Author's note : I do not own anything associated with Harry Potter. I only own the original character of Chloe and the idea for this story. This story was written for The Houses Competition (very first entry). This story is a slight AU.

House : Hufflepuff

Year 1 stand in

Category : Short

Prompt : Firewhiskey

Word count : 769

Harry downed the firewhiskey in one huge gulp. The amber liquid flowed easily down his throat. He honestly never understood why others hated the taste at first. Signaling for another shot, he turned and glanced around the dimly lit room. 'Why are these places always so infernally dark?'

His eyes landed on an angel in the corner. That's the only way he could describe her. She had long blonde hair that shone so brightly it created a halo above her. Her skin was almost translucent. Adjusting his glasses, his eyes scanned down the rest of her slender body.

Suddenly, he heard a glass slam down on the bar behind him. Jumping slightly at the sound, he turned to find his new glass of firewhiskey there, along with a bottle. 'Bartender must know that I'm gonna be here a while.' Smirking, he downed the firewhiskey and relished the burn it created as it slid down his throat. Man, he loved this drink.

"Mind if I sit here?" a female voice sounded quietly next to him. In the noisy bar, he almost didn't hear her.

Turning his head to the right, Harry found the angel looking at him anxiously. Stunned, he only stared at her, mouth agape. Several minutes passed and she began to turn and walk away before he gained his ability to speak. "Oh… yeah… sure… sit… I don't mind," he stammered.

She offered him a smile and signaled the bartender for a glass of firewhiskey. "I'm Chloe, by the way," she said.

He gulped. Her voice was like music. Noticing that she was looking at him expectantly, her eyes venturing up to the oddly shaped scar on his forehead. Subconsciously, he reached up and rub his hand over the lightning-shaped scar.

"Oh, right. I'm Harry, Harry Potter," he said, his voice squeaking a bit.

'What? Have I not hit puberty yet? Get some control man,' he chided himself.

Pouring himself another firewhiskey, he threw it to the back of his throat. Setting the glass down, he reached for the bottle again, noticing that she had received her glass from the bartender and had already drained it. He poured them both another and they raised their glasses, clinking them together in a silent toast and tossed the amber liquid into their throats.

"Careful," she said as he poured another. "A girl might think you are trying to get her drunk to take advantage of her."

"Nah, not me. I… I'm a gen...gent...le..man… Yeah, that's the word," Harry said, slurring slightly as he spoke and taking time to get the words right. He had already had a few too many.

She laughed lightly at his drunken grin. 'Cute and funny. Can't wait to see where this leads,' she thought.

"So, Harry, what do you do for fun?" Chloe asked.

Harry threw back another shot of firewhiskey and tried to stand up straight as the alcohol was hitting him. He swayed a bit and she put a hand on his arm to steady him.

"Well, Chloe. 'M glad you asssskkkked," he began, his words sounding more slurred by the moment. "I loooove a goooooooood game of M...Mo...no...po...ly… Yeah, that's it," he said and flopped back onto the stool, nearly falling to the floor.

Chloe giggled, "Well, then, good sir, shall we have a rousing game of Monopoly? I'll bring the firewhiskey," she stated.

Harry stood and saluted her. "Yessssss, ma'am," he said and dug in his pocket for some galleons to throw on the bar for their drinks and tip for the bartender.

Hours later found them in Harry's flat, half-naked, giggling and still downing firewhiskey.

"You cheated!" Chloe yelled.

"I did not. I will have you know that I don't cheat," Harry said as he attempted to take off his shirt.

Chloe laughed at his antics as he got tangled in the shirt. "How did you talk me into playing 'strip Monopoly'?" she asked.

"Just lucky, I guess," he grinned through the head hole in his shirt as he finally wrestled it off. "Shall we have another round?"

"The game or the drinks?" she asked.

"Either, both, whichever you prefer," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Chloe laughed, "Actually, I should probably head home. Maybe we can get together again soon and have another game?" she suggested.

Harry pouted and nodded, "I suppose so. If you have to go."

Chloe stood and gathered her discarded clothing. This would be something to explain to her roommate, arriving home carrying half her clothing in her hands. However, it was worth every minute.