A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows. Can you believe we are already at the halfway point of this story? I hope that you enjoy this chapter...and Marcus's reaction to that LBD! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter nine and be on the lookout for chapter ten on Monday. Have a great weekend :)


After hearing Daphne's suggestions she'd immediately gone around to the shop to find the perfect little black dress. She was sure that the new Mrs. Longbottom would have been horrified to learn that Hermione didn't actually have one hanging up in her closet already. She'd even bit the bullet and asked one of the sales girls to assist her in selecting a cut that would be the most flattering. The young woman had practically fallen over herself to help a war hero.

It had taken two hours, but Hermione had been happy with the outcome. Now, standing in front of her mirror, she was feeling a bit more nervous. The fabric seemed too clingy and the off-shoulder neckline exposed far more of her skin than she was used to. Objectively, she knew that she looked good, but it was just so out of the ordinary of what she normally wore and she hoped it wouldn't come across as though she was trying too hard. Pressing her shoulders back, Hermione tried to put on an air of confidence. If she was relaxed and comfortable, she was sure that none of the other guests would say anything.

Grabbing the neatly wrapped box of fudge on the way out, Hermione took one last look in the mirror before flooing over to the pub that Marcus had reserved for his birthday party. Immediately upon walking in, Hermione was quite amazed by all of the people who were there milling about. Her breath caught in her throat while she looked around the room, hoping to recognize someone she knew.

"Hermione! Over here!" Daphne called brightly, waving her hand over to wear she was standing with Neville and another older Slytherin boy who Hermione thought was named Pucey. "I am so glad that you came. You look amazing," Daphne gushed, looking the Gryffindor girl up and down.

"Yes, Granger, I must say that you clean up nicely," the other boy said with a bit of a leer. "I don't know that we've ever been formally introduced," he said, offering a hand. "I'm Adrian Pucey."

"Hermione Granger," she responded, never wanting to be presumptuous about her celebrity as a war hero. "Pleased to meet you," she said, though she wasn't entirely sure if she was pleased to meet him the way that he was staring at her. Though, hopefully it would be an indication that Marcus would be pleased with her appearance as well.

"Neville, love, go get Hermione a drink!" Daphne chided, tapping her husband on the shoulder. "I might not be able to drink yet, but that doesn't mean that you can't," the blonde said sagely.

Neville wandered off, leaving Hermione in the presence of the two Slytherins, leaving her feeling rather out of place. She clutched the brightly wrapped gold box closer to her waist to try and keep it out of everyone else's view, while she let her eyes wander around the room for a gift table. Of course, there was none, which made her realize that she would have to give it directly to Marcus. Her heart began to sutter over what the exchange could bring. Would he appreciate it?

By the time that Neville returned and pressed a hearty glass of red wine into her hand, Adrian was busy regalling the girls with a play-by-play of Marcus's performance that day in the Quidditch match earlier that day. Apparently, he'd played quite well and his team was steadily climbing to the top of the table under Marcus's new leadership. Many of the fans had been quite skeptical about having him as a team member, but he'd done everything he could to try to prove the naysayers wrong. Even though Quidditch was not her normal conversation topic of choice, Hermione was excited to hear about how Marcus was settling in after being abroad for so long.

Still, she'd rather have heard it come from Marcus himself.

That thought made her realize that she hadn't seen a hint of Marcus since she'd arrived. The party was in full swing, but she was positive she would have caught sight of him previously, seeing as he was so large. She caught her lower lip between her teeth, before looking around the room more carefully, hoping that it didn't appear too obvious. She was sure people already had enough questions about why Hermione Granger of all people was at the party to begin with.

Subtlety was not her strong suit that night, apparently, as Adrian leaned in and whispered into her ear. "I think I saw him slip out round back not long before you arrived," he said, a knowing look in his brown eyes. Hermione blushed, but thanked him anyway, slipping away from the chatting trio in the direction of the back patio.

Marcus was standing against the wall of the pub, his head thrown back and his eyes closed. He seemed tired and exhausted. Upon hearing the door open, his head whipped around to see who was disturbing his peace, only to have his eyes widen when he saw it was her. "Granger," he practically choked out. "You look good."

A smile tugged on the corner of her lips at his rather inelegant compliment. Still, she knew it was honest assessment - he wasn't just saying it to flatter her. "Thank you, Marcus," she said, a flush on her cheeks. "I have something for you," she said, stepping closer to him and hoping that she wouldn't slip in her new tall heels. Wrapping and arm around his middle, she gave him a quick hug, before pressing that package into his hands. "Happy Birthday," she said brightly.

He looked confused, but excited, when he took the package out of her hands, fingers easily tearing through the festive wrapping, only to reveal what was hidden behind. His face immediately lit up when he realized what it was. "Wow, these are my favorite," he said, grinning. "How did you know?"

Hermione shrugged. "I might have had a little help from one of our mutual acquaintances," she revealed, filing away a note to herself to send Daphne a quick thank you note. She was even more glad now that she had gotten him the present, even if it was simple, having seen his excited reaction. "I'm glad you like it."

"You know, I think you are the only person besides family who has gotten me a present for my birthday in years," he told her honestly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

She shrugged her shoulders, before moving to lean against the wall next to him. "Well, it's what friends do, isn't it?" she questioned, though she couldn't remember the last time that Ron or Harry had given her an actual present. "You'll just have to repay me next year," she teased.

The air was quite cold, even for a late November, and Hermione subconsciously moved closer to Marcus to siphon off some of his warmth. Even if it was cold, it was pleasant to be out here in the calm and quiet compared to the bustle of the party. She was curious as to why Marcus was hiding away outside when he could be inside enjoying his party. Maybe he'd just gotten hot? It was a bit warm in there.

Eventually, her curiosity won out. "What are you doing spending your birthday party alone out in the cold?" she questioned, turning her head slightly so she could read his expression.

Marcus was obviously conflicted, unsure if he should reveal his feelings. "It's kind of hard to be around my friends again," he said with a shrug. "A lot of them think I'm a coward for leaving during the war. I just didn't want to get pulled into something I didn't believe in. I just wanted to play Quidditch."

He was gauging her face for a reaction, but she wasn't sure what he was expecting to see. Did he expect her to agree with his friends just because she'd fought in the war? If she was honest with herself, she sometimes wished she could have gone somewhere else during the fighting. It would have saved her a lot of heartache and nerves at the least. But, in the end, she knew that she had to fight for what she believed in. "I don't think that's cowardly at all," she said, keeping her eyes down on the pavement in front of her. "I think joining a group like the Death Eaters if you don't believe in it to be pretty cowardly. I... often think about how a lot of this could have ended earlier if more people would have spoken up."

"You don't have to say that to try and make me feel better," he told her gently. "It won't hurt my feelings."

"It's the truth though," Hermione responded, rounding on him so that she could look into his eyes. "I have to work with people like Warrington all the time at work, and it just makes me annoyed. It doesn't help that he is useless as well."

Marcus snorted, trying to hide a grin. "Hey, he isn't completely useless. He does alright at chaser, and I hear that the girls are really into him."

Hermione pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "I guess if he's your type. I find him rather boorish. And he is a terrible liaison with the goblins, but really, what can you do about it?" she revealed. "So, why did you have the big party if you don't actually like any of them in there? Are any of them your friends for real?"

"I had the party because it was expected that I have one. It's not that I don't like them, just that it feels awkward to be around them all. I sometimes feel like the only reason any of them are around me is because I play Quidditch still," Marcus told her. "And, I do really like Adrian. He's a good bloke."

"Well, he was singing your praises to me out there. So I think the feeling is mutual," Hermione teased, before taking an unconscious step closer to him. "Although, I would rather have heard about your win from you rather than a third party."

"Really?" Marcus asked, a surprised look on his face. With his head slightly cocked to the side, Hermione thought he looked rather cute. "Hermione Granger, hater of Quidditch, wants to hear about my game, eh?"

"I don't need the full play by play," Hermione said with a shrug. "But the highlights would be nice." It was true that she would happily listen to Marcus talk about Quidditch in reason. She remembered the way he'd described the gloves to her and how he hadn't tried to dumb any of it down for her just because she was muggleborn. There was something about his enthusiasm that was quite infectious. And, it was obviously something he cared about. A good friend would listen to what the other friend was interested in, right?

She listened patiently while he gave her the very briefest of highlights of the game. The longer he talked, the more relaxed he became, a fond look on his face. It made her stomach do delighted flip-flops to her surprise. But, before long, she was shivering.

"You look cold," Marcus said succinctly. "We should get back inside," he said authoritatively, his hand moving to wrap around her shoulders, only to pull back at the last possible second. Instead, he shoved it in the pocket of his trousers.

Just as they were about to reach the door to walk back into the pub, Marcus hesitated. "Say, Hermione," he started, his eyes trained on his feet. "Ades is having a New Years Eve party this year. Would you maybe...like to go to it with me?" he finished hopefully.

Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest, excitement filling her body. She couldn't stop the smile from lighting up her face. "I would love to," she said with a grin. The invitation definitely sounded like a date.

She would need Daphne's help to get another dress.