The Instigators

The Instigators

By: FayeValentine00

"How can you say that this is a double date, Ron?" Harry asked for the tenth time that evening as he got ready for the blind date he’d been set up on.

"For the last time Harry, there is going to be two men and two women. That makes a double date!" Ron said with a frustrated expression as he watched his friend mess with his hair.

"For the last time, it doesn’t count when your date is your little sister! I just don’t see why you aren’t bringing Luna. She is your girlfriend after all," he said again with a dramatic sigh before plopping into a chair and glaring at Ron suspiciously.

"UGH! Enough with that look! I told you that Ginny is coming because her friend refused to come alone. Besides, I already told you that you’ll like this girl."

"You say that now, Ron but I know you and Ginny too well. This is the fifth blind date you’ve set me up on since we finished Hogwarts last year and I didn’t like any of those girls. Why are you so certain that this one is so… right?"

Ron tried to look Harry in the eye without giving anything away but slowly his ears began to turn pink. "Just come on the date, ok? It will be fun."

Harry continued to look at Ron strangely for a while. He seriously considered refusing to go on this "dream date" that his best friend had been telling him about for days but after a few minutes of thought he sadly realized that he really didn’t have anything else to do and he found himself nodding his head in agreement. "Okay. You win. I’ll go."

"Oh Ginny, how on earth did I let you talk me into this?" Hermione said looking in the mirror for the hundredth time. Ginny had done her hair and makeup and although the older girl had to admit that she liked what she saw, she didn’t feel like she was looking at herself. "This is so misleading! If any man sees me like this then he’ll never truly like me when he sees me on a normal date.

"Relax, Hermione. This is a first date. Everyone is fake on a first date. He’ll understand," the redhead said confidently as she pushed Hermione into a chair and began playing with her friends hair again.

"Who is this guy? You make him sound like the most wonderful man walking God’s green earth. If he really is as great as you say he is then why isn’t he married? … Better yet, why aren’t you going out with him tonight?" Hermione said suddenly looking up so quickly that Ginny had to let go of her hair to keep from ripping it out of her head.

"Keep your head down," Ginny snapped, forcing Hermione’s head back down into the proper position before answering. "I already told you this how many times? This guy isn’t the perfect guy for me. At one point I thought he might of been but he’s not. It’s different with you. This man is perfect… I mean absolutely perfect for you!"

"I just don’t know. It all seems too strange. For one, Ron is your date. Ron! You do know who Ron is, right? It’s your brother. The same brother who has systematically terrorized every single boyfriend you’ve ever had. Why on earth do I need to bring him on my date? Can’t you just bring Neville?" Hermione said, giving Ginny her best pleading expression.

"No, Neville has to work. You already know that. Ron was just his last minute replacement because I certainly didn’t want to be a third wheel."

"Then why are you even coming?!"

"Because I know you won’t go if I don’t! Am I wrong?!"

The girls’ gazes locked stubbornly for a long time. Each not wanting to give in but after a few minutes, Hermione’s will to defy Ginny began to waver and she sighed dramatically. "Oh all right but if this is all a disaster, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"Deal."

Confident that Hermione wouldn’t run off in the last two hours before the date, Ginny apperated out of the flat Hermione lived in and reapperated in the Burrow to find Ron waiting for her impatiently. "How is it going?" he asked the moment she appeared.

"She’s a nightmare! Honestly Ron, I should have known that girl would be stubborn but… UGH!" Ginny said throwing up her hands dramatically and collapsing onto the couch. "She finally… and I do mean FINALLY agreed to come on this date but I’m not sure how she’s going to react when she realizes what we’ve done."

"Oh who cares?! They both deserve it! Harry and Hermione are both too blind to see what’s so obvious to everyone else. We’re just helping them along the way," Ron said sounding far more confident then he felt.

"Oh please. They’re both going to kill us when they learn the truth and you know it."

"All we can do is hope for the best. They may not realize they’re in love yet but we do. Someone has to help them get together. Consider it helping out a friend."

"Okay Ron, I’ll remember that when Harry pulls a wand on you in the middle of a crowded restaurant," Ginny said rolling her eyes at her brother.

With a laugh, Ron stood up and walked over to the couch where Ginny sat. He gave her a smile and a hug before adding, "Just remember this. Whatever happens, we’re in this together."

"We’re going to die," she said finally with a defeated tone.

Two hours later, Ron and Harry arrived at a quiet restaurant just outside of London and sat down at a table in the back. Ron has asked for the table specifically so none of Harry’s "fans" could interrupt them.

"Is it too late to leave?" Harry asked with a sigh looking around at every person who entered with a terrified expression on his face.

"Relax, Harry. It is only a woman. No one is going to attack you so calm down," Ron said trying to keep the amusement out of his voice but not succeeding.

"Very funny, Ron. Very, very funny," Harry said dryly, throwing his napkin at the best friend who’d begun to laugh with amusement.

"Oh look, Harry. They’re here," Ron said a minute later as two beautiful girls walked in. The moment realization set in, Harry’s jaw hit the floor.

"Just walk, Hermione," Ginny said, pushing her friend from behind.

"I feel so stupid. What if he hates me?" The dark-haired girl asked as they stepped through the doors of the restaurant.

"He won’t so just walk!" The younger girl finally said forcefully taking her friends hand and leading into the restaurant where Ron sat waiting.

It took a moment for Hermione’s eyes to venture across the table and when she did, her knees nearly gave out. There sitting across from Ron was her other best friend who looked just as shocked as she did. At first glance she was in shock but once it all sunk in, she couldn’t help but think of how nice Harry looked.

"W-What’s going on?" Hermione finally managed to ask looking from Harry, to Ron, to Ginny and then back to Harry who looked just as bewildered but hadn’t once removed his eyes from her.

"I was just about to ask the same thing," Harry said, finally turning to look at Ron with a mixture of anger, shock and pleasure all rolled into one.

"Sit down. Sit down!" Ginny finally jumped in, pushing Hermione into the chair right next to Harry and then sitting down next to Ron. Once they we’re all settle Ginny gestured between Harry and Hermione and smiled brightly. "Surprise! This is the blind date you’ve been set up on. Have fun!"

Then without any further explanation, Ginny stood up from the table dragging Ron with her and smiled. "Owl me tonight, Hermione. I want to hear all about it!"

"Wait, I thought we were staying," Ron said confused and sounding slightly disappointed.

"Shut up, Ron," she muttered under her breath giving him a meaningful look. "Say goodbye."

"Umm... right. Well, goodnight," he managed to say still looking at Ginny with utter and complete confusion but allowing her to drag him away as she continued to explain to him that Harry and Hermione would never be able to talk if they stayed around. Before long, they were out of sight and that left the friends on their own.

"Look Harry, I’m sorry. I didn’t know they’d set us up," Hermione said quickly, trying to keep the redness out of her cheeks. She wanted nothing more then to hide away and never let Harry see her again. He must be thinking she was horribly fake.

"Don’t be sorry. I didn’t know either," he said softly still looking at her with an almost awed expression. "You look really nice tonight, Hermione."

Now Hermione was certain that she was blushing crimson but she tried to smile. "Thanks. You look great too. Umm… why do you think Ron and Ginny set us up like this?" A piece of her was still shocked that Harry had been the one that Ginny and Ron had set them up but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t pleased. Harry was one of her best friends and like all girls with a male best friend, she’d thought about what it might be like to have a relationship with him but she’d buried those thoughts years ago. That is, she had until today. "I don’t know what Ron said to you but if you’re disappointed then I’m really sorry."

"I honestly don’t know what I was expecting but I can definitely tell you that I am not disappointed. Don’t even worry about that, alright?"

"What do you think they expect us to do now?" Hermione asked, trying to keep herself from thinking about things that would never happen.

"I think they expect us to confess our love and then snog wildly all night," Harry said with a laugh, causing Hermione to laugh along with him.

"Well, I seriously doubt you’ll be confessing your love to me anytime soon, Harry." The hurt expression that crossed his face made her immediately regret those words and she took his hand firmly into hers.

"Why do you think that?" he asked so quietly that she barely heard him but from the intense expression in his eyes, she could tell that he was dead serious.

"Because if you were in love with me then I’m sure you’ve told me ages ago," she finally admitted squeezing his hand even tighter for a moment.

"Well, what would you say if I told you that I’d just been too scared to admit it?"

"E-Excuse me?" Hermione’s mind started spinning. She keep thinking that she couldn’t have heard what she’d thought she’d heard but every time it replayed in her head, it was exactly the same.

"Look, I know I probably should have told you this back in 6^th year but… I don’t know. … I guess somewhere along the way I feel in love with you but I guess I was just to afraid to say anything because I didn’t want to lose your friendship," he dropped his eyes to the table when he spoke and didn’t look back up. He was obviously afraid of rejection but if he had been looking into Hermione eyes at that moment he would have found nothing but love and tears of joy.

Hermione was speechless. She had so many thoughts running through her mind but nothing seemed to be the right thing to say. This was a moment that she’d once dreamed about but, never in a million years, ever thought she’d experience. It took several minutes but once she’d regained her composure, Hermione turned Harry’s head so she was looking into his eyes and smiled confidently. "You have no clue how long I’ve wanted to hear you say those words."

Harry’s jaw dropped for a moment before a smile of his own formed on his face. "Are you joking?"

"No Harry, I am completely serious. I think that in some way I’ve been in love with you since the day you and Ron saved me from the troll in our first year."

Not knowing what else to say, Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione’s lips gently. The moment was so calm, so soothing that it lingered on for a long time. When they finally broke apart, other patrons of the restaurant were watching them with amusement.

"I wonder what Ron and Ginny will have to say about this?" Hermione finally asked with a smile, leaning her cheek on his shoulder.

"They’re probably say that they were right and that we should have realized it a long time ago," Harry answered with amusement, looking down at Harry with a smile.

"Do know what the worst part of this will be?"

"What’s that?"

Hermione sat up and smiled at Harry again before speaking, "They’re right."

As if to agree, Harry pressed his lips to Hermione’s once more and their lives together began on that night thanks to the Weasley family instigators.

The End