AN I do not own HP or any of the characters! This round is more Romione and Drarry focused but they won't all be. It's also super late and I wanted to post this because I just finished it but there are probably errors and I promise I will be back to fix them soon! Enjoy!

Update: hopefully free of errors now! Enjoy!

It was Sunday night. No one in their right mind would get wasted on a Sunday night—Hermione had told them that multiple times already, and yet she was still sitting there on the floor with the rest of them. They were waiting for Pansy, or at least that's what someone had said, but Harry wasn't exactly paying attention. As per usual, his eyes were drawn towards Draco.

Currently, Harry's entire mind was occupied by the sight of Draco Malfoy sitting across the circle from him… in Blaise's lap. Somehow, no one was questioning the situation. Pansy wasn't there yet but Hermione and Luna both hadn't even spared a glance, which suggested that this was not an uncommon occurrence. That was even more confusing, though.

Draco was sitting cross legged in sweats and a long sleeve T-shirt, as always, but now Blaise was wrapped around him like a second shirt. Arms tight around Draco's midsection, face tucked into the hollow of the blond's throat, Blaise looked like he was holding an albino teddy bear. It was ridiculous, and yet Harry still felt a pang of jealousy.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome weaklings and weirdos!" Pansy, of course, waltzed in without batting an eye. The attention of the room, however, immediately went to the crate in her arms. She looked far too happy…

"Glad you could finally join us, Pans. What's in the box?" She looked to Blaise, but if she saw something out of the ordinary she didn't react to it. Instead, she pulled out eight wine glasses.

"Thank you so much for asking, Blaisey Boy. For any of you uneducated folks, these here are premium, stolen wine goblets that I nicked from the kitchen. I have a little… extra special challenge. Consider it a bonus round." Intrigued, their little disbanded oval of a group quickly became a tight circle.

"Bonus?" Ron was already reaching for one of the bottles in the crate, but Pansy swatted his hand away.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not yet, Ronald. In this box, I have no less than ten bottles of wine—five cheap, and five expensive. I charmed the labels so don't worry, I don't know which ones are which either 'Mione, but we all get to taste and guess. You have to guess if it's cheap or expensive, and you have to guess the type of wine. Get it right? Nothing happens. Get it wrong, though, and you have to do a half dose of veritaserum at the end—and we can ask you anything. Got it? Great, let's start." The second the instructions finished, Blaise and Hermione cheered but he distinctly heard Draco whisper fuck under his breath.

"What's the matter, Malfoy? Afraid of ruining your rich boy palate?" But Blaise snorted so hard that beer came out his nose.

"No, he knows he's going to lose." The rest of the group didn't really seem to care, but Harry was hanging on the Slytherin's every word. Draco was going to lose? Why would he lose?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco rolled his eyes, but Pansy had joined the conversation now and they were both laughing.

"He's gonna lose because Drake only likes cheap, shitty wine and he doesn't have any kind of aristocratic palate." She laughed, pouring about twice as much into her own glass than any other, but Draco wasn't really annoyed. It was kind of amazing, actually, how quickly Harry had learned to read the blond's expression. Maybe he'd always been able to? Regardless, he knew him well enough to see the smile Draco was hiding.

"Shove off, you idiots." But Draco was laughing, too, and the glass in his hand was suddenly empty now which always made his face a bit more expressive. Had the Slytherins all pregamed without them? As much as he wanted to be mad about it, Harry couldn't lie that a tipsy Draco was much more fun to observe.

"Not my fault that it's all you could steal from your parents before you joined us…" Blaise trailed off, snickering, but Draco just shoved him. Harry was distracted, though. His mind gave him that horrible mental image that had been haunting him since their first round—a little blond boy, dressed in a crisp white shirt and taking shots on the floor of a kitchen. Now, though, the little boy was chugging blood red wine. Harry hated it.

On their very first sip, both Blaise and Pansy spat the drink back into their glasses. Draco downed the entire thing without even blinking.

"I guess that answers the expensive vs. cheap part, huh?" Draco glared, but even Ron was chuckling now. There was something inherently funny about the aristocratic blond enjoying cheap wine—or even preferring it. It was barely even a quarter of a glass, but Draco was already starting to giggle under his breath.

Four bottles in, that image was still stuck in his mind. Pansy and Blaise, to no one's surprise, had yet to get a penalty but, shockingly, Luna was also killing it in the competition. She said she could taste the 'soul' of the wine. Hermione had gotten about half the points so far—she could guess the quality, but not the name—but she made the rest of them look bad. He, Neville, and Ron were failing horribly. All of his attention, though, was on Draco.

Draco had gotten the quality of the wine every damn time. By now, the entire group was basing their guesses for the quality on whether or not Draco liked the wine—which was always correct. Pansy, their unofficial game master, had started counting those as half points. Though he knew the quality, Draco got the name wrong every time.

"What? You didn't bother checking the labels before you drank it, Drake?"

"Shut the fuck up, Blaise." But both Slytherins were laughing, so Harry didn't think Draco was actually angry. Pansy began to pour their next bottle.

"Oh, hush Drake, you're just pissy because you know you'll get wine drunk a hundred times faster than any of us." Blaise snorted, but Draco just stuck his tongue out at them. It didn't hit Harry until that very moment that the blond was slipping into an easier, more casual way of existing that made him seem much more... Human.

As always, Draco was positioned to be unattainable. Blaise had relaxed his hold a bit but kept touching the blond in sweet, little ways when no one else was looking. Pansy was on their right, and Luna on their left, but Harry honestly resented their typical seating arrangement.

It was bad, and probably impulsive, but Harry was like that without alcohol so it only made sense that he became more so as he drank. He couldn't help it... The longer they sat there, drinking and guessing, the more he wanted to be next to the blond, or at least near him. He wanted Draco to tipsily laugh into his chest, not Blaise's, and he wanted to be the one that Draco reached out for to get their attention, not Pansy. Honestly, he just wanted to be able to reach the blond somehow.

It was a horrible idea—he knew that—but he was slightly tipsy and he didn't care anymore. Just as everyone turned to Luna for her guess, Harry let out a low hiss. It was barely audible, especially when the attention already wasn't on him… But Draco's head snapped up almost instantaneously. Those silver eyes bore into his him and the blond subtly rubbed at his left forearm, but he didn't look angry. Surprised, maybe, but not angry.

Tentatively, Harry hissed again. Now that their eyes were locked on one another, completely immune to the others in the room, Harry saw the Slytherin's pupils widen. It was addictive. He wasn't stupid enough to do it again, not without Draco's agreement at least, but it was enough. Just for a moment, he had Draco's complete, undivided attention.

"Shall we start the penalties, then?" Somehow, their results really hadn't changed. Pansy and Blaise were riding high with absolutely no penalties, Luna was close behind with Hermione, and then Draco, followed by the three Gryffindor boys who apparently had never drank wine in their lives. As much as he was dreading his penalty, Harry was almost giddy for Draco to take the dose. What would he ask?

"Who's first? Neville? Get it over with right off the bat? Ron? Harry?" They all avoided it, though, until Hermione volunteered to take her penalty first. She only had about two minutes worth—two wrong answers, because apparently there was something scientific that could be predicted—but she took it from Pansy without even blinking.

"Hey 'Mione, I was curious who's a better roommate: me or Luna?" Ah. Hermione didn't even bother to fight the Veritaserum, though, she just giggled.

"No offense but Luna because she keeps dried flowers everywhere and it always smells so good and I think she—"

"Hermione," Thankfully, she stopped, looking grateful for the interruption. "Remember when you raised your hand and said you'd had sex? Who and when?" That was the question. A good question, Harry thought, and he wished he'd thought of it but he was glad that Blaise was pushing for information now. Somehow, Blaise was more coherent than he was. When had that happened?

"I don't think I sh— fuck it was fifth year when the Durmstrang students were visiting and Victor and I were catching up and one thing led to another and—

"That's enough, 'Mione." Ron interrupted her, but Harry heard the hurt in his voice before the syllables even hit the air. Oh no. It was time to do damage control.

"Hey who's your crush, 'Mione?" The Gryffindor girl flushed beet red and gaped at him for a moment, as if she couldn't believe he'd really just asked that, but the Veritaserum was stronger.

"I… It's Ron, I'm sorry, I just—"

"What..?" Their little circle had gone deathly silent, but Ron seemed weirdly calm given the situation. Hermione was flushed, but her dose was fading and she managed to keep her mouth in check while everyone just gaped at them. Well, shit. Harry wasn't exactly sure what made him think that was a good question or why bluntness was suddenly the correct approach when he'd been dancing around the issue for years but…

"Ron's turn!" Pansy broke the silence and almost tackled Ron, dripping the Veritaserum into his mouth, but Harry just hoped that she had a plan. He sure as hell didn't.

"Hey Ron, quick question, who's your crush?" For the second time, the group watched Ron fight the Veritaserum but, like always, it won out in the end. Thank Merlin! Even Draco and Blaise seemed enthralled by this turn of events, and they hated Ron! It said a lot that their entire group was so dedicated to their relationship working out, honestly.

"I don't— I don't have.. I don't have, screw it! 'Mione I really like you and I—"

"That's enough, thank you Ronald. I'm going to do everyone here a favor and say that the next four minutes of Ron's penalty will be spent in the common room with Hermione. Have fun! Practice safe sex, kids!" Pansy waved them off like some kind of cool wine aunt, ignoring the way both of them flushed. She… Had they really just actually gotten Ron and Hermione together? After so many years of subtly? Of hints? Merlin…

"Wonderful! One down, two to go!" Harry wanted to ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, but Pansy somehow got more energetic with alcohol and she was already bouncing off to the next topic like a perky activities director. One down, two to go? But almost all of them still had to do their penalties? Definitely more than two...

"I'll go." All eyes went to Draco, who had gotten strangely quiet over the last few minutes of the game. Harry kicked himself for not noticing sooner. Maybe Draco felt more comfortable taking his penalty when Ron wasn't in the room? Regardless, he took the dose. His pupils widened just a bit and Harry wouldn't have noticed if their eyes hadn't been locked so intently on each other, and if he hadn't spent so much time over the last three days observing those silver rings. He knew them, even in a dark room.

"Hey Drake, I know we don't have long with you so I'm not going to waste time with any other questions. We'll get right to the point. True or false, you've been in love with someone for years and never told them?" Immediately, Draco paled. He looked to Blaise, clearly trying to hold his tongue, but both Slytherins were against him now.

"True." Pansy grinned.

"True or false, you think this person could never, ever like you back?" Draco was visibly uncomfortable, now, and both Neville and Luna seemed to take pity on him and at least looked away but Harry couldn't. Pansy and Blaise kept looking at him like he was supposed to know what was going on but he didn't. He definitely didn't. Draco looked like he wanted to cry.

"True." Another grin, but Pansy seemed less giddy about it now.

"Draco, who are you in love with?" Harry could see him struggling, could see him fighting tooth and nail against the Veritaserum, and it hurt. God, it hurt because he could feel Draco begging him for some kind of help. But he didn't know what to do.

"Who. Draco." They were running out of time and Draco was actually fighting it but…

"Harry…" Draco was begging him, now, and his chest ached. Until he realized that Draco had stopped talking. What about the answer? He couldn't have fought the Veritaserum, could he? Unless…

"What?" Pansy stood, dragging Blaise and Luna up with her, but Neville only needed a glare to get him moving. Before Harry even knew what was happening, he was alone with Draco. And Draco looked like he was about six second away from a panic attack.

"Hey," Harry couldn't have explained why he did it for the world, but his tongue just slipped and he began to hiss. "Hey, it's okay, remember? We're not enemies anymore, remember?" Draco didn't remember, clearly, or he didn't understand Parseltongue but Harry couldn't help reaching for the blond. The second he touched Draco, he went rigid. Not a good kind of rigid, either.

"Hey, breathe, I'm not going to hex you or anything. You know that, right?" Draco just stared at him, practically hyperventilating. "Draco, you know I'm not going to hurt you, right?" He didn't know that, though, and that was clear in his expression but fuck if Harry didn't know that look. That paranoia, that distrust… Granted, he didn't know what it was because of or about but he knew it.

"Draco, look at me." Honestly, what the hell was he doing? He didn't know. That didn't stop him, though, because he was reaching for Pansy's bag and his hand had closed around that tiny little vial. Draco was watching him, eyes wide, though. Before he could look away, Harry took out the little dropper and squeezed a bit onto his tongue. Immediately, he felt it.

"Draco, look at me, okay? Look, I'm not going to hurt you, 'kay? I'm not gonna hurt you and I'm not going to hex you or curse you or yell or… I don't know! But I'm not going to do it, okay? Because I don't want to. I don't want to fight, I don't want to hurt you, and I sure as hell don't want you to be afraid of me!"

"Why?" Merlin… Draco's voice was suddenly so small and anxious that Harry wanted to throw up. But the Veritaserum was eager to make his lips move, and he didn't fight it.

"Because I like you, Draco! Or, I think I do… I want to know you, at least, and I have a crush on you even though I didn't want to but I just… I don't know. Sometimes I just really want to hug you." For twenty six seconds, Harry couldn't breathe. It wasn't because of the Veritaserum and it wasn't because of any spell but, to his utter surprise, Harry was waiting for Draco's answer. There wasn't even really a question but…

It felt like that first night all over again. Granted, that had only been two days ago but, still… Watching Draco display his Dark Mark, watching those beautiful, mercurial eyes beg him for some kind of olive branch. Begging him to put himself on the line, too. Well, hopefully Draco was satisfied because Harry felt pretty fucking on the line right now.

"You didn't want to have a crush on me?" Oh no… He'd said the wrong thing, clearly, because Draco was not supposed to pick that one thing to focus on.

"No, that isn't what I meant I just—"

"Past tense?" Wait, what? What was that supposed to mean? As opposed to what?

"Wait, what do you mean past tense?" Clearly, the Veritaserum was wearing off. Harry had definitely not measured out a careful dose but the conversation had started, now, and there was no going back.

"You said you didn't want to have a crush on me. Past tense, as in you didn't want to, but now you do." When had Draco become the grammar police? He was focusing so hard on that one little word, which was maybe a drunk thing but wasn't a drunk Draco thing… Why, though?

"I… I guess I don't hate it now? I don't know, you aren't that bad and it would just be nice to have a chance, maybe?" What was he saying?! Harry cursed at himself internally, but Draco was fully focused on him.

"A chance?" Maybe it was the Veritaserum confession, or maybe it was the Parseltongue moments, but Draco reached out. A pale hand slipped into his, and then their fingers were intertwining. What, in the name of Godric Gryffindor, was—

"Okay. A chance, then." Draco squeezed, just a bit, but the sudden contact was like a drug in Harry's veins. He could have overdosed right then and there.

"Yeah, a chance."

Thanks so much for reading and thank you to everyone who's left a review! It means the world to me!