beautiful - harry potter

chapter 38

Harry greeted Thalia with a simple kiss and Ron made a barfing sound. The redhead put his hand on Hermione's shoulder and dramatically made another barfing sound behind Hermione's back. 

"Will you stop it, Ronald?!" Hermione hissed. "I think they're cute."

"Just like that wretched Crookshanks is cute," Ron huffed. Harry pulled away from Thalia and his eyes widened.

"I forgot my Potions textbook," he realized aloud. "It's in my dorm."

"I'll go with you," Thalia offered.

"No, that's fine," Harry said, turning her down rather quickly. "It'll just be a few minutes. I'll be back. Ron."

"Yeah, coming," Ron nodded as he followed Harry back to their dorms. 

"Did you see that?" Harry asked once Hermione and Thalia were out of earshot. 

"Yeah, you two snogging? Disgusting," his best friend remarked. 

"No," Harry scowled. "Thalia. She's being all clingy." He shuddered as they walked up the stairs two at a time. "It's weird. She was never like that before."

"You were annoyed when she didn't give you the time of day and now you're annoyed when she gives you too much attention. Pick an inconvenience, Harry," Ron said while shaking his head. 

"I love her but she can be a bit much sometimes," Harry sighed. "Am I supposed to tell her to back off or something?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. The only girls I talk to are Ginny and Hermione," he stated blankly, "and neither of them can even tolerate me." Harry picked his textbook out from his trunk and stuffed it into his satchel.

"I say, let her be clingy," Ron shrugged easily. "Rather have her clingy than not around you at all."

"You're right," Harry agreed. The duo made their way back to Thalia and Hermione, who were chatting nicely, and Harry kissed Thalia again. Thalia slipped her hand into Harry's as they began to walk to the Great Hall.

-----

Draco cleared his throat. 

Theo, Blaise, Draco, and Thalia were sitting in a circle in the Slytherin boys dorm. A bottle of open Firewhiskey was in the center and the smell made Thalia's nose scrunch up.

Theo, Blaise, and Thalia had shot glasses in front of them. Thalia nervously gulped while playing around with her shot glass.

"So, whoever passes out or throw up first has to be my servant for my birthday," Draco announced. Instead of having a thrasher like last year, he decided to just have one of his best friends become his butler. Fun.

"Bottoms up, boys," Thalia huffed as she picked up her shot glass. All three of them threw their heads back at the same time and Thalia winced at the burning pain. Theo whopped while shaking his head furiously and Blaise made a straight face.

Draco looked between the three and poured another shot of Firewhiskey into each glass. "Come on, no breaks," he urged. "Breaks are for the weak."

Thalia let out a sigh and picked up the shot glass again. She brought the small glass to her lips and threw her head back as she finished the alcohol in one go. Theo started coughing and pounding his chest. Blaise stared at the ceiling and prayed to Merlin.

"Another one," Draco announced.

Seven shots later and all three Slytherins were still going strong.

"I can't take this anymore," Theo complained while slurring. "My- my throat feels like it's burning. Can I- can I- I get pretzels or something?"

"Pretzels are for the weak," Draco seethed.

"Can we just have like a ten second break?" Thalia asked desperately. "I feel like I'm on fire."

"That's why it's called Firewhiskey," the platinum blonde deadpanned. He held up the bottle, which only had around four shots left in it. "Come on, I need my servant."

"I can't take it anymore," Thalia sighed.

"I'll be your servant," Blaise volunteered, seeing how his other friends were practically dying. Theo had a paper bag to his mouth and was hyperventilating, which only made it worse but he couldn't stop.

"That's not how it works," Draco huffed. "You didn't even listen to the directions, Blaise."

Blaise looked at his other friends and snatched the Firewhiskey bottle out of Draco's hand. He put the bottle to his lips and chugged the four shots, ignoring the burning pain traveling through his entire body.

Draco gaped as Blaise finished off the bottle. "There," Blaise sighed. "It's done. It's gone. I'm your servant for your birthday."

Blaise got to his feet and put the empty bottle of Firewhiskey on his nightstand. He slipped under the covers of his bed and shut off the lamp on his stand. "Goodnight."

"I'm going to the kitchens," Theo announced, out of breath, "and I'm getting pretzels." He got to his feet and tripped twice on the way to the exit. 

"I'm sleeping in your bed," Thalia stated as she fell onto Draco's bed. She reeked of alcohol and Draco fixed the covers so she was almost completely covered with the blanket.

He slipped into the bed, laying right next to her. Draco flipped off the light switch in the room so they were in the complete darkness.

"Are you guys scared?" Draco asked. "For the summer?"

"We're going to be sitting at the same table as a mass murderer," Blaise pointed out blankly. "We're going to be housing him and taking care of him and lending him our house elves. He could kill us at any moment. What do you think, Draco?"

"We are so dead," Thalia exhaled. "One of us is going to die at the hands of good ol Voldy."

"My money's on me," Blaise mumbled. "I'd like to say that it's Theo because he's the weakest out of all of us but he's too devoted to the Dark Lord. And I- I've got a confession, Draco."

"Go on then," the platinum blonde urged.

"I'm a blood traitor," he sighed, "just like Lia. Dating a pureblood blood traitor. She's not even a Slytherin."

"S'alright. As long as it's not a weirdo," Draco shrugged.

"Yeah," Blaise whimpered. 

"We are so fucked," Thalia said blankly.

"Do you think we can escape?" Draco questioned. "I've talked to Theo. I think he actually wants to do this. He wants to work with the Dark Lord."

"I don't mind working with the Dark Lord," Thalia confessed. "I just don't want it to affect our lives, you know? Like, if being a Death Eater was like being a member of knitting club, I would happily sign up."

"But it's not," Blaise opposed. "And it's too late to go to the other side now. Besides, at least the Dark Lord wants us."

"Yeah," Draco agreed. "The other side wants you, Lia, because you're dating Potter. But no one wants us."

"If they don't want you, I don't want them," Thalia decided aloud. She moved so she was in a more comfortable position and she reached her hand behind her.

Draco held her hand and squeezed it tightly. 

"Night, guys."

"Goodnight, Lia," both boys chorused.