Hermione came to visit Harry and Ginny the next night. It was a cocktail night - some drinks after dinner. The perfect way to pass the time and talk with friends on a Saturday night. You wouldn't have thought the old place could look cheery - and particularly not with the color scheme! It was decorated anew in Gothic punk - blood reds and blacks and greys. Yet, despite the darkness, it had a sardonic sort of cheer to the place - there was an undercurrent of laughter in all the decorations.

Naturally, none of this felt like either Harry or Ginny. No, it felt like Sirius Black - years dead, and yet his presence was expertly crafted into the entire design of the house. Hermione Granger knew Harry liked it this way, and she - well, she understood, even if she didn't exactly approve. There was a time for grieving... And then there was a time to let the dead lie, and this hardly seemed the way to do it. **

Gin leaned forward, off the stiff leather couch, towards Hermione Granger in the overstuffed (and black) Queen Anne with the mahogany wood. "So, I heard you had a date last night?" She asked, twirling a lock of her hair in one of her hands.

"Yeah." Hermione Granger said, a little bit unsure what she was going to say.

"So, tell us all about it! Did you like the guy? How did it go? Did you kiss? Did you invite him up for coffee?" Gin asked, each question more invasive than the last. But that was Gin Weasley - the girl who had had no privacy growing up, so she didn't expect anyone to really care if she pryed into their lovelives.

"No coffee. Cards. No kissing." Hermione Granger made a face. "Like the guy?" Hermione laughed, shaking her head, "I hardly know him."

"Who is he?" Harry asked carefully.

"Draco Malfoy. He asked me out at Ron's wedding." Hermione Granger said, and she didn't miss the way Harry's fingers tightened around the goblet.

"You went out on a date with Draco Malfoy?!" Gin squealed, and Harry scootched a bit away from her, rubbing his ear.

Hermione regaled her eager audience - that is to say, Ginny - with the entire tale. Oh, Harry cracked a smile here or there, but mostly frowned, almost seeming lost in thought. Hermione knew that he was dwelling on Draco again. He had been obsessed with him in school (although, to be fair, Draco had seemed the same way), and it looks like Harry was still not exactly okay with this. Of course, Hermione Granger wasn't sure she was okay with this either. It was only the idea that Draco trusted her to figure it out for herself - instead of having to spill the beans, or expecting her to blow up when she did figure it out. Plus, Hermione Granger knew she was a sucker for mysteries. And this didn't seem like ... something casual. If you could say nothing about Draco Malfoy, underneath that chill exterior, he took everything seriously.

Gin laughed and said, "I still cant' believe you got Luna Lovegood to come!"

Hermione laughed back and said, "I almost wish you'd have come instead."

Gin responded back, "You are so lucky! Draco is so hot!"

Harry looked at Hermione and asked, "Do people really think that? Back in school, I always thought he looked like an albino or something."

Hermione shrugged, saying, "You know I don't listen to gossip. I figured most girls were after him for money."

Gin started to singsong, "Hermione's got a bo-oy friend, hermione's got a bo-oy friend!"

Hermione howled at this, saying with a chuckle, "It was just a first date." Looking down at her watch, she said hurriedly, "I have to get to bed. Now."

"You have to tell me about your next date!" Gin squealed as Hermione went towards the fireplace.

"I will when I know who it's with!" Hermione giggled.

Neither of them really took notice of the grim look on Harry Potter's face, or they would have said something about it.

**Hermione doesn't get the idea of celebrating the dead, or that Harry would want a reminder of someone who cared about just Harry. Harry hasn't tried to complain, as she hasn't ranted on the subject - to him. She said plenty to Ron.

[a/n: ahh... setup! Leave me a review?]