Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Hello, my fellow Harry Potter fans. I'm somewhat new to Harry Potter and I'm slowly working my way through the novels (I'm currently in the middle of Goblet of Fire) and this idea came to me. It's the third HP story I've written but it'll be the first multi-chapter story =) Takes place in the beginning of fourth year, before the Triwizard Tournament begins. Enjoy!
"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down to supper one late afternoon in October. Harry looked around but didn't see the familiar dirty-blonde, curly hair. He shrugged before taking a bite of potatoes.
"She's probably off cornering some poor first year into joining spew." Ron said, shovelling food into his own mouth and Harry couldn't help but grin. Ron always pronounced it spew instead of S.P.E.W. because it always drove Hermione crazy and Ron never passed up the chance to get a rise out of her. The boys were helping themselves to a second serving of Yorkshire pudding when Hermione entered the Great Hall and sat across from them.
"Where have you been, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"It's none of your business." Hermione answered, watching them eat their pudding with a look of disgust on her face.
"Well, tuck in." Harry said. "Before they clear the plates."
Hermione shook her head.
"I'm not hungry."
Harry shrugged and took a large bite of pudding. Hermione watched the dessert jiggle on the spoon before she went a shade paler and a strange, green tint took over her skin.
"Uh, excuse me." she said quickly. Tripping over her robes as she stood up, she ran out of the Great Hall. Ron and Harry looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
"Wonder what that was all about." Harry said. Ron shrugged.
"Probably off to the library." Ron answered, turning his eyes back to his pudding.
"Yeah, probably." Harry repeated vaguely, casting a glance in the direction Hermione had run off in.
-HARRY POTTER-
Hermione leaned against the stone wall of the girls' lavatory, breathing deeply. Unfortunately for her, the bathroom that had been closest when the wave of nausea had overcome her was none other than Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione clutched her stomach as Myrtle came out of one of the stalls.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked, somewhat enjoying the sight of Hermione in pain.
"It's nothing, Myrtle. I'm fine." Hermione said.
"You don't look fine." Myrtle floated closer to Hermione.
"I'm just tired. I'll be fine once I get some sleep." Hermione straightened up tentatively. Relieved to find the nausea and pain had resided, she left the lavatory, leaving Myrtle to her moaning. Walking slowly, Hermione started towards the Gryffindor common room.
Harry and Ron had finished their pudding and were leaving the Great Hall when they saw Hermione walking a few dozen paces ahead of them.
"Hermione, wait up!" Harry called as he and Ron jogged to catch up. Hermione didn't stop but it didn't take long for the boys to join her.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione tried to sound confident but failed miserably.
"You ran out of the Hall so suddenly. What's going on?" Ron asked, showing that even though he had a little amount of tolerance for Hermione these days, he still did care.
"Oh, that. Um, I realized I forgot something in the library."
"So where is it?" Ron asked.
"Where is what?" Hermione asked testily, really wishing Ron would just shut up and leave her alone.
"What you forgot."
"Oh, it's, um, it's in my pocket." Hermione said, trying to ignore the consistently annoying pain in her stomach.
Thankfully, Harry and Ron said nothing more until they reached the common room. Hermione muttered the password and the Fat Lady swung out of view to reveal the porthole. Hermione winced as she climbed over the short ledge and Harry noticed.
"What's wrong, Hermione?"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, recovering. Harry rolled his eyes. She would have to be difficult about it – she was, after all, Hermione.
"Do you have homework?" Ron asked and Hermione nodded wearily.
"Yes, a lot of it."
"Us too." Harry said. "Why don't we work here?"
He motioned to an unoccupied table. Hermione nodded and turned to get her books from her dormitory.
Hermione stared longingly at her bed, wishing she could just forget about her homework and crawl in and dream the pain away. She was sorting through her books, trying to remember what subjects she had homework in, when she doubled over, clutching her stomach. She quickly dropped her books on the floor and ran for the bathroom. She waited out the nausea and was, thankfully, not sick. She looked herself in the mirror, giving herself a pep-talk.
"You're fine. Just get your work done and you can go to bed. You're fine."
With a firm nod, she left the bathroom and collected her books before heading downstairs. Joining Ron and Harry at the table, she opened her Arithmancy book and began doing calculations.
After three hours or so of work, Hermione finally closed her last book and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm going to bed." She announced. She stood up quickly and gasped slightly as she felt her stomach clench. It was enough to make Harry look closely at her face while she packed up her books and she willed herself not to show emotion.
"Are you sure you're alright, Hermione?" Harry asked again.
"I'm just tired. I'll see you in the morning." Hermione bid her friends good night and climbed the stairs once again. She quickly put her books away, washed up and changed into her pyjamas before climbing gratefully into bed.
A review is always appreciated…