FIVE
The days went away too slowly for Hermione's taste. Three weeks had passed since Harry's visit and she still couldn't stop thinking about their one night together. In fact, the scene replayed almost every night in her dreams.
The new year had arrived and with it the courses had resumed. Being busy all day long at the Academy made things easy for her. It was a whole different story when she was alone in her bedroom or at night trying to sleep.
To Hermione relief, the research study was over. The days she had to spend at the lab after being there with Harry had been a torture . She couldn't look over by the couch without thinking of Harry. She would close her eyes and feel his lips and his hands on her just like that night.
Damara had noticed the change in Hermione's mood. She kind of had an idea what the reason was. Damara knew that Harry had stayed at the lab with Hermione overnight on Saturday, but she had no idea what had happened between them. All she knew was that Harry's visit had turned Hermione into a walking zombie.
Meanwhile, things were not going that well for Harry either. He was handling things in a different way than Hermione, though. While Hermione spent part of her days daydreaming, remembering every little detail of her night with Harry, he was strongly trying to forget about it. Not because he hadn't enjoyed it, but because he didn't want to analyze his feelings.
He had indeed enjoyed his encounter with Hermione more than he was willing to admit. He just had never imagined that a night with Hermione would remove so many things inside of him. He had been with someone else before, but none of them had made him feel the same way he had felt with Hermione. That complete, that content, that satisfied.
He was very confused and could not sort out his feelings, better said, he did not want to analyze them. On top of all of that, he also felt a little guilty. He was, after all, dating a very nice girl who cared for him. Then, why did he dreamed about Hermione almost every night?
He decided to push those unsuitable thoughts about his best friend away, focus on the relationship he and Laura had and try to make things work. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to manage that, but he had to try.
--- * --- * --- * ----
The next week, Hermione was running from one classroom to another. She had stayed after class to ask the Professor some questions about that day's lecture and was now running late for her next lesson. She run to the lift at the end of the hall, her next class was two levels up, but didn't catch it on time. Not wanting to waste more time waiting for the next lift, she decided to take the stairs.
Hermione got to the first level in a few seconds, since she had run up the stairs. Being in such a big hurry, she didn't notice that when she turned to get into the second sets of stairs, she run straight towards another witch. Both girls ended up in the floor.
As a result of the fall, Hermione ended up with a bruised knee and a big bump on her head, which had collided with the marble wall. Hermione's head started spinning around. She was seeing shiny spots around her and before she knew it, she lost consciousness.
When Hermione woke up, she was lying down in one of the Academy's hospital emergency care unit. She quickly tried to sit up, only to get back down quickly. She was still feeling a little dizzy.
"Don't sit up, Herms!" Damara was standing next to her. "You need to lay down."
"What happened?" asked Hermione, but as soon as she said that she remembered everything.
"You had a little bit of an accident honey," responded Damara in a soft voice while walking to the door to check if any of the healers were around.
"How did I get here? And how did you get here?"
"Well, after you fainted, the girl who run you over called for help. They brought you here and they also called me." Damara came back to Hermione's side and passed her hand over Hermione's forehead checking her temperature. "You know, I think you may have a fever."
Hermione pulled Damara's hand away gently. "I don't have a fever." Then remembering more clearly what had happened, added, "Actually, I think I was the one who run over this girl. I was running up the stairs to get to the fourth level. I didn't see her."
Damara smiled. "That doesn't surprise me."
Hermione look curiously at her, "What do you mean?"
"You've been sleepwalking since Harry came, Herms." Damara pushed slightly to the side Hermione's legs and sat down on the space she had created on the bed. "You've been out of the loop for days. You hardly pay any attention to what's happening around you."
Hermione sighed. Damara was right.
Just then a healer walked up to them to check on Hermione. She was ordered to go home and lay down for the rest of the day. If she wasn't feeling better the next day, she was to come back. An excuse was issued and sent to her Professors. Damara accompanied her home.
"I guess I should stay with you all afternoon," said Damara helping Hermione to settle in her bed.
"There's no need for that, I'm fine."
"I only have one more class anyway. So I'm going back to the Academy, but I'll be back in an hour, okay?" Damara leaned down and placed a kiss in the top of Hermione's head. "Don't get up! They said you have to rest."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes mum!" She thought Damara was exaggerating a little. It had just been a little accident, nothing big for the healers to make so much fuss about.
"Then why do I still feel dizzy?" wondered Hermione long after Damara had left. She turned to her side and closed her eyes trying to relax. "I'll be okay tomorrow."
--- * --- * --- * ---
But she wasn't okay. The next day Hermione was still feeling dizzy. She could not understand why. "It must be 'cause I've been in bed all day," she reasoned. "All I have to do is get up and eat something to get my strength back. How can I feel okay if I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning."
She got up and slowly made her way to the kitchen. It was early in the morning and Damara was still sleeping. Hermione got into the kitchen and prepare herself some toast and poured pumpkin juice in a glass. She then sat at the table and - even though she wasn't that hungry - started eating her toast thinking that some food in her stomach would help her feel better. A few minutes later, she realized she had been wrong.
She had only given a few bites to her toast when an unexpected feeling started to creep up on her stomach. Hermione placed a hand over her mouth, hoping the nausea would go away. A few seconds later, however, she was forced to run to the bathroom and empty the pieces of toast and the juice she had just taken in.
"Hermione?" Damara appeared inside the bathroom still wearing her pajamas. She had woken up by the peculiar noises Hermione was making. "Are you okay, what happened to you?"
When Hermione was finally able to talk, she explain to Damara what had happened.
"Oh boy! You think this has to do with yesterdays accident?" wondered Damara. "You have to go see the healers. Remember what they said?"
"I don't think it's necessary," said Hermione. She was sitting down in the floor next to the toilet, looking as white as paper. "I'm okay now."
"That's 'cause you have seen yourself on a mirror honey. You look bad!" She then helped Hermione up and back into her room. "We're going there as soon as we get ready, no complains."
--- * --- * --- * ---
Almost an hour later, Damara and Hermione were back in the Academy's hospital. They were talking to the same healer that had seen Hermione the previous day. Hermione explained her symptoms to the healer asking what was wrong with her.
"Well, it's quite normal in your condition," the healer said.
"What do you mean my condition?" asked Hermione. She wasn't sure if having a bump in the head qualified to be referred to as a condition. Damara looked as puzzled as Hermione.
"Yeah, your condition," repeated the healer. Then her expression changed, "You don't know?" she asked Hermione.
"Know what? I don't understand what you're talking about." Hermione was beginning to feel frustrated with the healer's lack of ability to speak more clearly.
The healer smiled at them and then told Hermione something she wasn't expecting to hear. "You're pregnant."
"What?!" said both Damara and Hermione at the same time.
"You're pregnant. I noticed yesterday while I examined you. I didn't tell you 'cause I thought you already knew it," said the healer.
"Are you sure?" asked Hermione.
"Totally."
"I'm pregnant?" repeated Hermione to herself. "I'm pregnant!"