The trio headed back to Harry and Ginny's first since Quidditch championship parties usually started late and finished early. Hermione was forced to borrow something out of Ginny's wardrobe, as her Harpies fan top and denim shorts had been deemed inappropriate by her friends. She had finally settled on a camisole and a pair of tight jeans. It was more revealing than what she was used to wearing but Ginny had been very persuasive - especially due to the amount of single Quidditch players Ginny was sure would turn up.

The pair finally came back downstairs to join Ron and Harry. Hermione was very pleased to feel Ron's eyes on her as she helped herself to a drink. She leaned against the kitchen table with a small smile, watching Harry and Ron relive the big catch with Ginny. As she watched them, she realised that this was truly where she was meant to be. It would be tough; the job at the Ministry would be hard work, for less pay and she was almost certain that her parents would not agree to move back. But she also had family here; and Hermione could almost kick herself for how long it had taken her to realise it. Maybe it was the beer talking, she mused to herself, but she might even be able to tolerate Lavender and Ron being together if it meant that he was truly happy. She'd just have to find a way to make Lavender see she wasn't a threat.

Hermione let out a happy sigh, not realising that Ginny was trying to get her attention until she felt a sharp poke in her side.

"Hiya!" Hermione turned to her friend with a smile.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Ginny topped up Hermione's wine glass as she spoke.

Hermione tore her eyes away from Harry and Ron and turned to Ginny, lowering her voice. "Kingsley offered me a job yesterday. I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want to take the day away from you..."

"What?!" Ginny let out a small squeal, throwing her arms around Hermione. "That's great news! But what about the Australian offer?"

Hermione shook her head. "I want to come home. I think it's about time I settled down somewhere, for good this time. Just don't tell the boys yet, please... today should be about you, not me!"

Ginny pulled away from the hug but nodded. "Come on then, let's go join them..." She took Hermione's hand and pulled her back over to Harry and Ron.

By the time they got to the party, it was already in full flow. It was being held in a huge manor house on the outskirts of Holyhead. There was a huge swarm of people waiting outside, but being with Ginny meant they were able to head straight in.

"Getting free coffee at Diagon Alley is nothing compared to getting into a party with you Gin!" Ron grinned as they passed by the throngs of people. "Bar first?"

The four of them kept a tight grip on each other as they moved to the bar and Ron ordered their first drinks. They tried to find a place where all four of them could stand and talk, but Ginny was soon whisked away to meet various people, taking Harry with her.

Hermione looked awkwardly up at Ron before taking a sip of her wine. "I guess this is what happens when you have famous friends..."

"Yep! That's how it's going to be now. We thought it was bad enough being friends with Harry, but now Ginny is this superstar Seeker me and you will have to take a back seat. You'll get used to it, eventually..."

Hermione laughed slightly. "That's fine; I've never been comfortable with the limelight..."

"Is Rita still living in a glass jar?!" Ron turned his head to her, smirking slightly.

"No I let her out eventually..." Hermione met his eye and smirked back. "But she knows what will happen if she talks shit about us again..."

Ron's eyes widened as Hermione swore. "Bloody hell 'Mione!"

"Oh come on Ron, it's just a word!" She laughed. "And unfortunately, we're grownups now and sometimes as a grownup you just need to swear!"

"Ugh don't with the grownup talk. I'm not growing up until Auror training finishes at least!"

"Well you're halfway there..." Hermione leaned against a pillar. "How's it going anyway?"

Hermione's heart flipped as Ron gave her one of the smiles that showed he was really pleased with himself. "It's going really well, actually..." He started telling her about the last few training assessments and how well he was doing.

"And what about things with Lavender?" Hermione tried to arrange her face into looking like she was genuinely interested. She frowned as Ron didn't answer her and instead stopped a passing waitress, taking four small shot glasses from her. He took a small sniff of one of the glasses before passing two to Hermione with a grin.

"It's tequila; a muggle drink..."

Hermione wrinkled her nose up as she took the glasses. "You know I don't drink, right?"

"Yeah... neither do I really. Not since me and Lav..." Ron trailed off with a shrug before holding one of the shot glasses up. "But this is a party, and we're celebrating how brilliant my sister is, right?"

At that moment, Hermione made a split decision to do whatever he wanted her to if it meant she could spend the evening with him. "You've definitely had too much to drink," she thought to herself. She knew it was misguided, but her heart at the moment didn't really care. She held her shot glass up and chinked it against his.

"Cheers!" Hermione pulled a face as she took the shot, almost coughing as the hot liquid burnt her throat. "Oh Merlin!" She spluttered as she passed Ron the empty glass before holding up the second one. "If I throw up, I'm blaming you!"

Ron shrugged, a wicked grin on his face. "Fine by me!" He watched her take the second shot before taking his own.

"So where is Lavender this weekend?" Fuelled by the tequila, Hermione decided to take a second attempt at talking to him about it.

"Leave it Hermione..." Ron gave her a warning look.

"No I'm serious Ron. I'm interested..."

Ron frowned slightly, playing with the empty glasses. Eventually he let out a small sigh.

"I knew Harry would tell you she was avoiding you. I should punch the specky git!" He sighed again. "She finds it awkward being around you; it's not like you've ever been best friends. In fact, you were awful to her when we were in school. This weekend, she genuinely had plans. It's Padma's birthday..." Ron shrugged slightly.

"Okay... Look, I don't want to make your life difficult. The next time I see her, I'll try and be nicer..." She reached out to put her hand on his arm, sighing slightly as he moved before she could make contact.

"Okay..." Ron looked like he was thinking briefly. "Let's go dance, I think I see Harry and Ginny on the dance floor!" He turned to head towards them, leaving Hermione to follow him across the room. On his way there, he'd managed to get hold of more shots but this time, she only had to take one as the others were shared with Harry and Ginny too. The four of them took their drinks together before starting to move in time with the music.

Hermione loved to dance and she was pleasantly surprised when, for once in his life, Ron joined in with them. The dance floor filled up quickly and the group of friends were forced to move closer. Hermione lost track of the time as the bodies pressed around them. She regularly felt a hand on her hip or at her shoulder but by the time she realised and tried to find the owner, it had disappeared again. She was finding it all quite exciting.

The next time she thought to check her surroundings Hermione noticed that Harry and Ginny had disappeared again and she had been left with Ron. She turned her body more to watch him dance, grinning as he met her gaze and held it. She felt the familiar touch at her hip again and this time, when she checked, the hand hadn't moved. She placed her hand over his, squeezing it as another surge of the crowd pressed her even closer to him. Her breath hitched as her spare hand came to rest over his pec; this was the closest she'd been to him in a long time and she could feel every breath of his against her cheek.

Hermione kept eye contact with him as she carried on moving against him and in time with the music. She could barely stand the heat or the gravitational pull of their heads as they got closer still. She could practically taste him and she licked her lips before pressing them softly against his.

She immediately knew that she could never get enough of his kiss. She felt his arms draw around her and his hips press against hers as he dragged his tongue against her lips. She parted them with a soft moan, clutching hold of his shirt as she tried to get him even closer. She tried to put everything she'd been trying to talk to him about into the kiss; how much she missed him, how much she regretted every decision she's made over the past year or so.

Just as soon as the kiss started, they were rudely interrupted by Harry and Ginny returning to them. As soon as she pulled away, she could tell by the look on his face that he regretted what they'd just done.

"I'm so sorry..." Hermione felt sick as she pulled away from the group and quickly forced her way across the dance floor. She sought out the exit, gasping for breath when she finally emerged into the evening air. She fumbled in her bag for her wand, vaguely aware of someone calling her name. She knew she shouldn't apparate given how much she'd had to drink, but she knew she needed to get away from everyone quickly. She turned on the spot, trying hard to focus on the Burrow as she finally left the party.