Hermione felt a bit timid as she walked through the silent halls of the magical castle. She chuckled at her own feelings. After years of friendship, Hermione still felt anxious at the thought of the boy she liked, and how he would react to her.

Today was the Yule Ball. Hermione was dressed all fancy for the boy she liked, who asked her out as his date. Knowing about the Ball months in advance (and desperately hoping that the boy would ask her out), Hermione, with the help of her mother, found her a beautiful periwinkle blue dress to wear that night. She wished her mother could have been here to help her out when she prepared herself. She really wanted to impress her date.

Hermione turned around a corner and found herself at the top of a set of stairs leading to the entrance hall of the magical castle where all the other attendants of the Ball were. She looked around, ignoring all the people who turned and gasped at the sight of her, surprised that she could look beautiful when she put in the effort.

There. She found him. The boy she liked. He stood in the middle of the hall, waiting for her and wearing some fantastic-looking green dress robes. Interestingly, he was one of the few who had yet to look in her direction despite all the gasps and pointing. She wasn't surprised. Her friend, the boy she liked, was famous. It was now ingrained in his brain to ignore gasps and pointing, for it was always directed at him.

Hermione took her first steps down the stairs. It was then the boy began turning in her direction, as if he'd sensed her presence. When her brown eyes met his bright green eyes, she knew she managed to shock him. His jaw dropped. Still, it did not stop him from taking steps forward in her direction.

"Hermione…" he said once he reached her at the bottom of the stairs. "You look… beautiful! Amazing! Fantastic! Stunning! Gorgeous! Angelic! Magnificent! Exquisite! Dazzling! Marvelous!"

Hermione giggled, finding it funny how he came to recite every synonym of 'beautiful' he could think of.

"You look quite dashing yourself, Harry." she said with a smile.

Harry Potter grinned at her words. "Thank you, Hermione. I don't look as good as you, though."

"Flatterer." she said, making him chuckle.

Two large doors, the entrance to the Great Hall of the magical castle, suddenly opened, allowing everyone inside.

Harry extended his arm for her to take, a smile on his face. "Shall we get in?" he asked.

Also smiling, Hermione grabbed his arm. "We shall."

And, together, they walked inside the Great Hall. The Great Hall looked magnificent. It felt like they were walking through a wintery landscape, not a hall in a castle. There was also a big Christmas tree in the corner, the green of its needles contrasting with the whites and blues of the rest of the hall.

Harry led her to the dance floor. Then, they turned to face each other. Harry slipped an arm to grab her waist while the other took her hand. Then, they began dancing.

Hermione felt like she was in heaven. Heaven, or the arms of the boy she loved. It was all the same to her. Harry looked at her with such adoration, it made her legs weak.

Then, Harry closed his eyes and slowly leaned his head forward. Harry was going to kiss her! Hermione also closed her eyes and shifted her head slightly. Then, she leaned forward. She felt the hot air of his breath on her face, their lips at hair's distance from each other. Hermione felt his hand squeeze her waist. And then, his lips-

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

Hermione jerked up in her bed. She groaned and let her head fall down on her pillow when she realized that her soon-to-be kiss with Harry was all but a dream. She should have known. There was no such thing as a magical castle.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

There was a loud, impatient knocking on the door of their hotel room.

"Who's…here'?" came her father's confused voice from the other bed. Hermione yawned and stood up. She grabbed her wristwatch from her bedside table and looked at the time. Only seven in the morning. She wondered who was knocking at this time.

"Wake up, people!" yelled a familiar voice from the other side. Hermione groaned.

She walked to the door and opened it. On the other side stood a mischievous looking raven-haired girl. "Athena!" Hermione chastised, giving the younger woman a glare. "What are you doing!?"

"Waking you up." Athena answered with a shrug.

"Why?" the older woman cried.

"Dad asked me to." she said with a mischievous smile. "Apparently, Harry called to say there's a lot of traffic on the way to the track and it's best to leave now if we want to get there in time."

"But the race's not due to start until six hours from now!"

"There's more to today than the race, though. Now, get ready. We're leaving in thirty minutes!" the girl said, turning to leave.

"Don't worry, we're coming." Hermione's father answered. Hermione looked around to see him removing his t-shirt while yawning.

She was about to close their door when Athena whistled loudly, startling Hermione, who believed the girl to have left. "Damn, your old man's handsome, Hermione!" she said, her eyes wide in appreciation.

"Athena!" Hermione exclaimed, flushing. She did not need to hear her new friend complimenting her father's attractiveness, thank you very much!

"What? It's true!" the raven-haired girl said. "And if you take after your dad in the body department, then Harry's a very lucky guy." she said, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly.

"ATHENA!" Hermione cried again while her father laughed. "Out! Get out!"

"Jeez, Hermione. No complimenting appearances here. I get it!" she snickered while the older girl pushed her out of the door frame before slamming the door shut. Hermione heard Athena snicker loudly from the other side before walking away.

Twenty minutes later saw the Grangers walk down to the first floor of the hotel where they found the Potters waiting for them. "Ah, there you are!" James greeted. He seemed to be the most awake of the family, for his wife was yawning next to him. "Not allergic to eggs, are you? Or lactose intolerant?"

The Grangers blinked. "No?" Daniel said. His answer sounded more like a question than anything. Athena snickered quietly.

"Good, because I took the liberty to buy us some quick breakfast wraps to eat on our way to the circuit. There's eggs and sausages and cheese." It was only then Hermione noticed he was carrying a paper bag. He reached into it and took out a wrap wrapped in parchment paper. He gave one to everyone until the bag was empty.

"Thank you." Hermione said, quickly followed by Daniel and Athena. Lily only let out a muttered sound, being the first to unwrap her breakfast to take a bite out of it. Lily, Hermione noted, was not a morning person.

After quickly eating their breakfasts - doing so outside while sitting on a large bench, the group separated into Lily Potter's car, with James taking the wheel. Lily, now more awake, sat next to her husband, while Athena, Hermione and Daniel sat at the back. It was a tight fit, but not tight enough to make the ride uncomfortable for them all.

The hour-long ride to Silverstone Circuit flew by quicker than Hermione expected. While calm and boring at the beginning, once everyone (including Lily) was fully awake, conversations propped up between everyone. Hermione's least favourite subject of conversation was herself, with Athena and James making not-so subtle comments about her and Harry, making her blush. Thankfully, by the time they arrived, the conversations had faded, leading to a make-shift session of Karaoke as the group tried to sing along to songs on the radio.

It was quite funny really how her father started freaking out when they arrived at the circuit. But there was nothing to be freaking out about, right? They were simply going to go watch the race, with James giving her father a tour of the garages sometime today. Nothing insane.

Right?

Hermione was wrong. This day was insane . Even she was freaking out about it!

When James told them the previous evening he would give Dan a tour of the garage like he'd given Hermione as a way to thank him for saving Athena, Hermione thought it would be just that: a tour of the garages.

But the garages were far from their mind right now. In fact, they were literally far from them, for they were not in the paddock but standing on the tarmac of the racetrack surrounded by hundreds of race engineers and two dozen racing drivers, all preparing for the race. They were on the grid!

"James, you're insane!" Hermione told Harry's father earlier today, her father too gobsmacked to be able to speak.

After spending a few hours with Harry between the warm-up session (a thirty-minute session where the drivers warmed up for the race by driving around the track) and the start of the race, Hermione thought she had seen the last of Harry until after the race when she saw his car leave the garage for the track. But then, James, with a grin on his face, signaled them to follow him before walking out of the garage, across the pits and crossing the wall separating it from the racetrack. And here they were now.

"This is all insane." Hermione muttered as she looked around her. She could see people in uniforms of all colours walking around.

"That's Formula One, Hermione." Harry told her with a grin. His car on the grid, Harry stepped out of it and removed his helmet just as Hermione and their families stepped on the track. He was still wearing his racing overalls, though.

"Are we really allowed here?" Hermione asked him timidly. She did not want Harry and his team in trouble for bringing her and her father here. Her father, who was currently walking around with James. Hermione didn't know whether it was to give him a special tour or if it was to give her and Harry some time alone.

"You're no more welcome here than the man standing over there." Harry smirked, nodding toward the front of the grid where a bright red car (a Ferrari) was parked. Close to it was a tall man currently being interviewed by another man with a microphone. They were surrounded by men in black suits.

"Is that the King of Spain ?" Hermione said, baffled. She rubbed her eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks.

"Yep." Harry nodded. He then pointed at someone else. The man oddly stood out by being dressed like a regular man and standing not far away from the King and the interviewer without an entourage of his own. He looked like he was waiting for his turn to be interviewed. "You might recognize him, he's-"

"Stephen Fry!" Hermione gasped.

"Yep. Both him and His Majesty the King are guests today. And, as you can see, they're perfectly allowed to be here. Everyone is used to see guests on the grid. Really, as long as you're invited by someone and don't stand in someone's way or cause them trouble, it's perfectly fine. Oh, and that's Chris Evans, in case you're wondering." he finished, nodding to another man with a bright yellow cap - the same colour as one of the teams on the grid - who was walking around. It helped emphasize his point.

"Well, that's a relief." Hermione sighed. Harry chuckled.

She was about to say something when she suddenly heard a low rumbling behind her. Harry suddenly yanked her closer to him. Seconds later, a Ferrari Formula One car slowly drove by on its way to his grid slot.

"Careful where you're standing Hermione. It's still a racetrack." he told her with a chuckle.

Hermione turned back to Harry only to see how closely they were standing to one another. Their faces were only inches apart. He looked as surprised as she was. She noticed his eyes wander down to her lips. Her dream from that morning came back to her. The dream where Harry kissed her.

Blushing, she took a step back. "Sorry." she muttered.

"Don't worry about it." he said quietly, letting out a breath. "Can't blame you for not knowing what to do. It's your first time here. Here, let's sit on the side of the wall."

Having qualified sixth out of twenty-two cars meant Harry would start the race from the right side of the track. Coincidentally, it was also the side where the pits were located. It meant there was a wall right next to them. Harry grabbed a water bottle from a rolling table, sat down and leaned his back on the wall before tapping the ground. Hermione sat down next to him.

"So… are you nervous?" she asked him as he took a drink. The water bottle had a long straw to it, meaning Harry would still be able to use it had he been wearing his crash helmet.

Harry snorted at the question. "Of course I am," he told her. "It's my home race, the first time I'm racing in front of fellow Brits. Not only that, but I had the best qualifying of my season so far. Mind you, it's only the fourth round of the season, but still. So yes, I am quite nervous." he told her with an amused smile.

"Right. Stupid question." she said with a small grin.

"No question is stupid when it comes from you." he said. As sappy as his line sounded, it still managed to make her blush. "But yes, I am nervous. I really want to do well today. I'm only nineteen-years-old. I'm the third youngest driver to ever take part in a Formula One race, and the youngest in twenty years. Everyone seems to doubt that I belong, from my team to my teammate to the fans. I feels like only my family and my close friends never doubted my place in Formula One."

Hermione grabbed his hand. "I don't doubt it either." she said, squeezing it. Harry smiled.

"I know. And I can't be thankful enough." he said, making her smile in turn. "I really want to prove everyone wrong. I want them to realize I do belong and that I'm here to stay. And, most importantly, I want to make my family proud."

"I saw them. I'm sure they already are." she said, making him smile again.

As her eyes traveled across his face, they met the scar on his forehead.

"Harry? How did you get your scar? If you don't mind me asking."

Harry brought his free hand to his scar before passing it through his hair. "Because of a car crash, believe it or not," he said.

"Really?" Hermione asked, surprised. "You mean, in a race?"

"I wish." he grimaced.

He looked away from her for a moment, like he was wondering whether he should open up or not. Hermione was about to tell him to forget it, to tell him he did not have to answer if it made him uncomfortable. But Harry spoke first.

"I got it when I was a year old. The day Athena was born, actually." he began. "Mum was about two weeks from her due date when my dad decided to take her on a weekend trip to… I forgot where. It's not really important. They were on a date, basically, when her water broke. They immediately rushed to the hospital. At the time, I was with my grandparents, who my parents dropped me off to for the weekend. When Dad called, my grandparents decided to grab me and visit them at the hospital so they could be there for Athena's birth.

"Well, while on our way there, a drunk driver crashed on the driver's side of the car. My granddad, who was driving, was killed immediately, while my grandmother had a few broken bones." he said with a bitter smile.

"That's horrible!" Hermione gasped, a hand over her mouth. Harry shrugged.

"It is what happened," he said. "I was quite lucky, really. The accident should have killed me as well. I was on the same side of the car as my granddad. Yet, the only injury I got was this scar. It is miraculous."

"It really is." Hermione agreed. She tried to imagine a world without Harry Potter. She only met him the previous day but, already, the thought of not knowing Harry made her heart sink.

"I'm glad you survived." she said, taking his hand. She squeezed it.

Harry smiled. "So am I." he said.

"How did your parents react when they found out about the crash?" she asked.

"They were distraught, obviously. They'd just welcomed their daughter into the world only to learn that my grandfather died, and that I nearly followed him to the grave. From what Dad later told me, neither him nor Mum let go of me for hours after I arrived at the hospital."

"I can't blame them." Hermione muttered.

"Neither can I." Harry agreed. "Though I can't imagine I accepted it at the time. From what I'm told, I was quite the loud child when I was younger. The kind who can't stand still without running around like crazy." he grinned.

Hermione tried to imagine a toddler Harry like the man described it. Her mind immediately conjured an image of a naked green-eyed baby covered in soapy water running out of a bathroom with a disheveled James Potter running after him. She was immediately hit with a strong fit of giggles, earning her an amused look from Harry.

But then, another thought crossed her mind. Would Harry's children be the same? With that came a new image, that of a green-eyed brown-haired baby running away from her and Harry. The image killed her giggling, instead turning her bright red in the face.

'God, I only met him yesterday! Why am I already thinking about a married life with him? Wait, who said anything about marriage? Dammit!'

"Hermione?" asked Harry. Hermione looked up to see his bemused face.

"Sorry, I was just deep in thought." she said.

"What thoughts do you have to turn your face so red?" he asked with a smirk. He looked so much like his father at that moment, it made her feel even more embarrassed.

Thankfully she was saved from answering when the man who interviewed the King of Spain earlier today approached with his camera-man. Harry immediately noticed him. "Marty!" he grinned, standing up. Hermione followed after him, mostly because she didn't know what else to do.

"Hi! Harry! How are you?" the man named 'Marty' answered. "Don't mind having a quick word, do you?"

"Not at all. Not at all!" Harry answered with a charming smile.

The man was now standing in front of Harry. The cameraman stood right next to the interviewer, his camera pointed at them.

"So, Harry, you qualified sixth out of twenty-two cars. All in a B.A.R.! That's rather impressive, is it not?" he asked before moving his microphone closer to Harry's lips.

"Well, I tried to do my best." Harry spoke. "Of course, this is my home Grand Prix, so I really want to show everyone what I'm capable of."

"You're qualified right behind Michael Schumacher. What's in that mind of yours?" Hermione's eyes widened. She knew that name! He was said to be one of the best drivers of this generation, if not all time! And Harry qualified right behind him? That was impressive indeed!

"Nervousness. Anxiousness, really." Harry answered 'Marty' with a nervous laugh. "I really want to do well today. I just hope I can make the team and my friends and family proud."

"Oh, I'm sure you will." the interviewer said. "I know you've made me proud already." he said with a laugh.

Harry also laughed. "Thanks, Martin." he said, using the man's name this time.

"It's quite remarkable, though. It really doesn't show you're nervous. Really doesn't remind me of how you once were." With a brief look to the camera, he said "I knew Harry as a child. Trust me when I say this 'zen' appearance wasn't always there."

Harry laughed again. "Well, what can I say other than I grew up? Had to or I wouldn't be here."

"That's true." Martin chuckled. "Any tactics, any ideas you'll do for today?" he then asked.

Harry shrugged and then smiled. "Drive the damned best race I can?"

"Language, Harry." Hermione immediately said. Her face immediately turned mortified when Harry, Martin and the cameraman all looked at her. She'd just chastised Harry on national television!

"Before I leave, mind telling me who this lovely lady is?" the interviewer asked with a smirk. Hermione turned red.

Harry gave her a questioning look and shrugged. So, he answered.

"This is Hermione. A friend I made recently." he said. It was probably for the best that Harry did not mention how recent their friendship was. Otherwise, someone might misinterpret it and assume he was a playboy sleeping around and she his latest conquest.

"Alright. Nice to meet you, Hermione, and thanks for the quick words, Harry. Good luck today!"

"Thanks, Martin, and goodbye!" Harry said.

"I want to try and find Michael. He said today…" Martin's voice trailed off as he walked away, leaving the two youngsters alone.

"Who was he?" Hermione asked, trying not to think about the fact she's just been on television.

"Martin Brundle." Harry answered. "He raced in Formula One with Dad back in the days. They became friends and he often visited our family at home when their schedules allowed it. I started calling him 'Marty' the first time I watched Back to the Future when I was five, and the nickname never went away."

"Harry." suddenly came a voice. Hermione and Harry turned to see James and Daniel move toward them. Daniel still looked on the edge of a 'fan-boy attack', looking at everything with childish wide eyes. James tapped his watch.

"Right. It's time." Harry said.

"Yep. I'll take the Grangers back to the garage." he said.

"Come on, Hermione." her father waved over as the two men moved to an opening in the wall separating the track from the pits.

"Wait!" Hermione said before turning to Harry. Boldly, before anyone (including herself) had a chance to stop her, Hermione gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. "For good luck." she told him. A goofy grin appeared on Harry's face before he quickly schooled himself. He gave her a firm nod.

"Alright, you two lovers, it's time to go!" James's teasing voice reached them. Hermione blushed a bit and followed after the older men. As she crossed the way, she gave Harry one last look and found him with a balaclava on his face, his red crash helmet in his hands. His eyes met hers, and Hermione knew.

Harry would try his best today. Not just for his friends or his parents or the fans. Not even just for himself.

He would try his best for her .

Hermione found herself once more standing at the back of the British American Racing garage. Except, this time, her father and Harry's mother and sister were also there.

"Here, the engines will soon light up. Take this." James said as he passed around the noise-canceling earmuffs. James then put his own but left one ear uncovered for the time being. Everyone imitated him.

"How long before the race starts?" Hermione asked.

"A few minutes." It was her father who answered. "They need to go through the formation lap first. Then the race will begin."

"Formation lap? What for?" she then asked.

This time, it was Athena who answered. "Get the engine, tires and brakes warm while giving some time to engineers and mechanics to vacate the circuit before the start."

"Make sense, I guess." she nodded. Hermione looked up to the television. She saw some men sitting around an oval table talking about something. Without sound, it was impossible to tell.

"Man, I can't wait to get my turn." Athena suddenly spoke. Hermione looked at her in confusion as James said "I'm sure you will." supportively.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Athena smiled. "Harry and Dad aren't the only racing drivers in the family. I also am."

"Really?" Hermione asked, shocked.

It seemed the Potters always managed to shock her because of their profession. First, she met Harry, who she believed to be a regular man only to be told by his father that he was a racing driver. Second, she met James, who she believed to be a regular man only to be told by her own father that he also was a racing driver. Third, she met Lily, who she believed to be a regular woman only to learn she was the Lily Potter of Flowers of Cokeworth. And now, she met Athena, who she believed to be a regular girl only to be told now she too was a racing driver!

Hermione looked up at Lily, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're not also a racing driver, are you?"

Lily let out a laugh and shook her head. "Not at all. The most racing I've done in my life was karting, and that was only because my children and my husbands wanted us to race all together." she said with a chuckle. "Trust me, I'm more than happy to stand on the sidelines."

Hermione let out a breath of relief. At least there was one person here who she could relate to!

"What series are you racing in, Athena?" Daniel asked, sounding very interested.

"The World Series by Nissan." she answered. At Hermione's curious look, she explained. "It's another open-wheeler series. Open-wheelers are cars like Formula One, where the wheels are all out in the open. The World Series by Nissan is a lower division people who dream of making it to Formula One - like me - go through to get there. Then it's Formula 3000 and, if we're good enough to attract the interest of a team, it's Formula One afterwards."

"Did Harry also race there?" Hermione asked.

"Yep." James answered for her. "He won the inaugural championship, in fact, back in 1998."

"Oh wow." Hermione said. She felt rather awkward because of her lack of knowledge. She had no idea how important or not winning the championship was for Harry. Did it help shoot his career forward? Or was it just a footnote in his road to Formula One? She simply did not know.

Hermione suddenly heard two dozen engines light up all at once on the grid. In the corner of her eye, she saw her father slip his earmuffs to cover both of his ears. She did the same.

The race was about to start.

Hermione looked at the television, seeing how all the cars were moving away one by one. Slowly, they made a lap around the track as a flood of engineers and mechanics returned to the pitlane and their respective garages. Men in overalls very similar to the one Harry wore grabbed deployable chairs and placed them on the floor right in front of their group. They sat down and they too began watching the television.

Two minutes after driving away from the grid, the cars had returned and slowly parked back to their respective slots. Once they were all ready, the countdown began.

A row of red lights lit up at the very front. One light. Two lights. Three lights. Four lights. Five lights…

Hermione held her breath. Then…

The red lights went off, and the cars took off. The race had begun!

Thanks to a poor start from the two McLarens of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard, who qualified in third and fourth respectively, Harry managed to overtake the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher - who was slowed down by the McLarens - and Mika Hakkinen, who also lost a position to his Scottish teammate.

"Yes!" James cried in delight, raising a closed fist in success.

Harry's newfound position was threatened almost immediately when Hakkinen's faster McLaren nearly overtook him on the Hangar Straight (a straight line on the second quarter of the track). However, Harry successfully managed to close the door at the end before the Finnish reigning World Champion could overtake him. Harry was still fourth out of twenty-two cars by the end of the first lap.

Harry managed to keep his fourth position for multiple laps. However, his slower car meant it was next to impossible to keep Hakkinen behind him, especially since he was driving one of the fastest cars on the grid. Thankfully, Harry was fast enough to keep a comfortable distance from the Williams of Jenson Button and Ralf Schumacher, who were in sixth and seventh position respectively.

This only lasted a few laps, however, as fellow Brit and rookie Jenson Button slowly caught up to him in his faster Williams. Then, Hakkinen went wide at a corner during the eighth lap, allowing Harry to overtake him and get the fourth position back.

On lap twenty-four (out of sixty laps), Hermione saw the men in racing suits suddenly stand up, grab tires and exit the garage. Only seconds later, she saw on the television Harry enter the pitlane. He was soon stopping in front of the garage to get fuel and a change of tires.

For a brief moment, Harry turned to look in their direction and, while she could not see his eyes through his visor, she was sure he was looking at her specifically. She gave him a smile just as the mechanics dropped him back on his wheels. Harry sped away and out of the pitlane, rejoining the race.

By the last third of the race, Harry was in third position, managing to stay ahead of Michael Schumacher who, while faster, was slowed down by backmarkers on his quest to overtake him. The Potter and Granger families were all getting excited. Harry had a chance to end up on the podium!

But then disaster struck. Hermione was watching a battle between two sky-blue cars (the Benettons) when the feed suddenly switched to Harry's car. Harry's car, where smoke and fire were seen escaping from the back!

There were loud groans all around the garage. "Fuck, man!" Athena cursed as James and Daniel threw their hands in the air. Hermione's heart sank. The engine of his car blew up. Harry's race was over.

After parking the car on the side of the road, Harry was seen stepping out of the car as marshals extinguished the fire. By his posture and gestures, Hermione could tell he was devastated. He was defeated.

"He was doing so well!" Hermione cried as she removed her earmuffs.

James did the same, sighing. "Unfortunately, reliability is part of motorsport and everyone, including champions, suffer from it. But yeah, it sucks."

Hermione passed her hands through her hair. She looked at him on the television. He was now on the other side of the wall, slowly walking back to the pits, his helmet still on his head, like he wanted to hide his face from the rest of the world.

"I need to get to him." Hermione said. She looked where he was and realized his engine had let go near the entrance of the pitlane. He was at hands' reach. "I can get to him." She took a split-second decision.

She ran out of the garage.

"Hermione! Wait!" they all yelled together. But Hermione ignored them. She ran. And ran. She hugged the walls of the garages to stay out of the way.

As she passed in front of the Jordan garage, mechanics in yellow overalls walked out at the same time ready for a pitstop. Hermione nearly crashed into them and had to weave between them, getting herself some angry muttering from the lot. But, just like with her dad and the Potters, she ignored their words, so focused on her mission to get to Harry Potter.

Eventually, she reached the end of the pitlane at the same moment Harry entered it. "Harry!" she cried. Harry lifted his visor. She saw his green eyes, and how tears slowly leaked out of them. She flung herself in his arms.

"Hermione.. Oh, Hermione…" came his muffled voice.

"I'm so sorry, Harry." she said, rubbing his back. She knew how important this race was to Harry from her conversation with him while on the grid. And Harry had a chance to accomplish exactly what he set out to do: remove any doubts about his presence on the grid and make his family proud. He had a chance to get his first podium of his career. And it was all ruined, thanks to a broken engine.

It was ironic, really. His weekend began with a broken engine, and it ended with a broken engine.

Harry shook as he sobbed quietly. Hermione could only hold him, wishing she could make it better for him. Knowing where they were standing, she instead decided to slowly lead him back to the garage.

With an arm around his waist, Hermione led him back to his family, ignoring the strange looks everyone in their sight gave them.

By the time they reached the British American Racing garage, Harry was no longer crying. They crossed the garage and exited by the back, followed by the Potters and her father. Only once in the paddock did Harry remove his helmet and his balaclava, exposing his wet cheeks.

"I really wanted to make you proud." Harry muttered, refusing to look at any of them.

"Oh, Harry." Lily moaned before hugging her son.

"We're already proud of you, Harry." James said once it was his turn to hug him.

"Yeah, you git!" Athena then said, giving him a light punch on the arm before hugging him quickly. "Sure, a DNF-" (Did Not Finish) "-sucks, but it doesn't mean we're not proud of you! You raced like hell today."

"Thanks, Athy." Harry said, using their childhood nickname.

Then came Hermione's turn. She already had a chance to comfort him, but that didn't stop her from doing so again. She hugged him and let him seek comfort in her presence by slipping his arms around her waist.

"I really wanted to do well for you." he whispered in her ear. "I wanted to impress you."

"Oh, Harry, you silly man. You impressed me yesterday morning when you pulled to the side of the road to help two random people who just had their car break down." In response, Harry squeezed her waist.

Then came Daniel's turn. And man did he feel awkward. He patted him on the back, looking like he was wondering if his gesture was even welcome. "I only just met you but… what they said." There was some chuckle at his words, the loudest from Harry himself. Hermione gave her father a grateful smile.

The group soon made their way to the team motorhome (a temporary building installed for the duration of the weekend) where Harry changed into regular clothing. When he met the others again, it was to surprise Hermione.

"I didn't know you wore glasses." she said, blinking.

"I wear contact lenses on race weekends." Harry said. "And it's his fault if I need them." he added, nodding toward his father.

"Oh, Harry, you can't blame me for your genetics!" James said, shaking his head in amusement.

"He can when it comes from you." Athena said, agreeing with her brother. She ran a hand through her messy raven hair. "It's your fault I have this mess for hair."

"Hopefully, it'll skip the next generation." Harry said, sitting down next to Hermione. James snorted.

"Unlikely." he muttered, glancing at Hermione's own mess of hair. Hermione blushed, noting what he implied.

Considering the time, Lily suggested they go eat something at a local restaurant, saying that with everyone's focus on the race, they should be rather unperturbed. With most of them ravenous, it was quickly agreed. Harry, Hermione and Athena climbed in Harry's car while the parents followed them in James and Lily's car.

Soon, the two families were having a repeat of the previous evening. Eating and having fun together. Harry, who was still downtrodden when they arrived, considerably cheered up throughout the meal.

It was a few minutes after they were done eating when Daniel's cellular phone rang. It was the garage. "Our car is ready," he told his daughter.

Hermione deflated. She knew what it meant. With the race over and their car repaired, they no longer had a reason to stay in Silverstone. It was time to go home. Hermione did not want to leave Harry behind. She knew if she did, it would be very unlikely they would meet again.

Still, what was she going to do? Reveal her feelings to him? She didn't even know if he returned them. They'd only met days prior, after all. How likely was it he happened to develop feelings for her as quickly as she did for him? If anything, revealing her feelings would only make her departure worse by making things awkward.

Hermione sighed in defeat. She did not believe there was anything to do, other than pray for the best. She stood up. "Okay, then." she said quietly, not noticing Harry's sad expression or the way James, Lily, Athena and Daniel traded knowing looks. Hermione told everyone goodbye before simply following her father in silence outside, feeling miserable.

"You should ask her out." Harry's mother immediately said the moment they walked out of the restaurant. "Before it's too late."

Harry, whose eyes were fixed to the door, said "Yes, I think I will." He stood up and followed after the Grangers.

James and Athena were surprised he did not try to deny his feelings, remembering how he'd done the same with them the previous day. But, in reality, Harry already told himself he would ask Hermione out on a date when she gave him that kiss before the race. He'd known then for sure that he did like her very much and wanted to have a relationship with her. Having his mother repeat the same words as his father and sister only strengthened that resolve.

"Hermione! Wait up!" Harry said, spying them on the other side of the road. Her eyes were sad, but surprised at his appearance. He ran up to her.

"Harry? What-?"

Before she could say anything else, Harry kissed her. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise before she closed them, deciding to simply enjoy the kiss.

Harry eventually pulled back, looking sheepish. "I didn't mean to kiss you right away." he said. "I wanted to ask you out on a date first. It's more proper. But… uh… I don't have to leave the country for another week so… do you want to go out with me?" he asked timidly.

Hermione beamed and gave him a kiss on the lips of his own. "Of course I'll go out with you, Harry!" she said.

"Great!" Harry exclaimed. "What's your address? It is so I can pick you up. Wait, do you know any places near you which are good for dates? Is there one you want to go to? Wait, what am I saying? I don't even know where you live yet. I should maybe look up something on the Internet."

Hermione let out a giggle. "Well, I'm going back to Oxford tomorrow. But, for tonight, I'll be in Crawley with my parents." she said before giving him the precise address.

"Crawley. Right. Tonight will work. Want to go out tonight?"

Hermione gave him another kiss. "Yes, Harry. I want to."

"Great! So, uh, see you tonight, then."

"Tonight." she repeated.

They shared a last kiss before they parted away. "My daughter, all grown up." her father commented on their way to the garage.

When they returned home that night, it was to find Emma Granger (Hermione's mother) waiting for them. "So, how was your trip?" she asked them.

Hermione and her father looked at each other. They burst out laughing together.

"It was insane, Mum. As you wouldn't believe." Hermione said.