Pursuing Hermione
Chapter 1: In which Harry and Ron Play Pool
Harry scowled at his best friend across the table, "You about done?" he asked irritably.
Ron simply grinned, "Hey this was your idea in the first place, just because you suck at pool doesn't mean you have to rag on me for whipping you." His face contorted into a look of concentration as he lined up his next shot. The hit was dead on, the eight ball slid between a pair of stripes and into the corner pocket. "Another game?" Ron asked, smirking at his friend.
"Set it up." Harry said, reaching for a cube of chalk that sat on the edge of the table. "Let's play nine ball, at least I can come close in that one."
Ron suppressed a laugh as he placed the balls in their diamond shaped frame. Harry was a complete pool addict, had been ever since the first time he had played. Unfortunately he had zero skill at it. No matter who he played he lost, and yet he still played almost every night. "You break." He said, reaching to take the chalk from Harry's hand.
Harry moved to the end of the table where the cue ball sat, it's gleaming white surface contrasting beautifully with the green felt table- top. "So, Ron, how's Lavender?" he asked, tapping the white ball harder than he had meant to, and at the wrong angle, missing the diamond all together, but not caring.
A blush crept quickly and brightly up Ron's face. "Lavender's good." He said, turning his attention to the table. He hit it soundly, breaking the form and sinking two balls. "She said yes." He said quietly.
Harry's eyes lit up and he flashed Ron an enormous grin. "You finally asked her? That's great man!" He patted Ron's arm, "Wait here, I'm going to get us some drinks. Want the usual?"
Ron nodded, trying to will the blush off his face. He turned his attention back to the game in front of him. He had sunk all but the nine ball by the time Harry came back and was ready to switch off and take a long drink of his scotch. He leaned back against a nearby table and watched Harry line up his shot, he missed. "So, how about you Harry? When're you going to stop being stupid and get yourself a girl mate?"
Harry sighed, "I don't know, some day. It's not like I haven't tried, I just haven't found the one yet, you know?" Ron nodded understandingly. "Then there's Hermione." He grinned. "When was the last time she went on a date? the Yule Ball in fourth year?"
Ron laughed appreciatively. "Yea, she's always been a bit too busy studying to notice boys. I mean she met Krum in the school Library, and he was the only guy I know about she's dated." He smiled. "Remember when I like her? I was so incredibly jealous of Viktor Krum." He shook his head and took a long sip of scotch.
Harry grinned, "Maybe we can do something about that. I mean there's got to be someone out there who wouldn't mind dating someone like her. I mean, yes she's not exactly gorgeous, but she's not hideous either. Once you get past the frizzy hair and the total lack of figure she's really rather adorable. We'll just have to look for a guy who's not shallow," he took a sip of vodka, "Oh, and someone who's smart enough not to be intimidated by her brains. That part could be kind of hard." He lined up for what should have been an easy shot and missed the cue ball completely. Swearing he tried again.
Ron watched his friend's antics with a distracted smile. He wasn't sure that setting Hermione up on some sort of blind date was the answer, but he hadn't seen Harry this psyched up about anything in years, so maybe this scheme would do both of them some good. "How are we going to go about finding this guy?" he asked, "And once we do find him, how are we supposed to convince Hermione to go along with it?"
Harry stopped his private pool game, in which he had yet to sink a single ball, and smiled excitedly, "You find the guy and I'll take care of 'Mione." He took another swig of his drink and went back to his game, grinning like a maniac on a caffeine high.
~
Ron rubbed his head, it had been three days since his conversation in the pub with Harry, and he was already regretting his decision to go along with the plot. There were a few guys in his department that weren't too shallow, but neither of them were very intelligent either. He sighed heavily. There was one guy that he thought might work, he wasn't as young as Ron would have liked, but he was brilliant. At least as far as Ron knew the man was smart, meaning that he couldn't usually understand a word that the other man said to him. Plus the guy was pretty nice and he was always gracious and polite. For a first try Ron was certain this man would do the trick.
~
"Hey 'Mione"
"Harry?" Hermione rose to greet her friend with a huge hug. "It's been far too long. How have you been?" she motioned for him to sit and returned to her own seat, beaming at him.
"I'm good. How're things here?" Harry asked, returning her smile.
"Oh they're wonderful," Hermione gushed. "You're actually lucky you caught me, I've been working at the library lately, it's easier to work right with the books, so I never have to travel far to get the information I need."
Harry sat and watched her as she continued to rave about her job. Hermione had been hired by the Ministry almost before she graduated. She now worked closely with the Aurors and Law officials, doing miscellaneous research, and she was flourishing. He surveyed her quietly. Her hair was still the same brown frizz ball he remembered from first year, possibly worse because it was only shoulder length now, and there was no weight to hold it flat. Her every were the same as they had always been, a plain chocolate brown that would have been quite dull if it weren't for the keen intelligence that could be seen sparkling behind them. Her teeth, though always clean and practically sparkling white, were still a little big for her thin lips. Her nose was average. It was neither big nor small and had only one distinguishing feature; an uneven sprinkle of freckles. Her figure appeared about the same as it had in first year as well, except that she was quite a bit taller now. He sat, following this train of thought, allowing her animated voice to wash over him, and waited patiently for her to stop. Finally she seemed to momentarily run out of breathe and Harry took full advantage of the pause.
"I just came by today to see if you would join Ron and I for a late lunch tomorrow afternoon. Say one-ish?" he asked her quickly, before she could begin to talk again.
Hermione nodded her smile still firmly in place. "That would be perfect." She replied.
Harry breathed a silent sigh of relief; the plan was falling perfectly into place. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." He said, rising and walking out of the room, the smile on his face was triumphant.
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A/N: This fic was written in response to a WIKTT challenge.this is nothing like anything I've written before!! Please no flames! (At least not unless they're helpful ones! :D) thank you everyone for reading! And of course: please review!
Chapter 1: In which Harry and Ron Play Pool
Harry scowled at his best friend across the table, "You about done?" he asked irritably.
Ron simply grinned, "Hey this was your idea in the first place, just because you suck at pool doesn't mean you have to rag on me for whipping you." His face contorted into a look of concentration as he lined up his next shot. The hit was dead on, the eight ball slid between a pair of stripes and into the corner pocket. "Another game?" Ron asked, smirking at his friend.
"Set it up." Harry said, reaching for a cube of chalk that sat on the edge of the table. "Let's play nine ball, at least I can come close in that one."
Ron suppressed a laugh as he placed the balls in their diamond shaped frame. Harry was a complete pool addict, had been ever since the first time he had played. Unfortunately he had zero skill at it. No matter who he played he lost, and yet he still played almost every night. "You break." He said, reaching to take the chalk from Harry's hand.
Harry moved to the end of the table where the cue ball sat, it's gleaming white surface contrasting beautifully with the green felt table- top. "So, Ron, how's Lavender?" he asked, tapping the white ball harder than he had meant to, and at the wrong angle, missing the diamond all together, but not caring.
A blush crept quickly and brightly up Ron's face. "Lavender's good." He said, turning his attention to the table. He hit it soundly, breaking the form and sinking two balls. "She said yes." He said quietly.
Harry's eyes lit up and he flashed Ron an enormous grin. "You finally asked her? That's great man!" He patted Ron's arm, "Wait here, I'm going to get us some drinks. Want the usual?"
Ron nodded, trying to will the blush off his face. He turned his attention back to the game in front of him. He had sunk all but the nine ball by the time Harry came back and was ready to switch off and take a long drink of his scotch. He leaned back against a nearby table and watched Harry line up his shot, he missed. "So, how about you Harry? When're you going to stop being stupid and get yourself a girl mate?"
Harry sighed, "I don't know, some day. It's not like I haven't tried, I just haven't found the one yet, you know?" Ron nodded understandingly. "Then there's Hermione." He grinned. "When was the last time she went on a date? the Yule Ball in fourth year?"
Ron laughed appreciatively. "Yea, she's always been a bit too busy studying to notice boys. I mean she met Krum in the school Library, and he was the only guy I know about she's dated." He smiled. "Remember when I like her? I was so incredibly jealous of Viktor Krum." He shook his head and took a long sip of scotch.
Harry grinned, "Maybe we can do something about that. I mean there's got to be someone out there who wouldn't mind dating someone like her. I mean, yes she's not exactly gorgeous, but she's not hideous either. Once you get past the frizzy hair and the total lack of figure she's really rather adorable. We'll just have to look for a guy who's not shallow," he took a sip of vodka, "Oh, and someone who's smart enough not to be intimidated by her brains. That part could be kind of hard." He lined up for what should have been an easy shot and missed the cue ball completely. Swearing he tried again.
Ron watched his friend's antics with a distracted smile. He wasn't sure that setting Hermione up on some sort of blind date was the answer, but he hadn't seen Harry this psyched up about anything in years, so maybe this scheme would do both of them some good. "How are we going to go about finding this guy?" he asked, "And once we do find him, how are we supposed to convince Hermione to go along with it?"
Harry stopped his private pool game, in which he had yet to sink a single ball, and smiled excitedly, "You find the guy and I'll take care of 'Mione." He took another swig of his drink and went back to his game, grinning like a maniac on a caffeine high.
~
Ron rubbed his head, it had been three days since his conversation in the pub with Harry, and he was already regretting his decision to go along with the plot. There were a few guys in his department that weren't too shallow, but neither of them were very intelligent either. He sighed heavily. There was one guy that he thought might work, he wasn't as young as Ron would have liked, but he was brilliant. At least as far as Ron knew the man was smart, meaning that he couldn't usually understand a word that the other man said to him. Plus the guy was pretty nice and he was always gracious and polite. For a first try Ron was certain this man would do the trick.
~
"Hey 'Mione"
"Harry?" Hermione rose to greet her friend with a huge hug. "It's been far too long. How have you been?" she motioned for him to sit and returned to her own seat, beaming at him.
"I'm good. How're things here?" Harry asked, returning her smile.
"Oh they're wonderful," Hermione gushed. "You're actually lucky you caught me, I've been working at the library lately, it's easier to work right with the books, so I never have to travel far to get the information I need."
Harry sat and watched her as she continued to rave about her job. Hermione had been hired by the Ministry almost before she graduated. She now worked closely with the Aurors and Law officials, doing miscellaneous research, and she was flourishing. He surveyed her quietly. Her hair was still the same brown frizz ball he remembered from first year, possibly worse because it was only shoulder length now, and there was no weight to hold it flat. Her every were the same as they had always been, a plain chocolate brown that would have been quite dull if it weren't for the keen intelligence that could be seen sparkling behind them. Her teeth, though always clean and practically sparkling white, were still a little big for her thin lips. Her nose was average. It was neither big nor small and had only one distinguishing feature; an uneven sprinkle of freckles. Her figure appeared about the same as it had in first year as well, except that she was quite a bit taller now. He sat, following this train of thought, allowing her animated voice to wash over him, and waited patiently for her to stop. Finally she seemed to momentarily run out of breathe and Harry took full advantage of the pause.
"I just came by today to see if you would join Ron and I for a late lunch tomorrow afternoon. Say one-ish?" he asked her quickly, before she could begin to talk again.
Hermione nodded her smile still firmly in place. "That would be perfect." She replied.
Harry breathed a silent sigh of relief; the plan was falling perfectly into place. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." He said, rising and walking out of the room, the smile on his face was triumphant.
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A/N: This fic was written in response to a WIKTT challenge.this is nothing like anything I've written before!! Please no flames! (At least not unless they're helpful ones! :D) thank you everyone for reading! And of course: please review!