Beautiful

AN: I'm not real sure about this one but I figured the only way to gauge what people think is to post it. So here it is. I wrote this in about an hour last night. It's loosely and I mean loosely based on the song 'You're Beautiful' by James Blunt. Please be honest, but don't flame. Tell me what you like and what you don't like. If something needs to be changed. Okay? Thanks!

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He watched her as she glided across the room, arms draped casually across her partner's shoulders as they moved to the slow rhythm of the music. Lost in each other's presence, they didn't notice the pair of emerald green eyes watching their every move.

Or rather, watching her every move. Every time he had let his eyes fall on her partner, his fists had clenched painful. And his blood had started to boil. Yet he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

He knew he couldn't have her.

She was with him now. And there was nothing he could do about it. This only added to his frustration.

He continued to follow their progress across the floor until a distraction came in the form of his own partner. A fiery red head whose company he had been enjoying since his sixth year of school.

Dragging his eyes away from the dancing couple, he let his gaze fall on the woman standing next to him.

With her after mentioned fiery red hair, slim figure that had curves in all the right places, and deep set blue eyes, Ginny Weasley was simply stunning.

She turned heads everywhere she went, and seemed to walk on air. Yet for all this, she was not happy. Yes, she was dating the wizarding world's most arguably handsome wizard, Harry Potter, but it was not all golden snitches and roses.

Lately it seemed she had had to fight for his attention and affections. Constantly drawing his attention away from her. Ginny knew that his eyes constantly sought her out while they were in the same room together.

Always searching for that telltale curly brown hair. Or straining to hear that unique laugh of hers. Always searching for a sign of her, his eyes always roaming, never still.

And Ginny would fight it, tooth and nail. Trying to get him to look at her. She would wear the lowest cut dresses to events such as this one, the Ministry's Annual Christmas Ball.

She would dance with other men, trying to make him jealous. Once she even tried to dance with Draco Malfoy, to see if it would get a reaction out of him.

But it seemed all in vain. He seemed to have eyes only for her.

And tonight was no exception. Ginny followed his gaze and was not surprised to find it resting on the twirling figure of the youngest of her older brothers and Harry's other best friend, Ron Weasley. And wrapped in his arms, was one, Hermione Granger.

The object of Harry's heart and intense gaze. The girl that he had fallen in love with. And whom, he knew, he could never have.

Yet he could not stop thinking about her, or seeking her out when they were in the same room. Always. It was slowly driving him mad. Especially when he was supposed to be best friends with her boyfriend.

The slowing and final stopping of the music is what drew Harry from his thoughts, but did not falter his gaze from the pair he had been staring at all night.

It was as he watched that Ron reached into the pocket of his dress robes and withdrew a small, black velvet box.

The blood pounded in Harry's ears. He knew what was coming. And as much as he wanted to stop it, he knew he could not. He would never do that to her. He would never sacrifice her happiness for his own selfishness.

The gathered guests, catching on that something was happening, had stopped to watch the pair in the middle of the dance floor. Ron on one knee, looking up at Hermione with love shining in his eyes.

Before Ron could say a word, Harry turned and left the room. He could not bear to watch. Knowing now for certain, that he could never be with her. Ever.

It was too much. He had to get out of there.

As he stepped out into the cold night, leaving the party behind him, Harry whispered softly into the velvety night before disapparating.

“I love you, Hermione. I hope you have a happy life.”

Fin