Hermione Plays the Dating Game-the Aftermath, Part 2
by Ami the QEFM
Disclaimer: All standard rules apply. Tom gets to quote Kermit the Frog, so if anyone wants to sue over that line blame him, not me.
Thanks to all the wonderful, exceptional people that reviewed, you guys are the best! (Next installment, Ami brown-noses even more!) PG for the idea of Ron doing tiger growls (he's such a scoundrel..) and Tom doing, erm, Tom things.
~*~
After they had drug Tom out of reach of his legions of groupies, Ron and Hermione walked peacefully down the boardwalk. Tom trailed miserably behind them, still grumbling about being taken away from the karaoke bar.
Ron, now fully recovered, was back into "Ron Juan" mode, holding Hermione's hand and gazing at her occasionally in the faint glow of the neon signs overhead.
Hermione felt herself blush, but it was a pleasant sort of blush, not from embarrassment or self-consciousness.
"I like your shirt, Hermione, it's very... um, blue." Ron said, stuttering slightly. (Ooh, he's a slick one, that Ron..)
"Thanks." Hermione replied, blushing deeper.
"Woohoo! Look Hermi, Putt-putt!" Tom cried happily, grabbing the backs of their shirts and stopping them dead in their tracks. Ron lost his balance at the sudden stop and nearly fell on Tom, but he managed to regain his poise at the last second.
"What?" Ron asked, looking both perplexed and peeved at the same time.
"I SAID, putt-putt!" Tom repeated, looking exasperated as though Ron was an annoying little child he had to explain everything to. Ron still looked puzzled, and turned to Hermione for help.
"Putt-putt?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Miniature golf." Hermione answered.
"Ugh, I hate golf." Ron said, wrinkling his nose in distaste.
"It's not like regular golf, it's actually pretty fun. C'mon, just try it. Tom will nag us until we play with him anyway." Hermione encouraged, following Tom towards the small course before them.
They entered "Dragonland Mini Golf", heading for the cashier. Hermione paid for all three of them, and they picked up their clubs and balls.
"Are you sure they don't have clubs longer than this?" Ron asked for the fourth time, holding up the longest club he could find, which was still a good foot too short for him.
"No, Ron, you'll just have to do with that one."
"Damn long legs.."
"Ron! Behave!"
"Not if I can help it." Ron replied, giving a low tiger growl. Hermione giggled and smacked his shoulder lightly.
"Look Hermi, pink!" Tom cried, holding up a pink golf ball and waving it around with enthusiasm.
"That's nice, Tom." Hermione replied, and, rather reluctantly, turned her attention away from Ron. Ron sighed in frustration.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, who smiled in sympathy. They both grabbed golf balls and headed for the first course. The marker was in the shape of a makeshift dragon spitting fire.
"Eek!" Tom shrieked, kicking the low wooden dragon.
"What now?" Ron asked, exasperated.
"Be careful, they're feisty when they're young." Tom whispered in a warning tone, pointing to the motionless dragon-shaped sign.
"I'll keep that in mind if I ever meet any WOODEN dragons." Ron replied, rolling his eyes and continuing on to the green.
"Wooden? Aah, clever disguise. Don't leave town, I'll be watching you.." Tom said, eyeing the dragon-shaped sign suspiciously and turning to follow Ron.
~Four holes later~
"SEE! I TOLD you it was following us!" Tom cried again, pointing to another dragon-shaped course marker.
"It's a different one, and it's made of WOOD, you stupid prat." Ron answered, fighting the overwhelming urge to whack Tom over the head with his club.
"THEY'RE REPRODUCING! HEAD FOR THE HILLS!" Tom screamed, diving into a nearby bush, shaking in terror. The group ahead of them turned around and came back to see what was wrong, eyeing Ron and Hermione suspiciously.
Ron blushed, "He wasn't talking about us."
The people kept glaring skeptically at Ron and Hermione, who were both blushing furiously.
"He's over there, he's on leave from a mental institution." Hermione added, pointing over to a clump of shaking bushes where Tom's head was just barely poking out, surveying the landscape cautiously.
The group glanced from Hermione and Ron to Tom and back again, then went back to their game, some still mumbling under their breath.
Hermione smacked her palm against her forehead, her face an identical shade of red to Ron's hair.
Ron sighed, "Let's get on with it."
"Is it safe?" Tom whispered, still concealed by the bushes.
"It always was safe, you moron." Ron replied, sounding very frustrated.
"No it was not! Yousa big meanie!" Tom pouted, standing up shakily.
Ron turned to Hermione, looking imploringly at her. "Can I PLEASE hit him with this stupid stick?" He waved his club in the air as if to emphasize his point.
Hermione grinned, "It isn't a stick, it's called a club."
"A club? Good!" Ron said, clubbing Tom upside the head with his putter.
"Ron!" Hermione cried incredulously, dropping to her knees to tend to the now-sobbing Tom. Tom sat on the green, crying loudly and massaging a rising red bump on his temple. Ron was jubilant.
"I haven't felt this good since I put those flobberworms in Malfoy's underwear drawer.." Ron said, sighing happily.
"Ron..." Hermione said warningly.
"Well, you have to admit it was pretty funny when he sat down at breakfast and his underwear squelched. I didn't know he could scream like that... like a veela on helium."
Hermione attempted to fight back a laugh, but she snickered despite herself. It was kind of interesting, she had never imagined Malfoy could turn so many shades of pink at once.
"Hermmmmmmmmmmmmmmi..." Tom wailed, still gently massaging the growing lump on his head.
"Come on, Tom, you'll be fine." Hermione replied, helping Tom to his feet. Tom stumbled around for the remainder of the game, but all in all it was a success.
Ron looked as if he'd just won the Nobel prize for the entire game, admiring the bump he had so adequately placed just above Tom's right eye.
~1 hour later; outside "Dragonland Mini Golf"~
"Hermi, are you SURE I can't take a dragon home with me?" Tom pouted, holding a wooden dragon sign to his chest as if it were a newborn child.
"No, Tom. Come on already!" Hermione replied, rolling her eyes and answering the question for the thirtieth time since they had left the course.
"But... but.." Tom cried, his lower lip trembling pitifully, "You CAN'T take Woody away! I love him!"
Ron quickly turned a snicker into a cough, watching as Hermione tried to reason with the completely unreasonable Tom.
"But Tommy, Woody will be happier here because he'll have other little wooden dragons to play with.."
"No he won't! He wants to live with me!"
Ron sighed, taking over, "Tom, that dragon is NOT alive, no matter how much you'd like it to be. Now hurry up and put it back, those security guards have been watching us for a full fifteen minutes now and the last thing we need is to be chased around Hawaii by them."
"Okee-dokee." Tom said reluctantly, his lower lip still trembling as he went to put the sign back wherever he had found it.
"Thanks." Hermione said, watching Tom skip off into the putt-putt course to return the marker he had dubbed "Woody".
"No problem. C'mon." Ron replied, taking Hermione's hand and starting off down the sidewalk without Tom.
"But.." Hermione protested slightly, glancing over her shoulder at the golf course where Tom was still saying his good-byes.
"He'll eventually get the idea." Ron interrupted her thoughts, tugging her along like an anxious puppy.
Hermione groaned, and allowed herself to be guided by Ron down the sidewalk. She still kept an eye out for Tom, who had yet to appear from the putt-putt course.
"Look, a night club!" Ron said enthusiastically, "And it's packed!"
"But Tom will never find us in there.." Hermione protested as Ron pushed through the mulling crowd towards the door.
"Exactly." Ron replied, grinning impishly with a mischievous glint apparent in his eyes. Hermione thought for a moment she was with one of the twins, but Ron was much taller and thinner than either of them would ever be.
Hermione sighed in a long-suffering sort of way, "Can we at least wait a few minutes to see if he shows up? You know how hard it'll be to find him if we lose him, and we can't go home without him."
"Who would care? The Death Eaters? Oh, I bet Snape will be in tears if we don't bring him home with us." Ron said sarcastically, rolling his eyes but remaining by Hermione's side.
A few moments later, a silhouette appeared in the distance, approaching at a rapid speed. They could hear a whisper of a voice, increasing in volume as the shadow came nearer.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRMMMMMMMMIIII!!"
Hermione sighed, becoming quite fed up with Tom's out-takes by this point. "What has he done now?" she wondered aloud.
She didn't have to wait long for an answer to her question, as two more shadows became apparent on the horizon not far behind Tom, who was still running at top speed towards them. He barreled into Ron, knocking the wind out of poor Ron and throwing the two boys to the pavement.
"Dammit, what's wrong with you, you stupid prat!" Ron cursed, letting go with an impressive string of swears under his breath. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
She regained her senses before either of the boys, and snatched them both up from the sidewalk. She steered them both into the smoky, crowded club before the two shadows that had followed Tom had a chance to spot them.
With implausible strength, she slammed them both into a wall in a nearby corner. Her cinnamon eyes blazed.
"Tom, what have you done now?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips and awaiting a response. Tom rubbed his head tenderly, and wrinkled his nose. His free hand went instinctively to the front of his pullover, feeling around for something inside.
Hermione noticed a bulge in the front of his shirt that she hadn't noticed before, and groaned. "Oh Tom, you didn't.."
"But.. but they were going to put him in the ground!" Tom blubbered, unzipping his pullover and revealing the same wooden dragon marker he had earlier dubbed 'Woody'.
Ron, making a valiant effort not to laugh, turned to Tom and glared at him through teary eyes, "Tom, put that up or I swear I'll have a nice little bonfire on the beach after you go to sleep, and Woody won't like it very much."
Tom's lower lip quivered, but he managed to put away the wooden dragon without many people noticing. Hermione sighed, and turned her back to the duo.
"'Mione, what's wrong?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione with concern.
"Nothing, I'm going to the restroom." Hermione said, making her way through the gyrating crowd. Ron watched her leave longingly, and turned back to Tom with a sigh of vexation.
~Meanwhile~
"Excuse me, excuse me." Hermione repeated, pushing her way through the vivacious crowd.
After much frustration and pushing, Hermione made her way into the ladies' room. The room smelled strongly of cheap perfume, and the fumes of it nearly knocked poor Hermione unconscious.
She stood politely by the door, watching as numerous skimpily-dressed, over-made-up women crouched over a single lighted mirror, each straining over the others to see her own reflection.
"Hello, dear. You must be new. Come this way and we'll get you fixed right up." a blonde girl not much older than Hermione said, taking Hermione lightly by the shoulder and steering her through the other women.
"But.. what do you mean.." Hermione protested slightly, wondering where on earth the girl was taking her.
"Here we are, the dressing room. Hmmmm.." the girl said, looking up and down Hermione in her plain blue T-shirt and khakis appraisingly, "I believe you'd look best in lavender."
"Why? What's going on.. what's your name?" Hermione managed to stutter as the other girl began sorting through long racks full of clothes.
"I'm Fiona. Try this on, I think it's just about your size." Fiona replied, wrinkling her pretty little nose slightly in thought. She shrugged and removed a flowing violet garb that suited Hermione's brunette complexion perfectly from a passing rack. She forced it into Hermione's open hands and steered her into a nearby dressing room.
"What the hell is going on here?" Hermione thought to herself as Fiona shut the door behind her to the small dressing room. Hermione shrugged and without another thought started to undress herself.
~Meanwhile~
"Do you want to see my Woody?"
"Cretin!" Slap.
"Do YOU want to see my Woody?"
"No, get away from me!" Slap two.
"Would you like to see my Woody?"
"PERVERT!" Slap three.
"Tom, what are you doing?" Ron asked, approaching Tom. Ron raised one red eyebrow at the finger-shaped red marks across Tom's cheek, but said nothing.
"No one likes Woody." Tom sighed, looking around in despair.
"You tried to show the entire club your stupid wooden dragon?" Ron replied, snickering under his breath.
"Yep, but no one wanted to see him. They kept calling me mean names." Tom answered sadly, his lower lip poking out pathetically.
"What's wrong? Can I buy you a drink?" a voice asked from above. Tom looked up, his eyes still bleary. It was a girl, wearing a purple T-shirt and a pair of faded denim shorts. She smiled at Tom.
"Hello, my name's Megan." the girl offered, watching as Tom stood up shakily from the ground where he had been sitting.
"I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle, terror of all Europe."
"Well, Tom Marvolo Riddle, how would you like a daiquiri?" Megan asked, laughing lightly at Tom's formal introduction. "Virgin, of course." she added, noticing Ron's face and strange "no!" gestures.
"Okey-day." Tom answered, allowing Megan to steer him away. Ron sat back down by himself, sighing sadly.
"Great, a sixteen-year-old git that acts like a three-year-old is getting more action than me. This sucks." Ron thought bitterly, barely paying attention as the music stopped and the lights faded, focusing all attention on a spotlight concentrated on top of the bar.
"And now, introducing.." a drumroll started as the female announcer paused dramatically, "Lady Lavender!"
~Meanwhile~
"I'm not so sure about this.. where are you taking me? FIONA!" Hermione asked, getting very nervous as Fiona pushed her along tight corridors and stopping at a small flight of steps.
"Listen, all you have to do is get up there and perform. You've done it before, right?"
"Um, no. What do you mean 'perform'?"
"Well, since it's your first time.. you've danced before, haven't you?"
"Erm," Hermione bit her lip in thought. The only time she'd ever danced in front of people was at the Yule Ball, and that was nearly two years ago.
"Yes." she answered. After all, she had danced before, even if it was only one time.
"Good! That's all you have to do. Now get up there, they're waiting for you!" Fiona smiled, encouraging Hermione onto the waiting stage.
~Meanwhile, in Ron's small corner of self-pity~
Ron was still sitting alone, wallowing in self-pity whenever the music started. It reminded him briefly of the time he had spied on Fred and George whenever they were watching kinky old muggle movies. (A/N: No, they weren't watching porn, I promise you that. It was just one of those movies with strippers and the stupid 'va-va-VOOM' music.)
After about two minutes of waiting, a shadow appeared on top of the bar, and was immediately illuminated by the roving spotlight.
Ron's attention was captured instantaneously, and he stared in mixed horror and delight as a purple-clad female walked around, looking extremely nervous, on top of the counter. Then, instantly, the abundance of thick brown hair and the small frame registered in his mind, and something inside clicked.
"HERMIONE?!"
The bushy-haired girl turned in response to her name, spotted Ron, who was now staring blatantly at her rather skimpy costume, and blushed scarlet. Ron's jaw was practically to the floor.
Ron stumbled to his feet, and managed to push his way through the catcalling crowd. A few males were standing at the front, almost on top of the bar themselves, waving money at a dazed Hermione.
"Excuse me, coming through." Ron muttered repeatedly as he bumped and pushed his way toward the front. Hermione watched his progress with bated breath.
Suddenly, Hermione shrieked and jumped back, nearly falling off the bar in her wobbly high-heeled shoes.
"Someone is grabbing at me"! she thought to herself, panicked. She looked down and saw a young man trying to put a twenty-dollar bill down her stockings. She kicked him with her heavy high-heeled shoes, but he and quite a few more kept trying to touch her.
Ron reacted primitively to Hermione's despair. A rush of pure adrenaline mingled with raging testosterone coursed through his veins as he continued to struggle through the crowd with renewed vigor.
"Get your hands off her, you scum!" Ron roared, finally reaching his destination and grabbing one of the men by his collar. Ron was easily a foot taller than any of the men, but while they were muscular and bulky, he was lanky and thin. One appeared to be a bodybuilder, and he looked as if he could break Ron in two with his bare hands.
"We were just having a little fun." the man choked, struggling to get out of Ron's grip.
"Well you'd damn well better leave her alone, that's my girlfriend up there."
Hermione, listening intently to the whole ordeal, lit up like a Christmas tree at this last remark, and blushed deeper clear to the roots of her hair.
"We'll do as we please, now move it, shrimp." one of the more muscular-looking men replied, pushing his way past Ron in order to continue harassing Hermione. Ron looked a picture of utter rage as the man attempted to grab Hermione's skirt.
Hermione, not completely helpless, threw her shoe at the man and left a nasty lump on his forehead. He stood, dazed, for a few seconds before Ron pounced on him.
"Ron, NO!" Hermione shrieked, watching in horror as Ron brawled with the man. The man's friends joined in within five minutes, and the whole scene was merely a jumble of arms and legs (mostly Ron's).
"SECURITY!" someone from the crowd screamed, and not two minutes had passed before a blue-clad bouncer had pushed his way in. He separated the six struggling guys, and pushed five of them out the door.
He couldn't get to Ron, however, because as soon as the fight was broken up Hermione had snatched him up and taken him backstage with her to nurse his many wounds.
~Meanwhile, at the bar where Tom and Megan are sitting~
"You know, Tom, you have a really great butt." Megan said, a little tipsy after her fourth (non-virgin) pineapple daiquiri.
"Thanks. Wormtail has always told me that, but then again he's just a brown-noser.. and," Tom said, lowering his voice to nearly a whisper, "If you can keep a secret, I think he's gay."
Megan laughed as if this were the most preposterous news she had ever heard, even though she hadn't the slightest clue as to who Wormtail was.
"SECURITY!" someone shrieked over the bustle of the crowd. Almost the entire club had congregated in one corner, where apparently something very interesting was happening.
"Oooh, Tommiekins, let's go see *hic* what's going on." Megan slurred slightly, standing up and grabbing Tom by the wrist.
"I can't see!" Tom cried, holding up his teddy bear over the heads of the mulling crowd. "I think... I think it's... Ron?"
"Ooh, your cute little *hic* redheaded friend, eh? Well Tom, you'd better *hic* go help him." Megan suggested, smiling at Tom and pushing him into the crowd.
"Ron! RON!" Tom cried, trying to get through the stunned crowd.
By the time he had pushed a path through the audience, the security guard had broken up the fight and Ron was nowhere in sight. Tom pursued the security guard as he drug five men to the door and tossed them out. He tapped the guard anxiously on the shoulder, and he turned to face Tom.
"What?"
"Have you seen my friend, Ron? He's about this tall, red hair.." Tom said, describing Ron and motioning to a height well over his own head.
"I don't know where he went, kid. Just go back inside and have a good time. He'll show up."
Tom, looking defeated, sauntered back into the club, where a still-sloshed Megan was waiting for him.
~Meanwhile, backstage in Hermione's dressing room~
"Ouch! Dammit, that hurts!" Ron cursed, wrinkling his long nose in pain. Hermione sat beside him at the vanity table, applying iodine to his numerous cuts and scrapes.
"Oh hold still, you overgrown baby."
"I think I'd rather have Madame Pomfrey attack me with one of her nasty potions than have you doctoring on me." Ron replied, grinning slightly through the tears welling up in his eyes. Hermione smiled and continued dabbing cotton balls dripping with foul-smelling ointments on him.
"That was really sweet, what you did for me tonight." Hermione said, staring down at the cut on Ron's hand she was doctoring. "Thank you."
"I was stupid, though. What was I thinking, those guys could've killed me."
"I still think it was sweet, even though it was a little stupid." Hermione answered, grinning up at him and poking him teasingly in the shoulder. Ron smiled back. "Did you really mean the girlfriend part?" she asked, smiling playfully at his blushing appearance.
"Well, whenever I said girlfriend, I really meant a friend that's just a girl--or is it a girl that's just a friend..." Ron stuttered, making a visible effort to concentrate.
"Come off it, Ron." Hermione laughed lightly, leaning in and pressing her lips to his.
Ron opened his eyes in utter surprise, "Hermione Granger is kissing me. She's kissing ME!"
Thoughts pounded inside his brain, shock at this new development registering in every cell of his body. Then, the surprise long gone, he relaxed into the embrace and kissed her back. He wrapped his arms around her, caressing her soft hair, slightly unsure of what to do with his hands without getting slapped.
After what seemed like an eternity, they parted. Both were blushing profusely, and were a little out of breath.
Hermione had just opened her mouth to speak when a voice broke the silence.
"Lavender, dear, your act isn't finished yet!" Fiona called from down the hall. Hermione's eyes went wide. She grabbed Ron by the wrist, much to his confusion, and drug him down another hallway, trying desperately to find her way out of the place.
"'Mione, your clothes!" Ron reminded her as she scuttled down the hall, still dressed in her purple costume. She did a quick about-face, leaving Ron behind in the small corridor, and ran to change back into her normal clothes.
After what seemed like hours (but in actuality was a mere two minutes *Hermione changes clothes VERY quickly*), Hermione hurried her way back to Ron, quite out of breath. A few more winding halls and sharp corners lately, they finally found themselves back in the main part of the club.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. There were at least twenty other girls there with brown hair and wearing blue shirts, it would be impossible for Fiona to find her again.
"Where's Tom?" Hermione asked, snapping back into reality. Ron raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"He went off with some girl named Megan. She was going to buy him a drink, I think.."
Hermione groaned in a long-suffering sort of way, "You let him out of your sight?"
"Well, I was a little busy keeping those creeps' hands off you. I wasn't really considering Tom at the moment." Hermione blushed at this comment, but remained quite stern. She looked faintly like a very young, brown-haired version of Professor McGonagall.
"Be that as it may, we still have to find him before we can leave. Come on, we'll start over here."
"Why don't we split up?"
"Are you kidding? It might take us hours to find each other again. Besides," Hermione said, grinning devilishly, "I want a little protection if those guys return."
Ron smirked, put his arm around Hermione protectively, and they started their search.
~Meanwhile~
"RON! HERMI?" Tom called over the noise of the crowd, his voice lost in the myriad of voices.
"Tommiekins?" Megan asked, putting her arm around Tom's shoulders. Tom looked over at her, but continued yelling for his friends.
"What? RON! HERMI!" Tom yelled right into her face, but Megan didn't seem to notice nor care.
"What's that in your jacket?" Megan slurred slightly, feeling the wooden bulge in the front of Tom's pullover. It was currently sliding downward with his frequent movement, and was now resting squarely over his naval.
"It's my Woody. Do you want to see him?"
Megan grinned, raising an eyebrow at him. "Sure, but you'd better come back to my apartment first."
"Um, I'm not supposed to go off with strangers.. Hermi says.."
"Forget what she says! Come with me!"
"No!" Tom protested, struggling against Megan's iron grip. Despite the alcohol coursing through her veins, she was amazingly able to keep a good grasp on him.
"HERMMMMMMMMIIII!!"
~*~
Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, yanking Ron back with her. Ron coughed slightly as Hermione snatched him backwards by his collar.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Hermione sighed, "Someone said my name. It sounded like Tom."
"Where?"
"It sounded like it came from over there."
"Well then let's go get the stupid prat and get out of here." Ron concluded, pushing his way through the crowd in the direction that Hermione was pointing in.
~*~
"But Tommiekins..." Megan pleaded, still holding tight to Tom's wrist. Tom was struggling with all he had, forcing his way through the pulsating crowd with Megan in tow.
"I said NO!" Tom replied firmly, finally getting a spine, "HERMI! RON!"
"Tom? TOM?" Hermione's voice carried over the crowd as she and Ron came into view through the ever-moving audience.
"Hermi!" Tom cried happily, launching himself at Hermione. Hermione, caught off guard, was somehow able to catch him and keep her balance. However, Megan was another story.
"Who's she?" Ron asked, watching Megan slide across the dance floor.
"Umm... let's go." Tom whispered, grabbing Hermione and trying desperately to get away from Megan, who was now staggering drunkenly to her feet and advancing on the trio.
"Tom... Tom GET BACK HERE!" Megan screamed.
"Leave him alone!" Hermione replied, snatching up Ron and Tom and heading for the exit.
They could faintly hear Megan yelling something after them, but they were already too far away to hear it clearly.
"I'm glad that's over." Hermione sighed, walking between Ron and Tom and holding their hands.
"Time's fun when you're having flies." Tom hiccuped, grinning stupidly. Hermione and Ron looked at their companion strangely, but said nothing.
"Oh my God, it's 3:45!" Hermione exclaimed, glancing down at her watch for the first time that night.
"A.M.!" Hermione clarified to a confused Ron. Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"You're kidding?"
"No, I'm not." Hermione said, on the verge of a yawn, "Let's go to bed."
"Now?" Ron asked, looking surprised, "But we were having so much fun.. in the dressing room." Ron added, whispering in Hermione's ear so Tom couldn't overhear. Hermione laughed and shook her head.
"We still have a full day left of vacation. I want to get some sleep before our flight tomorrow evening, it's at 7:00." Hermione replied, navigating along the sidewalk through the meandering crowds.
"Oh, all right then. Let's find the hotel." Ron said, nodding. He had just started scanning the shops for a familiar sign or landmark whenever a big, glittering, light-filled building on the left caught his eye.
"Let's go in there, it looks like fun." Ron explained, pulling Hermione and Tom out of the groove of the moving crowd.
"But Ron, it's a casino! We're too young to gamble!" Hermione protested, eyeing the building suspiciously, as if police officers were waiting just inside the entrance to grab them and haul them away.
"'Mione, we aren't going to gamble, just look around and get a drink. Dad said that they give them away free if you just stand near the machines and look like you're pulling out money."
"When did your dad go to a casino?"
"He stayed at one when he went on a business trip last year for the Ministry. Come on, Hermione; it'll be fun, I promise." Ron coaxed, begging her silently with his eyes. Hermione sighed resignedly and followed him inside, steering Tom along behind her.
"Hmmm.. what first?" Ron thought to himself, pushing through the large glass doors and entering the casino. He was blinded for a few seconds from all the bright, flashing lights, but his eyes adjusted after a few seconds.
He scanned the area, looking for something a sixteen-year-old could do legally in a casino. His mind drew a blank.
"Let's order a drink." Ron suggested, watching as Hermione attempted to pull Tom away from one of the glittering slot machines.
"Oooh, pwetty lights. Hermi, can I see the pwetty lights?" Tom cooed, reaching out to touch one of the flashing bulbs on the machine. He withdrew his finger very quickly; the bulb was scorching hot and left a red patch on his right index finger where it's hot surface had made contact with skin.
A cocktail waitress appeared out of one of the crowds, and Ron flagged her over.
"Yes, sir?" the waitress said, eyeing Ron suspiciously. Despite his height, he did not look twenty-one years old.
"'Mione, what do you want?" Ron turned and asked Hermione. Hermione shrugged a reply and went back to her task of keeping an eye on Tom.
"Two pineapple daiquiris." Ron replied, watching as the waitress raised one delicate, heavily penciled eyebrow. "Virgin."
"Obviously." the waitress replied, smiling at him and scribbling something down on her pad. Before he had a chance to respond, she had disappeared back into the crowd.
When he finally realized what she had implied, his mouth fell open, leaving him looking somewhat like a fish out of water.
"'Mione, did you hear that?"
"Yes." Hermione said, biting her lip in a valiant effort to keep from laughing.
Ron tinged pink. "Very funny."
"I certainly thought so." Hermione replied, winking at him, "Come on, let's go see what we can find to do."
~*~
*sigh* I know I didn't manage to work in Tom in a bathing suit in this part, but I promise it WILL eventually happen! One part to go.. wish me luck on getting it out before Christmas.
Up next in "Hermione Plays the Dating Game: the never-ending series", Tom in a bathing suit (not for the obvious reasons, of course!),;Ron and Hermione hook up a little more (*R/H shippers, led by Ami, do a joyous victory dance*); and Tom does more Tom things. Also look forward to another loooong plane trip (poor Hermi, she's so abused), and maybe, just maybe, a little more karaoke (I figured out how to spell it! Yay!).
by Ami the QEFM
Disclaimer: All standard rules apply. Tom gets to quote Kermit the Frog, so if anyone wants to sue over that line blame him, not me.
Thanks to all the wonderful, exceptional people that reviewed, you guys are the best! (Next installment, Ami brown-noses even more!) PG for the idea of Ron doing tiger growls (he's such a scoundrel..) and Tom doing, erm, Tom things.
~*~
After they had drug Tom out of reach of his legions of groupies, Ron and Hermione walked peacefully down the boardwalk. Tom trailed miserably behind them, still grumbling about being taken away from the karaoke bar.
Ron, now fully recovered, was back into "Ron Juan" mode, holding Hermione's hand and gazing at her occasionally in the faint glow of the neon signs overhead.
Hermione felt herself blush, but it was a pleasant sort of blush, not from embarrassment or self-consciousness.
"I like your shirt, Hermione, it's very... um, blue." Ron said, stuttering slightly. (Ooh, he's a slick one, that Ron..)
"Thanks." Hermione replied, blushing deeper.
"Woohoo! Look Hermi, Putt-putt!" Tom cried happily, grabbing the backs of their shirts and stopping them dead in their tracks. Ron lost his balance at the sudden stop and nearly fell on Tom, but he managed to regain his poise at the last second.
"What?" Ron asked, looking both perplexed and peeved at the same time.
"I SAID, putt-putt!" Tom repeated, looking exasperated as though Ron was an annoying little child he had to explain everything to. Ron still looked puzzled, and turned to Hermione for help.
"Putt-putt?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Miniature golf." Hermione answered.
"Ugh, I hate golf." Ron said, wrinkling his nose in distaste.
"It's not like regular golf, it's actually pretty fun. C'mon, just try it. Tom will nag us until we play with him anyway." Hermione encouraged, following Tom towards the small course before them.
They entered "Dragonland Mini Golf", heading for the cashier. Hermione paid for all three of them, and they picked up their clubs and balls.
"Are you sure they don't have clubs longer than this?" Ron asked for the fourth time, holding up the longest club he could find, which was still a good foot too short for him.
"No, Ron, you'll just have to do with that one."
"Damn long legs.."
"Ron! Behave!"
"Not if I can help it." Ron replied, giving a low tiger growl. Hermione giggled and smacked his shoulder lightly.
"Look Hermi, pink!" Tom cried, holding up a pink golf ball and waving it around with enthusiasm.
"That's nice, Tom." Hermione replied, and, rather reluctantly, turned her attention away from Ron. Ron sighed in frustration.
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, who smiled in sympathy. They both grabbed golf balls and headed for the first course. The marker was in the shape of a makeshift dragon spitting fire.
"Eek!" Tom shrieked, kicking the low wooden dragon.
"What now?" Ron asked, exasperated.
"Be careful, they're feisty when they're young." Tom whispered in a warning tone, pointing to the motionless dragon-shaped sign.
"I'll keep that in mind if I ever meet any WOODEN dragons." Ron replied, rolling his eyes and continuing on to the green.
"Wooden? Aah, clever disguise. Don't leave town, I'll be watching you.." Tom said, eyeing the dragon-shaped sign suspiciously and turning to follow Ron.
~Four holes later~
"SEE! I TOLD you it was following us!" Tom cried again, pointing to another dragon-shaped course marker.
"It's a different one, and it's made of WOOD, you stupid prat." Ron answered, fighting the overwhelming urge to whack Tom over the head with his club.
"THEY'RE REPRODUCING! HEAD FOR THE HILLS!" Tom screamed, diving into a nearby bush, shaking in terror. The group ahead of them turned around and came back to see what was wrong, eyeing Ron and Hermione suspiciously.
Ron blushed, "He wasn't talking about us."
The people kept glaring skeptically at Ron and Hermione, who were both blushing furiously.
"He's over there, he's on leave from a mental institution." Hermione added, pointing over to a clump of shaking bushes where Tom's head was just barely poking out, surveying the landscape cautiously.
The group glanced from Hermione and Ron to Tom and back again, then went back to their game, some still mumbling under their breath.
Hermione smacked her palm against her forehead, her face an identical shade of red to Ron's hair.
Ron sighed, "Let's get on with it."
"Is it safe?" Tom whispered, still concealed by the bushes.
"It always was safe, you moron." Ron replied, sounding very frustrated.
"No it was not! Yousa big meanie!" Tom pouted, standing up shakily.
Ron turned to Hermione, looking imploringly at her. "Can I PLEASE hit him with this stupid stick?" He waved his club in the air as if to emphasize his point.
Hermione grinned, "It isn't a stick, it's called a club."
"A club? Good!" Ron said, clubbing Tom upside the head with his putter.
"Ron!" Hermione cried incredulously, dropping to her knees to tend to the now-sobbing Tom. Tom sat on the green, crying loudly and massaging a rising red bump on his temple. Ron was jubilant.
"I haven't felt this good since I put those flobberworms in Malfoy's underwear drawer.." Ron said, sighing happily.
"Ron..." Hermione said warningly.
"Well, you have to admit it was pretty funny when he sat down at breakfast and his underwear squelched. I didn't know he could scream like that... like a veela on helium."
Hermione attempted to fight back a laugh, but she snickered despite herself. It was kind of interesting, she had never imagined Malfoy could turn so many shades of pink at once.
"Hermmmmmmmmmmmmmmi..." Tom wailed, still gently massaging the growing lump on his head.
"Come on, Tom, you'll be fine." Hermione replied, helping Tom to his feet. Tom stumbled around for the remainder of the game, but all in all it was a success.
Ron looked as if he'd just won the Nobel prize for the entire game, admiring the bump he had so adequately placed just above Tom's right eye.
~1 hour later; outside "Dragonland Mini Golf"~
"Hermi, are you SURE I can't take a dragon home with me?" Tom pouted, holding a wooden dragon sign to his chest as if it were a newborn child.
"No, Tom. Come on already!" Hermione replied, rolling her eyes and answering the question for the thirtieth time since they had left the course.
"But... but.." Tom cried, his lower lip trembling pitifully, "You CAN'T take Woody away! I love him!"
Ron quickly turned a snicker into a cough, watching as Hermione tried to reason with the completely unreasonable Tom.
"But Tommy, Woody will be happier here because he'll have other little wooden dragons to play with.."
"No he won't! He wants to live with me!"
Ron sighed, taking over, "Tom, that dragon is NOT alive, no matter how much you'd like it to be. Now hurry up and put it back, those security guards have been watching us for a full fifteen minutes now and the last thing we need is to be chased around Hawaii by them."
"Okee-dokee." Tom said reluctantly, his lower lip still trembling as he went to put the sign back wherever he had found it.
"Thanks." Hermione said, watching Tom skip off into the putt-putt course to return the marker he had dubbed "Woody".
"No problem. C'mon." Ron replied, taking Hermione's hand and starting off down the sidewalk without Tom.
"But.." Hermione protested slightly, glancing over her shoulder at the golf course where Tom was still saying his good-byes.
"He'll eventually get the idea." Ron interrupted her thoughts, tugging her along like an anxious puppy.
Hermione groaned, and allowed herself to be guided by Ron down the sidewalk. She still kept an eye out for Tom, who had yet to appear from the putt-putt course.
"Look, a night club!" Ron said enthusiastically, "And it's packed!"
"But Tom will never find us in there.." Hermione protested as Ron pushed through the mulling crowd towards the door.
"Exactly." Ron replied, grinning impishly with a mischievous glint apparent in his eyes. Hermione thought for a moment she was with one of the twins, but Ron was much taller and thinner than either of them would ever be.
Hermione sighed in a long-suffering sort of way, "Can we at least wait a few minutes to see if he shows up? You know how hard it'll be to find him if we lose him, and we can't go home without him."
"Who would care? The Death Eaters? Oh, I bet Snape will be in tears if we don't bring him home with us." Ron said sarcastically, rolling his eyes but remaining by Hermione's side.
A few moments later, a silhouette appeared in the distance, approaching at a rapid speed. They could hear a whisper of a voice, increasing in volume as the shadow came nearer.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRMMMMMMMMIIII!!"
Hermione sighed, becoming quite fed up with Tom's out-takes by this point. "What has he done now?" she wondered aloud.
She didn't have to wait long for an answer to her question, as two more shadows became apparent on the horizon not far behind Tom, who was still running at top speed towards them. He barreled into Ron, knocking the wind out of poor Ron and throwing the two boys to the pavement.
"Dammit, what's wrong with you, you stupid prat!" Ron cursed, letting go with an impressive string of swears under his breath. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
She regained her senses before either of the boys, and snatched them both up from the sidewalk. She steered them both into the smoky, crowded club before the two shadows that had followed Tom had a chance to spot them.
With implausible strength, she slammed them both into a wall in a nearby corner. Her cinnamon eyes blazed.
"Tom, what have you done now?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips and awaiting a response. Tom rubbed his head tenderly, and wrinkled his nose. His free hand went instinctively to the front of his pullover, feeling around for something inside.
Hermione noticed a bulge in the front of his shirt that she hadn't noticed before, and groaned. "Oh Tom, you didn't.."
"But.. but they were going to put him in the ground!" Tom blubbered, unzipping his pullover and revealing the same wooden dragon marker he had earlier dubbed 'Woody'.
Ron, making a valiant effort not to laugh, turned to Tom and glared at him through teary eyes, "Tom, put that up or I swear I'll have a nice little bonfire on the beach after you go to sleep, and Woody won't like it very much."
Tom's lower lip quivered, but he managed to put away the wooden dragon without many people noticing. Hermione sighed, and turned her back to the duo.
"'Mione, what's wrong?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione with concern.
"Nothing, I'm going to the restroom." Hermione said, making her way through the gyrating crowd. Ron watched her leave longingly, and turned back to Tom with a sigh of vexation.
~Meanwhile~
"Excuse me, excuse me." Hermione repeated, pushing her way through the vivacious crowd.
After much frustration and pushing, Hermione made her way into the ladies' room. The room smelled strongly of cheap perfume, and the fumes of it nearly knocked poor Hermione unconscious.
She stood politely by the door, watching as numerous skimpily-dressed, over-made-up women crouched over a single lighted mirror, each straining over the others to see her own reflection.
"Hello, dear. You must be new. Come this way and we'll get you fixed right up." a blonde girl not much older than Hermione said, taking Hermione lightly by the shoulder and steering her through the other women.
"But.. what do you mean.." Hermione protested slightly, wondering where on earth the girl was taking her.
"Here we are, the dressing room. Hmmmm.." the girl said, looking up and down Hermione in her plain blue T-shirt and khakis appraisingly, "I believe you'd look best in lavender."
"Why? What's going on.. what's your name?" Hermione managed to stutter as the other girl began sorting through long racks full of clothes.
"I'm Fiona. Try this on, I think it's just about your size." Fiona replied, wrinkling her pretty little nose slightly in thought. She shrugged and removed a flowing violet garb that suited Hermione's brunette complexion perfectly from a passing rack. She forced it into Hermione's open hands and steered her into a nearby dressing room.
"What the hell is going on here?" Hermione thought to herself as Fiona shut the door behind her to the small dressing room. Hermione shrugged and without another thought started to undress herself.
~Meanwhile~
"Do you want to see my Woody?"
"Cretin!" Slap.
"Do YOU want to see my Woody?"
"No, get away from me!" Slap two.
"Would you like to see my Woody?"
"PERVERT!" Slap three.
"Tom, what are you doing?" Ron asked, approaching Tom. Ron raised one red eyebrow at the finger-shaped red marks across Tom's cheek, but said nothing.
"No one likes Woody." Tom sighed, looking around in despair.
"You tried to show the entire club your stupid wooden dragon?" Ron replied, snickering under his breath.
"Yep, but no one wanted to see him. They kept calling me mean names." Tom answered sadly, his lower lip poking out pathetically.
"What's wrong? Can I buy you a drink?" a voice asked from above. Tom looked up, his eyes still bleary. It was a girl, wearing a purple T-shirt and a pair of faded denim shorts. She smiled at Tom.
"Hello, my name's Megan." the girl offered, watching as Tom stood up shakily from the ground where he had been sitting.
"I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle, terror of all Europe."
"Well, Tom Marvolo Riddle, how would you like a daiquiri?" Megan asked, laughing lightly at Tom's formal introduction. "Virgin, of course." she added, noticing Ron's face and strange "no!" gestures.
"Okey-day." Tom answered, allowing Megan to steer him away. Ron sat back down by himself, sighing sadly.
"Great, a sixteen-year-old git that acts like a three-year-old is getting more action than me. This sucks." Ron thought bitterly, barely paying attention as the music stopped and the lights faded, focusing all attention on a spotlight concentrated on top of the bar.
"And now, introducing.." a drumroll started as the female announcer paused dramatically, "Lady Lavender!"
~Meanwhile~
"I'm not so sure about this.. where are you taking me? FIONA!" Hermione asked, getting very nervous as Fiona pushed her along tight corridors and stopping at a small flight of steps.
"Listen, all you have to do is get up there and perform. You've done it before, right?"
"Um, no. What do you mean 'perform'?"
"Well, since it's your first time.. you've danced before, haven't you?"
"Erm," Hermione bit her lip in thought. The only time she'd ever danced in front of people was at the Yule Ball, and that was nearly two years ago.
"Yes." she answered. After all, she had danced before, even if it was only one time.
"Good! That's all you have to do. Now get up there, they're waiting for you!" Fiona smiled, encouraging Hermione onto the waiting stage.
~Meanwhile, in Ron's small corner of self-pity~
Ron was still sitting alone, wallowing in self-pity whenever the music started. It reminded him briefly of the time he had spied on Fred and George whenever they were watching kinky old muggle movies. (A/N: No, they weren't watching porn, I promise you that. It was just one of those movies with strippers and the stupid 'va-va-VOOM' music.)
After about two minutes of waiting, a shadow appeared on top of the bar, and was immediately illuminated by the roving spotlight.
Ron's attention was captured instantaneously, and he stared in mixed horror and delight as a purple-clad female walked around, looking extremely nervous, on top of the counter. Then, instantly, the abundance of thick brown hair and the small frame registered in his mind, and something inside clicked.
"HERMIONE?!"
The bushy-haired girl turned in response to her name, spotted Ron, who was now staring blatantly at her rather skimpy costume, and blushed scarlet. Ron's jaw was practically to the floor.
Ron stumbled to his feet, and managed to push his way through the catcalling crowd. A few males were standing at the front, almost on top of the bar themselves, waving money at a dazed Hermione.
"Excuse me, coming through." Ron muttered repeatedly as he bumped and pushed his way toward the front. Hermione watched his progress with bated breath.
Suddenly, Hermione shrieked and jumped back, nearly falling off the bar in her wobbly high-heeled shoes.
"Someone is grabbing at me"! she thought to herself, panicked. She looked down and saw a young man trying to put a twenty-dollar bill down her stockings. She kicked him with her heavy high-heeled shoes, but he and quite a few more kept trying to touch her.
Ron reacted primitively to Hermione's despair. A rush of pure adrenaline mingled with raging testosterone coursed through his veins as he continued to struggle through the crowd with renewed vigor.
"Get your hands off her, you scum!" Ron roared, finally reaching his destination and grabbing one of the men by his collar. Ron was easily a foot taller than any of the men, but while they were muscular and bulky, he was lanky and thin. One appeared to be a bodybuilder, and he looked as if he could break Ron in two with his bare hands.
"We were just having a little fun." the man choked, struggling to get out of Ron's grip.
"Well you'd damn well better leave her alone, that's my girlfriend up there."
Hermione, listening intently to the whole ordeal, lit up like a Christmas tree at this last remark, and blushed deeper clear to the roots of her hair.
"We'll do as we please, now move it, shrimp." one of the more muscular-looking men replied, pushing his way past Ron in order to continue harassing Hermione. Ron looked a picture of utter rage as the man attempted to grab Hermione's skirt.
Hermione, not completely helpless, threw her shoe at the man and left a nasty lump on his forehead. He stood, dazed, for a few seconds before Ron pounced on him.
"Ron, NO!" Hermione shrieked, watching in horror as Ron brawled with the man. The man's friends joined in within five minutes, and the whole scene was merely a jumble of arms and legs (mostly Ron's).
"SECURITY!" someone from the crowd screamed, and not two minutes had passed before a blue-clad bouncer had pushed his way in. He separated the six struggling guys, and pushed five of them out the door.
He couldn't get to Ron, however, because as soon as the fight was broken up Hermione had snatched him up and taken him backstage with her to nurse his many wounds.
~Meanwhile, at the bar where Tom and Megan are sitting~
"You know, Tom, you have a really great butt." Megan said, a little tipsy after her fourth (non-virgin) pineapple daiquiri.
"Thanks. Wormtail has always told me that, but then again he's just a brown-noser.. and," Tom said, lowering his voice to nearly a whisper, "If you can keep a secret, I think he's gay."
Megan laughed as if this were the most preposterous news she had ever heard, even though she hadn't the slightest clue as to who Wormtail was.
"SECURITY!" someone shrieked over the bustle of the crowd. Almost the entire club had congregated in one corner, where apparently something very interesting was happening.
"Oooh, Tommiekins, let's go see *hic* what's going on." Megan slurred slightly, standing up and grabbing Tom by the wrist.
"I can't see!" Tom cried, holding up his teddy bear over the heads of the mulling crowd. "I think... I think it's... Ron?"
"Ooh, your cute little *hic* redheaded friend, eh? Well Tom, you'd better *hic* go help him." Megan suggested, smiling at Tom and pushing him into the crowd.
"Ron! RON!" Tom cried, trying to get through the stunned crowd.
By the time he had pushed a path through the audience, the security guard had broken up the fight and Ron was nowhere in sight. Tom pursued the security guard as he drug five men to the door and tossed them out. He tapped the guard anxiously on the shoulder, and he turned to face Tom.
"What?"
"Have you seen my friend, Ron? He's about this tall, red hair.." Tom said, describing Ron and motioning to a height well over his own head.
"I don't know where he went, kid. Just go back inside and have a good time. He'll show up."
Tom, looking defeated, sauntered back into the club, where a still-sloshed Megan was waiting for him.
~Meanwhile, backstage in Hermione's dressing room~
"Ouch! Dammit, that hurts!" Ron cursed, wrinkling his long nose in pain. Hermione sat beside him at the vanity table, applying iodine to his numerous cuts and scrapes.
"Oh hold still, you overgrown baby."
"I think I'd rather have Madame Pomfrey attack me with one of her nasty potions than have you doctoring on me." Ron replied, grinning slightly through the tears welling up in his eyes. Hermione smiled and continued dabbing cotton balls dripping with foul-smelling ointments on him.
"That was really sweet, what you did for me tonight." Hermione said, staring down at the cut on Ron's hand she was doctoring. "Thank you."
"I was stupid, though. What was I thinking, those guys could've killed me."
"I still think it was sweet, even though it was a little stupid." Hermione answered, grinning up at him and poking him teasingly in the shoulder. Ron smiled back. "Did you really mean the girlfriend part?" she asked, smiling playfully at his blushing appearance.
"Well, whenever I said girlfriend, I really meant a friend that's just a girl--or is it a girl that's just a friend..." Ron stuttered, making a visible effort to concentrate.
"Come off it, Ron." Hermione laughed lightly, leaning in and pressing her lips to his.
Ron opened his eyes in utter surprise, "Hermione Granger is kissing me. She's kissing ME!"
Thoughts pounded inside his brain, shock at this new development registering in every cell of his body. Then, the surprise long gone, he relaxed into the embrace and kissed her back. He wrapped his arms around her, caressing her soft hair, slightly unsure of what to do with his hands without getting slapped.
After what seemed like an eternity, they parted. Both were blushing profusely, and were a little out of breath.
Hermione had just opened her mouth to speak when a voice broke the silence.
"Lavender, dear, your act isn't finished yet!" Fiona called from down the hall. Hermione's eyes went wide. She grabbed Ron by the wrist, much to his confusion, and drug him down another hallway, trying desperately to find her way out of the place.
"'Mione, your clothes!" Ron reminded her as she scuttled down the hall, still dressed in her purple costume. She did a quick about-face, leaving Ron behind in the small corridor, and ran to change back into her normal clothes.
After what seemed like hours (but in actuality was a mere two minutes *Hermione changes clothes VERY quickly*), Hermione hurried her way back to Ron, quite out of breath. A few more winding halls and sharp corners lately, they finally found themselves back in the main part of the club.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. There were at least twenty other girls there with brown hair and wearing blue shirts, it would be impossible for Fiona to find her again.
"Where's Tom?" Hermione asked, snapping back into reality. Ron raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"He went off with some girl named Megan. She was going to buy him a drink, I think.."
Hermione groaned in a long-suffering sort of way, "You let him out of your sight?"
"Well, I was a little busy keeping those creeps' hands off you. I wasn't really considering Tom at the moment." Hermione blushed at this comment, but remained quite stern. She looked faintly like a very young, brown-haired version of Professor McGonagall.
"Be that as it may, we still have to find him before we can leave. Come on, we'll start over here."
"Why don't we split up?"
"Are you kidding? It might take us hours to find each other again. Besides," Hermione said, grinning devilishly, "I want a little protection if those guys return."
Ron smirked, put his arm around Hermione protectively, and they started their search.
~Meanwhile~
"RON! HERMI?" Tom called over the noise of the crowd, his voice lost in the myriad of voices.
"Tommiekins?" Megan asked, putting her arm around Tom's shoulders. Tom looked over at her, but continued yelling for his friends.
"What? RON! HERMI!" Tom yelled right into her face, but Megan didn't seem to notice nor care.
"What's that in your jacket?" Megan slurred slightly, feeling the wooden bulge in the front of Tom's pullover. It was currently sliding downward with his frequent movement, and was now resting squarely over his naval.
"It's my Woody. Do you want to see him?"
Megan grinned, raising an eyebrow at him. "Sure, but you'd better come back to my apartment first."
"Um, I'm not supposed to go off with strangers.. Hermi says.."
"Forget what she says! Come with me!"
"No!" Tom protested, struggling against Megan's iron grip. Despite the alcohol coursing through her veins, she was amazingly able to keep a good grasp on him.
"HERMMMMMMMMIIII!!"
~*~
Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, yanking Ron back with her. Ron coughed slightly as Hermione snatched him backwards by his collar.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Hermione sighed, "Someone said my name. It sounded like Tom."
"Where?"
"It sounded like it came from over there."
"Well then let's go get the stupid prat and get out of here." Ron concluded, pushing his way through the crowd in the direction that Hermione was pointing in.
~*~
"But Tommiekins..." Megan pleaded, still holding tight to Tom's wrist. Tom was struggling with all he had, forcing his way through the pulsating crowd with Megan in tow.
"I said NO!" Tom replied firmly, finally getting a spine, "HERMI! RON!"
"Tom? TOM?" Hermione's voice carried over the crowd as she and Ron came into view through the ever-moving audience.
"Hermi!" Tom cried happily, launching himself at Hermione. Hermione, caught off guard, was somehow able to catch him and keep her balance. However, Megan was another story.
"Who's she?" Ron asked, watching Megan slide across the dance floor.
"Umm... let's go." Tom whispered, grabbing Hermione and trying desperately to get away from Megan, who was now staggering drunkenly to her feet and advancing on the trio.
"Tom... Tom GET BACK HERE!" Megan screamed.
"Leave him alone!" Hermione replied, snatching up Ron and Tom and heading for the exit.
They could faintly hear Megan yelling something after them, but they were already too far away to hear it clearly.
"I'm glad that's over." Hermione sighed, walking between Ron and Tom and holding their hands.
"Time's fun when you're having flies." Tom hiccuped, grinning stupidly. Hermione and Ron looked at their companion strangely, but said nothing.
"Oh my God, it's 3:45!" Hermione exclaimed, glancing down at her watch for the first time that night.
"A.M.!" Hermione clarified to a confused Ron. Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"You're kidding?"
"No, I'm not." Hermione said, on the verge of a yawn, "Let's go to bed."
"Now?" Ron asked, looking surprised, "But we were having so much fun.. in the dressing room." Ron added, whispering in Hermione's ear so Tom couldn't overhear. Hermione laughed and shook her head.
"We still have a full day left of vacation. I want to get some sleep before our flight tomorrow evening, it's at 7:00." Hermione replied, navigating along the sidewalk through the meandering crowds.
"Oh, all right then. Let's find the hotel." Ron said, nodding. He had just started scanning the shops for a familiar sign or landmark whenever a big, glittering, light-filled building on the left caught his eye.
"Let's go in there, it looks like fun." Ron explained, pulling Hermione and Tom out of the groove of the moving crowd.
"But Ron, it's a casino! We're too young to gamble!" Hermione protested, eyeing the building suspiciously, as if police officers were waiting just inside the entrance to grab them and haul them away.
"'Mione, we aren't going to gamble, just look around and get a drink. Dad said that they give them away free if you just stand near the machines and look like you're pulling out money."
"When did your dad go to a casino?"
"He stayed at one when he went on a business trip last year for the Ministry. Come on, Hermione; it'll be fun, I promise." Ron coaxed, begging her silently with his eyes. Hermione sighed resignedly and followed him inside, steering Tom along behind her.
"Hmmm.. what first?" Ron thought to himself, pushing through the large glass doors and entering the casino. He was blinded for a few seconds from all the bright, flashing lights, but his eyes adjusted after a few seconds.
He scanned the area, looking for something a sixteen-year-old could do legally in a casino. His mind drew a blank.
"Let's order a drink." Ron suggested, watching as Hermione attempted to pull Tom away from one of the glittering slot machines.
"Oooh, pwetty lights. Hermi, can I see the pwetty lights?" Tom cooed, reaching out to touch one of the flashing bulbs on the machine. He withdrew his finger very quickly; the bulb was scorching hot and left a red patch on his right index finger where it's hot surface had made contact with skin.
A cocktail waitress appeared out of one of the crowds, and Ron flagged her over.
"Yes, sir?" the waitress said, eyeing Ron suspiciously. Despite his height, he did not look twenty-one years old.
"'Mione, what do you want?" Ron turned and asked Hermione. Hermione shrugged a reply and went back to her task of keeping an eye on Tom.
"Two pineapple daiquiris." Ron replied, watching as the waitress raised one delicate, heavily penciled eyebrow. "Virgin."
"Obviously." the waitress replied, smiling at him and scribbling something down on her pad. Before he had a chance to respond, she had disappeared back into the crowd.
When he finally realized what she had implied, his mouth fell open, leaving him looking somewhat like a fish out of water.
"'Mione, did you hear that?"
"Yes." Hermione said, biting her lip in a valiant effort to keep from laughing.
Ron tinged pink. "Very funny."
"I certainly thought so." Hermione replied, winking at him, "Come on, let's go see what we can find to do."
~*~
*sigh* I know I didn't manage to work in Tom in a bathing suit in this part, but I promise it WILL eventually happen! One part to go.. wish me luck on getting it out before Christmas.
Up next in "Hermione Plays the Dating Game: the never-ending series", Tom in a bathing suit (not for the obvious reasons, of course!),;Ron and Hermione hook up a little more (*R/H shippers, led by Ami, do a joyous victory dance*); and Tom does more Tom things. Also look forward to another loooong plane trip (poor Hermi, she's so abused), and maybe, just maybe, a little more karaoke (I figured out how to spell it! Yay!).