Lair.

I'm so sorry! I've been kinda grounded, and my mother thinks my grades are plummeting because of fanfiction. Here goes.

Hermione and Ginny stopped at the portrait hole. Ginny turned to her, face flush from laughing, and watched her friend bite her lip. Harry and Ron, were behind that door, pacing and worried. It was obvious Hermione realized that too, and the fun mood that had risen, was settling on the floor like unwanted dust.

The fat lady peered down at them, her over-plucked eyebrow arching.

"Are you just going to stand there?" she asked, her voice wavering with confusion.

"We are until we want you to open, so shut your face!" Ginny snapped, causing her to flap her mouth in shock. The redhead glared at her, and she raised her nose and fell silent.

Hermione looked at the portrait. Her heart was squeezing almost as much as her stomach. What if they all noticed?

A voice in her head suddenly popped up. What'll they do? Abandon you?

What was she worrying about? The impatient look on Ginny's face said the exact same thing. The voice suddenly popped up again, with another teenage bit of advice. Nothing can stop you. You're practically invincible.

"Hermione, please! You're bound to get some fun someday! They'll deal with it. They're boys. They bounce right back after you humiliate them anyways." Ginny whined, tugging on her sleeve. Hermione had to laugh, first at her comment, and second at the way she knew why Hermione was nervous. Third, because of the disgruntled puppy eyes she was giving Hermione.

With a nod, Ginny grinned, and bounced to face the Fat Lady, who looked at her through slatted eyes. Ginny said the password with a unique innocence Hermione had only seen Fred pull when he set the apple orchard on fire. When the portrait had finished rolling her eyes, she swung open. Ginny tugged Hermione in with calm, and soothing words. Hermione followed, regretting it when the portrait swung shut, suddenly feeling staged, and spotlighted. Panic was slowly filling her mind, and making her fingers and toes tingle, her hearing falter, and her heartbeat skyrocket. She closed her eyes, and opened them when Ginny stopped stringing her along by the sleeve of her robes.

"Hermione? Ginny, what did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her RONALD! She just happened to want to do something for herself. Amazing that people have that kind of respect for themselves, huh?" Ginny's voice snarled back.

Hermione now had to smile. The teeth that she had spent years fixing, little by little, as not to make her parents pick up on her 'straight-and-pearly' operation, demonstrated their beauty as they appeared between her upturned cupid's bow lips. Harry was smiling. A knowing smile. An approving smile, with a strong friendly warmth.
Ron was looking at her with an open-mouthed shock. Hermione stopped smiling slightly, and slowly changed it to a 'uh-oh-I'm-not-feeling-too-solid-now' grin. He then laughed.

"Hermione, what was wrong with you? We found you, and we got so freaked…" Harry began suddenly, cutting Ron's laughter down to a 4.5 out of 10 soundscale. Hermione faltered slightly.

"I…you, know. Didn't eat enough at lunch, breakfast, I mean. Breakfast. Yes. I…got up for potions too fast…" Hermione began. Ron cleared his throat.

"Hermione, you were out from when you passed out YESTERDAY after potions, 'til you woke up TODAY." He clarified, saying it slowly as Hermione took this into her computing database.

"I'm inclined to believe that you DIDN'T have enough to eat for the past week." Pitched in Harry. Hermione was steadily getting tired of this. She clenched her jaw. Drew herself up. Instantly, Ron and Harry began to shrink.

That was what made Hermione recoil. She checked the clock. 5:34. The sun was beginning to set, sending warm golden rays to touch the multiple throws of red and gold materials in the room. She felt flustered.

"You know? I'm…going to bed. Yeah. I'm just tired. Okay? I…blacked out. Must have hit my head. Too many potion fumes. I'm alright? Okay? Is all good? I'll see you on the morning." She stuttered.

She got up, and fled up the dormitory stairs without letting her friends speak. She rushed up to the oak door that barred her room.

SLAM.

The door was locked, and Hermione had thrown her shoulder full force into it, hoping to open it as per normality. She now drew back, with a cry of surprise. The door was thrown open, and Lavender, wrapped roman style in a sheet, was staring at her with wide eyes.

"H-Hermione! Oh! I…You see…HEY! You're out of the hospital wing! Are you okay? You really freaked Ron and Harry out." She began, her busybody mouth shifting into 'High'. Hermione smiled. This girl was still talkative and willing to gossip as normal females did, even though Hermione often ripped her to pieces for snoring.

"Lav? I'm really tired. Could you get your bedmate to vacate the premises so I can sleep? I assure you, I'm fine. Happy. Healthy." She said with a weary smile, forcing herself to be calm and neutral. Lavenders eyes swept over Hermione, noticing the changes in her. Her lips opened slightly in an 'O' of shock, before she touched her fingers to her lips in embarrassment.

"Of course. Yeah. Uhm…Dean…I really…Yeah, thanks…Sorry." She said apologetically to Dean, who appeared behind her.

Hermione forced herself to look as if nothing had happened, and to keep smiling bemusedly, rather than to lecture Lavender about the life she had ahead of her and what sex might do to it. Dean exited, shouldering his bag, fully dressed with a shocked smile. Hermione waved and then passed Lavender to get into the room. The door shut, and Lavender leaned against it biting her lip, and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Let it out." Hermione said, used to the fits that her roommates threw when they fell in 'love' with a boy.

"OHMYGOD!OHMYGOD! He's just…Oh gosh! He's so intense and…warm…and…strong, but in a masterful kind of way, and I, oh my god Hermione!" She squealed, jumping up and down, causing the sheet the fall around her feet.

Hermione lifted an eyebrow and gestured towards Lavenders naked body, then towards the pooled sheet. The girl coloured, and snatched it up, tying it once more, around her shoulders.

Hermione finally threw a mannerism into the wind. She snickered.

Lavender stared. Her mouth fell open, and she looked at Hermione with her dark brown eyes. Hermione shocked her even more, by throwing her hair back, fluffing it, and planting her hand on an out thrust hip.

"Hermione?" she asked, quietly, stepping closer to look at her roomie's state of dress,

"Yes? Can I help you, dahling?" Hermione said, not intending it to come out as easily as it did. Lavender gaped.

"What's happening to you? " she whispered.

Hermione was floored. Was she…that…different? Did, snickering, or smirking really make her different from everybody else? Why was it that everybody was noticing these small little things? She wouldn't notice if Lavender made changes in her wardrobe. Hermione examined the cobblestone floor.

"I dunno Lav. Really. I'm sorta…sick of being myself. I love me, but I…I'm not quite sure why I am me for the me I am, if you understand that." Hermione explained, struggling to convey her feelings to the other female.

Lavender smiled.

"Welcome to the real world. I'm your guide, Lavender Brown, and I'll be specializing in normal things such as painting your nails, doing your hair, and proper underwear." She said, impersonating a Barbie-like tour-guide without knowing it.

Hermione laughed.

"What is wrong with my underwear?" she asked, amazement creeping into her voice. Lavender held up a pair, waving them and shrieking.

"Okay. Banshee. I get it." Hermione said irritably, while the other girl hopped around screeching. Lavender laughed, falling onto the bed, and placing a hand over her heaving stomach.

Hermione bid her friend a goodnight, before sliding into her pajamas. There was no way in a pink, lacy hell that she would change her pajamas. She loved them. All cottony and warm. Hermione burshed her teeth, and washed her face, while carefully examining all the data she had collected in the past few hours.

Dumbledore's quip, Harry and Ron, her reaction the things, and how Lavender had volunteered.

Why hadn't they pressed the matter of the fainting act? They talked about everything else? What about her well being?

They're afraid of you.

No.

Yes. They're more concerned with how you change. They're noticing.

That's bad! Oh no, I can't have that…I…

Stop. It's fine. You'll be fine.

I'm not 'changing'. I'm making myself more comfortable with me. I'm sick. What Malfoy said hit really close to home. And then seeing how I act…I never thought I was like that!

Fine. Suit yourself. You're in some form of pleasing denial.

I don't know what I'm doing!

Poppycock. You know exactly what you're doing.

Belt up.

Hermione spat, rinsed, and slunk back into her room, clambering into bed, and pulling the curtains shut. Parvati had come back in that time, and was holed up in her own bed. The room was quiet and warm. Hermione lay thinking deeply, with a frown on her face. This had better not turn into some fiasco where I turn into some easy, spread eagle whore, her mind thought. Once again, the 'I'm-not-changing-anything!-I'm-opening-up-to-the-world' argument exploded in her head. She rolled over with a sigh.

The last word she thought of before she fell asleep was , 'Liar'.

This is where I officially apologize for being so neglectful! I got grounded, then I got in some trouble, and then I was traveling. It took awhile. A whole 5 weeks! I'm am SO sorry. I won't be surprised if I get less reviews, but I promise I'll update more!

I'm in a very messed state right now.

Expect the next chappie soon.

Or I give y'all permission to snipe me.

-Suzanne.