THE SLYTHERINS

 

    “Who knew the Hufflepuffs would turn out to have an amazing team this year,” Jeongyeon said to Jihyo next to her, wide open in awe. Her big brown eyes quickly followed the players on their brooms as they zoomed above the Quidditch pitch, playing one of the best school matches the pair had ever seen.

 

    “Our team should definitely be worried,” Jihyo agreed, eating a licorice wand as she too paid close attention to the game at hand. The Hufflepuff team was dominating Slytherin eighty to thirty, the Snitch still up for fair game. As to be expected the Slytherins were playing dirty, their Beaters physically hitting the Hufflepuff team’s brooms with their bats instead of the bludger. The Hufflepuffs though were playing beautifully clean with hardly any fouls. For a match played by unprofessionals, the game was enticing to watch.

 

    “I’m glad the Greenies are finally getting what they deserve,” Jeongyeon grumbled, cradling her bandaged right hand in her free arm. She didn’t know how long her grudge would last towards the house that had fused her palm to a table in the library, but she knew that the anger fueled her unsportsmanship. She had slept stuck overnight in the giant library, until the early hours of the morning when the librarian had found her and casted a charm to finally but painfully release her. Nonetheless, Jeongyeon was pissed and from today forward she would be plotting her revenge.

 

    “Normally I don’t wish the worst upon others but I can’t say that I don’t agree,” Jihyo said eloquently through yet another mouthful of licorice. A Hufflepuff player rushed past the two girls’ faces, leaving them breathless in admiration.

 

    “That girl is an amazing chaser,” Jeongyeon grinned, leaning over her seat to watch the Hufflepuff girl fly around the pitch, weaving through other players and eventually scoring another ten points for her house. “I reckon she could become professional.” Jihyo pulled out more candy from her purse and handed some to her best friend.

 

    “She’s brilliant. I mean she scored half of the points in this game alone. I wonder if that is some sort of record.”

 

Jeongyeon pondered this for a moment, briefly jealous. She wished she was half the player this girl was. Of course she was good but this Hufflepuff was amazing, threading between players like she was cutting butter or flying through an empty pitch. Her technique was beautiful. Jeongyeon wondered if maybe she should ask for pointers after the game.

 

    “Do you think she will give me her autograph?” Jeongyeon asked which made Jihyo giggle and shake her head.

 

    “If anything, there will be a line waiting to get it. After this game, the girl will undoubtedly become one of the most popular girls in school. No one can resist an amazing Quidditch player.” Jihyo told her in sort of a calculated manner. Jengoyeon shrugged, sitting back down in her seat, a mischievous smile spread across her lips.

 

“No wonder I get all the girls,” she teased which received more laughter and grins from her friend beside her.

 

    “Shut up.”

 

...

The match had ended around six at night, the students in the crowd all hurrying back to their dorms to change clothes for the All-Houses party in the Room of Requirement. Sana herself had change into the outfit Nayeon had picked for her-- an all black and simple ensemble, a loose dress and dark combat boots. It was something that Sana didn’t mind wearing because unsurprisingly she looked amazing, but she did feel slightly uncomfortable with it’s short length. It was almost winter in Scotland after all, so the weather was next to freezing. As usual though she said nothing.

 

Fashion is supposed to make you uncomfortable, Nayeon would always say, so who is Sana to argue?

 

Nayeon’s top minions, Jennie and Yeri were dressed similarly in all black, Jennie donning a tight number with strapped flats and Yeri in a dark skirt and tank, a thick choker wrapped around her pale throat.

 

“It’s like her hand is literally around my throat,” Yeri whispered to the pair, her fingers tugging a little at the velvet fabric of her necklace.

 

“Girls?” Nayeon interrupted from up the top of the stairs, her head popping over the stone balcony. Immediately the three responded to her voice.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Nayeon crossed the balcony and started down the stairs in a tight silver sequined dress, two pairs of shoes in either hand. Sana could hear Yeri scoff under her breath. The three of them looked like they were dressed as Nayeon’s shadow.

 

“Grey or charcoal?” Nayeon asked, holding up the same type of heel in each hand, the color variations only slightly different.

 

“Grey,” Jennie answered quickly and confidently as she did normally like one’s lapdog would.

 

“Wrong,” Nayeon stated, tossing away the grey shoes. “Charcoal. The answer is always charcoal, are you insane?”

 

Jennie’s proud exterior immediately became slack as she frowned, disappointed and hurt. She nodded, as Nayeon payed her no further attention and slipped on her heels. She turned and studied herself in a mirror for a moment before ordering the group to leave for the party.

 

When they reached the Room of Requirement, they were let in by the stones in wall shifting until it created a small yet intricate archway that they could pass through to reach the rager inside. They had come fashionably late, the party already completely underway, a crowd of teenagers going crazy on a dance floor set in the middle of the room. To the side a drink and snack table sat with the more unsociable students lingering around it. Oh how Sana craved a drink to save her from this long night ahead.

 

“Where is Woozi…” Nayeon muttered, her eyes scanning the room to search for her newest conquest. The other three joined in to help, secretly wanting to get rid of her as quick as possible so they too could have their own night of fun without their leader breathing down their necks. Sana’s eyes flickered through faces and bodies, looking a little too desperately for the boy, her gaze instead landing on a different Hufflepuff.

 

“Um, I’ll be right back, Sana told the group but it was like they didn’t even hear. More truthfully they couldn’t care less. Sana made her way through the dancing hoard of teenagers to a girl who was standing alone looking down at the assortment of drinks at the snack table. “Momo,” she smiled, slightly startling her. Momo turned to face her with a grin.

 

“Hey.”
 

Momo was out of her Quidditch gear she was covered in just an hour before, instead wearing a lazier rendition of her school uniform: the dark skirt but higher with no tights, a long white sleeve button but with the ends not tucked in, the collar ed halfway down her chest and her signature yellow Hufflepuff tie was missing but she looked cool and perfect without it.

 

“Hey… you?” Sana responded, cringing mentally at her choice of words although she made damn sure not to show it. She wanted to act cooler than she had this morning at Momo’s warm up but she was already quickly backfiring. Momo thankfully didn’t notice and just continued to smile instead. Momo’s light brown hair was let out of it’s earlier high ponytail and calmly, with an air of carelessness, fell past her collarbones. “That was a um, good game earlier,” Sana managed to say, taking her eyes off Momo for a moment to look at the array of drinks on the table. The Room of Requirement shockingly had stocked them with enough alcohol for days. “You were amazing.” Momo let out an airy laugh.

 

“Thanks. Your house put up quite the fight.”

 

Sana nodded even though truthfully she didn’t really pay attention to Slytherin at all during the match. She was quite fascinated by something else. Someone else. She poured herself a random mixture of vodka and rum. She didn’t know what it was going to taste like but she hoped it was strong for suddenly she felt a stampede of nerves hit her like a truck. She figured that maybe she was just intimidated by Momo, after all Momo was just so strong and just played the most interesting quidditch match Sana had ever seen. While watching the Match even Sana, the most unathletic Slytherin one would ever come to meet, felt jealous and wish she could play just like Momo. So she came to the conclusion that she only felt this nervous around the girl because she wanted to be like her. That was logical right? Sana awkwardly took a sip of her concoction and instantly scorched .

 

In their brief moment of silence, Momo picked up a random bottle off the table and didn’t even try to find a cup to pour the liquid in, instead drinking it straight from it’s container. Sana raised her eyebrows and snorted. She didn’t take Momo to be the kind of girl to act so recklessly at a party.

 

“Careful there,” Sana warned her as she noted Momo’s fifth consecutive large gulp of what looked like a bottle of wizard tequila. Momo grinned almost devilishly and shrugged, dropping the bottle back on the table, wiping with the back of her hand.

 

“Sorry,” Momo giggled, her cheeks turning a warm red color. “I get nervous at parties. I think I’m a little socially awkward. I figured maybe a drink might help with that.”

 

Sana couldn’t argue with that logic, after all she was trying to calm her buzzing nerves herself-- although Momo’s reasoning was probably more wholesome than Sana’s.

 

“Oh I get it,” Sana mused as she gripped her solo cup, taking in the view of the party once again. In the corner she spotted her roommates flirting shamelessly with a pack of fifth year boys. She also swore she saw that girl Jeongyeon against one of the walls sorting her newest chocolate frog cards. “Trying to find some guys to talk to?” At the time Sana didn’t realise how bitter she had sounded, but looking back her tone was as sharp as broken glass.

 

Sana could feel stares coming from every point in the room looking directly at the Hufflepuff quidditch star. But who could blame them, Momo was effortlessly beautiful and just played the game of her life. She really was every guy’s dream. Sana couldn’t help but wonder if she knew that.

 

“No, not at all!” Momo said quickly defending herself. “It’s a party, I don’t know. I just want to be out of myself that’s all.”

 

Sana nodded, realising she knew exactly what she meant. Momo being the bubbly girl she is, only talks with those who she is comfortable around which, Sana guesses, isn’t that many people. SHe wasn’t used to having to try and fit in with all houses at once, it made sense. Though Sana herself never really had that problem.

 

“Oh,” was all that Sana managed to choke out after another round of her rum and vodka mixture. Momo laughed at the face Sana didn’t realise she was making, the “I’m not sure what to say so i’ll keep drinking” face.

 

“I have an idea,” Momo grinned, grabbing Sana’s hands and pulling her onto the dance floor.

The music was loud and pounding, the brightly colored strobe lights flashed around the room overwhelming Sana’s senses. Momo pulled her to the edge of the crowd and began to dance to the beat, her hips swaying slowly to the fast paced song, her eyes resting expectantly on Sana to follow suit. Sana wasn’t a bad dancer, she enjoyed it a lot actually but somehow she felt frozen under Momo’s gaze. Momo however seemed to come undone under the music, dancing like no one was watching even though absolutely everyone was. It was a strange sight to see, this dedicated quidditch player, this clumsy student, dancing as if it was the only thing keeping her alive. It was incredible.

 

“Dance Sana!” Momo shouted over the music. Even though Sana felt constricted, she couldn’t refuse.  

 

The songs were fast paced club tracks so every so often the crowd would jump with their hands high in the air, the group going completely wild. Around them, everyone was up against each other and no one could expect any less. Momo seemed oblivious to the guys dancing against her from behind as she was lost in the music. Her hands moved slowly down her body as she moved, effortlessly dancing to the beat. Each wave of her hips left Sana slowly suffocating.

 

“I um… I need to get water,” Sana coughed, turning quickly on her heel when Momo nodded and continued to dance. Walking back up to the drink table, a cold hand s around Sana’s wrist and pulled her to the side. One guess to who it could be? Sana held back the urge to roll her eyes.

 

Nayeon was still accompanied with Jennie and Yeri. Sana couldn’t read their stone hard exteriors but she could tell she had done something wrong.

 

“Having fun are we?” Nayeon asked, her eyes flicking over to the spot on the dance floor where Momo was, twisting to the music. Sana shrugged, playing it off.

 

“It’s a party isn’t it?” She replied, still aching from her dangerous cocktail. Nayeon nodded, agreeing as she ran her hand through her dark hair deep in thought.

 

“That’s the Hufflepuff chaser from the game earlier,” She noticed, her eyes lingering on Momo curiously. Jennie nodded and looped her arm through Nayeon’s almost possessively at this.

 

“Everyone is talking about her. Half of the guys I know want to bang her,” Jennie explained clearly unimpressed. At this, Nayeon tilted her head, her mental gears turning. Sana was curious about what kind of ideas were forming in there.

 

“Why? Because she knows how to properly handle a broom?” Nayeon sneered which made Yeri snort. Sana bit her tongue to stop herself from lashing out at her vulgarity, but she knew snapping at Nayeon never came with good consequences.

“Probably because she’s nice,” Sana suggested even though she knew it was mostly because the douchebags here only noticed her for her fit body.

 

“Well I mean she’s hot.” Nayeon stated simply. “What year is she in? How have I never noticed her?” Nayeon’s growing curiosity began to concern Sana deep into her core but she answered anyway.

 

“My year. And I dunno…she’s been around.”

 

“Christ,” Nayeon sighed, her sharp eyes refusing to leave Momo’s body in the crowd. “She looks bloody nineteen.”

 

Sana squirmed in her spot. She had a bad feeling she knew where Nayeon was taking this. After all, Nayeon needed to complete her annual party trick. Nayeon tilted her head.

 

“Reckon I should get to know her then?”

 

Sana opened but no sound came out at first. The other girls, particularly Yeri, looked like they couldn’t care less. Jennie on the other hand frowned a little, her eyes filled with dread.

 

“She’s probably tired,” Sana suggested, glancing back over at Momo who was still dancing her life away.

 

“She doesn’t look tired to me,” Nayeon mused, now stepping towards the dancefloor. Sana didn’t entirely know why but she really didn’t want Nayeon to do this, to take advantage of Momo for her own gain. All she knew was that she couldn’t let Nayeon ruin her. Sana slid in front of Nayeon to block her progress, trying her hardest to deter the girl without seeming too frantic.

 

“She’s muggleborn!” She blurted out but Nayeon only smirked, although she was taken aback by Sana’s determination and blockade.

 

“Oh Zaki don’t be so vile, you know I don’t discriminate. It’s 2017.” Sana rolled her eyes at her leader’s bold-faced lie. Nayeon was almost always talking Muggle-borns, always making jokes about extinction and eradication.

 

Nayeon tried to sidestep Sana but she blocked her again.

 

“You don’t like girls,” Sana guessed even though she was almost positive that her and Jennie were more than just roommates. Nayeon seemed more frustrated with Sana now, putting a firm hand on her shoulder, pushing her away with anger rushing through her veins.

 

“I’m not picky. Hello, no one is completely narrow these days.”

 

Sana tripped over her own feet as she tried to regain her composure, bumping into someone walking off the dance floor.

 

“Nayeon!” Sana gasped desperately as she watched Nayeon strut further into Momo’s direction. She didn’t know how to stop her. Mindlessly Sana lunged and grabbed onto Nayeon’s wrist, clinging onto it and slowing her down in her tracks. “Just find someone else.” Nayeon scowled and aggressively ripped Sana’s hand off her wrist.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you? I don’t know if you’re protecting me or you’re protecting her but I can do whatever the I want. Don’t forget where you came from sweetie and definitely remember that I made you. Without me you would be friendless and you probably wouldn’t even be at this party.” Nayeon’s glare ripped into her soul. Nayeon gestured over to Jennie and Yeri who then wrapped their arms around Sana’s waist and shoulders an began to pull her away. “I think you had too much to drink,” Nayeon mused, flipping her hair out of her face. “How about you go back to the dormitory and get some sleep.”

 

Nayeon’s minions then dragged Sana out of the Room of Requirement, the last image of the party being Nayeon’s smug face and her hand waving her goodbye. After the doors had shut she pushed Jennie and Yeri away, her blood boiling.

 

“Get off of me,” she grumbled staggering a few feet in front of them. They both scoffed but didn’t try again to grab her, instead followed closely behind as Sana tried her best to walk in a straight line back to the dormitory. Okay so maybe she was a little drunk.

 

Sana clenched her jaw as she stumbled a little down the dungeon steps, the thoughts of Nayeon seducing Momo making her head ache. But why? Why did she even care? Sana and Momo were just friends, nothing more. Was she afraid that Nayeon was going to scare Momo away? Maybe she just really didn’t want Nayeon to hurt Momo-- Momo was physically strong but somehow seemed emotionally fragile. Nayeon would shatter her.

 

Once inside the dormitory Yeri had left Jennie and Sana to go smoke a cigarette. Jennie had to then drag Sana up the stares herself and into her room because at this point the mixture of vodka and rum had fully settled in.

 

“I hate parties…” Sana whined as Jennie sat her on the bed and helped her out of her clothes. “I hate Nayeon.” Jennie bent over and untied Sana’s boots, tossing them in the corner of the room before she responded.

 

“No you don’t,” She said somewhat sympathetically, now taking off Sana’s socks. Jennie looked tired and annoyed and Sana figured she probably didn’t like watching Nayeon go off with Momo either. She saw the way Jennie acted around Nayeon, always tossing her soft glances, always agreeing with her and feeding her giant ego. Even though Jennie was a stone cold she wore her heart on her sleeve so it was obvious that she hurt.

 

“Yes I do…” Sana went on “She makes me all… bleh.” She swayed slightly as she spoke, her sluggish mind trying to find the right words but then giving up completely.  Jennie let out air quickly from her nose in a silent laugh.

 

“Arms up,” She ordered, standing up between Sana’s legs. Sana pouted, drunkenly raising her arms as Jennie tugged her dress over her head.

 

“You’re jealous,” Sana stated as a fact although the words came out as a slurred mess. It was almost as if she was hissing like a snake. Through her blurry vision she noticed Jennie’s jaw tighten and her expression grow callous. Her hands gripped tightly onto the fabric of Sana’s dress yet she still tried to remain passive.

 

“And you’re drunk,” She griped, tossing Sana’s dress to the side. They were oddly close now, Sana’s knees unintentionally boxing in Jennie as she stood stiffly in between them. It was quiet for a moment and Sana was surprisingly unaffected by her lack of clothing. It must have been the alcohol.

 

“Why do you like her?” Sana asked slowly stringing together her words. Jennie didn’t answer instead deciding to run her hand through Sana’s hair pushing it out of her face. Sana was in a haze and didn’t fully understand why she was trying to have this conversation now. Jennie though apparently wasn’t in the talking mood as she pressed further against Sana, Jennie’s emotionless eyes bearing into her own. Jealousy and a little bit of rage flashed across Jennie’s irises. She was thinking something but Sana didn’t know what.

 

“Shes--” Sana hiccuped, blinking slowly “She’s probably out there right now with Momo. Tricking her into loving her for the night or whatever.”

 

“That matters to you?” Jennie asked blandly, her hand dropping now to trace the outline of Sana’s jaw.

 

Yes.

 

“No,” Sana mumbled, looking at the ground but Jennie pushed Sana’s chin up with her knuckles so that she was forced to look her in the eyes.

 

“You’re a bad liar,” Jennie whispered, her voice now low and determined. Her thin fingers grabbed firmly onto Sana’s chin, forcing her closer to her. Sana may have been buzzed but she saw what was happening as clear as day and she didn’t stop it. Briefly she wondered why she didn’t just push Jennie away but something deep down inside of her wanted to find out what was going to happen next. Part of her needed it.

Sana didn’t respond because she honestly didn’t know what to say-- that and her nervous heart and climbed up into as Jennie slowly leaned closer against her now, her forehead resting on Sana’s. Sana wanted to forget about Nayeon’s conquest for momo and she wanted to know how far Jennie was willing to go for her revenge. It was intimate, it was powerful, it was simply a distraction. “I hate liars…” J softly breathed against Sana’s lips right as she went in for the kiss. At first it was nice and gentle but of course because Jennie was the other half of this equation, things began to heat up and become more reckless. Jennie kissed her again, this time with more fervor, completely dominating Sana. She firmly pressed her knee between Sana’s legs as she pulled at Sana’s lips with her teeth. Sana was instantly breathless and unsure of what exactly to do back, not that it mattered-- Jennie controlled her. But Sana didn’t mind, in fact she kind of liked it.

 

Jennie’s fingers slid down Sana’s jaw and stopped at the base of , grazing her nails across her skin there. Sana’s breath faltered as Jennie pulled away from her lips only to press a small bite against her neck just below her ear. Sana watched as Jennie straightened back up, the dangerous rage gone from behind her eyes. She took a deep breath and took one last proper look at Sana before turning to saunter out the door, leaving Sana tipsy and in her underwear. Sana watched as Jennie left the room carelessly almost like nothing had happened. Sana sat on the edge of her bed tired and in a cloudy haze, just thinking. A few things she knew for sure was that one, unfortunately she was still left wondering what Nayeon and Momo were doing and two, this was her absolute first kiss with a girl and it wasn’t at all like how she had been kissing boys. This kind of kiss was… better.

 

Hm. So much better.

 

Sana ran her fingers past the lips that had just made out with Jennie a moment before. She was too tired to fully understand their situation and how they had gotten to this point but she was tired. Too tired.  She laid back on her bed staring at the ceiling. Nayeon’s probably leaving the party with Momo right now, she thought. She groaned and her side before closing her eyes wishing sleep would give her enough of a distraction to last her a lifetime.