Smiles are Contagious

Smiles are Contagious

She was going to do it. Today would be the day. No backing out now.

He was sitting by the fire, laughing and playing Exploding Snap with Ron. It was the first time she'd seen him actually....enjoying himself in months. For the past three years he'd had the weight of the prophecy and Voldemort on his shoulders. But now, Voldemort was gone and the world was at peace. He was at peace.

She walked over to them, and stood in front of them, just watching, until Harry looked up. "Mm?" he asked her with a simple grunt as he shuffled the deck of cards.

"Er--uh, I was wondering," she stammered, her palms suddenly feeling very sweaty. "I was wondering. Would you possibly like to go out for coffee sometime with me?" There. It was out.

...he just continued to stare up at her, brows furrowed. Hermione clenched her fists---no reaction? No shock, no fleeing out the window, no professing that he, too had been in love with her for ages and---? He had to say something. Right? She bit her lip, and it seemed five minutes went by. She noticed Ron out of the corner of her eye looking confused, but smirking at the same time.

Come on, Harry, say something! Yes, no, not in this lifetime? Something, anything.

...still nothing. But his lips were slowly forming a small smile---is he going to say yes, is he, is he?

"Yeah. I'd love to," and his smile broke out into a huge grin, which must've been contagious because she was grinning, too, and look---so was Ron.

"Oh, okay. Great. Um. Is tomorrow good?"

"Perfect."

"Alright, I think I'll just...go to bed now," and she raced up the stairs to her bedroom and slammed the door.

****

Hermione groaned in frustration. What does one wear when they go on a coffee date? She felt like kicking herself for not thinking this through, and her lack of knowledge on dating. She ruffled through her closet, and finally settled on simple jeans and a periwinkle blue blouse.

She grasped the doorknob of her bedroom door, turned, opened the door and Harry was sitting on the floor across the hall from her room, hugging his knees. He looked...nervous? Once he saw that she had finally left her room, he jumped up and brushed the dirt off his slacks.

"So, I---er. Uh, let's get going then," Harry stammered and awkwardly grabbed her hand, and tugged her down the stairs.

"Where to?" he asked as they stepped out the door into the cramped alleyway outside Grimmauld Place.

"I was thinking the Starbucks a few blocks over..." Harry nodded an agreement and they set off toward the coffee shop.

They walked in silence, breathing in the cool autumn air. Hermione took in the beauty of the changing leaves---she'd never really noticed before. She looked at up at Harry and smiled. He, too had been looking at the trees, appreciating nature's magnificence along with her.

"Hermione?" he suddenly asked, making her jump. "Hermione, why haven't we ever...done this before? It can't be just me. You feel it, too, right? This... just seems right."

"Yeah. Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" she smiled and reached up and cupped his face, gently pressing her lips against his.