Hello! Just a couple quick things I want to say first: 1) A few of my favorite characters died in the final book but I loved them so much that I wanted them to be part of my story, so there may be a few characters in here that should really be dead. None of them are very central characters, though, so it shouldn't make that much of a difference. 2) Also, I'm not sure if this idea has been done before, but I think I've got a fresh take on it, so I wanted to give it a try. 3) Disclaimer: Sadly, I'm not J.K Rowling, so I don't own anything here. 4) Please review, it would be much appreciated :)
The Trouble with Firewhisky
Kate sighed as she attempted to smooth out the wrinkles from her lavender robe. She'd pulled another eighteen-hour shift at her job at the Ministry of Magic and she was not in the mood to do anything but go home and relax. She had an unbelievably boring position in the Department of Magical Transportation and hoped to high heaven that she wouldn't be working there for the rest of her life. She made her way through the throngs of people bustling everywhere, hearing snippets of conversation about everything from the Holyhead Harpies to what size cauldron is best for brewing Pepper-Up Potion. Try as she might, she couldn't stave off the feeling of loneliness that began to creep over her.
Kate had graduated from Hogwarts five years before and she had a decent job, but there had been so much loss because of you-know-who and, even though he was gone now, she couldn't believe how much death and destruction he had brought forth… and how quickly people would recuperate. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more angry she became. She pushed open the doors viciously and thought of how quickly people had moved on. People that she had cared about died, and yet, just today Lee Jordan from the British and Irish Quidditch Department on the seventh floor had invited her to a Puddlemere United party. What were they thinking?!
By the time she reached the floo network, she was at her boiling point. She felt alone and angry. She popped into the fire, but instead of heading directly to her dim, unwelcoming flat, she stopped abruptly in the Hog's Head. She knew she would love nothing more than a couple of pints, even though that would make her appear more pathetic than she really was. She wanted to go home, curl up, and see if her friends Emma or Lindsay could chat, but she knew they had to be pretty busy. Emma was setting up her new apartment and planning her wedding to Fred Weasley and Lindsay was already 6 months pregnant and had plenty of other things to worry about. Kate had no one. She had been so absorbed in work and the Order, that she hadn't had time for anyone romantically. With a stab of defiance, she pushed the door open and entered the pub.
It was smoky and slightly seedy, but it wasn't a malicious feeling place and she had been here enough times before. There were hardly any customers, just an old witch in the corner and an already inebriated blonde wizard at the end of the bar, but she supposed it would fill up as the night went on. She glanced at her watch—3:30 *pathetic* she thought, but she didn't even think about stopping as she plopped herself at the bar.
"Butterbeer," Kate mumbled as the barkeeper made his way over.
"Rough day?" He asked, but she was in no mood to talk.
"You have no idea." She replied dryly.
"Better make that a firewhisky, then." He replied.
She didn't object to the large glass of firewhisky that was placed between her palms. Little did she know that this simple act would change her life forever.
Kate awoke with a start. She was painfully aware of the sun shining brightly in her face and also the sharp stabbing from the base of her skull which told her with each jab that she had drank far too much the previous night. She groaned, rolled over, and pulled the satin comforter closer around her. And with a jolt realized that she had a cotton comforter. Shit was all she could think. Where am I and what did I do last night? She cautiously peeked her eyes open and was greeted with a completely unfamiliar emerald and black room… and a very muscular, very male form behind her. She gave out a startled shriek and desperately tried to remember what had happened last night. She wasn't one to have a one-night-stand and she knew that what was about to happen would be extremely awkward and humiliating. The form shifted and finally reminded her of her state of dress, or lack thereof.
"Wha?" A voice behind her croaked and she grabbed the covers and shot like a bullet to the opposite side of the bed.
She couldn't believe her eyes— He was much skinnier and his shaggy platinum hair hung in his eyes, but there was no denying who he was— Draco Malfoy. The bane of her entire educational training was lying next to her, naked as the day he was born. Kate hadn't known him very well when they were at Hogwarts, but from the interactions they did have, she knew he was a prick-but a gorgeous prick, she had to admit. She didn't have a clue how she would have gotten into this situation.
He also seemed to be shocked because he shot up and out of bed, pulling a pillow to keep himself covered.
"What are you doing here?" He spat, glaring at her.
"I don't know, what am I doing here? You obviously got me drunk so you could… have your way with me!"
"Have my way with you?! Don't flatter yourself. Are you quite sure that it wasn't you who got me drunk? Don't pretend you haven't had a crush on me since First Year at Hogwarts! I've seen you stare at me!" He spouted with vigor and Kate was ashamed to realize that she was blushing profusely.
"Don't you dare blame this on me!" She yelled and thrust out her left pointer finger with a vengeance, but before she could say anything else, she noticed that something was horribly wrong. There was a strange weight encircling her fourth finger and a gentle glint in the sunlight. With horror she saw that her left ring finger, usually left unadorned, was now encircled in a slim silver band with two emeralds and a diamond.
"Merlin!" Kate exclaimed while Draco let out a bit more colorful language as he noticed the tell-tale little circle of silver.
"No. It's not possible! I'd never, even in a drunken state, marry a mudblood!" Draco said unconvincingly.
"YOU?! Well I'd never, even in a drunken state, marry a complete asshole!" Kate shot back, angrily clutching the sheet.
"Get out of my bed and get dressed. We'll go straighten this out right now. We couldn't have gotten... married. This could all be a mistake!" He gagged on the word married.
"Don't you order me around!" Kate yelled, "And fine! It's not like I want to be married to scum like you!"
They glared at each other, breathing heavily for several seconds trying to refrain from clobbering each other.
"Turn around!" Kate finally ordered.
Draco smirked meanly, "What, you think I haven't already seen everything anyway?"
Kate launched a pillow that hit him square in the face and he stalked out of the room without another word.
She quickly ran her hand over her face. What was she going to do? But she felt that damnable cool piece of metal against her and she scowled at it. She dressed quickly and subtly noted that he had a very nice room, even if he was an asshole.
When she left the room, she found Draco lounging on the couch, but he jumped up immediately.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the door, "The ministry to see the records. They'll be able to tell us if... well, come on."
"Don't touch me."