Amanda was amazed when she pulled into work the next day and saw Hannah's (or was it Hermione's?) car in the parking lot. If she'd suffered all the drama Hannah had the day before she wouldn't be seen for at least a week. Considering how private Hannah was it must really have been a devastating experience for her.

What surprised Amanda even more was when she climbed out of her car and noticed that Ron was sitting on the ground next to Hannah's car, leaning against it.

"Uh, hi," Amanda said, startling him. "You know we have stalking laws in this country don't you?"

Ron's face started to turn an impressive shade of red as he scrambled to his feet.

"I'm not stalking her."

"Any reason why you're out here, then?"

"I--I just thought that if I went inside I might come back out in bits and pieces."

"You'd probably be right. Humiliation tends to make us girls grumpy."

Ron looked truly distraught now and she almost regretted saying it.

"I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I just—she makes my crazy."

"I get the impression you had a head start in that department, cowboy," Amanda said and that made him grin slightly. "You know, you might want to give her some time to cool down before you apologize—preferably with roses and diamonds."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied and as Amanda headed inside she noticed Ron curiously sit back down next to Hannah's car to wait.

Amanda had barely gotten to her desk before she heard about six rumors regarding Hannah and the explosion of emotion that had occurred the day before. The prevailing rumor seemed to be that Ron had gotten so jealous over Hannah's affair with that Harry guy she had fled the country and changed her name in fear of her life. That sent Rose, the receptionist, into hysterics because she was sure he would come back with the intentions of going postal on everyone in the building. Amanda thought it wise not to mention that the supposed psycho was lurking in the parking lot.

Otherwise, Amanda had to shake her head at the theories. Had anyone else met Ron the week he'd been in the office? How could anyone believe he was a homicidal manic? And she'd just found him sulking in the parking lot and she still didn't believe it. But of all the baseless rumors that she heard there was one that did upset her.

She knocked on Hannah's open door and her friend looked up defensively. She seemed relieved to see it was Amanda.

"Hey," Amanda said. "I hear you gave your two week's notice this morning."

Hannah stood up and started filing some paperwork in her file cabinet.

"Or sooner. I just want to finish up some projects before I leave."

"Listen, Han, if you're going to go just because of what happened yesterday, please don't. I know it's a shark tank out there right now but it'll blow over as soon as someone lets on that Mr. Chandler and Gail in accounting are crunching more then numbers."

Hannah smiled slightly.

"I wish it were that simple. But it's not really about that humiliating display. Its just time that I move on."

Because your cover's been blown? Amanda thought, but she didn't say it out loud. She was dying to know the full story but she wanted to respect her friend's privacy.

"I can't talk you into staying?" She said instead.

Hannah shook her head.

"Well then let me take you out tonight. We can hit Clockwork. It's salsa night."

Hannah smiled but shook her head.

"Come on," Amanda persisted. "Salsa night means Carlos will be there."

"Carlos?" Hannah replied. "You mean that dance instructor with the really bad Spanish accent?"

"Carlos, the hottie-who's-been-eyeing-you-for-weeks-dance-instructor-with-the-really-bad-Spanish-accent."

Hannah laughed. "Don't you have a date with Drake tonight?"

"Yeah, but I can let it go."

"Really?" Hannah said, eyebrow raised. "The man who lavishes you with roses and expensive jewelry?"

"Yeah," Amanda said with a shrug. "He tries to hard."

"Hmph. I'd like one that tried at all."

"Speaking of which, you are aware that the drama king is in the parking lot."

Hannah's eyebrows knitted.

"He is?" She walked over to the window and peered out over the cars below. Amanda walked up behind her and they both spotted him leaning against her car. "I would have thought he'd be in London by now. Why would he stay?"

"Three guesses," Amanda said. "First two don't count."

Hannah shook her head. "You know what? I think I will go with you tonight."

"Really?"

"Yes, the past week I've been reduced to the emotional state of a thirteen year old. I've grown up while Ron Weasley has been ignoring me. Now I think I'm going to ignore him and see how he likes it."

Hermione was determined to have a good time. Even if it killed her. She'd gone to Clockwork with the girls from the office a few times before but she'd always been too uptight to really enjoy herself. She was the one with the secrets, the extreme privacy, the killjoy. She hardly had anything left to hide any more and discovered it was quite freeing. She'd be starting a new life again soon: a new identity, a new job, a new set of secrets. But for right now she could almost be who she really was.

Clockwork was much warmer and much more crowded then Hermione remembered. She and Amanda managed to squeeze around a small table near the dance floor. The Salsa music was already thumping like a heartbeat throughout the room; entangled bodies were already moving rhythmically back and forth on the floor. A cocktail waitress came by and Amanda ordered margaritas for the both of them. Hermione leaned over and yelling above the music.

"Amanda, I don't drink!"

"Of course you do!" She shouted back, glancing over the crowd and moving her shoulders to the music. "You had some at the Christmas party last year!"

"That was half a glass of watered down wine," Hermione stressed.

"What's the difference?" Amanda asked as the waitress returned and planted the overflowing drinks in front of them.

"The last time I had more then I should have I shagged my best friend!"

Amanda paused a moment and then burst into laughter. She lifted her glass and gestured for Hermione to do the same.

"I promise, I will be here to watch your back. Positively no shagging no matter how falling down drunk you get."

"Why does that not reassure me?" Hermione asked, carefully sipping from her glass.

When she drained it ten minutes later she actually let Amanda drag her onto the dance floor.

"Come on," Amanda gushed, "Carlos is at the turntable!"

Hermione had only been dragged onto the dance floor once before and she'd felt like a stiff robot the entire time. But now, with a little alcohol in her she felt a bit more relaxed. She took off the jacket of her suit and some of her hair slipped out of her carefully contained hairstyle. She hadn't had the time to have it straightened in a while so the strands cradling her face were now slightly curled .

"Come on ladies!" Carlos was saying into his microphone. "Tonight I'm going to teach you the Meringue!"

As Hermione looked around the crush of women on the floor she realized that quite a few were panting after Carlos. She regarded the man and just couldn't see it. Then he started up the music and started purring instructions in that awful accent.

"All right, on your tip toes. Use your knees. Now add the hips…"

From his dark corner near the bar Ron was watching.

Why of all places would she go dancing?

Ron had fallen in love with her twice when there was dancing involved. The first time had been at the Yule ball when she had gone with Victor Krum. He'd been too immature or stupid, he never determined which, to realize that the sick feeling in his stomach that night had been jealousy. Until she called him on it at the end of the night.

Then in their sixth year one of the girls had smuggled a radio into the common room. No one was sure how to work it so with a sigh, Hermione had put down the book she'd been studying from and she showed them how to use it. Ron had only been half paying attention until some of the girls started dancing around to the hideous noise coming out of the small box. When Ginny grabbed Hermione and the two of them started dancing, suddenly Ron was paying attention. There was some fading light coming through the windows and it struck Hermione like a soft spotlight. She was laughing and he realized in that moment just how beautiful she was.

Now she was dancing again. Her hair was hanging in ringlets around her face, she was flushed and laughing and Ron was feeling the same stirring that he'd felt that day back in school.

Hermione was trying to keep up with the line of people around her that were following Carlos' instructions and failing rather miserably. When she stepped on Amanda's foot while trying to do a sexy side step they both burst into laughter. And that's when she saw him.

Ron was leaning against the bar, arms crossed, watching her. He wasn't smiling, he wasn't scowling but she recognized the way he was looking at her and she felt her skin tingle from the memory. She gave her head a shake and she turned away from him and concentrated on what she was doing.

"Move those hips," Carlos intoned. "That's it…"

Hermione felt herself getting warmer and she was sure it wasn't because of any exertion on her part. She started to shimmy her shoulders with the rest of the crowd. She let her hips sway with the music. She glanced at Ron again and she was struck by how good he looked. He'd filled out a bit and now he didn't look as lanky as he had in school. His hair had gotten a bit darker and his eyes…she felt a shiver run across her skin and she turned away from him. His eyes were still the same.

Amanda nudged her a second before she realized Carlos was standing behind her.

"Excellent," he was saying. "You're much more relaxed tonight." He put his hands on her waist and started guiding her movements.

Whatever, Hermione thought and she chanced another glance at Ron. This time she was startled by what she saw. He had moved away from the bar and was standing rigid, staring at her.

Uh oh, she thought a moment too late. Then some people dancing blocked her view of him and in the next moment Carlos had let go of her and had started retching. Hermione turned and saw the dance instructor bent over, vomiting all over the dance floor.

"Slugs," she said with a disgusted shutter. "Of course."

She turned and stormed over to where Ron was still standing. He was watching Carlos and the mass exodus from the dance floor with a grin.

"Just what are you doing, Ron?!" She demanded.

"Me? You were the one out there being—indecent!"

"Indecent. It was called dancing you idiot. And even if I was, why do you care? What if I wanted to do a strip tease in the middle of the dance floor? How would it concern you in the least?"

"Of course it concerns me! I—I---"

His mouth dropped open and he stuttered for an answer.

Amanda had followed Hannah off the dance floor and was watching the fireworks between Ron and her friend. Deciding it was probably not the wisest idea to interfere, she started looking around the bar. Since Carlos was stricken with some hideous aliment she decided to see who else might be available. But then her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID and sighed. She turned it on: "Hi Drake."

"You have the emotional range of a ten year old!" Hermione shouted, returning to her table to pick up her jacket and her purse. Ron trailed behind her.

"It was a knee jerk reaction," he was saying.

"I knew there was a jerk in there somewhere," Hermione said, pushing through the door to the side exit of the club. But she stopped outside, remembering suddenly that Amanda had driven. "Damn."

Frustrated and angry she turned back to Ron.

"Why did you follow me here?" She demanded. "I did the research you came for, I told you about Jamie, what more could you possibly want?!"

Again, Ron seemed stymied for an answer.

"The same thing that I've always wanted," he replied.

"Which would be—"

And that's when he got struck in the back by a blast that knocked him to the ground.