Hermione paced biting her lower lip as she looked down at the list. Friday night Theo Nott, Saturday Hogsmeade with Seamus Finnegan, Sunday school appointed date, match unknown until breakfast, meeting at the lake. Then Tuesday night Blaise Zabini, Thursday another school appointed date and Friday Andrew Forrest from Ravenclaw to the Quidditch game, Saturday Hogsmeade Fair another school appointed date, Saturday night Daphne's mystery date and then Sunday Ginny's last choice another Ravenclaw, Lucas Winter. Two weeks nine dates. That was more than she'd ever had and each one with a different guy!
It now being Friday night Hermione was freaking out. Her first date and it was with a Slytherin.
"Come on Mione." Ginny called up the steps. "Theo is waiting!"
"Right." Hermione turned, looked at herself in the mirror, nodded once and walked down the steps.
By the time she made it to the Great Hall her steps had gone from determined to hesitant as her mind whirled with the possibilities of it being a Slytherin prank, maybe Daphne wasn't as great a girl as she seemed or maybe the guys tricked her into it? Maybe she was a pity date? Or no, she was the muggle girl they'd go out with so that other muggle girls, prettier ones would take them seriously as suitors. Or it could be a prank.
"Hermione." Theo saw her on the steps and smiled. She looked amazing. Of course she also looked panicked and he knew she'd probably come out of pity or more likely loyalty to Daphne, like Draco said she had a bleeding heart and was probably just trying to help them be seen with a muggle born so they'd be seen as prospects.
"Hello Theo." Hermione squared her shoulders and forced a smile.
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Hermione blushed and looked away, discreetly looking for Malfoy or anyone else who might be ready to laugh at her.
"Um, so, I thought we'd see a show."
"A show?"
"Yeah, in London. I got tickets for Wicked, its supposed to be really good. We don't have to though. I mean I made a reservation for dinner first, Daphne said you'd never been to Mela's, the foods great but if you'd prefer I also made a reservation at Premier in Diagon Alley, it's where Pans likes best, Daph likes Mela's or the pub, she's pretty casual." Theo shrugged, "Sorry, Blaise is the charming brother."
"You and Blaise are brothers?"
"His mum married my dad, her fifth husband, back in fifth year, she died last year."
"I'm sorry."
Theo shrugged, "She was a bitch." Hermione blushed looking away, "Sorry. No love lost between Blaise and I with our parents."
"Was she…"
Theo shook his head, "She was elitist and obsessed with blood purity but not a Death Eater, that was just dear old dad."
"Right."
"I'm sorry."
"For?"
Theo shrugged, "My family."
"Let's just not talk about them."
"Ok." Theo agreed. "So the show?"
"Right, it sounds wonderful, I went once before with…" Hermione shut her mouth, swallowing the lump that formed.
"Your parents?" He whispered.
Hermione nodded, "They're gone now."
"I'm sorry." Theo sighed.
"Thank you."
"You really don't have to go with me if you don't want." Theo smiled kindly at her, for all he knew his father was the one who killed her parents.
"No." Hermione shook her head, "I'm sorry, it's just so fresh, I mean, I did everything I could to protect them from this world, from the war and they go and die in a bloody car wreck."
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks." She sighed, "I'm really sorry. Maybe we can start over, no parent talk?"
Theo smiled at her, "Good Evening Hermione. Would you care to accompany me to the theater?"
"I'd love to Theo." She smiled at him and took the arm he held out.
"So about dinner?"
"Right, where were we going?"
"I made reservations at my favorite little place in London and at Premier depending on your preference we can have either."
"Premier is that new pricey fancy place in Diagon Alley right?"
"It is." Theo nodded.
Hermione made a face, "What's the other place?"
"Mela's. It's sort of this little hole in the wall place, it's a little art gallery featuring local artists and serving family style meals, so we wouldn't get to order, we're just served what Mela felt like cooking for us tonight. The food really is fantastic, its live music and while you wait you look at the art."
Hermione grinned, "It sounds fantastic."
"Great!" Theo grinned, his whole body relaxing in relief that the witch seemed so agreeable and not like she was ready to hex him at any misstep.
He walked them to the gates and apparated them to Mela's. Jazz poured out the door as he led her inside the bright though smallish space.
"This is a local artist names Felicity Hanslow, she's really good, amazing bold colors." He explained the paintings to Hermione, bending close to her ear so she could hear him over the music. "The guy on the sax is Melanie's husband. Mela is apparently what he calls her, its why they named it Mela's. Her son is the one on the guitar."
Hermione grinned over her shoulder at Theo and moved to another painting. After a minute he touched her elbow to show her they had a table. As soon as they sat down salads appeared, followed by a main course of roast chicken, grilled vegetables and sweet potatoes and finally a desert of butter cream cake and vanilla ice cream.
Hermione was stuffed when they finally left. "That place is amazing." Hermione gushed.
"Isn't it?" Theo grinned. "Melanie is a squib but I swear what comes out of her kitchen is magic and her husband, he's a muggle but the man can do Jazz and Blues music like no wizard I know."
"How do you know them?"
"Melanie was my grandmothers sisters daughter, she grew up almost entirely in the muggle world and my dad would never even let her be mentioned, I only found out when I was going through my mums things when I was nine and found a picture, he told me and then I found Melanie summer after fifth year to make sure she'd be safe, her whole family went into hiding or dad would have gone after them, you know cleansing tainted blood lines and that idiocy. She opened Mela's and after the war she sent me a picture of the place, I've been coming since but it's been open well over a year now."
"So you're cousins."
"Yeah, I guess, on my mum's side. We aren't like family though, I mean, blood-wise we are but she doesn't care about our world, she's happy living fully as a muggle with her family and they don't know anything about any of it, including me, besides that I'm a frequent customer anyways."
"Do you have other family?"
"Just Blaise. We grew up like brothers and my dad was his mum's fifth marriage so technically we are brothers. You?"
Hermione shook her head, "Harry is like a brother and all the Weasley's but no, I was an only child born to only children."
"It's time for the show if you still wanted to go?" Theo offered his arm and nodded to an alley to apparate.
"Please."
After it ended they walked around London for a bit talking, Hermione was stunned when they returned at nearly curfew and said goodbye that she'd had a wonderful time. Theo was thoughtful, intelligent, fun and nice.
"Good night Hermione and thank you for going out with me this evening."
"No, thank you Theo, I had a wonderful time. Truly."
Theo grinned, "I'm glad and anytime you want to go back to the theater I'd be more than happy to come, those muggles were right amusing."
"It was a good show, I forgot how much I'd loved it."
"You want me to walk you up to Gryffindor?"
"No, I'm good. Thank you Theo."
Theo watched her walk up the steps and was surprised when she turned back, "Maybe we could go back to Mela's sometime?" Hermione blushed, "With Daphne of course and Ginny and Harry would love it, I just know."
Theo grinned at her, "Anytime."
"Great. Um, night then."
"Night Hermione." Theo tried to hold back the grin as he sauntered back to his dorm. It was nearing one but all his mates were up waiting.
"It went well!" Daphne jumped up and shouted as soon as she saw him.
Theo laughed, "She's… she's bloody brilliant."
"Guess that's why they call her the brightest witch of her age." Draco told him rolling his eyes, "Really is that all you have for us."
"Shove it git." Theo told him sitting down with a grin, "I meant everything about her, of course she's a brilliant witch but she's not just bookish, I mean we talked books for over an hour and her tastes are superb but she's brilliant other ways too."
"What ways?" Astoria asked curling her feet under her.
"She likes good music and food, I offered Premier but she let me take her to Mela's and she loved it. She's got a good sense of humor too, we saw that muggle show Ernie recommended and it was really fun. She can laugh at herself too, she's not so serious as I'd have thought and she was really nice about the whole Death Eater in the family thing. I mean it was an awkward start but we agreed not to talk about that and from there everything was just… easy."
"You like her!" Daphne bounced grinning.
Theo sighed and sat back with a grin, "She's cute too when she's done up, I mean she's cute anyways I think but she's… something when she's made up."
"Did you ask her out again?"
"No." Theo's face fell then he tilted his head, "Well sort of."
"Sort of?" Astoria pressed.
"I told her I'd see another muggle show if she wanted to and then she said she'd like to go back to Mela's again but its…" Theo sighed, "Let's be honest, it was a lovely date but she wouldn't take me seriously as a match, we could ignore my family for a night but not forever. Maybe, well maybe we could be friends." Disheartened he cut off Daphne's protest, "I'm going to bed."
"Theo!" Daphne called after him. He ignored her and went up to his dorm.
"You're up next Blaise." Astoria winked at him.
"Actually you are, Daphne corrected her sister."
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"The school date thing Sunday? Blaise and Theo are doing it too, and Draco."
"Yes but tomorrow you have a date set up by Ginny and Hermione."
"Who with?"
"Ron Weasley."
"Seriously?"
"Yes." Daphne nodded, "Then you'll have a date with Dean Thomas and then Neville Longbottom."
"Daphne…" Astoria blushed.
"You have to get married Story, I know you're shy but these are nice blokes and Ernie has a couple friends lined up too. Ron's going so it's not as stressful your first time, you know, since you can't marry him."
Astoria sighed and nodded her cheeks still red, "I'd better get to bed then."
"We all should." Blaise stood up with a stretch. "Coming Drake?"
"In a bit." The wizard waved away his friends. What the bloody hell was he going to do. He'd asked out three muggle borns and they'd all laughed. Well two had laughed, the third had gone ghostly pale and run away.
Hermione hurried into the common room and Ginny pounced on her. "Well?"
"He's wonderful!" Hermione admitted blushing.
"You sound surprised." Harry half stated and half asked.
"He's a Slytherin and his dad's a Death Eater." Ron reminded his friend.
"Oh he's not like that though really, he's, he's… sweet."
"Hot too." Ginny reminded her.
"Oi." Harry mock protested.
"I love you." Ginny blew him a kiss and turned back to Hermione. "Come on and tell me everything!"
Hermione went through the whole night for Ginny to dissect and blushed when Parvati sat down with a huff.
"Theo Nott? Really?" Her disbelief was obvious, "I bet he did it as a favor to Daphne."
"I heard Daphne had to bribe Theo and Blaise." Courtney from Ginny's year butt in as well.
Hermione blushed and stared at her hands.
"She did not!" Ginny shouted.
"Yeah, Hermione is a catch!" Ron offered up.
"One you threw back right?" Courtney spat with a sweet smile before spinning and sauntering up to her room.
"She's just jealous Mione." Harry tried to comfort her.
"He is a little above your level though Hermione, why don't you look more for a plainer wizard." Parvati lifted her hands in surrender when Ginny glared at her gripping her wand, "I'm just saying he's a Slytherin so he's sneaky and a pure blood, I mean he's good looking and all but his dad was convicted of some terrible things, probably he can't find a muggle witch desperate enough to marry him."
With that thought Hermione's good mood vanished and she just felt tired. "I'm going to bed." She told her friends with a sigh.
Ginny sighed and turned to Harry, "She was so happy when she came in and now I have to tell her Seamus got engaged tonight and I have to cancel her date for tomorrow."
"I'll take her to Hogsmeade." Ron offered.
"You have a date with Astoria."
"I thought pure bloods couldn't marry?" Ron insisted.
"They can't." Ginny sighed, "This date is so that you and we can get to know her, just please do it Ronald!"
"Fine."
"Have you two found anyone yet?"
"For Hermione?" Harry asked frowning.
"For Ron." Ginny sighed, "Daphne and I have Hermione, you're supposed to help Ron."
"Right, um, what about… Parvati?"
"She's a pureblood." Ron reminded him.
"Technically she's not since her dad was muggle born but no definitely not her as my sister in law please."
"Have you heard from your other brothers?"
"Charlie came home from Romania and is grumbling about finding a witch to marry. George proposed to Angelina Johnson and Percy was already married so its just Ron we have to worry about."
"Not Charlie?"
"Bill and George are helping him." Ginny rolled her eyes at them, "Really you two, there isn't much we can do for him here don't we have enough to stress about I mean you haven't got one date Ronald!"
"I have three from the school!"
"Daphne and I have six others lined up for Mione. Well five now Seamus is out but still that's eight guys for her to just start with!"
"We've only been back a week."
"You have only a couple months to meet, court and propose Ronald, you'd better hurry before everyone else is engaged!" Ginny huffed kissing Harry and going up to her dorm.
"Bloody hell, I'm up a creek on this mate."
"We'll find the right witch for you Ron. Just because they are throwing wizards at Hermione doesn't mean any of them will be right for her, you are just looking for the right one before taking all of them out."
"Right, it's not time for desperation... yet" Ron looked over at Harry, "You think she really liked that Slytherin?"
"I think she had a good night."
"I think we should make sure there's nothing funny behind it."
"Yeah, good idea. We'll look into those blast dates and make sure the blokes are good enough for her."
"Seamus was a bad choice for our Mione that's for sure and Ginny is setting her up with Oliver."
"Quidditch obsessed Oliver Wood?"
"Yeah."
"I thought she had two Ravenclaws?"
"One turned in his papers to the ministry and is exempt."
"Exempt?" Harry frowned at him.
"You know…" Harry shook his head, "Blimey Harry, exempt from the law… as in he doesn't go for witches."
"Oh… oh. Who?"
"Andrew something, I guess he and his boyfriend petitioned together and his parents fainted dead away in the middle of the ministry in shock since he's an only child." Ron snorted, "You know pure bloods are all about homosexuality being fine as long as they aren't the only child... it's their duty to carry on the line or some such. I once heard mum say a friend of hers got married ijust so he could carry on the line and it stated specifically in the contract they'd have just one and stay married until the kid started Hogwarts but both could have boyfriends. Then they fell for the same wizard like three years later and voided their contract to have a triad or something."
"Seriously?" Harry frowned stunned. Wizards seemed much more accepting than muggles about some things.
"Yeah." Ron nodded, "I don't think the Andrew bloke would consider it though and that's just not Mione."
"Ginny's choices aren't lining up so well." Harry sighed.
"Maybe Mione is better off with a snake." Ron mused and then shuddered. "Maybe Oliver isn't the same?"
"Doubt it. Come on mate, let's go to bed. We have Slytherins to assess tomorrow and a witch to find for you."
"Right." Ron nodded following Harry to the dorm.
