Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 52
(Party Time)

Harry lay on the common room floor completely helpless in laughter. Tears streamed down his face as he stared up at his friends, his chest aching in pain as he gasped uselessly for air in between his hysterical giggles.

“Oh my gawd Harry, you are so drunk!” Ron was propped up unsteadily on the end of the couch, where Hermione had already passed out. The party had been going strong all evening, and now as the first licks of light were just peeking out from below the horizon, many who were not comatose on the floor of the Gryfindor common room were still going strong on what remained of the many bottles of firewhisky that had suspiciously turned up at the party. Parties had erupted all over the school, the seventh years taking on the night as if it had been their last. While the rest of the school slept soundly those graduating students were still partying hard.

“Hey look at me I’m a Weasley!” From over near the stairs leading to the Gryfindor boys dorm, Draco appeared in a flurry, his hair colour the brightest red Harry had ever seen. The colour rivalled even Tonks’ hair. Behind him Seamus, Dean and Pansy appeared all of their hands stained red and all of them howling with laughter as Draco swept around the room leaving the drunken party in hysterics. Harry who had already been incapacitated with laughter having seen Ron fall flat on his face on top of Lavender and face first into a bucket of ice, was now curled up in agony as he gasped for air his laughter piercing the early morning. Draco who was obviously in no better state of drunkenness ran around the room twice before falling ungraciously on top of Harry.

“Hey Potter, you know we’ve only got one joint left? We smoked like the entire fucking tin.” Draco laughed as he pulled out the little snake tin box he and Harry had been using all night. Harry like Draco stared in at the very last joint left rolling about in the bottom of the tin.

“Should we smoke it now?” Harry inquired as he reached in and picked up the joint, then fell backwards flat onto his back.

“You know guys we’ve got to get into our dress robes and be down at breakfast in an hour?” Seamus broke in as he flopped down beside Ron on the arm of the couch, barely managing to keep himself upright as Ron slumped against him, fighting fatigue.

“No way…” Harry drawled childishly as he brought the joint up to his lips. “Light me up Malfoy my man!” Harry exclaimed wildly his hands searching uselessly around himself for his wand. Draco laughed stupidly and picking up his own wand attempted to hold it still long enough to light the joint dangling from between his friends lips. The first attempt was useless and singed Harry’s fringe, the second was a little better aimed but still managed to burn the collar of Harry’s shirt when Draco slipped. The third attempt was far better and the joint took light easily.

“You know you guys are going to be in so much trouble if you don’t make it to the ceremony this morning.” Neville Longbottom, while having drunk his fair share of butter beer hadn’t touch the firewhisky, and although he’d enjoyed the evening hadn’t made it to the state his friends were now in. Draco accepted the joint from Harry and having taken his own sickeningly long drag shoved the joint pointedly in between Neville’s lips before punching him hard in the stomach and making him suck on the joint with a spluttering couch. Everyone in the room who was able laughed at Neville’s facial expression but none expected the easy way the boy took another professional drag and casually handed the joint back to a stunned Harry and Draco. “I’m good with Herbology.” Was Neville’s reply at the stares before he too broke down into giggles causing Harry to laugh hysterically again.

“You guys are trashed I’m going to go start getting ready. I’m so glad you packed your bags on Wednesday night.” Seamus stood up from the couch, dragging Ron and Dean along with him. Their graduation ceremony was to be held after breakfast that morning their results of their exams handed out along with their Wizarding Certificate of Education.

“Yeah, yeah we hear you and we’ll be there we promise!” Draco blew a kiss to Seamus who was now being joined by many of the other seventh years all of whom had taken the hint that it was time to prepare themselves for the day ahead. Draco, Neville and Harry however remained flat on their backs on the floor of the Gryfindor common room passing the joint between them in silent reflection.

“You know what?” Harry spoke when the last of the joint dwindled away and Draco ashed it out in the bottom of the fire place.

“What?” Neville inquired as he continued to push an empty fire whisky bottle back and forth along the ground.

“I think I really, really, really love Severus, and I want to have babies and make love to him over, and over and over again.” Draco burst out laughing at Harry’s seriousness the other boy frowning childishly as he looked towards Neville who was staring at him as if he’d grown another head.

“You’re doing it with Snape?” Neville inquired. Despite the incident at Grimmauld place last summer Harry and Snape had kept their relationship under quiet wraps successfully but now it didn’t seem to matter who knew as Harry threw his arms in the air and pretended to be kissing Snape’s face.

“Yeah, don’t you know anything Longbottom, Harry’s been taking it up the arse from Snape for like forever, they’ve been doing it for like over a week now.” Draco drawled as he crawled up from his position on the floor and began crawling unsteadily towards the stairs of the boy’s dormitory. Last night he’d brought all his things for Friday up to Harry’s dorm knowing that there was little chance he’d make it back to the dungeons.

“Fucking hell, bet that’s a scream.” Neville laughed throatily as he too began crawling after Draco towards the dorm.

“You know what Harry, you should tell Snape that, I’d bet he’d love to hear that.” Draco laughed as he struggled to stand up in an effort to get up the stairs. Harry too had lifted himself to his feet although he was unsteady.

“Yeah. I think I will. I’ll tell him as soon as I see him.” With a determined shake of his head Harry began awkwardly up the stairs towards his dorm, his similarly inebriated friends following him up with just as much difficulty

***********************************.

Harry fell down into a helpless heap on the floor as he watched Neville run full pelt into the packed great hall, his underwear on his head and his dress robes on back to front. They were late. Really late and now everyone in the hall was staring at the three of them. Draco was leaning unsteadily against the doorframe in a similar state of helplessness as Neville began dancing in circles and saying that Snape was a queer and doing Potter. Harry was mortified. Even with his dope hazy mind what was happening right before his very eyes was not good. Neville continued his dance as everyone in the hall broke down in hysterics and loud chattering. Harry hung his head in his hands and closed his eyes the world spinning violently as Draco slid down the doorframe to sit at Harry’s side.

“Fuck.” Draco whispered as he leant against Harry unable to hold himself up. After the high of their last joint both of them were now unfortunately returning to reality with an earth shattering bump. Neville being still new at the muggle drug was in a world of his own still but Harry and Draco certainly weren’t.

“Mr Longbottom! Cease this at once!” The professors having momentarily overcome their shock at the sight of the three boys were now attempting to calm the students and subdue one Neville Longbottom still dancing in dizzying circles.

“SILENCE!” Dumbledore’s voice echoed throughout the hall, the chatter and Neville’s chant coming to an abrupt halt. Dizzy Neville fell on his arse on the floor and Madam Pomfry and Professor Sprout were quickly at the boy’s side picking him up and rushing him from the hall in a flurry of robes. Harry and Draco still sat at the entrance to the hall leaning against one another with their heads bowed in humiliation. Harry half expected Dumbledore to tell them off but it was not the old man’s voice that Harry heard next.

“Harry James Potter! GET HERE NOW!” Snape growled low in his throat, and Harry shivered, as did most of the other people in the hall. Harry was sure no one, not even he had heard Snape sound so angry, even when chastising Neville for blowing up cauldrons. Harry slowly got to his feet, steadying himself on the doorframe as the floor began to roll before his eyes. Draco touched his hand supportively before Harry began his unsteady walk between the long tables towards where Snape was glowering at him from the table. Harry was surprised but even Dumbledore had sat down under pressure from Snape’s impressive glare. Harry glanced sideways at the Gryfindor table and watched as Ron and Seamus got up quickly to help Draco to his seat at the Slytherin table.

Finally Harry made it to the head table and came to a complete stand still in front of the professors who were all now staring at him and Snape in disbelief. Harry didn’t dare meet any of their gazes especially Snape. Harry caught a movement of black robes in front of him and couldn’t help but glance up only to be caught full force with Snape’s backhand, straight across the face. There was a horrified gasp from those at the table as Harry’s unsteady body went sprawling to the floor with the sickening slap, his head snapping back violently against the flag stone as he fell. Stars swirled before Harry’s vision and violent pop’s of light exploded in front of his eyes as he clutched his hands to his face in agony.

“SEVERUS!” Dumbledore’s voice roared through the horrified muttering and Harry watched out of the corner of his fuzzy vision, as Snape casually sat back down in his seat and looked at Dumbledore as if nothing he’d done was untoward. “Harry my dear boy are you alright?” Dumbledore went to come around the table to assist Harry in standing up but Harry ignored him and merely climbed to his feet unassisted his gaze fixed steadily on Snape’s. The man had said nothing the entire incident and it was enough for Harry to know he was in the wrong and deserved every single pinprick of pain Snape had inflicted on him.

“Sorry.” Harry apologised softly completely ignoring the other professors who were shocked when Snape merely inclined his head in acknowledgement. Turning around Harry slowly made his way back to his seat at the Gryfindor table the entire hall staring at him in stunned silence. Ron helped Harry sit down and passed his best friend a tissue from his pocket, which Harry used to dab away the blood pooling at the corner of his slip lip. Glancing around at his friends Harry sighed heavily at what he saw. They were all a mess with blood shot eyes, pale faces and sleep deprived stoops, and even in their best robes they looked far from confident young graduates. Lowering his gaze back to the table Harry thanked Ron for buttering him a piece of toast before Dumbledore continued with the ceremony and end of school notices which usually took place on the last day of the school year.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.