Aaron sat down across from his mate after he had paid for their drinks and snacks.
"You must come here, often since they know you by name," Aaron commented.
"I do," Hermione agreed saying nothing else, even as she waited on her tea.
"Not much for small talk?" Aaron asked with a raised eyebrow.
"With strangers, not so much," Hermione replied with a small smile. "With my friends it's different."
Aaron sensed that Hermione smile was reluctant, but she couldn't help herself.
"So tell me about yourself, Mr. Dunin," Hermione asked.
"I was originally born in Poland and as I told you I'm here and London on business. I've never been married or had a child as unlike some men I'm very careful not to get some woman pregnant," Aaron said.
"So no little Dunins running around?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, I've always been too responsible," Aaron said not telling his mate the real reason that he had never gotten a female pregnant. That he was immortal and he hadn't wanted to risk turning a woman into what he was unless they were his mate.
No immortal would be so careless as to turn someone into what they were, just because they had sex with them to often without a condom.
"So what about you? What's your story?" Aaron asked her.
"As you know my name is Hermione Granger I went to a private school up in Scotland," Hermione said. "I went to college after graduation."
Which wasn't exactly the normal thing to do considering her school had been magical, but still it was possible and some students that attended Hogwarts did go to college afterwards but not very many.
"Now I work from home."
Aaron noticed that Hermione didn't go into specifics about what she did from home to earn an income, but then maybe it was top-secret and she couldn't talk about it.
"No siblings?"
"No, I'm an only child," Hermione shook her head negatively. "My parents did want at least a couple more but my mother had so much trouble giving birth to me that the doctor advised them not to try to have anymore, that it could end it tragedy."
"That's sad, but it happens all the time," Aaron said.
"True, it does," Hermione agreed even as a Adela brought their drinks and the food they had ordered.
"So what do your parents do for a living?" Aaron asked
"They were dentists," Hermione explained calmly knowing it was a perfectly ordinary profession.
"Were?" Aaron questioned.
"They are dead," Hermione explained. "Hit and run. They died while I was still in college. This car hit them because the roads were icy and the driver skidded and hit their car. My father who was driving was killed instantly, as that's the side their car was hit on and my mother died in the hospital."
"I'm so sorry that happened to you. That you lost your parents while you were still young," Aaron said.
"I was in my 20s when it happened, early 20s, Mr. Dunin," Hermione rebutted.
"You might've been considered grown-up, but that's still awfully young to lose both your parents," Aaron said.
"I miss them sometimes, but I was always very independent. While I miss them and I still lived at home while they lived, I didn't really need them. I was always more of an adult than a child when I was young."
"Some people are like that," Aaron suggested and Hermione nodded. "Those that are more intelligent than most other children and have experiences that most children do not, which matures them beyond their years."
"That was definitely me," Hermione said looking reflective. "I was more intelligent than most children my age so I gravitated towards the older kids who wanted nothing to do with someone so much younger. It wasn't until I went to my private school that I actually made friends. It was a coed school and I met Harry Potter."
"So you had a boy as a best friend I'm surprised nothing romantic ever happened between you," Aaron suggested trying not to grimace at that very thought.
"Harry, is like my brother," Hermione wrinkled her nose at the thought of Harry, as her boyfriend. "We were both only children for one thing. Harry's parents were murdered when he was just a toddler."
"And yet he went to this private school with you," Aaron said.
"It was set up after he was born and his aunt and uncle could really deny him going as much as they might've wanted to," Hermione said.
"So I take it he didn't have a good childhood," Aaron commented.
"No, he didn't, but it's not my story to tell and Harry wouldn't appreciate me telling his history to a stranger. He's a very private person and he doesn't want to be pitied."
"I doubt I would pity him I'd probably respect him for surviving," Aaron said truthfully.
"Perhaps he'll tell you his story if you meet and he gets to know you or he'll give me permission to tell you," Hermione said, "but for right now, I'm not going break his confidence. He'll feel like he's been betrayed he'll probably never speak to me again and that's something I'll never do."
Though Hermione didn't say so Aaron got the impression that her friend had been betrayed so many times that he didn't trust easily.
The two of them enjoyed their drinks and the treats they had got to go along with them even as they continued to talk softly.
Aaron managed to draw Hermione out and find out more about her life, though it was clear that she was still keeping secrets. She happened to mention her other friend Ron, but said she wasn't as close to him as she had used to be.
"Ron is just one of those people that refuses to grow up," Hermione explained rolling her eyes in exasperation.
Even living through a war hadn't made Ron mature, though he had matured somewhat just not enough. Ron wanted the world to stop so he didn't have to take on adult responsibilities. He wanted things to remain the same as they had always been.
"He wants everything to remain the same, as to when he was an 11 year old boy. Even Harry has given up on Ron ever maturing," said Hermione shaking her head. "He's just so lazy that he's never really made anything of his life."
"I can understand why you aren't as close to him as you once were," Aaron said. "He sounds like the type that wants everything done for him while he just sits on his butt."
"He is," Hermione agreed. "He still living at home and works at his brothers store. Still, he could have a good career if only he wasn't so lazy. Fred and George took pity on him and it gets him out of the house most every day. It's still not really a career though. It's the kind of job you get like in the summer."
"So long as your friend is happy though I don't know why it matters," Aaron suggested.
"I guess it doesn't," Hermione admitted. "It's not the kind of job I would choose for myself, but I suppose, Ron is different. Ron is the odd one out as all his brothers are very accomplished in the careers they chose and also his sister has a good career."
"Is that the reason you chose not to get involved with him romantically?" Aaron asked cautiously.
"How did you know that Ron an I were once romantically involved?" Hermione asked looking at Aaron in surprise.
"The way you talk about him," Aaron answered. "It was a good bet that one of those young men that you were friends with could've turned into a relationship once you were older. Since you told me you think of Harry as a brother that left Ron."
"You're very astute, Mr. Dunin," Hermione told him with a slight smile. "While we did date for awhile and the mother expected us to marry I could never put up with his laziness or his poor table manners. While I'm perfectly capable of earning a living I'm not gonna marry someone that just wants to sit on their butt and expect their spouse to bring home the income."
"So how many siblings does your friend have," Aaron asked. "You mentioned brothers and a sister, but that doesn't tell me how many brothers."
"I suppose not," Hermione admitted. "He has five older brothers and he is the youngest boy. His sister Ginny is a bit less than a year younger than Ron."
The two continued to talk before Hermione looked at her watch. "I really must be going Mr. Dunin. I have a lot of chores to do."
"You can call me Aaron there's no reason to be so formal. I'd like to take you to dinner Miss Granger."
"It's Hermione," Hermione answered. "My name isn't really suited for a nickname. Ron sometimes calls me 'moine but only if he wants me mad at him."
Hermione nearly said when he want to be hexed, but stopped herself in time.
"I take it you don't like that nickname," Aaron asked and Hermione shook her head.
"My name isn't really suitable for nicknames unlike most other names. Ron is short for Ronald for instance. His brothers Fred's name is short for Frederick and he also has an older brother William, but he's called Bill," Hermione explained.
"I see what you mean," Aaron agreed. "So about dinner."
"I don't know," Hermione said. "I've enjoyed myself more than I expected, but still, I don't know that I want to get involved with anyone."
"Don't you want children eventually?" Aaron asked.
"I won't say I don't," Hermione admitted. "I wouldn't mind having three or four considering I was an only child. I was often lonely with no one to play with, so became obsessed with the written word. I'm just so busy now I don't really have time for a relationship."
Aaron said nothing but looked very disappointed and Hermione felt guilty. Yes, she was busy but she could make time to see Aaron again if she wanted, but did she really want to? One thing was for sure that Aaron appeared to be a Muggle, which meant he might not accept the fact that she was far from normal.
Really though, that was an excuse and Hermione well knew plenty of relationships between magicals and Muggles that worked out just fine. She didn't know if Aaron was willing to accept her magic or not, but wasn't she willing to take the chance?
Aaron was the first man that had shown an interest in her as a woman in ages, so why not flirt with him and see where it went? A Muggle wouldn't have the same prejudiced that a pure-blood would and while they were plenty of wizards that were not pure-blooded still she might have a better chance with someone with no magic.
She was being unfair and Hermione knew it, as Neville was a pure-blood and very nice having nothing against her just because she was Muggle-born. Neville however, was married to Hannah Abbott and they already had a couple of children, so he was out, as a marriage prospect. Besides, while she liked Neville a whole lot she had never been romantically interested in him and never would've married him. She liked Neville as a friend nothing more.
"I accept your offer of dinner," Hermione said finally and watched as Aaron lit up.
"What changed your mind?" Aaron asked curiously. "You seemed so dead set against going to dinner with me so I'm curious."
"The fact, that Harry would lecture me for one thing," Hermione said truthfully. "Harry would tell me that I need to stop putting off dating or I am going to end up a lonely old maid."
Hermione didn't bother to tell Aaron than most magicals would've been married by her age with at least two children, if not three. Magicals tended to marry young at least in Britain. Harry had been married ever since his early 20s when he had met Daphne Greengrass again after Hogwarts. They were the same age and had gone to Hogwarts together Daphne was a Slytherin and Harry a Gryffindor the two houses didn't exactly get along.
When they been in school their relationship would have likely broken up due to immense peer pressure from their separate houses as well as a lot of nasty pranks meant to break them up.
"If we do meet I'm gonna have to thank him for giving you some sound advice," Aaron said. "He's right about ending up lonely just because you don't like to put yourself out there for whatever reason."
"I doubt that's your problem," Hermione commented. "Putting yourself out there I mean, only to be ridiculed. You seem more like the type that has plenty of confidence around females like asking out a stranger, even though it wasn't necessary.
"No, I'm not, but that doesn't mean I haven't encountered plenty of people that don't like to put themselves out there only to be rejected."
Hermione nodded, because she was well aware there were plenty of people just like that.
"So shall we exchange phone numbers," Aaron suggested.
"Sure," Hermione agreed.
Unlike most magicals at least here in Britain she did have a phone even if that was only a house phone instead of a cell phone. Cell phones were all the rage now even though they've been around for a long time. They've been improved on a lot over the years to where they were a lot smaller than they had used to be when they had first been put on the market and did more things.
"I only have a house phone though, so if I'm not home then you won't be able to get me. I do have an answering machine and I'll make sure I call you back as soon as I get your message."
"I thought all young people had cell phones nowadays," Aaron commented with a slight smile.
"I could, but I just didn't see the point, since I don't have that many friends and none of them have cell phones," Hermione said briefly.
Aaron was actually lucky that she had a house phone because she was Muggle-born and had Muggle acquaintances. Besides, electronics tended to fry in a heavily magical environment so it just wasn't practical. She had never taken the time to figure out a way for electronics to work when a lot of magic was being used in that area, but she could probably work out some sort of spell that would allow all but the most sensitive electronics to work normally. Or maybe it could be done with runes. Ancient Runes had been one of her of best subjects in school and her teacher had been impressed at her natural talent. Professor Babbling had tried to encourage her to pursue it to get her mastery in it, but Hermione never had gotten around to it. That didn't mean she hadn't studied it just that she hadn't bothered to study under a master to attain mastery.
For all she knew, someone had already worked out a way to make things like cell phones to work around magic, possibly in another country. England was kind of backwards in a lot of ways and also stuck in like the 17th century before electronic devices were around. They hadn't even had electricity until the very end of the 18 century thanks to Benjamin Franklin who had been American.
The mystery of Hermione Granger deepened. Aaron was determined to get to know as much about his mate as he could. Hopefully, she would eventually trust him enough to tell him what she was holding back. He wouldn't pressure her however, as that would likely make her become close mouthed and maybe even tell him she never wanted to see him again. He didn't want that so there would be no pressure coming from him, no matter how curious he happened to be.

~~~Aaron and Hermione~~~