Haa, another exhausting week... And finally it's over! In ten minutes I actually can go home and go to bed early for once. Than I can happily enjoy my quiet weekend and RELAX!
...That's what I was thinking five hours ago, just before the infamous duo of my two best friends barged into my office and forcefully made me come with them for a dinner and afterwards (which was the whole point) to a bar. And as if that wasn't enough, on the way out of the ministry we ran into Malfoy, whose relationship with Harry and Ron somehow improved from 'mortal enemy' to 'drinking buddy but otherwise still pretty annoying' over the time of working in the same department, and they dragged him along too. I have to say neither of the two of us was that happy about that fact. This is probably the only thing Malfoy and I have in common. We dislike drinking in the company of only Harry, Ron, and each other.
Well, when Harry and Ron get forceful like this, there's nothing anyone can do. Trust me. Everyone around them already tried. We all failed miserably. Even Ginny, being Harry's fiancée, did.
There goes my long sleep and quiet, relaxing weekend.
I sighed. It was 11 pm and all four of us were already pretty drunk. At this point in time I was just extremely thankful that we ended up in this concrete bar, even though I didn't want to go here at first. The reason for my gratefulness and dislike of being here is the same, actually. That is, it's about five minutes by foot to my flat. Now it's convenient; in this state I wouldn't be able to go anywhere far and I have it tried out that you sober up nicely during the walk.
It sounds great, right? But there is just a little problem with that close distance.
No, I don't dislike it here because I don't want people who know me to see me dead drunk. Really not. Because, let's face it. I am Hermione Granger. Everyone everywhere in Britain's wizarding community knows me.
The real reason always appears after the organisers Harry and Ron decide they've had enough and it was time to go home to sleep.
Ah, here it comes. It's soon this time...
"I'm sleepy," mumbled Ron when he woke up after falling asleep half an hour ago.
"Yeah, me too... Let' call it a day. It's still pretty early, but I think we've all had more than enough," stated calmly Malfoy.
"You're one to talk. You don't look sleepy at all," accused Harry while yawning.
"He just doesn't show it... Right now he's actually more drunk than Ronald is."
Harry gave me weird questioning look. I didn't get why.
"Hermy, how come... what was I trying to ask?" Ron scratched his head looking completely lost.
I laughed at him; he just seemed really funny to me in my drunken state but I stopped dead when I felt something I've been dreading was coming for a while already. It always ends up just like this in this situation...
"I understand, let's just go home, or this will end in a disaster."
"I agree. Granger, I'm drunk. I'll stay over." Here it comes. Again. The reason I don't like drinking here. He always ends up staying at my flat.
"Forget it, Malfoy! Why should my precious best female friend, the perfect Hermy, let a drunken Malfoy playboy stay over at her place, again!"
The three of us rolled our eyes. He really is the last one to criticise anyone about being a flirt.
"Ron, she's big enough already. She can refuse him by herself."
"But she doesn't know how to say 'no'!"
"Ronald, that's enough. I really can speak for myself. And Malfoy, really, why should I? I really am in no mood for you to stay over. I wanna actually sleep."
"Hermy, that sounded reaaaally disgusting. I think you wanna rephrase that..."
"Because it's too far and I'm drunk! You want me to throw up while I'm in a chimney somewhere? Or you want me to apparate home? Apparation under influence is illegal, you know?"
"As if you ever care about what's illegal. You always say 'I have connections. Everything illegal can be overlooked with connections,'" I said mockingly.
Really this is getting boring. We have the same argument with the same reasonings every time. I should think of something new.
"Granger, c'mon!"
I glared at him, he glared back. Not good. I've never won a staring contest with him. And today was no exception.
Finally, I sighed. "Fine, whatever. I don't care anymore..."
"No! Hermy! I can't let you do that! Harry will let him stay! Why does it have to be you?"
"Yeah, even though Ron could be a little more willing himself, I can let him come over this time. It's always you who gets stuck with him and that's not fair. Moreover I, too, really don't like the idea of him alone with you in the same flat."
"Ronald, for god's sake, stop calling me 'Hermy' every time you get drunk? And why are we having the same conversations every bloody time? Why are you both so against him staying with me, anyway?"
Harry, Ron and Malfoy, all three of them answered my question at the same time with "Because have a bad feeling about it," "'Cause he's Malfoy and that's enough reason!" and "Because they are narrow-minded idiots". I was amazed I even understood a word in my slightly hazy state of mind.
After another fifteen minutes of those three arguing over where should Malfoy stay tonight (the argument was in the end obviously won by Malfoy – as usual), during which I managed to calmly finish my last glass of gin and tonic, pay the bill, visit the bathroom and get dressed, we left the bar at last. My flat was in the opposite direction of the way to the underground station where Harry and Ron were heading, so we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
For a while I walked with Malfoy in not uncomfortable silence until I remembered something I wanted to ask him for quite some time already. "Hey, the first time you stayed at my flat, why did you decide you will stay with me? Wouldn't it be better if you stayed at Harry's or Ron's?"
"No, it definitely would not. I stayed at Potter's once and that was enough. I have no desire of listening to the Weaslette moan all night. And as for Weasley... Have you ever been to his office? Like a pig. I bet his house is even worse. No, thanks."
I laughed. You know, I actually enjoy conversations with Malfoy. Not that I'll ever admit it out loud. He knows anyway.
"Hey, do you know I hate it when the four of us go drinking together?" asked Malfoy suddenly.
I nodded. "Yeah, me too."
As I said it, we arrived to the apartment building where I lived. Not to make any unnecessary noise, we continued in silence until we closed the door of my own, magically sound-proof flat.
He immediately took off his coat and hung it up, took off his shoes, too, casually walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. Damn, he's acting way too at home in my flat. Somehow, that pisses me of.
"Oi, you, don't just go and use other people's things like they're your own!"
"Yeah, yeah. Wanna a cup of cocoa before going to sleep?"
"Thanks."
I sat down on the sofa in the living room while he rummaged in my kitchen. After a while he came out with two cups of steaming cocoa, which he put on the table in front of the sofa, and sat beside me, pulling me so that I had to lean on him. Not that I minded.
"Seriously. I hate it when I have to sit there beside you and I can't even talk to you normally, just 'cause the saint duo thinks of the idea of the two of us just calling each other by our first names as a declaration of war. Idiots. They don't mind drinking with me, but anything outside of a bar is just unimaginable for them."
"Yes. And I have to listen to this after every drinking party," I said nonchalantly with a small smile. He pouted. Don't you think he's cute, getting all upset over my friends like that and than pouting when I don't join in in his enthusiastic rant? "But I find it annoying, too."
"But when there are more people it's not as bad. The best is when there are lots of girls, Weaslette and Blaise."
"What's with that?" Really, is he trying to make me jealous or something?
"Well, don't you get it? When there's Weaslette, Potter doesn't really notice anything that's going on around him and is happily isolated in that pink lovey-dovey bubble of his. Weasley became such a playboy after he became famous and the girls keep him busy enough. And Blaise is a good conversation partner, don't you agree?"
"Well, yeah, I see your point. Moreover, that Blaise's attitude 'even though I know something I don't care, and if no one asks me l see no point in talking' or something like that... It's nice not to have to pretend with him around."
"Right? I knew the day would come when you admitted my friends were better than yours- ouch! That hurt!" he whined after I smacked him.
"I never said that!"
"Ok, ok, I get it," he said calmingly and kissed me on the cheek. Cheater. How am I supposed to stay angry, if he acts so sweet?
"Oh, by the way, if you know they would be mad beyond any reason if they find out, can you stop pushing your luck with touching my leg every time you get drunk and Harry and Ron seem distracted?"
He smirked, "Sorry, I couldn't help it. The temptation was too strong..." his voice dropped lower and it changed into a whisper. "Just like right now."
Than he kissed me.
Haa, how I longed for something like this, all the time at the bar. That's why I hate going out drinking with him. I can get pretty clingy when I'm drunk and it becomes really difficult to hold myself back. Not to mention him starting stroking my leg seducingly. So I really meant it when I said to go home or it would turn into a disaster. If I suddenly grabbed him and kissed him, no matter how drunk Harry and Ron were, they would still attack Draco. (Not that I'd be afraid any of the curses would actually hit their target. Not in the slightest. You can count on alcohol when it comes to aiming, however the bar would probably not survive.)
When we breathlessly pulled apart some time later he immediately started unbuttoning my shirt. "I knew it," I pouted (but I didn't exactly resist), "every time it turns out like this. That's why I don't like drinking at that bar. Draco, I told you I wanna sleep." Not that I could sleep now even if I wanted.
"It's weekend beginning today. You can sleep as long as you wish later." He kissed me again.
Geez, I'll probably never win against him again...