This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Word Count: 2706

Title: Putting Down The Bottle

Warnings: Alcoholism

Note: Enemies of Drarry beware

Beta: The Legendary Aya Deyfair

Golden Snitch

[Name] Crissie

[School] Uagadou

[House] Ogyinae

Third Anniversary: The Three Best Friends: Write about daring to love. Additional: Moon night (setting/time period)

Festival Of Light: Write about hope.

Hogwarts

Assignment 7: Folklore: Task #3: The Silk Scarf: Write about someone who is dependent on something for whatever reason.

Yearly:

Prompt 661 [Quote] Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. Ernest Hemingway

Word 100 [Word] Wealth

Draco took a swig from the bottle, why did he ever think this was a good idea? He was sitting at the dining table, looking around the Manor and seeing the crystalline chandelier and surrounded by all the wealth he could ever want, yet he couldn't be happy.

He watched the moonlight shine in through the window, and held his empty whiskey bottle in front of his face, watching it distort the image of the full moon, refracting the stars into millions of different colours. He tried to focus on what had driven him to the whiskey tonight, and the blurry recollection hit him.

When he had gotten the letter from Luna Lovegood asking for permission to have him host their ten-year school reunion, he had been sober, and the red envelope held something like hope within it, that perhaps he could make up for everything. Maybe she was helping him change into someone the world could accept? After he replied, he had passed out drunk and regretted his choice as soon as he was reminded of it the next morning. Nobody would care about him not showing up, or being there. The reason for Lovegood's request must have been merely for the fact that he was wealthy, and the Manor had the space to host such a large event.

Draco remembered something his father once said: "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

He knew it was quite the opposite; in this case, he was regretting drunk his choice he made when sober, but the values remained. He needed to live up to his word, it was all the Malfoy name had left—their word. So, he knew the reunion was on its way, and he already knew it was too late for him to pull out now. He decided to send Luna an owl, asking if she had started any planning, it couldn't be a half-hearted attempt if it was being done in the Malfoy Manor, they needed to go all out. He wrote a letter in his distinct penmanship, asking to have a meeting with her to discuss all the plans for the event being held a little more than a month later. She replied quickly, telling him she would be there the next day with her planner with all the party details to go over them with him.

Draco managed to get through the morning with only a swig of brandy in his coffee and dressed up to wait for Luna to arrive at the Manor. He was sitting in the kitchen when the house-elf brought her in.

"Draco Malfoy," Luna said, leaning in to hug him. Draco embraced her awkwardly, knowing she would tell the alcohol on his breath, but she said nothing. She had a bright purple planner in her one arm, and it was filled to bursting.

"Lovegood," Draco replied. "It looks like you have a lot to get me caught up on."

Luna nodded, sitting down in the chair next to him, and opening her folder. "I had expected you to want to meet and go over the details ages ago. I know your reputation is at stake if this is anything less than perfect," she replied. The irony wasn't lost on him, yes, an image meant so much to this family.

"Of course, I've been busy," Draco replied.

Luna looked at him curiously, Draco was aware most people knew he didn't work, and hardly went outside if he could help it. Luna nodded eventually, taking out samples of fabrics and putting them out.

"So, I was thinking a Halloween party, dress up formal of course," she started. "The colours I had in mind were purple and orange, forgoing any school colours to be inclusive, you see?" She held up a dark purple fabric that Draco agreed would look lovely in the ballroom.

"What's the seating plan?" Draco asked suddenly, realising that it could cause problems if some people were seated together.

"No seating plan, we are adults, we can decide where we want to sit," Luna argued rationally. It was clear to Draco his face was holding a very un-Malfoy expression, which Luna chose to ignore as well.

"I also was thinking no tacky decor, of course, all professional and well-done decor. Perhaps the dance floor surrounded by pixie lights?" she spoke, but it was as if she had rehearsed it all before, and wasn't asking as much as informing him of what was going to happen. Draco shrugged and let go.

"It's your party, I trust you," Draco exclaimed, and it was clear this vote of confidence surprised her. "You will keep me up to date, I trust?"

She nodded, smiling widely. "Hey, Draco," she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you date?" Luna asked suddenly. He knew it was something many of his peers were wondering.

"I hardly think that's any of your business," he replied.

"Of course, Draco," she said.

"Why do you call me by my first name?" he asked, suddenly picking up on it.

"Well, no offence, but Malfoy was your father, and you are nothing like the evil man he was," she said as if commenting on the weather. Draco shuddered as he remembered what they had done to Luna, as well as others, while he had no voice, and then he felt himself wanting to take a look into the liquor cabinet again.

"I see," he replied.

"You don't care," she stated. "You are glad you aren't like him."

"What makes you think you know me?" Draco said, suddenly irritated that this woman was coming into his house and making him remember. She was making him remember that he wasn't brave, or noble, or anything like his Father.

"I saw you." She shrugged simply, leaving it at that. 'I saw you.' Her words echoed through his head long after she left.

'I saw you,' she had said. Draco was rethinking the meeting with Luna Lovegood as he took a beer from the fridge. What did she mean by that? Did she see him shudder at the thought of being compared to the monster who he called Father? Or did she see him shy away when they got taken away? Or did she see him, the man who was scared he was still just a boy still holding onto his bottle?

Luna came over more than once, she knew there was still something bothering Draco. She wanted him to know he wasn't alone like she reminded Harry back at school, someone needed to remind Draco he was stronger once he had courage, and it wouldn't hurt to have the courage to put away the bottles he clung to like a lifeline.

She chattered on about the details of the night that was fast approaching. In between, she managed to pick up pieces of why he was hiding away.

"What will you be wearing to the party?" she asked him.

"What?" Draco replied.

Luna laughed at the confusion on his face. "What are you wearing?" she asked again.

"I'm not going," Draco replied.

"Of course you are, who else is going to be my date?" she asked.

"Your date?"

"Oh, don't tell me, you asked someone else already," she said with a cheeky grin.

"Luna, I'm gay," he sighed.

"I know," she responded, letting out a chuckle at the look on his face.

"Then why?" he said, before getting up to take out his first beer from the fridge.

"Why not?" she replied. "Please wait," she added.

"What?" he asked, and she pointed to the bottle in his hand he was about to open up.

"If you want to poison yourself, wait till I leave please, I don't want to be blamed for your death," she said. The way she said it was nonchalant, but internally a battle raged to grab the glass bottle from his hand, she was the biggest supporter of people having fun, but there was something that hit a nerve when people became dependant on someone, or something else, for that happiness.

Luna had noticed that even though Draco seemed to be drinking more and more, it didn't appear to be making him happy, if anything, it was pushing him further and further into a hole.

"Oh come on, one drink won't kill me," he argued, it was clear he didn't realise how bad the situation was.

"No, but when is it ever just one?" Luna queried. When Draco tried to answer her in a snarky reply, she held up a hand. "Just don't," she said. Something about the way Luna reacted made Draco open the fridge and put down the bottle, closing the door behind it.

After Luna left, Draco went straight to the hard liquor. After finishing a bottle of firewhiskey, he wrote in an almost illegible scrawl and sent an owl out with a request for someone to be his date to the class reunion.

The morning after he woke up with a throbbing headache and a vague reminder of sending Luna a letter telling her he would be her date to the dance. The doorbell rang, and he swore very unattractively, wondering if it was Luna at the door.

He got up, with just enough time to splash his face before a house-elf told him someone was waiting for him in the entrance hall.

Draco was horrified when he saw it wasn't Luna, after all, it was none other than the one and only Harry Potter.

"Potter," he said, rubbing a hand through his hair, trying to make his head stop pounding. He noticed his appearance being scrutinised by the man, who was dressed formally.

"I got your letter," Harry said, showing him a roll of parchment. "Should have known better than to think it meant anything, it was just a drunk text," he added.

"What letter? I didn't send any letter," Draco argued. Harry sighed softly, walking over and handing the parchment over.

Luna,

I can't be your date, because the only person I want as my date is Harry Potter. I intend to ask him out.

No offence,

Draco Malfoy.

"Oh shit," Draco said. Before he could say anything else, Harry had turned and was out the door again. "Why don't I think before I send these things?" Draco said out loud, knowing all that was left to do, he believed Harry was with Ginny, so he couldn't make good on that promise he made, so he was going to go to the ball with Luna after all.

Luna had dressed up as a bunny, and Draco had gone for something scarier, a vampire. Luna told him they didn't need to match, after all, they were only going as friends. Draco had wished he dared to ask Luna if she knew about his drunken message to the saviour. He didn't think he would be happy to hear he was married to Ginny, perhaps that they even had children. The thought was almost enough to make him throw in the towel before the night even began.

He stood by the door, seeing his peers pouring into the Manor, pointing them in the direction of the ballroom where there was music playing already and tables set up to the side. There were tables draped in dark purples, and candles shaped like lotus flowers floating on the water centrepieces.

When a very pregnant Ginny Weasley walked into the Manor, Draco felt his heart lurch. "Weasley, or should I say Potter now?" he greeted.

"Potter? Oh heavens no, I'm not with Harry," she replied with a strange look on her face.

"But," he said, without the words, he just looked down to the pregnant stomach.

"Mrs Longbottom," she said, and just after Neville walked into the Manor looking sheepish. He clearly wasn't used to Ginny referring to herself like that.

"I believed you and Potter would end up together," Draco admitted. "But congratulations."

"Oh come on, not everyone ends up with their first love," Ginny insisted. "Besides, Harry is gay."

Draco's heart started racing like he had his first drink early. Harry Potter is gay?

"Thank you for coming," Luna said, coming in and hugging both Gryffindors.

"Luna, did you know Harry was gay?" Draco asked as soon as they had a minute between guests arriving.

"Of course. He told me you asked him to the ball, and then regretted it sober," Luna replied.

"Regretted it?" Draco said, his voice sounding like a hollow echo. "You mean I really had a shot with him and I blew it?"

Luna just nodded. "Let's go to the dance floor," she said, holding out a hand for him to escort her. Draco was about to go right to the punch bowl when they reached the ballroom, and she did nothing but leave him without another word.

He decided against it, dropping the cup into the bowl with a small splash, getting a red stain on his white shirt. Draco didn't even notice, he was watching Harry dancing. Harry was dancing with a group of his friends. Draco realised he had no excuse now for not going through with what he said he would do, so he gulped. He had to ask out Harry Potter, the man he had dared to love his whole life. Although he didn't believe for one minute that Harry would say yes, he needed to make good on his word. Then he could crawl into the nearest hole with his bottle.

He walked over to Harry, his heart pounding so loudly he could swear everyone could hear it. Then he tapped Harry on the shoulder and the man turned around to look at him with wide eyes, Draco swallowed.

"Can I dance with you?" Draco asked, feeling like a coward for not saying more. Harry nodded, gesturing for him to come closer. Their hips started to sway to the upbeat music and just as Draco began to think there was no reason to panic, Luna changed the music to a slow love song.

Harry was about to move off the dance floor, and without thinking, Draco took the man's hand. He pulled Harry in close and started to move with the music. Draco's eyes flickered to the crystalline chandelier above him, and as Harry hadn't moved away yet, he had hope that something else could take the place of a bottle.

"I meant to ask you something," Draco muttered softly.

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked curiously.

"Would you be my date?" Draco asked.

"Are you drunk?" Harry replied to his shock.

"No," Draco told him seriously.

"Let's talk then," Harry said, and Draco took his hand to lead him onto the balcony of the ballroom.

"I'm putting down the bottle," Draco said, looking up at the moonlight shining down on them.

"Good, Luna will be pleased, she worried about you, you know," Harry replied.

"Did you?" Draco couldn't help but ask. It was a question he had been holding onto for so long, he needed to let it go.

"Let's just say, it wasn't Luna's idea to get you involved," Harry said.

"You did this?" Draco asked, pointing inside.

"I helped. Did you mean what you said?" he asked.

"That depends, I usually don't," Draco said honestly.

"In the letter, that you wanted to date me?" Harry said, blushing.

"Of course, I…" Draco was about to admit more than he was ready to.

"You asked Ginny if I was with her," Harry added.

"Yeah well, I have been in love with you ever since our first year," Draco said. That was the first time he had admitted it out loud when he was sober, and it seemed like time stopped for a moment, just the two of them under the pale moonlight.

"Did you just say what I thought you just said? I must be dreaming," Harry said, his hands reaching out to touch Draco as if he thought he would disappear.

"I did," Draco said simply.

"I—well I," Harry stuttered, and Draco knew there was nothing more for them to say.

Draco was surprised when Harry moved towards him to claim his lips in a passionate kiss, pouring all the emotions into that one kiss.