Two years after the Battle for Hogwarts

Hermione cringed. Every single store in Diagon Alley looked like a cupid had shat all over it. Hearts and flowers abounded everywhere. The pinks and reds making her want to vomit. It was inescapable.

She opened the door to Flourish and Blotts and went inside. She had ordered several books she hoped had arrived.

Once inside she let herself peruse the shelves and poked around the aisles that were normally completely devoid of people. She turned down one, heading for the ancient rune section when she paused. There was someone there. A tall, lean someone with ginger hair.

He looked up over the book he was perusing and smiled upon seeing who it was.

"Hermione!" he said with genuine warmth and a bit of excitement.

"Bill, it's been too long! How are you?" she asked happily as she stepped towards him.

"I'm good. Just transferred back to London. Don't start work until tomorrow so I thought I'd poke around a little. How are things with you?"

"Good. I actually start at the Ministry next week. I'm excited."

Before he could reply a little charmed cupid cherub flew overhead and sprinkled them with little paper heart confetti.

Both of them cast death glares at the cupid and said at the same time, "I hate Valentine's Day."

At the realization of what they both said, their eyes met and they laughed. Bill teased, "Now I know why I hate it, but you?"

Hermione shrugged. Things with her and Ron never materialized after the war and since then she'd had trouble figuring out if a man asking her out was truly interested in her or just her war hero status. "I've just been busy with my NEWTs and getting this job, let's just say dating just hasn't been a priority."

"Mum wrote me about your NEWTS and the new job. We're all very proud of you, you know." There was a gentleness to his voice and genuineness to his words that just made her blush.

"Thank you. It was a lot of work but worth it I think."

Bill nodded, having received as many NEWTs as she did he knew exactly how much work she had put in.

"I heard about you and Fleur. I don't honestly know what to say except I'm sorry."

He shrugged, his divorce a year ago something he had come to accept. "A lot of things were broken after the war, she and I were just one more thing. Nothing for you to be sorry for."

They turned and started walking back down the aisle. They turned at the end and ran smack into an enormous display of a particularly trashy witch bodice-ripping romance novel.

They both snorted and Hermione murmured, "I think I need to vomit."

It made Bill chuckle beside her and he teased, "So I shouldn't get that for you for your birthday in September?"

She made a playful horrified face and they both laughed.

They paid for their books and left the store. They were going to part ways when Bill asked, "So do you have plans for dinner tonight?"

"My new arithmancy book, my pajamas, and take-away curry," she replied with a smirk.

"Or maybe dinner with a friend at the new bistro that just opened up instead?"

"As much as I would enjoy dinner with you, there's no way we would get a table on Valentine's Day, Bill."

Bill reached up and tugged his ear and said sheepishly, "Before it opened I did some work for the owner to clear out a couple of nasty things he found in the basement of the restaurant and he's got my name on a reservation for tonight. I wasn't going to go by myself but if you don't want to sit home, we could go together and have some fun."

Hermione didn't hesitate. She knew it wasn't a date, he had said dinner with a friend after all, but at least being out and having fun wouldn't make her feel quite so pathetic. "Then I'd love to go."

Hermione had agonized only a little over what to wear that evening. She had actually had a new dress hanging in her closet that she had been saving for a special occasion and decided that tonight counted as such. She spent some time pinning the sides of her hair back away from her face with the fancy little floral clips Ginny had given her for her birthday a while back and she applied a bit of makeup. When she stepped back from the mirror she smiled at her reflection. She felt pretty, but still like herself, and it gave her a bit of confidence.

When Hermione opened the door to her flat all Bill could do was stare for a moment. The deep purple lace dress Hermione had on clung to every curve and while long sleeved, modest, and not overly skin revealing, left his brain a bit short circuited and thinking things he probably had no business thinking about her.

Bill blinked for a moment then realized she was looking at him, a little unsure of his reaction. He smiled widely. "You look beautiful," he said, meaning it completely.

Hermione grinned back and blushed, no one other than her parents, and especially not a member of the opposite sex, had ever called her beautiful before in such an earnest way. Yet there was no hesitation in Bill's words and she had caught the way he looked at her when she first opened the door. It had not been a look that say, Harry or George, would have given her, no, it was a smoldering look she had seen Bill give Fleur on more than one occasion at the Burrow. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that, but let herself enjoy it none the less.

Diagon Alley was very busy as they apparated, all the shops and businesses going all out for Valentine's Day evening even more so than they had earlier in the day. There was a festive air that was contagious and Hermione found herself smiling as they walked towards the bistro.

Hermione tried hard not to notice how natural Bill's hand felt on the small of her back as they wove their way through the crowds along the busy street. His manners were exquisite, so vastly different from his youngest brother's. He made her feel feminine and lady-like but not at all weak or helpless. She also tried particularly hard not to notice how everyone was treating them as a proper couple.

Midway there they came across a positively ancient old witch selling long-stemmed roses out of a basket. The old witch was fixture on the street, always selling something out of the big basket on her arm, flowers mostly, but sometimes knit scarves in the winter and little paper fans in the summer. Most witches and wizards treated her kindly, Bill was no exception, he was rather fond of the old crone. He picked out a stunning lilac colored rose and gave the witch five galleons for it, easily ten times how much he should have and he almost made the old witch cry.

He turned and gave it to Hermione with a grin. "For you, Miss Granger. To match your dress."

She took it with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley, it's lovely."

With a little nod to the old witch Bill offered Hermione his arm, a warm feeling spreading in his chest as she took it and they turned to continue on their way.

The bistro was beautiful inside. The walls and ceiling charmed to look like the Italian countryside. There were live grapevines and ivy creating private little nooks and large Roman marble columns. The wrought iron tables were set with crisp white linens and candles. It was wonderfully romantic and Hermione had to remind herself that this was only supposed to be dinner with a friend.

The owner of the bistro saw the hostess seat Bill and Hermione and came bustling over. "Mr. Weasley, you made it after all, I am so pleased. And I am so honored that you brought the lovely Miss Granger. I will let my chef know to prepare all his best dishes for you both. Enjoy your evening, I will check on you soon."

He left and Hermione looked around the restaurant taking it all in with a smile, Bill, in turn, watched Hermione, something he couldn't seem to stop himself from doing.

The wine steward arrived with a lovely bottle of elf made wine that was compliments of the owner and they sipped their wine as their conversation started flowing.

They meandered from topic to topic as course after course of food along with another bottle of wine was delivered to their table. They sampled and shared and laughed as they found things they liked and didn't like.

There was a particular level of ease and comfort between them that made the servers and other patrons believe they were long term couple. There was even a small wager between a couple of servers betting that Bill was actually there to propose to Hermione in the romantic setting. They would have all been shocked to discover that they weren't, in fact, a couple at all.

It had been a long and leisurely dinner. The sky was dark and twinkling with starlight, a sliver of silvery moon up high when they exited the bistro. They walked out into Diagon Alley slowly, neither seemingly overly anxious to have the evening end.

Bill kept finding himself having to fight the urge to put his arm around her as they walked.

He had been on a lot of dinner dates before, many of them awkward first dates, but none that been so easy and enjoyable as tonight. There had been no stumbling over conversation with Hermione. They didn't have to reach for interesting things to talk about, if anything they had an over abundance in that regard. He found it hard to believe that the warm, intelligent, and witty witch by his side was single. How other wizards couldn't see what an amazing woman she was he just didn't know.

He finally shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and kept them there out of trouble. He had invited her as a friend and he doubted she would appreciate him changing course on that here in the middle of things.

Hermione just couldn't keep herself from smiling as they walked. She passed it off as smiling at things in the shoppe windows or other pedestrians but in reality it was the replay of their dinner playing over and over in her head as they walked.

Rarely could she find someone to keep up with her intellectually. Finding that Bill had no issues keeping up with her on any one of the thousand random topics they had discussed as they ate had come as a very pleasant surprise. She had known that he was intelligent of course and that as a curse breaker that he was skilled in many disciplines, but to have him happily steer their conversation into topics that she had aways been told that she was the only odd bird to actually enjoy had made her look at him in a whole new way.

It was a way that she wasn't sure if she should let herself think about overly much. Though, she reluctantly admitted to herself, their intellectual compatibility coupled with his expression when she had opened her door, an expression she had never seen cast in her direction before, made her wish that it hadn't been just dinner with a friend.

As quickly as that thought bloomed in her mind she locked it down.

Bill apparated with Hermione back to her apartment. They stood at the door, both smiling though neither said anything outright.

Bill didn't know why exactly he did it, it just felt right somehow as he reached up and toyed with one of her errant curls that had escaped the clips she was wearing . His hand wanted to linger near her face, to keep playing with her curls but he pulled it back, albeit regretfully.

Hermione smiled. "Thank you for tonight, Bill. I really enjoyed myself."

He returned her smile. "So did I, Hermione. More than I expected, honestly, I never realized just how much we actually have in common."

She nodded, her smile back in force.

His eyes traveled to her mouth. He wanted to kiss her. Wanted to tangle his fingers in her hair and feel her body press against his. But that wasn't what they were to each other. He knew that even if he didn't want to believe it at this particular moment in time.

Seeing that same smoldering look from the start of their evening in his eyes again, she asked bravely, "Did this turn out to be a bit more than dinner with a friend for you?"

He grinned. "That depends on if it turned out to be a bit more than dinner with a friend for you."

She couldn't help but giggle. "Nice non-answer, Mr. Weasley," she teased, then added hesitantly, "I feel like I should be kissing you goodnight."

Honestly, he replied, "I feel the same way. Honestly I've been thinking it since we walked out of the bistro."

She swallowed nervously. "We probably shouldn't. If… if it didn't work out it would be weird, right? Awkward?"

He flashed another teasing grin. "Or maybe it does work out, then what?"

Hermione giggled again and blushed as she leaned back against her door. "That could be equally weird but in a whole different way."

Bill stepped nearer to her, in close, his lips poised right above hers and whispered, "Maybe we're over thinking this," a heartbeat before claiming her mouth with his.

Hermione had shared kisses with less then a handful of boys in her life. They had all been tentative, shy things. Nothing that made her toes curl and heat pool low in her sex like now. Bill's lips and tongue were doing things and demanding things in return that none of the boys she had kissed in the past had managed. As she pressed herself closer to Bill she realized that that was it in a nutshell- she had kissed boys in the past and the intelligent, accomplished, confident wizard pinning her up against her front door and making her feel like she was on fire was most definitely far from a boy.

Bill forced himself to pull back and put a little space between them. He kept his big hands tangled in her hair, though, and his eyes locked on hers.

There was no question of chemistry. Not an iota. His body was thrumming with desire, and given her responses, so was hers. If it had been any other woman he wouldn't have stopped, would have seduced his way into her flat and into her bed. But she was Hermione, someone important to him and his family, someone who deserved his best intentions, not just his basest.

In a hoarse whisper he asked, "Can I see you again?"

She smiled widely and nodded. "I'd like that very much."

He leaned in and kissed her again, gently this time. "Me too," he said softly against her mouth.

A pounding at her door roused Hermione the next morning. She grabbed her wand and threw open the door. Ginny, with a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands, pushed her way into the apartment without waiting to be asked in. Hermione closed the door and turned to face her friend.

Ginny had a cat-ate-the-canary look on her face as she asked Hermione, "So… something you haven't shared?"

"What are you talking about? I just woke up."

"So you had a good night last night, did you?"

Hermione turned and stomped to her kitchen and put on the kettle. "Please just say what you mean, I haven't had tea or gone to the loo yet."

A moment later Ginny had the Prophet open to the front page and held it out for Hermione to see.

The headline read, "Romance in the Air for War Heroes Hermione Granger and William Weasley?" It was accompanied by a photo of them sitting together, smiling, in the romantic little bistro.

Hermione's hands flew to cover her mouth in surprise.

Ginny grinned. "So you and Bill? How long? And why didn't you tell me?"

Hermione groaned. "It's not like that. We just ran into each other yesterday at the bookstore. Neither of us had plans and the bistro owner had saved him a table so we went to dinner. It was just a spontaneous thing."

"Oh," Ginny said, disappointed, then added, "Did you have fun at least? Of all my brothers I could see you with Bill, well, maybe Fred, too, but definitely Bill."

Hermione took the paper and looked at the photo. A flash of Bill's face as he leaned in to kiss her crossed her mind and she blushed. She admitted, "We had a really nice time. And…."

"You're blushing. Talk," Ginny teased mercilessly.

Hermione made a face but replied, "We kissed goodnight and he asked to see me again."

Ginny squealed and jumped up and down.

She was making tea for them both when a little white owl pecked at the kitchen window. Hermione let him in and reached for parchment scroll around his ankle.

Ginny offered, "That's Bill's new owl."

Hermione gave him a treat, noting that the happy, cooing little ball of fluff seemed to be waiting.

She opened up the parchment with a little feeling of dread given the Prophet article that quickly turned to both irritation and relief as she read his note.

Hermione,

I'm assuming you've seen this morning's Prophet? As a warning, so has the rest of the family. Mum sent me a howler for breakfast- one of her screeching for joy, happy ones. I got off lucky, the volume only broke two windows this time. I've also gotten owls from all my brothers, Harry, and my father that are… well let's just say… ridiculously over protective of you. It's like I'm suddenly a slimy sixth-year asking out their little sister. Gits.

I think it's going to be a long day for both of us, I'm sorry. I know you hate the spotlight. And we didn't talk about what if anything we wanted to tell the family yet either, but it looks like the cat is out of the bag on that one.

I really did enjoy myself last night and can't wait to do it again. Maybe you know a good Muggle restaurant we can try away from prying wizard eyes?

Bill

P.S. At least it was a really good picture of us, though. I wonder what we were talking about just then?

Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table watching Hermione read the note, trying to gauge her reaction. Hermione simply handed Ginny the note and went to dig out a quill and fresh piece of parchment to reply to Bill.

Ginny laughed. "Wow. Someone's got my big brother wrapped around her little finger."

Hermione gave her a flat look. "We just had a really nice time, that's all."

"I can picture Mum's howler to you now. She's probably planning the wedding already," Ginny said, then mimicked her mother, "Spring is a lovely time of year, my dear."

"Oh no, don't say that, it's far to soon to even joke about that," Hermione groaned.

Ginny looked at the note again and snorted back a laugh. "Slimy sixth-year."

"They all do realize that I am an adult, right? I can take care of myself," Hermione replied with a huff.

"That's not how brothers work, Hermione."

Bill's owl flew in and landed on the little perch on the corner of his desk. Bill put down the scroll he was reading and gave the little owl a scratch. "Hello, Gypsum."

He untied the parchment from the owl's leg and gave him a dried cricket as a treat. He unrolled the note and read:

Bill,

Ginny pounded on my door first thing this morning with the Prophet letting me know. I'm so sorry everyone is ganging up on you. Honestly, I'm very put out with all of them. You can be sure that I will remind them that I'm an adult and capable of making my own decisions and that if they don't like it, that I know more hexes than most of them and I'm not afraid to use them.

I really, really enjoyed myself last night and I'm sorry it turned into this complete disaster. Although, you're right, it was a nice picture at the very least. I do have several favorite Muggle restaurants we could try, I rather like your idea about being away from prying wizard eyes.

I hope your first day in your new position goes well, you'll have to tell me all about your new job responsibilities when we go to dinner.

Hermione

P.S. I adore your little owl. What's his name?

Bill was relieved. He knew how much the press had hurt Hermione in the past and how much she despised being thrust into the limelight like that. He had been afraid that she wouldn't want to see him again because of it. The owls from his family and Harry this morning had surprised him, they all seemed to insinuate that he planned on taking advantage of Hermione somehow, as if he were some creepy stranger or something.

He knew that his irritation with them came from the fact that, as he had decided last night, he had only the best of intentions towards Hermione and felt as if that was being called into question. No matter what the future held for a potential relationship between them, he would never disrespect her, certainly not now and certainly not in the future even if things did not work out between them. They only had to look at how considerately and respectfully he treated Fleur both during their divorce and even now still here a year later. Why they thought he would treat Hermione any differently quite boggled his mind.

He had gone to bed quite happy with how his Valentine's Day had ended last night. It felt like a beginning for him, finally a step forward after the war and his divorce, something good and positive that had been missing in his life. Then this morning he had felt more and more disheartened with each letter warning him off from Hermione.

But now, as she so indignantly reminded him that she was an adult capable of making her own decisions and that her decision was that she did want to see him again, he was back to being hopeful and optimistic about this new fledgling romantic spark between them.

He grinned to himself as he imagined her expression of irritation, she had always been utterly adorable when she was annoyed. He doubted the family was going to know what hit them when she got a hold of them. He chuckled over that and reached for a clean piece of parchment to reply to her.

tbc...