A/N- Don't own the characters. Would be nice if I did. But I don't. Woe is me. Enjoy :)

June 8, 1997

Hermione was restless. She lay in her bed listening to the sounds of her dorm-mates sleeping on peacefully, something she wished she could do. Her mind would not allow that however, so she resigned herself to the fact that she was awake and ready to rise at the ungodly hour of 5 am.

She had two hours before breakfast in the Great Hall would even begin so she decided that instead of studying for her last exam that was set at 10 am, she would try and make sense of the jumble of thoughts and feelings she was having. A bath might help. If her body were to relax maybe her mind would follow.

She quietly crept out of the Gryffindor common room with her uniform and toiletries tucked under her arm. As Hermione expertly navigated the hallways on her way to the prefects bathroom, she enjoyed the stillness of the hour. Her life could get so hectic at times that when it was quiet, she reveled in it.

Hermione stopped in front of the entrance of the Prefect bathroom and muttered the password quietly, 'Aquaphilia'. The bathroom was empty as she suspected it would be. She walked over to the tub (more like pool) and selected strawberry bubble bath. Her favorite. As the tub/pool filled she stripped and readied herself to dive in. She caught a quick glimpse of her reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror that was in the bathroom. Her body had certainly changed over the years. Gone was her hunched posture, a result of too many books on her back at a time. She had realized after fourth year that she could simply place a charm on her bag to become weightless. She was ashamed at not having thought of it sooner. Hermione stood tall at 5'7, and she enjoyed her height. Her body had definitely gained the curves that are promised to the female species and though she didn't advertise her body like some, she had a figure that was to die for.

The tub/pool was ready for her and she relished the contact of warm water on her body as she dove in head first. She expelled the air from her lungs which allowed her to sink and sit comfortably at the bottom. Hermione enjoyed holding her breath and seeing how long she could go for. As she sat under the suds she began to recall the conversation she had with her friends at dinner the night before.

Hermione had gone to eat soon after getting her pain potion and leaving the Slytherins in the Hospital Wing. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had waved her over when they saw her enter the Great Hall. Ginny had been leaning against Harry as she half-heartedly ate while chatting about how horrid O.W.L's were. Harry had been gazing at her between mouthfuls with a slightly lovestruck look that made Hermione smile. It was just too damn adorable.

Then suddenly, Harry stiffened slightly. No one except Hermione noticed right away. She followed Harry's gaze as the objects of his discomfort became apparent. Blaise and Malfoy. They had just walked in and had sat down in a relatively empty part of the Slytherin table. Hermione's heart sped up a bit as she caught both of their eyes. She glanced at her friend's quickly and realized that Ginny had finally gone silent and was looking between Harry and Hermione, clearly curious as to why she had lost her audience.

"What's up Harry?" Ginny asked her boyfriend. Harry stopped staring at the Slytherins and reverted his gaze to his girlfriend.

"That's exactly what I want to know." He answered, his face pensive. Ron threw him a confused look, which Harry caught. He sighed as he answered the unspoken question in Ron's look.

"It's just that... Haven't you guys been wondering why Malfoy stopped hanging out with Goyle and Crabbe? Or why he hasn't been really nasty to any of us all year? I mean really, he hasn't called Hermione a Mudblood- sorry Hermione- since last year. I want to know what's up with him. I need to make sure he isn't up to something."

Hermione was shocked to realize that Harry was in fact correct; Malfoy hadn't called her a Mudblood since the end of their Fifth Year. How did she miss that? But then again, she didn't relish the name so maybe she just blocked out the absence of the word as she did when it was being hurled at her.

"I have noticed, but I'm not fretting over it really. I really can't afford all the detentions I've gotten over years from all the rows we had with Malfoy. I didn't mention it though, because I didn't want to jinx the silence from them." Ron said, surprising Hermione with his desire to stay out of trouble. He had always been a 'react first, think later' type of person. Maybe he was growing up. Then Hermione caught sight of his half chewed potato's and rethought that last part.

Harry still looked pensive. Suspicious as always, but you couldn't really blame the poor guy. His life was constantly surrounded by danger and mayhem. He had to stay a step ahead if he wanted to survive long enough to fulfill the prophecy that dictated that he would end Voldemort. Or have Voldemort end him, whichever way, really.

"Harry, I have to agree with Ron. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm not saying lets invite the lot over to a slumber party and share all our secrets over butterbeer and chocolates, but let's not go accusing or worrying about them as if they were a serious threat. I honestly don't think they are up to anything. I think we are all just changing. We are coming of age this coming year and maybe they realized that means we are adults." Hermione added, trying to get that suspicious look out of Harry's eye. She wasn't sure why it was so important to her that the Slytherins be left alone from half baked plans of finding out what they were up to, but it was important to her

The suspicion began to receded as Harry thought over her words. It did not completely disappear however, and that left Hermione more unsettled than she would have liked.

The conversation shifted and things were back to usual. Hermione silently thanked Ginny, as the girl had Harry happy and distracted.

Merlin's Lace Knickers! What on earth could possibly possess Hermione to want Harry to be distracted?

Oh, thats right. Blaise and Malfoy. Bugger.

Hence, Hermione was in a pensive mood of her own, still holding her breath as she finished rehashing the source of her unease in her mind. She couldn't understand it, this sudden need to 'protect' the Slytherin duo. Surely it wasn't only because Malfoy had stopped calling her names. It also had to be more than the boys allowing her first dibs on the Medi-witch.

Hermione's lungs began to burn and she quickly shot up to the surface before she accidentally drowned herself. She took deep pulls of air into her lungs and tried to calm her racing heart. Her muscles began to relax as her heart resumed a steady rhythm. Her shampoo let off a sweet smell as she worked it into her hair, taking the time to massage her scalp to further her relaxation.

Ah. She felt nice. Warm, content and relaxed. She continued her bath in a happy state of mind, pushing thoughts of the Slytherins to the corner of her mind. The water was growing colder and she decided she was relaxed enough and quickly got out of the tub and into a robe.

She walked over to a vanity and pulled a brush out, preparing to do battle with her long hair. Hermione was never one for a lot of make-up, but she had taken to applying mascara. She was looking at her own brown eyes, wondering what shades would make them look nicer when she saw it.

Her eyes had changed colors. She dared not blink, afraid she was hallucinating. No, she was in her right mind. Her eyes were now green. And then brown. And then green. And then brown.

It was like a light switch being turned on and off. Brown, green, brown.....

She blinked.

It continued.

She closed her eyes and rubbed them. Tentatively she opened them.

Merlin help her.

Her eyes were Hazel now. A familiar hazel.

This was no trick of the light. She could have sworn she had seen eyes like these before. She shut her eyes again and counted to 10 trying to calm herself.

She cracked one open and looked. Brown.

What the Hades?! She was now more confused than ever, yet she knew that she was not crazy. Her yes had changed. She knew that that was not normal. She knew that her eyes wouldn't have done that unless she decided to cast a glamour, which she hadn't.

Why had they changed? What did it mean?

Great. She had come in looking to answer questions and only got more. Woo-hoo!

A/N- Please feel free (obligated even) to review my story. I would like some feedback. I f you like it, or loathe it, I just wanna know :)