authorsnote: get ready for more partyinggg. honestly writing about partying is making me miss being able to do it (my country is alas still in lockdown), and I didn't particularly love it pre-covid, sigh.
anywho, please enjoy chapter 2, this fic just feels like pure fun to write, which sometimes you need!
songrecs: pretty savage - blackpink
By the time they arrived at Charmed, they were both more than a few drinks deep and ready to have some fun.
She'd anticipated coming out tonight, having a nice dinner with her best friend, a few drinks and then home, but as she and Harry stumbled into the que together (they could have skipped it, Boy-Who-Lived and all' but she knew Harry would never be so mortified), she realised that perhaps tonight they'd be in it for the long haul. After all it was barely brushing midnight and the club was already packed.
Wizarding Britain wasn't large but had a large enough younger population that it took them a good fifteen minutes to get inside the club. A sloppy warming charm helped some (before Harry forcibly tucked her wand in her purse and she laughed – drunken magic true, was never a good idea), and then they were stumbling inside, a little more sober, but non deterred from more drinks and fun.
"I need the loo" Hermione yelled into Harry's ear, as the second they stumbled down the steps into the main club the loud music took over, making hearing one another without yelling near impossible.
"I'll get drinks" He shouted back and she nodded before weaving her way to the bathroom, waving at friends and nodding at people she knew on the way.
It was busy. The front of the club was a main little entrance hall that morphed into stairs, that opened them into the main bar area, whilst the main dance area was sprawled across the back. Magic helped extend the tiny front into a huge club, filled with the gyrating bodies of practically every wizard and witch in Britain, 18-35.
As she hurried to the toilet, she saw plenty of familiar faces. Lavender, Pavarti, Padma all gave her a wave (girlhood animosities long forgotten), George, Fred, Angelina and Katie all yelled her name and grinned at her (she may have fallen out with Ron, and thus be ostracized from Weasley gatherings, but the twins took no notice of that), Neville, Dean, Seamus all smiled at her (and she saw Ron clumped behind them with Ginny and Luna, the latter waving with a grin, the other two she ignored).
It was true, in the years following the war the younger population had decided to live life to the fullest. She even smiled and nodded to herself at the thought as she hurried into the bathroom – gone were the days of marriage days after graduation and betrothal contracts, now the generation that had lived through a war at too young an age were having fun.
She had always seen the wizarding world as stuffy and conservative, and she considered that she hurried into the cubicle. She knew the purebloods were the worst, but even the other families she'd known had been very backwards, considering marriage and babies the first thing to do outside of school.
That would never be her life, she didn't want it to be, she thought with a shake of her head, that had been one of the things she and Ron had argued about, and she knew Harry and Ginny had too. Just 6 years since they'd left school, in their mid-20's, they wanted to live a little before being tied down.
She wondered if it was a cultural thing. Her and Harry being from the muggle world, it was normal to wait until your very late 20's or 30's to get married and have kids, in the wizarding world some would describe her as an old maid at 25! Did they have a warped perspective? Or was she (and Harry) simply keen to live more of life before taking on so much responsibility.
She knew that was her view, and Harry had expressed the same.
Why not live a little?
Once she finished up in the bathroom she felt resolute – why not live a little? That was exactly what she intended and wanted to do, and she'd be damned if she let backward conservative wizarding views, and redhead ex-boyfriends who had whinged about her ambition ruin that.
And as she ran back to the bar, and Harry handed her something green and sparkling she grinned, slipped her hand into his and dragged him (and he rolled his eyes but followed, clutching his own orange, smoking concoction), straight to the dance floor.
Time to live a little.
By the time they arrived at Charmed (which he hated the name of – he'd rolled his eyes when Flint had told him), it was fair to say he was more than a little half cut.
Not that he (nor Blaise or Theo who were maybe a little worse off), showed it. They were Slytherins, they didn't show weakness or emotion, and so as they sauntered to the bar, ordered three specials (who knew what they were, but it was a Friday night, they had plenty of time to sleep it off), they looked the picture of composed, even if they felt anything but.
After his little snit with Pansy (and god that girl was a tease), he, Blaise and Theo had drank far too much firewhisky whilst swapping tales about their love life's. His was as always completely shallow, Blaise wasn't much better, and Theo was a complete dog himself. There wasn't really love life's to discuss, rather just conquests.
He preferred it that way.
Once he had been told he'd marry at 18, just after graduation, to a pretty pureblood girl to carry on the family line. Perhaps someone like Daphne Greengrass or Tracy Davies.
Thank goodness times had changed enough that he'd rolled his eyes when his Mother had suggested marriage, and instead was living life to the full.
Purebloods did hate when society changed, but his generation had certainly been happy to turn their backs on the conservative ideals of their parents, that was for sure.
"Three more dragon fire shots as well" Theo yelled to the bartender.
The club was always loud, music bouncing off the walls, the dancefloor packed with dancing bodies and people ready to let loose. He recognised a few faces, he could see Pansy was already here, stood with Daphne and Tracy, and Millicent, Pansy shot him a wink as she caught his eye and he rolled his in response. He could see a few tell tale flashes of red hair – Weasley's, and as the shots were poured he noticed plenty of his Hogwarts chums running to the dance floor.
He didn't have much interest in seeing who, and instead quickly tipped back his shot, concealing his grimace at the taste before Theo was ordering a second round.
It was destined to be that kind of night he guessed, and he wasn't complaining as he took a sip of the blue and bubbling, he liked nights out like these, complete and utter drunkenness and even sometimes debauchery.
Why not live a little after all?
"I see Flint and his gang" Blaise yelled, and Draco turned to see Pucey, Warrington, Bletchley and Montague with Flint on the side of the dance floor, Draco gave them a nod as they noticed him, and knew they'd make their way over.
It had been a while since he'd had a long night out, and as he downed his drink and ordered three more before heading over to their school friends, he knew tonight would be that kind of night.
He certainly wasn't complaining about it though – why not live a little?
The dance floor was packed, bodies moving, hands roaming, hips swaying. It made her think oddly of the Yule Ball, though no formal robes and far more debauchery than Hogwarts would have allowed.
Also she was no ugly duckling turned swan now, rather a woman confident (at least mostly) in her own skin.
She grinned as she walked with Harry onto the dance floor as the music thrummed, the dancers bounced, the lights shimmered and all worries, responsibilities and concerns just seemed to melt away.
Responsibility - the word made her want to sigh. Already she carried far too much of that, working her ass off in the Department of Magical Law, fighting for animal rights. She'd originally planned to go into the Department of Magical Creatures but had soon realised going into the Law department would give her more freedom (and power) to overturn the oppressive creature laws that had been a scourge on the wizarding world for too long.
But then, having such a unique position (she'd had to match into the Ministry to practically invent) had seen a high workload, lots of responsibility and a depressing amount of failure.
She knew Harry shouldered the same burdens. The Boy-Who-Lived fame continued to stalk him, and though he'd earned his position as Assistant Head of the Auror Department she knew the responsibility on his shoulders to always capture the bad guy (after all plenty of Death Eaters remained on the loose, as well as the run of the mill murderers and criminals), and to always win the fight.
Both of them had too much on their plates at 25, and so letting loose was essential.
Something she was realising as she began to dance, Harry (with surprisingly good rhythm to those who didn't know him - seeker reflexes and all), dancing opposite her, even twirling her around once or twice. She realised how much she had needed this, and not even the sight of Ron dancing unashamedly dancing with some brunette (not that him doing that bothered her, but she still hurt for the loss of friendship and his attempt to be mean), could bother her.
"I needed this" She yelled to Harry as he twirled her again, as she waved to Hannah Abott and Susan Bones who enthusiastically waved back, both dancing nearby, and Harry nodded and grinned. They both had.
"More drinks?" Harry yelled and she nodded, as he took her empty glass and nodded, he'd be right back (and ignored the several girls who tried to ambush him on his way to the bar - ever since he had dumped Ginny, several girls had set their eyes on the Boy-Who-Lived, eyeing most likely his fame, looks and Gringotts vault. Of course, she'd never let any harlot take advantage of her friend, but damn if they weren't sneaky and ambitious.
She tried not to analyse too hard that she too was a war hero with a healthy bank account and yet no wizards were beating down her door.
And so, as Harry fought his way to the bar she continued to dance along to the music, happily dancing in place, forcing herself to put her worries to one side, even if just for one night. She knew tomorrow she'd pay, but for now she was content to have a good night out with her best friend.
And she smiled even more, the worries really melting away, as another friend bounded over to her.
"Luna!" She found herself exclaiming, pleased as the blonde girl hurried over to her, she even pulled her into a hug. The alcohol, atmosphere and how pleased she was to see her slightly airier friend taking over her, concerns forgotten (for the moment at least)
"Hermione" Luna said with a grin, "You look glowy"
She smiled then, for she knew it was a compliment, but she couldn't help but glance over to where she'd seen Ron (now making out with said brunette, she near rolled her eyes), "Aren't you here with Ginny?"
"Hmm" Luna mused, "She was dancing angry, you are dancing happy, much better" She said, in her own way, as everything was, something Hermione could appreciate now, even envy, not scorn.
"Much better" She agreed, as a new song came on, and she fell back into dancing, Luna with her, both smiling.
Better.
"Luna!" It was Harry's turn to exclaim, as he handed over something pink and sweet looking to Hermione, another to Luna, his own drink purple and silver, before he three levitated shots landed in front of them "I saw you, but wasn't sure what you drank"
"Thanks Harry, not all drinks have to match" Luna said with a smile and Hermione lamented; if only the two had romantic chemistry, she felt someone as kind as Luna would be perfect for Harry, but alas she knew the two considered each nothing more than friends.
She'd be a terrible matchmaker.
"Bottoms up then!" He said, and Hermione grinned before downing her shot, wincing as it burned down her throat, before taking a sip of her (very sweet) drink to chase it down.
"To a good night" Hermione said, drink raised, for she needed one, she did, and one she would have.
"Yes!" Both of her friends cheered, as the music continued, and her smile widened.
Too many drinks later he'd caught up with his friends (though he saw the other Slytherin boys semi-regularly, a lot could happen over two weeks, hell Montague had dodged an engagement since he'd last seen him), and was at the bar, ordering more.
The night was still young, and he knew it was to be a heavy one, as most of his were.
"I'll take a firewhisky" He rolled his eyes as he nodded to the bartender, a simple signal to add it to his tab, as he turned to his newest house guest, smirking at him, looking unsurprisingly pristine, even as they stood amongst a throng of bodies sweating in the nightclub. He himself knew he looked slightly jumped up, drunk and filled with adrenaline, and yet Pansy didn't have a hair out of place.
He took a sip of his own drink, identical to hers as he waited for the bartender to make the round, more drinks would be needed to deal with Pansy.
"Want something?" It wasn't really a question but a prompt to speak. Pansy always wanted something.
"I was just coming over to see how you're getting on with your little task" Pansy drawled, taking her drink as it was slid across to her, her eyes flitting to the 'task' in question.
He didn't need to glance her way, to see where she was looking, he knew her gaze had turned to Astoria Greengrass, stood with her own gaggle of friends, laughing and smiling no doubt. He could acknowledge she was pretty, but boring, another pretty, boring, pureblood girl who'd eye his good looks, think about his family name and probably hope to snag him for marriage.
The very last thing he needed.
Pretty, boring, completely innocent... well, only for the moment if Pansy had any say in it.
"Not yet" He said with a shrug, as the bartender slid the drinks on to a tray which automatically levitated to follow him back to their seats on the edge of the dance floor. He did indicate to the bartender to do another firewhisky for he'd already near finished his, he should bill Pansy for the trouble. "I will"
"Well when dear brother?" Pansy said with a cruel grin to which he glared at her, he could tell she was het up, annoyed, she especially liked to mock him with the idea of being his sibling (which she knew he hated, she knew it made him squirm, Pansy had always had a way of reading where others couldn't, and she knew comparing them to siblings; when he'd taken her virginity none the less, made him grimace) when she was irritated with him.
"Eventually" He drawled. Someone asking him to do something guaranteed he dragged his heels, which Pansy knew, which made him realise how desperate she was to humiliate Astoria, which certainly gave him an advantage.
And Malfoy's always looked for an advantage.
"Well who else is it more important for you to screw right now?" She said through gritted teeth to which he couldn't help but smirk and near laugh.
"I'll let you know" Was all he offered and a wink, he could see she was fuming and he couldn't help but laugh then as he turned back, his drinks following him as he made his way to the seats on the edge of the dance floor.
Payback perhaps, for her teasing.
He'd do as she asked eventually - an I-O-U from Pansy was far too valuable to pass up, but he wasn't her lap dog and better she know that. He'd do as she wanted, but at his pace.
"Drinks?" He yelled as he arrived at the seating area. And a resounding cheer erupted as everyone took their refills and their shots. He downed his own as they all did and he turned back to the dance floor - who was he prioritising screwing over the admittedly pretty but dull Greengrass girl?
No one yet, but then the night was still young.
soo thoughts?
short but sweet! I wanted to set up the club atmosphere and get us ready for the next part! can anyone guess where this is going ...?
idk why but I love when ppl guess stuff in my fics - can anyone guess who I plan to ship harry with? cause yes, it is planned.
also, yes this story will have elements of cruel intentions, but won't purely follow the storyline, it will include plotpoints and have the general theme/feel, but won't follow the linear storyline to a tee-
anywho, if you enjoyed please follow/fav, let me know your thoughts!
speak soon'