I'm not pregnant, I can't be! There's no way – I mean I'm not! I've left Harry for good, there's no way I can be… no it's impossible. Isn't it? Yes! I'm not pregnant, I'm not I'm not I'm not-
"Hey dopey!" Carys' voice shook Hermione out of her thoughts.
"Uh? Oh, sorry Ca – what?"
"Lost in our thoughts were we? Something on your mind?" Carys grinned, knowing full well what Hermione had been thinking about.
Hermione fixed her a sarcastic look. "So what were you saying?"
"Oh – just that I need to go to the store for a few things – you coming?"
"Yeah, sure," Hermione replied absently, her mind already on other things. Idly she watched as Carys zoomed through the aisles, tossing cereal and kitchen towel and a pack of Tampax into her basket. The Tampax caught her attention. When was the last time I had to buy feminine hygiene products? Seems awhile…
"Hermione! Wake up!" Carys nudged her arm, a small frown appearing on her face. "You keep spacing out on me! What are you looking at?" She laughed, her eyes following Hermione's gaze. The Tampax. She stopped laughing and took her friend's arm concernedly. "Hermione, what are you thinking?"
Hermione smiled wanly, turning her head to look at her companion. "Oh nothing really, you buying those just made me wonder when was the last time I had to buy them."
Carys nodded. "Fair enough. And out of curiosity, when was the last time?"
Hermione laughed. "Nosy aren't we? Well I think the last time was the last Hogsmeade weekend and-"
"Hogsmeade weekend? So when you were still at Hogwarts?"
"Yeah – why?"
"You left Hogwarts seven weeks ago! And wasn't that weekend a good month before you left?" Carys tried to remember.
"It was in March. And I left Hogwarts in the middle of June – yes that sounds about right because we're at the end of July now – yes I left after my exams which were mainly in May – some in June. So it must have been towards the end of March." Hermione smiled.
"So you last had a period at the end of March?"
Hermione paled a bit. "Yes, I think so."
"So you should have had three periods since, at the end of months April, May and June?"
"Yes…" Hermione lingered over her answer.
"Herm we are at the end of July. So you're period's what, a few months late?"
"The stress Carys! How many times have we been through this? It's late because of the stress – I have had NEWTS all through May and the beginning of June which have obviously messed up my cycle and delayed it a bit. So I should be due any time now." Hermione declared triumphantly.
"OK! Sorry!" Carys held her hands up in surrender. "You're stressed."
"Finally! Yes! I'm stressed! So since my period's late, I think I'd better buy a pack of those too, don't you think?" Hermione said, half-exasperated, and plucked a box of Tampax off the shelf for herself.