Disclaimer: Since I am J K Rowling and this should have been in book four, I decided to put it here instead. Hahaha. I wish.
AN: A new Hermione! Getting frustrated before the Yule Ball. What do you think? Reveiw and tell me!
I waved at the boys as I stepped inside the castle. Yes, the Yule Ball wasn't for another three hours, but I wanted to look good. I wanted to look female. I wanted to look as though I'd made an effort. I also wanted to attract a certain someone's attention
Of course, the boys were having a snowball fight, and being immature, and I was bored. And after I'd got ready, I could read.
Parvati and Lavender were already in the dormitory, making a big fuss over their hair, robes, make up and anything else they could think of. They asked me, just as Ron had, who I was going with, but I wasn't about to tell them. If they knew, the whole school knew, and that would never happen if I had anything to do with it.
I ignored them, and disappeared into the small en suite shower room to wash my hair. Where's the shampoo? I thought, worriedly. Ah, there it is. I picked up the bottle and stepped under the water.
When I stepped out of the shower, I picked up my wand and performed a quick drying charm on my dripping hair. Then I changed into my periwinkle dress robes and checked my contact lenses. Next, I filed my nails carefully, and brushed my now dry hair. I even put on some lipstick!
I emerged from the shower room and looked in the mirror on the dressing table, over Parvati's head. Lavender edged out in front of me, blocking my view. No, this was no use. I sat down on my four-poster bed and shut the curtains, conjuring a mirror as I sat down. Much better.
I inspected my reflection and glared at my flyaway hair. Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. And why did I have to have hair like this? Not that I'd minded before, but I wanted to look nice today. And with this hair, how could I?
I brushed it through again, and examined my reflection again. No, my hair was too bushy. I would have to try it up.
I fished around under my bed for a hairband. I carefully tied my hair up in a ponytail, but it was too informal! And a bun, once I'd found a bun-net, was far too formal. I looked even worse than Professor McGonagall.
A growl of frustration escaped me, and Parvati's head appeared between my curtains.
"Would you like any help?" she asked, cheerfully.
"No, thankyou," I replied calmly.
Parvati shrugged and her face disappeared again. I turned back to the mirror, the hairbrush and the hair band.
A pleat might work… I turned the three bunches of hair over and under each other, then considered my appearance. It was very messy, but that wasn't what bothered me. It weighed me down, and I could feel the pleat firmly pulling me back. It was heavy and uncomfortable and I could not – repeat, not – wear my hair like this all evening. No.
I brushed my hair again, and thought over what I could do with my hair.
I tried the disobedient hair down again, and grimaced. It may look like a halo, as Viktor kindly put it, but it was a brown halo of hair! What use was that?
I split my hair down the back, then carefully pleated each side. Two pleats… no. It was childish, and that was the last thing I wanted to seem.
I clipped it up clumsily with a black clasp, but it just fell back down. I snarled at the mirror and the hairbrush.
I only wanted to look nice! Was that too much to ask?
I kept experimenting, but not even what I called the Miss Marple style worked. The Miss Marple style was my hair brushed back over my head and part of it in a hairband, looking… stupid. On me, anyway.
Frustration rose up in me and I glared at myself. Another growl slipped out, and I picked up the brush. Aggravated by my rebellious mane, I threw the brush across the room. It hit the curtains and cannoned between them.
Parvati's head reappeared. "D'you want help? I'd be glad to."
"Yes, please," I nodded, gratefully, although my teeth were clenched in irritation.
Several frantic hours later, Parvati was till flitting around behind me.
"Don't move!" she commanded as I reached for my wand.
I carefully charmed my hair to stay the same as it was at that moment in time. That was a useful charm, which I had learnt last year. It kept something in its place for however long the caster wanted. It probably wasn't designed for hair, but still… it was useful.
Lavender looked at me thoughtfully. "Why didn't I think of that?" she demanded.
Parvati grinned. "You're not Hermione."
"I suppose," smiled Lavender, wryly
I stood up, embarrassed.
"Careful!" gasped Parvati.
I automatically obeyed, and – carefully – descended the stairs, wearing my dress robes majestically, to meet Viktor. And to face the rest of Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and Hogwarts combined.