It was well past dark when Hermione Granger stepped inside the pub. Work had kept her even later than usual this evening, and she needed to wind down. A quick glance told her the after- work crowd had left already, now replaced with a much younger set. Not that she was actually any older than this crowd, but she felt far beyond her twenty three years. The Ministry position she had accepted only one year earlier kept her busier than she had expected. There had been many times when she would have loved to have had someone, anyone to which she could confide. Unfortunately the Department of Mysteries was so named for a reason.
At least one face in the pub was familiar. She waved to the older gentleman behind the bar, and received a warm smile in return.
"Hermione, good to see you! Working late aren't we?" Theodore motioned for her to sit down; pouring her a glass of firewhiskey.
"Yes, Theodore. Thank you so much." She smiled at him and raised the glass in a small salute; downing it in one quick gulp. "Another, if I could please?"
"Take it you don't have to be up and about early, eh?"
"Day off, and I am going to live it up tonight. Just keep my glass full." It felt good to relax, something she hadn't been able to do lately. Her social life had consisted of stopping by the pub for a quick drink after work with a few friends and then heading home to work some more.
Hermione, my dear, you are simply boring. You need a wild night every now and again.
Remembering Tonks' words from earlier in the day, Hermione smiled and finished firewhisky- number- three.
Nymphadora, my dear friend, your hair will be a new shade of pink when I am finished telling you all I have to tell about tonight. Firewhisky- number- four was barely poured when she tossed it back.
"Granger? Is that you?" Hermione had hardly turned about on the bar stool when she was pulled into a tight embrace. She was hit with the strong scent of honeysuckle and some sort of hair product.
"Parvati?" She pulled back and noticed a similar face behind the shoulder of her old school mate. "Padma?"
"How are you, Hermione? Never would have thought you, of all people, would be here tonight!" Parvati was holding Hermione's arms at length and giving her the once-over. "You look amazing. Love what you have done to your hair."
Hermione smiled. "It's much easier to manage now. You know me. Never been one to stand at the mirror for long."
"Well, it looks simply smashing!" Padma had walked around her sister and was flipping Hermione's hair with her hand.
"Come now, you simply must join us," said Parvati, with a pleading look in her eyes. "Lavender will be here soon. We were meeting up and then heading to the new club. It is supposed to be amazing."
"You must come along, Hermione. It will be great fun." Padma had joined her sister's plea.
Hermione looked from one to the other, trying to decide if this was a good idea. The four shots of firewhisky won over, and she smiled, conceding. "Oh, what the heck. I don't have to work tomorrow."
"Yes!" The Patil sisters cried out in unison.
"Hermione? Oh my gods! I didn't know you were joining us as well!" Hermione laughed as she was pulled into yet another embrace.
"Lavender, how nice to see you again." Was that lilacs? Hermione couldn't help but notice the clothes she wore looked rather plain compared to her classmate's. "Ladies, I feel like the queen of frump. Are you positive you want to be seen with me?"
Lavender pulled back and looked Hermione over with a critical eye. "I know just the thing. Follow me."
Hermione was pulled enthusiasticly into the loo. It was just a tad crowded with all four women.
Lavender nodded to Padma and the latter pulled her wand from somewhere inside that tiny thing she was wearing.
"Padma is the ace at transfiguration, Herm. Lavender is the fashion expert. Trust them." Parvati smiled reassuringly.
Hermione looked warily at the wand, now pointed at her midsection. "All right then. Be kind." She closed her eyes.
Lavender's voice took on a clinical note as she gave the commands to Padma.
"Dress. Pale green. Low cut in the back. Scooped neckline. No, v-neck. Slightly off the shoulder. That's it..."
Hermione shivered as she felt the magic over her skin. It was over in less than a minute. Lavender knew her stuff.
She opened her eyes to see the three women grinning like school girls.
"Take a look, Herm." Parvati gently pushed Hermione in front of the mirror.
Tentatively, Hermione looked into the mirror. Her eyes opened wide, and she began shaking her head and waving her hands about.
"No way! I cannot go anywhere dressed like this. I look like... a ...scarlet woman. The dress is much too revealing. It isn't me." She looked pleadingly at Lavender.
"Hermione Granger! You look like a woman. What you have on is very much in style right now. Trust me on this, all right?" Lavender was speaking in a no nonsense sort of voice that Hermione found to be reminiscent of Professor McGonagall.
"At least give me something to throw over myself, please?"
Padma looked questioningly to Lavender and received a nod. Once again Hermione felt the tingle of magic as the twin transfigured a shawl. Relieved, she pulled the shawl around her front. "Thank you."
"Oh, very classy, Herm. I really like it!" Parvati was nodding in approval.
"Shall we?" Padma opened the door to the loo and gestured for the others to follow.
As Hermione walked across the crowded pub, several eyes followed her. She pulled the shawl tighter and quickened her steps. Some of the men were cat-calling; others were salivating on themselves.
This is what you wanted, Hermione Granger. Stop the shy act and be a Gryffindor for pity's sake!
All right then. Here goes.
She stopped ,and to the surprise of her friends and the kindly Theodore, pulled the shawl from around her shoulders. Sliding it through her fingers, she turned and said, "Goodnight all." Smiling, she turned back around and walked slowly out the door. The sounds of whistles and cat-calls following her.
At least one face in the pub was familiar. She waved to the older gentleman behind the bar, and received a warm smile in return.
"Hermione, good to see you! Working late aren't we?" Theodore motioned for her to sit down; pouring her a glass of firewhiskey.
"Yes, Theodore. Thank you so much." She smiled at him and raised the glass in a small salute; downing it in one quick gulp. "Another, if I could please?"
"Take it you don't have to be up and about early, eh?"
"Day off, and I am going to live it up tonight. Just keep my glass full." It felt good to relax, something she hadn't been able to do lately. Her social life had consisted of stopping by the pub for a quick drink after work with a few friends and then heading home to work some more.
Hermione, my dear, you are simply boring. You need a wild night every now and again.
Remembering Tonks' words from earlier in the day, Hermione smiled and finished firewhisky- number- three.
Nymphadora, my dear friend, your hair will be a new shade of pink when I am finished telling you all I have to tell about tonight. Firewhisky- number- four was barely poured when she tossed it back.
"Granger? Is that you?" Hermione had hardly turned about on the bar stool when she was pulled into a tight embrace. She was hit with the strong scent of honeysuckle and some sort of hair product.
"Parvati?" She pulled back and noticed a similar face behind the shoulder of her old school mate. "Padma?"
"How are you, Hermione? Never would have thought you, of all people, would be here tonight!" Parvati was holding Hermione's arms at length and giving her the once-over. "You look amazing. Love what you have done to your hair."
Hermione smiled. "It's much easier to manage now. You know me. Never been one to stand at the mirror for long."
"Well, it looks simply smashing!" Padma had walked around her sister and was flipping Hermione's hair with her hand.
"Come now, you simply must join us," said Parvati, with a pleading look in her eyes. "Lavender will be here soon. We were meeting up and then heading to the new club. It is supposed to be amazing."
"You must come along, Hermione. It will be great fun." Padma had joined her sister's plea.
Hermione looked from one to the other, trying to decide if this was a good idea. The four shots of firewhisky won over, and she smiled, conceding. "Oh, what the heck. I don't have to work tomorrow."
"Yes!" The Patil sisters cried out in unison.
"Hermione? Oh my gods! I didn't know you were joining us as well!" Hermione laughed as she was pulled into yet another embrace.
"Lavender, how nice to see you again." Was that lilacs? Hermione couldn't help but notice the clothes she wore looked rather plain compared to her classmate's. "Ladies, I feel like the queen of frump. Are you positive you want to be seen with me?"
Lavender pulled back and looked Hermione over with a critical eye. "I know just the thing. Follow me."
Hermione was pulled enthusiasticly into the loo. It was just a tad crowded with all four women.
Lavender nodded to Padma and the latter pulled her wand from somewhere inside that tiny thing she was wearing.
"Padma is the ace at transfiguration, Herm. Lavender is the fashion expert. Trust them." Parvati smiled reassuringly.
Hermione looked warily at the wand, now pointed at her midsection. "All right then. Be kind." She closed her eyes.
Lavender's voice took on a clinical note as she gave the commands to Padma.
"Dress. Pale green. Low cut in the back. Scooped neckline. No, v-neck. Slightly off the shoulder. That's it..."
Hermione shivered as she felt the magic over her skin. It was over in less than a minute. Lavender knew her stuff.
She opened her eyes to see the three women grinning like school girls.
"Take a look, Herm." Parvati gently pushed Hermione in front of the mirror.
Tentatively, Hermione looked into the mirror. Her eyes opened wide, and she began shaking her head and waving her hands about.
"No way! I cannot go anywhere dressed like this. I look like... a ...scarlet woman. The dress is much too revealing. It isn't me." She looked pleadingly at Lavender.
"Hermione Granger! You look like a woman. What you have on is very much in style right now. Trust me on this, all right?" Lavender was speaking in a no nonsense sort of voice that Hermione found to be reminiscent of Professor McGonagall.
"At least give me something to throw over myself, please?"
Padma looked questioningly to Lavender and received a nod. Once again Hermione felt the tingle of magic as the twin transfigured a shawl. Relieved, she pulled the shawl around her front. "Thank you."
"Oh, very classy, Herm. I really like it!" Parvati was nodding in approval.
"Shall we?" Padma opened the door to the loo and gestured for the others to follow.
As Hermione walked across the crowded pub, several eyes followed her. She pulled the shawl tighter and quickened her steps. Some of the men were cat-calling; others were salivating on themselves.
This is what you wanted, Hermione Granger. Stop the shy act and be a Gryffindor for pity's sake!
All right then. Here goes.
She stopped ,and to the surprise of her friends and the kindly Theodore, pulled the shawl from around her shoulders. Sliding it through her fingers, she turned and said, "Goodnight all." Smiling, she turned back around and walked slowly out the door. The sounds of whistles and cat-calls following her.