Dream Date (Part 1/2)
By Firenze
A/N: Follow-up to "Enchanted" and "Love Complications." Despite the title, this whole thing isn't a dream like "Love Complications." Anyway, this will be split into two parts. (Just some more cruelty from the author to make you wait) They don't actually go on the date yet in this one.
Summary: Ginny, Ron, Lavender, Parvati, and other Gryffindors are sick of seeing Hermione suffer and Harry be so unaware of his obvious returned feelings to her, so they set them up on a blind date. Will things work out? More importantly, will Harry and Hermione ever become a couple?
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, except the stuff I own.
* * *
The subject came up one Tuesday at lunchtime in the Great Hall. Seamus actually brought it up, and all the other newly Gryffindor 6th and some 5th years had something to say about it.
"So who do you think would make a good couple?" Seamus asked. He carefully avoided Lavender's eye. She had broken up with him because she had taken her dream as some sort of sign that they weren't meant to be together, and he still hadn't forgiven her.
"Ginny and Colin," Parvati said, but then Ron glared at her.
"Not my little sister and that ridiculous twit!"
"Ron, it's true I am your little sister, but that doesn't make me a child!" Ginny insisted angrily. "I'm only a year younger than you – by Merlin's beard, I'm fifteen! And Colin is not a twit!"
"Thank you!" he said, irritated.
"Yeah, don't make fun of Colin!" Dennis said.
"Back to the topic!" Seamus intervened. "Any good couples?"
"As a matter of fact," Ginny interrupted again, "Colin isn't that bad, Ron! Maybe I will go out with him!"
Colin perked up. "Really?"
Ron was turning red. "I am not going to let you date that stupid prat!"
"You can't tell me who to date!" Ginny screamed indignantly.
"Don't call him that!" Dennis shouted.
"Shut up!" Seamus yelled. "Family squabbles and feuds are nice, but we're trying to have a serious conversation here!"
"Ginny, will you really go out with me?"
"Of course, Colin!" she answered, blushing crimson.
Seamus nearly exploded.
"Calm down, you idiot, a perfect match was just made!" Lavender cried. "Now let's go back to your ever-so-precious topic."
"Lavender, I think you would look good with Justin Finch-Fletchy," Parvati whispered loudly to her friend.
"Do you really think so?" They giggled loudly, looking over at the Hufflepuff table. "Justin?"
Justin, hearing his name shrieked across the Great Hall, looked around curiously. Seamus gave him a death glare, and he timorously turned back to his fish and chips.
"I can't believe you would go with that nerd," Seamus remarked.
'He is not a nerd! He's really smart, and good with plants, and I heard he's really nice like all Hufflepuffs. Plus, he's a prefect, and his curly hair is so cute!" Lavender squealed.
Seamus snorted. "You'll probably dump him because of a vision –"
"That's enough!" Dean said, remembering that people were usually hurt and objects were sent flying across the room whenever their break-up, and especially the reason, was mentioned. "Now back to perfect couples…" he brought up, sounding like Seamus.
"How about the two 'supposedly only best friends' who are as usual 'studying' alone together in the library?" Seamus asked, a glint of mischief in his blue-green eyes.
"Harry and Hermione?" everyone asked instantly.
"Yeah, them," he said, surprised at everyone's sudden interest.
"When will they ever go out?" Parvati asked.
"Will Harry ever ask Hermione out?" Lavender wondered right after.
"Will he ever realize he obviously likes her back?" Dean asked quickly.
"Will Hermione ever stop suffering wondering if Harry likes her?" Ron asked, and everyone had to agree with that one.
"He can be so blind sometimes," Ginny said.
"He knows Hermione likes him; he's toying with her head," Dean accused.
"Love is blind," Lavender pointed out.
"Not so much as Harry Potter," Ron sighed.
"You know what I think?" Seamus asked suddenly, ending this chain of remarks that came so fast that you could have sworn they were from the same person.
"What?" everyone cried out simultaneously.
"We have to set them up!" he exclaimed. "On a sort of blind date!"
The 6th year Gryffindors murmured at this, realizing it was a perfect idea. They could finally go out on some sort of dream date, without them even knowing it was going to be with each other!
"Wow, Seamus, that's actually a good idea," Lavender said.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked accusingly. "That I never have good ideas?"
"Here we go again," the others sighed and buried their heads in their hands.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the library, two best friends are studying, unaware of the plan that is being set up.
Harry had his nose stuck deep in a thick book. "I looked through three of these volumes, and I still can't find the use of sagebrush leaves," he replied gloomily. "D'you think Snape assigns us these questions purposely so we can't find them?"
"Probably," Hermione sighed, slowly and lazily beginning her essay on 'The History of Wand-less Dark Weapons and Torture Devices.' "Actually, knowing Snape, yes."
"Did you get the answer? Can I see your homework?"
If she hadn't been in love with him, she would have said no, since cheating was absolutely treacherous and nothing could be learned from it. But since it was Harry, her insides became as squishy as marshmallows and she couldn't resist. "All right."
He sifted through her pile of homework, notes, charts, and worksheets. "Where is it?"
She pulled the piece of parchment out, her hand accidentally brushing against his. She blushed and scolded herself inwardly for making such a big deal.
"Are you all right?" he asked, looking alarmed.
"Yes, I'm – ummm – fine," she stammered, feeling like a fool. Harry always made her lose her train of thought.
"Whatever you say," he said doubtfully and went back to checking her homework answers.
They went back to working in the uncomfortable silence, occasionally borrowing quill tips or ink or pieces of parchment – which they already had – and asking for answers to questions or if they could borrow the other's book.
Madam Pince watched over them like a hawk, her eyes bulging every time Harry moved near to Hermione. She threatened to kick them out of the library if they kissed again, like that very public display last year.
Hermione, after stealing a few glances at Harry from the essay she was allegedly writing (she had only her name and the title), nonchalantly leaned over and checked the time on his watch, feeling stupid for not just asking him.
"Time for Charms," she stuttered, her face flushed.
"All right, then," he said, packing away his things.
Hermione was so focused on him that she didn't realize she picked up her bag upside down. Books, parchment, quills, and ink fell to the ground, scattering in every which way. "Oh, I'm such an oaf," she moaned. "Now I'm going to be late for class," she realized, because by Madam Pince's stern face, she had to clean it all up herself. "Tell Professor Flitwick, all right?"
Harry bent down and picked up some rolls of parchment. "I'm not going to leave you here, Hermione. What kind of friend would I be?"
"One with sense. You should get to class; don't worry about me. I brought this upon myself." She gathered his quills and stuffed them in her bag. "It always happens to me."
"You should carry less books," he suggested. "I can hold them for you."
"No, you don't have to—" she began, but Harry had scooped up her textbooks already.
"Let's go to class," he cut her off, and they rushed to the Charms corridor. They ran into the classroom, panting.
"Professor Flitwick, sorry we're late," Harry said quickly, still breathing heavily.
"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Mr. Potter," a voice said quietly and harshly. "Now you two get to your seats and twenty points from Gryffindor for you being late and disrupting class."
"Professor Snape, we—" Hermione began instantly, but then she looked up when they heard laughter.
Standing in the front of the classroom was Sirius, wearing a huge grin. "You can explain yourselves later. Now you and your girlfriend can get to your seats, and we'll continue our review lesson on Entrancement Enchantments."
Harry and Hermione had faces that were bright scarlet, and their jaws fell to the ground.
Sirius guffawed heartily. "Joking again, you two," he said. "Now seriously, let's begin our lesson for today…"
Harry and Hermione walked to their seats, blushing at the teasing and snickers going around.
* * *
"Really, Professor Black, what were you doing teaching a class?" Harry asked, after their extremely easy lesson on Chortling Charms (Hermione and Ron were still in hysterics).
"Well, Flitwick was feeling under the weather, and since I was lodging here anyway, Dumbledore put me up to it," he said.
Hermione burst into another fit of uncontrollable giggles.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "It's still an hour until those spells wear off?" he asked hopelessly.
"Don't worry. There's always the other secret unknown cure," Sirius informed him.
"Really?" Harry asked anxiously, as Ron fell to the ground clutching his stomach and wheezing. "I'd do anything."
"You can always kiss them."
Harry's eyes bulged out of his sockets. "Never mind."
"Have you ever kissed a girl, Harry?" Sirius asked teasingly, and this time when Ron laughed, there was a hint of realness (yes, that is a word!) to it.
He turned red. "Well, yeah, ummm…yeah," he said uncomfortably, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at the ground.
"Harry, there comes a time in every boy's life—" Sirius began.
"Stop!" he cried, throwing his hands over his ears. "We got this lecture from Snape in our second year – what a nightmare."
Sirius burst out laughing, making everyone in the room, excluding Harry, sound like a bunch of hyenas or people in a mental institution. "I was just teasing, Harry, calm down."
He exhaled deeply. "C'mon, Sirius, that was one of the most horrifying times in my whole entire life. I still have nightmares about it."
"All right then, Harry. Well, back to my main point, you can always kiss her."
"Does it work?" he asked, looking nervously at the hysterical Hermione.
"Try it," Sirius urged.
"Just on the cheek?" he asked hopefully.
"It isn't that easy, pal. This needs to be a real kiss."
"Anything to shut them up; my head is hurting." Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned closer to Hermione and kissed her softly.
He broke away a few seconds later, looking fierce, but thoroughly embarrassed. "She won't stop laughing, and it's too hard to kiss a girl when—" He stared at the very amused look on his godfather's face. "Sirius! I'm going to kill you!"
* * *
Lavender and Parvati were sitting on Lavender's bed, applying nail polish, chatting, playing truth or dare, and giggling excessively, which brought Hermione to wonder if the Chortling Charms had worn off yet.
Hermione struggled to concentrate on the book she was reading (which she wouldn't admit to anyone) about Harry Potter.
"What about you, Hermione, you have to play!" Parvati insisted.
"Fine," she said dully. "Truth."
"Would you ever go on a blind date?" Lavender asked quickly.
"No," she said firmly, gazing dreamily at the picture of Harry with his usual half-grin staring out at her from the page.
"I double dare you to go on a blind date that we get to set up," Parvati said very fast. "That means you have to do it – or face the consequences – kiss Draco Malfoy."
Hermione squirmed. "Ummm…so I have no choice?"
"Not really. That means you'll be ready to go on your date at next week's nighttime Hogsmeade trip for 6th and 7th years only at precisely 6:00 PM," Lavender said.
She buried her head in her hands. "What have I gotten into?"
* * *
"By Merlin's beard, Harry, when's the last time you went out on a date with a girl?" Seamus asked suddenly.
All the boys were lounging in the common room, talking about Quidditch, when Seamus brought it up at the strangest time.
""Uhhh…never," he replied, slightly blushing.
"And you're sixteen, right?"
"That's obvious," Harry said. "Why?"
"Because you've been missing out on the fruits of life! Teenage years are when you get all the girls." Seamus and the other guys all agreed.
"So what are you trying to say?"
"Duh, you need a girlfriend or people will start to think you're gay," Dean answered.
"How about a blind date?" Seamus suggested slyly.
Harry thought it over for a while. "With who?"
"It's a blind date," Ron said, "which means you don't find out until you see her at the date. Are you up to it?"
"Errr…" he said, biting his lip. "Do I have a choice?"
"No," the boys said in unison and laughed.
"You'll meet your date at next week's nighttime Hogsmeade trip at precisely 6:00 PM by the front gates of Hogsmeade," Dean said, and Harry instantly knew they had the whole thing set up already.
He sighed and hoped desperately that it wasn't some practical joke or they wouldn't set him up with someone like Eloise Midgen.
* * *
Seriously, this was only going to be one part. I swear this time. Next time, just tell me if you want to read 17-page-long fics, or if you'd prefer them split into shorter, convenient parts. This goes in that nice little white box down there. I'm wondering if any of you have seen it, because I see the number of people that have read it, and the number of reviews…what are the other hundred of you doing?