"The Sickness"

This cannot be happening to me. she thought.How could this happen to me? Tears were now streaming down her face with confusion and disbelief buzzing in her head. Hermione Granger sat in the corner of the darkened dormitory stifling her sobs in fear of waking any of the other sixth year Gryffindor girls. Hermoine racked her brain for reasons for why this could be happening, all the while clutching a muggle home pregnancy test. After hours of crying, she finally passed out on the floor, the pink little box tucked safely beneath her.

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"Ah, isn't this the perfect sort of day to play some Quidditch?" said Hermione in an cheerful tone. It was rather the perfect day. The sky was a never ending sea of blue with only slight interruptions of smoky stratus clouds. There was a slight breeze to relieve them of the heat and the sun shone mercifully.

"You don't have to try so hard. We all know you don't know or care much about the sport." The left side of Ron's face pinched together as he gave Hermione an amused grin.

Hermione bent her head down in shame. Harry had already went to the Weasleys' outhouse, being used as a broom shed, to retrieve the needed items to begin the game. She and Ron were drifting in the open lawn of the Burrow. Harmione was feeling a little sheepish considering that they were alone. After some hard prodding by Ginny insisting she had a crush on some poor soul, Harmione had realized that she oddly enough had feelings of attraction towards her best mate. Hopefully future mate. she thought with a giggle and daydreams clouded her vision enough not to notice Ron had stopped meandering to stare at her.

"Oy. What you doin' there?"

Hermione whipped around to see him clearly. She was so embarrassed. She could not believe that Ron had caught her envisaging their wedding day, and their impending honeymoon.

"Oh, um--" but she was cut off by the arrival of Harry and four broom sticks with Ginny trailing behind him with ancient battered balls.

There was no doubt that the two had gotten together over the past two weeks. They went and did everything together now. Eat, talk, breath, snog, not breath while snogging, but thankfully they weren't sleeping together. Mrs. Weasley would have a fit, possibly a heart attack, if she knew her little girl was snogging boys in her bedroom in secret right under her nose. God forbid her angel would be tied up in boys. Mrs. Weasley was quite oblivious to the recent coziness of the two, probably due to the fact that the Order had been calling for more meetings and home security had been heightened because of the campaigns of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"Well, we're just even now but low on players. We'll just play two on two then, shall we? I'll be with Harry." Ginny gave Harry a wink and a smile, part of this complete dating sequence. Ron rolled his eyes and looked away as Ginny moved closer to Harry. Hermione was feeling a little apprehensive but excited all the same to be paired with Ron.

They had played for two hours before the mother Weasley's voice rang out with such force that it was unmistakably magic to announce that it was time for a spot of lunch. The four gave no objection. All were exhausted and famished. Hermione even managed a cut on her left arm, Harry's hair was as wild as ever, and both Ron and Ginny were filthy with dirt. They trudged indoors, to Mrs. Weasley's dismay, all the while tracking dirt and God knows what else into her newly cleaned home.

"OUT!" she yelled at the sight of her floors. When they reached the water basin and pump just past the kitchen window, Mrs. Wealey threw some rags and soap at them. A rag had attacked Ron in the face while the soap bar conked Harry in the back of the head. Both girls were suppressing violent giggles.

Ginny quickly went over to Harry to console him. She even went as far as kissing the bruise. Now this is getting ridiculous. Hermione thought. Well, as long as their having fun. The four of them washed up. There had been a lot of horse play so it had taken them longer to reach the dining table for they all had to change their sopping wet cloths.

"Hermione, can I talk with you?" Ron was standing at the top of the stairs looking down towards Hermione. She looked at Harry and Ginny who were halfway down already. Harry continued and Ginny gave Hermione a shrug. Was that a smirk? Hermione thought as Ginny turned to follow Harry.

She slowly went back up wondering what it is that Ron wanted to talk about. She let her mind drift into the surprising territory of confessions of love and elopement. She couldn't help but smile. Though she had just realized she fancied him, she couldn't let go of the fantasy of marriage. This was new territory for Hermione. Hadn't it had always been her who had disaproved of romantic relations between her mates and other seas of raging hormones of the opposite sex? She couldn't believe how active her mind has been due to the new awareness.

"'Mione? What's with you lately?" Hermione finally made it up the stairs to find a very perplexed Ron looking at her inquiringly. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed again. She was going to have to stay alert when he was around.

"Oh? Er, just thinking. W-what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

He pulled her into the next room, only occupied by a grumpy Crookshanks who had been slumbering quite peacefully before his room was invadedby noisy teenagers. Hermione's heart began to pound. What if it was what she was thinking? What if he wanted to be romantically involved with her? Her mind raced while she fought to keep control.

"What do you think she's getting at?"

"Huh?" Ron's voice brought her back to reality. This wasn't about her. How could she be so selfish? Of course he wouldn't want to talk about the two of them. She didn't even know if he liked her in that manner.

"You see what she's doin', yeah? It's disgusting! We're under our parents' roof for God's sake!"

Having finally realized what he was talking about, Hermione thought it wise to respond.

"Well, she really seems to like him and he her. What's the big deal? It's not like their…procreating. Right?"

"That's doesn't excuse her behavior. 'Sides, Harry never liked her liked her. You know? We know she had a mad crush on him in second year, but she got over it! What are they playing at?"

"Well, I don't know. Ginny didn't tell me anything. I thought it was sincere."

"Sincere my arse. She, or the both of them, are up to something. We should figure it out. You know, spy a little. Maybe I could get a hold of Harry's sneek-o-scope. And…"

"What if they really do like each other and you ruin it for them?"

"Psht." It almost looked like a shower of spit flew out of his mouth. Hermione wanted to laugh but refrained in the presence of a very serious Ronald Weasley. "Well, I'm getting to the bottom of this, with your help or not."

Ron turned to walk out of the room but hesitated at the door. He looked back at Hermione; she had just lowered herself to the bed.

"Oh, and I was thinking maybe we could go together if you fancied me." And with that he was out the door on his way to lunch leaving behind grumpy Crookshanks and shocked Hermione.