Hermione

As deeply as Hermione wished it had been the weekend that morning, she wished it even more now. She'd pushed the news from home into the back of her mind. There was nothing she could do at the moment except get on with her life. If her father was being positive, so could she.

This seemed sufficient enough but it didn't stop it from nagging at the back of her mind. Like a fly that just wouldn't go away.

Ron seemed to avoid her for the rest of the day, which by default meant that she barely saw Harry as well.

She'd managed through all her lessons on automatic, writing down notes out of habit but also managing to under-enthusiastically send a ruler at her own head during Charms and to get bitten by the hamster she was supposed to be transforming into a slipper.

The only thing she did feel that she accomplished in the whole day, was that she kept her food intake to a bare minimum of five blueberries, this had of course broken what she thought would be another fast but at least if anyone asked she'd eaten at lunch.*

After being tripped over by an arrogant Slytherin third year, she'd checked her schedule to discover that she had to survive a double potions lesson without the help of Harry and Ron but with the regular hisses of Mudblood from across the room.

Hermione sat in her usual spot and Harry sat next to her, but he didn't say a word. Hermione's heart sank.

Draco scowled as he walked past.

At least he's acting normal again.

'Today,' Snape began as he swooped into the room. 'We will be concocting an Unconscious Truth potion. Who can tell me what purpose this dream potion plays?'

Hermione, Draco and Blaise's hand shot into the air.

'Blaise.' Snape nodded.

'The Unconscious Truth potion after being drunk, gives you dreams that show your deepest desires, fear and truths that even we might not know we have. No lies, no pretences, no denials.' Blaise gulped 'It even works past our own self-deceptions. Sometimes the dream is something we already know but sometimes it reveals multiple truths that we deny in our waking hours."

'Ten points to Slytherin. Can anyone tell me why anyone would use this potion and why some witches and wizards would be inconvenienced by this potionand why it is essential to take only the diagnosed amount?'

Hermione's hand was the only one that shot into the air this time.

Snape sighed in an annoyed manner. 'Enlighten us, Miss Granger.'

'Some truths are better left untold and if you overdose you may be asleep for weeks dreaming every hidden truth in your mind and your worst fears. If you drink the correct amount it will last no longer than one nights sleep. However the potion can help to solve problems within your mind and help you to remember a detail you may have previously forgotten about an event, place or person.'

Bit like hypnosis almost.

Snape nodded. 'A good enough explanation. Last of all who can tell me how many pounds of slug eyes to put in and how much potion to drink?'

Draco raised his hand. 'One twentieth of your weight and then drink no more than a shot glass full.'

'Ten points to Slytherin. This of course means that you will all step up to the scale to be weighed. As much as I hate Longbottom to receive help someone better aid him. He's fat enough to waste half my supply.'

Hermione panicked. Weighed?

She knew her weight didn't matter as much as bone but she still dreaded the scales. Especially during class, it was easy enough ot hide under clothes but the scales hid nothing.

'Sir,' She raised her hand. 'Do you think its possible that we can…erm…guess….the amount?'

'Five points from Gryffindor for stupidity. You know very well, Miss Granger, that you cannot guess such a fine art as potions. Lines up in front of the scales everyone.'

Hermione's panic began to rise as she tried her best to get to the end of the line. Malfoy was the only one behind her; she'd have to try as best she could to hide her appallingly oversized weight.*

But as she stepped on the scale positively wringing her hands and shaking, trying to block the number from him, it only seemed to perk his curiosity.

She tried even harder to block them from view covering her eyes at the same time.

She felt Malfoy peering over her shoulder, trying to steady her breath she opened her eyes cautiously.

125 pounds!*

Sure she'd lost 15 pounds since she'd last weighed herself ages ago but 125 for a 5'8 girl! She descended the scales and jumped as Malfoy turned to her.

'What do you want?' she hissed.

He sneered. 'Any lighter and you'd barely need a pair of slug eyes.' And with that he turned toward his cauldron.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Why did he care? It wasn't like she was underweight or anything. Was it?

He's probably being sarcastic.

Fucking Malfoy.

The process to make this potion was quite precise and tedious and it didn't help that Hermione was starting to feel faint. She really needed to eat a few grapes tomorrow morning if she was to function at all.

Despite her tiredness her potions still turned out the perfect beige colour required.

'Right, I want each of you to take the required amount before bed tonight. No more. And trust me, I will know if you haven't done so. Class dismissed.'

Hermione hurried to the dorms extremely happy that the day was over. Her presence wasn't needed at dinner, there was no point and certainly no one to talk to.

She took the required amount of potion before bed and drifted off to sleep quite easily, not quite sure of what to expect.

She was being chased by all sorts of sorts of sweets, fierce, colourful monsters, intent on devouring her... She was eating anything in sight now, binging terribly, she desperately tried to purge but nothing would come up, she tried to run but her legs were stuck refusing exercise...

She was getting fatter and fatter, her hands as thick as sausages, grabbing anything within reach... She was drowning, drowning in food, eating too fast to count calories, too fast to add up the fat and too fast to even enjoy it...

Now she was shrinking, throwing up her guts. She was becoming skin and bones. This pleased her. She'd reached her goal...*

Harry's voice came up from the darkness; she could hear her friends murmuring, too far away to help. A veil of obsession was blocking her from her friends...

She was in a white corridor now. There was a door, it had a name inscribed on it. Granger.

She pushed it open. Sunlight streamed in the room. Her father was lying in a muggle bed, a tray of food in front of him. He was too sick to eat. He was gaunt, so gaunt he was dying, dying. He was pale and skinny to the bones, far too skinny.

'Why can't I look like you? Why can't I be gaunt? Why can't I be dying!' Her words came out as a scream and she started shoving the hospital food into her mouth. Tears rolled down her father's cheek. *

Hermione awoke in a sweat. Her body trembled. Her eyes stung with tears.

'Its ok,' she reassured herself quietly. 'He's not dying. He's fine.

You haven't eaten anything for two days.

He'll be ok.

With that she fell back into fitful sleep.

In another part of the castle a blonde haired boy was having similarly disturbing dreams, though these were neither of food nor of dying fathers.

And when he awoke, only she was on his mind.

Sorry to do this but if I'm too keep this story I must stress the point!

*Eating this amount is a very horrible way to feel, sick, tired, grumpy, sluggish and depressed. Don't do it!
*She is not really overweight but this is the portrayal of how the disorder makes her body image.
*Where I'm from we use KGs and CM's but I know the Brits use pounds so I'm trying to make it realistic!
*Please be aware that this disorder is in no way glorious, Hermione is only pleased become she is very mentally ill at this point in the story. The point of this story is to try and show just how bad this disease can be and how it can be overcome with enough willpower and support.
* Again I stress the point this is a very bad way to look and she only desires it because she is mentally ill.

I think I'm getting a bit more confidence for my first more than a oneshot story mainly because of all the positive feedback so keep the reviews coming!