As Hermione finished her day at work she started mentally preparing for the evening. Blaise Zabini was friendly enough, but Hermione knew for a fact that tonight's date was pointless. Blaise was way too high maintenance for Hermione. While she wasn't sure what her ultimate career would be she knew she wanted to work and live a minimal lifestyle, and Blaise was the opposite. He lived in a manor and had never stepped foot in the muggle world. It just wasn't a good fit, but Hermione went anyway.

As she arrived at the restaurant, Vermillion on Horizont Alley, she felt underdressed. Her long sleeved black dress was not in the same league as the cocktail dresses she was noticing on the other witches. She made her way to the hostess stand where she saw Blaise waiting on her, she smiled as he held his arm out to her. Without a word to the staff they headed into the dimly lit restaurant and took a seat. The table was draped in a maroon tablecloth and two wine glasses sat on the table with the customary silverware.

"I hope you weren't waiting on me too long," she told him with a smile after he had sat down.

"Just a minute or two. You were still ten minutes early, so I'm glad I got here when I did. It's very rude to leave a lady waiting."

He smiled and Hermione had to admit, it was a charming smile. The waiter came and took their drink order.

"So, how has life been?" Hermione asked Blaise while they waited. She did her best not to fidget or look around the restaurant. She knew Blaise had money so she shouldn't be so shocked by the choice of venue.

"Quiet, a bit too quiet if you ask me. It's strange to go from the threat of torture to this every daily life where I'm supposed to know what I want to do for the rest of it."

Hermione nodded, these were things that she was sure everyone in their generation felt. The trio spent much of their time together complaining about the same thing. Yes quiet was better than torture, but often they left her feeling quiet the same.

"I can relate. Honestly it's exhausting in its own way to be making regular daily decisions. I feel like I need some big problem to solve other than what job or who to marry," she told him as the waiter appeared back with their drinks.

They quickly ordered food, Hermione just picking the first thing she saw when she opened the menu. She had spent many of her first dates trying to figure out which foods she liked and what option was best but found that her stomach wasn't quite what it was before the war and everything tasted rather bland and tasteless. She would pack most of it up to pick at through the week.

"Well it seems to the rest of us that you've figured quite a bit out. You work at the ministry, you still see Potter and Weasley almost daily, so all that's left is figuring out a husband." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively before chuckling softly.

"Yes. It does seem that way, doesn't it?" She took a sip of her drink.

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The rest of the date was unremarkable. Blaise was a decent dinner companion but that mostly meant he didn't chew with his mouth open and he stuck to pleasant conversation. She knew that there would be no more dinners or dates with Blaise and that was perfect with her. Maybe she could convince Ginny to give her a break from dating like she had Harry.

As she laid down in bed she thought about the things she wanted in her future. She wanted to make a difference, to mean more than helping Harry defeat Voldemort. She wanted to travel and learn. Upon finishing school she found they her brain didn't quiet, it was still eager to learn more. The more she thought about her wants the more she knew the Ministry was not the answer and in the least Hermione fashion she got out of bed and started drafting her letter of resignation.