AM I TOO LATE
Like Old Times
Chapter Twelve
Harry awoke to Beth leaning over his face. He squinted in the sunlight streaming through his open blinds. The maroon bed sheets were tangled around his feet.
"Good morning," she said. Her black hair slid down her shoulders like silk.
"What time is it?" he groaned. He tossed an arm over his eyes.
"Time for me to get going. It's nearly six a.m. I have a meeting to be prepared for by eight. Then it's off to Athens by noon and back to Paris by dinner."
"Six a.m.? Merlin, your job sucks," he said as he rolled onto his side. He grabbed the sheets and tugged over his legs.
Beth fluttered around the room and smiled over her shoulder at him. "I love my job. And you know what? You're gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous." She strode toward Harry and pushed her hands through his untidy hair.
"You're not so bad yourself," he said. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto the bed. She smelled sweet, like cedar and tulips.
"Harry, don't," she squealed. "I don't want to press these pants again. You'll have me looking a mess." She pushed herself off the bed and straightened her blouse. "There. All better now. Do you have plans today?" she asked as she lifted her black leather suitcase.
Harry shrugged. "Nothing in particular."
"There's an invitation stuck to the refrigerator that says it's someone's birthday. Finicky someone or Frolligan maybe. I can't remember."
"Finnigan?" he asked. He propped himself up on his elbows. He reached for his glasses and slipped them on.
"Yes, that's it." Beth combed her hair and looked at her reflection in the mirror over the mahogany dresser. She smiled.
"You know Seamus," Harry said.
"Yes, well, I only glanced at the invitation. I couldn't remember the name." She wiped a smudge of eyeliner from her lower eyelid.
"I completely forgot. It's Seamus' birthday today. Suppose we'll meet at The Benevolent Badger."
Beth frowned. "Don't you ever get tired of that place?"
"No, why?" he asked as he slung his legs off the bed.
"It's…a pub," she answered. She touched up her lipstick and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her pinky finger.
"And it's owned by one of my best mates. I happen to love the place," Harry said defensively.
"Oh, don't look at me like that, Harry. It was only a question. But I have to run. Have a great time tonight, sweetie. Tell Seamus I said happy birthday. You're still my favorite. I'll send an owl as soon as I get to Paris. I love you oodles and oodles." She kissed his cheek and waved over her shoulder as she disappeared from his room.
Harry scratched his arm, glanced at the clock and fell back into bed. Six a.m. was way too early to be up and moving around. Besides, he knew Hermione wouldn't be awake yet.
* * * *
Hermione spread work papers across the top of her coffee table. Remus may have given her time off, but that didn't mean she wasn't keeping up with what was going on at the office. She sipped her green tea and jotted notes in the margins of the paper. She calculated figures on scratch paper, and she highlighted important messages.
Sunlight crept up the living room wall as the morning waned and the afternoon began. She stretched and placed her quill down only when her stomach began to growl.
Hermione stood and stretched. Walking into the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and searched for something quick and easy to eat. She reached in for three day old casserole just as someone knocked on her door.
The knocking persisted. "Hermione, open up."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said when she recognized Ginny's voice. Hermione opened the door, and Ginny breezed in.
"Finally. I've brought lunch," she said, and she promptly shoved all of Hermione's work papers onto the floor.
"Hey!" Hermione yelled.
Ginny rolled her eyes, pointed her wand at the papers, and spoke a spell. The papers rearranged themselves on the floor as they were on the coffee table. "There. Happy now?"
"Yes," Hermione answered. "That's important stuff."
"Oh, don't pout, Hermione. It's fixed now. Come sit down and eat. We have a long day today," Ginny said. She turned a brown sack over and food slipped out of the bag and gathered on the coffee table.
"We do? Mmmm, I love macaroni and cheese," Hermione said, taking the fork Ginny offered her.
"I know you do. And yes, we have a long day. It's Seamus' birthday."
"Oh, that's right," Hermione said through a mouthful. "Mmm, this is good."
"It's the best. It's my Mum's."
"I love your Mum," Hermione said. She smiled and stuffed another large bite of macaroni into her mouth.
"Me, too. Wait till you try to pie she's made us. I would kill someone for this pie. Seriously. It's that good. But yeah, we're going to finish eating and head on over to Justin's pub, and start the festivities," Ginny said. She cut a piece of chicken with a knife.
"This early?" Hermione turned and looked at the clock. "It's barely two o'clock. It's two o'clock. I can't believe it's that late. Where is Harry?"
"Harry?" Ginny asked. "Were you expecting him?" Ginny raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
Hermione looked away. "Well, not exactly. He said he'd come over today."
Ginny passed Hermione a buttered roll. "In that case, he probably forgot about Seamus' birthday. The guys are out playing a game of Quidditch. They're going to meet us in an hour."
"You've seen him today?" Hermione asked. She tried the mashed potatoes and moaned.
"Good, aren't they? Seen whom? Harry?" Ginny popped the top on a bottle of Ryck's Magic Root Beer. When Hermione didn't answer, Ginny continued, "Yeah, I saw him. Why? Is something going on that I should know about?"
Hermione stuffed her entire roll into her mouth and shook her head.
Ginny laughed. "Hermione, you're going to choke, and for what? Just because you don't want to admit that you're curious about Harry? Come on, it's me. And besides, he was talking about you, too-"
"-he was?" Hermione asked hurriedly.
Ginny shrugged. "Yeah, he was. I actually overheard a conversation Harry was having with Ron this morning. And it was about you. See, I was over there bringing Ron Mum's specialty scones that he'd been asking her for-"
"-they were talking about me?"
"Try the beans. It's a good thing I don't live at home anymore. I'd be as huge as a house."
"Ginny, what were they saying?"
"Okay, okay. Well, you're going to be embarrassed."
"Embarrassed? Why would I be embarrassed?"
"You sure you want to know?" Ginny sipped her root beer.
"Yes." Hermione's fork dangled in mid-air as she waited for Ginny to tell her what had been said.
"Well, Harry was telling Ron about how he caught you and Ridley having sex in your kitchen-"
"-having sex!" Hermione screeched.
"Hermione, blimey, put your wand down. I was kidding. It was a joke. Seriously, put your wand down. You're scaring me." Ginny swallowed and shook her head. "They were talking about how Harry caught you and Ridley kissing."
"What did Harry say?"
"He said you were kissing Ridley."
"Is that all?"
"He said it looked like if he hadn't interrupted you and Ridley, you both might have ended up on the floor," Ginny answered while she ate a bite of creamed corn.
"What would we have been doing on the floor?"
"Cleaning it, Hermione." Ginny rolled her eyes and laughed. "What do you think you would have been doing on the floor?"
"Did he really say that?"
"Yes, and if you must know, he sounded effing angry about it," Ginny admitted.
"He did?"
"Yes."
"Why would he be angry?" Hermione asked. She leaned closer to Ginny. Her brown eyes were big and questioning.
"Why do you think, Hermione?" Ginny eyed her best friend. Hermione shrugged. "Because he doesn't like you kissing Ridley, that's why."
"Oh," Hermione stared into her hands.
"But there's more," Ginny said, and she paused. Hermione looked up at her. "He doesn't want you kissing anyone."
"He…he said that…to Ron?"
"Sure did. And then he and Ron got into a huge fight about it. They finally decided that they are protective of you, and the thought of some guy groping all over you makes them a bit testy. Then, they kissed and made up and went out to play Quidditch. So, basically what that means is that Harry's safe."
"Safe from what?" Hermione asked.
"Safe from Ron knowing the real reason why you kissing Ridley really makes him so angry."
"And what do you think the real reason is?"
"I think Harry doesn't want you kissing anyone else because he wants you to be kissing him. Ridley was the catalyst, now Harry's on fire…for you." Ginny stuffed a huge bite of chicken into her mouth. Then she laughed and almost choked when she saw Hermione's expression. She swallowed, took a slug of her root bear, and said, "Go on, smile, Hermione. You know you want to. It's just me. I won't tell anyone. Here, try this pie, it's delicious."
* * * *
Ginny and Hermione strolled into The Benevolent Badger at half past three, and Neville waved them over to their booth. Their gang was seated and already celebrating Seamus' birthday. The girls could hear their raucous laughter coming from across the room, and it only grew louder as they neared.
As always, the booth was magicked to fit as many people as needed. Neville took Ginny's and Hermione's coats and draped them across a nearby chair.
"Slide in," Ron said to Ginny. "I'm sitting on the outside."
"Okay, but if you elbow me in the nose like you did last time, I swear I'm going to put spiders in your bed," she said as she eased into the booth between Seamus and her brother.
Ron paled. "You wouldn't," he whispered.
"Itty bitty spiders. Creepy crawling babies," she said as she tickled her fingers up his arm.
He shook her hand away. "Stop it! I'll tell Mum!" Ginny tossed her head back and laughed.
Harry stood up. "You mind sliding in, too?" he asked Hermione. She shook her head and slid into the booth beside Dean.
"Hey, Dean. Happy Birthday, Seamus," she said and she passed a present across the table.
"Ah, Hermione, you didn't have to bring a gift," he said. "But thanks, love." She smiled at him.
Neville slid his chair up to the end of the booth, and then he pulled up an extra chair for Justin.
"Neville, there's room for you in the booth. We can make it larger," Hermione said. "Can't we make this larger?" she asked Harry.
Ron snickered, and Harry leaned close to Hermione's ear. "We can, but Neville holds his liquor about as well as a colander holds water. He'll be visiting the loo every five minutes, which is okay, but Ron and I commandeered the ends of the booths, so that either means we're up and down all night, or Neville pulls up a chair."
"Oh, he can't possibly have to go the bathroom every-"
"-be right back," Neville said, and he walked away.
Ron grinned at Hermione. "See, he's had two beers and he's off again. He just sat down."
"Neville has a bladder the size of a knut," Seamus laughed.
"Justin! Where are our drinks? The women are here!" Dean yelled. The noisy pub appeared to ignore the small party snug in the booth. The afternoon light was almost entirely blocked out of the pub as it filtered through windows paned with thick wavy glass. The low light and dimly lit chandeliers made it appear as though it was evening.
"What are we drinking tonight, boys?" Ginny asked. She lifted Ron's beer and took a large swig.
"I'm not drinking," Hermione said.
Harry looked at her disbelieving. "Miss Granger, I do believe you are mistaken," he said in a phony American accent.
She couldn't help but laugh. "I said I wasn't drinking, John Wayne."
"John Wayne? Who the hell is that?" Ron asked.
Ginny leaned over and whispered, "Famous cowboy."
Harry batted his eyes at Hermione. "Don't make me force you," he breathed close to her face.
She leaned away from him. His pupils were large, and his irises were thin lines of emerald green. "How much have you had to drink?"
Harry turned away and shrugged. "Not enough." Ron and Seamus laughed.
Ginny leaned across the table and reached for Hermione's hands. She mouthed, "Justin knows a wicked Sobering Charm, remember?" Hermione shook her head.
Justin carried a tray of tiny glasses filled with rainbow colored liquid, and he placed the tray on the end of the table. He winked at Ginny. "Hey Sex Kitten," he said.
"Hey, Love Machine," she said in return.
"Watch it," Ron growled.
Justin smiled at Hermione. "Hey, Beautiful."
She blushed, and Harry grinned at her modesty. "Hey, Justin."
"Glad to see some women among these men. It isn't nearly as much fun with a bunch of hairy blokes. Now we can start the party. No worries about getting up for more. These glasses are instantly refillable. Everybody take a glass. Hey, where's Neville?"
"I'm here. Sorry, there was a line," he said as he sat down beside Justin.
Everyone reached for a glass except for Hermione. "Come on, love, drink just one. For my birthday," Seamus pleaded. Hermione looked conflicted.
"Hermione, you're safe with us. And besides that, you're trapped in a booth beside me. You're safe with me," Harry said quietly.
She looked up at him and sighed. If you only knew, she thought.
"Justin knows a Sobering Charm. We're only going to play a harmless little game. You can stop whenever you want, but I guarantee you're going to have so much fun you'll never want to stop," Harry grinned at her, and her heart jolted. She reached for a tiny glass, and Dean cheered.
"Now, what's this little game about?" Ginny asked.
"Drink up, and we'll tell you the rules. To Seamus' birthday. He's a swell bloke, one of my best mates, and I hope we have many more nights just like this," Justin said, and he raised his glass. Everyone else did, too.
The glasses clinked together. Drops of rainbow colored liquid dripped onto the table. Everyone put the glass to his or her lips, but Hermione hesitated.
Harry leaned over and whispered in her ear. "It tastes like cherries. You'll love it." She shivered as his breath tickled her ear. And in one gulp, her glass was empty.
But instantaneously the glasses refilled themselves.
"Okay, glasses down," Justin said. "Now, just so everyone knows, this game was Seamus' idea. He and I played it at a university party back when we were trying to coax a few co-eds into bed-"
"-no need to air our dirty laundry in front of the neighbors, mate," Seamus said and smiled.
"You're right. Water under the bridge. But what you're drinking is a little concoction created by Sir Verdade Carrington. It's called Rainbow Ride. Besides the obvious colors, he also named it that because after an all-night drinking binge, he swore he saw rainbows. Whether or not it was the drink or some other hallucinogen he neglected to mention, we'll never know."
"Rainbow Ride? Sounds a bit lame," Ginny said as she spun the glass around with her fingers.
"It may sound lame, but it is anything but. Rainbow Ride is alcoholic and a mild truth serum," Justin explained. Hermione gasped. Ginny glanced up at her with wide eyes.
"You okay?" Harry asked.
"Oh, sure. Never better. When does this wear off, Justin?" she asked immediately.
"I would guess that one drink would wear off in about a half an hour. What do you say, Seamus? We had, what, two bottles, and we were still unable to lie three days later?"
"That's about right. Of course, after the first bottle, I don't remember much other than that feisty redhead-"
Ron cleared his throat loudly. Seamus looked at him. "I wasn't talking about your sister, mate." Ron grumbled something under his breath, and Ginny elbowed him in the ribs.
"As I was saying, the game is called 'Second Chance', and it is played while the players are partaking of Rainbow Ride. One person at the table gets to ask someone else two consecutive questions. And this is where the fun begins. Rainbow Ride will allow one lie to be told, but only one. So one question you can lie if you want to, but Rainbow Ride will force the truth out of you for the next question, regardless. So choose wisely. If you lie on the first question, the second question will force you to be honest. This game is hilarious-"
"-sounds great," Dean added.
"Sounds scary," Hermione whispered. "Is it too late to back out?"
"What, love? Got some skeletons in that closet?" Seamus teased.
"Oh, she has cemeteries in her closet," Ginny laughed. Hermione glared at her.
"No, too late. You're part of the game. Seamus' orders. Now everyone, drink another round, and then we'll start."
Hermione's palms began to sweat. Then, she took a few deeps breaths. Harry poked her in the ribs, and she looked up at him.
"Don't look so frightened," he said. "No one is going to ask you anything crazy. Besides, what have you to hide? Everyone knows you're a goody two shoes." He winked at her frown. "I'm kidding. This will be fun, you'll see. Bottoms up." He tilted his head back and drank his second glass of Rainbow Ride. Hermione hesitated then drank hers, too.
Here we go, she thought as the liquor slipped down her throat and warmed her chest.
* * * *
"Oh, bollocks, no fair," Seamus whined.
Harry laughed. "Obviously, Seamus, you lied on the first question because you're sweating."
Ginny snickered at Seamus. "So, you did lie about sneaking Parvati into your tent during our camping trip. I swore to Hermione that I heard moaning. I was right."
"This isn't fair. This isn't fair. Ginny, love, ask me something different," Seamus begged.
"You know those aren't the rules, mate," Justin said. His eyes were glassy and he wore a perpetual grin.
"I ask you again, Mr. Finnegan, have you or have you not ever had a sex dream involving Madame Hooch?" Ginny asked. There was a wicked gleam in her eye, and Hermione leaned into Harry's arm to muffle her laughter.
"Yes. Yes, I did. Just once," he answered. The table erupted into disbelieving laughter. "It was only once! I was thirteen. I was confused. It scarred me!"
"Bottoms up!" Justin said, and all reached for their glasses.
"Ron, it's your turn," Dean said. "You're asking Hermione."
"I don't think it's my turn to be asked again," Hermione said. Her words were dangerously close to slurring.
"Hermione, you need to relax. Two hours of drinking and playing this ridiculous game have led people to find out two, I repeat two, mysterious things about you," Harry said. There was a slight flush in his cheeks, and his eyes shone behind his glasses. "One, sometimes you sleep in the nude." Neville snickered, and Hermione blushed. "Which won't shy a guy away, I assure you. And two, you had a secret crush on Professor Lupin when you were thirteen. And compared to Seamus' sex dream about Madame Hooch and Dean's experience with the Lavender and Angelina, I think your experiences are pretty unexciting."
Hermione gasped. "Unexciting? That simply isn't true. I do lots of wild and crazy things." She leaned close to Harry's face. He laughed at her. "You don't believe me? Ron, ask me the two craziest, unlikeliest questions. Go on, now. Ask me." Hermione picked up her full glass and tossed it back into her mouth.
"Well…uh…Hermione…honestly, I don't really want to know crazy-" Ron stammered.
"Ask me, Ron," Hermione demanded.
Ginny drank her glass of Rainbow Ride and said, "Just remember this was your idea about the super set of personal questions."
Hermione smirked at her. "I'll remember. Neville pass the peanuts." She pushed her hand into the bowl and popped a few into her mouth before Ron could gather up a good question. "I'm ready."
"Okay, okay. You're always so bossy. Question one," Ron paused to wink around at the guys. "Ridley Todd thinks he is in love with you." The pink in Hermione's cheeks faded. Harry shifted around beside her. "He told me so. But if he told you that he was madly in love with you is there a possibility you would have sex with him right away…if you were indoors, of course?"
Hermione balked. A little voice in her brain said yes, yes, yes. But she didn't want to talk about sex in front of…Harry. Ridley was so gorgeous. If he professed his love to her and looked at her with his big blue eyes, she didn't know what she would do. They practically assaulted each other in her kitchen-and Harry saw them. She straightened her shoulders, and did what she had to do.
"No, of course not," she lied.
"I knew it," Seamus said into a handful of peanuts.
"Hermione, have you ever even had sex," Dean slurred.
"Back off, Thomas. It's my question time," Ron quipped. "Okay, Hermione, that was obviously an easy
one. I hoped that you'd lie so that the next one would be more fun, but okay, I'll go ahead and ask the one I
intended. Would you, if possible, have sex with one of the fine blokes at this table, even if you weren't having a
relationship with one of us?"
Ron beamed at his question. Ginny choked on a peanut, and Ron slapped her back until she swallowed it down. Harry turned and stared at her, waiting for something, anything.
Hermione knew she was going to throw up. Her head was already spinning. It felt as though she were riding a ship being tossed by the waves. The voices of the pub faded in and out, pulsing inside her foggy mind. Harry touched her arm, and it jerked her back into reality.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure," she muttered.
"So, Hermione? What is your answer? Sex with one of us without a relationship? It's an easy question. You don't even have to lie," Ron teased.
"Yes," she whispered.
Neville excused himself. Seamus' and Dean's mouths dropped open. Ginny closed her eyes and waited. Harry inhaled a surprised breath.
"Hermione, you don't have to lie on that question. You can be honest," Ron added.
"Perhaps she is being honest, you dolt," Justin replied. He glanced at Hermione, and the expression on her face made him want to hold and protect her.
"You would?" Ron asked in disbelief. "You would have sex with one of us immediately without a relationship?" Then Ron sat back and laughed. "Oh, I get it. She's lying now."
"She's not lying now," Ginny mumbled. She drank another glass of Rainbow Ride.
"How can that be possible?" Ron asked.
"Merlin, mate, are you that thick?" Justin asked. "She lied on the first question. She had to tell the truth for the second."
Ron looked completely confused, but Harry turned quickly to Hermione. She spun her tiny glass round and round in her fingers.
"You would have sex with Ridley if he told you he was in love with you?" Harry whispered, but the others noticed and stopped talking. The entire table was listening.
"I don't know," she answered him.
"You must have had a vague idea because you lied."
"Harry, I said I don't know. Okay? I don't know. Ridley's gorgeous. Have you not noticed? And what the hell do you care if I have sex with Ridley or not?" she asked heatedly. Now they were facing each other, whispering angrily, noses almost touching.
Neville sat down and Justin promptly shushed his questions, but not before Neville asked, 'Did Hermione just say hell?'
"Because it's…it's…"
"It's what? Absurd to think someone would want to have sex with me?" she asked.
"No, that's not what I was saying at all-"
"-then what were you saying?"
"That it's disgusting! It makes me want to vomit!"
"Someone having sex with me makes you want to vomit?" Hermione asked in shock. She squeezed her fists together below the table.
"No, no, no. You and Ridley having sex makes me sick. I can't stand to think about it," he answered with a clenched jaw.
"Well, don't think about it, Harry. There is no reason for you to sit around and think about me having hot sex with Ridley," she said, smirking.
"Hot sex?! Don't say that. Don't ever say that again-"
"-what is your problem with Ridley? He's a great guy. You should be happy for me that a wonderful man has expressed interest in me. After all, I'm pretty unexciting remember?"
"Hermione, that is not fair. I don't think you're unexciting. All I meant is that you're not a bloody whore like Seamus and Dean-"
"-Hey!" Dean and Seamus said.
"Shut up!" Hermione and Harry fired back.
"Well, thank you very much for saying I'm not a whore. Now stay out of my love life. If I want to have sex with Ridley, I will." And she turned away.
Harry grabbed her upper arm and pulled her closer to him. "I can't."
"You can't what?" she wondered.
"I can't stay out of your love life," he whispered.
"Why not?"
"Because…because I care about you…and…wait, if you lied about having sex with Ridley, does that mean you would have sex with someone at this table?" Harry dropped her arm.
"Without a relationship," Ron added. Hermione glared at him. Ron stuffed a handful of peanuts in his mouth and looked away.
"Answer me," Harry said.
Hermione looked up into his green eyes. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of their conversation. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and tell him everything, but she also wanted to cry, to burst into painful sobs right in front of everyone.
"Yes."
"Yes you would?" he asked.
"Yes, Harry. Yes, yes, yes. Yes, I would have sex with someone at this table without a relationship-"
"-Hermione," Ginny warned. She cleared her throat and began shaking her head. Harry looked at Ginny then back to Hermione.
"Who?" Harry asked her immediately.
"I'm sorry, Harry, my question time is over," she answered.
"I know it isn't me," Justin said, and he sipped from his glass. "But Ginny is a different story."
Ginny laughed and Ron scowled. Neville ate a chocolate frog and shrugged. "I know it isn't me," he answered. "Hermione's like my sister."
"Is it me?" Dean and Seamus asked simultaneously.
"No and no," Hermione answered, but Harry's eyes were serious and he would not look away from her face. Her cheeks were hot, and her palms began to sweat again.
"Is it me? I mean, we did date. That would make sense, and it's okay, Hermione, I still think you're bloody attractive, but you're like my sister now…but it's okay if you feel like you'd jump me-" Ron began.
"-Ron," Hermione said. "Too much information."
"Is it me?" Harry whispered. His hand had somehow ended up on top of her thigh. When she didn't answer, he continued, "Is it, Hermione?" A captivated hush fell over the table.
"Harry, this is an inappropriate conversation," Hermione said.
"You answered everyone else," he replied.
"Just to shut them up. Honestly, Harry, it's no one's business-"
"-so answer me. You answered everyone else. Answer me, and I'll shut up."
"Harry-"
"-answer me, Hermione," he said. He leaned down closer to her. Without meaning to, he gripped her thigh with his hand and waited. Hermione could hardly breath.
"Yes, no, Harry, I don't want to talk about this. It's just a stupid game-"
"-Why don't we go somewhere? I think we've spent enough money here. We could go back to your place, Ron," Ginny interrupted, and Hermione glanced at her with thankful eyes.
"Good idea," Ron said. "Come on, mates, let's take this party elsewhere." He slid out of his booth, and Ginny and Seamus piled out beside him.
Harry removed his hand from Hermione's leg, and she exhaled. "Sorry. Must be the alcohol," he said to her, and she nodded. Harry stood up, and Hermione and Dean followed.
Everyone gathered in the lobby and agreed to head over to Harry and Ron's flat. Hermione slipped on her coat, and Harry came up behind her. He pressed a hand to her back and leaned close to her ear.
"Forgive me?" he whispered.
"It's okay, Harry," she answered. "I don't want to think of you having sex with Beth. The thought makes me…"
"…nauseous?"
She smiled. "Yes, exactly."
Harry put his arm around her waist and tugged her close to him. "Then, tonight, no talk of nauseating sex. It'll be like old times. Just you and me and the whole gang."
"That sounds perfect." He held the door open for her, and she walked out of The Benevolent Badger.
He let the door close, and he walked up beside Hermione. "So, let's be honest. It was me you would ravage on the table, right?" he asked.
Hermione laughed and pulled out her wand. "You're hopeless, you know that, right? You'll never know the truth, but it's awful pigheaded of you to assume it's you. See you in a few minutes." And she Apparated away.