To all my lovely fans: as always, I'm blushing, and thank you!

7. Halloween Feast

For the rest of the week, Hermione did her best to avoid Harry. How dare he pry into her privacy that way? Oh true, Ron did too, but he was so out of it when it came to her, she was more than used to it.

Friday morning, Neville and Hermione commandeered the table in the common room for a last minute cram session for their potions quiz. Already at his wits end, Neville had to fight the urge to throw his book into the fire. 'Only Snape,' he thought. 'Only Snape would announce a quiz on Halloween!'

"Neville! C'mon, you KNOW this!" Hermione pushed.

"No I don't! Why did I have to get an 'E' on my O.W.L.?" he lamented.

Hermione patted the agitated boy on the back. "Neville..." she started.

Before she could get any further, the portrait hole flew open.

"Hermione," said Harry. "I thought you would be here. Can we talk?"

"We have nothing to talk about," she responded coldly.

"Yeah we do. I owe you an apology," Harry rushed.

Her icy glare melted away into surprise. "Yes you do."

"I'm just worried 'Mione. I shouldn't have pushed you like that, but..." he looked at the floor. Hermione folded her arms. Poor Neville. He looked as if the walls were closing in and he had no power to stop it. Silently he slide under the table and crawled toward the stairs.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?" Harry looked confused.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course. You're my best friend."

"Then believe me when I say, I know what I'm doing. I'm ok."

If Harry didn't believe her, it didn't show. "Ok. Let's make a deal. You eat a normal sized meal tonight at the Feast, and I will never mention this to you again."

To say Hermione looked hesitant is an understatement. To her, the world just about crumbled into her lap.

"One meal, Hermione, that's all I'm asking," Harry pleaded.

Tears filled her eyes. "Please don't make me do this," she whispered.

Harry moved toward her and took her hands in his. "I love you Hermione. You're my best friend. If you won't help yourself, I'll do it for you. Please?"

She saw no other way. One meal. That couldn't add too much weight could it? If it got him off her back what could it hurt? With tears rolling down her cheeks, she nodded.

Harry pulled her into a hug. "Thank you 'Mione."

oOoOoOo

As the feast grew nearer, Hermione's anxiousness increased to the point of near hyperventilation. She couldn't do this. How could Harry do this to her? Tears she's been holding back all day finally burst free. Pacing back and forth in front of her bed, she fanned her face.

"Get a grip," she muttered. "You can do this. You know how to hide food; you know how to make it appear to be eaten. Stop it. Just stop it." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she walked into the bathroom. Oh good. She was alone. Hermione pulled her wand and flicked a locking charm on the door. Pausing at the mirror, Hermione noticed something new.

'Eww! When did that happen?' she thought. 'Looks like I'm getting a mustache!' She poked the fine layer of light colored hair. 'I've lost my period, and now this? WHAT is the DEAL?'

With a snort of disgust, she reached for her wand. Just a simple hair reducing spell...there. 'That's better.' She turned away before she could pick out any other abnormalities.

Disrobing as she walked, her clothes trailed behind her until she reached the shower. While waiting for the water to warm, Hermione turned slightly and stepped on the scale. This always made her feel better.

98 flashed the digital reader. Still the same from that morning, but no gain either! She breathed a contented sigh. '98! Look at that. I broke into the double digits! Who knew that could happen? Ok...I can shower now, I'm happy.'

oOoOoOo

Harry, Ron and Ginny waited impatiently for Hermione to join them. If she didn't appear in the next 3 minutes, Harry didn't care, he was going to climb the stone slide and haul her down himself. Luckily, it didn't come to that.

Hermione appeared at the foot of the stairs, her stomach fluttering with 1000 butterflies. The shower did little to calm her nerves. Noting her apprehension, Ginny swooped forward and grabbed her hand. Squeezing it gently, she whispered, "It'll be ok. I'll stay with you. I won't let them push you too hard."

Hermione flashed a grateful look at her friend.

"All ready? Let's go!" Ron sounded too chipper, even for him.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione propelled her feet forward and walked between Ginny and Harry to the Great Hall.

oOoOoOo

Ginny was true to her word. She held Hermione's trembling hand all the way to dinner, and seated herself right next to her friend. Parvati and Lavender, if they noticed Hermione's apprehension, kept it to themselves. Before he served himself, Harry piled Hermione's plate, as though she had an appetite to rival Ron's, until a dangerous look from Ginny stopped him.

"Happy Halloween! Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore's voice rang over the crowd. Ron dug in with relish, while Hermione's shaking hand hovered over her fork.

"Go ahead," Harry urged gently.

"Ginny," Hermione said quietly, "I don't think I can do this."

"One bite at a time, it's ok. I'm right here."

Taking a shaky breath, Hermione tentatively poked her chicken breast. Even she had to admit it did look vaguely appetizing. Tender chicken breast in honey mustard sauce, pilau rice, and pumpkin pie. She took a forkful of rice. She ate rice, rice was low cal, low fat, it couldn't hurt could it? Raising the fork to her mouth, she closed her eyes. 'Just do it already Granger! It'll get them off your back!"

She popped it in, and swallowed quickly. Slowly but surely, under Harry's hawk-like gaze, Hermione finished the rice. Harry's expression relaxed slightly with every bite she took.

"Good job. Now the chicken," he instructed softly.

She looked up disparingly.

"You promised me 'Mione."

Ginny reached over, picked up Hermione's knife and cut her friend's chicken in to minute pieces.

"It looks like less now, doesn't it?" she prodded encouragingly. "It's good, try it."

Hermione nodded slightly.

"Go ahead."

Feeling trapped, Hermione forced down bite after bite of the chicken. Harry beamed. Even Ron looked up from his fourth helping and smiled.

"I'm done." Hermione lay down fork.

"Not yet, you haven't cleared the plate," Harry reminded her.

"Please Harry. Let me go," she pleaded.

"You promised."

"I promised dinner, not dessert."

"You promised a meal. Dessert is part of the meal. One slice, nothing else."

With tears threatening to spill, she picked up the fork again. "You know you're the only one I'll do this for Harry."

Harry looked at her sadly. "You shouldn't do it for me. I wish you would do it for yourself."

oOoOoOo

Hermione lay on her bed and sobbed. She felt disgusting. How, HOW could her best friends do this to her? Didn't they understand what this meant to her? To be thin?

Parvati and Lavender could hear her as they approached the door. Looking at each other, a silent agreement passed between them. Pushing open the door, the walked to Hermione's bed, and sat on either side of her.

"Shhh...it's ok," Parvati soothed as she and Lavender rubbed her back.

"No...it's not...I...can't...believe...I..." Hermione choked out before sobs wracked her slight frame again.

Lavender stroked Hermione's hair. "Remember when you decided to join us, and we outlined our eating plans for you?"

"Yes," Hermione hiccupped.

"Remember how we said you could binge if you wanted to, and we would cover that later?"

"Yeah..." Hermione sounded curious.

"C'mon." Lavender took her hand and pulled her off the bed.

Parvati and Lavender took her to the bathroom.

"This is what we do when we binge. We don't do it that often though, it's gross and not that good for you," began Parvati.

"Just point your wand and say 'vomi'. Just make sure you aim for the toilet," said Lavender.

"We'll leave you alone now, if you want to try it." Lavender and Parvati silently walked out, closing the door gently behind them.

oOoOoOo

Hermione lay in bed that night feeling better. She had rid her body of all that poison Harry, Ginny and Ron forced her to consume hours earlier. She ran her hands down her body letting her fingers dip into each hollow between her ribs. Her stomach was flatter than ever before. Her fingers slid up over her jutting hip bones. It always calmed her to feel her successes beneath her hands. She told Ron there was always room for improvement. She hadn't lied. She felt pure, clean. For the first time in weeks, she fell asleep easily.