Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.

A/N: Thank you VERY much to everyone who left a comment/review! Can't thank you enough. Thanks to everyone who just read too!

One note about the story: I took the year that is mentioned in one part (how vague does that sound?) from the timeline of Remus's life on the HP Lexicon.


"Three enormous stacks of pancakes," Mrs. Weasley called, as she levitated the three plates over to the kitchen table, where Ginny, Hermione and Tonks all sat. "One, two and three…with extra syrup for my baby girl," she added, lovingly pinching Ginny's cheek.

"Mum," Ginny moaned, swatting her away.

"Thank you," Hermione spoke up over the sounds of food being cut, scraped and loudly chewed, that was coming from the seat next to her. "Tonks, breathing…it's a necessity."

Tonks shoved another forkful of dripping pancakes into her mouth, smiling smugly at Hermione. "Molly?" Tonks asked, after she swallowed. "Aren't you having any?"

"Oh, no, dear," Mrs. Weasley answered, picking up her bowl of granola bits and cut strawberries. "Trying to watch the weight," she added, tapping her round stomach.

Ginny stopped her fork half way to her mouth, as soon as Mrs. Weasley finished speaking, and left the room. She lowered it back down to her plate and looked between Hermione and Tonks. "Hey," she shouted, to draw their attention away from their own breakfasts. Tonks and Hermione looked up at her, raising their eyebrows in silent questions. "Shouldn't we be watching the weight?" Ginny asked.

"Why should we?" Hermione asked. She understood the chemical balances that occur in the body of a girl her age. Metabolism was in its best form, and Hermione knew that there was no healthy reason to diet.

"Yeah," Tonks stepped in. "It's not like it matters if we get fat," she added, twisting Hermione's question into something completely different. "I want to get fat actually," Tonks continued, pouring more syrup onto her pancakes. "That'll make men notice me more."

Ginny sniggered, patting her own flat abdomen, as if she was bidding it farewell.

"Tonks," Hermione sighed in exasperation. She put her fork down and pointed at Tonks' tiny, so thin it appeared to be caving in on itself, belly. "First of all, it will take more than one stack of pancakes to make you fat. And two, you're a Metamorphmagus! You can make your stomach protrude at your own will!"

Tonks pushed her chair back so that she was sitting a foot away from the table. She screwed her face up, and a second later her stomach shifted from flat to bulbous.

"You just look pregnant," Ginny commented, giggling slightly.

Tonks laughed, and nodded. Her stomach switched back to its normal appearance. "Plus," she started, pulling her chair back to the table. "It didn't feel right; like instead of being filled with food particles, I was just filled with air."

Ginny made a sound of curiosity, while Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her breakfast.

They ate in silence for a minute; too busy savoring the sweet, fluffy morsels to care about chit chat or plans any more.

The kitchen door suddenly swung open with vigor, demanding their attention. All three heads perked up and turned to look at who walked in. Ron strode over to them, his head raised high. He pulled out the chair next to Hermione and sat himself down. His eyes didn't swim around the room, or check out what everyone else was eating, or even look to make sure their was nothing on his chair before he sat down; what was that squelch sound, he thinks in the back of his head. His eyes were held fixedly on Hermione.

She refused to acknowledge him.

Ginny and Tonks bit their lips to shut out the grins that threatened to come out and tease Hermione.

"Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said, as she came into the kitchen from the dining room. "Are you hungry? Would you want some pancakes, too?"

Ron didn't blink or shift his ogling eyes. A rushed hand wave was all Mrs. Weasley got out of her son, which prompt her to huff in annoyance and exit the room.

Hermione could feel her cheek burning. Not just the sensation of burning; she was almost positive her face was on fire. Her fingers twitched into a ball. She was ready. One outburst of laughter from Tonks, who was doing a bad job of acting her age, and Hermione, would be ready to attack.

Ron finally took in a large breath and cleared his throat. "Hermione?" he asked, his voice almost begging for her attention. Hermione turned her head; her eyes cold, but her face giving away how she really felt. "Listen." Ron started, shifting in his chair. "I'm sorry I called you mentally old…or whatever I said. But, I'm sorry. You're not old…I mean mentally you might be, but…oh, sorry. What I'm trying to say is that, you're not old, you're just serious. I mean, you're not Sirius…bloody hell; why would you even think that's what I meant?" Ron started laughing nervously, twisting his fingers together in his lap. "I guess I'm just trying to tell you that I'm sorry for…for being a prat."

Ron fell silent. He tried to smile normally, but the blushing of his cheeks, the shaking of his hands, and the sweating of his forehead made him feel nothing less than awkwardly placed.

"I forgive you-"

"The plan!" Tonks shout stopped Hermione's voice. "Remember the plan?"

Hermione frowned. She quickly thought about not going along with Tonks' plan, but then something, some small, usually forgotten voice, hidden deep inside her brain, told her to stick to the plan.

"Ronald," Hermione started over, nodding her head at Ron and then turning to re-face her plate. "Thank you for your apology." She sat up straight in her chair and forked a piece of pancake. "I'll consider it."

"What?" Ron asked. He stood up, aggravation now evident through his entire face. "Consider it? You just said that you forgave me?"

Hermione shrugged and continued to eat.

Ron stared at the top of Hermione's head for one second longer, before he threw his hands into the air and stormed off, back to his room.

Once the door closed, Hermione sighed loudly and covered her face with her hands. "That was horrible of me," she mumbled through her fingers. "I feel terrible. I should apologize."

"No," Ginny shouted. "Don't feel bad!" Ginny shifted into the chair next to her, so that she was sitting across from Hermione and not Tonks. "If you follow through with Tonks plans, then Ron will forgive you and the two of you can finally be together."

To Hermione's disgust, there was not a hint of sarcasm in Ginny's voice. "I don't like Ron," she said.

Ginny looked at Tonks, and the two burst into crazed laughter. "Ok," Tonks said, slightly out of breath. "Ginny's right, Hermione; my plan is genius!" Tonks elongated her spiky violet hair, just so she could flick it off her shoulder with emphasis. "All we have to do is," Tonks stopped to bring her hair back to its normal shortness. "Act aloof, but appear desirable."

Hermione nodded; she was stuck in this house, stuck with these two girls as friends, stuck with this plan, and there was nothing better to do than go along with it.

Ginny sprang up from her seat and rubbed her hands together. "You know what we need?" she asked, leering above Tonks and Hermione.

"I don't want to know," Hermione mumbled. She folded her used napkin up into a neat triangle and set it on top of her plate.

"Makeovers," Tonks shouted, getting to her feet.

Ginny nodded dangerously. Tonks grabbed Hermione's arm, forcing her to get up and follow Ginny out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Once again, Tonks," Hermione spoke as the three ascended the stairs. "You're a Metamorphmagus. You give yourself a makeover all the time. You just did it two minutes ago at the table. This isn't a new fact!"

Inside Ginny's and Hermione's room, Tonks closed the door. "Hermione," she whined. "Have some fun! Everyone else is."

Hermione's mouth dropped in shock.

"Let's all shake, a secret girl's club hand shake," Tonks continued, approaching Ginny, who was bouncing with glee, and Hermione, who was trying to remember where she left her book; I think it's under my pillow, stuffed under the pillowcase, actually.

Ginny took Tonks' outstretched hand, and forced Hermione to do the same. Hermione didn't care anymore, so she grabbed Tonks' other hand. "This handshake means that we will not point out obvious facts to other members nor will we deter them from pursing a new hair style or look."

After they shook hands, Hermione stumbled dizzily over to her bed, and collapsed on top of it.

"Who wants to go first?" Ginny said, settling herself on the edge of her bed.

"I will," Tonks offered, moving to sit next to Ginny; "since I'll be the easiest. I'm a Metamorphmagus, you know? Or so I'm told." Hermione sent Tonks a grimace worthy of her level of annoyance.

"Ok," Tonks continued, ignoring Hermione. "What kind of look would Remus lik- I mean any guy, really. What would any guy like?"

"Tonks," Hermione blurted out, springing to her feet. "Remus doesn't fancy you! Not like that. And no matter how you change your hair, his feelings won't change, because Remus isn't that kind of man. He doesn't like women based solely on what color their hair is, or how much makeup they wear. Remus likes women for who they are, the kind of conversations they can carry…things they don't teach you in Auror training. And that's what makes Remus so much better than anyone else."

Tonks and Ginny stayed still, eyes widened and held on Hermione. "Her-my-oh-nee," Tonks started, speaking slow like she just learned how to use her voice. "Do I need to remind you about the handshake?" She held up her hand.

Hermione sank down to her bed with confusion. She honestly expected a new war to break out right inside the four walls of this room.

"You know what, Hermione?" Ginny spoke up. "You still have that time turner?" Hermione shook her head. "Maybe you should get it back. How many turns to bring you back to Hogwarts circa 1975?"

Hermione glared at Ginny, and slid back across her bed, so that her back was straight against the wall.

"Ginny, how about we work on your makeover," Tonks suggested. At that, both Ginny and Tonks broke into instant giggles. Tonks pulled Ginny's hair up, letting it fall back down, as she sat back, considering her possibilities.

Ginny clawed through Tonks makeup bag, picking out eye shadows and lip glosses.

Hermione prodded her hand underneath the small pile of pillows on her bed. Pawing around blindly, she squealed triumphantly when her fingers brushed against hard binding. She pulled the book over to herself, flipping it open it the page she last read.

Just as Tonks began combing through Ginny's hair, their door squeaked open and a dark head peaked inside.

"Sirius," Tonks screamed. "Don't you knock?"

"What's going on in here?" Sirius questioned, ignoring Tonks.

Ginny shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide her reddening face from Sirius. The last time he saw her, she was trying to make out with him; mortification began to settle in the pit of her stomach.

"We're having makeovers," Tonks said, to Sirius.

Sirius' face lit up, and be began to twirl a tendril of his silky, black hair around his finger. "I want a makeover," he whined, batting his eyelashes at his easiest target; Ginny.

Ginny immediately forgot that she was embarrassed to be in Sirius' presence, and began to nod her head enthusiastically.

"Ginny," Tonks hissed. She grabbed the top of Ginny's head to stop her from moving. "Sirius? Isn't getting a makeover, a little girly?"

Sirius shrugged. "I want a cool, slick new hair style; like-"

"Go find Remus then," Tonks butted in. She got off of Ginny's bed and began pushing her older, and taller, cousin out of the room.

"Remus? He has no style. I-" Tonks slammed the door on Sirius' voice and face.

Ginny looked at Hermione, and pretended to wipe her brow. Hermione understood what Ginny meant; she could see the tension on Ginny's face the moment Sirius stepped into the room.

"Hermione," Tonks cried, inching towards Hermione. She tapped her hairbrush on her palm, like she had transfigured her wand into it. "I've been dying to brush this out."

Tonks lunged at Hermione, who screamed at the highest pitch she could manage, and sprang off her bed.

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Ginny laughed.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Hermione asked, jumping behind Ginny to dodge Tonks.

"Everything," Ginny deadpanned, obviously kidding. Ginny turned around to face Hermione. Tonks stopped her chase, to laugh at Ginny's comment. "Hmm," Ginny began, eyeing Hermione's hair. "I wonder what kind of look Ron would prefer."

Hermione sighed, complete with an insulted look. She reached and grabbed Ginny's shoulders. "I…do…not…fancy…Ronald," she said, shaking Ginny roughly with every word.

"Yeah? And I'm George."

Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks turned their attention to the door. Fred, who just spoke, was standing there still pointing to George at his side.

"How can anyone really tell?" Tonks prompted.

"Do you want to know what kind of girl Ron would want, or not?" George said, picking up where his brother left off.

"No," Hermione blurted out; a little too fast.

"Our baby brother…he likes girls that have hair-"

"Brown hair."

"That's kind of bushy."

"With brown eyes."

"And she should be smart-"

"-because Merlin knows he isn't."

"OUT," Hermione bellowed. She launched herself at Fred and George, chasing them out of the room.

Hermione slammed the bedroom door shut, and spun back around to face the room. She shrieked when she found Tonks standing an inch from her face, armed and ready with her hairbrush.

Clutching her hair, Hermione bolted away from Tonks, shrieking louder than ever.

"Just sit still," Tonks screamed, laughing hysterically. She tripped seven times, as she chased Hermione around the room.

On her fourth sweep past the door, Tonks suddenly found her hand missing something important. She halted in her tracks, and whipped around. Standing by the now open door, holding the hairbrush securely in his hand, was Remus.

Hermione swooned; then remembered that normal, smart people didn't swoon. She shook her head, and tried her hardest not to look at Remus.

"Lupin," Tonks scolded. "You're ruining makeover time." Ginny flipped off the bed where she had been sitting, holding up her fresh manicured hands, hyperventilating with laughter.

"Molly has requested that Hermione and Ginny come help her and the boys clean the sitting room," Remus instructed, eyeing Ginny with a worried look.

"Oh, but my nails," Ginny whined, displaying her glittering pink finger nails.

"Tonks?" Remus continued. "Don't you have real work to do?"

Tonks shrugged, smirking up at Remus. "Probably," she said.

"Oh, but its Harry's birthday," Hermione shouted, as she walked over to help Ginny up off the floor. "Isn't it a national holiday?" Hermione made a show of elbowing Ginny in the side. Ginny's freshly blushed cheeks turned even darker.

Remus handed Tonks her hairbrush back. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, he left the room.

"I think Professor Lupin needs a makeover," Ginny said, sitting back down and blowing at her nails.

"No, he doesn't," Hermione shouted.

"Remus is handsome," Tonks added.

"I mean, he's no Sirius Black, but…" Hermione's voice trailed off. Tonks snapped her fingers in front of Hermione's face.

"Not you too," she mumbled. Hermione tilted her head to the side, pondering her answer. "Never mind," Tonks continued; "back to the makeovers."


Hermione and Ginny descended the stairs of number 12 Grimmauld Place with apprehension. They quickly made their silent way into the sitting room, where Mrs. Weasley's scolding voice could all ready be heard.

"And if I hear one more complaint, I'll…Ginny! Hermione! Are you wearing makeup?"

Ginny nodded smugly, while Hermione tried to push her hair over her face. She allowed Tonks to put makeup on her, but hair straightening was where she drew the line.

"Why?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked, grabbing Ginny's face.

"They want to look pretty, mum," Fred supplied. George put his head on his brother's shoulder, batting his eyelashes, and pouting his lips.

"Stop it you two, back to work!" Mrs. Weasley turned her attention back to Ginny. "You look very…grown up," she said.

Ginny looked at Hermione, hardly able to suppress her glee. "Thanks mum," she squeaked.

"I would like you girls to clean those windows. Soap and water should do it." Mrs. Weasley indicated the two buckets that were sitting underneath the second row of streaked windows in the sitting room.

Hermione grabbed Ginny, before she could complain about getting her nails dirty, and dragged her over to the window.

As they passed the first set of windows, Hermione couldn't help but make eye contact with Ron; he was perched up on a ladder, mouth hanging open, and eyes following Hermione's every step.

"Ron," Hermione muttered, bowing her head at Ron to acknowledge his presence. Then she stopped walking and turned back to him. "Did you send our packages out to Harry? I forgot to ask you."

"Oh, yes," Ron said, jumping off his ladder. He tried to turn his near wipe out into a cool dismount, but his feet became tangled around themselves. He did manage to lean somewhat casually against the wall. "Pig should be on his way back soon, I reckon. Sorry, I didn't let you know. I probably meant to tell you this morning, but, well…um, ahem, nice, um, hair."

"Thanks," Hermione mumbled. She held in her want to laugh; her hair was the only thing not fixed differently. Hermione also chose to completely ignore that Ron complemented her and that she thought it was cute.

Ginny pulled Hermione away from Ron and over to the windows they were told to clean. "Act aloof," she whispered to Hermione. "Then he'll admit that he likes you."

"I don't want him to," Hermione whispered back.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Anyways, this isn't fun! I don't get to clean and attract men. I just get to clean; except replace get to with forced to." Ginny gingerly grabbed onto the bubbly, soapy sponge and held it up between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Help clean, she orders. It's your job, she says. I'dliketoshowherwhatIreallythinkofherjobs." Sirius stopped his grumbling, and looked up at Ginny and Hermione, who were frozen in front of their window.

"Wow, ladies," Sirius started, dropping his low angry tones, for his normal low smooth ones. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks, Sirius," Hermione giggled; for the first time she didn't feel stupid for acting girly.

Ginny nodded casually and went back to her work.

Sirius frowned at the back of Ginny's head. "So, Miss Weasley, your mother's making you clean too; and with freshly painted nails? The nerve!"

Hermione laughed under her breath, continuing to scrub her section of the window. Ginny didn't laugh, or blink, or pause in her cleaning.

Sirius frowned again. He looked at Ron for help; but he seemed too busy trying not to stare at Hermione. Then Sirius thought that perhaps Ginny was mad at him for what he said last night.

"Ginny?" Sirius asked, approaching her. "Are you mad?"

"No," Ginny simply said. She still didn't look at Sirius.

"Are you sure?"

Ginny nodded.

"Because if you are…I'm sorry."

Ginny shrugged, and moved over to the next window pane.

"Do you want to go get something to eat later?" Sirius blurted out.

Hermione and Ginny both dropped their sponges. "Sirius," Hermione shouted. She threw her hand, still covered with soap, over Ginny's mouth. "You can't leave the house!"

"Oh, yeah," Sirius muttered. "Well, then, Ginny do you want to go get something to eat from the kitchen?"

"Are you insane?" Hermione shouted, her hand gripping over Ginny's struggling mouth.

"I…don't…know," Sirius whispered. He stared at Ginny, before turning around quickly. He shuffled over to a chair by the door, shot one more curious look at Ginny, before he sank into the seat.

Hermione turned Ginny around, and let go of her mouth. She pointed her finger at Ginny, as a warning not to go running over to Sirius. Ginny bit her bottom lip, her eyes watering with suppressed joy.

"I think I owe you 500 pretend Galleons," Hermione said. Ginny's face burst into a surprised smile.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well," Hermione started, her eyes falling over to Sirius for a moment. "You obviously won our bet."

Ginny smiled even wider and chanced a glance at Sirius who was scratching his head, and muttering to himself. "So, the best girl did win," she said.

"Something weird is going on!" Remus's voice entered the room seconds before he did. Sirius sprang up to meet him, and everyone's head turned towards the noise.

"What happened Remus?" Sirius asked.

"I kissed Tonks," Remus choked out.

"You what?"

"I kissed Tonks. I don't know why. She was standing there, in the kitchen, acting aloof to everything I was saying. Then I complemented her and she still ignored me…so I kissed her." Remus sank down into the chair that Sirius was previously sitting in. "I think she put a spell on me," he added, in a strangled voice.

"We need to go find her," Ginny whispered to Hermione. "But, not to kill her," Ginny added, looking at Hermione's face which was fixed with a look of utter loathing.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm a sensible young woman," Hermione hissed, more to remind herself than Ginny. The two girls quickly fled the room, Hermione having to force Ginny to pass Sirius without saying anything.

"Something is going on," Sirius commented, as he watched Hermione and Ginny flee the sitting room.

"There's something in the air," Ron spoke up. "Everyone….everyone female, is acting all crazed or something."

"We can tell you what's going on," George teased, dropping his sponge carelessly back into its bucket.

"Hermione, Ginny and Tonks are trying to lure you guys into their trap-"

"So that you'll all become hypnotized and do their bidding."

"We think," Fred added, for good measure.

"Well," Sirius shouted. "Two can play this game."

"I think I'm going to go brush my teeth," Remus said. "For the next five hours."