Chapter 6 Charlie

Nathan Wood knew he had obviously done something wrong.

And it wasn't often he admitted he was wrong.

After pressing his lips against hers softly, he pulled away, searching for some kind of reaction and finding only a blank expression and an abundance of freckles.

That is, until she snorted.

Abashed, he stepped back and studied her, she opened her mouth to speak, probably to tell him how great a kisser he was,

''Wow, how drunk are you?'' she chuckled sardonically, casually wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she shot him a patronising look, ''I should get you back to the common room before you try to grope The Grey Lady.''

''What?'' he questioned, utterly confounded, he hadn't been drinking.

''You just kissed me.'' She explained to him, chuckling under her breath again, she pulled on his wrist and started walking swiftly out of the hidden passageway and into the empty corridors; a few portraits sighed and appraised them knowingly, muttering about young love.

He stopped walking and she jolted to a stop, she was still holding onto his wrist firmly, and gazed at him patronisingly, as if she was sure he was going to bolt any minute and start singing Scottish folk songs at the top of his lungs.

He approached her again, and brushed his lips against her cheek, she remained still, all the while giving him that same piercing, impatient, look.

''Come on, someone's got to have Sobering Solution somewhere.'' She dodged his lips and yanked on his hand, and continued walking, they had reached the Fat Lady's portrait and they could hear the party still in full swing all the way down the corridor.

''Lunascope.'' She said, placing her hand delicately over her mouth to stifle a yawn, addressing the Fat Lady, the portrait clicked her tongue irritably before swinging open to reveal the bedlam going on inside the common room. They were all going to be in so much trouble tomorrow morning.

It had to be around midnight, and for some reason Alfie Duke was running around the common room with a Gryffindor banner fashioned as a cape, flowing behind him.

Frowning, Nathan was befuddled.

He followed her as she made her way back to where they had left Albus Potter and that Hufflepuff girl some 30 minutes ago, they were both sat, cross legged, Potter was his normal arrogant self, chugging from a Firewhiskey bottle, trying to act cool.

Nathan could see the gaggle of girls eyeing him up appraisingly, but sodding Potter only had eyes for Katherine. But thankfully she seemed totally oblivious. She wasn't oblivious to Nathan though; he hesitated before sitting down beside her, and possessively put his arm around her scrawny shoulders when Potter was looking.

He tried to hide it, but Nathan could see the yearning in Potter's eyes.

It was his own fault for not making a move earlier; Nathan had been watching them since he noticed that Potter and Katherine were hanging around each other.

It didn't take an idiot to see that the Potter obviously wanted her, but his moves were too subtle, a sultry look here, grazing her arm there...

That was never going to work with a girl as oblivious as Katherine.

You had to be bold.

He smirked at Potter as Katherine stood and left with her friend.

Potter glared at him.

Stupid bloody Potter.

Katherine Duke couldn't be bothered with all this nonsense.

After Nathan Wood had drunkenly kissed her, she led him back to the common room to find Albus with an equally inebriated Winifred, and a partially nude Scorpius Malfoy.

She really could not be bothered. All she wanted was to go to sleep. Forget the bubble bath. Just a nice snooze.

As she approached her small circle of ''Friends.'' She was suddenly embraced from behind, instantaneously she could smell a mix of expensive perfume and Goblin Gin, turning, she was extremely surprised to find a intoxicated Roxanne Weasley slurring apologize about anything and everything bad she had ever done to her Katherine reassured her quietly that it was fine and firmly pulled Roxanne's claws off of her.

She had sat down beside Winifred, greeting them all with a small smile; she noticed that Nathan hovered before sitting down beside her and draping his arm over her shoulders.

Winifred mouthed to her, ''Did you snog?''

Katherine shrugged.

''Dumbledore's Pants!'' Winifred shouted loudly, attracting some stares before pulling her away into a secluded corner, leaving a scowling Nathan with an equally stony faced Albus and a still partially nude Scorpius.

Rose approached before Winifred could get a word out.

''You didn't song Wood, did you?'' Rose slurred at Katherine, with a look of disgust on her face, ''Because then you've ruined everything!''

''No, there was no snogging.'' Katherine droned, supporting the swaying Weasley girl with both arms.

''Aww! Not even a little peck?'' Winifred insisted, exasperated, she brushed her fingers through Katherine's frizzy locks.

''No, he did kiss me. But there was no snogging.''

Winifred squealed and Rose made gagging noises while Katherine scratched her neck absently, watching as several boys slid down the slide that used to be the girl's staircase.

''He is so lush, an absolute-''

Winifred was interrupted by a loud commotion from the other side of the common room, the music had stopped, an armchair tumbled to the floor with a loud bang, and a large crowd was gathering, it sounded like someone was fighting.

The three girls hurried over just in time to see Jason Macmillan, her brother's best friend, break up...

Albus and Nathan?

''You absolute wanker!'' Albus practically screamed, there was a shallow cut on his forehead, he had one eye closed, it looked like there was going to be a shining black eye there in the morning, he was being held back by Hornsby Preston, the burly Gryffindor chaser.

''You know what they say Potter! What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals!'' Nathan shouted back,

''You took advantage, you knob-jockey!'' Albus cried, struggling to get another hit in.

''Shut up both of you!'' Malcolm barked, his voice thick with authority and maybe a little bit of Goblin Gin, he restrained a struggling Nathan, whose nose was crooked and bleeding profusely, staining his shirt, it looked pretty bad. ''If you don't pack it in, both of you will be out in the freezing corridor, where patrolling Prefects will spare you no mercy! Understood?''

Rose pulled Katherine into the fray to step between the two lads,

''Right, listen,'' Rose began, ''I don't know whether this is about Quidditch, or SOMETHING ELSE,'' she emphasised, nodding in Katherine's direction, ''but if it's about SOMETHING ELSE, then cut it out because this isn't helping.''

The battered boys nodded glumly, they were released and they both glared at each other and storming off towards the drinks table before realising they were both headed the same way and making a beeline for opposite sides of the room.

A large crowd of family and friends mobbed Albus while he sulked in the corner, Katherine decided she would go and try to help Nathan, since he looked worse off anyway.

''Well, that's one way to sober everyone up.'' she remarked dryly as she sat down beside him. She wasn't about to ask him what the fight was about, she could guess anyway, Seekers and their stupid Quidditch rivalries.

He was leaning his head back, staring at the ceiling while he pinched his bloody nose with the tips of his fingers.

''Yeah, thanks, don't worry, I'm fine.'' He hissed thickly not bothering to look up.

''You're doing that all wrong you know.'' She observed knowingly. ''I trip over a lot. I've broken my nose so many times I've lost count.''

''If you know so much about broken-noses, why don't you help then?'' he snapped, before turning to face her, his expression softening.

''Well, you didn't ask.''

''Do you think you could help me with this?'' he asked her sincerely, his words rather muffled.

''Yeah, I'll just go up to my dorm and get some stuff. Wait here.'' Yawning slightly, she stood up from the comfortable loveseat and marched up to the her dorm, she came back down holding a half-full potions vial filled with a thick, pink liquid.

''We need a sink, 'cause I'm probably gonna make a mess.'' She admitted sourly, she yawned yet again.

'' Just come with me up to my dorm. I can't get up your stairs.'' He insisted, ''I need to get cleaned up anyway.''

''Fair enough.''

She stood and motioned for him to follow, she took careful steps across the chaos that was the Gryffindor common room and made her way up the boy's staircase, he led her to his dorm and entered the empty room, it was oddly tidy.

He sat down on a bed nearest the bathroom and sighed heavily.

''Get up.'' She encouraged, dragging him towards the bathroom, she made him sit on the edge of the bath while she shook the vial thoroughly before she told him to lean over the sink, she poured the thick concoction over his nose and he instantly felt a cool feeling flow through the top of his face, the flow of blood stopped almost instantly. She held his nose firmly and pushed it back into place with a disgusting crack. She handed him a wet towel and helped him wipe the dried blood away.

''That potion is genius.'' He complimented, wincing as he brushed the bruised side of his cheek a bit too hard, ''Have you got anything for bruises?''

''...My dad invented it. There is one for bruises...But it's almost finished, and a little bruise never hurt anyone.'' She chastised, nibbling on her lip absently, he watched her freckles stretch across her tanned cheeks as she spoke.

They left the bathroom and Katherine sat down at the nearest bed, complaining about her aching feet.

He thanked her as he was removing his stained shirt, hoping to coax some kind of response from her, but she was too busy pulling off her shoes and rubbing her feet to notice.

He sighed and went over to his wardrobe, hoping to find a clean t-shirt; he turned quickly when he heard a soft snore from the other side of the room.

She was lying slumped against his headboard, asleep. Her mouth open slightly, her jaw relaxed and her glasses askew on her face.

Smiling vaguely, he gently pulled her glasses off and set them down cautiously on the bedside table.

He pulled his hangings closed and wrapped his arms around her, till her small hands were resting on his exposed chest. She would be in for a pleasant surprise when she woke up.

When Katherine woke up in a sharing a bed that wasn't her own with Nathan Wood, she was surprised. She gently extracted herself from his iron grip, before hopping out of the bed and pulling his sheets gently over his bare chest. She eyed her wrinkled dress with disdained and picked up her shoes from the floor and her glasses from the bedside table, tip-toeing out of the dorm; she didn't make a sound when she closed the door behind her.

She did however make a lot of sound when she tripped down the stairs.

Rubbing her throbbing knee, she stood and viewed the disarrayed state of the common room, the house-elves were gonna have a hard time cleaning up this mess.

Empty bottles, banners, clothes, and half-eaten food littered the floor.

Katherine chuckled softly when she spotted a snoozing Rose Weasley in the window seat,

''Rose?'' she shook her shoulder gently, ''Rose?''

The sleeping red-head stirred before snapping her eyes open. She looked over Katherine in confusion before grimacing and mumbling,

''You got some action last night, didn't you?''

Katherine rolled her eyes as Rose sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

''What time is it?'' she asked sleepily.

''About 6 in the morning.'' Katherine replied brightly.

Rose groaned audibly, ''Why did you wake me at this ungodly hour? I'm not even sure a time before 8:15 really exists!''

''That can't have been comfortable.''

''Yeah, you're right.'' She admitted, rubbing her neck. ''Let's go. I have Chocolate Frogs in my trunk.''

''Isn't it too early for chocolate?''

''It's never too early for chocolate.'' Rose proclaimed as she stood up, before swiftly sitting back down again, ''Ah, hello Mr. Hangover, nice to meet you again.'' She stood, this time with Katherine's help, and winced as they stepped up the girl's staircase, her head throbbing dangerously.

Katherine was entering unknown territory. The other fifth year girl's dorm.

She stepped into this haven of cleanliness and organization, sighing continently. Without a word, she stepped into their bathroom and smiled broadly, everything was in its place! The rumours were true!

She joined Rose in biting off the heads of several packets of Chocolate Frogs till the sun began to peek it's rays through the windowpane.

Katherine had explained the whole business with Nathan and the drunken kissing and the cuddling while in bed together debacle.

''You know what this means, right? Wood probably just wants to shag you. That's got to be it, I think you should avoid him completely, and hide behind Albus for protection.'' Rose had advised gravely, Katherine scoffed,

''I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to shag me. No one wants to shag me.'' She said realistically.

''I know someone that wants- never mind.''

Luckily, Katherine wasn't paying attention to what she said. She stood up from the bed at the mention of Albus.

''Albus was pretty drunk last night wasn't he?''

''Yep.''

''Did he get in alright?'' Katherine asked, rather worried.

''Ooh, fretting about poor Albus, eh?'' Rose cocked an eyebrow and secretly did a small happy-dance.

''Just wondering if he got back to his dorm alright.''

''Aw, that's sweet.''

''I think, that, after three months of him constantly trying to bother to me, we've sort of become... friends.''

Rose's happy-dance stopped abruptly. Damn, just friends. ''Why don't you go check on him?'' she suggested innocently.

''Because that would be inappropriate and physically impossible?''

''Nonsense! You're friends! That's what friends do!''

''You're his cousin, can't you just go? I'm tired.''

''I can barely walk straight, let alone go all the way down to the dungeons. You should go, I'll tell you how to get to the Slytherin common room.'' Rose said, feigning dizziness.

''But-''

''No! I insist!'' Rose said, raising her voice before realising that she might wake her dorm-mates.

''B-''

''No! Just go!''

''Has anyone ever told you that you're rather scary when you're angry?''

''Has anyone ever told you that I'm even scarier when I don't get my way?'' Rose threatened.

Scorpius Malfoy was really pissed at that Duke girl.

''So, we're not going to breakfast because she's going to be there?'' he groaned from his bed, where he had been recovering from his hangover since he woke up, groggy and confused.

He couldn't actually see his best-mate of two years because his emerald hangings were closed to shield out any of that pesky sunlight.

''Yes.'' Albus answered tersely, clenching his jaw. At least it sounded like he was clenching his jaw.

''Look mate, I've been your friend for like, 37 and a half years right?''

''We haven't even lived that long.'' Albus deadpanned from his own bed, Scorpius couldn't see him, but Albus had a conjured ice-pack placed gently over his black eye.

''Well, it feels like that long. Anyway, you've never been this bothered about a girl before, what's so special about Duke?'' Scorpius pondered, genuinely curious. The way Albus went on it was like she was some kind of super-hero.

''She's like Wisp's.'' Albus explained.

''She's like an antique Quidditch-supplies shop?''

''Exactly, I only found it because I was trying to escape my brother and his Quidditch team and those stupid fan-girls at that team-dinner they were having in the Three Broomsticks. If I hadn't been trying to avoid my brother's gloating I would never have found it.''

''I'm following.'' Scorpius prompted when Albus went quiet.

''Well, when I finally found it, it was like this amazing place, and every time I turned a corner, there was just more amazing stuff, like, the more I looked the more I liked it. I even ignored the obnoxious bits. Like the corner dedicated to antique Tornadoes memorabilia.''

''So, she has layers? Like an onion?''

''Yes. And what makes it worse is that, now Wood has her.''

''You can't be sure he has her.''

''Yes! I'm sure. You were there, you heard him...It's like Wood has bought Wisp's and is refusing us entry, even though we've known it was there for longer, and been visiting it for longer.''

''Mate, I think you've actually said something deep there.'' Scorpius replied sarcastically, he closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the throbbing in his forehead.

''I am deep.''

''Yeah, about as deep as a paddling pool on uneven ground mate.'' Scorpius replied, rolling on his side.

''You know what the worst thing is? I was nearly there. I was so close. I was gonna kiss her at the party. Now Wood's stolen her like he stole the Quidditch cup last year.''

''True. Times like these I'm so glad I'm not on the team. Too much drama.''

''Can you two girls shut up? I'm dying here. Like literally dying. I'm never drinking again!'' cut in the voice of their dorm-mate, Hayes Flint, the three boys got on rather well, but Scorpius knew him much better than Albus. ''Stop whining Albus, if you want that girl so bad just take her!'' Hayes shouted bluntly from his bed.

''I'm pretty sure that would be frowned upon, Flint.''

''Just like showing your ugly mug in public, Malfoy.'' Flint teased.

''Touché.'' Scorpius replied, he was about to return with a scathing remark when someone knocked on the door. That in itself should have been a warning, nobody knocks on the doors of the boy's dorm.

''Is everyone fully dressed?'' a small voice asked impatiently, a mumbled yes resounded around the dim dorm room, a door opened with a creek and Scorpius crawled forward onto his stomach and gingerly peeked out of the gap in his dark green hangings, a watched as a small blonde girl wearily slink into the room nursing two cups of steaming liquid.

Scowling, Scorpius flopped back onto his bed and pretended to be asleep; rolling onto his side he was sure he could hear Albus burst into a beaming smile.

Scorpius rolled his eyes.

Albus Potter was pleasantly surprised.

''You look like shit.''

And now he was pleasantly offended.

''I'm hung-over, leave me alone.'' He complained, rubbing his forehead and subtly trying to fix his bed hair. The blonde girl that had insisted he share his covers with her didn't seem to notice as she lay top to toe with him, in his bed.

He could feel her smooth legs against his torso; he could feel her idly wiggling her tiny toes near his armpit.

''So, how does your face, which, did I mention looked like shit?-''

''Yes! I do believe you did mention it in passing.''

''Well, how does your face feel?'' she asked bluntly, lifting her head to eye the shallow cut on his forehead and the lovely black eye he was trendily sporting.

''Well, to be honest it does hurt.'' Albus admitted, trying to gain a bit of sympathy.

''Good, you deserve it.''

Albus tensed immediately, ''...Why?''

''You were in a fight. And you got hurt, because you were in a fight, therefore, you deserve it.''

''And I supposed Wood doesn't deserve it?''

''No, he deserves it just the same.'' Katherine explained calmly, twisting her frizzy hair between her fingers, before Albus could answer she wondered aloud, ''I wonder what it would be like to have a beard...''

Sitting up, Albus raised his eyebrows, sensing his confusion; Katherine sat up at the other end of the bed as well,

''What?'' she asked, trying to get her short hair to form a beard around her chin, ''I was just wondering...''

Albus smiled and shook his head.

She was definitely worth getting battered and bruised for.

James Potter was feeling sorry for himself.

He was sat in the chilly Quidditch stands, being slowly saturated by the drizzle that fell lightly from the sky. He rubbed his gloved hands together, trying to get the feeling back to his fingers.

He could see the hooded figure approaching his seat, but he decided not to look up. Not even when the figure sat down beside him and handed him two pieces of warm toast. He ate them gladly.

''You were probably wondering why I wasn't at the victory-party last night.'' James began, in between bites of toast.

''No, actually. I didn't notice till this morning.'' Albus replied quietly from underneath his hood, he wrinkled his nose in aversion, his brother stank.

''I stayed here.''

Albus wasn't surprised, his brother tended to lean towards the melodramatic side of his personality when Quidditch was involved. James was still wearing his soiled Quidditch kit which meant he was probably here the entire night. When he didn't continue, Albus prompted,

''Why?''

''I've been kicked off the team...''

Albus inhaled sharply. This was probably, the end of the world.

At least from James' perspective.