Title: Date Night (A tribute to CATS; the theater play)

By: snowprince808

Pairing: Harry x Hermione

Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me.

Summary: Harry works hard for the night he's been preparing for, for years. Will he ever get the results he had been wishing for? Or will he spoil everything due to his nerves?

"Crookshanks…" Hermione called for the nth time. "Your food is here so will you please come out now? I have to leave in an hour's time" she pleaded with a sigh then placed the plate of cat food in front of the sofa where the cat was hiding underneath. "Fine, I give up"

She had just finished bathing and was bent on choosing what shoes to match her mauve coloured pencil- cut dress. She read the note Harry sent her that morning. He stated there that she should 'dress up'. But what does he mean by 'dress up' exactly? That part confused her. He didn't even tell her where they'll be going. Ever since the note arrived, she could feel a tinge of excitement running through her spine which she couldn't explain. Finally, she chose a shimmering pair of gray pumps. To top it all off, she dabbed a bit of gloss then carefully applied a bit of eye liner. She made sure she had all her valuables intact in her bag before she left for their meeting place.

"Hermione, over here," Harry greeted from behind her with a smile. She turned around and saw him wearing a coat and tie. "Hi" she greeted warmly.

They were standing in front of a coffee shop.

"So where are we headed this evening?" she asked.

"We're still a bit early for our destination so I was about to suggest that we stay here for a while. Would you like to grab something to eat?"

"Well…" she looked at him uncertainly.

"Okay, I'll tell you where we're going… I got us tickets to Cats since today is the premiere. Is that alright with you?" he watched her reaction.

"Are you insane? I love Cats!" she exclaimed breathlessly. Her eyes were sparkling.

"Yeah, I figured that one out," he grinned and pulled a chair out for her. "Shall we? It'd be just a few minutes walk from here."

They placed their orders and enjoyed the cool breeze as they talked about random things. Once they were finished, they took their time walking on their way to the theater, hand in hand. By the time arrived, the door was just about to close since the usually close it 30 minutes before the play actually begins. Harry showed their tickets to the guy by the door and an usherette approached them. Then lead them to their seats at the balcony. It was very cold inside the theater. Everyone was waiting in anticipation as the lights went out one by one. The red curtains were slowly drawn revealing an elegant white cat at the center of the stage. Hermione watched in amusement as the other 'cats' joined the stage wearing colourful costumes. She hummed along every song while drumming her fingers in her lap. Harry glanced at her, smiling secretly. He was glad that she's having a good time. So far, everything was going well and he was keeping his fingers crossed. Hopefully, it would last the whole night. The play ended, and he led her to the backstage to meet the actors.

"I forgot to tell you that I chanced upon backstage passes for us too" he told her as they headed to the backstage. Her eyes widened "Really? That's wonderful Harry!"

The actors who portrayed Rum Tum Tugger and Grizabella went out of their dressing rooms to greet them. The guy even punched Harry's arm playfully "Nice to see you here, mate".

"We thought you wouldn't come" the girl added.

"I thought so too" Harry replied "I brought someone with me. This is Hermione, she's a fan of the play."

"Nice to meet you, Hermione" the two said in unison and extended their hands at the same time. Their make up was starting to wear off already and it was just then when she noticed they're twins. "My pleasure" she smiled "You two were great"

"Thank you. Anyway, I'm Renee and he's my twin, Zach" she introduced their selves.

"So are you going to accept our offer, finally?" Zach asked suddenly.

"You'd be perfect for that role" Renee agreed.

"Er… no thanks. I don't know how to act and…and I'm really busy" Harry answered hastily.

"What role is that?" Hermione asked curiously.

"We offered him the lead role in 'Equus'. There'll be a local run by February next year and we might even have a few shows abroad," Renee explained.

Hermione tried her best not to show any reaction but coughed later on. The twins laughed and jokingly asked if she wanted to see Harry take on the role. She shook her head profusely looking horrified for a split second. The twins laughed even more at this. Harry blushed but looked away so no one would notice too much.

"Oh we've got to run. Let's have lunch together sometime ok? Bye…" Renee told them and left with her brother.

"The lead role in Equus, huh?" Hermione repeated once they left the theater. Harry was still blushing hard. "Stop it, just thinking about it is making me red."

"It's not," she objected. "I think you should even be flattered"

"I don't know…" he trailed off, scratching his head unsurely. "Unless you really want to see me take on that role…" he said thoughtfully..

"O…of course not! I said so earlier, didn't I?"

"Really?" he drawled and stared at her doubtfully from the corner of his eyes. Then smiled teasingly

"Oh shut up, Harry," she snapped, rolling her eyes at him.

"Alright, alright if you say so" he chuckled "C'mon, I'll take you home now".

Hermione nodded quietly. They walked down the small alley of cobbled stones, a block away from the West End then out to the main road. In just minutes, they arrived at the front lawn of the Grangers' home. "Thanks for bringing me out tonight, Harry. It's been a great night."

"I'm glad you liked it" he said, wiping his palms at the back of his pants. "Um…Hermione would you —-" he was cut off with his question when she suddenly dropped a kiss on his lips. She pulled back at once upon realizing that he was about to say something "Sorry, were you about to say something?" she asked.

Harry stared at her dazedly "Me? Uh… I … um" he looked around nervously as he tried to pull the ring out of his pocket but couldn't seem to get hold of it. He faced her again. All he could see were her lips. "Uh… Hermione, will you…"

"He was supposed to ask you to marry him!" Ron yelled from inside the house. One by one, he and her parents came out, each holding a candle. She looked back at Harry who had turned bright red but still managed to pop his intended question. Hermione gave a silent nod and embraced him. "Yes Harry" she whispered "Of course I'll marry you".

After the scene, everyone gathered in the living room with candles lit all over. Turns out, there was a black out in their whole street. Harry reprimanded Ron for popping the question before he could. Everyone laughed over it. After all, they still have a wedding to prepare.

A/N: Even though the plot is really simple, I hope people will still like it. I wanted to pay tribute to Cats which is one of my favorite musicals. Please review and who knows? I might even make another version with Draco this time around (please don't think of it as a bribe).