Hermione lay in bed a full ten minutes past her usual time for rising. Her mood was dark. She wasn’t sure what bothered her especially. Some half remembered dream perhaps. Or her weekly (sometimes more often than that) quarrel with Ron. Or maybe the whole of life just finally caught up with her. Whatever the reason it was a grumpy, surly Hermione Granger that finally rose blearily and headed for the bathroom.

“Blimey Hermione,” Parvati remarked. “Never seen you sleep in before. You feelin’ alright?”

She merely grunted in response. She was appreciative of the concern, but the cause for it irked her. Goodie two shoes Hermione Granger never slept in a day in her life. Never missed a class, never skimped on her homework. She glared at her reflection. She was just a little bit tired of being just goodie two shoes Hermione Granger. And god her hair seemed boring to her today.

She stared at her hair for quite a while, letting her mind wander for possibly the first time ever. And as she did, visions of Tonks, and her bright pink hair entered her thoughts. And all manner of creative things to do with this much hair came to her. As she thought about those, she realized that Harry wasn’t the only one who could make a change. Thank God it was a Hogsmeade weekend. She had some things to pick up before she started experimenting.

*****

Finally, she headed down to the common room, her ever active mind buzzing with possibilities. And loud music. The Wizard equivalent of a portable cd player was tucked into her bag and her headphones hung around her neck.

Harry and Ron looked up from their game of Wizard chess. She sighed inwardly. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to how Harry made up his scar so it looked raw and bloody.

“Harry,” she said, smiling sweetly, which immediately put both boys on guard. She didn’t often smile unless she wanted something. Usually she was scowling at their misbehavior or slacking, or smirking because their misbehavior or slacking had gotten them in trouble. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

Harry and his friend exchanged a look. She was glad that despite Harry’s spooky new appearance, he and his rather normal looking friend had remained so. Then the Boy who Lived but dressed like he’d died nodded, and allowed her to lead him off into a corner.

“Any chance you’d be willing to give me an early birthday present?” she asked.

*****

Ron looked suspiciously from Harry, to Hermione, and back again. Something was definitely up between them. Hermione looked to be particularly anticipating this trip to Hogsmeade, and Harry had a mischievous smirk on his face.

As the carriage rattled along the road, he turned his gaze to Luna, who was dressed unusually normally that day.

“What’s it like?” Hermione asked suddenly. “In those clubs you two go to?”

Harry looked at Luna, who looked at Harry. “Not sure it’s the kind of thing you can describe.” Harry said. “Not and do it any justice. You just have to kind of see it yourself.”

“Is it just Goths?”

“Mostly. On the nights we go there.” Luna said. “But that’s hardly a requirement. The best part is that it’s a place where Muggles and Magic Folk can intermingle.”

“Wizards and Witches find it rather convenient.” Harry added. “We hardly ever have to come up with Goth names.”

Hermione snickered. “Yeah I suppose Luna Lovegood works well for that sort of environment.”

“I just go by Luna there.”

“Though I suppose the Muggles wonder why such a fuss is made over a boy with a name like Harry.”

Harry nodded. “Yes it’s easy to tell the Muggles from the Magics at a place like that. Not by the names or appearance, but by who gives me a weird look at hearing my ordinary, non-spooky name.”

*****

Harry and Luna set off with Hermione, promising to meet Ron at the Three Broomsticks that afternoon. They wouldn’t tell him where they were going, which annoyed him, saying only; “it’s a surprise.”

Hermione didn’t like keeping secrets, especially from one as skilled at holding grudges and sulking as Ron, but she really felt that the effect would be ruined if the red head watched the transformation.

As they went, she explained what she had in mind to her friends. Luna nodded sagely, knowing just where to go first. “How hardcore do you want to go?” Luna asked as they entered the piercing shop. “I’d recommend starting slowly. Go one piercing at a time.” She looked at Harry critically. “You should get your ear pierced while we’re here.” She said.

Harry shook his head. “Maybe next time. This is Hermione’s trip. I’m just paying.”

“Not for this.” The Gryffindor Prefect assured him. “This I can take care of myself.”

She decided for now to go with a stud in the side of her nose. She was young, plenty of time to build on that later. She already had ideas for next time, eyebrow, ears, maybe even belly button.

Then it was off to the clothiers for Harry’s contribution. There she received as an early birthday present, a leather jacket which she had decorated with the Gryffindor crest, and further, with S.P.E.W. embroidered on one sleeve, and Harry’s Scar on the other.

“You know,” Luna said thoughtfully, fingering the lettering on the sleeve. “You really should come up with a better acronym if you want people to take that cause seriously.”

Hermione shrugged. Luna had a point, but she’d grown quite fond of the initials, as they adequately reflected her attitude towards the enslavement of elves.

She grinned into the mirror. She loved the Jacket. Not only because it looked “Bloody Brilliant.” As Harry had said, but because it had numerous pockets for anything she might care to put in them, and as warm as it would keep her during the winter, it was magicked to be comfortable in warm weather as well.

As it turned out, Hermione’s father had been in the military in his younger days and she had inherited his old uniform. She’d brought the pants and boots with her and changed into them at the store, tucking the baggy and too big for her pants into her footwear, cinching her belt tight to keep them steady on her hips.

As a final touch, she raised her wand to her hair, and went to work. She had so much hair to work with. Though she fancied the pink of Tonks’ hair, she felt that color was wrong for her, at least at present, and instead made one side of her head blue, and the other purple.

It was thus attired that Hermione approached the Three Broomsticks. She’d hoped that Ron would be the first person she knew to see the new her.

“Bloody hell Granger.” Draco sputtered, coming around the corner. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

“Steel toed boots Malfoy.” She growled threateningly. “Go on, say something clever.”

Draco weighed his options, then gestured forcefully to Crabb and Goyle. “Let’s go. Potter’s obviously contagious, and I don’t want to catch it.”

*****

Ron’s jaw just about dropped onto the table when Hermione walked into the three broomsticks. As did the jaws of pretty much everyone who knew her. Her familiar smirk, now took on new meaning as she plunked herself down beside him and with one hand, closed his mouth.

“Bloody Hell Hermione!” Ron gasped. Frankly, she was hot. “Harry you’re contagious.”

Hermione, Harry and Luna erupted into laughter. “That’s what Draco said.” Hermione told him. His face fell. Taking pity on him, the prefect bought him a butterbeer. “Relax Ron. I’ll still `help` you with your homework.”

Ron shook his head, dismayed. “Harry we’ve been a bad influence on her. Mione you know you’re a prefect right?”

Hermione laughed again. “It’s all right Ron. There’s no rule about how I have to dress when I’m not in classes. And don’t blame yourself. Blame’s for bad things.”

“So what happened then?”

Miss Granger smiled broadly. “I think you know the answer to that one Ron. Life happened. That’s all.”

The End