Secrets & Slytherins

Chapter 2: The Party

Grace tugged on her sleeves, making sure the edges of them fully covered her wrists. No longer concealed in her flowing robes, the sixteen-year-old had to choose her clothing wisely. Tonight's outfit consisted of a black long-sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. Surely Ryan would approve, right? Grace had to be certain that no bruises or marks would show. If they did, and someone pieced things together, Ryan would kill her. She didn't have a doubt in her mind about that.

The Gryffindor girl left her dormitory and made her way down to the Dungeons, stopping a few yards before the Slytherin common room. Just as she ceased walking, Ryan exited to meet Grace outside. He knew she wouldn't be late. He controlled her.

"Really?" he asked, disappointment and frustration swarming into his eyes as he examined her shirt.

Grace's heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong? Nothing is showing, I promise," she said, quickly scanning herself to see if any purple splotches were visible.

Ryan scoffed and replied, "Yeah, yeah, nothing is showing except for you trying to flaunt yourself in front of my friends!" He gestured to Grace's chest where her shirt dipped down ever-so-slightly in a V-neck formation.

Grace couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was hardly showing herself off. However, instead of explaining how the shirt was not revealing at all, her sarcasm decided to come to her defense.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I didn't realize you wanted me to wear a turtleneck sweater twenty-four hours a day," she spat.

Ryan clenched his fists while Grace prepared for the blow.

But it never came.

"You better watch yourself," he warned, his threatening eyes stabbing her like daggers. "Another remark like that and I promise you I'll give you so many damn bruises that you'll have to be covered head to fucking toe."

Grace released a shaky, quiet breath before Ryan grabbed her hand.

"And take that sad look off of your face," he added. "It's a party, Grace. We're going to have fun." Ryan opened the door and led them into the Slytherin common room.

Grace's ears were instantly filled with loud music, drunk chatter, and carefree laughter. It was safe to say the room was packed with students, mostly Slytherins, but there were a few people from her own house, as well as a couple of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.

Ryan pulled Grace to the center of the room, where people were dancing. She swayed back and forth to the music for a little while, but she couldn't really get into it. She wasn't in the 'party' mood. Who would be after a conversation like the one she just had in the corridor a few minutes ago?

"Go get me a drink," Ryan demanded, raising his voice so that Grace could hear him over the noise.

"Why can't you go get it?" she asked. He had two feet. She wasn't his slave...or tried not to be, anyway.

"What did you just say?" Ryan snatched her wrist, tugging her close to him. Maybe if all of these people weren't drunk off their asses, someone would have actually noticed that this wasn't normal boyfriend behavior. "Go get me a drink," he repeated through gritted teeth.

Grace pulled away from him, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying something stupid in rebuttal. She walked a few yards over to the refreshment table, pouring two glasses of firewhiskey. She picked one of them up, leaving Ryan's on the table.

Ryan could wait a minute or two for his drink while she had a break to herself. Besides, she truly didn't want him to drink. Any alcohol mixed with his temper only fueled the fire. It just made things worse.

Bringing the cup to her lips, she turned around to survey the party.

"It's Grace, right?"

She looked in the direction that the voice came from.

Noah Dolohov.

"Yeah, Grace Parker," she replied with a nod. "And you're Noah. Ryan's friend." Grace took another sip of firewhiskey. It warmed her insides.

She stared into her cup, waiting for a response, but it sure seemed to be taking a strange amount of time. When she brought her gaze back up, his eyes weren't locked on hers, but now focused on her bruised wrist.

Shit. Her sleeve must have moved up her arm when she took a sip of her drink.

Grace tugged down roughly on it, before adding, "Stupid moving staircases. Can you believe I tripped walking down them yesterday? You would think after six years I would be used to them." She threw in a small laugh and a smile for good measure. Noah had to believe her, or else she was screwed.

Noah shifted his gaze away from her wrist, landing softly on her eyes instead.

"That must have hurt," he said flatly, taking a sip out of his own cup.

Grace nodded a few times, her heart racing.

"I'll see you around," she said, quickly grabbing Ryan's drink from off the table and heading back to him.

"Took you long enough," Ryan snapped, prying the drink out of Grace's hand and downing it in seconds.

For the next hour, Grace was basically ignored by Ryan, but she didn't mind. The boy hung out with his friends, getting more wasted by the minute, while she sat on the couch by a roaring fireplace. She stared into the burning embers, letting the warmth caress her skin.

She barely even noticed when someone sat down next to her. She looked to her side to see who it was.

"Enjoying the party?" Noah asked.

Grace wished he would just leave her alone. She almost slipped up awhile ago and she really didn't want to accidentally reveal anything. Noah was way too observant.

"It's fine," she replied. "Ryan seems to be having fun." Grace glanced back at him.

"You don't have to put up with that, you know," Noah said.

Grace shook her head, turning back around.

"He's just hanging out with his friends. I don't mind a little alone time, either," she explained.

"That's not what I meant, Grace."

Her eyes flickered up to his.

"I'm not stupid. I know those bruises didn't come from falling down the stairs," Noah stated.

Grace's heart rate picked up. Her cheeks flushed slightly and she stood up, clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what else to tell you. I'm not lying, and I really wish you would just mind your own business, okay?" Grace told Noah before hurrying to Ryan.

Ryan looked down at her as she tugged on his arm.

"I think I'm going to turn in. I'm exhausted," she said.

Ryan was far too drunk to care, nodding, giving her a rough kiss, and then turning back to talk to his friends.

Grace quickly exited the Slytherin common room, catching her breath in the corridor.

Fuck.

Noah Dolohov knows.

Noah fucking knows.