Hey Lovelies! So I don't know if this is going to be a one shot, or if you all want a story out of it, it's kind of up to you guys at this point. This theory keeps running around my head, and I can't seem to get it off my mind, so this was my way of cleaning out my head. Let me know what you guys think!

The Lady in Green

He watched her from across the hall. The way that her deep green dress moved around her legs as she walked, the way that she touched the hollow spot at the base of her throat when she laughed, the way that she tugged the top of her dress up a little higher when she thought no one was watching. More than once he saw her turn over her shoulder, or lock eyes with him across the room and she'd smile, and he'd smile and then she'd turn away again.

He kept one eye on her the whole night. He watched her fidget with her cascading curls as she spoke with the Minister, he watched her fake a smile for the Board of Governors, he even saw her moment of doubt when she was called on to make a speech. No one else saw that flash of hesitation, no one else saw the tremor of nerves that shot through her in that second, but he did. He saw it all.

It was one year to the day that the war was over. One year to the day that the very hall they were standing in now had been blown to bits in the midst of a battle that he would never forget. It was one year ago today that he had ended the life of the man that threatened them all. And it was one year ago today that he admitted he loved her.

His attention deviating from her for only a moment as his eyes found their way across the hall towards Ginny Weasley. Everyone had expected them to end up together, everyone had said that they would be perfect, but he didn't feel that way. Not after that final battle, not after everything that he had been through. He wasn't that young anymore.

He turned his gaze back across the hall to where she was talking to Hagrid. A true smile lighting up her face at something that the half-giant had said. He didn't notice when Hermione slid onto the stool next to him. "You look lost in your own little world over here Harry."

"Hmm?" He tore his attention away from her again and focused on the girl sitting next to him. "What was that Hermione?"

She laughed. "You were lost in your own little world over here weren't you?"

"Yeah," he blushed and turned back to the bar to grab his drink, "Sorry about that." His voice trailed off and it took everything in him not to let his eyes wander back over to his favorite witch.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, others coming to talk to the two war heroes as they sat there both wishing that they could leave. Harry smirked as Hermione fended off the advances of yet another admirer. "You would think that everyone would realize that Ron and I are together! Just because he is the life of the party and I'm not clinging to his side doesn't mean we aren't together."

"I know Hermione. You don't have to convince me."

"Sorry…" She picked the label off of her bottle as they both fell quiet again. Harry's eyes took only seconds to find the tall, dark haired beauty that he had been watching since they arrived. He didn't realize that Hermione had turned in the same direction. "She looks beautiful."

"I'm sorry?" Hermione nodded in the direction of the witch across the room.

"I just said she looks beautiful. Whoever convinced her to wear her hair down knew what they were doing. I didn't know it was curly."

"Yeah…" Harry bit back a comment, knowing that he couldn't tell Hermione that it looked even better after he had had his hands tangled in it. Luckily for him another would be suitor approached Hermione in that moment and he didn't have to explain his sudden stop.

"Why don't you have to deal with women throwing themselves at you all night?" She looked around, half angry with him after she had sent the young man on his way. "After all out of the three of us you are the one that's not attached to anyone."

He didn't answer her, choosing to take a drink instead. "Harry?" He met her gaze over his drink, "You're not seeing anyone are you?" When he didn't answer her again her eyes went wide, "Oh Merlin you are! Who?"

He smiled, but shook his head. "We are being discreet Hermione, I'm not about to tell you without making sure that she knows first."

Hermione put her hand on her hip and hissed out, "I am your best friend Harry Potter, you should tell me who she is!"

"I will Hermione, eventually, but not yet. It would," he paused and let his gaze trail across the room to her before swiftly bringing it back to Hermione, "It will raise a lot of questions when it comes out, and tonight simply isn't the night for all of that."

Hermione didn't look like she wanted to accept that answer, but she could sense that Harry wasn't going to budge on the issue. The two lapsed back into silence as the band started to play. "Come on Hermione." Harry stepped off of his stool and extended his hand towards her. "Dance with me."

He pulled her to the floor despite her protests and spun her through the first song. He smiled when he saw that his witch was dancing as well, in the arms of the Minister of Magic. They had planned on staying away from each other, not drawing attention to themselves, but as the second song started playing he felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned. The Minister grinned at him and extended his hand towards Hermione, "What do you say Mr. Potter, would you mind a change in partners?"

"Not at all." He smiled and guided Hermione towards the Minister, instead taking his dark haired witch into his arms. As he guided her away from the other pair he couldn't help but laugh, "So much for staying away from each other tonight."

"You knew that wouldn't last. We'd have ended up next to one another sooner or later anyhow." She smirked at him and he grinned.

"Yeah, but standing together is different than dancing." He trailed off as he spun her around the room to the slow melody of the song. They pulled apart as the song ended neither one of them realizing until then how close they had been. He brushed his lips to the back of her hand as he led her off the dance floor. "My lady."

"Mr. Potter." She dipped her head to him and he walked away to join Hermione and Ron on the other side of the room.

When he reached them he could tell by the look in Hermione's eyes that she knew. She knew by watching the two of them dance just whom Harry had been seeing for the last year. Without Ron seeing she brought her fingers to her lips and pretended to lock them, throwing her invisible key over her shoulder with a smile.

He nodded his thanks as he joined them, his eyes following the swish of dark green as it made it's way back around the Great Hall. No one else had seemed to notice what had happened between the two on the dance floor. She smiled and played her part with expertise as she spoke to everyone in the room. Her emerald eyes flashed up to meet his across the room and she winked.

With a smile he nodded back. Their secret was still safe. For now.

So two questions, one, who is she, and two, can we leave it at that?