Title: Overlooked
Rating: k+
Pairing(s): Viktor/Hermione
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Summary: Hermione had always been overlooked.
Word Count: 600
Notes: For the 12 days of Christmas Challenge at the HPFC forum. House Fic #1 (Gryffindor)
For the 1991 Challenge. Character: Hermione Granger, Prompt: study
Feedback: Yes

Hermione had always liked school. She liked almost everything that went with school. She liked to learn new facts. She liked to see how they all fit together. She liked to do homework. She liked to study for the sake of studying.

What she didn't like was how her peers always looked at her. They looked at her in disdain, as if she repulsed them. When there was a grading curve, she always raised it. She was a teacher's pet. She had a bossy attitude about studying, but only because she wanted her peers to do well.

She was sometimes treated like a disease, something to stay far, far away from.

She didn't have many friends as a child.

When she went to Hogwarts, she thought things would be different. She thought the other children would all share her thirst for knowledge.

She was to be solely disappointed.

At the beginning, except for Neville, who was as awkward as herself, no one wanted anything to do with her. She was called a bossy know-it-all, even by her own house. Then miraculously, after a terrifying incident involving a troll, Ron and Harry became her friends.

She was no longer alone. She had people to eat lunch with. She had people to study with, even though neither of them really enjoyed studying like she did. She went on spectacular adventures. Life was good.

Life became not so good when she got older. She, and the other girls, started to notice boys and vice versa. The problem was that no boys noticed her. She wasn't outgoing like Lavender Brown. She wasn't pretty like Daphne Greengrass. She wasn't voluptuous like Susan Bones. When boys looked, it was never at her.

Then the Triwizard Tournament happened, and Hermione found she compared herself to Fleur Delacour, a quarter Veela, and there was no comparison. It didn't help when all of the boys went totally crazy around Fleur.

When the Yule Ball was announced, Hermione knew she'd be going alone. No one would want to go with her. She was surprised when Viktor Krum, International Quidditch Star and Durmstrang champion, asked her to be his date. She heard the disappointed whimpers from the girls who followed him around like puppies.

The night of the Yule Ball she primped. She didn't want Viktor to regret his decision.

When all of the students looked at her in awe once she entered for the champion dance, she felt beautiful for the first time in her life. Not even Ron's scowling face could ruin the night for Hermione.

Viktor stumbled for words as they danced. Finally, he settled on, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Viktor. You like quite dashing yourself."

Even with her blowup with Ron, Hermione went to sleep with a smile on her face.

The night before the schools were to depart, Viktor gave her a kiss, her first kiss. It was sweet and gentle, and it made Hermione feel warm inside her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"You noticed me when n one else did. You made me feel special when it could have been easy to simply ignore me."

You are special."

Hermione responded with gentle lips pressed against lips.

It was a bittersweet goodbye. Hermione didn't know if she'd ever see Viktor again, but she'd always be grateful to him.

When they came face to face at Bill and Fleur's wedding, and Viktor asked her to dance, Hermione felt her heart pick up pace. When he pulled her body close to his, she felt safe. Maybe this was their second chance. She hoped so.

Note: I now have an AO3 account and all of my stories, including my unpublished original stuff, is posted. You can find the link on my profile page.