No matter how many times I say it I do not own Harry Potter or Criminal Minds.
"Welcome to Giannopoulos" greeted a young women dressed in all black.
"Hello I have a reservation under Reid for 2." Spencer addressed the women.
"Yes of course we have your table ready. Right this way please." The young women guided them to a small table in the corner.
Hermione looked around the restaurant as she followed the hostess and Spencer. The walls were a pale yellow and there were arches instead of doorframes. Molded into the walls were columns with a little space on the top for a bust. Hermione could make out Alexander the Great, Apollo, Hera, Homer, Aristotle and Demosthenes. The lighting was soft but enough to see the paintings on the walls. Next to their table was a beautiful picture of Santorini.
"Here we are" The hostess said as she indicated the table in front of them.
Spencer held out Hermione's chair for her and she sat down.
"Here are your menus. If you need anything Anna will be your server this evening."
"Thank you."Spencer said reaching for his menu.
Hermione picked up her menu as well and opened it. Everything on it looked so good to her. It had been a long time since she had Greek food. Ron refused to try it and Harry had tried it once for her but did not like it. Whenever she went out with Ginny and the girls she was always out voted on their food choice.
"I don't know if I will be able to decide. Everything looks delicious." She said to Spencer.
"I am glad you like Greek food. I told Morgan where I was taking you and he thought I was crazy."
"Why ever would he think that?"
"According to Morgan no one likes Greek food."
Hermione laughed at this. "It is rare to find someone who truly appreciates it. Not everyone does."
Just then their server appeared at their table bringing with her a bowl of Taramosalata with a side of Pita bread.
"Kali̱spéra. Good evening my name is Anna and I am going to be your server tonight. May I suggest one of our Moscofilero wines tonight?"
Spencer looked at Hermione as she nodded her head. That sounded like a wonderful wine.
"Yes please."
"Excellent. Did you know what you would like to order so would you like a few more minutes?" She asked.
"Hermione?" Spencer asked looking at his date.
"I am ready to order now. I will have the Domates Yemistes and fresh vegetables please." She said speaking to their server.
"And I think I will have the Youvesti please." Spencer said as the woman wrote down their order.
"Perfect. I will go put your order in and then bring out your wine." She said as she finished writing down their orders and collected their menus.
She came back shortly and poured two glasses of wine for them, leaving the bottle on the table.
Once she was gone Spencer looked at Hermione and asked "So who got you in to Greek food?"
Hermione took a sip of the white wine in front of her. She set it down and answered Spencer. "Well it was my parents really. They were dentists and every summer they would close their office for a few weeks and we would go on a family vacation."
"After I got back from my first year of upper school after meeting Harry and Ron, my parents told me that years vacation was to be to Greece. I spent the first 4 weeks of my summer learning as much Greek as I could. We had a wonderful time. We got to see the Parthenon, Meteora, the Delphi Theatre, and Mount Athos. We ended our vacation staying in a charming little villa on Santorini. I loved every minute of it."
"That Christmas my parents gave me that copy of The Iliad I have. I did not get a chance to translate it much once I went back to school because we got busy with classes." She lied. The real reason she could not translate it was she spent several months petrified because of a very large snake.
"So that summer I spent most of my time reading as much as I could. I even managed to convince my parents to skip our annual vacation so I could finish. I have never seen my parents so proud of me as the day when I told them I had finished that book."
"You translated The Iliad from ancient Greek when you were 12 years old?" Spencer said stunned
"Don't look at me like that. You were already in college by that time Dr. Reid." Hermione teased
"Yeah but even I can't speak a different language. Let alone one that has been changing for over 3 millenia"
Before Hermione could answer their food arrived. They thanked their server as she set down the plate.
Hermione looked at Spencer "It is true it was hard. The Greek language has been in use for 3500 years it is always changing. I looked at it like the difference between formal English and informal English. They are the same language just different rules. While the syntax has changed the words have not. The most important thing was to remember that most ancient greek is that it had a lot to do with meters and music."
As the two started on their meals Spencer asked "Have you ever read The Odyssey in ancient Greek?"
"Unfortunately no. My parents said they looked for it but they could not find the set. Any of the ones I have found have been in private collections. I would love to one day but I have read it in English."
"Maybe one day you will find it."
"Perhaps."Hermione said as she went back to her meal.
After they had finished their meals they decided to order some baklava and coffee.
Hermione looked at Spencer and giggled "You have a bit of sugar on your chin." She said point to the spot on her chin.
"Oh" Spencer said as he wiped it off his face. He could not believe he had ever been nervous about this date. It was just Hermione. This was just like all the other times they had been together. Just this time there was no one else around. As Spencer watched Hermione take the last bite of the baklava he was still floored at how beautiful she was and that he was not nervous around her. It was almost too good to be true.
The bill came and Spencer paid for their meals. He held her chair when she stood back up and held out his arm.
"So anything else you would like to do tonight?" He asked as she threaded her arm through his. He did not want this night to end just yet.
"I have an idea"She said with a smile. And the pair left the restaurant off to their next event.
Okay my wonderful readers. This is as far as I have for their date. I really want to hear what you think they should do next. Should they go for a walk, go stargazing or perhaps as one person suggested do both? You have now seen how the dinner portion of the date went so you decide. I have the other chapters written out but I really want to finish off this date on a great note making it magical (no pun intended ). So let me hear you.
BTW all the food I have used is real Greek food.