Hermione Granger, among other things, was sensible. She knew that money didn't grow on trees, trying to fight it out with Malfoy would only end badly, and that her future depended on her grades. But albeit her apparent sensibilities, she still had one thing about which she would never be sensible. And that was him. His blazing emerald eyes, and his tousle of messy black hair. She could never, ever pull herself from the vague hope that he could possibly, maybe, feel the same. And she detested it. It was her one hopeless endeavor, and she was sure of it. In other things, she knew, practice made perfect. But this wasn't something she could learn from a book, or memorize. It was something she could only feel, and could never act on. She knew Ronald fancied her, and felt a small tingle in her stomach when around him…but nothing compared to when she was with Harry. But when she thought about it, she knew it was supposed to be Ron and her. Harry and Ginny. She and Harry were intended to remain friends. That's what everyone expected, what everyone wanted. Except her. This was what she was pondering one morning in a sun-lit common room.

"Hey Hermione," Called a familiar voice. The brunette spun in her seat, and smiled warmly at Harry as he sat beside her.

"Oh, hello Harry," She said, returning her gaze to the book she was reading, or had been pretending to read when really she had just been staring at the same sentence for over twenty minutes.

"How're you? We haven't…you know…talked a lot since Ron and Lavender, you know…" He mumbled. Hermione suppressed a laugh. Admittedly, she had been mildly upset by Ron and Lavender, but after his trip to the hospital wing, she found the entire situation highly amusing.

"Oh, I'm fine. Homework, library trips, usual me," She replied, looking up and closing the book with a soft thud, " How've you been?"

"Oh, good. Great, actually."

There was a stretch of silence then, only broken by Neville shooting out the port-hole into the hall.

"Do you ever feel…like something's supposed to happen, and everyone expects it to, and wants it to..but you yourself don't?" As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Hermione regretted it. He'd think she was crazy. But to her surprise, he nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I suppose so. I mean…battling Voldemort…among other things…" He said, still in thought. Hermione nodded automatically. 'Well, of course he wouldn't just announce "Oh, yeah, like me in love with Ginny. I actually love you." Fat chance…' She thought viciously.

"Hermione? I've been thinking. What if….what if you and Ron don't fall in love? And what if Gin and I don't, you know, work out?" Harry sounded apprehensive, as if afraid of her answer. She took a long look at him, and smiled.

"Well then, we'll have to work something out then!" The black-haired boy grinned at her, and nodded.

"What if, by some crazy coincidence… it's us?" Once again, Hermione was surprised. She looked at him again, this time staring right into his eyes, analyzing. And then she saw it. His mouth was quirked in a hopeful smile, his eyes pleading with her to say something.

"Then, I think, I'd be very happy."

"I think I would too."

They looked at each other for a long time, and suddenly Harry leaned over and pressed his lips onto Hermione's. His mind wiped blank, then flew into overdrive. 'Maybe this is it, maybe this IS how it should be…maybe the universe is wrong!' Coincidentally, Hermione was thinking the same thing, and loving the idea. After a few moments, he pulled back, and looked at her hopefully once more. She grinned, and took his hand.

"Harry…I think I'm pretty happy right now."

"Me too."

So they sat there, wasting the day together, and forgetting the rest of the world.

Hermione wasn't always sensible. But sometimes, that was a good thing