Kicking the Habit Chapter Four
"Lower you voice!" Hermione hissed. "They are our friends and our guests. Besides, I'm fine. Now, open the bloody door!"
"I will not! You should lay down and let me make an appointment with a specialist at Mungo's!"
"I am fine! Let's serve the tea and converse with out friends."
Ginny didn't move. "Since they're our friends, we'll tell them, then. I'm sure you're eager to get McGonagall's view of the whole situation. I'm sure you remember her reaction when she only thought that you were starving yourself in your sixth year," Ginny said, causing Hermione to blanch. "We either tell them or send them home."
"We're telling them nothing of this! Nor are we sending them home! Get the bloody door!" Hermione whispered harshly.
Defiantly, Ginny again remained immobile.
Hermione angrily marched past Ginny to the swinging door and continued her march into the sitting room. "Hello, girls! How are you? Sorry I took so long. I had to wait for the water to boil. And I do apologize for not greeting you until now. I really would have answered the door but I was detained," Hermione gushed. Hermione turned to the kitchen. "Ginny, dear, stop dawdling! We have guests!" she called cheerfully.
Ginny angrily pushed the door open and sat on the armchair across from Hermione.
Feeling the need for another vial of the potion, Hermione looked at the tea tray. "This won't do! I've forgotten snacks to go with our tea! Please help yourself to the tea, I'll get the snacks."
"No!" Xiomara blurted. Everyone turned towards her.
"What she means is… You've just joined us! Ginny wouldn't mind getting the snacks, would you?" Minerva interjected to cover Xiomara's outburst.
"Course not," Ginny said smugly. "I'll be right back. Sit down and have some tea darling."
"Th… Thank you," Hermione stuttered, seeing her chance to calm her nerves slowly escape. She sat back down and dug in her robe pockets to grasp at the comforting shape of the vials
It wasn't until a half hour, one full of teasing and jokes (old habit's die hard, after all) occasionally at Hermione's expense, that another opportunity made itself available. Hermione practically jumped out of her robes when a laughing Cho asked where the loo was. Hermione quickly stood. "I'll show you! It's not hard to find, but it's better to have a guide when one's bladder is full!" Ginny stood as well so as to offer herself as a guide instead. "Gin, you've done enough today. You've refilled the snack and tea trays at least twice each. I'll show Cho where the loo is. Besides, I think I've drunk a bit too much tea myself." Hermione linked arms with Cho and led her down the hall.
"Here!" Hermione said, gesturing to the room on their left. "Actually, as I said, I've had a bit too much tea myself. I'll just pop into the loo in the master bedroom!" Hermione said, rushing to her room and into the bathroom. Despite how very concerned Cho was, she couldn't very well stop Hermione on a full bladder, so she went into the bathroom.
Hermione leaned against the master bedroom's bathroom's door and locked it while quickly pulling two vials from her pocket and uncorking them both. Hermione sighed as she downed one and then the other.
"Now I'm fine," Hermione told herself. She moved to the mirrir to check her appearance before she returned to collect Cho and return to the group.
Hermione shivered again and almost caught herself before her knees buckled beneath her, her head hitting the counter as she slipped to the ground and into unconsciousness.