Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Foreword: A little bit of something from that short scene between Harry and Hermione in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I needed something to pump the creative juices from a ceaseless amount of assignments, projects, and exams. Writing is my escape to help me relax. I hope you enjoy this really short story.

You're Not Ugly

By Romantic Silence

"… And it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am, too," Hermione added as an afterthought.

It was his first match. The crowd in the stands was roaring with excitement. The thought of playing in front of all those people was nerve-wracking. Not even Oliver's rousing speech gave him the confidence to believe he was going to succeed. As he took to the air on his broom, Harry scanned the stands. His green eyes soon settled on a bushy, brown-haired witch waving a flag that had the Gryffindor colors. His keen vision could make out the excited smile on her features as Hermione whooped and yelled alongside the others.

"You will do great up there, Harry."

He didn't know why, but remembering that simple encouragement filled with him the confidence he needed to play. Perhaps it was out of ignorance at what the game entailed or it was truly out of pure faith, but Hermione really believed that he would succeed.

The game began and he was off. A smirk played at his lips; he was going to win this.

Harry quietly observed Hermione chatting away with Ron. He couldn't help but stare at her as her mouth animatedly move at speeds he couldn't fathom. Her eyebrows were very expressive, measuring the level of her interest or annoyance of a certain subject. Hermione's eyes even glistened with excitement as she continued to talk about the electives she decided to pursue the following year. Harry remembered the lifeless form that Hermione had for months, seeing her so alive now was a good thing. His heart was pounding with confusing emotions and for the first time, he thought that a girl was pretty.

It just so happened that same girl was his best friend.

"Harry, what about you? Are you excited for Third Year?" Hermione asked him, grinning from ear to ear.

Ron rolled his eyes, leaning back against the bench of their compartment, "I'm much more excited for summer than school."

He wasn't looking forward to his summer – not ever since he discovered Hogwarts. Harry was going to miss his friends, talking to them whenever he wanted to. But for some reason, he also felt different reasons for being excited for the next school year. While he would certainly want to have fun with Ron, Harry felt more emotions of being reunited with Hermione at the end of summer.

Harry planned to write to her a lot.

Harry gazed out of the large window and downward to the courtyard below. His eyes rested on Hermione's form beneath the large tree atop of the small mound in the center. There was a hint of sadness that filled her features, a deep melancholy pervaded her normally energetic exterior. The shine of her wild, bushy mane had lost some of its luster. Worst of all, that hint of the smile that she almost always had was gone and replaced with a thin line that displayed no emotions. Harry could feel the hurt that she felt when he and Ron decided to ignore her. He was regretting that choice.

However, despite the melancholy that surrounded the young witch, Harry felt attracted to her negative emotions. There was something… eliciting about the way her lips drooped slightly or her eyes dulled. There was an aloof nature to her behavior that excited a part of him deep in the recesses of his core. Harry felt guilt for even allowing himself to feel elated to see the sadness that perpetuated from Hermione's being. He was disgusted with himself.

Suddenly, Hermione's head looked up and their eyes met. Unexpectedly, a small, familiar smile formed, directing it towards Harry.

It struck him how good it felt when she gave him that smile that was only meant for him and how it also meant forgiveness. His heartbeat quickened, pumping a torrent of blood into his cheeks. He thanked that he was too far away for Hermione to see him blush.

He promised himself that he would apologize to her soon.

As heads turned to glimpse at the gorgeous girl walking down the steps of the Grand Staircase, Harry instantly recognized who she was.

It was none other than Hermione.

Her hair was amazingly styled to frame the contours of her face, revealing her soft, warm eyes and dazzling smile. Some strands cascaded down in silky waves, complementing the periwinkle-colored dress that she had adorned herself. The way she carried herself as she descended from the flight of stairs also exuded the grace and perfection of what one could construe as the ideal woman.

To Harry, he couldn't help but feel slight disgust at the reactions of those around him – Ron included. Were they only seeing it now how pretty Hermione was? Did it take that long for them to recognize a wonderful girl before them? Harry felt the lust of the teenage boys around him as they gawked awkwardly at Hermione Granger, whom they thought was just a so-called bookworm.

Hermione didn't need all that make-up, or that dress, or that hairstyle to be pretty. To Harry, she had always been pretty. She had always been beautiful, both inside and out.

"But I don't think you're ugly," said Harry, bemused. "I think you're beautiful."

Afterword: I recommend watching some videos by tennisgirlxoxo from Youtube. Her videos of Harry and Hermione are beautiful. I would like to give credit for the idea for this short piece from her latest video. Every time I watch one of her videos, I feel a little bit inspired to write. Also, I tend to sob at some of her creations. Ugh, I'm an emotional individual apparently. I feel that there are a lot of scenes that are somewhat overused in fanfiction, so I decided to try out some different scenes that are rather uncommon - or at least what I believe is uncommon.