Falter - A Fred Weasley Sequel

3. Blame it on the Firewhiskey

"Fuck."

Addie tried to grab the glass as it tipped sideways, but her coordination wasn't what it had been only a few hours before. She knocked her hand against it and watched as it fell over sideways, spilling the golden brown liquid across the table. She took out her wand, attempted to use a Scourgify charm, but the liquid only bubbled a bit before spreading further across the table.

She sighed, giving up. It turned out magic was much harder to do when drunk.

A moment later, the liquid mopped itself up, and another glass floated through the air, landing neatly on the table beside her. Addie searched through the crowd to see Tom, the bartender, nod in her direction. "I'll add it to the tab," he said from his spot behind the counter.

Addie gave him a thumbs up.

It would be quite the bill by the end of the evening.

She decided not to think of it, taking another large gulp of the Firewhiskey placed before her. She ignored the way Ginny and Charlotte eyed her with concern. They were both nursing their own bottles, but had taken a much slower approach than Addie.

She didn't care. The liquid burned as it slid down her throat, warming her in a way she never knew it could. Her brain was a foggy haze, the realities of the world and her situation slowly slipping away with every sip she took.

She felt free. Free from all her worries, free from the truths that were waiting for her back at St. Mungo's. It was all there, all in the back of her mind. But for the first time since the Battle of Hogwarts, she could push it back, think of something else.

She glanced around the bar, taking in the unfamiliar faces. It was crowded, filled with witches and wizards who finally felt safe now that Lord Voldemort was finally defeated. Some were celebrating, drinking fast and loud with friends, smiles on their faces. But even more were sitting alone at a table, clutching at their drink as if it was a lifeline, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. They were like Addie: nursing their losses, drinking to get away from the pain.

But unlike her, their loved ones would never come back.

Lord Voldemort was dead, but so were other witches and wizards. And their loss was felt.

Addie blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the depressing thought. She focused back in on Charlotte and Ginny, who were talking quietly to each other across the table from her. There was an urgency to their words that surprised Addie. "What's going on?" she asked, a little too loudly.

Ginny shot her a look. Addie shut up quickly. "It's nothing. I'll tell you when you're sober."

Addie waved away the notion, nearly tumbling out of her chair as she did so. "I'm fine, honestly." Although the slight slur to her words didn't help.

Ginny and Charlotte looked at each other before Ginny sighed. "It's Harry," she said quietly. "He told me he got rid of the Resurrection Stone, that he left it in the Forbidden Forest. But I found it last night."

"The Resurrection Stone!?" Addie blurted out loudly. Charlotte and Ginny shushed her quickly.

Addie's hand clasped over her mouth, and she held it there. She couldn't trust herself.

Ginny glanced around the bar, checking for eavesdroppers. "We can't let anyone know Harry has it," she told Addie quickly. "Okay? You have to stay quiet."

Addie nodded, her hand still over her mouth. "Why'd he keep it?" she whispered from behind her hand.

"Because it let him see his parents," she said quietly. "Of course he'd want to keep it. I just don't know why he didn't tell me."