Wanderer

Clean

Chapter Twenty- Clean

Hermione crinkled the note in her hands, folding it then unfolding, reading it again even though it was only a sentence and a signature and she'd had it memorised within a minute of opening it. It had arrived for her at breakfast, with the usual morning post, and though her frown had soon disappeared when she recognised the handwriting, she could feel it creeping back between her eyebrows now. Something writhed in her gut. Hermione smoothed down her skirt and walked a little faster.

Stopping before the stone gargoyle and declaring the password she'd been given in the letter, Hermione stepped on the revolving staircase as soon as it appeared, letting it carry her upstairs. She only waited a moment before she knocked.

"Come in."

Pushing the door open, Hermione stepped into the room, stopping in front of McGonagall's desk. She waited silently, still clutching the note in her hands. The Headmistress didn't stop what she was doing.

Hermione glanced above her and noticed that Dumbledore's portrait was empty. She vaguely wondered where he had disappeared off to but forced herself to blink and look away. She cleared her throat. McGonagall still didn't look at her.

"Professor?" she prompted. "You wanted to see me?"

She didn't respond immediately, getting to the end of the essay she was marking. Only then, did she sheath her quill, rearrange her glasses on her nose and organise the papers in front of her into a neat pile.

"Miss Granger," the Headmistress said. "Did Mr Malfoy enjoy his trip out yesterday?"

Hermione's mouth dropped. Suddenly, she felt like a First Year again, answering the stern eyes and sharp tongue of her Head of House. McGonagall finally looked at her, fingers folded on the desk.

She fumbled for an explanation. "Professor, I-"

McGonagall held up a hand, silencing her instantly. Hermione closed her mouth.

"I hope you're aware of how foolish the pair of you were," she said irritably. In her anger, her accent thickened and her voice grew high. "Mr Malfoy is under strict supervision pending his trial, as you know! Sneaking out of the castle could very well have damaged his case."

The guilt flooded her stomach, making her heart feel heavy and dead in her chest. She closed her eyes. She never forgot anything, especially something as important as this- how could she forget about his band?

You were so caught up in helping him, you damaged his chances further.

Hermione let out a shaky breath. "Professor, I- It was me. Draco had nothing to do with it. I needed to take him somewhere, it was very important and I know, in hindsight, that nothing can be as important as his trial but that's exactly why-"

"Miss Granger," McGonagall began but Hermione didn't let her finish.

"I'm trying to help him too, Professor. We went to go meet Harry and Ron and we- we think we might have a case. A solid one, too. Something that could stand up against the Wizengamot. I know that doesn't mean anything now, not if I've ruined everything-"

"Miss Granger," said the Headmistress loudly, rising from her seat. Hermione fell silent. McGonagall pursed her lips. "The last time Mr Malfoy visited me to have his band returned, I took the liberty of changing it so that any interruptions would alert not the Ministry, but myself. Somehow, upon knowing you had Mr Potter's Cloak in your possession, I doubted very much that Mr Malfoy would remain in the castle as he should."

Hermione couldn't help but let the relief swallow her. The Ministry didn't know. They didn't know.

"It is beside the point, of course," continued McGonagall. "I'm disappointed you would act so rashly, Miss Granger. As I recall, that was always Mr Potter and Mr Weasley's influence. You could have gotten Mr Malfoy into serious trouble. I presume you know that, Miss Granger?"