CHALLENGE BY WIZARDSGIRL

chapter one

in which mrs. black is her lovely self and causes a conflict

Before

Hermione was wane. Pale. Her hair hung limp and unwashed, her eyes like dark bruises. Her usual brilliant self had rotted away with Ron's death, leaving only a shadow behind.

"I'm sorry Harry." Her voice was a whisper. "But I-I just can't. I'm sorry."

Harry clenched his jaw and apparated away.

Hermione wiped at her eyes before doing the same, leaving behind her pristine flat.

Harry hoped that the ghosts of the war wouldn't follow her to Spain. If they did, though, perhaps they'd leave him at rest for a while.

Now

The bar Harry had walked into was dark to conceal just how often the bartender didn't clean the tables and the glasses were so dusty that they may very well belong in an antique shop. He liked it immensely. He sat down and ordered two shots of vodka. The bartender had the courtesy of rinsing out the shot glasses first before slamming them down on the counter, dust flying in every direction.

Harry had been banned from all of the other bars in this part of Magical London. This was the only bar left that was willing to let him in, thankfully allowing him not to go muggle in order to find solace in the bottom of the glass. Today wasn't a good day for Harry. It hadn't been a good day for him in two years, and Harry doubted it get any better.

A man, with hair darker than Harry's and strangely colored eyes, sat next to him and ordered a whiskey. His accent was Norse, and his smile was pure sex. He gave the smile to Harry and bought him a drink.

Harry accepted the drink with a false shy smile, wandlessly checked the drink- one of the few spells he could perform wandless- and downed it in one swing.

"I'm Loki," said the man, sipping lazily.

"Harry," Harry said, and swung a compatible arm around Loki's shoulders. "Want to get drunk?"

"That's what bars are for." Loki said agreeably.

If his smile darkened just a tad, nobody was paying enough attention to notice.

It was a good two hours later when the alcohol hit Harry with the force of a sledgehammer. Loki still seemed sober, despite matching Harry drink for drink. "Got a-a-a sobering, uh…" Harry lost track of his thoughts.

The bartender wordlessly passed a sobering potion over. Harry downed it as soon as he got it uncapped. His eyes brightened, though it appeared he was still maintaining a good buzz. "So," he said, leering at the man, "My place or yours?"

"Yours," Loki crooned, paying both of their tabs with a coin. The bartender paled as soon as he saw the currency.

Harry smirked, and offered an arm for a side-along apparition. Loki pulled him in for a kiss as they disappeared with a bang, with the bartender staring at the coin with wide-eyed trepidation.

He was right to be worried, but it wouldn't be himself that he had to be worried over.

Loki slammed Harry against the wall as soon as they materialized in his home, his lips never parting from Harry's. Harry moaned and put his hands in Loki's hair, twisting it as Loki stuck his hand down Harry's pants.

Loki was just about to unzip his pants when, behind him, a portrait's curtains flew apart.

"YOU DARE! TO DO THAT IN THE HALLS OF THIS HOME INSTEAD OF THE BEDROOM-!"

Loki jumped, tripped, and fell. Harry, unable to help himself, burst into laughter.

Loki snapped his fingers and the curtains flew back to cover the screaming woman's face, and zipped his pants back. "Find that funny?"

Harry nodded, choking back tears.

Loki snapped his fingers again. Harry's laughter rung out before being suddenly halted, shrunk down to ankle-length and finding himself on two legs instead of four. He tried to talk, demand what was going on, but all that came out was a terrifyingly cute "meep."

"Now that," Loki said, snickering, "Is funny." He burst into laughter. "Oh, this will be one of my greatest tricks!"

Harry felt a burn in his throat. He coughed, belching out smoke, and shook his head. As Loki's laughter grew louder, Harry grew more and more distressed, unable to get rid of the burning feeling. All of his efforts produced only smoke.

"Aw, does the ickle little dragon not feeling well," Loki cooed mockingly just as Harry coughed, and spat out flames straight towards Loki's pants. Loki yelped and danced backwards, putting out the flames with a great amount of effort. Dragon fire, after all, is nearly impossible to put out.

Loki's eyes grew dark, and he picked Harry up.

Harry screeched and thrashed, but with very little effect. With very little effort from Loki, Loki tossed Harry straight at the wall. Harry closed his eyes, waiting for an impact that never came.

He landed snout first in cold snow, and was buried inside of the snow pile within seconds.

Bloody hell!