Disclaimer: don't own this blah blah, you know the drill xD

He was so close to her.

She could almost feel his skin against hers.

Almost.

He was perfect but he didn't know it.

A few weeks earlier

"Harry!" Hermione felt warm tears slide down her face; she could even taste the saltiness they left on her pale, pink lips. Ron was beside her, too shocked to speak, his face pale, the colour of tracing paper, nearly transparent.

Harry had just been injured in the Quidditch math; season favourite Gryffindor against their arch-rival, Slytherin. The winner of this match would have won the House Cup for the year. Harry had been knocked off his broom by Slytherin Beaters, desperate to get the glory, that they lost all semblance of sanity and had heavily whacked the oncoming Bludger towards Harry, just as he was about to grasp the tiny golden Snitch in his outstretched fingers. Now, he was being rushed into the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey was waiting.

"No! No visitors allowed! The boy needs some rest! Half his ribs have been broken from that fall! His right lung has been punctured; do you want him to recover?" The ever strict Madam Pomfrey wore a look of the greatest distaste on her face. Ron and Hermione had just requested to visit Harry.

"Please? It won't take long." Hermione was desperate, her voice rising to fever-pitch. "He's our best friend!"

"Yeah, we'll be really quiet!" Ron implored.

Madam Pomfrey was not moved. "No visitors till tomorrow, period!" With that note of finality, she slammed the door to the hospital wing shut, their glimpse of Harry lying unconscious in bed stolen away.

"Well, what do we do now?" Ron asked his face bleak. It seemed so different without Harry around.

Without answering, Hermione ran, face in the palms of her hands, to the girl's dorm. Ron swore he heard a stray sob escape from the slowing retreating figure.

----- + -----

Once in the safety of her dorm, Hermione wiped the tears away from her face and fell onto her bed, drawing the scarlet curtains behind her. All she wanted right now was some peace and quiet, some time to organize her now chaotic thoughts, and a place where she would not be disturbed. A sanctuary.

"Why am I having these thoughts?" She asked herself. "He's my best friend; I have a right to be worried!" She answered her own questions, like she always did when she was confused. Her mind had been thrust into mental turmoil. "Or is he? You know that lately you have been feeling something else…" She meditated upon this thought for awhile. It would be wrong… Besides, she didn't even know if he liked her! What if she were to ruin this friendship? She would rather die than let that happen. Ever since coming into the company of Harry and Ron in their first year, she had had her share of adventure and laughs. The memories were all so precious, the way they thwarted Voldemort's plans again and again. She loved the part she played in the two boys' lives, offering advice and occasionally tutoring them in homework.

But yet… She wanted more. Specifically, to be a bigger part of Harry's life. She had seen the way he looked at Ginny. Seen how he smiled at her. Laughed at her jokes. Seen the way she tried her best to make him happy. How she stood up for him. And what was worse, she had actually HELPED make this all possible. Given Ginny advice, nudged Harry on, even if he didn't realize it. It wasn't as if she hadn't tried getting his attention. She had tried making him jealous by acting jealous about Ron. He had comforted her, talked to her, but that only made it worse. It only made her realize how much she wanted him. Every tear she shed, it had been for him.

But all in all, all she ever was was "the best friend". He was never going to like her. But that didn't mean she couldn't like him.

They were sitting on the bank of the lake, watching the giant squid play with some of the more daring first years, pulling them into the water, only for them to resurface, robes soaked with water, laughing their tiny heads off.

"Hermione, I need help. It's Ginny." Harry looked into Hermione's caramel-brown eyes.

"Oh no." Hermione thought.

"What is it? Have you two quarreled again?"

She plastered a smile onto her face, hoping that Harry wouldn't notice how she really felt. Deep inside though, she really hoped that he would ask.

"Well… quarreled isn't exactly the word. Apparently I did something wrong; I don't know what. And now, Ginny's ignoring me. Could you help me ask her?" Harry asked, with a pleading look in his emerald eyes that Hermione could not resist. Any thought of refusing just plain flew right into the lake along with the Giant Squid.

"Sure. What are friends for?" She grinned cheerily.

Friends. And nothing more.

----- + -----

"Hey Ginny. Do you have a minute?" Hermione popped her head round Ginny's bedpost.

"Is this about Harry?" Ginny's face flashed a shade of black.

"Well, yeah, kinda. All I want to know is what he did wrong. Why are you so mad at him?"

"Oh, wouldn't he like to know! I don't even think he wants to be with me anymore! Did you attend the party on Sat?" Ginny asked, her voiced increasing, as her face got redder and redder, as was characteristic of all Weasleys.

"Um, no. I was studying. Perhaps you could enlighten me?" Hermione was seriously interested now. And the part about Harry not wanting to be with her really caught her attention. Her heart seemed to soar.

"Lemme ask you something. Is Harry gay?"

"W..why do you ask that?" Hermione was puzzled. In all her years of knowing Harry, never in the slightest had he shown any signs of being gay. Besides, he had had a crush on Cho Chang. That surely must prove that he was straight.

"Well, I saw him SNOGGING Malfoy!"

"WHAT?!" Hermione was rendered utterly speechless. Harry certainly didn't tell her that!

AN: Okayes, first fic for Harry Potter, pls R&R! And no flames pls. Wow. Thts a 1000 words for one chapt. my longest yet o.0 if you have any suggestions as to where i could take this please review! comments etc etc also! xD