To Be Popular for a Day

To Be Popular for a Day

Chapter One: How it all Started

It all started with Harry and Ron's suspension. Hermione could still remember that night as if it were yesterday. In fact, it was yesterday...

"Don't worry Mione, we won't get caught," Harry Potter, her best friend whispered excitedly. He gave her a mischievous grin, one of those grins that melted every girl's heart. Hermione glanced quickly around the room to hide the blush in her cheeks. Even though it was 12:00 in the morning, and the only person left in the common room was a drowsy Neville, asleep on a chair next to the fireplace, the three friends were still very quiet. It seemed he had a stack of books next to him that was taller than him!

"Yeah," piped up Ron Weasley, her other best friend. He gave her a clumsy, lopsided, and toothy smile. Hermione rolled her eyes. It was so obvious how much Ron idolized Harry. He was like Harry's shadow, copying, or trying to copy, everything Harry did: from his untidy hairstyle to his messy handwriting.

"Fine," she sighed, ignoring Ron completely.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Both boys threw themselves onto her, giving her a tight squeeze. A beaming Hermione pushed them away roughly, wondering when both boys became so affectionate.

"But if you two get in trouble, don't expect me to get you out of it."

"Sure, sure, whatever," they called to her, but they were already halfway out of the portrait.

Hermione was sitting with her two best friends, who were quietly going over last night's adventures. But she wasn't paying attention to them. She was too anxious that some teacher might break down the door of the common room and ask for some type of explanation. Without doubt, a red-faced McGonagall immediately burst into the common room. The two boys' tired grins faded quickly as McGonagall swiftly made her way to where they were sitting, and dragged them out of the room by their ears, screaming, " Why I never... the look on Snape's face... my own team... detention-no suspension... I should have you two expelled... wait till Molly hears about this one!"

Everyone in the common room stared at the small elderly woman as she flung the portrait open, still dragging a pale-faced Harry, and a red faced Ron to Dumbledore's office.

"Wow!" everyone whispered. "What did they do? What's going on?"

Fred and George Weasley, Ron's twin brothers, still had their mouths hanging down like a pair of flabbergasted fools. Hermione promptly walked up to the two boys and closed their mouths simultaneously.

"Don't gape, dears, it makes you look unattractive," she teased.

"Yes, mother," they said obediently in chorus. She giggled at the title they dubbed her in her third year. It was her fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and they still called her by her pet name. She was sure their real mother, Molly Weasley, would be quite amused. She turned to walk back to her chair so that she could finish reading her book, but George stopped her.

"Soo, Mione..." he said sweetly. She wasn't fooled at all. She found herself sighing for the hundredth time this week.

"Sorry George, it's a secret."

"C'mon, not even a little hint about what happened? I mean, poor ickle Ronniekins might get suspended!"

"Um, bruh?" said a shocked Fred. "I think looking out the window might answer your question."

In no time at all, the whole common room had their noses pressed on the glass, looking out onto the school grounds. And waving right next to the school flag was a pair of red boxers with pink hearts; the initials hp and rw were flashing in bright colors over the flagpole. It was obvious whom the boxers belonged to, because a fuming Snape was yelling at Filch, pointing angrily towards the flagpole. Filch just kept shaking his shaggy head back and forth, holding his belly, which was shaking with laughter. There was already a crowd of students and teachers from the other houses standing outside in their pajamas, watching the spectacle. Within seconds, the whole common room was in a hysterical fit. That is, everyone except for young Colin Creevey, who was clicking away with his camera. Even Hermione giggled a little.

"I got to hand it to lil bruh and Harry," said Fred, with tears streaming down his face. "That prank is going to be remembered for years."

"But how long will they be suspended?" asked Hermione.

"Why, are you going to feel a little bit lonely for the next couple of days?" questioned George.

"Or weeks," put in Fred. Or months thought Hermione.

"No, I-"

"Hey, Fred, George, everyone's going outside to get a better look, then to breakfast-you guys coming?" interrupted the twins' best friend Lee Jordan. He was in his 7^th year at Hogwarts, just like the twins.

"No, maybe later," called George.

The common room was already mostly empty.

"Now, what were you saying?" asked Fred politely.

"Well," puffed Hermione. "I would not be lonely without Harry and Ron. In fact-"

"Oh, yes you would," said the twins in unison. That little habit was starting to annoy Hermione.

"Oh yes, I would," she argued. "I would hang out with the girls in my grade."

Both boys started rolling on the floor with laughter. Hermione felt her anger bubble over like water in a boiling pot. Luckily for the twins, their little sister, Ginny walked to her rescue.

"Frederick and George Weasley, that was completely rude, the way you're laughing at Hermione like that!"

"Well, it's a known fact that Hermione thinks lowly of the girls in her grade," protested George. Both twins looked up from the ground at the two girls, profoundly confused.

Hermione beamed. It was nice having someone come to your rescue sometimes. But unluckily, Ginny continued.

"Is it her fault that she hasn't got any other friends in her grade, and how would you like it if I told Ninny a few secrets about you, and embarrass you in front of her, huh?"

Ginny looked down triumphantly on her two younger brothers still on the ground that had just gone a sickly pale.

Hermione's face fell.

"What do you mean I don't have any other friends in my grade?"

Ginny's triumphant face instantly changed to a guilty one.

"I, uh, well, what I meant to say," the 4^th yr stuttered. But it was too late. Hermione was enraged.

"If I wanted other friends, I could get them!" she yelled.

The small, red-haired girl fell to the ground with her two brothers, who instantly crawled into a corner. Hermione's brown eyes started to fill with tears as her long, frizzy brown hair fell into her face. Her shadow loomed over the three cowering figures.

"Mother, please," whispered George.

"I mean, is it the way I look?" she tugged hard on a strand of her bushy hair. "It's not like I haven't tried to straighten it, I mean I know I could never be popular, but I do have a few friends despite my awful appearance!" She slumped into the nearest chair, and started to bawl.

Ginny, Fred, and George decided to take this opportunity to jump out of their corner, and comfort their friend. George plopped down on side of the girl, while Fred sat on the other, and Ginny kneeled in front of her. All three Weasley children started making soothing clicking noises.

"There, there, of course you could be popular," cooed Ginny.

"I mean, who judges a person by appearance?" asked George.

"EVERYBODY!" screamed Hermione, still bawling like a little child.

"No, they don't," said Fred reassuringly. "I mean, all you need is a touch of makeup, and maybe a new hairstyle and different wardrobe to show off your natural beauty, and you'll have tons of new friends in no time!"

Both Ginny and George glared at their brother.

"Don't tell Ninny to change her appearance just for friends!" cried Ginny.

"If they don't love mother for the sweet, kind, gentle Mione we know, and only for her clothes, then they don't deserve her," declared George.

But Hermione had seemed to perk up. She looked at Fred, with her red eyes and puffy cheeks. Did she really have a chance for being popular?

"Do you think I could? I mean, do you think you guys could help me?"

"Sure!" exclaimed the siblings.

"Alright then," said Hermione, feeling more confident then she thought was ever possible. "Tomorrow is Saturday, right? We start at dawn."

Chapter Two: The Serious Makeover

"Ooh, of course we'll help, Hermione!" giggled Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, two 5^th yr girls who were also on Mione's school team, Gryffindor. She smiled, although sighing inwardly. These two giggling baboons were exactly why she didn't like the girls in her grade. But she needed their help on makeup and hair, since Ginny could only help with the wardrobe, and the twins could barely dress their selves.

"Great!" Ginny replied for Hermione. "So let's get started!"

All of the girls started to surround Hermione with different types of clothes, makeup, and hair ideas. It was all so overwhelming, that she let them decide. And although it was a long, painful two hours of brushing, scraping, smudging, and restarting, they were able to transform Hermione into something beautiful.

"Wow!" she said, at a loss for words. "I feel like a, like-"

"A princess," the three girls declared.

"Erm, no, I was going to say a cross between Christina Aguilara and Avril Lavaigne."

The three witches stared blankly at her.

"Ya no, the straight hair with the highlights, and, erm, the shirt with the tie, and... a tight pair of low risers?" It was obvious they didn't have a clue about what Hermione was saying.

"Muggle stuff," She declared. There was an awkward silence. Then-

"Hermione, you're wearing a tie, because it's apart of your school uniform," Ginny mentioned, still confused. "You know that, right?"

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, fully embarrassed. "Let's go downstairs and see what the guys think."

So all four girls, fully relieved, made their way noisily downstairs, gossiping, and complimenting Hermione's terrific new look.

Waiting at the bottom of the stairs were the impatient twins. They were throwing a small, golden box back and forth. Ginny cleared her throat loudly.

"Introducing the new and improved- Hermione Granger!"

Both twins froze, and stared at Hermione in awe. Smirking, she walked up to them and closed their gaping mouths.

"Dears, stop that, it makes you look unattractive," she said warmly.

"Mo-mother? Wow, they did miracles for you!" said Fred. "If I didn't have a girlfriend, I swear..."

Hermione beamed. "What do you think, George?"

"Hum-humph, bubo, hem?" he mumbled.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" she laughed.

Fred pushed his babbling brother towards Hermione, whispering, "Give her the box, man! Give her the box!"

George, still at a failure for words, gave her the small box. Fred decided to translate for his brother.

" He says that you look really nice, and that last night, we decided to pick up a little gift from Hogsmeade."

All Hermione could do was giggle. She didn't even question how the two devious twins had snuck out late last night. She suddenly turned her attention to the box. It was a shimmering gold container, with the initials HG in it. The first thing Hermione noticed while opening the fragile box was a shimmering glimmer. Her heart leapt when she saw what was inside the heart of the jewelry box. It was a pair of sterling silver hoops, with a matching necklace. They were normal objects, with no magic, except for their beautiful glitter.

"Gosh," she whispered in awe. "How could you afford such a thing? Why'd you get it?"

She threw herself onto the twins, engulfing them in a tight hug. "You guys are the best," she said in a muffled voice.

"Okay, okay!" laughed Fred. George only blushed. "What is with him?" wondered Hermione.

George must have seen her giving him a weird look, because he suddenly sprang up from the chair he had been occupying, cleared his throat and said loudly- too loudly:

"Well, I'm hungry, how about you? I'm just gonna grab my books and head down for breakfast!" And with that, he seized his books, and stormed out of the common room.

"Weird," Hermione overheard Fred murmuring. "It's Saturday, and George never studies!"