Title: In Eggnog, Veritas(erum)
Author/Artist:
ereshai Pairing(s): Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Prompt: 29 - Harry/Draco - at the Ministry office Christmas party, the eggnog is spiked w Veritaserum. Hidden feelings get revealed! & 68 - Draco/Harry - At the Ministry Yule Ball, Draco finally has enough liquid courage to approach Potter. Unfortunately, his drunkenness is making his attempts at seduction rather awkward. Or maybe it's drunk Harry attempting to win over Draco.
Word Count/Art Medium: ~900
Rating: G
Contains (Highlight to view): *Unknowing drug use, implied drunk!sex (Draco is tipsy)*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: The Ministry's annual Yule Ball is a great place to network, but it's also deadly dull. This year, things are going to get a little more lively.
There he was - Harry. Draco drained the last of his champagne from his glass and set it down on a tray of drinks floating nearby. He grabbed another glass before it floated away, uncaring of what he had taken, and gulped a mouthful. It burned all the way down; firewhisky. Perfect.
It was time.
=
“Potter.”
Harry stiffened at the sound of the familiar haughty voice. He turned his head and his heart began to beat a little faster.
“Malfoy,” he replied pleasantly. Of course Draco was here - it was the Ministry’s Yule Ball and all Ministry employees attended, for one reason or another. Harry was there as an honorary guard - the Ministry’s favorite sort of decoration - which meant he got to eat and he didn’t have to dance. Everyone benefited.
“Potter,” Draco said again. His face was slightly flushed. “Potter. What are you drinking?”
“Eggnog, I think.” Harry looked down at the glass in his hand. He hadn’t actually had any yet. Ron had brought it to him; someone had spiked the punch and Harry wasn’t supposed to be drinking alcohol while on duty. Apparently, no one had bothered with the eggnog.
“It looks vile,” Draco said.
Harry privately agreed. He took a sip; it wasn’t as bad as it looked. As he was lowering his glass, Draco stepped closer and wrapped his hand around Harry’s glass - and Harry’s hand. He tugged them closer, tightening his grip when Harry tried to pull away. He dipped his head and for a moment Harry was sure he was going to take a drink, but he only sniffed the contents and then let go.
“There’s not even any liquor in it. What’s the point of drinking it?”
“I am on duty, Malfoy.” Reflexively, he raised his glass and gulped a mouthful of the stuff. It wasn’t as good in larger quantities, but he swallowed it anyway. He did have basic manners, after all.
“Saint Potter,” Draco sneered. “Always doing the right thing.”
Harry’s heart sank. He’d thought they’d got past their Hogwarts rivalry and were becoming friendly, if not friends. He didn’t think they’d ever just be friends, but he had been hoping for the possibility of something more. If Draco still thought of him that way, Harry was better off trying to forget his stupid infatuation.
“Standing there, in your Auror’s robes,” Draco continued. He waved a hand vaguely at Harry’s chest. “All broad shoulders and, and…” He trailed off and stared at Harry expectantly.
“Draco,” Harry began, and stopped. He hadn’t meant to call him by his first name. Draco just stared at him.
“What have you done to your hair? I don’t like it.”
Harry’s hair was behaving for once, with the help of Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion. “I think it looks rather well,” he said. Damn him for rising to Draco’s taunt.
“It doesn’t suit you. The just-shagged look is better. I can help you with that.”
“All right,” Harry said, to his own astonishment. Surely Draco didn’t mean… And even if he had, Harry certainly hadn’t meant to take him up on it, as much as he wanted to.
Draco’s face brightened. “Excellent. Let’s go.”
“I’d love to.” The words slipped out of Harry’s mouth. He frowned. “But I can’t. I’m stuck working at this dull party where I can’t even have a proper drink.”
Across the room, a woman, the Head of the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, slapped a man, an assistant in the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, across his face and stormed away. He looked both stunned and confused.
“You’re a fool for not listening to me,” Hermione said from somewhere nearby. “I told you how it would be, but you thought you knew best.” A look of horror crossed her face and she covered her mouth. The person she was speaking to, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and her immediate superior, looked red and constipated.
“That’s telling the prat, Hermione,” Harry said, loudly enough that Hermione and her boss turned to look at him. “Oops.” He looked down at his glass. Was there alcohol in it after all?
Similar incidents were taking place all around the room. Harry pulled out his wand and cast Scarpin’s Revelaspell on his drink. “Veritaserum,” he said in astonishment and everyone around him clapped a hand across their mouth and started to leave in a hurry.
“Really?” Draco said, a smirk growing on his face. “So if I asked you if you wanted to go back to mine, how would you answer?”
“I’d say my office is much closer.” The words slipped out, but Harry was done hiding what he wanted. “This is an utter cock-up. Come on.”
He grabbed Draco’s hand and they joined the throng fleeing the ballroom. He’d worry about abandoning his post later, but since Kingsley was among those leaving, he didn’t think it would be an issue.
Draco was forced behind him and he crowded close, his chest tight against Harry’s back and a hand on his hip. “You think I want to shag you in that closet you call an office,” he whispered in Harry's ear, his warm breath tickling his skin.
“I hope so, because I certainly want to shag you there.”
They finally made it through the door. Harry and Draco shared a look, then took off running in the direction of his office.