She walked into the Sticks, the bar that Tracey had suggested. It was pretty busy, hardly any seats left. Think I'll get a drink. No work in the morning, I can indulge a bit. She walked up to the bar and wedged herself in between two people, sitting on the last available stool.

 "Can I get a pint?" she asked the barkeep. At his nod she glanced around. There are a lot of people here. Wonder if Tracey will be able to find me? She looked to her right and saw a familiar face sitting beside her. "Hello, Harry. Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?" 

Harry looked over at the blonde with a raised eyebrow. It was very rare he was referred to as just 'Harry'. It was usually his full name, said in a voice of awe, like they were surprised he actually did things other than killing dark wizards and not dying. "Fine."

He'd come to the Sticks to celebrate his first full week as an Auror. The drinks were free, one perk of knowing the owner. Mac had been here but had been called away, and Brody had all but taken his arm off, shaking his hand in congratulations. He glanced back down at his drink, the ice slowly moving in the liquid as he turned the glass on the wood of the bar. He looked back over at the blonde, not really able to place her face. "And you?"

 "Good, I'm good." Simone noticed a look of uncertainty on his face. "Simone Capper, I was two years ahead of you at Hogwarts? Yeah, it was two years," she said nodding. "I was a Ravenclaw. I work at the Ministry, also. I'm on the third floor, Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee. We may have seen each other in the lifts, but I wouldn't expect you to remember. Must have loads of people introducing themselves to you." Simone smiled at him. "What can you do though? Taking down a mass murderer, it will get you noticed." She shrugged playfully.

He smirked into his drink. "Yes. Because I did it all myself, you know." He turned on the stool, leaning against the bar on one elbow. "Two years ahead. Ravenclaw. I think I remember now."

She was looking at him with a smile. It was a nice smile. "Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, huh? Feed anyone any good excuses lately?"

 Simone looked towards the ceiling, her eyebrows together in concentration. She snapped her fingers when she thought of a good story, "We had a trainee try to come up with an excuse the other day. A muggle got hexed in the arse by a wizard, and the trainee tried to say that it was a pirana. Mind you, this was in the middle of London." Simone smiled. "Never a dull day at the office. Though I suppose it's the same for you? You must get loads of ridiculous complaints, and what, with the weird peacock thing? I don't envy your job." She gave him a faux-pitying glance.

Harry smiled. "Weird peacock thing. I think that's the best way I've heard the situation talked about all week long." He liked that she wasn't in arms about the Mark and everything else that had happened that night. He'd gotten hundreds of calls about people seeing the Dark Mark in the sky, only to have it turn out to be a cloud. She didn't seem concerned, and he appreciated not really having to talk about it in hushed tones. "Do you come here often?"

His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Oh, someone kill me for using that line. Seriously. Murder me.

 Simone smiled at Harry. She shook her head and tried to ignore the pickup line that he had just used. "No, actually I don't. I'm meeting a friend, Tracey Davis? We are planning the Ministry's Annual Ball. Loads of fun." She rolled her eyes. "What about you? You come here often?" At this she raised her eyebrows.

"I know the owners." He nodded at the mention of the Ball. "You know, every year they throw that thing and I've managed to avoid it by being a trainee. I don't think I'll be able to pull that this year, sadly." He cocked his head to the side. "But you're planning it? That may make things marginally better." 

Simone raised her eyebrows at him, "Yes it might. I was wondering how I was going to survive through it. With you there, though, I think I will manage." She looked over his head and saw Tracey heading towards them. She fixed her gaze on Harry again, "Listen, Tracey's here. Would it be too forward for me to ask to do this again?"

"Be glib about the Ministry and purple birds in the sky?" He smiled when she looked back at him with a rather odd look on her face. "You mean, have drinks? Yeah. I think that can be arranged."

 Simone grinned at Harry. "Fantastic. I'll owl you then." She looked at Tracey who had just come upon them. "Hi, Tracey. I'll be with you in a moment." Tracey smirked and nodded toward Harry and walked off to find a table. "So, that's it then? I guess I'll see you at the office?"

Harry looked from the retreating back of Tracey Davis to the woman before him. "All right." He honestly hadn't been expecting running into anyone tonight, besides Mac and Brody, but he was finding he wasn't really regretting this. "Maybe on Monday."

 "Okay," Simone said while backing herself to the table Tracey had managed to find for them. "Monday, then." She turned around to face Tracey and mouthed the words, Oh Merlin. As she sat down across from the other woman she said, "I've just asked Harry Potter out." She broke into a smile, "I've never done anything like that before. Felt brilliant... And horrifying all at the same time..."

 She looked up to Tracey and mentally shook herself. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about my life, though." She took a deep breath, her stomach was full of butterflies. A waitress came to their table and she gave a grateful sigh, "I will have another pint, please, and a shot of Firewhisky." She looked to Tracey. "What? That was traumatizing. I've never done that before in my life," she said at Tracey's raised eyebrows.

"Oh, what the hell! I'll have a Sangria and bring me a shot of Firewhisky too." Tracey told the waiter before turning to Simone and grinning. "I've never really been a big drinker. I usually end up with things written on myself if I do. I'm more of the type that has to remain semi-sober in order to keep my friends from cursing themselves. This will be a fun change. Just make sure I don't curse myself, and for Salazar's sake, don't let me near a tattoo parlour."

Simone laughed. This was turning out to be a swell night. "Ok, but I can't promise anything. I don't really do this either. I'm working off of what I've seen other people do." She looked down at her Firewhisky shot the waitress had brought her, along with the other drinks. "Okay. I think we just drink this in one huge gulp." She raised her questioning eyes to Tracey. At Tracey's nod they both threw the shot back and made faces as they swallowed.

 "Gah!" Simone said as she shook a little from the strong taste. "Well, that was interesting. Now, how are the invitations coming along? I say we get business out of the way, and then we can have drinks. I've got nothing planned for the morning," she said with a smile to Tracey.

"Wow! That's dreadful stuff. Don't know how Greg does it." Tracey wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "And the invitations? They're done. Ready to be sent in tomorrow morning's owl post, actually. I'm actually getting more concerned about what I'm going to wear than with the party plans. They seem to be shaping up quite well, really. I'm sure I have friends who are going to be dying for an invitation. I've never actually had a date for one of these things before, so this ball will be that much more fun for me. What about you? You've just asked the 'Savior of the Wizarding World' out on a date. I take that to mean you don't have a special someone at home already. Or, you do, and you just like messing with Gryffindors."

"No, I've no one at home." Simone looked at Tracey with a look of horror in her eyes, "I've got to find a dress, too!" Simone thought to herself for a moment, "Wait, you need a dress, and I need a dress... Why don't we shop for them together. That way, if I pick out something awful, you can be there to advise me. You don't have to though. It was just a thought."

"You just happen to be drinking with the best talker-outer of bad dresses in all of Britain. I do it on a regular basis with Pansy. I think it would be marvelous for you and I to go shopping together. It's not like I really do anything anyway so it's really up to you the when and the where." Tracey finished off her Sangria and motioned for another from the bar. "It's two weeks away. Formal Dress. If we want them form fitted, we'll have to do it this week. Whatever's good for you. Theo works during the day, so I'm free every day unless I want to be. Lunch on Tuesdays. But yeah, other than that, any time is good."

Simone raised her eyebrows. "Greg and Theo? Wow. I'm jealous." Simone smirked. 

Tracey nearly choked on her drink. "What? No! Not Greg. Eww!" Even if she hadn't been drinking Tracey would be on the verge of vomiting at that. "Greg Goyle. He's practically my brother. I'd never... he's not even... yeah, that was just wrong. I need an Obliviator." She shuddered at the images. "No, I'm seeing Theodore Nott. He's a Healer at St. Mungo's; he works in the research department. Not Greg. That would be so wrong." The world was getting a little bit fuzzy and the things Simone was saying started to get a little more funny.

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed.... Anyway, dresses. Next week you said? How about Tuesday? That work for you? We could shop during the lunch hour, and let's face it. We can take all the time we need. If the Director asks what I'm up to, I can tell him I am working with the party planner. No lies." Simone smiled at Tracey and took another drink from her mug and asked the waitress that passed for two more Firewhiskys. "This is really fun. I'm glad we did this."

Once the first set of shots went down they requested a second and then a third, giggling as they struggled with keeping the small glasses from spilling. There were far too many amusing things surrounding them. One particular witch had hair that was obviously (hopefully) charmed to look like the Eiffel Tower, at least that's what it looked like, and Tracey had pointed at it between snorts so Simone wouldn't miss it as the witch walked through the crowd. The crowds were getting markedly thinner as the night wore on. The two women had consumed too many shots to count that no doubt the staff were probably beginning to get concerned that they wouldn't be able get home all right.

Tracey's defenses were completely down when she heard herself say, "So, you'd actually date a Muggle-lover like Potter?" 

 Simone snorted and giggled at the people Tracey was pointing out. "What is that? Honestly?" When she heard Tracey refer to Harry as a 'muggle-lover' she froze. Smiling at the thought of Harry she said, "I can overlook that one minor flaw. I mean, he is rather attractive and fit. It would be a shame to turn that down."

 She motioned for Tracey to get closer and whispered, "I agree with you by the way. What you said earlier. Muggles are awful, rotten creatures." Simone's face fell. "I grew up with them... before Hogwarts, I mean. They...," she frowned, "I got attacked quite a few times, actually." Her face tightened as she tried to smile, "So, I agree with you. Muggles deserve...." Simone broke off and looked off into the crowd.

Tracey patted her new friend's hand in a somewhat comical sense of sympathy since she was beyond plastered at the moment. "They're horrid. Really have no idea what's going on in the world. I'd read that they'd hurt you and was so appalled that the Muggle authorities would let something like that go on. We hear all the rhetoric about how evil the Dark Lord and his 'minions' were, but Muggles? They are just as evil. They're blind and evil. Most are anyway," she thought of little Chi and a twinge of guilt encompassed her but only for a moment. "Those people that... that hurt you, did you ever go back?"

"I KNOW!" Simone cried. She whispered, "Voldemort was never as bad. The only reason I didn't," she glanced around, "fully support him was because of all the wizard deaths." She paused and thought to herself, I should not have said that. That was too much. I should stop drinking... She pushed her glass away from her and said to Tracey, "I went back just during the summer breaks at Hogwarts, but I kept to myself. Wait... you read about me? Where?" 

Tracey hadn't noticed the slip, perhaps it's because she had thought the same thing dozens of times. "The way the Ministry overreacted, it makes me grateful my mother has no political ambition at all other wise I'd have lost Whittom too. They took things from defenceless wizarding children! I'm not above a few wizards going down if it keeps bastards like Fudge or Scrimgeour out of office." Tracey made a face and then realised Simone had asked her a question. Refusing to feel guilty now that she fully understood the witch across from her she explained plainly, "I was fairly certain you were going to have be carted off to Azkaban the last time we met. I don't usually let my leanings slip, at least in public anyway. Hell, even Theodore has no idea what I am thinking about when it comes to this. However, as I always do when taking on a project, I had your background looked in to. I hope you don't mind. As soon as I read the horrible things... as soon as I knew about your past, I knew that you'd never be like those other people who don't approve of proper pure-blooded witches, just because they happened to be sorted into Slytherin as children."

I honestly don't know how to feel about this, Simone thought. She shrugged and thought, I'll think about it tomorrow. "I think I had too much to drink," Simone said to Tracey. She looked at her watch and said, "It's pretty late, too. I should get home, my owl will be worried." At this, Simone snorted with laughter.

Tracey giggled. "I know I had too much to drink and I know it's getting late. I wonder if my Healer-boyfriend will take pity on me and make me some hangover potion in the morning or if he'll tell me I deserve it and bang things around loudly." She was wobbly as she stood up but without looking toward the bar, where the dastardly handsome Brody MacDougall was bound to be, she held to the back of the chair and asked, "Flooing? Or are you going to attempt to Apparate in your state?" The world started twirling. "I think I'm going to get my house-elf to escort me home. Want one?""

Simone groaned at the idea of Apparating home. "Are you kidding? Apparate in a state like this? I'd splinch myself." She burst into snorts and giggles again. "I think I'll Floo. But, I need to get myself a house-elf. Where exactly does one acquire a house-elf? Oh, and if your Healer makes you some hangover potion, be a dear and send me some? I don't think I'll survive without it," she said as she wobbled to her feet.
"Will do. I have no idea how one acquires elves. Ours just kept having baby elves. Though Greg did give me one when he tried to kill himself last week. Maybe he knows how. I'll ask him tomorrow. Artanis?" She said firmly, despite not standing on very solid feet.

The house-elf appeared and knew immediately what his mistress wanted. He walked to her and held out his hand, grabbing her softly and telling her to hold on. "Hangover potion tomorrow and shopping next week," she grinned at her new friend just before she let the elf take her home.

"Right," said Simone. "See you next week." Simone wobbled over to the fireplace and grabbed some power. Throwing it into the fireplace she shouted her flat's address and stepped forward. She slid into the sitting room of her flat, snorting. How on earth she had managed that she had no idea. Crawling to her couch, she crawled onto it and fell asleep.

 [Summary: Simone goes to the Sticks to meet Tracey and winds up with a date with 'the boy who lived to use bad pick-up lines']