"Hermione! Hey 'Min! Wait up!" Hermione turned around to see Karen running down the sidewalk after her, waving frantically, her black hair whipping around her face as she slowed down next to Hermione.
"Phew! You walk fast! Anyway, what are you doing tonight," she asked Hermione, tilting her head a little as she caught her breath.
"Well, I thought I might just stay in tonight and watch a movie or something. I'm not sure I did so well on that exam…." Karen laughed and rolled her eyes at her. "Oh yeah right. You always say that and you always ace it." Hermione shrugged her shoulders noncommittally in response and kept walking, Karen following close behind.
"Now, since you aren't already booked for the evening, you're coming out with me tonight. In case you've forgotten, it's your birthday, and there is no way I am letting you stay in by yourself tonight." Hermione smiled back at her, glad that someone had remembered. Nobody had said anything all day and it's not like she really cared or anything, but it was nice to know someone was thinking of her.
"Alright," Hermione sighed, "Where are we going?" She just smiled.
"Aphrodite's? We're going to Aphrodite's, huh?" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure! We haven't been since it opened last month and I thought it was high time we had ourselves a little party. Supposedly some pretty hot wizards hang out here…." Karen winked slyly at her and motioned for Hermione to follow her into the club. They weaved through the sea of bodies in motion, making a beeline for the bar in the back of the room.
"In real need of a drink, are we, Karen?" Hermione giggled as she was half dragged behind Karen, taking a preliminary scan of the attractive men status.
"We have to get started loading you up on firewhiskey, don't we? How could we properly celebrate your 25th birthday without getting you 100 smashed?" The bar came into view behind a screen of pulsating lights, throbbing in time with the bass of the music. Even with the deafening music Hermione heard the screams and shouts of "Happy Birthday, 'Min!"
Surrounding the bar wearing party hats and throwing confetti were Hermione's closest friends, Rachael, Brian, June, Elizabeth, and Raul, who was holding a two layer cake with the words, "Sexy Nurse" and a moving cartoon of a nurse in a short skirt holding a needle drawn in frosting.
"Oh! Please tell me that's a marble cake, you guys!" Hermione laughed, hugging them all.
"What else would it be?" Brian queried, grinning broadly and cutting up a slice of the cake. "Also, it's my pleasure to announce that it comes with an unlimited supply of free alcohol for the birthday girl. What'll be 'Min?" The rest of the group had already ordered firewhiskeys and were waiting expectantly for Hermione's order.
"Well…I don't know, I think tonight is a night for Bushwhackers! I'm in the mood for something frosty." No sooner had she ordered than one was pressed into her hand by the bar tender, who tipped an enormous wink at her.
"So, kiddo, how was your day?" Asked Elizabeth, motioning Hermione onto a nearby barstool. The group spent an hour catching up, drinking, and laughing. Unsurprisingly to anyone, after her second Bushwhacker Hermione was starting to get a bit tipsy. Her hair had become increasingly messed-up and she could feel herself loosening up.
So it was the perfect moment for the bartender to slide a firewhiskey her way and say, "From the gentleman down the end of the bar." Hermione took a sip and turned to see who the bartender had indicated. To her delight she saw a tall, handsome man with red hair who was grinning rakishly at her.
"Well, my friends, it looks like it's on to the next delight of the evening…." They all laughed as she turned back towards the man, to find he had made his way over towards her bar stool.
"Hello there, and a very happy birthday to you. I would be honored to take the most lovely birthday girl for a spin around the dance floor," he said, putting on an air of propriety, amusement dancing in his light blue eyes. Hermione took his hand and curtsied, calling back to her friends as the man led her away, "Talk to you all later…."
Hermione and the man made their way to the very center of the dance floor, which didn't surprise her in the least as she'd pegged him for the sort that had to be the center of attention. But contrary to her younger years, she no longer minded being the center of attention every once and a while. Thinking about how far she'd come with a bit of pride she joined the man, dancing wildly on the floor, jumping and swaying with the rhythms until they melded in with the rest of the people doing the same, and they all became just a part of the music and the lights.
When the music stopped, Hermione found herself staring into the man's eyes and smiling. Something seems so familiar about him, she thought as the next song started up.
"Alright, we're going to have a bit of a change of pace tonight to say Happy Birthday to a very special young lady whose friends have requested we play "More than a Feeling" by Boston, so everyone settle in for a little slow dancing!" Hermione gasped and doubled over with laughter as the first notes rang out, overlaid with the slight thump of bass to keep it vaguely in the club world.
"I never know quite how to dance to songs at this tempo," the man said, staring intently at Hermione, "So bear with me." He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him, leading her into a crossbreed of a waltz and a tango, twirling her around as multi-coloured bubbles in the shapes of stars and hearts drifted around the room, the lights slowing down to match the music. As the man guided her around the club floor with a new age elegance, Hermione felt herself more attracted to him than anyone she had ever met before, and still she couldn't place this feeling of familiarity she got when she looked at him. Maybe we went to school together? Hmm, she thought, not knowing he was feeling the same deja-vu.
When the song ended, Hermione grinned up at him and said, "Come get a drink with me. You've worn me out…." The man smiled out of the side of his mouth and nodded, saying, "I've never been known to refuse an attractive woman anything." He held his arm out to her in a chivalrous gesture, which Hermione took, thrilled to be treated in such a way. Who says chivalry's dead she thought cheerily, thinking how with any other guy they'd be trying to drag her off to the back room at this point.
Back at the bar, the man ordered them two firewhiskeys and he handed one to Hermione.
"My friends have cake down the other end. You're welcome to join us and have a piece, if you'd like." He smiled cheekily and followed after her.
"'Min!" cried Karen, rushing up to her. "You have to introduce us to your new friend!" she shouted over the music, handing the man a piece of cake.
"Oh, Karen this kind young gentleman is…." And she realized she'd never asked his name. Blushing slightly she turned and said, "Err…actually I don't know it yet." The man laughed pleasantly and took Hermione's hand, kissing it.
"Fred Weasley, pleased to meet you."