Almost 10.00
Sirius had to keep reminding himself that there was already a drink clutched in his hand as he wandered away from Regulus. The shiny silver trays held by the human servers kept catching his eye, glittering invitingly.
"Hello again," he said to the woman who he'd spoken to during the Quidditch signing. She was tall and dark haired, the sort he'd happily chat to all evening over drinks if he wasn't unsure he could trust his own restrained affections after so many glasses of champagne.
They smiled at one another and Sirius moved along, catching a blur of red hair. He quickly realised it was not Ginny, but Ron. They had parted on bad terms when Ron had come to Grimmauld Place, in mutual anger and indignation.
Sirius didn't feel a flair of irritation now as he moved around to Ron's front. The booze had done its job in blunting his emotions to a pleasant low level of amusement.
"Ron," he said, extending his hand "I was looking for one Weasley and found another." He wasn't slurring, but he had that alochol-induced smile plastered on his face.