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"There's got to be someone you're interested in."
Hermione looked at Ginny, perched on one of her barstools with a sparkling mimosa in her hand, and shrugged.
"Not really."
"I don't believe you," the redhead insisted. "Not one single person? Come on, Hermione, I'm a married woman. I'm obligated to make sure you find loooooove."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't know what to tell you. I just haven't met anyone interesting lately."
Lately was perhaps an understatement. Hermione's last relationship had been with Quidditch-player-turned-ambassador Viktor Krum, which had ended amicably two years ago, and she hadn't even gone on a single date since then, but she really wasn't telling a fib to Ginny; there wasn't anyone she knew who'd caught her eye.
"Well, what about him? He's fit."
Ginny was pointing out of Hermione's front windows, and she followed her finger to see one of her neighbors walking his dog. She'd seen him before; he walked his tiny white dog frequently. Hermione had to agree with Ginny's assessment of him – the man was very fit. He was tall, large, and very muscular, with a healthy head of wavy sandy blonde hair, and always gave Hermione a friendly smile and a nod whenever she happened to be outside when he walked by.
Hermione may or may not have changed what time she went out to check for the post based on his dog-walking schedule. She honestly couldn't help it; he was always wearing shirts with cutoff sleeves like he'd just finished a workout.
"Yes, he is," Hermione finally said, reluctantly.
"That settles it, then," Ginny said, and with a dangerous glint in her eye, set down her mimosa and hopped down from the barstool.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked in confusion as Ginny headed to the door.
"Getting you a man, of course."
"Ginny!" Hermione cried, scrambling after her. It was too late, however, as Ginny was already out the door and hollering after her neighbor and his dog. Hermione quietly cursed herself for not keeping track of how many mimosas Ginny had drunk.
By the time Hermione caught up, she had already stopped him.
"This is Hermione," Ginny said as Hermione took a few seconds to catch her breath. "Hermione, this is Olly, and his adorable dog, Tofu."
"Um, hi," Hermione managed, wondering how in the world Ginny had moved so fast. "Ginny, I think —"
"Now, do either of you have any legitimate objections to going on a date with each other?"
Hermione looked at Olly. He looked briefly bewildered, but then shook his head.
"Excellent!" Ginny said, clapping her hands. "Here, Olly, I'll take Tofu and you two can start now."
Hermione watched in disbelief as Ginny took Tofu's leash from Olly's hand.
"What — now?"
"No better time," Ginny said, clearly enjoying herself. "There's a coffee shop down the road, you could pop in there and talk."
And then she whirled away, whisking Tofu up off the ground and going back into Hermione's house.
"I am so, so sorry," Hermione apologized. "Really, if you don't want to, um… I can go get your dog back for you."
"It's alright," Olly shrugged. "Coffee?"
Hermione nodded, and they started their walk. The coffee shop wasn't far, but it was far enough that it would be very awkward if they were silent the whole time, and Hermione began to wrack her brain for something to say after a minute.
"Your dog must really like walks," she said, finally. "I've seen you take her out a lot."
"No, she hates them," Olly said, with a short laugh, "but she'd lie around on the couch all day if I let her, so..."
"At least you know where to find your dog," Hermione said. "Sometimes I can't find my cat for days!"
"She is excellent at snuggling," Olly conceded.
The pet conversation carried them the rest of the way to the coffeeshop, where they both ordered their own drinks before sitting down. Hermione appreciated that he didn't try to offer to buy hers.
Another silence descended on them as they waited for their drinks.
"Are you in training for something?" she finally asked. "It's just that I couldn't help noticing that you're quite…"
She trailed off, trying not to blush.
"I'm a competitive weight lifter," Olly said, looking a bit embarrassed himself.
"How much can you lift?" Hermione asked curiously, although she knew she wouldn't have any idea if he was any good or not.
"My clean's one eighty."
"One hundred and eighty?" Hermione asked in disbelief. That was a huge number. "Kilograms?"
"Well, it's definitely not grams." Olly smiled.
"Merli— my, that's a lot. Shooting for the Olympics, are you?"
Olly just shrugged. Hermione was sure she was right, but he seemed uncomfortable talking about his athletic prowess, so she changed the subject.
"What's your favorite food?"
They spoke about lots of different things, and eventually, where they'd grown up, and then Hermione couldn't avoid the inevitable question about her parents.
"They're — they've both got dementia now," she told him. It was the best way to explain it to a Muggle. "I just wish I'd had more time with them — or that I'd appreciated them more while I had them."
Olly looked thoughtful for a moment. "My cousin," he started. "Wish I'd appreciated him more."
Hermione looked at him questioningly.
"He lived with us," Olly continued. "I was awful to him. My parents weren't exactly nice to him either, but still. He saved my life once and I never properly thanked him for it."
"You could always reach out again?" Hermione suggested.
"I wouldn't know where to start." Olly shook his head. "Don't even think he's got a number I could call."
Hermione thought it was at least worth looking into; surely, if Olly's cousin had saved his life he probably didn't hold much of a grudge. But it wasn't the type of thing she felt comfortable pressing into on a first date, so she let it slide.
They continued talking for quite a while, until both of their half-finished iced coffees were warm, and then they headed back to Hermione's place so he could get his dog.
Everything was going very well, right up until they got inside.
There were voices in her sitting room, so Hermione assumed Harry had arrived to get Ginny, possibly with Ron tagging along after their Auror shift, and she purposely made a bit of noise in her entryway so they'd hear her before leading Olly further inside.
"Back so soon?" Ginny pouted at her as they entered the sitting room. She had Tofu in her lap, sleeping away contentedly.
Hermione was about to say something back when she noticed that Harry was staring at Olly in some kind of shock, and Olly himself didn't look much better.
"Dudley?"
Dudley, Hermione thought frantically, why did she recognize that name?
"No, this is Olly," Ginny was saying to Harry, but Olly interrupted her.
"I'm going by my middle name now — Oleander," he told Harry. "And Mum and Dad got a bit paranoid after they moved us and changed our last name to Durst."
That was when it clicked for Hermione. "Dursley," she said, in quiet realization, although Dudley still heard her and gave her what seemed to be an apologetic glance.
"You're, um, you're doing alright then?" Harry asked tentatively, and Dudley swung his attention back to his cousin and nodded back just as hesitantly.
Hermione glanced at Ginny meaningfully, and they both slipped out of the room together.
"Merlin," Ginny whispered, once they reached the kitchen. "I can't believe I sent you on a date with Harry's cousin. I mean, of all people, right?"
"He actually mentioned Harry," Hermione said. "Not by name, of course, but I think he's really sorry."
Harry generally hadn't talked much about his summers with the Dursleys, and it was more the things he hadn't said about his home life that was more concerning than what he did say. Like in first year, when he'd said the fifty-pence piece he'd got from them at Christmas was 'generous'.
She vaguely remembered seeing Dudley once at King's Cross with Harry's aunt and uncle, and recalled viciously hating the sight of them taking Harry away for the summer. But she couldn't completely blame Dudley for mimicking his parent's behaviour, and he did clearly regret it now.
"You like him!" Ginny squeaked. Hermione glared at her.
"Yes, but if he can't make things up with Harry —"
"Don't worry about that." Ginny waved a hand, jostling Tofu in her arms. The little dog wasn't even fazed, merely readjusting herself into a more comfortable position. "Harry forgave him a long time ago."
"Oh," Hermione said, wondering why she was even surprised. Harry was such a ridiculously forgiving person. She was abruptly glad Ron hadn't come along, after all — he probably would've punched Dudley in the nose on principle.
"Hey," said Harry, poking his head around the corner into the kitchen. "Dudley needs his dog back."
"Aw, no," Ginny said. "I was hoping he'd forget."
Harry laughed. "We can get a dog, if you want."
"Yes!" Ginny cried, her eyes lighting up, and then she dropped a lethargic Tofu in Hermione's arms. Hermione took the hint and went to find Dudley.
"Thanks," he said, when she found him waiting in her entryway and handed over the sleepy dog. Hermione's heart warmed at the endearing picture they made: the tiny little animal cuddled in his huge arms.
"So, um, Olly," — Hermione felt like Olly suited him better, for some reason — "would you want to go on another date?"
He looked up at her with no small amount of surprise in his expression, and Hermione thought for sure he was about to say no.
"You don't think that would be… weird?"
That definitely wasn't a no. Hermione smiled.
"I think Harry will get over it."