Submitted for The Houses Competition Forum - Round 8

House: Gryffindor

Subject: Transfiguration

Category: Drabble

Prompt: 2. [Character] Hermione Granger; 6. [Speech] "Wait here, I'll be back."

Word count: 920

Warnings: Muggle AU!

How Mia met Theo

"You know, the guy at that table hasn't stopped looking at you ever since he and his friends walked in here," Harry whispered in her ear, and Hermione looked at him.

The pub they frequented was near the Norwegian Embassy; it was one of the reasons why they loved to go there. It was always full of well-dressed people, and the drinks were the best the group had ever had.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Hermione asked, not wanting to turn around in anticipation only to be disappointed by what she saw. "He's probably looking at Pansy or maybe at Ced."

"He's looked at you seventeen times in the last five minutes—I counted—and I'm sure he is definitely looking at you." Harry looked straight into Hermione's eyes—a surefire way for Hermione to know that he was telling the truth. She knew all his tells. "Why don't you go to the bar and ask for something? I bet he's going to follow you. Go, and I'll distract these two."

Hermione didn't reply. She just gathered her courage, stood up, and walked towards the bar, thinking that Harry had actually lost his mind. Ordering another pint of beer, she was about to pull out her wallet to pay when she felt a presence behind her, accompanied by a citrus scent invading her nose.

"Would you allow me the honour of paying for your drink?" a man said, his voice deep as he touched her back, and goosebumps erupted on her arms.

Turning around, Hermione was stunned by the deep chocolate-brown eyes gazing into hers.

"What do you say?" the man asked, his eyes shimmering under the dusky lights of the bar.

Hermione wanted to tell the stranger that he could do whatever he wanted with her, but she didn't want him to think that she was being presumptuous. So, she just nodded, and he offered her a smile that made her heart drop to her stomach—she thought it was going to stay there forever.

What was happening to her?

"I hope this doesn't sound weird to you, but you have amazing eyes," the stranger said in that husky voice, and it made Hermione smile.

"I like your eyes, too," Hermione finally managed to say. 'I like your eyes too? Hermione, please!' a voice that resembled Pansy's sounded off in her head. "Thank you for the drink..."

"Theo. You can call me Theo," Theo said, a dimple appearing on his right cheek. "And you are…?"

"You can call me Mia." Hermione gave him the name she and Pansy had come up with in the past as a precaution measure. You never know when someone's going to be a serial killer—no matter how devastatingly handsome they might be.

"Nice to meet you, Mia." The way the stranger pronounced her name brought back the goosebumps, and she didn't know why.

He handed her the drink and 'accidentally' touched her hand, making Hermione blush like she was a schoolgirl. Theo didn't say anything, for which Hermione was glad, but she saw that he smiled at her.

Hermione and Theo continued to make small talk while they were drinking at the bar, without mentioning anything that might give their identities away. Theo was incredibly charming and sweet.

"I noticed you as soon as I walked into the pub," Theo said, gazing at Hermione. She only raised an eyebrow at him. "You shone so bright that it was impossible for me to look away."

Her cheeks warmed at his comment, and Hermione tried to hide her embarrassment behind her glass. She probably would have stayed and talked to him for much longer if it weren't for the message Pansy sent her asking to meet in the loo.

"Wait here, I'll be back," Hermione said. She didn't think too much about her phrasing and walked away, leaving Theo looking at her like a lost puppy.

Hermione walked towards the bathroom, trying to understand what her friend needed, but her emergency was just Pansy informing Hermione that she was going home with someone she had met at the pub; a standard procedure between the two.

"Please, princess, don't worry!" Pansy said while she put on more lipstick. "Try to have some fun."

"I told you to stop calling me princess years ago," Hermione complained, trying to divert Pansy's attention.

"You think you can distract me with that? Puh-lease, you can't fool me. We've been best friends ever since we were toddlers," Pansy replied, making Hermione stick her tongue out at her. "Very mature."

Hermione stayed in the bathroom for almost ten minutes helping Pansy with her makeup. When she walked back to the table, she overheard Theo talking to someone she expected was his friend.

"Blaise, why would she lie to me? Do you think I've got bad breath? No, the suit's the problem, isn't it? Do I look fat in this? Blaise… Tell me!" Theo pouted. "Am I ugly?"

Hermione stopped, pursing her lips and trying not to laugh. Blaise caught her eye and mouthed, 'RUN AWAY WHILE YOU CAN!'

Hermione smiled at that. She didn't want to run away—in fact, she wanted to get to know Theo better. She was about to go to Theo to reassure him she was still there, but Harry hurried over, panting.

"It's Pansy! We have to go now!" Without giving her time to think, Harry dragged her away. She couldn't even say goodbye to Theo. And they hadn't even traded numbers. All she could do was hope she'd see him again.