Hermione stood patiently at the end of the queue for the bar, which was
quite long given the small percentage of Hogwarts students who were of the
legal age. Normally Hermione would put this down to misguided reliance on
alcohol and disregard to the dangers of drinking. However, she herself had
already had two drinks and had come to the conclusion that alcohol was
quite a fun drink to have. She was mulling over possible middle names in
her head when she felt some one tap her on her shoulder.
'George!' she exclaimed as she turned to find a freckled face beaming down at her.
'Nope, Fred. Honestly Hermione, I know you've never had alcohol before, but you'd think you would be able to distinguish one Weasley from another! After all, you spend long enough looking at certain members of our family in the common room!' Fred teased.
Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Fred, even your own *mother* can't tell you apart sometimes!' she replied, missing the twin's obvious mention of Ron. The alcohol was clearly having an effect on her usual sharp mind.
'So, I trust you and my brother are having a good time tonight?' Fred enquired.
'Yes, we are. Well, I think Ron would even enjoy his first legal drink if he was having it at the shrieking shack' Hermione giggled. 'Speaking of which, what drink should I buy him? I need to buy him one or he won't tell me what his middle name is.'
Fred chuckled. Oh the possibilities, he thought. I could play the responsible, older brother and recommend something only slightly more alcoholic than pumpkin juice... or on the other hand, he thought with a grin, I could give destiny a helping hand! Fred's eyes darted over to Ron, and back to Hermione. And if, when these two get enough alcohol into their systems, the inevitable occurs, then I can be considered to have been helping my youngest brother anyway! His mind made up, Fred returned his attention to the matter in hand.
'Erm, how about you try a Morgana? It's kind of a cocktail... I reckon you'll both like it!' Fred finished with a smile to emphasise the suggestion. Thankfully, wizard alcohol appeared to be the only area Hermione had no knowledge in, and she was not in the slightest bit suspicious.
'And,' he added as an after thought, 'It's Stephen.'
'Fred! I wanted to guess!' Hermione squealed. They had reached the bar, and Hermione ordered her drinks. 'But...' she considered, her eyes narrowing slightly. Fred looked confused.
'What have you got up your sleeve?' He asked.
'Oh you'll see!' She flashed a grin at the ginger-headed boy, as she picked up her drinks, which were in tall glasses and were made up of a purple layer, a deep blue layer and a lime green layer on the top. They certainly looked interesting. She carefully crossed the room and set the glasses down on the table in front of Ron.
'What are *those*?' he asked incredulously.
'Oh, someone recommended them to me,' Hermione skipped over the fact that Fred had been at the bar 'but, back to the middle name issue- what do you say we up the stakes a little?'
Ron regarded her, eyebrow raised. 'Go on.'
'Well,' Hermione took a breath. 'Why don't we play a little game? I get to choose two more letters and you tell me if they're in your middle name. Then if I can guess what it is from that, I win!'
'Sounds fair enough to me.' Ron concluded. 'But what do you get if you win, and more importantly, what do *I* get when you lose?'
Hermione grinned. '*When* I win, I get the pleasure of dancing with you!'
'Ok... but I wouldn't get so attached to that vision, because you'll be finishing my potions homework for me this week when you fail to guess!' Ron sent back an equally mischievous grin.
'Fine.' Hermione took a long sip of her drink, apparently considering her choice of letters. Her eyes widened at the warm heat sensation that filled her body as she drank. It appeared Ron was having the same reaction.
'I chose... E... and... N!'
Ron's eyes widened in shock, he clearly hadn't been expecting Hermione to choose the right letters.
'What's wrong Ron, have you forgotten that I'm always right?' Hermione teased, a broad smile playing on her lips.
'Oh ha ha.' Ron, too wore a smile. Hermione was a lot gigglier when she drank, he noticed. Her smile was really pretty, he noticed. 'Go on then, guess away!'
'Well, it *could* be Sean... or it *could* be Sven' Hermione laughed at the second suggestion. 'But,' she paused for dramatic tension 'I think I'll have to choose. STEPHEN!'
Ron's jaw dropped as Hermione beamed proudly.
'How... how did you...?'
'Never you mind, Ronald Stephen Weasley! Now, drink up!'
Ron looked quite shocked as Hermione drank her drink very fast, but after a moment's hesitation followed suite. Hermione then took his hand in hers and dragged him onto the dance floor. Ron decided that the tingling feeling in his hand must have been an after effect of the alcohol, after all, it was *only* Hermione. As the two made their way onto the floor in a rush of smiles, they both failed to notice a certain red-haired twin grinning to himself and nudging his carbon copy knowingly.
'George!' she exclaimed as she turned to find a freckled face beaming down at her.
'Nope, Fred. Honestly Hermione, I know you've never had alcohol before, but you'd think you would be able to distinguish one Weasley from another! After all, you spend long enough looking at certain members of our family in the common room!' Fred teased.
Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Fred, even your own *mother* can't tell you apart sometimes!' she replied, missing the twin's obvious mention of Ron. The alcohol was clearly having an effect on her usual sharp mind.
'So, I trust you and my brother are having a good time tonight?' Fred enquired.
'Yes, we are. Well, I think Ron would even enjoy his first legal drink if he was having it at the shrieking shack' Hermione giggled. 'Speaking of which, what drink should I buy him? I need to buy him one or he won't tell me what his middle name is.'
Fred chuckled. Oh the possibilities, he thought. I could play the responsible, older brother and recommend something only slightly more alcoholic than pumpkin juice... or on the other hand, he thought with a grin, I could give destiny a helping hand! Fred's eyes darted over to Ron, and back to Hermione. And if, when these two get enough alcohol into their systems, the inevitable occurs, then I can be considered to have been helping my youngest brother anyway! His mind made up, Fred returned his attention to the matter in hand.
'Erm, how about you try a Morgana? It's kind of a cocktail... I reckon you'll both like it!' Fred finished with a smile to emphasise the suggestion. Thankfully, wizard alcohol appeared to be the only area Hermione had no knowledge in, and she was not in the slightest bit suspicious.
'And,' he added as an after thought, 'It's Stephen.'
'Fred! I wanted to guess!' Hermione squealed. They had reached the bar, and Hermione ordered her drinks. 'But...' she considered, her eyes narrowing slightly. Fred looked confused.
'What have you got up your sleeve?' He asked.
'Oh you'll see!' She flashed a grin at the ginger-headed boy, as she picked up her drinks, which were in tall glasses and were made up of a purple layer, a deep blue layer and a lime green layer on the top. They certainly looked interesting. She carefully crossed the room and set the glasses down on the table in front of Ron.
'What are *those*?' he asked incredulously.
'Oh, someone recommended them to me,' Hermione skipped over the fact that Fred had been at the bar 'but, back to the middle name issue- what do you say we up the stakes a little?'
Ron regarded her, eyebrow raised. 'Go on.'
'Well,' Hermione took a breath. 'Why don't we play a little game? I get to choose two more letters and you tell me if they're in your middle name. Then if I can guess what it is from that, I win!'
'Sounds fair enough to me.' Ron concluded. 'But what do you get if you win, and more importantly, what do *I* get when you lose?'
Hermione grinned. '*When* I win, I get the pleasure of dancing with you!'
'Ok... but I wouldn't get so attached to that vision, because you'll be finishing my potions homework for me this week when you fail to guess!' Ron sent back an equally mischievous grin.
'Fine.' Hermione took a long sip of her drink, apparently considering her choice of letters. Her eyes widened at the warm heat sensation that filled her body as she drank. It appeared Ron was having the same reaction.
'I chose... E... and... N!'
Ron's eyes widened in shock, he clearly hadn't been expecting Hermione to choose the right letters.
'What's wrong Ron, have you forgotten that I'm always right?' Hermione teased, a broad smile playing on her lips.
'Oh ha ha.' Ron, too wore a smile. Hermione was a lot gigglier when she drank, he noticed. Her smile was really pretty, he noticed. 'Go on then, guess away!'
'Well, it *could* be Sean... or it *could* be Sven' Hermione laughed at the second suggestion. 'But,' she paused for dramatic tension 'I think I'll have to choose. STEPHEN!'
Ron's jaw dropped as Hermione beamed proudly.
'How... how did you...?'
'Never you mind, Ronald Stephen Weasley! Now, drink up!'
Ron looked quite shocked as Hermione drank her drink very fast, but after a moment's hesitation followed suite. Hermione then took his hand in hers and dragged him onto the dance floor. Ron decided that the tingling feeling in his hand must have been an after effect of the alcohol, after all, it was *only* Hermione. As the two made their way onto the floor in a rush of smiles, they both failed to notice a certain red-haired twin grinning to himself and nudging his carbon copy knowingly.