For a Shot of Tequila

By: TheOwlWriter

Disclaimer: Even though the great J.K. Rowling permitted using her oh-so wonderful work, I (sadly) don not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I just borrowed the plot out of my own leisure and boredom. I am not using this for profit or whatsoever business thing. Thank you.

Warning: The following theme is not suitable for very young audiences. For the record, this is ADULT THEMED due to alcohol consumption, hardcore snogging, stripping of clothes and groping, sexual connotations. It's up to the reader if you want or not to read this three-shot, I've already warned you.

Author's Notes

Hello, it's me again. So, I have this dream that I got an Anonymous Message from Tumblr giving me a prompt. So far, this is what I have remembered from that peculiar dream:

~Luna must have a cell phone

~Includes a drinking game

~Draco must drive a car

~The following thing must be involved: a lost mistletoe, a blue chocolate cupcake, and candies

Also the song "The way you are" by Justin Timberlake is bothering me while the plot bunny is around. Enjoy! :)

September 19, 2003, Friday

Ministry of Magic, 9:40pm

I hummed an indefinite tune as I looked some papers that I was about to organize in the lateness of the hour. I looked at the myriad papers piling of Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is almost overwhelming. I myself volunteered to clean this room up, partially because I'm getting headaches whenever one of this towering parchments blow up (LITERALLY) out of their drawers. And the other half is to keep myself busy during my birthday. My friends kept insisting that I should give myself a break and have a blow out. But I turned them down. I told them that I'm too old for birthday parties. After a week of persuasion and verbal threats that will always stay as verbal threats, they give up. To my utter satisfaction, they haven't said a word or a two about my birthday. The only comment I got is from Ginny, which is having a bit of sexual frustration with Harry right now. She said that I'm being preposterous. My life does not just exist on a boring grey office, there's a bunch of things outside the Ministry that is more gratifying than fighting the rights of the house elves (I rolled my eyes at this) and giants. She even pinpointed my lack of love life.

Truth be told, I've been feeling a little bit lonely at my flat nowadays. All I have as my company back there are books and a tissue box. I'm getting addicted on Muggle romance novels recently. I admit that some of the stories make me weepy. I've just dated two blokes in my life. Both are not so great, so I decided that no more dating until Mr. Right comes along. Ron and I aren't that compatible in our personalities. We're always bickering and our way of thinking is way too diverse. Theodore Nott is great and all, but he seems not to fit. He always pictures me as a housewife. And being a housewife is not one of What-I-Want-To-Be-When-I-Grow-Up list. After a few months, we decided to call it quits.

It was almost ten twenty-five when my stomach rumbles. I didn't have any complete dinner. And a bar of granola (oh yes, I totally love those!) hardly count as a dinner. I was about to ignore it, but it really demands my attention for the fourth time. At that time, I'm almost half-finished arranging the half-Being record according to type (like Veelas, vampires, etc.) in alphabetical order. The whole room itself is half-neat, (thanks to magic, or else I would be stuck forever in arranging the parchments in the Rocking Cabinet.) just a little bit of tidying in the southwest corner and I would be finished by then! I sighed as I marvelled the half-finished work I've done.

Too bad that the cafeteria is still in the uppermost part of the Ministry (since the Ministry is in the underground, the lobby is in the upstairs). I hummed again a new undefined tune as a walked through the empty wooden cubicles. My 3-inch heels are echoing and seemed breaking the deadly silence in the whole department. My working robes are strangely irritating me today. Maybe because it kinda hot in here or something, I blew away a few stray strands of my bushy hair away from my face. I tapped my foot impatiently to the lift doors open.

When the lift doors opened, there are only two disgruntled people inside, Millicent Bulstrode and a guy whom I am unfamiliar to. Both looked like they just―

I suddenly blushed fiercely when I stepped inside the lift. The atmosphere inside is unmistakably sexual. I blushed even more when I noticed that both lips are swollen.

"Sorry." I muttered quietly, still flushed with embarrassment in interrupting their snogging sessions.

"Good evening, Miss Granger." Muttered the sandy-haired guy, obviously as embarrassed as me.

I nodded to his direction to pleasantly (I hope!) acknowledge his presence. Bulstrode, in the other hand, smirked in a smug way that gives me the creeps in the spine.

"Going so soon, Miss Granger?" she said, still smirking. Almost mockingly sneering the word Miss.

"Actually, I was about to go to the cafeteria." I said in a voice that surprised me. Steady and calm. "Might as well grab a bite or two. You're on your way home, I assume?"

She rolled her eyes, "It's Friday night, Miss Granger. Best way to celebrate the end of work days is to get drunk and party hard."

I cocked my head to the side. "I didn't know that's the elemental rule during Fridays."

She laughed mockingly. "It's not a rule Granger, it's called social needs. You coming?" she said when the lift doors opened that announced 'Lobby'. I nodded and followed them out.

"I meant the party, silly." She said, raising an eyebrow.

I frowned. "What party?"

"I'm assuming that as a 'no'. A pity Hermione," she tsk'd. "You should be there, but I guess you choose your work more than your social life. Goodbye!" She actually waved at me when she and her boyfriend (I decided to call the guy 'her boyfriend' since they're snogging senseless in an empty lift) strutted to the Apparation point while I headed to the cafeteria.

I've got a very bad feeling about this.

I helped myself on a nice Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches with a nice hot tea on the side. I was about to take a bite on my fourth sandwich (boy-o, I was THAT hungry) when I heard an unfamiliar voice muttered: "Accio Wand!"

I felt the wand left my robes. I turned around to see my attacker, ready to fight whatever it takes when I heard again that voice said:

"Obscurso!"

The second spell hit me so powerfully that I stumbled backwards and tripped unto my robes. But before I fell on me bum, cool strong arms caught me. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but no words came out.

This psycho abductor of mine cast a Silencing Spell on me?

If I could snarl at that time, I would totally do that. Here am I, the brightest witch of my age, utterly weak and wandless, in my own birthday. Could things get any worse?

I trashed and screamed soundlessly at the arms of this git. I randomly searched through my head the meanest hex I could give if I ever get my wand. I could just simply emasculate this bloke (it is obviously a guy because his grip on me is still firm, despite of my struggles) in the most painful way I knew. On a second thought, a hex will not be good enough. A curse will do.

I would have gone thrashing forever if weren't a wand is pointed at my nape.

"Shhh, calm down. I won't hurt you." He said briefly in clipped tones. His voice is none of I recognize. And it frustrates me.

"Just keep moving forward until I told you to stop. Do you understand me?" I nodded, even if I still think of the ways on how to punish this guy.

"Don't do anything stupid, Or else..." he warned. "Now move." He commanded.

I could tell that we have company. I could hear sniggers in front of me. Maybe a guy or a two. The git won't stupidly work alone.

I frowned towards the stifled giggles. Why are they laughing at me?

"Turn left..." he instructed and I complied. I should be paying attention earlier on how many steps did I take or the dictated direction earlier. If I wasn't that preoccupied earlier with my plans...

I was caught by surprise by Side-Along Apparation. I'm not prepared at the suffocating feeling while travelling into a tube-like darkness. Turns out that we've gone into the Apparation Point, and we apparated to somewhere else.

For the moment my feet touched the ground, I gulp an exceedingly large amount of air. Thanking Merlin that I'm still alive for the last 5 minutes, I nervously listened to the silence that I was half-expecting.

"Well, well, well. I can see that I lost the bet." A familiar voice drawled, breaking the easy silence in between.

"I still don't get it why you guys doubted our mad-skills. We've known Hermione for years!" a female voice happily hissed the other.

"Enough, she might recognize you." Said the bloke whose wand still pointed at me. "C'mon, let's get her in."

A cold flash shock went through me: These people know me. And these people are probably my colleagues. My colleagues who hated me for my bossy attitude and they're planning to blackmail me or something.

Oh bloody buggering HELL!

Before I was given a chance to react, the guy behind me pushed me lightly. I nearly tripped again with my heels, which seemed to be higher than before. The cool wind rippled through us, making me shiver. I got a whiff of the wind, dry and dusty. I grabbed the sides of my working robes to keep myself warm.

But my working robes, it seemed, are gone.

My panicking hands hastily scanned my body. I heard a faint chuckle on my left. The good news is: I'm still (thankfully!) dressed. The bad news is: I'm wearing clothes that I could not recognize. And for the record, I didn't even own these kinds of clothes! This is very expensive for the likes of me!

Oh gods, they're going punish me by―

I gnashed my teeth in a mortified surprise. I hated myself when I'm right!

I heard a car door opened followed by a chorus of murmurs and a loud modern music playing in the background. I frowned at the lack of logic in this situation. Why would a wizard drive a car if they could use more convenient (for them) means of transportation like brooms or Floo Network?

"Woah, I think you'd better get the birthday girl as far as you can to the wheel." A voice said that suspiciously sounded like Neville.

Oh great. I thought. I would really prefer being abducted by my colleagues-slash-haters than this.

"Chill, Nev. You know that she won't hurt us." A female voice chided. Susan?

"Yeah right. Do you seriously think that she'll spare us tonight?" Ron's voice rang. Now that's the voice I can recognize with my eyes closed.

As I lowered myself in the leather seat, there's a break out of stifled giggles which makes me more nervous. I must have been looked very horrible. After a few slams of the car door, the car sped up that I'm thrown back at my seat. A non-verbal Finite Incantantem was cast and I felt my voice returned as well as my sight. A dead silence of anxiety covered the whole car. Or should I say limousine. I'm somewhat seating near the driver, and I'm seeing all of them. The culprits.

Harry and Ron were sitting beside each other. Harry gave me an encouraging nod while Ron gave me a nervous lopsided grin. Ginny is beaming at me; her fingers are secretly twined with Harry's. Neville smiled at me while he was talking to someone on the phone. A phone? Since when Neville owns a phone? Susan Bones have a hushed conversation with the Patil twins. To the left―which triggered a stifled gasp from me―were the Slytherin girls, Pansy Parkinson, the Greengass sisters, and Millicent Bulstrode. Millicent smirked at me and then mouthed, Happy Birthday, Miss Granger. And then she winked at me.

Despite all the fidgeting, the silence stretched on. As if they were waiting for me to say something.

"You guys," I started, breaking the deadly silence with my clipped, business like voice. "Are seriously mental!" I glared at those playing innocent faces of theirs.

"Oh, no. There she goes again." Muttered Ron.

"I already told you that I don't want any parties! Haven't I told you that? Godric, who do you think you are, abducting some helpless Ministry official? This is seriously against my rights as a person! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Jeez, you could have simply..." I babbled on with my rant. I was so angry―no, furious on what have they done. When I'm finished, another silence greeted us. But this time the silence is more comfortable, the anxiety was now lifted. This is more like the adjustment silence. After a minute or two, Harry spoke.

"I told you, she wouldn't like it." He said to Ginny.

She shrugged, "She's here now, so she can't complain."

I glared at the red-haired beauty. Of course, Ginny would plan this kind of thing. It's her forte after all, making me do all the things that I don't want to do. If this girl wasn't my friend, I would have hexed her arse to the next century.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I didn't plan this alone!" she said, looking pointedly at Neville and Pansy.

"I already told you that I don't want a birthday blowout! Where are we going anyway?" I half-hissed.

"Yeah, maybe you don't want to have a birthday party, but you seriously need one." Pansy said with a roll of her eyes. Funny how years changed the whole pureblood philosophy of the former Slytherins. I would have laughed ten years ago if someone said that Pansy and I would be great friends.

"Hey! Hannah told me that level three is already vacated for us. Luna and company are already there." Neville suddenly butt in. His blond hair is quite tousled.

My eyes suddenly as round as saucers. " 'Luna and Company'?" I said incredulously. "How many―"

"Oh shush it, Hermione." Ginny chided. "We're not going to roast you on an open fire!"

I rolled my eyes. "It was worse than that..." I muttered menacingly.

I heard Theo and Ron's silent mirth. If there's one thing those two can agree on, is that I'm a-dork-able (as they always put it) when I'm annoyed. And those statements always want to hex both of their arses to the next generation.

Still glaring suspiciously at them, I said, "Where on Earth are you gonna take me anyway?"

But before they could answer my question, I already have my answer as I see the glittering signage at the side of the road.

"Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada Granger." Pansy Parkinson said. "The City of Vice and Sin."

Author's More Additional Notes:

Er, the next chapter of "Broken Strings" will be delayed because of academic stuff. So, it's still on progress. Sorry but it will be posted soon :)

~TheOwlWriter