"So…Sam and I are done."
"Ugh, finally…"
"It's about time! I don't know how you stayed with him so long…"
"Well…he's a giver…"
Pause.
Hermione counted to three in her mind.
"Ew, Hermione!"
"We did not need to know that."
"Good girl."
Hermione exchanged a smirk with the blonde beside her who made the last comment. He winked at her.
"Malfoy, this is your fault," Harry groaned, still shaking his head.
Ron took a swig of his drink, "Yeah mate, you're a bad influence on her."
"Um…excuse me, if you were talking about this in the locker room, as sources suggest, then you'd be high fiving the prat," responded Hermione indignantly.
Draco laughed and they all looked at him for a moment. It still sometimes took them aback to hear his genuine laughter rather his usual sarcastic bark.
"She's got a point idiots, I haven't corrupted her…she's allowed to do whatever and whomever she wants without your hypocritical commentary," he drawled amusedly.
Harry rolled his eyes, "You forget she's like our sister, she can do whatever and whomever she wants, we would just like her to spare the details."
Ron nodded in agreement with a serious look on his face, "Otherwise, we would lock her in a bell tower and throw away the key."
"Jerks, I am sitting right here," Hermione announced downing the rest of her drink and getting up to buy the next round.
The three boys looked at her fondly as she walked away and leaned over the bar to ask Hannah for another round of firewhiskeys.
"So what is that, number 6?" asked Ron passing his glass between both hands.
"Eight," replied Draco not bothering to look at them.
Hermione returned with the round and with a "Thanks 'Mione" from Ron, sat down again.
"So, tell us about number 9, what poor soul is getting their heart broken by you next?" asked Harry taking his drink from her.
"Uh…no one at the moment," came the delayed response. Ron and Harry looked at Draco. He was staring at her.
"That's..ah…pretty big news," said Ron cautiously.
Hermione looked at Ron oddly, opening her mouth to answer, but was cut off.
"Ah, declared your love for Potter have you, Draco?" a derisive voice interjected.
An amused voice joined in, "I would think he would have declared his love for Weasley given the sexual tension they've shared over the years."
"Pans, Zabini, how kind of you to finally join us," Draco ignoring their usual remarks as they took their seats at the table.
"Maybe Malfoy is madly in love with both of us," snarked Potter, the firewhiskey starting to kick in.
Draco snorted, "You wish, it's enough working with you losers, you're lucky I'm even remotely interested in drinking with you."
"'Mione dumped Sam," Ron relayed sagely to Pansy and Blaise.
"Girl Sam or Boy Sam?"
"Boy Sam. Girl Sam was only a few times," Draco replied for her.
Blaise scoffed, "This was the big news? It would be bigger news if I was dating Boy Sam."
Harry rolled his eyes, "No you prat, the big news is that Hermione isn't currently seeing anyone."
Pansy's jaw dropped open, "Shit." She looked over at Draco for confirmation who nodded his head.
"It's not a big deal guys, I'm sure someone will pop up, we're in a bar for crying out loud," Hermione sounded slightly irritated.
"Granger, I'd pop up for you any day," flirted Blaise with a wink, "unfortunately, I'm on the list." He glared at Draco mockingly.
"Darling, we both know I'd destroy you," came the saucy reply.
Pansy chuckled, "Hermione Granger, I'm so glad the boys put their sexual tension aside so that we could become chums. Kingsley really outdid himself by putting those three together."
"That's what happens when the Golden Trio loses their brains. They can't function properly without me…well couldn't…now that they have Malfoy, they won't die in the field," opined Hermione.
"Woah, 'Mione, tell us how you really feel," joked Ron, "but I guess its true. Once Malfoy told us the history of the Veela wars and I thought he was channeling you."
"I thought you out of anyone would be interested in Veela wars. Every time you see Gabrielle, you start peacocking like you're in a freaking zoo," Draco bit back good-naturedly.
"Those wars are so interesting, they at least highlight strong female achievements and don't gloss over the reality of the loss," started Hermione candidly, Draco nodding along.
"No…no…I'm not listening to this again. Shh…Hermione," Harry shook his head.
"Don't shush me, I'm fucking Hermione Granger," she grinned back at Harry.
"I'd like to be fucking Her-" started Blaise and stopped short at Draco's look. He cleared his throat and continued…"I mean I would like to embark upon a long and virtuous relationship that ends in marriage with Hermione Granger."
Hermione choked on her firewhiskey roaring with laughter, "That's cute, Zabini."
The whole table joined in as Blaise pouted and got up to get another round.
"Granger…" started Draco.
"Yes, ferret," she responded and he smiled. Everyone else groaned.
"Already?" sighed Pansy, "How long have you all been here, it's only 9 pm."
Ron muttered, "We got here earlier, the Ministry had an after work social, we came straight here afterwards."
Pansy shook her head as she watched Draco and Hermione lapse in to a whole other language.
"I know," said Harry looking at Pansy's expression, "these two are bad enough at work when they are discussing the latest case…slightly tipsy and they can solve the world's problems."
Blaise returned to the table and nearly smashed his head on the wall, "Already?!"
"Last time, they figured out a three-year old case in less than 30 minutes, it's scary mate," shuddered Ron.
"You all work together, well more Hermione and Draco since he's the liaison with the Department of Mysteries, I don't know how you all aren't sick of each other," Pansy said dramatically.
They looked over at the two briefly, who had started arguing as if on schedule.
"So Pans, how's work?" asked Blaise.
She smiled and launched in to a story about the latest project she was working on. She was halfway through her story when they noticed that the arguing had gotten louder than usual between the two. They ignored it.
Ron had moved on to a story that Neville told him about his recent encounters with encouraging house unity at Hogwarts and somehow ended up teaching a dance class with McGonagall. Harry chuckled and launched in to the story about Ron dancing with McGonagall during their fourth year.
CRACK
"MALFOY!" Hermione exclaimed loudly.
They looked over at the two. There was a house elf standing in front of Hermione and Draco had his hands around hers.
"No damn it, Granger, marry me!" he said exclaimed loudly.
Ron dropped his glass.