Given the circumstances, this seemed like the most reasonable course of action. Consequently, the rest of the group agreed and began strolling down the street. Hermione and Harry thought it would be wise to locate a Tube station to help orient themselves.
"The Tube is London's subway system. It's like a network of trains that run underneath the city, connecting different parts of London," Hermione explained to the others, who looked on with confusion. As they continued to wander, it became increasingly clear that their search for an Underground station was futile. They had to be somewhere on the outskirts of London. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that all the bus stops they passed were closed due to excessive road works in the area. Harry wasn't sure exactly where they were, only that it was somewhere northeast, but that wasn't much to go on.
"Look at that!" Blaise suddenly exclaimed.
"Did you spot an underground sign?" Hermione asked hopefully, scanning the area.
"A what sign? Oh no, but look at those gorgeous birds across the street. I'm not sure where they're headed, but I'm going that way too!" he declared.
"They seem to be heading towards that pub," Harry added. Hermione shot him a questioning look, silently asking if he was serious. "What if we go inside and ask around? We might get to know where we are," Harry suggested.
"Plus, we're thirsty and cold. We've been wandering around for at least 20 minutes now; a break would do us good," Theo chimed in, shrugging.
"There's music inside, we could even dance, Ronnikins," added Lavender excitedly.
And thus, skimpy outfits and loud music sidetracked their attempt to reach their intended destination. Hermione was not pleased with this turn of events but outnumbered six to one, she had no chance. This was far from how she had envisioned her night. She felt cheated by everything and everyone as if the universe itself were conspiring to steal her opportunity for revenge. The only silver lining was that not only was Hermione kilometres away from her date, but Draco was too. On the less bright side, Hermione's feet were already throbbing in those ridiculous heels. She was cold, irritable, and increasingly doubtful about the success of her plan. Though she hated to admit it, everything felt like it was spiralling toward disaster. The past two hours spent bickering with Draco and being undermined by irritating Lavender—who she started to wonder why she was even friends with—were slowly eroding her confidence.
The music turned out to be live, with a band featuring a female lead. They were performing a rock-style cover of a popular pop song. Hermione found herself pleasantly surprised and admitted to herself that she quite liked it. She found the place and atmosphere pleasantly inviting. It was somewhere between a pub and a club, with a crowd mainly in their twenties and early thirties. A lone disco ball hung in one corner, offering a modest nod to New Year's Eve, but beyond that, the decor was minimal. Not that it mattered much; the place was already packed. There were no empty tables in sight, so they had to settle for chairs at the bar.
Hermione fumbled with her jacket in the cramped space, struggling to get it off. Noticing her difficulty, Draco swiftly moved to help. Leaning in to be heard over the pounding music, he said, "Need a hand with that?"
As he eased the jacket from her shoulders, he leaned in once again, "I hadn't had a chance to tell you, but this dress looks really good on you!"
Here he was again with his hot-and-cold game. Why did he compliment her and give her attention one moment, only to ignore her the next? Hadn’t he played enough with her heart? Back when they were together, his words would have made her overjoyed, but now they only infuriated her. Yes, she had dressed to impress him, to show him what he had failed to fight for. Her goal was for him to suffer silently with the knowledge, not to make her stomach flutter. She resented how his words still held power over her.
Without thinking, she reacted like an injured animal might—sharp and defensive: "I’m glad you think so. I had some extra money left over after returning the gift I’d picked out for you for Christmas, so I decided to splurge on this. It’s almost like I got it from you, which is pretty awkward if you ask me. You know, with me having a date in it tonight and all." She smiled sweetly, like an innocent doe, and turned toward the bar.
Was what she said true? Absolutely not. She hadn’t returned his gift; she couldn’t. It wasn’t the sort of thing you could simply return, and to make matters worse, It had used up nearly all her allowance. It had been intended as a grand surprise for him, but that was irrelevant now. Fortunately, the dress had been on sale, which helped her strained budget. And the look on his face was worth any expense.
"I'll have to send a request to the Monster Book of Monsters to replace the harpy's picture with yours," Draco retorted.
Hermione shot back without missing a beat. "Interesting idea! I was aiming for the Mountain Troll's spot though. But with the way you’ve been behaving, it seems you’ve already claimed it, haven’t you?"
He didn’t reply, just gave her a measured look. Hermione decided she had won this round, which lifted her spirits a bit.
Her mood brightened even more when it came time to order. It felt as though Karma was there to deliver a sense of justice, especially after they had pressured her into stopping by this place.
The barman, who had been eyeing them with suspicion since they arrived, finally approached to take their orders. When Harry attempted to order a Jack and Coke, the barman’s disapproval was evident.
“And how old are you?” the barman asked, his gaze sharp.
Harry, just realizing the difference in age requirements between Muggles and wizards, cleared his throat and mustered some confidence. “Twenty—?”
But when the barman squinted at him, Harry quickly admitted, “Seventeen.”
“You get less ice in your Coke,” he said, adding a dash of ice to the glass before using the soda gun to fill it.
Next, Blaise tried to argue that he indeed turn 18 already, but he had no muggle ID to prove it so was dismissed without a second thought. He was appalled by this and was horrified at the prospect of staying dry for the duration of their visit. The rest of the group defeated all went with cola as well, while Hermione, the only one with both proof of ID and legal age, happily sipped on her gin and tonic, savouring the moment.
It was quite a sight to see Theodore Nott take his first sip of cola. He went for a big gulp, froze for a moment, then swallowed quickly, his face contorting in disgust. “What in Merlin’s beard is this?” he exclaimed. “It’s like drinking a potion that’s stabbing my tongue and throat, and my nose feels like it’s on fire!” Just as he finished, a large burp escaped him. “Pardon me, even my stomach doesn’t seem to agree with it,” he said, placing the drink back on the sticky bar.
“It’s Coca-Cola,” Harry said encouragingly. “Everyone loves it in the Muggle world. It’s fizzy, so it might be strange at first, but just give it another go. It’ll grow on you.”
Ron and Lavender quickly finished their drinks and headed to the dance floor. Lavender, bubbling with eagerness, was practically dragging Ron along with her. She didn’t care that she didn’t recognize any of the songs; her excitement was contagious. Most of the partygoers, already a bit tipsy, were singing loudly to "Don't Stop Me Now," and Lavender joined in with gusto. Ron, always ready to follow her lead like a loyal puppy, easily fell into step beside her.
Meanwhile, Harry was deep in exploration of the Muggle soft drink selection with Theo. They had ordered every flavour available, and Harry took delight in introducing Theo to an array of fizzy concoctions. Theo, after getting past his initial dislike, now with an insatiable curiosity, eagerly sampled and critiqued each beverage, clearly fascinated by the diverse range of soda drinks and the novelty of the experience.
Hermione turned around to find the other two Slytherins. When she spotted them, she nearly fell off her bar stool. Blaise was pulling Draco towards two Muggle girls who were smiling and waving at them. To Draco’s credit, he appeared less than thrilled about the situation, but Blaise was decidedly more insistent. There was a brief exchange of words between them, and then one of the girls leaned in close to Draco. He shook his head, clearly resistant, but she whispered something in his ear again. Her pleading expression was hard to ignore, and after a moment’s hesitation, he finally gave in with a reluctant nod. The girl’s face brightened instantly. She grasped his hand and walked him to the dance floor.
Hermione wished she could muster the strength to look away, but she was rooted to the spot, her chest aching with a pain she was sure no magical or Muggle remedy could ever soothe. Draco was dancing with the girl—or rather, the girl was dancing with him. He looked conspicuously out of place, but that hardly mattered. She twirled around him with enthusiasm until the song changed to "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You." As the slow melody began, couples moved closer together, swaying in unison. The girl wrapped her arms around Draco’s neck, and they started to slow dance.
"...Look into your heart, you will find
There is nothing there to hide
Take me as I am, take my life
I would give it all, I would sacrifice
Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for
I can't help it, there's nothing I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you"
She felt a wave of sickness wash over her, yet she couldn't tear her eyes away. It was as if she were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car—frozen, hopeless, unable to move. As the girl leaned in to whisper something in his ear, he tilted his head and aligned his gaze with Hermione’s. She must have looked utterly pathetic, sitting alone while everyone else enjoyed themselves. Was this his way of mocking her? If so, it worked—she felt awful. Even the lyrics seemed like little stabs at her stomach, not deadly enough to end the torture, but becoming more unbearable with each passing second.
He didn't turn away, just held the girl in his arms, his hand resting comfortably on her back, their bodies close as they swayed to the slow rhythm of the song. Yet his eyes remained fixed on Hermione though, and the song seemed to drag on for an eternity. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, she averted her gaze and seized the moment to order a double vodka soda. She needed the spirit inside her; hers had just left.
As the bartender slid the drink across the counter, Hermione clutched it tightly, taking a deep gulp as if to drown out the overwhelming emotions flooding her. The icy burn of the vodka brought a fleeting sense of relief, but it did little to erase the image of him dancing so intimately with someone else. They were broken up, and he was free to do whatever he wanted. Both of them even had dates planned for later tonight. And somehow, despite knowing all this, she still felt unprepared.
Her eyes remained fixed on the drink, trying to find solace in the simple task of counting the melted ice cubes in her empty glass, when she felt someone hop onto the stool next to her, ready to order a drink. She turned her head, only to be met with the girl Draco had been dancing with. The girl looked at her with a wide smile and said cheerfully, "I am positively parched."
She waved to the barman and asked for a diet cola. While waiting, she felt a need to start a conversation, girl to girl or something.
"This place is so good, I love the songs here."
"Oh, yeah," said Hermione with little to no life in her voice.
"It's just the right mix of jumpy and slow dance, isn't it?"
"If you say so," Hermione replied. The last thing she wanted was to befriend Draco's... dance partner. "I’m just not really in the mood."
"Oh, sorry to hear that. What's wrong?" asked the girl, looking genuinely curious.
"Just my ex, it doesn't matter."
"Uhh, I’m sorry," the girl said, her expression turning sympathetic.
"Don’t worry about it," Hermione replied. As the bartender handed the girl her diet cola, Hermione forced a sad smile and added, "Go on and enjoy yourself."
"Are you sure?" the girl asked, her eyes full of concern.
"Sure, I’ll survive."
"Sure you will!" the girl exclaimed, seeming ready to deliver an empowering speech. "We’re survivors, right? Stupid exes." She clinked her glass against Hermione's.
"Stupid exes," Hermione echoed.
"Do you want to talk about it?" the girl asked, settling into the empty chair next to Hermione.
"Not much to say. He just broke up with me. At Christmas."
"No way. At Christmas?" The girl stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Well, on the evening of the 23rd. He dumped me without even a Merry Christmas. And now I hear he’s already found a new date for tonight."
"Seriously?"
"Oh, yeah. He invited the girl to the very party I had arranged for us before the breakup. What’s worse, he decided to come with me and my friends, so not only is he going to the party I was originally invited to with someone else, but he’s also using me and my friends as his ride to get there."
"You must be joking!" the girl exclaimed.
"I wish I were."
"Wait, so he’s here too?"
"Yes, he is. He’s out there dancing and having a great time. Meanwhile, my heart is breaking into pieces."
"What a little piece of shit."
"I guess that's just how it goes. Break up with someone at Christmas, and they’re already making moves on someone new before the year’s even out."
"So messed up," the girl said angrily.
"Hey, here you are!" said Draco, leaning towards the blonde girl, who just smiled at him. It was time to erase both of their smiles.
"Oh, hi Draco," started Hermione. "I was just talking about you!"
"Really?" He looked at her in alarm, his forehead crunching up and one of his eyebrows raising.
It took a second for the girl to put together the picture, but she managed it after a minute. She looked first at Hermione and then at Draco. Then she grabbed her drink and splashed it across Draco's face before walking away.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Oh, just had some girl talk," Hermione said, shrugging slightly.
He wiped his face with his sleeve, his eyes blazing with a mix of irritation and disbelief. Hermione turned back to her drink, taking a sip, which was now mostly melted ice water, trying to ignore the storm brewing beside her. Draco, clearly fed up, yanked the glass from Hermione’s hand and muttered “bitch” under his breath before downing the rest of the drink in one go.
She cast him a look of feigned innocence and asked in the sweetest tone she could manage
"Oh dear, should I not have? I just wanted to help, as it was in both of your best interests, you see. I was briefly worried you might forget that you actually have a date tonight with another girl and risk ending up with a player reputation. We wouldn’t want any broken hearts, would we? No need to thank me."
Before he could respond, Blaise approached them, looking both annoyed and amused. "I was having a freaking good time, dancing with a hot girl, living my best life, until everything went sideways. And I don't know how, but I'm sure it has something to do with the two of you!"
Draco looked up at him, his expression softening slightly. "Why would you think that?"
Blaise glanced up and down at him, who was dripping with Coke. "Draco, you look soaked! And Hermione, that fake smile on your face is downright terrifying. I’d bet my entire family fortune that you were about to start a fight again—"
Draco started to speak, but Blaise held up his hand to silence him.
He continued, "Also, that blonde you danced with—she came over to me and that super attractive muggle chit I was with, and she said something to her. They both gave me a dirty look and walked away. Which is a real shame; I almost got her number—whatever that even means! I’m sure we were heading for second base!"
As Blaise wrapped up his rant, Ron and Lavender came into view, straight from the dance floor, slightly out of breath. Both happy and cheerful, clearly having fun. They noticed the sour mood and Lavender asked, "Did something happen?"
Draco and Hermione exchanged glances but said nothing.
Blaise sighed dramatically, "Ah, just the usual drama with these two. Honestly, this has to be the most peculiar form of foreplay I’ve ever seen. At this rate, I almost feel I deserve to witness how this plays out behind closed doors."
Hermione’s eyes widened in shock, her face turning a deep crimson. Without a moment's hesitation, she delivered a forceful punch to Blaise's chest.
Blaise stumbled slightly but quickly regained his composure, his smirk never fading. "Definitely kinky, this one," he said with a wink.
Before Hermione could reach any further, Draco sprang into action. He stood up from his bar stool with a sharp, decisive movement, placing himself squarely between Hermione and the other wizard. It almost felt protective. Though she couldn’t see his face, she could tell his shoulders were tense and he was pissed. “That’s enough, Blaise,” he said, his voice low and threatening.
Harry and Theo, grinning from ear to ear, chose that exact moment to appear, as if summoned by the tension. Theo, high on a sugar rush, leaned heavily on Draco, draping an arm around his neck and clutching his stomach with the other, groaning theatrically. “I think I’ve hit my limit on Muggle drinks for the next decade.”
Harry, still chuckling, said, "Good news, everyone! I finally figured out where we are—more or less."
Hermione gave him a sceptical look, "And you figured this out by drinking all the sodas?"
"Of course not," Harry replied, still grinning. "The barman gave me directions."
Relief washed over her face. "So, where are we?"
“Not too far from Grimmauld Place,” Harry replied. “We just need to catch the N41 bus. It’ll be about a 20-minute ride, and then a 10-minute walk from there.” Harry replied.
In under five minutes, they were already on their way. As they headed toward the bus stop, they saw a group of cheerful muggles disembarking from a bus in the opposite direction. There were three of them, and one with dark hair noticed them and crossed the street, his face lighting up with a friendly wave. He approached their group with an easy familiarity. Hermione was taken aback when he started chatting with Lavender as if they were old friends—she hadn’t realized Lavender knew any muggles. They exchanged a few words about the weather and London’s prices. Just as their bus arrived, he wished them a cheerful "Happy New Year," turned to Lavender, and said, "Bye, Lav, don’t forget to contact me. You have my email and phone, right?" He winked and dashed back to his friends. All six of them looked thoroughly bewildered, especially Ron.
They quickly boarded the bus, with Theo and Blaise eagerly making their way to the upper deck, fascinated by the muggle bus experience. As they climbed the stairs, Hermione couldn't hide her surprise "Who was that?" she asked Lavender incredulously. "You never mentioned you knew muggles."
"Or to me!" Ron added, sounding accusatory.
Lavender waved her hand dismissively. "Just a random acquaintance. He grew up in the same village as my granny; their families were neighbors," she explained, hopping into a window seat with Ron beside her.
"But how come you never told me about him?" Ron persisted, genuinely surprised.
"Ronald, it just never came up," Lavender replied.
"Never came up? You talk about boys all the time," Hermione interjected sceptically.
"Not every boy I meet," Lavender retorted, her voice rising slightly, which was unusual for her.
Hermione was taken aback. Lavender loved talking about boys—any boy, famous, good-looking, or ugly ones. The fact that she had never mentioned this muggle acquaintance seemed improbable. The conversation shifted as the conductor arrived; Hermione and Harry handled the muggle money for their bus tickets.
"I'm just saying, the girl was eating up my magic trick," Blaise summarized his pub experience. Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Blaise, you didn't perform any magic in front of muggles, did you? You know the Statute of Secrecy!" she exclaimed.
"Relax, love," said Blaise, "it was just a card trick with a Weasley card deck."
"But I visited your granny last year; how did I not see this guy then?" Ron asked.
"Oh, Ron, he wasn't there; he was on holiday abroad with his parents," Lavender explained dismissively.
"That makes sense," Ron muttered, visibly more relaxed as he wrapped an arm around Lavender's shoulder.
The bus finally pulled up at their stop near Grimmauld Place.
"So, my house isn't far from here," Harry reassured the group. "We just need to walk a few blocks this way."
They followed Harry through the dimly lit streets, where occasional streetlamps cast eerie shadows on the cobblestones. The air was crisp with the promise of winter, prompting Hermione to pull her jacket tighter around herself. She had visited Grimmauld Place a handful of times before, usually during summers spent at the Burrow when she and Ron would visit Harry. The place was undeniably creepy, but Sirius had done his best to make it feel more like a home for Harry after his parents' tragic deaths at the hands of You-Know-Who. Harry had been just a baby then, and though he had no memory of those dark events or his parents, their loss had left a void in him. Yet, despite all, Sirius had been a steadfast and loving guardian. Harry often spoke of his childhood with warmth, grateful for the care and support Sirius had provided in the absence of his parents.
"Here we are," Harry announced with a note of relief. "Home sweet home. Just a heads-up—Sirius is hosting a small get-together. We'll make our greetings, smile a bit, and then slip away to use the Floo Network to get to the Leaky Cauldron. It shouldn’t take long. Oh, and one more thing: if you happen to run into The Singing Sorceress, try to act natural. They might be here as well."
“Potter, Harry,” Blaise interjected, a dramatic note in his voice, “My dear friend, you should have led with that! We’re staying here. I absolutely cannot leave this house without meeting Seraphina Wells.” Hermione, who knew just how big a fan Blaise was of the band’s lead vocalist, couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiastic declaration.
Just as they were about to enter the gate leading to the front door, Draco cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. Before anyone could ask what was wrong, he spoke up, "I know this might seem a bit odd, but could we please avoid mentioning the breakup to anyone for now? I haven’t told my parents yet, and I’d prefer they didn’t hear about it from some distant cousin." Hermione was taken aback, as were the others.
"Just do this for me," Draco pleaded. His request seemed unusual; Hermione had assumed he would have informed his parents promptly.
Everyone nodded in agreement and began walking toward the entrance. Draco, however, caught Hermione's wrist and silently pleaded for her to wait.
"Yes, Malfoy?" Hermione inquired.
"Granger, I know it's asking a lot, but could you please act civil with me while we are stuck here? My mother's sister will be here tonight, and I... Can you pretend we're still together?" Draco's request was unexpected, and Hermione couldn't help but ask, "What's in it for me?"
Draco hesitated before responding, "Whatever you ask if you're willing to do this."
Whatever she asked, it was an intriguing prospect that ignited a glint of excitement in her eyes. Among the many ideas she had in mind, there was one that stood out as the most obvious, after all, it was an issue they argued over countless times since the fifth year. Despite their dating history, he was the sole person within her friend group who consistently refused to engage with the cause she held so dearly.
"Sure, Malfoy. I'll pretend to still be your girlfriend. But in exchange, you'll join S.P.E.W. You'll not only donate money but actively promote the cause in your house until the end of the year."
Draco clenched his teeth in frustration. "You know where I stand on the topic," he muttered.
"That's what I'm asking for in exchange for lying for you," Hermione insisted, extending her hand for a handshake. Draco scrutinized her face, sighed, and shook her hand. "I'll regret this," he muttered under his breath.
