The Other Half is Luck

Hermione Granger heard rather than saw her roommate return to their flat. Standing in the kitchen, she felt the rush of cold air that signaled the opening of the door in the winter night, and then she heard her own name, called out in a very loud, sing-song tone.

‘Hermiiiiiiiiiiiiiioneeeeeeee!’ And this was followed by a crashing noise. Hermione thought she heard the umbrella stand fall over, but the large thump could have been anything. Swearing and obviously intoxicated, Ginny Weasley stumbled into the kitchen in her wet boots, still wrapped in a warm coat and balaclava. ‘Oh Hermione, you’re awake!’ Ginny gurgled, holding her mittened hands out towards her flatmate.

Hermione smiled indulgently. Ginny was an adorable drunk, and it was only 10.30, well before Hermione had any plans to go to sleep. It was Thursday, and Ginny’s schedule was light on Fridays; her first lecture didn’t start until after lunch, so she had been out drinking with some of her friends from MERLIN, Magical Education and Research at the London Institute. And they had obviously started early, if Ginny was already home. Hermione poured her a cup of tea.

‘Hermione, you’re the best!’ Ginny looked like a bedraggled puppy. ‘You know, I love you!’ She continued in a rather loud whisper, trying to pick up her teacup while still wearing her mittens.

Hermione chuckled. ‘I’ll just owl Harry and tell him you’ve thrown him over for me then, shall I?’

‘You know what I mean,’ Ginny scowled. ‘This is why you are my maid of honor! I love you, and you can make tea.’ Hermione laughed out loud at that. Ginny’s wedding was a few months away, right after she was set to graduate with her advanced Charms degree, and Hermione had been enlisted as Maid of Honor within 3 minutes of Harry’s proposal. She was thrilled with the pair of them, finally tying the knot. They had decided to take their relationship slowly, after the War, and when Harry joined the Auror training program, Ginny decided to apply to MERLIN to pursue her interest in charms. Harry had become a full fledges Auror last year, and asked Ginny to marry him after Christmas dinner at the Burrow.

It had been a comfort to Hermione that the Burrow was still like a second home to her after the trauma of the War. With so many friends lost, it meant a great deal to Hermione that there was a place where the survivors could gather and celebrate, grateful for the life that they could live thanks to the sacrifices of those fallen friends. She herself had gone to Australia to bring back her parents, who were thrilled to be included as extended members of the Weasley clan, even though they were muggles. Her relationship with Ron had been less successful. After about a year of dating, they realized that their feelings for each other were more familial than romantic, and they parted amicably. Ron had joined the Auror program with Harry, Hermione had gone to Magical Law school, and the former Golden Trio of Hogwarts was still as close as ever.

Hermione was beginning to worry, however. Though she loved Harry and Ron, there was no way she was going to be the only member of the Trio without a date at Ginny’s wedding. Harry, of course, had a pretty safe date with Ginny that night, and Ron had been seeing a pretty witch from the Department of Magical Games and Sports for a few months. Hermione had no doubt they would still be together in June; Ron still got all misty eyed when he talked about her.

Hermione had dated a few wizards while at law school, and been on a few dates since joining the Department of Magical Law Enforcement the previous May, but she couldn’t really see herself bringing any of those former flings to the wedding of two of her best friends. She needed someone who was not only attractive (Hermione was honest enough to admit to herself that she wanted a good looking date to what would certainly be THE social event of the year) but someone who could keep her entertained through the four days of wedding celebrations that Ginny was planning. The wedding was months off, but Hermione was already feeling like she should perhaps hold auditions.

She snapped out of her reverie when Ginny, who had finally succeeded in picking up her cup of tea with her mittens, promptly dropped the hot liquid into her lap and started swearing again. Even drunk, Ginny was good at charms, and the drying charm she directed at her lap erased all evidence of the tea.

‘That’s it! I’m off to bed,’ Ginny declared dramatically. ‘See you tomorrow, H.’

As Ginny wobbled off towards her room, Hermione wondered if she planned to sleep in her boots and coat.

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Ok, so a fair bit of plot set-up/background info here, but stick with me!