DISCLAIMER: Sadly…no…still not mine!
A/N: This A/N is a little late in coming, but for my own benefit, I want to add it anyway! This story is dedicated to Josh…thanks for all your magnificent reviews and for not only making me laugh, but leaving me speechless as well! You're terrific! YAY…you had her for a little while anyway! So sorry you had to let her go!
And Lajo1013…your name was perfect for this…I hope you don't mind that I borrowed it!
P.S. I also made a few changes and added a new ending.
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Hermione walked into the living room of her flat carrying a small box and smiling mischievously.
"What's that?" Josh, her boyfriend of eight months, asked from where he sat on her living room sofa. He'd been trying to wait patiently for her to return and he was excited to see her and anxious to know where she'd been.
"Oh, it's just a little something I picked up today," she said still smiling secretively.
"Well?" he said anxiously. "Care to share?"
"It's not much really," she said evasively, "just something I thought might be kind of fun. Something different."
"All right Hermione," he said grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down to the couch with him, "if you're not going to tell me, I'll just have to wrestle it away from you, won't I?"
Hermione was laughing hard while trying to maintain her hold on the box. "Okay, okay, Josh, I'll tell you. Be careful," she managed through her laughter. He loosened his hold on her and reluctantly she wriggled away from him…she liked it when they wrestled around but right now they had to be careful not to smash the box.
"Be careful?" he asked now more curious then ever.
"Well, you don't want to smash them," she said. Slowly she held the box out to him and showed him the contents.
There were ten little circles in five colors; two shades of blue, two shades of green and a shade of warm brown. He wasn't quite sure what to make of them so he looked at her questioningly.
"They're contacts," Hermione said as though it should be obvious, "well, not really contacts but they're like contacts. You put them in your eyes if you want to change your eye color."
The questioning looked remained on his face as he asked, "Why would anyone want to change their eye color?"
"Oh Josh, come on, it'll be fun," she said playfully. "They're just bits of color. I thought we might try different colors before we meet with Harry and Laura later."
"Hermione, where did this come from?" he asked in the same tone of disbelief. "Is there something wrong with the way we look now? I happen to like your brown eyes and your untamable brown hair," he added as he reached up to tangle his fingers in it.
"And I like your untidy black hair and blue eyes," she replied thoughtfully, "I just thought it might be kind of fun to try something different. I get tired of plain old boring brown eyes sometimes. Come on," she said pulling him up from the sofa and into the bathroom with her.
"Hermione, this is nuts."
"Oh, just play along," she said brushing away his hesitation. "I want to see how I look with dark blue eyes, like these," she said surveying the colors in the box and picking up the darker blue pair.
"You know you're beautiful just the way you are, right?"
Hermione was so busy concentrating on the contents in the box that she didn't hear his compliment. "I think you should try the green, here," she said, handing him the packaging with the darker green contacts. "I've always liked green eyes," she added off-handedly.
"Better than blue?" he asked, eyebrows raised and blue eyes shining.
"What?" she asked distractedly. "What are you talking about? What better than blue?"
"You just said…nothing," he said quietly, "…forget it."
"Okay, so first you have to wash your hands and then dry them completely," she was reading the instructions from the box and didn't notice the cool way in which he was watching her. "Then you have to use some of this solution, place it on the tip of your finger…" she was demonstrating how to do it as she read along and he was watching her intently; he began to wonder if she even remembered he was there. "…and there you go," she said blinking rapidly and looking up at him. He looked at her and saw one blue eye and one brown eye staring back at him.
"That's a little creepy Hermione," he said pointing to her eyes, "you may want to get that other one in or…or take that thing back out," he added hopefully, pointing directly at the blue contact.
"Hang on." She followed all of the same directions again and carefully placed the other contact in her eye. She looked up and thankfully he saw two blue eyes looking back at him instead of two different colors. "Well?"
"I think you look beautiful no matter what," he said honestly, "but surprisingly, I do kind of like the blue."
She smiled and gave him a lingering kiss on the lips. "Okay, your turn," she said when she pulled away. "I'll talk you through it."
In just a few minutes time Josh had gone from a good looking black-haired, blue-eyed man to a sexy black-haired, green-eyed man and Hermione was immediately taken with the new look. There was just something about black hair and green eyes that she'd always loved…and this pair of green eyes was staring back at her with an unbridled look of love and she found herself speechless.
"Well?" he asked beginning to sound impatient. "Stop staring at me and tell me what you think."
Taking him by surprise she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him forcefully. She couldn't remember ever feeling such intense desire for anyone and her tongue begged entry as she moaned fervently against his mouth. She opened her eyes and his green eyes were so close she thought she might explode with the need that had suddenly overcome her.
Josh pulled back reluctantly and looked at her with questioning green eyes. "Hermione, what's gotten into you?" he implored, searching her eyes for answers. He turned to look at himself in the mirror and jumped back, startled by what, or rather who, he saw looking back at him. He moved closer to the mirror to study his reflection more carefully then turned to look at Hermione. "Hermione, do I look a little like Harry to you?" He looked back at his reflection and the unruly dark hair and startling green eyes that reflected back at him certainly held a trace of Harry Potter in them.
Hermione studied his reflection in the mirror and noticed for the first time that Josh did look a little like Harry. She thought that maybe as an overall image she could see some resemblance … until she looked into his eyes; right now his eyes looked remarkably like Harry's. She reached up from behind him and ruffled the front of his hair a little more as she continued to study him. "Not looking for a scar are you?" he joked.
Hermione looked at him questioningly then visibly shook herself to clear away any thoughts that did not pertain to her and Josh. "Scar?" she questioned. "Why would I be looking for a scar?" Her voice sounded distant as though she still hadn't quite come back to him.
"Hermione," he said with concern etching his voice, "what's going on?"
She once again tried to shake herself out of her daze and she smiled at him although he could see in her dark blue eyes that she was still distracted. "Nothing Josh," she said quietly, "it's nothing."
"I'm taking these out," he said turning back to the mirror and reaching up to remove one.
"NO!" she burst out, a little too loudly and a little too quickly.
He looked at her through the mirror and studied her once again, this time through narrowed eyes. "Hermione, I'm taking them out right now if you don't tell me what's going on. What're you thinking?"
"I just…well…just don't," she stammered, her eyes downcast. "I like you with green eyes, it's just…different. Just…just for a while, okay? Just leave them in for a while." She reached up to grab his shoulder and slowly turned him around to face her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Just a while longer," she repeated softly.
"All right," he conceded, "but for some reason I don't like it, there's something going on here that you're not telling me and I want to know what it is. You've been acting strange since I mentioned…" he stopped talking and looked at her again, his eyes beseeching hers for the truth. She quickly turned her head away from him and looked down at the ground. "That's it, isn't it?"
She lifted her head and looked at him defiantly. "What's it?" she asked suddenly on the defensive. "Can't I just like green eyes? It's just something different, that's all. I just thought we'd wear them for a little longer, what's wrong with that?" She felt bad for snapping at him but he'd put her on the spot and she wasn't sure what to make of his accusations…especially with the underlying hint of truth in them.
"You like them because now I remind you of Harry," he said sadly, "that's it, isn't it?"
"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped. "You don't remind me of anyone but a green-eyed Josh…or maybe a green-eyed monster right at the moment. You don't have anything to be jealous of you know? There's never been anything between me and Harry except friendship."
Josh had a look of defeat on his face when he answered, "Yeah, that's what I've always been told," he said quietly, a touch of sarcasm tingeing his voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, feeling defensive once again. "You know what, forget it. I don't want to know what it means. I just want…" She looked up at him and her expression changed immediately as she smiled softly at the contrast of his loving green eyes and dark hair…once again she was lost.
"What Hermione?" he asked quietly. "What do you want?"
"I want…" Her gaze fell from his eyes to his lips, "…you to kiss me."
He was watching her when her eyes dropped to his lips and the small amount of control he'd managed to regain after their last kiss was gone and he pulled her into his arms…kissing her with as much passion and fire as could muster, hoping beyond hope that he could make her forget all about that other black-haired, green-eyed man.
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Harry sat on the couch watching Laura, his girlfriend of ten months, as she magically tried different hairstyles in the living room mirror before their double-date with Hermione and Josh.
The two had spent a great deal of time together in the months they'd been a couple and for the most part, he'd enjoyed every minute of it, but he especially enjoyed it at times like this, when she wandered away from her books and decided to try something different. She was incredibly intelligent and when they didn't have plans he could often find her curled up on the sofa with her nose stuck in some random book. It brought back wonderful memories of his days at Hogwarts and he would often find himself simply staring at her and smiling for no particular reason.
They didn't live together, but they often stayed together at one or the other's flat. Oftentimes after dinner she'd curl up on the sofa in front of the fire and he'd lie next to her while she read from one of the many books that could be found at either flat. Being like that with her were some of the best times for Harry…it was a comfortable feeling and one he was generally reluctant to let go of when it came time for one of them to go home.
They'd talked about whether or not to share a flat but Harry didn't feel as though he was ready for that. He loved her, or at least he was sure he did, but he couldn't imagine living with her…not yet. He was 24 and although he always thought he would have been settled somewhat by then, he was reluctant to make a solid commitment. Hermione had been the same way when it came to whether or not she and Josh should share a flat. Their inability to make solid commitments had been a running joke with them and they had often joked about how they would grow old together with no one to really love. They knew it would never happen, but teasing each other about it had been a comfortable habit.
Harry watched Laura in silence for several minutes as her hair changed dramatically from one style to the next. "Wear it wavy," he said. "I like when it's wavy and kind of out of control looking."
"But if feels all bushy and weird like that," she moaned, tossing a smile in his direction. Her brown hair normally hung straight down her back to just below her shoulder blades but she liked to play around with it sometimes to see if there was something she might like better.
"But it looks good like that," he said walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. She had the loveliest brown hair…and brown eyes that he always felt as though he could get lost in.
She looked at his face in the reflection of the mirror and instantly she conceded, "All right, Harry," she said, "I'll wear it that way for you." One look into his emerald eyes and she found she could never deny him anything. She fixed her hair the way he wanted it then turned in his arms to face him. "Like this?" she asked only inches from his face.
He pulled his head back a few inches and looked at her newly acquired bushy brown hair. "Yep," he said smiling brightly, "just like that." He looked into her brown eyes and his expression changed in an instant from smiling to desire. He raised his eyebrows then smiled again and kissed her. He shivered at the sound of her moan as his kiss filled her to the point where she became desperate for air.
"Wow," she whispered as she reluctantly pulled away from him, "that just gets better and better every time. How do you do that?" she added breathlessly.
Harry laughed and gently tugged at her hair. "Must be the hair," he said jokingly, "I told you I like it like that. Guess it brings out the beast in me."
She rolled her eyes and laughed at him before she kissed him quickly then turned back to face the mirror. She played around with her hair a little more and looked at him with a sour expression. "Are you sure you like it like this?" she questioned, sounding very apprehensive. "You know, as much as I like Hermione…" she stopped and looked at him once again in the mirror. He was watching her with a sort of dazed expression and she wasn't sure he was even listening to her anymore. "Harry?"
"Hmm?" he said softly, his expression unchanged.
"Harry," she said a little more loudly, "why are you looking at me like that?"
Harry shook his head and although he was looking in the same spot he had been a moment before, she could tell that his attention was now a little more focused on her. "What's that Laura? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," he said.
"I was asking you why you were looking at me like that," she said looking at him questioningly through the mirror.
"Like what?" he asked. "I was looking at you like I always do." He reached up to twirl a piece of her hair in his fingers. "Beautiful," he said softly as he leaned forward to smell her hair. Something wasn't right; the smell wasn't anything like he expected it to be. He'd been expecting…what? What was I expecting? He wondered briefly.
"Harry what's going on?" she asked worriedly when she saw the change in his expression.
"Noth…n…nothing," he said slowly as he contemplated her words and wondered if there was something going on…something he wasn't truly aware of. He looked at her and he realized that she'd been saying something earlier and her words were just now registering with him. "Hermione," he said softly.
Laura turned around quickly to face him, her arms folded across her chest. "Excuse me?" she said, her temper suddenly rising.
"Hermione," Harry repeated a little louder. He raised his head to look at her and said, "Didn't I hear you say something about Hermione a couple of minutes ago?"
Laura looked at him questioningly for a moment then chuckled. "Yeah, that's right, I did," she said turning once again to face the mirror, "I was saying that as much as I like Hermione, her hair has never been one of my favorite things about her. Don't you think this hairstyle makes me look a little like her?"
Harry was staring at her reflection intently, not realizing that it was no longer her he was seeing but another bushy haired, brown eyed girl he'd always admired.
"Harry, I asked you a question," Laura said smacking him on the shoulder playfully; she hadn't realized either that it wasn't her he was seeing. "Can you stop staring at me for a minute and answer me?"
"Hermione," Harry said again softly, he looked at Laura questioningly and said, "do you look like Hermione? Is that what you asked?"
Laura nodded as she looked at him with a look of deep-seeded concern.
He forced himself to focus on the girl standing in front of him and he smiled as he surveyed her hair and face…and most especially her eyes. "I don't know," he finally answered, "maybe a little." He reached out to touch her hair once more, his gaze focused solely on where his fingers tangled in the waves. After a few moments' silence he looked at her again, taking in the entire vision of her before his gaze dropped to her lips. His hand found her cheek and he gently caressed her as his gaze traveled from her lips to her eyes, then to her hair before settling once more on her lips. She closed her eyes and turned her face slightly into his palm, he didn't notice the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes as he looked at all the parts of her that reminded him so much of someone else. "Just a little," he said quietly, his voice full of a longing he'd never realized he felt before. He pulled her to him and kissed her softly, tentatively, as though kissing her for the first time.
She offered herself hesitantly, scared to yield too much of herself to him because she could feel her heart breaking in the way he was kissing her. She was no longer Laura to him, she could feel it in his touch…she had become someone else…she had become Hermione. This was the most loving, heartfelt kiss she'd shared with him and her tears fell unchecked as she realized that this kiss was meant for someone else….
It took a few moments for Harry to realize that she was crying and he pulled back from her slowly, searchingly when he tasted the salt from her tears. His hand, which had never left her face, slowly began to caress her once more as he tried to coax her into opening her eyes. "Laura," he said softly, "Laura, what's wrong?" He couldn't place what it was about this moment but in his heart he could feel the significance of it.
She gave him a bittersweet smile through her tears then sniffled and tried to dry her eyes. "You know," she said sounding defeated, "my friends told me this would happen. That someday you'd finally realize…" she stopped talking as her tears began to slide uncontrollably down her face once more.
"What?" Harry asked in a voice just above a whisper. "Realize what?"
This time she made no attempt to quell her tears as she struggled to take a deep breath before she answered. "You know that I was two years behind you at Hogwarts…"
Harry nodded.
"Well, my friends and I, we…" she paused to take another deep, ragged breath.
"Tell me, Laura," he said as he gazed intently at her tear-streaked face.
Her breath was ragged as the pain in her throat intensified and she shook her head. "Nothing Harry," she said heavily, "just forget it." She reached up to place her hand on his cheek and she kissed him tenderly. "I just always hoped we were wrong," she said softly, "…and now I see we weren't. I love you Harry," she added in a pained whisper before she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, stunned and yet somehow not completely without understanding.
"I love you too, Laura," he said quietly as he stood and watched her walk away. Without knowing the full reason why, he quietly added, "I'm sorry."
Harry stood rooted to his spot long after Laura walked out door. What happened? He wondered after conscious thought finally found its way back to him. He looked down at his fingers, the ones that had so recently been tangled in the waves of bushy brown hair and he remembered…
Hermione.
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Hermione reluctantly pulled away from Josh when the pressure became too much for her and she could no longer breathe. Without looking at him she laid her forehead against his chest and breathed deeply of his scent. She stepped back suddenly and looked into his now questioning eyes. They were the same deep green she'd always remembered but something about them was different. Her gaze traveled from his eyes to take in the rest of his face and the jet black hair that fell slightly forward onto his forehead. She was staring at him with wide, questioning eyes.
"Hermione," Josh said quietly. He gently pressed his hand against her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. He could feel the pain beginning in his chest as he asked the one question he knew he really didn't want to know the answer to. "Hermione, who do you see?"
She continued to look at him with the same questioning look in her eyes. The black hair was his, those lips…they could be his, the eyes were so much like his and yet…so different. Who do I see? She wondered. Who do I want to see?
"Never mind," he said solemnly, his eyes dropped from hers and he stared unseeingly at the ground, "I already know."
"What do you know?" she asked softly, searching his face for something that would tell her what she was thinking because somewhere along the line she'd forgotten…somewhere along the line she'd gotten lost.
"I know you don't see me," he replied heavily.
Hermione shook her head and tried to regain her focus on him…the real him. "Josh?"
"Yes?"
"I do love you, you know that right?" she said in a voice that left him with little to no hope. It was as though she was saying goodbye and he could feel the tears in the corners of his eyes. She reached her hand up to his face and gently brushed away the wetness she felt there. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
He sighed heavily and held her hand as he pulled it down from his face. He closed his eyes tightly against the pain and breathed deeply before he spoke. "I know," he whispered huskily, "I know."
"What happened?" she wondered aloud. "It was just supposed to be for fun. Why now?"
Josh continued to hold tightly to her hand as he raised it up to his chest. "I guess you just needed something you could associate it with," he said quietly, "apparently you found it in these," he added pointing to his eyes.
"Green eyes," she said softly, "I've always loved green eyes."
"Now you know why," he said in a heartbreakingly low voice.
"Josh…"
He looked desperately into her eyes and silently prayed that he'd find something different then the truth he knew would be there. "I want to fight for you Hermione. I don't want to let you go…"
Hermione shook her head, trying to clear through all of the emotions that seemed to have invaded her all at once. "Fight?" she asked unable as yet to comprehend the meaning behind his words. "What…"
Josh lowered his head and sighed heavily once again. When he looked up at her tears were again shining in the corners of his eyes. "…but somehow I know that I don't have a choice, do I? You love me but you're in love with him, aren't you?"
Hermione sighed and pulled his hand down with her as she slumped onto the side of the bathtub. She sat silently for a few moments as she tried to understand what was happening to her. You love me but you're in love with him, aren't you? Josh's words played over and over in her mind as she sat in silent contemplation. He lowered himself in front of her and watched her intently.
Tears had formed in her eyes and she had a look of bewilderment on her face as the realization of his words dawned on her…she was `in love' with him…and not just `any' him…her best friend…she was in love with Harry. She shook her head again and looked at Josh with pleading eyes. "Please, tell me this can't be happening. I can't be in love with him. He's my best friend…" her voice was steadily rising as the realization seemed to grow more and more apparent. She released his hand as she stood and made her way back to the sink. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and cursed what she saw. "Damn it how can this be?" Josh's reflection appeared in the mirror behind her and she looked at him with the same pleading expression. "This can't be real…he's in love with Laura for God's sake! I can't…I won't…AHH!" she cried out in frustration as she slammed her hand down on the counter. She spun around quickly and leaned back heavily against the sink then looked at him once again. "I'm sorry Josh, I don't know…I just…" she sighed and shook her head, "I had no idea. I swear."
"I'm sorry too Hermione," he said quietly. "You have no idea how much this hurts. I have to go…" He reached up to touch her hair one last time and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "You are so much more beautiful with your own brown eyes," he whispered. "I love you."
Hermione sniffled and gently nodded her head. Her eyes were begging him for forgiveness and her heart was breaking for all they'd suddenly lost. She couldn't have done any better then him and she couldn't help but to wonder what she would be left with now. "I love you too Josh."
Josh turned and walked out of the bathroom door and Hermione let her tears fall unchecked as she slid down the sink and onto the floor. "What have I done?" she cried softly. "What the hell have I just done?"
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Harry walked in a dazed state over to the couch and sat in the exact spot he'd been in before his life had gotten turned upside-down. He had a lot to think about and he wasn't sure where to begin.
Hermione…
"Why?" he questioned himself aloud. "Why her? Why now?" He roughly picked up one of the pillows next to him and pulled it hard against his chest. "This can't be happening," he said shaking his head in disbelief. "There's no way this can be happening. I can't possibly be in love with Hermione…"
But you know you are.
"She's in love with Josh for God's sake…" he yelled as he threw the pillow across the room. He stood up and began pacing back and forth trying to sort through it all in his mind. "I can't get in the way of that. He makes her happy…" he said resignedly, "and I actually like the guy…he's been good for her."
What are you going to do?
"What the hell am I going to do?" He bumped the side of an armchair and slumped ungracefully down into it. Harry suddenly realized that he and Laura were supposed to be meeting Josh and Hermione soon. "What do I do?" he wondered aloud. He got up and started pacing the room again, continuing to try and talk himself through everything that had just happened. "Do I just go anyway and make an excuse for why Laura's not with me? Should I call Hermione and bail out? Can I even face her right now knowing how I feel?" He placed his hands on the back of the armchair and squeezed tightly. "AHH!" he cried out in frustration. He hit the back of the chair and yelled, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
His question was answered when he heard Hermione's voice calling gruffly from the fireplace. He ran over to her and stopped cold when he saw her expression. He could tell that she was upset and his concern for her quickly replaced all the other feelings he'd been experiencing only a moment ago.
"Hermione…" he breathed as he sat down before her.
"I'm sorry Harry," she said sniffling. "Tell L…Laura I'm sorry too. Josh…"
Harry heard her voice hitch and he watched her face as she struggled to regain her composure. "What Hermione, what is it?" he asked desperately.
"Josh and I…we…" she sniffled again, "we can't make it tonight."
"What's going on Hermione?" Harry asked as his worry began to grow and to completely overshadow every other emotion. "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Harry…" she cried. Her tears were falling faster and he could see the heartbreak in her eyes. It was obvious to him that Josh hadn't hurt her physically but he was nearly petrified with concern over her mental state. He'd never seen her so emotionally upset before. She'd always prided herself on being strong and this was not anything like the Hermione he knew and loved.
"I'm coming over," he said quickly, nearly falling over in his haste to stand up.
"No!" Hermione said loudly. "I'll be all right. Just go out with…with Laura and…and have…" Her crying had become too much for her and she was forced to stop speaking. As much as she liked Laura, she didn't want to think about him going out with her…she no longer wanted to think about anything. "Just stay Harry. I have to go…"
Not a second later she was gone and Harry stood transfixed, staring at the fireplace; waiting for her to return yet knowing she wouldn't. Laura… he thought, she seemed to get more upset when she mentioned Laura…
"I've got to get over there."
A few minutes later he was standing outside her flat. He took a few hesitant steps forward and raised his hand to knock. When he was less then an inch away he pulled his hand back and stumbled backward, away from the door. What am I going to say to her? What if it's not what I think…not what I'm hoping? What the hell am I hoping? He wondered helplessly.
He took a deep breath then stepped forward and raised his hand again. He knocked quickly, before he would allow his mind to think about what he was doing. He waited impatiently for her to answer the door. After a minute passed he pounded harder. "Hermione," he called out to her, "Hermione, I know you're in there. It's me Harry, open up." As each second ticked by he became more and more desperate to see her. He pounded again and pleaded with her to let him in, "Please Hermione, open the door. Let me in, I need you…I need to see you."
After what felt like an eternity to him she slowly opened the door and looked at him in surprise. "Harry," she said in a tone of disbelief, "what are you doing here? I thought you were going out with…" She hesitated and silently cursed herself for acting so foolishly. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing as she tried desperately to collect herself before she looked at him and tried again, "I thought you were going out with Laura tonight."
Harry walked through the door uninvited and turned to look at her. "Tell me what happened tonight Hermione."
Hermione turned around to close the door slowly, taking her time with it as she tried to gather her thoughts. When she finally got it closed and locked she turned to look at him. Her cheeks were still stained from her tears and her eyes were red and swollen from crying so hard and for so long. "Harry, I told you I was fine," she sighed, "you didn't have to come over here to check on me."
Harry stood, unmoving, about ten steps away from her and watched her closely. "I didn't come here just to check up on you," he said, "I came here to find out what happened."
"What does it matter, Harry?"
"You're my best friend and I've never seen you act this way before," he replied. "Now tell me what happened."
Hermione walked past him to sit in one her dining room chairs. She gestured at the chair across from her and Harry walked over to it and sat down, his eyes never leaving her.
She looked at him questioningly. "Why are you really here, Harry? Where's Laura?"
"I don't know where she is," he replied, "she walked out on me."
Hermione started at his words, it was the very last thing she'd expected to hear him say. "What?" she said quietly. "What do you mean…" She was shaking her head in disbelief…there was no way this could be happening.
"Tell me what happened Hermione, I need to know," he said desperately. "Please, I need you to tell me."
"Josh left," she said quietly. "He's gone."
"Gone where?" Harry asked, scared to get his hopes up and yet…
Hermione shook her head as tears started to well in her eyes again. "I don't know," she rasped, "just gone." She raised her arms and looked around to show that he was nowhere to be found and that she had no idea where he'd gone.
"Why?"
"You tell me Harry," she said, "why did Laura leave you?"
"Because we discovered the truth," he said honestly.
"What truth?"
Harry reached for her hand and searched her eyes. "Why are your eyes blue?" he asked curiously, having just noticed the color.
"It's a long story Harry," she replied, "tell me what truth."
"I like them brown," he stated.
"Okay Harry," she conceded impatiently.
"I'm in love with someone," he said suddenly, "and I've only just discovered that it's not Laura."
Hermione chuckled ironically. "Haven't we all…" she muttered softly, shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked anxiously, sitting up higher in his seat and holding her hand a little tighter.
She looked at where his hand held hers and then raised her eyes to look at him. "Josh…" she said, her eyes were searching his for answers as she spoke, "…same thing…me," she stammered.
Harry shook his head as he tried to put together her broken words. "You?" he asked incredulously. "Who?" he asked, his voice filled with hope.
"You," she replied softly. "Harry, please don't hate me," she pleaded, "I didn't know…I didn't expect…it just…it just happened." Her shoulders dropped and her eyes fell from his down to the table.
"Hermione," he said softly, "Hermione look at me."
"I can't," she replied softly, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "I just can't."
Harry released her hand and walked around the table to squat down in front of her. He reached up and placed his fingers on her chin to gently pull her around to look at him. Her eyes were closed when he brought her around. "Open your eyes Hermione," he said, "there's something you need to see."
Hermione sighed heavily and slowly opened her eyes. "What is it Harry?" she asked, her voice was ragged as she fought against the tears that threatened once again to fall.
"I'm in love with you too," he whispered.
Hermione didn't move. She was looking at him as though she hadn't heard him then she turned her head away, a slow trickle of tears making their way down her cheeks. She brushed them away roughly then turned to look at him again. "Harry stop…" she said angrily, "don't tell me things you don't mean."
"Hermione I'm…"
She put her hand up to stop whatever he was planning to say next. "Harry there's no way it could happen," she said in a pained voice, "there's no way you could suddenly discover you love me on the same day I…" she stopped, unable to say anything further…unable to confirm aloud that she did love him for fear he would break her heart.
"It's fate Hermione," he said sincerely. "Tell me how you know. How did you find out?"
Hermione pointed to her eyes and with an empty chuckle said, "Colored contacts. I thought it would be fun to try something different and…" she stopped when she realized he wasn't laughing at her; she thought for sure he would.
"And?"
She took a deep breath and very quickly added, "Josh put on the green ones and that was it. He realized it before I did, of course. His black hair and loving green eyes…" she looked more directly at him and he could see the pain in her eyes, "I was lost Harry. The moment I saw the contrast between them and the love for me reflected in them, I was lost. I don't know what happened."
"Want to know what happened to me?" he said shaking his head and chuckling ironically.
Hermione nodded.
"It was the hair," he said. He reached up to tangle his fingers in the uncontrollable waves of her hair and smiled. "Laura was playing around with different hairstyles and I told her what I liked. I didn't realize I liked it because it reminded me so much of you. Like you, one look into her loving brown eyes and seeing your hair…I was lost too."
Hermione dropped her forehead to rest against the top of his. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?" she said laughing softly.
Harry closed his eyes and raised his head against hers affectionately. "Yeah, I suppose we are."
"Where do we go from here?" she asked sitting up in her chair and looking down at him questioningly.
"Anywhere you want," he replied thoughtfully, "as long as it's together."
"Together," Hermione repeated, nodding her head in agreement, "forever."
"Can we start by taking those…" he paused and pointed to her eyes, "those…things out? I miss the brown already."
"Definitely," she said laughing as she grabbed his hand and pulled him with her toward the bathroom.
"You know, we'll have to change our long-standing joke don't you?" he said laughing as he held her hand and let her drag him away with her.
"I think that for this, it's worth it," she replied reaching up to take out the contacts. She looked back at him with the plain old brown eyes he'd fallen in love with years ago…and once again, he was lost.
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