Christmas was fast approaching, and I was dreading it. There was going to be a feast after the last day of class, and everyone around me would be pigging out, with me eating next to nothing and enduring the nauseating scent of the food all around me. The last Hogsmeade trip of the term wasn't going to be a very enjoyable trip either. My parents love the Flossing String Mints, and had asked me for more, which meant that I would have to endure the sickeningly sweet smells in Honeydukes. I hoped to find some new clothes though. My clothes kept getting stretched out, and seemed to grow every time I put them on. I wish it was a sign that my diet was paying off, but the image in the mirror contradicted that every time I looked into it.
I saw the way people looked at me now, guilty about noticing my weight, and trying to hide it. Surprisingly, Malfoy had not offered any rude comments yet, but I wasn't counting on that to last long. Just last night he looked like he was about to comment on my dinner, when he was stopped by Harry telling him to go away, which switched his attention to him.
"Hermione, come on. We're heading out." Harry beckoned me to follow him and Ron down the path toward the village. I followed behind at a much slower pace. My energy had been steadily declining, but that was to be expected. What with studying for O.W.L.s, doing my regular school work, organizing meetings of the newly formed D.A., and still trying to keep up with my exercise routine, my sleep was suffering, thus zapping at my energy level. I had to force myself to eat at all now; it was simply a waste of time.
"Hermione, would you like to get a butterbeer? It's so cold out," Harry offered as we past the Three Broomsticks.
"No thank you. I'm fine. You and Ron could go get some though. I need to go clothes shopping anyway, and you two don't want to come along." I countered his offer.
"No we don't," Ron agree, not wanting to spend hours watching me try on clothes.
"I don't mind. Ron, why don't you meet us in Honeyduke's in an hour?" Harry was volunteering to go shopping with me?
"Whatever you say mate," Ron replied, then headed into the warmth of the Thee Broomsticks.
"You really don't have to come with me," I urged, hoping that Harry was doing this out of a sense of duty to me.
"I want to. I'm interested to see what kind of clothes you're going to get. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get Dobby a new pair of socks; I doubt how good of a condition his current ones are in," Harry replied, obviously making an excuse up off the top of his head.
"Well, I'll just be over here. Come get me when you're done." I headed off to the section selling women's undergarments, knowing that no guy would follow me there. Or so I thought. Harry was on my every step like a lost puppy.
Frustrated with Harry's constant pressure, I gave up. "I can't really find anything I like. Let's go get socks for Dobby." Harry looked surprised but didn't say anything. We found a pair of bright purple socks for Dobby and headed to Honeyduke's.
"Hermione, do you want anything? I was going to buy some Bertie Bott's," Harry offered.
"No thank you. I'll just buy those string mints for my parents."
Ron joined us a short time later. The sun was beginning to sink low in the sky, and we walked back to school with steadily dimming light. As overwhelming smell of the feast assaulted my senses the second I stepped into the school, and made my head spin.
"Come on Hermione! We're going to be late! I'm starving!" Ron yelled at me.
"You go ahead. I'll be…" I didn't finish my sentence before my vision went black.