The End Of The Beginning

CHAPTER-14

A/N: Finally finished this update. Again, glad to be back and thanks to all my readers for your patience. I'm really excited about some of things coming up in this story.

We'll be getting back to Harry soon enough. Needless to say the lad is getting his long deserved wake up call, but as promised today is Hermione's perspective from a chapter ago. Hope you guys and gals enjoy. Cheers!

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Hermione was checking her hair in the mirror for the umpteenth time. She was sure in the back of her mind that it was fine, but fidgeting with it kept her mind a little less focused on what she was about to embark upon.

Her experience with a night out with a guy consisted of the Yule Ball, Slughorn's party, and one night at the Opera with Ron. Each one had failed in some way to prepare her for what passed for a "normal" date.

Then again, it's not like Hermione had lived the most "normal" life up until this point anyways.

She felt very nervous. She knew next to nothing about Luke. What would they talk about? What if they didn't have anything in common? What if he thought she was boring?

She was used to dealing with men she knew a little more about. Krum at least had been a celebrity, so she at least had some inkling of what he would be like. Ron she knew all too well. This was new territory for her and while that came with a sense of adventure, it also took her out of her comfort zone.

A soft knock at the door. "Hermione?"

"Just a minute." She spoke to the door, taking one last glance in the mirror and counting silently to ten. She opened the door to a smiling Luke.

"You look great." He gave her a quick eye over which made her blush. He offered his hand which she politely took as they started down the stairs.

All the way to the Three Broomsticks, while she politely conversed with Luke, Harry and Ginny, Hermione was analyzing in the back of her mind. It was a habit she had had her whole life and it had always served her well in the more dangerous situations in life. While she had never quite been able to shut it off when it came to men, it hadn't gotten her into any serious trouble yet.

Ginny seemed well at ease around Luke. Then again Ginny always seemed that way around a cute guy. Still, if something was off about Luke she would expect Ginny to pick up on it.

Harry was clearly uncomfortable. Everything from his stance down to the way he seemed to pause before everything he said told Hermione that Harry was not at ease. While that disquieted her to some degree, after all no one had a better nose for trouble than Harry, it could also be attributed to circumstance.

Harry was a private person and she had been very surprised when it was his idea for a double date. It seemed to run counter to what Harry would typically want, but he had seemed genuine when he had asked. It also had to be at least a little awkward since he was the only one out of the loop since Ginny, Hermione, and Luke were obviously already acquainted. On top of it he was probably being his usual protective self, which was par for the course when it came to Harry.

Luke was calm and at ease. He walked and talked with a confidant air about him. Not in the cocky way of a Malfoy or the unintentional snobbery of Fleur, but simply with the air of someone who was completely at home in their own skin. While Ron had always felt second best and Harry and even Krum had been uncomfortable with celebrity, here was someone at home with who they were. It was new and (if Hermione was honest with herself) somewhat freeing experience.

All in all she was very satisfied so far with how everything was going. As they took their seats at the Three Broomsticks, she immersed herself in conversation with Ginny about her Head Girl duties over butterbeer, to which Luke was appropriately attentive while Harry had that faraway look that told Hermione he was in deep thought.