Before starting with the second chapter, I was wondering if anyone caught the reference to Philosopher's Stone in the last one? Let me know!

VERITASERUM

"Harper, Audrey!" Professor Flitwick's sharp voice rang out across the hall, and a calm looking girl walked up to the Sorting Hat and sat on the stool. It fell past her glasses and spent almost a minute deliberating, until it decisively announced "SLYTHERIN!"

She exhaled sharply and handed the hat back to Professor Flitwick before prancing off to join the Slytherins, but not without a quick, almost wistful glance at the Gryffindor table. Of course, Lucas was oblivious to these little details - his heart was pounding in his ears, he knew it was almost his turn.

"Hartman, Lucas!" He ran up so fast he tripped, but managed to land right onto the stool. Mustering up whatever courage he had, he grinned at the crowd of students in the Great Hall. Better they laugh with him, right? Perhaps that's why the Sorting Hat was so quick to decide for him. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lucas grinned and ran to the table furthest on his left - the Gryffindor table. An older boy clapped him on the back and sat him down with the other newly sorted first years, but before he could turn his attention back to the Sorting, it was drawn to the sound of someone sniffling.

Lucas looked in her direction and did a double take - the source of the sound was none other than 'Harper, Audrey' but without glasses. Lucas edged closer to her, confused but concerned.

"Hey, uh, shouldn't you be on the Slytherin table?"

"I SHOULD!" she suddenly screamed and started wailing, drawing quite a bit of attention until Lucas quickly silenced her.

"What's wrong, Angelina?" a female prefect appeared behind them, her hand wrapping comfortingly around the girl's shoulders.

"She's on the wrong ta-" Lucas started but 'Harper, Audrey' cut him off.

"Mysister - gotsorted - into - Slytherin!" she blubbered. "IwannabewithAudrey- in Slytherin!" she finished with a wail.

Lucas smacked his head at his foolishness. Sisters, why hadn't he thought of that? He felt bad for her. Nobody should cry on their first day at Hogwarts. 11 year old Lucas Hartman decided that this girl would not get to be in tears anymore. "Hey! Angelina, is it?"

She nodded, tears still streaming down her face.

"Well Angelina, I'm Lucas. My brother's in Ravenclaw, so I guess you're not alone in feeling alone, huh?" he smiled at her tentatively; she seemed to be listening at least. He went on. "Like it or not, we're Gryffindors now. And Gryffindor is the bravest of all houses! We can't cry if we're supposed to be the bravest, can we?" She shook her head slowly, the tears slowing down. "So what do you say we be alone together, and we do it with bravery!" with that he grinned and offered her his hand to shake. She held it and pulled him into a hug. A little overwhelmed, Lucas could sense he was making progress. "So no more crying, okay? Lions don't cry. We roar! Roar!" and finally he got a laugh from her. She lifted her head from his shoulder and wiped her face with her robes. Lucas smiled at Angelina.

"Thank you," she smiled back.

The prefect watched them with a smile. "They're going to be best friends," she was sure of it.

And she was right. Five years later, Lucas was standing at the Gryffindor table with Angelina, clapping and cheering for every first year that got sorted into their house, patting their backs and welcoming them, finding them seats at the table, making sure they were comfortable. Just like their prefects had done for them their first year. And just like he'd said to her back then, Lucas and Angelina had been brave together. Then they'd built their group of friends together. They'd had classes together, skipped classes together, spent holidays together, and become prefects together. But something still bothered Lucas about what he'd said all those years ago. And he suddenly knew what it was.

"Hey, Ange?" he leaned towards her to make himself heard over the din.

"Hmm?"

"Remember what I said to you in first year? How lions don't cry and you gotta be brave and all of that?"

"Every word, and it still blows me away how an 11 year old boy dealt with that whole situation so well."

"What can I say? I've always been wise beyond my years."

"Maybe they should've put you in Ravenclaw with your brother then, Lucas the Wise," Angelina ribbed him.

Lucas laughed. "Well, not really, because I wasn't all that wise. I said you can't cry if you're in the bravest house… I was wrong. I think crying is one of the bravest things you can do."

Angelina raised an eyebrow at him. "Where's all of this coming from?"

Lucas chuckled. "Nothing, I just realised it's almost time for you to start PMSing like a bitch and didn't want you to feel bad about all the ugly crying you're about to d- OW! That hurt!"

"It was supposed to," Angelina rolled her eyes at Lucas's childish pout.

"Are you PMSing alrea- OW! ANGIE!"

"Yeah yeah I love you too," she smiled at him and gestured towards the table. The Sorting was done, and food had appeared. They sat down next to each other - like they had for the last five years - eating together, laughing together, like they would for years to come.

At the Slytherin table, Noah Bennet was standing with his friend and roommate, Tyler Campbell. And he would not. Shut. Up.

"Look, I'm just saying, if you like her, it's alright. It's just a crush, I'm not going to feel too bad. Or at all really-" Tyler trailed off when Audrey elbowed him unexpectedly.

"Tyler. Hi. Can I borrow my best friend?" she grabbed Noah without waiting for an answer and pulled him a few feet away from the starstruck Tyler.

"Audrey, I'm fine-"

"Don't even bother. Just, I'm here for you, okay? I know you know that, but really, whenever you need me, I'm going to be right here," Audrey looked concerned, her deep blue eyes piercing into his dark brown ones. "Just, don't do anything stupid. Please."

Despite himself, Noah could feel the tears coming. He quickly pulled Audrey into a hug and buried his face in her shoulder. "I promise," he whispered.

"I know you're just hiding your tears, asshole," Audrey whispered through a grin and gave him a tight squeeze before pulling away. "Whenever you need me," she repeated and flounced off to talk to a group of first years.

Noah nodded and smiled at her retreating head, when Tyler appeared at his side.

"That's it, mate. She's yours. Don't worry about it at all, alright? I don't even fancy her anymore. It's gone. Disappeared. It's done." Tyler gave him an awkward thumbs up. "Wait. Are you going out with her? Because if you are, you can tell me. I'm your roommate, man, I'm your-"

"Bye." Noah cut him off, not interested in finding out what else he was to Tyler. He joined Scorpius Malfoy, the fifth year prefect, in his conversation with an excited looking first year, leaving behind a puzzled Tyler.

"So Ange just kept yelling about 'group dynamic', which was hilarious, but she had a point, I just didn't want to admit it to her. Not about the whole 'group dynamic' and all that, but about Noah maybe fancying Audrey." Mason finished telling Leah about his carriage ride while they waited by the kitchens for the aforementioned Slytherins - rolling joints to pass the time.

Leah wasn't surprised that she hadn't been the only one to notice. "So Noah likes Audrey, big deal. Maybe they'll go out, maybe they won't. But they've been friends long enough to handle this like adults, don't you think?"

Mason suddenly realised the gravity of the situation and set his wand and rolling paper down. "But that exactly is the point! Noah's just been through a terrible breakup -" he shuddered at the memory, "- and his rebound crush is his best friend, his best support system. And he's the possessive type, and she absolutely hates being controlled even a bit. Don't you see how badly things could end up here? I'm worried about our friends."

"They'll be fine, Mase." Leah still looked unconvinced. "I can't believe you are giving so much thought to this drama."

Mason rolled his eyes at her and was about to return to his unfinished joint, when they heard hurried footsteps and loud voices - Noah and Audrey.

"- doesn't mean you can go around being a slag-"

"Oh so now I'm being a slag, I thought I was only being inappropriate-"

"Call it what you want, you can't be doing this-"

"Yes I can and I WILL Noah! You have no right-"

"I have every right, I'm your goddamn best friend-"

"Well, best friend, you're overreacting-"

"So what if I am? I forbid you-"

"Oh you forbid me, do you? Well I forbid you from being a DICK but it's not like that's going to make you stop-"

"At least I'm not hurting anybody-"

"Neither am I!"

At this point, the livid pair reached the other two, and the four best friends stood facing each other - Audrey fuming, Noah exasperated, Leah confused, and Mason concerned. He was the first to break the tension.

"So… should we head to the party, then?" he raised his eyebrows at them.

"I'll be there in a while, there's something I need to do," Audrey snapped and stormed off.

"Get back here!" Noah started after her, but tripped on his way thanks to a wordless charm from Audrey, who pocketed her wand and gave him the finger before disappearing around a corner.

Seething, Noah kicked the floor and turned to walk in the direction of the stairs, muttering angrily to himself.

Leah and Mason exchanged a worried look before scurrying after him. This was not going to end well.

By the time Louis and Lucy walked into the party - nearly an hour late, thanks with Lucas and Angelina - it was well underway. The massive Charms classroom had been sparingly lit with floating strobe lights, and loud music by Swish and Flick blared from concealed speakers. Lucy noticed Leah dancing on a desk in one corner with Iris Lloyd - one of Audrey's Slytherin roommates, a pretty girl with long, straight, platinum blonde hair, pale skin, and light green eyes. Angelina ran off to join them, and Louis followed, grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey on his way. Tyler Campbell was making his way around with a tray of shots when he noticed Lucy and Lucas and headed straight to them.

"So what are we drinking today, Campbell?" Lucy took two shot glasses off the levitating tray and handed one to Lucas. It was half filled with a transparent liquid, like water, or…

"Veritaserum! At least that's what we're calling it. It's a pretty strong muggle drink that's said to have a similar effect, if you know what I mean," Tyler winked at Lucy. "It's better known as vodka. Bottoms up!"

The three sixth year's clinked their plastic shot glasses together and gulped the liquid down in one go. It seemed to scorch Lucy's throat as it went down it, but nothing she wasn't used to. Lucas yelped and ran off to join Mason and Noah, who he'd just spotted doing some sort of drunken chicken dance.

"So Tyler, how goes it?" Lucy turned to her only company.

"Well, it goes. I wanted to ask Audrey out this year - you know Audrey? Gorgeous, your year, your best friend- hey wait! She's your best friend too!" Tyler drunkenly beamed at his discovery. "So yeah, I wanted to ask her out, but I guess that isn't happening since Noah's in love with her. But that's okay. What's that thing they say? Bros before hoes? Not that she's a hoe, no way, please don't tell her I said that," he pleaded with his bright brown puppy eyes. Everything about him resembled a puppy, actually. Shaggy brown hair that fell into his eyes, and that unassuming, slightly blank smile.

But Lucy wasn't bothered about any of that, not after what he'd just said. No, not the 'hoes' part. "Noah's in love with her? What makes you think so?" she inquired.

"I dunno, he kind of got mad at me when I asked him if I could ask her out, and then she came and hugged him, and then he walked away from me… and I want another shot! Do you want another shot?" he handed one to Lucy without waiting for a reply.

She gulped it down with him. "How many have you had by now anyway?"

"This," Tyler said, gulping another, "was my sixth." With a victorious whoop and jump, Tyler scampered off to join the boys, forgetting the tray of shots still levitating next to Lucy.

Right then, Angelina quite literally flew into her, like she'd leapt from the table and landed right on her. "LUCY GOOSEEYYYYYY!"

Lucy pushed the brunette off herself and into Louis, who caught her. "What the hell is a Lucy Goosey?"

"Don't you like it, Lucy Goosey? It's my new name for you! Luuu-cy! Gooo-sey!" Angelina giggled.

Before Lucy could react, she was spun around to face a somber looking Leah.

"Listen, buddy, do you see Harry Prewett anywhere?" Behind Leah, Iris frantically shook her head 'no' at Lucy, who played along.

"Don't think I have, Lee, why do you ask?"

"Because," Leah leaned closer conspiratorially, "I really want," she whispered, "to FUCK him!"

"What the fucking-"

"Yes! Fuck! I want to FUCK Harry Prewett! I want to SHAG the living daylights out of him! I want to BONE him! I want to BLOW him!"

"I am so not drunk enough for this," Lucy mumbled to herself.

"Then keep up, bitch," Audrey appeared behind her, chestnut curls a fair bit of a mess. She handed one shot glass from the tray to each of the others, then took two for herself, which she drained in quick succession.

"Audrey, I want to do it with Harry Prewett!" Leah exclaimed. "I want to BLOW him so bad-"

"Have you ever blown anybody, Leah?" Audrey interrupted, amused.

"No, but I WILL blow him!" Leah had decided.

"Do it with Harry Prewett!" Angelina suddenly exclaimed, noticing the rhyme. "Do it with Harry Prewett!"

This sent Iris into a fit of giggles that Lucy found herself joining - the alcohol seemed to finally have taken its effect. "Louis, where's the bottle of firewhiskey you had?"

"Right… here!" he accio'd it out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Lucy took a big sip and passed it to Iris, who took a quick gulp and passed it to Audrey, who emptied the bottle of its contents. "What? I reached late, gotta catch up," Audrey shrugged at the others.

"DO IT WITH PREWETT!" Angelina and Leah were screaming together now, arms linked, stumbling all over each other. Lucy would've been concerned, but she'd gone off with Iris by then to join the boys, who seemed to have graduated to actual dancing. Louis and Audrey shared an amused smile.

Leah suddenly passed a shot to each of them. "TO DOING IT WITH PREWETT!" she screeched with Angelina.

"I don't think either of you should-" Louis started, but was cut off by the two downing their shots, followed by Angelina falling into his arms and starting to heave.

"CoGo?" Audrey suggested, holding her shot glass up.

"CoGo," Louis agreed. Each swallowed the fiery liquid and headed towards the nearest door, Angelina being supported by Louis, and Leah holding Audrey's hand, whooping.

Louis sighed loudly and collapsed onto one of the beds. The Come and Go room, codenamed 'CoGo', had presented them with a large room he'd gotten quite used to seeing over their fifth year. It was equipped with a floor to ceiling, fully stocked medical cabinet, four walled off toilets with excellent plumbing, a walled off shower stall, a curtained space for privacy, a closet with fresh towels and pyjamas, another with magic and muggle cards and games, a small sink and a shelf next to it that held toothbrushes and paste, a kitchenette, a refrigerator with soda and cola and juices - and Louis's personal favourite, the beds. Depending on what they asked for while entering and how many of them there were, CoGo produced the appropriate number of beds, and resized the room accordingly, though that was the only thing that ever changed. There were four beds this time. Like always, one of the beds against a wall had a replica of Audrey's blanket from home, and Louis had wrapped himself in it. Angelina was passed out on the bed to his left, and Audrey was helping Leah change into clean clothes behind the curtain. Louis closed his eyes for a minute, but discovered that he'd fallen asleep when Audrey jumped on him to wake him up.

"Get out of my blanket, asshole! I'm not done partying."

"You barely started partying," Louis sleepily murmured.

"Exactly, so get up! Don't leave me like this, Lou," Audrey pleaded in her baby voice, a tactic she only employed under the influence.

He gave in and pushed himself up, crossing his legs to sit next to her. "It still amazes me how well you handle drunk people when you're almost as drunk as they are."

"I don't know. I can feel myself stumbling and hazy, but I still manage to take care of them. I guess it's just muscle memory at this point," she laughed, referring to the several times they'd come to this room last year, when they'd discovered drinking and needed somewhere to go to take care of the drunk ones - or to continue the party. Audrey usually drank the most in the group, and Louis admired how rather than becoming a mess, she was the most easygoing drunk of them all, and certainly the most efficient. The comfortably asleep Leah and Angelina were proof.

"So what do you suggest we do, party girl?" Louis teased.

She hit him with a pillow. "Well, how drunk are you? Scale of one to ten?"

"Um… four, I guess?" Louis shrugged. "The nap sobered me up a fair bit."

Audrey groaned and hit him again. "Shouldn't have taken a nap then, asshole. I'm at seven, and I need company.

Louis gestured for her to wait and strode across the room to the medical cabinet. He undid a concealment charm in the bottom right corner, revealing some half empty bottles of liquor. He selected a nearly full bottle of sherry and redid the charm.

Audrey jumped up and hugged Louis. "You're officially my favourite person in the room right now."

"I'm the only conscious person in the room except you right now," he laughed.

"Exactly, and you still win that title over me. At least until this bottle is over," she winked at him took a swig to inaugurate the bottle. "Drinking game?"

"Better idea: regular game, loser drinks."

"Well that's a nice way to get all the sherry for yourself."

"Hah! In your dreams, Harper. And even if that were true, don't you want company?"

"Good point. Rock paper scissors?"

"What?"

"Do you want to get drunk quickly or not?"

"You're on!" Louis laughed.

"Accio!" Audrey pointed her wand at the games closet, and some parchment and a quill shot out of it and into her free hand. She positioned the quill on the parchment and let go of it, where it stood ready to make notes. "To keep track of the wins," she explained.

Louis shook his head and smiled. "Always competitive," he teased.

"Bite me, blondie," she shot back. "Ready?"

Louis and Audrey turned to properly face each other, kohl rimmed blue eyes narrowed menacingly at crinkling light brown, and together they shrieked - "ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!"

They launched into a blur of yelling, violent hand waving, and drinking. It was a testament to the amount of alcohol their sleeping companions had consumed that they didn't wake up at Louis and Audrey's screams of "HAH! Drink!", "Suck it, bitch!", "Fuck you!", "Bloody hell!", "Louis is a lo-ser!", and "Audrey is an ass-hole!", among other general yelps and cheers. About ten minutes and half a bottle of sherry later, the two fell onto the bed, clutching their stomachs in uncontrollable laughter.

"You're really bad at this game," Audrey laughed.

"Am not!" Louis protested.

"Well then I'm just really good," Audrey grinned.

"How can anyone be good at a game like Rock Paper Scissors?"

"How can anyone be so bad, is what you should be asking yourself!" Audrey teased, earning a whack on the head with a pillow from Louis. She wrestled the pillow out of his hands and sat on top of him, laughing and smacking his head repeatedly.

"Ow! Alright- ow! Fine you- OW! Win! Audrey you WIN!" Louis sighed with relief when she threw the pillow away and looked up at her - messy hair, black smudged around her eyes, and a triumphant expression of glee that lit up her whole face. "You're pretty," he said sincerely.

Audrey burst out laughing and climbed off him, lying down next to him. "You're drunk."

"You're still pretty," he grinned. "And you wanted company, didn't you?"

"That I did."

"And am I drunk enough for you now, my lady?"

"You certainly are, kind sir."

"Well then, what do we do with ourselves in my newly achieved inebriated state?"

"We sleep."

"Wait, what?" Louis sat up. "I thought you weren't done partying!"

"I am now. Let's sleep!" she tried to pull him down.

"But I got drunk for you!"

"And that's very nice of you, but I'm sleepy."

"And I'm drunk!"

"Then drunkenly sing me to sleep," Audrey tried to suppress a smile.

"No way! You know I don't sing unless I'm drunk!"

"And didn't you just say you were?"

"Fine, let's sleep." Louis got into bed next to her, defeated. "You're pretty, but you're mean," he muttered.

"Say that again and I'll stop sharing the blanket with you," Audrey sleepily threatened. She extinguished the lights with her wand and put her head on Louis's arm.

"Fine, you're not pretty," he whispered.

Audrey chuckled and closed her eyes. "How drunk do you have to be to sing?" she asked.

"A ten," Louis smiled.

"Maybe next time," she murmured, snuggling closer to him. He adjusted the blanket to cover both of them, and before either of them knew it, they were sound asleep.

Thanks for reading! You know what to do.

xx