It was around 11 p.m., and the party had hit its peak. Students were visibly drunk now—some swaying to the music while others were dancing on tables. Honestly, I was surprised I hadn't joined them yet.

By this point, I'd given up on drinks entirely. Instead, I was holding an entire bottle of Firewhiskey, casually sipping straight from it. Pansy had one of her own too, which was either genius or a disaster waiting to happen. Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to give the two wildest girls in the group their own bottles?

The seven of us were absolutely hammered. My vision was blurred, and I was pretty sure walking in a straight line was now a distant memory. Lucas had his arm around Pansy, and they were curled up together like it was the most natural thing in the world. Blaise, meanwhile, was seated beside them, chatting absolute nonsense to Malfoy. Not that Draco was paying any attention to him—his focus was entirely on me.

I could feel his smoke-grey eyes tracking my every move, though he was drunk too, his gaze a little glazed, his hair slightly messier than usual. Why the hell was he staring at me like that?

I ignored it, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd caught my attention. Instead, I turned my focus to Nora and Theo, who were attempting to do headstands on the sofa. It was, quite possibly, the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen. Why does alcohol make people do the dumbest things?

"Guys, am I doing it?" Theo asked, his legs flailing in the air while he balanced precariously on his head. "How's my form?"

"No, you're not doing it, Theo," I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach. He was barely holding himself up, his legs in a wobbly V-shape. It was like watching someone attempt yoga for the first time—painfully bad but hilarious.

"Your form is terrible, Theo," Nora wheezed, nearly collapsing from laughing so hard. "You look like a folding ironing board!"

"A folding ironing board?!" I gasped, tears streaming down my face. "Nora, that's the best thing I've ever heard. I think I might actually piss myself!"

Theo snorted, rolling his feet back down onto the floor and collapsing beside us. "Right, Hammonds, that's a bit harsh. Let's see you try, Miss 'Master of Headstands.'"

"Fine. I'll show you how it's done, Nott," Nora said with exaggerated confidence as she stood up, clearly preparing to make a fool of herself.

At that moment, Lucas and Pansy finally turned around to see what we were up to. "What are you muppets doing?" Lucas asked, grinning.

Pansy laughed and shook her head, "Yeah, what the hell are you guys doing? Because I swear I just saw Theo upside down looking like Ron Weasley's wand when it snapped in half."

That was it. I lost it. The combination of Pansy's words and Theo's failed attempt sent me over the edge. "NO, PANSY... STOP!" I howled, doubling over and crossing my legs in a futile attempt to hold my bladder. "I'M GOING TO PISS MYSELF!"

The entire room erupted into laughter, and I could barely breathe through the hysterics. It felt like the funniest moment of my life, made all the more absurd by the fact that it was so utterly stupid.

"No way did she just say my headstand looked like Ron's snapped wand," Theo gasped between bouts of laughter. "I'd normally be offended, but honestly, that's the best comment I've ever heard—even if it was aimed at me."

"I must agree," Nora said, trying to stifle her giggles as she sipped her drink. "Pansy, that's the funniest thing that's ever come out of your mouth."

"I'm crying," Blaise wiped the tears streaming down his face, his eyes locking onto Malfoy. "Even Malfoy's tearing up!"