A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters
Word Count: 1712

Hermione tried pulling the sleeve down over the mark on her wrist. She knew what it meant. She knew somewhere, someone had a matching mark. She hated the idea that she had no choice in the matter. She'd already made her decision to ignore the mark entirely. She would find someone on her own, thank you very much.

She knew marks were the most common of soulmate indicators, but they weren't the only kind. Her mum hadn't been able to see color until she met Hermione's father. Hermione was glad she could see color, although the little teal leaf on her arm only enraged her most of the time. The train whistle sounded and Hermione climbed on, wondering if anyone else was thinking about their soulmate.

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"She's a bloody nightmare," Ron's words echoed in her mind. Tears stung her eyes. She shoved open the door of the girls' loo. She looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red rimmed, her cheeks smeared.

"Idiot," she muttered. She thought she had seen a flash of teal on Ron's skin when he'd been trying to cast the hovering charm. She knew it was possible her soulmate wasn't marked, that the color and shape meant something else. Yes, that had to be it. There was no way she could be destined to be with Ron Weasley!

"Troll!" she heard someone scream. She barely had a chance to look from the mirror when the door flew open and a large mountain troll stumbled into the room. Hermione screamed and tried locking herself in a stall. She could hear Ron and Harry outside. Of course, Ron was behind this. He was horrid!

The troll ripped the door from the stall. She heard Harry yelling at Ron, something about a wand. The troll brought its club down, smashing the stall, and in the process, hitting Hermione. She finally gathered her wits as Ron managed to use the troll's own club to knock it out.

"You alright?" he asked. She'd only glared at him before passing out from the pain of her freshly broken leg.

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Hermione pressed her lips against Neville's. The kiss was nice enough, not too wet, not too rough. Neville broke it. Hermione looked into his eyes.

"Well?" she asked. "Can you see them?"

"No, I still only see greys. I'm sorry, Hermione. I was really hoping..."

"Does it really matter, Neville? I like you, you like me well enough. We could forget the whole soulmate thing, just be a couple?" she suggested.

"I can't. I really do like you. You're the nicest girl in our house, but somewhere there's a girl out there that will make my whole world burst into colors. I need to find her, I need to find my colorful girl. I'm sorry," Neville stated. Hermione felt the tears building in her eyes.

She had thought, maybe, just maybe she could make Neville forget about the soulmate thing. He was sweet and nice. She could see herself settling down with a boy like that. She looked around. They'd been sitting by the Black Lake. Her eye caught Ron watching her. She glared at him. She still hadn't forgiven him for first year. He'd insulted her, teased her, mocked her, and then locked her in the loo with the troll! Her leg still hurt when it rained.

"Hermione? Hey, can I talk to you?" Ron asked, walking over to her.

"No, you may not," she replied, walking away, ignoring the fact Ron was calling after her.

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"It has to mean something, I mean, I don't have a mark. I can see colors. What could it be that my soulmate can show me?" Dean asked. He and Hermione were sitting in the common room. Hermione was studying a book about the merfolk and Dean was reading a book about Quidditch.

"Maybe if you touch your soulmate, color appears on their skin?" Hermione suggested. That's how Lavender and Parvati had found each other.

"Here, take my hand. Let's see?" Dean suggested.

"Really? You buy into that soulmate bunk? Fine, but I doubt I'm your soulmate."

"Why? You haven't found yours yet either, have you?"

"No," Hermione answered, trying not to think about the fact she'd actually gotten to see Ron's arm. The teal color on his wrist had been the same as hers. She hated him even more.

"Then take my hand, if colors appear, we'll both know?"

"Fine, but only to prove this is mad," she stated, grabbing Dean's hand. She held it a minute and then released it. She knew nothing would happen. Her and Dean were barely friends, not having much in common. Dean pulled his hand over and studied it.

"Drat, nothing. Sorry."

"It's okay, I don't think Seamus has a mark either. Maybe he has color touch?" she suggested. Dean smiled before rising. He gave Hermione a quick peck on the cheek before going to look for Seamus. Hermione sighed. She had to admit it was starting to get to her a little. She wanted to fall in love on her own, but everyone only seemed to care about finding their soulmate.

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"Sir, do you have a soulmark?" Hermione asked, looking at Professor Snape. He glowered at her.

"Miss Granger, that is hardly a subject worth talking about."

"I know, but I think the whole thing is bunk too. Maybe since we have that in common...?" she started to suggest.

"You are fifteen, Miss Granger. Go away. I do not have a soulmate and if I were you, I'd find mine and leave me alone."

"But sir," Hermione started to argue. Professor Snape glared at her, making it perfectly clear this conversation was over and was never to brought up again. Hermione sighed, slinking from the classroom. She had thought, maybe, just maybe he might be interested in her. She'd known he didn't have a soulmate, and she didn't want the one she was sure she had. They would have made a perfect pair. He was brilliant, she appreciated that brilliance. She pulled out the notepad she'd taken to carrying and crossed his name off. She was running out of people that she might be interested in spending her life with. Harry's name had been crossed off the first day of second year when him and Ginny had suddenly both been covered in bright pink marks.

"Hermione? Um, hi, can I talk to you?" Ron asked the moment Hermione stepped out of Snape's office. She sighed.

"Go away! I don't like you, leave me alone," she nearly yelled, pushing past him. He watched her, she could feel his eyes. She slipped into the nearest classroom and sank to the floor.

"This is so bloody stupid!" she yelled.

"I agree," Draco stated from the other side of the room.

"Really?"

"Yes! Pansy is a complete idiot."

Hermione laughed.

"Sounds like my problem. Wait, you don't like your soulmate?"

"No! I hate her, I don't care if she can see colors the moment we touched."

"Want to go out with me?" Hermione asked, hoping Draco would say 'yes'. He wasn't bad looking. He was smart enough to keep up with her. The best part was that he wasn't Ron!

"My family would hate you. They don't think I should associate with a Muggle-born witch."

"And what do you think?" she asked.

"Fine, if it will make Pansy go away," Draco agreed. Hermione pulled him over to her and kissed him passionately. They parted. Hermione stared at Draco and he stared back at her. Both frowned.

"You didn't feel anything either?"

"No. This is horrible! I'm never going get rid of him."

"I'm sorry, I had hoped this would work. It'd have solved both our problems."

Hermione nodded, tears forming in her brown eyes.

"Thank you for trying," she whispered, looking down at the teal leaf.

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Hermione took a deep breath. This was it, her seventh year. This was the last year she would have to be here with all these happy couples. She was standing outside the boys' dorm.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, looking at her.

"Is Ron in there?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"Yeah, want me to tell him to scram for you?"

"No, send him out if he still wants to talk to me," she said. Harry blinked but obeyed.

"Hermione? Hey, Harry said you wanted to talk to me?"

"I guess I kind of have to now, don't I? I have kissed, dated, slept with every single other guy in this school. I have tried falling in love with someone other than you. Let me see it," she said, with a sigh, holding out her own wrist. Ron stared down at the teal leaf. Slowly, he rolled up the sleeve of his jumper revealing a leaf, in a bright lime. Hermione stared at it.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you, all my family has different shades of green. I saw yours and knew it matched my brother, Charlie. He lives in Romania and I was trying to hel pyou by giving you his address."

Hermione blinked, staring at Ron, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. She wasn't even sure why she was crying.

"Hey, it's alright, this works out better. Charlie's going to be here for graduation. I can introduce you?"

"Yes, please, I'm sorry. I thought... you and me..."

"I know, I should have explained myself better. No, my soulmate is Luna. Here's the name of the dragon preserve Charlie works at. Write him," Ron said, jotting something down on a sheet of parchment and handing it to Hermione. She smiled taking it.

"Thank you."

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Hermione looked out at the crowd. She could see Ron's family, all red heads. She slowly walked over, her palms sweaty. Today she would finally meet her soulmate. She looked at the two Weasleys she didn't know.

"Um, hi, I'm Hermione," she said. The broader one, the one with slightly tanned skin and short hair smiled.

"Hello, Hermione, I'm Charlie and I am thrilled to finally meet you," he stated, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. His teal leaf mark seemed to shine in the light. Hermione smiled. Maybe the soulmark wasn't so stupid after all.