The next week went by in a blur. Gemma fell into a sort of routine- breakfast, lessons, library or common room doing homework with Regulus, Luke, Ted or Iz, and then sleep.

Today, while Gemma sat at breakfast with the others, she was bored out of mind. It wasn't that they weren't interesting, she just needed constant action to be taking place around her.

As she scanned the Great Hall, she caught sight of Mulciber entering with Avery and Snape. A Gryffindor first year boy tried to run past them, but Mulciber stuck out him leg and the lad tripped, books skittering across the floor. The tree bullies sat down, laughing their heads off.

'What a bunch of saddos,' Ted commented, following her gaze.

'It was kind of funny though,' Iz said. 'Would've been funnier if he was Hufflepuff, but, still.'

'Hufflepuff?' Regulus said confusedly. 'Why do we hate Hufflepuffs now?'

'Um, because their nice? And annoying? And literally the house full of spares with no qualities,' Iz said as though it was obvious.

'I guess kindness and loyalty have left the building,' Luke muttered.

'They aren't important,' Iz said. As Luke and Iz argued, Gemma thought of ways to entertain herself.

'I have an idea,' she murmured. Ted and Regulus heard her, and looked intrigued. She didn't have to say anything, just looked at Ted and then at her goblet of orange juice.

'Ooooohhh,' he said. 

'Oooohhh?' Regulus asked.

'Gotcha.' Ted pulled out his wand and cleared his throat. 'Wingardium Leviosa!' 

The goblet lifted into the air and floated some way down the large table. Then it stopped over its victim, right before it tipped upside-down, pouring its contents onto the victim's head. 

'Son of a bitch!' Mulciber gasped, standing up quickly. Ted and Gemma burst out laughing, while some others blinked in confusion. Regulus spotted McGonagall coming their way.

'Let's run!' He implored to Gemma. She looked at him for a second, and he grabbed her hand and ran with her out of the hall.

'Mr Nott!' They heard McGonagall snap before they left.

'We totally left him to the tiger,' she giggled. Regulus smiled.

'Yeah I er, I guess we did.' They stood against a wall, caching their breath. They were still holding hands, but he didn't seem to mind, and she definitely didn't either.  

'Hey, you didn't get to do the tradition with us this year did you?' She said suddenly.

'Tradition?'

'Yes! We drink, and spill secrets about what happened over the summer, and laugh, and nearly drown in the black lake sometimes. It's like, a friendship renewal... vow... sealing thingy.'

'Friendship renewal vow sealing thingy. Are you just looking for an excuse to drink?'

'Always, Regulus Black, always.'

'Its Tuesday.'

'So? Live a little, you're fifteen not fifty.'

'I don't know...'

'Please! Please please please!' She begged making her best impression of puppy eyes.

'You look really dumb.'

She punched him lightly in the arm and he laughed.

.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.

Regulus chose a long black coat to cover himself from the cold. Then he decided not to wear the long coat and wore a jumper instead. 

He snuck out with Luke (despite a lot of grumbling) and Ted, and they all headed to the black lake where Isolde and Gemma were already there. 

'Heyyyyy Teddy!' Iz said, stumbling slightly over her words. Great, Regulus thought. She's already drunk.

'She's not,' Gemma assured him as though she could read his mind. 'She just gets like this after nine p.m.' She handed him a bottle and he frowned.

'You have something different,' he pointed out. She smiled.

'That's way too strong for you, Reggie,' she teased, 'I mean it is Tuesday after all.'

Did she think he was weak? Regulus grabbed it from her and downed the entire thing. Only after he threw the empty bottle on the ground did he realise the burning sensation in his throat, and he gagged.

'That stuff is gross,' he said, still trying to expel the taste from his mouth with his own butterbeer.

'Well yeah if you drink it all at once,' she laughed. 

The night moved on, and Regulus had two more bottles of firewhiskey. After the burning wore off, he learned that he loved the way it relieved some of his stress, and made him feel lighter than he had in a long time. 

Luke had stopped after a single sip of butterbeer, and lay on the grass reading, laughing occasionally at a joke or drunk comment.

Ted and Isolde had completely lost their senses, and were sitting on a rock and full on making out. Gemma had to throw grass and yell at them to keep things PG.

'Hey,' he said suddenly to Gemma. 'Let's jump.'

'Jump? Where?'

'Yes!' He said giddily. He pulled off his jumper and his shirt in one, then kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks. 

'Could you please tell me why you're stripping?' She said in disbelief. 

'To jump!' Feeling way too impulsive and adrenaline and alcohol spiking his system, he dived into the black lake. He vaguely heard her shout something, but he honestly didn't care; he was having fun.

'Regulus!' She yelled. She waited about a minute. He didn't surface. 'Regulus!' she yelled again, but there was not answer. 

'Shit shit shit,' she muttered, kicking off her shoes and going closer to the lake. Suddenly, something emerged and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the water.

She gasped and struggled until they resurfaced- it was Regulus, and he was laughing like crazy.

'Asshole!' She snapped, splashing water in his face, but that just made him keep laughing and eventually, she was laughing too.

'Hey kids, Ted and I are gonna go,' Isolde called out.

'Why?' Regulus made the mistake of asking.

'Um, to have wild rabbit sex, obviously?' 

Gemma and Regulus looked at each other, then burst out laughing again. 

'I'll come too,' Luke grumbled, following them but blocking his view of the atrocities with his book. 

'Should we go too?' Gemma asked uncertainly. She made to go, but he wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her back.

'No,' he said. 'Let's... not sleep tonight.'

'Oh? Mr it's- Tuesday doesn't want to sleep?' She said, raising an eyebrow. 'We should keep you a bit drunk all the time.' 

'You should,' he agreed. Then he suddenly straightened. 'I decree that all students should constantly be under the influence of alcohol,' he declared loudly. She laughed. They came closer to each other to try and fight off the cold, but they were both still shivering; neither really minded.

'I told you it's great.' Feeling confident, he decided to ask her a question.

'You never talk about your mother,' he said. 'Why is that?' She shrugged.

'Nothing to talk about. She's never really been around,' she said. 'Like after my third birthday, she stopped living with us. Wasn't like a split with my dad or anything, more like just work things. I only saw her in person again on my sixth, and then never. Just five word letters on Christmas.'

'That sucks,' Regulus said. To be honest he didn't really care for her sad story at that moment, but he knew he'd probably feel bad for her when he was sober. 

'G- guess it is,' she said, teeth chattering now from the cold. They hugged each other to stay warm, and Regulus felt truly, very happy. 

They stayed for about another hour-  Regulus still drinking- before agreeing to leave. Though they hadn't realised it in the water, he was very drunk, to the point where he couldn't walk by himself anymore before unbalancing. They struggled back into the castle. 

'Hey Gemma?' Regulus said loudly. She hushed him, out of fear of getting caught. She didn't let him speak until they reached the common room, where they found Luke.

'Don't go in the boys' dorm,' he advised. 

'What?' She said breathlessly, silently thanking god for her quidditch strength.

'Ted and Isolde.' 

Great, she thought. She began staggering up the steps, taking Regulus to her own dorm.

'Man I love you Gemma. Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without you.' It's drunk talk, she reminded herself. And friends tell each other they love each other all the time.

'Love you too,' she muttered, before opening the door. 

She placed him in Isolde's bed and removed his shoes.

'Goodnight,' she whispered, but he was already out cold.