WHO: Leanne Yaxley and Fred Weasley
WHAT: Drinking! And dancing! And drunkenness!
WHEN: Backdated to Saturday
WHERE: Muggle pub
RATING: PG13
STATUS: Done


Leanne was hurt and frustrated by the things she had recorded the previous week. It seemed to take forever to listen to it all and she had to force herself to listen. She wasn't sure how much good it was going to do her like Fred said by listening to all of it because it was really hurtful already. Yet, Leanne had gotten her proof and come Monday she was going to deposit it on Mr. Brocklehurts' desk. Now if only she could find a way that Minister Shacklebolt could hear it as well. Maybe then the laws would change. Leanne would have tried an appointment to meet with the Minister, but as one of the women had said, it was dangerous enough that Leanne still had a job at the Ministry.

As she was finished with listening and as she had told Fred, she was in need of drink. Leanne sent an owl to Fred asking that he meet her at a muggle pub down the street from the Leaky Cauldron, Saturday evening. Her thinking, it would probably be a repeat of what happened last week. Which was what she wanted.

Fred normally didn't turn down a drink anyway. Post-breakup? He was ready to throw back enough to forget Alicia had ever been a part of his life. That would require quite a few drinks, as he'd known her since he was eleven years old. But that was just a sacrifice he'd have to make. He arrived on time, dressed as casually as Fred the Businessman ever did, in neat denims and a comfortable and classic jumper. He was already seated at the bar with a pint in front of him once Leanne arrived. In fact, he was getting pretty good at this muggle stuff. Well, money and things. It was the electronics he still found appalling.

"Hey, stranger." Leanne said as she sat down beside him. She immediately waved to the bartender, pointing at Fred's drink that she wanted one too. Like most days, she wore a skirt. After wearing one practically everyday for seven years, it was hard to break the habit and she liked wearing skirts. Leanne wore a sweater over a sleeveless shirt, in case she got hot from wearing the sweater. "How has your week been?" She had heard about his breakup from Ali and there was no chance that she would bring it up.

"Lousy," Fred admitted, dropping his head into folded hands. He hated looking weak, and he was doing a fair job of keeping his head up and a smile on his face where others could see. But a few good gulps into the dark ale and he was willing to let the truth show. At least to Leanne. If Alicia were to walk in right at that moment, he'd smile and laugh and pretend he was having a great old time. "Probably about as good as yours, I'd wager. Except I won't wager because I'm not a gambling man. At least..." he added with a tiny grin, "not anymore!"

"I'll bet. And this is why we are here." Leanne smiled and took a drink from her pint when it came to her. "Everything will turn out all right, I hope." She hoped it for the both of them. She raised an eyebrow at his gambling comment. "Really? When did you decide not to be a gambling man?"


Fred's face dropped a bit when she commented on why they were there, but he knew he had to let it go. He'd come tonight to forget, not to deal with memories of Alicia and her one night of complete idiocy. So instead, he switched the subject to that of gambling. She wanted to know, he'd be happy to share. Right? "Remember Ludo Bagman? Used to be pretty popular, definitely isn't anymore? George and I made a wager with him on the World Cup a few years ago. Put all of our savings on the line, and we won it, too. He paid us back in fool's gold. We never did get the money back." Taking another long drink, he grinned. "Learned our lesson, I'd say."

Leanne nodded her head. She remembered him. "Well, that might be a little different because that had to do with the Irish and the leprachauns," she pointed out. Her father had ended up with fool's gold that day and wasn't too pleased. "Not everyone is as sleazy as him when it comes to gambling. You learned the lesson to not gamble with Ludo Bagman." If she were one to gamble, she wouldn't be dishonest in the least. "You know, we should play some sort of drinking game."

Attempting not to spit out the ale he'd just swallowed, Fred glanced sideways at her with an interested look. "Oh, really?" he inquired. "And what, exactly, did you have in mind?" Eh, either way. Whatever got him drunk faster, really.

"What? I want to be drunk." She lowered her voice with that statement. There was no way she wanted some bloke to hear that and think he could take advantage of her. "That's the thing, I can't really think of when we should take a shot or drink. Though, loser of said drinking game has to do something really embarrassing that the winner gets to decide."

Fred considered, looking down into his drink. Leanne was obviously relatively new to this drinking thing, something he and George had celebrated their seventeenth birthday by doing. Fine. He could drink enough to put his ex-girlfriend's stupidity behind him. But he wasn't going to get so pissed that he let Leanne wander off with some creepy old man. "We could drink every time someone walks in the door. If it's a bloke, you'd drink, and if it's a woman..." Waggling his eyebrows, he grinned and nodded in the direction of the door as a tall and rather busty blond walked in, "well, then it's all me, isn't it?" As if to celebrate the start of the game, he tilted back and finished off the ale, ordering a whiskey and cola from the bartender. If they were going to drink, may as well do it right.

Leanne knew how to drink, but it wasn't something she did all the time. "I say that works perfectly then," she said with a chuckle. It wouldn't take long for her to finish her drink that she just got. Right after the woman came in a couple of blokes came in next and she took several drinks. Even though her drink was still mostly full, Leanne was already starting to think of what she wanted to drink next. "I am so going to win this game, Fred Weasley."

"And just what will you make me do if you do win?" he questioned, taking a swallow from the new drink in front of him as a girl walked in, obviously looking for someone. "Shall I serenade you, Ms. Yaxley? Run around this place shouting incantations like a crazy man? Actually, nix to that one, please, Azkaban doesn't suit me." Pausing, he remembered where it was her father resided and his face fell. "Sorry," he mumbled, taking a voluntary drink of the new mixture to have something to do with his big mouth.

"I haven't decided yet, though you running around was probably going to be part of it." There was still a ways to go and she had plenty of time to think of something. Besides, Fred was already ahead of her at the moment since he had gotten there before her. Him mentioning Azkaban didn't mean anything to Leanne. Her father was there, but for all she cared he deserved to be there. "No need to apologise, Fred. He deserves to be there. He can spend the rest of his life there for all I care." She finished her drink and ordered herself a couple of shots. Leanne really didn't have a problem with Fred mentioning Azkaban. She rarely brought up her father, if at all so not everyone knew how she felt.

Fred licked his lower lip, looking sideways at Leanne. Every time he thought his own problems were too much, someone set out to prove to him otherwise. "Still your dad, though," he protested, though it was weak at best. "Think it'd still bother me. Even if he did deserve it. Hell, my brother's a complete arse and I still wouldn't want anything to happen to him."

"He's not the same. He is a different father than the one I remember growing up with." Leanne told him, shaking her head. "He murdered and tortured innocent people. My father doesn't exist in my life anymore." If something happened to him while in Azkaban, Leanne wouldn't be upset or hurt. The day she found out that her father was a Death Eater was a devasting day for her. She had learned to accept that over the last couple of years.

One part of him wanted to object. It was still family, and one thing instilled in Weasleys at birth was a sense of family. It was one reason Percy's betrayal had been so hard on them all. But on the other hand, he was a criminal. So instead of arguing, Fred finished off the soda and spirits and considered ordering another. May as well. That awful image of his ex-girlfriend and that slimy arse of a Slytherin was still burned into his mind. "Well, cheers to that, then. Guess he does deserve it for what's happened to you and your mum." He lifted his glass and tapped it lightly to her tiny shot glass.

Leanne nodded her head and tossed back her shot after Fred had tapped it with his glass. "If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't be in this mess." Not that it bothered her much, although the resentment was probably very clear, Leanne wanted to be finished with this conversation and just go back to drinking. "Aw, these go so quickly," she said, putting her empty shot glass on the counter. "Probably the only time I wish we were not in a muggle pub. Refills would be so much quicker."

A wicked grin slipped over Fred's face. It was risky. His mother would have a meltdown if she saw him risking being seen. But he reached into his pocket and touched the tip of his wand, murmuring the incantation that would refill Leanne's shot glass. "Hmm, looks like you didn't finish it after all!"

"Oh yay! I must already be reaching the finish line if I'm not remembering to finish my shot." Leanne said rather loudly. She watched the shot glass refill and knew what he was doing. No point in letting any of the muggles know it. "Thanks, Fred. Perfect timing too." It was. Just then a couple of blokes walked in and Leanne finished the shot a second time.

Fred had the competition in the bag and he knew it. His drinks were mixed where as she was drinking straight alcohol. The pub was mostly men, with the exception of a few women who were apparently meeting men there. And Leanne was smaller than he was. He'd have her shaving her head or something else completely mental in no time. "Oh, shucks, lookie there, looks like I have to take a drink." Of course, the woman in question just happened to be on the arm of a bloke. "And so do you." He nodded at the barkeep to refill them both, then started the new drink off with a vengeance.

"Don't sound so disappointed," Leanne giggled and drank her next shot. "I don't think I want to play this game anymore. Let's play a different one?" She knew that she was "losing" and knew that she was feeling a bit drunk although not completely. In that frame of mind, she wanted to do something completely out there although that wasn't something she could think of. "Let's dance, Fred!"

Dancing may as well be Leanne's punishment for losing the game, really. Considering they'd be one of only three pairs dancing. And she'd likely not remember the evening at all. Crazy girl. Still, he hopped off of his stool, but not before finishing off his drink. "I'd hate for some strange girl to come slip me a potion while I'm not looking," he pointed out, grinning in a silly sort of way. "Drag me off to her flat and take advantage of me and all. I'm not Slytherin enough to enjoy that."

Leanne didn't care that there really wasn't anyone dancing, but she was glad that Fred was going to join her. "Potion in a muggle place like this? Ooh, I bet I could make something. I was good." She didn't really have any idea what Fred had said nor what she was saying. The only thought that was coherent was her want to dance. "Advantage of what now?"

Lifting his eyebrows, Fred grinned, taking her hand and pulling her to him. "Oh, come on. Even you can figure that one out." Oh, he really shouldn't be. Last time he was in a situation like this, at least it was in a wizard's pub. Almost ended up engaged until the girl realised the ring she'd been given was actually an onion ring. This was a bit closer and a bit more dangerous. But Fred was feeling reckless and he twirled Leanne out and then back in. "Take advantage of my innocence, you know. I'm a sweet little bloke underneath the devlilish grin."

"But I haven't got a flat. Couldn't take advantage of you." Leanne laughed. "Fred Weasley, innocent? I thought he was a troublemaker. Told me his middle name was Trouble."

"Fred? No, no, you're thinking of George. Him? All trouble. Fred's the good one. Sweet, innocent, loveable, and considerate to old ladies." Just not pro-Quidditch players. Bitches. All of them. "Ever think about playing Quidditch, Leanne? Your name's sort of long, you know that? Lee. Lee works."

"Oh. Well, Fred sounds like a much better bloke than George at the moment." Leanne shook her head. "No, I think I'd fall of the broom if I were by myself. Not that I ever tried." Yes, she knew her name was long. "You've called me Lee before. I don't think I objected."

Blinking, Fred considered that, but didn't give it too much thought when he pulled her close again. "The Anne part makes it pretty, though, I think. Maybe. Still long, though." Oh, Merlin, he was talking in circles, wasn't he? A little less whisky next time. "Course, Lee also makes you sound like Lee Jordan. But you're prettier than he is."

"Well, I'm a girl so there has to be something to make it stand out from a bloke. And I am prettier than Lee Jordan." Leanne thought for a moment. "You might have to call me Leanne if Lee's present, just to ease confusion." She was starting to feel hot and wanted to take her sweater off. "Stop a moment, I'm hot."

Fred didn't even try to stop his smirk. "Well, I knew that, and half the blokes here knew that, but 'm surprised you admitted that." Snickering a bit, he waited while she shrugged out of the jumper, ordering another shot while she did. All thoughts of the game were basically gone as he leaned against the bar and downed the drink in one.

Leanne stuck her tongue out at him. "Really now?" It took only a couple of seconds to remove the extra layer of clothing and she felt so much cooler now that it was gone. "Okay, one more drink and then back to dancing." She got a drink herself and downed it as soon as it was in her hand. "Let's go!"

"You're kind of a wild child with some alcohol in you, you know?" Fred teased, pulling her into his arms again. She was actually pretty easy to dance with. He was a little surprised, actually. "Why haven't we danced more?"

"Downside of that, I don't really know what goes on later." This was quite enjoyable and Leanne was sure that she probably wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. "I think you said something about stepping on toes? You really aren't that bad at all. You didn't have me for a partner and I'm really good. You know, someone has to have a party soon. With drinking and dancing."

"No, I said I stepped on Angelina's toes," Fred amended. "That was years ago. I'm improved since then, see?" As if to emphasize his point, he dipped her, laughing when a couple seated near them applauded. "We should be the ones hosting a party, but the flat's too small."

"Oh, well I am glad you've improved." She wasn't expecting a dip and started laughing and felt her face get really red. "Glad you have improved," she said again. "I wouldn't have been very nice to you if you dropped me. We could have it at my place. It's quite large and mum could go do something and leave it to us to have a party."

From everyone's reaction to the party at the Malfoys' place, Fred wondered if that was such a good idea. But then, why not? A party was a party, screw anyone who didn't want to be there. "Could we kick your mum out? Hell, would she even let us?"

"I'm sure if we ask her really nicely, she'll let us." Leanne was pretty sure her mum would. "I should write this down because I doubt I'll remember in the morning to ask her."

Laughing, Fred shook his head. "I will. I'm pretty good about that. The remembering thing, not the asking your mum permission to invade her house thing."

"At least one of us will remember then. You'll just have to remind me so I can ask. This party will be so much fun, don't you think?" She was sure it would be fun, whenever it was.

Fred shrugged. "It's a party. If it's not fun, you'll go down in history as a social failure. Good stuff, don't you think?" He hadn't even realized he'd all but echoed her own words. It was that sort of night, after all.

Leanne didn't even notice that he had said almost the same thing as her. "I will not fail! Yes, very good. This is a lot of fun. We should do this more often." Although she thought this now, it probably wouldn't be her opinion in the morning.

"You say that now," Fred teased, grinning down at her as he spun her out and back in again. "But I can just feel the headache you're going to have in the morning. Not me, though, I have a stomach of steel! It's okay to be jealous, I would, too."

"I am jealous. It's no fair, Fred. Can I have your stomach? I'd rather have that than a headache." Leanne laughed. At least in the moment, she was enjoying herself. "Are you having fun? I'm having fun. You're a good dance partner to have."

"Know what, yes, yes I am," Fred agreed with a grin. "You can thank Angie for that some day. I think she said something about me never being allowed near her toes again, but I could be wrong. Tell you what, I'll owl you some headache powders in the morning. It'll be great, promise."

"Bloody brilliant." Leanne found herself agreeing. "You run a joke shop. Do they work? And like I'm really going to remember that you promised that. Maybe you should owl me and tell me to pick it up myself."

A sly grin crossed Fred's face. "If I tell you to come pick it up, does that mean I'll get to see you again?" What the hell was that? Oh, well, maybe he wouldn't even remember it in the morning. Though he'd probably remember being sore and remember who he'd been with and assume she needed the powders all on his own.

Leanne nodded her head. "Yes, you'll get to see me again. It'll brighten your day." Well, probably not. She was going to have a massive headache in the morning. Leanne didn't think anything of what he said. Any meaning behind it was lost on her.

Fred looked at her curiously for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, yeah it would. Brighten my day, I mean. I think so, at least. You usually do. You're good at that. Were you always? I don't remember it."

"Always what?" Leanne asked. Now she was confused about what he was going on about. "Brightening peoples days? I'd like to think so. That is what I'm good for!" She was good at it, although lately that hadn't always been the case.

"Huh." Fred replied simply. For a silent moment, he simply swayed with her. Then he glanced down, looking at her more seriously than usual. "Never noticed you were good at brightening days. Never noticed you at all till recently, you know that? But I do now. Bet if we'd been populating the earth with gingers all this time, I wouldn't be in this mess now."

"Oh. I didn't know that." Leanne didn't notice that he hadn't noticed her. Well, maybe she did. She knew back in school she was known as Katie's friend more often than as Leanne. "There would be an awful lot of gingers, wouldn't there? Well, I'm around to brighten your day if you need it."

At the mention of her hair, Fred absently ran a hand through it. It really was a pretty shade of red, not that bright red like his. "It'd be a shame to make you shave all of this off. I was going to, if I won."

"What!?" Leanne put a hand on her head as if to make sure that all her hair was still there. "But if you won and I had to shave it off, how are we going to populate the world with gingers? My hair has got to stay. We'd be ginger less without it!"

Sober people would've known better. But Fred and Leanne were less than sober. "Why do you think I didn't make that your challenge?" he reminded her with a crooked grin. "We can't have that. So instead, I think you should dance. On the bar. For everybody! Why should I be the only one to enjoy this?" And with this, he patted her bum with a snicker.

If Leanne had been sober, Fred probably would not have lived to see the morning. Lucky for him, she wasn't. "I thank you for that. Wait a minute there mister. Who said you won?" Leanne was well aware that she was clearly the loser of their game. "Oh fine. You'll just have to be sorry that you decided to share me with the rest." She gave him her best pouting look for patting her on the bum. "Help me up?" She doubted that she would be able to get on the bar by herself.

Fred was very grateful Leanne wasn't sober. Because sober, he'd never get to appreciate that very bum as he helped her onto the bar. The good news was, she didn't look completely ridiculous, as another woman had just gotten down. Technically, she'd fallen down, into the waiting arms of what Fred was hoping was someone she knew from the way they were now snogging. "Oh, I like this song!" he declared a moment later, even if he'd only heard it for the first time that night. Muggle music often escaped him.

Leanne had rather good balance for a drunk. It was just going in a vertical direction that caused her problems. She was actually glad that someone else had been there before her, not that she would remember any of this in the morning. Since she now found herself on the bar to dance, Leanne was grateful for the outfit she picked out. It would have been a nuisance if she weren't comfortable. She was also grateful that the song she was dancing to, quite spectacularly for a drunk, was easy to dance to. If all the songs were like that, she would stay up there all night and just dance. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

Pulling up a stool at the bar, Fred grinned up at her, ordering another drink while watching her dance. It never even occurred to him that it might make him look like a dirty old man. "You look fantastic tonight, you know that?" he called up to her, laughing.

"I always look fantastic!" Leanne could hear what the others were saying about her and her dancing, but she didn't know them or how to respond. After spinning around a couple of more times, Leanne decided she was done and thirsty. Fred had a drink and she wanted one too. Of course, she didn't want to wait for one so she reached down and picked his up and took a drink. It was much better than waiting for one. Clumsily, she came back down to actually get off the bar, still with his drink in her hand. "Enjoy that?"

Without a second thought, Fred pulled her close, but mostly just to get his drink back from her. "Yeah, I did actually. I think you should 'lose' every time. Gives me more to look at." It was sort of a shame she wouldn't remember this the next day. People who weren't from wizarding society had rather enjoyed this Leanne. People from their world didn't know how to react around her anymore, or simply insulted her. These people liked what they saw. "Maybe you should date a muggle."

Leanne laughed. "Maybe I should!" It was actually fun to lose, even though she wouldn't remember much of it and just have the reminder of a headache. She shook her head. Her date a muggle? If she knew more about the muggle world, maybe, but she was content with the wizarding one. "It wouldn't work."

"Why?" he asked curiously. "I think it'd be good. Someone who wouldn't judge you. Someone who doesn't care who your parents are or where you're from or anything." Someone like him.

"Its finding one that's the problem. And he wouldn't really know me. I'm a witch, Fred. I know next to nothing about the muggle world." Leanne told him. "Besides, what if he doesn't want to populate the world with gingers?"

Reaching out, he lightly touched her hair again, smiling. "Then they're idiots. Everyone knows gingers have more fun. You and I, kiddo? We'll show them."

"Of course they are. And of course we are!" She knew she shouldn't do it, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she was going to remember this in the morning, even though she wanted to. Leanne wrapped her arms around Fred's neck and kissed him.

On less alcohol, Fred might've stopped her before she began. He might've questioned their judgment and wondered if they were doing the right thing. Instead, he let his mouth linger on hers, tasting the drink they'd only just shared. She really wasn't half bad at that kissing thing. "Oh, Merlin," he laughed, pulling back a bit. "Probably shouldn't have done that, you know."

It was rather nice to kiss Fred. She had always wondered what it would be like to kiss a Weasley. "Why not?" Leanne asked.

Come to think of it, he didnt actually know. "Um. Rebound. Thing. I'm probably not good for you right now." And he'd remember in the morning and she wouldn't. That could be dangerous. Maybe. "Oh...hell, screw it." And he kissed her again, even more soundly than he had before.