Until Harry(39)

“Lane,” Lavender’s voice hissed. “Let me in.”

I got to my feet and unlocked the door, stepping to the side so she could enter. I quickly relocked it, much to the displeasure of houseguests on the other side who needed to use the facilities.

“Hurry bloody up!” a voice shouted, and there was banging on the door.

“One more minute!” I called out.

I looked from the door to Lavender, and when I saw her hands were empty, my face fell.

“I’m sorry.” Lavender winced when she saw my expression. “I tried to find you something to wear, but it’s only a boy that lives here, and the girl clothes I found in his room – that I assume belong to a girlfriend – are in a size bloody four.”

“Shit,” I groaned, and placed my face in my hands before dropping them and looking down to my attire.

I was wearing a washed-out denim miniskirt and a black crop top that had “TEASE” printed across the front in white block letters. It was a stupid decision to wear such revealing clothing. I didn’t like the stares or advances from random guys at the party, and I had only myself to blame.

They wouldn’t have looked twice at me if I’d worn my regular clothes, and my thick-framed glasses. At the thought of my glasses, I lifted my hands to my eyes and gently rubbed them, wincing at the sting. I was wearing a pair of contact lenses my parents had recently got me, but I hated them. They made my eyes feel very uncomfortable.

“I shouldn’t have worn these clothes,” I mumbled as I sat back down on the lid of the toilet.

Lavender was sporting a similar outfit to mine, only instead of a miniskirt she wore short shorts. Now she hunkered down as best she could next to me and placed her hands on my bare thighs.

“You look seriously hot, and you wanted to try something different – there’s no harm in that. You don’t ever have to wear clothes like this again, or ever come to a party again, but at least you can rest assured that you did something teenagery in your bookish life.”

I raised a brow. “‘Teenagery’ isn’t a word, Lav.”

“I know it’s not,” she huffed. “You’re missing the point here, Bookworm.”

Bookworm: that’s what she called me.

I chuckled. “I’m not. I hear you loud and clear, and I agree with you, but my brothers and Kale won’t.”

She grunted. “Your brothers I can understand, but Kale cannot rag on you for this.”

“You don’t know Kale,” I mumbled.

She stood up and stuck out her hand to me just as someone rapped on the bathroom door and shouted, “Hurry up in there!”

I placed my hands in Lavender’s and sighed as she pulled me to my feet.

“Don’t frown – we might be able to sneak out of here without being spotted,” she said with a wink.

I nodded and tried to remain optimistic.

“Just stay close to me and don’t look up.”

I used my free hand to salute Lavender, then followed her out of the bathroom once she opened the door. I grunted as two lads both rushed by two girls waiting in the queue for the toilet and knocked into me.

“Arseholes!” Lavender snapped at them and tugged me closer to her.

We wound around body after body of the people who littered the hallway, until we came to the top of the staircase. I blew out a nervous breath, and Lavender gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before she took the lead and began to descend the steps.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, Lavender suddenly came to a halt, which caused me to walk straight into her back. My face hit the back of her head, and I yelped in pain. I instinctively let go of Lavender’s hand and lifted both of mine to my throbbing nose.

“What are you doing here?” Lavender snapped at someone.

I heard a male chuckle. “I’m here to have a good time. No doubt you are too, dressed in that outfit, babygirl.”

“Don’t call me that!” Lavender growled.

I looked around my friend and to the person she was ready to tear apart and sighed. Daven Eanes. Lavender’s on-again – and currently off-again – boyfriend.

“Don’t be like that, Lav. I’m only teasing.”

Lavender grunted. “Sure you are.”

She usually loved the nickname, but because they were broken up, it hurt for her to hear him call her it. She’d told me so.

“Look,” Daven said and moved closer to my friend, “can we talk somewhere private? I miss you, babygirl. We need to hash this out; we’re meant to be together. I love you.”

Don’t fall for it, Lavender, I willed.

“I have to leave with Lane,” Lavender replied to Daven, instead of telling him to piss off like she should have.

Daven blinked his bright grey eyes, then flicked them past Lavender, and after a moment they landed on me. He raised his eyebrows when Lavender stepped to the side, exposing me completely. I felt like I needed to take a shower when Daven lazily rolled his eyes over my body from head to toe and back up again. It made me feel dirty, and not in a good way.

“Lane?” Daven said, the shock in his tone obvious. “Damn, you look hot.”

I did? I mean, Lavender told me I did, but I didn’t really believe her.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lavender snapped at him, asserting her body back in front of mine.