Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

This is completely AU just go with it. I promise there'll be smut eventually.


Hermione retrieves her white open-toed shoes from the ugly gray bin and steps aside before dropping them to the floor and slipping her feet in. She nods to the man and moves away from security. She smooths out her green skirt, straightens her white tank top, and pulls her white sunglasses down from the top of her head. Retrieving her black carry-on, she glances around for Ginny. Ginny is already waiting for her past security, wearing a short denim romper with black sunglasses propped up on her head, keeping her red hair out of her face. She is sitting on her blue carry-on with her legs crossed while motioning her thumb quickly over her magic-enhanced touch screen phone.

"Ready?" Hermione asks.

"Almost." A few more swipes. "Done. It's QuillNet official now."

"So, is it officially complicated?"

"It was complicated last week. Now I'm single," Ginny murmurs standing and extending the handle of her bag.

Hermione nods. Once they find their gate, she'll have to make a similar status change. 'Fucking Ron,' she thinks to herself. Ginny was completely understanding. Her brother cheated on Hermione with Millicent Bulstrode, of all people. So instead of standing with her brother in sisterly solitude, Ginny threw in behind Hermione like she had in the past.

It's a simple ritual, really. Their post-breakup routine has been the same since Hogwarts. When either of them has reached the end of a relationship, they meet at Heathrow and simply hop the first plane to warmer climate.

Today, they are both post-breakup.

Hermione's aunt, Gloria, is a flight attendant with British Airways, and they have taken full advantage of her benefits. They fly standby, which usually means hours of waiting for two seats together to open up. They don't mind. It gives them a chance to cool off...and talk shit. Terminal 8 is a familiar place.

Wordlessly, they part ways. Ginny heads over to a newsstand. She picks up two bottles of orange juice and a pack of gummy candy. She rips open the candy wrapper with her teeth, puffing out a yellow plastic triangle, and ignores it as it flits to the ground. She pours two or three directly into her mouth before tucking the rest of the package into the crook of her arm. She opens both juice bottles and approaches a water fountain.

Hermione makes her way to the duty free shop. Her index finger traces the square top of a bottle of amaretto, before she decides to grab the larger bottle next to it. She opens the bottle and takes two swigs on her way to the water fountain. She approaches Ginny from behind. Hermione doesn't speak, but Ginny knows she's there. She hands Hermione a half empty bottle of juice as she pours out the contents of the other bottle in her hand. Hermione fills her juice bottle with amaretto, then hands the bottle over to Ginny who follows suit. They discard the now empty liquor bottle and then toss a few gummies into their drinks.

Voila. Amaretto Sunrises.

They stand in front of the monitors looking at the flight schedule and sipping their drinks. Though they put themselves on the waitlist for a Cancun flight to get through airport security, they stop now to consider all their options.

"Puerto Rico?" Ginny suggests.

"No, I want out of this country," Hermione replies, pulling her sunglasses up to rest on her head again. "New York?"

"Too cold."

"It's July."

"I'm packed for the beach. I've got four bikinis in here", Ginny replies kicking her bag. "Besides, we went to New York after I broke up with Michael...Dominican Republic?"

"Nuh-uh," Hermione replies raising an eyebrow at Ginny. "Dean."

"Right."

"Oooh...Delhi?"

Ginny shakes her juice bottle. "I don't have enough liquor for a flight that long."

"Okay, how about Rio?"

Ginny nods. "Yeah, okay... And look Quito is departing from the next gate."

"Great," Hermione says, taking another sip of her drink. "Let's camp out between the two and hope we get lucky."

They weave through the terminal, and approach the gate. They put themselves on the waiting list for both flights. They park on an empty stretch of chair in between the gates.

And they drink.

An hour later, they are both trashed.

"...And his back is hairy! Dude needs a fucking weed whacker!" Ginny exclaims much too loudly pointing to one of the passing muggles.

Hermione laughs.

"Seriously, having him exposed anywhere was embarrassing. And he always wanted to do it in public. What the hell?" Ginny continues.

"Yeah well at least you could do it in public. Ron would fucking jizz in his pants if I licked my lips at him. What are we? Fourteen?" Hermione takes another sip of her drink. "Ugh, I am done with the dumb shit!"

"Wotcher, Hermione!" a familiar voice startles them both.

"Shit!" Hermione jumps up and spins around. "Oh...Tonks. What's up, girl." She pulls Tonks in for a hug.

"Nothing. Wotcher, Ginny."

Ginny raises her bottle in acknowledgement.

Tonks notes their single carry-on bags and their inebriated status. "Which one of you is single now?"

"I am!" they say almost in unison. They're too drunk for a synchronized response.

"I see. So where are you headed?" Tonks continues.

"Wherever." Hermione tries to take another sip of her drink, but is disappointed to find her bottle empty. "You?"

"Panama. My friend, Cedric, is getting married."

"Oh yeah, I remember Cedric. Quidditch player. Kind of cute." Hermione sits back down and leans forward with her elbows on her knees. She'd met Cedric through Tonks. He visited London two summers ago and Hermione had taken them around at Tonks's request. She'd taken him to all of the Muggle hotspots, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey, and the National Gallery where he was disappointed that none of the pictures moved or talked. She got along well with Cedric, who at the time had just gotten engaged.

"Hermionessss. You... Hi. I like you...You... I'm marry...Cho! I'm getting married! Woooo!" Cedric slurred in a drunken stupor as they navigated through the cobblestone streets of Covent Garden. "You wanna come?" he invited.

"Yesssssss, Ced...ric. I wanna... I wanna see you get married!" she accepted. She didn't bother to attempt a mental note. No way was she going all the way to Panama for Cedric's wedding.

"Come to Panama! For Cedric's wedding!" Tonks beams, breaking Hermione out of her trance.

Hermione blinks slowly and looks over at Ginny. She's shaking her empty bottle upside down with her tongue out, desperate for one last drop of alcohol. Hermione slowly turns back to Tonks.

"...Okay?"