A Makeover Story

Hermione took a deep breath and walked to the common room, where she regularly met Harry and Ron before they went to breakfast.

Unfortunately, their stomachs seemed to have gotten the better of them, as they had already left by the time Hermione got to the common room.

She angrily stormed into the great hall and walked right up to Harry and Ron (who were stuffing their faces and didn´t even notice her).

"HARRY POTTER AND RON WEASLEY!"

They slowly turned around to face a fuming Hermione; they couldn´t hide from the unavoidable.

"HOW COULD YOU-"

"Hermione! What happened to you?!" Harry said, with a look of awe on his face.

"Well, I, um, decided I would uh, try a different look," she mumbled.

"Well you look, well to be quite honest, you look DAMN good!"

Hermione blushed so hard that she looked like a tomato with silky brown hair.

Ron was at lost for words. Hermione looked expectantly at him.

"I, uh, well, um, I..."

"Oh come on mate, just say it!" Harry nudged him with his elbow.

"Youlookreallynicetoday"

"Um, well, thanks, I think," she said, a little confused.

Things remained tense all through breakfast, and Harry and Ron kept whispering to each other. Just when Hermione thought she couldn´t take it anymore, Harry and Ron got up to leave.

"We´re going to the library, to uh, study for Snape´s test today. Um, see you later," Ron mumbled.

That was odd. Ron and Harry hardly ever went to the library, and they certainly never studied. Something odd was going on, and Hermione was going to figure out what it was.

Today had been the best day of Hermione´s life. Never had so many people paid attention to her before. Even a few 3^rd year boys stopped in the hallway to look.

She was practically skipping up to the Gryffindor tower when she heard someone call her name.

"Hermione!"

She turned around to see Draco hiding in the shadows.

"A bit giddy are we?"

Hermione blushed. She did look rather foolish.

"Draco, well, um, I just want to thank you. Today has been one of the best days of my life."

She never thought she´d see the day when she thanked Draco Malfoy.

"I know, I know. I´m good."

"Well, I´m just going to, um, go."

"Yeah..."

"Well, see you later," she mumbled, and turned towards the tower.

Even though she had just eaten, her stomach was turning, and she didn´t know why.

She walked into the common room, prepared just to go up to bed. However, fate had other plans.

Sitting by the fire was Ron, who was wringing his hands. He leapt up when Hermione walked in.

"Oh, hello Ron," she smiled.

"Oh, hi Hermione. I was thinking that tomorrow you could skip arithmancy and come to Divination with Harry and me!" he said brightly, as though there was nothing remotely wrong with this statement.

"What?! Are you insane Ron? I can´t just skip arithmancy! Besides, why would I want to go to Divination and be with that wretch of a woman anyway?!" she said exasperatedly.

"Well, you know, it could be fun! And Trelawny won´t care, I´ll just make up a load of stuff about how I `envisioned you coming´ and just couldn´t not let you come with us. That´s how I get out of homework. Please?"

He looked deep into her eyes, and she knew she would never be able to say no now.

"All right, I´ll go...but you owe me something pretty!"

And with that said, she turned on her heal and went up to bed.

"I cannot believe I´m doing this," Hermione muttered.

"Oh come on Hermione, you know you´re curious. You haven´t been to her class in a year!" said Harry.

"Well, maybe a little curious. But only a little!" she admitted. "Why are you being so quiet Ron?"

"Oh, no reason..." he said nervously.

Something was definitely up with him.

Before she knew it, they had reached the north tower. As Hermione´s head poked into the room, Professor Trelawny nodded knowingly.

"Ah yes, I knew you would be joining us again Ms. Granger. If I am correct (and I usually am), you will be here for good."

Lavender and Parvati watched her in awe.

"Actually no Professor, I am not. Just today," Hermione said coldly.

Professor pretended like she hadn´t heard her and started class.

"Good morning, dearest students. Today we will be starting extended tea leaves. Most of you remember the last time we worked with tea leaves we discovered a most disturbing message in a student´s cup." She eyed Harry tearfully. "But this time, we will be looking not for future predications, but for discoveries of oneself and of others. Now then, lets get started. Everyone get a partner and get one cup for each pair. And Neville dear, the blue cups will be fine for you today, don't worry about grabbing a pink cup."

"Hey, um, Hermione, do you want to be my partner?" Ron asked shyly.

"Sure..." That was odd. Usually Ron was always with Harry. But right now Harry was sitting with Seamus and Dean, and they were all sniggering and staring pointedly at Ron and Hermione.

"Okay then, I´ll go get our cups-"

"No no Hermione, you sit. I´ll get them."

He sure was acting strangely.

Ron returned with a cup full of hot water and tea leaves.

"All right then. Now your book says after you drink the tea you´re supposed to add a little cold water to it."

Ron drank the tea rather quickly, and poured some cool water from the sink into the cup.

"Then what?"

"Then you swish the leaves around and pour everything onto this saucer."

"Ah, now I see why this is extended tea leaves. Last time there were no saucers involved."

Hermione giggled. This was the Ron she knew.

"Okay, now let me see if I can discover anything about myself that I don´t know...hmmm...ah, this is interesting...according to these tea leaves...I am in love with a beautiful girl."

"Oh really," Hermione joked.

"Yes, and oh wait...her name...it´s unclear..."

"Let me guess...hmmm...Bethany!"

"Sadly, our little Hermione is incorrect."

What? If it wasn´t Bethany, then who was it?

"Her name...it starts with an...H..."

Even as obvious as it was, Hermione was completely clueless.

"What?! Don´t tell me Harry is really a girl," Hermione laughed.

Ron looked at Hermione with an annoyed expression, but she just kept laughing.

"No, wait, HAGRID!" She couldn´t control herself; this was hilarious. Just the thought of Ron and Hagrid was enough to drive someone into hysterics.

"No you crazy girl! YOU!"

Hermione stopped laughing abruptly.

"What?"

"I said you Hermione! I´m in love with YOU! Honestly, someone as smart as you couldn´t see that?"

Hermione wore a dazed expression, almost like someone had hit her in the face with a heavy weight. She certainly hadn´t expected that.

"What...when...why?" she stammered.

"Ever since our second year, when I saw you petrified. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to me."

"But what about all those girls? Like Bethany from Ravenclaw!"

"Distractions I guess. You brought me back to reality yesterday when well, you know," he blushed. "So I guess what I´m asking...what I mean is...well"

"Yes." She cut him off. Boys were never very good at that kind of thing. "I´d love to."

Ron sank back into his chair in relief, smiling at Hermione all the while.

This is exactly what Hermione had hoped for. She couldn´t believe it had happened so fast. This was what she wanted for so long.

But if this was what she wanted, then why wasn´t she happy?