Graham took a swig of his beer, the tension he'd gained throughout the day draining from his body. Brandon downed half of his own beer in one go, prompting Graham to raise a questioning eyebrow.

"My girlfriend's waiting for me at home," Brandon said with a shrug. "I'm afraid I can't stay long."

Graham rolled his eyes. Everyone he knew had been getting married or moving in with significant others over the past several years. He was one of the few single one left. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find a co-worker willing to go to the pub with him after work.

"I miss the days when we'd all sit around the Leaky Cauldron after work," he mused, taking another sip of his beer. "Remember when we'd stay out for hours? Sometimes it didn't even matter if we had work the next day."

He and Brandon shared a laugh, both ending with a wistful sigh.

"Those were the days," Brandon agreed, "but I guess we had to grow up eventually. Being in a relationship isn't all that bad either, Graham. You should give it a shot. When's the last time you went on a date?"

Graham rolled his eyes. The worst part of his co-workers and friends pairing off was their insistence that he needed a relationship of his own to be happy. The rise in people willing to talk his ear off about it had risen steadily alongside the growing amount of relationships.

"Dating is the last thing on my mind," he said. "We're swamped at work. Honestly, all I can think about is our research. Even at home it's on my mind. Maybe it's not healthy, but I like the work. I'm invested. Dating just doesn't feel as important. Maybe that'll change one day."

Brandon sighed and shook his head.

"We're a bit worried about you, mate. You've been saying the same thing for years. If you wait too long, will there be anyone left for you? Come on! A date or two would get your mind off work. You said yourself that you work too much for it to be healthy. A nice girl would be a distraction."

Graham shook his head, his shoulders stiff.

"I don't know, man. It just doesn't sound like it's for me right now. I like my freedom. You have to go home, but I get to stay out as late as I want. It's nice being in complete control of myself and not having to worry about another person. If someone came along who I liked, I guess things would be different, but I'm not really looking for it."

From the way Brandon shook his head, Graham could tell that he didn't understand his point any better than he had the countless times they'd had similar discussions. None of his friends ever understood. He took a swig of his beer and tried not to let it bother him.

Graham held his breath as their first human patient gulped down the potion they had developed. Even as they ran the multitude of tests needed to confirm the results, it was difficult to remember to breathe. They had done it. The patient was as healthy as could be. Their potion had worked.

Graham was on cloud nine, and he didn't know how to come back down again.

"Thanks to the verve of the researchers working on this project, society has reached a new era."

Graham stared at the Minister standing up on the stage, unable to believe that he was one of the individuals she was heaping with praise. He wouldn't have gone far as claiming a new era had come. That was just political speech designed to fire up her listeners, but he appreciated the compliment to their work all the same.

The lightness he'd felt since they'd confirmed their cure worked hadn't left him. As soon as the Minister finished speaking, he wound his way through the crowd to find Brandon.

"Want to go for a drink and celebrate?" he asked.

"Again?" Brandon asked with a slight laugh.

He looked over his shoulder to where his girlfriend was talking to several of the other researchers.

"Sorry," Brandon said with a smirk. "I can't go out tonight."

Graham laughed, clapping Brandon on the back.

"No worries," he said. As he left, he couldn't resist yelling over his shoulder, "And you think I should date someone? Right."

He saw Brandon begin to shake his head before he turned his back on him, off to find someone else willing to drink the night away.

Prompts:

Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments

Insane Prompts Challenge: verve

Scavenger Hunt: Write for a character you've never written before.

Seasonal - Days of the Year: Singles Awareness Day - Write about someone loving single life.

Seasonal - Winter in Japan: HeatTech - Write about a discovery or invention that has a large impact.

Seasonal - Slytherin Themed Prompts: Graham Montague

Word count: 761