Title: Filter Effect
Summary: In order to change the outsides of something you don't like, you have to change the insides, Hermione realized with a start.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to the anonymous reviewer that told me that she liked it a lot. To assuage your worries, Hermione is going to stay Hermione. Harry and Ron are out of character but I needed them to be catalysts. I kind of have a vague idea of where this is going…but not really. Oh…I also see that I got 58 hits…please, be nice, and review so I know that I'm not talking to a bloody wall! Thanks again to those who did, this chapter is for you! Onward and forth with the Hermione ranting!
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Part One:
A blast of heat to the face was Hermione's first impression. After passing through the double doors into the interior of the mall, she looked at the lines of shops and listened to the high-pitched giggles of girls her age with some slight distaste, but resolutely started forward. Pressing a hand to her back pocket, she checked that the money was still with her, and receiving a negative of pick pocketing, wandered down the first line of shops, glancing through the windows as she passed.
There didn't seem to be many clothing stores in this section, but Hermione still walked along, hoping to catch a window with some clothes on display. She was in luck, because to her left and up two stores, she could see jeans and what looked like a designer shirt on a mannequin. Without glancing at the name of the store, she headed inside.
Not exactly what she had in mind, Hermione realized a second too late. (A/N Think Hollister, for all ya'll Americans.) She took in the racks of torn jeans, white shirts emblazoned with the name of the store, and the beached blonde appearance of the employees with a raised eyebrow. A few long minutes passed as she wandered around the store, trying to imagine herself walking around in these kinds of clothes, but it didn't work. Meaning, she couldn't imagine herself in those clothes. All right, then, time to hightail it the hell out of there.
'Perhaps I should rethink exactly what I am going to be looking for today…' Hermione flopped onto a nearby bench just outside the shop and shoved a hand through the coarse curls that hung nearly to her hips. 'Well, if what I just saw isn't what I'm planning on looking like, then maybe I'll look for the opposite.' Hermione had no desire to be a walking billboard for a muggle store when she'd be spending the majority of her time in the Wizarding world. Do use your common sense.
Glancing up from her seated position, Hermione was just gearing up to stand when she caught sight of something most mothers would be shielding their children from. She watched the girl walk towards her, absorbing the thick ebony hair, and the harsh black shadow around what appeared to be dark green eyes. Hermione's gaze slowly slid from dark eyes to the figure's neck, falling in love with the ornate gothic looking black and red choker encircling her pale neck. A large transparent amethyst colored stone was dangling in the hollow of her throat, and Hermione watched the fluorescent lights glint across its many faces.
The girl was perhaps twenty feet away from where Hermione sat when she stopped to talk with someone. Given the opportunity to observe more closely, Hermione seized the chance and followed the dangling stone to the top that the girl wore. It was low cut, Hermione noticed, and was tighter than Hermione would ever dare to wear. She wore it well, Hermione acknowledged, following the gray ribbon that laced up in a criss-cross pattern from the hem of the shirt to the bottom of the chest with slightly wide eyes. Hermione supposed that she could consider this corset styled, although it wasn't exactly a corset at all. The girl turned and Hermione felt a grin tugging at her lips when she saw that the shirt laced up the sides too, although there was no black fabric beneath the ribbons and the figure's pale skin peeked out.
There was chunk of bare midriff, and then a shiny triple-row stud belt that would around the girl's slim hips. It couldn't be there for more than decoration, as there was no point in using it to hold up the pair of dark blue jeans that the girl wore. They were so tight, Hermione felt like she had trouble breathing just looking at them.
Hermione had a strong sense of envy at the easy manner in which the girl pulled off her dark look. Hermione wished that someday, she would be able to exude such a quiet confidence.
The girl had finished her conversation and now breezed passed where Hermione was seated, and gave Hermione a searching look before stopping and retracing her steps to stand in front of the brunette who was quickly growing nervous. With worried eyes Hermione glanced up at the girl's face, and was slightly relieved to see that a tiny smile was tugging at her glossy red lips.
"Hermione?" The girl arched a dark eyebrow and soon her smile became full-blown when Hermione nodded hesitantly and started to stand. "I don't know if you recognize me, but we used to be neighbors." Something about the way that the girl spoke sparked a memory and suddenly Hermione was able to put a name to the face. "Jade? Jade Stephens? Is that you?" Hermione's mouth fell open when Jade smirked and nodded, and then she grinned from ear to ear.
"It's been ages! How have you been? I thought you moved?" The girls embraced for a long moment and Hermione relished feeling eleven again and jabbering happily with her best friend.
Jade nodded and cocked her head to the side. "I did, but I came back because mom and I loved it here so much."
Nodding along with Jade, Hermione made a small gesture towards the other girl's body. "I love what you've done with yourself," she admitted rather breathlessly. Jade glanced over Hermione's shoulder before she glanced back at her face and a small smile blossomed on her lips. "Really," she said slowly. "I never would have thought Hermione Granger liked things out of the ordinary."
Hermione fought off a snicker as she realized how close to the truth Jade had come. "Oh, you know," she said vaguely. "Grew up and all that." After some thought Hermione made a face. "Looking to change, too. Some bloody arseholes at school decided they'd make be feel like utter shit. After that, it became clear that I was a frigid bitch, needed some soul searching, and bam," Hermione slapped her hands together, "here I am."
Jade's smile grew and both her eyebrows elevated as Hermione continued to talk. "Walked into that store over there," she motioned over her shoulder, "And decided that it wasn't what I was looking for. Decided to go opposite, actually…and then you showed up. Great timing."
Rubbing her chin, Jade scanned Hermione's form before grabbing her hand. "Look. Let's be friends again, okay? You still live in the same place?" At Hermione's nod, Jade proceeded to drag the girl behind her. "If you're looking to change to the opposite side of the spectrum, maybe I should help." Jade stopped and released Hermione. "If you'll let me, of course," she said rather hesitantly.
Hermione seemed to ponder that as she absently rubbed at her wrist. "Well, it'll be such a nice change…do you think I could pull that look off?" she asked rather anxiously. Jade thought a moment, and realized the question had a double meaning, and it seemed to get her slightly exasperated. "You know you could, but there's more to the attitude than just looking like this." Jade motioned to her face and clothes. "You got to believe that you're the shit." She struck a pose for emphasis and Hermione chuckled. This was the Jade she remembered. She stopped laughing abruptly when Jade suddenly grabbed her face between her hands.
"You've got great features, you know. High cheekbones. Dark eyelashes, nice pale skin…" Jade peered into her eyes. "And the most amazing dark blue eyes." A blush took hold of Hermione's cheeks and she pried her head loose from Jade's fingers. "So will you help me with all this?" she questioned hopefully, knowing full well that Jade knew she didn't just mean clothes.
After a long moment, Jade nodded, and Hermione sighed with relief. "Yeah. Since you're with me, no one will bitch on you for coming into our territory." Grinning a rather wolfish smile, Jade grabbed a hold of Hermione's hand and then proceeded along the path she had been traveling a mere ten minutes before. Hermione followed, falling easily into step with her old friend as they talked and laughed together, feeling as though they had never missed a beat.
"Its good to see you, after so long," Hermione said after a lull in conversation. Jade had lead them to the second floor, and they were walking along a line of shops that seemed to be mirroring, in increasing degrees, what Jade looked like. Some of the passerby continued to give Hermione long looks, glances that were making her feel increasingly out of place among the harsher-looking teenagers. She took some comfort in that Jade, who many of them seemed to know, was walking along side her and was still engaged in conversation with her.
"Jade, where are we going?"
"Patience Mia," Jade admonished, pulling out the familiar nickname from days of old.
"Whatever, Jay," Hermione grumbled, pretending to pout.
"How extreme did you envision when you…searched your soul, or whatever?" Jade asked with a small frown. "The works," Hermione replied. "Something to calm this brillow pad I like to call my hair," she tugged at a guilty lock of hair with a scrunched up nose, "because it really needs some help. And maybe-–" Hermione was interrupted by Jade's hand on her shoulder, steering her into a store that seemed to sell beauty products.
"Actually, you would look really weird with straight hair," Jade told her matter-of-factly. "I think that maybe a shampoo that is designed for curly hair, and probably some anti-frizz spray…" Jade trailed off as she scanned the shelves, Hermione trailing behind and chewing on one nail. "Aha. Maybe this will help." Jade shoved a green bottle of shampoo into a startled Hermione's hands and hurried down the next isle, Hermione trying to read the label and follow her enthused friend at the same time.
"Designed for curly hair, blah blah blah…. Separates and defines…uh, I guess this will work. So I just wash my hair with it?"
Hermione received a sour look in response and quickly looked back down at the bottle. "Okay, calm down…"
Jade chose to ignore the petulant teenager and started talking to herself. "Anti-frizz…probably some mousse too, or maybe light gel…hairspray?" She glanced back at Hermione, who was chewing her nail again. "No…she's got enough hair…hmmn…" Giving a triumphant sound she retrieved a small rounded bottle of what she called 'anti-frizz'. Hermione scanned the directions. "Spray into damp hair and style normally. Sounds easy enough. Hey Jade – hey, come back!" Hermione chased down the teen over in the next isle, scanning bottles of what she called 'curl defining spray'. Hermione was dubious to whether it was actually the name, but she didn't say anything.
Soon the two exited the store, after Hermione paid for two new bottles of shampoo, conditioner, because her hair was 'dead and needed repair,' or something, the curl-defining spray and a number of other similar items.
"Okay Jade…time for clothes. And I really need your help." Jade looked back at the slightly panicking teenager. "Calm down Mia. I've a good eye for what looks nice on people. But first things first: how extreme do you want to go?"
Hermione gave the matter some serious thought as they walked. "Probably similar to you. But I'd really like some leather pants," Jade snickered but Hermione ignored it, "a corset…I don't know, anything really strange that will tell people, I don't give a shit what you think. Leave me alone."
Jade gave a small smile. "Leave me alone, I think I know that style well. All right then, Mia, lets get cracking."
The two girls reached a store that seemed to be lit with a dark purple light. The door was open, and loud melodic music blared from the interior, and heavy metallic guitar notes ripped through the air. Racks upon racks of what Hermione could see was black clothing of many assorted styles, several that had chains already attached. An eyebrow involuntarily arched on Hermione's face as she spied the display case. "Huh. Garters. Cool." She was rudely dragged from her observation by Jade, who decided at that moment to rip her arm out of the socket and force her into the store, where, oddly, the walls were vibrating with the downbeat of the song.
"In you go, girlie."
A/N Errrgh, this is NOT turning out the way I planned it. Oh well…my fingers have a mind of their own, and might as well let the story run wild and do what it wants…I am in HUGE need of a BETA READER! Send me a review with your email address if you're interested. By the way, Jade's importance to Hermione will be explained sooner or later…I couldn't have Hermione walk into a store like that by herself, could I? Jade is just her ticket into the scene….Jade doesn't mind though, I asked her first. And, as always…review or I'll toss my computer into a river.
Cianyde