Drinking Games.
[Down in 8]
Sitting in the Red Lion pub with Ron, George, Neville and Seamus, Harry's tipsy self stared wearily at the coin at the bottom of his freshly pulled pint. Bracing himself like the brave Gryffindor he was, he picked up his pint and took a deep breath.
"Come on, Harry! You know the rules! You didn't even try keeping up with the coin, now you've got to down your pint like a man!" Bellowed Seamus.
"I know that! You sods are going to make me chunder, you do know that, right?"
"Don't be such a wuss, Harry! Even Neville could out-drink you!" Teased George.
"Oi!" Shouted Neville.
"Ready, Harry?" asked Ron with a slightly drunken slur.
"No."
Ignoring his unenthusiastic response, everyone began to chant.
"I like to drink with Harry, 'cause Harry is my mate! -and when I drink with Harry, he drinks it down in 8!"Harry began chugging his pint, trying not to grimace at the overpowering sensation of beer filling his mouth.
"7!"
A few more large gulps down; half way there!
"6!"
"5!"
Two more gulps, only a tiny bit left!
"4!"
"3!"
Harry finished his pint and slammed down his glass in victory, making the coin clatter about noisily. Everyone, even people who weren't in their group, started cheering. Beer dribbled down his chin and onto his shirt, but he couldn't care less in his state of euphoria.
"Well done, mate!" said George, slapping him on the back in a manly fashion.
"Yeah, Harry, that was wicked." said Ron, grinning from ear to ear.
Harry fished the coin out the bottom of his glass and launched it into Neville's glass.
"Neville's turn!" said Harry, feeling a little bit sick and wanting to share his suffering. He could feel the rush from the alcohol burning his cheeks into a red glow.
Neville, who wasn't prepared for the coin, groaned loudly in protest as the coin sank to the bottom of his glass. He gripped his pint steadily, as he clearly tried to brace himself as Harry had.
"Is no one going to beat the coin tonight?" Mocked George, confident that he could do it with ease.
Regardless of that, the chant began again.
"I like to drink with Neville, 'cause Neville is my mate. -and when I drink with Neville, he drinks it down in 8!"
Neville practically threw the glass at his mouth as the countdown started. Beer sloshing slightly up his face.
"7!"
"6!"
Neville was doing better than Harry did at this stage, taking in more beer with every gulp.
"5!"
"4!"
Neville suddenly lurched forward and began coughing, spraying most of the table and the people sat at it. Some beer came flooding out his nose as he choked. Everyone burst out laughing at Neville's misfortune. George slapped Neville on the back to attempt at unclogging Neville's lungs.
"Tough luck, mate. I guess that bit went down the wrong hole then?"
"Oi, no throwing up in my pub!" shouted the landlord from behind the bar. The boys were good for business, but he'd rather not have them going too far each time they came in here. They went through more pints in a night than he did in a month.
The night went on with several more pints downed. George succeeding in beating the coin to the bottom of his glass and bragging about it until Ron hit him in the arm. They eventually left for Ron and Hermione's apartment where they promptly crashed into sleep.
~The next morning~
"What in the-"
Hermione came home from a visit to her parent's house to find several haggard looking boys on her once clean floor. A groaning noise came from one of the bodies, but that was the only sign of life.
Picking up a quill and parchment, Hermione wrote a rather angry message warning Ron that the place better be clean and drunk free by the time she got back, or else.
She never actually says what the 'else' means in her angry letters, but it usually works on Ron anyway. She folded the letter and left it on the table where it would be easily seen, then left for the shops. If Ron was going to spend their money on beer, she was going to buy herself some new books! On her way out, she deliberately slammed the door, jolting them all awake.
Harry unstuck his face from the carpet and grumbled.
"Ugh… I am never drinking again."