The Consequences of Alcohol and Depression

Chapter 4: Uh Oh!

Hermione shot her alarm dirty looks as it woke her up two months later. Everything in her life was back to normal. She had completely gotten over that jerk, Jeremy, and she had almost forgotten about the night with Percy.

As she stepped out of bed and began shuffling towards the bathroom, she was hit with a sudden feeling of nausea. She sprinted the rest of the way, barely making it to the toilet before she threw up the entire contents of her stomach.

She groaned as she clutched the toilet rim, her eyes squeezed shut. 'Must have been that shrimp' Hermione thought, rubbing her stomach. She stood up unsteadily and brushed her teeth, rinsing her mouth thoroughly.

As she showered, she began to wonder exactly what it could have been that made her sick. If she had food poisoning, she would still be feeling badly, right? She didn't know of any bugs or viruses going around, so it couldn't have been one of those. What about...?

'No, definitely not' she thought, quashing down any uncertainties. There was no way!

"Morning, Ginny!" she said brightly as she walked into the kitchen. Hermione was always energetic in the morning if she got enough sleep.

"Morning," Ginny replied groggily.

"What's up with you? You're usually such a morning person," she said, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

"Nothing," Ginny told her, shaking her head slowly.

"Oh, I know what it is," Hermione said knowingly. "When did Harry leave?"

"What automatically makes you assume Harry was here?" she asked, a bit of irritation seeping into her voice.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Hermione said defensively. On a mischievous impulse, she asked, "When did you leave his place?"

Ginny gave her a dirty look for a moment, before she sighed. "I got home a few minutes ago."

"I knew it!" Hermione cried triumphantly. She quickly finished off the rest of the cereal in her bowl. "I've gotta get to work. See you this afternoon."

"Bye," Ginny replied with a small nod. Hermione threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the fire, saying, "T. G. M. C. office!" (A/N- that's the Treatment and Guidance of Magical Creatures office; you know, the place she works at)

She quickly spun around through the Floo Network, falling out in the fireplace of her office. She quickly stood up and dusted off her robes, shaking some soot out of her hair.

"Good morning," her secretary, a tall, pretty, blonde woman named Chelsea said.

"Morning," she replied happily, looking out the window. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"It certainly is," Chelsea replied with a smile. She handed Hermione a few slips of parchment. "Here are your messages. Your twelve-thirty has been moved to two, and your two-fifteen has been moved to tomorrow."

"Alright, thanks," Hermione said, heading into her office. She loved her work very much, and she always threw herself into it headfirst. She had always found it very rewarding to help out Magical Creatures. That was why she had become so close with Charlie. When she had first started out, Charlie had helped her greatly with a report on dragon shipping comforts.

As always, Hermione jumped into her work. She concentrated on nothing but her summary on the Ramora Protection Act for several hours, until her office buzzer sounded around lunchtime.

"Miss Granger, there's someone here to see you," came the voice of Chelsea from the office buzzer (A/N- it works like the buzzer dealie that Muggle secretaries use to ring people).

"Alright, send them in," she replied sighing. She rubbed her eyes and pushed some of her paperwork away, straightening up a bit.

The door opened quietly a few moments later, and a familiar head poked through. "Hey Mione!" Harry said.

"Oh, Harry, come on in," she replied, abandoning her attempts to pick things up. It didn't matter if Harry knew her office was messy.

"I'm on my lunch break, and I figured I'd drop by and see if you wanted to grab a bite," he said as he took a seat on the edge of her desk.

Hermione thought for a moment. "Yeah, sure, I guess I can." She pressed the button on the buzzer, hearing it ring in the front room.

"Yes, ma'am?" asked Chelsea.

"I'm going to take my lunch break now," she said, "I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay," Chelsea replied, "I'll take down your messages."

"Thank you," Hermione replied. Harry was giving her a funny look. "What?" she asked him.

"How come you get a secretary?" he asked, a note of sarcasm in his voice. Harry worked in the Magical Games and Sports department, under the notorious bookie, Ludo Bagman. Harry had played Quidditch for England from graduation until five months prior, when he had broken his leg in a nasty accident that had left him limping for three weeks.

"Because I do actual work," she shot back with a grin. She grabbed her purse from underneath her desk, Apparating with Harry to the front of the building.

"So, where do you want to go?" Harry asked. Hermione had been having the strangest cravings as of late. The previous night, she had woken up at three, and she had wanted a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. The idea had disgusted her at first, but it had tasted really good. In fact, it sounded good then, as well.

"Um, why don't we go to the Leaky Cauldron? They have really good sandwiches there," she said, licking her lips.

"Alright, then," Harry replied, grinning at her. They walked down the street to the Leaky Cauldron, taking seats at the bar, the least occupied place in the pub.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" asked Tom, the barkeeper.

"Um, I'll have a roast beef on wheat and a butterbeer," Harry said.

"Can I get a glass of water and a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich?" Hermione asked. Harry and Tom shot her strange looks, before Tom nodded.

"Yeah, that'll be right out," he said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Peanut butter and mayonnaise?" Harry asked disgustedly. "Ugh, what kind of sandwich is that?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied, "I just have this weird craving for it." Tom came back a few minutes later, carrying two plates and two glasses.

"Here you are," he said, eyeing Hermione's sandwich strangely. She eagerly began to dig in.

"Mm, this is just what I wanted," she said as she hungrily took a bite.

"That is the weirdest thing I have ever seen anyone eat," Harry commented. "And you have to remember, I lived with Ron for a year."

"I know," she replied, shaking her head.

******

A week later, Hermione was still throwing up. She was a bit worried about it, so she had set an appointment at St. Mungo's to see her doctor. She arrived just on time.

"Hermione Granger!" the nurse called out. Hermione quickly stood up and followed the nurse back to a room, sitting on the examination table.

"Alright," the nurse said, "What's been bothering you?"

"Well, I've been getting these fits of nausea when I wake up, and then I'll throw up," Hermione told the nurse. Her Quick-Quotes Quill took down the symptoms while the nurse cast the proper spells to test her heart-rate, blood pressure, and temperature.

"Is that all?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah, I believe," she replied.

"Alright, then, the doctor will be in with you in just a moment," the nurse said, gathering her parchment and quill. Hermione looked around the exam room, smiling at some of the pictures. There were three kittens rolling around in one, with dolphins jumping in another.

"Ah, Hermione, how have you been?" asked Dr. Gold as she stepped in the room, carrying the paper her vitals had been written on.

"Alright, I guess," Hermione said, "But I've been getting sick when I wake up in the morning."

"Mmm hmm," Dr. Gold said, looking at her strangely. "Is there anything else at all? Any strange cravings?"

"Yeah, I have been getting some. Peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches. Weird, huh?"

"Indeed," Dr. Gold said with a small smile. "Hermione, are you late for your period?"

"Um," Hermione said, thinking. "I am actually."

"Okay, I want to run a few tests before I say anything, but I have an idea," the doctor said.

"Okay," she replied.

"Now, just lay back, Hermione, and pull your shirt up," Dr. Gold said, taking her wand from her pocket.

"Okay," Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow. She wondered what this was about, but did as she was told. Dr. Gold traced a circle above her navel, tapping her abdomen in a triangular formation. A gold light emitted from the end of her wand. "What does that mean?"

"Hermione, you're pregnant," Dr. Gold replied.