On The Right Track

Disclaimer: If the Harry Potter canon characters and events were mine, why would I be writing on FANFICTION.net? Think about it.

H/Hr. Wow. It's been a while since I wrote. Anyway, characters might/might not be OOC. Depends on how you see things. This was inspired by an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond (GREAT show, by the way. Crap-in-your-pants hilarious). Am I the only one that says, 'Awwwww…poor Debra!!' Anyway, I needed to cure my writer's block, so I wrote this. Egghh. And now, I'm going to start a Lily/James chapter fic soon. Anyone ship L/J? Well, we'll see how that story turns out. Back to H/Hr, well, here we go.

…

"I'm so, so sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to be late but Quidditch practice went overtime because the Chasers weren't getting their maneuvers right and I was smelly and sweaty so I had to shower off before coming to meet you but on my way here McGonagall stopped me in the hall and talked to me about the two first-years who lost points this morning because I had to break up their fight and I tried to politely end the conversation but she never really gave me a chance to and she kept me there for ten minutes because she said that those two have gotten in fights before and she asked me whether I knew of any other prefects who had stopped their previous fights but hadn't reported them to her and she questioned me for a long time but when she finally let me go I checked my watch and I was already twenty minutes late so I started running here but then Snape saw me and I had to stop and listen to him drone on about how running like an idiot wouldn't get me another fan club and how I had better watch out during the next Potions class because I won't be able to ask you for help during class and that I could very well cause a fatal explosion and then he finally shut up and left and I bolted down the hall and into the library and now I'm here but I'm 40 minutes late for you, Hermione, I'm so incredibly sorry," Harry rambled rapidly, seemingly in one breath, looking compunctious. When he finally finished, he looked at Hermione, apprehensively awaiting her response.

"Is that all?" she asked, her voice calm.

Smally, sheepishly, and panting he said, "Yes."

"Well then sit down beside me and we'll get started on our study date. For heaven's sake, Harry, don't look so guilty!" Hermione said cheerfully with a smile on her lips. Harry, unmoving, was visibly shocked. Hermione sighed, and patted the chair beside her. "Come on, Harry. Don't be afraid of your girlfriend. Come sit."

He obeyed. As he opened his Charms book, Hermione asked him, "You didn't really think I'd be mad, did you?"

"Well, er..."

"Oh, Harry. Honestly!" she said lightly, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Now, what did you need help on?"

"Um...this, uh, could you explain this charm to me?" Harry asked.

"Only this one? Nothing else?" she said, slightly surprised, but impressed nonetheless.

"Everything else is quite easy, surprisingly. Ron has a little more difficulty with them. But anyway, yeah, just this one."

"Ok. Sure."

And, as Hermione started her detailed explanation of the charm he had asked her about, Harry sat there, listening intently to every single word Hermione said and admiring her sheer intelligence all the while.

"...and that's why its effects are so dramatic. So that's all there is to it. Did you get all that, Harry?"

"Yes. Thanks, Hermione. You're great," Harry said genuinely, with a smile.

Her cheeks developed a tinge of pink as she returned his smile. "Um...would you like to spend some time together after classes tomorrow?" Hermione asked hopefully. It had been months since the two of them had been able to have some alone time that wasn't spent studying.

He hesitated. "Tomorrow? I, oh I can't, Hermione. I'm sorry, it's just...tomorrow's a really important practice for our game the day after. We're trying out new moves and all...I'm sorry, I'd much rather spend that time with you, but I really can't, not tomorrow..."

Saddened, Hermione simply said, "I see." She looked down at her parchment. "That's alright, Harry. We'll try for another time, then. So, how much of your essay do you have left to write?"

Harry wasn't going to let her change the subject so easily, though. He reached over and gently guided her face to look at him. "Hey." He gazed into her eyes and saw disappointment, but not a trace of anger. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I know we haven't gone for a walk by the lake for such a long time, and believe me, I really do miss it," he said apologetically. "Look, I'll make it up to you. Once this upcoming game is over, it'll be a while before Gryffindor has to play again. I promise we'll take our walks and we'll have our alone time then. How about that?" He looked at her, hoping that she would cheer up.

Forcing a small smile, Hermione nodded. "Ok." She really didn't blame Harry for anything, for it wasn't his fault. They were both very busy students. However, she couldn't help but miss doing things like cuddling with Harry in the common room. Her heart ached for it.

Harry smiled, and said, "Thank you for being so understanding, Hermione." When he leaned over and kissed Hermione, though, she had to close her eyes to keep the tears from falling.

Pulling away, Hermione swallowed and said softly, "We should finish our essays, Harry."

...

That evening, after Ron and Harry had finished their detention with none other than Professor Snape, they returned to Gryffindor Tower. As Harry climbed through the portrait entrance, he hoped that Hermione would be there, waiting up for them. However, he was disappointed, for Hermione - as well as the rest of Gryffindor - had already retired to bed.

In the boys' dorm, though, Neville, Dean, and Seamus were very much awake. Ron started to give graphic descriptions of the nasty jar contents he and Harry had to clean out that night. Harry, on the other hand, changed into his pyjamas, and remained silent. He was thinking about Hermione, and how disappointed she had looked earlier in the library. And even after they had kissed, she was awfully quiet as they finished up their essays. Harry knew very well that they hadn't had much quality time together the past few months, due to his Quidditch, both their prefect duties, the intense sixth year workload, among other factors. But why couldn't he have found the time somewhere to be with Hermione? Surely, he hadn't been trying hard enough, then. After all, what kind of boyfriend showed up late for a date, albeit a study date?

"Right, Harry?" Ron said.

"Huh?" Harry said, snapping out of his musings.

"What's wrong, mate? You've been silent the entire time. Something on your mind?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Thinking about Hermione?" Neville asked. The guys grinned at Harry.

He sighed. "Well, yes."

"What's wrong?" Ron said, sensing the discouragement.

"I think I disappointed her a lot, because I told her I'd be at Quidditch practice tomorrow, and I wouldn't be able to spend time with her. And it's been like this for a while now. When she's available, I'm not. And when I'm free, she's got something urgent to do. We're both so busy," Harry said sadly. "Sometimes I just feel that maybe Hermione deserves a guy who has time and can give her so much more. I mean, I'm trying to be that guy for her, but..."

"But you feel like you're coming up short," Seamus said.

"Because you're not the exact type of boy she likes," Dean added.

"And you want to change for her," Neville continued.

"In hopes to make her like you enough to not dump you," Ron finished.

Harry was confused. "What? No, I don't --"

Ron held up a hand to stop Harry from saying anything more. "I think it's time the five of us had a good session of Guy Talk." The others nodded in agreement, and sat up in their beds. "Now, Harry. We're doing this for your own good, so don't keep interrupting us. Just listen, alright?"

Warily, Harry nodded his compliance. The guys had been entirely wrong about his sentiments not one minute ago, but he decided he'd hear them out. Maybe they could shed some helpful objective insight into his relationship with Hermione.

"Good. Now, I'm going to start off by saying that Hermione is a really great girl. She's definitely a keeper. She's a great friend, she's nice, super intelligent, and sensible, and not to mention, she's quite the looker," Ron said.

"I think you're very lucky to be going out with Hermione," Neville said, "because she's so much above all of us that the fact that she'd even settle for one of us is amazing. Well, you are The Boy Who Lived, so that might have worked in your favour, Harry."

"Now, I know you and Hermione are best friends, and you're really close and all that, but do you really think that the two of you can be together and not feel kind of...icky? I mean, you seem to know each other so well, like you're brother and sister. You're that close. Everyone can see," Dean said gently, not wanting to sound offensive.

"Yeah. And that's just one thing about you that works against your favour. I mean, the four of us have more of a chance in suiting Hermione's fancy than you do. Think about it, Harry." Seamus said. "See, I'm the guy with the foreign accent. Girls dig the guys with accents. Especially the Irish accent, might I add. Doesn't Hermione seem to pay attention when I speak?"

"And, well, I'm the one that Hermione could look after and fuss about. And I let her take charge, like when she helps me in Potions. I guess girls just like to be in control of their boyfriends. Besides, Hermione would never complain about fussing over my Potions homework," Neville said as he fed Trevor.

"I'm the artistic one, Harry. And to girls, that translates to me being romantic. And I can say from experience that girls definitely like the romantic guys. Have you heard what I did for Parvati? Anyway, I think Hermione would like me as a romantic boyfriend. You might think that smart girls don't appreciate the romantic stuff, but they're the ones that relish it more, because the rest of the time, they think too much. There's nothing complicated to think about when they see a bunch of flowers, or a drawing of them," Dean said.

"And Harry, I'm Hermione's best friend, too, but we're not as close. That's the difference between you and me. Besides, I'm outgoing and strong-willed. And I'm impulsive. Girls like that boldness, because it makes them feel like their boyfriend can take charge of things and protect them. Hermione would appreciate me because despite our arguments here and there, she knows that she enjoys my strong will to resist admitting she's right. She wouldn't admit it, but she enjoys arguing with me. I just know it. And also, I'm her not-as-brotherly-close best friend. So kissing her wouldn't feel like, well, incest. That's a bonus, isn't it, Harry?"

"So, yeah, the four of us are more suited to Hermione's tastes than you are. Sorry, but sometimes the truth hurts, Harry. Let's talk about you, now. First off, think about how you can possibly make Hermione feel safe, when You Know Who is always after you? Why would Hermione want to endanger herself like that? She'd have to sleep with one eye open, knowing that as your girlfriend, she might very well be a target of him," Seamus said.

"Speaking of You Know Who," Dean said, "you're always worrying about him, Harry. I'll bet it's on your mind, 24/7. How can you give Hermione the undivided attention that she, as your girlfriend, wants and deserves? You can't. Of course, Hermione's really nice and considerate, so she wouldn't say anything to you about it, because she wouldn't want to distract you or upset you. But don't you think that secretly, she would feel unwanted and unloved when her boyfriend isn't exactly giving her the time of day?"

"Also, you're too passive, Harry. You're introverted and quiet. No offense, really," Neville said, looking at Harry like he was ready to apologize in the event that Harry was angered, "but it's kind of boring. I think Hermione would like to be able to talk about her feelings with you, and she'd expect you to share your feelings, too, wouldn't she? And another thing is that you're too smart. Super smart girls, like Hermione, wouldn't want a guy who would threaten their intelligence too much, would they? They'd want guys to let them do the thinking, and I think Hermione would like the same kind of guy as her boyfriend, too."

Ron nodded his agreement. "And a major problem, Harry, is that you're too nice. To everyone. That includes girls. How can Hermione honestly say that she doesn't get jealous when you hold the door open for some giggling third year fan girls, or for a really gorgeous seventh year? Hermione should be the only one you're nice and gentlemanly to, so that she'll trust you, and won't think that you're fooling around with someone else behind her back. I know that's something you'd never do, Harry, but you never know what girls think. And with Hermione's sharp mind, who knows what she may dream up. Sometimes her brain's too complex for her own good." He paused. No one else seemed to have anything else to say, or else they would have started talking. So, Ron said, "Now, Harry, you do get what we're trying to say, right?"

All four boys stared at Harry, awaiting his response. After presenting him with all their arguments, would he finally realize that he should just step down in resignation, like the four of them had, and admit that Hermione was just out of their league?

It resembled a brainwashing procedure. And it was starting to work. These guys were actually making Harry second-guess himself. He thought he knew what kind of girl Hermione was. He thought he knew her. "But..." Harry started. He hesitated, then said softly, "But I understand her." He looked ever so bewildered, and felt that way, too.

The boys shook their heads, looking at Harry like he was a lost cause, like he would never get the idea and realize that he, like them, wasn't the one for Hermione.

...

Harry hadn't had an exceptionally restful sleep the previous night, for he was too preoccupied with thoughts about not being good enough for Hermione. He knew that one option for him was to end their relationship, but he couldn't even bear to think about it, let alone bring himself to utter the words to Hermione.

"Ok team, I think we're going to end our practice now. We're ready for Ravenclaw tomorrow," Harry said.

"Whoa, Harry, wait a moment. So early? Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Look, we'll go through that once more, and you'll see what I'm saying. We have to be confident. Come on. Once more now," he said, mounting his broom and kicking off.

The Gryffindor team went through their gameplan once more and, just as Harry had said, they discovered that they really did know what they were doing. So, Harry dismissed them early. ("Thanks, Harry. I'm going to find Lavender," Ron said) The real motive was that Harry wanted to find Hermione. He just wanted to be with her. He needed to have a talk with her.

"Hermione?" Harry said later when he found her sitting on the ground in a secluded corner of the Gryffindor common room, wrapped in a blanket, reading her DADA textbook.

She looked up, surprised to see Harry standing there, looking down at her with a timid smile on his face. "Harry? Shouldn't you be at practice?"

"I dismissed the team early. I...wanted to find you," he said, shoving his hands in his pocket nervously.

Hermione smiled tenderly, and patted the ground beside her. "Come on, Harry. Sit down."

Harry sat down next to Hermione, and she threw the other half of her blanket over Harry, so that now they'd both be warm. But before she could open her mouth to speak, Harry beat her to it.

"Why do you like me?"

"Why do I like - ? What kind of question is that, Harry? I like you because I find you very attractive, in more ways than one."

"Why me?"

"Why you? You specifically?" Hermione said, wondering why she was even having this conversation with Harry in the first place.

Harry nodded, biting on his lower lip in uncertainty.

"Because you're you."

"But...but don't girls like guys who are outgoing? Artistic and romantic? Guys who have foreign accents? Don't girls like guys who'll let them control everything and fuss over them? I don't have any of those characteristics," Harry said, sounding more disconcerted by the second.

"No. No you don't," Hermione softly. "But you're a wonderful person. You're such a good soul, Harry. When I'm with you, I feel like I have nothing to fear, that nothing can break me. You make me feel so safe and secure, and when your arms are around me, I'm that close to believing that even an Unforgivable Curse can't harm me."

She looked at Harry, whose head was lowered and whose eyes were closed. He appeared to be asleep, but Hermione knew him well enough to know that he was listening. She continued, "You always give everyone the respect and attention they deserve. And despite being preoccupied with Voldemort, you still manage to find some time to be with your friends, and with me. And I know, I know we've both been busy as of late, but I know that you still try your very hardest to give me some 'girlfriend attention' and let me know that you care. And I really appreciate it, Harry. It's the little things that count. The good morning kisses, the goodnight hugs. They're little, but they mean the world to me."

Harry didn't say anything, but his eyes were open now, and he was staring at her as she spoke. And suddenly he realized that he hated blinking, because during the second that his eyes were closed, he couldn't see Hermione. And he hated that.

"And...you're so powerfully thoughtful. You're the strong, silent type, and I love that about you. You have that air of quiet intelligence, and sometimes when we sit here in the common room, doing homework in complete silence save for our rhythmic breathing, I look at you and I feel the intensity that you exude. You don't need to say a word, but I can still feel your very essence. I can read your inner feelings, and I know you can read mine, too. We don't even need words. And…you're handsome; you're so attractive. And Harry, your eyes, your eyes are just...brilliant. Inconceivably beautiful."

Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Harry, you're so intelligent. You've got excellent grades, you're resourceful, you've got quick wit...You've got such a wonderful mind, and one day, I swear I'm going to have to delve into your mind and explore its intricacies and discover what else you've got stored in your nether region."

She sighed softly. "What else, Harry? Well, you're a kind-hearted, generous person. You're courteous, you're a gentleman, you do favours for others without even thinking twice, and without even asking for something in return. You put others before yourself, and you're so incredibly selfless. You're gracious and considerate. You're so virtuous. You're so nice, to anyone and everyone. You're so very loyal, compassionate, humble and courageous. I would trust you with my life, in a heartbeat. And, what else? You believe in the innate goodness of humans. You're just...you're the most incredibly pure and good person in this world. You're so indescribably perfect, Harry, in every way."

Hermione looked in Harry's eyes, her own eyes glistening with premature tears. She smiled at him - a smile he returned - and whispered, "You make me feel so special because you accept me and like me as I am. No one understands me quite like you do, Harry." She put a hand to the side of his face. "And," Hermione said purposefully, looking Harry straight in the eyes, "that is what this girl likes about her guy."

It took a moment for everything to sink in. Hermione had said so much more than he had expected. But when Harry realized that much of what Hermione liked about him was everything the guys had said she wouldn't, his eyes widened and his heart sped up. He placed his own hand on her cheek, distractedly but affectionately caressing it as he tried to sort out his racing thoughts. Harry felt so overwhelmed with love for Hermione that he was rendered speechless. He did, however, finally manage to speak. "I...you...um...a-are you sure I'm...I'm good enough for you?"

"Well if you're not already perfect for me, Harry, then you're definitely on the right track," she said softly, meaningfully, a gentle smile on her lips.

Harry could do nothing but pull Hermione close and rest his forehead on hers. And Hermione knew exactly what he meant to say.