"So that's where the lovely couple got to," A voice called as they left the quiet interior of the quill shop.

Pansy smirked and rolled her eyes as she turned.

"I told you, two idiots, I didn't need a chaperone." She argued as Blaise and Theo appeared.

"Maybe we're not here to chaperone you, Maybe we think that it's Neville that needs his virtue protecting?" Theo added with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Neville coughed as Pansy laughed.

"It's cute how you think I'm a danger to people." She replied.

"He's not wrong though, is he Pans?" Blaise added. "I'm surprised that Smith guy isn't singing Soprano for the Pentreath Opera company after what you did to him."

"Smith deserved everything he got, the fucking pervert!" She sneered at the mention of his name. Neville felt lost as he looked between the three former Slytherins. "But I have high hopes for Neville. He's a true gentleman." She smiled as she took and squeezed his hand.

"We'll be the judge of that," Blaise said smoothly. "Why don't we head to the brooms and grab a nice cold butterbeer?"

Neville looked as Pansy, and she frowned.

"We're on a date guys, Does it have to be today?" She asked.

"As you said that you have made it official and all, We feel we must step in and lay down some ground rules," Theo added apologetically. "Better to get it over with now, rather than later."

"It's alright, we can grab a drink," Neville offered.

"Are you sure? It was meant to be just us," Pansy said apologetically.

"It's fine, I should get to know your friends better anyway." Neville smiled what he hoped was an easy and open smile.

The two boys looked at each other and pulled a face. He wasn't sure whether it was a positive expression or not as they began walking towards the three broomsticks.

"So, have you been having fun?" Theo asked with a smirk as he stepped between Neville and Pansy, forcing them to let go of each other.

"We were," Pansy said with gritted teeth.

"Now, now," Blaise said as he held the door open for them all.

Predictably the inn was just as busy as the rest of the village. Neville winced at the noise level as they made their way towards the bar. There was a small area of counter left free that they could occupy as they waited for some seats to become available. The was one stool which Neville let Pansy occupy as they stood waiting to order. The two Slytherins swapped glances again. Pansy tutted as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's alright, They're only doing this to look out for you. I'd do the same for my friends too if it wasn't Hermione," He smirked as he tried to make her smile.

"But it was supposed to be just the two of us."

"If they're satisfied we can go off and do our own thing still, we still need to get to the post office and also Dogwoods, so we're not done yet." He smiled as he stroked her shoulder. She looked slightly mollified as he turned his attention back to the bar. Madam Rosemerta came swishing towards them, her eyes all for Blaise. She fluffed her hair as she stood.

"What can I get you?" she asked, her smile winder enough you could see every tooth.

"Four butter beers please, and one for yourself." Blaise offered with a wink as he pushed some coins towards her. Rosmerta smiled and winked back before she disappeared to make their drinks.

"I think she likes you," He heard Theo offer.

"I'm sure she likes my money too," Blaise said cooly as the older women appeared again, four butter beers floating towards them.

"Thank you, keep the change," Blaise said with the same charm as before.

"Thank you very much" Madam Rosemerta replied before she sashayed down to another group of students.

Blaise and Theo turned back to them simultaneously as though it had been choreographed.

"So, Where the hell were you at breakfast this morning?" Blaise asked, "So help me, Salazar, if you've broken the only rule which we've set in stone!"

"You're such a fucking hypocrite, Zabini!" Pansy said as she stood up, Neville watched as she squared up to the taller wizard without intimidation. "How many people have you shagged? So many that you ran out of women and started on the men?"

"Keep your voice down, You're in public now, which means that you should at least be pretending to abide by your parent's rules. No emotional outbursts remember? And no swearing!" Blaise warned as he looked around. They were lucky, the noise level was so high that no one even batted an eyelid at them.

"He's right Pans," Theo urged "Your parents are serious this time."

Neville watched as Pansy rolled her eyes before falling back onto her stool.

"Now, Where were you this morning?"

"In Neville's bed." She said with a smirk.

"Fuck!" they both said with feeling. Neville frowned as their eyes moved to him. Theo's weren't hostile, but neither man looked all together friendly.

"Are you still, y'know? Intact?" Theo asked awkwardly as he waved in her general direction.

"Yes, yes! I'm still innocent and pure. The physical embodiment of virginal beauty." Pansy sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Do you remember what happened after Marcus? As if I want to go back to St Mungos for them to check again. I remember how degrading and painful that was the first time thank you very much!"

Neville swallowed as she repeated something from one of her painful memories. He squeezed her shoulder, and she offered him a thin-lipped smile that didn't meet her eyes. He held newfound respect for the two wizards looking out for their friend.

"Look, I don't want to do anything with Pansy that could get everyone in trouble. When you told us the rules last night, I was surprised, but I'm going to do everything I can to stick to them." He said honestly, his cheeks blazing as he thought about what they had done.

"I had one of my nightmares," Pansy explained as she physically deflated in front of them. "I just wanted some comfort from my boyfriend." She explained as she grabbed his hand. "We slept in, it was no big deal. We just both had bad nights sleep." Neville nodded. It was enough of the truth that he didn't feel bad.

"That's it? Nothing else?" Blaise asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Pansy winked with a smirk "Nothing that breaks the rules,"

Blaise continued to look at them with his eyes narrowed.

"You're playing a dangerous game Pans, people noticed that you weren't at breakfast this morning. If you keep flouting the rules, your parents will find out, and then any freedoms you do have will be gone. You need to be more careful, both of you." Blaise warned.

"Yes, Father," Pansy muttered with an eye roll before passing Neville his butterbeer. Neville took it and smiled at Blaise as a thank you.

"You can be such an annoying bitch sometimes!" Blaise smirked as he rolled his own eyes.

"It's one of my redeeming characteristics," Pansy smiled sweetly before sipping on her own beer. As she lowered the glass, Neville noticed she had a froth moustache. They all laughed as she wiped it off with her hand.

"So, What have you been up to?"

"Neville took me to this- what did you call it Neville? A noshery for brunch and then we went to Scivenshafts."

"A noshery? Wait, what?" Theo asked. Neville cleared his throat as he was about to explain.

"It's called Hurly-burley's noshery, it's by the fountain, the menu sings, and you order what you want, It great," Pansy explained as she squeezed his hand.

"It's no thrills though,"

"Yeah, It's not much to look at," Pansy agreed.

"We might have to take a look in." Theo nodded before his eyes landed on the bags at Neville's wrist.

"And what have you been buying?"

"Sweets from Honeydukes mostly, and some parchment and ink from Scrivenshafts," Pansy explained. "We got Draco some chocolate wands,"

"Great, that saves us a job." Blaise rolled his eyes as he sipped his beer. Neville looked at his and sipped at it. He didn't want to tell them that he wasn't a fan of butterbeer, or alcohol at all truth be told. Butterbeer tasted to sickly sweet for his tastes, like fizzy butterscotch with a bitter alcoholic aftertaste. He tried not to pull a face as he pulled the glass from his mouth. Pansy looked at him and raised her eyebrow; he knew that she had noticed.

"So what are you two doing for the rest of the day? Because I know you are not following me around!" Pansy warned as she sipped her drink again.

"We came down to get supplies, and we just happened to stumble across you both," Blaise said with a smile. His dark eyes swept over them both before it landed on Neville's beer. He smirked. "Something wrong with your beer, Longbottom?"

"My beer? No, It's great, thank you."

"You've not drunk much, are you sure?" Blaise asked again.

"I'm just a slow drinker," He smiled uneasily.

"I don't think he likes it," Pansy offered as she took the pint glass from him.

"Then we must get you something else, What would you like?"

Neville winced awkwardly as he rubbed his neck. He shrugged as he looked at all the bottles behind the bar and the pumps on the front.

"I don't know, I'm not a big drinker, to tell you the truth."

"Not a drinker?" Theo snorted before he downed his beer and placed the glass on the bar. "That will change now that you're going out with Pansy, We might need to educate you in the art. Won't we Blaise?"

Blaise smiled, and Neville felt uneasy. There was something predatory in his dark gaze that could mean anything from sex to murder.

"I say we break him in gently."

"You know that this is our date, don't you?" Pansy added as she put down her empty glass and took a sip from Nevilles. She winked at him. He tried not to feel nervous, as Theo and Blaise shared a look.

"So, do you like fruity drinks, Longbottom?" Blaise asked.

"Or do you prefer something with a richer flavour."

"I honestly don't know," Neville offered. He didn't want to admit that the only alcohol he usually drank was a glass of red wine with dinner. He wanted to impress her friends, and it might be nice to spend some time with some lads for a change.

"I say we try him on something strong, you know the saying."

"Good call. We wouldn't want him so drunk that he can't make his way back to the castle. What a bad way to end a date."

"What saying?" Neville asked nervously.

"Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, never fear."

"You don't have to drink anything, Neville," Pansy added. Neville noted that she was halfway through his beer and took a deep breath.

"What about some Dragons Barrel?" Theo offered. Blaise nodded in agreement.

"What do you say, Longbottom? Want to learn how to drink?" Blaise asked with an arched eyebrow. Neville looked at Pansy and then back to the former Slytherin lads.

"You don't have to," Pansy repeated.

"I'll try one," Neville replied bravely.

"Well done, Longbottom!" Theo added as he slapped Neville on the back. Blaise smirked as he caught Madam Rosmerta's eyes again.

Neville watched as four glasses of a deep amber liquid were poured out in front of them.

"This is one of Pansy's favourites," Blaise added as he picked up a glass and offered it to Neville. "It's Dragon Barrel Brandy. Double distilled in Dragon scale wrapped French Limousine oak barrels and left to age for 55 years."

Neville sniffed the liquid and could tell it smelled expensive and warm. He watched as the surface seemed to fizz as though it was already warm.

"Mmmm," Pansy hummed as she sipped the liquid. "Try it, Neville. Tell me what you think."

Neville lifted the glass to his lips and felt as the warm liquid touched his lips. It was a strange sensation o both being hot and cold at the same time. He took a small amount into his mouth and let the liquid roll around his tongue. It burned and tingled, but he was surprised at the fruity notes that seemed to sill his mouth and nose.

"I think he likes it," Theo said as they all stared at him.

"He should do, he has good taste," Pansy said smugly as she sipped her own.

Neville tried some more and got hints of mango and cloves and the tang of metal. It was the strangest tastes he had ever tasted, but Theo was right, he did like it.

He nodded as he licked his lips.

"So, lesson number one in your education. Pansy knows what she's talking about when it comes to liquor."

"No! Lesson number one is that the older it is, the better it is, but only if it's aged in a barrel." Blaise corrected.

Neville nodded with interest before taking another swing of the warm amber liquid. The taste seemed to continually evolve as he drank. He could feel the heat building in his legs and arms as he smiled at Pansy. Pansy smiled back before leaning into him. The scent of her filled his nostrils and changed the taste of the brandy again. Before he knew it, his glass was empty, but the heat in his cheeks and neck remained along with a heaviness in his limbs.

"He liked it." The smiled smugly. "Now, what to try next."

"I propose Knotgrass cherry mead." Pansy offered.

"You can get flavoured mead?" Neville asked innocently. He watched as the three Slytherins smiled at each other.

"Yes, Longbottom. There is a whole world of alcohol that you have let to experience."

"Not today, though?" He asked nervously.

"Not today, no. We'll have to get some for up at the castle. Have ourselves a little party." Theo offered.

"That's not a bad idea, Theo," Pansy nodded as she took Neville's empty glass and put it next to her own.

"I know because I thought of it!" Theo offered with a smirk.

"Right, Cherry mead it is!" Blaise announced as he leant over to order again. Neville watched with interest as a deep red liquid was given to him this time.

"Let see what you think of this one," Theo smiled as he held out the glass to Neville. Neville took it and took a deep breath. He hoped that he wouldn't regret this date tomorrow.