"Mr. Weasley, I must ask you to lower your voice. I do have other patients and your friend here will have a bit of a headache when she awakes."
"I can't believe this happened. Is she going to be okay?"
"Of course she's going to be okay. She fainted, Mr. Weasley. She wasn't knocked out. Ah, see. Here she comes."
Hermione blinked a couple times to clear her blurred vision and then looked around. Madam Pomfrey peered at her face with some concern.
"How do you feel, Miss Granger?"
Closing her eyes to the dull ache at the back of her head, Hermione tried to reach up and touch her temples but her arms were much too weak. Noticing, Madam Pomfrey turned to Harry and Ron, who were standing next to the bed.
"When was the last time she ate?"
"Yesterday," Ron answered quickly. "She wouldn't eat dinner and we didn't see her eat all today."
"Low blood sugar." Clicking her tongue in disapproval, the Healer disappeared into her office. Harry and Ron moved closer to Hermione, helping her sit up in bed.
"What happened?" she asked. "What time is it?"
"It's past dinner," said Harry as he tilted his head for a better look at her. "You fainted."
"Probably because you haven't eaten for more than twenty-four hours," Ron added. If she had strength, she would have been more visibly embarrassed, but the feeble sigh would have to do. Madam Pomfrey returned with a green vial.
"Drink this. It should tide you over until breakfast tomorrow, which I will have Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley ensure that you eat, understood?"
Hermione nodded and Madam Pomfrey helped her drink the contents of the vial. Immediately she felt better, with her headache gone and strength returning to her body. After saying thanks to the Healer, the Trio left the infirmary. Hermione kept her eyes on the floor, hoping that the boys would not question her about why she had missed so many meals. This was not the case.
"What's going on, Hermione?" Harry started when they were halfway to Gryffindor Tower. "What's this all about?"
She sighed. "Harry, I'm fine-"
"You fainted, Hermione." Ron turned to her and she could see he was genuinely concerned. "We all freaked out when we found out. We didn't know where you were."
"You didn't find me?"
He shook his head. "Madam Pomfrey did."
Hermione frowned. "Wait, what was Madam-"
"Who cares, Hermione," Harry said, taking hold of her shoulders. "You need to tell us what's going on. This is more than the Head thing, isn't it?"
She bit her lip, glancing between both boys. She felt awful keeping Easter's existence from them, but showing them was impossible, even if the creature had not run off. And she would never hear the end of it if they found out she had wandered into Knockturn Alley alone, especially since there were still plenty of Death Eaters that had not been caught yet, some suspected of frequenting Knockturn Alley.
"It's…it's nothing," she finished lamely and, judging by the exchange of looks between them, they did not believe her. But what can I possibly say?
"Alright, Hermione." Harry released her with a sigh. "We won't pry. But, for all that's holy, will you please eat something tomorrow? No running off without eating. We can't keep coming up to the infirmary because you refuse to eat anything."
She smiled and nodded. Her gaze passed over Ron. He seemed less satisfied with the resolution of events, but he managed a smile. Then his eyes lit up and he handed over her replacement shoulder bag.
"Madam Pomfrey found it with you. What were you doing, if you don't mind us asking?"
Good. They hadn't gone through her bag. She shrugged as they started walking again.
"I was checking some books out of the Library."
Ron rolled his eyes. "That's why it's so damn heavy."
Harry laughed as the two bickered back and forth all the way to the commons. Ginny and Neville were waiting up for them and Ginny hugged Hermione tightly when the older girl entered.
"How are you feeling?"
Hermione smiled at the concern. "I'm fine, Ginny. Thanks, though. I guess I just overexerted myself today. I forgot to eat."
"Forgot? You flat out refused!"
Blushing a little, Hermione shrugged. "I don't think it much matters, does it?"
"Well, I'm glad you're okay, Hermione," Neville said. "We were all really worried about you. Luna will be glad to hear you're alright."
Conversation moved to other things that had happened today and as much as Hermione wanted to participate, the books in her arms were burning holes through the bag. She held out for a few more minutes before faking a yawn and standing.
"It's been a really long day, so I think I'll head off."
The others waved goodnight and she hurried off to her room. After getting ready for bed, she slipped into her bed, pulling the curtains tight.
Her first instinct was to scream. Her second was to release a sigh of relief. There, in the corner of the dark space was a pair of golden orbs gazing at her. They moved towards her, that same popping sound accompanying them.
"Easter, you came back," she whispered as the creature crawled into her lap. "Lumos."
Easter hissed a little at the sudden light, but settled down in her lap as if he had not been gone so long. A wave of happiness rolled over Hermione and she spent several minutes just stroking the creature. But it soon tired of her attention and moved to an area past her arm's reach, keeping its eyes on her at all times. This did not bother Hermione, who just lay down and stared back.
"Where have you been?"
The tail slowed, that white barb swishing around above its head as it assessed Hermione. Swishing around like it had a life of its own, completely independent of the creature. Back and forth, back and forth it would go.
Hermione was asleep, the light at the tip of her wand went out, and the only things visible in the darkness were those bright golden eyes.
Hermione felt wonderfully rested when she finally woke up the next day. She was ravenously hungry and very ready to face the school day. Her stomach sank, however, at not seeing Easter anywhere. She searched the room quietly until the other girls started waking up, forcing her to go shower and get ready for school. Down in the commons, Harry and Ron were already waiting for her, making it impossible to search for her elusive feline. The wonderfully rested feeling was gone, replaced by a lonely sensation one felt at being abandoned.
"You feeling better today, Hermione?" Ron asked as they headed towards the Great Hall. She shrugged with a heavy sigh.
"I suppose."
"You certainly look better," Harry muttered.
"I'm sorry, I just…never mind. It's not important."
But it was. All through the breakfast she no longer felt like eating, she wondered at Easter's disappearance. Why had he showed up if he just planned on ditching her in the morning? To let her know that he was in the castle? She huffed, glaring at the lone biscuit on her plate. What did it matter if he was in the castle if he was not with her? She had come to think of him as her pet and for him to just up and leave like that was not helpful.
"What the hell?" Ron pushed himself away from the table when Hermione violently stabbed the biscuit. "What the hell, Hermione?"
She stood, gathered her things, and left without a word. Her bag had been stolen, her pet had abandoned her, and she still had not eaten anything.
The Library sounded like a good place to go while she waited for classes to start. She used her time there to pour over the books she had gotten but again there was nothing. She went to Madam Pince to inquire as she kept coming up empty.
"What kind of creature are you looking for?" Madam Pince looked at the books Hermione set in front of her. "These are some of the best books on magical creatures outside of those you would learn in class. I can't imagine they would leave anything out."
"I was looking for something on cats."
"This index has every cat in recorded history."
Hermione shook her head. "Not the one that I'm looking for."
Madam peered at her curiously. "What exactly are you looking for, Miss?"
"Well…I'm not quite sure. I just know it's not in any of these books."
The librarian shook her head and pushed the books back towards Hermione. "Well, then you will just have to make due. There are no more books on magical creatures available."
Sighing, Hermione left. Her day was starting off well enough.
Her first class was Potions and when she arrived in the dungeons, all of the students were still standing around waiting. Harry and Ron approached her with concern.
"You okay, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"You don't have a fork on you, do you?"
Hermione shot Ron a dark look. "I'm fine, Harry. I was just…upset about something, that's all."
Ron frowned but held up a napkin. "Here," he muttered. "You need to eat or Madam Pomfrey will have our hides."
She flashed an appreciative smile even though she did not feel like eating.
"Ah, so you did make it up off the floor," came Malfoy's familiar drawl as he and Blaise came down the stairs.
Hermione scowled. "No thanks to you," she snapped.
"As if I were going to use my own magic on helping you."
"You're an ass, Malfoy," Ron said. "So why don't you do what you do best and run like the coward you are."
The Gryffindors sniggered at that, none of them noticing how pale Malfoy got. Hermione noticed, though. He looked ready to pull his wand out, but Blaise stopped him with a hand to the shoulder.
"Don't waste a good curse on Weasley, Draco. His head is so thick, it would probably just bounce off."
"I don't see you even hitting me, Zabini," Ron snapped. "Your aims about as good as…well, comparing your aim to anyone's is just an insult to them, isn't it?"
Gryffindors howled and Hermione noticed that some of the Slytherins were amused as well. But Blaise did not seem to be too bothered. He just chuckled and turned to Draco.
"If he knew which redhead I've hit with my wand before, he'd keep his mouth shut about aim."
It took a moment for the implication behind that to sink into Ron. His eyes widened and he lunged for Blaise, which started a frenzy of people fighting or trying to escape the crowded hall. Hermione scrambled for a corner, only to find it occupied.
"What do you want, Mudblood?" Draco snapped. "Why can't you keep a tighter leash on your boyfriend?"
"Your friend's the one who started this!"
A group of students shoved Hermione straight into Draco. They both fell over onto the floor just as another fight started. With all of the feet pounding around them, Hermione pushed herself close to the wall and inadvertently closer to Draco. She put her arms over her head to keep it from being stomped by some overenthusiastic Slytherin who had started kicking her.
"Impedimenta!"
The Slytherin was gone and Draco was putting his wand away. He got up before she could say anything and shoved his way through the crowd.
"STOP!"
The frenzy stopped and people turned to the stairs to see McGonagall, Slughorn, and Nott standing there. The Headmistress had such a look of righteous fury on her face that even Hermione was afraid. Nott looked incredibly pleased with himself.
"One hundred fifty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin," she hissed. "Mr. Zabini, Mr. Weasley, detentions for two weeks. The rest of you, go to class or there will be detentions for everyone."
The door swung open and the students quietly made their way in. Hermione found Harry and Ron easily, both of them pretty bruised from their fights.
"I can't believe you, Ron," she whispered angrily. "How could you-"
"Oh, shut up, Hermione," he grumbled. Mouth clamping shut, she glared at him and looked away. She spotted Draco and Blaise sitting a couple rows away. The moment in the hallway flashed in her mind's eye. The Slytherin who had attacked her had been hitting Draco, too. He was defending himself by getting that student away from both of them.
But he could just as easily gotten up and the Slytherin would not have been able to attack him.
She frowned and looked down at her book. She still had not eaten.