This is a response to Particular Pairing Challenge set by OceanWavesAuthor
My challenge was:
Pairing: Minerva/ Hermione
Your Quote is "Really? Muggles dye their hair? Wouldn't that hurt?"
Prompt: Chocolate
Beta'd by Michy Drarry Shipper
(P.s. Colour is spelt correctly at least for me as I live in Australia so it goes against my natural instincts to spell it any other way)
Also I have never read this pairing before and I had never really thought about it before I was set this challenge so I hope that I have done an okay job for those that do ship this pairing or don't mind it.
Hermione had decided to change her hair colour. It was a weird idea but she thought it was about time for a change. She was feeling restless after the war. There was just nothing to do. She knew logically that she should be grateful for this but after spending such a long time fighting and trying to solve mysteries, it was hard to settle back into – or begin would be a better way to describe it – a normal life. So far she was doing a good job of it. Well, at least she believed so. She had taken a job as a teacher at Hogwarts for the time being while she completed her education. It wasn't too bad. Except for having to work with the person that she had had a major crush on since she was a little girl. Now, Hermione is usually a very logical person, however when it came to the matters of the heart, she was hopeless. She had tried to read books about the topic but they weren't useful. They always had a happy ending; she didn't believe that her situation would.
Hermione sighed as she looked across the yard out onto the Great Lake. No one was about as it was night time. Most of her other colleagues complained about having the night runs. but Hermione loved it. She always got the patrol on the side of the castle that was closest to the lake with its beautiful reflections of the moon.
For a moment, Hermione thought about dying her hair black, but quickly dismissed the thought. That look would not suit her at all. She had considered going blonde, but again, that would not suit her. Her natural hair colour was hard to describe, but if she had to, she would call it a light chocolate colour. There was a moment when she had thought about going dark chocolate, but she wanted more of a change than that. Chocolate, however, had always been her favourite colour, not that she would tell her about it. It was a weird colour to take a fancy to, she supposed, but it had always drawn her in.
Hermione sighed as she glanced once more at the lake before she turned to meet McGonagall, as it was turn over time. Hermione was nervous to see her. She had been avoiding the other professor all week now. As she rounded the corner, she spotted McGonagall stalking the halls. She had that air about her that hinted at the fact that some student or other had annoyed her. They were probably trying to sneak out of bed, Hermione thought. That was when she noticed that McGonagall was wearing a chocolate colour robe. Hermione stopped short. She had always known that McGonagall had looked nice but it was shocking to see her in such a fitting robe. Hermione's face flushed.
"Hermione, there you are! Always near the lake, I should have known," McGonagall said as she smiled. Hermione had always been her favourite student, not that she would tell anyone. As far as everyone knew, she had no favourites and she wished to keep it that way.
"Yes, it is so beautiful at this time," Hermione whispered.
"It is indeed," McGonagall agreed.
After a small pause McGonagall continued, "How are you Hermione? I haven't seen you often recently. I hope that you haven't been working too hard."
"Of course not, I have learnt my lesson from third year," Hermione answered without looking at McGonagall. She didn't want to risk McGonagall realising that she hadn't been working at all, and that she had simply been avoiding her. Hermione wished that she could get rid of this stupid crush that she had been harbouring for McGonagall. It was unrealistic and Hermione knew this, so she could not figure out why she still felt the way she did. It had been years and yet still it kept eating at her.
"What are you thinking about Hermione?" McGonagall asked.
"I was thinking about dying my hair," Hermione responded. She almost groaned. She had not wished to let that information come out. She hadn't wanted to tell anyone because she was still unsure if she wanted to go through with it or not. Hermione looked at McGonagall who seemed to not understand what she was talking about.
"Dying?" McGonagall inquired.
"Yes, you know the process in which Muggles change their hair colour? I was thinking about changing it to a dark chocolate colour. I can't think of any other colours that would suit me. What do you think? I know that it is a bit obscene but I think that I can use a little change," Hermione rambled. She couldn't understand why McGonagall was looking at her like that, like she was crazy.
"Really? Muggles dye their hair? Wouldn't that hurt?" McGonagall asked in shock. Hermione had never heard her sound so informal and confused. It was an eye opener. Hermione had always thought that McGonagall knew everything – well not everything, as that was impossible, but she thought that she would know something like this. Then again she has been in the wizarding world her whole life, Hermione thought to herself.
"No, it doesn't hurt. They have colouring that they put in their hair and rinse out which alters the colour of their hair. Haven't you heard of it?"
"No, I haven't but it does sound awful. Why would you want to change the colour of your hair? It is fine as it is."
Hermione had brief moment of hope that Minerva had some attraction towards her. That she liked Hermione's hair. Hermione quickly dismissed that. McGonagall was simply talking out of her disgust with the process in which Muggles changed their hair colour.
"Lately I've been craving for a little change. I can't really explain it…"
"Oh, yes. If that is the case, then it should pass quickly enough. Everyone gets those feelings occasionally. Though I suggest that you express yours in a way other than dying your hair. Merlin only knows what the children will think. We don't want them to start picking up something like that." Hermione felt deflated by this response, and even though she had told herself that McGonagall wasn't interested, it still stung.
"Anyway, Hermione, you should really get some rest," McGonagall continued. Hermione drew herself up.
"Yes, I shall see you in the morning then," Hermione stated as she rushed to her rooms.
It looked like she was going to dye her hair chocolate brown. She knew that it was irrational – that it was something that Harry would do, but she felt that she needed to do it now. She needed to see that McGonagall didn't care beyond that of a colleague and a professor worrying about her students' habits. Tomorrow she would buy the dye and maybe some chocolate. Lupin had always said that the stuff helps people to heal.