I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! I hope you do too. Enjoy! <3

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Hermione had broken her promise.

Draco didn't think she had done it on purpose. One minute he was standing right next to her, and the next she was gone. It wasn't her fault, she probably turned around to say hi to someone while some else had slipped in between them, separating them and pushing them into opposite directions of the crowd.

Draco had never been in a crowd like this before. There was someone pushed up against him on all sides. How were there even this many Gryffindor students, let alone upperclassmen? Soon he realized that it wasn't just the Gryffindors that were in the common room, but there were Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and even a few Slytherins.

Draco felt like he couldn't breathe. When did the common room get so small?

He pushed himself away from the center of the room. Maybe that would help.

But all along the walls and all over the couches were couples pressed way too close together, and Draco averted his eyes.

I should just go up to my room and call it a night.

He was on his way over to the dormitory, about to go up the stairs, when a group of boys came barreling down.

"Draco! I didn't think you would show up!" Neville seemed surprised, yet happy, to see him, which put a smile on his face.

"Yeah, uh, Hermione kinda made me. I lost her though, I don't know where she has gone off to." He was glad he had found Neville, and from the looks of it, it seemed like he was staying sober, so at least he could talk to someone.

"Malfoy? Here? I thought I would never see th'day!" Ron laughed and came over to him, throwing his arm around Draco's shoulder. "So, who are you, really? Under all that polyjuice?"

Harry thought this was hilarious, as he was doubled over with laughter. Draco was annoyed. Annoyed at how the two of them could be so irresponsible, annoyed at how Ron had called him Malfoy, annoyed at how they were making fun of him.

"How is it that the two of you are already drunk?" They were fifteen for crying out loud.

"I'm not that drunk-" Ron said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask, pointing it at Draco. "Why, d'ya want some?"

"Ron," Neville started.

"Are you serious right now?" Draco pushed it away from him. "We have a Herbology test first thing in the morning! What would Hermione say?"

"'Mione will be mad at us no matter what," Harry slurred as he took the flask from Ron. "You two are similar in that way."

Draco rolled his eyes. "At least I have a reason to be mad at you-"

"Whatever happened to trying to be civil?" Harry narrowed his eyes as Draco rolled his.

"And whatever happened to not trying to pick a fight with me every time we speak?"

Ron took the flask and pushed it at Draco.

"Ron, leave him alone, he doesn't want to."

Thank you, Neville. I don't deserve you. He sent him a sympathetic look.

"You need to calm down, mate. C'mon. Jus' a swig won't hurt, right?"

He should have said no. Why couldn't he say no? He wanted to.

But he didn't. Maybe it was because Ron was right, he needed to calm down. He was too tense, too stressed from studying and from being in a hot crowded room. Maybe it was because he wanted to try it, just to know what it felt like. He had never really been reckless before in his life. Maybe he should give it a shot? Maybe it was because he didn't want people to keep thinking he was some pathetic loser. Or maybe it was because Harry still hadn't taken his eyes off Draco since he had come down the stairs, and he didn't want Harry to keep thinking he was some pathetic loser.

It wasn't as bad as he thought. He didn't gag or spit it out. He felt the warmth in his throat, the magic of the firewhiskey spreading through him.

Ron patted him on the back, just a little too hard, causing him to wince. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Ron, that's enough-"

"C'mon have another! On me!"

The night started to go along a lot quicker at that point.

Draco hadn't necessarily gone overboard, but it was enough for him to let down his guard. He wasn't jumping away and revolting at every touch of human skin, he didn't feel claustrophobic in the crowd anymore, and his signature scowl had been replaced on his face by a slight smirk.

He had even danced. And he could've sworn that the seventh year Ravenclaw boy had been looking at Draco the same way that Draco had been looking at him.

He was currently on one of the couches in front of the fireplace, one of the few spots that wasn't too crowded but wasn't occupied by a bunch of overly horny teenagers. He was on the couch between Ron and Harry, surrounded by the rest of the fifth year Gryffindor boys, the Weasley twins, and a few Hufflepuff girls. He tried to ignore what felt like electricity on his right arm, the side Harry was on.

"Let's play a drinking game," someone had suggested, Draco couldn't tell who. The idea was met with a wave of enthusiasm, with some "oohs" and "aahs."

"Like spin the bottle?" Draco suggested, just as some Ravenclaws had decided to come over.

"What? No, no one actually plays that. Other than first years," one of the Hufflepuff girls scoffed.

Draco felt heat rise to his cheeks as he whispered "oh." Harry giggled beside him, Draco feeling his body move with his laughs against him.

He had missed the name of the game, and all of the rules, too. Where had his mind been?

Draco thought that he would pick up the rules as he went along, but he couldn't wrap his head around them. He wasn't the only one, as there were several people who were far more intoxicated than he was, but he was still embarrassed.

"Merlin, Malfoy, you're absolute shit at this." Harry laughed as he collected the magical deck of cards and spelled them to reshuffle them.

"So, back to last names, huh?" He frowned as he stared at his empty cup, sighing when Ron filled it back up. He wasn't so sure that he wanted to keep playing, let alone keep drinking.

"Hey," he lowered his voice and nudged Draco with his elbow. "I was only kidding, yeah?"

Draco looked up and saw a smile on his face. "Oh."

"Oh. You're so oblivious sometimes. It's hilarious," he chuckled as he dealt out the cards. "That was also a joke, if you didn't catch that one."

"Oh, sod off, four eyes." He rolled his eyes as he picked up his cards, smiling to himself.

Harry laughed as he picked up his own cards. "Wow, you really got me there. How can I ever recover from such a harsh, original insult?"

Draco laughed as he nudged Harry back. "Shut up."

Draco still couldn't figure out how to play the game, but he had the sense that Harry and Ron were ganging up on him, as the two of them kept piling their cards on top of him, giggling like they were the Hufflepuff girls whenever they did so. Draco was also fully aware that he had lost, as he had already gone through the cup that Ron had just poured him.

"I think I'm going to sit out and jus' watch on this one, actually," Draco slurred when Ron had asked Draco if he wanted another cup. He didn't like how he was beginning to lose control over the words that came out of his mouth, and he didn't like the way his head was beginning to spin.

"Yeah, I would stop too if I were playing as poorly as you were," Seamus had called out to him. When the hell did he start becoming friends with Seamus?

"Merlin, you think he'd catch on by now!" Ron bellowed, laughing too hard at himself.

"It's not fair!" Draco protesting. "The two of you were ganging up on me!"

"Ah, so he's not an idiot!" Harry laughed, and Draco had laughed alongside him.

Maybe it was just the alcohol, but maybe things were finally changing. Draco thought it was nice, being able to sit and laugh alongside Harry, teasing each other playfully while Ron preceded to do something stupid. It was much better than shoving each other up against walls and throwing punches and breaking noses.

Maybe it was just the alcohol, but maybe he was starting to finally feel comfortable around other people. He felt that he could smile, he could joke, without fear of being shut down. He was able to let other people close to him. And he was feeling that other people were comfortable with him being around, too.

It was nice, not having to keep his guard up all the time.

He continued to watch as the people around him got drunker and drunker. He found it amusing, watching them do all the things they wanted to do and say all the things they wanted to say when they were sober but didn't have the guts to do.

He was glad that he had cut himself off. He enjoyed his light buzz, but he did not want to end up like that. He was perfectly content with sitting back and watching the world happen around him. He tried to pick up the rules of the game, but every time he thought he understood, something would happen that would ruin all understanding that he had.

Harry had teased Draco every time it happened, and Draco would shoot a witty insult right back at him. Their conversation felt natural, like they had been best mates for years and they could do this for hours.

"Oh, you should play your Jack now, right?" Draco said as he watched over Harry's shoulder, his chin just barely an inch from Harry's neck.

Harry groaned and threw his hands up in the air. "Goddammit, Malfoy! Thanks for giving away my hand!" He played an eight, so obviously Draco was wrong.

"Well, thanks fo' that, mate!" Ron called out excitedly and played a Queen, causing Harry to groan in frustration once again and take a sip from his cup.

Yeah, Draco still had no idea how this game worked.

Something did dawn on him, though. "Wait," he yelled, trying to find the right words. "The two of you were ganging up on me because you could see the cards that I had!"

"And that's three drinks for everyone!" Fred called out, causing everyone to groan. Apparently they had created a side game where everyone drinks once when Draco figures out something about the game, and twice if Draco thinks he figured something out but he's wrong.

Ron threw an arm around Draco and shook his shoulder. "But look! He's learning! I'm so proud!"

At some point, everyone had thrown in their cards and given up on the game. Draco was leaning back on the couch, relaxed, while Ron and Harry were in an intense debate over something about Quidditch, probably about how Ron's favorite team was absolute horse shit.

Draco was happy to be there.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione yelled as she finally caught up with them.

"Oh shit, here we go," Harry muttered under his breath.

"You have a Herbology test tomorrow morning-"

"I told you so." Harry stepped on Draco's foot for his comment.

"-and look at you! I can't even begin to explain how bloody stupid you are!"

Ron's face went red. "I just dunno why she's picking on me," he whispered to Draco and Harry.

Draco did feel bad for him, as Hermione was definitely singling him out. Sure, the rest of them really weren't as bad, but they sort of were in the same boat.

"Thank Merlin you're finally here though," Harry said, trying to ease the conversation off Ron, who gave him a thankful look. "Draco's been asking about you all night."

Hermione blushed as Draco shot him an evil eye.

"Yeah, whatever happened to I promise I won't abandon you, huh?" Draco tried to come off as playful and joking as he had been with Harry, but it came off bitter and cold. Part of him was bitter, though, as she had broken a promise.

She scratched the bag of her neck. "I, uh, got a little sidetracked."

Draco rolled his eyes when Harry spoke up again. "You should have heard him, 'Mione. He wouldn't shut up about you for the first thirty minutes! Where's Hermione? Where's Hermione? Sounds like he's got a big fat crush on you!"

Draco laughed. He found the entire concept absolutely absurd. It was the second time someone had accused them of having some sort of romantic relationship. "No," he said as he finally stopped laughing, "our relationship is purely academic right?"

"I thought we were over this!" She groaned.

"No, you're right. It's just that, no offense," he paused,  "you're really not my type."

She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Are you really upset at me right now?"

If the rest of Gryffindor wasn't listening in on their conversation, they were now.

"No!" She laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "It's just that you called me unattractive, that's all-"

"I just said you weren't my type!" He argued.

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms again. "Then what is your type?"

His eyes found his way across the room, locking onto the seventh year Ravenclaw boy whom he had danced with earlier. "Preferably with a penis."

He did not just say that.