Hermione wasn't sure who would be in attendance tonight. Given the behavior today, she could expect many of the Aurors at least stopping in and having a drink.

The Crimson Corner was not a small place, but the areas were sectioned off that it felt cozy. Not to mention the lighting was dim at best, lending itself to camaraderie and, in the Grey Corner, cigar smoking.

The different areas had nicknames ending with, of course, corner. Grey for smoking, and the main bar area was called the Silver Corner, though it wasn't a corner and the only silver was in the threads along the black marble bartop.

The Hit Wizards usually congregated in the Black Corner.

She paused outside the narrow lacquer red door, a brisk wind stirring about the bottom of the soft grey robe she decided on. She had been at enough welcome back night to know the reception she would get, one prolonged cheer and whoever got a drink in her hand the fastest won bragging rights for the night. It was a strange tradition that always resulted in spilled drinks.

That was part of the reason she chose the robe, it was soft, comfortable, and no simple Cleaning spell she had found could completely erase the smell of the various liquors. A complex one, yes, but she'd have to strip for that.

That was definitely not going to happen tonight, at any point.

Finally pushing opening the door and stepping inside the dom tavern, Hermione heard a rousing chorus of cheers go up and the pressure of incantations around. Before she could rightfully spot which Aurors were waiting for her at the bar, a dozen drinks were zooming her way.

Without thinking she froze them mid-air before they could crowd in to bump at her hands. A frissure of alarm settled under her skin as she realized what she did in front of anyone. But she smiled and slid her wand from her sleeve before raising a wand, waving at them.

She saw Neville and Turnwald, Proudfoot and Barnes, also a number of others that had chatted with her today. She didn't see the distinct messy hair, he must still be on assignment. He hadn't answered her note yet either, but she knew it got busy when working a case.

Making a show of reaching for one glass then pausing, her co-workers yelled demands and advice on which to pick.

Hermione ended up choosing a tall and elegant glass of possibly champagne with a single strawberry in it. As she lifted it, she saw the top was cut to reveal the white flesh inside shaped like a flower.

A series of groans sounded as the drinks zoomed themselves back to their owners, this time on their power and not hers.

"Who sent the drink?" came the buzz as everyone looked at their returned drink.

Hermione walked up to the bar, casting a smile at Neville and sliding in the seat next to him. At least she wasn't feeling pulled toward him right now. "Maybe an Unspeakable showed up." she joked. It was the running jest that whenever something strange around the Crimson Corner happened, it must have been an Unspeakable.

"It was me." The low, smug voice cut through the chatter and nearly everyone turned to look around the far left of the bar to where Malfoy sat at a small table. He lifted a drink that was identical to hers, then turned around and continued ignoring them.

What was Malfoy doing here?

She wasn't the only one surprised or curious, lowered voices spoke the very same questions to each other. She heard some of the hypothesis and smiled sadly. She hadn't a clue why either, but figured it did not include spying on everyone.

Many of the Aurors rolled their eyes and continued their quiet conversations, several including her. All in all it was going well. Neville hadn't noticed when she wandlessly lifted the back of his shirt, relieved to see a lack of silver marks. In theory she might've just known by how he acted, but better safe than sorry.

"What's your secret?" Neville asked as he drank down his third Firewhiskey. Despite the myriad of offerings they had at a pub, he seemed fond of the drink. He had once told her that his grandmother kept a bottle of firewhiskey in the spirits' cabinet for when she had anything worth celebrating over.

Even though Neville hadn't made a big deal of it, Hermione thought he did care, very much so. She thought perhaps that why he didn't leave the job and go to Hogwarts as early as he originally planned. For whatever other issues came up, this batch of Aurors were tight knit.

"Secret?" Hermione was on her third Blushing Bride, which is what the bartender said that drink was. Luckily nobody else had overheard.

Neville nodded in the solemn way only the passably inebriated could. "Malfoy barely waited any time at all before putting you back on active duty. He made me do a psychological evaluation last time."

Hermione winced, she remembered that. Harry received the same treatment every time he ended up injured, and last time so had she. A Healer for the body and the mind had to send letters in, it was humiliating.

None of the other Aurors had to do it every single time except certain ones from the Battle of Hogwarts.

"Perhaps he's been distracted by his personal life." She patted his shoulder, hoping he'd drop it. She certainly wasn't telling him the truth. Not that Malfoy's decision made sense to her anyway, she was shocked he didn't make it twice as long after what she did.

"What personal life?" He took another long drink. "He's always at the office, the night Aurors say he doesn't leave til' dark."

Hermione watched the last of the amber liquid disappeared down his throat.

Neville was not a drinker. Even during training when he struggled hard to learn everything and pass all the exams, he barely touched the stuff.

"Is everything all right?" She leaned closer to whisper, sliding her hand off his shoulder. Just in case.

Neville looked at her blurrily, the lines of his face set in desolate lines. "Hannah called me…"

"Yes?"

"She...she called her friend."

Ahh, matters of the heart. Suddenly it all made sense. "I thought you two have went on dates?" she asked carefully.

"I thought so too, but now I'm a friend, Hermione? I've dropped plenty of hints. I stop by her work and compliment her when she passes me a free drink. We've went out to tea…" He held up three fingers. "four times."

"All right, let's have a round of water over here." She caught the bartender's attention and asked for two waters. She was thinking about asking for a Sober-Up potion too, but those were ridiculously expensive at most bars.

Neville look at his water when it appeared in front of him sadly.

"Are you sure she meant 'just a friend'? She flirts with you, I've seen it. Maybe she meant she's lucky to have a boyfriend that is also a friend." Hermione had certainly said that enough times about Ron before realizing only one of those was what she wanted. She doubted, though, that Hannah thought of Neville that way.

"I thought that too, but then I realized we've never held hands. Or kissed." He pinkened as he took a hasty quaff of water, coughing a bit after as if he forgot it was water. "Not on the lips." He wheezed, hitting just below his collarbone.

Hermione thought while he got the bit of water out of his throat. At least she felt slightly less guilty when she had flirted with him herself… Hmm. It was funny, the feeling she had gotten while touching and complimenting him was different than the other blokes that...well, never mind that.

Neville hadn't touched her back or said much, like he needed to be convinced he was even worth finding attractive. It made her wonder if he was putting forth all this 'effort' with Hannah and still somehow waiting for her to make the first move.

"Neville," Hermione said firmly, like she had when going over Potions, "have you ever kissed her on the cheek or tried to kiss her on the lips?"

"No." Neville frowned. "I wouldn't do that."

Hermione rubbed one temple, taking a deep breath. What was with all the boys in her year? Ginny literally had to maul Harry the first time to get the point across she liked him back, and Ron and her had been about to die pretty much. But even then they had been uncertain boys in uncertain times.

On the other hand, Neville's gram hadn't exactly passed on her approval to her grandson until he was a full-grown wizard. Some of his offhand comments had been worrisome, to say the least.

"Have you told you that you wanted to date her? Not just invited her out for tea?"

"I tell her she's very pretty."

"So no. Do you tell her she's pretty after a few drinks?"

His sheepish expression answered that immediately. This was like old times from Hogwarts, and she settled into her usual confident and strident tone. "You have to be blunt. If you're not comfortable declaring it with a kiss, which I understand, tell her how you feel. Kiss her hand, send her a simple courting gift. Take her out to dinner, for Godric's sake."

Neville was nodding slowly, then more firmly. "You're right."

I know. She had all the good romantic advice, goodness knows she certainly had counseled the boys in her life enough times. She was like a fantastic Baker allergic to cake. "You should go tonight."

"But…" he looked uncertainly at her.

"I have plenty of company tonight. Go."

As he stood up she moved her fingers; there was no proper Sobering charm but one could convert most forms of alcohol to plain water, and she did. Neville sat up straighter, eyes widening a bit before quickly saying, "Thanks," then rushing off to the loo.

As he went she sent just a faint curl of her acquired energy into him, not enough to cause more than a rapid heartbeat and mellow feeling of desire. Just to help him along a little.

Hermione smiled and turning around to the bar, looking at her unfinished drink and water. Sighing deeply, she drank down the water and toyed with the idea of casting the same on herself. Before she decide either way, a loud voice interrupted her.

"Where are all my rounds?"

As if in slow motion, her head turned to see Malfoy standing up on the small table beside the group of chatting Aurors. Or previously chatting Aurors, the conversation died and the conversations from the other areas drifted over in an unintelligible babble.

"I won, she chose my drink. Don't I get a crown at least?"

Several of the Aurors were chuckling, Ashworth in particular giggled loudly.

Hermione pushed off the stool and walked quickly to the table, looking all the way up at Malfoy. He cast a superior look down at her, one eyebrow raised. His pale cheeks had just a hint of pink, how many drinks did he have? "Malfoy, stop."

He crossed his arms and tilted his head back, still looking down at her. "You can't buy me a drink, this is your welcome back. Who's going to buy me a drink?" He moved his foot precariously near the edge and jerked as if about to fall.

"OH!" She grabbed out as if she might've caught him, but he righted himself quickly with a flail. "What are you doing?" She hissed, heart thumping. He had never once shown up at any gathering that she could remember.

From behind her one of the serving witches balanced a tray with three drinks on it. At least two were scotch, and one was a Blast-Ended Spirit given the flames licking the sides of the glass. "Offerings for the King," she said somewhat dryly.

Hermione shot a narrow look over her shoulder, two Aurors giving her thumbs up. She shook her head at them fiercely, and they looked up and around innocently. Getting Malfoy even more inebriated was mostly certainly not funny.

Malfoy, however, had other thoughts. He jumped down to the ground easily, picking up both the small glasses in each hand. Downing one and then the other, he set them down with a smack of his lips and lifted the larger drink.

"Oh no," she muttered.

He literally quaffed the entirety and she ducked when a fireball blew out to the immense cheers of the other Aurors. Malfoy smirked at her as he walked past her to the bar, like he just won the acceptance of everyone.

Which he hadn't. He really hadn't, and she watched as her co-workers kept calling the bartender to bring another type of this drink or that drink for him.

This had disaster scrawled all over it.

Author's Notes:

No, I think everything will be just fine, don't you? XD

*scoots plottings behind her back*

Thanks for reviewing and/just reading, and letting me share all this fun with you!

HMJ