Disclaimer: These characters are JK Rowling's, obviously. Not mine!

My second chapter! Thanks for reading!

Many thanks to D.S.S. for being my first reviewer! It made me so happy!
Anyway, onwards and upwards...

Chapter 2: Harry's Terrible Hangover

Harry woke up the next day in his bedroom at Grimmauld Place with the hangover from hell. If he hadn't known better, he could've sworn Snape had put something in his fire whiskey. No, he reminded himself, it was just the skinful of alcohol he'd consumed the night before.

He propped himself up on his elbows. It bloody hurt to move his head off the pillow but he managed to sit up for a moment. Grimmauld Place sounded pretty quiet, he imagined Sirius and Remus were sleeping it off in their gorgeous king size four poster bed on the floor below. If they felt anything like he did..... Christ he didn't want to know about it, his mouth felt like a hinkey punk had died in there.

He looked round and parted the heavy velvet curtains at his window gently. The July light streamed in and Harry had to look away, it was too bright for his overly heightened senses this morning. Still no sign of Hedwig or any other owls. He knew it was a bit early to hear form Ron or Hermione, but hopefully they'd be there in the next few days and they could start on their flat-hunting.

As Harry lay back on his beautifully cool pillow, a wave of nausea overcame him and he leapt from his bed with an energy he didn't think he possessed and made for the bathroom.

Hours later, sometime around one in the afternoon, Harry awoke for a second time. For the second time he felt like shit. He blinked his eyes open to find Hedwig hooting rather more loudly than was necessary. He took the note from her leg and opened it, fingers trembling. He couldn't work out a word, but then he realised he wasn't wearing his glasses and fumbled for them on the bedside table. Eyes suitably attired, he began to read:

Dear Harry,

Hope your first night home was a good one. This note is just to let you know that I have booked a last minute holiday to Greece on the internet for me and Ron, so we will not be back in London to go house hunting until next week. We are jetting out from Stansted this afternoon, but we will send you a post card. Say hi to Sirius and Professor Lupin for me.

Love Hermione.

PS Ron says hello

Harry shooed Hedwig away as she tried to nuzzle him. "Get away you silly owl."

Hedwig turned away in disgust. She didn't recognize this grizzly, bedraggled Harry sporting a scowl and a the beginnings of a patchy beard. Needless to say, she didn't approve.

Harry felt pretty pissed off after reading Hermione's letter. He almost felt, how dare they go away? Away without him, you mean, he told himself. Yes, they were a couple now. And yes, he knew that would sometimes cause friction between the three of them, especially if they were living together. How could it not, they'd been best friends for years.

But then Harry realised, it wasn't the their couply business that bothered him so much. It was the fact that he'd been expecting to see them soon to get on with finding a flat, and now he'd have to wait another week at Grimmauld place before they could really get started.

The other thing that pissed Harry off, was the fact that he wasn't part of a couple. He didn't think he'd feel it so soon, but he did and he was jealous as all hell of Ron, having a gorgeous girl to go swanning off into the sunset with. True, it was only an easyjet flight to Greece, but still. It beat hanging out in creepy old Grimmauld place with Sirius and Remus and the possibility of Snape popping in.

Sod 'em, thought Harry, trying to get out of bed. This proved harder than it sounded. Eventually, with tremendous effort, he forced his aching body to stand and he staggered downstairs to the kitchen.

Harry walked in to find Sirius and Remus impossibly chirpy. Sirius was bent over the Aga making pancakes in a velvet smoking jacket. Remus was doing the crossword in the Daily Prophet and still wearing his stripy cotton pyjamas. Harry suddenly felt very self conscious of the fact he was wearing his Homer Simpson boxer shorts and a faceful of stubble.

"Harry!" boomed Sirius from the stove. "How you feeling? Fancy some pancakes?" He proffered the frying pan in Harry's direction with a cheery grin bordering on the manic.

"Eh? No! Err, I mean, no thanks." Harry scratched his head, "since when did you know how to cook?"

"Oh, young Mooney here taught me thing or two." The pair exchanged glances, Remus peered sexily over the top of his newspaper, Sirius flashed a sleazy grin. "The rest I learnt from books."

"Err, right." Harry sat down, more than slightly perplexed by this scene of domestic bliss.

"Coffee Harry?" Remus held out a coffee pot and a slightly chipped mug.

"Yeah, alright." Harry eased himself into a chair and tried to focus on holding his drink. "I got this letter from Hermione. Says she's off to Greece with Ron, they won't be back till next week so I can't really get looking for a place to live until then."

"Well, that's okay," said Sirius, "You can stay here as long as you like, you know that."

Harry nodded. Something knobbly was pounding his head from the inside and it really fucking hurt.

"Feeling like shit?" asked Remus sagely over his coffee cup.

"Uh-huh." Harry rubbed his temple. "I don't know how you two do it."

"Years of practice," said Sirius, flipping the pancakes with a spatula.

"Don't worry, it gets better," reassured Remus, munching his pancakes.

"Don't listen to him Harry, it bloody doesn't. Mooney, don't talk bollocks. I'm sorry Harry, it's just I thought you'd have inherited your father's talent for boozing. He had the constitution of a hippogriff."

"It took him a few years mind. Remember that time he threw up all over Lily's shoes at the Goblin Grotto one night? No wonder they didn't get together for ages. And I don't know if talent is the right word for it."

"The Goblin Grotto? Where's that?" Harry was intrigued, as he always was when they talked about his parents in their student days.

"Where was it you mean," smirked Sirius.

"It was this infamous nightclub in Hogsmeade," Remus explained. "A total dive, it was shut down eventually for underage drinking."

"I had my first kiss there," mused Sirius.

"You did not! Your first kiss was in first year, behind the greenhouses."

"Well, my first something there anyway," Sirius put the pancakes onto a plate. "Those days are a bit hazy now I'm afraid."

"Because you were permanently pissed," retorted Harry's former professor.

Harry smiled at the good natured banter between the two. He envied the closeness they had, the same closeness that Hermione and Ron were no doubt developing in the departure lounge of Stansted Airport. He grinned, thinking of Ron getting on a plane for the first time, he'd probably be terrified.

"Harry?"

He looked up, "Sirius?"

"We were thinking of having a few people round tonight, a bit of a get together, if you're not feeling too rough?"

"More booze?"

"Well, yes, but I'll cook. It'll be fun."

"Only if you want to though," said Remus. "If you can't face folk with a hangover..."

"No, it's not that, it's just I don't think I can face Dumbledore with a hangover. I've only just left Hogwarts."

"Oh, no," said Remus, "he won't be there. It'll be the Order, but Dumbledore left for his summer holidays yesterday so there's no danger of running into him."

"Or Snape," added Sirius, reading Harry's mind. "Severus isn't invited to my dinner parties."

Harry nodded and reached for the coffee pot...