Stripped Bare- Chapter 25

A Dinner Confession

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter.

Hermione straightened the hem of her dress and studied her reflection in the mirror for a second, trying to see herself from a male point of view. She had the distinct feeling that she was going to be stood up by Harry, who still had not returned from his assignment, even though he'd promised her repeatedly before he'd left that he'd be back in time for their dinner at Solomon's this evening.

Well, she was almost as ready as she was going to get- her hair was tamed for once and she'd taken special pains with her make up and choice of clothing. Her chocolate eyes popped under shimmering lavender eyeshadow and the royal purple knee-length dress hugged her curves like a second skin. All that was left was her new silver strap sandals. Once they were on her feet, she spritzed some perfume on her neck and wrists, left her room and after grabbing her handbag from the back of the sofa, she called out to Ron and Luna that she was leaving. They acknowledged her with calls of good luck, and she Apparated from the flat.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," said the maitre'd five minutes later as she entered Solomon's.

"Good evening, Phillip. Is the other half of my party here?" He checked the reservation book and raised regretful eyes to her.

"No, I'm sorry. But can I seat you, and get you a drink while you wait?" Stifling a sigh of disappointment, Hermione nodded and followed Phillip to a table in a secluded corner of the restaurant. He pulled out her chair when they'd reached it and asked what she would like to drink.

"Champagne," came a voice by a tall potted plant opposite her. Harry stepped out from behind it. "The best you have, Phillip. Tonight, money is no object." Hermione's jaw dropped as Phillip nodded and bowed himself away from the table. She'd not been stood up after all, and was absolutely gobsmacked at the sight of Harry. She'd seen him in dress robes, but never in a tuxedo. He must have had it tailored because it fit him so well, she was begining to salivate from how delicious he looked. He came over to the table and sat across from her, his eyes never leaving hers. "You look amazing," he whispered.

"So do you," she replied. "Is that just for tonight?" She indicated his tuxedo.

"No. Actually I got this back in September."

"Oh, you bought it?"

"Yes...for your wedding, but I'm not going to go there. This night is for us, and I don't want to bring up any painful memories." Phillip arrived with their champagne and two fluted classes. When left alone once more, Harry opened the bottle and filled the glasses, handing one to Hermione, and holding up his own. "To new beginnings," he said before taking a sip of the sparkling wine.

"What type of beginnings, Harry?" Hermione asked after she'd swallowed the bit of champagne she'd taken. Harry merely smiled and picked up his menu. Hermione did the same, glancing at him curiously, wondering what it was that he was up to. A sheet of paper fluttered out of her menu when she opened it. Picking it up from the tabletop, she saw that it was a poem addressed to her.

To Hermione-

From the day I met you

On the Hogwarts Express,

You've been my friend and helped me

Through each and every mess.

When you said you were getting married,

You were leaving me behind,

I knew that the man you chose

Was treating you unkind.

But how could I tell you,

The guy was such a jerk?

I was afraid you'd tell me-

"Mind your business, you great berk!"

And so I let you find out for yourself

The wrong that he had done.

But what I didn't plan on-

You were sad when you were alone.

I tried to cheer you with jokes

(And you helped me to rehearse)

I took you shopping with me

But it made me feel worse.

Not because I wanted you

To feel sad all the time,

But because I wanted

Your heart to be mine.

I don't know how long I've felt this,

But I do know that it's true.

You're my friend, but I want more,

Because, Hermione, I love you!

(I'm sorry if the rhymes are bad, but I'm

not really good at writing poetry)

Harry-

Hermione's brown eyes were blurred with tears when she looked up at an anxiously waiting Harry. She picked up her napkin and dabbed at them, a smile on her face.

"Oh, Harry," she choked. "That was the sweetest thing I've ever been given."

"It is true," he replied softly.

"What's true?"

"I love you." Hermione stopped blotting her eyes and looked directly at him. A waiter came over to take their order, and when he'd left, Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I take it you don't feel the same way," he said softly.

"Why do you think that?"

"You haven't said anything about my telling you that I love you." He couldn't meet her eyes now.

"I'm in shock, that's all."

"I shouldn't have done that," Harry muttered angrily to himself. He started to stand up from the table.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"Going back to the flat," he answered, pulling out his wallet and taking out a plastic card. He tossed it onto the table. "Spend whatever you want. I'll tell Phillip it's fine with me." He turned away. Hermione's eyes jumped from the credit card lying in front of her to Harry's back.

"Harry! Don't go!" She jumped up and grabbed his arm. He looked back at her sadly.

"There's no reason for me to stay."

"Of course there is. Our meals are coming, and- and-"

"And what, Hermione?"

"And I think that I should be able to have the date that you asked me out for." Harry chuckled disparingly.

"Come on, Hermione. You really want to have dinner with me after I gave you a sappy poem, badly written, I might add, and then I told you that I loved you?" Hermione nodded.

"Yes, Harry, I do." She sat down again, and gestured to his chair. He did not move.

"Why?"

"Well, I know you're not going to believe this right now, but you can ask Ginny. She'll verify that I told her."

"What, Hermione?" Harry asked, sounding just the slightest bit irritated. She looked up at him.

"That I'm in love with you." He stared back at her, not breathing for a second.

"You're in love with me?" he asked, now moving to stand beside his chair. Hermione nodded and smiled at him, tears filling her eyes once more.

"I was so shocked to hear that you felt the same way that I do, that I couldn't express how much your poem means to me."

"Merlin!" Harry gasped softly, a smile forming on his face. He sat down as the waiter arrived with their dinners. They ate in silence for a few minutes, stealing glances at each other and grinning bashfully when they were caught.

"So, do you want to tell Ron, or keep it a secret for a while?" Hermione asked when they'd been served their desserts. Harry swallowed his bite of crème brulée and lay his fork down.

"Um, a bit of both. I'd like to tell Ron, but not right away. And I want to keep it a secret from the rest of the wizarding world- Just so you don't have to deal with any more media attention than you usually get for being my friend."

"All right, that sounds fair to me, but we are going to have to come out about it sometime, Harry. Rita Skeeter will find out eventually."

"I know," he groaned. "And she'll be turning it around into a sordid mess if we don't do some damage control before she can get out that quill of hers."

"O.K. The only ones to know right now are sitting at this table, then we'll tell Ron when we're ready, and the Daily Prophet when we can get up the nerve?"

"Sounds good to me," Harry laughed. Hermione joined in, and Harry reached across the table to take her hand. "It looks like we've both brought your promise to me to a wonderful conclusion."

"And what's that?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"You kept your promise to find me a girlfriend. And I chose you to be the one that I wanted to be my girlfriend." .