DISCLAIMER: Do i look like i'm a famous brittish author? Sadly, no-i'm just a reeeeally short kiwi chick with glasses and spends her time either doing homework or writing fanfics. I.E. I don't own HP.

Advice

Blurb …

"Once or twice Harry considered asking for Hermione's help, but he did not think he could stand seeing the smug look on her face;" Well, what if he did? (oneshot HarryGinny slight mentions of RonHermione)

A/N: Alternate version of ... well, the quotes below. Takes place during HBP.

"Coward," said Hermione, though she looked amused. "Well it was a bad night for romance all round. Ginny and Dean spilt up too, Harry."

Harry thought there was a rather knowing look in her eye as she told him that but she could not possibly know that his insides were dancing the conga: keeping his face as immobile and his voice as indifferent as he could, he asked, "How come?"

"Oh, something really silly … she said he was always trying to help her through the portrait hole, like she couldn't climb in herself … but they've been a bit rocky for ages."

Harry glanced over at Dean on the other side of the classroom. He certainly looked unhappy.

"Of course this puts you in a bit of a dilemma, doesn't it?" said Hermione.

"What d'you mean?" said Harry quickly.

"The Quidditch team," said Hermione. "If Ginny and Dean aren't speaking …"

"Oh-oh yeah," said Harry.

-chapter 24: Sectumsempra, page 481, UK version, HBP.

"Once or twice Harry considered asking for Hermione's help, but he did not think he could stand seeing the smug look on her face;"

-chapter 24: Sectumsempra, page 485, UK version, HBP.

"Hermione?" Harry asked nervously. He had to do this now, before he lost his nerve. Hermione looked up from her arithmancy homework, and gave a start when she saw Harry sitting there next to her.

"Harry!" she said, sounding slightly confused. "I thought you and Ron were playing chess in the common room?"

"We were … but he had homework to do, and well … I needed to talk to you."

"Ok …" Hermione closed her book, leaning her head on her hand, and looking puzzled. "Go ahead."

"Ok, you know I'm not Ron, right?" Harry asked, and ploughed on before she could ask what he was on about, "Because I've known you're a girl for all these years, and I'm not coming to you know, just because I've only realised, and I don't want you to think that I'm indecent or anything-"

"Whoa-whoa Harry! Slow down!" Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder and Harry took a few deep breaths. This wasn't going as well as he had hoped. "Now … I know you're not Ron … Harry, what are you on about?"

"I … I'm in trouble, Hermione." Harry told her. She gaped for a moment, then-

"Oh no, what on earth have you and Ron been doing?! Am I going to get in trouble for this? I promise, I won't judge, but just tell me, I can fix it, oh Merlin, this is going to be messy-"

"Hermione!" Harry yelled and received a "shush" ing gesture from madam Pince who had been lurking in the bookshelves behind them. "Look-it's your turn to calm down now. I'm not in detention-worthy trouble, just … in a mess. I need your help."

"Oh." Hermione looked immensely relieved and put down her wand. "That's ok then-sorry. So what's wrong?"

"Er … it's difficult to say, really." Harry said, trying to force himself not to stall the moment he had to say it, though not succeeding. Stalling wouldn't solve anything.

"Come on, you can tell me." Hermione said, looking eager to help out. "We've known each other for almost six years, I think I could help out in any problem you may have." She seemed to think for a moment. "Unless it's a guy thing, in which case you'll have to talk to Ron-"

"No-it's definitely a girl thing." Harry said without thinking and braced himself for Hermione's laugh, which sure enough, came. "I mean-it's a problem in which I need a girl's advice. Trust me, Ron would be of no help."

"So tell." Hermione said.

"Er …"

"Harry!"

"Ok! Look … I know you probably have already figured it out by now, but …" Harry took a deep breath: now was the moment of truth. Or moment of … whatever, he didn't really care at this point.

"… I think I've fallen for Ginny."

There was complete silence for almost a minute in which Hermione just stared at Harry, then that's when it happened-she laughed. For ages, it was as if she'd never stop, laughing until she was almost crying, causing Madam Pince to shush at them again.

Hermione dissolved into giggles and buried her face in her arms on the table at which she was working. Harry was starting to feel a little irritated-who on earth was it that funny? If she wasn't going to be of any help, he might as well leave now-

"I-I'm sorry, Harry!" Hermione gasped, wiping her eyes. "I didn't mean to laugh-it's just-oh I don't know …"

"You don't know why you're laughing at me?" Harry said, slightly annoyed.

"It's not that … it's hard to explain." Hermione looked up, grinning and eyes still watering. "Look, maybe it's a girl thing, I don't know. But Harry, I've gathered that for years, it wasn't a complete shock."

Harry sat stunned-years?

"Years?!" He said, panicking slightly.

"Well …" Hermione took a deep breath to regain control. "Ever since the whole Camber of secrets deal, it's been obvious that Ginny's fancied you for … ages."

"But I thought she gave up ages ago?" Harry asked. Hermione smiled, if possible, even more broadly. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment for months.

"She said she did." Hermione told him. "She never did, really."

"But … Michael … Dean …" Harry was confused. If she never gave up on him, then why did she go out with other people?

"To get over you." Hermione said as if she could read his mind. She was looking more sympathetic now that she had gotten over the original funniness of it, which, quite frankly, Harry still didn't see. "She told me what to do, and I told her be get more confidence. She talks now, right?"

"Right …" Harry was still slightly confused, but accepted her words. Anything Hermione said was bound to be right. "So …"

"So." Hermione regained her normal personality, rather than the giggly girl she had been for the past couple of minutes. She looked understanding as she peered up at him. Harry chose to stare out the window across the room. "What is it you seek from me, young Harry?"

"You do realise how embarrassing this is, right?" Harry asked her hotly.

"Of course." Hermione said, smiling. "That is what makes it so amusing. So, tell me-why have you decided to confined in me, your affectionate feelings to a certain red-head?"

"Ok, look, can you just take this seriously? You're acting like Ron!" Harry said, folding his arms angrily. Hermione laughed and sat back in her chair.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. So what do you want?" She asked.

"Advice."

"On …?"

"What else?" Harry said loudly, that Madam Pince looked on the verge of trowing a book at them, even though she'd never dare do such a thing. "How to get with her!"

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say something like that." Hermione said, gathering her books and papers on the desk neatly.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Well, after years of fighting Voldemort, battling magical dark arts and risking our lives ever other day, never did I think I'd see the day you'd come to me for girl advice. It just seems like you had more important things to deal with."

"I considered that." Harry admitted for the first time. "But I've kind of had at accept that … well, there's no getting around it-I fancy her."

"And I think that's sweet." Hermione said, looking up him, smiling kindly. "Honestly, Ginny'd be stoked if she found out."

"But she's not going to-right?"

"Not from me." Hermione said. "Unless you want me to …"

"No." Harry said quickly.

"Right, so you want to know how to "get with her" as you so nicely put it?" Hermione said, and Harry couldn't help noticing the slight mocking in her voice. Harry chose to ignore this, though he didn't think he could trust himself not to say something sarcastic, so he stuck with a simple "Yes."

"Well, it won't be that hard." Hermione said, as students around them began packing up as there was 10 minutes to the bell. "Ginny's fancied you since forever-we've already covered that. I suggest you just tell her."

"I can't do that!"

"Harry." Hermione looked up at him from where she was placing her homework safely inside her book. "There's no need to fear rejection-she likes you too, and there's no way she'd say no if you asked her out."

Harry stared at her. Was this honestly the same girl who had come top in everything, made polyjucie potion when she was twelve, figured out that one of their teachers was a werewolf, achieved 11 OWL's, handled potentially life-threatening plants in Herbology and cast so many spells against death eaters, that they had lost count?

He guessed so, as she had to usual smug Hermione-like look that she'd get when she had just prove some sort of point.

Harry knew that look was coming.

So he hugged her.

"Er-Harry … why are you hugging me?" She asked, as she patted him on the back.

"I have no idea." Harry admitted, pulling away. "If anything, I should be annoyed, not grateful. But I am. It's good we've known each other for so long, or you might not have the guts to tell me that someone wouldn't say no to me asking them out."

"It's not much." Hermione pointed out, but she laughed.

"Though, I still don't see her liking me back." Harry had to say. "Sure she liked me back when we were young, that that's what we were-young. We're older now-surely things have changed?"

"You'd be surprised how long feelings stick around." Hermione said, stuffing her book in her bag, still grinning. "The reason they do is the reason people can stay married for so long. I should know."

"Should know what?"

Hermione suddenly turned pink.

"Oh-er … nothing, look, we have divination next, it'll take ages to get up to the north tower-"

"Hermione!" Harry caught her arm, as she went to disappear. "One, you don't take divination any more, remember? Two, we have transfiguration next, and three, you're not going anywhere until you tell me why you should know the reason feelings stay for so long."

She looked so helpless Harry almost felt sorry for her, but this was basically the first time Hermione had ever come close to admitting any kind of feelings. He wanted to be the one to witness it. After all, he had to suffer her ridicule.

"Look, maybe I've liked someone for a while, that's all, right? Now let go, we've got to get to class!"

She wrenched her arm from his gripped and joined the throng of people leaving the library as the bell went, picking up her bag as she went. Harry couldn't believe he had basically heard her say she fancied someone, and didn't even get to find out who it was …

He had a sudden mental picture of Hermione and Ron screaming at each other, after the Yule Ball, "and not as a last resort!"

Harry grinned. Next time he saw her, Hermione was going to be the one to be getting advice …

The End.

A/N: Me again. Fist was honestly the first time i've had trouble trying to keep characters in-character. Hermione would just not work for me. Sigh.

But overall, i'm pleased with this story. I've been meaning to write one like this for ages, but never got round to it. I just always wondered what hermione would say if Harry did go to her for advice, and what would happen.

Well, i hoped you liked it, reviews appriciated, until next time-

-Moon. : D