A/N: Finally another chapter of this, thanks for the reviews and sorry it took so long. Not much interaction in this chapter but I promise more in the next. Enjoy!
"You know, you never did answer my question last night." Ginny commented as she and Hermione surveyed racks of clothes in a Diagon Alley store.
"Which question?"
"You got the hots for anyone at the moment?"
"Oh…" Hermione blushed and turned back to the clothes. Pulling out a pair of artfully ripped jeans she held them up. "Hey these are cute…"
Ginny grabbed them off her. "Yes they are, but stop trying to change the subject."
Hermione took the jeans back and picked up a few tops to try them on with. "I don't know, I don't really think about that stuff all that much."
"Oh please," Ginny scoffed as they walked to the changing rooms. "You're a woman Hermione, of course you do." They were stood in separate cubicles now and Hermione thought for a moment before replying as she tugged the jeans on. "I mean, you live with Draco Malfoy for crying out loud, you have to have the hots for him, he's gorgeous."
"Ginny, you're dating Harry!"
"She's got a point though…" Came a voice from the cubicle next to Hermione. "Draco is pretty fine these days."
"I thought he was dating Pansy Parkinson?" Another voice asked.
"Oh come on, keep up, he's been single for ages. He and Parkinson broke up years ago." A third shouted and Hermione had to suppress a giggle as Ginny spoke up again.
"So Hermione, what's he like to live with?"
"Okay actually, at first it was pretty awkward…we both set some fairly pathetic ground rules. But its cool now, we eat together often, study, he took me out for drink the other night…well it turned into more than a few drinks actually…"
"You went on a date?" One of the mystery voices asked.
"Oh no, just…we were both bored so Draco asked me if I wanted to go out."
"So an impromptu date?"
Hermione selected a pretty pink camisole top and put it on before replying. "We did dance a bit."
"I am so jealous." The third voice swooned and Hermione blushed as she pushed open the changing room door to find Ginny leaning against the wall along with Lavender Brown and Parvati and Padma Patil.
"Lavender, Parvati!" Hermione grinned and gave the girls a big hug; they had after all spent six years in a dormitory together and despite their differences were fairly close. "Padma…" Hermione leant forward and gave Parvati's twin a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Wow, you look great…" Lavender grinned and Hermione looked in the large mirror. The jeans hugged her hips but due to the rips were slightly loose further down her legs, the camisole was sufficiently delicate to make the outfit look slightly quirky.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Ginny nodded. "That would go great with your leather jacket."
"You have a leather jacket?" Parvati looked astounded.
"I don't wear it much…"
"We are so going out tonight." Ginny grinned and Hermione turned around.
"We are?"
"Yeah. That outfit needs to be worn out, and…" She was cut off by Hermione.
"I just remembered, I promised Draco we'd go out to dinner tonight." Four jaws dropped simultaneously before Ginny regained her composure enough to reply.
"You can meet up with me afterwards though right? What time are you eating?"
"Eight at Shea."
"Meet me at ten outside Snitch – I can ditch Charlie." Ginny shrugged and Hermione nodded.
"Why would you want to ditch Charlie, he's gorgeous?" Lavender frowned as she walked back into her cubicle.
Ginny, Padma (being intelligent) and Hermione all threw each other incredulous glances, Parvati merely looked bemused as she admired some silvery shoes. "Lav, he's my brother…" Ginny nodded slightly.
"Oh…right…yeah."
"How was dinner with darling Draco?" Ginny giggled as she linked arms with Hermione and they walked casually down Diagon Alley, both slightly tipsy already.
"Darling Draco? Draco is anything but a darling. It was lovely, great restaurant."
"I'll get Harry to take me when he's got a break from training next. Charlie sends his love by the way."
"How is he?"
"Harry or Charlie?" Ginny asked as she pushed the door of a bar open.
"Both." Hermione shrugged as she deposited her coat on a rack and joined Ginny at the busy bar.
"Harry's tired but enjoying himself, Charlie's good – Nush is pregnant." Ginny grinned as she referred to Charlie's Romanian wife, Anushka.
"What are you having to drink ladies?" The barman questioned and Ginny eyed the back-bar critically for a few moments.
"They've got Muggle alcohol…" Hermione blushed realising she'd spoken out loud.
"Yes ma'am, much more variety." The barman winked and Hermione grinned mischievously.
"Ginny can I recommend something?"
"Go ahead."
"Can we have two doubles of Southern Comfort, please?"
"Coming right up." The barman nodded and turned away to pour the shots.
"Hello girls." They turned around to see Seamus grinning at them. "How are you both?"
"Great thanks." Hermione nodded as she gave her old friend a quick hug.
"She's just been out for dinner with Malfoy." Ginny poked her elbow in Hermione's side as the elder girl looked affronted.
Seamus raised an eyebrow appraisingly. "You and Malfoy eh?"
"No, not really. We live together in halls."
"I see." The Irishman nodded and winked.
"Two double Southern Comforts…" The barman placed the drinks down and Seamus slid his arm between Hermione and Ginny to place a few Galleons on the bar.
"That's for those two, and I'll have the same."
Ginny swatted girlishly and Seamus as he led them to a table to sit. "You shouldn't Seamus."
"Two pretty girls like you shouldn't be paying for your own drinks." He winked slightly roguishly. "How's Harry, Gin?"
"Oh he's great. Shall I pass on your regards?"
"Certainly. Tell him that he still owes me ten galleons on the result of the Arrows match."
"He's been betting again?" Ginny looked mockingly stern and Hermione suppressed a giggle as Seamus pretended to squirm under her gaze.
"…never said that…" Seamus muttered before they all burst into laughter, shaking their heads. "Sometimes, Ginny, you're too much like your mother."
"Oi…" Ginny frowned as Seamus drink arrived courtesy of a waitress. "I'll get you back for that comment."
"She doesn't like being compared to her mother in the negative sense." Hermione muttered in Seamus ear and he nodded in response before downing his drink – it was the first of many and the three former housemates became gradually more raucous in each others company as the evening wore on.
"I know this song…" Ginny commented, "I remember you Irish singing it at the World Cup…"
Seamus eyes lit up at the familiar beat and he grinned. "The Wild Rover. Girls, d'you fancy a dance?" He took their hands and dragged them up onto the table.
"What are you having to drink, Draco?" Blaise questioned his friend as they walked into yet another bar.
"Double whiskey, mate." Draco replied as his eyes flicked to a familiar head of hair – Hermione was climbing onto a table as one of her old housemates, Finnegan – if he recalled correctly, signalled to the barman to up the volume.
Their combined voices soon reached him across the bustling pub and he could only laugh as they stamped their feet and clapped their hands, numerous other patrons joining them in their revels.
"And its no nay never, no nay never no more, will I play the wild rover, no never no more."
"Malfoy's watching you…" Ginny muttered in Hermione's ear as they swayed to the music with Seamus.
"I went into an alehouse I used to frequent, and I told the landlady my money was spent, I asked for credit, she answered nay nay, such a custom as yours I can't have any day!" Hermione wondered briefly through her alcohol haze if she looked as stupid as she felt.
"Come on Hermione…" Seamus slipped his arm around her waist and they danced a little jig too much cheering from the crowd. "No never no more…"
"No bloody alcohol, no never no more." She groaned as she tried to eat her breakfast the next morning.
"Quite a performance last night, Hermione." Draco chuckled as he sat down next to her.
"I had hoped I was drunk enough to forget it, clearly not. And you didn't help…" She jabbed a milky spoon fiercely in his direction. "Telling the barman to play the stupid song again."
He held his hands up in a mock defence. "But you looked so lovely, and Seamus and Ginny are quite the singers."
Hermione half growled as she dipped her spoon back into her cereal and Draco could only laugh; well she had been privy to his little drunken episode the other night it was only fair that he could observe her antics.