an: i was sitting in my room listening to the mulan soundtrack when i heard the reflections song come on and i knew that i just had to right a fic with that base idea. i know it's short, and it probably doesn't make too much sense, but it's here and it's not going away, so review, por favor!

standard disclaimers apply.





"Look at me. I will never pass for anything more than ordinary," Hermione breathed into the shallow water on the bank of the lake. The water rippled as a tear splashed down into its dark surface, the shine of the movement visible under the blanket of the starry sky above.

The breeze blew softly through the trees, their leaves swaying slightly in the wind. Hermione sniffed as the cool breeze hit her face, drying the tears and leaving her cold and still remorseful.

"Why is my reflection someone I don't know?" Hermione cried as another set of sobs coursed through her, the tears making their way over the dreid tracks of the old. She felt so useless.

"Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?" Hermione asked into the water as she stared at her image in the moonlight. Nowadays she didn't even know herself anymore.

"When will my reflection show who I am inside?" she asked quietly as she dipped her hand in the water, shattering the reflection and shattering all of her hopes and dreams.

A form stepped out of the shadows behind her, his dark hair swaying like the trees in the breeze. He had been listening to Hermione as she had poured her heart out to her reflection. In that short span of time he had given a piece of his heart out to her too.

"I can see who you are inside," he said softly as he crouched down in the grass beside her. "And you're beautiful."

Hermione closed her eyes, turning her head away from Harry. He was the last person that she wanted to see in the state she was in.

"You can't possibly mean that," Hermione said as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks, willing them to go away. Willing Harry to go away.

"I know you want me to leave," Harry said as he put his hand on Hermione's shoulder, turning her back to face him.

"How do you know so much about me?" Hermione asked as she gazed into his eyes for any of his intentions.

"Because I listen to you when you don't think anyone is. I can read your mind," he said as he tapped her temple. "And I can read your heart."

"Why would you want to?"

"Hermione, I can't give you the answers to everything you seek. All I can promise you is that I'll be good to you. Not because you're deserving of it, but because I love you for who you are inside."

"Nobody's ever said that before," Hermione said as her gaze turned skyward.

"Not everyone sees you for the real you. There's always a barrier up that seperates you from the real world, Hermione. Not everyone is out to get you, you know."

"I never thought they were."

"Hermione, I know that you miss your parents. Just because they're gone it doesn't mean you have to struggle to be better than you are. They would be happy with what you want for yourself. Don't throw everyone else out because you think they'll spoil you. Trust me on this."

"Harry, I don't think-"

"Then don't think. Just feel."

Harry touched her cheek with his fingertips, brushing them softly across her jawline and across her cheek to touch her lips. He looked into her eyes, staring at his reflection.

"Your reflection shows who you are inside, and I can see myself there, so won't you let me in?" Harry asked as he moved to sit closer to Hermione.

"You really mean everything you said, didn't you?"

"I would never lie, especially not to you."

Hermione breathed out a soft sigh of relief before throwing herself into Harry's arms, crying harder than she ever had before in her life. For once there was something good for her, something that she knew deep down inside she wanted. And she could feel the love and affection radiating from her heart as she reached up to meet his lips in a soft loving kiss.

And in his eyes she could see her own reflection, and she knew who she was inside.