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Every year, Neville spends New Year's Eve with his parents. He pushes their beds together, close enough that their bodies almost touch, then links their fingers together. He thinks they would have wanted to spend New Year's Eve together, but he doesn't know for sure. Maybe he's just pushing his own opinions onto them. He doesn't know them at all, not really, but he loves them all the same. Maybe one day, he thinks, we'll all spend New Year's Eve together and conscious. But today, he sits next to their beds, stares at their linked hands, and imagines a perfect New Year's Eve.
x
Pansy didn't know what to expect when Neville asked her to spend New Year's Eve with him and his parents. Of course, she knew the uncomfortable truth about Neville's parents, but… To see them there, drugged and unresponsive, was practically unbearable.
"Neville," she whispered, reluctant to break the silence of the room. "It's 12:01. Let's go to Draco's party, shall we?"
She helped him up, kissed his cheek, and led him out of the room. She didn't intend to let him come back more often than once per month. It was too depressing, and Neville didn't need to fall into depression over his barely alive parents.
x
"Damn it, Astoria, they should be here by now," Draco grumbled, crossing his arms. "What're they doing that has them missing my party? Pansy promised she'd be on time."
Astoria stifled a laugh. "You're acting like a baby. Pansy's with Longbottom, right? Maybe they got lost in a closet somewhere."
"Eww," he groaned, glaring at his girlfriend. "I refuse to believe they're dating. Pansy's just going through some kind of belated Gryffindor phase. It'll pass."
Astoria raised an eyebrow. "They've been dating for a year, Draco. I think they're serious."
"We've been dating for a year," Draco said, caressing her cheek. "You think we're serious?"
Astoria smiled. "We're serious. In fact, we're so serious that we should seriously celebrate the start of the century alone…" Astoria pulled an unresisting Draco upstairs.
x
Lucius sighed, watching his son be pulled upstairs by his girlfriend. "Love," he said, turning to his wife, "when is Draco going to marry? If they're having sexual relations and get along well enough, they should marry already. Have you talked to Draco about the Malfoy engagement process?"
Narcissa curled closer into him on the loveseat. "You should be doing that, Lucius. What's been keeping you away from home so often? I've barely seen you the last week."
Lucius coughed, looking away. "Nothing, love."
"Have you been cheating on me?" Narcissa asked, smiling.
"Never," he promised. "I never have and never will. I love you too much for that. It's just a new… business agreement."
x
"Molly, I think George is doing something illegal," Arthur announced while helping Molly with the dishes. They had just finished their family dinner and he and Molly were finally alone.
Molly frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He's somehow arranged a business agreement with Lucius Malfoy. I don't know what they're doing, but with Malfoy involved, it can't be good. I only know because Rosgood at the Auror office alerted me of their deal."
Molly sighed. "I'll talk to him. He's been out of sorts for a long while, but he can't just break the law."
"But before that…" Arthur kissed her. "Happy New Year's, Mollywobbles."
x
"George! George Weasley!" Blaise called, coming to a sudden stop.
George felt for his wand in his pocket. "What are you doing here? Who are you? Why are you in my parents' backyard?"
"You smoke?" Blaise asked. "Uh, wait, never mind. I have some documents for you from Mr. Malfoy. And I'm Blaise Zabini. I was in your younger brother's year."
George nodded, accepting the documents, shrinking them, and sliding them in his pocket. "Anything else you wanted?" he asked when Blaise didn't leave.
"Er, yeah," Blaise muttered, then gathered his courage and pecked George on the lips. "That." He Apparated away.
x
"Oi, George! Was that Zabini? Kissing you? Bloody hell!" Ron yelled from behind one of the Weasley's large bushes.
Hermione groaned. "Ron, you're an idiot. A nosy idiot. You shouldn't have seen that at all, so what happened is none of your business. George is a big boy. He can kiss or be kissed by whomever he wants."
"But Zabini's a Slytherin! I have to go warn George about what a slimy bastard he is!"
"Ron." Hermione slid her hands over his hips. "You're a little busy," she whispered, kissing him.
"Mmmm, I'm a little busy," Ron happily agreed, kissing back.
x
"Ginny have you seen—" Mrs. Weasley paused, belatedly noticing her daughter caught up in kissing her fiancé on the couch. "Have you seen George?"
"No, Mum," Ginny answered.
"No, Mrs. Weasley," Harry agreed. "Maybe he's outside?"
Ginny let out a loud sigh when her mother left. "Awkward," she muttered, distancing herself from Harry. The mood was definitely ruined. "Want to go for a broom ride?" she offered instead.
Harry nodded. "Cool. Last one to the broom shed gets the Comet!"
Harry ended up riding the Comet while Ginny got his Firebolt, but he didn't mind. Especially not when the Comet broke mid-ride and he was forced to ride with Ginny.
x
"I can't believe you're doing paperwork on New Year's," Oliver said, entering Percy's old bedroom. "It's what, one in the morning? The only thing lamer would be falling asleep."
"Actually, I planned on going to bed now," Percy argued. "Getting enough sleep is vital to my career. I already conceded to staying up until twelve, any longer is useless. What's the difference between going to bed at 12:30 and whenever you go to bed on New Year's?"
"You're going to miss out on the champagne."
"I dislike champagne."
"You're going to miss out on the Quidditch game."
"I dislike Quidditch."
"You're going to miss out on my love confession to you."
"I dislike—what?"
Then Oliver kissed him and Percy forgot all about going to sleep.
x
"My parents will love you," Charlie assured his girlfriend.
Lavender scowled at him. "We're four hours late to the party and technically uninvited, since you turned down their invitation."
"I told them I might not be able to come, depending on how the international floo network is working. That's not the same thing as gate-crashing a party."
Charlie tried to pull her into the house, but Lavender wouldn't move. "Is that your brother, Percy, I think? With the international Quidditch star Oliver Wood? Merlin that's hot."
This time, she dragged him inside. "Come on! I want a closer view!"
Charlie laughed and followed after her.
x
"Katie?" Seamus called, looking for her in the crowded Weasley house. "Hey, have you seen Katie Bell?" he asked Lavender, who had a strangely excited expression on her face.
"No, sorry," she said, pulling some guy upstairs.
Seamus sighed. He'd come to Ron's party with Katie, but it looked like she'd left without him. He'd looked outside, inside, upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, in the living room, in the dining room—
He picked up a small piece of paper.
Seamus! Sorry I left, Ginny's supposed to give this to you. Anyway, my sister needs me for some kind of emergency. Owl me, we should go on a real date sometime! Katie
Seamus grinned and called Ron's owl over. He had a date to arrange.