~A/N> Thanks to you all for all the reviews and Birthday wishes on the last chapter! It made my day even more
special :) Forewarning, there is a bit of drama at the end of this chapter, but after this the story will really pick
up, with lots of surprises and fluff. Thanks to my beta Spaz; I hope you enjoy the chapter and the next update will be
in one week!!
The next day Luna walked through the door of the shop at five-thirty sharp, making her way to the register where Hermione stood with Edna, deep in discussion. When she walked up to them Edna looked up and said, "Hello again Luna."
"Hello Madame Edna," Luna replied. Turning to Hermione she said, "All ready for our night on the town?"
"Yes I am," Hermione said with a huge smile. They both said goodbye to Edna and made their way out to the street. "So where are we going first?" Hermione asked.
"Well, I thought maybe we should eat first, that way we'll have plenty of energy to window shop later," Luna replied.
"Sounds great, I'm starving," Hermione agreed and the two started down the street. When Luna stopped in front of Neville's cafe Hermione hesitated and asked, "This is where we're eating?"
Luna looked at her and said, "My friend Neville owns this place, he makes really great food, and it'll be quieter than the Leaky Cauldron." Luna watched her reaction closely; she knew this was where Harry had brought her the night they went out and she wanted to see what Hermione would do when taken back there. By the sadness in her eyes Luna was pretty sure that she liked Harry as much as Harry liked her, they were just too stubborn to admit it to themselves.
Hermione mutely nodded her head and followed Luna through the door. The moment they stepped inside Neville came striding towards them, a welcoming smile on his face. "Luna, Hermione, it's nice to see you! How are my two favorite customers?" he asked.
"Hey Nev," Luna replied, hugging him.
"Hello Neville," Hermione replied, smiling at him.
Turning towards Hermione Neville said, "Nice to see you again. Let's get you ladies a table."
They followed him to a booth in the back and as they sat down he asked, "Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'll have a Butterbeer please," Luna replied, looking at Hermione expectantly.
"I'll just have Pumpkin Juice please," Hermione answered. Neville smiled at her and made his way to the small bar towards the front of the cafe to get their drinks.
"You don't like Butterbeer?" Luna asked.
"I've had it once before, but I've never been able to acquire a taste for it," she explained.
"I never tried it until I met my boyfriend," Luna answered with a dreamy smile on her face.
Hermione smiled at her answer; she obviously loved her boyfriend very much if the look on her face was any indication of her feelings. "Have you been going out with him a long time?" she asked.
"Just since my fifth year," Luna replied, "I had liked him for two years before that, but he never noticed me until his last year. Thankfully I was able to finally open his eyes at the Christmas Ball and we've been together ever since." When she noticed the wistful smile on Hermione's face she asked, "What about you? Any special guys in your life?"
"No," Hermione replied quietly, "I had a boyfriend at Beauxbatons for the last three years of school, but he broke up with me right before I moved here."
"I take it that it didn't end well?" Luna asked sympathetically.
"No, it was so sudden and very complicated...now I realize that what we had, well...it just wasn't enough," Hermione explained.
Feeling that Hermione really didn't want to talk about her ex, Luna changed the subject quickly. "So besides working for Edna, is there a specific job you would like to do now that you're out of school?"
"I'm not sure yet," Hermione replied, "I'd like to work for the Ministry, but right now my plans are up in the air. How about you, do you have a job lined up yet?"
"I'm going to be working on my Dad's paper, The Quibbler, after I finish school next summer. I've always loved to write and he's always wanted me to take over the business some day," she answered happily.
Before they could talk about anything else Neville walked up with their drinks and carefully placed them on the table. "Are you lovely ladies ready to order?" he asked.
After placing their orders they continued to talk about everything and anything. Hermione found that Luna was really easy to talk to, she was so nice, and she seemed to be an attentive listener; she knew that there was a great chance that they would become good friends.
After their food arrived the two settled into their dinner and made small talk in between bites. Luna couldn't help but like Hermione right away, she seemed like a genuinely nice person and they seemed to share quite a few of the same interests. While Hermione was describing one of the classes she had taken at Beauxbatons, Luna thought she had heard a familiar voice and looked up towards the front of the cafe. There, walking into the dining room, was Ron.
"Ronald?" Luna called as she stood up from the booth. When Hermione looked up she noticed a very tall redheaded man walking up to their booth and wrapping his arms around Luna.
"I didn't know you were going to be here," he said, sounding happily surprised.
"Hermione and I wanted to get something to eat before we started our sightseeing tour," Luna explained as she sat back down and he sat down next to her. "Ron, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my boyfriend Ronald Weasley."
"Hello," Hermione greeted quietly. She had recognized him the minute he walked up to their table; he had been with Harry in the Leaky Cauldron along with another bloke.
"Hi," Ron said warmly. He had been surprised to see the two of them here, eating together, but now he realized he might be able to find out what happened between her and Harry. "It's nice to finally meet you Hermione, I've heard a lot about you from Harry."
Hermione's eyes grew wide as Ron suddenly jumped and said, "Ow, what'd you do that for?" Luna, who had just elbowed him really hard in his side, sat glaring at him from her seat.
As Ron sat grumbling and rubbing his sore side Hermione blinked in disbelief and asked, "Harry's told you about me?"
Looking to Luna for permission to answer, he noticed her slight nod but she was also giving him a look that said he'd better mind what he said. "He just told us that he had found out your name and where you worked the day we saw you in the Leaky Cauldron," he replied, proud that he hadn't given too much away.
"Oh," Hermione said quietly, looking disappointed. Ron furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and Luna just whispered, "Leave it Ron, it's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand."
Figuring she was probably right Ron picked up a menu and waved Neville over to the table. "I hope you ladies don't mind company, but I'm starving. Since Luna had plans tonight I figured I'd be safe and eat out."
Luna looked at Hermione and said, "Ron can't even boil water, his Mum never let him nor his brothers near her kitchen. The one time he tried to make me dinner he almost burnt his flat down."
Hermione laughed, relaxing a little, and said, "Don't feel bad Ron, I can't cook either. My Mum tried to teach me and I ended up ruining her pots and pans."
The three of them laughed and continued to share stories of their days at school and their plans for the future, completely forgetting about the plan to tour the town. Ron and Luna learned a lot about Hermione that night and they both concluded that she was the perfect witch for Harry.
Later, when they were back at Ron's flat alone, they both agreed to formulate a plan to make Harry realize the mistake he had made by letting her go.
A week later they had the perfect opportunity to put their matchmaking plan into motion. Luna's birthday was coming up and Ron was throwing her a big party; it wouldn't be their fault if Harry and Hermione just happened to bump into each other there.
~*~
Hermione was at work Monday morning, getting the store ready to open when Edna walked through the door wearing her usual cheerful smile. "Good morning Dear, how are you feeling today?" she asked as she set her stuff in her office.
"I'm okay," replied Hermione, "My stomach is a bit queasy today but I'm sure I'll feel better in a tick or two."
"Yes, many a pregnant woman has suffered from morning sickness," Edna said, her voice full of sympathy, "Just drink plenty of tea and try to eat some biscuits; it's supposedly what all the pregnant women eat and drink when they have bouts of morning sickness."
"I tried to drink some water this morning and I couldn't keep it down long," Hermione answered quietly as she closed her eyes and waited for another wave of nausea to pass.
"Why don't you go home and rest dear?" Edna asked with concern.
"Because my Mother is home today and I just can't cope with another day of lecturing on how this is my fault and I brought it all on myself by not thinking before acting," Hermione recited as she rolled her eyes, "I would much rather stay here and work, it might help me keep my mind off how terrible I feel."
"Suit yourself, just promise me that if you feel any worse you'll go home and go straight to bed," Edna said with her best Motherly look.
"I promise," Hermione replied, loving that Edna cared about her so much. "I'm going to go straighten up the window displays before I unlock the door."
"Alright, I'll be in my office catching up on paperwork if you need me," Edna replied.
Hermione headed up to the front of the store and started organizing a pile of Hogwart's Transfiguration texts. While she worked she started humming to herself and making a mental list of other things she needed to get done that day. As she finished arranging the last stack she had the strange feeling that she was being watched. She looked out the window and jumped as she came face to face with Harry.
~*~
'Shit!' Harry thought as Hermione looked up and saw him standing there staring at her as she worked. He had just been walking towards Neville's cafe when he spotted her at the window; she had looked so beautiful and happy that he just couldn't tear his gaze away. He thought that he would be quick enough to dart out of her line of sight before she noticed him there but he had been too preoccupied and was caught like a deer in headlights. Not knowing what to do, he smiled, gave a lame wave and mouthed, "Hi."
He watched as her brows furrowed in confusion and her eyes seemed...hurt. She stood there watching him watching her and he squirmed uncomfortably under her penetrating gaze. Thankfully Ron had rounded the corner and called out to him, "Hiya Harry! Fancy meeting you here!"
"Ron!" Harry replied gratefully as he walked away from the window and Hermione's hawk-like stare, "What's up mate?"
"I was just on my way to Neville's to get some breakfast," Ron answered, "Want to join me?"
"Absolutely," Harry replied happily, wondering if Ron had any idea what he had just saved him from.
~*~
Hermione finally recovered from her shock and surprise a few minutes later. Looking at the spot where Harry had just been standing she shouted, "Why that rotten, lousy, pathetic excuse of a human being! He has the gall to wave and say Hi to me as if we're old friends? Who the hell does he think he is?"
Edna came hurrying out of her office when she heard Hermione shouting and rushed to the front of the store where she was working. Looking her over to see if there was anything bodily wrong, she looked at Hermione with wide eyes and asked, "What is it Hermione? What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Hermione tried to slow her breathing when she saw how worried Edna was and trying to call on all her reserves of patience to calm down she answered, "That sorry excuse for a wizard had the gall to stop and say hello to me!"
"What wizard dear?" Edna asked, looking out the window where Hermione was wildly gesturing to a certain spot.
"Harry!" she shouted. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "I felt someone watching me and when I looked up he was there, staring at me," she explained, "He smiled, waved, and said hi."
"Oh my," Edna said, "And what did you do dear?"
"Nothing," Hermione replied exasperated, "all I could do was stare with my mouth open. I just couldn't believe he was standing there as if we were old friends after the way he walked away from me that night." Trying to choke back tears she looked to Edna and asked, "He's not spoken to me since...he doesn't want me. What is he doing? Why doesn't he just leave me be?"