Hermione

Harry and Hermione walked to Hermione's car hand in hand.

"Where's your car?" Hermione asked, slightly dazed.

"Oh, I walked."

Hermione smiled and leaned on her blood-red Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.

Harry chuckled. "Red for Gryffindor, eh?"

Hermione looked at her car. "Oh! I didn't even realize that, I just loved the color. Red's my favorite."

Harry nodded. "My car's black."

"When did you get your car?"

"When the Dursleys finally kicked me out; last year."

Hermione laughed softly.

They were silent for a minute.

"Hey, do you want a ride?"

Harry looked up and caught Hermione's eye. "If that's okay with you."

Hermione almost shouted, "YES! It's FINE WITH ME! If anything, heck, I'll bring you home with me!"

"Yes, it's okay."

They both got into the car, Hermione in the driver's seat.

She turned on the engine and shifted the gear to drive. She pulled out of her parking space and drove.

"My house is just around this corner here."

"You don't live that far from me, then," Hermione said, "and I haven't seen you around much. Why not?"

Harry kept his eyes on the road as if he were the driver. "I've been busy with the whole Puddlemere thing."

Hermione nodded and turned onto Harry's street.

"Right here."

Hermione stopped in front of a cute little blue cottage-type house with white shutters and a blue door.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione squealed, "This is adorable!"

Harry smiled and they both got out of the car. The house looked cuter close-up.

Hermione looked at Harry with a surprised look on her face.

"I thought you'd live at your parents' house in Godric's Hollow." She said quietly.

Harry looked up at his house and sighed. "I sold it."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "WHAT??? You sold your parents' house??? Why on Earth would you do that???"

"It's being used as a storage center for Hogwarts. They put extra potions and stuff like that."

"A storage center?! And even if that was sane, it's so far away from Hogwarts!!"

"No, they moved it."

Hermione couldn't find her voice. The look on Harry's face was heart wrenching.

"Anyway, come on inside and stay for dinner, I was just about to order a pizza."

Hermione looked at her watch. She was running late and she needed to pick up her mum's dry cleaning.

"Oh, sorry, Harry, I have to run an errand for my mum," she said with and apologetic smile.

"That's okay. Could you come by this Saturday, maybe? Stay for dinner? Or we could go somewhere, you know, maybe that fancy restaurant or something."

Hermione was shocked speechless. Harry Potter was asking her on a date!

"Sure! Sure, this Saturday, okay."

"Pick you up at six?"

"Okay."

They stood there for a minute, not looking at each other.

"Well, I'll see you on Saturday." Hermione said nervously, fumbling for the car door handle.

"Okay." Harry gave Hermione a heart-melting smile.

Hermione, barely breathing, got into her car and drove away.

"Mum, I have your suit!" Hermione called, entering her mum's house.

Hermione's mother entered the kitchen and gave her daughter a hug.

Charlotte Jonas (after the divorce Hermione's mum starting using her maiden name) looked almost exactly like Hermione, only her curly brown hair was streaked with gray.

"Mum, if you're thinking about making plans with me for Saturday, cancel them."

"How come?"

"I'm going on a date." Hermione said with a sly grin.

Charlotte sat down next to her daughter at the kitchen table. "With whom?" she asked as if this was the latest gossip.

Hermione stifled her girly giggle. "Harry Potter."

"That black-haired boy you and Ron hung out with when you went to Hogwarts?"

Hermione nodded.

"Ooh," Charlotte said, smiling, "he was a cute one. So where are you two going?"

"His house for dinner maybe. Or we might go to that restaurant Alex owns."

Charlotte blushed. Alex Longley was Hermione's mother's boyfriend. Well, not exactly a boyfriend, more of a really close friend.

"That place has good stuff."

"Yep."

Hermione suddenly remembered something.

"Mum, I found something in the back of my closet today."

Charlotte's face turned stony. "Yeah?"

Hermione nodded. "It was a wedding dress."

There was an awkward silence in which Charlotte stared at her daughter.

"I don't...I don't know anything about a...a wedding dress."

Hermione knew that wasn't true, but she dropped the subject. Her mum seemed pretty mad.

"I gotta go home, mum. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione looked into her walk-in closet again. She sighed. She looked through her "Fancy Clothes," side of the closet for a nice outfit she could wear to Harry's.

She found a nice silver halter dress that reached to her knees. She put huge, golden hoop earrings into her newly pierced ears and slipped on lots of gold bangles. She wore her silver dress shoes and set her hair to elegant ringlets that tumbled softly over her bare shoulders.

She did her makeup and grabbed her black change purse. She then waited for Harry to arrive.

And he wasn't a moment too soon.

He arrived in a sexy kind of car that was shiny and black.

Harry stepped out of the car and waited for Hermione too approach.

"Ooh," she said, raising her eyebrows, "going for the whole Matrix thing, are we?"

Harry grinned. He had on a floor-length black coat that had an upturned collar and black shades.

He opened the passenger door and swept his hand inside the car, allowing Hermione to get in.

"Thank you, my good man."

"Your welcome, fair maiden," he said in a low voice.

Hermione shuddered. She just had to see the Matrix now that she saw Harry's little ensemble.

Harry got into the driver's seat and rummaged in the glove compartment for something.

He pulled out a Daily Prophet and handed it to Hermione, a grim look on his face.

Hermione took one glance at it and her eyebrows disappeared into her bangs.

Little Girl Jumps Off Building

Witnesses in Diagon Alley saw a little girl around the age of three jump off a building to the ground fifteen feet below. The little girl, Anna Finnigan, was rushed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Finnigan was dead by the time she arrived.

Hermione covered her mouth.

The girl was dead.

And her last name was...

"Finnigan? As in Seamus Finnigan?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Harry nodded, pulling out of Hermione's driveway. "And you'll never believe who else raised the unfortunate girl."

Hermione suddenly remembered who the mother was.

Harry and Hermione said it in unison.

"Cho Chang."

Hermione shook her head warily. "I don't believe it."

Harry stayed silent, his eyes on the road.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione said quietly, gently touching his arm.

He didn't flinch or pull back. "I'm over it. Don't worry. Besides, if I wasn't over it, I wouldn't be with you, now would I?"

Hermione blushed and smiled. She was suddenly grateful that Harry still had his shades on.

"Are those prescription?"

Harry nodded.

"Unbelievable."

"What, prescription?"

"No, about that poor little Anna girl. And her brother, Adam."

Harry nodded sadly.

"Oh, where are we going?"

Harry smirked. "The Star Café."

Hermione squealed. That was the fanciest restaurant she had ever been to

"You got reservations?!"

Harry nodded. "You can thank me later."

"No, I'll thank you now!!"

Harry shook his head, thoroughly amused by Hermione's reaction.

"I thought you'd like it."

"Potter, party of two, please."

The man with the reservation list skimmed down and finally said, "Aha! Here we are. Potter, party of two. If you'll follow me?"

They followed him until they got to a comfy booth in the corner of the room.

They sat down and the waiter gave them their menus.

"Your waiter will be serving you in a moment."

"Thank you."

Hermione skimmed through her menu, but kept looking up at the handsome distraction sitting in front of her. She smiled. He was still wearing his shades.

Her gaze drifted back down to the menu.

The waitress arrived just when Hermione decided what she wanted.

"We'll start with the drinks," the waitress said, "by the way, I'm Kelly and I'll be your server for tonight. What would you like to drink?"

"I'll just have water, thanks." Harry said.

"I'll have iced tea."

Kelly nodded and left them to decide what to eat.

"My mum's boyfriend works here." Hermione said suddenly.

"So do you get in here for free sometimes?"

"No. No, unfortunately not. This place costs me more than the electric bill. Which is a lot, thanks to my new refrigerator."

That conversation ended up in odd places, and when Kelly came back with the drinks, they were talking about cars.

"The Dursleys actually bought me my car." Harry said, taking a sip of his water.

"Really?" Hermione said incredulously, "what did they do to it?"

"Nothing. Yet. I know they're going to come over and take out to battery or the engine or something. You just have to wait..."

Hermione nodded understandingly. "My dad bought my car for me for my nineteenth birthday.

"What does your dad work as?"

"He's an officer for the Federal Bureau of Investigations in America."

Harry stared at Hermione (or she thought he did, no one could see his eyes behind those sunglasses.) "He lives in America? How do you stand that? Do you miss him?"

Hermione nodded, her earrings jangling. "I miss him, but every other summer, I visit him. America is better than I thought."

Harry nodded. "I have a feeling that your mother's a fashion designer."

Hermione blinked. "How did you know that?"

The raven-haired twenty-year-old searched his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper.

It was an ad for "Charlotte Jonas's Finest Wear for Women."

"Oh, okay. I'm not even going to ask what you're doing with that."

They ordered their food and ate in silence.

When Harry paid the check, Harry got up and held out his hand to Hermione.

"We'll head to my house for dessert?"

Hermione smiled. "I would love to."

They got into Harry's car, laughing at a joke he told.

When they got to Harry's, Hermione sighed.

This is going exactly how I dreamed it would, she thought, smiling at Harry, who was smiling back. Now all I need is for him to ask me to marry him.

They got inside the house and Hermione looked around.

The front hallway's walls were dark blue with an empty picture frame every four feet.

"Have a seat in the den, I'll go change."

Hermione walked into the living room and raised her eyebrows. It was like she was drowned in red. The walls were a deep red, like her car, the couch was a darker shade of red, and the carpet was so red it was almost brown.

Hermione looked around. There was a golden piano sitting in the corner of the room for decoration.

Harry came down later in a light blue shirt, a dark blue blazer, blue jeans, and his regular glasses. He was looking at a piece of parchment and frowning, Hedwig on his shoulder.

"What's up, Harry?"

"Look at this," he said, handing her the parchment. "It's from Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione looked at the letter and frowned, too.

Dear Harry,

It has been a long time since I wrote to you. Ever since Ronald's funeral, we haven't been in touch. I wanted to bring you more bad news. Percy has gone over to the Dark side. Arthur and I were so disappointed and Arthur has been missing work.

"But Voldemort's gone!" Hermione said, frowning up at Harry.

He merely waved to keep reading.

Anyway, Ginny is just fine, and the twins are okay. Their joke shop has been very successful, thanks to the money you've lent them.

I have a favor to ask of you. If you could swing by the Burrow tomorrow, there is something I need you to do for me. Please come by.

Best of wishes,

Molly Weasley

Hermione read the letter again and her frown increased.

"This was sent today? What does she want you to do?"

Harry shrugged. He took the letter back and set it on the golden piano.

"Well, I'll be happy to accompany you when you go, if that's okay with you."

Harry and Hermione's gaze interlocked. Harry smiled.

"That would be great."

Harry suddenly sat next to Hermione and put his arm around her.

"I like you a lot, Hermione," he said, "and I hope you feel the same way about me."

Hermione's breathing became shallow and she blushed furiously.

"Of - of course I do, Harry!"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Hermione's eyes widened and Hermione practically shouted, "YES! OF COURSE I WILL DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO ASK ME THAT?!?!?!"

Instead, she just quietly said, "Of course I will, Harry."

"Good. Now for the ice cream!"

Hermione came home, turned on the kitchen light, threw her change purse on the floor, chucked her shoes off her feet, ran upstairs to her room, threw herself on her bed, and happily screeched into her pillow.

"I'm dating HARRY POTTER!!"

Ah, life is sweet.