Chapter 23

(I felt it was time for a few laughs, so here goes!)

Hermione woke up New Years Day around noon, desperately looking for some hangover potion. Unfortunately, there was none to be found. Coffee would have to do. She trudged down the stairs to her parents, who burst out laughing at the sight of her.

"If you must laugh, try not to do it so loud please," she quipped sipping her coffee.

After the laughter had died down, her father said,

"If you could see yourself right now-" her father said.

"Or better yet, last night-" her mother said.

"-you would be laughing as well." her father finished. He pointed to a silly looking beat up hat atop her head.

"Huh?" Hermione said taking off the hat looking at it.

"Hermione honey, just how much did you drink?" her mother asked.

"I have no idea, Mum."

"It must have been a tubful because Draco and Tracy were literally dragging you to the front door. You were singing some naughty song about a bludger bat while we carried you up to your room."

She put her hands over her face and sunk down into a chair. She knew what song they were talking about.

Draco will never let me live it down!

"Ready to head back to school?"

She smiled as she thought of Severus Snape.

"Yes."

"Oh, this came for you last night just after you left for the club. Who is S.S.?" her mother queried handing her a letter.

"Someone from school, Mum." she answered opening the letter.

Hermione

Thank you for the gift of the journal. I will treasure it always.

Yours, Severus

Her parents saw the blush that crept up her neck straight to her ears and the smile that appeared. She jumped up and said,

"Gotta pack my things!" and she ran up the stairs. The Grangers gave each other a knowing smile.

"She didn't say who S.S. was."

Later that afternoon on the train to Hogwarts, the group of friends were talking and laughing while catching up with each other. Ron had an interview with a professional quidditch team the day after Christmas, broke up with his girlfriend, and caught the roof of the Burrow on fire with fireworks. Ginny and Draco had become joined at the hip. Harry toured the auror academy and was telling funny tales of how they were "wooing" him to attend.

"Mione? How about you?"

"Not much to tell really," she replied flipping through a book.

"Oh come now, shorty, shall I tell them?" Draco said smiling.

"Will I be able to stop you?" she retorted.

Draco started. "New Years Eve Hermione and a group of her friends walk into this club in London that has dancing and karaoke. Me, Blaise and his date were there too. They started drinking and dancing. We watched from a distance because it started to get entertaining. Hermione, I knew you could dance, but-"

"I'm not sure I want to hear this," Hermione said.

"WE DO!" the whole car said.

"Hermione, are these muggle friends? And do they know about you?"

"Yes and yes," Hermione answered.

"Anyway," Draco continued, "Hermione took out her wand and was about to cast something when one of her friends snatched it away. At least they were thinking straight. At that point Blaise and I decided to join them. Hermione then started singing karaoke. She sang some song called "I Will Survive." We tried to get Shorty here to slow down on the drinking, but she ended up accio-ing the drinks of some strangers from the next table that had went to the loo. Thank Merlin no one noticed. It was close to midnight, so everyone was pissed anyway. Hermione got up to the microphone again to sing, this time to a song called "Lets Get It On." Apparently it's a popular song because she brought the house down. Shortly after midnight, she kissed Blaise, which pissed off his girlfriend, who wanted to fight Hermione."

They looked to Hermione, who now had the book in front of her face.

"We all know that our dear Hermione here can do magic without a wand, so she attempted to do just that. On Blaise's date no less. When Blaise's girl came at her, ready to pull out her hair, Hermione held out her hand and said the jelly legs curse incantation. The problem was that Hermione was wobbly from drunkenness and pointed her hand at herself. At the sight of jelly-legs Hermione laughing her ass off, we decided it was a good time to leave. She could have gotten in tons of trouble hexing a muggle. Me and her friend named Tracy got Hermione back to her house, met by the Grangers at the front door. As her parents were asking what happened to her legs and carrying her up the stairs, she started singing."

Draco was laughing so hard he had a hard time finishing.

"Singing what?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

"Chasers Do It Better." Draco choked out.

The compartment exploded with howls of laughter.

"If I sang that in front of my mother, I would be grounded for a year. She would be horrified," Ginny declared through her laughter.

"Mione, are you alright?" Harry asked Hermione, trying not to laugh.

"No, I'm not. I don't know what's more embarrassing. Hmm, let's see. Crooning "Let's Get It On" in front of dozens of people, hexing myself, singing that ridiculous song in front of my parents, or kissing Blaise. Take your pick."

"Don't worry shorty, It's over and done. And don't give a thought to Blaise. As far as he's concerned, it's forgotten. He knows you were very drunk and that you fancy someone else. I would advise you stay away from Tequila however."

"I'm never drinking again. Now I know why my mother asked me about a bludger bat song."

The compartment erupted again in laughter. Tonks, the auror escort on the train, heard the commotion and peeked her head in to the laughing bunch.

"Do I want to know?" she asked.

Dinner, Great Hall

The staff was at the head tables watching the students trickle in. Food appeared at tables, and finally the Gryffindors walked in. Snape looked for Hermione, who walked in a minute after her friends talking to Draco. She was scowling, walking stiffly, and with her arms crossed she plopped down to her seat. She whipped out her arm, said "Accio cookies" and was rewarded with a plateful of cookies to the face.

"My goodness," declared McGonagall. Dumbledore was chuckling.

Snape put his hand over his mouth to hide his amusement. Her friends were red in the face and shaking trying not to laugh.

"Oh for pete's sake." Hermione said to no one in particular and marched from the table picking crumbs from her hair. When she waved the doors closed behind her, the table burst out in laughter again.

"She just needs a good night's sleep," said Harry laughing.