Prompt #: B11 Hermione is so nervous about going on a first date with the man of her dreams that she asks her best friend Harry on a "practice date." Because, after all, practice makes perfect. Written for the Riddikulus Fest 2019.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this creation.
A/N: Many thanks to gaeilgerua for looking this over.
Practice Makes… What's Already There Perfect
"Harry, could you possibly do me a favour?" Hermione asked, looking at her best friend nervously.
"Yeah, Hermione, what's up?" Harry paused in what he was doing.
"So, you know how Theo finally asked me out?" she began, pausing to bite her lower lip.
Harry chuckled. "Yes, I do recall… You were so excited you nearly knocked your chair over when you read his letter."
Hermione blushed. "Yes, well, the excitement is starting to wear off, and I'm feeling just very nervous about it."
"Why? It's just getting coffee." Harry looked at her in confusion. "It's not an exam, Hermione."
"But it needs to be perfect," Hermione said, protesting quietly. "What if I mess something up? What if I do something wrong? He'll never want to see me again."
"You're reading way too much into this," Harry assured her. "Just take a deep breath and relax. You get coffee with Ginny and Luna all the time, just think of it like that."
"But it's a date," Hermione protested. "And if you look at my dating history, it's not very good."
"Ron doesn't count," Harry said with a laugh. "And Malfoy was a jerk."
"Okay, but they were both disasters," Hermione pointed out. She took a deep breath. "Could you just please do me a favour?"
"What is it?"
"Will you go on a practice date with me?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry pleadingly.
"Seriously?" Harry asked. "You want to practice your date?"
"Please," she whispered, pouting her lips slightly.
Harry laughed. "Fine, we can go later today if you want."
"Perfect!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. "Want to meet at the usual place? Two o'clock?"
"Okay, I'll meet you there," Harry said, shaking his head slightly at her. He returned his attention to his work in front of him.
"You're the best, Harry, love you!" Hermione headed towards the fireplace so she could Floo back to her home to get ready for her practice date.
Hermione looked inside the window of the small coffee shoppe that she and her friends frequented. She could see Harry sitting at one of the small tables, and she smiled, knowing that she had a friend that was able to put up with her nerves.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the shoppe. At the sound of the bell dinging, Harry looked up. She smiled warmly at him as she made her way towards him.
Harry stood. "Hey," he greeted her. "You look lovely."
She was wearing a yellow sundress; her hair battled into a messy braid. She beamed at Harry's compliment. "You look nice, too. Shall we?" she gestured to the counter.
"Of course." Harry made his way to the counter, Hermione following him. She got a whiff of Harry's cologne - it was something he usually didn't wear. And she noticed that he attempted to comb his hair.
Even though it was just a practice date, Hermione's heart was racing.
"What can I get for both of you?" the barista asked.
"Can I get a vanilla chai tea?" Hermione asked.
"Two blueberry scones," Harry added. "And an iced caramel latte."
Hermione smiled. Harry did love his sweets.
"Anything else?" the barista asked.
"Nope, that will be it," Harry said, pulling out a few coins. He looked at Hermione from the corner of his eye. "Let me," he whispered quietly.
Hermione chuckled but nodded. Normally, she would insist on paying for her share, but it was a date, so she resisted. Besides, she made a mental note to cover his half the next time they went out together.
"Where do you want to sit?" Hermione asked as they stepped away from the counter.
"Wherever," Harry said with a shrug. "You can pick."
"Near the window there?" Hermione asked, pointing to a secluded area. There weren't many people in the coffee shoppe, but that section was vacant.
"Okay," Harry nodded. They made their way there, and no sooner did they sit, the barista was bringing their order over.
Grabbing her chai, Hermione sipped at it, smiling as the spices warmed her. Reaching across the table, she nabbed one of Harry's scones and took a bite.
"I knew you loved blueberry," Harry said, grinning. "It's why I got two; I had a feeling you'd steal one."
"You know me so well," she teased.
"So, tell me about yourself, Hermione," Harry said.
Eyes widening, she nodded. Hermione gave her practised spiel about what she had currently been up too since her time after Hogwarts. When she finished, she asked Harry the same.
She tried not to laugh when he recounted his tale of how he discovered 'a new way to make brooms faster' during his travels abroad. Hermione had to admit, though, that Harry could certainly tell a good tale, and he was quick of his feet with it.
"Um, Hermione."
"What?" she asked, looking at him nervously.
"You've… um, you got a…" Reaching over, Harry wiped a crumb from the corner of her mouth. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when his fingers brushed her lips.
He pulled away, staring at her. "Er, sorry," he said, his cheeks turning red.
Hermione stared at him. Have his eyes always been that green? "Harry," she breathed, her heart racing in her chest.
"Today made me realise something," Harry began.
Hermione blushed. "Me too, Harry."
"Really?" Harry asked, arching his brows in surprise. "What?"
She decided that she would be bold. "That I… I think I…" She reached across the table and covered his hand with her as she peered into his eyes. "I'd also very much like to kiss you right now, Harry."
Harry leaned over the small table and closed the distances between them, his lips meeting Hermione's.
Their lips met, softly and tenderly as they tentatively took their relationship to the next level.
They broke apart moments later, each blushing. Neither of them spoke for a moment.
"So," Hermione said, clearing her throat.
"That was nice," Harry blurted out.
Hermione laughed, tightening her grip on Harry's hand. "Yes, it was rather nice. I'd like to do it again later if you wouldn't mind."
"I'd like that, Hermione."
"And I need to cancel my date with Theo," she said, quietly laughing. "Who knew that getting a date with my current crush would lead me to realise that I had something way better right in front of me all along?"
Harry grinned. "Well, I'm just glad you were so nervous you asked me out on a practice date."
"Well, I guess it was our first date," Hermione corrected, unable to keep from smiling.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Harry grinned back. "So, what should we do now?"
"You should get one more scone to celebrate," Hermione suggested.
He laughed. "Yes, well, that's because you ate yours and half of mine," he protested. "But another scone it is, did you want another chai?"
"Yes, please," Hermione said, beaming as she watched Harry go place another order. Her heart raced, and she was so excited to see where their new relationship would take them.