Courtyards!

"Then we'd be stuck in an astronomy tower with Slytherins trying to hurt us.' Paige sheugfed

Nara sat at the slytherin table for a couple of minutes but for her it felt so wrong so she stood up and walked away from the slytherin table.

Cole sighed in relief. "So we wouldn't have been stuck in the nothingness. Good."

"Of course not." Paige snorted.
"I may risk my life on a daily basis but I'd never risk anyone else's on the unpredictability of my usual plans." Paige said.

"Thoughtful of you," Cole snorted. "So where are you going to go tonight if everyone hates you?

"Kaalee's room or the ROR." Paige shrugged.

He nodded, thinking that was probably the best option before freezing. "Oh, wait, the room of requirement isn't an option for you tonight, unfortunately. Mark MacAteer and Heath Welsh are throwing their annual kick off party there. It's invitation by word of mouth, actually, so if you and Kaalee want to come, feel free." He gave her a crooked grin.

"Hmm...we might hit you up on that." Paige laughed.
"Oh look...it's an angry Draco. Toodles!" Paige said before sprinting in the opposite of Draco.

He raised a hand in farewell before crossing his arms and moving to stand in Draco's way.

"You don't know what you're dealing with." Draco growled before Kaalee came up
"Drop it Draco." She said and he turned and glared at her.
"Why should I?" He asked her.
"You know why." She said, with an air of indifference.
"I'm telling my father about this." He growled.
"Do it. I'll tell Him you were insulting his Goddaughter." She said and at thar point they both knew they weren't talking about Lucius. Draco stormed off and Kaalee turned to Cole.
'Wotcher Cole." She said.

Cole scowled when Kaalee took away his opportunity for confronting Draco but let it go with an easy smil. "All right, Kaalee?"

"Lovely." She smiled.
"And you?" She asked.

"Pretty good, thanks. Anything fun happening with you?"

"Well I've been scaring off Malfoy's goons." She shrugged.

Cole glanced at his watch and swore. "It's almost curfew; we should probably go. I might see you and Paige at the party tonight. Though, yeah?"

"Maybe." Kaalee shrugged, not having any idea what he was talking about.
"Gotta go find Paige, see ya." Kaalee ran off.

He waved in goodbye and checking the time and realizing it was almost curfew, ran after Kaalee , heading to the dorm room to get ready. Back in the hufflepuff common room, Cole found Ian who was sitting on the couches with gen. Cole plopped down next to her putting his arm on the back of the couch. "Hullo, Genny" he greeted, kissing her on the cheek.
She smiled at him. 'All right, Chipoy.?"
Cole groaned at the resurrection of his childhood nickname. "You're evil. Ian, did you know your girlfriend is evil?"
The talk boy sat on the other side of Gen laughed and kissed his girlfriend. "Why do you think I like her so much, you dolt?"

Kaalee and Paige got ready.
"Do you know if this is like plain clothes or robes or what?" Paige asked Kaalee.
"I don't know." Kaalre said. She scribbled out a note and sent it too the boys.

A note appeared in Coles left hand and he jumped in surprise.
"What is it?" Gen inquired, her expression suggesting that she worried for his sanity. He shook his head and showed her the note he was reading.
"Not mad, see? Got a pen or something on you, Gen, Ian?" Ian handed over a ballpoint pen and Cole scribbled plain clothes. And make sure you look good, children. he looked around, unsure of how to send it back. The note disappeared from his hand, and shrugging, he tossed the pen back to Ian.
"Anyone know when Seb gets out of detention?' The taller boy asked. No sooner had the words left his mouth than the boy in question walked through the door, covered head to toe in mud and muck. The three teenagers on the couch jumped to their feet. "Er, what happened to you Sebby?" Gen asked.
"I had detention with hagrid.' He shuddered, and the others looked at him in symoathy.
"Well, mate, go get cleaned up. Tonight, we get wasted!" Cole laughed.

Kaalee read the note and snorted, looking at Paige.
"Snakes?" She shrugged.
"Nah I'm guessing there are girls and we don't want them caught in the crossfire." Kaalre said.
"Just put a garden snake in Coles hand. I'll even give you the points." Paige grinned and Kaalee laughed, doing just that so a garden snake ended up in Cole's left hand. Then she and Paige got dressed and made their way to the ROR.

Cole screamed, throwing the snake away from him and scrambling back into the sofa away from him. Gen was doubled over laughing, tears running from her eyes as she watched Cole shake in fear. Ian rolled his eyes and transfigured the snake into a piece of string, picking it up and waving it in front of Coles face. "Ooooh,so scawy. Poor whittle baby Cole."
Glaring, Cole punched his friend on the stomach before getting to his feet and tugging the hem of his tshirt down. "Arsehole. Where's Sebastian. He takes longer than a preteen girl to get ready." Cole jogged over to te dorm room, throwing the door open and dragging his friend, who was just pulling a shirt over his head, out the door. "Come along, mate, let's go."
Together, the four of them snuck up to the room of requirement, sneaking in behind a pair of ravenclaw girls. "Let's get this party started!" Seb yelled over the pounding music, tossing Cole a bottle of Borgel's Best and downing half of it.

Paige was drunk as sure she didn't do something stupid.

Eventually, throughout the night, Seb and Cole had progresse to doing shots of different types of liquor, and were thoroughly wasted half way through the party. After working his way out of the mosh pit of people, Cole happened to run into Paige. "Hey!" He yelled at her, grinning.

"Cole!" Paige grinned a him.
"I see flying penguins. But Kaalee says penguins can't fly!" Paige said.

"You didn' get into th' weed did'ya?" He laughed