the one | h. potter

15. a bar date

We land in front of the bar and hurry inside. The bar is crowded and loud. Outside and inside, there are people eating dinner, drinking beer (and other sorts of interesting-looking alcoholic beverages), dancing, singing, and laughing. Inside, there's a karaoke stage with mics and a large dance floor. The four of us grab a table and order drinks.

Once our food and beers arrive, Harry, Ron, and Hermione point out people they see at the bar every week, and I create a game where we try and guess their day jobs.

"That one's a muggle prosecutor," I tell them, my voice slightly slurred. I'm on my third pint of beer... was it my third? It could also be my fourth, or fifth.

"You mean a lawyer?" Hermione asks.

"Yeah, whatever." I lean over the table. "Muggle jobs seem boring."

Harry bursts out laughing like I said something funny.

"Alright, how many shots have you two had?" Ron asks.

Harry raises both his hands into the air. "I dunno, but I want MORE."

"Me too," I add. I pour Harry and me two more shots each. I notice that the room has become a bit blurry around the edges, but ignore it when Harry picks up his shot. "On three," I tell him.

"One, two, uh... three!" We each down a shot and come up coughing. "Good stuff," Harry yells.

I nod in agreement. The bar starts playing a tune Harry and I recognize, 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' so he gets up and offers me his hand.

"A dance, if you may, good lady?" he asks.

I hear Ron and Hermione giggle, but I take his hand and pull him onto the dance floor.

"I love this song," I tell him loudly over the music. I don't hear his reply, but I see his mouth form the words 'me too.' My eyes linger on his mouth for a couple of seconds until I move them towards his eyes.

"You've got nice eyes," I mumble.

"What?"

"You've got nice eyes."

"You're pretty."

I smile and place my hands on his neck. He puts his hands on my waist as I lean in towards his ear.

"Did you know," I slur, "That turmeric is the oldest herb?"

"What?"

"Tumeric is the oldest herb. Saffron is rare, and basil is the most common herb."

"Am I hallucinating or do you shit talk herbs?"

I giggle. "Maybe I do, who knows?" I lay my head down on Harry's shoulder and take a deep breath in through my nose. I take a big whiff of his cologne, a musky, earthy smell, and close my eyes. "You smell good."

"Thank you. You're not a dull drinker, are you?"

"I'm not dill, thank you very much."

Harry laughs a good hearty sound. "We won't be able to get you home if you drink anymore."

"I don't want to go home, horseradish."

I pull him away so he's arms length away. I bellow out the words of the song into Harry's face and he smiles this adorable, goofy grin at me.

"I need another glass," Harry says, walking us over to the bar.

"I think you mean you need another lemon-glass, silly," I tell him, ruffling his messy hair.

"Hey!" he says, swatting my hands away. "I worked hard to make my hair nice today for you."

"Aw, for me?"

"Yeah," he answers, blushing.

The barman sets two glasses in front of us. We clink our glasses and down the shots, coughing. I feel a hand on my shoulder, surprised to find that it's Harry's.

"Let's get back to Ron and Hermione," Harry hiccups. I follow him towards the table and find Ron and Hermione laughing and whispering with each other.

"Ah, good, you're back," Hermione says. "I think we gotta get going."

"What? We just got here!" Harry complains.

"Come on Harry. You and Liz are drunk. I'll apparate you home."

"Fine," I sulk. Hermione looks back and forth between us and eyes Harry's arm around my shoulder. She grabs my arms and leads us all outside.

Standing in between us, Hermione apparates us back to Grimmauld Place. My dinner threatens to make a reappearance but I steady myself on a stair railing nearby. Thankfully, Harry looks just as out of it as I am.

"Ron and I are going to apparate home, alright?" Hermione says. "Liz, I would apparate you home but I've never been to your house, so you can floo if you feel up to it, alright?" She sends Harry and me a smug smile. "If not, I bet Harry'll let you sleep on the couch." Ron snorts.

"Very funny," Harry glares at them. "Bye!"

They laugh and apparate out, leaving Harry and I alone.