This is a gift fic for starrnobella as part of Hermione's Haven 2020 Bunny Bounce fic exchange!

Hermione Granger had known who her soulmate was since the moment they'd met– something that made her incredibly glad that they'd first met in close quarters. Professor McGonagall had warned her that things could be confusing if the first time she met her soulmate was in the busy crowds at Diagon Alley or while passing through the halls at Hogwarts.

When she'd met Harry Potter, she knew exactly what it meant when she suddenly found herself staring at her own body, still standing confidently in the doorway of the train compartment. Did her hair really look like that?

She had blinked and found her point of view returned to normal, and while Harry clearly looked confused, he didn't mention the occurrence. She could tell he was already overwhelmed, and thus she did not bring up the subject for the rest of the night.

She was first ostracised by the majority of her peers, and tried to keep the happy flashes of Harry's first weeks at Hogwarts from burning into her mind. He had friends, his suite mates all laughing together at night, while she found her nights usually ending in tears.

And then, on Halloween, she'd been crying in the girls' lavatory when a troll came bursting in, She was screaming and trying to hide when Harry and Ron burst in and came to her rescue. Once the professors had ended their interrogation and left the students in the Gryffindor common room, she'd asked Harry how he knew where to find her.

"I… I just knew. It popped into my head," he muttered, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

He doesn't know? Hermione had thought that was strange, but she figured a professor would soon speak to him about it. After all, one had told her. So, she swept aside her worries as the three of them became an inseparable trio.

They didn't have much leisure time after that first year. With Harry always ending up in the middle of something, the fact that she saw through his eyes was never important enough in comparison to the brewing war.

And then the war came, and the war ended. After many months and deaths on every side, it finally ended.

And after the dust had settled and Hermione was faced with actually being able to live peacefully in the world they had saved, she realized that now, her seeing through Harry's eyes was important enough.

But he never brought it up. And so she stayed quiet...

"...even though we're already almost done with our eighth year!" She finished her story, her fingers tangled into her hair in her frustration as she sat down heavily in the grass around the Black Lake. She'd been relaying her woes to Draco after he convinced her to tell him what was distracting her on their daily walk around the lake.

"So… Potter's being his typical thickheaded self?" Draco drawled unhelpfully as he smoothly sat down next to Hermione, sending a smug smirk her way when she glared at him. "Alright, sorry," he said, holding his hands up in apology as he laughed. "But really, Granger, what were you expecting from him? Are you sure he even knows about soulmates? He was raised by muggles," he added as an afterthought.

Hermione stared at the blonde with her mouth open in shock. How come she'd never considered that? "And he told me Hagrid was the one to take him to Diagon Alley, so Professor McGonagall wasn't able to tell him! Oh Merlin, I can't believe I never even realized he had no idea!"

"I'm surprised Weasel never told him about it," Draco mused. Hermione rolled her eyes at the nickname. While the trio had all been accepting of Draco's efforts to mend bridges, she knew that he and Ron would never quit using the juvenile 'ferret' and 'weasel' nicknames for each other. That was alright in her book, though; she was glad they had at least progressed to civility enough for them all to occasionally sit together during meals when she and Draco had discussions carry past their free period.

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe he thought Ginny was Harry's soulmate? I never mentioned it to either of them."

Draco laughed. "I wonder then what he thought when Ginevra announced in the Great Hall that Blaise was her soulmate?"

Hermione couldn't stop from smiling at the reminder of Ginny's actions at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts. Blaise had been helping walk her brother Bill into the Great Hall where triage for the wounded was centered when Ginny practically launched herself at the two of them.

"I saw you save him!" Her relieved sobs could be heard by the majority present in the hall as she gave her brother a long hug before pulling Blaise in for a kiss. It had been one of the happier moments in the aftermath– a reminder of why they fought.

Hermione leaned her chin into her palm as she focused back on her current situation. "I suppose it doesn't matter what he thought in the long run, since he's not involved. But now I've no idea what to say to Harry to explain this… maybe there's something in the library that can help?" She glanced over at her companion to see if he had any suggestions to offer, but was surprised to see him staring back at her in poorly masked shock.

"Your eyes… they were just emerald green," he explained after a moment, before splitting into a mischievous grin. "Which means Potter was just linked with you. A galleon says he'll be down here looking for you in the next few minutes."

"No bet," Hermione shot back, knowing Draco was most likely correct. "What do I tell him?"

"How should I know? He's not my soulmate."

"If he wasn't mine, I'd have assumed he was yours by the way you always sought out his attention over the years." She pulled back her shoulders and tossed her hair over her shoulder haughtily. "'Hey, Potter! Wait 'till my father hears about this, Potter! Pay attention to me, Potter! '" She dissolved into giggles at the look of protest on Draco's face at her impression of his younger antics.

"Oh ha-ha, laugh it on up, Granger," he muttered, crossing his arms and pouting. "You're just jealous because I did successfully get his attention most of the time."

"I spent almost a year living with him in a tent," Hermione said, sticking her tongue out at him in an effort to further rile him up and distract her. "I had plenty of his attention."

"Clearly not enough of it though, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"What conversation would that be?" A new and amused voice rang out.

Hermione and Draco both flinched and drew their wands on reflex as they turned to face the speaker. Draco's earlier guess had been correct– they both found themselves pointing their wands at Harry Potter, who to his credit was smirking back at them with a brow raised questioningly.

"Hello to you two as well," he said with a chuckle as they both sheepishly lowered their wands and stashed them away. Everyone was still jumpy from their experiences and jointly understood that such reactions couldn't be helped.

"Hey Harry," Hermione greeted with an apologetic smile. "How'd you know we were here?"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I just… had a feeling, I guess. Anyways, Professor McGonagall was looking for you, Ms. Head Girl," he said in a teasing tone. "She said to meet her in her office."

Hermione frowned as she tried to think of what Professor McGonagall wanted to speak to her so urgently about but drew a blank. "Alright, thanks Harry. I'll see you boys later!" She waved at Draco and paused by Harry to give his hand a squeeze before she walked back up to the castle.

Harry's gaze didn't leave Hermione as she walked up the hill to the castle until she entered through the large doors and was out of sight.

"Hate to see her go but love to watch her leave?" Malfoy's voice brought him back to the present as he turned and gave the Head Boy a halfhearted glare.

"Hilarious," he replied in a steely monotone, which only served to widen Malfoy's grin.

He didn't mind Malfoy's presence, and it was a nice early spring day, so as Malfoy retook his seat in the grass, Harry decided to join him. They sat in silence for several minutes, watching as the giant squid raised some of its tentacles out of the water and into the warm sunlight while some first years tossed bits of bread to the ducks swimming at the edge of the lake.

"Hey Potter." Harry looked up as Malfoy broke the quiet. "Did anyone ever tell you about soulmates?"

Well that certainly came out of nowhere. "People said my parents were soulmates," he said slowly after a moment. "I thought it just meant they loved each other a lot, since some wizarding marriages are still arranged."

Out of every possible response, he hadn't expected Draco to groan at his words. "That confirms it, then."

"Confirms what? What are you talking about?"

"You know Blaise Zabini and Ginevra are soulmates, right?"

Harry shrugged. "I heard people say something like that, but figured it wasn't any of my business."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "A right noble git, you are. Fine." He sighed dramatically. "I'll explain it to you."

"Explain what?" Harry asked, still bewildered.

Malfoy turned so he was sitting cross-legged and facing Harry. "Watch my eyes." Harry obliged and stared at the Slytherin's gray eyes, not sure what he was supposed to observe. That all changed when Malfoy blinked and his irises turned amber.

Harry leaned backwards in shock and hastily pressed his palms into the grass to keep himself from falling over. "Your eyes are amber?!"

Malfoy smirked, then blinked again and his eyes returned to their normal stormy grey. "I assure you, I have the Black family grey eyes. It's my soulmate Padma that has amber eyes." His smirk lost its edge as it melted into a sympathetic smile. "We have soulmates in the magical world. Once you meet them, if you concentrate on the thought of them hard enough, you can see what they're seeing through their eyes. Right now, Padma's in the Charms classroom tutoring some third years."

Harry openly gaped at Malfoy for long enough that the blonde began to look irritated. "Why are you telling me this?" He finally thought to ask, still having a hard time coming to terms with what he had just been told.

Malfoy grinned this time. "I think you might know. Tell me, how did you know to find Granger here?"

"Professor McGonagall asked me to find her and I was thinking about her favorite places to be in and this location just popped into my head…" Harry trailed off as what Malfoy was trying to tell him clicked. The Slytherin was trying (and failing) to laugh at his late revelation. "You can't be serious?"

"Who do you think I am, Peeves?"

Harry stared at him, clearly unimpressed. "Hermione's my soulmate?!"

Malfoy shrugged. "If you don't believe me, why don't you ask her yourself? Or," he quickly added as Harry moved to get up. "Try and see through her eyes right now. If it is Granger, you'll see Professor McGonagall."

Harry sighed, knowing Malfoy was right if he was being honest (and deep down, Harry knew this information wasn't a lie. Lots of things were beginning to make sense now). He sat down fully again and straightened his back as he closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly. He tried focusing his thoughts all on Hermione: what she looked like, her laugh, the ferocity on her face when she raised her wand to ward off an attack.

He opened his eyes and found himself seated across from Professor McGonagall in her small office off of the transfiguration classroom. He had rarely ever seen the formidable witch look surprised, but she now appeared caught off guard. Hermione must have been confused by the professor's sudden reaction, as she had drawn her wand and raised it in case someone had snuck up on him– and now he was sure he was seeing through Hermione's eyes, because he'd recognize her wand anywhere.

"Potter!" Malfoy's voice called.

Harry blinked and almost forgot to breathe as he found himself back outside on the castle's grounds, his senses assaulted by the bright sunlight that was far from the firelight that lit Professor McGonagall's office. Malfoy was peering at him through narrowed eyes, but seemed to relax at whatever he now observed. Harry assumed his eyes had returned to their normal green.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered, at a loss for words. "You were right."

"I'm sorry, would you repeat that again? I want it to be clear for my pensive memory."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, piss off," he said without any real bite to his tone. "Hermione really is my soulmate." He stared at Malfoy with wide eyes as his words finally sank in. "Oh my god. Hermione is my soulmate ."

Malfoy was clearly unimpressed by his reaction. "Don't just stammer at me. Go on and talk to the witch! Merlin knows she's been worked up enough about your oblivity for years." He made a shooing motion with his hands, and Harry numbly followed his suggestion and began to stand up.

Then he paused. "What do you mean, she's been worked up about this for years?"

"She's the brightest witch of our age, Potter– do you really think she hadn't figured this out?"

"Ms. Granger, I must apologize for my reaction startling you. I was merely surprised by the change of your eye color– I hadn't known you'd met your soulmate."

Hermione stared back at her mentor with wide eyes. "My soulmate… my eyes turned green? Just now?"

The stern faced witch nodded. "From your words, I assume you know their identity?"

A small smile slipped onto her face. "You mean to say you didn't recognize that famous shade of green?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she waited for her professor to puzzle it out.

"You don't mean… you and Mr. Potter?" At Hermione's resulting grin, Professor McGonagall clapped her hands together in excitement. "Congratulations, my dear girl! The two of you have always made a wonderful team."

Hermione tried to keep from blushing, but she could tell by the warmth of her cheeks that she'd failed. "Thank you, Professor." She tapped her fingers against her wand and frowned slightly as a thought crossed her mind. "I wonder what caused him to link with me this time…" She trailed off with wide eyes as she realized what might have led to his actions. "Draco Malfoy, that little shit!"

Professor McGonagall tried to keep from laughing, but a chuckle still slipped out at Hermione's exclamation. After all, she had chosen the two head students and knew that their initial grudging respect had changed to a steady friendship.

"You'd best be off, Ms. Granger," she allowed with a wave of her hand towards the door. "I have a feeling Mr. Potter is likely on his way up here already. I suggest you use the empty classroom at the end of the corridor for your… discussion." She gave a knowing smirk as Hermione gaped at her professor's sass before muttering a delayed thanks and hurrying from the office.

Professor McGonagall's estimation was spot on, as Hermione found herself colliding with Harry's solid form as she exited the transfiguration classroom. She grabbed onto his upper arms to keep them both upright while Harry panted shallowly for several moments. It was clear from his exhaustion that he had ran straight to find her.

"Harry?" She asked, her gaze roaming over his face as she watched and waited for his adrenaline rush to recede.

It appeared that Harry wasn't in a patient mood though. "How come-" * gasp* "you didn't-" *gasp* "tell me we-" *gasp* "were soulmates?!"

Hermione bit her lip nervously as she looked either way down the corridor. She already lacked most privacy about her life at Hogwarts; she'd rather this conversation not join the common knowledge about her. "Come on– let's talk in there." She pointed behind him at the door of the abandoned classroom Professor McGonagall had mentioned, and after he nodded in agreement, she led the two of them to it. A simple alohomora had the door unlock easily to allow them entrance. Once inside, the two Gryffindors cast multiple wards and anti-eavesdropping charms to ensure they were unheard. Only after they were finished did Harry turn back to Hermione.

"How come you didn't tell me we were soulmates?" He repeated, and this time the hurt and confusion in his eyes was unmistakable.

Hermione found herself unable to meet her eyes and instead stared at the stone floor. "Professor McGonagall informed me about soulmates before she took me on my first trip to Diagon Alley," she said. "So when I first saw you on the train, I knew–"

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. "You've known since you met me?!"

"You never said anything so I thought you were ashamed of me!" She shrieked back, the tips of her hair sparking as her magic reacted to her emotional outburst. She shut her eyes briefly and took a deep breath in and out. "You never said anything. I had no idea you were never told about soulmates. I thought… I thought you didn't want me." Her shoulders slumped.

She wasn't expecting Harry to come over and wrap his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She moved before she even realized she had, as her hands curled up against his chest and she leaned her head against his shoulder. It was times like this that she was glad he was only slightly taller than her, just enough for her to fit snugly against him.

"I didn't know," he murmured, his cheek pressed against the side of her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Mia, I didn't know."

They stood entwined like that for several minutes, feeling comforted by the calming warmth and steady heartbeat of their soulmate. She wondered what it would've been like if she had confronted him before now, but it didn't matter in the long run. They were here together now.

"I'm sorry I never asked you about it."

Harry shushed her. "You've been by my side for years, Mia. I just was too distracted to realize."

Hermione tilted her head back so she could look up at him. "I'd say almost getting killed on a yearly basis is a good excuse for being distracted," she teased.

Harry rolled his eyes but still smiled at her words. "If you say so, Ms. Granger." His smile slipped slightly as he focused on something more serious. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Well… my meeting with Professor McGonagall was for the initial planning of a spring equinox dance for the whole school. We could start by going as dates?"

"Just promise me we won't have to open the event by waltzing in front of everyone. One time was enough for me."

Hermione reached up to affectionately brush several strands of his unruly hair off of his forehead, so she could see his eyes unobstructed. "That's fine by me. I think I've had enough of the spotlight for a while."

Harry's expression softened. "In hindsight, who else could've been my soulmate? You've been with me since the start." Hermione's eyes fluttered as he gently kissed her right temple. "Thank you, Hermione Granger."

"A thanks without a proper kiss? I'm afraid that just won't do, Harry Potter," Hermione chastised with a laugh before pulling on his untucked Gryffindor tie so he was fully at her level. She paused for a moment, to make sure he was okay with what she was planning to do. He surprised her by closing the gap and kissing her soundly.

Hermione Granger's boggart had once been her failure that she would never be perfect enough, both academically and in the eyes of those who mattered most to her. As she stood in the empty classroom, her hand still gripping Harry's tie as she kissed him, she now knew what perfection felt like, and knew that she'd never have a chance of feeling less than perfect with Harry.