Chapter Eleven

The week all but flew by in a procession of paperwork and quickfire assignments. After the first few days, Draco got used to expecting a sudden fight or assignment. Ginny was well known enough that she no longer picked her assignments; they picked her.

He finished his last form and closed his desk drawer.

"Hey, you coming out?"

He looked up to see Julia Westhaven and Ewan Callahan grinning down at him.

"The Pub right?" he asked.

"C'mon," Julia said. "Free beer for anyone over level twenty."

"What's your level now?" Ewan asked as they waited for Draco to lock his desk and grab his coat.

"Twenty," Draco said.

"Sweet," Julia said. "Give it another week or two and you'll get to learn about the war."

That was exciting. "How high do you have to be to get that?" he asked.

"Thirty," Evangeline LaBouf said, coming over.

He grinned at her and looped an arm around her neck. "Who'd you get saddled with?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in days."

She blushed but gave him a quick hug. "Clark Finn."

Draco had met Finn a few days back and he seemed a decent Auror. Very, very tough but Eve didn't seem to be suffering. "Let me know if he gives you shit, Evie."

She blushed darker but nodded. Draco turned to the others. "Eve, this is Ewan Callahan and Julia Westhaven. Guys, this is Evangeline LaBouf."

"Call me Eve," she said, sounding much more sure of herself than the first time they met. Apparently being part of the IAL was doing her good.

Ewan couldn't stop staring at Eve. Julia managed to find her manners and jerked her head at the doors. "We were going out for some drinks. IALs get free drinks."

"How does the bar keep in business?" Draco joked.

Julia laughed. "C'mon. Let's go blow off some steam."

The bar was simply called The Pub and the place fairly glowed with the amount of silver badges, silver buttons and silver belts around the room. The bright lights caught on Draco's own silver belt buckle and the silver clips in Julias hair.

"Good to see you again," Sarge bellowed when he and Eve came in.

Eve submitted herself to his bone crunching hug. Draco managed to avoid it. "So what does it take to get a drink around here?" Draco asked.

Julialaughed. "The bar's always open for IAL silver. We only come here once a week, just to relax and catch up with people you don't see often. Most of us run around all day fixing problems. This place is a good chance to just hang."

"Too bad the bartender can only make beer," Ewan said, seemingly recovered from his fascination with Eve.

The bartender, a pretty girl with elegant black hair, flicked him off.

"Beer is all you sods seem to want," she said when they got closer.

"Draco, Eve, meet Jasmine Hollow, former IAL member."

"Former?" Draco said, studying her. She couldn't have been more than twenty.

"Retired two months," Jasmine said. "Injured in the line of duty but these sods don't seem to care."

"You got to keep your disability," Julia said.

Draco could feel the tension in the air and wondered about the past the three shared. But it wasn't his place, he decided. They'd tell if they wanted him to know.

Instead he turned to Jasmine. "Do you need a hand?"

She eyed him appreciatively.


Ginny almost never went to the bar but tonight she needed some relaxing. Their latest mission had gotten to her. Not that she'd tell Draco or any of the others. If Hermione had been there, she probably would have guessed but that was just how close they were. Though they never spent time together, Hermione was her best friend and they would always be best friends.

She stepped into the Pub and Ewan Callahan immediately hailed her. He was always tried to get her out and she usually restrained from it. Drinking was a dangerous thing for her. She had a low tolerance and she said things she shouldn't when she drank. More importantly, drinking made her remember. And she didn't wnat to remember.

Not Siberia, not the years of the war, not any of it.

Still, one cold one wouldn't hurt.

She returned Ewan's greeting and made her way across the room to him and some of the others. She noted that Evangeline and Julia were both there. Julia had clearly had a drink or two already and was making eyes at Clark Finn, who was on the other side of the bar.

Ginny joined them. "Eve, Ewan, Jules. How are you guys?"

"Doin' better since we have a decent bartender for once," Julia said, glancing towards the bar.

Ginny followed her gaze, surprised to see Draco standing on the other side and flipping bottles effortlessly. He threw three up into the air, catching each as it came down and pouring the liquor into a tall glass. He caught Ginny's eye and grinned.

"Hey, boss lady," he said and handed her the dark pink drink.

"What is this?"

"That is called Sex on the Beach. Drink up, boss lady."

She took an experimental sip. "Nice. You should make me drinks more often."

"I'll take that as an invitation," he said.

She laughed. "Keep it in your pants, newb."

He grinned at her and went back to helping Jasmine. Ginny was actually pretty glad that he was bartending. Jasmine hated her and most of the others. Why she kept working was beyond anyone. She could have retired off the retirement fund.

She took another swallow and let her mind and body relax into the music.

(A/N: Sex on the Beach: 1 oz vodka, 1 oz peach schnapps, 3 oz cranberry juice, 3 oz orange or pineapple juice. Add several ice cubes to a glass, pour in all ingredients and stir briskly. Enjoy.