Summary: After a long day at the office, Hermione and Draco join their friends at the Leaky Cauldron for some drinks. When no one is looking, however, someone slips something into Hermione's drink and it's really only because Draco was paying attention that it doesn't get worse.

Twigger Warning: mentions and use of date rape drugs.

Stepping into the Leaky Cauldron was like stepping into a very bright, very exuberant fantasy world in which everyone had self-confidence, and no one worried about money. It was especially so on a Friday evening after the Ministry had locked its doors and all the workers had been sent home. Typically, Hermione would have stayed away from the Leaky, but with Draco—quite literally—dragging her by the hand inside, she had no choice but to join in the fun.

She wasn't a foreigner to the Leaky Cauldron, far from it in fact. She was friends with the barman, Tom, and knew most of the regulars by name. It was just that Friday nights were usually spent in her flat with a warm cup of tea and a good book. It was easier to relax that way. Draco, however, tended to pull her along on more adventures over the weekend and it was no longer uncommon for her to visit the Leaky Cauldron at least one Friday a month.

"Hermione!" a group cheered to her right.

Hermione grinned over at a table that held many of her Gryffindor friends. Harry and Ron were pressed into the wall while Ginny, Padma, Seamus, and Dean crowded around the small table. Glancing at Draco, she pulled away from him to greet her friends.

"You should consider a bigger table," she suggested, unable to squeeze in between Ginny and Padma.

"There isn't one available," Ginny told her, swaying slightly as she raised a glass of firewhiskey to her mouth.

A cup of butterbeer was set in front of Hermione and she turned around to see Draco smiling behind her. He sipped his glass of firewhiskey and pointed out Blaise and Pansy in the far corner.

"I'm going over there," he told her. She nodded quickly and turned back around to gulp down her butterbeer.

While Draco tended to get on well enough with her friends, she knew better than to force him around Ron. Ron was still certain Draco couldn't be trusted which made for a rather awkward dinner when Draco came around.

"Say, is that Cormac McLaggen?" Padma asked loudly, drawing the attention of the entire table as well as Cormac.

At the sight of the group in front of him, Cormac grinned. The table cheered as he stumbled over to join them, pressing in between Hermione and Padma. He already had a glass of firewhiskey that was half way gone, but seemed to be tipsy enough Hermione felt certain it wasn't his first.

"Been a while since I've seen you lot!" Cormac said. He smiled at all of them then looked at Hermione and said, "Hey, Granger."

"McLaggen," she said, nodding at him before taking another large sip of her butterbeer. She and Cormac had never been terribly close, but he was friendly enough she felt they could be considered friends.

"How's the Ministry?" he asked. Hermione shrugged and he laughed. "Not Minister yet?"

"I'm afraid it may be a few years," she replied. Cormac grinned and they talked while the rest of the table broke off into their own conversation.

At some point, Hermione noticed their group had expanded even more and the room was getting louder. Draco was still with Blaise and Pansy, but she caught him glancing at her every now and then. At some point during her third drink, he'd grinned and raised his glass at her, something that made her giggle before she could stop herself.

"More butterbeer, Granger?" Cormac asked, setting a fresh cup down in front of her. Hermione blinked, not remembering when she'd finished her last cup but smiled at him nonetheless.

The night continued on, but Hermione stopped drinking after her fourth butterbeer. She had never really held her alcohol that well and she was teetering on the edge of tipsy and drunk, so she stopped. There was no reason for her to have a hangover in the morning and if she were honest, the sweet taste of butterbeer was beginning to make her sick.

"I should head home, guys," she announced after waving goodbye to Pansy from across the room.

Around the table, everyone booed her, but Hermione knew they wouldn't keep her. She slipped off her stool, swaying more than she expected, and said her goodbyes to everyone. When she swayed again, Cormac offered to take her home.

"You're drunk, Granger," he said with a smile. He grabbed her arm to steady her and said, "Someone should make sure you get home safely."

"Oh, but I have D—" she trailed off, looking for Draco in the room. Her vision was blurry, something she didn't usually suffer from when drunk, and she couldn't find him. Had he left her?

"Come on," Cormac said. He waved to the table as well and held Hermione's hand tightly in his. Stumbling slightly, Hermione followed after him.

Her head was spinning and it was hard to make her body do what she wanted it to do, but Cormac didn't slow down. At some point, she realised they were walking behind the Leaky Cauldron and down an unfamiliar path, but her mouth couldn't quite form the words to ask him where they were going. When Cormac grabbed her arms tightly and pinned her to the wall, she began to worry.

"Cormac?" she asked, though it sounded more like a moan than a word. "I gotta—I gotta go home."

She squinted, trying to make out Cormac's face and frowning at the smirk she managed to see.

"No, Hermione," he said, running a hand over her hair. "You're not going home."

At that, Hermione began to panic more and attempted to break out of his hold. Her arms felt like lead, though, and she couldn't squirm enough to escape his grip. As she wiggled uncomfortably, she felt one of his hands reach out and grab her breast. She immediately stopped moving.

"There you go," Cormac murmured. She scrunched her nose up as his hot breath hit her ear. "Stop fighting me."

"Let go," she attempted to say. Cormac did no such thing and she felt him press even closer.

She rolled her head to the side to avoid his face and barely managed to make out a familiar body standing nearby. Before she could ask who it was, the person was shoving Cormac off of her and casting a petrifying spell.

Hermione slumped to the ground, not having the energy to keep standing. The person who had tugged Cormac off kicked him sharply, spewing profanities before stopping and turning to look at her. He crouched down in front of her and put a cool hand on her face.

"Hermione? Hey, it's me," he said. Hermione squinted at him and for a split second, Draco's face became clear in front of her.

"Draco!" she cried. She tipped forward, struggling to wrap her arms around him in the state she was in. Draco got the message though and hugged her back tightly.

It wasn't until she pulled her face away from Draco's chest that she realised he'd picked her up and was carrying her out of the ally. Cormac was still petrified on the ground, but Hermione was quickly distracted by Draco shouting at someone behind her.

"Oh shit!"

Hermione turned her head to see a very blurry Harry and Ginny rushing towards them. Draco didn't set her down as he told Harry about Cormac in the ally.

"He drugged her," Draco grumbled. Harry glared at Cormac down the ally and glanced up at Draco. "I'm taking her home, I just thought you could take care of that for me?"

Hermione was in no state to be left alone and as badly as Draco wanted to pummel McLaggen, he knew he shouldn't. Especially with everyone still arguing over whether he had truly changed. Harry would make sure McLaggen got the message though and if Draco decided he hadn't been punished enough, he could always stop by McLaggen's flat.

"Home?" Hermione asked, wiggling in his arms.

Draco held onto her tighter and nodded. While he'd had two drinks, he was still perfectly capable of apparating. He'd kept an eye on Hermione even while with Blaise and Pansy and after her second drink, he knew he'd have to be her escort home. He didn't mind though, and wondered if he ever would.

"Yeah," Draco replied, walking to an apparation point. "We're gonna go home."

He'd deal with McLaggen in the morning.