Antidote

Chapter 2 - Punch

October 31, 1993

The old classroom the Gryffindor prefects had chosen was quite the mess already, so early in the night. 

Bottles and plastic cups were strewn across the floor upon the group of Slytherin's arrival. Lights faded from red to gold on repeat, flashing and reflecting up to the cavernous ceiling. Music seemed to blare from all angles thanks to an enormous gramophone in the corner, reverberating off of the walls.

As Savannah Midgeon had reminded her and Theo on Friday, Gryffindor was hosting this year's party. 

Each year, whichever House had won the House Cup the year before, would host the Halloween party. Sometimes, other Houses would throw their own private parties in their common rooms. But, this year, it seemed everyone was here. 

As Jolie took a look around, she rolled her eyes. 

Unlike Savannah's presumptions, it was clear that her and her friends were not the only Slytherins that had been invited. There were many students from every House, dancing and swaying to the music all around. 

A surfeit of seating had been conjured but seemed to be mostly taken up, apart from a few loveseats in the back corner of the room. Daphne pointed animatedly toward the space.

As the group made their way to the seats, Jolie attempted to adjust the corset beneath the baby blue silk of her costume but was proven unsuccessful. Daphne had laced it within an inch of Jolie's lungs' ability to expand. Thanks to the supportive garment, though, Jolie felt more womanly. Her waist was cinched tight, allowing the pastel silk to sway seductively against her hips. 

Pansy looked ethereal in her fairy costume, her long legs glistening thanks to glamour charms, and fine glitter gracing her collarbones and peaks of her cheeks. 

Daphne wore a fitted, deep emerald, satin dress. She'd painted a few patches of scales on her arms and cheeks, resembling a serpent. 

Blaise wore a black turtleneck and matching dress pants—claiming to be dressed as Draco Malfoy. Albeit simple, it was a fairly concise and well-done costume, honestly. 

Draco, himself, had Jolie draw a bit of red lipstick down the corner of his mouth, then used a spell to lengthen his canines by a couple millimeters, creating an excellent vampiric appearance. He looked the part; his naturally icy hair and fair skin sealing the costume in place. 

Theodore wore an eleventh-century ensemble. Nicking a Boil-Cure potion from Madam Pomfrey, due to its deep red hue, he had dumped it down the front of his costume; a fairly accurate portrayal of the Bloody Baron. 

As the group neared the seating, Theo leaned down to Jolie.

"Daph was right," he whispered, his breath ghosting across her ear. "You look hot."

Jolie blushed, dismissing his compliment with a wave of her hand and adjusting the classic, pale blue hat on her blonde locks. He chuckled.

After Draco shooed away a lone couple that was engaged in a, seemingly, quite heated snogging session, he sunk down onto the settee, patting the spot next to him for Jolie to sit. Theo quickly squeezed into the spot next to her as the others sat across from the three. 

Blaise took out the four shrunken bottles of firewhisky from his pocket and, with a simple Engorgio, he began to pass them around. 

As the group talked and drank, settling into the party's atmosphere, Theo's arm gradually snuck around Jolie's shoulders. With the liquor coursing through her veins, she allowed herself to sink into the gesture.