Reckless

Chapter Eight

Harry shifted uncomfortably as the woman's foot scooted higher up his leg. He squeaked slightly as it came in contact with her intended target.

"Can you not do that?!" Harry demanded as he scooted his chair back. The curly headed blonde pouted and propped her elbows on the table. 'Leave it up to Derek to set me up with a sex-crazed woman…' Harry thought negatively as she pushed her breasts together with her forearms.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she cooed in what Harry supposed she thought was a seductive voice. Harry couldn't help but think she sounded congested. He nearly sighed in relief as his cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," he said. He used the excuse to do something Hermione would beat him black and blue for. He slipped out of the back door to the restaurant. "Hello?" He called.

"How is the date going?" Hermione asked as a greeting.

"Never have I been more thankful that you forced me to buy that cell," Harry sighed in relief. Hermione snorted. "Seriously, this woman has molested me with her foot!" Hermione's snort became full blown laughter. "Shut up, Hermione!" He almost whined, but he didn't. He so didn't.

"Go back inside and politely leave the date, Harry," Hermione demanded once she calmed down. "Don't just leave the poor girl at the table wondering where you went." Harry froze and leaned around the alley trashcan. "No, I'm not there. I'm at Spencer's remember?"

"You….are terrifying…." Harry muttered as he hung up the phone. Hermione and Harry had made an unspoken agreement to never say goodbye. It just seemed too final. As he reentered the building, he pondered for a moment on Hermione's intuition. Ron used to joke that Hermione had the ability to see the future or something, but Harry knew it was just because she knew them that well. As terrifying as her ability was, Harry was fond of it because it was just another thing that made Hermione who she was. He ducked back inside and bumped instantly into a blonde woman. He caught her before she could fall. He held her arms as she straightened herself. "I'm so sorry, miss," Harry apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's fine," she said, turning her brown eyes to him. "No harm done," she said. Harry tilted his head at the way her eyes seemed to lock with his. He flinched slightly as his blind date caught sight of him. Thankfully, the woman's body was concealed by the pillar. Still, Harry could help but take the woman in. She was a few years older than him, but it did nothing to take away from her beauty. Harry found himself enchanted by her brown eyes. He even found her hair style attractive. Normally the short haircut bothered him, but it highlighted her features wonderfully. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring at this woman who for some reason hadn't extracted her arms from his hands.

"Well, I've got to…." Harry motioned toward the table. She nodded. A small, adorable flush touched her cheeks.

"Oh! Of course," she motioned for him to go on with her left hand. Unwillingly, Harry's eyes locked onto that hand. No ring. That was a good sign. "Thank you for catching me." Harry smiled at her before turning finally to walk back to his table. He approached that infuriating woman.

"That was my sister," Harry said as he stood by the table. "She broke down on the way from her boyfriend's house and needs someone to come pick her up." The blonde's expression fell at the news.

"Oh," she mumbled. "Well," she stood from the chair, "maybe we could do this again…" Harry didn't want to give the woman any hope for another go. He just smiled and walked her to the door. It wasn't until he was down the street that he heard someone calling out to him. He turned; his eyes widened. It was the beautiful, unmarried woman from the restaurant.

"You left this," she breathed. Harry's eyes were drawn to her hand. His cell phone was held her hand. He must have dropped it in order to stop her from falling. "Geez, you're fast." She muttered as she stopped. Harry smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was trying…" She looked up at him. Her brown eyes sparkled in amusement. Harry momentarily lost his breath.

"To ditch your date," she said. Harry blushed. She smiled.

"Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Too pushy…" He put it vaguely.

"I know the feeling," she muttered. "It's kinda why I stood up." She admitted. They shared a small look of sympathetic understanding. "Well, here's your phone." She stated. Harry felt a brief flash of loneliness as she turned to walk away. The strange urge to have her near him filled him and drove him to call out to her. She turned slowly with a look of confusion on her face.

"Did you have anywhere to be after your date?" Harry asked. "Because if not…I…" Harry blew out a nervous breath and ran a hand through his already unruly hair. He was taking a leap. "Would you like to get coffee?" She blinked then flushed. Harry waited patiently, nervously for her answer. She seemed to consider his offer and study him closely.

"Sure," she consented. "There's a Starbucks across the street?" She suggested. Harry smiled and nodded.

"Alright." He stepped toward her and extended his elbow to her politely. She smiled softly and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. "I'm Harry," he introduced himself. The woman smiled over at him.

"I'm Haley."

"So what is it you do, Harry?" Haley asked as she put the straw to her iced coffee in her mouth. Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. She smiled softly at the action. This young man had completely entranced her. He was sweet and vaguely reminded her of a younger Aaron.

"I'm an FBI agent…" He muttered. Haley released the straw. Her brown eyes turned wide. Harry knew instantly that it wasn't because she was awed. She was shocked and not in a good way. Before he could open his mouth to ask what was wrong, she began to speak:

"My ex-husband is an FBI agent," she whispered. The old feeling of rejection and abandonment filled her. Aaron hadn't meant to make her feel that way, but after time and time again of being put second to his job…there was only just so much a woman could take. "We didn't split up because we fell out of love. We split because he couldn't….wouldn't take time away from the job…" Harry couldn't stop it. He reached over and placed his hand over hers. Her eyes snapped up to his. He could see it instantly. This woman was deeply wounded by what her ex-husband had done.

"In my life, I've learned that you need to step back and bask in the little things that often we take for granted. The job can wait, but things like your family can't…" A flash of Ginny's face entered his mind then as if following a slide show the entire Weasley family came next. He had been so consumed with defeating Voldemort and protecting Ginny that he never really stopped to make sure that she knew he loved her. He was pulled from his thoughts by Haley's hand squeezing his.

With that statement, it seemed like the flood gates between them had been opened. She talked freely about her son and her life. Harry returned the favor. And then, they got lost. Harry cherished the moments when she would throw her head back laughing at something he had said. He would chuckle each time she told him about her child's antics and silly behavior. Before they knew it, ten o'clock had approached and it was time for Haley to go. Harry bid her goodbye after walking her to her car. She smiled widely after he had boldly kissed her on the cheek.

Despite the horrible beginning to the night, it had ended fantastically for both parties. By the time Harry got home, his cheeks hurt from the force of the smile on his lips.

Haley thought of him the entire way home. The sincerity of his words and the pain in his eyes when he had told her that the job could wait had shown her that he was older beyond his years. The pain in his eyes was so deep. He wasn't that young man she had originally thought him to be, but he was a man that she would be delighted to get to know. And the number that rested in her pocket reassured her that it wouldn't be that difficult.