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The door clanged shut with a fine groan, echoing around the house, empty save for its sole occupant. The man in question turned his head towards the fireplace as it glowed an exuberant green, not unlike the man's eyes.
"Harry?" The voice spoke softly from the fire.
"Yes, come along, Hermione." Harry replied, tapping his wand over the fireplace once to trigger the wards to briefly allow Floo transportation.
With a mighty bang, Hermione emerged from the fireplace, spraying a jet of soot on the clean carpet. She corrected her balance and looked up to meet Harry's eyes.
"Honestly, I can't believe you haven't allowed me through the House's wards yet." Hermione stated bossily, glaring at him in earnest before enveloping him in a hug.
"All in good time," Harry said, smirking. "I only got the place a few months ago, you know?"
"...And how many days have we spent cleaning soot off the carpet because you're too lazy to allow the wards to let Ron and I to apparate directly inside?" Hermione stated, waving her wand over the carpet, cleaning the soot instantly.
"Point taken." Harry replied, grinning back at her. He furrowed his brow. "Where's Ron?"
"Oh. He couldn't make it tonight." Hermione said, sighing. "Honestly, I think the work is getting to him. There's only so much good an Auror can do..."
"Oi! I am the Head Auror, you know." Harry replied, in mock hurt tone. "I don't work them that hard..."
Hermione grinned. "He's doing an errand for Molly actually. Said he'd rather be here drinking Pumpkin Juice than out there hunting down an old friend of hers who's not been answering her owls."
"Sounds like it'll be a pleasant conversation..." Harry said, extracting something from his cloak. "Although, about that Pumpkin Juice..."
"Is that-"
"Ogden's finest, yes." Harry said. "I thought I was going to be alone tonight since you were talking about cancelling but...might as well..." Hermione stared at him in concern.
"What's the occasion?" She asked, softly. Before he could speak, Hermione pulled his chin up, gazing into his eyes. "Harry...The house seems...empty somehow. Where's Ginny?"
Harry looked down again.
"I haven't seen her in a year, Hermione..."
"WHAT?" Hermione's shriek echoed around the house, making Harry cringe. Noticing, she relaxed a bit and spoke rather calmly, "...What happened?"
"We parted ways after I got my promotion." Harry replied, rather bitterly. "...Something about me not having the time or being a workaholic..."
Hermione reached closer to Harry, intertwining her hand with his.
"You could have said something, you know?" She said, softly.
"And what? Ruin it for you guys too?" Harry remarked.
"Honestly, Harry, the point of these 'reunions' is to stay in touch with each other." Hermione replied, huffing.
"Yeah, I know but...you and Ron have started building a life together, Hermione." Harry said. "I can't get in the way of that...I'll always be the third wheel."
"My friend is no third wheel, Mr. Potter..." Hermione said, grasping his cheek. "Through good times or bad. We made a promise."
Staring back into her soft chocolate brown eyes, Harry nodded. Hermione stood up, tapping her wand against the bottles on the table. There was a pop sound as the cork flew open.
"Now, let's see how fine Ogden's finest really is..." She said, offering him a bottle. Harry grasped it, his hand brushing against hers for a brief moment.
"I'll get the game."
"Are you sure we should be mixing that?" Harry slurred. Hermione chuckled.
"J-Just give it a try!" She squeaked, pouring the fiery red liquid into the goblet where it mixed together with Firewhiskey. She hiccuped, nearly dropping the goblet in her shaking hands. The cards from the game lay scattered around them on the carpet.
"...To be honest, I don't even remember what we were playing..." Harry replied, chugging down the odd concoction. The burning sensation in his throat returned from the whiskey but this time it was followed by a sweet aftertaste that hadn't been there before.
"Me neither but I was winning!" Hermione replied, eagerly finishing her own drink. In her haste, a bit of it splattered down the front of her robes, soaking it. Harry blinked, poking at the curiously shaped stain on her front. She giggled.
"Stop that!"
"What was in that thing, anyway?" Harry said, ignoring Hermione's protest as his jabbing turned into an impromptu tickling session.
"S-Stop! Mercy!" Hermione cried, near the end of the session.
"Answer the question!" Harry replied, sticking his tongue out at her as he continued tickling.
"E-Elderflower wine...It was Elderflower wine!" Hermione replied. Satisfied, Harry finally stopped tickling her and leaned back against the carpet. Hermione chuckled, turning over and smacking his face with her foot.
"Oi!" Chuckling along the way, she ran upstairs for refuge.
Harry groaned, swaying a bit as he stood up. He blinked profusely, struggling to keep the hallway into focus. Shaking his head quickly, he ran up after her.
"I'm gonna get you!"
The nearly empty Elderflower wine bottle, upset by the sudden movement, spilled all over the carpet, leaving little traces of the alcohol along it.
A flash of bright light made Hermione cringe as she opened her eyes. The dull throbbing in her head only worsened as last night's memory burst through to the forefront of her mind. She gasped, looking down at herself.
"Mmm...'Morning, 'Mione..." A drowsy voice turned her attention to the other occupant of the bed.
Harry groaned as he opened his eyes. His gaze matched Hermione's. He blinked several times.
The house was filled with screams in unison. Harry nearly dropped out of the bed as Hermione pulled the rug closer to herself.
"Hermione...We...What..." He stuttered. "A-Are you...naked?" His eyes wide and cheeks red, he instantly looked away to the other side.
"Y-Yeah...Y-You?" Hermione asked. Harry didn't have to look down at himself to nod.
"D-Did we...?"
"...Y-Yeah..."
"What do we do now?" Harry asked.
"Get out," Hermione said, suddenly. Harry turned to look at her but was smacked off the bed. "Get out." She shrieked, panicking.
Harry obeyed, rushing out of the room and closing the door without looking back.
"I drank Firewhiskey...What was I thinking?" Hermione murmured to herself as she gathered her clothes from the floor and hurriedly dressed. Hesitatingly, she peeked outside the room, but Harry was nowhere in sight. She glanced to see a lone bottle of Ogden's finest on the floor. She didn't condone drinking firewhiskey except on special occasions but had sensed yesterday that Harry needed a friend and had acquiesced.
'Clearly a big mistake. I took advantage of him when he was so vulnerable, and Ron-' Hermione stopped at the top of the stairs, her eyes going wide in horror. "Ron!"
The ginger-haired man looked up at her with a smile from the bottom of the stairs.
"Ah, good morning, 'Mione!" He greeted, ascending the stairs and planting a kiss on her cheek. Unable to react quickly, she simply huffed and brushed past him. Ron stared after her in surprise.
"What's with her?" He asked aloud.
"Dunno." Ron jumped, turning around to see Harry standing in the hallway.
"Bloody hell, you scared me, mate." Ron muttered. Harry smiled.
"Good to see you too, Ron." Ron smirked back, tapping his shoulder before the two descended the stairs together.
Hermione was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast in a haphazard manner.
"Holy cricket!" Hermione cursed, as the flick of her wand spilled milk all over the counter instead of pouring them in the intended glasses.
"What's with her?" Ron whispered, as the two watched Hermione storm her way around the kitchen.
"...W-Why are you asking me?" Harry replied. "You're the one dating her. You should know these things." Ron grunted and settled himself on the table.
"What're we having?" Frustrated, Hermione huffed, sending a plate of burnt eggs thundering over Ron's head.
"Oi! Watch it!" Ron mumbled, grabbing the plate in mid-air and setting it down in front of him.
"Harry!" Hermione snapped. Harry froze under her poisonous glare. "I need to talk to you. Come here, please." She led him to the main room, away from earshot of Ron.
"...We can't tell him." Hermione said.
"Agreed." Harry replied, all too eagerly.
"Nothing happened last night." Hermione blabbered on. "If anyone asks, we played a little exploding snap and then went to bed."
Harry nodded, heading towards the kitchen before he was stopped by Hermione's arm on his shoulder.
"Harry?"
"Hmm...?"
"We must never speak of this again."
"...Agreed."