The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Year 1: Chapter 7

"Willow, please!" Mia begged.

"No."

"But it's Halloween!" Fay whined.

"No."

"But your hair and clothing would fit the occasion so perfectly!" Lavender reasoned.

"Ugh, fine. Do whatever you want with me," Willow gave in.

She regretted her decision at once. It was the morning of Halloween, and everyone in Gryffindor, including Hermione and Parvati, were insisting upon dolling Willow up. Apparently, her dark features would go well with the holiday. Willow didn't see how her complexion had anything to do with dressing her up on certain days of the year.

"Hey, Parvati, can you grab my curling iron?" Fay asked, brushing out Willow's hair.

"Curling iron?" Willow said, raising her eyebrows.

"Be quiet! Do not interrupt my artistry!" Mia commanded.

Willow obeyed, allowing the girls to pull her hair every which way, cover her face in funny-smelling stuff she had never even heard of before, and pick out her clothes. Hermione stood by and watched the whole time, covering her mouth.

"It's not funny, Hermione," Willow grumbled, looking ridiculous with a grumpy expression on her makeup-coated face.

"I'm sorry, I'm really trying not to laugh," Hermione giggled.

"Willow, oh my God!" Parvati gasped. "Your nails are beautiful!"

"Paint them at once!" Fay ordered.

Parvati didn't need encouraging. She raced to her dresser, pulled out a nail kit, and began painting Willow's nails with a pitch black color. Willow pretended to be enjoying all the fuss. After what seemed like a millennia of gritting her teeth and enduring the torment of getting her hair and nails done, Willow was sent into the bathroom to put on her special Hogwarts uniform that Lavender had selected.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she thought aloud.

Willow took a deep breath, put on the skirt and fancy shirt, and stepped back into the bedroom.

"How do I look?" Willow breathed.

There was a long pause of silence. Everyone's jaws had dropped to the floor. Willow glanced in the mirror, then did a double take.

Staring back at her was the perfect face of a young girl Willow had not seen in a long time. She had slight warmth in her cheeks, her freckles left exposed. Her hair was in slight curls that had been brushed out to be more wavy than anything. Willow's nails were striking, and her green eyes were more brilliantly stunning than she had ever seen them before. Her clothing was completely black except for a Gryffindor patch on the sleeve and made of expensive-looking material. She glanced back at the girls. Lavender seemed as if she could explode, tugging hard with excitement on Fay's arm.

"AMAZING!" Mia finally squealed.

"Our work here is done!" Fay declared. "We have created a goddess worthy of the best heroes the world has to offer!"

"Th- Thank you," Willow stuttered, still overcome with emotion with how much these girls had done for her on a whim.

"Group hug!" Lavender announced.

Everyone gathered around Willow and nearly tackled her into the ground, ecstatic that all their hard work had paid off. Hermione dragged Willow out of the dorm and into the common room.

"I can't wait for everyone to see you!" Hermione said, uncharacteristically excited about Willow's appearance, something she normally didn't have an opinion of.