Okay… don't kill me! Hermione is just freaking out for kissing her crush, and I loved to write that scene. She's scared, and that's why she's continuing to go on dates. But is this what she really wants? Only time will tell!
Hermione regretted continuing with her date plan. She just wanted a normal date for a change, but it had yet to happen. She wasn't sure how she could have picked someone more pretentious than Justin, but she had.
Initially, Zacharias Smith seemed to be a normal man. He shared some interests with her, so she thought she was going to have a wonderful night. However, that wishful thinking only led to more despair.
"I'll have the Pulpo a la Gallega for starters, and I'll want a glass of Zinfandel to go with it," Zacharias told their waiter, without even looking up from the menu. "I'll order 'Mixed Grilled Shellfish' for my main course along with Provence Rosé and a 'Rocket Salad with Parmesan' on the side. Thank you."
Zacharias had taken her to the Seasons, a fancy restaurant in Mayfair that she had never heard of before Zacharias told her about it. She wasn't the kind of person who went to many restaurants. However, since she was friends with Blaise and Draco, she had learned a thing or two about pairing wine with food. Zacharias had just ordered wines that did not pair well with his meal.
"As for my starter, I'll have 'Burrata.' I also want 'Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni' for my main with 'Broccoletti' as a side, both with the wine the sommelier recommends." Hermione handed the menu to the waiter, smiling at him. "Thank you."
The conversation with Zacharias wasn't flowing, and she wasn't sure how to improve it. She had a good feeling she wouldn't have had this problem on a date with Theo. She could easily imagine them laughing and teasing each other while sharing looks and bites of food. While Hermione thought of Theo in Zacharias' place, her date broke her out of her reverie.
"Why would you leave the choice of your wine to others?" Zacharias asked, seemingly looking down at her. "If you pick your dish all by yourself, why not choose your wine as well?"
Hermione sighed, not wanting to start an argument. "If they are sommeliers here, it means that they studied to find the right combinations to enhance the taste of the food."
Zacharias laughed at her, probably not wanting to admit she might be right; it was just her luck to find someone even more of a ponce than Justin. Maybe they were friends.
He replied in a haughty tone, "I feel like you are trying to show off your knowledge. You should just choose what you want to drink with your dishes."
"I prefer choosing something that is supposed to enhance the flavours, which is why I asked the sommelier to choose for me," Hermione replied between gritted teeth and frowning at him. "What did you say you worked with?"
"I manage new actors and actresses starting out in the West End." Zacharias then asked, "You're a lawyer, aren't you? Could you please look over the contract of one of my actors?"
Hermione blinked at him as if she could not believe what he said. Since their entrées had arrived, she didn't need to answer him. Hermione was never happier to see someone with her food than when she saw their waiter.
Their waiter brought Zacharias 'Pulpo a la Gallega' and a bottle of Zinfandel before bringing Hermione hers. "Your burrata, Miss, and the sommelier suggested it be combined with Pinot Grigio."
"Thank you, it seems delicious," Hermione said, grabbing her fork and starting to eat, not giving Zacharias a second glance. The food at least would make up for him being one of her more disappointing dates. "This burrata is delicious. How is your dish?"
Zacharias looked like he wanted to set his glass on fire just by glowering at it. "It's fine, but something seems off."
"Maybe it's the wine?" Hermione asked in a saccharine-sweet voice, taking a drink from her own glass. "Do you want to change it?"
Zacharias scoffed and Hermione had to fight to keep her smile from showing. "I won't change my wine," he said. "There's something on this plate that seems off."
Hermione made a noise of commitment, refusing to utter a word. She was more concerned with enjoying her meal than engaging in a debate about how he had chosen the wrong wine.
As they ate their meals, they did not speak. Zacharias clearly wanted to say something to Hermione, but she wasn't in the mood for another lecture.
After cleaning their table, their waiter returned with their main course. "Mixed Grilled Shellfish with Rocket Salad with Parmesan on the side, and a glass of Provence Rosé for you, sir. Broccoletti and Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni for you, Miss, and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, recommended by the sommelier."
"Thank you, I enjoyed his first suggestion. Please pass on my compliments to him." Hermione knew Zacharias was probably glaring at her, but she didn't care.
"Yes, Miss," their waiter said and left.
Hermione began eating her dish, letting herself be absorbed in its flavours. Her moment of happiness was broken by Zacharias' voice. "You seem to know a lot about wines," he said. "How are you so knowledgeable about them?"
Hermione swallowed her food before speaking, "I have two friends who like to know what they are drinking and how to combine it with what we're eating, so I've learned a thing or two."
Taking a sip, Zacharias said, "They sound like they're rich snobs." Hermione widened her eyes while letting out a small laugh. Zacharias frowned and asked, "Is there something funny?"
"Yes! You called my friends snobs when the snobbiest person I know is you! It's a toss up between you and one of my other dates." Hermione laughed, not believing Zacharias' words. "You wanted to know better than a sommelier, someone who studied for years how to blend wines with food. But you weren't willing to admit it."
Hermione thought Zacharias looked like a fish as he stared at her with his mouth open, not letting anything out. After the kiss with Theo, she knew that she had overreacted, but she wasn't ready to deal with the feelings she was beginning to have for him. Going out on a date with Zacharias may not have helped.
"You know what? This was a bad idea," Hermione said, losing her appetite for a moment. "It's obvious that we won't work together. Perhaps we should just leave."
Zacharias smiled for the first time since they arrived at the restaurant, but before Hermione could say anything, he opened his mouth and ruined everything.
Zacharias motioned for their waiter to come to the table and said, "You don't seem too bad, I hope you find what you're looking for. Thanks for the evening, Hermione, but I think we're both glad it's over."
Hermione's smile tightened as she said, "I couldn't put it better myself. Thanks for dinner."
Hermione asked their waiter for a doggy bag to take home. It might have been impolite to suggest to Zacharias that he pay for their meal, but at that point, she didn't care. Having been such a horrible date, Zacharias deserved to pay her for dinner.
"He took you to that fancy place in Mayfair and paid for dinner?" Blaise asked the next day as they sat at their favourite bar. "You're my hero, Granger."
Blaise's expression made Hermione giggle. "I even got a doggy bag to take home. It was to die for."
"I think I should check out this restaurant and see what all the fuss is about," Blaise said with a glint in his eye. "Yeah, I'll take my next date there."
"I think I should take you there someday," Draco said, looking at Ginny. Blaise and Hermione almost fainted in shock at his words. "What do you say?"
"I think that I would like that very much," Ginny replied, smiling and blushing, and Draco smiled softly.
"Oh my gosh, did it finally happen? I'm not dreaming, am I?" Blaise asked, acting like a teenage girl.
"If you're dreaming, I'm dreaming too!" Hermione squealed, grabbing Draco in a hug, while Blaise did the same with Ginny. "You two made my day. I love you both so much!"
She knew that Draco was beyond excited even as he mocked her. "I only want to go on a date with Ginny—not you."
Hermione let go of Draco and Blaise turned to hug him; she smiled and looked at her friends with adoration. She couldn't stop smiling; she was so happy for Draco and Ginny.
"Gin, I'm so happy for you!" Hermione embraced her best friend. "You need to let me decide your outfit."
"Is that your way of telling me I shouldn't help you?" Ginny teased, but Hermione just laughed.
"I just want to help you like you always did for me." Hermione bit her lip before responding. "You can come to my house tomorrow and pick something if you want to keep choosing my outfits for dates."
"Are you still going out with these guys?" Ginny asked. "What about You-know-who?"
Hermione shrugged, not wanting to dwell on these thoughts yet. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything, and I think going out helps me with that," she said. "But I'm not the matter at hand here, you are!"
"Shut up," Ginny replied, blushing more than before. "I won't let you embarrass me anymore tonight."
"I'm fine with it, but good luck with Blaise," Hermione said, biting her lip to stop a burst of laughter. Blaise was prancing around Draco, yelling something about 'how my best friend finally took his head out of his arse and asked the love of his life out.'
Ginny groaned. "Maybe it's time I go rescue those two before we get kicked out again."
While Ginny tried to stop Blaise, and Draco looked like he wanted to disappear, Hermione couldn't help but smile and be glad to have so many wonderful people in her life. She secretly hoped that one day she would have what Ginny and Draco now have. If she imagined Theo by her side, no one needed to know, did they?