I'd like to thank my dear friend, Anachronistic Anglophile, for the idea for this story. And the huge heap of brightly colored cloth sitting on couch by me, which assisted in ways I will never reveal. Takes place Tonks' sixth year at Hogwarts.

Disclaimer: I do not own this; I am not J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling could never have made it this cool. ;)

Maybe just a nice natural brown. Tonks concentrated, and shiny brown locks began to frame her face. With a mental push, she added curls.

With a glance at the mirror before her, she frowned and gave her head a shake, restoring its original fiery orange, boyish ear-length cut.

Okay, try for something cool and striking. She turned her hair jet black and lengthened it just past her chin, slanting its angle closer to that of her jawline. To heighten the effect, she tilted the outer tips of her eyes up and the inner ones down, giving her the appearance of a cat narrowing its eyes.

Viewing this new face in the mirror, Tonks made her best attempt at that 'dangerously sexy' expression that prat Summerby prided herself at being an expert on. The result made her want to gag and laugh out loud at the same time. Her hair went back to orange.

Why am I trying so hard? I should just go with something more spontaneous, more me. A lime green, asymmetrical, head-hugging cut sprouted out of her scalp. She arched out her nose, crooking it slightly, and enlarged her jaw a bit; all together, it gave her a rather aristocratic, European eccentricity.

She smiled wryly to herself. Charlie has to be able to recognize me a little bit.

Tonks started leafing through styles randomly.

Short, butter yellow, bit of a layered flip to it? Nope, look like a pansy.

Bright purple curls, to the waist? Ugh, look like I fell out of a bad manga novel...

Silky, luminescent white and layered? ...or a Muggle comic book.

Tonks flopped on her four-poster, ready to give up. Why on earth do I care how I look for some dumb winter ball? She snorted. I'm sure Charlie won't care, he's oblivious; and we're just friends, after all. So why do I care? I'm not the kinda girl who gets indecision about how I look.

Toying with a loose thread on her bedspread, Tonks was quiet and still for a moment.

Suddenly inspiration hit her like a lightning bolt. She jumped up, tripping over a pile of clothes in the process, and ran to the mirror, her hair already changing. She grew it to the tip of her chin, adding a couple of choppy layers, and turned it a deep, metallic indigo. Putting it into a side-split, she admiringly viewed her handiwork.

Edgy and definitely me, but not super out-there and flashy. Perfect. Tonks gave herself a satisfied smile.

Wonder what he'll think. Wonder what everyone'll think.

* * * * * * * *

"Your hair looks like the scales of a Hebridean Black dragon." Charlie was looking at it admiringly.

Tonks couldn't help grinning. "Dragons are all you'll ever think about, Charlie."

Ta-da! Another fun Tonks fic! Hope y'all enjoyed, this might be my last work for a while, since Spring Break is ending soon and I won't have much time to write in the last few days. It's been nice, guys! :,)

Review lots!

~Pepper