Author's note: this is a response to a growing problem of changing the characters we know and love in the harry potter universe. Here Hermoine gets some help avoiding the 'make-over' attempts....

Enjoy the fan fiction.

Relative Summer

By

Ragemoon

Hermoine looks out the window of the plane and sighed she could not believe this. She looked at the cat carrier under the seat infront of her. "I know Crookshanks. Visiting my American cousins this is not going to be fun. Jean and Sarah are always trying to change the way I look. I swear they are a pair of rabid fangirls."

Her cat just purred from his confinement in the cat carrier. She sighed and began reading a new book on potion ingredients. She be damned if anyone tried to stop her from studying so she could be ahead of everyone else.

She sighed as the plane landed. Disembarking with her carry-on and her cat she sighed seeing her Aunt, Hermoine smiled. "Aunt Delia how goes it?" She noticed a new person standing next to her.

"It is all right Hermoine." Her aunt smiled. "The young woman who is with us is Marie. We just adopted her."

Hermoine could tell the girl was about her age. So, she knew it was unusual for her to be adopted so late in life. The girl was dressed very Goth and she winked at Hermoine. "Merry meet Hermoine I'll keep you safe from my lovely sisters I promise." Noticing the book as she helped Hermoine by taking the cat carrier from the other girl the cat for once did not react harshly to the new person who was carrying him.

"I take it they been telling tales again?' Hermoine sighed. "I hope they have not been plotting too badly. I hate to disappoint them with my refusal to play along with their make over plans."

"You'll be staying near my room so they better not dare." Marie sighed. "My room is off limits for the stunt they pulled on me." She shivered as they gathered Hermoine's two other pieces of luggage.

"What they do?" She asked as they got into her Aunt's car.

"They painted my room...pink." Marie shivered.

"Pink." Hermoine sighed seeing the dark clothing and long naturally black hair. That her newest cousin kept in a braid.

"You can already tell pink is not a color I believe in." Marie said with a smile. She noted Hermoine's smile. "I keep an herb garden. I hope you don't mind."

"Nope sounds lovely." Hermoine smiled lightly.

At her Aunt's house Marie showed Hermoine her room and let Crookshanks out of his carrier. She also noted that her new cousin was wearing a pentacle. "You practice?"

"Wicca, and old earth based magic using religion though I lean more toward the Celts and their gods and goddesses." Marie looked at her. "It does not offend you does it? I have an altar and things for my spell work. Nothing like what you are training to be able to do."

Hermoine smiled. "Mum warned everyone."

"She is proud of you and I can see why." Marie sighed. "I wish someone proud of me. Jean and Sarah call me a devil when Mom and Dad are not in hearing distance. It hurts when they do that."

"I can see that." Hermoine blinked. "Is that your cat?" She pointed to the black cat that was eyeing Crookshanks.

"Yes she is. Bast leave Crookshanks alone he belongs to Hermoine." The black cat reacted to Marie's words with seeming intelligence. She gifted the huge tomcat a look and relocated herself in her favorite spot on Marie's bed.

Marie showed Hermoine how their rooms were connected. She also showed Hermoine her books just in case she wanted to read something. "If you want me to braid you hair I will it will keep you hair tamed."

Hermoine smiled. "Thank you and I might take you up on that offer."

At dinner, Hermoine noted that her other two relatives looked to be their normal plotting selves. They were wearing the latest skater girl style between the two of them. That made Hermoine sigh for the two had no creativity they were like sheep and fashion slaves following the trends like they mattered.

After dinner she retreated to Marie's room and noted the other was curled up with a copy of Edgar Allen Poe's completed works there was a second copy waiting for her to pick up. "I picked up a second copy when Mom said that you were coming and liked to read. I don't know if you read Poe but he is pretty good."

"Thank you, have not had a chance to read any American authors." Hermoine sat in the second chair and the two read in happy silence with the occasional blare from Sarah and Jean's rooms of their radios.

"Well now. It's getting late I suggest you go to bed." Marie looked over at Hermoine.

"I will." She got up and looked at her new cousin. "Those two have been too quite and they left us to our own devices. I don't like the sudden ill feeling I get."

"They better not of Hermoine." Marie and Hermoine went into Hermoine's new room and opened her drawers. Both of their eyes widened. None of Hermoine's things were the same. They were all ultra trendy and not at all Hormone's style.

"Oh sweet Goddess they did." Marie sighed. "I have an army duffel bag. Let's get this crap into it." Hermoine nodded numbly. She was in shock that they steal her clothing and replace it with such dreadful clothing. So they got the duffel bag and stuffed it with all the trendy clothing and then Marie brought back Hermoine a short sleep set and Hermoine laughed. "Cute but Psycho." She laughed.

"They are my fave pair those and these." She laughed and motioned to her P.J.'s.

Hermoine read. "Psycho ward outpatient." Hermoine giggled. "We'd better tell Aunt Delia."

"We will tomorrow she is asleep." Marie agreed. Hermoine sighed knowing her new kinswoman was right.

The next day Hermoine looked though Marie's clothing. She found some plain jeans and a t-shirt with the Cheshire Cat on it. She noted that Marie was dressed much the same. Her t-shirt had a really cute bunny on it until you read the words. Hermoine giggled and shook her head as Marie winked.

"Well does those work? I found all my not quite Goth stuffs for you." Marie looked at her.

Hermoine smiled brightly at Marie. "I like the jeans and the t-shirts." She smiled. "It's not like your trying to force your style on me."

"True I am not." Marie smiled as the two went down to get breakfast. Marie wanted to show Hermoine the woods behind the house. One of the few places that Marie knew her siblings would not follow her.

So they ate their breakfast and told Delia what the other two had done. Delia was not happy with her two daughters and their behaviors.

In the woods, Marie showed Hermoine the plants and gave her their names. Hermoine's surprise she was enjoying herself. Marie knew all kinds of plants and explained that it was part of her studies potion brewing.

She showed Hermoine a few of the books she studied from and found her relative was learning actual potion work. She also found that like Snape her horrid potion's teacher and master of potions at Hogwarts that Marie had a flair for potions.

She found that with Marie she could practice her potions work with. It made both girls happy. That and Jean and Sarah grounded helped tons as well.