"But why must I be blind?" Hermione whined again as her hair was being pulled back tighter into into a half bun.
"I don't know, it's called a blind date! You're the muggleborn here, shouldn't you know?" Ginny answered, exasperated.
"Gin! Muggles can't be temporarily blind like Wizards can, how would muggles have a blind date while blind?"
"Well, look you've both agreed to the date and being blind. Don't try to get out of it now that you're nervous." Ginny answered, while fussing over Hermione's hair. "Nervousness is expected on any date no matter if you're blind or not! Honestly, you complain how lonely you are daily but you turn down any invitations for a date! You can't blame me for setting you up on something that I thought you would know all about because it's super muggle! Your hair is so frustrating!" She finished her rant with a screech of irritation.
"You think I don't know that?! I could have done it myself if you hadn't already blinded me!" Hermione growled.
Ginny took a deep breath and answered calmly, "You're right. Ok? I'm sorry. The guy you're going to meet is very well known and he's sick of people treating him a certain way because of who he is. I thought that that if you met him without knowing him... I just thought the blind date thing was a great idea." Ginny said, sounding shy and insecure, something the witch had previously seemed incapable of being until this conversation.
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, resigned to her evening. "I'm sorry Ginny." She opened her eyes and was startled again at her blinded state. Shaking her head, she continued, "You won't give me any more clues about my mystery man? Is he someone we know? Is he hideous? He did agree to be blind also, right?"
Ginny laughed and placed a wrap across Hermione's shoulders. "No, I won't tell you anything else. He will be blind also. But if you can keep a secret," Ginny said with with a giggle, and whispered, "He is absolutely not hideous."
Hermione smiled and stood from her mirror. She carefully stepped to the right and turned to look toward Ginny. "How do I look?" She asked.
"Amazing," She laughed again, "I just realized you may as well have gone in pajamas since you're both gonna be blind."
Hermione smiled nervously. "I guess you're right. It makes me feel like it's real, though."
Ginny puzzled over that for a moment before responding, "Hopefully by the end of the night there'll be a little kissey face to make it feel real."
"One can only hope," Hermione answered dryly, not believing for fora second that she would kiss a guy on the first date.
Ginny took Hermione's hand and they apparated out of Ginny and Harry's flat with a giggle.
"Why do I let you talk me into these crazy ideas of yours?" Draco groaned as he bumped his shin against the side of his bed for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.
"Draco, why are you even walking around? All you have to do is put on your shoes and we can go!" Pansy said in an irritated and decidedly motherly tone.
Draco turned toward her voice and promptly fell over his own nightstand. Pansy laughed uproariously and Draco nearly drowned her out with a string of curses. He rolled onto his back and crossed his arms over his chest with a huff. "I'm not going. I don't need a bloody wife or even a girlfriend. I have enough people wasting my money and dragging me through their problems. I don't need to go through this humiliation to add another one."
"Oh, come now Draco. You're acting like a child."
"And you're acting like my mother."
"No wonder we never worked out."
"Do I really have to go whilst blinded?"
"You agreed to it. It's some muggle thing my friend heard about. It's called a blind date. It's perfect for you. The witch won't know who you are, so she'll treat you like any other suitor. You don't have to worry if she's only with you for your prestige, money, looks, or charming personality," Pansy responded, the last bit dripping with sarcasm.
Draco sat up and held his hand out for Pansy to help him up. She obliged and he grunted a 'thank you' as she pushed him back onto the bed. He caught his balance and held out his hands, into which Pansy deposited his shoes. "I don't know how people treat just ordinary people. Is it much different from..?" He gestured between them, indicating his and her relationship from years prior.
As she watched him put on his shoes, Pansy answered, "A bit different. Not so formal. Less chaperoning. More fun when you click and more awkward when you don't. There's way more you can do and say without the pressures of contracts and all that nonsense."
He frowned, "How am I to talk about myself without revealing who I am?"
Pansy sat on the bed next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "I haven't a clue. But I'm sure you can find a way to do so."
"She's not... too hideous is she? A little ugly I can look past but..."
"Bulestrode is too much?" He looked in her direction, looking horrified. She laughed, "No the witch you're meeting tonight is not Millie. No, she's not hideous."
"And the blind thing is both of us, right? Your friend would not let it slip who I am?" He asked, sounding insecure.
"That is correct. It's just going to be you and her and an elf. Just dinner. If you want to go on a second date, it's entirely up to the two of you. The potion that's blinded you will last 3 hours. I'm hovering again aren't I? I apologize. Here, take my arm and we'll apparate to the restaurant."
He took a deep breath and took her arm.
A/n: Hi everyone! So... this has been in my head for a few days now. I'm thinking it will be 5ish chapters. Next chapter should be longer, I think. And I'm sorry for any typos, I've had to write this on my phone, since my laptop is on the fritz.