Author's Note: So I intended this chapter to go all the way through Christmas break, but it just got too long with too much going on, so I cut it off in the middle of break.

-SQ

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Harry Potter, sorry to disappoint you.

Chapter Twenty-One: A New Look

"My dang hair!" Lily exploded, shaking the long red strands out of her face for the umpteenth time. "It is always in the way!"

"Why don't you cut it then?" said Cassiopeia from her chair.

"What?"

"I said why don't you cut it," said Cassiopeia, sitting up and closing her book. "If it's bothering you."

Lily blinked at her. "Cut it? But...I've always had long hair. Ever since I was little. Mum used to comb it out for me every day."

Cassiopeia shrugged. "It's your decision."

Lily looked thoughtful. "Hmm...I have to admit, it is tempting..." she fingered her fiery locks. "Why not after all... Try something new... But I wouldn't know how to go about it."

She looked at Dawn and Marcia who shrugged.

"My mum trims my hair," said Marica.

"I get mine cut at a Muggle salon back home," said Dawn.

"I could do it for you," said Cassiopeia.

"Really?" said Lily, looking at her best friend in surprise.

"Sure," said Cassiopeia.

"When?" said Lily.

"How about tonight?" said Cassiopeia. "In the girls' bathroom."

"O-Okay," said Lily. "That sounds...good."

*****BWST*****

That evening after dinner Lily, feeling rather nervous but also excited, followed Cassiopeia into the Gryffindor girls' bathroom.

The younger girl was carrying shampoo, conditioner, a stool, a towel, a comb, several bottles, and a pair of scissors.

"What's all that stuff for?" asked Lily, pointing to the contents of Cassiopeia very full arms.

"We need it to cut your hair properly," said Cassiopeia. "Here, sit down."

"Have you ever done this before?" asked Lily.

"No," said Cassiopeia with a shake of her blond head. "But I know how."

"Alright..." said Lily hesitantly.

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to," said Cassiopeia.

"No. No, I do want to," said Lily.

She sat on the stool and Cassiopeia draped the towel around her shoulders before tilting her head back into the sink and beginning to wash her hair.

"Why do you have to wash it if you're going to cut it off anyway?" asked Lily from under the faucet.

"So the cut's even," replied Cassiopeia, small hands working shampoo into a lather on Lily's head.

Lily closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying the soothing sensation and Cassiopeia shampooed, conditioned, dried, and finally combed her hair.

"What kind of style do you want?"

"Huh?"

"How do you want your hair cut?"

Lily opened her eyes. "I don't know...I never really thought about it. You decide. I trust you."

For the better part of an hour, Cassiopeia's deft, nimble fingers measured, cut, sprayed, combed, trimmed, brushed, patted, dried, gelled, and styled Lily's hair. Lock after red lock fell into an ever-growing pile at Cassiopeia's feet. The air filled with the scent of hair products. Finally she stepped back and examined her work.

"I'm done," she announced. "You can look now."

Lily slowly worked the kinks out of her neck and then turned to look at the mirror.

She gaped soundlessly at her reflection.

"What do you think?" asked Cassiopeia nervously.

"It's—it's so short," said Lily.

Indeed it was. Gone were the elbow length dark red tresses. Her hair was now only a couple inches long, gelled and sprayed into a spiky style around her head.

"You don't like it?" said Cassiopeia, feeling crestfallen. It was daring, she knew, but she had felt sure that her friend would like it. It had just seemed so Lily.

"No, no I do like it," said Lily, reaching up to feel her new haircut. "It's—wow, it's really different. But it's cool."

Cassiopeia smiled. "Really? You're not just saying that so I don't feel bad?"

"No, honestly. I like it." She grinned. "Let's go show Dawn and Marica.

Cassiopeia giggled. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces."

"They're going to be nothing compared to my family," said Lily.

The two girls exited the bathroom and cast their gazes around for their two friends. Spotting them sitting over by the fire, Lily and Cassiopeia trotted over to them.

Dawn and Marica looked up and did a double take.

"Lily?"

Lily bobbed her head in affirmation. "Yep, it's me. D'you like it?"

"Wow," said Marica. "Yeah...yeah I do, but...wow. It's really...different."

Dawn nodded, wide eyed. "I knew you were cutting it shorter but, man..."

"It is shorter, alright," agreed Lily with a grin.

"I never imagined you with short hair," said Marica. "But somehow it fits you."

"It does, doesn't it?" said Cassiopeia, settling herself cross-legged in her favorite chair.

"Thanks, Cassie," said Lily, running her hand through her newly-cut hair.

*****BWST*****

Lily was right, her friends' reactions to her new haircut had nothing on her family's.

Louis, coming down the boys' staircase the next morning, saw Lily standing by the portrait hole, tripped over his own feet, and send his books flying everywhere.

Laughing, Lily, Cassiopeia, Marica, and Dawn went to help him pick them up.

"Your—your hair," said Louis, staring at Lily as though she had grown an extra pair of arms. "What—"

"I cut it," said Cassiopeia, smiling.

"It was getting in my way," said Lily. "What do you think?" she asked anxiously. Louis's opinion was important to her.

Louis smiled at her. "C'est choquant, mais lui une bonne manière," he said, turning her around so he could get a good look at her. "Oui, j'approuve. But Lily," he added, "what really matters is that you like it."

Lily nodded. "I do. I love it."

"Merci," said Louis as Marica handed him his fallen books. "Come along, mes mademoiselles, to breakfast."

"We're not yours, Louis," protested Lily as they left the common room and started down toward the Great Hall.

"Yeah, we don't belong to you," said Marica, giving him a playful shove.

"Says who?" said Louis, catching her tightly against him.

Marica giggled and tried to squirm away.

"Hey, no fair!" she protested. "You're older than me!"

Louis ruffled her hair. "Awww...poor baby..."

Marica made a face at him and ducked out from under his arm. "Ha! Oh, look, there's Clark. See you in a minute." And she hurried off toward her boyfriend.

"Oh Louis!"

Louis looked away from Marica and Clark, who were currently exchanging a good morning kiss. Janelle Abercrombie, a very pretty sixth year Gryffindor with an up-turned nose and pouty lips, and her fourth year sister Joan, were waving to him from across the entrance hall.

"See you later, girls," said Louis, and he went to join the Abercrombie sisters, walking into the Great Hall with one on each arm.

*****BWST*****

Albus's reaction to Lily's new look was not as positive.

"What the hell have you done to your hair, Lils?"

"Cassie cut it for me," said Lily, tossing her head.

"Why?" asked Albus incredulously.

"'Cause I wanted her to," said Lily crossly. "What's it to you?"

"Mum's going to have a hippogriff," said Albus.

"I don't recall any rules about cutting our hair while we're at school," retorted Lily.

"Oh, let her alone, Al," said Rose. "It's her hair."

"Thank you, Rose," said Lily stiffly.

As Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Scorpius passed them, Hugo leaned toward her and whispered. "I kind of like it."

Lily smiled at him. Good old Hugo.

*****BWST*****

The second Hogsmeade weekend of the year came halfway through December. Lily had assumed that she, Cassiopeia, Marica, and Dawn would all be going together, but that was not to be the case.

"Sorry, Lily," said Marica sincerely. "Clark and I are going together, just the two of us."

Lily nodded. She understood. If she had had a boyfriend then she might have wanted to go alone with him too. It would have to be just her, Cassiopeia, and Dawn then.

Or not.

"Lily, Marica, Cassie, Zakai asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him, since he doesn't know his way around totally yet and he has no one to go with. He didn't call it a date but..." she bounced up and down excitedly, grinning like a maniac.

Lily laughed. It was hard not to be happy for her enthusiastic friend. "That's great Dawn. I'm sure you'll have a blast. She and Cassiopeia looked at each other.

"I guess it's going to be just the two of us then," said Lily. "What should we do?"

"Where did you get that outfit you bought last year? The one with the mermaid skirt," said Cassiopeia. Can we go there?"

"Of course," said Lily. "In fact, I've been thinking that I really need a new look to go with this new haircut. None of my old clothes look right on me anymore."

*****BWST*****

Lily and Cassiopeia spent the entire morning in the clothing store. Cassiopeia bought a few things, but mostly they focused on Lily's new look. They replaced Lily's skirts, leggings, and snug jeans with looser-fitting jeans and several pairs of cargo pants and shorts. Her blouses, most of which had been bought by her mother, were replaced with printed t-shirts, both long and short-sleeved, some of which showed off a bit of her stomach. She also bought several colorful belts and a few choice pieces of jewelry and even a couple scarves that Cassiopeia helped her pick out.

"Hey, I like this," said Lily, turning a flower-shaped nose-stud over her fingers. "Pity I haven't got the piercing for it."

"That's easy enough to fix," said Cassiopeia.

"What, you can do that too?" said Lily dubiously.

"No," said Cassiopeia. "That is, I suppose I could, but you'd better have it done professionally. Do you know anyone who could take you?"

Lily thought about it. "You know...I think I do at that. I'll bet you my godbrother Teddy would do it. He's the one I was with at the Breathless Banshees concert that one time, remember?"

Cassiopeia nodded. "He seemed cool."

"He's the best," agreed Lily. "You should really meet him."

*****BWST*****

When Lily's and Cassiopeia's stomachs began to grumble, Lily paid for her new clothes and accessories, including the nose-stud, and went to have lunch at the Three Broomsticks. There they met up with Tamzen and her latest boyfriend, a seventh year Ravenclaw who enjoyed dominating the conversation, and hung out with them for a while. Lily and Cassiopeia returned to the castle fairly early and Cassiopeia helped Lily put away her new clothes, and bag the old ones to get rid of.

When that was done, they sat down on Lily's bed.

"Thanks for helping me decide my new wardrobe, Cassie," said Lily, swinging her legs off the side of the bed. "You have good taste."

Cassiopeia shrugged. "I spend a lot of time looking at magazines. Some of the styles in there are just foolish, but there's stuff to learn from too. She flipped onto her back so that she was looking up at Lily.

Lily had a sudden idea. "Hey, Cassie, why don't you come to stay during the Christmas holidays? I'm pretty sure Al already asked your brother to come."

"He did," Cassiopeia confirmed. "I'll write to my parents, but I'm sure they'll say yes." She flashed a smile. "They always do."

Lily laughed. "Who could say no to you?"

*****BWST*****

Dawn and Marica came back about an hour later, looking flushed and excited.

"You'll never guess what happened while I was in Hogsmeade!" said Dawn.

"What?" said Lily and Cassiopeia together, sitting up and looking at their friend expectantly. She was practically writhing with excitement.

"Zakai kissed me!" squealed Dawn, hugging herself and spinning around in a circle. "He actually kissed me!" She fell down onto her bed and flung her arms out above her head.

"Cool," said Lily. "That's really great."

"Isn't it though?" said Dawn.

"Are you two going out now then?" asked Cassiopeia.

Dawn nodded her head enthusiastically. "Uh huh! He told me he really likes me!"

"I could have told you that," said Marica, sitting down on her own bed. "He can hardly take his eyes off you."

"Tell me I'm not dreaming," said Dawn.

"You're not dreaming," the other three chorused.

*****BWST*****

End-of-term exams came and went in the usual flurry of worrying and studying (or not), and before they knew it the Christmas holidays were upon them.

"Why are they always called the Christmas holidays?" complained Dawn. "I don't celebrate Christmas, I celebrate Hanukkah. In primary school they always called them the winter holidays."

Lily shrugged. "Wizards are old fashioned. Maybe the name'll change in a couple decades, if you apply for it now."

Marica made a face at her. "Oh come on, the Ministry's not that bad."

"True," conceded Lily. "And I'd better not badmouth it. Half of the members are my family and our friends."

The four girls stowed their luggage on the racks and sat down in the compartment. It was a rather uneventful train ride. A few explosions went off in the corridors, but everyone ignored them except for Marica who, as a prefect, was duty-bound to investigate. They played BS and Exploding Snap and ate food off the trolley and eventually the train wound its way into King's Cross Station.

"Bye Dawn, bye Marica, bye Cassie!" said Lily, giving each of her friends a big hug as they got off the train. "I'll see you soon."

"And I'll see you sooner," Cassiopeia added.

Lily nodded. "With you there I can even endure Scorpius staying at my house for a week," said Lily with a smile.

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes.

"Cassie? Cassie, where are you?" Scorpius's voice came through the crowd.

"Coming!" she called to her brother, and scampered off.

As Lily made her way to her family, others of her friends waved to her. River and his girlfriend, Tamzen, Brandi, Paloma, even Kyle Jordan. Lily caught sight of Hepzibah Vaisey and Tamie Harper disembarking the Hogwarts Express and waved at them until they saw her and waved back. She was still grinning when she finally located her family.

The first thing Lily's father said to her when he saw her was "How's my girl?"

The first thing her mother said was "Your hair!"

Lily returned her father's hug and looked at her mother. "It was in the way so I had Cassie cut it."

"Your beautiful hair," said her mother sadly.

"I like it," said Lily stubbornly. "I like it better this way."

"But you can't do anything with it," said Ginny.

"Now I don't have to do anything with it," corrected Lily. "Mum, it's my hair. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know," sighed Ginny. "But I do wish you'd talked to me first. And having your friend cut it... What if it had gone wrong?"

"It didn't though," said Lily.

"But what if it had?" said Ginny.

"I trust Cassie," said Lily. "She had good taste and a good eye."

Harry looked his daughter up and down. "New clothes?" he asked.

Lily nodded. "A whole new look."

Her mother shook her head sadly, but Harry smiled at her. "My little girl is growing up."

*****BWST*****

"Teddy?"

It was three days before Christmas and her god-brother was lounging on the couch. Lily came and sat on the arm of it.

"Yes?"

"Have you bought my Christmas present yet?"

Er—" said Teddy. He always put things off until the last minute. Organization and planning were not his strong-suites.

"Oh good," said Lily.

"That's good?" said Teddy.

"Uh huh," said Lily. "'Cause I wanted to ask you for something specific."

"And what would that be, Lils?" asked Teddy, sitting up.

"I want to get my nose pierced."

"What?"

"Shhh! Teddy, please, I really want to get it pierced. Just a little stud." She pouted prettily at him.

"I'm not saying that it won't look good on you or that I'm against it, but Harry and Ginny'll have my head," said Teddy.

"Aw, Dad won't mind. "Come on, Teddy."

"Since when have you become such a rebel?" asked Teddy teasingly.

"I'm not a rebel!" protested Lily. "I just want my nose pierced."

"Alright, alright," said Teddy. "I know a guy who has a place. One of my Muggle friends."

Lily threw her arms around her godbrother. "Thanks Teddy!"

"But I'll have to talk to Harry first, you need parental permission. I'm not taking you anywhere sketchy."

"Okay," said Lily. "Tell me what he says right away."

"Will do, little sis," said Teddy, ruffling her hair.

*****BWST*****

Christmas in the Potter/Weasley family was as fun and hectic as ever. Everyone got piles of presents, ate way too much food, stayed up far too late, and made a ridiculous amount of noise. Ginny kept casting glances at Lily's hair and sighing, but that was not enough to dampen anyone's spirits, even her own.

Lorcan and Lysander were excitedly telling everyone who would listen about their first term at Hogwarts and how cool it was to be in Ravenclaw, and about all of the strange and interesting things they'd learned so far in their classes. Lily was quite content to let them, rather than her new haircut and wardrobe, take the spotlight.

*****BWST*****

On Christmas morning, after being awoken by Lorcan and Lysander, Lily came downstairs to the smell of delicious goodies cooking in the kitchen and a massive pile of presents arranged beneath the tree in the living room. As she sat down at the dining room table, Teddy passed by her and whispered in her ear. "Your dad said yes. I booked you an appointment for tomorrow."

Lily did a quick, subtle victory dance in her seat and then began to eat her breakfast; the faster they ate, the sooner they got presents.

*****BWST*****

Lily loved all of her presents, but the one that was quite possibly her favorite came from her father.

Harry left the room half-way through the present opening and came back holding his hands suspiciously behind his back.

"Close your eyes," he told his daughter, a barely-suppressed grin showing in his eyes.

Lily obliged, wondering what her father could possibly be giving her.

"Now hold out your hands."

A moment later Lily felt something soft and warm being pressed into her palms. She opened her eyes and squealed. A light cream colored kitten stared back at her with wide amber eyes.

"Mew?" said the kitten.

"Oh, Dad," said Lily, cradling the kitten against her chest.

"Do you like her?" asked Harry.

"Like her?" said Lily. "I love her! Thank you!"

The kitten nuzzled her heck and began to purr.

"I'll name her Marzipan," Lily decided.

"Marzipan?" said James.

"Yep," said Lily. "It's a kind of Muggle candy Dawn sent me. It's delicious and just the same color as her fur."

"Can I pet her?" said Hugo.

"Of course," said Lily, holding the kitten out to her cousin. "But be gentle."

"I will," Hugo assured her.

Albus snorted. "What's so great about a kitten anyway?"

"You're just jealous," said Lily as Hugo turned his pet into a quick pat and then returned to his seat next to Albus.

"As if," said Albus.

"No fighting," said their grandmother in a no-nonsense voice that had to be obeyed. "It's Christmas."

*****BWST*****

The next day, true to his word, Teddy took Lily to get her nose pierced.

"Remember, this was your idea," he told her, as they walked into the little shop. The sign on the door read: "BEAU'S BODY BEDAZZLEMENTS"

Lily looked around the inside of the store. It was small and cozy. The walls were hung with strings of beads, sketches, and brightly colored scarves. The counter and walls were crowded with merchandise and three chairs were crowded into the front corner. A bright blue door led into a back room. It bore a hot pink sign:

"Tattoo and Piercing Station. Sanitary Environment. Await Instruction to Enter."

The man behind the counter looked up and grinned.

"Teddy! Long time no see!"

He came out from behind the counter and wrung Teddy's hand. He was tall and muscular, probably in his late twenties. His hair was dyed bright blue and cut in uneven chunks, some only a couple inches long, others brushing the collar of his open polo shirt. Rings and gems gleamed from piercings in his lip, eyebrow, and ears, and a metal ball in his tongue clacked against his teeth as he talked. There was a tattoo of a fierce looking tiger on one of his shoulders and a tattoo of an intricately scaled dragon on the other bicep. Other, smaller tattoos decorated his exposed chest.

"And you must be Lily," he said, turning to Lily and clapping her on the shoulder with a large, ringed hand. "I'm Beau. Short for Beauregard, but no one ever calls me that except my mother." He made a face. "Teddy says you're interested in getting a nose piercing."

Lily nodded, feeling suddenly shy. He's so big, she thought. And so loud. This must be how Cassie feels all the time.

"You can sit down here," said Beau, indicating one of the chairs in the corner. "And we'll talk a bit about it."

Beau, straddling another one of the chairs backwards, explained the procedure, the risks involved, and the proper way to care for a new nose piercing. Then he pulled out a plastic sheet full of small piercing studs.

"You won't be able to take the stud out for about six weeks, so choose one you like."

Lily considered the array of gems before her. There were gems in every color of the rainbow. Finally she selected a small garnet stud.

"That's the one you want then?" said Beau.

Lily nodded.

"Alright, then come on back. Today's a slow day so I'll do you myself.

*****BWST*****

The actual piercing hurt, but not as much as Lily had expected it to. Once it was done Beau held up a mirror and Lily admired the results.

"What do you think?" asked Beau.

"Looks good," said Teddy approvingly.

"I like it," agreed Lily with a smile.

The three of them went back out into the main room of the shop and Teddy paid Beau at the counter.

"See you later," Beau said, rings glinting in the reflected light from the hanging beads as he waved at them.

Lily waved back. "Bye! Thanks!"

"You take care of that piercing, mind," Beau called.

"I will," Lily assured him.

*****BWST*****

"We're back!" Teddy called as he and Lily came through the door of number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Oh good," said Ginny, coming around the corner from the living room, where she had been tidying up. "Now will you tell me where you went?"

Harry appeared behind her. "Let me see."

"Let you see what?" said Ginny suspiciously, eying her husband, daughter, and godson.

"Er—" said Lily.

"What's that on your face?" said Ginny, taking a step closer.

"A nose stud," said Lily.

"A what?"

"A nose stud," Lily repeated.

"Of all the—Teddy, are you responsible for this?"

"It was Lily's idea," said Teddy. "I just made the appointment and paid for it. Come Ginny, it looks cute."

"But—but—" spluttered Ginny. "You need parental permi—Harry!"

Harry looked at his wife guiltily. "Now, Ginny..."

"You allowed our daughter to get her nose pierced?" said Ginny, shaking her finger at him.

"Well...yes..."

"Probably at some Muggle...parlor or some such thing?" She looked at Teddy.

"Well yes," he said, "but..."

"That we know nothing about," she was back to Harry.

"Now, Ginny, really, Teddy wouldn't let her do anything that wasn't..."

Harry backed away around the corner, Ginny following him. The sounds of their voices faded out.

"Well, that went well," said Lily.

"Harry'll talk her down, he always does," said Teddy, hanging up his coat.

"Yeah, after she tears him down," said Lily, laughing.

*****BWST*****

Ginny was in the vast minority in her disapproval of Lily's new piercing. Hugo thought it was "wicked," Rose proclaimed it "really cool," James complimented her on her daring, Victoire called it "actually rather nice." Ron just laughed and Hermione shrugged her shoulders in a 'what can you do?' sort of way. Even Albus allowed that it was "pretty neat looking." As for Lily, she liked the addition to her new look. She felt more at home with her short spiky hair her looser fitting clothes and her new nose stud than she had ever felt with her old haircut and outfits. And she couldn't wait to show the nose piercing to Cassiopeia.

AN: I know it's pretty long and a lot of stuff happened. I hope you liked it. I had the haircut & wardrobe change planned for a while before I wrote this chapter, but I just thought of the nose piercing as I was writing it. I think it fit thought. I know it's a big change, but Lily is finally figuring out more of who she is.

-SQ