Disclaimer, I hereby state that I don't own any of the characters in this story. Even those I did 'create' are based on JK Rowling's genius and would never have come into fruition if not for the world of Harry Potter.
Chapter 8
Friday 25th January 2002, Hermione's Apartment, Hermione Granger POV
Hermione had spent the past week distracted. She had found it hard to focus after the very excited chaser had cornered her, shortly after the English Team won the Quidditch Finals, informing her that 'she better not back out' from their date. By Wednesday, having heard nothing from him, she had begun to think he was backing out, until an owl arrived with details to meet in Muggle London on Friday evening. Now, however, she was faced with a new dilemma. She was standing in front of her wardrobe flipping erratically between garments, at a total loss over what to wear. Frustrated, Hermione threw her arms into the air in defeat, spinning around to face the red head sitting cross legged on the bed watching the proceedings with an amused smirk.
"Are you going to help me or just sit there? This is not funny, Ginerva Molly Potter! I have nothing to wear!"
The smirk slipped off of Ginny's face, quickly replaced by a scowl. "I was going to help, until you brought out the full name, Hermione Jean Granger!"
"You were looking like you were entertained by my distress!"
"That's because it's really funny."
Hermione felt her eyes shooting daggers at the women who, annoyingly began to laugh.
"Oh come on, Hermione! This whole thing is hysterical! You are freaking out about something to wear on a date in Muggle London with Marcus Flint."
"I see nothing amusing in that statement, Ginny."
"Sure you do, you are just being contrary." Ginny sent her a wide smile.
Hermione huffed before flopping next to Ginny on the bed face down, moaning. "I have nothing to wear! I have to cancel, I will send him an owl explaining I am sick, with dragonpox... a really bad case of it. Then I will quit my job with the Quidditch team so I never have to see him again."
"Well you can't use Athena, I sent a letter to Charlie when I first got here. She won't be back in time to cancel."
Hermione turned her head still lying on her tummy sending a look horrified at her soon to be ex-best friend."You did what? You sent my owl to Romania? What if I need her?!"
Hermione decided asking Ginny for help was a stupid plan, almost as idiotic as agreeing to go out to dinner with Marcus.
"If you need an owl for any reason other than cancelling your hot date," Ginny's eyebrows wiggled suggestively, "then I'll send you Archer. You want to cancel, floo and talk to him yourself."
"You have some serious issues, you should get looked at."
They were silent for a while Ginny continued to grin like a mad women, until Hermione jumped up, her panic increasing threefold.
"I can't do this, Gin, I just can't! I broke up with Ron less than two months ago! This is like a rebound relationship extraordinaire! It's wrong! It's distasteful, Ginny- distasteful!"Her last word was repeated for emphasis, with a wince-worthy tone. All she could think, was it was too soon for dating. How on earth, does someone even date? She and Ron never went on dates unless it was an anniversary, and even then she could only remember two occasions.
"Hermione, calm down your being silly. It isn't like you and Ron were really involved for months. Relax, it's just a date... and it isn't like you haven't seen him naked-" Ginny found herself being hit quite hard by a pillow.
"Ow, what was that for? It's the truth! Speaking of naked, are you planning to shag him again tonight?"
This time she was fast enough to dodge the pillow. If Hermione had thought she was panicked previously, it was nothing to the wave of horror that swept through her body at that moment.
"Oh sweet Nimue! He isn't going to expect...that... right? I am not a shag on first date type of girl!"
Ginny clearly couldn't help the hysterics that bubbled forth at this as Hermione, realising the absurdity of what she just said felt her face turning a very bright shade of red.
"But shagging before a first date, that's totally OK?" Obviously realising Hermione was close to tears of panic by now, Ginny seemed to decide it was time for the calm friend approach.
"Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry I teased you. Seriously, all jokes aside, you are going on this date, you deserve this date! Try on the black dress you wore to my engagement party."
Sighing as she returned to rationality, Hermione focused her eyes on Ginny. The red head looked relieved to see Hermione no longer seemed close to a panic attack.
"WOW, good to have you back Hermione. You seemed more freaked out then the time Viktor Krum asked you to the Yule Ball. I'm starting to think you have boy issues."
Hermione could only whisper in response her heart rate still thundering in her rib cage. "Sorry about that, I have never done this before, Gin."
Her friend smiled again, only this time with genuine sympathy. "You had never addressed an entire confederate of Purebloods from across the world before either, and you were calmer for that then I just saw you."
Scowling but registering Ginny was correct Hermione couldn't resist a little dig. "None of them were possibly expecting to shag me."
Saturday 26th January 2002, Small Spanish Restaurant in Muggle London, Marcus Flint POV
The restaurant he decided to take her was an unpretentious and quant Spanish place. He had found it during one of his first solo jaunts into the Muggle world after the war. Marcus remembered being scared but elated as he walked the Muggle streets by himself, until he had gotten hungry and decided to try Muggle food. The restaurant was thin and long in structure with dark-stained wooden tables and matching wooden chairs. There were no table ornaments only a place setting of cutlery, napkin, salt and pepper, glasses and bottle of water on each table. It was the walls Marcus found most fascinating, rustic, red, bumpy-textured and filled with mismatched, brightly-framed, non-moving pictures representing the wonders of Spain. Once he and Hermione arrived, finished social pleasantries, ordered drinks and food they sat in total silence waiting for their meal to arrive. He couldn't think of a single thing to say and it was getting ridiculously more mortifying as the minutes ticked on. Hermione looked stunning, in a fitted black Muggle dress, her curly hair, he assumed, was managed by a charm and fell in soft curls. Maybe he could ask her about that? When he had asked her out in Denmark it had been a crazy mess of erratic curls but usually her hair looked great. It would start a desperately needed conversation, but might seem rude.
She smiled at him, then laughed, "We need to talk Marcus, about anything. Right now I would talk about the weather to get a conversation started."
"How did you tame you hair?" Crap, he really shouldn't have said that!
Her eyes crinkled with amusement for a moment and a true smile lit her face. "I invented a charm that tames it."
It was his turn to be surprised; inventing charms was notoriously difficult and required a technical knowledge of charm techniques and intricacies. Then again he shouldn't be so surprised; she was the brightest witch of her age.
"Wow," was all he could think to say.
They reverted back to silence for a couple more minutes, it was excruciating. Hermione sighed again.
"This is ridiculous, we talked for hours in Canada."
She blushed a pretty pink at the mention of Canada and he forced himself not to smirk and make her even more uncomfortable as she continued.
"So we have three options; we start a conversation, give up and go home, or get drunk. I refuse the last, because if you need to be drunk to talk to someone, it is probably best you don't associate with them."
She was blunt to the point of madness and he found it surprisingly attractive.
"Ask me any question, Marcus. Anything at all, and if it is in my power I will reply truthfully."
Shit, what did he want to know about Hermione Granger? Hermione was gazing at him a slight smile gracing her face at his obvious discomfort and contemplation.
"Fine I will ask you a question."
What? No! Shit that's even worse!
"Why this restaurant, and how do you know about it? It is a lovely place by the way."
Oh easy, he could answer this, "I found it while I was out wandering the streets about two years ago now. I was hungry and deciding if I should Apperate home to eat or try some Muggle food. I saw this place and got courage enough to enter- I loved it! There is nowhere like this in our world, I more time I spend in the Muggle world I more I realise the magical world is not very diverse."
He hadn't meant to say all that and he hoped he hadn't inadvertently insulted her somehow. She honoured him an amazingly bright smile to which he felt instantaneous relief.
"No it isn't. Your turn to ask me a question."
Again a slight panic clenched his stomach, oh shit what question to ask? "Why the International Confederation of Wizards? Why not research?"
She didn't even hesitate with her answer. "Kingsley asked me to take the position. At first I was very sceptical since I was just out of school with no experience. I was set to join the Department of Mysteries after my eighth year. But Kingsley convinced me that once an unspeakable you are rather deadlocked into that career." Her head shook and a small smile graced her lips as she seemed to relive a memory. "He felt my post war status and other... skills are too important for the new Ministry in areas other than research."
Marcus thought that was a very truthful in depth answer; he began to get concerned with what question she would throw at him next so tried to distract her, "Do you always do what Kingsley wants you to do?"
She laughed at this. "We are good friends, Kings and I, we fought together and we work very well together. I admit he did have to convince me but it didn't take much. If there is something I really don't want to do then nothing will make me. He was right, I love research but I also love a challenge and helping to create change. My job is the ultimate challenge and I can still do research in my spare time."
Marcus decided he liked this game, it was interesting and she looked so beautiful sitting across from him, bathed in the glow of soft lighting.
"My turn." Oh crap, perhaps he didn't like this game. "OK then, Marcus what scary, personal question should I ask you?"
His worry must have shown because she shook her head and giggled,"Do you have any siblings?"
"That's it? Your deeply personal question is if I have siblings?"
She just nodded her head with a smile.
"I have one sister, Clarabelle. There, that question is answered and I think you purposely went easy on me Hermione. I want a real question."
She was looking at him strangely like she was trying to work him out. "Fine, then, what is your biggest accomplishment?"
"Getting Theo away from his father at the end of his sixth year, it was very difficult. We had to quickly grab him before Grantham-his father-could when the school train arrived. At that time we were already in hiding and so my friends Tobias and Blake and I used Polyjuice to hide our identities. I'm sure it is nothing compared to what you went through but it was nerve-wracking at the time. My mother had been so worried about him before that. We had no way of reaching him to know if he was alright." He was curious and nervous about what she would make of that. She looked rather surprised at his answer her cute mouth parted a little and apparently she was unsure how to answer.
"Do you mean Theodore Nott?"
"Yes, he is my cousin. His mother was my mother's sister."
"Well OK, I am glad you got him to safety then. He was always one of the more... tolerable Slytherin's of my year." Marcus snorted as she laughed before continuing."I assumed you would say making the World Cup Team, I thought I was giving you another easy one."
He smiled at this, "I also like a challenge Hermione. I am competitive by nature." He had no idea why he was egging her on, it was quite rude for a first date and shouldn't they be trying to avoid personal questions. But his previous nerves had lessened and she seemed to like it if the large grin lit her face was any indication.
"I am very competitive as well Marcus, so this could turn into an interesting game of wits." The challenge in her face was obvious and he found himself determined to take it, she was unlike any girl he had ever met.
'My turn then, Hermione, what if your biggest accomplishment?" He knew it was a slight cop-out of a question but he was curious what she would say, there seemed so many things she could claim as accomplishments, what was her biggest?
'My chocolate frog card."
He hadn't been expecting that. "Really? More so than, oh, I don't know, saving our world? Nine Outstandings in your NEWTS or receiving a Order of Merlin First class?"
She smiled shyly looking quite modest and embarrassed as he recounted reasons why she was famous in their world.
"Well, all that is written on my chocolate frog card, it is like a record of my accomplishments." Her pretty cheeks turned pink. She had him there.
"Good point, Granger."
She smiled and nodded to him. "Cheers, Flint."
He was confused as she raised her glass of wine to him, what did she want him to do with it? She giggled and muttered something that sounded rather like 'Purebloods' with a slight shake of her head.
"Take your drink, Marcus and raise it in the air, like I am." She wiggled her wine glass in the air, red wine swishing against the glass. Marcus copied her with his bourbon. With a wide smile she clinked her glass against his with a call of 'cheers'. She took a sip of her drink motioning him to do so as well with a dainty shake of her wrist. Swallowing his own generous portion of alcohol he asked,
"What in Merlins name was that?"
"A Muggle toast, Marcus. Congratulations, your first Hermione-sanctioned Muggle Studies test was a resounding success."
He snorted as the waiter brought their food, after this both found conversation was quite easy, playful banter mixed with a slight edge of competitiveness. Their conversation no longer strayed into any awkward or deeply personal territory such as the war. Skirting the edges easily as they discussed childhoods, common associates from work, tourist attractions they had visited during travels. Marcus insisted on paying for their meal, proudly displaying his adeptness with Muggle money. They left pulling on warm jackets and scarves into the brisk January night air. As they began their walk to find the secluded spot Marcus knew they could Disapparate from, Hermione spoke up first,
"I have had another very nice evening with you, Marcus, thank you."
"I am glad you had fun." He felt very nervous again for the first time in nearly two hours, "does that mean you would agree to another?" She seemed to think about it and his heart dropped.
"Would you really like to? Or are you just saying that to be kind?" Was she serious? He had thought it rather obvious he was interested in her- more than he had been for any other girl he could think of. He turned to face her halting there walk.
"I really would. You are not like anyone else I know, it's refreshing. You keep me on my toes in conversation. You teach me new things. I really want to get to know you better."
At the end of his sentence she leaned up and kissed him chastely, and smiled. "I am not going to sleep with you tonight. I have decided I don't sleep with men on first dates."
He smiled, he had been expecting that. However that didn't mean he was going to make it easy on her, he had, after all already shagged her. Snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her closer, so she was flush with his chest he looked into her eyes.
"Is that so, and I can't convince you otherwise?" He noticed her breathing had become erratic, and he smirked.
"I have no doubt you could, but please don't."
He leaned down as though to kiss her and when he was almost touching her soft lips spoke,"In this you have all the control. We go as fast or slow as you want."
Her breathing stopped momentarily as he placed another soft kiss on her lips before pulling away. He took her hand and began to walk again. She seemed stunned at the change in mood and gave him a questioning look. He sent her a wink and a smirk. She seemed to sense he was trying to lighten the mood with playful flirting, and he could tell by the relief on her face that she was happy he wasn't going to pressure her for another shag.
"Oh really, Marcus? Good luck with that." She ruined the effect however by involuntarily moving closer to him.
"Come-on, Hermione, let's go home and I will owl you tomorrow like the gentleman I am." He laughed as she snorted and led her toward a secluded alley way from where after another quick kiss they Disapparated to their own respective homes, Hermione leaving first. He would definitely be sending her that owl tomorrow.
Oh My Golly Gosh. I am so glad the 'date' is done. This was a very hard chapter to write- I have no flipping idea what people talk about on first dates with someone they hardly know? I have only ever done it once in my entire life and that was over a decade ago!
Still on a rather sweet note- the restaurant Marcus took Hermione too was based on the first restaurant my husband ever took me after we became 'official' (we were already living together as housemates). I contemplated having Marcus Apperate her to Bendigo, Australia but thought that would be a tad unbelievable even for Harry Potter FanFiction. :-D
blue artemis was the wonderful beta of this chapter, and I thank her very much!
Thank-you also to the lovely's who reviewed again! There seemed to be consensus with everyone happy he finally asked her out, so I really hope the date was worth the wait!
lady innogen