Rose Among the Thorns

Finally!!! The day before the wedding!!!!

Chapter 15- Of Hen Night

Hermione was folding laundry in her living room when Lavender Brown Apparated onto her sofa.

"Lav, you're on my work robes!" Hermione said exasperatedly.

"Sorry, Hermione," Lavender said casually, standing and plopping into Hermione's overstuffed armchair, which was the only furniture in the room not covered in clothes.

"Why don't you just use magic?" Lavender asked. She waved her wand and the pile of unfolded laundry folded itself and returned to the basket.

"Because I felt like being old fashioned, that's why," Hermione harrumphed, taking the basket into her bedroom.

"How was your date with Charlie last night?" Lavender shouted at Hermione's bedroom.

"It wasn't a date!" Hermione called back. "We were just discussing the wedding."

Lavender rolled her eyes and got out of the armchair, slipping into Hermione's bedroom and sitting on the bed, watching Hermione colour code her socks and put them in the dresser.

"You need to get yourself a hobby, and fast," Lavender remarked, gesturing at the perfectly ordered dresser drawers.

Hermione laughed. "Just because you only do laundry once every three months and your clothes are strewn all over your flat doesn't mean that everyone is like that."

Lavender gasped in mock indignation. "My flat's not that bad," she protested. "And besides, Justin doesn't mind a flat that looks lived in." She grinned mischievously.

"Doesn't he?" Hermione asked mildly, putting the last of her robes in the armoire and shutting the doors.

"He doesn't," Lavender returned smugly. "What does Charlie think of your obsessive compulsive cleaning disorder?"

Hermione blushed slightly. She had spent half the night thinking of the kiss they shared. It frightened her a little that she had liked it. In fact, she had enjoyed it very much.

"Her-me-own?" Lavender said, looking at her friend's slightly glazed face.

"What? Oh, Charlie hasn't said anything about my 'fascination' with cleaning," Hermione replied distractedly.

Lavender narrowed her eyes. "Really? Then why'd you turn pink and go all distant like you just did?"

Hermione blushed again. "Nothing, Lavender. Everything's fine."

"Sure looks like it is," Lavender said with a grin. "Alright, Hermione, spill it."

"What?" Hermione replied, trying to look innocent and surprised.

"What happened last night?" Lavender asked her. "Did you shag?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Of course not!" Hermione said indignantly, standing and crossing the room.

"You snogged then," Lavender said, lying down on the bed and leaning her head over the edge, looking upside down at Hermione.

Hermione turned scarlet.

"Ha! I knew it!" Lavender said triumphantly, rolling onto her stomach and leaping off the bed. "How was it? What was he like? Did he try to take your top off?" Lavender continued the barrage of questions as she followed Hermione out to the kitchen.

"Charlie was a perfect gentleman and no, he did not try to remove my top," Hermione said with a slight grin.

"So how was it?" Lavender persisted.

Hermione leaned against the counter. "It was very...nice," she said lamely.

Lavender snorted. "Nice? Bollocks, Hermione, it must have been awful. And here I'd always pegged him as a good snog..."

"No, really, Lav, it was actually quite good. Maybe even better than..." Hermione trailed off.

"Better than Ron?" Lavender said softly. "Well, you and Ron didn't have much time together to have many good snogs anyways." She looked closely at her friend. "Are you feeling guilty because you enjoyed it?"

Hermione threw her hands in the air. "I don't know! I mean, I suppose so..." she slumped into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Look, Hermione," Lavender began, sitting down opposite the confused witch. "What you and Ron had was special, no one disputes that. But as bad as we all hate it, it's over, and none of us can do anything about it. You liked snogging Charlie, so what? You're going to be married tomorrow so you may as well like snogging him, as he'll be the only man you'll snog for the next six decades or so. Besides, Ron wouldn't have wanted you to spend the rest of your life thinking about what might have been. He would have wanted you to be happy."

"You think so?" Hermione sniffed, wiping her eyes on the tablecloth.

Lavender smiled. "I know it. Ron loved you, but he would have wanted you to move on."

Hermione gave her a watery smile. "Thanks, Lav."

"No problem," Lavender replied. She looked at her watch. "Godric look at the time!" she exclaimed, grabbing Hermione's hand and standing.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

"The girls and I wanted to give you a Hen's night, or rather, Hen's day out," Lavender explained. "We were supposed to meet them at Fortescues' ten minutes ago."

Lavender and Hermione Apparated to Diagon Alley and hurried to the ice cream parlor. Ginny, Susan, Luna, and Hannah were crowded around a table near the window.

"Don't tell them about what happened last night," Hermione hissed to Lavender as they walked over to the table.

"Sorry we're late," Lavender said breathlessly, giving Hermione a subtle wink. "Hermione insisted on folding her laundry the muggle way."

"Some things never change," Susan said with a laugh.

They chatted animatedly over their sundaes, then made their way out into the weak October sunlight. They spent the afternoon shopping and teasing Hermione about the wedding. As they approached the Designated Apparation Point, Lavender grabbed her arm.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

"Back to Ginny's to change," Susan replied.

"Change for what?" Hermione asked.

"We're going out," Ginny replied.

"In muggle London," Hannah clarified.

They Apparated to Leon Cottage, Ginny greeting Harry at the door with a passionate kiss.

Harry frowned slightly in concentration. "Fortescues's peach ice cream with marshmallows and cashews," he said confidently.

Ginny rolled her eyes, grinning. "Right as always." She, Susan, Hannah, Lavender, and Luna clambered upstairs to the bathroom to dress for the night out.

"Aren't you going to Charlie's Stag Night?" Hermione asked him.

"Yeah, I'm on my way now," Harry replied. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him," he laughed.

"I wasn't worried. Charlie's a grown man, he can take care of himself," Hermione replied loftily.

They stood in silence for a moment before Harry spoke again.

"Hermione, I know you're worried about what Ron would think," he began.

"He wouldn't be upset, would he?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

Harry smiled sadly and pulled her into a hug. "Of course not," he replied, patting her hair. "He'd want you to be happy. He'd understand that you didn't have a choice in all this." They broke apart. "Besides," Harry added. "He'd rather see you with Charlie than Goyle anyways, the git." Harry said. "Merlin, I'm going to be late," he said, looking at his aged pocket watch.

Hermione laughed. "Thanks, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"See you tomorrow." Harry replied, closing the door behind him and Apparating away.

"HERMIONE!" Five voices bellowed from upstairs.

"I'm coming!" she replied, mounting the stairs to her doom.

~~~~~~~

Forty-five minutes later Hermione was wearing her jeans and a black off the shoulder top borrowed from Ginny, who had insisted that Hermione couldn't wear her favourite jumper out in the muggle nightclubs. They had attacked Hermione with hair cream and makeup, not allowing her to see herself until they were finished.

Hermione gasped when she saw her reflection. Her hair was nearly straight and much less puffy, lying smoothly down her back. Susan had lined her eyes with a kohl pencil, and Hannah had given her a shimmery peach lipstick. She looked like one of the models in Witch Weekly. Well, almost.

"You might change your mind about marrying Charlie once those good looking muggle men get a hold of you," Lavender said.

"Honestly, Lavender, I'm not a tart," Hermione replied.

"No, but you look like one," Ginny said, causing the room to erupt in laughter.

"Yes, thank you all for that," Hermione said in a mock sulk, but her eyes gleamed with laughter.

They clambered down stairs and Apparated to London.

"Where to?" Hannah shouted over the crowd.

"Over there," Ginny replied, pointing to a neon-lit building with a long line stretching around the corner.

"But Ginny, we'll never get in there!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at the line.

Ginny smirked. "Watch and learn, Hermione." She strode up to a very burly looking man at the door and touched his arm. The man grinned down at the charming red head and after a few moments of chatting, he nodded at her. Ginny motioned at them, and they followed her through the door into the club.

"How'd you do that?" Susan said in awe.

"Oh, I'm just friendly with a few of the bouncers," Ginny replied airily.

Hermione snorted. "Right, Gin."

Ginny's face contorted in mock surprise. "Hermione! Are you insulting my reputation?"

Hermione laughed. "Who is he?"

"Gavin Reese," Ginny replied as they slid through the crowd to the bar. "He came on to me when Harry and I were here a few months back. Once he found out I was taken, he backed off. He's actually quite a nice bloke."

They ordered their drinks and found a small table along the wall. After finishing their drinks Ginny and Lavender forced Hermione onto the crowded dance floor where, sure enough, several men were eyeing her with interest. Hermione dance with a few of them, occasionally removing their hands from places she didn't want them to travel to.

After a few hours the little group of witches moved on to a different club. Hermione took a deep breath of fresh air as they left the club, clinging to each other and giggling. She glanced across the street and for a brief moment, thought she saw George Weasley. She blinked, and he was gone.

"Must be the alcohol," she thought to herself.

Since no one knew the bouncer at their destination, they Apparated into the club's tiny bathroom. The women were slightly tipsy after the first club, and their Apparating skills showed it. Hannah had one foot in the toilet, Ginny was perched on the sink, and Hermione and Lavender were lying in a giggling heap on the floor. They steadied themselves and slipped out into the crowded club.

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