CHAPTER TEN

Hermione sat down on the sofa and curled her legs up. Sarah got them both a cup of tea and flopped down on the sofa next to her.

"How'd it go?" Asked Sarah taking a sip of tea.

"Fine I guess, it was weird." Hermione tried to remember what they'd actually talked about but it all seemed to a blur in her mind.

Hermione looked down at the stack of letters on the coffee table.

"You don't have to deal with them now." Said Sarah pulling the letters towards her.

"No I want to go through them, there seem like a lot today." Hermione said picking up the first letter.

She slit it open and scanned over the contents. It was from her Chef, he was resigning. She put it to the side and picked up the next one, one of her maids also resigning. Hermione's hands started to shake as she went through the pile of letters all her staff had quit.

"Well you're the only one left," Hermione gave a painful laugh and wiped a tear away from her eyes.

"Actually I'm going to quit as well but I'm not going anywhere, I want to help. I understand how it is, it just would feel weird if you were paying me. Don't worry about all those others, you can find more. Or I'll learn how to cook."

Hermione laughed and wiped away a few more tears. The huge house seemed so empty knowing they were the only two people in there. Hermione had never talked to any of them but simply having them there had an effect. Hermione curled up tighter and thought about how she really wasn't good at being alone.

"Where do you live?" She asked Sarah sipping her tea.

"Not far, I walk to work most mornings and it only takes me an hour or so. I'm planning on staying here though, if you want me to?"

Hermione nodded, glad that she wouldn't be alone for a while. It had started to rain outside and the rain made strange pattens on the high arched windows. Sarah summoned a blanket and tucked it over them both as the air started to chill. Hermione continued to just stare into space. She didn't notice Sarah standing up, stretching and leaving the room until she returned with two steaming bowls of pasta and stuck one under Hermione's nose. She looked down at the bowl and picked up a piece of tomato and cheese covered pasta.

"I haven't eaten this much in years." Said Hermione putting it on the coffee table.

"I know but they gave me a diet plan that they wanted you to try and follow. It's pretty simple meals but I think that they'll take some getting used to." Sarah smiled and popped a piece of pepper in her mouth. Hermione picked her bowl up again and took a small bite of pasta. It tasted amazing, she hadn't had anything like this in years. She ate quicker and quicker the pasta burning her throat.

"Slow down." Laughed Sarah, "No one's going to take it off you."

Hermione took a deep breath and tried to eat more slowly. It didn't take long for the bowl to empty, her stomach was painfully full now and Hermione's head began shouting at her over how many calories she'd just eaten and how it was going to make her fat, she looked down and her eyes showed her legs and stomach expanding. She squeezed her eyes shut but the image continued inside her head.

"Hermione? Are you OK?" Sarah asked putting her empty bowl with Hermione's. Hermione opened her eyes and looked down at her body and saw it as skinny as ever. She shook her head to get rid of the image but it stuck fast. She smiled at Sarah and stretched her arms out.

"If you want to talk to me about anything you can." Said Sarah kindly, "But you don't have to."

Hermione smiled again but properly this time. Sarah smiled back and looked around the empty room.

"So what do you do for fun?"

Hermione looked around the empty room, she couldn't remember, "I go out for meals or read press releases." It sounded so boring in her head, "What about you?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment, "I do a lot of things but I think the best thing I do it dance." Sarah looked embraced and picked at her finger nails. Hermione stiffened, dancing was not a good topic for her.

"Not ballroom dancing, ballet."

Hermione sat up, that was different. She'd done ballet as a child but like so much she'd lost; she'd tried not to think about it. She sat up and took a deep breath.

"Do you think you could teach me some, like now?" She asked not really wanting to look at Sarah in case she said no.

"Umm yeah. Sure." Sarah said standing up and starting to stretch. Hermione stood with her and copied her movements. Her muscles burned as she stretched them out. She was skinny yes but she was very unhealthy and had no stamina. Louise walked round to the back of the sofa and used the back of it as a barre. Hermione followed and copied Sarah in her exercises.

"We'll start out simple." Sarah said as she positioned her feet together, toes pointing outwards. She kept her back straight as she bent her knees. Hermione tried to copy. Louise tried not to laugh,

"Here you need to keep your back straight." Sarah put her hands on Hermione's chest and lower back. She gently pushed them straight and supported her as she bent her knees out.

Hermione tried to breath through the pain of her very under-used muscles complaining about this exercise. She kept doing it over and over again.

"That's it, you're doing it. That's perfect!" Sarah said clapping her hand together. Hermione smiled and tried it again without the support. It took over and hour but in the end she could do it herself.

"On to the next one?" asked Sarah

She put her hand lightly on the back of the of the sofa and leaned back stretching her arm out over her head, her feet firmly on the floor. Hermione watched carefully and then tried to copy. Sarah supported her head and neck helping her extend her arm correctly.

"We should properly stop for today, it's been four hours." Said Sarah taking a deep breath. Hermione looked at the clock. It was heading for midnight.

"I need to head home for a few minutes and get some more stuff, I only have so many clothes." Sarah smiled. Hermione nodded and walked her to the front door. It was a nice quiet night, it was cold and crisp, the sky awash with stars. Sarah turned on the spot and disaparated back to her house.

Sarah's house couldn't be more different than Hermione's. It was only three rooms; bathroom, bedroom and kitchen/sitting room. There were piles of knick-knacks on the shelves although everything was covered in a fine layer of dust because she hadn't lived there for a few weeks now. She picked up a few new books and the last of her clothes to take back with her to Hermione's, she was aware of the time rushing by as she searched for her colouring books. She gathered up all the stuff into an old rucksack and disaparated back to Hermione's.

Hermione was already in her pyjamas curled up on the sofa with a cup of coffee. (19)

"You OK?" asked Sarah putting her bag down.

Hermione nodded and looked up, "Yeah I'm fine. Just getting ready for bed."

"With coffee?" Sarah asked pointing to the mug.

Hermione shook her head, "I don't really like sleeping." she mumbled

Sarah nodded and walked through to the bedroom with her. Hermione hadn't been sleeping well, lying awake for hours on end even though she was exhausted. Sarah changed into her nightdress and climbed into the right of the twin beds that now stood in the room. Hermione tucked herself into the other one and took out April's note book. She looked at the blank cover and the crisp white pages that filled it. She got a quill from the side of her desk and tried to write in it. She didn't know what to say, she didn't really even know how she was actually feeling. She put the quill back and put the notebook next to it. She lay down and stared up at the celling. Sleep wasn't going to be easy to come to tonight either.