Author's note: I am so sorry. It's been nearly five months since the last update. I haven't been very good about keeping up on this one, but I am going to try and change that. I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Please read and review!
If I could turn the page
In time then I'd rearrange just a day or two
Close my, close my, close my eyes
But I couldn't find a way
So I'll settle for one day to believe in you
Tell me, tell me, tell me lies
Tell me lies
Tell me sweet little lies
(Fleetwood Mac, Little Lies)
Hermione stole a glance at Luke over her menu. This was the first real date she'd been on in years. This was far
and away a lot different from those times she'd been in the library at Hogwarts talking to Viktor Krum or the
awkward flirting she and Ron shared in the common room.
Hermione had never in her life not known what to say, but tonight, she was wondering what she could and couldn't say or do. She had no real experience with this and she imagined Luke would think she was an idiotic mute. Truth be told, she was trying to come up with a list of questions in her head so she could get to know him better.
"Do you know what you want?" he asked conversationally.
Hermione nodded. "Answers."
"Answers?"
"Answers," Hermione repeated.
"I didn't realize that those were on the menu," Luke returned with a grin.
Hermione smiled, but she wasn't going to be deterred.
"So, you have questions for me, then?" He asked.
"Just a few," Hermione replied. She could sense hesitancy on his part and she didn't miss the look of relief that came over his face when their waiter came over to take their orders.
This was just a momentary distraction though, Hermione told herself. She was going to find out all she wanted to know about Luke. He was good at throwing the attention off of himself, but she wasn't going to let him get away so easily. After tonight, she was going to know him as well as she knew the back of her hand.
Hermione ordered the salmon, while Luke chose a steak and they both decided to drink wine with their meal.
"So, have you enjoyed your time off?" Luke asked when they were alone again.
Hermione nodded. "It's great having Luna and Ron around. I missed them."
Luke opened his mouth to ask her another question, but Hermione wasn't going to let him do that.
"Oh, no you don't," she said holding up her hand. "I told you I had questions for you."
He studied her for a moment. "Did anyone ever tell you that you can be quite tenacious?"
Hermione grinned. "All the time. It's one of my gifts."
"I'll make it easy for you," Luke said. "I like the color brown. I know it sounds boring, but that's me. I like sports and watching movies. I've always wanted to---"
"Well, that's good to know, but I'm the one asking questions here, Luke," Hermione interjected.
Luke held up both of his hands in surrender. "Okay, sorry. Fire away, Miss Granger."
But now that she had the floor, so to speak, she was at a loss as to what to ask first. Luckily, the waiter chose that moment to come back to the table carrying their wine. Hermione was happy. Perhaps the wine would give her the courage to loosen up more. She took a slow sip of her wine before beginning.
Luke grinned at her. "Perhaps we can ask the waiter if he has a flashlight. You could shine it in my face while you interrogate me."
"You think this is an interrogation?"
Luke grinned again. "It sure seems like it."
"It's not an interrogation. I promise. I'm just…curious."
Luke leaned back in his chair. "Okay, okay…"
Hermione thought for a moment. "Where did you grow up?"
Luke shrugged. "We moved around a lot when I was a kid."
"Well, what was your favorite?"
"I never really had a favorite," Luke replied evasively.
"You said that you didn't grow up with your parents?" Hermione asked, remembering their conversation at the community center a few weeks ago. "I mean, if you moved around a lot---"
"It's complicated," Luke replied before taking a drink from his glass. "My parents were good people and I know if they could have, they'd have been there for me."
Hermione studied him for a few moments before she continued her line of questioning. She didn't want to overstep her bounds where he was concerned, but she was a naturally curious person and she wanted to get to know him better. That was the point of tonight, wasn't it? Getting to know each other better. She sensed sadness about him and though she really did want to know what had happened with his parents, she wasn't going to push it.
"So, were you a good student?"
Luke gave her a lazy grin. "I did enough to get by."
Hermione grinned back at him.
"What?" he asked. "We can't all get top marks, can we?"
Hermione shook her head. "We all could if we all applied ourselves. All it takes is organization, determination and will. Really, that's what's helped me get where---what?"
He was looking at her in that way of his again.
"What?"
"Nothing," he replied. "You just-you reminded me of someone just now. An old friend."
Hermione was intrigued. "An old girlfriend?"
Luke shook his head. "No, she was never a girlfriend."
"The plot thickens," Hermione said rubbing her hands together. "Unrequited crush? You loved her from afar, but alas, it wasn't meant to be…"
Luke rolled his eyes. "You have been reading too many romance novels, Dr. Granger."
Hermione knew when she was right and a wide smile broke across her face. "So who was she?"
"I've never really had a serious girlfriend," Luke replied. "Can we leave it at that?"
Hermione shook her head. "No. The other day at the center, you said that you'd dated someone when you were at school."
Luke laughed. "If I had known I was in for the Grand Inquisition, I might have thought twice about asking you out. Do you subject all your dates to this treatment?"
Hermione set her glass aside and looked at him. "Well, there's something we have in common, Luke. I never really had a serious boyfriend, either."
Luke met her gaze. "What about you and Ron Weasley? I thought---"
Hermione shook her head. "We shared a few kisses, but it was never anything serious. We never even went out on a real date. Most of the time, he and I were worried about Harry more than anything."
Luke shifted in his seat.
"So, other than a few snogs with Ron in the common room and a date with Viktor Krum," Hermione said blushing. "I haven't had a serious relationship, either."
"I find that extremely hard to believe," Luke said. "You're intelligent, beautiful, charming, funny…"
"High-strung, tightly wound," Hermione interjected.
"Maybe a little," Luke teased.
Hermione reached across the table and swatted at his arm. "Very funny, Luke. But we're not talking about me, here. We were talking about you."
Luke looked helplessly around the room. Hermione laughed. She hadn't had this much fun in quite some time. She'd been worried about nothing.
"So…"
"So?" Luke asked.
"You never had a serious girlfriend?"
"One," Luke replied. "But, it didn't work out. We never went out on an actual date, really. It was more of an infatuation on both of our parts. It was kind of the wrong time for us."
"Where is she now?"
Luke leaned back in his chair. "Last I heard, she was happily dating a mutual friend."
Hermione studied him. "You don't seem too heartbroken."
"I'm not," Luke replied as their waiter came back with their food. He smiled at her and Hermione blushed. That was that same look he gave her. It seemed so familiar. He seemed so familiar.
Hermione took a bite of her salmon and surreptitiously studied Luke Reilly. It wasn't the first time she'd noticed his good looks. But, that wasn't what attracted her the most. What confused her was how she could feel so close to someone that she didn't know very well; someone she'd only met a couple of weeks ago.
"How's yours?"
Hermione broke out of her reverie and looked at him. "Hmm? Oh…it's delicious. How's yours?"
"Good," Luke replied. "You know…it's nice to eat something that hasn't had the crusts cut off or something that came from a box or a can."
Hermione laughed. "You don't get a chance to eat many home-cooked meals then?"
"Not for lack of trying," Luke told her. "I actually love to cook. I wish I had more time to do it."
"Well, I can vouch for your peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches," Hermione said dryly. "Best ones in the world."
Luke chuckled. "Laugh now, but if you play your cards right, Dr. Granger, I just might cook for you sometime."
Hermione blushed. He wanted to see her again. Or at least that's what it sounded like. To her surprise, the idea didn't terrify her. She wanted to see him again, too.
The rest of their meal went by without incident. Hermione asked some more questions, but he kept his answers vague. The only time he really went into detail was when she asked him about his friend Sean. Apparently Luke had met him when he arrived in Seattle. They'd become good friends and Luke spent most of his free time with Sean and Sean's girlfriend, Kate. Hermione laughed at some of the stories Luke told her about them and she felt like she knew them already even though she'd only met Sean once in passing.
"He's been a really good friend," Luke was telling her as they exited the restaurant. "He and Kate were there for me during a really tough time in my life. You know you hit rock bottom and you just don't see yourself coming out of it? Well, they pulled me back up and got me involved with the community center and here I am."
Hermione smiled. "Good friends can do that for you." She certainly couldn't imagine what her life would have been like had she not had Harry and Ron in it. They were the two most important people in her life next to her parents. Losing Harry though had been the most painful, traumatic experience of her life. There was a hole in her heart and she wasn't sure it could ever be filled. She knew Ron felt the same way. They could continue their friendship, but it would never be the same. Something---someone---would always be missing.
Luke took her hand.
"Did you ever feel like a third wheel?"
Luke shrugged. "Not really. They never make me feel like an outsider. The only time I don't like it is when the two of them gang up on me and try to set me up with a girl."
"Oh," Hermione grimaced. "Don't you hate that? I have patients and colleagues coming up to me all the time telling me they know just the fellow for me."
"And you've never taken them up on it?"
Hermione shook her head. "Merlin, no!"
Luke laughed. "Well, I must say that I got roped into a few blind dates courtesy of my two friends and let me tell you, I wondered what they must think of me after I saw who they were trying to set me up with."
"Didn't turn out well, I gather?"
Luke shook his head. "Not at all. But we shouldn't talk about that. It would only depress me and bring back bad memories."
"Okay," Hermione said. "I promise not to bring it up. We wouldn't want to dredge up any awful memories you might have suppressed."
"Thank you," Luke said opening the car door for her.
Hermione smiled warmly at him and again found herself lost in those eyes of his.
"We'd---we'd better go," Luke said abruptly.
"Oh," Hermione said taken aback. "Of course."
Luke waited for her to sit down and then he closed the door. She smiled as she watched him go around the other side of the car. She was enjoying herself and that was the biggest surprise of all.
***
Back at the apartment, Luna and Ron had just put Sage down for the evening and were watching their little girl as she slept.
"Think we should get her an extra blanket?" Ron asked.
Luna shook her head. "No. I think she's fine. Let's go back in the sitting room so we don't wake her up."
Ron nodded and followed his wife out of the room and looked at the clock on the wall. It was just past nine.
"She should have been home by now, don't you think?" Ron asked, sitting down on the sofa beside his wife.
Luna looked at him. "Ronald, it's not even 10 in the evening."
"Exactly," Ron said. "She should have been home by now."
Luna patted his arm. "You do realize that Hermione is a grown woman without a curfew?"
"Well, yes, but---"
"But nothing," Luna interjected. "You're acting like a concerned father and you have no reason to. Luke seems like a perfectly nice bloke and I'm sure he and Hermione are having a good time."
Ron scrunched up his nose in disgust. "I don't want to think about Hermione having a good time, thank you very much. And what do you mean 'seems like a perfectly nice bloke'? That's exactly what I'm talking about Luna---we don't even know him. We have no idea how he is."
"You worry too much," Luna told him, resting her head on his shoulder. "This is good for Hermione. She needs to move on and this is just what she needs."
"Something about it doesn't seem right," Ron grumbled.
"Don't worry," Luna said softly. "I like him. There's just something about him."
"Such as?"
"I don't know," Luna replied. "It's just a hunch."
"Your hunches are very rarely wrong," Ron admitted.
Luna smiled. "No, they're not. My hunches told me that you were a great guy and that I was lucky to have you."
Ron kissed the top of her head. "Truth is, I'm lucky to have you. I didn't always treat---"
Luna looked up and put her finger on his lips. "No more of that. That was in the past. You didn't know me then."
"I still should have been nicer."
"You've more than made up for it now," Luna said giving him a kiss. "You've made me happier than I could have ever imagined."
"I love you," Ron said holding her close. "And I want Hermione to have what we have."
"She will," Luna said softly. "But she's not going to do it with you breathing down her neck and acting like an overprotective father."
Ron smiled at his wife. "So, in other words, back off?"
Luna beamed at him. "Yes. And, I think I might know something that might take your mind off it…"
"You do, eh?"
Luna kissed him again and whispered something in his ear. The look on Ron's face was priceless as he listened to what she had to say. Needless to say, he didn't worry anymore about Hermione for the rest of the evening.
********
After their dinner, Harry took Hermione to a movie. He could barely concentrate on the film though. He was thinking about how great it was to be with his friend again; even if it was under false pretenses. Things had started off a little shaky. He'd certainly not expected the Spanish Inquisition.
But, it had been nice, seeing that gleam in her eye as she asked him question after question. Harry had to keep on his toes around her. He didn't want to give anything away. If she knew the truth, she'd never ever speak to him again. The reasons he'd stayed away---she would never understand. He didn't really understand, either. He was still trying to come to terms with it himself when he'd found out that she'd settled in Seattle, of all places. What someone trying to tell him something? Here she was right where he'd started over.
"Luke?"
He looked over at her. "Yeah?"
"You've been awfully quiet since we left the theater," Hermione commented. "What's on your mind?"
"I thought we were finished with the questions," Harry replied with a grin. "I didn't think you had any more left in you."
Hermione laughed. "Well, that's where you're wrong. I am a very curious person and I always have questions. You wouldn't learn anything if you never asked questions."
"Okay then," Harry replied. "I was thinking of what a nice evening this was."
Hermione smiled back at him. "Even if I did interrogate you?"
"Even with that," Harry replied turning the car onto her street.
"I promise not to be so hard on you the next time I see you," Hermione said.
Harry parked the car in front of her building. "That's very big of you, Miss Granger. So---you want to see me again, is that what you're saying?"
Even though it was dark in the car, he could tell she was blushing.
"Um, well, you know," Hermione stammered. "You run the center and you might get hurt again or one of the children. You might show up at the hospital…."
"You're doing it again," Harry replied turning to grin at her.
"Doing what?"
"Babbling," he replied.
Hermione hit him on the arm. "I do not babble."
"Yes you do," Harry argued. "You do it when you're nervous."
"I do not babble," Hermione said defensively. "And how would you know? You don't even know me."
"I do know you," Harry replied. "And you babble."
Hermione shook her head and laughed. "I don't like babble."
"Nervous chatter, then," Harry suggested. "How's that?"
Hermione hit him again on the arm.
"Ow!"
"That did not hurt you," Hermione said.
"You have quite a little right hook there," Harry said rubbing his arm in dramatic fashion.
"I think you'll live," Hermione said making a move to open her car door.
Harry didn't know what possessed him to do it. But, he couldn't resist. He grabbed her arm. "Wait."
Hermione turned and looked at him. For the longest time, neither of them spoke. Harry stared into her chocolate brown eyes and felt himself melting. How had he not noticed how beautiful they were before?
He felt himself leaning in and to his surprise, Hermione didn't pull away. He lightly brushed his lips against hers. When she didn't protest, he deepened the kiss. Admittedly, he hadn't kissed many girls in his time, but they all paled in comparison to this one. Hermione was----amazing.
"Luke," Hermione whispered when they pulled apart.
That one name brought him out of the daze he'd been in. He couldn't do this. This was wrong. She didn't know who he really was. It wasn't fair to do this to her.
"It's late," he said quietly.
"Yeah," Hermione nodded. "I---I guess I'll talk to you later?"
Harry nodded wordlessly. Hermione got out of the car and Harry watched her until she entered the building. He wanted so badly to run after her and explain to her what had happened.
Why was he doing this to himself? Why was he doing this to her?