A/N: For Hogwarts Online Prompt of the day "Fairy Tale".

My Happy Ending

I use to believe in the stories mum would read me, about Princess' in beautiful dresses being swept off their feet by men in suits. Or the ugly duckling turning into a swan and everyone falling for her. Even the beautiful princess' who were banished for how beautiful they were found their princes. I use to think that one day my prince would find me and sweep me off my feet.

But I am older now, I have grown up. I was always smart for my age, I always knew that. But that didn't mean I didn't dream of my prince, that one day he would show up at my door ready to take me away. Once your twenty five however it all seems so stupid.

Why would I think anyone would want me? Is there really anything appealing about me? I have mouse brown out of control hair that did not get better as I grew up, like my mother promised. I have buck teeth, which is weird because I am the daughter of dentists. I don't have a figure, in fact when I look in the mirror I can see every fat aspect about myself.

I guess I was the rare girl that instead of turning into a beautiful swan stayed as an ugly duckling. Not my friends though. Ginny is the most beautiful person I have ever met, which is of course why she landed an amazing guy like Draco Malfoy. Who is also extremely good looking. It is like looking into a page of one of my fairy tales and seeing the princess and the prince living happily ever after.

Of course Luna was always pretty too, she got Harry with her looks. Which made me sad, I help Harry out so much, I did everything for him and I still wasn't enough, there must be something wrong with me.

Lavender was always beautiful, Ron knew and still knows that. I missed my chance with Ron, a chance at real happiness. I guess that's what happens when you live your life for books, you start to live the life of books.

"Hermione?" someone said snapping me out of my daydream and returning me to the real world, the world of loud noises and a warm milkshake that sat at my table. I looked up and saw George Weasley holding a box of what appeared to be Banana leaves, I was not sure I even wanted to know what he was doing with that.

"Hello," I said softly looking up at him against the harsh sun, turning his features into dark shadows.

"Why are you sitting alone?" he asked struggling to hold onto the box and talk to me. I should really tell him to leave so he doesn't have to struggle out of sympathy for me.

"Well Ginny and Luna were out today, so I decided to buy a warm milkshake and sit in the increasingly hot sun," I sighed and George, like everyone, gave me a look of guilt, like he was guilty he had his life so good.

"I am alone at the shop today," he said. Was he rubbing this in my face? Maybe he thought it would make me feel better? "If you want you can come out and spend the day with me?" he suggested.

"Oh, where is Lee?" I asked stupidly, here was a great guy offering me a day to be with someone and not alone and I wanted to know where his business partner was. I was never going to find a guy when I had a stupid attitude like this.

"He had a family emergency," George said with a slight smile, I knew there was some kind of joke they shared and I decided I didn't want to know.

"I would love to join you at your shop," I said reluctantly. The only reason it was reluctant was that I didn't feel like talking, I felt like going home and sitting with Crookshanks, the first of many cats I am going to have as a old lady with no husband. I followed along side George in silence and we stopped outside a little restaurant near the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"How about a bite to eat?" he asked. I was not hungry but I could tell by the way he longed at the picture of a beef burger that he was.

"Sounds lovely," I said and we went in, he placed the box under the table and we ordered all the while sitting in silence. When it came time to pay I pulled out my purse but was quickly shooed away by George who placed some Muggle money down on the table.

"A lady never pays on the first date," he said with a smirk.

"A first date?" I asked blushing.

"The first of many," he smiled and with that grabbed his box of Banana leaves and lead me out of the shop.

Maybe it was only a joke, or maybe he meant it for real. But as I walked along side him still feeling the blush laying on my cheeks, I couldn't help but think this is what I wanted. I wasn't a princess swept off her feet, but a girl noticed for once. So maybe I did get my fairy tale ending after all. I guess I will just have to wait and see.