Written for skylands' Some Things Are Better Left Incomplete Competition with the incomplete sentence "I couldn't remember whether..." and the prompt 'camera'

Written for ToxicRainfall's Your Favourite Hogwarts House Boot Camp using the prompt 'butterflies in your stomach'

Date Night

"So, what time's Ron coming over again, dear?"

Hermione glanced up at the clock on the wall. "In about five minutes," she said to her mother. She saw both of her parents' faces drop, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks for your support," she teased.

Her mother forced a smile. "We are very supportive of your relationship, Hermione," she said. "Ron is a very nice, young man. And you have known him for many years, as have we."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at them. "So, why haven't you left yet, then?" she questioned.

Her parents shared a look, and Hermione sighed, realising that their problem didn't lie with her boyfriend at all. "I'll be fine by myself," she assured them. "Well, I won't even be by myself. Ron will be here."

Neither of them looked at all convinced, so Hermione had to take desperate measures. Ron – provided he arrived on time – would be there at any moment, and she didn't fancy her parents being present when she started her first real date with Ron. After weeks of being away from him, locating her parents in Australia, she was so relieved to be back in England, in her own house, with her family.

However, now that they had their memories restored, her mother and father seemed reluctant to let their only, adult daughter out of their sight.

"Alright," she said, grabbing an arm of theirs each, and leading them towards the front door. "This is your first night out together for who knows how long, so enjoy it, and stop worrying about me, okay? You're forgetting that if anything happens, I can do magic." She threw open the front door and urged her parents to leave. Just as she had managed to get them out, Ron appeared in front of them.

"Ron!" she cried, delighted to see him standing there. Though, he didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. He glanced nervously to her mum and dad.

"Er… hi," he said awkwardly.

"Hi, Ron," Hermione's mother greeted him kindly. "We were just leaving – much to Hermione's insistence. Please, make yourself at home."

Ron never had been one to hide his emotions, and this was no exception. He looked positively delighted to learn that her parents weren't going to be in the house for their date.

"Well, have fun, you two," her mother said, giving them one last glance, before accepting the fact that she really was going to have to leave. She smiled, and then followed her father to the car. Before they had even left the driveway, Hermione had closed the front door, and dragged Ron inside.

He was still looking rather nervous as he took in her house. "So, this is where you live?" he questioned.

Hermione nodded, wrapping her arms around Ron's neck and pressing her lips to his. "And we have it all to ourselves." She kissed him again.

"Until your parents get back home," Ron reminded her.

"Don't ruin the moment!"

They both smiled, and then laughed. It felt good to laugh. It had been a long time.

"I noticed you came the Muggle way," Hermione then commented.

Ron shrugged. "Well, I couldn't remember whether or not you said your fireplace was connected to the Floo Network, or not. And considering your parents are Muggles, I thought the safest option would be to arrive the normal way. You know… make an impression."

Hermione smiled. "That was very thoughtful of you, Ron. And, I had us connected to the Network a week ago… Mum and Dad weren't happy about it, but I told them it was necessary if they still wanted me living there."

"Why, though?" Ron asked. "If you're going back to Hogwarts in… less than a month?"

Hermione frowned. "Stop bringing up topics that are depressing," she accused. "Tonight's supposed to be our first real date; it's meant to be perfect."

"Sorry," Ron said. "I'm just nervous… that's all."

Hermione looked at him curiously. "Nervous? How so?"

For a moment, it appeared as if Ron wasn't going to answer her, but he then wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her towards him. "Well, it's you. You." He laughed.

"What?" she demanded, now slightly irritated by Ron. This wasn't going at all how she planned.

"You don't really understand the importance of you, do you?"

"Ron…."

Ron shook his head. "I'll tell you one day," he said, "But it might be too soon now." He removed his hands from her waist, and took her hand. "So, do I get a tour?" he asked. "You've seen my room, but I haven't even seen your living room."

Hermione smiled at him, before waving her hand around the room they were standing in. "This is it," she said. "And through there," she took his hand and led him through an archway, "is the kitchen."

Ron looked around as if he were standing in a place that was filled with sweets. "So, this is what a Muggle place looks like," he commented.

"It's a bit different to yours, isn't it?" Hermione replied.

"It's brilliant," Ron said. "I love it. Where's your room?"

Hermione laughed. "Straight to the point, Ron," she said.

"It's only fair," Ron argued. "You've slept in my bed; I at least deserve to see yours."

"Well, my room's upstairs," she told him. Still not letting go of his hand, she dragged him up the stairs and down a narrow hall. She stopped in front of the room just before the end. "Here it is," she said.

Ron entered, taking in everything as he'd done the kitchen. "Typically, everything is spotless," he said.

"Well, I can use magic to do it in two seconds," Hermione reminded him. "You could too, you know."

Ron raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not you!" he retorted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are you done looking around now?" she asked him. "You've seen everything you need to see."

"I haven't seen the bathroom."

"Ron…." Hermione sighed.

"That's kind of an important part," Ron told her.

Shaking her head, Hermione turned around and walked to the door directly across from her room. "It's in there," she said. "Now, are you satisfied?"

Ron grinned.

"Good, now, let's go back down and eat before the food goes cold." This time, Hermione didn't even bother waiting for Ron. She simply let him follow her.

"You cooked?" he asked, sounding genuinely surprised by this revelation.

"What, you thought a house-elf might have?"

"No… I just… you can cook?"

"I-I hope so," she answered. For the first time the whole night, nerves washed over her. She had spent many hours of the day trying to be ready in time. Perhaps she could have used magic to get it done faster, but that would have defeated the purpose. She had invited Ron over because she wanted to spend the night with him; just the two of them, no interruptions. That hadn't happened yet, and she wanted it to be perfect.

"What did you cook?" Ron then asked curiously.

Hermione smiled at him, taking out her wand for the first – and hopefully the only – time during the night. On the floor in the living room, appeared a picnic blanket, with a steaming pot and her mother's finest china. "You'll just have to wait and see," she told him, leading him over to the blanket. She dimmed the lights and lit some candles. Now it really did feel like a date.

"You really went all out, didn't you?" Ron observed, peering into the pot.

"Well, you do realise that we haven't done anything together since the night before I left, don't you?" Hermione questioned. "We've barely seen each other for six weeks."

"And that drove me mad," Ron confessed. "Especially because letters from Australia took up to a week to get here sometimes. Ask Harry, I was crazy."

"You really want to bring Harry into this conversation?" Hermione questioned.

"Oh, right, no, not at all."

There was a moment of peaceful silence between them; one that wasn't awkward at all – just nice. Hermione looked at Ron, taking a moment to realise that her heart was pounding against her chest faster than it should have been.

She bit her lip.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

She felt her cheeks turn red. "Oh… oh, nothing," she lied.

"Hermione." Ron was looking at her in a way that told her he didn't believe her.

"I just…." She smiled, taking his hand. "I'm glad we're here, that's all."

Ron returned her smile. "Me too," he said. "I never thought I'd see the day, though. We really went the long way about things, didn't we?"

Hermione nodded. "Definitely, but if we hadn't, what might have happened?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't even want to know," he said. "The point is, I missed you like crazy when you were away, and I don't want you to ever leave for that long again, okay?"

Hermione moved closer to him, and kissed him gently. "I promise I'll never be away from you for that long again," she said. "I swear on my life."

Ron kissed her back, just as gently. "You lie," he said into her mouth. "You're going back to Hogwarts."

"I won't if you don't want me to," Hermione answered, before she even knew what she was saying.

Ron broke away, staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. "You'd really not finish Hogwarts just because I'd miss you?" he questioned.

Hermione nodded.

"You're insane!"

"Thanks, Ron."

"No, I mean it, Hermione. You're crazy if you think that's a good idea. Going back isn't right for me, but not going back would be the worst thing you could possibly do." Ron was dead serious about this, Hermione could tell. "I'll survive."

"I'll miss you, though," Hermione argued.

"Do you want to go back?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. "Of course."

"Then do that. Go back. It's only for a year."

Hermione sighed, collapsing into Ron's arms. "I love you," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

"I love you, too." She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. "And as much as I do love you, Hermione, I am kind of getting hungry."

Hermione laughed. "Okay, I think you've suffered long enough. Let's eat!"

Much to Hermione's delight, her food wasn't terrible. It was nothing compared the Hogwarts food, or Ron's mother's, but it was edible at least (something Hermione had been quite afraid of).

For a good hour they sat, and talked, and ate, and laughed. Hermione couldn't stop laughing. So much had happened for them to end up at her house, having their first official date. They had been through so much.

Yet, somehow, she knew that it had been worth the wait.

After she had Vanished the food and the rug from the floor, Hermione introduced Ron to Muggle invention of a movie. When the images of the small people had appeared on the television in front of him, he had let out a cry of fright, but soon settled back down.

Although she had asked Ron to choose something they could watch, it was obvious he had had no idea what he was choosing, because fifteen minutes into Romeo and Juliet, his head was lolled back on the headrest of the couch, asleep.

Hermione smiled. "I told you, you would hate it," she said to her sleeping boyfriend. Nevertheless, she curled up to him, and unconsciously, his arm snaked around her.

Before the movie ended, Hermione, too, had fallen asleep against him. The next thing she heard was her parents' low voices as they arrived home.

"They're asleep," she heard her mother whisper. "Look at them."

Hermione wrapped her arms tighter around Ron, and silently beamed.

"Should we wake them up and send Ron on his way?" her father then asked.

"No, let's not disturb them. But, I really would like to get a camera out and take a picture."

"Come on, dear, let's not embarrass them. Let's go to bed. I'm sure they'll both wake at some time, and Hermione will hopefully have the good sense to make sure Ron doesn't stay the night."

That seemed to be the end of their conversation, because the only thing Hermione heard after that, were her parents' footsteps as they moved around above them.

"Are you going to send me home?" Ron's voice was quiet, barely audible. He had also woken at some point during her parents' conversation, but had had the decency – like Hermione – to not let them know that.

Lifting her head up, Hermione kissed him. "What they don't know can't hurt them," she said.

Ron smiled. "Should we just stay here, then? Make them think we simply didn't wake up?"

Hermione shrugged, untangling herself from Ron's warm body, and getting to her feet. "You're very welcome to sleep here on this uncomfortable old thing," she kicked the couch lightly for emphasis, "but I'm going to bed."

Ron seemed confused for a moment, before, finally, he seemed to understand that it was an invitation for him to join her. He beamed, as he also stood up.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "They won't be mad?"

"Honestly, Ron, I don't care what they think," Hermione answered, tugging on Ron's hand, and dragging him to the stairs. "And I certainly don't want them ruining this perfect night, either."

"I do want them to like me, though," Ron argued.

Midway up the stairs, Hermione stopped to face him. "If you really want to discuss my parents, then by all means, go back down to the couch and sleep. If you're going to stay in my room, their names are forbidden, okay? As is anybody else's, for that matter."

Ron smiled mischievously at her. "What about your name?" he asked.

Still standing halfway up the stairs, Hermione pressed her body into his, kissing him. "My name," she said. "You are allowed to say."

This occurs after my fic "Happiness in Dark Times" in the same timeline, so, if you're wondering about a few things, I suggest you go and read that. 1) If you're wondering why the I love yous weren't a big deal in this. Oh, and, as far as I'm concerned, they've also had sex before this, too. They just had never had an official date :P This idea came to me while watching Billy Elliot with some friends ages ago, so I wanted them to watch that movie, but dammit, Billy Elliot was made in 2000...

Please leave a review, especially if you favourite it. I'd really appreciate that! Thanks :)