Usual Disclaimer: Unfortunately this world and its wonderful inhabitants do not belong to me, they belong to J. K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them. I am making no money from this it is purely for the enjoyment of those few who choose to read it. Thanks J. K. for lending me your ready made world of magic.

A/N: Thanks as usual to all my reviewers, namely: BlueEyedOne, Laura, Nichole08, Wolfwitch, Rei the Genki-Chan, Caryla, Suzaku West, Beloved, Serena McKeenzo, Casey Katemera, Fallen Angel, Elebereth, Isis-mystic, ziggisgirl2003, SiLvErFaTeD, The-Magnificent-Fuzzy, Siriusly Black2, SheWolfe7, tamachan444, Andromeda Summer, Dragenphly, and spamy (It had already happened ;-P ).

Also I would like to note that updates will be reducing from weekly to fortnightly for the next month or so, while I get my hectic life sorted so I'm just letting you all know in advance. That's every second Saturday that I will now update so look for chapter 24 two weeks from today. Thanks.

Chapter 23 - Fun and (Drinking) Games.

Everyone began to worry about Ron as the hours passed and by dinnertime, they tried to take their mind off of the things that could have happened to him by trying to watch T.V. It was early evening when Ron let himself into Grimmauld carrying two dark carrier bags courtesy of his endearing twin brothers. When he made his way into the lounge, he saw that Harry was lounged comfortably across Draco's lap in the armchair. When Harry realised Ron was there, he blushed and made to move.

"No don't." Ron stopped him. "I'm going to have to get used to it anyway." He put the bags down at the side of the couch with, the unmistakable 'chink' sounds of bottles resonating from them as he took a seat on the couch beside Hermione. "Alco-pops and Fire-whiskey courtesy of Gred and Forge." He explained

"Mmm." Ginny licked her lips.

Harry got up and retrieved some glasses and a bottle opener from the kitchen while Hermione lined up a movie. He was quite grateful as the casual drinks throughout the movie had a hugely calming effect on the group, easing any tension still lingering from that morning.

They all watched the movie with the exception of Harry who watched Draco watching the movie. He ran his fingers in light circles on Draco's stomach under his shirt and, checking that nobody was looking, planted occasional soft kisses on his jaw and neck.

Partway through the film Draco took a sharp intake of breath and whispered "Harry you're going to have to stop doing that."

"Oh?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "And why's that?" He asked teasingly, although he was perfectly aware of the 'problem' pressing against his leg.

"Because you're making me hard." He whispered closing his eyes as Harry's hand wandered down from his shirt to his lap, stroking his arousal through the material of his trousers.

"Oh so you are." Harry whispered in mock surprise.

"Harry!" He pleaded quietly.

"I'll meet you in the bathroom." Harry whispered and sidled off of his lap to let him out.

Ron raised his eyebrows as Draco left, but Harry just blushed as he too stood to leave.

"Just going to um... help Draco with something." He heard Ron groan audibly and pour more Fire-whiskey as he left.

By the time they returned, the movie had just finished. Ron took a large gulp of

Fire-whiskey and could not look at either Harry or Draco.

"We're playing 'spin the bottle'!" Ginny giggled, draining the remainder of her Alco-pop and placing the bottle on its side in the centre of the coffee table.

"Yeah," Hermione giggled, "except it's more like 'truth or truth' seeing as there aren't many dares we can do in here."

"Truth or truth?" Harry questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Don't look at me!" Ron protested as Harry's eyes moved to him. "This was Ginny's 'bright' idea." He threw his hands in the air and he was quite obviously pretty drunk already.

Harry and Draco raised their eyebrows at each other. This was going to be interesting.

They all sat on the floor around the table with the bottle in the centre of it.

"So how do we know each person is telling the truth?" Draco asked.

"Trust?" Hermione suggested but even she sounded sceptical.

"I have a better idea." Harry said, standing and heading for the door. " Back in a minute." He said, making a quick dash to the Den.

When he returned, he reclaimed his spot on the floor and placed a crystal around the size of a golf ball on the table, out of the way of the bottle.

"And that would be?" Ron questioned, indicating to the crystal.

"A sort of truth detector. It picks up the vibrations of your voice from the air and detects any slight variations in tone, undetectable o the human ear. It's pretty accurate but nowhere near the strength or accuracy of Veritaserum or such like and it can't force you to tell the real truth." Harry explained.

"And if we do lie?" Ginny asked.

"It shakes and goes cloudy."

"Come on then, let's get started." Ginny rubbed her hands together somewhat evilly.

"Go on then. You spin first." Harry prompted her, discretely squeezing Draco's leg in reassurance, easing the slight nervousness he felt in his mate.

The bottle spun smoothly, having been fixed to the table so that it would not spin off, and, as fate would have it, it stopped pointing directly at Harry.

"Just my luck. Fire away."

"Hmm, okay, what were you and Draco doing when you disappeared earlier?" She raised an eyebrow and grinned as if she didn't already know.

"Ginny!" Ron protested. Draco watched Harry, wondering how he was going to get them out of this one. Harry blushed, wondering just how vague he could be.

"We were... um... enjoying ourselves." He blushed profusely, avoiding everyone's eyes and feeling relieved that the vague statement did not cause a reaction from the crystal. Ron groaned loudly and drained the glass he was holding. Ginny whispered something to Hermione, which caused Hermione to stare at her in shock but then giggle and agree anyway. Harry shook his head to himself. Worryingly, the comment had sounded very much like 'I'd like to have been a fly on the wall'.

"My turn." He stated, spinning the bottle. It pointed towards Hermione when it came to a standstill and Harry grinned, he had the perfect question.

"So how long have you and Ron been together and were you planning on telling me anytime soon?" Ron stared ashamedly into the bottom of his empty glass and Hermione blushed.

"Since the beginning of summer. We didn't say anything because... because Ron didn't want Draco to make fun of us."

An awkward silence descended on them for a moment before Harry poured more drinks and motioned for Hermione to spin the bottle. "No need to worry about that now. Next Question."

"No fair!" Harry protested as the bottle came to rest, pointing at him once again.

"So Harry, who else have you kissed, other than Draco I mean?"

"Um... well you..." He started, glad that Ron already knew about their drunken kiss the previous summer while he had been in mourning for Sirius. "And Cho." He finished, knowing he would not get away with it but tried anyway. The crystal began to shake and filled with dark grey fog,

"Ooh, come on Harry! What are you hiding?" Ginny giggled excitedly.

"And..." He took a breath, "Dean."

"Dean!?" Ron looked as if he might pass out and Hermione placed a placating hand on her boyfriend's leg.

"Ron shh." She comforted him as Harry spun the bottle for the sake of moving on quickly.

"Ooh me!" Ginny said excitedly ad the bottle slowed to a halt.

"Right Ginny, what about you love life? Who've the luck guys been?"

"Erm, well a couple of guys in my year - John, Kevin and Trent. Oh and I went on one date with Colin Creevey but that was just because he wouldn't leave me alone in Hogsmeade."

"Ginny! You're only sixteen! That's more people than the rest of us have been out with!"

"Speak for yourself." Draco smirked and Ginny rolled her eyes both at her brother's reaction and at Draco's comment.

"Not all Weasleys are as blind to the opposite sex as you Ron." She remarked, spinning the bottle as Ron too another large gulp of Whiskey. The bottle pointed towards Draco as she had hoped.

"Right then Mr 'speak for yourself', speak for yourself. What about your love life, prior to Harry?"

"Um... well... Pansy, Blaise Zabini, Marcus Flint... plus a few other younger... and older (at the time) Slytherins you probably don't know... and a Ravenclaw girl... I don't remember her name." He avoided Harry's eyes as the crystal filled with smoke and began to shake.

"Ooh! Come on no secrets!" Ginny prompted. Harry smiled, encouraging him to continue, not knowing that he would rather not hear the truth.

"It was... Cho."

All eyes immediately went to Harry, his smile faded.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. We weren't exactly together for long." Harry forced a small smile but Draco sensed its falseness.

"It was before you went out. I knew you liked her... I wanted to get at you but then I felt horrible... and ashamed and I didn't tell anyone..."

"You don't need to explain, it's okay." Harry said tensely but he softened as he saw the look of shame and worry in Draco's eyes. "It's okay." He sighed. "Go on, spin." Draco stared searchingly into his partner's eyes for a moment before the tension was released.

"Wait a minute! Did you just say Marcus Flint? Flint?! Did you go temporarily blind? Eugh! Have you seen the state of him?!" Ron screwed his face up.

"Yes I am aware of his unfortunate features but it was one of the Slytherin dorm parties and I'm afraid I was too drunk to refuse the dare." Draco responded as he spun the bottle.

It came to rest at Hermione.

"So Hermione, who else have you kissed apart from these two?" He smirked, already knowing at least part of the answer.

"No one!" She answered indignantly but the crystal disagreed as it shook violently at her indignant response.

"Ok fine! Your 'friend' Blaise and I had a small thing..."

"Blaise?!" Both Harry and Ron stared at her in shock and amazement. Ginny just giggled.

"You knew!" Ron accused his sister.

"Of course I knew! It was like the gossip of the century!"

"Shut up Ginny. It was just a moment of madness. I thought I was helping House unity..." Harry was still staring at her.

"You're a dark horse!"

"No I'm not! Moving on!" She spun the bottle quickly.

"Ah, Ron... was I really the first girl you kissed?"

"Yes." He blushed and nobody needed to look to know tat the crystal was lying perfectly still and clear. He spun the bottle and it once again stopped facing towards Draco.

"Me again?" Draco rolled his eyes. Desperate to transfer some of his embarrassment, he asked the first question that popped into his head.

"So if you're gay now, how far have you been with a girl?"

"Don't be crude! I'm not that drunk." Draco scowled. The bottle, when he spun it pointed straight back at Ron.

"What's your worst fear?" Draco asked and Ron glanced at the crystal before answering.

"Spiders." The crystal shook slightly. "Well they're my second worst fear."

"What's the first then?" Ron glanced at Harry and Harry understood. Ron really was the best, most caring brother he could ask for.

"I'm afraid that Harry will be taken away from us." He drained yet another glass of whiskey and spun the bottle. It made a quiet whirring noise in the silence that had taken over.

"Right then Harry." He said, trying to lighten the mood, as the bottle stopped spinning. "What's Draco's biggest secret?"

Draco felt panic rising in him. There were so many things that Harry knew about him. Things nobody else could know. What was Harry going to tell them?

Harry sensed his mate's insecurity and his hand found it's way to Draco's knee and squeezed it reassuringly. He laughed at the question and Draco watched him intently. Harry's eyes glittered mischievously as he answered.

"He straightens his hair!" This sent everyone into hysterics and Draco looked horrified as he punched Harry on the arm.

"You'll pay for that." He threatened half-heartedly before dissolving into laughter himself.

By the time the laughter had subsided, it was very late, or to be exact, very early and everyone headed unsteadily to bed. Every one, happy and sufficiently tipsy, or in Ron's case, practically inebriated.