Chapter Two
"Ready?" Padma asked impatiently.
Harry looked up. She was wearing a sexy red dress. "I thought we'd stop by s nice restaurant after the show," Padma said.
Harry didn't want to stop by a fancy restaurant, but Padma looked as though she might hit him if he said no.
* * *
Hermione lay back in her recliner reading a good book. She was in her pajamas, which consisted of baggy sweatpants and a large T-shirt.
She started as she heard someone pounding on her door. She opened the door and found herself face to face with one of her co-workers, Susan Bones.
"What's wrong, Susan?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"Nothing. It's just that, I was going to take my boyfriend to that new play that's in town tonight, but his mother got sick so he went to stay with her for a while until she got better. Now I have this extra ticket, and I know it's really short notice, but I wondered if you would want to go with me."
Hermione didn't really feel like going out, but maybe spending some time out of her flat would make her feel a little better.
"Okay, come in, I'll go get ready," she said.
Hermione hurried into her bathroom where she ran a brush through her still bushy hair and put on a very minimal amount of make-up. Then she ran to her bedroom and threw on the only nice dress she owned.
Then she and Susan apparated to the play. They easily found their seats, and Hermione began looking at the program.
"Oooh, Harry Potter!" Susan squealed.
Hermione's heart stopped as she heard this. She looked over, and sure enough, sitting on the other side of Susan was Harry.
"Wow, I haven't seen you since we left Hogwarts," Susan said. "So what have you been up to lately, Harry? I mean, I know you've been playing professional Quidditch. You know, I've got a job at the Ministry of Magic. . ." Susan rambled on and on, but truthfully, Harry didn't hear a word of it; he was too busy staring at the girl next to Susan. Hermione looked beautiful and classy in her long elegant black dress, not like Padma, who insisted on wearing her short low cut red dress and several layers of make- up.
Hermione glanced up at Harry, but quickly returned her gaze to her program when she saw that Harry was looking at her; she didn't want to be caught staring at him after all. But apparently he didn't mind being caught staring at her.
"Hermione," he said, trying to draw her attention.
Hermione casually looked up. "Oh, hi Harry! Imagine seeing you here. It's been some time hasn't it?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant and classy at the same time. She wasn't sure that she had succeeded.
"It certainly has," Harry said, trying not to sound as wistful as he felt.
Hermione wished that Susan would move so that they didn't have to talk across her.
"So, how are things?" Hermione said lamely.
"Good. Quidditch is hard; it's a lot of work. Very tiring. So how's your job at the Ministry of Magic?"
"It's tiring, too," Hermione said.
"I work at the Ministry of Magic, too," said Susan, trying to enter the conversation.
Harry was dying to know if Hermione had a boyfriend. He didn't know why he cared so much; it wasn't as though he was still in love with her. Was he? He'd thought that after five years he had begun to move on, but seeing Hermione's face suddenly brought back strangely familiar feelings.
"Hermione, would you like to switch seats with me so you can talk to Harry?" Susan asked, finally giving up on getting Harry's attention.
"Okay," Hermione said, trying to sound casual. The two switched seats, as Harry smiled. Hermione looked so cute.
They talked for a few more minutes, catching up on each other's lives (Harry still hadn't gotten around to asking whether or not Hermione had a boyfriend, though) and reminiscing about old times. Then Padma came back from the restroom and Harry's attention was focused on her. Luckily, the theatre went dark and Harry couldn't see Hermione's disappointed, rejected face.
At intermission, Hermione hurried to the beverage stand and bought a bottle of mineral water. She couldn't believe she had run into Harry. She couldn't believe he had a girlfriend. Why would Harry go out with Padma? She may have been beautiful, but she wasn't very nice at all. Maybe that was what Harry was after, looks. Maybe that was why he had broken up with her five years ago.
"Ready?" Padma asked impatiently.
Harry looked up. She was wearing a sexy red dress. "I thought we'd stop by s nice restaurant after the show," Padma said.
Harry didn't want to stop by a fancy restaurant, but Padma looked as though she might hit him if he said no.
* * *
Hermione lay back in her recliner reading a good book. She was in her pajamas, which consisted of baggy sweatpants and a large T-shirt.
She started as she heard someone pounding on her door. She opened the door and found herself face to face with one of her co-workers, Susan Bones.
"What's wrong, Susan?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"Nothing. It's just that, I was going to take my boyfriend to that new play that's in town tonight, but his mother got sick so he went to stay with her for a while until she got better. Now I have this extra ticket, and I know it's really short notice, but I wondered if you would want to go with me."
Hermione didn't really feel like going out, but maybe spending some time out of her flat would make her feel a little better.
"Okay, come in, I'll go get ready," she said.
Hermione hurried into her bathroom where she ran a brush through her still bushy hair and put on a very minimal amount of make-up. Then she ran to her bedroom and threw on the only nice dress she owned.
Then she and Susan apparated to the play. They easily found their seats, and Hermione began looking at the program.
"Oooh, Harry Potter!" Susan squealed.
Hermione's heart stopped as she heard this. She looked over, and sure enough, sitting on the other side of Susan was Harry.
"Wow, I haven't seen you since we left Hogwarts," Susan said. "So what have you been up to lately, Harry? I mean, I know you've been playing professional Quidditch. You know, I've got a job at the Ministry of Magic. . ." Susan rambled on and on, but truthfully, Harry didn't hear a word of it; he was too busy staring at the girl next to Susan. Hermione looked beautiful and classy in her long elegant black dress, not like Padma, who insisted on wearing her short low cut red dress and several layers of make- up.
Hermione glanced up at Harry, but quickly returned her gaze to her program when she saw that Harry was looking at her; she didn't want to be caught staring at him after all. But apparently he didn't mind being caught staring at her.
"Hermione," he said, trying to draw her attention.
Hermione casually looked up. "Oh, hi Harry! Imagine seeing you here. It's been some time hasn't it?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant and classy at the same time. She wasn't sure that she had succeeded.
"It certainly has," Harry said, trying not to sound as wistful as he felt.
Hermione wished that Susan would move so that they didn't have to talk across her.
"So, how are things?" Hermione said lamely.
"Good. Quidditch is hard; it's a lot of work. Very tiring. So how's your job at the Ministry of Magic?"
"It's tiring, too," Hermione said.
"I work at the Ministry of Magic, too," said Susan, trying to enter the conversation.
Harry was dying to know if Hermione had a boyfriend. He didn't know why he cared so much; it wasn't as though he was still in love with her. Was he? He'd thought that after five years he had begun to move on, but seeing Hermione's face suddenly brought back strangely familiar feelings.
"Hermione, would you like to switch seats with me so you can talk to Harry?" Susan asked, finally giving up on getting Harry's attention.
"Okay," Hermione said, trying to sound casual. The two switched seats, as Harry smiled. Hermione looked so cute.
They talked for a few more minutes, catching up on each other's lives (Harry still hadn't gotten around to asking whether or not Hermione had a boyfriend, though) and reminiscing about old times. Then Padma came back from the restroom and Harry's attention was focused on her. Luckily, the theatre went dark and Harry couldn't see Hermione's disappointed, rejected face.
At intermission, Hermione hurried to the beverage stand and bought a bottle of mineral water. She couldn't believe she had run into Harry. She couldn't believe he had a girlfriend. Why would Harry go out with Padma? She may have been beautiful, but she wasn't very nice at all. Maybe that was what Harry was after, looks. Maybe that was why he had broken up with her five years ago.