For Samantha (HP Slash Luv)

Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real.

~ Isis Murdoch

Her eyes brushed over her body through the mirror, carefully considering how well her midnight blue dress looked against her skin. Her hand tucked an unruly piece of hair back into her ponytail. She didn't usually wear darker colours as the lighter ones usually made her look brighter and happier in her opinion.

She had been told she looked good in darker colours too, though, but she wasn't going for the outrageous clothing she usually wore. Today wasn't for her anyway, just like every other day wasn't for her either. It was for the girl who, despite sharing the same dorm room for the past five years, barely even acknowledged her existence or spoke more than three words to her.

It was extremely annoying, especially when Lavender had first realised that she wanted the attention of Hermione Granger of all people, and not the several other boys who gave her all their attention.

Lavender honestly believed Hermione would pay her more attention if she were a book instead of a human. She was sure she was much better to look at than any yellowing page in some old tomb.

Lavender huffed, crossing her arms lightly. She had been trying so hard too. All her pretty clothes had been worn, but none of them had garnered even a glance from the other Gryffindor.

It had been so much easier before when her entire world only revolved around one person. She only had to please herself. She was the only one whose opinion mattered, and that made everything she decided to do so very simple.

Now her entire life revolved around Hermione like the planets around the sun, and this sun didn't even know it. Nothing she ever seemed to do seemed good enough for Hermione. The worst part was that she knew Hermione liked studying and often enjoyed the company of the Ravenclaws, but she wasn't the most gifted in intelligence.

The door opened suddenly, and she whipped around to face the girl who had just interrupted her time only to find that Hermione was already moving towards her bed, probably for some book or the other.

She sighed disappointedly and started reaching within her bag for something else to wear, hopefully something that would get Hermione to at least talk to her for a little while.

"I'm glad to see you're not wearing some outrageous outfit again today," Hermione said suddenly. "It's good to know you don't have an absolute disregard for everyone surrounding you. Although, I seriously hope you don't intend to be wearing different clothes every single time I see you. Merlin knows if you spent that time studying you would do much better than you are."

She only nodded in reply, promising to get less extravagant clothing in the near future, hopefully the next Hogsmeade trip planned that Saturday, and making a mental note to not change her clothes again today.

"H-Hermione?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow in her direction, hand resting impatiently on her hip. "Yes, Lavender?"

"Would you, uh, mind helping me study? I don't really understand a lot of it, and you always seem to know everything so…" she trailed off feeling rather embarrassed, not knowing whether to hope for Hermione to agree or disagree.

Hermione looked surprised, "What do you need help with?"

"Almost everything," she mumbled, "but I doubt you have time for everything, so just Transfiguration and Charms. I'll try and figure the rest out."

Hermione looked uncertain for a moment, "I can help you with those two, but are you sure you'd want to try and figure Potions out on your own?"

She blanched at the thought, mind casting back to all the horrid lessons in the dank dungeons with Slytherins sabotaging everything within throwing distance and the dungeon bat breathing menacingly down their necks. That would simply be asking to be devoured by the snakes.

"Probably not."

Hermione nodded, "Good, because there's a couple of potions equipment Professor Sprout occasionally allow us to use to practice with. I'll let you know when I can help you, okay?"

She sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Hermione nodded, and left the room.

"Lavender! Stop daydreaming! You're supposed to be trying to study!"

"Sorry, Hermione," she sighed, returning her gaze to the textbook in front of her, wondering what Hermione would do if she told her exactly what was distracting her so thoroughly. She doubted Hermione could be very pleased to know that the entire studying idea was an excuse, although she had learned more than she had thought possible.

Only a couple of moments later and Hermione was frustrated with her lack of attention again.

"Lavender, what in the world is distracting you so much?"

She didn't know where it came from, but the Gryffindor bravery every one of them prided themselves on rose to the surface at that moment.

"You."

There was a moment of painful silence while Hermione's shocked expression slowly morphed into one of embarrassment.

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione, I've been trying to get your attention for weeks! I like you, okay? Don't ask me how, or why, I just do! And you've barely passed me a glance whenever I tried to dress up! I can't believe you didn't notice!"

"Well, I did notice, I suppose, but I thought you were doing that for someone else."

"Now you know it wasn't. So, what are you going to do, Hermione?"

Burst of bravery fading quickly, she could feel heat in her cheeks and in her ears but she refused to back down. It would make everything she had just said useless.

"But I'm not pretty or anything! I'm just smart," Hermione looked extremely uncomfortable.

"And that's perfectly fine. Hermione, you don't have to be pretty to be loved, okay? Being yourself is all that I want."

"I-okay. Now study! I'm not going to be seen with a person who has a Troll in Charms!" Hermione said, with a tinge of red in her cheeks.

She smiled as she turned back to the yellow page in front of her.

She was doing this for Hermione after all.