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A little twist…tell me what you think...

Ginny turned to Harry and started to get her coat on. "I have to go out."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concerned. "Is It Luna?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think I'll be long."

"Is she all right?"

"She's all right. "

Ginny kissed Harry and took off full tilt. She took the keys and made her way into town, almost running into the Cauldron, a local pub. She pushed the door open, blinking a little in the sudden darkness, darker even then the night fall and glanced around, looking for someone. The pub was almost empty, just the bartender and one person sitting in a booth.

"Hey Ginny."

"Hey Hermione."

Ginny slid into the bench opposite Hermione, noticing how she looked very wan. She was thinner than before and her hair, while pinned back, was still looking to burst out into wild tresses that she claimed she could never tame. There were two glasses in front of her almost empty and Hermione was flushed.

"What are you drinking?"

"Whiskey. Beer. Both."

Ginny pointed to the glasses and the bartender nodded, starting to pour. Ginny turned back to Hermione and shook her head.

"What's wrong Hermione? You said that you were upset about Luna and needed to talk to me immediately."

"I ran into Neville and he was in seventh heaven, saying how he had just come from Luna's house and they came to an understanding." Hermione took a swallow of her whiskey and put the glass down, tilting a little in her seat.

"Well that's great. I'm happy he's not with Hannah anymore."

"I don't understand why you never liked her, she's perfectly nice."

"Right. She's boring, and thinks that she's too good for Neville."

"Oh and what he needs is someone like Luna." Hermione answered sarcastically.

"I thought you liked Luna."

"I do, I really do! But let's face it Ginny, she's a bit off the wall, she believes all these strange notions and men are drawn to her anyway."

"Well…it's over between her and Draco and that's what counts. I couldn't stand the idea that Draco was using her..." Ginny replied as her drinks appeared. Neither of them spoke until the bartender left.

"I saw Mrs. Malfoy go up to Luna's house not even an hour ago."

This time, it was Ginny's turn to tilt forward and almost out of her seat.

"What? What do you mean, she was at Luna's house? How did you see that?"

"I went over there as soon as I heard from Neville. I wanted to congratulate Luna and, well, talk to her myself."

Ginny studied Hermione who started to blush a little. "Why would you want to do that?"

Hermione started to drink her beer, first a sip or two then she gulped the entire thing down in two swallows before slamming the glass down. Ginny lifted her drink and finished it as well, holding her hand out and indicating to the bartender that they needed two more.

Before Ginny could ask why Hermione wanted to go see Luna herself again, Hermione leaned forward and grasped her hand.

"I'm so sick and tired of hearing about how Luna was affected by Draco."

This was the last thing Ginny ever thought she would hear from Hermione. Hermione was usually so level headed, so wont to care for someone, defending them. She had defended Luna before to others at school, when Luna's father was going off on a tangent, during this entire Draco mess. Ginny stared at her as another round of whiskies and beers came to their table. Hermione took a glass without even looking and started drinking again.

"But Hermione, that's a terrible things to say! Luna's father was made to leave the paper he started! And look at how Draco treated her!"

"Didn't it ever occur to anyone that maybe, just maybe, other people were just as affected by what happened between them?"

"I'm not sure I understand you."

"All of us were affected, look at your family. Look what's going to happen tomorrow."

"My family will be okay Hermione. They can deal with a bunch of losers like the Malfoys." Ginny said confidently. "Besides, I don't think you're talking about how their family is taking over local businesses are you?"

Hermione shook her head in frustration . "I never understood what it was that people saw in Luna. What Neville saw in her, never mind Draco."

Ginny lifted her drink and gulped in down, holding her hand out and indicating to the bartender that they needed two more.

"I never told you that I once got completely wrecked and made a pass at Draco."

Ginny was shocked. "When did this all happen? You've been with my brother since forever."

"When we took that little break from each other, just before this summer started."

"I never knew that. I thought that you loved him."

"Oh I do. I love your brother and he's great and everything and you're great and your family is great. But during the school year, sometimes I would just look at Draco and think to myself 'Yes, he's a jerk off and his family thinks their shit doesn't smell but Oh Merlin, just look at how he looks.' And when Ron was stupid and went out with Lavender a few times, I fixed myself in my skinny jeans, you know the ones.

"Yes."

"And put my hair up, actually put lipstick on. LIPSTICK! Perfume. The works. Waited until the day that term ended, as we're all parting ways. I went up to him, put my hand on his arm, screwed up all my courage and said "So Draco, do you feel like maybe getting a drink?"

"And?"

"And he gave me that look that said he was of a higher breed then I, shook his arm out from under my hand and said "No thanks Granger. I'm not interested."

"That must have taken the wind out of you."

"Yup. Sure did. Of course I thought it was because he was with one of his elite, dumb girlfriends. And I convinced myself that I was better than him and he didn't know what he was missing of course."

"Of course."

"And less than two months later, he's fucking Luna."

"She's innocent of all that, she didn't know about Draco's feelings for her."

"Oh don't give me that! She was as aware of Draco as the rest of us were, maybe even more so because he ended up with her didn't he? Or maybe she was playing hard to get, acting like a dreamy fool knowing that would attract him. Because he certainly never wanted smart women, women who would talk back to him."

"Hermione you should know better."

" I'm so tired of everyone saying I should know better. I was at those demonstrations as well, I was certainly aware of what was happening between Luna and Draco. Not aware exactly but I knew after you told me about her going to that party that something had happened between them."

And I was jealous. JEALOUS. Because all that time in school, he never said one word to her, and she never noticed him at all. And she was in her own world too, followed by Neville everywhere. Even Harry thought she was special. "

"Yes he did. He does. But that's okay. You know, his friend Rolf wanted to ask her out as well…" Hermione continued talking as if Ginny hadn't even said anything.

"And engaged now? ENGAGED? How is it possible that Luna Lovegood has the attentions of not one but two men!? "

"Three."

"Three? Three. THREE."

"I didn't know that Luna was engaged."

"That's what Neville said to me, that he gave her his mother's ring. That they were possibly leaving, LEAVING after the demonstration. And what happens next? I see Mrs. Malfoy going into Luna's house!"

"Wish I could have been there to hear that conversation." Ginny grinned as she sipped her second drink.

Oh you and me both! I mean, what the fuck is MRS. MALFOY going in to talk to Luna?" Hermione finished off her third whiskey and started on her third beer.

Ginny continued to sip her drink as Hermione continued on her rant, the drinks finally starting to cause her to slur her words, to slide back in the seat as she brooded over Luna's appeal.

"I'm just upset because no one ever asked if I was affected by what happened between them. I was upset too that Draco was in the hospital."

"You're being silly and you know it. You were attracted to Draco and believe me you're not the only one, he is definitely something to look at, I can admit to that. His hair, his body, his mean smirk…" Ginny thought back to how Draco was in school. How is it that she never knew any of this? Of his wanting Luna? Of Hermione wanting him?

"But he slept with Luna and left her. How would you feel?" Ginny continued.

"I would feel that at least I had him! That he was attracted to me enough that he would want me at least one time!"

Ginny shook her head again and her phone buzzed. She looked at it. Blaise.

"I mean, I would sometimes just stare at him, just stare. The thought of his mouth on me, and him saying he wanted me…"

Ginny continued to listen to Hermione go on about how imagining Draco's hands on her body would make her go wild. Her phone continued to buzz.

"Hermione wait one second, I have to take this." Ginny got up, leaving Hermione to signal for another round for herself and dialed.

"What's up?"

"You busy?"

"You wouldn't believe."

"Well, I've got something for you…"