Not Quite so Stunning
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or places in this story. J.K. Rowling does.
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Beautiful. Gorgeous. Lovely. She was never known for being any form of these words. She was smart, brilliant even, but never considered pretty. At first it bothered her a little, but then she got used to being known as "The Brain". Every once in awhile however, it would be nice if just for once she could be known as the pretty girl. Which is what she had wanted to be tonight.
Hermione crossed her arms slightly glaring at all the happy couples in the room. It was the first ball since the defeat of Voldemort, something that everyone had been looking forward to for months. Sipping her drink, she spied Ron dancing quietly with Luna in the opposite corner of the Great Hall. A small pang hit her. They had dated briefly once upon a time, but now the redhead had found happiness with the strange blonde girl. Hermione was happy for her ex, she just never thought he could, or would, find it before she did.
Shaking her head, Hermione turned her gaze away from the content couple, only to meet the faces of an overzealous one. Her heart most have dropped to her stomach then, as if her night hadn't been horrible so far, she just had to see that. Harry and Ginny. Ginny and Harry. If seeing Ron made her turn away gagging, watching Harry and Ginny was enough to make any sane person throw up.
Ginny looked gorgeous of course. Her hair was left down and wavy, hanging just below her shoulders. Her dress was a one-shoulder, dark green color, short and fitted. She laughed at something Harry said, and Hermione looked on with displeasure. She felt inadequate next to Ginny.
Hermione had wanted to be beautiful, just once she wanted everyone to be blown away. She wanted to the most striking girl in the room. Hermione knew just by watching Ginny that her goal had not been achieved, that it probably would never be achieved with girls like Ginny lurking everywhere.
Looking down at her own dress, doubt started to cloud her mind. Everything she had liked about the dress seemed unappealing, compared to that of Ginny's dress. While Ginny's was short and green, Hermione's was long and black. Completely strapless, it was fitted in the bodice, edging out a bit from the hip down. Somewhat plain, it gave off the classical beauty look. Her hair was curled atop her head, small silver pins keeping her unruly hair in control.
Feeling bitter, she slammed her glass down upon the table, her hair flying about hazardously. Stalking outside, she didn't even notice one of her hair pins come out of her hair. Annoyed and unapproachable, she sat down on the mucky grass, not caring if it stained her gown. Hermione didn't even know why she was acting the way she was. She knew it wasn't because of Ron, those feelings had died away a long time ago, and Harry, well she knew that would never work. Bowing her head in thought, she failed to see someone approaching her.
"I believe you dropped this, Granger."
Hermione popped her head up at once, spying the blonde a few feet away from her. He wasn't staring at her, instead his eyes were on the lake, while his hand reached out towards her, holding a small pin.
She stood up, adjusting her dress as she took it from him. Fiddling with the pin to get it back into her hair, she asked, "What are you doing out here?"
Draco turned to face her, hands folded neatly behind his back. "I could ask the same of you," he responded.
Hermione glowered at him. "Really Malfoy, I don't have time for this," she told him.
"Am I putting a damper on your pity party Granger?" he asked mockingly, a smirk appearing on his lips.
"I am not having a pity party as you so nicely put it," she retorted lamely, "I just needed some time to think."
"You mean dwell on the fact that Potter and the Weasel are leaving you behind. For the first time since you were eleven years old, those two idiots are moving to a place where you can not follow because you don't have someone who cares for you in that way," Draco scoffed at her.
"They are not idiots," she responded. Hermione turned away from him, ignoring the rest of what he said even though it was mostly true.
Draco, as well as some of the other Slytherins, had made a bold move a few months before. After Dumbledore had died, Draco had decided that he didn't want any part in the war, trying to stay neutral. He wasn't the only one to feel that way. However, all that changed when Voldemort attacked the Manor, murdering his father and sentencing his mother to a lifetime in St. Mungos.
They stood there for a long time in silence, each waiting for the other to say something. Finally, Hermione caved, "Why did you come out here?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Haven't we been through this already?" he inquired stubbornly.
Hermione huffed and snorted. "You know what Malfoy. You are the most horrid person I have ever met. You couldn't just leave me alone so I could get away from all those bloody gorgeous people, in their stupid beautiful dresses, dancing in their graceful ways, while acting all charmingly superior than the rest of us. You couldn't just let me be alone in my not so stunning moment," she ranted.
"You aren't not stunning," he muttered softly, halting her speech.
"What?" Hermione asked shocked, her brows creased.
"I said you aren't not stunning, Granger," Draco repeated, "Don't make me say it again."
"So you think I look stunning with my hair a mess, my dress covered with dirt, grime and God knows what else, and my make up running all over my face?" She stated more than asked.
Draco gave her a quirky little smile. "Yeah, I do."
He stepped forward, and bent his head down to be level with hers. In what seemed like a millisecond, he gently placed his lips on hers, then turned and walked back to the castle, his black cloak trailing in waves after him.
Hermione put a hand to her mouth, looking down at the ground. Maybe she didn't need to be beautiful loooking in order to be stunning, maybe she just had to be herself. Taking one last look at the lake, she turned on her heel heading in the same path that Draco had taken only moments before. Maybe she could repay Draco the compliments he had given her.
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Author's Note - Not my normal coupling I know, but I needed something different. I am working on Unyielding Love, it is coming along slowly, but nicely. I am almost done, so just be a little more patient. Between my hectic schedule it's a miracle I got time to write this. Please Review and let me know what you all thought. Have a Happy Valentine's Day. )