To Destroy » Dramione

|01.| Scars

It was a chilly evening. Christmas was merely a few weeks away, and Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley were bustling around Diagon Alley trying to find gifts for their friends and family. For Hermione, however, it was just her friends. The memory of using obliviate on her parent's still hung heavy on her heart, but she refused to sit around and ponder over her loss. Christmas was around the corner, and it was a happy time. It wasn't a time to dwell on past events including the wizarding war they survived three years prior, for it still hung heavy on all of their shoulders, especially Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny's. Not to mention the other countless family and friends that were affected by all of the deaths they had seen and gone through. It was hard, and it were times like these when they needed a bit of happiness from the Christmas spirit.

"Are you girls almost finished?" Ron whined. He was tired of waiting outside the shops as the girls searched for gifts.

"Ron, we'll get done when we're done," Ginny told him. She was not having any time for her brother.

"But we've been out here forever," he sighed before Hermione giggled and quickly pecked him on the lips causing him to both quiet down and blush tremendously.

"Yeah, Ron, we'll get done when we're done," Hermione teased him. It was in these moments she was the happiest. It was in these moments when she was surrounded by her best friends, that she felt lucky to be alive no matter what she had already gone through.

"Okay," he smiled at the two girls. "Take all the time you need."

"You're only saying that now, because 'Mione snogged you," Ginny laughed before Hermione elbowed her.

"I did not snog him!" Hermione defended herself as she tried her best not to smile. "It was barely a kiss!"

"A kiss leads to other things..." Ginny pointed out.

"Ginny Weasley!"

"Hermione Granger!"

"Instead of the arguments — because we all know I'm irresistible — can you two hurry up? It's bloody cold out here," Ron complained as he watched his breath form into white puffy clouds.

"Yeah, yeah. We just need to visit one more shop, okay?" Ginny promised him.

"Okay," Ron sighed in defeat. "Which shop is that?"

"The Leaky Cauldron," Hermione informed him. "I'm in some dire need of Firewhisky." Apparently she and Ginny were thinking the same thing, for Ginny did not correct Hermione. Instead, the redhead just simply nodded her head in agreement.

However, Hermione's reply caused Harry and Ron to share a strange glance with one another before they composed themselves and told her they could use a drink too. Hermione didn't catch the looks when she suggested getting a drink, and it was probably for the best. After the war, she found herself drinking whatever would take her pain away, and it was mostly Firewhisky. She then became consumed by it, and it took months to get her back to where she was now. Still broken, but hiding under a fake smile and many laughs.

The Leaky Cauldron was busy because it was nearing the evening, and that was when the witches and wizards liked to get drunk on their favorite beverages — especially Firewhisky.

"I'll go get the drinks," Harry volunteered, while the three friends found a booth in the corner and waited for Harry to return.

"Bloody shopping," Ron complained as the shopping bags crammed against him on both sides. He sadly wished the bags were Hermione snuggling against him instead. 

"I haven't had Firewhisky in forever," Ginny told Hermione. "I can't say that I'm not excited," she laughed.

"I haven't had any since — " Hermione stopped mid-sentence, and it caused silence to pour over the three.