Getting Over It

Thanks to –

queenofdiamonds1,
Lunas twin,
illyria-light,
Morena-Forever,
RandomSmirf13,
Get A Room

Chapter 7
Double Dating

A week after the party Oliver woke to find the slender arms of Natalie still draped round him as she slept. He couldn't help but smile and lean down to kiss her awake. Once she did they both sat up to share a proper kiss before getting dressed.

"So what are we doing today?" She asked as she pulled on her jeans.

Usually, as early on in a relationship would blanch at the use of the word 'we' but this time he did not, he was too busy thinking up an excuse.

"I'm going to the Burrow this afternoon." He said, trying to ignore the expectant expression on her face.

"Oh." She said disappointedly after a few seconds of her waiting for him to extend the invitation to her also. "Well I guess I should go then. I'll owl you later."

She gave him a huge kiss on the lips and disapperated, leaving Oliver sighing. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted her to come, quite the opposite, this was the first person since Amy that he had see himself in a relationship with for a long amount of time. It was Fred and George; they had invited him and told him that they didn't want the 'bird' coming along too. It was to be a day of watching Quidditch and drinking beers, strictly non-female. Then on to the Burrow in the evening where Molly would have, no doubt cooked up a wonderful meal for them to stuff themselves with.

--

Hermione was spending the day with Ginny at the magical health spa that had just been opened up in Hogsmade Village. Hermione had not wanted to go but Ginny had insisted.

"It's time to stop sitting at Harry's and feeling sorry for yourself. The bastard left you, but he did you a favour." Ginny informed her, "You can get over it if you still feel the same, get a new look; nice and professional and they'll be dying for you to work for them you'll see."

At first Hermione had not wanted to go, the wave of anger had passed and the depression had began to kick in. All her friends were a great help and especially Oliver's sister Alison as she had experienced going through a divorce, so knew exactly what Hermione was feeling.

"Come on 'Mione," Ginny coaxed, "You've been really strong up until now, you know you don't need him."

Finally Hermione gave in and got out of bed and dressed to go with Ginny to the spa, and, once she was there, she was very glad that she had done so.

"Thank you Gin." She grinned as she looked at her friend through the reflection on the mirror as her long brown hair was being cut into a new style.

"I'm just happy to see you smiling again, I haven't seen you smile like that in years you know." Ginny replied honestly, "anyway clothes shopping next! I do believe you still have one of The Bastard's credit cards left. I think you should use it before he thinks he's lost it and cancels it!"

"He won't." Hermione giggled, "He too proud to admit that he could loose anything he'll just say he misplaced it and won't mention it for months. That's why it's still working now."

So that's what they did, and once their arms were weighed down by so many bags they found it hard not to slouch when walking they headed back to The Burrow where they had both been invited for dinner.

--

They were the first there so, while Ginny went to set up the tables in the back garden Hermione helped Molly in the kitchen. The whole Weasley family had excepted that Ginny would never make a good housewife as her complete lack of ability to make even the simplest of meals, but Hermione on the other hand was quite the little chef, so Mrs Weasley adored the chance to teach her new tricks.

"So my darling, how are you?" Molly asked as soon as they were alone, her voice brimming with sympathy.

"I'm getting better, it helps that I have the children to keep me company and Harry is a star looking after them when I go for job interviews. It's easier now Millie's at Hogwarts and Sam is staying at a friends tonight so I won't need to worry about him until tomorrow lunchtime. It still hurts but I can feel it getting less so that's good right?" Hermione replied while beginning to peel the potatoes for the mash.

"Well from what Ginny tells me you've been doing great! I know some women who fall to pieces for years after they split up with their husbands." She said laying a hand on Hermione's arm.

A warm feeling flared up inside of Hermione, the remembrance that even though Mark left her she was loved by so many people, this feeling she clung onto like it was the only thing keeping her afloat in the vast sea of emotions that she was drowning in.

--

A while later Ron, Rachel and their new baby girl Lizzy arrived and joined Ginny and Mr Weasley outside. Molly left Hermione alone in the kitchen so she could coo over her new grandchild and hint to Ginny that it was time she should be settling down and having a baby too. As usual Ginny took no notice.

As the food reached a point where it was nearly done Fred, George and Oliver arrived.

"Why didn't you get here sooner?" Molly scolded as she saw her two sons.

"If we got here on time you would have made us help out." Fred said with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and pulled a chocolate frog from his pocket.

"You'll ruin your appetite!" Mrs Weasley sighed, but like all her other children he was used to her nags and it bounced off him like the comment had never even been said.

When all that was to be done was to serve up the food Molly sent Hermione outside to make sure everyone was sitting down. She ended up sitting next to Oliver, who couldn't help but tell her all about his amazing girlfriend Natalie. Unfortunately for Hermione, her brain now knowing he was taken began to find him extremely attractive. All night she tried to ignore just how green his eyes were and how tiny little dimples appeared at the sides of his mouth when he smiled or laughed.

"So Natalie's got kids then?" Hermione asked, remembering the conversation they had had at Oliver's birthday party.

"What?" Oliver frowned, trying to work out why she would ask that and Hermione noticed the dimples return.

"At your party you said you wanted to be with someone who already has kids, remember when you were lay over me on the sofa, but you were probably too drunk by then." She said with a laugh as Oliver turned bright red.

"Oh Hermione I'm sorry you must have thought I was coming on to you! I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." He stammered slightly.

Hermione laughed again. "Don't worry Oliver I thought it was very nice to get a male's point of view where they didn't say they'd run a mile from a woman who already has kids and hasn't got a job."

"Surely men are tripping over each other to go out with you?" He asked and it took Hermione a few seconds to realise that he wasn't joking.

" 'Fraid not." She sighed with a resigned smile.

"Well I know just the guy! A good friend of mine, called John; I play Quidditch with him. You should come out for a meal with me and Natalie and meet him, you two could hit it off." He said excitedly.

When she was younger some friends had set her up on blind dates before and they had always ended terribly but Hermione found herself agreeing and arranging a day when the double date could go ahead.

--

Friday night rolled up and Hermione got ready to go on her date with John, although she had never met him and knew it was highly unlikely that things would ever turn into a real relationship she found that she was nervous. This was, after all, the first date she had been on in over ten years. If she was totally honest with herself she didn't have a clue what she was doing.

It was a dinner date so she had chosen to wear a calf-length red dress that she thought looked formal but sexy. Finally Seven o'clock chimed and Hermione apperated to Oliver's flat, where they had all agreed to meet. John was already there when she arrived. He seemed quite nice, tall and broad, a beater's build, he wasn't too bad looking, Hermione concluded, but nothing too special just nicely average.

When she appeared in the living room he quickly jumped to his feet and shook her hand while Oliver introduced them. Natalie gave her a very false smile and they all set off to the restaurant that was just down the road.

Once they were seated at a table for four Natalie threw her arms around Oliver and began to kiss him like there was no tomorrow, leaving Hermione and John to make conversation between themselves. This resulted in a great deal of awkward pauses and John explaining just how a Wizarding accountant was different to a Muggle accountant. It was obvious that he was extremely smitten with her, which of course did wonders for her ego and made her realise that men may actually be able to find her attractive again, but unfortunately for Hermione he was probably the most boring person she had ever met.

The only time Oliver and Natalie came up for air was when they were eating but even then, whenever Oliver would try to start a group conversation, Natalie would start to nibble on his earlobe and whisper to him, making him forget all about his two friends that were sat with him.

At the end of the evening the check came and they the two men insisted on paying for their dates before they all walked back to Oliver's.

"So Hermione, I don't know how you feel, but I had a great time tonight, how about we go out again?" John asked as they sat down in the living room where Oliver and Natalie were listening to the conversation.

Hermione flushed bright red and lied. "Look John you're a really nice guy and I had a lot of fun tonight but I don't think I'm really ready for a relationship just yet, it's still too soon since my divorce. I'm sorry to have strung you along but it took going out on a date for me to realise that."

"Oh. Ok." He sighed, looking very disappointed.

"I better go, I left Sam with a babysitter and I can't leave it too late." Hermione said, thankful that she could use her child as an excuse. "Thank you for a lovely evening. I'll see you next Sunday Oliver, nice meeting you again Natalie."

Soon after she had disapperated John left too leaving Oliver and Natalie alone.

"Sunday?" She inquired.

"What about it?" He asked going into the kitchen to get a Butterbeer from the fridge.

"Hermione said she's see you Sunday, why will she?" She demanded, getting angry.

"At the Burrow, we were both invited for dinner next Sunday, friends of the family type thing." Oliver explained, not seeing the problem, because there wasn't actually one there.

"You're not going." She ordered him.

"What? Why not?"

"I've seen the way you are with her, she's trying to muscle her way in and be with you and you're loving every second of it." She screeched.

"What in Merlin's beard are you talking about?" Oliver sighed.

"You were all over her tonight!"

"I didn't say two words to the poor girl, how can that be all over her?"

"Poor girl? Oh so you feel sorry for her now do you?"

"Yes actually I do seeing as how her husband just left her!" Oliver stood up for her.

"Well if you love her so bloody much then why don't you just go and shag her!" Natalie screeched and stormed out of the apartment.

She didn't say away for long though. About an hour later she was back saying that she was sorry and that she didn't mean it, it was just that she liked him so much she would hate to think that he might leave her. And somehow through all the grovelling she got Oliver to agree that he wouldn't go to the burrow for dinner on Sunday. Instead he was now taking her out for a very expensive meal.