Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters; they all belong to the unbelievably talented JK Rowling, and this story is nothing more than a result of being extremely bored in class one day.

The Unexpected Switch

Chapter 1

"Oh sweetheart, you look beautiful!" Mrs. Granger ran over to the door where her daughter had just appeared and embraced her in a motherly hug.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered as she was smothered by her mother. It was her wedding day, and she had just returned from the beauty parlor where her normally bushy hair had been tamed down and half pulled back with loose curls cascading gently down her shoulders. She sighed as her mother let go of her, and sat down on the couch.

"Hermione?" Mrs. Granger called hesitantly, walking over and sitting down next to her only daughter. "Are you all right?"

"Yes..." Hermione answered automatically, though her brown eyes were not focused on her mother. Instead they were focused on an emerald green plate that was mounted on the wall opposite her. The plate had once belonged to her grandmother many years ago, and had been hanging on the wall ever since her death. Hermione had looked at this plate countless times before, and was confused as to why it would suddenly entrance her this much. It reminded her of eyes ... someone's eyes ... but she didn't know why.

"I should really start getting ready," She said suddenly, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful green plate and hurrying down the hallway to her room, which left her mother staring concernedly after her.

Once in her room, Hermione sat down on her bed and reached between the mattress. She pulled out a handsome emerald green photo album that Ron ... and Harry ... had given her at the end of their seventh year. It held pictures of all of them from each and every year they spent at Hogwarts, and sometimes she wondered where some of them had come from; especially the ones taken of her at the beginning of her first year at times when she thought no one was around or cared about her. As she flipped through the album and glanced at pictures of herself, Ron, and ... Harry, Hermione began to wonder for the first time whether she was really ready to get married. Ron was a wonderful man and she loved him, but something ... or someone ... seemed to be holding her back. She was only 21, after all. Her mind wandered back to the emerald plate and something of a memory flashed across her mind. She had been cleaning the dust off that same plate some nine years ago, during the summer before her second year at Hogwarts, when Ron's owl had flown through the open window delievering news that he and his brothers were going to try and rescue Harry that night. Neither of them had heard from their friend all summer, and Hermione had to admit that she had been quite worried. As she read the letter, she had noticed that the emerald plate she was holding reminded her of something ... Harry's eyes ... and she closed her own to pray that he was all right, and that Ron wouldn't do anything stupid to rescue him because then Harry would get into trouble too, and she'd had a feeling the poor boy had been in enough trouble already that summer.

A distant knock at the door shook the young woman from her thoughts. She listened intently, and recognized Ron's voice. She sighed; it seemed he'd already arrived for their wedding, which was to take place in their backyard later that afternoon (the reception would be held at the Weasley's house). She heard her mother showing the young man through the house and out to the backyard, and sighed again. She loved him, didn't she? Of course she did.... But then why did she feel so ... apprehensive? Worried? Unsure?

A few moments later, there was another knock at the door, and this time it was her father who answered the door. She immediately recognized Harry's voice as he greeted Mr. Granger (who had always liked the boy) and she smiled, remembering the first time she had met him on the train to Hogwarts their first year - back when she still pretended to be a haughty know-it-all.

The distant sounds of more knocks on the door as more and more people started arriving reminded Hermione that she still had to finish getting ready, so she stood up and walked over to her closet. As she pulled out her beautiful white dress robe, a pair of emerald green robes lurking in the shadows caught her eye. They were part of her uniform at the Ministry of Magic, and suddenly they reminded her of the ones Harry had worn to the Yule Ball back in their fourth year. She had felt so bad for her friend that night; stuck with perfect Parvati Patil and thrown into a new spotlight that he really didn't want to be a part of, but couldn't avoid as he was a champion in the Triwizard Tournament. She sighed again, and decided that she'd better stop daydreaming and finish getting ready before she missed her own ... wedding.

Hermione crept through back the hallway, not wanting to make a disturbance so no one would make a fuss over her. For some reason, she just wanted to be hidden among the shadows like she used to be during her first year before she met Ron ... and Harry. She slid open the sliding glass door that lead to her backyard, and laid eyes on her two best friends sipping lemonade and chatting merrily by the garden. Harry was the first to notice her, and he smiled and nudged Ron, who jumped up and spectacularly spilled lemonade all down his front as he rushed over to her, blushing.

"Oh, Ron...." Hermione tried not to giggle as she grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and began to pat his shirt dry. He kissed the top of her head as she did so, and she blushed. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I'm gonna go see if anyone has a clean shirt," He said, and she nodded and put the napkin away, sighing.

Lost in thought, Hermione walked slowly over to the large rock that overlooked her pond, and sat down on it, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She didn't know what she wanted anymore; after all, she was only 21 ... maybe she really was too young to get married. Or maybe she just wasn't meant to....

"Hermione?" Hermione turned and saw a familiar pair of emerald green eyes meeting her own. Eyes full of concern.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked quietly. He looked somewhat confused, as if he didn't know where he was, or as if he was about to lose something ... or someone ... and didn't know what to do about it. His face seemed to hold the same helpless look that Crookshanks always gave her when she would forget to feed him.

Hermione shrugged and continued to watch the ducks swim around the pond, pretending to be interested in them even though she wasn't. She felt her heart pounding against her chest as Harry sat down on the rock next to her, but didn't look up.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, and Hermione could tell his voice was full of concern. She didn't answer, but buried her head into his shoulder as tears threatened to spill. She had done this so many times during their sixth and seventh year when she had been scared or upset about anything from Voldemort to failing her NEWT exams, that Harry didn't really think anything of it. He did, however, gather that something was bothering Hermione, and he longed to know what it was. But before he could ask again, Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder, dried her eyes, and smiled.

"I'm fine," She said finally. "Just a bit tired, that's all." She stood up and made to walk over to where everyone else was gathering for the ceremony, but Harry found her hands and grasped them gently. Hermione blushed.

"Hermione...." Harry hesitated, then added, "You're like the sister I never had. And I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise me that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you're going to be happy. No matter what, don't let anyone hurt you, and don't let anyone make you do something you don't want to do. Okay?"

Hermione stared with confusion into Harry's bright green eyes. "Harry, I --" She paused, clutching on to Harry's hands as if they were going to protect her against everything she would ever encounter. "I promise," She said finally, as Harry let go of her hands. He smiled and ruffled her hair like brothers always do, and despite the feeling that her heart was going to pop out of her chest, she smiled and began to walk back over to where everyone else was gathering.