Silhouette

The kitchen was already busy and loud when Hermione rounded the corner into it. Morning light was streaming through lacy curtains at the window, and Tonks, Lupin, Draco, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and Snape were sitting around the huge scrubbed dining room table.

“’Morning, everyone. Is there coffee?” The Weasley matriarch jumped up and grabbed the coffee pot. A flick of her wand and a particularly eager mug zipped off of its shelf and lighted itself in front of Hermione. Cream and sugar appeared in front of her. “Molly, you know I like it black.” Then she noticed Mrs. Weasley was shaking as she poured the coffee- only slightly- and the pot made little clinking noises as it struck the mug. “Ok, what’s going on?”

Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley slammed the empty coffee pot down on the table. “I won’t abide it, Remus. It’s too dangerous. For everyone. I won’t have her go.” The kitchen erupted with talk.

“You can’t make her decision for her, mum,” said Ron.

Snape entwined his fingers, speaking calmly. “Let her hear what we propose before-”

“I will NOT hear a damn word out of YOUR mouth, Severus!” Bellowed Mrs. Weasley.

“Now, that’s not really fair, Molly-”

“What’s not fair is-”

“Oh, bollix-”

“YOU watch your mouth, young man-”

“STOP, all of you!” Hermione shouted incredulously. How could she make any kind of decision without even knowing the dilemma? The room fell silent, disgruntled and glaring murderously. “Now, what is it?” She took a gulp of her coffee, trying to ignore the burning liquid as it coated her throat and filled her stomach with fire.

Lupin stood up. “We have a plan. With Harry gone, and in the interim, something must be done about these killings. They seem totally random, so the only real way to know is spy on their plans.”

“But, Severus-” Molly began.

Snape finished for her. “Severus cannot be everywhere at once. The more people around eavesdropping, the more listening gets done.”

“Thank you, Severus. There is a ball or something going on,” Lupin shifted around uncomfortably, “and we would like to introduce a few new spies at that time. Tonks, with her shape-shifting abilities, had graciously consented, and Draco and Severus already have dealings on the other side. You see, however, Draco needs a date.”

Everyone looked nervous, but Hermione, who had been mid-sip, struggled to keep from spitting out her coffee while laughing so hard. She swallowed hard, and fixed Draco with a disbelieving gaze. “You can’t find a date, Malfoy?”

“It’s an excuse to bring another person to the inside,” sneered Draco. He hated it when she called him ‘Malfoy.’

“Has it occurred to any of you that I’m the poster girl for the good guys? There’s no way this could ever work. They’d recognize me, they’d never believe I switched sides, and besides-”

“We can get around your appearance,” said Snape.

“No Polyjuice for me. And charms can be countered.”

“Not permanent ones,” said Mrs. Weasley, and everyone turned to look at her in shock. “It was in Witch Weekly,” she added hurriedly.

“Exactly,” said Lupin.

“So, it would be like plastic surgery?”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Weasley.

“And I’d always look like that, from then on?”

“Well, yes,” she said a bit more hesitantly.

Hermione sighed and sipped her coffee, thinking. If she did this, her face- her body, for that matter- would never be the same. She looked at Ron. His eyes pleaded. Her eyes fell on Draco, but he was unreadable, a vague mirror of her own inscrutable expression, a faint smile just barely turning up the corner of his mouth, but even that was ambiguous. Then she thought he nodded, one short tilt of the head, but he couldn’t have, he wouldn’t. She went back to Ron. He didn’t want her to do this, that was plain enough. But was that any reason to reject a good plan? Hermione closed her eyes. “I’ll do it.” The air in the room seemed to thaw. “When?” Her voice sounded hollow, and a part of her immediately regretted the decision.

“The ball is in a week. We can put the charms on you now, to give you time to get used to your new body. Molly?”

“I know a few of the charms, and Tonks can do the rest.” Mrs. Weasley stepped forward, wand out.

“Wait!” said Hermione, “Can we at least have some privacy?” Mrs. Weasley shooed everyone from the room and set to work.

The first thing to go was Hermione’s sharp nose. Mrs. Weasley molded it softer and slightly smaller, then set it. Hermione felt her eyes widen, as if she was very surprised, and knew her eyes were growing larger. Her eyelids felt heavy with the new weight of thick dark eyelashes to replace her sparse ones. Her mouth blossomed, lips suddenly full and a lovely pink, the upward curve of her mouth changed to a constant pout.

“I hope you’re not making me look like Pansy Parkinson.” The words felt strange coming out of her sultry mouth. As she spoke, Tonks aimed her wand at Hermione’s throat. Her voice became lower, deeper, effortlessly alluring. Hermione gasped, then smiled a little, appreciating the change.

“Keep smiling, dear,” said Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione felt her canines come to a rounded but somewhat longer point. “That’s fine.”

Chin shortened, cheeks flushed and pronounced, forehead small, and eyebrows thin and curvy, Hermione gazed in the mirror. She definitely did not look like herself. But this was herself now. She couldn’t get used to it. Her face was so… beautiful. Oh, sure, she’d been alright looking before, but now she was a supermodel, a fitting match for Draco. No, she didn’t think that…

“And now for the eyes,” murmured Tonks, who throughout had behaved much like a surgeon with a scalpel. Mrs. Weasley stepped back, her wand still twitching a little. Hermione knew she had moved on to the rest of her body, and she felt little pinches and pulls all over.

Hermione blinked over her over-large eyes, and felt like it took a great effort to close them. “Change the color?” she protested, “No, leave them brown. I like them brown. It’s the only thing I recognize about myself.”

“You prove my point so well, ‘Mione,” said Tonks. “Now, look at me.” She rapped Hermione lightly under the chin with her wand. Hermione locked eyes with Tonks. “Just keep looking in my eyes,” she said.

It was the oddest feeling Hermione had ever experienced. Her eyes both felt like they had fallen asleep, that tingling, nearly painful feeling as they woke up. Luckily, it didn’t last long, and when Hermione raised the mirror to her face again, crystal blue diamond eyes sparkled back at her.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Tonks. They’re beautiful.” Tonks smiled, but despite Hermione’s words, the brunette felt like a doll.

“Molly, what do you think about the hair?”

“Oh, I know the perfect thing.” Mrs. Weasley waved her wand flamboyantly in the air, pointing it at Hermione’s bushy, drab brown locks. At once her hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, much longer straight than curly, and ran thick black, shining like oil and just as slick.

Just then, Draco pushed open the kitchen door. “Lupin sent me to…” he stared at Hermione, and she slowly raised her new, awkward eyes to meet his. “…Wow,” he whispered, and Hermione relaxed.

“Is it ok?” she stammered.

“Yeah, well… yes. Molly, Tonks, she looks…”

“That good, huh?” Tonks cocked her head and grinned.