The Other Potter

Come One, Come All

The party was hosted by one of Charlie's friends, who was currently enrolled in a University in the city. This party was apparently to break in their second-year accommodation before classes started. 

It was flooded with teens, aged eighteen and nineteen was filling the house. The living room was taken over by anyone wanting to dance the night away, whilst the kitchen seemed to be reserved for deep conversations, and the small garden was half-filled with people smoking or snogging against the already damaged fence.

Music was booming out of the four speakers they had set up over the house. He had suggested the idea to his friends and Nik, but with school starting tomorrow the twins opted out and Charlie didn't start school for another week, but the very mention of a party had started an argument on 'being prepared for a mission at any moment'. So he'd come alone, knowing no one other than Charlie.

By the time 3 am swung round the party was filtering out, leaving just a small group of them tidying up.

"You should head to bed, haven't you got a train to catch tomorrow?" Charlie asked, sitting down on one of the benches outside after they both tidied the area. He handed Elijah one of the two beers he had collected from a cooler.

"Nah... I got my bags stored upstairs, I can sleep on the train." He shrugged.

Charlie watched the boy frowning slightly. "Did you enjoy the party? Sucks that your friends didn't make it, or your boyfriend.. Nik, right?"

Elijah smiled softly, "Their parents didn't agree with them coming to a party the night before we catch an early train.. and Nik, it's a long way to come for a party." He sighed softly, taking a sip of the beer. "I did have fun though."

It was true, he had a lot of fun. For a few hours all the chaos of war vanished, his mind numbed by the alcohol, and not a single person in the room knew who he was. It was the best night he'd had all summer, but guilt did sit upon his shoulders as he considered Nik's words.

He so desperately wanted to be out of his world, have the weight of the wizarding world resting heavy on his conscience. Part of him wished it was as easy as running away, but what kind of a person would be if he did that? For now, something like this would have to do, even if when he stopped it came back in tidal waves of guilt.

"You ok, pretty boy?" Charlie asked after a few minutes.

"I'm ok." Elijah replied softly, looking to the other boy.

"Things still bad with your parents? I've not seen you back at the pub, have you been back to see them?"

"No, it's not a regular thing." Elijah shrugged.

Charlie frowned again. "Where do you go when you aren't there?"

Elijah shrugged again, "I've got people I stay with."

"Are they good people?" Charlie asked.

Elijah frowned, he didn't like this conversation. He didn't like the lump it was leaving in his throat and how it was sobering his buzz. The pain relief potion he'd taken for his wounds left by Greyback was wearing off and with it returned the reminder of what happened. Voldemort and Lucius had told him he was set to return for Christmas on Greyback's orders, and he'd narrowly avoided having his mind evaded the past few days but he knew that too would be on the menu when he came back. But he didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about any of it.