A/N: This story will be a oneshot/drabble and it's for the Astronomy Class on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP!

Task: Write about someone who cannot see their own beauty, be it inner beauty or outer beauty.

Extra Prompt: Mirror

Extra Prompt: Damaged

Extra Prompt: "If you want someone to love you, you have to love yourself first."

~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~

Hermione Granger sighed as she looked in the mirror for what felt like the thousandth time. She was just about to call it quits and not go to the Yule Ball that was being held for the simple fact that she just didn't think that she looked beautiful enough to be on the arm of a champion. She couldn't regret saying yes to Viktor Krum when he asked her to go with him, but she could and did regret that she couldn't be beautiful enough for him.

She still couldn't understand why he had asked her out when he could ask any girl to be his date. She was plain; she was a bookworm; and she was boring. So why did he want to take her of all people to the ball? She just couldn't understand his reasoning. She knew that she probably wasn't seeing herself clearly, but when you grow up hearing you're not beautiful; you're not pretty; why can't you make an effort; you're ugly; your hair is a nightmare; nothing could make you pretty; and nobody will ever want you, you start to believe it.

She was damaged and she knew that too. She just wasn't sure what she could do if anything to make herself feel and/or look beautiful. As she stared at herself in the mirror she couldn't help but wish that she was someone else right then and there. She wanted to be beautiful but knew that she would never be beautiful. She didn't have anyone who would or could spend the time with her teaching her all the things that her mother should have taught her. She didn't have anyone who wouldn't think that she was stupid if she were to ask them how to do certain things that most girls her age and some even younger than her already knew how to do.

She sighed again and then looked up when she heard the bathroom door open. "What do you want, Lavender?"

Lavender walked into the bathroom and smiled at Hermione. "You look beautiful, Hermione."

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "Don't lie to me, Lavender. I know that I don't look beautiful. I mean how could I?"

Lavender's eyes hardened. "You are beautiful, Hermione, but for some reason you just don't see it. Would you like me to help you with your hair?"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise but she nodded and then sat down on the chair Lavender pulled over. "Thank you, Lavender."

Lavender smiled as she started doing Hermione's hair. "Hermione, I want you to listen to me closely. Alright?"

Hermione's eyes caught Lavender's in the mirror. "Alright."

"If you want someone to love you, you have to love yourself first." Lavender finally replied after she thought about how she wanted to word what she wanted to say. "I don't know why you can't see what everyone else sees when they look at you, but I think that it is partly because you are always criticizing yourself and the way that you look. I'm not going to ask why you have such a low opinion of yourself, however, I will say that I'm here should you need or wish to talk."

The enchanted mirror spoke up. "She's right, dear. You look very beautiful tonight. I wish that everyone I have seen over the years looked as beautiful as you did tonight."

Hermione blushed. She wanted to shake her head, but didn't because she didn't want to make Lavender mess up while she was doing her hair. She figured that both Lavender and the mirror were only saying these things to be nice. After all, she had been told most of her life that she wasn't pretty or beautiful so why would she believe anyone now. She knew that she wasn't beautiful and that was fine with her. She would still go with Viktor to the ball and have a good time.

A/N 2: *grins* Thank you to the wonderful whatever55 for beta'ing once again for me! You rock, woman! *snickers* Originally when I started this story I wasn't going to have Lavender or really anyone else appear in it, but then my muse took on a life of her own and this oneshot was the final result of it... Hope you all enjoyed this! Click the button and let me know what you think!