The blue sky was picture perfect on the warm July Saturday. Today they would be celebrating Harry's birthday, as they would not all be together for his birthday the following Wednesday.
Ginny and Hermione were busy baking a cake, Molly was in the Alley doing her weekend shopping, and Arthur, Harry, and Ron were pulling weed from in and around the clapped Anglia.
"Ginny, I have something to admit," Hermione said quietly as she washed her hands in the kitchen sink.
"What's that?"
Hermione turned back to face her friend. "He asked me out... on a date," she admitted.
"Definitely seems like Girls Only news. What did you say?" Ginny interrogated.
Hermione sighed and scratched her forehead, "I told him I couldn't. He asked for Friday and I had prior plans here. I would not miss Harry's birthday."
"Hermione, you could have came a day later. It wouldn't have been a bother, I'm sure," replied Ginny.
"Oh my god," Hermione exclaimed, planting her palm on her forehead, "I can't believe that didn't even cross my mind," she breathed out.
Ginny giggled in reply. "Once a boy is involved, we throw logic out the door?"
"Apparently," said Hermione as she threw her arms over the counter and rested her head on them.
The click of the front door caused Hermione to shoot her head up.
"Hello, dears," Mrs. Weasley greeted the two young women with a warm smile, a few bags and parcels in hand. These were gifts from Harry's friends, sent to the market for specifics - Molly refused to purchase gifts and preferred a handmade item. "Ginny, they had exactly what you were looking for," Molly told her daughter as she pulled a small, black pocketbook from the bag and handed it to her.
Ginny took it excitedly as Hermione questioned, "What is it exactly?"
"It's an enchanted photo album. I wanted to get him one small enough that he could keep it in his pocket."
"What a lovely idea, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed.
"-and Hermione, here is what I found. I hope this is what you two were asking for," Molly interjected, pulling a small, black box from the bag.
Hermione took the box and opened it. Inside, a copper pocket watch with the Gryffindor seal on the front. Ron and Hermione had decided to share a gift - a pocket watch with an enchanted photo of Harry's parents on the inside. Hermione had the circular cut-out photo hidden away in her bag in Ginny's room. She ran upstairs to get it, leaving Ginny and her mother downstairs.
When she heard her friend's footsteps receding up the stairway, Ginny turned to her mother.
"Hermione was asked on a date, by none other than your favorite Ben Hendrix."
Molly turned to Ginny with a gasped look on her face. "Benjamin? Well, good for her! I love that young man. I would have tried to set you up with him if-"
"Mother! Harry's just outside - and Benjamin seems a little old for me, don't you think? Anyways, she had to decline because he asked her out for this weekend."
"Well, that just will not do," Molly stated matter-of-factly, wiping her hands together as if wiping off hard-earned dirt. "Aaaaarthur!" She hollered out into the front yard.
A few moment later, Mr. Weasley appeared inside the house. "Yes, dear? What is it?"
"Why don't you invite Benjamin over this weekend? I've been needing some help in the garden."
He gave a slight chuckle and said, "I'm already ahead of you, Molly. I sent him an owl asking for a hand on the Anglia, but I'm sure he won't mind helping you instead."
"When will he be here?"
"I sent an owl yesterday morning after breakfast, so I'd wager before the day's end." Arthur replied lovingly and with a smile, aware of his wife's affinity for the young man. He had sent the owl in regards to receiving assistance on the Ford Anglia but he would be the type of husband to sacrifice for his wife.
"Oh, Arthur!" Molly exclaimed before taking his face into her hands and planting a kiss on his lips.
"We will be setting an extra plate at dinner, I'm assuming?" asked Ginny spiritedly. Just moments following, Hermione returned with a neatly, almost-perfect wrapped gift with red paper and a blue bow.
"What did I miss? Are we inviting guests?" Hermione probed.
Arthur dipped back outdoors and Ginny retreated in a bit of a hurry (mostly to avoid Hermione's question) to her bedroom to finish up her gift to her boyfriend. This left only Hermione and Molly in the kitchen. Molly checked the cake - which happened to be thoroughly baked - and pulled it from the oven to cool before decorating.
"Thank you," said Hermione. "Molly, are we having guests?" she repeated.
"Oh, yes. You see, I heard that you had to cancel a date with my friend Benjamin because of plans here and I need help in the garden anyways!" Molly insisted.
Hermione could feel the heat in her cheeks. It like she was standing over a boiling cauldron. "You've invited Benjamin? Tonight?"
Molly nodded with a smile so large that her eyes appeared as slits on her face. At least one of them would be happy with an intimidating, last-minute guest.
Hermione's anxiety began to set in. She had not planned on extra company, let alone company that she had romantically rejected to attend the now same event as. Would she have to suppress herself? As if asking mattered; she would anyways, to avoid embarrassment. 'Perfect Hermione'. Her thoughts began to race as she quickly weighed out any possibilities for the night. She was hoping that neither Mrs. Weasley or Ginny would directly mention the rejected rendezvous.
After the weeds had been pulled, lunch was served, and a Butterbeer each was drank, Harry, Ginny, and Ron obtained some broomsticks from the garage. They picked up a friendly Quidditch game in the orchard while Hermione sat on the sidelines with a large book in hand, feverishly flipping through here and there. Arthur tinkered in the garage (the door rolled up) and Molly performed some light magic around the towering house, rearranging knick knacks and dusting some of the harder to reach places.
Hermione kept finding herself glancing up towards the house, unsure of when their guest would arrive. Her anxiety had continued to creep through the cracks of her commonly cool composure. She had dressed herself into a set of nicer clothes, put on a bit of blush, and sprayed herself with her perfume - these actions did not lessen the constant tingle in her stomach. He had yet to see her in her comfort zone, away from who she would need to present herself as in public. Would he be put off? Would he decide she was too much?
Unknown to her, Benjamin had traveled to the Weasley's via the Floo Network. As soon as Molly heard the flames roar and cease in the living room, she rushed in to greet her company. His eyes brightened when he was greeted first by his "other mother".
"Benjamin, my dear, could me here!" Molly pulled him into the tightest of embraces. He could smell the flour in her frizzy hair as it tickled his nose.
"Don't I feel special," the fit, young man joked as he was released from the motherly grips of Mrs. Weasley.
"You should," she replied back, sharing his humor. "We're have a small party for Ron's friend, Harry Potter. I'm sure you know that name. But I've also heard news about you inviting our Hermione on a date."
"How on Earth has the news made it to the Burrow so fast?" He asked enthusiastically intrigued.
"Well, she's here, you know?"
His cheeks burned. Molly noticed the bit of extra pink and placed her cool hand on his face.
"You'll be alright, dear. We are all family here, you should know this better than anyone."
"Yes, ma'am," he nodded to her.
The pair of them chatted for another ten minutes in the living room, Molly asking about his family and Benjamin asking about the same. The door opening and familiar voices trailing into the home forced their heads to shoot towards the kitchen. When Benjamin looked back at Molly, she shot him a rather curious glance with a smile. It was one of ... mischief. Harry Potter was the first to enter, covered in sweat and bits of grass and dirt. The two red-heads behind him had a similar look to them.
"Playing some Quidditch?" Benjamin asked.
"Yeah, it was definitely needed," Harry replied with a smile. He offered his hand out and Benjamin stood up to take it. He stood about a head taller than Harry, his darker pigment contrasting against Harry's pale skin. "Harry Potter. You must be Benjamin. Pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Potter, I assure you. It was an honor to serve the Order as your ally."
Harry pulled his hand from the larger gentleman's, giving it a bit of a rub with the other hand. Benjamin had quite the grip.
"Sorry," Benjamin offered to Harry, who tossed his hand out in a wave as to say 'it's fine'.
Benjamin noticed the red-head gentleman with a bit of stubble of his face. "You must be Ron," he said, offering out another handshake in greeting.
Ron took it, a bit more strength to his grip than Harry's.
"Mum's mentioned you before. I remember you now, you moved around a lot on the Quidditch pitch for Slytherin. One hell of a Beater." Ron offered a smile. Meeting a fair Quidditch player from school was always a pleasure - so long as he remembers them playing with sportsmanship, he didn't care as much which House they played for.
"I appreciate the compliment, especially from someone whose name carries weight like yours," replied Benjamin.
Hermione had been hiding behind everyone, but Benjamin could smell her perfume. The sweet floral filled his senses.
"Hermione? Is that you hiding back there?" Benjamin asked, attempting to peak around the group of young adults. She stepped forward a bit, past Ginny and into the space between Harry and Ron.
"Hello again, Benjamin." Hermione greeted a bit shyly, her head cast downwards.
"Nice to see you. So this is where you ran off to, eh? Well, I must say, I don't blame you," he stated, giving Molly (who stood directly beside him) a side-hug. She returned the embrace with the same smile that had been plastered on her face since his arrival.
"Oh!" Benjamin exclaimed, fiddling in his pocket for something. "I heard your birthday is coming up, Harry, and that you're celebrating this weekend."
"That's right." replied Harry.
"Here," said Benjamin, handing him a thick, colorful piece of parchment. "This is a coupon for our stall in the Alley. It's not much but I couldn't intrude on a party without bringing something." He handed it to Harry who took it gladly and shook the taller, darker man's hand once again.
"Thanks for the thought," Harry acknowledged.
As the usual friends enjoyed their Saturday together, Hermione would peak out the windows to catch glimpses of Benjamin in Molly's garden. His blue jeans were stained with dirt and oil, and his white t-shirt seemed to match in dirtiness as the sweat began to drench it. The wet spots would hug his skin and she would just stare, mesmerized by the non-magical labor in a place where magic seemed to always trump any manual efforts.
"Do you like what you see?" Ginny asked behind Hermione, startling her and causing her to jump.
With her hand on her chest and eyes bugging, she replied, "How long have you been standing there?"
Ginny shrugged. "Long enough to know you're not watching for educational purposes," she joked.
"I don't know anything about him. Of course, he looks enthralling but looks can be deceiving." Hermione sounded unsure if she was trying to convince Ginny or herself.
"You'll never know him if you don't at least try," Ginny insisted.
Hermione pondered this for a moment. Sure, he was beautiful; probably one of the most beautiful men she had seen in person before, but he came off as insistent for her time - and this was undoubtedly unusual. To her, it felt intimidating. He was intimidating.
"It never hurts to start as friends. Look at Harry and I. Though, if I could have had it my way, we would have been going steady five years prior." Ginny laughed at her own reminiscence. "He's staying for the night, you know," she elbowed Hermione, shooting her a mischievous look.
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed with a wide-open mouth. "I have never!"
"Oh, I know. Not that you'd have told me if you did, but I can tell. Women know these things."
They both laughed as they continued to look out the window, watching Benjamin wipe the sweat from his forehead as Molly pointed around the garden, her voice inaudible to the two young women.
"Mum really vouches for him. When you three were off looking for the Horcruxes, Dad and some others in the Order were running all over England. Mum was stressing more than ever and Dad was worried about leaving her there alone, but she refused to tour around. She wanted to protect the house, she was scared that Death Eaters would come and burn it down. Dad called on Benjamin and he stayed here with her for quite some time, without hesitation."
"He looks and comes off intimidating but I believe it's a front. He had to get through seven years of being a good-hearted Slytherin, don't you think one would have to play the part?"
Hermione hadn't thought of this. "Perhaps you're right." Hearing such good, selfless information about this guy who seemed so mysterious made her feel a tad better. The dread she would feel to have a crush - if that's what it was - on a man solely by his looks, no matter how intriguing they may be.
"Go talk to him, he's right there," Ginny attempted to pressure her friend.
Hermione glared at her with an air that shouted 'are you going to keep pushing me on this?'. With a few more swapped glances and hand motions, Hermione found her way outside and around the back of the house.
"Come to help?" Molly asked, a smile on her face and her slippers soiled with dark, garden dirt. Benjamin stood up from his crouched position above the dittany bush. He brushed the dirt - which could barely be seen on his tan hands - onto his already-stained jeans.
"You come to watch or come to help?" Benjamin asked humorously. Again, her cheeks felt like they were set on fire. Did he know she was watching him from inside? Is her awkward demeanor obvious to him?
"Will I be of any use?" She asked.
Benjamin replied with a scoff. "Your brain, from what I've heard, is unmatched. If the brilliant Hermione Granger cannot be useful, I don't expect anyone else to be." He pulled a pair of tan, leather gloves from his back pocket. He offered them to her.
"They're great. They're made of buckskin, so just be careful soaking them in liquid. As you can see, I can't seem to follow my own advice. They'll soften up, though."
She took them from his hands. They were large on her hands, and stiff, but she refused to complain. "What shall I do?"
He smiled at her genuine willingness to help, and with another passing hour, Hermione and Benjamin bonded over their Muggle upbringing and, after being comfortable with each other's presence and humor, participated in back and forth banter about their time at Hogwarts. She picked at him for being "too nice to be a Slytherin" and he prodded at her for being "too smart to be a Gryffindor".
As he mentioned of his family, she would watch his facial expressions and hear his tone of voice: soft, loving, dedicated. Her heart would swell as he spoke highly of each member, especially his younger siblings while Benjamin's heart warmed as he noticed Hermione hanging on to every word. A friendship was blossoming right in the garden of the Burrow, and in this moment, they were the happiest they had been in a long time.