DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor have I ever, own any piece of Harry Potter. All characters, settings, etc. are property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

CHAPTER 1: The Match

Hermione's eyes widened as she helplessly watched a bludger speed towards Ginny Weasley and smack into her arm forcefully. She cringed, averting her eyes. "Oh that's definitely gonna leave a mark! It's been hours already and it's getting dark. How long can a quidditch match go on anyway?" She asked Luna anxiously, biting her lip.

Luna sighed and tilted her head. "Oh, I don't know. It seems both teams have been training very hard. That's quite good for them, there's just always such palpable animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Katie Bell speeds past a recovering, and very angry, Ginny Weasley with the quaffle in hand. Harper gets ready to block Katie's throw and-10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the voice of Seamus Finnigan. "And the quaffle is immediately taken by Vaisey- wait no, it's Gryffindor's, thank you for that Ginny- oh no! Urquhart has it now! He flies through Peakes and Coote, heading straight to Ron- come on, come on- Yes! Weasley blocks the quaffle, keeping Gryffindor in the lead at 240 points!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why did McGonagall agree to let Seamus do the commentating? I can hardly hear anything he's saying over all the noise! All I could hear was that-"

"Ron blocked the quaffle from Urquhart," chimed in Lavender.

"Thanks, but that's actually-"

"HE'S GOT IT! HARRY'S GOT THE SNITCH! TAKE THAT SLYTHERIN! GRYFFINDOR WINS BY 180 POINTS!"

The effect of Seamus's words was immediate. Hermione could hear roaring and cheering from her side of the stands. She looked to the pitch and saw Harry holding his fist up triumphantly, golden snitch in hand. Ron had flown down next to him and people from the stands were starting to rush towards them. It was infectious.

Hermione felt her cheeks rise in a smile. She was so proud to belong in Gryffindor and she was so proud of her boys. They deserved to win this match.

A sudden blur by her left side caught her eye and she saw a sullen looking Malfoy jump off his broom and head towards the direction of the changing rooms.

Before she had any time to think of it though, she was engulfed in a hug by Harry and Ron. She laughed loudly and congratulated them on their win.

"Hermione, it's not just us who won. You won too! We all won today," Harry said to her as he put his arm around her shoulder.

"You know how I feel about quidditch. But, yes, for the sake of celebration let's just say we all won," Hermione tutted. Harry started pulling her away from the pitch and towards the crowd that had begun to lift Ron up in the air.

"Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!" she could hear them all shout as they heaved him towards the castle.

Hermione and Harry laughed loudly and lagged behind, walking slowly. "I still can't believe you wasted your felix felicis on a stupid quidditch match Harry! You could have won without giving it to Ron!"

"Hermione, how is it any different from casting confundus so McLaggen would miss the quaffle?"

She gasped. She didn't know he knew that she had done that to secure Ron's place on the team. "It's very different!" she argued. "That was tryouts, this is an actual game!

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I hadn't actually slipped Ron the potion?" Hermione looked at him questioningly. "Because I didn't."

She narrowed her eyes. "You sneaky! I can't believe it. So you just-"

"Made him believe I had," Harry finished with a smile.

Hermione laughed. "You know, muggles call that the placebo effect."

"It amazes me that you know so much. How do you keep all that information stored in there," he said, tapping her forehead.

"Genetics," she said lamely, shrugging. "And a lot of studying."

Harry laughed and pulled her into another hug. "Come on, let's go join the party."

As they trudged back into the castle, Hermione could swear she saw someone following them up the floors to the Gryffindor tower, but whenever she looked back she saw no one. Deciding to ignore it, she and Harry said the password to the Fat Lady and were met with cheers as they walked into the common room.

It seemed the party was in full swing and Hermione was in a good mood. While Harry went off to talk to Ginny, she went to find Ron. She pushed past some fifth years to the middle of the common room and instantly cracked a smile as she saw Ron being bombarded with praise from his fellow housemates. She was about to walk up to him to congratulate him again on his victory when she saw Lavender pull Ron off the table and throw her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

Hermione felt the color drain from her face and immediately regretted having ever walked into the room. As her vision started to blur, she quickly retreated. Past the cheering Gryffindors, out the portrait hole- she had to get out of there.

She was starting to find it hard to breath and had to hold on to the railing of the stairs for support as she ran up to the seventh floor. Ignoring the looks she was getting from passerby, she kept a steady pace until she reached an empty hallway near the base of some stairs. Before she even had a chance to sit down, a group of fourth year Gryffindors stumbled in, obviously tipsy.

"Oh, sorry. We didn't- we weren't-" one of them tried to explain as he attempted to inconspicuously hide a bottle behind his back.

"Save it," Hermione said, sighing. She did not have the energy to deal with this right now. "Look, I won't take away any points as long as all five of you go back to the tower now."

She could practically feel them all unanimously sigh in relief as they started to move back. "Leave the bottle," she said.

"Aw, come on. We're just trying to have a little fun," one of them said. "There's a party Granger! Live a little!"

She frowned. "You guys are all underage! Hand it over or I'll be forced to report you to Professor McGonagall." Hermione wasn't being serious, of course. She could not imagine going through all the trouble when she felt this bad. She had just come here to let out her feelings and now she had to deal with this?

"Fine," she heard another say scathingly. He put the bottle on the ground before her and turned to walk away, his friends following behind him.

Hermione sighed. Finally, she thought as she heard their footsteps fade away. She looked at the bottle angrily. Her vision was blurry again and she sniffled. Fuck it.

She grabbed the bottle off the ground and took off the topper. Looking at it in slight distaste, she brought it to her mouth and tilted it back quickly, taking a big gulp of firewhiskey. It burned her throat as the first few tears slid down her face.

She silently sobbed and got accustomed to the warmth in her stomach, thinking it wasn't really all that bad, as she took a second gulp. By her third chug, she could feel herself getting slightly lightheaded. By her fifth, she no longer thought the blurriness in her vision was being caused by tears.

So this is why people drink, Hermione thought bitterly.

She heard footsteps behind her and set the bottle down rapidly before whoever was coming down saw her with it. She took out her wand and conjured up birds from thin air under the pretense that she was practicing charms. Whoever had been coming down the stairs put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Harry," she said, sighing.

Harry sighed too and sat down next to her on the steps, looking up at the birds questioningly. "I had to ask four different people if they knew where you had run off to. I couldn't find you anywhere in the common room and at first I thought maybe you had gone to bed. Then I saw Ron and Lavender."

Hermione felt another wave of tears stream down her face. "How do you stand it?" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around her knees. He raised his eyebrow at her. "I see the way you look at her- at Ginny. You should have told me. I'm your best friend Harry."

Harry sighed again, looking solemnly at her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "It feels like this," he finally replied.

Hermione rested her head on him and cried as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm so stupid."

"No, Hermione. You're not the one who's stupid, I promise you."

She was about to reply when she heard giggling coming towards them from the other end of the hall. She heard Harry whisper beside her, "Oh, bugger."

As the form of Ron and Lavender drew closer, she tried to hold back more tears while she clumsily got to her feet.

The two of them stood in front of her, both wearing equally stupid grins. I hate them. I hate him. I hate them. "Oops, I think this room is taken," Lavender whispered, still giggling. She started pulling him away. "Let's go Won Won."

"Harry," Ron said. "Hermione, what's with the birds?"

She felt rage course through her. "Oppugno."

The birds flew toward Ron and he backed away, frightened. "What the hell Hermione?" he shouted, running after Lavender.

Hermione turned back towards Harry. He looked aghast. "Teach me how to do that to Dean," he said after a moment and she laughed. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yes, I think so," she told him.

"Do you want me to stay with you a little bit longer?"

She shook her head. "I think I need to be alone for a little bit. I'll see you later, okay?"

Harry looked at her as if he was trying to figure out if she was really okay. "Alright," he said, standing up and giving her a hug. "Don't drink anymore okay, Hermione?"

"How did you know I was drinking?" she asked, shocked. She hadn't thought it was that obvious.

"You smell like firewhiskey… Also, there's a nearly empty bottle on the ground," he said, pointing to it.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Okay Harry."

As he made his way back up the stairs she sat back down on the steps. She looked at the bottle and picked it up. "What Harry doesn't know won't kill him," she whispered gingerly.

"Oh I don't know, Granger. It might."

Her head shot up and she saw none other than Draco Malfoy, making his way towards her. She frowned at him.

"Don't be so sour Granger, don't Gryffindors like to share?" he asked, nodding to the bottle.

She looked at him in surprise, just now noticing how tired and worn down he looked- not to mention drunk.

"You're the one that's sulking around Malfoy," she spat. "And I think you've had enough."

He pouted as he sat down next to her and held his hand out. "Come on Granger, I won't tell if you don't."

She pondered his statement as she looked at his hand. "Don't make me regret this," she said, passing him the bottle.

He took a large swig before handing it back. "You know, for someone who's so smart, you really are dumb," he said, looking at her, his words slightly slurred. "Trusting me right now. That can't be an intelligent move on your part."

"I like to remain as open minded as possible," she retorted, taking a gulp from the bottle. "Besides, what are you gonna do? Kill me?"

Draco humphed, rolling his eyes. "Must be the Gryffindor in you."

"Are you implying there is a part of me that isn't Gryffindor?" she asked.

"I'm implying that I am not to be trusted."

"Why must you make everything so depressing, Malfoy?" Hermione questioned. "Can't a girl just wallow in peace? Can't I possibly have even a second to myself before someone else comes along and makes me even sadder?" The firewhiskey was making it hard to control what she was saying. She swore.

He chuckled. "Oh are you sad Granger? I hadn't noticed."

She didn't know why she had mentioned that she was sad. He didn't care and all it did was make her remember why she started drinking in the first place. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Why are you even here? Isn't it beneath you to sit around with scum like me?"

Draco looked at her, shocked and also slightly horrified. "Wow, and you think I'm depressing?"

"Well, isn't that what you always say about me? That I'm some sort of scum you think deserves to die?" Her tears were threatening to spill now.

He was silent for a moment while he considered her words. "Don't say that," he said and paused as a slightly more sober look passed over his features. "I'm sorry."

Hermione couldn't help the surprised gasp that she let out at his words. "You're apologizing?" she asked, looking at him closely. "Are you sure you're alright Malfoy?"

Draco smirked. "It might be because I'm seriously knackered at the moment, or maybe because I do have some good thing inside of me, but whatever the reason- yes, I'm apologizing. And I can't promise I'll even remember this in the mornin, but um, yeah."

Hermione nodded slowly, almost in a haze. "Well, thank you," she said.

They sat in silence for a while, passing the bottle back and forth between them. "You know what's also a stupid move on your part, Granger?" Draco asked her.

She shook her head. "Having feelings for that idiotic redhead Weasley," he said bluntly. "Especially after what happened tonight."

Her eyes widened. "How do you- what? Who told you I have feelings for Ron?"

"Nobody had to tell me, Granger. It's so bloody obvious. Well- maybe not to other people. But I'm exceptionally observant," he said.

"Ugh, I'm such an idiot. If someone like you can tell I like him- it makes me want to slap myself!"

"Calm down and don't get your knickers in a twist. He doesn't deserve you anyway," he said nonchalantly, yawning as soon as he finished his sentence. "If anything you should be with Saint Potter. Just imagine, the Gryffindor Princess and the Boy-Who-Lived. Rita Skeeter would have a field day." He smiled, thinking of the headlines she would come up with.

Hermione smiled too. "Don't make me laugh. 'The Golden Trio: Love Triangle' would probably be her favorite angle to milk. Oh gods, if she only knew what was happening now!" At this she actually did laugh. She couldn't imagine the papers if Rita Skeeter managed to somehow learn of who exactly Gryffindor's Golden Girl was having a civil conversation with.

She stopped laughing and looked at Malfoy. The irony of the situation was not lost on him either.

"Imagine what Ron would say," she breathed, the playfulness of the conversation vanishing.

"Imagine what my father would say," he said with a bitter smile, looking down.

He silently moved to grab the bottle and took a big gulp. Hermione frowned and accepted the bottle Malfoy held out to her.

"Well fuck him. And fuck Ron too."

The hint of hatred in his voice was hard to miss.

Hermione took a sip from the bottle. "Malfoy," she said. "Why are you being nice to me? Why are talking like this to each other? Why are we drinking together?" She was having a very hard time filtering what she was saying.

"Maybe I felt bad for you when I saw you crying. Maybe I wanted to vent and let go for once." He shrugged and turned to look at her, fixing her with a devilish stare. "Or maybe we're both just too drunk to care," he said, smirking and taking the bottle from her.

As if to illustrate his point, he took another swig from the bottle.

"We should do this more often," he said.

"What? Get drunk and complain about our lives?"

He snickered. "I never said anything about my life, Granger. We've been talking about your problems the entire time we've been here."

A deep blush rose to her cheeks. He's right, she thought sullenly.

She reached out for the bottle and as she wound her fingers around its neck, her hand brushed over Draco's. He let go of the bottle and she brought it to her lips, draining the rest of the liquid. She had started to feel very warm.

"You're being awfully quiet, Granger."

Her head was spinning. "I think, maybe, I'm really quite drunk," she slurred.

As if in slow motion, Draco brought his hand up to her face and brushed her hair behind her ear. Hermione jumped back and looked at him as he quickly drew his hand away.

He sighed. "I think, maybe, I am too."

"Does it always feel like this?" she asked him.

"Does what always feel like what?"

"Does being drunk always feel hotandspinning."

"Granger, that doesn't make sense."

She stood unceremoniously and swayed. Draco stood up after her, also slightly unsteady.

The forgotten bottle lay on the ground at their feet.

"Dizzy," she said, placing a hand on Draco's arm.

He looked at her small hand on his arm and then at her face. She had a pretty pink tint to her cheeks. "Come on Princess, let's get you back to your castle," he said, taking the hand that was on his arm and pulling her along.

By the time they got to Gryffindor tower, it was probably somewhere around two in the morning, though the two had long since been coherent enough to remember the time.

"Password?"

"Granger, what's the password," he whispered, nudging her lightly.

She was leaning on him and it took her a moment to realize he had asked her a question. "Hm? Oh, uh Erumpent," she said.

The Fat Lady started scorning them for coming back to the common room so late and waking her up when she realized that the blond wizard in front of her was none other than Draco Malfoy, holding up Hermione Granger. Her mouth fell open, as did the door, and she shook her head.

Hermione started to make her way through the open portrait hole before she turned her head towards Draco. "Goodnight and- uh, thanks," she said.

"Goodnight Granger."

As soon as Hermione laid in bed, after somehow managing to change into her pajamas, she passed out.

A/N: Okay so I noticed the ending of the chapter was missing and had to go back to add it, but now it's all done and I hope it wasn't OOC or anything. Writing them both inebriated is actually a lot harder than it seems.