Love Bites (Harry Potter: Official Dragon Tamer, Part One)

The Call

I entered the building, thanking Merlin that it had a lift, and knocked loudly on his door. He answered, a glass of something dark and frothy in hand.

"Wassat?" I asked, indicating the glass.

"A pint," he replied, shutting the door behind me. "I figured I had some catching up to do," he added, winking.

"Well...'s gon' take a lot more'n that," I informed him, waving my hand at his glass.

He raised his brows and watched me make my way across the reception.

"Yes, I can see that."

I sprawled out on his sofa while Draco went off, presumably to the kitchen for the promised cuppa.

He appeared a bit later, sipping his pint and holding a steaming mug in the other hand.

"'M sorry," I told him earnestly, watching as he set the mug down on the coffee table and then sat on the floor between it and the couch.

"Don't be," he replied, shrugging. "It's not like I've never been sloshed myself."

I turned my head to look at him.

Our eyes were about level, and he seemed sincere.

He smiled again and reached out to brush some hair from my forehead.

"Rough night?" I nodded and leaned into his caress like an attention-starved kitten.

"Mm-hmmm."

His hand continued its path from my forehead, through my hair, the fingers curling themselves through my tangled locks, following the contour of my head, down my neck. Then back up to repeat the cycle.

"Did you want to talk about it?" He paused for one full cycle. "Or did you just want to banish it to the dregs of your memory?"

"Mmmm..." It seemed to be the only sound I could muster, having now progressed to that stage of drunkenness where consciousness was barely a reality.

"Mmm, it is, then," Draco responded, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

I snapped my eyes open and tried my best to look at him steadily.

"'M really sorry, y'know... fer callin' you like this."

Draco's hand was still making its rounds, and my eyes drifted shut again.

I was startled out of my peaceful murmurings by Draco tugging me upright.

"Come on. Drink your tea."

"Don' wanna," I informed him, shaking my head petulantly.

Draco rolled his eyes and held the mug up to me.

"You'll have wanted to come morning," he drawled, taking hold of my hand that was clutching the edge of the cushion.

"Now come on, drink up."

I looked down at him, sitting on the ground before me and once again, allowed my drunken brain to take control.

"You're bloody gorgeous."

I knew, even in my drunken state, that this was not something I necessarily wanted to be saying aloud.

Draco merely shoved the tea into my face again. He was still holding my hand, which I took to be a good sign.

"You're bloody sloshed," he countered.

"Yeh," I agreed, relenting and taking a sip of tea. "But we both 'lready knew that."

Draco raised an eyebrow.