Chapter 3 - The Date Preparation
As Harry fumbled with his shirt in the boys' dormitories to get ready for the date that he and Hermione were having, Ron decided it was best to laugh and snicker at him as he watched Harry literally go crazy.
"How do I look?" asked Harry as he absentmindedly tried to fix his hair with his hands, knowing very well that it would do no good.
"For the thousandth time Harry," replied Ron with a half annoyed, half grin on his face, "you look fine." Harry ignored his response and continued to tend to himself.
Deciding to go with a conservative look, Harry decided to wear black jeans and a sky blue flannel with an undershirt. He felt comfortable with what he was wearing; the only problem was his hair was not very suitable and he had been looking in a mirror and tending to it for the last 10 minutes.
"Just leave it mate," Ron said exasperatedly from behind. "It's only Hermione."
That's easy for you to say, thought Harry. To you she only Hermione. To me she's something so much greater. "I guess you're right," sighed Harry, finally submitting to Ron.
"Relax Harry. Take a deep breath," suggested Ron, noticing the way Harry's body tensed up at random moments.
"I can't help it!" exclaimed Harry. "It's just… it's been awhile since I've taken her out. I'm afraid that I'm going to do something wrong."
"That's why you need to relax Harry," explained Ron. "You won't do anything wrong if you're calm and relaxed. I swear, it's like you're getting married or something." A mental image wandered into Harry's head and he couldn't help but blush a little at Ron's remark. "So where are you taking her?" asked Ron, trying his best to lighten the mood a little.
Harry shrugged. "I have no idea yet. But I can guarantee it's going to be somewhere in Hogsmeade."
"You better get going," said Ron, motioning toward the door. "You don't want to keep Hermione waiting."
"Right," replied Harry as he held his arms out to the side. "How do I look?"
"Button the bottom two on the shirt," commented Ron. "It looks to rugged."
***
Harry paced patiently back and forth in the Gryffindor common room waiting nervously for Hermione. She was taking a lot long than he was anticipating. A few moments later, Harry heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He immediately looked up.
"Hi Harry," said Hermione as she carefully walked down the steps. "Sorry I'm late."
At he way Hermione looked, Harry would care less if she was a few minutes late or a few hours late. She wore a white turtleneck sweater and a knee-high denim skirt with a slit in the bottom center. Her bushy hair cascaded over her shoulders and bounced a bit as she walked. To someone else, she was very conservative looking. To Harry, she was the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Hey Hermione," said Harry, still amazed with how she looked. It had been way to long since he took her out and she dressed like that. She approached him and was within arms length. There was an awkward silence.
"So are we going somewhere or are we going to stand here for a couple of hours?" humored Hermione.
Harry shook his head to get out of the trance Hermione had unknowingly put on him.
"Sorry," he apologized as he massaged his temples. "I'm not thinking straight today for some reason," explained Harry, though he knew exactly why.
"You look very handsome," complemented Hermione. Harry felt the heat go straight to his face as his heart skipped a beat at the comment; he wasn't expecting it at all.
"You… look beautiful," said Harry, in the most casual voice he could muster.
"Thanks," said Hermione, as the smile that Harry loved so much appeared on her face. It seemed to make her presence feel even better.
"Let's go then," said Harry, extending an arm out to Hermione. When she took it, Harry led her out of the common room and through the portrait hole.
"Where are we going?" she asked with the same grin on her face.
"Well considering that we are limited to time and how far we can travel… I'll give you one guess," said Harry in a playful and obvious voice.
"Hogsmeade!?" asked Hermione, looking hopeful.
"How on Earth did you figure that out Hermione?" Harry said sarcastically.
"I'm just a great guesser," she explained with a smile.
***
The sun was setting just below the horizon as Harry and Hermione walked casually down the alleys of Hogsmeade. Surprisingly, Hermione had a firm grip on Harry's arm the whole time and tried to walk as close to him as possible. She was probably doing that to feel secure and protected. Harry couldn't blame her; this was about the time when all the "weirdo's" started to come out. Of course, Harry didn't mind the closeness of Hermione. If some "weirdo" did harass Hermione, they would have to answer to Harry first.
The sun setting below the horizon gave the sky a glowing orange color, which for some reason, seemed to outline Hermione specifically and made her even more beautiful than ever. Harry couldn't help but stare at her as they walked. If Hermione noticed, he didn't care - until she really did notice. She stopped suddenly and turned to face him.
"What?" asked Hermione self-consciously, when she did notice Harry staring.
"Oh!" said Harry, a small and stupid grin appearing on his face when he realized that he was staring a little too long.
"Do I have something in my hair?" she asked, combing it with her fingers. Harry sighed with relief. She did notice him staring, but not for the reason that he thought.
"No, no," replied Harry, "I was… I was just uh…"
"What?"
"Never mind," smiled Harry as he shook his head. Hermione returned his smile and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Harry could have died on the spot.
Hermione's smile was quickly replaced with a look of astonishment. There was something behind Harry that really had her interest now. Her gaze started at eye level and slowly went higher and higher.
"What?" asked Harry, a little afraid to see what was behind him. The last time someone had looked that high was when he fought a mountain troll. Hermione didn't answer, apparently still astounded with what she was still looking at. At the count of three, Harry wheeled around and the same expression he saw on Hermione's face was duplicated on his.
A/N: Sorry so long for the update!!! It's just that I've been really busy lately and I really need to pass my senior year! I don't know what I'd do if I didn't walk… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though its really a short one.
I have some news though! I think many of you may know my story "Love, Lust, and Trust". Apparently, someone e-mailed me and said that he had saved the entire story, including the "Mature" chapter. If he sends it to me, I will be able to repost it and finish it!!!