Cover Girl

A/N: Eventually I'd like to take this into the Yule Ball, but I'm in the middle of a move.

Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this far!!

X-X-X

Ginny narrowed her eyes and slowly circled Hermione three times, sweeping her critical gaze from the top of her head to the tip of her toes before at last pronouncing, in a triumphant manner, "Done!"

Hermione let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and said, "Good. Can we go now?"

"Go?!" Ginny spluttered. "Don't you want to see what you look like first?!"

Caught unaware, Hermione tried to recover by saying, "Well, yes, of course, uh, that's what I meant."

Irritated, Ginny levitated a hand mirror to hang backwards in front of Hermione's face. "Close your eyes," she said bossily. Hermione obliged, scared at what she would see. Ginny took a final, satisfied look at her creation, then turned the mirror around and whispered excitedly, "Okay, open them."

Hermione opened her eyes and gasped in a mixture of surprise and delight at the image reflected in front of her.

Wide, charcoal-lined eyes stared back at her, with wispy hints of smoky powder softening the edges. Lips that had once stretched thin across over-large teeth, now sat full and pouty, glistening with a coral-colored gloss. Her cheekbones, high and clearly defined, shimmered a shade darker than her lips. Her entire face seemed to glow. Her hair, flecked with gold highlights and now as sleek and shiny as the girl's down the hall, was pulled away from her face, fashioned in an elegant knot at the back of her head. It emphasized the length and shape of her slender neck perfectly.

"Ready to see the rest of you?" Ginny asked, positively beaming.

Hermione nodded wordlessly and Ginny flicked her wand to enlarge the mirror.

Standing in the mirror before her was a slim, graceful woman, encircled by an aura of periwinkle light. The skin of her neck and shoulders glittered under the candle light in the room. She grabbed the sides of her dress robes and spun, revealing matching shoes. Although they were flat (as she had not been able to master even pumps), they were encrusted with jewels and slinky straps that wrapped around delicate ankles.

"I'm...." Hermione seemed unable to articulate what she saw.

"Gorgeous!" Ginny supplied happily.

Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears. She turned to Ginny, opening her mouth to speak.

"Wait!" Ginny cried. "Impervius!" She swept her wand over Hermione's entire body. "Okay, now you can cry, hug me, snog Krum (at this Hermione gasped once more) or whatever you want to do. I just didn't want you to get wrinkled or smudged. I can't believe I almost forgot."

Hermione grabbed Ginny in a hug. "Ginny, how on earth can I ever thank you? I never, in a million years, would have thought this was possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Ginny returned her hug. "Just have a good time," she said. She was silent for a moment before pulling back and looking Hermione in the eyes, adding quietly, "And show my rat of a brother exactly what he's missing."

Hermione blushed, but nodded her head.

Arm in arm the two left Ginny's room, walked down the stairwell and out the door of the Common Room. It was going to be a magical night.