Drinks, Darts, and a Gryffindor's Triumph

Olivia Montgomery's POV

"All student organizations, except the Inquisitorial Squad, are henceforth disbanded. Any student in non-compliance will be expelled."

"You have got to be kidding me," I groan as we step into the common room. "Who does she think she is?" I dig into my bag and pull out a piece of parchment, sitting down and immediately scribbling spells we still need to teach. I don't want to forget anything.

"Guys—guys!" Neville's voice cuts through, breathless as he rushes toward us. "What is it, Neville?" Ron asks, concerned. "You've... got to see," he huffs, already turning around. We don't question him—we follow.

He leads us to a blank wall and just stares at it like he's waiting for something. I open my mouth to ask what's going on when, right before our eyes, a door appears. Just like that. Magic bending for Neville Longbottom.

"You've done it, Neville. You found the Room of Requirement!" Hermione exclaims, eyes wide with excitement. "Yeah, great job, Neville," I say, standing beside Harry, my fingers lacing through his naturally. "The what?" Ron asks, clearly lost.

"The Room of Requirement," Hermione explains like she's read ten books on it—which she probably has. "Also known as the Come and Go Room."

"It only appears when someone really needs it," I add, glancing around in awe as the doors swing open and reveal a massive, open space. "And it always matches what the person needs," Hermione continues. "Like this piano—maybe Liv needs to sing. Or all this open space, so we can duel or train."

"So... say you really needed a toilet?" Ron asks, and we all swivel to stare at him. "Charming," Hermione says dryly. "But yes. That's the general idea."

"It's brilliant," Harry says, eyes gleaming. "It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back." I smile, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Alright," I say, walking to the center of the room, "we need to let everyone know Neville found us a base. But we can't rely on word of mouth. Not with Umbridge and her little squad breathing down our necks. We need a quicker way to reach everyone."

"We could fix a schedule," Ron offers, but I shake my head. "No. If we meet the same time every week, someone's bound to catch on. Draco's smart—he'll put it together."

Harry raises an eyebrow. "Since when do you call Malfoy Draco?"

"Since a long time," I reply with a roll of my eyes, ignoring the jab of jealousy in his voice. "How about this?" Fred jumps in. "We collect a sickle from everyone. Enchant it so it changes when there's a meeting. Time, date, location—then turns back to normal once they're here."

I stop tapping my foot. "Freddie, that's brilliant."

We spend the evening enchanting sickles and passing them out to everyone who's joined.

The next day, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I head to the Room of Requirement early. One by one, everyone files in. Full attendance. We're off to a solid start. "Alright," I announce, stepping to the center. "Harry and I will show you how a duel actually looks."

"No need to be all formal when you're in an actual fight," Harry smirks, taking his stance.

"Ready, babe?" he asks, and I nod.

"Wands at the ready. Bow," I say.

"Expelliarmus!" he shouts.

"Protego!" I counter easily.

"Ventus!"

I raise a brow. "Ventus Duo!" I return, sending a heavier gust his way.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" I smirk.

"Stupefy!" I shout before he can react, sending Harry flying into the padded wall behind him.

"And that, kids, is how a duel is won." Laughter and applause echo as Harry groans and gets up. "You had to do me dirty, didn't you?" he grumbles, rubbing his back. "Alright, now in pairs—let's practice the disarming charm," I call out, and everyone gets to work. I walk through the room, adjusting stances, correcting wand movements. Neville struggles.

"Don't worry, Neville. You've got this," I say, patting his shoulder gently. As I help Nigel correct his grip, Rafael sidles up next to me. "Hey, Liv."

"Hey, Rafael," I reply, eyes on Nigel's technique.

"So..."

"So..." I echo, feeling the awkwardness settle between us. It's been ages since we actually talked. "How you doing?" he asks, casual, a little too casual. "Really, Raf? If you're gonna be awkward like this, then—"

"Watch out!" he shouts suddenly, grabbing me and shoving me to the side. We crash to the floor together just as a wand whizzes past the spot where my face was a second ago.

"Babe?!" Harry's already at my side as Rafael stands and offers me his hand. I take it and dust off my robes, heart racing. "I-I'm fine," I say with a shaky smile. "I'm so sorry, Liv!" Neville says, clearly horrified, grabbing his wand.

"No, no—it's alright. I should've been more aware." I flash him a reassuring smile and pat his arm. "Go back to practicing."

Eventually, the lesson ends. Our first official D.A. meeting—chaotic, magical, and a little dangerous.

But it's a start.

The next day, we're sitting in DADA. Same seats as the first day when Umbridge took the class. Which means I'm sitting next to Draco. I sigh, dropping my bag to the floor, and sit beside him. "Hello, darling," he smirks, clearly noticing Harry glaring at us from a few rows behind.

"I never asked you," I say, raising an eyebrow and making air quotes, "Why do you call me 'darling'?" He chuckles softly. "I think it suits you. You're sweet and kind and lovely, and don't try to tell me you don't like it when I call you darling."

I focus on copying notes from the board, trying not to look at him. "You need to stop flirting, Draco. I have a boyfriend." His hand casually rests on my thigh, right where my skirt ends and the bare skin of my leg is exposed. I stop writing and glance at him with one eyebrow raised.

"You know I can't. I'm Draco Malfoy," he says with a teasing grin. "And don't act like you don't enjoy all that flirting."

"I don't," I say, swatting his hand away from my thigh. "Your cheeks tell a different story, darling," he says lightly, shaking his head. "Must you talk?" Umbridge's voice rings out, directed at me. I roll my eyes but keep quiet, glancing at Draco, who's still smirking.

The rest of the class, Draco keeps cracking jokes, and I fight to hold back my laughter, not wanting to end up in another detention. "That was... really... funny, Draco," I say, trying to control my breathing as I giggle. We've ended up sitting really close, too close for my liking.

"You look so adorable when you laugh, darling," he says, and then, without warning, he kisses my cheek lightly. I freeze. It doesn't feel like he's flirting—just giving me a genuine compliment. For a moment, I'm caught off guard by how sweet he's being, especially since he's usually a jerk to everyone else.

The bell rings, and I grab my books, still feeling a little stunned by his gesture. I glance up and see Draco and Blaise nodding in my direction. "What?" I ask, shoving my books into my bag. "What, you don't have eyes at the top of your head?" Blaise asks with a laugh, and I chuckle in return.

"We're having a party in the Slytherin Common Room tonight. I was thinking maybe you'd like to come, Olive?" Blaise asks, his tone surprisingly polite. I look at Draco, who's watching me with pleading eyes. "I don't know," I say, eyeing the two of them. "You're inviting a Gryffindor? I'll be the only one there if I come. And I have work to do. What would I even tell Harry and the others?"

"Oh, come on, darling. It's just a party," Theo mocks, using Draco's word from earlier. I blush, nervously tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear while Draco turns red. "Alright, I'll think about it," I say, standing up. "I assume there's a theme?"

"Yeah, Slytherin colors, 9 pm," Blaise says, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I can't make it at 9, but I'll drop by later," I say, nodding. Blaise, still grinning, places a kiss on my cheek.

What is up with everyone today?

I head to Charms next, which also happens to be with Slytherins. My mind's still on the party and the D.A. practice, bouncing between the two thoughts. "What was all that about?" Harry asks, irritation clear in his voice.

"What?" I ask, looking at him in confusion. "Since when are you and Zabini so close that he kissed you on the cheek in front of me and invited you to a party? Which, by the way, you're not going to," he says, blocking my path.

"Wait, what?" I ask rhetorically, my mind racing. "You're telling me no, no, you're denying me to attend a party that my friends are organizing?" I stop, crossing my arms in disbelief. "Yeah," Harry says casually. I glance at Hermione and Ron, who are standing nearby, awkward and silent.

"I can't believe this, Harry. You may be my boyfriend, but you don't get to tell me who my friends are or where I can and can't go," I snap. "And, for your information, I greet people like that all the time. A hug and a kiss on the cheek."

"Oh, and Hermione, I think Harry can handle a practice session on his own for tonight," I say over my shoulder as I turn to head to the next class. "I have a party to attend."

I sit near the door in Charms, making sure I can leave as soon as class is over. I don't want to face Harry again anytime soon. Luckily, Hermione sits next to me. "You know he means well," she says softly as we wait for Professor Flitwick.

"Well, Mione, I'm allowed to have friends other than you guys, you know?" I say, fiddling with my quill. "Yeah, I know. And so does he," Hermione starts, but I cut her off.

"I don't think he does!" I retort. "Sorry, Mione. You know, I really want to teach, but Harry needs to understand. And Blaise, he's my friend. I can't just say no to him," I explain as Professor Flitwick enters the room.

"I know. So, what are you going to wear?" she asks, and it hits me that I'll need to pick something to wear that'll hide the mark. "You're not mad at me for going to a Slytherin party?" I ask, shocked at how calm she's being about it.

"What? No, of course not," she says with a reassuring smile. "You need to blow off some steam. You've had too much going on. Go and have fun."

I smile back, feeling a little relieved. "So, what do you think I should wear?"

"Something that hides..." I whisper the last part, "...the mark."

She nods, and we wait for class to begin.

The day goes by quickly, and I decide on wearing a short red dress—strapless and reaching my mid-thigh. Over it, I add a long red sleeve jacket to hide the mark. The dress shows off my sharp collarbones and the necklace Draco gave me, along with my mother's. I can't help but think I'm going to stand out tonight. Blaise did mention Slytherin colors, but as the only Gryffindor invited, standing out is inevitable.

"You look riveting!" Hermione exclaims when she sees me.

"Yes! Hermione's right!" Ginny adds with a grin. I smile, glancing at myself in the mirror. I haven't felt this good in a while. "So, how are you going to handle this?" Hermione asks, concern in her voice. "If the Squad or Umbridge or even Filch sees you—"

I cut her off, "Blaise is waiting outside the common room."

"What is it?" Ginny asks, raising an eyebrow. "Harry might be in the common room. I don't want to face him," I admit, shifting uncomfortably. "Don't worry, we've got your back, babe!" Ginny says as she stands up. "We're leaving for the DA meeting. After a few minutes, you can slip out."

"Thank you, you guys are the best!" I say, wrapping them in a tight hug.

They leave, and after a few minutes, I head downstairs. Luckily, the common room is empty. I open the door, and there's Blaise, wearing a dark green shirt tucked into black pants. Three buttons are open at the top, making his shirt a bit loose and his chest visible.

He turns as soon as I open the door, and his eyes light up. He chuckles, shaking his head lightly. "You're never going to listen to me, are you?" I shrug and slip my arm through his as we head for the dungeons. "You know, you're really going to stand out now," he says, as we reach the door to his common room.

"I know, that's why I wore it," I reply, winking at him.

Blaise whispers the password, 'Pureblood,' and the door swings open. We walk in, and the whole room goes silent for a second. Of course, it's because I'm the only Gryffindor there, and because everyone else is wearing black and green while I'm in red. Loud music fills the air, and I can see high and drunk students dancing in the middle of the room.

"Told ya!" Blaise says with a grin as he looks at me. "I'm going to find Theodore. Would you be a sweetheart and get me a glass of firewhiskey?" I nod, starting to make my way to the couch to find Theo when Parkinson and her friends block my path.

"Who invited you, mudblood?" she sneers, eyes narrowing. "Really, Parkinson?" I ask, trying to step around her. "I'm sure you've heard the truth about me. I'm not a Muggleborn." She steps in front of me again, sneering. "Still, who invited a blood traitor?"

"I did." A hand snakes around my waist, and I look up to see Draco standing there, his grip tight on my waist.

"Got a problem with that, Parkinson?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. She scoffs, looking between us. Nothing would piss her off more than seeing Draco, the man of her dreams, standing so close to me. I can't help but smirk.

"Bitch!" she mutters under her breath, storming off.

"So, I thought you were dropping by later," Draco says as he leads me to a leather couch, still keeping his arm around my waist. He hands me a glass, and I take it with a quiet thanks. "Yeah, I thought I'd come on time. Why? Did you want me to drop in later?" I ask as we sit down.

"No, no, it's good that you're early, darling," he says, placing his glass down beside him. "By the way, you didn't ask me to the party. Blaise did," I point out, glancing around the room. "Eh, well, two birds, one stone," he says, looking me up and down with appreciation.

"You look good, Montgomery," he adds, placing a hand on my thigh.

"Thank you," I say, picking his hand up and gently moving it away from my thigh, placing it on his own instead as I cross my legs. "You do remember that, even if I didn't come here with my boyfriend, I'm still not single."

He pulls me closer, our thighs now touching, and leans in, his breath hot against my ear. "I know, but the guys here... they're looking at you like a hungry predator eyeing its prey, and I don't want that," he says, his hand gripping both of my knees.

"Ah!" Blaise calls out, looking from me to Draco, and then to the hand on my knee. He smirks as I shake my head. "I've been searching for you, Olive," Blaise says, handing me a glass of butterbeer. "I asked for firewhiskey, Zabini," I reply, reluctantly accepting the butterbeer.

"Yeah, darling, you can't handle that. Remember what happened the last time?" Draco teases, sipping his firewhiskey. I flush at the memory, but I try to cover it with a sip of my drink. "You know, Blaise," I say, glancing back at him, "Harry was really jealous when he saw you kiss my cheek."

"I know," Blaise responds, his eyes drifting over my shoulder. "There's someone else who was too." I turn my head slightly, catching Draco's gaze. I mouth, 'Believe me, I know,' and wink. "So, isn't this breaking all of Umbridge's rules?" I ask, lifting an eyebrow at Blaise.

"Yeah, but even we need to blow off steam once in a while," Blaise says with a chuckle. "So today at the meeting, we laced her tea with some sleeping draught."

At least, the DA can practice without getting caught by Umbridge or the Squad.

We talk for a couple of hours, and that's it. We talk. I roll my eyes, thinking Slytherin parties are a bore. "So, that's it? We're not doing anything else? Just drinking and talking?" I ask as Theo approaches us.

"You can dance," Blaise suggests, glancing toward the dance floor.

"I'm not dancing with sweaty, high, and drunk Slytherins," I say, grabbing the firewhiskey from his hand and gulping it down in one go.

"We did... I mean, we used to play 'Bull's eye,' drinking games, truth or dare, and a lot of other games, before Draco mastered every game and always won. It got boring watching Draco win every time," Theo says, sitting down next to Blaise.

"In Bull's eye, we don't use darts though. It's knife work. No one's beaten his record in either, 'Bull's eye' or drinking games," Blaise adds.

"Yeah, only the best, darling," Draco chimes in, his voice low and teasing. "But we'll play something else, something innocent like you," he adds, tightening his grip on my knee, which has now moved to my thigh.

"Innocent? Me?" I smirk. "You don't know me well, love." I pause, then add, "Draco only used to win because he hadn't met his match yet." Blaise's eyebrows shoot up.

"Really?" he says, smirking back at me.

"Game on, Malfoy. I'd like to propose something. We'll have our own Tri-Wizard tournament. Nothing too much. First, a drinking game. We'll each drink until the other passes out, or your stock runs out, whichever comes first. Second, Bull's eye, when we're both hammered. And third, let me make it easy for Draco... we'll catch the snitch outside." I stand up, while the others ooh around us.

Draco stands, eying me up and down. "Don't think I'll go easy on you, darling," he says, his gaze intense. I scoff. "Alright, alright. Let's say Olive wins. What does she get?" Blaise asks, looking at Draco. "Yes, yes, what will I get?" I raise an eyebrow and smirk.

"Whoever wins will hold the title of 'Ultimate Legendary Wizard/Witch,'" Theo suggests. "And the loser has to announce in the Great Hall, in front of everyone—no teachers around—that the winner is the 'Ultimate Legendary Wizard/Witch,'" I say, offering my hand to Draco.

He looks at me, then shakes my hand. "Deal, darling."

We walk over to the makeshift bar the Slytherins set up for the party.

I'm a lightweight, and Draco has an undeniable advantage in this drinking game. He knows it, and I know it.

One by one, Draco and I take shots of firewhiskey. The burn is sharp down my throat, but it's giving me the confidence to keep going. Of course, the party's been going for a while, so there isn't much alcohol left.

The first task, we're tied. Draco looks at me, squinting his eyes, and I smirk, wiping my mouth.

Now, onto the second task—Bull's eye. Simple enough: we throw knives at a board with green apples stuck to it. Each apple holds points. We each get five chances, and the person with the most points wins.

Almost everyone in the common room stands behind Draco, cheering him on, probably out of fear. Blaise, Theo, and Daphne are the only ones standing behind me.

"You've got this, Olive!" Blaise cheers from behind me. Daphne and Theo shout their 'yeahs.' "Ladies first, Montgomery," Draco says, gesturing toward the board. I pick up a knife, toss it in the air, and catch it smoothly. I wink at Draco before throwing the knife. It hits an apple worth 20 points.

Draco scoffs and throws his knife, hitting an apple near the center and scoring 50 points. "Oh, Drakie!" Parkinson shrieks from beside him. I roll my eyes.

Draco and I finish our four tries, and he's in the lead with 50 points. I might've passed the first task by sheer dumb luck, but to win this, I need to hit the bull's eye.

I pick up the knife, glance at Draco, and wink. I'm nervous, but I won't let him see that. I breathe in, aim for the center, and throw. "Bull's eye!" Blaise shouts, and I grin as my knife hits the center apple. I'm in the lead.

Now it's Draco's turn. If he hits the center apple, I'm done for. He stares at me, and I know I need to distract him if I want to win. I remember how much he hated it when I bit my lip—well, not hated, but how aroused he got when I did.

I sigh and bite my lower lip, then wink at him. I know it's going to work, and it does. He throws the knife without looking at the board, and, of course, his peripheral vision isn't good enough to hit the bull's eye.

He doesn't. But he does hit an apple close to the center, leaving only 10 points between us.

Blaise hugs me and spins me around. "Oh, my Merlin! I can't believe it. Finally, someone who can beat Draco's record!"

"Can? She already beat that motherfucker!" Theo adds as Blaise sets me back down. "No!" Draco exclaims, storming over to me. "She cheated," he accuses, pointing at me. "How'd I cheat, Draco? I was standing right here," I say innocently. "Argh," he grumbles, about to turn away, but I grab his wrist.

"1-0, Montgomery to Malfoy," I say, winking.

The final task. We quickly head to the Quidditch Grounds, thank Merlin, without getting caught. It's cold, so I borrow Draco's Quidditch jersey and some warm clothes from Blaise. I also borrow Blaise's broom since I don't have one.

"No dirty business. You just need to catch the snitch in 10 minutes. It's a practice snitch," Theo says as Draco and I mount our brooms. I glance at Draco, who's ignoring Parkinson, who's standing beside him and cheering him on. He locks eyes with me.

'You are going down, darling,' he mouths, and I scoff. "Ready?" Blaise calls, and we both nod. Theo throws the snitch into the air, and Draco zooms off like an eagle in search of it.

I know the basics of flying, but of course, I don't have the practice Draco does. He's the Seeker and the captain of the Slytherin team.

I fly into the air, scanning for Draco or the snitch. If he sees the snitch, he'll go after it—he needs this win. If not, he'll have to announce in front of the entire school that a Gryffindor is the 'Ultimate Legendary Witch.'

I fly around, still searching, when I stop and see Draco looking at me. "What are you staring at?" I ask as he flies closer and begins circling me. "You look good in Slytherin jersey. If I weren't the Seeker, I'd ask you to join the team," he says, eyeing me up and down. That's when I spot the snitch.

I know I need to distract him, like I did in the second task, but not in the same way. I have to distract him by talking, by letting him gloat.

"Yeah, but I thought no one was a better Seeker than you. Not even your favorite Scarhead," I say, flying toward the snitch and letting Draco circle me. "Don't think your boyfriend is better than me?" Draco challenges, and I lunge for the snitch, catching it.

"No, I think I'm better than you," I say, holding up the snitch and smirking. "See you down, Malfoy," I add, then fly down toward the ground. "Damn it!" I hear him yell, and I can't help but giggle.

"Oh..."

"My..."

"Merlin..."

"Montgomery wins the tournament!" someone shouts, and I run toward Blaise and the others. Draco stands a few feet away, chuckling.

We return to the Slytherin Common Room, and everyone cheers my name—everyone except Parkinson. "So, Malfoy," I say, sitting on the couch, my hands spread out on the headrest, legs crossed. "Would you like to practice something?" I ask, smirking.

"No! We agreed only once, in the Great Hall, when the teachers aren't present," he whines, and I laugh. "Blaise, sweetheart, would you like to announce who won the tournament again?" I ask, still staring at Malfoy.

Blaise stands beside me and announces, "Olivia Montgomery wins the tournament."

Everyone starts cheering and clapping. I wink at Draco, gesturing for him to sit beside me, which he does. He doesn't seem like a sore loser—he looks proud.

The party goes on for another hour, and people start dancing. Draco and I finish all the alcohol, and things quiet down. "Alright, I'm going to go," I say, standing up, stumbling a little. "Now you stumble?" Draco says, grabbing my waist to steady me.

He walks me back to my common room, and I tease him about not winning the tournament. He just laughs, no snarky comments or outbursts—just happy laughs. "Thank you, Draco," I say, pulling his coat so I can stand.

"I needed to blow off some steam, and I did. I have to admit, I thought your parties were a bore, but it turned out to be pretty fun," I add, blinking my eyes a few times.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he says, placing his hands on my shoulders to keep me from falling.

"Certainly," I say, kissing his cheek and whispering, "Tomorrow's the day I'll remember for the rest of my life," before winking and heading into the common room.