A/N-Hey, thanks for reviewing mish-serenity, wrc g-rp, wingless87 -yeah it will be different, i hope you'll like it and thanks for reviwing. and stars around the moon -yes she will get noticed, and i hope this chapter is long enough. ;)

Damsel in a Cute Dress

Chapter 3 – A Whole New Me

We first went to get my hair done.

'Tina's Tress Palace' the sign read. I almost left then and there. I was getting my hair done at a Tress Palace?

"Relax," Maril said, noticing my second thoughts, "They actually quite good despite the name. I got my hair done at this place last time I came here."

I was somewhat reassured. Maril's hair had looked good.

The interior of the 'palace' was decorated in reds and golds. So gaudy I almost puked.

A red haired woman jumped in front of us. She has pasty skin that was loaded with makeup. Blood red lips and sky blue eyes.

"Marilynn!" She screamed. "Your hair! Gorgeous!"

"Hi, Tina. You are looking quite lovely as well" Maril complimented.

Tina was quite flattered by the remark.

"Well, this is my brother and this is my cousin, Hermione, she wants to get her hair done today."

Tina eyed me critically. She smiled at me. "Come her darling, I know just the thing."

She sat me down on a chair and I leaned my head back. After my hair had been washed, Tine wrapped it up in a towel.

"You look like Marge Simpson!" Sylver laughed. He gestured to the big blue towel on my head.

"Hermione, we're going to get you some clothes and stuff. We'll be back soon. Have fun!" Maril informed me.

I smiled and said bye. I picked up a book that was lying around and read, while Tina was doing my hair. I didn't even notice that she had toned down the frizz into soft curls and my dry strands were now shiny. My mud-brown color had honey highlights. When I looked in the mirror I almost couldn't believe it. Almost.

Damn, I thought, this woman was good!

My hair was a few inches shorter, very much more shiner, really soft, had a nicer color and frizz-free.

Tine handed me two bottles. One was shampoo and the other conditioner.

"These," she said, "will keep your hair in good condition and it won't get out of control."

She also took out another, smaller bottle.

"This, you should spray on your hair to keep the shine. It's called hair serum." Tina told me.

I was quite lost when it came to make-up, hair care and fashion. So I obviously had no idea what a serum for hair was. She explained, thankfully.

Maril returned shortly. With her were half a dozen shopping bags. She dropped them on the floor and ran up to me.

"Hermione," she sighed, "Your hair!"

"I know." I smiled.

Maril laughed, "It looks great! Wait till Sylver sees it, he's by the hotdog stand. Let's go."

Maril paid for the styling, coloring, and items and gave Tina a generous tip.

We met Sylver at the hotdog stand. He couldn't believe how great my hair looked. I knew, I couldn't believe it either!

Maril glanced at her wristwatch.

"Wow, we actually finished quite fast. Let's go grab a coffee or something."

"We finished? What about clothes and stuff?" I asked.

"Oh, we got that while your hair was being done." Sylver replied.

"Really? Thanks so much, Maril!" I was truly grateful.

"That's alright," she said waving it away. "Where's the nearest café?"

We had a quick coffee and sandwiches and then headed home.

Little later we were in my room. Maril tipped all the shopping bags out on the bed.

That was a lot of clothes. Crookshanks sat on the side of the bed bathing himself with his paws. I picked him up and put him on my lap.

The clothes, I noticed, were very different from what I usually wore.

There was a lot of short stuff, strappy stuff, skanky stuff and so on.

One after another she held up an item of clothing.

"Maril," I said softly, "This is great and all, but I don't wear stuff like that."

"Duh," she said, rolling her eyes, "I noticed. So I bought you a whole new wardrobe!" she waved a hand towards to the pile of clothes on the bed.

"Yeah, but..." I stroked Crookshanks head.

"Just relax." Maril advised. "You'll learn to like wearing these clothes. Just try them on, go on!"

"Uh...okay." I said hesitantly. I put Crookshanks down. I tried on a pink halter and a denim miniskirt.

I had to admit it did look good, just not me.

I could just imagine Pansy and her friends taking a stab at my new style.

"OoOo, Look who's trying to fit in!" and so on.

Then again, I thought about Draco.

You know, I had read these stories about him. On 'Slytherin's Heir'. Yes that is a weekly newsletter filled with love stories, poems, articles and things all about Draco. 3 Guesses who started that. Pansy again! I had subscribed anonymously of course. Anyway, there are loads of stories where 'fictional' characters return to Hogwarts after the summer with huge makeovers and Draco suddenly falls in love with them and they live happily after. So far nothing like that had happened. But what if it did? To me? I twirled in front of the mirror again, almost tripping on Crookshanks.

"Oh come on," Maril said, grinning, "You like it! Right?"

"A little, I could use a change." I said.

"Exactly! So, I'll be leaving in a few days, and you're starting school soon, so what do you want to do?"

We decided that Maril would sleepover tonight and then tomorrow we would find something to do, preferably not shopping.

We stayed up late at night discussing all sorts of things, guys, make up, clothes and school. Until...

She found my Advanced Theories of Transfiguration stuffed under the bed.

"Hey, what's this?" she asked, opening up the book.

I grabbed the book from her hand and threw it in the wardrobe and locked its doors.

"Uh..." Maril stood there speechless.

"Hermione! I can't believe it!" she said.

I fully thought she knew I was a witch. She practically read a whole page! A whole page can tell a lot you know, it can tell people that you're a witch.

"Now, Maril, don't tell anyone, only my parents know and now you..." I said, trying to calm her down.

"Your parents know??!! You parents know that," she stopped to take a deep breath, "Your parents know that you read porn??!!"

"WHAT?" now even I was surprised, everyone knew that Maril had a wild imagination, but not this wild!

"That book," she said, "was porn right?"

"No!" I shouted.

"Come on, Hermione, you don't need to deny it. If it wasn't porn then what was it?" she demanded.

"Uh...a school book."

"A school book? God!! Why'd you lock it up in the cupboard then?"

"Uh..." I struggled.

"Just admit that it's porn, okay! I'm your cousin you can tell me!"

I realized that telling her it was porn might just get her off my back, if I truthfully denied it then she might get suspicious. Her thinking I read dirty books will be better than her finding out I'm a witch. Right?

I bowed my head, for added effect. "Yes, it's porn."

"I knew it. Gawd, you're such a dirty bitch, Hermione."

I laughed feebly.

We returned to what we were doing at the time, which was trying on different types of make up. I was dreadful at doing my make up. My lip stick went out-of-the-lines. My mascara and eyeliner smudged. I was terrible. Just terrible. Each time Maril would have to do my face over again.

"Girl," she said, "You need help, and fast!"

I had figured I needed help, but help from whom, what or where?

The answer was on my dressing table the next morning, as usual I had gotten up late and Maril had time to go pick up a few things for me.

The things were magazines. A whole stack of them on my dressing table. Everyone one of them had a key article on applying make up.

So after I had a wash and changed I picked up the first magazine and read it. This was an exception, I never read magazines. They were a waste of my time. But now, they were all the help I needed. I had to impress Draco with my new style. I knew he just wasn't going to fall in love with an out-of-the-line-lipstick girl with smudged mascara and eyeliner.

By the end of the day I could apply my lipstick without going out of the lines and my eyeliner or mascara didn't smudge one bit! That was a huge triumph.

The rest of the days I spent with Maril were fun, we did go shopping again, much to my dismay, but we bought more stuff for her instead of me. She bought me loads of make up for me to practice with. After she and Sylver left, life was pretty boring.

I just packed all my new things in my trunk and got ready for my trip to Diagon Alley the next day to get all my school things. I had written to Harry and Ron beforehand to tell them to come too. So they'd better be there.

I also remembered to take Advanced Theories of Transfiguration out of the cupboard. I stuffed it into my trunk and then pushed the trunks under my bed.

I brushed Crookshanks today, and because of that I had ginger cat hairs all over my new skirt and top. I dusted them off before I reached London anyway.

Diagon Alley was crowded, as usual. What do you expect a day before Hogwarts opens?

Even in the crowd it was easy to spot a carroty colored head full of hair with a jet black one. I ran up behind Harry and gave him a big hug, and then I gave one to Ron.

"What the-" said Harry, when two arms slid around his waist from behind him.

"Who the hell-" was Ron's reaction.

They finally realized it was me, which took a long time due to my change in hairstyle and clothing.

"Hermione! What happened to you?" Harry said stunned.

"It's not that bad is it?" I asked.

"Yeah it is!" said Ron. Harry nudged him, "I mean, it's good, very good."

"Ha ha ha," I fake laughed, "very funny, now tell me is it that bad?"

"No, it's not; Ron was just playing with you." Harry said, running a hand through his messy hair, "Weren't you Ron?" When Ron didn't answer, he nudged him quite hard and said, "Weren't you Ron?" in a louder, harsher voice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah I was just joking." Then his head turned to stare at the newest broomstick that had come out. "Harry, look, it's the Nimbus 2000 range at half price! I'm going to ask George to get it for me. The twins have been earning a lot you know."

I sighed, "Well, I'd better go get my books, Harry you going to-" I said.

Only I couldn't finish. There was a flash of platinum blonde right in front of me...

A/N- Hope you liked it. Now i will try to update as soon as i can, but with exams going on i'm not sure how soon. I really have to study on account i did really bad last year, lol, but i'll find time to update. please don't get mad if it's not quick enough. Don't forget to review!