Chapter Four-

Hermione was kept busy in the days following their return from Florence. Ginny was forever asking her to come over and help her with wedding arrangements and she had spent so much time at the house that she had talked herself hoarse over flower arrangements, colour themes and food. When Ginny wasn't demanding her attention Harry was asking for her advice about the preparations needed for Sirius' return.

She hadn't told them about her little dalliance with Malfoy, preferring for the moment to leave that relationship where it was. She suspected that they wouldn't approve anyway, not being terribly keen to be on friendly terms with old enemies. He seemed to have different ideas though and had sent her several owls asking her to dinner in London. So far she had resisted, having a fairly good idea where "dinner" would lead.

She recalled their last conversation conducted as they always were by owl as she walked from Diagon Alley back to the flat

"Granger, dinner this evening? My treat. Malfoy"

"Malfoy, what gave you the impression that we should see each other again? Not sure it's such a good idea. Also, for the future, propositions by post should preferably be more than 7 words."

"Jesus Granger it's dinner not a marriage proposal, also it wasn't a good idea to go for dinner in Florence but as I recall you rather enjoyed it last time. Your certainly sounded like you did."

"Mr Malfoy. Such lewd suggestions will not get you back in to my good books. Since you ask though I did enjoy our time in Florence and I appreciate your honesty. Answer is still no though. Hermione"

"Look I'm really trying to be nice here. The effort is making me unwell. Neither of us is looking for a relationship but the occasional dinner could be nice. If you're really not interested I'll bugger off but I'm sure you are."

"I'll think about it"

And thought about it she had. Almost continuously. It wasn't a good idea, not a wise thing to do and yet she really really wanted to. Perhaps it was a hormonal phase that she was going through.

She was interrupted from her train of thought by the sound of loud laughter coming from the flat. She let herself into the bright kitchen and found herself in a room full of people. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Lee Jordan and Oliver Wood had joined the twins for a poker night. The table was covered with cards, crisps and bottles of alcohol. It looked wonderfully warm and welcoming.

"Hermione, you're back!" Fred grinned "fancy a game?"

"In a minute" she smiled "for now I want a drink"

It was odd how she, a normally shy person, felt entirely at home in a room full of people she hadn't seen in over a year. To her surprise Charlie poked his head around the door, saw her and came to talk

"When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago, I've got a day's leave" he grinned "I hear you're occupying the spare room here now"

She nodded

"That's brave of you" he took a swig of beer and nodded at the ongoing card game "aren't you going to play too?"

She furrowed her brow "I don't know, I've never played it before"

Charlie proceeded to talk her through the game as it happened and she thanked God that she had always been a fast learner because it seemed unnecessarily complicated. After a bottle of butter beer though she was fairly sure she'd grasped it. When they dealt the cards for the next game she and Charlie both joined.

By the time the game had ended, Hermione was reasonably sure that she'd gotten the hang of poker. She hadn't won every hand but she had done noticeably better than several of the other players.

Fred couldn't stop grinning, the alcohol had been flowing for quite some time and they were all rather giggly apart from one or two of the male guests who had turned a little bit lecherous towards the females in the party. He noticed it particularly when Hermione leaned across the table to retrieve a bottle of wine, both Charlie and Wood leaned forwards in a not very subtle attempt to see further down her shirt.

"I've got an idea" slurred Alicia who had apparently noticed this too "strip poker!"

"No!" George exclaimed

"Oh go on" Angelina was grinning wickedly "you're always saying how good you are at poker, time to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak"

"I'll deal the cards shall I?" Hermione asked

Fred choked on his drink "you're playing?!"

She nodded "I'm pretty sure I've got it, if I have I've got nothing to worry about have I?"

As it transpired she had understood it pretty well, the game ended with Hermione missing only her shoes and one sock and the others in a far more advanced state of undress.

"When did you start taking risks?" Wood was grinning appreciatively at her

"When I moved here" she shrugged and got up to head to the sitting room "it's had a good influence on me"

"I'll say" Fred laughed and followed her out "you never would have played strip poker a few weeks ago"

"What can I say? It's been a learning curve"

"Was poker on your to do list?"

She nodded "and drinking games but we'll leave that for another day shall we?"

"Well I've never been more proud" he threw an arm drunkenly around her shoulders

"Good" Hermione laughed and patted his back, steering him back towards the kitchen before excusing herself and departing for her room

When Hermione crawled into bed that night feeling ever so slightly tipsy she thought about how odd it was that she trusted Fred so implicitly. Logically there was no way she should trust someone who would as fast slip her a canary cream as look at her and yet she had never felt so willing or ready to take a few chances.

The last thing she thought before she drifted off to sleep was that perhaps she could go for dinner with Malfoy. Just one.