Snakepit

Chapter 5

Hermione had been quietly sitting on her sofa on Saturday evening, reading a book, when loud, pounding knocks at her door disrupted the peaceful environment she'd carefully crafted. She jumped (unsurprisingly) and nearly knocked her warm cup of chamomile tea onto the floor.

"What the hell?" she muttered, pulling off her knitted blanket and padding over to her door. The wood was cold under her feet and she regretted not putting on a pair of wool socks. The knocking at the door had still not ceased and she had a sinking feeling she knew why. She thought she'd been careful not to tell anyone–

"Hermione Jean Granger, you better open this door in like two seconds or I'm breaking the whole thing down! If you thought you could hide from us today, you thought wrong!" The muffled voice broke off in somewhat maniacal laughter. Hermione exhaled and didn't bother to check the peephole before opening the door.

Luna and Dean stood on the other side, looking half pissed off, half excited.

"Hermione, how could you! I told you that I'd plan something spectacular for your birthday and you didn't even tell me it's today!" Dean grumbled. "Now I've been forced to haphazardly throw something together, so don't be mad when it's nothing that good."

He seemed genuinely offended that she didn't tell him her birthday was today. It must have slipped her mind to mention it.

Luna, knowing Hermione marginally better than Dean, knew that her ideal birthday would be spent doing, well, exactly what she'd been doing before they barged in. However, like Dean, Luna enjoyed celebrating absolutely everything.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," Luna smiled at her rather apologetically. "I knew you'd just want to brush this birthday aside like last year, and probably like every other year before I knew you, but I couldn't live with that. We're doing something fun tonight to celebrate your twenty-six years."

"What if my idea of fun doesn't align with yours?" Hermione asked, motioning to her book on the couch.

"Psh, be quiet. Everyone has fun at the club," Dean cut in.

"The club?" Hermione gaped at him. No way was she going to the club tonight. She had already brushed her teeth, for goodness sake.

"Yes, the club," He nodded. "You get free drinks on your birthday at the one I picked out. It's called Snakepit. Plus it has the best bass that you can actually feel in your bones, especially when you're wasted."

"Have you guys forgotten I was just hungover, like, yesterday? I cannot go through that again. Yesterday was traumatizing enough!" For multiple reasons, she might add. Hermione tried to block Luna from entering her living room, but Luna dodged her hand and plopped down on her couch.

"Come on, Hermione, please. If you want to act like it isn't about your birthday, we can act like it's a celebration for Dean and I finally closing our case."

Hermione blinked. "Oh! Congrats on closing the case. You guys have been working on that for so long. Did you ever run into any problems with the one guy–"

"No, no, no, we are not talking about work right now. And no, Luna, we're not acting like this is about us. Hermione is the main event tonight," Dean glared at his partner.

"I was just trying to get her to agree to something..." Luna muttered.

"If I ask you nicely, would you two leave and go enjoy a night without me? It can still be in my honor even if I'm not there–"

"No," they answered in unison.

Hermione massaged her temples, feeling her usually unwavering resolve melt away. When was the last time she even celebrated her birthday? She couldn't remember.