"HEY MOM! WHAT TIME DID HARRY'S LETTER SAY HE WOULD BE HERE?"
"Oh honestly. TOMORROW RON!"
Ginny lay on her bed listening to her brother and mother yell back and forth from the kitchen to Ron's room. It was the third time today he had asked her the same question. Ginny lay looking up at her ceiling. She had painted it blue with white clouds a few years ago and her father had enchanted it to look like the clouds were gently bowing across the sky. It always helped her clear her mind to look up and dream. At the moment however, nothing helped her clear her mind. All she could think about was that Harry was coming to spend the last two weeks of summer vacation with them at the Burrow. She had already cleaned her room spotless, not that he was coming into it, but on the off chance she left her door open she didn't want him to think she was a messy pig. Of course that was her problem. Harry thinking about her. At the moment he didn't, and she wanted to change that.
"It's not fair. He's best friends with Ron and doesn't even notice I'm alive."
"Maybe there's nothing to notice."
"Shut up."
Ginny hated that stupid mirror above her dresser. It was always sarcastic. She suspected Fred and George had tampered with it some time ago. But……maybe it had a point this time.
She rolled off her bed and stood in front of her mirror studying her reflection. She had a small oval shaped face, brown eyes, freckles and flaming red shoulder length hair. She stared at her hair. It was pretty dull looking, and so was her skin. In fact, Ginny had to admit, she was pretty plain and boring to look at. The problem was, she didn't know what to do to change anything. She thought about asking her mom, but that was too embarrassing. Maybe Hermione could help.
"That's it! I'll ask Hermione to loan me some muggle fashion magazines!"
Ginny ran upstairs to Ron's room.
"Hey Ron! Can I borrow Pig to send a letter to Hermione?"
Ron looked up from his comic. Ginny was standing in his doorway looking flushed and excited.
"What about?"
"RON! It's private!, Please….."
"Yeah, sure, go ahead."
"Thanks!"
~~
Hermione was in her room studying as usual when Pig flew in her window.
Hermione,
I hope you don't bind my bothering you on vacation and all, but I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor. I was hoping you could lend me some fashion magazines. You know, the muggle kind. I'd really appreciate it if you could. Thanks so much!
Ginny
"Weird."
Hermione muttered to herself. She and Ginny were okay friends, but not owl sending friends. She went downstairs to the parlor and picked out a good magazine from the pile that her parents had ordered for the waiting room at their dental office.
"I'm sure they'll be thrilled if they think I'm taking an interest in these kinds of things."
Hermione stared at Pig for a moment. She wasn't sure how he was going to carry the magazine. He was only a minute owl. She hesitated then rolled the magazine up tight and tied it to his legs. She watched him take off out the window drooping slightly from the weight on his legs.
~~~~
"Oh goody! Pig! I was so worried you wouldn't get here before Harry!"
Ginny practically squealed with excitement. She tore the string off the magazine and patted Pig on the head for the good job he did. He hooted feebly and flew off to his cage to rest.
Ginny started reading the articles with interest.
~~~~
An hour later Ginny sat in front of her mirror holding a pair of tweezers in one hand and a cold washcloth in the other. She plucked one hair and then rubbed the cold cloth on the spot.
* I can do this! *
She gritted her teeth and plucked another hair.
*Muggles are crazy! But they do have pretty eyebrows!*
Twenty minutes later she stared at herself. She had managed to 'clean' her upper lid underneath her eyebrows. She noticed the slight arch she now had. She smiled at herself in the mirror. Well, at least it was a start.
"Okay, now for mud mask. Mud mask?"
She re-read the article again. Yep. A mud mask. She sighed.
* Well it works for a muggle it'll work for me. I hope.*
Ginny went downstairs and went outside. She looked around for a clean spot of yard. She hesitated, then scooped some mud into a small bowl. Back in the kitchen she added some water and mixed up some mud. Fred and George watched her from the table.
"Cooking dinner, Ginny?"
"Cause if you are, we've already ate!"
Ginny ignored them and took the bowl upstairs to her bedroom. She sat at her dresser and looked at the mud. She stuck three fingers in the mud, closed her eyes and slopped it on. After she spread it on her face she waited the required twenty minutes and then washed it off. The only difference Ginny noticed was her skin felt tight and dry.
"Ugh. Muggles are nuts. This didn't help."
Ginny snuck into her mom's room and used some of her "Everlasting Moisture" moisturizer.
Back into her bedroom she looked in the mirror again. Her skin was pinker, and it looked really clean. But she wasn't beautiful like she wanted. She sighed and kept looking for ideas in the magazine.
Half an hour later she had pulled her hair into a sleek topknot on her head. She turned her head from side to side to see the whole effect. It seemed to minimize the amount of red hair a person saw when looking her. Plus it gave a pretty upswept and elegant look to her face. She looked at herself for awhile and then decided it was too much. It looked like she was trying to hard. She wanted Harry to notice her, not laugh at her. She tried again. She brushed her hair from the front to the back. She started at her ears and pulled her hair away from her face, took a clip and clipped it in the back of her head. She paused to look at her handiwork. Her shoulder length hair was visible from behind her ears, but her bangs and sides were pulled back into a clip. Something was missing. She reached up to her bangs and pulled a lock of hair above her left eye out of the clip. She turned her head back and forth. She liked it. It was simple, but pretty and stylish. She noticed that it really showed off her eyes now that there wasn't any hair hiding them. She grinned into the mirror. She decided to get her mom's opinion. She got up and still grinning walked into the kitchen.
She didn't see her mom anywhere, so she stepped outside to look for her.
!*!*!* Wham!*!*!*
"Hey!"
Ginny looked up to see Harry rubbing his nose where her forehead had hit him. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh! Harry, what you doing here?!"
She blurted out before she could stop herself. Harry looked at her curiously before answering.
"I'm spending the last two weeks of the summer with Ron, remember?"
"Oh, right."
Ginny mumbled and moved out his way. She saw her parents talking over to the side of the house petting and talking to a stray tabby cat. Ron was bringing in Hedwig's cage. Ron paused by her in the doorway.
"You look really nice."
Ginny and Ron looked at each awkwardly for a moment before he continued on into the house.
*WoW! A compliment from my own brother! *
Ginny fairly skipped over to her parents. Her mother stopped talking the moment she saw Ginny.
"Ginny! You look lovely, dear. Has Harry noticed?"
Her father winked knowingly at her.
Ginny turned bright red all the way to the tips of her ears.
