Secrets

Chapter 4 Disturbing Changes

Hermione awoke the next morning to a crash down the steps. Jolting awake, she blinked the sleep out of her eyes and tried to get her bearings.

"Fred! Hermione's still asleep, would you be more considerate?" Molly's voice carried up the stairs.

Remembering that she was at the Weasley house, she yawned and stretched, suppressing the urge to cry out at the pain in her chest. It was really starting to scare her and she was starting to wonder if keeping it from her parents had been such a good idea. Well, the term was starting in just two weeks and her first full day back she was going to see Madam Pomfrey. If she could last that long...

"Oh good, you're up," Ginny said, coming into their room. Her hair was wrapped in a towel and she was dressed in fresh robes, "Are you feeling okay? You look really pale."

Hermione frowned, "Just the same old thing, same as yesterday. Remember your promise to me, though. Don't tell anyone, especially Harry."

"Don't tell me what?" Harry said, peeking his head in.

"Oh, we were just talking about a guy I had a crush on back before I came to Hogwarts. It was silly, really. You know, puppy love. I think that since it seems like the bathroom is now free I'm going to go jump in the shower," She said, gathering up her robes and heading to the bathroom.

Harry turned to Ginny, who was drying her hair non nonchalantly and pretending that he wasn't there, "Did she look pale to you?"

"Who, Hermione? Well, yes, kind of. But perhaps it's just one of those things," She said, glad that Harry couldn't see her face because she knew she was blushing.

"What do you...oh," Harry said, blushing himself, "Those things. okay," He said, grinning sheepishly, "Well, I'll see you downstairs."

As soon as she heard Harry leave the room, she took the towel off of her head and sat down on the bed. With a sad shake of her head, she said quietly to herself, "Hermione, why don't you tell him? He would want to know."

Hermione stood beneath the tepid spray of the shower, allowing it to run onto her face. She was determined not to let this health issue affect her last weeks of fun with her friends. Ginny knew about it, but she was the only one and she intended to keep it that way. She knew what Harry's reaction would be if he knew, that he would more than likely not be able to handle it. He already blamed himself for Sirius' death, and she would not add to his pain.

She showered and washed her hair, then felt dizzy as she was getting ready to get out of the tub. Steadying herself against the wall, she prayed for the feeling to pass. She had gotten used to these attacks over the summer, but more recently they seemed to be coming more frequently and with more intensity. She couldn't help it as the tears slid down her cheeks, combining with the water coming from the spigot.

Not wanting to waste the water, she pulled herself together and turned off the spray, carefully stepping out onto the linoleum. Feeling a chill go through her which she knew had very little to do with the temperature of the air, she wasted no time in drying off and dressing.

Heading back to Ginny's room, she found her friend waiting for her.

Ginny regarded her with concern, "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not. I hate feeling this way. I hate not being able to tell my parents anything and I hate that I feel worse with each passing day," Hermione sat down on the bed opposite Ginny and put her head in her hands, "I don't enjoy doing anything anymore. I either feel too dizzy, or that blasted pain overtakes me. This is our sixth year, we're going to have a ton of work put on us. Some days I barely function as it is."

Going over and standing beside her friend, Ginny put her arm around Hermione's shoulders, "Why do you feel like you can't tell your parents, Hermione?"

"I'm afraid that if I tell them that they wouldn't let me return to Hogwarts. They don't know about anything that has happened there, I never told them. I love Hogwarts and the last thing I want is to not finish my education."

"You really need to tell Harry, Hermione. He's going to find out sooner or later and he's going to be very hurt that you didn't tell him sooner."

Knowing that Ginny was right, Hermione nodded, "I will, but not now. The death of Sirius is still too fresh in his mind. I'll find a right time to tell him, sometime when we have a quiet moment alone."

"Well, put some make up on. You're whiter than Nearly Headless Nick," Ginny said, only half joking, "Harry won't be asking you any questions about your health this week, at least. I kind of hinted that it was female problems that had you under the weather."

"Brilliant" Hermione exclaimed, giving her friend a hug, "Well, at least I won't have to worry about telling him I'm tired for a few days."

Going over to Ginny's vanity, she put on some eyeshadow, lipstick and blush to give herself some color, and put her hair back in a hair band to get it off her face. Turning to Ginny, she waited for her assessment.

"Much better. Here," She said, giving her a perfume bottle, "Take a spritz of this."

Hermione spritzed the air with the perfume atomizer and walked into the spray, "That really smells pretty, thank you."

"You're welcome. Whenever I'm not feeling that great I find putting some makeup on and a spritz of perfume makes me feel better. At least you don't look as pale as you did."

Giving herself a cursory glance in the mirror, Hermione had to admit to herself that Ginny was right. She did feel better, a bit, now that she looked better.

Ginny gave Hermione a smile, "What say we go down and get some breakfast before my brothers and Harry eat it all?"

Five minutes later found them at the kitchen table, eating Molly's delicious eggs and bacon. As usual, Hermione's appetite wasn't that great, but she knew that she wouldn't be allowed to get away without eating. She took a spoonful of eggs and a couple of pieces of bacon that didn't look too greasy and made the best of it.

"I'm glad to see you are eating, Hermione. You look as though you have lost some weight. Let me know if you want anymore."

Hermione looked at Ginny and rolled her eyes.

Shrugging helplessly, Ginny suppressed a giggle and gave her a look that plainly said, "You know how my mum is."

Looking up, she saw Harry sneaking up behind Hermione. He put a finger to his lips, warning her not to say anything.

"So, Hermione, what do you want to do today? I bet the guys will want to play some Quidditch," She said, giving Harry a sly look.

Hermione felt two hands cover her eyes and heard a voice say, "Guess who?"

"Hmm, I don't smell any dung bombs, so it can't be Fred or George," She said teasingly, knowing that it was Harry all the time, "Crookshanks, is that you?"

Suppressing a giggle she finally said, "Hello Harry," and leaned her head back for a kiss.

"Hi, Hermione," Harry said, taking his hands from her eyes and bending down to kiss her, "You look really pretty today."

Beaming as he sat beside her, Hermione looked at Harry, "So, are you going to play Quidditch today?"

"Actually, I thought maybe you and I could go to Diagon Alley, just the two of us. Maybe go window shopping and have a little lunch. How does that sound?

"That sounds..." Hermione's voice trailed off.

"Don't worry, if you get too tired we can come home," Harry put his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze.

"All right. It will be kind of nice getting out, just the two of us. I have a feeling that with all the work we'll have this year we won't have much free time to spare."

Just then three owls came flying in through the kitchen window.

"Looks like our OWL results are here," Hermione said glumly, "I'm almost afraid to look."

"Hermione, out of the three of us you're the one who should be the least bit worried. You know you did well," Ron said, coming into the kitchen as the owls dropped a letter in front of each of them.

"Well, who is going to go first?" Mrs. Weasley said as the owls left.

Harry and Ron looked expectantly at Hermione, and she stifled a laugh.

"All right, I'll open mine first," She said, opening the letter and smiling.

"So what did you get 'Mione?" Harry said, trying to look at her letter.

"Eleven," She said, quietly, "Outstandings in everything but Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"See! I knew you had nothing to worry about!" Harry said, opening his letter, "I got an Outstanding in DADA."

"Well, that's not a shock, is it?" Ron said, opening his own letter, "Seven OWLS."

"You did better than Fred and George did put together!" Mrs. Weasley went over to her son and gave him a hug.

"Mum, gerroff!" He said, blushing as red as his hair and wriggling out of her grasp, "So, Harry, you up for some Quidditch?"

"Not today, Ron. Hermione and I are going to Diagon Alley and spend some time together, just the two of us. Maybe tomorrow."

"Oh, alright," Ron dejection was evident in his voice, but he didn't press the matter.

Hermione could feel another attack coming over her, "Harry, I'm going to go brush my teeth and then we can go, okay?"

Nodding, Harry stood up and grabbed a last piece of bacon from the platter on the table, "I'll wait for you outside then."

Forcing herself not to run up the steps, Hermione went as quickly to the bathroom as she could, knowing that her breakfast wasn't going to stay down. Splashing some cold water on her face helped, and she was able to keep from vomiting.

Sitting on the loo, she put her face in her hands and felt the tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She heard someone coming into the bathroom behind her and closing the door, and looked up expecting to see Ginny, but she didn't.

Molly Weasley stood before her.