Date Question;SHIP (was:Re: Hermione's Birthday; SHIP (FITD))

[grace701]

No: HPFGUIDX 55471

Penny quoted:
> Q: Do Harry and Hermione have a date?
> A: [laughs] No Harry and Hermione are very platonic friends.  

I'm going to jump into something that maybe controversial, I don't 
know.  Forgive me if I don't make sense, I have been having a 
headache all day.  I can't seem to tell my left from my right. 
Anyhow...

In canon, I have never got the impression that characters who like 
each other go on dates.  Of course, the book is in Harry's point of 
view, but from the few characters we know of (Cho/Cedric and 
Percy/Penelope) it seems to be that they immediately become 
boyfriend and girlfriend.  So how does JKR intepret "have a date" to 
mean?  

Being that this is a boarding school, there really aren't any places 
to go out on a date besides Hogsmeade and obviously that is a school 
trip, why wait months to go out on a date.  It's out of the 
question.  It seems that the Yule Ball was a special occasion.  The 
only opportunity for a date in GoF.  I assume the students at 
Hogwarts who like each other get to know one another alone and 
become a couple. 

Therefore, imo, the answer to the question doesn't mean anything to 
me because I see no opportunity to date at Hogwarts.  Only the 
opportunity to get to know someone.

Greicy, who is an H/H'er, but would just like to clarify what having 
a date means to her by not sinking any SHIPS