welcome to the party!

[Ethan Hunter Potter]

It had been nearly a month and a half since his rescue from Cato Blackwell's dungeons. So two months since he had been at school at all. The last thing he had been around for was the Halloween ball. He had been taken from Knockturn Ally two weeks after that. Then he missed the Thanksgiving Feast and all the Christmas decorations around the school. Then just before Christmas, they finally let him out of the hospital to go home, partially healed finally after all those miserable weeks at St. Mungo's. Now the winter holiday had ended, he convinced his dad to let him go back to school just before classes were going to start again. It had been recommended that he stay at home until school started again at the very least, but he wasn't being very pleasant around the house anyway, even if he was getting along with his dad a little better after everything that happened.

Honestly, Ethan had just wanted to get out. He was mostly healed up, walking around just fine again finally and he missed his friends. He already knew he was going to miss out on the next Quidditch match to be held in January, as well as the fact that he would have to coach his team's practices from the ground until the healers would allow him to take to the air again. The deep bruising on his face was almost gone completely now, just a little faint purple in the corner of his right eye now, but his left arm was still completely immobile, wrapped in thick bandages and in a sling to keep him from moving his shoulder hardly at all. His friends had all read the articles in the paper, of course, the Minister's kid getting abducted couldn't go without notice for long. The article had run the morning after he arrived in the hospital.

Over and over again, he told them he wasn't in the mood to talk about it. They smoked a few joints, he had a few drinks, and then he had a great idea. What better way to put all sorts of bad bull shit behind you than to throw a party? So his friends of every house gathered up as much booze as they could find, Ethan drinking the entire time, and the scouted out an abandoned classroom on the sixth floor for the party. They got everything set up, and by the time nine o'clocked rolled around, the party was ready to start and by eleven it was in full swing. By this time, Ethan had forgotten about anything that he had dealt with in the past couple of months, chatting up girls, talking to his friends, smoking joints and filling his glass drink after drink.

Now he had himself perched at a window, sitting on the ledge, looking out over the snow covered grounds, the bare trees of the forest, the frozen over lake. He was using his sling as a storage space to give it a use other than holding his currently useless arm in place and pulled his pack of cigarettes out and lit one as he looked up at the stars. Soon enough, he would be flying around in the freezing cold air, feeling the wind rush past his face. He couldn't wait for that. But for now, he had a party to tend to, and he so far, had not decided which girl would be the lucky one he would stick to all night long in hopes of having a little fun now that he was back at school. So he looked out over the crowd, smoking his cigarette and then sipped his drink.

words, 615
tags, arianna!
notes, figured i'd move time along so i set this a little after the disaster threads (:

[/size]

[Arianna Marie Zabini]

Arianna Zabini coolly surveyed the party with mild disgust. Dressed to the nines in a form fitting, one shoulder emerald green mini-dress the Slytherin fifth-year stood near a wall watching her fellow partiers mix and mingle. Sometimes Arianna worried about her party addiction. Even though this was easily the best party to be thrown since Winter Break the attendees where…far below her social status. From where she stood Arianna easily identified a small group of giggling, obviously sloshed blonde Hufflepuffs. One of them was so tipsy she had spilled half her drink down her front, but that wasn’t the worst of it. This party was being thrown by a Gryffindor. A bloody Gryffindor.

Arianna took another sip of her Firewhiskey—contrary to popular belief, Arianna’s alcohol tolerance was surprisingly high—and tried not to think about the scarlet wearing enemy of her House who had thrown this party. Idiot probably thought he was the coolest kid in school to have hosted this party now. If it wasn’t for the fact that this was a rather low-key party Arianna and her Slytherin associates wouldn’t have even been there. As it was, Arianna had needed to have some fun without the risk of being caught partying—the memory of her father leveling his wand at her flashed across her black eyes, she winced—and when one of her fellow House-mates had told her about this little get-together she had seen it as the perfect opportunity—even if it was being thrown by a bunch of Gryffindors.

A knot of Mary Jane smokers to her left were passing around a joint, their smoke polluting her air. Arianna gave them a haughty look before flipping her glossy black hair and strutted away from them in her magenta pumps towards a window where a boy who looked to be about her age was smoking. Arianna stopped several feet from the window and situated herself so leaned against the wall.

Taking another sip from her Firewhiskey Arianna cast the boy a sideways glance under long, thick, dark lashes. She knew him on sight as one of the Potter kids. Ethan, she thought. Arianna’s father had pressed it upon her that the Potters where blood-traitors, not even worthy of cleaning her shoes. Arianna didn’t know if that was true but she did know Ethan Potter’s reputation. Stoner, drinker, but a decent enough guy to his friends, or so she’d heard. He’d been absent for a couple of months and rumor had it that he’d been in St. Mungo’s though she wasn’t sure why.

The Potter boy didn’t seem to be doing much of anything at the moment, just smoking and drinking as he sat on the windowsill and Arianna quickly lost interest. Instead her attention was caught by one of her Slytherin associates. She watched as the blonde sixth-year girl took another swig from her bottle of alcohol, half of it missing her mouth and dribbling over her cheeks. The girl wiped it off with the back of her hand and grinned drunkenly at the two boys who were obviously flirting with her. The boys appeared to be a year or two younger than the blonde and were most definitely not in Slytherin. Her lip twitched up into a smirk as she saw the girl was drinking butterbeer. Drunk on butterbeer. Arianna giggled quietly, covering her mouth with one manicured hand.

word: 564
tag: Ethan!
note: thanks for starting this!

[Ethan Hunter Potter]

Ethan took a good look around the room. Most of the students attending the party were already drunk out of their minds. He couldn't help but laugh a little, all these people who would brag about being able to hold their liquor, thinking they were all bad asses. It was funny to him only because he had been drinking all afternoon and all night so far and he couldn't hardly feel a drunken buzz to save his life. But hey, that's what happens when you drink whiskey like water on a daily basis. Even when he had gotten home from Mungo's finally, he had managed to get back to that old habit, smoke some weed he had left in his room. At this point, the only one of his habits he had not been able to get back to was the pills...

But maybe that was a good thing. He had already gone through the feeling sick from it while he was held hostage and honestly he was apprehensive about going back to Knockturn Ally. After all, if he hadn't been there, he would have never been taken in the first place. Sighing, he shook these thoughts off. Tonight was supposed to be his distraction. A way to get his head out of all of that. He finished his cigarette and downed another drink, noticing a Slytherin girl that he recognized. Arianna Zabini. Damn, he thought. She's looking good tonight. He noticed her walk off and he sighed. Why bother anyway? She was a stuck up Slytherin from what he knew. But at the same time, the bitch that she was in reputation is was part of what made her attractive.

Ethan reached over and grabbed the nearest bottle of whiskey and refilled his glass, then got up off the windowsill and walked towards her confidently. The girl nearest them was dribbling Butterbeer all over herself and grinning like an idiot to two older boys who were quite obviously only interested in one thing from the intoxicated girl. Ethan saw Arianna giggle and put her hand over her mouth. Standing next to her now, he said, "Pathetic, isn't it?" He had a grin on his face, sipped his drink.

In all honesty, Ethan wasn't sure what possessed him to talk to Arianna just now. Maybe it was because he was drunk, maybe it just seemed like the thing to do, but he had done it. Normally, the fact that she was a Slytherin and him a Gryffindor would have been enough to keep him from trying anything with her. But one way or another, he couldn't deny that he wanted to talk to her. Wanted to try and get with her that night. Maybe it was just the confidence boost he needed right now after everything in the past few months. It was just a distraction... Hell, he didn't even know why she had shown up, he hardly thought this was the kind of low-key party she normally went to. Ethan wasn't trying to throw some spectacular party, he just wanted an excuse to drink, smoke and hopefully get with a girl, so... The usual?

words, 531
tags, Arianna!
notes, no probbb. not a great reply though... bleh.

[/size]

[Arianna Marie Zabini]

Arianna's Firewhiskey was low. The Slytherin ice princess swirled the amber brown liquid in her glass and tried hard not to think of how low she had sunk. A waft of marijuana smoke blew into her face and she lifted one elegant hand up and fanned it away. Arianna had a very low tolerance for drugs. As silly as it might seem to an outsider she took her purity very seriously, even going so far as to remain a virgin while all of her associates became sexually active teenagers until she found the perfect pure-blood mate--which had yet to happen.

The last of her amber Firewhiskey passed down Arianna's throat. She cast black eyes around to see if there was a bottle around for her to refill. There wasn't. Pathetic, she thought with a sigh. Almost as pathetic as her House-mate who seemed to have agreed to something and was now being dragged off to some private corner for who knows what by those two Ravenclaw boys. If Arianna was any kind of friend she would try to stop the girl—but she wasn't. Arianna didn’t have friends. She preferred that. Friends were an obligation, they expected things. Friends meant allowing someone to get close, learn her secrets, her weaknesses. Arianna wasn't willing to let that happen, especially not with her ambitious fellow Slytherins. They would sooner sell their mother's soul to get ahead and she refused to be a pawn to help them achieve their own ends. She was no Hufflepuff.

As she looked around for a way to refill her empty glass a boy sidled up to her. Ethan Potter. Arianna eyed him suspiciously. Gryffindors did not just come up to Slytherins just for giggles. He wanted something. She watched him closely, shifting slightly for better balance. If Potter went for his wand Arianna would be ready. She couldn’t actually get to her wand before he would unsheathe his but she was holding a glass and she could throw fairly well, especially at this distance. Not to mention he was within hitting range. Punching, while messy and utterly Muggle, was no less effective. If he tried anything Arianna would throw her glass then punch him all in one swift motion and go for her own wand, tucked into a garter-like thigh hostler under her dress while he was still reeling. Not the most elegant of plans, but effective nonetheless.

Her plan of defense completed it came as a surprise to Arianna when instead of trying to threaten her Potter just commented on how pathetic her drunk-on-butterbeer House-mate was. Arianna hid her surprise behind an indifferent mask. “You or this party?” she quipped.

Words: 445
Tags; Ethan!
Notes: sorry it took me so long & sorry it’s not very long/good!

[Ethan Hunter Potter]

With everything going on around them and the amount of women he probably had a much better chance at just because of which house he was in, there was no telling what really caused him to choose Arianna to speak to right then. Why he wanted to badly to be with her right now. Maybe it was the alcohol and drugs talking, but this was definitely not his norm. He usually went for the ones who were much more easily seduced and much more willing to try anything he wanted. Maybe it was the need for a challenge, maybe not. But he had walked up to her already, started the fire. Now he just had to try and keep it going...

“You or this party?” she asked him and he grinned at her fiesty comment and shook his head. "More just people in general." he said with a shrug. Ethan, while in Gryffindor, also has a very cynical way of thinking. To him, most people were idiots, and liars. But he had come to accept this. But he also knew, for every dumb ass he met, he had at least met a couple decent people. But tonight, his plan was to take this chance, and chat up the sexy Slytherin girl. Though he was not entirely sure what it was about her that had attracted him tonight, he just knew that she had his full attention weather she wanted it or not.

"Care for another drink?" he asked her as he took his flask from his pocket and swigged on it real quick and held it out to her. "Better than the crap most everyone else brought." he said with a shrug. After all, he might be an alcoholic, but he was not a cheap one. When it came to his own personal liquor, only the best of the FireWhiskey or muggle whiskey or scotch was bought, and everything else the room had to offer paled in comparison and maybe that would be enough to keep them talking for a bit.

word count, 349
tags, Arianna!
notes, sorry for the short and crappy post...

[Arianna Marie Zabini]

Arianna’s slanted green eyes flicked to Ethan then back to the crowd partying. This whole conversation was strange and slightly unnerving. Gryffindors did not just have friendly conversations with Slytherins, at least not Slytherins with her familial background. She didn’t understand why she stuck around to continue talking to him either. Not knowing why made her nervous. Arianna liked to be in control, of herself and of situations in which she found herself. This particular situation was most definitely out of her control and oddly enough she didn’t seem to mind.

Potter’s reply to her question was a little surprising. Weren’t Gryffindors supposed to be the positive, never say die sort? This one seemed downright cynical. Arianna had to bite her full lower lip to keep from smiling. “Idiocy abounds,” she told him, then tipped back her head and swallowed the rest of her Firewhiskey. It really was cheap stuff; Arianna barely felt anything and the liquid poured down her throat.

When Potter offered her another drink Arianna was instantly suspicious. She didn’t trust anyone not to drug her. But he did say that what he brought was better and Arianna wanted so desperately to get out of her mind drunk tonight. It would be wonderful to feel that buzz and forget, for just a moment, the pain of her summer. Eyeing him carefully Arianna extended her cup to him in a silent ‘yes’ to his offer for more alcohol.

words: 240
tag: Ethan, you're it!

[Ethan Hunter Potter]

When Ethan told her that in his opinion, it was just people in general, he could see just how hard she was fighting off a grin. That to him was surprising but good. It was not the normal reaction the Gryffindor got when he spoke his mind. After all, he was a little bit of a genius with a lot of hate for idiots. He just couldn't stand just how dumb so many people were, when he found someone that he could actually talk to it was rare. The only reason he was Mr. Popular was because of Quidditch, but unless he was partying he mostly kept to himself, just because he couldn't stand most of society.

“Idiocy abounds,” she told him, then tipped back her head and swallowed the rest of her Firewhiskey. To that he gave a simple nod in agreement, they both knew there was no more to say on the subject. That was when he offered her a drink and she seemed hesitent at first. Smart, careful to take a drink offered by someone that was a natural enemy of the social world. But after he drank some and she considered it a moment longer, she held her glass out to him without a word in acceptance of his offer.

He poured the contents of the flask into her cup until it was full, then took another sip himself. "I know, this wasn't what you expected, me coming up to talk to you. But the fact that you even came to a Gryffindor's party in the first place, is surprising as well." he said, stating a fact while also in a way, searching for an answer as to why she had come here tonight in the first place.



words, 296
tags, Arianna!
notes, not great...

[/size]

[Arianna Marie Zabini]

Arianna took a sip from her newly replenished glass of alcohol. The quality difference between Potter’s alcohol and the Firewhiskey she had been drinking earlier was a wonderful surprise. Arianna had been half expecting his drink to have been only mildly better. Then again, I’d forgotten his reputation as a heavy drinker. Arianna gave him an up and down once over. Too bad he’s a pill head and a Potter, she thought almost sadly, he really is quite good looking. He and I could have some fun together.

”Cheers,” Arianna said with a smile and downed the rest. Still smiling she held out her glass out to him again. ”Trust me,” she continued, “if there was any other better parties I wouldn’t be here slumming it with you. As it is, this the first half-decent party to be held yet so don’t let it go to your head.” Arianna could hardly believe herself. The sarcasm wasn’t completely out of character but the fact that it was pointed at a Gryffindor and not in a mocking way but rather a teasing fashion almost had her questioning her sanity.

It’s just the alcohol, Arianna tried to tell herself but she knew it was a lie. Even with Potter’s far superior whiskey she only felt the smallest of buzzes. Internally she cursed her high alcohol tolerance. If not for that she could have easily blamed her abnormal behavior on intoxication. Still, despite herself Arianna smiled, inviting Ethan to share in her joke.

word count: 250
tags: your turn ethan!
notes: hope its alright

[Ethan Hunter Potter]

Ethan watched her reaction to the alcohol, she seemed pleased which made him in turn grin a little bit. He noticed her look him up and down as she held out her glass again. As he replenished her drink a second time, he was wishing he didn't still look a bit like hell with his eye still being bruised up and his left arm all bandaged. But unfortunately there was nothing he could do about that fact, so he took a long swig of his whiskey to try and not care about that so much. Though he did in turn lok her over real quick, just a glance was all he needed with the way he took in details. He couldn't help but wish that she wasn't in Slytheirn, but at the same time, the thought that they shouldn't be together made him want her that much more.

"Cheers," she said and downed her drink once again and he nodded. "Cheers," he replied as he took another generous sip from his flask, then shrugged his good shoulder and gave a small grin and a light chuckle at her next statement. ”Trust me,” she continued, “if there was any other better parties I wouldn’t be here slumming it with you. As it is, this the first half-decent party to be held yet so don’t let it go to your head.”

"Yes, well I will admit I was already drinking and pretty badly half assed everything tonight. It was very unexpected, but very needed." he said being honest for once. "But you are right, but it could have been better." he said as he took a quick look around the room. All the drunken idiots stumbling around. He shook his head and thought to himself, Wow, people really are pathetic. Just as he was turning back to Ariana a rather large Ravenclaw quidditch player stumbled right into Ethan's injured arm. Ethan groaned for a second, and before he could even think about it had shoved the whiskey in his pocket and turned to punch the drunk teenager in the jaw with all the strength in his good arm, knocking him to the ground. Without another word or look at the situation, Ethan pulled the flask back out and drank almost the last of it and held it out to Arianna.

"Care to join me while I get more? I think I've taken about as much of people as I can stand for the moment."







words, 428
tags, Arianna!
notes, sorry that took so long! i really did miss you all and want to reply. my muse was just shit though.

[Arianna Marie Zabini]

Arianna tugged the edge of her Slytherin green dress down from where it had slid of her thigh to an almost dangerous length. She could practically feel the eyes of horny teenage boys looking her over; it made her uncomfortable. With one eyebrow raised she took her refill from Potter and drank, this time slowly, savoring the taste of the alcohol. She still couldn’t feel a buzz but that wasn’t abnormal. It really did take a lot to get her drunk.

Arianna looked over her unlikely companion again, gray-green eyes slowly going up and down his fir frame. If not for the slight bruising he was extremely handsome. But still a pill head, she though mournfully. Unfortunately for her better sensibilities it seemed that this chance encounter was the beginning of what would more than likely turn out to be an extremely unlikely friendship. Ah well,Arianna thought with an internal sigh, bottoms up, and with that she drained her glass again.

When Potter suggested that they bail on the party Arianna was more than up for it. “Sure,” she said with the traditional indifferent Slytherin shrug. “There’s only so much of these tossers I can take before I start thinking which curse I should use,” Arianna commented as she followed the Gryffindor boy.

word count: 250
tags: ethan!
notes: I am so, so, sooo sorry this post is so short! I have no idea where my muse went!

[Ethan Hunter Potter]

Ethan had this strange feeling that his ventures with Arianna were going somewhere for sure but where he wasn't quite sure. The thing is though, he was always sure about things. For him most things were predictable and this was not. Just as being taken by Cato had been unexpected. Lately things had been off and he thought he knew why. His poor habits were starting to get to him more than temporarily. Or he was just never sober. Which was most likely the case but he shook that thought from his mind returning to the present situation. The guy on the ground, his surprising company, and when she agreed to come with him he didn't wait another second. He left right then and there, leading the way down the halls.

“There’s only so much of these tossers I can take before I start thinking which curse I should use,”

To this statement he actually chuckled a bit. "I really try my best not to let the idiots get under my skin. Usually I just sit back and laugh really."he said with honesty. He really did have a dropping amount of faith in the human race as a whole in the long run. People didn't know how to treat people anymore. Everything just kept getting out of hand. The way things had changed from when his grandparents were his age and now is such a big difference he often wondered how things like that changed so fast. And at this rate, where would people be by the time he was their age? He sighed at that thought bringing his wandering mind back once again as they had already walked down several pathways and corridors to the room of requirement, which promptly appeared as he expected it to. Finally, something that went the way he knew it should.

He held the door open to her, standing aside to let her enter the room, which would open up into a private bar of sorts where he stored all the things he wouldn't risk leaving in his dorm room. There was a couch, the desk where he did his school work which was why no one ever saw him doing it, and a small bar and fridge which he always kept stocked. "I don't bring anyone here, but you seem to understand the need to escape for a bit. This is a great place and there's plenty of booze." he said with a small smile. Ethan thought for a moment he was enjoying this more than he usually did. He wasn't really trying, he was being himself. An asshole because unlike most he see's the world for what it really is. Arianna was one of the first people he had met that see it that way too, but to him that also meant she wouldn't be easy to get. For her he was going to have to work for it, and he was surprisingly feeling willing to do that right now.