'I was swapping firewhisky shots for gossip on you,' Tonks said, grinning mischievously. At Remus' aghast look she added, 'Well, I had to be sure you liked me too.'

Just thought I'd play around with that idea from The Enemy Within and write a short fic about it.

Firewhisky

'Remus?'

Harry wandered the floors of Grimmauld Place looking strangely lost in the familiar surroundings. His face was scrunched as if he were trying to remember something important as he meandered his way along the hallway. He stopped beside the staircase and bellowed, 'REMUS!' and then waited to see if there would be a response.

A door handle twitched behind him and Harry turned, coming face to face with a bleary eyed Tonks. Her hair was a shock of pink on top of her head and she scrubbed at her eyes fiercely.

'Why are you screaming?' she mumbled.
Harry chuckled. 'I'm not screaming, I'm looking for Remus.' Harry paused for a moment. 'He's not in there…with you…is he?'

Tonks grinned. 'No, he's not. I think he's out on Order business.'

Harry frowned and checked the enchanted clock on the wall beside him. 'Tonks, it's like four in the afternoon…have you only just woken up?'

Tonks disappeared back into her room and reappeared moments later wearing one of Remus' large jumpers. She closed the door behind her and manoeuvred Harry down the stairs.

'When you reach the legal drinking age, you'll realise why I don't get out of bed until four o clock.'

'You're hungover?' Harry asked.

'It feels like a hippogriff ran over my head,' Tonks moaned. 'But we mustn't let that get us down!'

'Sirius let me have a glass of firewhisky once,' Harry said as they entered the kitchen. Tonks snorted. 'No he didn't. He watered it down. You're only fifteen, Harry. You'd never be able to handle firewhisky.'

'Oh yeah?' Harry said, sniggering. 'I can take on Lord Voldemort but I can't handle a small glass of firewhisky?'

'Alcohol can be just as dangerous.'

'You sound like Remus!' Harry laughed.

Tonks opened her mouth in shock. 'Take that back!' she said, reaching across the table to swat him playfully.

'I think you've got a bit boring in your old age, Tonks,' Harry said, leaping up from the table as she came racing around the table to attack him.

'You cheeky bugger,' she said, grabbing him and pulling him into a headlock.

'Argh! TONKS!' Harry cried, struggling as Tonks knuckled the top of his head roughly.

'Take it back!' she demanded.

'Never!'

She tugged on his hair.

'Okay, okay, fine!' Harry grumbled, pulling free. 'I'll take it back…if you let me have a glass of firewhisky. Let me prove you wrong.'

Tonks raised her eyebrows. 'That's blackmail,' she said.

Harry grinned. 'One little glass?'

Tonks was silent for a few moments. 'Okay, fine,' she said eventually, laughing as Harry punched the air enthusiastically. 'But if you tell Remus about this, I swear I'll tell Ginny you talk about her in your sleep.'

'You wouldn't dare!' Harry said.

Tonks smirked. 'Try me.'

Waving her wand, she summoned a bottle of firewhisky from her bedroom. It came clanging loudly down the stairs, whacked into the banister and then collided neatly with the palm of her hand.

'Nice catch.'

'Thanks,' she said, pouring a small glass and holding it out to him. 'That's all you're getting,' she said firmly.

Harry nodded and then necked the glass in one. He wiped his hand across the back of his mouth and handed it back to Tonks who stood in stunned silence for a few moments.

'You're not supposed to drink it like that,' she said eventually, holding her head in her hand. 'Remus is going to kill me,' she mumbled.

'What?' Harry asked.

'You're supposed to sip it!' Tonks said. 'If you take it as a shot then you're going to be on the floor in about five minutes.'

'Oh.'

'Oh, indeed,' Tonks moaned. She eyed the bottle. 'Ah, what the hell,' she said pouring herself a glass. 'I'm going to be in trouble anyway! Cheers, Harry.'

Battered in by the wind, Remus stumbled across the threshold to number 12 Grimmauld Place and slammed the door behind him. Windswept and cold, he pulled off his cloak and went to call out for Harry when a loud bang from the kitchen caught his attention. He pulled out his wand quickly on full alert.

'Harry?' he called cautiously.

Tonks' hysteric laughter drifted down the hallway towards him and Remus instantly relaxed. He smiled to himself as he walked into the kitchen. He came to an abrupt halt in the doorway.

'What in the world – '

His eyes went from the collapsed figure of Harry, tangled in his own jumper on the floor to Tonks stood on the table screaming with laughter and the empty bottles of firewhisky on the side. He ran a hand across his face.

'Unbelievable,' he muttered.

'REMUS!' Tonks cried, throwing her arms into the air. 'You're home!'

'Yes,' he said, nodding. 'And you're drunk.'

'I'm not drunk,' Tonks slurred indignantly. 'Harry's drunk, look at him!'

Remus watched as Harry, giggling quietly to himself, attempted to pull his arms the rest of the way through his jumper. He rubbed the back of his head and got unsteadily to his feet.

'You gave Harry firewhisky?' Remus said incredulously.

'He blackmailed me!' Tonks moaned.

'Tonks, how could a fifteen year old boy possibly blackmail you,' Remus said, grabbing Harry by the top of his arm as he began to tip to one side. 'Sit down before you fall down,' he said.

'TOO LATE!' Tonks and Harry screamed together, dissolving into uncontrollable laughter.

'Honestly,' Remus said, 'I leave you alone for a couple of hours –'

'Remus, honey,' Tonks said, clambering off the table, 'there's really no point shouting at us tonight, we're not going to remember a word of it and we're probably not going to listen to you. Save it for tomorrow.' She gave a quick grin and kissed him swiftly on the lips and then attempted to weave her way back up the stairs, towards the comfort of her bedroom.

Remus turned his attention to Harry who was looking up at him with glassy eyes. He grinned foolishly.

Remus rolled his eyes and summoned a glass of water. He handed it to Harry who reached for it several times before he was successful.

'Drink it,' Remus said as Harry went to put it down. Suddenly thirsty, Harry began to gulp the water noisily. Remus raised his eyebrows.

'How much did you have to drink exactly?'

Harry held up one finger.

'One glass?'

Harry shakily put the glass back on the table. 'One bottle,' he corrected happily.

'A whole bottle?' Remus exclaimed. 'I bet Sirius is just loving this,' he muttered.

Harry shook his head. 'No he's not. Cos he's not here.'

'Fair point,' Remus said quietly, grabbing Harry by the arm and pulling him to his feet. 'Come on, you're going to need to sleep this off.'

'I don't think I can stand up again,' Harry slurred.

'Well, I'm not carrying you,' Remus said, directing Harry towards the door. Harry staggered forward a few steps and then collided with the doorframe. He dissolved into giggles again and turned to face Remus who was frowning in disapproval.

'Oh c'mon, Remus,' Harry giggled. He pointed a finger at him. 'Don' tell me you've never been drink...drunk'

'Of course,' Remus said with a smirk. 'But I was never foolish enough to drink the entire bottle. You are going to have one rough night ahead of you.'

Harry waved his hand dismissively and let Remus push him up the stairs towards his bedroom. When he reached the safety of his room, Harry threw himself onto the bed and buried his head in the pillow.

'Aren't you going to even get under the covers?' Remus asked.

'When the room stops spinning,' Harry mumbled. He tried to sit upright, but found the room give a stomach lurching tilt. He tried to focus his eyes on the dresser in the corner of the room but it kept tipping to one side. He shook his head. 'Can't you give me a potion or somethin''

'Nope,' Remus said cheerfully. 'Suffering is the only way to learn. After tonight you won't want to be drinking any firewhisky for a while, trust me.'

Harry blinked at him and swallowed thickly.

'Why is the room still spinning?'

Sensing that Harry's next action wasn't going to be a particularly pleasant one, Remus quickly grabbed him by the bicep and pulled him along the hallway, into the bathroom. He lifted the toilet seat with raised eyebrows.

'Remus, I'm not gonna be sick,' Harry said.

'Do you want to bet on that?' Remus asked sarcastically.

Harry grinned and opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly he felt a horrendous urge to gag. He threw his hand over his mouth as Remus steered him quickly towards the toilet. Harry spent the next ten minutes emptying the firewhisky from his stomach wishing with every heave and retch that he had never touched a drop of the stuff in the first place.

'You have no idea how many times I did this with your father and Sirius,' Remus said with a smirk, settling himself on the edge of the bathtub.
Harry sunk back onto his haunches, his face pale and sweaty. He turned to face Remus with a pitiful expression on his face.

'I miss them,' he said quietly.

The smile faded from Remus' mouth. 'So do I,' he said.

'I'm sure Sirius wouldn't have made me throw up,' Harry mumbled.

Remus laughed loudly.

'I'm sure Sirius would have been throwing up with you,' he said. 'He probably would have been very proud of your little escapade.'

Harry hung his head over the rim of the toilet seat again. 'Are you proud?' he mumbled.

Remus cocked an eyebrow. 'Proud isn't exactly the word I'd use right now,' he said with a smile. 'More amazed that you're still standing after drinking an entire bottle of firewhisky. I couldn't have done it. Sirius only managed it once or twice.'

'Why don' you ever drink?' Harry asked.

Remus looked away. 'I don't like the loss of control,' he said. He then sighed and turned back to Harry who looked as though he was ready to head back to his bedroom.

'All done?' Remus asked.

Harry nodded – and then dived back to the toilet.

Remus ran his fingers across the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long night.