This challenge is the product of Moogle's twisted mind and posted on Enchanted Sanctum... This tells the story of Seventh-year James Sirius Potter and three of his friends on a Friday night.
What Were We Drinking?
by Kodiak
The Hog's Head seemed dirtier than Jared had remembered. Of course, every other time he'd come here, he'd left so drunk that his memories of the place were certainly skewed. He looked at James Potter and asked, "Did Old Abe fire the cleaning staff?"
James Sirius Potter, Jared's favorite partner in mayhem, blinked at him. "Clean? Who'd want to clean here?" Well, that explained the smudged glassware, and the sticky floor. He wondered about the bench, but didn't want to touch it with his hand. He watched James tip back another shot of whiskey.
"Are you trying to find the floor tonight? 'Cause I'm not going to carry you back to the castle." If Jared were being perfectly honest, he was a bit jealous that James could drink tonight while Jared was forbidden. "Why am I putting up with all of these rules?"
James smirked at him. "You didn't like the alternative." Jail, was what James was too kind to say. Jared would rather study like a bloody Ravenclaw, than go back to jail.
"Yeah, right. So tell me about this girl you can't figure out." Jared might as well learn something of use while James was feeling too good to edit his answers. Whatever James might have told him, though, was lost forever when Kean Kattalakis joined their table. Jared never had trouble attracting girls, even if he wasn't as good looking as James, but Kean was in a class of his own. The Greek exchange student could have been a male model. The guy was friendly, easygoing, and popular with the girls. He was just the kind of guy that Jared would have been threatened by, except Kean was too likable and clumsy for any real animosity.
The glasses tipped over as Kean tried to set them on the table while keeping hold of the new bottle of alcohol. "How come no one told me we were drinking?" he asked them.
"James is drinking. I'm pumping him for information. Please join us, I'd love to get some 'dirt' on you too." Jared smiled to show that he was mostly joking. A flash of blue at the door drew Jared's eye toward Ifrin Smith, as the Ravenclaw Chaser made his way back to their table. "Did you get her home safely?" Jared teased. He hadn't expected Ifrin to come back. For some reason Ifrin wasn't drinking tonight. Maybe Jared could get him to start. He really wanted to know what happened with the girl.
"She'll be fine," Ifrin assured them before offering to get more butterbeer for Jared while he was up for his own.
"What's wrong with you, Mr. Prude?" Kean taunted Ifrin while holding up a shot glass. He turned to Jared. "And you, Mr. Jared-Prude?" Jared thought he might not like the boy as much right now. Jared was absolutely not a prude.
One shot, thought Jared. He could fake the rest and keep the other guys drinking. It would work. Jared grabbed a shot glass. "I'm in," he announced. James raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Ifrin grabbed a glass as well.
The first shot burned his throat, and he held his breath to keep from sputtering. What did this Greek guy bring? The others were still too sober for Jared to start faking shots, so he tipped the next one back, and the one after that. It didn't seem like such a big deal anymore, his plan to not get drunk, so he stopped worrying about it. They taunted each other and talked about Quidditch. Ifrin bragged about the Ravenclaw team, and James about the Gryffindors. Kean told about drinking games that they should try and Jared told them about the Pro players that he'd drunk under the table.
Something wasn't right, though. Ifrin didn't seem as drunk as Jared felt, but he knew the guy had tossed back a glass each time. Were Ravenclaws as sneaky as Slytherins? Being a Gryffindor, Jared couldn't say.
Too soon, Ifrin wanted them to stop. Jared really didn't feel like stopping anymore, so he looked at James for inspiration, and remembered the bar in Glasgow. "Hey, Jamie, shall we introduce our fine friends to karaoke?"
James smiled a sloppy drunk grin. "Sure, but what about the music?"
That was a good point. No one wanted to hear either of them singing a capella. He looked around the bar, and noticed Abe's newest pet, sitting by the register. "The chicken." He looked at James critically. "Costumes?"
"Definitely." and James flicked his wand at Jared.
"Ugh!" Jared groaned when he saw the lilac cocktail dress. "I'm too sexy for this dress!" Fine, he'd show James. With a swish of his own wand, James was swathed in layers of pink lace topping a full hoop skirt. "There you go, 'Jamie.'"
"Hey! Pink makes me look fat." He scowled at Jared's closely shorn hair. "You, my friend, make one ugly witch. Are we ready? How about 'that song'?"
And soon the chicken was squawking out the intro and James belted out, "Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely wor-rld, she took the midnight train goin' anywhere..."
Jared was right beside him singing, "Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit, he took the midnight train goin anywhere..." Then the food started flying.
By the time they were shoved out the door, Kean was sporting a blue ball gown and Ifrin was threatening hexes. Jared could still hear the chicken squawking out the back-ups. He couldn't help it, he started laughing, got tangled in his skirt and fell down.
He looked up in time to see an decrepit old wizard wrap and arm around James' waist. "Can I buy you a drink, pretty lady?" the old timer asked. Ifrin barely pulled the guy away before James tried to hit him.
"I told you all the hot guys wouldn't like me if I was wearing pink. Just the blind old geezers." James shouted in disgust. He stomped his feet as he walked to the nearest bench, flopping down so that his skirt flew over his head. "Damn it, Jared. How do they sit in these things?"
Ifrin cleared his throat. "Good evening, Professor Lupin."
Oops, Jared thought. The man was staring at them in shock and horror. "I'm not going to ask," the Muggle Studies professor told them. "Just get back to the castle and we'll discuss this in the morning."
James looked worried as Jared pulled him to his feet. Jared just smiled and shook his head. He was out with his mates on a Friday night. So what if they were wearing dresses? He knew he could handle Teddy Lupin. The night was so perfect that Jared felt like singing.
"Don't stop beleeee-vin'... hold on to that feeeeeelin.'"
Nox
The lyrics are from Don't Stop Believing, by Journey.