Hermione Granger: Cramped

Chapter 1

     Hermione awoke with a jolt. Her stomach felt like a million knives were stabbing it from the inside as she bit back the urge to scream. Finally, she slowly opened her eyes to pitch-black darkness. Looking over to her small clock on the right side of her bed the numbers told her it was already four in the morning. She held her stomach as tightly as possible but it was definitely not the right choice to move at all. Very slowly, biting her lip, she laid her head back down to its original position on the pillow.

   Hermione felt tears building up in her eyes. She knew what was happening, but refused to admit it. After all, she was already 14 in her 3rd year of Hogwarts. The signs before this night showed it. Mood swings, sudden outbursts at Ron and Harry(she felt quite bad about that), and she was beginning to have a more womanly shape as her mum had put it. Hermione knew that this was her period but all she wanted as she curled her fists around her velvet comforter that was laid on her body, was her mum's great advice, and most of all, comfort.

   Hopefully, she would feel better when she woke up in the morning. Well, if she could get to sleep. The knives that were numbed out from her thoughts suddenly got worse and she finally let out a small yelp of pain. Hermione's eyes went wide, praying that nobody had awoken. Nobody seemed to notice that her stomach was being tortured from the inside and all she could do was lay there and hope it would pass.

     Her teeth grit together because of the pain that had not lessened over night. Hermione's body lay rigid and still as moving bodies swayed around getting ready to go down to breakfast.

   Frustration built up inside her because she did not sleep one-bit last night after she woke up from the pain. Not one bit. This, of course, did not occur to anyone else. They seemed more interested in getting out of the dorm then asking her what's wrong. But that didn't matter. Hermione knew she had to get out of bed. Ron and Harry were waiting in the common room for her just like usual. Her body just wouldn't allow it. This would be better if her stomach would just stop hurting.

   Finally, she got the courage to sit up, pull the covers off, and put her feet over the bed. Hermione felt like crying as she put her hand to her belly. She knew this didn't really help, not in a logistical sense anyway, but she still did it. Looking around the dormitory and all the girl's beds, it seemed very empty. She leaned over again to her red and yellow clock and the time-stamped 7:20. She let out a small gasp, realizing she was 20 minutes late to breakfast! Her heart beat even faster and she quickly stood up. The room swirled in front of her and her stomach lunged. Dizziness almost overtook her but she made sure to stay upright. A sudden thought struck her. Maybe Hermione should just stay in bed today. No. It was Friday and she had an essay due. No. She would push though and then reluctantly, have the weekend to relax.